Rick Larsen
US House of Representatives
Congressman, WA-02
NRMCA, NSSGA & PCA Government Affairs Meeting


Rick represents Washington state's Second Congressional District, which includes portions of Snohomish and all of Skagit, Whatcom, Island and San Juan counties.

Rick is the top Democrat (or ranking member) on the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee and a senior member of the Armed Services Committee. On these committees, Rick focuses on creating jobs and opportunities to meet the needs of Washingtonians.

As the top Democrat on the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, Rick is committed to investing in transportation to create well-paying jobs, drive long-term economic growth and build a cleaner and greener transportation network. Rick will continue to fight for robust investments in roads, bridges, highways, waterways, bike and pedestrian infrastructure, and transit to build a foundation for future economic growth. Rail safety is another priority issue for Rick, and he has worked hard to push for better safety standards for crude oil traveling by rail.

The Pacific Northwest is the aerospace capital of the world, and the Aviation Subcommittee’s work is critical to jobs and the economy in Washington and the Second District. Rick is committed to ensuring aviation safety, fostering innovation in the U.S. airspace, improving U.S. competitiveness in the global market and enhancing the air travel experience for passengers.

The Second District is home to Naval Station Everett and Naval Air Station Whidbey Island, which are vital to the regional economy and national security. As a member of the Armed Services Committee, Rick works to support servicemembers and their families. He is pushing to ensure that women and men in uniform get the pay and benefits they have earned and the equipment they need to keep the U.S. safe. Rick also focuses on ensuring veterans can access the resources and health care they need to succeed in civilian life. Rick worked hard with local veterans to open a community-based outpatient clinic in Mount Vernon to make health care and services more accessible for veterans in the Second District.

Rick is committed to protecting natural resources for recreation and tourism, major economic drivers. He has led efforts to preserve public lands, restore critical salmon habitat, protect Southern Resident Killer Whales and combat climate change through investments in clean energy.

Rick is the co-chair of the bipartisan U.S.-China Working Group, which educates Members of Congress about U.S.-China issues through meetings and briefings with academic, business and political leaders from the U.S. and China. Rick has visited China eleven times and is the author of a white paper on developing a comprehensive China strategy and promoting U.S. global competitiveness.

Rick also co-founded the Congressional Arctic Working Group, a bipartisan working group to bring focus to U.S. policy issues related to the Arctic. Rick is a leader on this issue because he is committed to making sure the U.S. lives up to its environmental, economic and strategic commitments as an Arctic nation. Rick is also a member of the NATO Parliamentary Assembly (NATO PA), an organization made up of delegates from all 30 NATO member countries with a mission to engage parliamentarians in transatlantic security issues.

The Larsen family has been building a legacy in the Second Congressional District for more than a century. Rick was born in Arlington, Washington, and attended Arlington Public Schools. Rick and his wife, Tiia, live in Everett and are the proud parents of two sons, Robert and Per.

Ben Johnson
House of Representatives Small Business Committee
Staff Director
NSSGA Small Producers Meeting (w/lunch)


After earning his bachelor’s degree in Political Science from UCLA, Ben moved to Washington, D.C. to begin his career working for a congressman from his home state of Virginia. During these early years, he recognized the damage that can be done to the small business community by a few misplaced regulations or poorly drafted laws. Ben’s work ethic and policy acumen soon caught the attention of other offices on Capitol Hill and he was recruited to join Roger William’s to work on small business and financial services issues.

During this time in the Congressman’s personal office, Ben developed legislation that would increase small business’s ability to access capital, drafted bills to show alternatives to traditional 4-year college degrees to help strengthen the workforce, and worked with executive branch officials to reduce the regulatory burden on small businesses during the rulemaking process.

When Congressman Williams was officially named the Chairman of the Committee on Small Business in January, Ben was brought over as staff director to implement the Chairman’s vision. In this capacity, he works closely with committee members, other congressional offices, and stakeholders from the small business community to advance policies that support entrepreneurs and innovators across the country.