Larsen listens at La Conner coffee

Rep. Rick Larsen, D-Everett, shared coffee and conversation with 40-plus people at the Civic Garden Club Saturday. He started with a summary of Congressional and House of Representatives accomplishments, touting a Land and Water Conservation bill authorizing permanent funding that is awaiting President Trump’s signature.

The House has passed two pieces of legislation on gun violence and voted to terminate the national emergency Trump declared Feb. 15. These measures becoming law is uncertain.

He supports H.R.1, For the People Act, which the House will pass this week, he said. That strengthens ethics reform, voting rights and campaign finance reform.

Most of the 100 minute session was a wide ranging question and discussion period. Alix Foster, from Pleasant Ridge, asked about universal health care, Medicare for all. Larsen recounted his ongoing support for the Affordable Care Act and strengthening it. He did not address Foster’s question directly.

Mark Lundsten, speaking for the Sound Defense Alliance, came from Anacortes to thank Larsen for supporting requiring the U.S. Navy to stay in dialogue with the many federal, state, municipal and nonprofit groups challenging its plans for expanding Growler jets at Whidbey Navel Air Station. Lundsten called it “an intrusion by the military” and urged Larsen to insist on a solution that was sustainable for all parties.

Larsen referenced his ongoing correspondence with the secretary of the Navy and said he was pushing for millions of Navy funds for renovation of the Ferry House and the Coupeville Wharf. Lundsten later expressed satisfaction with Larsen’s involvement.

Rick Shorten, of Pleasant Ridge, called for regional mass transit. Larsen lamented the lack of significant federal funds and the year 2035 completion date for Sound Transit’s light rail line to Everett, which has some federal monies.

Larsen responded to a concern about climate change and the Green New Deal with a long list of his support for transportation and workforce projects that reduce fossil fuel use and train people in green jobs. Throughout the morning he detailed his involvement with specific legislation, programs and hearings in response to every question. Noting that Washington has the second highest gas tax in the nation, he said he supported increasing the federal gas tax, which has not been raised since 1993.

Sandy Crock, of Pleasant Ridge, expressed her concern for “the current occupant of the White House” and asked if his Republican colleagues privately expressed unease. Larsen’s assessment was that critical Republicans either retired or were defeated in the 2018 elections. He told the group to not “assume that people don’t believe what they are saying. Assume it is true.” “Primaried” is now a verb he said. That is a political aspect for representatives’ support for Trump.

Nancy Burlison, of Shelter Bay, made a long statement sharing her concern about “anger in the room nd quoted Lincoln’s “a house divided against itself cannot stand,” then asked, “Mr. Cohen, do you believe he is a trustworthy individual?”

Larsen responded that the real differences between the political parties should not separate people. About Cohen, he pointed out that Congress has a different role than the courts and that is to “corroborate what he said [by] finding other witnesses.

Speaker Nancy Pelosi is tamping down impeachment talk, he said. “A case has to exist. We have to do our job. We have to let it go where it goes. Whether or not you like Trump, you should love the Constitution more,” he said.

He told Councilmember John Leaver that he has endorsed Gov. Jay Inslee and has counseled the governor to stress the state’s record with workforce development and green jobs in discussing climate change.

The final question, about options for contacting his office, brought him full circle. Asked what communications media he preferred, the Congressional representative replied, “I prefer people contact my office,” but not by driving, which uses gasoline.

The second congressional district Larsen represents includes western Skagit, Snohomish and Whatcom counties and Island and San Juan counties.

Larsen statement: “reopen negotiations”

“The ACHP (American Council for Historical Preservation Feb. 19) letter to Secretary Spencer highlights what I have consistently called for throughout the historic preservation process: the need for the Navy to return to mitigation discussions with the community and for the Navy to develop a program to conduct noise monitoring at points of interest and reduce the impacts of noise on the community. The Navy must reopen negotiations with the state and come to an agreement that supports the Navy’s critical mission and the important historic preservation needs of the area.” This is from Larsen’s office, March 1.