U.S. Senator from Idaho; Chairman, Senate Foreign Relations Committee

Jim Risch is the Republican incumbent U.S. Senator from Idaho and chairs the Senate Foreign Relations Committee². He is a rancher and attorney who was Ada County prosecutor, Idaho Senate President Pro Tem, Lieutenant Governor, Governor and then U.S. Senator². He is listed on the November 2026 general election ballot for U.S. Senator⁶.

Where they stand 10 issues · tap any issue for the evidence

• Income taxesCut taxes across the board, including for top earners and corporationshigh

  Voted · high confidence

  • His official site says the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act and the Working Families Tax Cuts bill delivered policies that will increase wages and create jobs, and that taxpayers should keep more of their money. (2025) source
  • Voted for the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, which makes permanent the individual tax rates of 10% to 37%; the Senate vote was 50 to 50 and the Vice President broke the tie. (2025-07-01) source
• ImmigrationSecure the border first; deport those with criminal records; keep legal immigration steadyhigh

  Voted · high confidence

  • His official site says he wants to secure the borders first, reform legal immigration with a practical, workable program for workers, and allow no amnesty for people who broke the law. (2025) source
  • Voted for the Laken Riley Act, which requires detention of people in the country illegally who are charged with theft; it passed 64 to 35. (2025-01-20) source
  • Voted for S. 2, the Secure America Act, a budget reconciliation bill that provides $70 billion for immigration enforcement and border security through fiscal year 2029; it passed 52 to 47. (2026-06-05) source
  • Voted against the 2013 comprehensive immigration reform bill, which paired border security spending with a path to citizenship; it passed 68 to 32. (2013-06-27) source
• Aid to UkraineRestore strong U.S. aid and add tougher sanctions on Russiahigh

  Voted · high confidence

  • In 2022 he said Western sanctions had not deterred Putin and that it is time to completely shut down the Russian economy and do more to assist Ukrainian defenses. (2022-03-02) source
  • In 2026, in remarks ahead of Senate passage of a Russia sanctions bill, he said it would impose critical new sanctions on Russia and those enabling its war in Ukraine. (2026-08-07) source
  • Voted for the April 2024 national security supplemental, which his statement says included his REPO Act on Russian sovereign funds for Ukraine and aid for Taiwan and allies; it passed 79 to 18. (2024-04-23) source
  • Voted for H.R. 5334, a Russia sanctions bill that passed 86 to 11. (2026-08-07) source
• Safety net programsKeep them, but add work requirements for able-bodied adultsmedium

  Voted · medium confidence

  • Voted for the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, which expands work requirements for able-bodied adults without dependents in SNAP, among many other provisions. (2025-07-01) source
• Energy and climateAll of the above: oil, gas, nuclear and renewables, and let markets pickmedium

  Said · medium confidence

  • His official site says he supports expanded domestic oil drilling along with nuclear, hydropower, geothermal, biomass, natural gas and clean coal. (2025) source
  • In the CBS2/FOX9 survey he said he has pushed for policies that make it easier to produce oil, natural gas, nuclear and geothermal power. (2026-08-24) source
• Nuclear powerBack new reactors with public funds, tax credits, and streamlined approvalsmedium

  Said · medium confidence

  • His official site calls himself a leading voice for the aggressive expansion of domestic nuclear power and says he has advocated investments in next-generation nuclear research at Idaho National Laboratory. (2025) source
• Transgender athletesNo, and Congress should set a biological sex rule nationwidemedium

  Voted · medium confidence

  • Voted yes on cloture to begin debate on the Protection of Women and Girls in Sports Act, which would bar school athletic programs from letting people whose sex at birth was male join women's and girls' programs; the motion failed 51 to 45. (2025-03-03) source
• Mandatory minimumsAdd or lengthen them for serious crimes like fentanyl traffickingmedium

  Voted · medium confidence

  • Voted for the HALT Fentanyl Act, which permanently places fentanyl-related substances in Schedule I and applies mandatory minimum prison terms to them; it passed 84 to 16. (2025-03-14) source
• Student loansCap borrowing, simplify repayment, and skip broad forgivenessmedium

  Voted · medium confidence

  • Voted to overturn the Department of Education rule on Waivers and Modifications of Federal Student Loans; it passed 52 to 46. (2023-06-01) source
• AbortionIllegal, except to save the mother's life or in cases of rape or incestlow

  Said · low confidence

  • His official site says he is strongly pro-life and has advocated legislation that protects and promotes human life, including the unborn. (2025) source

No public position found on: National debt, Social Security, Minimum wage, Business regulation, Healthcare, Guns, Trade and tariffs, Foreign policy, Judges, Politicians trading stocks, Marijuana, Redistricting, Term limits, Campaign finance, Electoral College, Supreme Court reform, Death penalty, Qualified immunity, Drug prices, Childcare and pre-K, Paid leave, AI regulation, Kids online, School vaccines, Birthright citizenship, E-Verify mandate, DEI programs, Religion in schools, Aid to Israel, China policy.