Press Releases

U.S. Representative Rick Larsen (WA-02) praised the Obama Administration’s announcement today of $30 million in economic recovery funds to complete the Peace Arch construction project in Whatcom County. “President Obama’s recovery plan is putting people to work to make our common border with Canada more secure and efficient,” said Larsen, who visited the Peace… Read more »

Today the House passed bipartisan legislation introduced by U.S. Representatives Rick Larsen (WA-02) and Fred Upton (MI-06) to crack down on the bulk sale of dextromethorphan (DXM), an ingredient of cough syrup that taken in extremely large quantities produces a hallucinogenic high and can cause brain damage, seizures and death.  The bill passed the House today by a vote… Read more »

U.S. Representative Rick Larsen (WA-02), a member of the House Armed Services Committee, released the following statement after President Barack Obama’s announcement today of a coordinated plan for Afghanistan and Pakistan. Larsen traveled to Afghanistan over Thanksgiving, visiting with U.S. troops serving there and addressing how the United States and our allies can achieve… Read more »

Today, the Obama Administration announced more than $8 million in economic recovery funds for local governments in the 2nd Congressional District to spend on energy efficiency projects. U.S. Representative Rick Larsen (WA-02) worked to pass the Recovery Act and pushed to include funding for the Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grant program.  “President… Read more »

U.S. Representative Rick Larsen (WA-02), a member of the House Budget and Armed Services Committees, delivered the following remarks today at a Budget Committee markup of the budget resolution for the next fiscal year. “Mr. Chairman, earlier this year, Congress passed and President Obama signed into law the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.  This legislation is… Read more »

U.S. Representative Rick Larsen (WA-02), co-chair of the Congressional Caucus to Fight and Control Methamphetamine, and John Sullivan (OK-01) this week re-introduced their bipartisan legislation, The Meth Mouth Prevention and Community Recovery Act, to educate kids about one of the many dangers of methamphetamine abuse: meth mouth, a disease that takes a terrible toll on the… Read more »

Following extraordinary abuses of the public trust by companies that awarded exorbitant bonuses while receiving billions in taxpayer help, the House of Representatives today passed the Bonus Recoupment Tax Bill (HR 1586), legislation to recover taxpayer dollars by imposing a new 90 percent income tax on bonuses awarded by companies such as AIG that have received over $5 billion from the… Read more »

U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA) and U.S. Representative Rick Larsen (WA-02) today introduced legislation to designate Illabot Creek in Skagit County as a Wild and Scenic River.  The legislation will protect the free-flowing character of Illabot Creek, an important habitat for threatened wild Chinook salmon, steelhead, bull trout and other wildlife, while maintaining recreational… Read more »

U.S. Representative Rick Larsen (WA-02) released the following statement today following news reports that the American International Group (AIG) has moved to pay $165 million in bonuses to its employees, including $1 million or more to 73 people in its financial products division whose actions played a major role in the company’s failure. “I have said in the past… Read more »

The housing crisis is at the center of this recession and it affects every one of us. But help for homeowners is here — on March 4, President Obama’s housing plan went into action to help as many as 9 million American families avoid foreclosure and stay in their homes. In the 2nd Congressional District, Snohomish County has been the hardest hit by the foreclosure crisis,… Read more »