After meeting with veterans at a series of roundtables and events across the Second District over the last week, Rep. Rick Larsen expressed his ongoing commitment this Veterans Day to ensuring those who have served in the U.S. military are able to get the services and resources they need.  “Over the past week, I have met with dozens of veterans at roundtables and other events… Read more »

Rep. Rick Larsen, WA-02, will hold roundtable discussions with veterans next week throughout the Second Congressional District. All veterans are welcome to come to learn about Larsen’s work for veterans in Congress and services for veterans available through his Everett and Bellingham offices. Larsen also wants to hear people’s thoughts and concerns about veterans’… Read more »

The House of Representatives overwhelmingly approved reforms to the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) today with support from Rep. Rick Larsen, WA-02. The bill, H.R. 3230, the Veterans’ Access to Care through Choice, Accountability, and Transparency Act of 2014, is a final compromise between the House and Senate addressing changes to the VA’s practices regarding health care… Read more »

Rep. Rick Larsen, WA-02, pushed today to make sure veterans can access the health care and education they need. Larsen is cosponsoring a bill that would fix the long wait times veterans face when seeking care at Department of Veterans Affairs’ (VA) doctors’ offices across the country. The Veterans’ Access to Care through Choice, Accountability and Transparency Act of… Read more »

A veterans health care issue that an Island County service member asked Rep. Rick Larsen, WA-02, for help changing last year is moving forward in the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). The VA announced it will update the Veterans Affairs Schedule for Rating Disabilities (VASRD) based on current medical standards, with rules set to be finalized by the fall of 2016. Larsen successfully… Read more »

Rep. Rick Larsen, WA-02, released the following statement regarding the resignation of Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Secretary Eric Shinseki. Shinseki resigned after an interim independent report by the VA Inspector General confirmed that employees at the Phoenix, Ariz. VA Health Care System used inappropriate scheduling practices to hide how long veterans waited to receive… Read more »

Rep. Rick Larsen, WA-02, released the following statement today after voting against the Republican budget. “Our country’s budget should reflect our shared value of opportunity for all. This value is nowhere to be found in the Republican spending plan. Rather than a blueprint for economic growth, the Republican budget would jeopardize health care for seniors, bankrupt… Read more »

Rep. Rick Larsen, WA-02, today voted to approve a government funding bill that includes several job-creating investments for which he has long advocated. The Omnibus Appropriations Act provides funding for all federal agencies through September 2014, in line with a bipartisan budget agreement that Congress passed last month. “My top priority in Congress is to invest in the… Read more »

Rep. Rick Larsen, WA-02, today supported a bill to give a 1.5 percent increase in veterans benefits. The cost-of-living increase matches the projected 2014 increase in Social Security payments. “We can honor our veterans year-round, not just on Veterans Day, by making sure they receive the benefits they have earned,” Larsen said. “Many veterans in Northwest Washington… Read more »

Larsen Also Pushing Measures to Improve Veterans Health Care, Education With more than 700,000 veteran disability claims pending, Rep. Rick Larsen, WA-02, today voted for several bills to cut the backlog and get veterans the benefits they earned. “Tens of thousands of veterans across Northwest Washington served our nation honorably. Too many now bear the wounds of war,” Larsen… Read more »