Times-News

Idaho's two Republican congressmen split votes on the second version of the bailout bill, just as they had done earlier in the week.

Rep. Mike Simpson of the 2nd District supported Friday's measure, just as he had done on the previous plan, and defended what he called the new bill's protection for taxpayers.

"I am convinced this bill is an investment that will be recouped over time," he said in a statement after the vote. "If the money has not been paid in full, the bill contains provisions that require a tax on Wall Street to repay it, not the American family."

Simpson referred to Sen. Larry Craig, R-Idaho, and his support for the bill in Wednesday's Senate vote, saying it was necessary to keep economic vitality bolstered in current times. Simpson, now in his fifth term in Washington, faces Democrat Debbie Holmes in the Nov. 4 election.

"No one is happy about this legislation, but I am convinced that action is a necessary evil in order to keep small businesses afloat, keep retirees from losing their life savings and help end the growing credit crisis we now face," Simpson said.

Freshman Rep. Bill Sali, who faces Democrat Walt Minnick in a tight 1st District race, cast his second no vote of the week on an economic bailout.

Sen. Mike Crapo, Idaho's junior Republican senator, had also opposed the Senate bill on Wednesday.

"The notion that Congress must do 'something' cannot be substituted for the obligation for Congress to do the right thing," Sali wrote. "This bill was not the right prescription to fix our current credit crisis and I could not support this landmark and terribly mistaken legislation."

Sali said the incentives placed in the bill - called "sweeteners" by critics - didn't help make it any more worthy of support. He called those additions "a tacit admission that this bill is not the right remedy for our financial problems."