Press Releases
Whitehouse Statement on Looming Republican Shutdown
Washington, DC - U.S. Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) today released the following statement regarding the impending shutdown of the federal government being driven by extremist Republicans in the House of Representatives: “As Speaker McCarthy and his MAGA Chaos Caucus look ever more likely to plunge the federal government into a shutdown, it’s worth remembering how avoidable all of this is. After bringing the country within days of a disastrous default on the federal government’s debt, Spea… Continue Reading
09.29.23
Whitehouse Mourns Passing of Senator Dianne Feinstein
Washington, DC - U.S. Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, today mourned the passing of his colleague, U.S. Senator Dianne Feinstein (D-CA). Whitehouse joined colleagues on the floor of the Senate to deliver the following remarks: “Mr. President, I served beside Senator Feinstein on the Judiciary Committee my entire time here. And I worked closely with her on the Intelligence Committee during the time we overlapped there. And I’m honored to join my c… Continue Reading
09.29.23
RI Delegation Announces $4.3 Million to Enhance Public Safety and Support Local Law Enforcement
WASHINGTON, DC - New federal criminal justice funding is coming to Rhode Island police departments and the Rhode Island Department of Public Safety (DPS). In an effort to keep people safe and help law enforcement thwart crime, U.S. Senators Jack Reed and Sheldon Whitehouse and U.S. Representative Seth Magaziner today announced $4,274,982 in federal funding to support local law enforcement. The federal funds will be used for a variety of programs to keep people and communities safe, including: … Continue Reading
09.29.23
RI Delegation & Governor McKee Announce $2 Million for Clean-Energy Job Training
WASHINGTON, DC - As Rhode Island continues building toward a clean, reliable, affordable energy future, it is critical that the state has a strong pipeline of skilled workers to meet demand. To provide job training and employment opportunities to local job seekers trying to start a career in the clean energy sector, U.S. Senators Jack Reed and Sheldon Whitehouse and U.S. Representative Seth Magaziner today joined Governor Dan McKee in announcing $2 million in federal funds to develop and launch… Continue Reading
09.28.23
Former AG Eric Holder Joins Whitehouse’s “Making the Case” Podcast to Talk Voting Rights and Cleaning Up the Supreme Court
Episode six available now on Spotify and Apple Washington, DC - U.S. Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), Chairman of the Senate Judiciary Courts Subcommittee, today released episode six of his podcast, Making the Case. In the new episode, Whitehouse is joined by former Attorney General Eric Holder and cohost Representative Hank Johnson (D-GA) to break down how the Roberts Court rolled back voting rights and to discuss ways to restore the Court’s integrity. “When the Supreme Court found that t… Continue Reading
09.28.23
Reed & Whitehouse Shine a Light on Invasive Spotted Lanternfly Infestations
PROVIDENCE, RI - In an effort to prevent the spread of destructive, invasive spotted lanternflies -- which are harmful to plants and agriculture -- from taking hold in Rhode Island, U.S. Senators Jack Reed and Sheldon Whitehouse are teaming up to squash the spotted lanternfly (Lycorma delicatula), directing $132,474 in federal funds to Rhode Island to keep the pests from spreading and damaging local plant life as well as the state’s nursery and landscaping industry. If left uncontrolled, the i… Continue Reading
09.28.23
Whitehouse Calls for Passage of Child Care Stabilization Act
Washington, DC - With federal child care funding under the American Rescue Plan Child Care Stabilization Grant Program set to expire at the end of the fiscal year on September 30, U.S. Senator Sheldon Whitehouse is calling for passage of legislation to keep Rhode Island child care providers afloat. “When we invest in high-quality, affordable child care, we are investing in the strength of families and the economy. Without action, the child care funding cliff could lead to reduced wages for ear… Continue Reading
09.27.23
Whitehouse, Reed, Magaziner, & Colleagues Urge Departments of State and Treasury to Impose Sanctions on Azerbaijan Officials
Washington, DC - U.S. Senators Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), Jack Reed (D-RI), Bill Cassidy (R-LA), and U.S. Representatives Seth Magaziner (D-RI), Gus Bilirakis (R-FL), and Frank Pallone (D-NJ) have sent a bipartisan, bicameral letter to the Departments of State and Treasury calling for sanctions on individuals in the government of Azerbaijan who are associated with the military attacks against and brutal blockade of Nagorno-Karabakh. The signatories cited the discretionary authority of the leade… Continue Reading
09.27.23
Whitehouse, Grassley Introduce Bipartisan Tax-Free Pell Grant Act to Help Make Higher Education More Affordable
Washington, D.C. - Senators Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) and Chuck Grassley (R-IA) have introduced the Tax-Free Pell Grant Act, bipartisan legislation to simplify higher education assistance by better coordinating Pell Grants with higher education tax incentives. The current tax code prevents many qualifying students from reaping the full benefits of the American Opportunity Tax Credit (AOTC) and the Pell Grant program. This legislation would remove financial barriers to higher education by bette… Continue Reading
09.26.23
New $1.1 Million Federal Award to Fund RWU-NBEP Partnered Watershed Protection Projects
BRISTOL, RI - In an effort to protect Narragansett Bay, promote environmental stewardship, and enhance coastal resiliency and the blue economy, U.S. Senators Jack Reed and Sheldon Whitehouse and U.S. Representative Seth Magaziner today announced $1.1 million in federal funding for Roger Williams University to continue working with the Narragansett Bay Estuary Program (NBEP) on issues pertaining to coastal ecosystems. The federal funds flow to the Ocean State under the National Estuary Program, … Continue Reading
09.26.23
RI Delegation Delivers $459k for Local Firefighters
WASHINGTON, DC - In an effort to ensure Rhode Island firefighters have the tools they need to efficiently and effectively respond to emergencies and to stay safe while protecting and serving their communities, U.S. Senators Jack Reed and Sheldon Whitehouse and Congressman Seth Magaziner today announced $459,475 in federal funding for East Greenwich Fire Department, Harrisville Fire District, and Hope Valley Fire District to purchase new equipment. The federal funds are being awarded through the… Continue Reading
09.25.23
Whitehouse, Fetterman, & Welch Introduce Legislation to Cancel All School Lunch Debt
Washington, DC - U.S. Senators Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), John Fetterman (D-PA) and Peter Welch (D-VT) have introduced the School Lunch Debt Cancellation Act to cancel student lunch debt nationwide. “No child in Rhode Island - or anywhere in America - should be penalized for not being able to afford school lunch. It’s that simple,” said Whitehouse. “Our legislation will eliminate lunch debt in schools, supporting every child’s access to a healthy meal and positioning them for long-term succes… Continue Reading
09.22.23
Whitehouse, Hirono, Feinstein, Warren File Amicus Brief Calling Out Koch-Backed Effort to Concentrate Power in the Hands of Right-Wing Justices
Washington, DC - Yesterday, Senators Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), Mazie Hirono (D-HI), Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) and Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) filed an amicus curiae —or “friend of the court”—brief in Loper Bright Enterprises v. Raimondo, the Supreme Court case that asks the Court to overrule decades of settled precedent to curtail federal administrative agency authority at the behest of big corporate special interests. Counsel of record for the senators is University of California, Berkeley School o… Continue Reading
09.21.23
Senate Democrats Back Biden Administration’s Governmentwide Social Cost of Carbon Directive
Washington, DC - Senate Democrats are lauding the Biden Administration’s historic decision to begin requiring use of a social cost of carbon across government decision-making. A social cost of carbon is a science-based estimate of the damages caused by each ton of carbon pollution - including property losses, increased health care costs, and other harms that come with heat waves, drought, heavy rains, sea level rise, habitat shifts, ocean warming, and acidification. Senate Democrats released t… Continue Reading
09.21.23
Whitehouse Lauds Biden Administration’s Governmentwide Social Cost of Carbon Directive
Washington, DC - U.S. Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), Chairman of the Senate Budget Committee, today lauded the Biden Administration’s historic decision to begin requiring use of a social cost of carbon across government decision-making. A social cost of carbon is a science-based estimate of the damages caused by each ton of carbon pollution - including property losses, increased health care costs, and other harms that come with heat waves, drought, heavy rains, sea-level rise, habitat shift… Continue Reading
09.21.23
U.S. Senate Passes Resolution Designating September 16-23 National Estuaries Week
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senators Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) and Bill Cassidy (R-LA) today announced that the Senate has designated September 16 through September 23, 2023 as National Estuaries Week. Whitehouse and Cassidy led a bipartisan group of 27 Senate colleagues in introducing the resolution calling for the protection and restoration of America’s estuaries. “For Rhode Islanders, the Narragansett Bay estuary is the center of daily life and our economy,” said Whitehouse, who serves as co-ch… Continue Reading
09.19.23
Whitehouse, Doggett Reintroduce Bicameral Bill Act to Tackle Plastic Pollution Crisis and Hold Polluters Accountable
Washington, DC - Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), a member of the Senate Finance and Environment and Public Works Committees, and Congressman Lloyd Doggett (D-TX), a senior member of the House Ways and Means Committee, today reintroduced legislation that would create a new incentive to recycle plastic and help reduce the plastic waste that is disrupting coastal economies, overwhelming ecosystems, and threatening public health. Whitehouse and Doggett’s Rewarding Efforts to Decrease Unrecycled … Continue Reading
09.19.23
Whitehouse Slams Big Corporations for Abusing Bankruptcy Trick to Dodge Responsibility for Harms Caused to Consumers
Washington, DC - This morning, Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), Chairman of the Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Federal Courts, Oversight, Agency Action, and Federal Rights, delivered opening remarks in a hearing of the full Judiciary Committee entitled, “Evading Accountability: Corporate Manipulation of Chapter 11 Bankruptcy.” The hearing examined the growing trend of corporations on firm financial footing using a maneuver known as the “Texas Two-Step” to bog down consumers in bankruptcy pr… Continue Reading
09.15.23
RI Gets $6.75M Boost in Inflation Reduction Act Funds for Tree Planting & Job Growth
WASHINGTON, DC - U.S. Senators Jack Reed and Sheldon Whitehouse and Congressman Seth Magaziner today hailed $6.75 million in federal funding for three projects that will plant more trees in East Providence, Pawtucket, and across the state. In addition to expanding tree canopies across Rhode Island and improving air quality, the federal funds will also grow youth and job training programs helping make the community greener through the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Forest Service’s Urba… Continue Reading
09.15.23
Whitehouse, Durbin Request Complete Account of Gifts to Supreme Court Justices from Newly Implicated Right-Wing Billionaires
Washington, DC - Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), Chairman of the Judiciary Subcommittee on Federal Courts, and Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, today publicly released requests the Senators made to two right-wing billionaires asking for more information regarding undisclosed payments or gifts of travel and lodging to Supreme Court Justices. “One after another, media reports have revealed serious and repeated ethics failures by various justice… Continue Reading
