Rep. Rick Larsen (D-Wash.) chairs the House Aviation Subcommittee but has set his sights on chairing the full Transportation Committee — a post that will open up next year with the retirement of Rep. Peter DeFazio (D-Ore.). Larsen has competition — Del. Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-D.C.) is also running for the top job. She is more senior, and Democrats usually honor seniority though they don’t have to. POLITICO sat down with Larsen to talk about his candidacy, his plans and priorities for the committee and his thoughts on the biggest issues in transportation. Read more »

It is long past time to make Juneteenth a national holiday. Designating June 19 a national holiday would clearly and powerfully proclaim the United States is finally ready to grapple with the legacy of slavery. Read more »

Washington Post: House Committee approves spinoff of 30,000 workers from federal payroll Ashley Halsey III The House Transportation Committee on Tuesday approved legislation that would remove more than 30,000 air traffic controllers and aviation-modernization workers from the federal payroll, spinning them off into a private, nonprofit corporation. The proposal comes with the endorsement of Presid... Read more »

Aero News Network: Transportation Committee Democrats Oppose ATC Privatization Controversial Plan Derails Bipartisan FAA Reauthorization In Tuesday's markup of the FAA Reauthorization bill in the House Transportation Committee, Rep. Rick Larsen (D-WA), the senior Democrat on the Aviation subcommittee, called on his Republican and Democratic colleagues to focus on areas of bipartisan common ground,... Read more »

Natural Resource Report: NW Congressional members seek preservation of local ecosystem Members of Congress from Oregon, Washington, and Idaho sent a letter to Secretary of the Interior Ryan Zinke requesting assistance to combat the spread of an invasive species of mussels that threatens the Columbia River system, fisheries, and hydropower infrastructure. In a bipartisan effort, U.S. Representative... Read more »

The New Yorker: Trade with China is a Two-Way Street Congressman Rick Larsen has been working for years on trade issues involving China. After the collapse of the Trans-Pacific Partnership, he laments the lost business opportunities. Listen here. Read more »

Seattle Times: State officials, suppliers seek prospects at Paris Air Show By Dominic Gates A Washington state delegation slogged through intense heat this week to speed-date potential clients in a rapid-fire series of business meetings at the Paris Air Show and a preshow visit to Airbus in Toulouse. Aside from gathering intelligence on industry trends, the hope is that this effort will “later tur... Read more »

My Everett News: More Help For Homeless Veterans In And Around Everett Good news from the folks at Workforce Snohomish in south Everett as word is they have received a grant of a quarter million dollars to continue and expand programs for homeless veterans in our area. Here’s the information… Workforce Snohomish has received $277,511 to provide homeless Snohomish County veterans job training and s... Read more »

Stanwood Camano News: Larsen to lead state air show delegation U.S. Rep. Rick Larsen (WA-02) and Brian Bonlender, director of the state’s Department of Commerce, are leading Washington state’s largest-ever delegation to the International Paris Air Show – June 17-23. Larsen is the top-ranking Democrat on the House Subcommittee on Aviation and is leading the delegation at Gov. Jay Inslee’s request. ... Read more »

DAV: In vitro fertilization treatment available to eligible veterans, spouses; expanded access sought in Congress Charity Edgar In 2014, the National Health Study for a New Generation of U.S. Veterans found that 15.8 percent of women and 13.8 percent of men who served in the post-9/11 era have experienced infertility, and now these veterans have expanded services available through the VA. Defined ... Read more »