Washington DC, March 29, 2018. For several hours on Thursday March 22, Sen. James E. Risch (R-Idaho)
demanded that a provision renaming the White Clouds Wilderness in central Idaho after former four-term governor Cecil D. Andrus, who died last year, be removed from a fast-moving omnibus appropriations bill.
Risch later followed Senate leader Mitch McConnell (R) , Senate Majority Whip John Cornyn (R-Tex.) and Sen. Tim Scott (R-S.C.) into Cornyn’s office for a 25-minute meeting. Shortly before midnight, Risch left and walked onto the Senate floor without saying a word to reporters. Cornyn later said that no change would be made to remove the renaming language.
Risch often picked fights with Andrus, a successful Democrat. Risch short and argumentative clearly felt inferior to Andrus, who was tall and diplomatic. Risch found success in political advancement.
Risch is one of the most partisan people I’ve ever had to deal with,” Andrus is quoted as saying which is reflected in the articles about Risch. [table “7” not found /]
In 2017, as the US Senator from Idaho, Risch was one of 22 senators to sign a letter[15] to President Donald Trump urging the President to have the United States withdraw from the Paris Agreement.
On Aug. 11, 2017, Risch, in an interview aired on the PBS Newshour, warmly endorsed President Trump’s rhetoric threatening North Korea with military destruction in the event that country launched missiles at Guam. [16]
“During his time in legislative leadership, cooperation across the aisle and with the governor’s office reached a new low, Andrus remembers of his time as Idaho Governor dealings with Risch in the Idaho Senate.
Risch’s attempt to take revenge on Andrus shows how low a politician will go when overshadowed by a much superior and accomplished individual committed to serving the public.
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