Press Releases
Whitehouse Hails Passage of Credit Card Reforms
Washington, D.C. - The U.S. Senate has passed legislation to make credit card company practices more transparent and reasonable for consumers, prohibiting unfair tricks and traps that keep many Americans in a "sweatbox" of mounting debt. The bill, H.R. 627, was based on the Credit Card Accountability Responsibility and Disclosure Act of 2009, which was sponsored by Senate Banking Committee Chairman Christopher Dodd (D-CT) and cosponsored by U.S. Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI). "With the eco… Continue Reading
05.20.09
Feingold, Sanders, Whitehouse Oversight Effort Could Result In $50 Million Saved
Washington, D.C. - In response to a request made by U.S. Senators Russ Feingold (D-WI), Bernie Sanders (I-VT) and Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), the United States Air Force (USAF) is committing to reduce its purchases of unneeded spare parts, which could save taxpayers $50 million next year. The Armed Services have customarily ordered spare parts they do not need, tying up funds that could better be spent to fill budget shortfalls in other critical areas. The senators have urged the Armed Services… Continue Reading
05.19.09
Whitehouse Applauds New Auto Emissions Standards
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), a member of the Senate Environment and Public Works (EPW) Committee, today praised President Obama's announcement of a new uniform federal standard to regulate fuel economy and greenhouse gas emissions from cars and trucks. "This is an enormous step forward: a national standard that makes cars both cleaner and more efficient, saving consumers money and protecting our environment," Whitehouse said. "That President Obama was able to get … Continue Reading
05.19.09
$111 Million in Education Funding Now Available to Rhode Island
WASHINGTON, DC -- Rhode Island's Congressional Delegation today announced that $111 million dollars in education funding is now available to the state through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) of 2009, which was signed into law by President Obama on February 17, 2009. Senators Jack Reed and Sheldon Whitehouse and Representatives Patrick Kennedy and Jim Langevin supported the Recovery Act, which ensured that the state could seek today's funds by completing Part 1 of the State St… Continue Reading
05.19.09
Rhode Island Law Professor Testifies at Senate Hearing on Holding Foreign Manufacturers Accountable for Defective Products
Washington, D.C. - Rhode Islander Louise Ellen Teitz, a Professor at Roger Williams University School of Law in Bristol, Rhode Island, testified before a Senate subcommittee today about the legal hurdles facing Americans injured by products manufactured outside the United States. U.S. Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), who chairs the Senate Judiciary Committee's Subcommittee on Administrative Oversight and the Courts, asked Professor Teitz to share her expertise at the hearing entitled "Levelin… Continue Reading
05.19.09
Rhode Island Receives $965,065 For STOP Violence Against Women Program
Washington, DC - Rhode Island's Congressional Delegation announced today that the Department of Justice's Office of Violence Against Women has released $965,065 in recovery act funds under the STOP (Services-Training-Officers-Prosecutors) Violence Against Women Formula Grant Program. The Recovery Act STOP funds will support efforts to hire and retain criminal justice and victim services personnel that respond to violent crimes against women, as well as promote economic growth while improving r… Continue Reading
05.18.09
Rhode Island Receives $1.8 Million to Clean Up Brownfields
Pawtucket, RI - U.S. Senators Jack Reed (D-RI) and Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) today visited a former industrial site in Pawtucket to announce $1.8 million in federal aid they secured to clean up brownfield sites in communities across Rhode Island. The Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management (RIDEM) and Woonsocket will receive a total of $1.2 million in brownfield funding through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, which Senators Reed and Whitehouse and Representatives Patrick… Continue Reading
05.14.09
Whitehouse-Backed Bill to Invest $1.8 Billion for Water Safety Projects Across The Country Passes Committee
Washington, D.C. - The Senate Environment and Public Works Committee today approved legislation cosponsored by U.S. Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) to authorize $1.8 billion in federal grants to help modernize antiquated sewer systems. These sewers frequently overflow directly into rivers, lakes, streams and coastal waters during wet weather events, threatening water quality and public health and undermining local economies. Senators Frank R. Lautenberg (D-NJ) and George Voinovich (R-OH) autho… Continue Reading
05.13.09
Reed and Whitehouse Announce Recommendation of Peter F. Neronha to be the Next U.S. Attorney for Rhode Island
PROVIDENCE, RI - United States Senators Jack Reed and Sheldon Whitehouse today announced they have recommended that President Barack Obama nominate current Assistant U.S. Attorney Peter F. Neronha to be the next U.S. Attorney for Rhode Island. "Peter Neronha is a veteran prosecutor and a dedicated public servant. He is a true professional. His exemplary service in the U.S. Attorney's office and the state Attorney General's office has earned him respect across the board from the law enforcemen… Continue Reading
05.12.09
Senate Bill Would Address Shortage of Critical Care Doctors
Washington, D.C. - Legislation introduced today in the U.S. Senate would increase access to critical care in intensive care units (ICUs) throughout the country. The Patient-Focused Critical Care Enhancement Act, sponsored by U.S. Senators Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) and Mike Crapo (R-ID), would expand the critical care workforce and establish best practices to maximize the efficiency of existing critical care personnel. Critical care doctors provide care to critically ill or injured patients who… Continue Reading
05.08.09
Eight Senators Back Funding Aimed at Improving Health Outcomes in LGBT Community
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) and seven of his senate colleagues called for a $2 million funding increase for the Center of Disease Control (CDC) to add a question regarding sexual orientation and gender identity to the National Health Interview Survey (NHIS). Federal health surveys gather data on a range of demographic information, including age, sex, race, ethnicity and socioeconomic status, to determine funding and program priorities for federal, state, and local g… Continue Reading
05.07.09
Whitehouse Praises Health Care Funding in Obama’s Budget
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), a member of the Senate Budget Committee, commented today on President Obama's announcement of the details of his Fiscal Year 2010 budget: "The spending cuts President Obama proposed today show he understands that in tough economic times, we need to be willing to make difficult choices about how best to use taxpayers' money. At the same time, we need to take a hard look at the fiscal problems that will confront us in the future, and put… Continue Reading
05.07.09
Senate Passes Amendment to Combat Military Cost Overruns
Washington, D.C. - The U.S. Senate today passed an amendment to S.454, the Weapons Systems Acquisitions Reform Act of 2009, to crack down on multi-billion dollar cost overruns in major defense acquisitions programs. The amendment, which was proposed by Senators Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) and cosponsored by Senators Russ Feingold (D-WI) and Bernie Sanders (I-VT), would provide a transparent early warning system to clearly identify risks for cost overruns in defense contracts for weapons, fighter … Continue Reading
05.07.09
Senate Committee Approves Rhode Islander’s EPA Nomination
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), a member of the Senate Environment and Public Works (EPW) Committee, applauded the committee's voice vote today endorsing the nomination of Cynthia Giles, of Barrington, RI, to be the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)'s Assistant Administrator for Enforcement and Compliance Assurance. "I have known and worked with Cynthia for years, and have seen firsthand her leadership in my state of Rhode Island on many critical environmental iss… Continue Reading
05.07.09
Eleven Senators Urge Progress on Electronic Prescribing for Controlled Substances
Washington, D.C. - A bipartisan group of U.S. Senators today asked Secretary of Health and Human Services Kathleen Sebelius and Attorney General Eric Holder to quickly put federal regulations in place that would allow electronic prescribing for controlled substances. U.S. Senators Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), Tim Johnson (D-SD), Tom Coburn (R-OK), Jay Rockefeller (D-WV), Edward Kennedy (D-MA), Debbie Stabenow (D-MI), Sherrod Brown (D-OH), Lindsey Graham (R-SC), John Kerry (D-MA), John Thune (R-S… Continue Reading
05.06.09
RI Delegation Announces $250 In Economic Recovery Payments For 179,353 RI Social Security Recipients To Begin Going Out Tomorrow; Expected To Bring $51M To State
Washington, D.C. -- Today, the Rhode Island Congressional Delegation announced that social security recipients will receive one-time, $250 economic recovery payments beginning tomorrow, May 7th with the goal of getting them all out by the end of this month. By mid-May, payments to recipients of Supplemental Security Income (SSI) benefits will also begin to go out. These payments are provided under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, which was supported by Senators Jack Reed and Sheldon… Continue Reading
05.05.09
Durbin, Whitehouse Statement on Status of Justice Department Investigation of Torture Authorizations
Washington, D.C. - Assistant Senate Majority Leader Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) released the following statement after the Department of Justice (DOJ) sent them a letter regarding the status of the department's investigation of torture authorizations. "We are heartened to learn that the Department of Justice's internal review of the legal authorization for torture by lawyers at the Office of Legal Counsel is nearing an end." "According to a letter we received from … Continue Reading
05.05.09
Delegation Announces $1.1M in NEA grants for RI State Council on the Arts, Newport Opera House, RiverzEdge Arts Project
Washington, DC - Today, the Rhode Island Congressional Delegation announced that the Rhode Island State Council on the Arts and two local arts organizations in Newport and Woonsocket have been awarded grants from the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA). The Rhode Island State Council on the Arts has been awarded a $782,100 grant and a $291,500 grant for its State Partnership Program; Newport Opera House has been awarded a $10,000 grant under the NEA's Challenge America program; and RiverszEdge… Continue Reading
05.05.09
Rockefeller, Whitehouse, Degette: Americans Deserve High-Quality Health Care
Washington, D.C.-Senator John D. (Jay) Rockefeller IV, Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), and Congresswoman Diana DeGette (D-CO) introduced "The National Health Care Quality Act." This landmark legislation will make patient health outcomes - not special interests - the determinants for how we pay for and provide health care services. The bill will create a new foundation for health care quality improvement within a National Health Care Quality Office. "We spend more money on health care in Ameri… Continue Reading
05.04.09
Lautenberg, Menendez, Whitehouse Introduce Bill to Alert Communities of Sewage Overflows
WASHINGTON, D.C. - Sens. Frank R. Lautenberg (D-NJ), Robert Menendez (D-NJ) and Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) today introduced legislation to protect communities from illness by requiring monitoring, notification and reporting of sewer overflows. "The public has a right to know about potentially harmful pollution in their water. My bill will require sewer systems to be monitored regularly for sewage overflows and ensure that our neighborhoods are alerted quickly if public health is at risk," said S… Continue Reading
