New Dem of the Week: Rick Larsen
U.S. Representative, WA
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Rep. Rick Larsen took the oath to represent his constituents in Washington's Second District just a few months ago, but he's already getting noticed as a member who "gets it" on technology and New Economy issues. Last month, Larsen was one of only two House Democrats selected as a "High Tech Freshman" in a report by a Washington, D.C. technology policy group.
Larsen lived up to his pro-tech reputation last week by co-sponsoring a resolution promoting a little known but important new technology to give Internet users greater online privacy protections. He joined fellow New Democrat Coalition (NDC) members Reps. Adam Smith, Cal Dooley, Ellen Tauscher, and Jim Moran (all former New Dems of the Week) in sponsoring H. Res. 159, a resolution calling on businesses and government agencies to adopt the Platform for Privacy Preferences ("P3P") specification.
P3P lets Internet users specify their personal privacy preferences in their web browser software. Then, as they surf the web, their browser automatically checks those preferences against the stated privacy practices of web sites (for example, whether or not the site sells information about users to other companies) and raises a red flag whenever a site's privacy practices don't jibe with a user's preferences.
It's a policy approach grounded in New Democrat principles: fostering effective self-regulation by using technology to empower people with information. Leading by example, Larsen and his New Dem colleagues announced that their congressional web sites are the first in the House of Representatives to be P3P compliant. (NDOL.org and PPionline.org are also now P3P compliant.)
Internet privacy is not the only area where Larsen is making his name as a New Democrat who understands technology issues. Larsen is a co-chair of the NDC's Energy Task Force, which recently proposed a framework for a long-term energy agenda that would harness the power of technology to promote efficiency, conservation, and cleaner energy. Larsen also co-sponsored the bipartisan Broadband Internet Access Act of 2001 (H.R. 267), which encourages companies to provide broadband services to rural and underserved communities.
"We must provide our children with the tools they need to succeed in life," said Larsen. "In an era when technology dictates the way we do business, communicate with family members, and learn in school, access to computers is as necessary as access to pencil and paper."
Rick Larsen first held public office as a Snohomish County Councilman and was County Council Chair in 1999. He received his B.A. at Pacific Lutheran University and went on to earn a Master's in Public Administration from the University of Minnesota. Rick and his wife, Tiia, have two sons, Robert and Per, who represent the fifth generation to live in the Second District.