A Bellingham nurse training program will receive $2.75 million in federal funds to expand nursing education for students across Northwest Washington, Rep. Rick Larsen, WA-02, said today. Bellingham Technical College will receive the funds from the U.S. Department of Labor and Department of Education. “My top priority is to invest in the foundation of long-term economic growth that creates jobs and... Read more »
Health centers across Northwest Washington will receive hundreds of thousands of dollars in federal funds to help enroll uninsured residents in the health care marketplace this fall, Rep. Rick Larsen, WA-02, announced today. Community Health Center of Snohomish County will receive $194,982 and Bellingham-based Interfaith Community Health Center will receive $95,541. Sea-Mar Community Health Center... Read more »
Rep. Rick Larsen, WA-02, issued the following statement today in advance of the House of Representatives’ vote on the Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act which would cut off legal access to abortion services at 20 weeks after fertilization. “How many more ways can Republicans come up with to avoid working on improving the economy?” Larsen said. “Instead of wasting time on divisive bills-to-no... Read more »
An Island County service member’s request for help from Rep. Rick Larsen, WA-02, turned into a new veterans health care policy approved by the U.S. House of Representatives last night. Shirin Lane, a retiring Air Force service member who lives in Clinton, wrote to Larsen in March asking for assistance when the disability rating she received for her fibromyalgia was not consistent with standard med... Read more »
Rep. Rick Larsen, WA-02, issued the following statement today regarding the 37th effort in the House of Representatives to repeal the Affordable Care Act. “The 37th time is not the charm. With these stunt votes to nowhere, Republicans have spent millions of taxpayer dollars and wasted far too much time that could have been used to pass job-creating legislation. “With more than 260,000 workers in W... Read more »
The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) today announced it will establish a hotline for women veterans, mirroring a provision in a bill introduced by Rep. Rick Larsen, WA-02. The hotline (1-855-VA-WOMEN) will provide information on health care and benefits specifically tailored to women veterans. “With more women serving on the front lines in our armed forces, it has never been more important... Read more »
Veterans who cannot conceive children because of injuries they sustained in military service will be able to get advanced fertility treatments and adoption assistance if Congress passes a bipartisan bill introduced today by Rep. Rick Larsen, WA-02. The Women Veterans and Other Health Care Improvements Act of 2013 would give veterans with service-connected disabilities access to in vitro fertilizat... Read more »
A staff report from the office of Rep. Rick Larsen released today details the severe consequences in Northwest Washington if automatic federal spending kick in on March 1. Larsen directed his staff to compile the report to illustrate the direct consequences of automatic spending cuts, known as sequestration, on local communities. The report is available here. “These automatic spending cuts are not... Read more »
Rep. Rick Larsen, WA-02, issued the following statement today after the Senate approved a bill that would end the Department of Veterans Affairs’ ban on in vitro fertilization for disabled veterans. The bill was authored by Sen. Patty Murray, and Larsen introduced a companion version of the bill in the House of Representatives. “These veterans have already paid too high a price in service to our n... Read more »
SEATTLE—Two paralyzed veterans and an active duty wounded warrior spoke out yesterday in support of a bill authored by Sen. Patty Murray and introduced in the House by Rep. Rick Larsen, both D-Wash., that would provide advanced fertility treatments, including in vitro fertilization to veterans. (Click here for a fact sheet.) The three servicemembers all sustained service-related injuries that caus... Read more »