Press Releases
RI Delegation Announces Over $4.2M in Fire Grants for New Training, Equipment & Recruitment
WARWICK, RI - In an effort to enhance fire protection and emergency response capabilities across the state, U.S. Senators Jack Reed and Sheldon Whitehouse and Congressmen Jim Langevin and David Cicilline today announced a total of $4,216,959 in federal funding to help a dozen fire departments across the state purchase new equipment and recruit new firefighters. Fire departments in Warwick, East Providence, Woonsocket, Middletown, Harmony (Chepachet), Little Compton, Coventry, North Scituate, an… Continue Reading
09.19.19
Whitehouse, Klobuchar, Leahy, Blumenthal Press Justice Department on Investigation into U.S. Automakers
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Patrick Leahy (D-VT), and Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) wrote to Attorney General William Barr expressing serious concerns regarding reports of a Department of Justice (DOJ) antitrust investigation into four automakers that entered into an agreement with the California Air Resources Board (CARB) to set vehicle emission standards. On September 6, the Wall Street Journal reported that the DOJ had launched an investigation int… Continue Reading
09.19.19
Senators Whitehouse, Hassan Press Justice Department for 2006 Purdue Pharma Prosecution Memo
WASHINGTON - Senators Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) and Maggie Hassan (D-NH) pressed the U.S. Department of Justice to turn over a 2006 memo laying out federal prosecutors' strong criminal case against Purdue Pharma-and related documents that could show why the Department of Justice failed to act on the memo's recommendations and instead let Purdue Pharma off with a slap on the wrist. "Justice Department prosecutors uncovered compelling evidence of the origins of the opioid crisis dating to the 199… Continue Reading
09.19.19
Reed, Whitehouse Honor Bicentennial of Congdon Street Baptist Church
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senators Jack Reed and Sheldon Whitehouse have entered the following statements into the Senate Record in honor of the bicentennial of the Congdon Street Baptist Church in Providence: "Mr. REED. Mr. President, today I join with my colleague Senator Whitehouse, the city of Providence, and the State of Rhode Island in celebrating the 200th anniversary of the founding of the Congdon Street Baptist Church, Rhode Island's oldest Black congregation. For generations, it has b… Continue Reading
09.17.19
New $2.6M SAFER Grant to Help Cranston Fire Department Fill the Ranks
WASHINGTON, DC -- In an effort to increase staffing levels at the Cranston Fire Department and decrease emergency response times, U.S. Senators Jack Reed and Sheldon Whitehouse and Congressman Jim Langevin today joined Mayor Allan Fung in announcing $2,673,657 to help Cranston hire 15 new firefighters. The federal funds are being awarded through the Federal Emergency Management Agency's (FEMA) Staffing for Adequate Fire & Emergency Response (SAFER) Grant program. The federal funds will pay… Continue Reading
09.17.19
Senators Push Corporate America to Fulfill Commitment to Protect Amazon
Washington, DC - Senators Brian Schatz (D-HI) and Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) led a dozen colleagues in writing a pair of letters to corporate signatories to the New York Declaration on Forests, calling for the major companies and financial firms to wield their influence to combat runaway deforestation in the Amazon. In the face of destructive policies by Brazilian President Jair Bolsanaro, it is time for corporations to live up to their commitments to combat deforestation around the globe, the s… Continue Reading
09.16.19
Whitehouse Announces September 14-21 is National Estuaries Week
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senator Sheldon Whitehouse today announced that the U.S. Senate has declared September 14 through September 21, 2019 as National Estuaries Week in a resolution that was unanimously approved last month. Sponsored by Whitehouse and 26 Senate colleagues, the bipartisan legislation recognizes the importance of coastal and estuarine regions to the national economy, and reaffirms the Senate's support for protecting and restoring these vital resources. "Life and work in Rhode… Continue Reading
09.13.19
Congressional Delegation, State Officials Celebrate $60.3 Million Federal Grant to Upgrade Northbound Providence Viaduct
Providence, RI - Gathered beneath the aging structure of the Northbound Providence Viaduct, Rhode Island's federal delegation and state officials today celebrated a $60.3 million federal "Infrastructure for Rebuilding America" grant, or INFRA grant, that will provide funding to replace and upgrade the eleven bridges that comprise one of the busiest segments of I-95 in northeast. U.S. Senator Sheldon Whitehouse, a member of the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee, designed the INFRA Pr… Continue Reading
09.11.19
McElroy Confirmed to be U.S. District Court Judge for the District of Rhode Island
Washington, DC - The U.S. Senate today approved the nomination of Mary S. McElroy to be the next U.S. District Court Judge for the District of Rhode Island. McElroy, who currently leads the office of the Rhode Island Public Defender, will fill a judicial vacancy that has sat empty since Judge Mary M. Lisi assumed senior status in 2015. The U.S. District Court for the District of Rhode Island is the state's federal trial court and has jurisdiction to hear nearly all categories of federal cases,… Continue Reading
09.11.19
Whitehouse, Reed Call for Senate Action to Ban High-Capacity Ammunition Magazines
WASHINGTON, DC - U.S. Senators Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), Jack Reed (D-RI), Bob Menendez (D-NJ) and Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) today were joined by two dozen colleagues in calling on Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) to act on their Keep Americans Safe Act (S.447), which would prohibit the transfer, importation, or possession of magazines able to hold more than ten rounds of ammunition. Companion legislation passed the House Judiciary Committee last night. High-ca… Continue Reading
09.09.19
Whitehouse, Alexander Introduce Bipartisan Bill to Address E-Waste National Security Threat, Grow Domestic Recycling Industry
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senators Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) and Lamar Alexander (R-TN) introduced bipartisan legislation to stop the flow of electronic waste to China and other countries that counterfeit American technology. The Secure E-waste Export and Recycling Act (SEERA) would ensure that electronic waste, or e-waste, does not become the source of counterfeit products that reenter military and civilian electronics in the United States. The legislation would help to grow the domestic recycl… Continue Reading
08.27.19
Senators Call Out Fossil Fuel Industry Control of Trump Administration in Environmental Review Comments
Washington, DC - Senators Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Dianne Feinstein (D-CA), and Ben Cardin (D-MD) have submitted comments to the White House Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) regarding its proposed guidance on consideration of greenhouse gas emissions under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA). The Trump administration's proposal would significantly downplay the consideration of greenhouse gas emissions in the federal government's NEPA environmental review pr… Continue Reading
08.19.19
Whitehouse, Langevin, Cicilline Call for Swift Enactment of Consumer Protections from Ever-Shrinking Airplane Seats
Warwick, RI - At the height of the busy summer travel season, U.S. Senator Sheldon Whitehouse, Congressman Jim Langevin, and Congressman David N. Cicilline today called on the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to make air travel safer and more comfortable for passengers by setting a reasonable minimum size and pitch for airplane seats. The members of Rhode Island's congressional delegation joined with airport officials to make the announcement at T.F. Green Airport in Warwick. Whitehouse a… Continue Reading
08.14.19
Whitehouse, Cassidy, Hassan Raise Red Flag on Latest Scam Targeting Seniors
WASHINGTON- U.S. Senators Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), Bill Cassidy, M.D. (R-LA), and Maggie Hassan (D-NH) have called on Attorney General Barr and Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar to protect seniors being targeted by the latest scam on Medicare recipients. There have been recent reports that criminals are targeting seniors by offering genetic testing they claim is covered by Medicare. "…scammers are deceiving Medicare beneficiaries and inducing them to receive genetic test sc… Continue Reading
08.12.19
Senators Call Out Partisan ‘Project’ to Tip Supreme Court in Favor of NRA-Backed Plaintiffs
Washington, DC - Senators Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), Mazie Hirono (D-HI), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Dick Durbin (D-IL), and Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) filed a brief with the U.S. Supreme Court today in a case bringing the first major challenge to gun safety laws since 2010. Against the backdrop of shocking gun violence in America, the senators detail how the National Rifle Association (NRA), the Federalist Society, and other dark money-funded partisan groups have engineered the case before the… Continue Reading
08.07.19
Whitehouse Calls for Guaranteed 3% Annual Social Security COLA
Johnston, RI - Speaking to seniors gathered at the Johnston Senior Center, Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) today called on Congress to pass legislation that would protect the purchasing power of Social Security benefits. Whitehouse has introduced the Guaranteed 3% COLA For Seniors Act to guarantee every senior a reasonable Social Security cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) with an annual floor of no less than 3 percent. "Seniors paid into Social Security over decades of hard work with the exp… Continue Reading
08.06.19
Whitehouse, Cicilline Bill to Improve Bankruptcy Process for Small Businesses Heads to President’s Desk
Washington, D.C. - Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) and Congressman David N. Cicilline (RI-01) today announced that both houses of Congress have passed the Small Business Reorganization Act, legislation they sponsored along with Senator Chuck Grassley (R-IA) and Congressman Ben Cline (VA-06) to streamline bankruptcy procedures and provide new tools to improve a small business owners' ability to keep their companies afloat and preserve jobs. The legislation awaits the President's signature. "T… Continue Reading
08.05.19
RI Nets $7.5 Million in Security Grants to Improve Emergency Response & Disaster Preparedness
WASHINGTON, DC - Seeking to help Rhode Island's emergency responders, their federal partners, and community organizations prevent and prepare for a range of crises and security challenges - from natural disasters to domestic terrorism - U.S. Senators Jack Reed and Sheldon Whitehouse and U.S. Representatives Jim Langevin and David Cicilline today announced that the state will receive $7,523,831 in federal national preparedness funds. These federal funds, which are awarded by the U.S. Department … Continue Reading
08.02.19
Whitehouse Joins Blumenthal, Colleagues to Introduce Bill of Rights for Airline Passengers
Amidst the busy summer travel season, U.S. Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) joined Senators Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Ron Wyden (D-OR), Bob Casey (D-PA) and Edward J. Markey (D-MA) to introduce comprehensive legislation to expand protections for American air travelers. In addition to many other protections, the Airline Passengers' Bill of Rights would require airlines to pay at least $1,350 to passengers denied boarding as a result of an oversold flight, prevent airlines from shrinking their s… Continue Reading
08.02.19
Whitehouse, Coons Call on Wray to Detail FBI Investigation of Kavanaugh
Washington, DC - In a letter, Senators Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) and Chris Coons (D-DE) have asked FBI Director Christopher Wray to detail the Bureau's handling of the investigation of sexual misconduct allegations against then-Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh last fall. In July 23 testimony before the Senate Judiciary Committee, on which Whitehouse and Coons serve, Wray echoed Republican claims that the FBI conducted the investigation "by the book" while repeating that FBI background inve… Continue Reading
