Larsen Calls for Action to Restore the Middle Class, Protect Medicare and Economic Growth by Making It in America

Calls Out Republicans for Budget that Cuts Investments in Favor of Tax Cuts For the Richest

Everett—Rick Larsen, Democratic Candidate for Congress from the Second District, will call for urgent action to restore the middle class, protect Medicare for economic growth that focuses on America’s strength in manufacturing in a series of speeches to Democratic County conventions this weekend throughout the North Puget Sound.

Larsen will tell Democrats that voters are bound to hear Republican Party politicians say that going back to the Bush policies of the 2000s will help America, but that 32 straight months of manufacturing growth in the United States under President Obama means seeing the label Made in America on what Washington state entrepreneurs and innovators are making and selling to their customers around the world.

“Made in America means supporting access to capital for small and medium sized manufacturers so they are able to compete on a level playing field. Made in America means the Air Force chose the women and men at Boeing to build its new tanker here in Northwest Washington instead of somewhere else. I fought hard to bring those 11,000 jobs to our region while others wanted those jobs in Alabama or Europe,” Larsen will say.

Larsen will emphasize access to higher education as a key step to economic success. “Our area is home to four community colleges, a technical college, and a four year university. When I visit with the students on these campuses--veterans returning from overseas, kids out of high school, mid-career professionals--I am reminded of our deep responsibility to invest in their education both for their benefit and our region's economic vitality. I will continue my efforts to ease the burden of the rising costs of college. That is a reflection of my values,” he will say.

Larsen will point to a recent visit to the campus of Western Washington University as well as visits to local community colleges as a driving force behind his efforts to help students achieve success. “My guiding principles on education are no better expressed than by the students of Western Washington University when they say that higher education is a public good that provides significant benefits to individuals and our state and the opportunity to pursue higher education is the right of every individual regardless of financial resources,” Larsen will say.

Larsen will call upon Democrats to help explain how the Republican budget seeks to end Medicare as seniors know it. “I’ve spent the last few weeks listening to senior citizens about what Medicare means to them. In towns like Langley, Bellingham and Mount Vernon, very simply, Medicare health care keeps our senior neighbors out of poverty.

Meanwhile, the Republican budget will end Medicare as we know it, phase out traditional Medicare and replace it with a voucher that decreases in value and forces seniors to pay more out of their own pocket while continuing tax breaks for the richest of Americans. I will protect the Medicare guarantee,” Larsen will say.