Mike Simpson

Biography

 Having won reelection to his tenth term in November, Simpson, a Republican, is one of four trained dentists in Congress. He holds a DMD from Washington University School of Dental Medicine in St. Louis, and before going into politics practiced alongside his father and uncle at Simpson Family Dental in Blackfoot, Idaho. In the last Congress he was on both the House Appropriations and Health and Human Services Appropriations Committees, powerful posts that enable him to fight for such causes as free dental care for military veterans and — in the wake of his own loss of more than 70 pounds — healthy eating and exercise. He has attracted campaign support from the ADA’s American Dental Political Action Committee. Although he voted against the Affordable Care Act, Simpson has advocated for greater access to dental care and is lobbying for bill H.R. 539, the Action for Dental Health Act — a bill that would help dentists provide oral care to needy Americans by lowering financial barriers and increasing public funds for mobile equipment and more. As co-chair of the Congressional Oral Health Caucus, Simpson also supports the Breaking Barriers to Oral Health Care Act, which would give states and local governments additional dental-care funds.

Research Interest

 Dentistry