Voters facing disenfranchisement because of new voter identification laws in several states will see relief if a bill authored by Rep. Rick Larsen, WA-02, is enacted. Larsen today reintroduced the America Votes Act of 2013 which would allow voters to sign an sworn written statement attesting to their identity if they do not have the ID required at their polling place. A fact sheet on the… Read more »

The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) today announced it will establish a hotline for women veterans, mirroring a provision in a bill introduced by Rep. Rick Larsen, WA-02. The hotline (1-855-VA-WOMEN) will provide information on health care and benefits specifically tailored to women veterans. “With more women serving on the front lines in our armed forces, it has never been… Read more »

Rep. Rick Larsen, WA-02, is keeping pressure on the U.S. Chemical Safety Board, leading a letter with Washington state’s two senators and five other members of Congress demanding a written work plan detailing the agency’s plan to complete the investigation into the Tesoro refinery explosion in Anacortes three years ago. Members of the delegation wrote to the board in December… Read more »

Rep. Rick Larsen, WA-02, ranking member of the House Aviation Subcommittee, issued the following statement today regarding flight delays due to the sequester-caused furloughs of air traffic controllers across the nation: “Air passengers across the country are today joining kids who are being turned away from Head Start and seniors being waitlisted for Meals on Wheels as the latest… Read more »

Rep. Rick Larsen, WA-02, the ranking Democrat on the House Aviation Subcommittee, today hailed the Federal Aviation Administration’s safety certification of the Boeing 787 which will allow the plane to return to commercial service. Larsen issued the following statement: “Now boarding: the Dreamliner’s return to flight. “I applaud the work that Boeing engineers and… Read more »

Rep. Rick Larsen, WA-02, led an effort this week to request $65 million for the Pacific Coastal Salmon Recovery Fund which is vital to supporting salmon recovery in the Pacific Northwest. In a letter to House appropriators, Larsen and nine other members of the Pacific Northwest delegation made the request to continue supporting the recovery of Pacific salmon which are vital to the… Read more »

Rep. Rick Larsen, WA-02, today voted for the Cyber Intelligence Sharing and Protection Act after working with colleagues to strengthen the bill’s privacy protections. Larsen helped build support for key amendments that strengthen privacy protections, oversight and accountability. “Near daily news reports are an important reminder that foreign governments and criminal… Read more »

Rep. Rick Larsen, WA-02, filed the following floor statement in recognition of Western Washington University's win in the National Association of Intercollegiate Hockey championship game: Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the extraordinary accomplishment of the Western Washington University Vikings Ice Hockey team, which defended their national title at the National… Read more »

The U.S. Air Force is upholding its full commitment to the KC-46A refueling tanker being built at Boeing’s Everett facility, Rep. Rick Larsen, WA-02, said today. Larsen is a member of the House Armed Services Committee which oversees the Defense Department acquisition programs. The Committee heard testimony today from top Air Force officials who said the tanker program is… Read more »

Rep. Rick Larsen, WA-02, today spoke out in support of the New Democrat Coalition’s principles for comprehensive immigration reform. Larsen is a Vice-Chair of the Coalition which represents the largest group of moderates in the House of Representatives. “One of my top priorities in Congress is to break down the barriers for all people to fully participate in the economy and… Read more »