Press Releases
Thousands of RI Seniors Benefitting from “Doughnut Hole” Fix
Washington, DC - Last year, as part of the health care reform law, U.S. Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) helped lead the successful fight to end the Medicare Part D prescription drug "doughnut hole" which leaves thousands of Rhode Island seniors paying the total cost of their prescription drugs every year. According to a recently released report by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, more than 10,600 Rhode Island seniors have received prescription drug discounts as a result of the l… Continue Reading
12.04.11
Senate Clears Whitehouse-Backed Measure to Protect Troops from Roadside Bombs
Washington, DC - The Senate has approved legislation cosponsored by U.S. Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) encouraging Pakistan to demonstrate a continued commitment toward countering improvised explosive devices (IEDs), which are responsible for approximately 90 percent of U.S. troop casualties in Afghanistan. The bipartisan measure, adopted as an amendment to the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2012 (S.1867), would block U.S. counterinsurgency funding to Pakistan until the … Continue Reading
12.02.11
Whitehouse Highlights Efforts to Protect Troops from Counterfeit Military Products
Portsmouth, RI - Following the approval by the U.S. Senate this week of legislation to keep counterfeit products out of the military supply chain, U.S. Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) visited a Rhode Island business today which is poised to help in this important effort. Whitehouse visited A2B Tracking, a Portsmouth company that manufacturers unique identification technology for the military as well as tracking software which could be used to prevent the distribution of counterfeit products. … Continue Reading
12.02.11
Reed & Whitehouse Talk Economic Development and Job Growth at Clements’ Marketplace
PORTSMOUTH, RI - Attention shoppers: Your U.S. Senators are in aisle 1, discussing economic development and job growth. Today, U.S. Senators Jack Reed and Sheldon Whitehouse met with local business leaders and workers at the family-owned Clements' Marketplace in Portsmouth to discuss the latest efforts to help boost the economy and provide tax cuts for workers and businesses. The Senators have been pressing Congress to take immediate, concrete steps to help spur economic growth right now, incl… Continue Reading
12.01.11
Senate Panel Approves Whitehouse Bill to Strengthen Investigations of Missing Children and Sex Offenders
Washington, DC - The Senate Judiciary Committee approved legislation today authored by U.S. Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) to clarify the authority of the U.S. Marshals to help track down sex offenders and find missing children. The Strengthening Investigations of Sex Offenders and Missing Children Act of 2011 (S.1792) would make it clear that the U.S. Marshals Service is allowed, upon request, to assist state and local law enforcement in investigating missing children cases. The bill also cl… Continue Reading
11.30.11
Whitehouse Applauds Senate Action to Extend Federal Job Growth Program
Washington, DC - U.S. Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) released the statement below today regarding the approval by the U.S. Senate of legislation to extend the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) programs: "In this tough economy, it's important to give our small businesses the support they need to grow and create jobs. These programs have helped keep our state and our country at the forefront of worldwide research and development efforts sin… Continue Reading
11.29.11
Senate Approves Amendment to Combat Counterfeit Products Sold to the Military
Washington, DC - The U.S. Senate today unanimously approved an amendment to a key Defense funding bill which includes a measure from U.S. Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) to crack down on criminals who traffic in counterfeit military products. The bipartisan Combating Military Counterfeits Act, which was cosponsored by Senators Leahy (D-VT), Hatch (R-UT), McCain (R-AZ), Kyl (R-AZ), Graham (R-SC), Klobuchar (D-MN), Coons (D-DE), and Blumenthal (D-CT), was included in a larger amendment offered b… Continue Reading
11.28.11
Whitehouse Encourages Seniors to Take Advantage of Medicare Open Enrollment Period
Providence, RI - U.S. Senator Sheldon Whitehouse has prepared a special web page with resources for Rhode Islanders on Medicare who are making decisions about their coverage during the Medicare Open Enrollment period. Open Enrollment, which ends this year on December 7th, is the one time each year that Medicare beneficiaries can review the Medicare policy choices available for the coming year and choose the one that is right for them. Whitehouse's Medicare Open Enrollment Resources page can be … Continue Reading
11.16.11
Senators Introduce Climate Change Adaptation Legislation
Washington, DC - With incidents of prolonged drought, rising sea levels, and flooding on the rise, U.S. Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), a member of the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee (EPW), introduced a bill today to require federal natural resource agencies to plan for the projected long-term effects of climate change, and encourage states to prepare natural resources adaptation plans. The Safeguarding America's Future and Environment Act (SAFE) Act also would create a science… Continue Reading
11.10.11
Whitehouse Applauds Decision to Reassess Keystone XL Pipeline
Washington, DC - U.S. Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) released the statement below today following the State Department's announcement that it would reassess the proposed route of the Keystone XL pipeline, which would carry tar sands oil from Canada to the Gulf of Mexico. "I applaud President Obama's decision to reassess the route of the Keystone XL pipeline. Serious questions have been raised regarding the safety of the pipeline, the adequacy of the project's environmental review, and the wi… Continue Reading
11.10.11
Whitehouse Applauds Senate Passage of Bill to Boost Jobs for Veterans
Washington, DC - U.S. Senator Sheldon Whitehouse released the statement below today following the Senate's approval of the VOW to Hire Heroes Act of 2011, which will help our veterans find jobs after returning from active duty. "Since September 11th, our military servicemen and women have faced huge demands, and have risen to every challenge. Yet, for too long, unemployment has been disproportionately high among our veterans. This legislation will help reverse that trend by providing tax cred… Continue Reading
11.10.11
Whitehouse Hearing Demonstrates Potential Benefits of Health Care Delivery System Reform
Washington, DC - Today, as the Congressional "supercommittee" continues looking for ways to reduce our federal deficit and with House Republicans this year pushing for cuts in Medicare, U.S. Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) brought together a panel of experts to discuss ways to reduce the skyrocketing costs in our health care system while improving the quality of care people receive. Whitehouse chaired a hearing of the Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee to examine the Obam… Continue Reading
11.09.11
Senate Committee Approves Bill to Fund RI Transportation Infrastructure
Washington, DC - The U.S. Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works today approved legislation re-authorizing federal transportation funding for the next two years. U.S. Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), a member of the Committee, supported the re-authorization, which prevents the harmful cuts in transportation funding proposed by House Republicans. "In Rhode Island and across the country, the infrastructure that helped build our great economy is crumbling," said Whitehouse. "We badly n… Continue Reading
11.08.11
Senators Introduce Legislation Empowering States to Protect Consumers from Abusive Lending
Stop Wall Street From Taking Advantage of Struggling Families Washington, DC - With public frustration growing over the unfair practices of big banks, U.S. Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) introduced a bill today to protect consumers by restoring the ability of states to set limits on credit card and other consumer loan interest rates. The Empowering States' Rights to Protect Consumers Act would amend the Truth in Lending Act of 1968 to clarify that all consumer lenders-regardless of their… Continue Reading
11.02.11
Whitehouse Joins President to Push for Infrastructure Jobs
Washington, D.C. - Today U.S. Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) joined President Barack Obama at a press conference to urge support for legislation that will put Americans back to work and help rebuild our aging transportation infrastructure. Senator Whitehouse is an original cosponsor of the Rebuild America Jobs Act, which would provide immediate investments to improve roads and bridges, and would help establish a new "infrastructure bank" to fund future projects. During his remarks today, P… Continue Reading
11.01.11
Senators Introduce Constitutional Amendment to Clean Up Campaign Finance System
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Tom Udall and Michael Bennet today introduced a constitutional amendment to grant Congress the authority to regulate the campaign finance system. Among other important reforms, the amendment would allow Congress to correct the controversial Citizens United v. FEC Supreme Court ruling on campaign finance that has the effect of allowing virtually unlimited corporate and special interest spending in elections. Joining Udall and Bennet as original cosponsors of the legis… Continue Reading
10.25.11
Senators Urge Supercommittee to Reduce Debt Through Clean Energy and Conservation
Washington, DC - With less than five weeks until the Joint Select Committee on Deficit Reduction is due to submit its plan to reduce the long-term national debt, a group of U.S. Senators sent a letter to the Democratic and Republican Co-Chairs of the committee urging them to seek savings in federal energy costs through a number of clean energy and energy efficiency strategies. U.S. Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) led the letter, which was also signed by Senators Barbara Boxer (D-CA), Richard … Continue Reading
10.24.11
Whitehouse Applauds New Obama Administration Effort on Foreclosures
Providence, RI - U.S. Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) is applauding today's announcement by the Obama Administration that the Home Affordable Refinance Program (HARP) will be expanded to help more families avert foreclosure. Earlier this month, Whitehouse joined a bipartisan group of Senators in writing to Administration officials to urge that they help more homeowners refinance their mortgages to reduce monthly payments and take advantage of record-low interest rates. Whitehouse is also a c… Continue Reading
10.21.11
Whitehouse Applauds US Troop Withdrawal from Iraq
Washington, DC - U.S. Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) released the following statement today after President Obama announced that all U.S. troops would be withdrawn from Iraq by the end of the year. "I applaud President Obama for standing by his pledge to pull all troops out of Iraq by the end of the year. After years of hard fighting and billions of dollars spent, it is time to conclude the war in Iraq. I look forward to having our Iraq veterans home for the holidays in Rhode Island this yea… Continue Reading
10.21.11
Senate Committee Approves Key Education Bill
Washington, DC - The U.S. Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) has approved bipartisan legislation to re-authorize the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) - a law which was last updated under President Bush's "No Child Left Behind" initiative in 2001. The legislation approved by the Committee will eliminate some of the more burdensome requirements of the "No Child Left Behind" law, and also contains a key provision to improve our nation's middle schools whi… Continue Reading
