Simpson takes top spot on environmental committee

BOISE (AP) - Idaho Republican Mike Simpson is now one of the leading voices in the U.S. House on issues effecting the environment, national forests and public lands.

With the change in power this week, Rep. Simpson takes over as chairman of the Appropriations Subcommittee on Interior and the Environment.

Simpson said the subcommittee plays a critical role in Idaho, a state where nearly two-thirds of the land is owned by the federal government and managed by agencies like the National Forest Service and Bureau of Land Management.

Simpson said those agencies must be good neighbors and promises to make sure they act effectively and efficiently for Idahoans.

He said a top priority will be curtailing the growing budget of the Environmental Protection Agency under the Obama administration.