Press Releases

The new presidential administration means a fresh start on federal policy for our common border with Canada. Here in Whatcom County and in Washington, D.C., we look forward to the opportunity to make our border more efficient for commerce and travel and more secure for our community and our country. First, let us consider the need for security: we all know that the only known Al Qaida… Read more »

U.S. Representative Rick Larsen (WA-02) released the following statement after voting for the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, which cleared the House by a vote of 246-183. An agreement on the final bill was reached by the House and Senate earlier this week, and the legislation is expected to pass the Senate and be signed into law by the President in the next few days. “I… Read more »

U.S. Representative Rick Larsen (WA-02) applauded House passage today of a bipartisan children’s health care bill to provide coverage to 11 million American children who need it, including thousands of kids in Northwest Washington. The legislation, which has already cleared the Senate, cleared the House today by a vote of 290 -135 and is now headed to the President’s… Read more »

U.S. Representative Rick Larsen (WA-02) and other members of the Subcommittee on Coast Guard and Maritime Transportation held a hearing on today on international piracy, a serious and growing threat to international shipping. In 2008, pirate attacks off the coast of Somalia and in the Gulf of Aden more than doubled, putting mariners in danger and imposing an economic burden on shipping… Read more »

U.S. Rep. Rick Larsen (WA-02), co-chair of the bipartisan U.S.-China Working Group, released the following statement today in response to comments from Secretary of State Hillary Clinton on the U.S.-China relationship: “Our relationship with China will be the most important diplomatic relationship of the 21st century.  I applaud Secretary of State Clinton’s comments… Read more »

U.S. Representative Rick Larsen (WA-02) released the following statement in support of The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (HR 1) which is scheduled for a House vote later today.  The legislation must pass the Senate before President Obama can sign it into law. “Last month, our unemployment rate in Washington state took the biggest jump in 30 years, from 6.2 to 7.1… Read more »

U.S. Representative Rick Larsen (WA-02) released the following statement following a House Budget Committee hearing on the economic outlook and budget challenges ahead.  Larsen and other Committee members heard from Doug Elmendorf, the new director of the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) and leading economists. “Yesterday a number of major American businesses announced… Read more »

U.S. Representative Rick Larsen (WA-02) announced today that the House economic recovery package could deliver $69 million for Washington state’s 2nd district to modernize schools, create local jobs and help children learn in 21st century classrooms, according to estimates from the non-partisan Congressional Research Service. The legislation, the American Recovery and Reinvestment… Read more »

U.S. Representative Rick Larsen (WA-02) announced today that the economic recovery package being considered in the House could bring as much as $847 million in transportation funding to Washington state to modernize our roads, bridges and transit and create local jobs. Larsen and other members of the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee held in a hearing this morning to examine… Read more »

U.S. Representative Rick Larsen (WA-02) released the following statement today regarding a letter he received from the BPA and Alcoa indicating that they were unable to reach an agreement within the existing timeframe on a deal to provide power to the Ferndale smelter from 2011 to 2028:“It is disappointing that BPA and Alcoa have so far been unable to reach a long-term… Read more »