Press Releases

Today, Governor Chris Gregoire announced a list of city and county transportation projects designated to receive federal funding under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, including more than $17 million for the 2nd Congressional District in Northwest Washington. U.S. Representative Rick Larsen (WA-02) worked to pass the Recovery Act, which was signed into law by President Barack… Read more »

U.S. Representative Rick Larsen (WA-02) joined Vice President Joe Biden, Jo Strang, Acting Federal Railroad Administrator and Members of Congress at Union Station in Washington, D.C. to announce $1.3 billion in Recovery Act grant funding to expand passenger rail capacity. According to the U.S. Department of Transportation, American Recovery and Reinvestment Act funding will roughly… Read more »

On Tuesday night, Congress cleared the 2009 Omnibus Appropriations Act which will fund the federal government through September 30. The legislation passed the House on February 25.  President Obama has said he will sign the bill into law. “As President Obama said today, this bill may not be perfect, but it is urgently needed to fund many of our national priorities, from law… Read more »

U.S. Representative Rick Larsen (WA-02) released the following statement today following a meeting at the White House with President Barack Obama and members of the New Democrat Coalition, a group of more than 60 House Democrats. “I greatly appreciate the opportunity to meet with President Obama to discuss the historic challenges we face and how Congress and the Administration… Read more »

U.S. Representative Rick Larsen (WA-02) joined a majority of his colleagues in the House (234 -191) to pass legislation that puts President Obama’s housing plan into action to help as many as 9 million American families avoid foreclosure and stay in their homes. President Obama announced details of his plan to tackle the foreclosure crisis on Wednesday, including a website with… Read more »

U.S. Representatives Fred Upton (R-MI) and Rick Larsen (D-WA) today re-introduced bipartisan legislation to crack down on the bulk sale of dextromethorphan (DXM), an ingredient of cough syrup that kids are abusing to get high.  The Dextromethorphan Distribution Act of 2009 will help prevent the abuse of the drug by making it illegal to distribute unfinished DXM to a person or… Read more »

U.S. Representative Rick Larsen (WA-02) released the following statement following President Obama’s announcement of plans to end the war in Iraq and withdraw combat troops by August 31, 2010: “Today, President Obama announced that his Administration has “begun the work of ending” the war in Iraq and will withdraw combat troops by next summer.  … Read more »

Washington, D.C. – U.S. Representative Rick Larsen (WA-02), member of the House Budget Committee, made the following statement after President Obama released his budget outline for Fiscal Year 2010:   “On Tuesday, President Obama spoke to Congress and the American people about the historic challenges we face. He presented a bold plan to overcome these challenges and… Read more »

U.S. Representative Rick Larsen (WA-02) released the following statement tonight following President Barack Obama’s address to a Joint Session of Congress:  “Tonight President Obama spoke truth about the historic challenges we face, presented a bold plan to overcome them and offered the American people a hopeful vision of our future. “Last week, President… Read more »

U.S. Representative Rick Larsen (WA-02) helped secure federal dollars for Whatcom County priorities in the Fiscal Year 2009 omnibus appropriations bill heading for a House vote this week.  The omnibus appropriations bill is the result of negotiations between House and Senate leadership and must pass both Houses of Congress before it can be signed into law. “I am pleased… Read more »