Social Services

Larsen Votes for Farm Bill That Aids Northwest Farmers, Continues Vital Food Assistance

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Rep. Rick Larsen, WA-02, issued the following statement after voting in favor of a five-year farm bill that governs federal agricultural policy and nutrition assistance programs. The legislation, known as the Farm Bill, is the product of a compromise between House and Senate negotiators and was passed by the House today. “The Farm Bill makes sure thousands of families in Northwest…

Larsen Votes for Job-Creating Investments in Annual Government Funding Bill

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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…

Larsen Announces Nearly $4 Million for Affordable Housing and Economic Development in Snohomish County

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Rep. Rick Larsen, WA-02, today announced that Snohomish County will receive nearly $4 million in federal grants to increase affordable housing, improve the quality and number of emergency homeless shelters, and expand economic opportunities for low- and moderate-income families. These grants are administered by the Department of Housing and Urban Development. “When people have…

Larsen Votes to Preserve Vital Food Aid for Families in Northwest Washington

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Rep. Rick Larsen, WA-02, today voted against a bill that would cut the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) by $40 billion, cutting basic food aid for 4 million Americans. “One of every eight households in Northwest Washington needs food stamps to put food on the dinner table. Half of those families include kids and a quarter include seniors. Nearly 20 percent of…

Larsen Statement on House Farm Bill

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Rep. Rick Larsen, WA-02, issued the following statement after the House of Representatives voted down H.R. 1947, the House version of the 2013 Farm Bill. The Farm Bill sets agricultural and food policy. “The Farm Bill sets important policy that helps farmers in the Pacific Northwest and is a lifeline for working class Americans who need help to buy food,” Larsen said.…

Larsen: Congress Leaves Kids and Seniors to Fend For Themselves, But Ends Flight Delays

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Rep. Rick Larsen, WA-02, said the Congressional deal to end furloughs for air traffic controllers “lands somewhere short of a profile in courage” because Congress has failed to address the bigger problems that sequester created. Larsen, the ranking Democrat on the House Aviation Subcommittee, said kids and seniors across the country are being hurt thanks to Congress’s…

Larsen Statement on Sequester-Related Flight Delays

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Rep. Rick Larsen, WA-02, ranking member of the House Aviation Subcommittee, issued the following statement today regarding flight delays due to the sequester-caused furloughs of air traffic controllers across the nation: “Air passengers across the country are today joining kids who are being turned away from Head Start and seniors being waitlisted for Meals on Wheels as the latest…

Larsen: Domestic Violence Does Not Discriminate and Neither Should Domestic Violence Protection

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Rep. Rick Larsen, WA-02, today cheered the passage of the comprehensive version of the Violence Against Women Reauthorization Act. The House of Representatives passed the bipartisan Senate bill which expands protections for immigrant, LGBT and Native American communities after defeating an amendment that would have stripped those expansions. “Domestic violence does not discriminate,…

Larsen Report Shows Deep Impact of Scheduled Automatic Spending Cuts in Northwest Washington

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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…

Larsen Calls on House Leaders to Pass Violence Against Women Act Following Senate Passage

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Following the Senate’s passage of a strong new Violence Against Women Act, Rep. Rick Larsen, WA-02, today called on Republican leaders to let the House of Representatives consider and pass the bill. Larsen is an original cosponsor of the House version of the bill, H.R. 11. “Over nearly two decades the Violence Against Women Act has saved thousands of women’s lives and…