Editing Larry Craig (section)

===U.S. Senate===
[[File:Defense.gov News Photo 021213-D-9880W-088.jpg|thumb|247x247px|Senator Larry Craig with [[Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff]] General [[Richard Myers|Richard B. Myers]] and [[Deputy Secretary of Defense]] [[Paul Wolfowitz]] at [[The Pentagon]] on December 13, 2002]]
[[File:Republican Senators urge Tom Daschle to set a date for debate to establish a comprehensive energy plan for American families.jpg|thumb|Craig with [[Rick Santorum]], [[Frank Murkowski]], and [[Kay Bailey Hutchison]] in 2001|247x247px]]

Craig announced his candidacy for the [[United States Senate elections, 1990|1990 Senate election]] for the seat vacated by the retiring [[James A. McClure]]. Craig defeated Idaho Attorney General [[Jim Jones (jurist)|Jim Jones]] in the Republican primary. In the general election he defeated [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democratic]] former [[Idaho Legislature]] member [[Ron J. Twilegar]] with 61 percent of the vote.{{cn|date=April 2025}}

In 1995, Craig formed a [[barbershop quartet]] called [[The Singing Senators]] with Senators [[Trent Lott]], [[John Ashcroft]], and [[Jim Jeffords]].<ref>{{cite magazine |url=https://www.wired.com/2000/04/they-put-the-party-in-gop/ |magazine=Wired |title=They Put the Party in GOP |date=April 19, 2000 |access-date=April 29, 2020 |archive-date=October 29, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201029015151/https://www.wired.com/2000/04/they-put-the-party-in-gop/ |url-status=live }}</ref>

Craig was [[United States Senate election, 1996|reelected in 1996]], with 57 percent of the vote, defeating Democrat [[Walt Minnick]]. He was reelected again in the [[United States Senate election, 2002|2002 election]] with 65 percent of the vote, when he spent $3.2 million to defeat [[Alan Blinken]].{{cn|date=April 2025}}

In 1999, Craig became sharply critical of U.S. President [[Bill Clinton]] for the [[Monica Lewinsky scandal]]. Speaking on [[NBC]]'s ''[[Meet The Press]]'', Craig told [[Tim Russert]]: "The American people already know that Bill Clinton is a bad boy – a naughty boy. I'm going to speak out for the citizens of my state, who in the majority think that Bill Clinton is probably even a nasty, bad, naughty boy."<ref>{{cite news |url=http://crooksandliars.com/2007/08/28/1999-video-republican-larry-craig-calls-bill-clinton-a-nasty-bad-naughty-boy |title=1999 Video: Republican Larry Craig Calls Bill Clinton "A Nasty, Bad Naughty Boy" |last=Murphy |first=Logan |publisher=Crooks and Liars |date=August 27, 2007 |access-date=September 27, 2016 |archive-date=October 1, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161001162151/http://crooksandliars.com/2007/08/28/1999-video-republican-larry-craig-calls-bill-clinton-a-nasty-bad-naughty-boy |url-status=live }}</ref>

Craig served as [[Republican Policy Committee Chairman of the United States Senate|Senate Republican Policy Committee chairman]] from 1997 until 2003.<ref name="congress_bio" /> He then became chairman of the [[United States Senate Special Committee on Aging|Special Committee on Aging]]. After the Democrats gained control of the Senate in the [[United States Senate election, 2006|2006 Congressional election]], Craig became the [[ranking member]] of the [[United States Senate Committee on Veterans' Affairs|Committee on Veterans' Affairs]] and a member of the [[United States Senate Committee on Appropriations|Appropriations Committee]] and the [[United States Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources|Energy and Natural Resources Committee]]. He served as the ranking member of the Interior and Related Agencies Appropriations Subcommittee. Amid the controversy surrounding his arrest, in August 2007 Craig stepped aside as ranking member on the [[United States Senate Committee on Veterans' Affairs|Veterans' Affairs Committee]] and two subcommittees.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.cnn.com/2007/POLITICS/08/29/craig.arrest/index.html |title=Craig stripped of party leadership on Senate committees |last=Bash |first=Dana |author2=Candy Crowley |author3=Jessica Yellin |author4=Chris Welch |publisher=CNN |date=August 29, 2007 |access-date=September 1, 2007 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20070830093023/http://www.cnn.com/2007/POLITICS/08/29/craig.arrest/index.html |archive-date = August 30, 2007}}</ref>

Craig is a longtime advocate for a [[balanced budget amendment]] to the [[United States Constitution]].<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.cnn.com/2003/ALLPOLITICS/02/13/budget.amendment.ap/ |title=CNN ''All Politics''/ |last=Associated Press |publisher=CNN |date=February 13, 2003 |access-date=September 6, 2007 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20070203155019/http://www.cnn.com/2003/ALLPOLITICS/02/13/budget.amendment.ap/ |archive-date = February 3, 2007}}</ref>

In May 2003, Craig put a [[secret hold|hold]] on more than 200 [[United States Air Force|Air Force]] promotions in an attempt to pressure the Air Force to station four new [[C-130 Hercules|C-130]] cargo planes in Idaho, saying he received a commitment from the Air Force almost seven years earlier that the planes would be delivered. [[United States Department of Defense|Defense Department]] officials said the reason the C-130s had not been sent to Idaho was that no new aircraft were being manufactured for the type of transport mission done by the [[Idaho Air National Guard]] unit where Craig wanted the planes delivered.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.cnn.com/2003/ALLPOLITICS/06/09/senator.nominees/index.html |title=Idaho senator holds up Air Force promotions: Dispute over cargo planes at issue |last=Snow |first=Kate |author2=Steve Turnham |author3=Trish Turner |publisher=CNN |date=June 10, 2003 |access-date=September 1, 2007 |archive-date=October 12, 2007 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071012154140/http://www.cnn.com/2003/ALLPOLITICS/06/09/senator.nominees/index.html |url-status=live }}</ref>

Craig supported the [[guest worker program]] proposed by President [[George W. Bush]]. In April 2005, Craig tried to amend an [[Iraq War]] supplemental bill with an amendment that would have granted legal status to between 500,000 and one million [[Illegal immigration to the United States|illegal immigrants]] in farm work. The amendment failed with 53 votes (60 votes were needed because the amendment was not relevant to the underlying bill).<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/nation/20050420-9999-1n20agjobs.html |newspaper=San Diego Tribune |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090103032125/http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/nation/20050420-9999-1n20agjobs.html |archive-date=January 3, 2009 |title=Legal status for undocumented farmworkers fails |date=April 20, 2005 }}</ref> A version of the AgJOBS legislation was included in the Senate-passed immigration reform bill in 2006. Craig, the principal sponsor of AgJOBS, continues to support [[amnesty]] for illegal immigrants who are "trusted workers with a significant work history in American agriculture."<ref>{{cite web|url=http://craig.senate.gov/i_agjobs.cfm |title=Putting our Immigration Policies to work |publisher=[[United States Senate]] |access-date=April 10, 2007 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070328204737/http://craig.senate.gov/i_agjobs.cfm |archive-date=March 28, 2007 }}</ref> This position has been sharply criticized by anti-illegal immigration activists.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.idahostatesman.com/244/story/78360.html  |archive-url=https://archive.today/20140830013937/http://www.idahostatesman.com/244/story/78360.html  |url-status=dead  |archive-date=August 30, 2014  |title=Vasquez will challenge Craig in 2008 |access-date=April 10, 2007}}</ref> On June 26, 2007, Craig reiterated his support for the [[Comprehensive Immigration Reform Act of 2007]].{{cn|date=April 2025}}

In October 2005, Craig suggested that flooded sections of [[New Orleans]] should be abandoned after [[Hurricane Katrina]] had hit and was quoted on a Baton Rouge television station as saying that "Fraud is in the culture of Iraqis. I believe that is true in the state of [[Louisiana]] as well."<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.wafb.com/Global/story.asp?S=3990310 |title=Senator: LA is as Corrupt as Iraq |publisher=WAFB (Louisiana) |date=October 18, 2005 |access-date=September 1, 2007 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070904003944/http://www.wafb.com/Global/story.asp?S=3990310 |archive-date=September 4, 2007 |url-status=dead }}</ref>

On December 16, 2005, Craig voted against a [[cloture]] motion filed relative to the [[USA PATRIOT Act]]; the motion ultimately earned only 52 votes, and so a Democratic [[filibuster]] against extension of the act (due to expire at the end of 2005) was allowed to continue.<ref>[http://premium.edition.cnn.com/2005/POLITICS/12/16/patriot.act/ CNN.com] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071012154350/http://premium.edition.cnn.com/2005/POLITICS/12/16/patriot.act/ |date=October 12, 2007 }} ''Patriot Act renewal fails in Senate.'' December 17, 2005.</ref> On December 21, 2005, Craig backed a six-month extension of the Act while further negotiations took place.<ref>[https://www.usatoday.com/news/washington/2005-12-21-patriot_x.htm?csp=24 USA TODAY] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111016150058/http://www.usatoday.com/news/washington/2005-12-21-patriot_x.htm?csp=24 |date=October 16, 2011 }} ''Senate strikes deal to extend Patriot Act'', December 21, 2005.</ref> On February 9, 2006, Craig announced an agreement among himself, the [[White House]], and fellow Senators [[John E. Sununu]], [[Arlen Specter]], [[Lisa Murkowski]], [[Chuck Hagel]] and [[Dick Durbin|Richard Durbin]] to reauthorize the Act.<ref>[http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2006/02/10/ap/politics/mainD8FLTKUG0.shtml CBS News] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081229111711/http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2006/02/10/ap/politics/mainD8FLTKUG0.shtml |date=December 29, 2008 }} ''Agreement Reached on Patriot Act Changes'', February 10, 2006.</ref>

Craig supported the [[Federal Marriage Amendment]], which barred extension of rights to [[same-sex couple]]s; he voted for cloture on the amendment in both 2004 and 2006, and was a cosponsor in 2008.<ref>[http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/bdquery/z?d110:s.j.res.00043: S.J.RES.43] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110105232120/http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/bdquery/z?d110:s.j.res.00043: |date=January 5, 2011 }}, A joint resolution proposing an amendment to the Constitution of the United States relating to marriage.</ref> However, in late 2006 he appeared to endorse the right of individual states to create same-sex [[civil unions]], but said he would vote "yes" on an Idaho constitutional amendment banning same-sex marriages when pressured to clarify his position by the anti-[[gay rights]] advocacy group Families for a Better Idaho.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://craig.senate.gov/releases/pr110606a.cfm |title=Craig Clarifies: 'Yes' on Marriage Amendment |publisher=[[United States Senate]] |date=November 6, 2006 |access-date=September 1, 2007 |url-status=dead |archive-url=http://webarchive.loc.gov/all/20070829214943/http://craig.senate.gov/releases/pr110606a.cfm |archive-date=August 29, 2007 }}</ref> Craig voted against cloture on a 2002 bill which would have extended the federal definition of [[hate crime]]s to cover [[sexual orientation]].<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.senate.gov/legislative/LIS/roll_call_lists/roll_call_vote_cfm.cfm?congress=107&session=2&vote=00147 |title=U.S. Senate Roll Call Votes 107th Congress – 2nd Session |access-date=October 24, 2008 |publisher=United States Senate |archive-date=October 31, 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081031030626/http://www.senate.gov/legislative/LIS/roll_call_lists/roll_call_vote_cfm.cfm?congress=107&session=2&vote=00147 |url-status=live }}</ref> This legislation was passed in 2007 in both the House and the Senate as the [[Local Law Enforcement Hate Crimes Prevention Act of 2007]]. Craig voted against the measure.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.senate.gov/legislative/LIS/roll_call_lists/roll_call_vote_cfm.cfm?congress=110&session=1&vote=00350 |title=U.S. Senate Roll Call Votes 110th Congress – 1st Session |access-date=October 24, 2008 |publisher=United States Senate |archive-date=October 30, 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081030214605/http://www.senate.gov/legislative/LIS/roll_call_lists/roll_call_vote_cfm.cfm?congress=110&session=1&vote=00350 |url-status=live }}</ref> 

Prior to the nomination of Idaho [[Governor of Idaho|Governor]] [[Dirk Kempthorne]], Craig was mentioned as a possible candidate to succeed [[Gale Norton]] as [[United States Secretary of the Interior]] in March 2006.<ref>[http://www.redorbit.com/news/science/424520/kempthorne_craig_could_be_nominees/index.html?source=r_science Red Orbit] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070930023522/http://www.redorbit.com/news/science/424520/kempthorne_craig_could_be_nominees/index.html?source=r_science |date=September 30, 2007 }} ''Kempthorne, Craig Could Be Nominees'', March 11, 2006.</ref>