Submitted by Rep. Rick Larsen’s Office

Rep. Rick Larsen will host six veterans forums, including one from noon to 2 p.m., Sunday, Oct. 15 at the Friday Harbor American Legion Post 163.

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

“Veterans know their community better than anybody,” said Larsen, a senior member of the House Armed Services Committee, “and that is part of the reason these forums are so important – hearing veterans’ questions, concerns, and ideas directly from the community is the single best way I know how to become a better veterans’ advocate in Congress.”

Larsen’s fight for veterans

Larsen has long pushed to improve the well-being of veterans in the 2nd District. Highlights of his accomplishments include:

· Leading an effort to renew a transportation program that veterans rely on to get to and from health care appointments.

· Spearheading a provision to allow wounded veterans to access in vitro fertilization through the Department of Veterans Affairs.

· Pushing for resources to assist veterans experiencing homelessness through the Housing and Urban Development Veterans Affairs Supportive Housing program.

· Helping organizations that serve veterans in the Second District receive federal funding to help more veterans get permanent housing.

· Improving access to care for veterans in Northwest Washington who face geographical barriers including veterans living in South and Central Whidbey Island who must drive across Deception Pass to Mount Vernon or take a ferry to Seattle before they reach a VA doctor.

· Establishing a Community Based Outpatient Clinic in Mount Vernon, which now provides primary and specialty care, including mental health services, to veterans in Skagit County.