Rep. Rick Larsen, WA-02, issued the following statement today in light of recent revelations that the National Security Agency has violated privacy rules thousands of times.   “I fully expect these latest disturbing revelations to kick surveillance reform into overdrive.  The jaw-dropping number of violations of law and procedure, whether the underlying actions are… Read more »

Congressman Rick Larsen, WA-02, will hold five roundtable discussions with veterans in the coming weeks. All veterans are welcome to come to learn about Rick’s work for veterans in Congress and services for veterans available through his Everett and Bellingham offices. Rick also wants to hear from you about your thoughts and concerns about veterans’… Read more »

Rep. Rick Larsen, WA-02, today announced that the federal government will spend more than $900,000 to protect Southern Resident Killer whales in the Puget Sound. Larsen actively supported the Washington State Department of Fish and Wildlife’s application for the grant, including by sending a letter of support to the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) in… Read more »

Rep. Rick Larsen, WA-02, today called for reform of government surveillance programs. In a letter to Rep. C.A. Dutch Ruppersberger, the ranking member of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, Larsen pushed reforms that would limit the programs and increase their transparency and accountability. A copy of the letter is available here. The text of Larsen’s letter… Read more »

Rep. Rick Larsen, WA-02, today urged his colleagues to take up and pass the SAFE Bridges Act, a bill he introduced with Reps. Nick Rahall, W.Va-03, and Peter DeFazio, Ore.-04. The House of Representatives will recess Friday for five weeks without passing any legislation to invest in our transportation infrastructure. Larsen’s floor speech follows: Mr. Speaker, I rise to support… Read more »

Small- and medium-sized cities will get a fair share of federal transportation dollars under a bill introduced by Rep. Rick Larsen, WA-02, today. The Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery for Cities Underfunded Because of Size (TIGER CUBS) Act of 2013 would set aside 20 percent of special transportation infrastructure funding specifically for smaller cities. “TIGER… Read more »

Rep. Rick Larsen, WA-02, today voted for a bipartisan compromise on student loan interest rates that will cut interest rates for students on federal loans in college and graduate school. Interest rates for undergraduate loans doubled on July 1. “America needs to be telling its young people that we will invest in them,” Larsen said. “This bipartisan compromise stops the… Read more »

Rep. Rick Larsen, WA-02, issued the following statement after Republican leaders pulled a transportation funding bill from the floor, cancelling a planned vote on the bill this evening. “Really? Republicans can vote 40 times to repeal Obamacare, but when it comes to actually governing they can’t find the votes for their own transportation bill? “Republicans didn’t… Read more »

Rep. Rick Larsen, WA-02, issued the following statement today after the House Committee on Natural Resources approved the Green Mountain Lookout Heritage Protection Act. “We are one big step closer to protecting the Green Mountain Lookout,” Larsen said. “The Green Mountain Lookout belongs in one place: on Green Mountain. I appreciate Chairman Hastings’ efforts to… Read more »

Rep. Rick Larsen, WA-02, issued the following statement today following two votes on the National Security Agency’s data collection activities. Larsen voted for one amendment to prevent government collection and storage of Americans’ e-mails and voted against another that would have outright ended the agency’s ability to collect phone record data. “The… Read more »