Press Releases
Whitehouse Dismisses GOP ‘Counteroffer’ to Blasey Ford
Washington, DC - Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, released the following statement on Republicans' "counteroffer" to Dr. Christine Blasey Ford's offer to testify next week regarding Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh: "I have a constitutional duty to advise and consent. That means asking questions of a nominee for the Supreme Court who has been credibly accused of sexual assault. I will not forfeit my ability to question Judge Kavanaugh and any… Continue Reading
09.20.18
Whitehouse, Portman Call on House-Senate Negotiators to Strengthen Opioids Bill With CARA 2.0 Provisions
Washington, DC - Senators Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) and Rob Portman (R-OH), lead sponsors of the Comprehensive Addiction and Recovery Act of 2016 (CARA) and the CARA 2.0 Act of 2018, are urging the inclusion of CARA 2.0 priorities in House-Senate negotiations over major opioid legislation recently passed by both chambers. In a letter to Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY), Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY), Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Chairman Lamar Alexander (R-T… Continue Reading
09.18.18
Senate Clears Funding Bill with Wins for Rhode Island
Washington, DC - U.S. Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) cheered passage of legislation to fund federal defense, labor, health, and education agencies that includes several important victories for Rhode Island. On the heels of the Senate's passage of major opioids legislation yesterday, the bill includes funding to fight opioid addiction, help for borrowers working in public service to repay college loans, and support for lifesaving medical research at Rhode Island hospitals and universities. T… Continue Reading
09.17.18
Whitehouse Scores Key Wins for Rhode Island in Senate Opioids Bill
Washington, DC - U.S. Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), author of a comprehensive law already on the books to battle the opioid crisis, scored several victories for Rhode Island in a broad opioid bill passed by the Senate this evening. The Whitehouse provisions would help to build on the success Rhode Islanders have had in addressing opioid addiction and promoting recovery. "We know Rhode Island can turn the tide against the opioid crisis, and we draw strength from the inspiring people walkin… Continue Reading
09.16.18
Whitehouse Calls for Halt to Kavanaugh Confirmation Process Following Sexual Assault Allegations
Washington, DC - Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, released the following statement regarding allegations of sexual assault by Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh: "I admire the courage Ms. Ford has shown in coming forward with her story. This requires a pause, at a minimum, in the unseemly, special-interest-funded rush to put Brett Kavanaugh on the Court. Kavanaugh's blanket denial cannot be reconciled with her specific recollections, and the FB… Continue Reading
09.13.18
Crapo, Whitehouse Measure to Improve Nuclear Research, Drive Innovation Heads to President’s Desk
Washington, D.C. - Bipartisan legislation led by Senators Mike Crapo (R-Idaho) and Sheldon Whitehouse (D-Rhode Island) cleared the House of Representatives today and will now go to President Trump for his signature. The measure, S.97, the Nuclear Energy Innovation Capabilities Act (NEICA), would create partnerships between private-sector innovators in nuclear energy and government researchers to create the next generation of clean, advanced nuclear power. The measure led by Crapo and Whitehous… Continue Reading
09.13.18
Federal Energy-Water Spending Bill Clears Senate with Wins for Rhode Island
Washington, DC - U.S. Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) succeeded in including several important provisions in the energy and water appropriations bill that cleared the Senate last evening. The Whitehouse provisions will free funding for important carbon-free energy programs, and lay the groundwork for key coastal infrastructure projects. "Upgrading our coastal infrastructure and developing technology that can reduce carbon emissions will reap big returns for Rhode Island. That's why I've be… Continue Reading
09.11.18
RI Fire Departments Granted $382K for New Rescue Equipment
SMITHFIELD, RI - In an effort to help local fire departments enhance response capabilities and keep their communities safe, U.S. Senators Jack Reed and Sheldon Whitehouse and Congressmen Jim Langevin and David Cicilline today announced a total of $382,728 federal funding to help the Smithfield and Johnston fire departments upgrade essential equipment. The federal funds are being awarded through the Federal Emergency Management Agency's (FEMA) Assistance to Firefighters Grant (AFG) Program. A… Continue Reading
09.10.18
Whitehouse to Vote ‘No’ on Kavanaugh
Washington, DC - Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, today announced his opposition to President Donald Trump's selection for the Supreme Court, Brett Kavanaugh: "The Supreme Court gives too many indications of having been captured by the far right. In case after case, the five Republican-appointed justices band together with no Democratic appointee, and over 90 percent of the time deliver huge wins for Republican and corporate interests. That patter… Continue Reading
09.10.18
Federal Delegation, RI Health Director Announce $2 Million for Zero Suicide in Washington County
Washington, DC - Monday, at Harvest Acres Farm in Richmond, U.S. Senators Jack Reed and Sheldon Whitehouse, U.S. Representative Jim Langevin, and Rhode Island Department of Health Director Nicole Alexander-Scott, MD, announced $2 million in federal funding for South County Healthy Bodies, Healthy Minds' Zero Suicide in Washington County program. The funding will help establish a new, wide-ranging program for health care providers across the region to screen for the warning signs of suicide and … Continue Reading
09.06.18
Whitehouse Slams Trump Child Detention Proposal
Washington, DC - U.S. Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, released the following statement on the Trump administration's proposal today to detain immigrant children and their families indefinitely: "Detaining children indefinitely is not legal, it is not ethical, and it is not American. President Trump and his administration should have learned from the outpouring of public outrage and empathy after their first failed attempt. This proposal will fail… Continue Reading
09.04.18
Whitehouse Reveals Kavanaugh’s Pro-Corporate, Right-Wing Record in SCOTUS Hearing Opener
Washington, DC - At today's Senate Judiciary Committee hearing for Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh, Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) pinpointed Kavanaugh's troubling bias in favor of right-wing and corporate interests throughout his career in Republican politics and on the federal bench, and compared Kavanaugh's partiality to the same bias that has taken root in Chief Justice John Roberts's Supreme Court. Senator Whitehouse's as-prepared remarks are below. Whitehouse also released analy… Continue Reading
09.04.18
Whitehouse Statement on Pruitt Security Report
Washington, DC - Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), a member of the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee, released the following statement on a report issued today by the Environmental Protection Agency Inspector General detailing former EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt's use of his taxpayer-funded security detail. Whitehouse had requested the investigation. "Scott Pruitt treated the Administrator's office as an occasion to live extravagantly at taxpayer expense. While his worst fail… Continue Reading
08.30.18
Four RI Fire Departments Granted $1.1M for New Truck & Rescue Equipment
WARWICK, RI - In an effort to help local fire departments effectively respond to emergencies and keep communities safe, U.S. Senators Jack Reed and Sheldon Whitehouse and Congressmen Jim Langevin and David Cicilline today announced a total of $1,113,758 in federal funding to help the Warwick Fire Department purchase a new rescue vehicle and the North Kingstown, Little Compton, and Woonsocket fire departments upgrade essential equipment. The federal funds are being awarded through the Federal … Continue Reading
08.28.18
RI Delegation Announces $309K to Boost Emergency Response Capabilities in Narragansett Bay
WASHINGTON, DC - U.S. Senators Jack Reed and Sheldon Whitehouse and Congressmen Jim Langevin and David Cicilline today announced a total of $309,125 in two Port Security Grant Program (PSGP) investments for the towns of Bristol and Newport that will help their fire departments expand and enhance their emergency response capabilities in Narragansett Bay. Administered by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security's Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), PSPG grants are designed to help protect… Continue Reading
08.25.18
Whitehouse Statement on Death of Senator John McCain
Newport, RI - U.S. Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) released the following statement regarding the passing of Senator John McCain (R-AZ): "With love and respect, I mark the passing of a great man, and I will miss him dearly. My heart goes out to Cindy and the entire McCain family." ###… Continue Reading
08.24.18
Senate Clears Funding Bill with Wins for Rhode Island
Washington, DC - U.S. Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) cheered passage of legislation to fund federal defense, labor, health, and education agencies that includes several important victories for Rhode Island. In the bill is funding to fight opioid addiction, help borrowers working in public service to repay college loans, and support lifesaving medical research at Rhode Island hospitals and universities. The bill also includes Whitehouse's bipartisan amendment to help Congress speed the relea… Continue Reading
08.24.18
Whitehouse Applauds Trump Support for Action on Criminal Justice Reform
Washington, DC - Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee and an author of bipartisan legislation included in the Sentencing Reform and Corrections Act, released the following statement regarding the announcement by Judiciary Committee Chairman Charles Grassley (R-IA) that the White House will tackle comprehensive criminal justice reform "soon after" the midterm elections and that Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) endorses the timeline: "It is en… Continue Reading
08.23.18
RI Delegation Announces $3.8M to Hire 28 New Firefighters & Enhance Public Safety
SMITHFIELD, RI - In an effort to help local fire departments effectively respond to emergencies and keep our communities safe, U.S. Senators Jack Reed and Sheldon Whitehouse and Congressmen Jim Langevin and David Cicilline today announced $3,848,921 in federal funding to help the Cumberland, Saylesville, Smithfield, and Woonsocket Fire Departments hire and train new firefighters and $6,819 to help the West Warwick Fire Department purchase a new thermal imaging camera. The federal funds are be… Continue Reading
08.23.18
Whitehouse Statement on Kavanaugh Meeting
Washington, DC - Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, released the following statement regarding his meeting with Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh today: "Judge Kavanaugh could not give me assurances he would uphold statutory protections that prevent Americans with preexisting conditions from losing their health care. He also could not commit to upholding the lawful use of subpoenas against the White House or the president, as affirmed in United S… Continue Reading
