Press Releases
Whitehouse Praises Administration’s Announced Release from Strategic Petroleum Reserve
Washington, DC - The Obama Administration announced today that they plan to sell some of the oil in the Strategic Petroleum Reserve (SPR) into the market to help bring down gas prices, a move that Senator Sheldon Whitehouse called for in a letter to the president in March. Today Whitehouse praised the move: "Rampant oil speculation has driven up the price of gas and taken money out of the pockets of Rhode Islanders. With the announcement today, I hope this eases summer gas prices and provides s… Continue Reading
06.22.11
Whitehouse: It’s Time to Begin our Exit from Afghanistan
Washington, DC - U.S. Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) released the following statement today after President Obama announced that 10,000 U.S. troops would be withdrawn from Afghanistan this year, with 23,000 more to be withdrawn in 2012: "For nearly ten years, our troops and their families have made enormous sacrifices for our mission in Afghanistan. It's now time for the United States to begin the process of removing our troops and turning security responsibilities over to the Afghan people.… Continue Reading
06.21.11
Whitehouse Chairs Hearing to Evaluate Obama Administration’s Cybersecurity Proposals
Washington, DC - Following the recent announcement of the Obama Administration's cybersecurity proposals, Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) today held a hearing of the Judiciary Subcommittee on Crime and Terrorism to evaluate the plan. The proposals, which the Obama Administration unveiled in May, aim at key cybersecurity challenges, for instance securing our critical infrastructure, such as our electric grid, and providing for voluntary assistance in response to a cyber incident. "Our nation… Continue Reading
06.21.11
RI Receives Nearly $525,000 to Help Unemployed Find New Jobs
WASHINGTON, DC - In an effort to improve the prospects of unemployed Rhode Islanders in finding work, Rhode Island's Congressional delegation today announced that the state will receive $524,394 from the U.S. Department of Labor to provide re-employment and eligibility assessments to beneficiaries of unemployment insurance. The funds will be used to expand the unemployment services currently offered, allowing the state to conduct in-person assessments that will help individuals identify their s… Continue Reading
06.20.11
Whitehouse Announces Legislation to Create New Jobs
Cranston, RI - After hearing from small business owners about how we can get our economy moving, U.S. Senator Sheldon Whitehouse today announced new legislation aimed at helping businesses hire more workers. Whitehouse's Job Creation Tax Credit Act would offer tax breaks to help businesses expand their workforce. "I've heard from small business owners all over the state who want to hire more workers, but who just aren't sure they can afford it," said Whitehouse. "This legislation would provid… Continue Reading
06.18.11
Whitehouse and Taveras Bring Netroots Nation Conference to Providence in 2012
Providence, RI - During a keynote address at the 2011 Netroots Nation Conference in Minneapolis, MN, Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) announced that Providence will host the event in 2012. Primarily a gathering of progressive political activists, this conference attracts thousands of participants, notable speakers, and media from around the world. The Providence Warwick Convention and Visitors Bureau (PWCVB) estimates that this convention will bring at least a $1.5 million economic impact to … Continue Reading
06.17.11
Whitehouse Introduces Bipartisan Legislation to Crack Down on Counterfeit Products Sold to the Military
Washington, DC - In response to increasing numbers of counterfeit products in the military supply chain, U.S. Senators Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), John McCain (R-AZ), Lindsey Graham (R-SC), and Chris Coons (D-DE) have introduced bipartisan legislation to crack down on criminals who traffic in these dangerous goods. The Combating Military Counterfeits Act of 2011 would increase penalties and create a heightened criminal offense for trafficking in counterfeit military products. "Our troops servin… Continue Reading
06.17.11
Whitehouse Praises Implementation of Legislation to Crack Down on Medicare Fraud by CMS
Washington, DC - Today, Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Kathleen Sebelius announced that the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) will begin using a new predictive modeling technology to help crack down on fraudulent Medicare claims before payment is made. This innovative approach to fighting Medicare fraud was funded by legislation cosponsored by Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI). Last year, Senator Whitehouse cosponsored and worked on bipartisan Medicare fraud-fighting l… Continue Reading
06.17.11
Delegation Announces Over $887,000 in New Weatherization Funding to Help Create Jobs and Lower Energy Bills
WASHINGTON, DC -- In an effort to help more Rhode Islanders save on their energy bills, increase energy efficiency, and reduce our nation's demand for fossil fuels, Rhode Island's Congressional delegation today announced the state will receive $887,744 from the Weatherization Assistance Program (WAP) for fiscal year 2011. WAP helps low-income families, seniors, and individuals with disabilities by improving the energy efficiency of their homes. This funding should help local, certified c… Continue Reading
06.16.11
Whitehouse Statement on Vote to End Ethanol Subsidies
Washington, DC - U.S. Senator Sheldon Whitehouse today released the following statement regarding the Senate's vote on an amendment from Senators Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) and Tom Coburn (R-OK) which would end $3 billion in tax giveaways for ethanol production. The measure passed by a vote of 73-27. "The corn ethanol industry, much like Big Oil, does not need taxpayer subsidies to turn a profit. The production process also poses serious environmental risks. We should instead be investing in em… Continue Reading
06.15.11
Rhode Islander Testified in EPW Hearing on Air Pollution and Children’s Health
Washington, DC -- During an official joint hearing of two subcommittees of the Senate Environment and Public Works (EPW) Committee, James Ginda, a registered respiratory therapist at Kent Hospital in Warwick, testified last week about the effects air pollution has on children's health. U.S. Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), a member of the EPW Children's Health Subcommittee, invited Ginda to testify. "Our Rhode Island Department of Health reports that 11% of children in Rhode Island have asthm… Continue Reading
06.15.11
Senators Call on President to Shift Strategy in Afghanistan
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Mike Lee (R-UT) and Tom Udall (D-NM) and 24 other senators sent a letter to President Obama today calling for a shift in strategy in Afghanistan ahead of next month's announced deadline to begin an accelerated transition to Afghan security forces. In the letter, the senators urge the President to use the deadline as an opportunity to begin a "sizable and sustained" drawdown of troops that puts the U.S. on a path toward removing all regular combat t… Continue Reading
06.14.11
Whitehouse and Reed Request FTC Investigation into Online Ticket Brokers Posing as Rhode Island Venues
Washington, DC - Following recent reports of online ticket brokers in Rhode Island posing as the official sales sites for popular venues and overcharging consumers, U.S. Senators Sheldon Whitehouse and Jack Reed have asked the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to investigate the practice. The senators are seeking to protect consumers from unscrupulous ticket brokers who may be posing as trusted Rhode Island venues and driving up ticket prices while narrowing the choice of tickets available to th… Continue Reading
06.13.11
Reed & Whitehouse Statement on Withdrawal of Controversial LNG Project
PROVIDENCE, RI -- U.S. Senators Jack Reed (D-RI) and Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) today hailed Hess LNG/Weavers Cove Energy plans to withdraw a controversial proposal to locate a liquefied natural gas plant in Fall River as a significant victory to the safety and security of Rhode Islanders. The Senators have been working for years to block the siting of LNG marine terminals in urban communities that would require LNG tankers to pass by eleven Rhode Island towns and cities and more than 25 miles o… Continue Reading
06.09.11
Whitehouse: Banks That Ignore Mortgage Modification Rules Should be Penalized
Washington, DC - With too many Rhode Island families still struggling to keep their homes in the wake of the foreclosure crisis, U.S. Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) today applauded the Obama Administration for cracking down on big banks who have failed to comply with the requirements of the Making Home Affordable (HAMP) program. The Administration announced that Bank of America, J.P Morgan Chase Bank, and Wells Fargo Bank will not receive financial payments from the HAMP, which was establish… Continue Reading
06.09.11
Whitehouse Commemorates Gaspee Days in Senate Speech
Washington, DC - As Rhode Island prepares for the annual Gaspee Days parade in Warwick this weekend, U.S. Senator Sheldon Whitehouse today spoke on the floor of the Senate to remember the brave Rhode Islanders who stood up to the British and burned the HMS Gaspee in 1772. Whitehouse argued that the Gaspee Affair, which took place 16 months before the Boston Tea Party, deserves more recognition for its role in sparking the American Revolution. The text of Whitehouse's remarks, as prepared for d… Continue Reading
06.08.11
Whitehouse Testifies Before Senate Veterans’ Committee on his Bill to Prevent Military Foreclosures
Washington, DC - U.S. Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) today testified before the Senate Committee on Veterans' Affairs about his Protecting Servicemembers from Mortgage Abuses Act. The bill, which Whitehouse introduced in March, would improve protection for military families from losing their homes through wrongful foreclosure. "While operations in Iraq, Afghanistan, and around the world have put tremendous demands on our brave men and women in uniform, lenders at home have repeatedly disrega… Continue Reading
06.08.11
Whitehouse Receives Rhode Island's Social Security and Medicare Hero Award
Washington, D.C. - On Friday, the Rhode Island Alliance for Retired Americans (RI ARA) presented U.S. Senator Sheldon Whitehouse with their Social Security and Medicare Hero Award for his advocacy on behalf of Rhode Island seniors. Whitehouse received the award from RI ARA President John A. Pernorio during a ceremony at the Salvatore Mancini Resource and Activity Center in North Providence. "Medicare and Social Security must be protected as the bedrock of retirement security for our seniors," s… Continue Reading
06.03.11
Whitehouse Chairs Hearing on Preventing Teen Violence
Providence, R.I. - With incidents of teen dating violence on the rise, and with new forms of web-based abuse becoming more common, U.S. Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) today brought together a panel of experts to discuss these issues and propose solutions. Whitehouse chaired a field hearing of his Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Crime and Terrorism entitled "Preventing Teen Violence: Strategies for Protecting Teens from Dating Violence and Bullying." "Too many of our teenagers in Rhode Islan… Continue Reading
06.02.11
U.S. Attorney General Holder Visits RI with Senator Whitehouse
Providence, RI - U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder joined U.S. Senator Sheldon Whitehouse in Rhode Island today to learn more about an innovative new approach to treating veterans who enter our criminal justice system. Holder and Whitehouse met at the Supreme Court in Providence with representatives and stakeholders for the Rhode Island veterans' court pilot program, which seeks to provide sensible law enforcement alternatives for veterans who commit low-level offenses. They then joined U.S. A… Continue Reading
