Press Releases
Bicameral Budget Conference Committee Opens Negotiations
Washington, DC - House and Senate negotiators today held the first formal meeting of the Fiscal Year 2014 Budget Conference Committee, tasked with merging the budget plans passed earlier this year by each chamber. In his opening remarks, U.S. Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) urged his fellow conferees to support a responsible blueprint that will spur job creation and avoid further damage to the American economy from indiscriminate across-the-board spending cuts. "The sequester was designed to … Continue Reading
10.30.13
Senate Panel Approves Children’s Hospital Graduate Medical Education Bill
Washington, DC - Today, the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee reported out the Children's Hospital GME Support Reauthorization Act of 2013, with bipartisan support. The legislation, which provides freestanding children's hospitals federal support for graduate medical education (GME) teaching programs for pediatric medical residents, includes a provision authored by U.S. Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) that extends federal support to teaching programs at children's … Continue Reading
10.28.13
RI Gets $16 Million More in Sandy Recovery Aid
WASHINGTON, DC - A year after Superstorm Sandy wreaked havoc on many Rhode Island businesses and homes, U.S. Senators Jack Reed and Sheldon Whitehouse and U.S. Representatives Jim Langevin and David Cicilline today announced that an additional $16 million in federal funding is on its way to help pay rebuilding costs and better protect communities from future storms. This latest round of federal support comes in the form of Community Development Block Grant Disaster Recovery (CDBG-DR) grants, ad… Continue Reading
10.24.13
Sen. Whitehouse Applauds New Funding for Hurricane Sandy Recovery
Providence, RI - U.S. Senator Sheldon Whitehouse is applauding today's announcement by the U.S. Department of the Interior that the state will receive several million dollars in new federal funds for restoration and research projects related to Hurricane Sandy. The announcement comes as we approach the one-year anniversary of that devastating storm, which slammed the East Coast on October 29, 2012. "As we near the one-year anniversary of Hurricane Sandy, we must remember the damage wrought by … Continue Reading
10.24.13
Providence Receives $150,000 Project Safe Neighborhoods Grant
Today, U.S. Senators Jack Reed and Sheldon Whitehouse joined Providence Mayor Angel Taveras, U.S. Attorney Peter F. Neronha and Rhode Island Attorney General Peter F. Kilmartin, and other leading state and local law enforcement officials to announce $150,000 in federal funding that is being awarded to the City of Providence from the Project Safe Neighborhoods Program to help reduce gun and gang violence. The federal grant will support an innovative partnership led by the Providence Police Depar… Continue Reading
10.16.13
Sen. Whitehouse Statement on Deal to Open the Government and Avoid Default
Washington, DC - U.S. Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) released the statement below today regarding the Senate's passage of legislation to end the government shutdown and avoid a default: "This shutdown and near-default crisis was entirely unnecessary and has harmed our economy and our reputation in the world. I'm glad that the Senate was able to craft a bipartisan plan to move past the crisis, so we can turn to the real issues facing our country: creating jobs, supporting the middle class, a… Continue Reading
10.15.13
Sen. Whitehouse Slams House GOP for Derailing Bipartisan Talks
Washington, DC - U.S. Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) released the statement below today regarding the apparent breakdown in discussions to raise the debt limit and end the government shutdown: "I am stunned to hear that Speaker Boehner has derailed bipartisan Senate discussions aimed at ending the government shutdown and averting a debt limit crisis. It is terribly unfair to the bipartisan Senate process, and even more unfair to the American people who will end up paying the price if the Sp… Continue Reading
10.09.13
Sen. Whitehouse Statement on Nomination of Janet Yellen
Washington, DC - U.S. Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) released the statement below today regarding President Obama's nomination of Janet Yellen to serve as the next Chair of the Federal Reserve: "Janet Yellen is highly qualified to serve as our next Fed chair, and I look forward to supporting her nomination in the Senate. At a time when our economy is still struggling, Ms. Yellen will bring the right priorities, and a lifetime of experience, to help us create jobs and provide a fair deal to t… Continue Reading
10.09.13
Bicameral Task Force on Climate Change Applauds Announcement of Climate Change Risk Assessment Project
WASHINGTON, DC- Today the co-chairs of the Bicameral Task Force on Climate Change, Rep. Henry A. Waxman, Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse, Rep. Bobby L. Rush, Sen. Ben Cardin, Rep. Earl Blumenauer, and Sen. Edward J. Markey, sent a letter to Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg, Former Treasury Secretary Hank Paulson, and Tom Steyer to commend their Risky Business initiative, which will assess the potential impacts of climate change on each region and sector of the U.S. economy and provide information about how to… Continue Reading
10.06.13
Sen. Whitehouse Visits HealthSource RI Contact Center
Providence, RI - As Tea Party Republicans continue holding government funding hostage in an attempt to undermine Obamacare, U.S. Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) yesterday visited the contact center for HealthSource RI in Providence to hear about how the new Obamacare insurance marketplace is helping Rhode Islanders. Hundreds of Rhode Islanders have signed up for insurance through HealthSource RI since it opened on Tuesday. "I'm grateful for the hard work of all those at HealthSource RI who a… Continue Reading
09.30.13
Sen. Whitehouse Statement on Government Shutdown
Washington, DC - U.S. Senator Sheldon Whitehouse released the statement below regarding the impending partial shutdown of the federal government: "I'm disappointed that Speaker Boehner and House Republicans refused to even hold a vote on the responsible bill passed by the Senate to keep the government open. As Rhode Island continues recovering from the recession, we can't afford to play these games. Unfortunately, because of the extremist demands of Tea Party Republicans - demands that were j… Continue Reading
09.27.13
Reed and Whitehouse Work to Avert Government Shutdown
WASHINGTON, DC - Today, the U.S. Senate voted 54 to 44 to approve a short-term spending plan that will keep the government funded through November 15, 2013. U.S. Senators Jack Reed and Sheldon Whitehouse voted for the legislation, which must now be approved by the U.S. House of Representatives. If the House fails to act, Reed and Whitehouse warn that a government shutdown would hinder economic recovery, jeopardize important services for working families, and have a negative effect on Rhode Isl… Continue Reading
09.27.13
IPCC Report: Time to Wake Up on Climate
Washington, DC - U.S. Senator Sheldon Whitehouse released the statement below today regarding the new report from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), which concludes that there is now greater certainty than ever that carbon pollution from human activities is causing climate change: "Through this report, our top climate researchers are sending a message: it is time to wake up to the threat of climate change. The big polluters and their denier allies can't spin this any longer. … Continue Reading
09.26.13
Sen. Whitehouse Congratulates America’s Cup Winners
Washington, DC - U.S. Senator Sheldon Whitehouse released the following statement congratulating Oracle Team USA's come-from-behind victory in the America's Cup: "Congratulations to Larry Ellison and his team, particularly Newport's own Rome Kirby, on their exciting and amazing comeback in the America's Cup. I'm proud that Team USA prevailed today, as it did so many times during the fifty years when the races were held in Newport. Today's victory ensures that the cup will remain where it belo… Continue Reading
09.25.13
RI Wins $100,000 Federal Grant for Manufacturing Investments
PROVIDENCE, RI -- Rhode Island's Congressional delegation and Governor Lincoln D. Chafee today announced that the state has won a first round "Investing in Manufacturing Community Partnership" (IMCP) grant of $100,000. Designed to accelerate the resurgence of manufacturing and create jobs in cities across the country, the U.S. Department of Commerce today awarded 26 federal IMCP strategy grants to communities around the country. This federal funding will help the Rhode Island Economic Develop… Continue Reading
09.20.13
Bicameral Task Force on Climate Change Applauds New EPA Power Plant Standard
Washington, DC - Today the co-chairs of the Bicameral Task Force on Climate Change applauded newly proposed limits from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) on carbon pollution from new power plants. The proposed rules would apply to coal and natural gas-fired power plants built in the future, and would help reduce the carbon pollution that is contributing to global climate change. "The EPA proposal is a double winner: pro-environment and pro-growth," said Rep. Henry A. Waxman. "It sets … Continue Reading
09.19.13
Reed and Whitehouse Share RI Stories with Congressional Leaders
Washington, DC - Last month, U.S. Senators Jack Reed and Sheldon Whitehouse hosted a roundtable discussion in Providence to hear how the indiscriminate cuts in federal spending, known as the sequester, are affecting Rhode Island families and the state's economy. Today, the two Senators are sharing some of the stories they heard with Senate leaders, and pushing to replace the sequester with a balanced approach to deficit reduction. "The current across-the-board budget cuts are hurting families … Continue Reading
09.18.13
Sen. Whitehouse Introduces Legislation to Improve Mental Health Care
Washington, DC - In 2009, the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) made an unprecedented investment in our medical infrastructure, providing almost $20 billion in incentive funds for health information technology. However, an important group of health care providers were excluded from these incentives: behavioral health, mental health, and substance abuse treatment professionals and facilities. Today, U.S. Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) introduced the Behavioral Health Information … Continue Reading
09.17.13
RI Congressional Delegation announces $949,593 in Federal Funding to Support Drug-Free Communities in Rhode Island
Providence, RI - The Rhode Island Congressional delegation today announced $949,593 in federal Drug-Free Communities (DFC) grants for towns across the state to combat substance abuse, particularly among RI youths. The grants, which are administered by the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy's Drug-Free Communities Support Program, have been awarded to communities and organizations in Providence, Barrington, Tiverton, Middletown, Woonsocket, Westerly, and North Kingstown. They incl… Continue Reading
09.16.13
Sen. Whitehouse Statement on Susan Farmer Passing
Washington, DC - U.S. Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) released the statement below regarding the death of former Rhode Island Secretary of State, Susan Farmer: "Susan Farmer was a courageous and kind person. As the first woman to hold statewide office in Rhode Island, as an indomitable cancer patient, as the successful head of our public television station, she set a shining example for all of us in public service, and she did so with great generosity of spirit. She prevailed in tough environ… Continue Reading
