Press Releases

U.S. Representative Rick Larsen (WA-02) released the following statement today on the Port of Bellingham’s unanimous vote to appeal NOAA’s recent selection of Newport, Oregon for the Marine Operations Center-Pacific: “I strongly supported Bellingham’s bid to become the new home for NOAA’s Marine Operations Center-Pacific.  The Port, City, our… Read more »

On Saturday August 8, Rep. Rick Larsen hosted a highly successful town hall meeting in Mount Vernon on health care reform.  A large number of people with a wide range of views on health care reform came to participate, many more than the event site could accommodate. We are anticipating another large crowd for Rep. Larsen's health care town hall in Everett on… Read more »

Health reform needs to happen. The status quo is unacceptable. Business as usual is unacceptable for small business owners who cannot afford coverage for their employees. The status quo does not work for families who are worried about their jobs and sky-high health costs. The current system must be reformed for taxpayers who have seen health care costs explode the federal… Read more »

Rep. Larsen is working to reform health care to bring down costs for families and businesses, expand coverage and ban discrimination based on age or gender, or on preexisting conditions such as diabetes or cancer.  And he is working to ensure that health care reform brings a fair deal for Washington state. Rep. Larsen will focus on health care reform at the following community… Read more »

U.S. Representative Rick Larsen (WA-02) released the following statement today on news that NOAA has selected Newport, Oregon instead of Bellingham as the new site for the Marine Operations Center-Pacific:  “I had hoped for a different decision.  I have long believed that Bellingham would offer the best new home for NOAA’s Marine Operations… Read more »

U.S. Rep. Rick Larsen (WA-02) will host five Conversations with Veterans during the month of August to update local veterans about his work in Congress on their behalf and to hear from local veterans about the issues important to them. This year, Larsen has worked to strengthen veterans’ health care and services, helping deliver a new community-based outpatient clinic to… Read more »

U.S. Representative Rick Larsen (WA-02) today announced more than $1 million in recovery dollars for local police departments in Burlington, Everett and Snohomish, Washington. The funding is part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 and will help communities hire and retain cops during the economic downturn. “During these tight economic times, we cannot… Read more »

U.S. Representative Rick Larsen (WA-02) has secured funding for a new behavioral health center at Skagit Valley Hospital in Mount Vernon and for emergency preparedness at St. Joseph's Hospital in Bellingham in a House funding bill for fiscal year 2010.  In the 2nd District and across the country, the Labor, Health and Human Services (Labor-HHS) appropriations bill would invest… Read more »

U.S. Representative Rick Larsen (WA-02) today praised an agreement that brings Congress one step closer to passing health care reform that works for Washington state.  The deal was reached between House leadership and a health care ‘quality coalition’ of Members of Congress including Larsen, other Washington Democrats and Representatives from sixteen other… Read more »

Two hundred days before the Winter Olympics begin in Vancouver, B.C, U.S. Representative Rick Larsen (WA-02) joined U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Janet Napolitano on her first visit to Northwest Washington as DHS Secretary. Secretary Napolitano, Governor Chris Gregoire, Congressman Larsen and local leaders visited the 2010 Olympics Coordination Center in Bellingham… Read more »