The Economy

Minnick voted against all versions of the $787-billion economic stimulus package that passed in February 2009. The bill, he said, permitted excessive, inefficient spending. In February 2009, Minnick authored his own stimulus plan, a $174 billion proposal that sought to cut taxes by $100 billion, direct $70 billion to infrastructure projects and create a $4 billion job-training program.

In April 2009, Minnick said he wouldn't submit any earmark requests for the fiscal year 2010 federal budget, saying spending and national debt must be slashed in the poor economy.

Conservation and The Environment

Minnick sought to compile a record that balanced economic needs with environmental concerns.

In January 2009, one of Minnick's first legislative actions was supporting the pet project of Rep. Mike Simpson (R-Idaho): making Idaho's Boulder and White Cloud Mountains a wilderness protection region. The plan would create a wilderness area stretching over nearly 500-square- miles while opening up more than 200-square-miles to potential development.

After the Obama administration suspended changes to the endangered species list pending from the George W. Bush years, Minnick and other Idaho lawmakers requested in February 2009 that the White House resume the delisting of gray wolves in order to open up the species to hunting and population control.Interior Secretary Ken Salazar decided to remove the wolves from the list in March 2009.

Minnick voted against the 2009 climate change bill, opposing the "cap-and-trade" system that would limit industrial emissions on grounds the bill would raise prices, make investing more difficult and hurt job creation.

Health-Care Reform

Minnick outlined his stance on health-care reform in a series of August 2009 townhall meetings and local events in his district. He said that health care should be available to everyone legally residing in the country, though any reform plan must pay for itself and not increase the deficit.

Minnick criticized a potential public option for health care, saying it would make "'big government' the nation's dominant insurance company." He supported setting rules encouraging competition that would guarantee coverage for all. "I would prefer to try a free-market solution," Minnick said in August 2009. "I'd rather make the radical step later if it turns out that we can't get the market to work more effectively."

Minnick also said he wanted to allow small businesses and groups of individuals to negotiate for the same plans that government workers and big companies may receive. He also advocated for higher rates based on personal lifestyle decisions such as overeating and smoking.

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