Press Releases

Rep. Rick Larsen, WA-02, issued the following statement in response to President Obama’s State of the Union address: “As the economy has recovered, too many Americans have been left behind. The President laid out a compelling case for why we need to open up economic opportunities for more people. “Let’s start by raising the minimum wage. Congress should raise the… Read more »

The mother and sister of Kenneth Bae, the American imprisoned in North Korea, will be invited guests at tonight’s State of the Union address. Myunghee Bae and Terri Chung will attend the President’s address as guests of Rep. Rick Larsen, WA-02, and Rep. Charles Rangel, NY-13. “I am pleased to welcome Myunghee and Terri to the Capitol as guests for the State of the Union… Read more »

With the Seattle Seahawks set to face the Denver Broncos in Super Bowl XLVIII, the Washington House Delegation extended a friendly wager with the Colorado House Delegation. With Seattle’s victory, the Colorado House delegation will provide an array of regional treats to Washington members.  “It’s often said that championships are won with defense, and we… Read more »

The U.S. Department of Justice today implemented government data-collection reforms that were first proposed by Rep. Rick Larsen, WA-02, in his Government Surveillance Transparency Act. The Justice Department announced it will allow technology companies to disclose data about the volume and type of data they are required to turn over to the government. Larsen first proposed these reforms… Read more »

“Exasperated” by the U.S. Chemical Safety Board’s actions, Rep. Rick Larsen, WA-02, today called on the federal safety agency to quickly issue its report on the April 2010 explosion at the Tesoro refinery. “The Anacortes community deserves better after four years of waiting and countless delays from CSB,” Larsen wrote in a letter to board Chairman Rafael… Read more »

Rep. Rick Larsen, WA-02, today called on the federal government to act quickly in response to recent incidents involving trains carrying crude oil. Larsen, a senior member of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, wrote to Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx urging quick adoption of new measures to improve rail safety. “I ask that you work quickly to implement… Read more »

Rep. Rick Larsen, WA-02, made the case for raising the minimum wage in an appearance today on KVI with host John Carlson. Larsen is cosponsor of a bill to raise the federal minimum wage to $10.10 an hour. Audio of the interview is available here. “It’s pretty clear that low-wage workers are older than they were 30 years ago, they’re often the sole breadwinners in their… Read more »

Rep. Rick Larsen, WA-02, issued the following statement today regarding Kenneth Bae, the Lynnwood man who has been detained in North Korea for more than a year. “The United States has repeatedly shown we are eager to work with North Korea and our international partners to secure Kenneth’s return home. A State Department special envoy agreed to visit North Korea in August to… Read more »

BY RICK LARSEN Growing up in Arlington, a lot of my friends worked minimum-wage jobs. I worked at a bookbindery during high school, pulling in about $3.50 an hour during the summer break. That image of a high school student working a few hours a week for some extra cash is the idea that a lot of us get when we think about the minimum wage. Opponents of raising the minimum wage use that… Read more »

Rep. Rick Larsen, WA-02, issued the following statement in response to President Obama’s proposed reforms to government surveillance programs: “I am pleased the President has realized what I and many others have known for some time: the government’s dragnet collection and storage of telephone and electronic data breaches the basic privacy rights of the American… Read more »