Press Releases
New Legislation Would Help Families Struggling with Medical Debt
Washington, D.C. - As our economy continues working toward sustained recovery, U.S. Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) today introduced legislation to help the many American families burdened by the costs of illness and injury. The Medical Bankruptcy Fairness Act (MBFA) of 2009 would assist individuals and families who are driven to bankruptcy by high medical costs by eliminating some of the procedural hurdles of the bankruptcy process. "Families in Rhode Island and throughout the country are f… Continue Reading
08.06.09
Whitehouse Praises Senate’s Confirmation of Sotomayor
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) issued the following statement today after the U.S. Senate voted to confirm Judge Sonia Sotomayor to be the next Associate Justice of the U.S. Supreme Court: "Judge Sotomayor is an extremely accomplished jurist, and I was proud to vote for her confirmation. "Her sterling 17-year record as a District and Circuit Court judge makes clear that Judge Sotomayor will respect the role of Congress as representatives of the American people; that … Continue Reading
08.05.09
Rockefeller, Brown, Whitehouse Call on Republican Leadership to Stop Denying Health Insurance Reform
Washington, DC- Senators Jay Rockefeller, Sherrod Brown and Sheldon Whitehouse held a press conference today to call on Republican leadership to offer a real plan for reforming health care. While Democrats have been working tirelessly to reform our health insurance system in a thoughtful and meaningful way, Republican leadership has spent much of the last two months sabotaging bipartisan efforts to find agreement on key issues. The status quo is unacceptable and Republican stalling on health in… Continue Reading
08.03.09
Whitehouse Office Announces New Addition to Press Staff
Washington, D.C. - The office of U.S. Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) has hired a new communications director. Matt Thornton, former communications director for Congressman Zack Space (D-Ohio), will join the Whitehouse office starting Tuesday, August 11. Former Whitehouse deputy press secretary Seth Larson has also been promoted to press secretary. "I know that Matt will be a strong addition to our team, and I look forward to working with him," said Whitehouse. Thornton grew up in Kansas a… Continue Reading
07.31.09
Whitehouse Shares Rhode Island Health Care Stories in Senate
Mr. President, I met in my office today with Donna, a Rhode Islander who suffers from vascular disease. Donna's condition forced her to give up her job, and therefore her insurance. She cannot afford to buy it on her own, since it would cost her $650 a month--money she does not have. So she pays for her medications out of pocket. They should be $2,000 per month, but her doctor got them down to $450. But even this is no walk in the park. Donna read me a laundry list of procedures and services she… Continue Reading
07.31.09
Reed and Whitehouse Applaud Nomination of Peter F. Neronha to be the Next U.S. Attorney for Rhode Island
PROVIDENCE, RI - Today, after the White House announced President Obama's intent to nominate Assistant U.S. Attorney Peter F. Neronha to be the next U.S. Attorney for Rhode Island, United States Senators Jack Reed and Sheldon Whitehouse, who recommended Mr. Neronha for the job back in May, issued the following statement: "We applaud President Obama for picking a distinguished, independent prosecutor. Mr. Neronha's years of exemplary service in the Attorney General's office and the U.S. Attorney… Continue Reading
07.28.09
Providence Police Department Receives Economic Recovery Funds
Washington, D.C. - Rhode Island's Congressional delegation today applauded the announcement by the Obama Administration that the Providence Police Department will receive $3,529,812 in COPS Hiring Recovery Program grants (CHRP) to hire or retain police offers. The funding was made available through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA), which the delegation supported. Rhode Island police departments have seen their budgets cut during the current economic crisis, making it difficult t… Continue Reading
07.28.09
Delegation Announces $9.58M to Promote Energy Efficiency and Create Green Jobs
WASHINGTON, DC - Rhode Island's Congressional delegation today announced that the state has received a $9,584,000 infusion of Recovery Act funds to speed the adoption of energy efficiency and renewable energy technologies. The funds are provided through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, which U.S. Senators Jack Reed (D-RI) and Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) and U.S. Representatives Patrick Kennedy (D-RI) and Jim Langevin (D-RI) helped pass in February of 2009. The funds were rele… Continue Reading
07.27.09
Senate Passes Kerry-Chambliss Legislation Honoring Post-9/11 National Guard and Reserve Members
WASHINGTON, D.C. - An amendment authored by Senators John Kerry (D-Mass.) and Saxby Chambliss (D-GA), and co-sponsored by Senators Frank Lautenberg (D-NJ) and Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), to expand National Guard and Reserves' retirement benefits to include duty performed after September 11, 2001 was included in legislation recently passed by the Senate. The Kerry-Chambliss amendment makes a change to the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2008 to allow the combat service of membe… Continue Reading
07.24.09
Rhode Island to Receive Nearly $1 Million to Clean Up Leaky Underground Storage Tanks
Washington, D.C. - Rhode Island will receive $977,000 in federal funding to promote programs to clean up petroleum leaks from underground storage tanks, the state's congressional delegation announced today. The funding was awarded to the Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management (RIDEM) by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) as part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, which the delegation supported. "This federal funding will help put people to work, protect pub… Continue Reading
07.24.09
Senate Passes Bill to Authorize Military Funding for 2010
Washington, D.C. - The U.S. Senate passed legislation extending a number of benefits to our nation's veterans, including a provision granting early retirement eligibility to Reservists and National Guard members who have served on active duty since September 11th, and a measure to repeal the "widow's tax," which reduces the amount of survivor benefits military spouses can collect after the service member's death. These measures, cosponsored by U.S. Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), were includ… Continue Reading
07.24.09
Reed and Whitehouse Seek to Rein in Health Care Spending and Lower Costs of Medicare Prescription Drugs
WASHINGTON, DC - In an effort to responsibly off-set the cost of health care reform and rein in skyrocketing health care costs, U.S. Senators Jack Reed (D-RI) and Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) today joined with 19 of their Senate colleagues in sending a letter to the Senate Finance Committee urging the panel to reform the Medicare Part D prescription drug program as a part of health reform to make it more affordable for seniors and the government. "The success of the health care reform effort hing… Continue Reading
07.23.09
Rhode Island Homeowner Testifies During Senate Committee Hearing About Foreclosure Crisis
Washington, D.C. - As millions of American homeowners continue to struggle against the tide of home foreclosures, a Rhode Island resident today testified at a U.S. Senate subcommittee hearing about the foreclosure crisis and the idea of using bankruptcy reform to help people stay in their homes. Joseph Verdelotti Jr., of West Warwick, testified before the Senate Judiciary Committee's Subcommittee on Administrative Oversight and the Courts about his fight to keep his home in the face of unfair m… Continue Reading
07.21.09
Senators, New Jersey Governor Denounce Dangerous Amendment that Would Put Communities at Risk for More Gun Violence
WASHINGTON, DC - Trying to prevent an increase of gun violence in America's communities, Senators Frank R. Lautenberg (D-NJ), Robert Menendez (D-NJ), Charles E. Schumer (D-NY), Dianne Feinstein (D-CA), Jack Reed (D-RI), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) and Governor Jon Corzine (D-NJ) today denounced a proposed amendment by Republican Senator John Thune (R-ND) that would allow people, including some criminals and mentally ill individuals, to carry concealed weapons across state lines - even if the state… Continue Reading
07.20.09
New Report Highlights Significant Contributions to the U.S. Economy by the Copyright Industries
Washington, D.C.: The Congressional International Anti-Piracy Caucus, which is chaired by Senators Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) and Orrin Hatch (R-UT), and Congressmen Adam Schiff (D-CA) and Bob Goodlatte (R-VA), commended a new report released today by the International Intellectual Property Alliance (IIPA) that underscores the critical role that copyright industries play in supporting the U.S. economy. The report concluded that the copyright industries, which include music producers, authors, fil… Continue Reading
07.15.09
Whitehouse: Committee Passage of Health Care Reform Takes us One Step Closer to a System that Works for Everyone
Washington, D.C. - This morning, the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee approved landmark health care reform legislation. U.S. Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), who was named in May to serve temporarily on the HELP Committee, praised the committee's work today: "For the past months, Rhode Islanders have told me that we need to fix health care in this country. I've heard from people struggling under skyrocketing costs and fearful that their coverage will disappear;… Continue Reading
07.10.09
Senate Passes Whitehouse Bill to Ease Burdens on U.S. Attorneys Imposed by Foreign Investigations
Washington, D.C. - The U.S. Senate today passed bipartisan legislation introduced by Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) that makes it easier for U.S. Attorneys to respond to requests for evidence made by foreign authorities pursuing international criminal investigations. The Foreign Evidence Request Efficiency Act (S. 1289), cosponsored by both the Chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, Senator Patrick Leahy (D-VT), and the Ranking Member, Senator Jeff Sessions (R-AL), will allow U.S. Attor… Continue Reading
07.09.09
Whitehouse Sponsors Legislation to Reduce Mercury Pollution
Washington, D.C. - Despite the health and environmental risks of mercury pollution, some plants in the U.S. that manufacture the industrial chemicals chlorine and caustic soda still use outdated technology that significantly increases their mercury emissions. Today, U.S. Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) introduced legislation that would require these facilities to begin using mercury-free technology within two years. "Mercury contamination in our air, land and water is a serious health threat… Continue Reading
07.08.09
Whitehouse, Schumer, Menendez Introduce Legislation Promoting Home Energy Efficiency
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senators Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), Charles Schumer (D-NY), and Robert Menendez (D-NJ) announced the introduction of new legislation encouraging families and property owners to improve their homes' energy efficiency. The Energy Efficiency in Housing Act of 2009 (S. 1379) would help consumers save money on home energy costs, create jobs for local contractors, and limit pollution that contributes to global warming. "As we work toward stabilizing our economy and reducing o… Continue Reading
07.01.09
Whitehouse Visits Local Solar-Powered Home, Announces New Legislation Promoting Home Energy Efficiency
Charlestown, RI - As the summer heats up and electricity costs begin to rise, U.S. Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) today visited a work site where a local company is installing a residential solar electric system for a local family, and during this visit announced new legislation encouraging families and property owners to improve their homes' energy efficiency. The Energy Efficiency in Housing Act of 2009 (S. 1379) would help consumers save money on home energy costs, create jobs for local c… Continue Reading
