Press Releases

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 »

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 »