{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://larsen.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=4068", "Larsen Introduces Legislation to Improve Veterans\u2019 Access to Transportation, Health Care", "2025-12-09", "2025", "2025-12", "Democrat", "House", "WA", "Rick Larsen", "L000560", "larsen.house.gov", "larsen", "https://larsen.house.gov/news/documentquery.aspx", "scraper", "Today, Representative Rick Larsen (WA-02) announced the introduction of the Veterans Access to Transit Act (H.R. 6451), legislation to establish a Department of Transportation (DOT) pilot program to provide veterans with public transportation to Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) facilities and veterans organizations.\n\n\u201cLocal veterans have told me consistently that lack of transportation is a significant barrier to health care, especially in rural and island communities,\u201d said Rep. Larsen. \u201cIntroducing this bill is one important step toward ensuring Northwest Washington\u2019s 47,000 veterans can access timely, quality health care.\u201d\n\nIn his time in Congress, Rep. Larsen has hosted more than 70 forums to hear directly from Northwest Washington state veterans about their needs, including five roundtables in September. Last month, he published \u2018Listening to Veterans in Northwest Washington,\u2019 a report capturing local veterans\u2019 most pressing challenges and outlining policy recommendations for Congress and VA to address these concerns.\n\nRep. Larsen recently submitted this report to the House Committee on Veterans\u2019 Affairs (HVAC) to ensure Northwest Washington veterans\u2019 voices impact the policy-making process.\n\n\u201cThis fall, I met with veterans and service providers in Everett, Bellingham, Burlington, Oak Harbor and Lummi Nation,\u201d said Rep. Larsen in a letter to HVAC. \u201cBased on those conversations, I wrote a report that analyzes the challenges veterans in my district are facing, based on the four pillars that guide my work in veterans\u2019 policy: health care, housing, education and employment. I look forward to working with the Committee to ensure veterans in Washington\u2019s Second District have access to timely health care, affordable housing, high-quality education and fulfilling employment opportunities.\u201d\n\nRep. Larsen also shared \u2018Listening to Veterans in Northwest Washington\u2019 with VA Secretary Doug Collins.\n\n\u201cAt these [September] roundtables, veterans raised concerns about a wide range of issues\u2026 [including] specific challenges related to transportation, health care and housing, which I look forward to working with VA to address,\u201d said Rep. Larsen in a letter to Secretary Collins. \u201cWhile the local Puget Sound VA representatives continue to be great partners in serving the veterans of Northwest Washington state, VA leadership must make a stronger commitment to engaging with veterans directly, including through forums like these roundtables.\u201d\n\nYou can access the full text of the Veterans Access to Transit Act HERE.\n\nYou can access the full text of Rep. Larsen\u2019s letter to VA Secretary Doug Collins HERE.\n\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-06T20:09:11Z"]], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "primary_key_values": ["https://larsen.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=4068"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 1.1880388483405113, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}