Press Releases

A House-Senate appropriations bill passed last night by the U.S. House of Representatives delays the next round of Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative (WHTI) passport requirements until June 2009.  The Bush administration had planned to move forward with new passport requirements next summer. “With the 2010 Olympics just around the corner, it is critical that Northern… Read more »

Today in Beijing, the United States and China concluded the third meeting of the Strategic Economic Dialogue (SED) – a Cabinet-level conversation between the two countries on short and long-term economic issues. U.S. Representatives Mark Kirk (IL-10) and Rick Larsen (WA-02), co-chairs of the U.S.-China Working Group in the U.S. House of Representatives, released the following… Read more »

House Armed Services Committee Member U.S. Rep. Rick Larsen (WA-02) voted today with a bipartisan majority of his colleagues in the House to pass legislation to restore military readiness, strengthen the armed services with needed training and equipment, and increase pay for men and women serving in the military. As a conferee appointed by House leadership to negotiate an agreement… Read more »

Today, a unified Washington state Congressional delegation sent a letter to President George W. Bush urging him to quickly approve the federal assistance that Governor Chris Gregoire has requested. The text of the letter follows: December 6, 2007President George W. BushThe White House1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W.Washington, DC 20500Dear Mr. President:We write to urge… Read more »

U.S. Representative Rick Larsen (WA-02) voted today with a majority of his colleagues in the U.S. House of Representatives to pass landmark energy legislation to increase the fuel efficiency of cars and trucks, invest in American biofuels and require that 15 percent of electricity comes from renewable sources. The Energy Independence and Security Act is fully paid for and shifts… Read more »

Today, U.S. Representative Rick Larsen (WA-02), co-chair of the U.S.-China Working Group in the House, congratulated United States Trade Representative Susan Schwab on her efforts to resolve a key trade dispute between the United States and China.  In the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between the two nations, China agreed to fully eliminate unfair subsidies that initiated a… Read more »

Today at the Port of Bellingham, U.S. Representative Rick Larsen (WA-02) announced his support for Bellingham’s bid to be the new site for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)’s Marine Operations Center Pacific (MOC-P). This fall, NOAA began the process of identifying and assessing future sites for the facility, which is currently located in Seattle.… Read more »

U.S. Representative Rick Larsen (WA-02) released the following statement tonight after voting for H.R. 3773, legislation to extend the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act.  The bill passed the House by a vote of 227 to 189.  “This legislation gives the intelligence community the tools it needs to keep Americans safe and effectively track down terrorists around the… Read more »

U.S. Representative Rick Larsen (WA-02) voted with a majority of his colleagues in favor of H.R. 4156, legislation to change the mission of U.S. forces in Iraq and begin the redeployment of U.S. troops within 30 days of the bill’s enactment. The bill provides $50 billion to meet the needs of troops in Iraq and Afghanistan and prohibits the deployment of any troops not fully trained… Read more »

U.S. Representative Rick Larsen (WA-02) voted today in favor of the Head Start for School Readiness Act of 2007, legislation that reauthorizes the Head Start program for the first time in a decade, provides more resources to serve children and families and ensures that highly-qualified and well-trained teachers teach at Head Start programs. The legislation -- which passed the House by a… Read more »