Democrats deliver for Idaho, even when Republicans stand in the way

By Lauren Necochea
Reader Contributor

Idaho moves forward when we invest in the people who grow our food, build our infrastructure, teach our kids and keep communities running. Democratic leaders know this and have enacted key laws fueling our economy today.

The Trump administration and Idaho Republicans have treated those investments like political targets. They terminate agreements and create uncertainty for Idaho communities while showing up at ribbon cuttings for projects they opposed.

The clearest example came from Donald Trump and Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency. DOGE was sold as a war on waste. It created chaos, cut services, fired workers and then had to rehire many of them. It generated at least $21.7 billion in waste. Even Musk said he would not do it again.

Nevertheless, Idaho GOP leaders celebrated cuts that reached nearly every corner of daily life: rural libraries; digital skills training; refurbished computers for seniors, veterans, rural Idahoans and families trying to get online; residential solar grants that would have lowered utility bills for 15,000 Idahoans; and school programs, with funding restored only after parents and school leaders were sent into a panic.

In Pocatello, Trump’s administration terminated $16.4 million for the Portneuf River Vision project, cutting water and sewer infrastructure, stormwater drainage, groundwater protection and sewer connections for south Pocatello neighborhoods.

Idaho farmers were targeted, too. The Democrat-led Inflation Reduction Act funded the University of Idaho’s $59 million Innovative Agriculture and Marketing Partnership, a program designed to help farmers improve soil health, conserve water, reduce risk and build stronger markets for Idaho-grown products. More than 200 farmers across 34 counties had already applied — and some had already spent promised funds — before Trump’s USDA retracted funding and shut it down.

Last month, the funding was restored. That is welcome news as Idaho farmers face drought and other manufactured crises. But they never should have had the rug pulled out from under them.

Lewiston is benefiting from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, passed by Democrats and opposed by Idaho’s GOP representatives. The law is helping the city remove forever chemicals from drinking water and will save local taxpayers millions.

The CHIPS and Science Act, passed by Democrats, helped secure the largest private investment in Idaho history, supporting thousands of jobs, workforce training and Idaho’s growing role in advanced memory-chip manufacturing. That strengthens national security and reduces our reliance on foreign countries for critical technology. 

Idaho is one of only a handful of states receiving direct investments, yet Idaho Republicans in Congress voted against the law that made it possible.

Idahoans need leaders who lower costs, strengthen local economies, protect clean water, support farmers and help families get ahead. Democrats are delivering those solutions. Republican politicians should stop standing in the way.

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.