Press Releases
Delay in Holder Confirmation Illogical and Unreasonable, Whitehouse Says
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee and a former U.S. Attorney and Attorney General for Rhode Island, today sharply criticized the argument some Republican members of the Committee are making for delaying a vote on the nomination of Attorney General-Designate Eric Holder: "Republicans on the Judiciary Committee have asked Eric Holder to make a commitment, before he is even confirmed, that he will not prosecute any Bush Administra… Continue Reading
01.22.09
Whitehouse Applauds President’s Move to Ban Torture
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), one of the original sponsors of legislation banning the use of torture by U.S. interrogators, today applauded President Barack Obama's issuance of executive orders to make such a prohibition the law of the land. "Today, President Obama has reaffirmed America's highest ideals, and signaled that America will once again be empowered by those ideals. They are at once our greatest gift and our greatest strength," said Whitehouse, a former U… Continue Reading
01.22.09
Whitehouse: Lilly Ledbetter Act Guarantees “Justice in the Face of Discrimination”
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), a former U.S. Attorney and Attorney General for Rhode Island and a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, praised the Senate's passage today of the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act of 2009 (S. 181): "This bill guarantees for all women what the Supreme Court denied Lilly Ledbetter: justice in the face of discrimination. I applaud Senators Barbara Mikulski and Ted Kennedy for their efforts to ensure that when a woman is paid less than a m… Continue Reading
01.21.09
Whitehouse Statement on Clinton Confirmation Vote
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) released the following statement today on the Senate's confirmation of Hillary Clinton to be the next Secretary of State. "Now that she has been confirmed by the Senate as our new Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton will bring vast experience, formidable intelligence, and wise judgment to the enormous challenges we face and to restoring the world's confidence in our nation. Change has truly come to America, and Secretary Clinton will be… Continue Reading
01.16.09
Whitehouse Cosponsors Plan to Help Seniors Cover Gap in Prescription Drug Coverage
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) today joined Senators Bill Nelson (D-FL) and Susan Collins (R-ME) to introduce a new plan aimed at closing the so-called Medicare prescription drug "doughnut hole," the large gap in coverage during which Medicare beneficiaries continue to pay premiums but get no coverage at all. "As I travel around Rhode Island, I meet countless seniors who are frustrated and confused by the Part D program, and don't understand why our government isn't d… Continue Reading
01.15.09
Whitehouse Joins Rhode Island, Massachusetts Lawmakers to Commend Passage of Bill to Protect Taunton River Under the National Park Service's "Wild & Scenic" Program
Washington, DC - Senators Edward M. Kennedy, John F. Kerry, Jack Reed, and Sheldon Whitehouse and Representatives Barney Frank, James P. McGovern and Patrick J. Kennedy today commended Congress for the passage of legislation by the United States Senate to support the protection and community-based management of Taunton River as part of the Wild & Scenic River system. Senator Kennedy's spokesperson Melissa Wagoner said, "Senator Kennedy is extremely pleased that Taunton River will now be pa… Continue Reading
01.08.09
Whitehouse Calls for Temporary Boost to Social Security
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) has asked Senate leaders to consider a temporary increase in Social Security benefits as part of economic stimulus legislation now being developed, to ensure that financial assistance reaches seniors and disabled Americans struggling to make ends meet as the economy worsens. In a letter to Senate Finance Committee Chairman Max Baucus (D-MT) and Ranking Member Charles Grassley (R-IA), Whitehouse emphasized that fixed incomes and reliance … Continue Reading
01.07.09
Civil Rights Leaders Join Senators Cardin and Whitehouse in Support of Attorney General Nominee
Washington, D.C. - Today, U.S. Senators Sheldon Whitehouse, D. R.I., and Benjamin Cardin, D. Md., joined the Leadership Conference on Civil Rights (LCCR), the NAACP, the National Council of La Raza (NCLR), and the National Women's Law Center (NWLC) in a press conference on Capitol Hill to urge the swift confirmation of Eric Holder for U.S. Attorney General."Eric Holder is an experienced and dedicated public servant who will restore trust and confidence in a Department of Justice that recently ha… Continue Reading
01.06.09
Floor Statement of Sheldon Whitehouse, “A Tribute to U.S. Senator Claiborne Pell”
Mr. WHITEHOUSE. Mr./Madam President, just this morning in this Chamber, we saw bright and promising Senate careers begin, with all that joy and hope. Yesterday, Rhode Island saw the sun set on an era, with the funeral of our friend, Senator Claiborne Pell. Many in this body served with him and knew him well. Rhode Island is grateful to Majority Leader Reid, Majority Whip Durbin, Claiborne Pell's dear friends Ted Kennedy and Joe Biden, and Senators Pat Leahy, Dick Lugar, Orrin Hatch, Chris Do… Continue Reading
01.04.09
Statement of Sheldon Whitehouse on the Situation in Gaza
Newport, R.I. - U.S. Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) issued the following statement on the conflict in Gaza: "Hamas has cast aside a cease-fire agreement brokered by the Egyptians and indiscriminately targeted Israeli civilians with a barrage of rockets and mortars, dragging the Israeli and Palestinian peoples back into the crossfire of war and leaving Israel with little choice but to respond with force. Israel must defend its people against these attacks. "Now, like all Americans, I hope f… Continue Reading
01.01.09
Whitehouse Statement on Senator Claiborne Pell
Newport, R.I. - U.S. Senator Sheldon Whitehouse issued the following statement today on the death of former Senator Claiborne Pell: "Claiborne Pell was a mentor, example and friend; a uniquely beloved Rhode Island politician; and a champion for artists and scholars and all Americans who see higher education lighting a path to a brighter future. We will all miss him deeply, and long benefit from the works of his farseeing soul. America shares in the loss felt by Nuala and the Pell family." ###… Continue Reading
12.15.08
Whitehouse Travels to Iraq to Meet with Rhode Island Troops, Foreign Leaders
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) made his second trip to Iraq today as part of an official congressional delegation visit to the Middle East. While there, Whitehouse met Lt. Theresa Mainuli of Middletown and Maj. Johann Gomez of Rumford at Forward Operating Base (FOB) Shield in Baghdad. Whitehouse also received briefings from U.S. military and State Department officials, including Gen. Raymond Odierno, Commander, Multi-National Force - Iraq, Lt. Gen. Lloyd Austin, Comm… Continue Reading
12.05.08
Whitehouse Brings Experts to Rhode Island to Discuss Credit Card Reform
Providence, RI - U.S. Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) brought a panel of noted national and local experts in lending and bankruptcy law to Rhode Island College today for an official hearing of the Senate Judiciary Committee on credit card reform. "As I travel around our state and talk with Rhode Islanders, I often hear concerns about out of control credit card rates and fees," said Whitehouse, who chaired the hearing. "Times are tough in our Ocean State, and people who are unemployed or unde… Continue Reading
12.01.08
Whitehouse Reacts to Announcement of Obama National Security Team
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) today praised President-elect Obama's selections for his national security team. Obama announced this morning that he is nominating Senator Hillary Clinton (D-NY) to serve as Secretary of State, former Deputy Attorney General Eric Holder to serve as Attorney General, and Susan Rice to serve as U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations. Whitehouse said: "In Senator Clinton, President-Elect Obama has chosen a Secretary of State who will help… Continue Reading
11.25.08
Conrad, Whitehouse Call for GAO Health Reform Study
Washington, D.C. - With health care reform among Americans' highest priorities for the next Congress, Senate Budget Committee Chairman Kent Conrad (D-ND) and U.S. Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) have asked the Government Accountability Office (GAO) to study best practices used by states, hospitals, and other countries to reduce health care costs and improve quality. This year, Americans will spend $2.4 trillion on health care, and are expected to spend $4.3 trillion by 2017. In the next decad… Continue Reading
11.21.08
“Green” Product Label May Be Misleading, Whitehouse Warns
Washington, D.C. - Over the past few years, many Americans have begun turning to "green" or organic products, often out of concern for the environment or a desire for better quality. Amidst shrinking family budgets and a record drop in personal spending, consumers who choose environmentally sensitive food or household supplies need to know that they're getting what they're paying for - but too often, those products simply don't live up to their labels. One 2008 survey showed that 39 percent of… Continue Reading
11.20.08
Snowe, Whitehouse Introduce Bill to Strengthen FBI Investigations of White-Collar Crimes
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senators Olympia J. Snowe (R-Maine) and Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) have introduced legislation to strengthen the Federal Bureau of Investigation's (FBI) financial crime investigation unit by hiring 1,000 new agents dedicated to white-collar crimes. The "FBI Priorities Act", which authorizes $150 million in each of the next five years for the expansion, mirrors the steps taken by the FBI following the September 11th terrorist attacks in which approximately 1,000 agents wer… Continue Reading
11.11.08
Whitehouse Travels to Afghanistan, Pakistan
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.) traveled to Afghanistan and Pakistan over the weekend to assess local and U.S. security efforts, meet with military and government officials, and visit American troops serving there. "This is, and has been, a key battleground of the war on terror," said Whitehouse. "While the Bush Administration waged war in Iraq, al Qaeda and the Taliban grew stronger in Afghanistan and Pakistan, and we became less secure. As America prepares for a ne… Continue Reading
10.31.08
Reed and Whitehouse Announce $1.29 Million to Help Rhode Islanders Save on Energy Bills
WASHINGTON, DC -- In an effort to help more Rhode Islanders save money on their energy bills this winter, U.S. Senators Jack Reed (D-RI) and Sheldon Whitehouse today announced that Rhode Island will receive an immediate infusion of $1.29 million for the Weatherization Assistance Program (WAP). This federal funding will help Rhode Islanders take simple steps to conserve energy in their homes by installing insulation, repairing outdated heating systems, or sealing up drafty old doors and windows.… Continue Reading
10.29.08
Whitehouse to Treasury, Fed Leaders: Struggling Homeowners Should Be Able to Modify Mortgage Terms
Washington, D.C. - As the federal government considers proposals to stem the tide of home foreclosures - including nearly 1,600 filings in Rhode Island in the third quarter of this year, up 33 percent from last year - U.S. Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) is pushing the Administration to adopt straightforward, commonsense reform that would assist homeowners at no cost to taxpayers. Whitehouse wrote today to the leaders of the Treasury, Federal Reserve, and Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation… Continue Reading
