Press Releases

U.S. Representative Rick Larsen (WA-02) will be named Ranking Member of the Coast Guard and Maritime Transportation Subcommittee of the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure.  Rep. Larsen will be the most senior Democratic member of the Coast Guard and Maritime Transportation Subcommittee, which oversees the Coast Guard and the maritime industry.

 “I am honored to have been selected by my colleagues to be the Ranking Member of the Coast Guard and Maritime Transportation Subcommittee,” said Rep. Larsen.  “The work of the CGMT Subcommittee is critical to jobs and the economy in Washington state and the Second District.  Washington state is home to the country’s largest ferry system, some of our nation’s busiest ports and the most trade focused economy in the nation.  Washington state’s maritime industries employ over 9,000 people and countless more depend on our maritime transportation system in their daily lives.”

As Ranking Member, Rep. Larsen will work to create jobs in Northwest Washington by promoting and protecting the maritime industry.  The maritime industry is a central part of the economy of the 2nd District:  it directly employs over 1,500 people and supports more than 4,000 additional jobs in the 2nd District.  He will work with local ship and boat building and repair companies to create local jobs and help our economy recover. 

Rep. Larsen is especially honored to oversee the operations of the U.S. Coast Guard. 

“The men and women of the Coast Guard play a critical role in protecting our homeland, saving lives at sea and ensuring the safety of maritime commerce,” said Rep. Larsen. “In the Puget Sound, the Coast Guard ensures that ships navigate safely through the Sound and protect the flow of commerce by securing our ports.  They also inspect our Washington State Ferries and countless commercial and recreational vessels that Northwest Washington residents use every day.”

As Ranking Member, Rep. Larsen will work with the Coast Guard to ensure they have the resources and authorities necessary to protect our ports and waterways.  As the service works to modernize and re-capitalize their fleet, Rep. Larsen will oversee the implementation of the Coast Guard’s budget to ensure that the service spends taxpayer dollars efficiently and effectively. 

“I look forward to working with Chairman LoBiondo in a constructive and bipartisan manner to support the Coast Guard and promote maritime industry jobs,” said Rep. Larsen. 

Finally, Rep. Larsen intends to use his leadership positions on the Coast Guard and Maritime Transportation Subcommittee and the Seapower Subcommittee on the House Armed Services Committee to ensure the needs of servicemen and women and their families, as well as promoting Northwest Washington Navy bases and shipyards. 

Many members of the maritime industry in Washington state extended their support for Larsen’s appointment to this position.

“Congressman Larsen has been a consistent advocate for maritime commerce and the family-wage jobs it creates,” said Port of Seattle CEO Tay Yoshitani.  “We are seeing signs of economic recovery in Seattle, and under his leadership, I’m confident that growth will continue.”

“This is great news for the Puget Sound maritime community,” said Todd Pacific Shipyards CEO Steve Welch, “Rick has been a key ally on Coast Guard and Navy issues throughout his time in Congress.  He has always shown his ability to understand and communicate issues of significant complexity.  His prior work in these areas shows this new post is richly deserved.  We look forward to his leadership on issues so important to our national security, economy, and to our way of life in and around Puget Sound.”

“Few members of Congress have worked so forcefully over the course of their careers to protect the jobs of American maritime workers,” says Capt. Michael Murray, Vice President of MM&P’s United Inland Group, which is based in Seattle. “Rick has consistently been a fighter for the U.S.-flag maritime industry and a strong advocate of policies and programs that help ensure American maritime jobs are not outsourced to foreign-flagged ships.”

“In my experience Rick has been the quintessential public servant to his district, and this gives him yet another opportunity to demonstrate that role,” Port of Everett Commission President Mark Wolken said. “Rick understands the critical role ports play in job creation and economic vitality in the Puget Sound region. His commitment to infrastructure investment and port security measures allows us to support more than 31,000 jobs in Snohomish County.”

“Expanding jobs and businesses on the waterfront is one of the highest priorities for the Port of Bellingham,” said Port of Bellingham Executive Director Charlie Sheldon. “Whatcom County already has more than 2,000 maritime jobs and we believe Congressman Larsen’s leadership position on this committee will bring new focus to the issues that confront the Port and Whatcom County’s maritime industry. This will be essential as we work to attract new business and industry to the 220-acre Bellingham waterfront site.”

“We would like to congratulate Rick Larsen on his being named the Ranking Member of the Subcommittee on Coast Guard and Maritime Transportation,” said Jim Dunlap, President of Dunlap Towing Company.

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