Press Releases
Boxer, Whitehouse Seek Answers from EPA on Mary Gade Resignation
Washington, D.C. - Senate Environment and Public Works Committee chairman Barbara Boxer (D-CA) and Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) are asking the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for answers about the circumstances surrounding the resignation of Mary Gade, formerly EPA's regional administrator for the Midwest. "As you know, Congress and the American people expect EPA to enforce vigorously our public health protections - and to preserve the integrity of the enforcement program… Continue Reading
05.13.08
Whitehouse Applauds Senate Vote to Suspend Oil Purchases for Strategic Petroleum Reserve
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) applauded action by the U.S. Senate today to stabilize gas prices and give Rhode Islanders some relief at the gas pump. The Senate voted 97 to 1 in favor of suspending oil purchases for the Strategic Petroleum Reserve. "Rhode Islanders have told me they are desperate for relief from steadily rising fuel prices, and this is an important first step," said Whitehouse, a cosponsor of the measure. "Putting more oil on the market wi… Continue Reading
05.07.08
Whitehouse Chairs Senate Hearing Investigating Political Influence at EPA
Washington, D.C. - At a hearing this morning chaired by U.S. Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.), a top Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) official refused to respond to concerns raised by scientists and policymakers that political considerations have dictated decision-making at the agency. "What I see is an EPA that has systemically and deliberately exposed itself to political influence," Whitehouse said. At the hearing, before the Oversight Subcommittee of the Senate Environment… Continue Reading
05.01.08
Senate Intelligence Committee Passes Feinstein-Whitehouse Measures to Ban Torture, End Secret Detentions
Washington, DC - The Senate Select Committee on Intelligence has approved several measures to prohibit treatment of detainees that do not conform with America's values and international law, including torture and secret detentions, Senators Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) and Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.) announced today. The measures were approved as amendments to the Fiscal 2009 Intelligence Authorization Act. The Committee specifically approved: · An amendment introduced by Senat… Continue Reading
05.01.08
Dismissed GSA Administrator Carried on Bush Administration Tradition of Politics Before Public Service, Whitehouse Says
Washington, D.C. - The former head of the federal General Services Administration (GSA) displayed serious errors in judgment that more than warranted her dismissal, U.S. Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) said today. Lurita Doan was asked to resign as administrator of GSA, which acts as the landlord and procurement agency for the federal government. "Lurita Doan is the latest in a long line of Bush Administration appointees who put winning elections and helping friends and cronies bef… Continue Reading
05.01.08
New Senate Bill Supports Investments in Safer Rhode Island Communities
Washington, D.C. - A national program that transforms distressed communities in Rhode Island and across the country through more affordable housing and crime prevention would get much-needed support with new Senate legislation introduced today. U.S. Senators Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) and Arlen Specter (R-PA), Ranking Member on the Senate Judiciary Committee, today introduced a bill that would authorize federal funding for the Community Safety Initiative (CSI), a program of the Local … Continue Reading
05.01.08
Reed, Whitehouse Announce Nearly $1,000,000 in Federal Funding for Rhode Island Arts Organizations
WASHINGTON, DC - In an effort to support the arts and promote art education and community art programs throughout Rhode Island, U.S. Senators Jack Reed (D-RI) and Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) today announced that ten arts organizations will receive $946,000 in federal grants through the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA). "Rhode Island's art community has enriched our state's cultural heritage and had an immensely positive impact on our communities," said Reed, a member of the Senate… Continue Reading
04.30.08
Senate Passes Whitehouse-Reed Resolution Honoring Dith Pran
Washington, D.C. - The Senate has passed a resolution authored by U.S. Senators Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) and Jack Reed (D-RI) honoring the life of Dith Pran, the Cambodian photojournalist and human rights advocate whose heroism during the genocide perpetrated by the Khmer Rouge regime was documented in the Academy Award-winning 1984 film "The Killing Fields." Dith passed away on March 30th after a battle with pancreatic cancer. The resolution, S.Res.515, passed last evening by unani… Continue Reading
04.30.08
Reed, Whitehouse Cosponsor Bill to Prevent Criminals and Terrorists from Purchasing Guns
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senators Jack Reed (D-RI) and Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) are teaming up with Senator Frank Lautenberg (D-NJ) to close a gap in existing federal law and prevent terrorists and criminals from purchasing guns. The Preserving Records of Terrorist & Criminal Transactions (PROTECT) Act of 2008 (S.2935) will require the FBI to keep records of gun purchases by terror suspects for a minimum of ten years and preserve data generated from background checks for all gun … Continue Reading
04.28.08
Reed and Whitehouse Secure $500,000 to Revitalize Newport's Working Waterfront and Bolster RI's Marine Industry
NEWPORT, RI -- U.S. Senator Jack Reed (D-RI) today joined leaders of the state's marine industry at the International Yacht Restoration School (IYRS) to announce new federal funding they secured to strengthen Rhode Island's marine heritage and revitalize Newport's working waterfront. Reed and Whitehouse secured $500,000 in the 2008 Appropriations spending bill to expand the school's facilities for marine vocational training and help provide sustainable careers for more Rhode Islander… Continue Reading
04.24.08
Senate Democrats Ask DOJ to Enforce Laws Facilitating Voter Registration
Washington, D.C. - With November's elections drawing closer, several members of the Senate Judiciary Committee expressed concern today that the Department of Justice has failed to enforce a landmark law designed to help Americans register to vote. In a letter to Attorney General Michael B. Mukasey, U.S. Senators Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), Dianne Feinstein (D-CA), Edward M. Kennedy (D-MA), Russ Feingold (D-WI), Chuck Schumer (D-NY), and Dick Durbin (D-IL) noted that DOJ has vigorously… Continue Reading
04.17.08
Casey, Whitehouse Urge Mukasey to Correct Remarks on FISA Safeguards
WASHINGTON, D.C.-U.S. Senators Bob Casey (D-PA) and Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) sent a letter to U.S. Attorney General Michael Mukasey expressing concern over a statement he made, which appears to be inaccurate, regarding Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) safeguards. In the letter, Senators Casey and Whitehouse asked Attorney General Mukasey to correct remarks he made on March 27, 2008 in San Francisco, CA that implied that FISA safeguards may have stopped the U.S. governmen… Continue Reading
04.16.08
Bush Speech on Climate Change Doesn't Go Far Enough, Whitehouse Says
Washington, D.C. - President Bush's remarks today on the nation's global warming policy fall far short of the urgent action Rhode Islanders have demanded, said U.S. Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), a member of the Senate Environment and Public Works (EPW) Committee who has sponsored legislation to address the impact of climate change on coastal communities and wildlife. The President today said the United States should halt increases in greenhouse gas emissions by 2025, but did not… Continue Reading
04.15.08
Whitehouse: Rhode Islanders Should Take Time to Talk with Family About End-of-Life Medical Decisions
Washington, D.C. - Rhode Islanders should set aside time to talk with their families about how they wish to be cared for at the end of life, U.S. Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) said today. Whitehouse cosponsored a bipartisan resolution (S.J. Res. 29) supporting the goals and ideals of National Health Care Decisions Day, which will be recognized for the first time on April 16, 2008. "End-of-life medical decisions are undoubtedly among the most challenging subjects a family will ev… Continue Reading
04.15.08
Reed and Whitehouse Announce $130,000 for Prisoner Reentry Initiative
WASHINGTON, DC - In an effort to help female ex-offenders find jobs and transition back into the community, U.S. Senators Jack Reed (D-RI) and Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) today announced that the Rhode Island Department of Corrections (RIDOC) will receive a two-year $134,434 federal award for its Prisoner Reentry Initiative. This federal funding will be used by RIDOC to provide sentenced female offenders with job placement assistance, job retention, and job coaching as well as mentorin… Continue Reading
04.15.08
At Cambodian New Year, Whitehouse, Reed Introduce Resolution Honoring “Killing Fields” Survivor Dith Pran
Washington, D.C. - As Rhode Island's Cambodian community celebrates Cambodian New Year, U.S. Senators Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) and Jack Reed (D-RI) today introduced a Senate resolution honoring Dith Pran, one of the most dedicated and outspoken advocates for human rights in Cambodia. Pran was the photojournalist whose heroism during the genocide perpetrated by the Khmer Rouge regime was documented in the Academy Award-winning 1984 film "The Killing Fields." He passed away on March 30th after a … Continue Reading
04.10.08
President Bush Must Begin Bringing Troops Home from Iraq, Whitehouse Says
Washington, D.C. - President Bush's refusal to say when American troops will come home from Iraq leaves America less safe and adds to the already-immense burdens facing service members and their families, U.S. Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) said today. Whitehouse, a member of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence who traveled to Iraq a year ago, reiterated his belief that an announcement that the United States plans to redeploy its forces is the strongest weapon at our dispo… Continue Reading
04.10.08
EPA Must Review Legal Process to Root Out Political Influence, Whitehouse Tells Nominee
Washington, D.C. - The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) must undertake a thorough, comprehensive review of the process by which the agency makes decisions to determine whether Bush administration officials have put political considerations above science and the law, U.S. Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) said today at a confirmation hearing for the nominee to be EPA's general counsel. "The fact that the courts of the United States have felt compelled to characterize the position… Continue Reading
04.09.08
Eligible Rhode Islanders Should File for Earned Income Tax Credit, Whitehouse Urges
Washington, D.C. - With the April 15th tax filing deadline now less than a week away, U.S. Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) encouraged Rhode Islanders who may be eligible for the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) to file for this important tax benefit. Whitehouse urged those who have not yet filed a return or are unsure of their eligibility for the credit to call 1-800-829-1040 for information on free tax preparation services, available across Rhode Island through an Internal Revenue … Continue Reading
04.07.08
Rhode Island to Receive $1.8 Million to Clean Up Brownfields
WASHINGTON, DC - In an effort to protect the health and well being of Rhode Islanders and redevelop former industrial sites, U.S. Senators Jack Reed and Sheldon Whitehouse today announced $1.6 million to help clean up brownfields in communities across the state. A brownfield site is property where expansion or redevelopment is complicated by the presence or potential presence of a hazardous substance, pollutant, or contaminant. Woonsocket, Providence Community Health Centers, Rhode I… Continue Reading
