Rep. Larsen will host veterans forum in Friday Harbor

Saturday, October 5, 11 a.m. – 12:30 p.m., Friday Harbor American Legion Post

Northwest Washington veterans are invited to participate

Rep. Rick Larsen (WA-02) will host six Veterans Forums next month in Snohomish, Skagit, Island, Whatcom and San Juan counties.

The forums begin Tuesday, October 1 and run through Saturday, October 5.

The forums are opportunities for veterans to receive updates on legislation affecting them and get answers to questions about the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), health care, job training and housing.

“Veterans know their communities better than anybody,” Larsen, a senior member of the House Armed Services Committee, said, “and that is part of the reason these forums are so important. Answering questions and hearing concerns directly from local veterans is the single best way for me to continue being a strong veterans’ advocate in Congress.”

Washington state is home to more than 540,000 veterans, including just over 59,000 veterans in the Second Congressional District. Larsen is committed to ensuring that women and men who have served in the U.S. military have access to the resources and services needed. Larsen has held 63 public Veterans Forums to hear directly from local veterans about how he can better serve them in Congress.

Larsen’s Work for Veterans

Larsen has long pushed to improve the wellbeing of veterans in the Second District:

• Since 2017, assisted 193 veterans with casework and helped veterans save or earn more than $1 million in benefits.

• Worked with Senator Murray to temporarily overturn a ban on IVF treatment for veterans and introduced the Women Veterans and Families Health Service Act to make the fix permanent.

• Introduced the Children of Fallen Servicemembers AMT Relief Act after learning from a Gold Star widow at a veterans town hall that her son was paying a tax penalty because of survivor benefits. This bill passed the House in May 2019.

• Expanded access to paid sick leave benefits under the Wounded Warriors Federal Leave Act of 2015 to veterans working for the FAA.

• Working to expand transportation options for veterans to get to appointments and ensure veterans receiving mental health care and readjustment counseling can be reimbursed for travel expenses.

• Pushing for resources to assist veterans experiencing homelessness through the Housing and Urban Development Veterans Affairs Supportive Housing (HUD-VASH) program, which has helped more than 400 veterans in the Second District find housing.