Rick represents Washington state's Second Congressional District, which includes portions of Snohomish, Skagit and Whatcom counties and all of Island and San Juan counties.
Rick serves on the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee and the House Armed Services Committee. These committees enable Rick to focus on creating jobs and opportunity to meet the local needs of Northwest Washington.
As a member of the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, Rick is committed to investing in transportation to drive job growth and keep the economy moving. Rick will continue to fight for strong investments in roads, bridges, highways 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.
Seniors worked hard to raise the younger generations, and I am adamant about supporting their needs. I am working hard to strengthen Medicare, protect Social Security, and advocate for other critical resources like nutrition assistance for seniors in Northwest Washington and across the country.
Strengthening Social Security
Social Security must remain a safety net that covers all our seniors. Washington state seniors have spent a lifetime contributing to Social Security. They are entitled to the benefits they have earned. For that reason, I oppose the privatization of Social Security. While Social Security is fiscally sound for the near future, the retirement of the baby boom generation will strain it. We owe it to future generations to keep Social Security solvent and not take unnecessary risks with it. That is why I support a proposal to make the benefit formula more generous, use a cost-of-living formula that considers the expense of seniors’ purchases, and preserve Social Security for the future by scrapping the cap on income subject to Social Security taxes.
Improving Medicare for Seniors
Tens of thousands of seniors in Northwest Washington depend on Medicare as their only source of health coverage. I believe that Medicare beneficiaries deserve the best treatments possible. To that end, I supported measures in the ACA that strengthen Medicare and improve its long-term viability, like closing the Medicare prescription drug donut hole. Medicare beneficiaries in Washington state have saved $95 million on prescription drugs since the ACA was enacted. I also support cracking down on Medicare fraud, which helps keep Medicare sustainable and returns taxpayer dollars to their rightful purpose.
I am working hard to ensure that Medicare and Medicaid are protected for future generations.
Accomplishments