Press Releases
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
09.15.23
Reed & Whitehouse Secure $500K to Strengthen RI Childcare Facilities
PROVIDENCE, RI - Research shows that high-quality, affordable child care is a significant factor in family well-being and economic stability. And high-quality child care programs in safe, quality facilities that are staffed with skilled educators are a critical part of the state’s early learning system, helping children learn and develop skills necessary to succeed in school and life. In an effort to ensure Rhode Island’s child care and early learning facilities are high-quality centers that e… Continue Reading
09.13.23
RI Delegation Announces Over $6.6M to Support Survivors of Violent Crime & Enhance Forensic Science
WASHINGTON, DC - In an effort to provide essential services to victims of violent crimes and survivors of sexual assault and bolster the state’s ability to process DNA evidence, U.S. Senators Jack Reed and Sheldon Whitehouse and Congressman Seth Magaziner today announced new federal funding totaling $6,632,629 for the Rhode Island Department of Public Safety, the Rhode Island Department of Health, and Sojourner House. The Rhode Island Department of Public Safety is receiving two federal grants … Continue Reading
09.05.23
Whitehouse Lodges Ethics Complaint Against Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), Chairman of the Senate Judiciary Courts Subcommittee, today wrote a letter Chief Justice John Roberts to lodge an ethics complaint against Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito for violating several canons of judicial ethics. Whitehouse’s formal complaint follows revelations that Justice Alito accepted but did not disclose gifts of luxury travel and exclusive lodging from right-wing billionaires, one with business before the Court. Justi… Continue Reading
08.31.23
On International Overdose Awareness Day, RI Delegation Announces $500,000 to Prevent Youth Substance Use in Communities Across Rhode Island
Providence, RI - U.S. Senators Jack Reed and Sheldon Whitehouse and Congressman Seth Magaziner announced today that four Rhode Island Drug Free Communities (DFC) coalitions have been awarded a total of $500,000 from the White House Office of National Drug Policy (ONDCP) to combat the overdose epidemic and prevent youth substance use. Whitehouse, Chairman of the Senate Caucus on International Narcotics Control and a Senate leader on addiction recovery issues, helped secure more than $109 million… Continue Reading
08.29.23
Whitehouse Announces Federal Funding to Support and Expand Youth Music Education
Providence, RI - U.S. Senator Sheldon Whitehouse today joined students and representatives of Community MusicWorks and the Newport String Project to celebrate $300,000 in federal funding to support and expand music education and mentoring services for students from urban communities in Rhode Island. After announcing the funding, the Senator met with students in the program and listened to performances from program participants and resident musicians. “Community MusicWorks and the Newport Strin… Continue Reading
08.26.23
RI Delegation Announces $642,000 to Support Victims of Crime
WASHINGTON, DC - In an effort to provide essential services to victims of violent crimes and survivors of sexual assault and to strengthen the state’s support systems for people who have experienced trauma resulting from these crimes, U.S. Senators Jack Reed and Sheldon Whitehouse and Congressman Seth Magaziner today announced $642,000 in new federal funding for the Victim Compensation Formula Grant program, which is funded by the Crime Victims Fund. The federal funds, which will be administere… Continue Reading
08.23.23
Whitehouse and Langevin Cheer Funding for Creation of Cross Mills Volunteer Firefighters Memorial Park in Charlestown
Charlestown, RI - U.S. Senator Sheldon Whitehouse and former U.S. Representative Jim Langevin joined Charlestown Town Council President Deb Carney and Charlestown Fire District officials this afternoon to celebrate $610,000 in federal funding to support the development of the Cross Mills Volunteer Firefighters Memorial Park. “On one of the last days of his historic tenure, Congressman Langevin and I teamed up to secure this federal funding to support the creation of Charlestown’s new Cross Mill… Continue Reading
08.17.23
Reed & Whitehouse Deliver $4.37 Million to Modernize Warwick’s Wastewater Infrastructure and Improve Beach Water Quality
Warwick, RI – U.S. Senators Jack Reed and Sheldon Whitehouse today joined Warwick Mayor Frank Picozzi, House Speaker K. Joseph Shekarchi, and City officials at Oakland Beach to celebrate $4.37 million in federal funds to modernize local water infrastructure and improve beach water quality for Rhode Islanders. The three Congressionally Directed Spending awards approved for the Warwick Sewer Authority are part of an ongoing effort to upgrade Warwick’s wastewater treatment fa… Continue Reading
08.16.23
Whitehouse Celebrates One-Year Anniversary of Inflation Reduction Act
Barrington, RI – U.S. Senator Sheldon Whitehouse today celebrated the one year anniversary of President Joe Biden signing the Inflation Reduction Act into law with dozens of seniors at the Barrington Senior Center. Whitehouse highlighted the major savings for people on Medicare along with the consumer-facing clean energy incentives and tax fairness improvements included in the law, which passed without a single Republican vote in Congress. “Democrats’ historic Inflation … Continue Reading
08.15.23
Reed, Whitehouse & Magaziner Deliver $728K to Bolster Safety & Strengthen Training for Local Fire Departments
WASHINGTON, D.C. – In an effort to boost public safety and ensure Rhode Island firefighters have the equipment and training needed to stay safe while responding to emergencies, U.S. Senators Jack Reed and Sheldon Whitehouse and Congressman Seth Magaziner today announced $728,919 to help firefighters in Lincoln, Narragansett, and Woonsocket purchase new equipment and implement new training programs. The federal funds are being awarded through the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’… Continue Reading
08.15.23
Whitehouse and Johnson Urge Judicial Conference to Consider Breadth of Secret Billionaire-Funded Gifts to Justice Thomas as Support for Referral to Attorney General
Washington, DC – Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) and Representative Hank Johnson (D-GA) today released a letter alerting the Judicial Conference to the latest bombshell reporting published by ProPublica, which brought to light previously undisclosed billionaire-funded gifts to Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas. Whitehouse and Johnson’s letter asks the Judicial Conference to take these latest revelations into account as the Conference considers referring Justice … Continue Reading
08.11.23
Reed, Whitehouse & Magaziner Deliver $286K Grant to Improve Drinking Water on Block Island
WASHINGTON, D.C. – In an effort to ensure all Rhode Islanders have access to clean, reliable drinking water, U.S. Senators Jack Reed and Sheldon Whitehouse and Congressman Seth Magaziner today announced a $286,000 federal grant to improve access to and resilience of drinking water for residents of Block Island. This federal grant is administered by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) office of Rural Development through the Emergency Community Water Assistance Grants program. These f… Continue Reading
