Salon.com > Mike Crapo

Senate approves anti-violence against women act

Tue, 12 Feb 2013 20:59:00 +0000

WASHINGTON (AP) — By a robust bipartisan majority, the Senate voted Tuesday to renew the Violence Against Women Act with new assurances that gays and lesbians, immigrants and Native American women will have equal access to the act's anti-domestic violence programs.

The 78-22 Senate vote to reauthorize the two-decade-old act that has shielded millions of women from abuse and helped reduce national rates of domestic violence turns the focus to the House, where Republican leaders are working to come up with their own version.

"Over 160 million women across the country are watching and waiting to see if the House will act on this bill and finally provide them the protections from violence they deserve," said Sen. Patty Murray, D-Wash.

The act expired in 2011, putting efforts to improve its many federal programs on hold. Last year both the Republican-led House and the Democratic-controlled Senate passed renewal bills, but they were unable to reach a compromise.

This year House Republicans, sensitive to their lackluster showing among women voters in the November election, have vowed to move expeditiously on the issue. House Majority Leader Eric Cantor, R-Va., has taken the lead in negotiating the terms of a House bill.

Senate gives Violence Against Women Act another try

Wed, 23 Jan 2013 19:09:00 +0000

Though House Republicans blocked the Violence Against Women Act last year, the Senate is not giving up. A new version of the bill, co-authored by Sen. Patrick Leahy, D-Vt., and Sen. Mike Crapo, R-Idaho, seeks to add pressure to House Republican leadership to reauthorize the law, which stalled and expired in September 2011, for the first time ever.

“This lifesaving legislation should be a top priority of the new 113th Congress,” Leahy said in a statement. “It is our hope that the Senate will act quickly to pass this strong, bipartisan bill to help all victims of domestic and sexual violence.”

“The Violence Against Women Act has helped countless victims of domestic and relationship violence for nearly 20 years,” Crapo said. “The path to reauthorization in the 113th Congress begins with reintroduction, and I look forward to working with Senator Leahy and my colleagues on compromise language that can garner the necessary support in both the Senate and House to pass this critical legislation.”

Idaho senator pleads guilty to DWI charge in Va.

Fri, 04 Jan 2013 16:34:00 +0000

ALEXANDRIA, Va. (AP) — Idaho Republican Sen. Michael Crapo pleaded guilty Friday to a misdemeanor first-offense drunken driving charge in a Virginia court.

In exchange for his plea Friday, prosecutors dropped a charge of failing to obey a traffic signal. Crapo received a $250 fine and a 12-month suspension of his driver's license and must complete an alcohol safety program.

Police said Crapo was pulled over Dec. 23 for running a red light and registered a blood alcohol level above the legal limit.

After the hearing Friday, Crapo gave a statement outside the Alexandria City courthouse, apologizing for his actions. Crapo said he had been drinking vodka and tonic at home on the night of the offense, became restless, couldn't sleep and went out for a drive.

He had been driving for about 30 minutes when he realized he was in no condition to drive and started to return home, he said. It was then that he ran a red light and was pulled over.

"I am grateful, truly grateful, that no one was injured," Crapo said.

Crapo said that he was not with anyone at the time, that he was not going to see anyone, and he was not coming or going from seeing anybody.

Sen. Crapo “consumed several shots of vodka” before DUI arrest

Thu, 27 Dec 2012 14:58:00 +0000

Sen. Mike Crapo, R-Idaho, had "consumed several shots of vodka" prior to getting arrested and charged with a DUI, according to court documents obtained by the Washington Post.

The Post reports that Crapo, a Mormon who has said that he abstains from alcohol, was pulled over after making a left turn on a red light in Alexandria, Va.

From the Post:

“When I spoke with the driver I immediately detected a strong odor of alcoholic beverage on his breath, which became stronger as he spoke,” the arresting officer wrote.

Crapo said he drank the vodka hours earlier, and hadn’t had anything to drink since, documents show.

Crapo failed a field sobriety test and agreed to take a breath test, which resulted in a level of .11, exceeding Virginia’s legal limit of .08, according to the documents.

Crapo's court date is set for January 4.

Idaho’s Crapo had image as Mormon teetotaler

Mon, 24 Dec 2012 19:57:00 +0000

BOISE, Idaho (AP) — When U.S. Sen. Mike Crapo (KRAY'-poh) sponsored a 2010 bill to cut taxes on small brewers, he said he did so for pro-business, not pro-beer reasons.

A Mormon, the Idaho Republican told The Associated Press at the time that he abstains from alcohol, and he pledged to have a root beer to celebrate if the bill passed.

Crapo's arrest Sunday in a Washington, D.C., suburb on suspicion of drunken driving contradicts his public persona as a teetotaling member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The church bar members from using alcohol, as well as coffee, tea and some other substances.

In a statement, Crapo has taken responsibility and pledged to ensure "this circumstance is never repeated."

Colleagues say they're surprised the three-term Republican is in this situation. But Idaho's junior U.S. Sen. Jim Risch offered his support, saying Crapo made a mistake and has apologized.

Sen. Mike Crapo apologizes for DUI arrest

Mon, 24 Dec 2012 15:16:00 +0000

Sen. Mike Crapo, R-Idaho, apologized for his arrest for drunk driving in a D.C. suburb on Sunday, saying in a statement, "I accept total responsibility and will deal with whatever penalty comes my way in this matter."

Crapo was arrested at 12:45 a.m. on Sunday morning in Alexandria, Va., and charged with driving under the influence.

A statement on the Alexandria Police Department website describes the incident:

"An officer was on routine patrol when he noticed a vehicle go through a red traffic signal. The officer initiated a traffic stop on the vehicle at Hume Avenue and Mount Vernon Avenue. Sen. Crapo was identified as the driver and arrested after failing several field sobriety tests. He was taken into custody without incident and transported to the Alexandria Adult Detention Center where he was released on a $1,000 unsecured bond."

Crapo had a blood alcohol content level of 0.11 at the time of the arrest, according to the statement, and was alone in the vehicle at the time. He has a court date set for January 4, 2013.