Congress has surrendered to Trump, and Idaho’s delegation is leading the retreat
August 1, 2025
By Lauren Necochea Reader Contributor
Duty to country should come before loyalty to any politician. Members of Congress are elected to protect the people and uphold the Constitution. Idaho’s Republican delegation has abandoned that responsibility. Time after time, they’ve chosen to serve Donald Trump and his reckless agenda, no matter the cost to Idahoans.
Earlier this year, Congress approved a bipartisan budget to fund the government through the end of the fiscal year. It took negotiation, 60 Senate votes and bipartisan support. Idaho Republicans backed it. Trump signed it into law. Then the Trump regime reversed course, demanding cuts that undermined core government functions. This month, Republicans passed a rescission package that eliminated $9.4 billion in already approved funding. Idaho’s delegation supported it without hesitation.
The clawbacks are dangerous. They gut global health initiatives that combat infectious disease, save millions of lives and generate goodwill. They undercut peacekeeping efforts that prevent armed conflict. They slash international development programs that support stable governments and prevent crises and violence.
Lauren Necochea. File photo.
Closer to home, the rescissions threaten critical support for public broadcasting, including PBS and NPR stations that serve rural Idaho. These stations provide public safety alerts, trusted local news and quality educational programming that many of us grew up with.
The process itself sets a disturbing precedent. The original budget required bipartisanship. The rescission took a simple party-line vote. It allowed Republicans to unilaterally rewrite a deal because Trump told them to. If this becomes routine, minority parties will have no reason to negotiate. Future deals will collapse. Trust will erode. Congress will become a procedural weapon for the president’s whims.
The Trump-first mindset was clear when Democrats pushed to release the Epstein files. Speaker Mike Johnson abruptly recessed the chamber to dodge more votes. Democrats fought to expose the influential individuals connected to Epstein’s crimes and to show that no one is above the law. Republicans blocked it.
Every move now seems aimed at pleasing Trump. Mike Simpson recently inserted the renaming of the Kennedy Center Opera House after first lady Melania Trump into a larger bill. He claimed it was to recognize her support for the arts. That’s laughable. She stood by as Trump fought to eliminate the National Endowment for the Arts.
This all reveals a larger truth: Idaho’s delegation is no longer interested in governing. They are focused on political survival in a party that punishes dissent and rewards obedience to the Trump regime. They support him even when it harms Idaho communities. Even when it means breaking their own rules. Even when it means undermining Congress itself.
If they won’t stand up for Idaho, for the Constitution or even for basic integrity, then they don’t deserve to hold office. Idaho needs leaders who answer to the people, not Trump.
Lauren Necochea is chair of the Idaho Democratic Party and a former District 19 legislator. Necochea spent a decade leading nonprofit programs dedicated to research and advocacy in tax policy, health care and children’s issues.
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