Reps. Rick Larsen, WA-02, and Suzan DelBene, WA-01, praised the Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) announcement today that it will use its authority under the Clean Water Act to protect one of the world’s largest salmon fisheries in Bristol Bay, Alaska from the proposed Pebble Mine. The Bristol Bay salmon fishery supports thousands of jobs for Washington state fishers and… Read more »
Rep. Rick Larsen, WA-02, continued to fight to protect Bristol Bay and Washington state’s fishing industry today by opposing a bill that would restrict the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) ability to use the Clean Water Act to prevent environmentally harmful projects from going forward.
The House Transportation & Infrastructure Committee considered H.R. 4854, the… Read more »
The House passed a short-term Highway Trust Fund bill today with support from Rep. Rick Larsen, WA-02, that would keep payments flowing to states for roads, bridges, highways and transit through May 2015. The bill now moves to the Senate for consideration.
The fund is the primary source of federal funding for roads, bridges, highways and transit. The U.S. Department of Transportation… Read more »
House and Senate efforts to find a short-term fix to the Highway Trust Fund shortfall must lead to a long-term solution, Rep. Rick Larsen, WA-02, said today. The fund is the primary source of federal funding for roads, bridges, highways and transit. The U.S. Department of Transportation recently announced it will begin slowing payments from the fund to states as of August 1 if Congress… Read more »
Rep. Rick Larsen, WA-02, continued his efforts today to improve safety at refineries and chemical facilities following the April 2010 explosion at the Tesoro refinery in Anacortes that killed seven workers. Larsen sent a letter to President Obama asking him to take action to strengthen safety standards and culture at these facilities. The letter follows the release of a report from the… Read more »
Major upgrades to the Mukilteo Ferry Terminal, a project Rep. Rick Larsen, WA-02, has worked on for more than a decade, is expected to get an additional $12 million from the Puget Sound Regional Council (PSRC). The council’s Transportation Policy Board recommended $12 million for the project during its meeting today. Final approval for the funds will come later this year, following… Read more »
Better opportunities for job training and adult education will prepare more people to succeed in today’s economy because of a bill that Rep. Rick Larsen, WA-02, supported and the House of Representatives passed by a vote of 415-6. The Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act improves workforce development and job training programs by updating them to align with the needs of… Read more »
Reps. Rick Larsen, WA-02, and John Garamendi, CA-03, today asked the Coast Guard to reactivate the Polar Sea icebreaker in a letter to Commandant Paul Zukunft. The U.S. currently does not have the icebreakers it needs to meet its responsibilities in the Arctic. Putting the Polar Sea back into service would better enable the U.S. to secure its national security, environmental and economic… Read more »
Rep. Rick Larsen, WA-02, today cosponsored a bill to reauthorize the Export-Import Bank, continuing his leadership to make sure companies have access to critical financing through the bank to sell their goods overseas.
The Protect American Jobs and Exports Act of 2014 reauthorizes the bank for 7 years and raises its lending cap by $5 billion each year, to a total of $175 billion. The… Read more »
Rep. Rick Larsen, WA-02, continued his leadership on the Export-Import Bank today by announcing he will be an original cosponsor and leading advocate for a bill to reauthorize the bank, which is a critical tool to finance U.S. companies’ exports.
Larsen introduced and successfully advocated for passage of a bill to reauthorize and expand the Export-Import Bank in 2012.
In… Read more »