Press Releases
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
03.31.08
Whitehouse Says America Needs a New HUD Secretary Who Will Put Homeowners First
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.) issued the following statement in response to the resignation today of Alphonso Jackson, Secretary of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD): "Secretary Jackson's resignation amidst allegations of corruption shows once again the culture of the Bush Administration putting cronyism and partisanship before responsible governance. From 'Heckuva Job, Brownie' to former Attorney General Alberto Gonzales to Jackson,… Continue Reading
03.08.08
Whitehouse: Bush Veto of Torture Ban Endangers Troops, Damages America's Moral Standing
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), a member of the Senate Intelligence Committee and cosponsor of a measure that would ban the use of waterboarding and other extreme interrogation techniques by America's intelligence agencies, responded today to President Bush's announcement that he has vetoed the bill: "Unfortunately, President Bush has once again refused to send the clear message the world awaits that the United States of America does not torture. "The House and Senat… Continue Reading
03.06.08
Senate Committee Votes to Prioritize Oceans and Coastal Areas in Federal Budget
Washington, D.C. - The Senate Budget Committee today unanimously passed an amendment sponsored by U.S. Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) to support investments in America's oceans and coasts as part of the Senate's proposed FY 2009 budget resolution. "For us in the Ocean State, protecting our marine and coastal ecosystems isn't just a priority - it's a mission," said Whitehouse, a member of the budget panel who also sits on the Senate Environment and Public Works (EPW) Committee. "We need to do… Continue Reading
03.06.08
Senate Budget Committee Approves Bipartisan Stabenow-Whitehouse Health IT Amendment
Washington, DC - Improved health information technology, including better-integrated records for service members returning home from Iraq and Afghanistan, won inclusion in the Senate's budget resolution today with the passage of a bipartisan amendment sponsored by U.S. Senators Debbie Stabenow (D-MI) and Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI). The measure, which creates a reserve fund supporting widespread adoption of health information technology and accepted best practices in clinical settings, was cospons… Continue Reading
03.06.08
Senate Committee Passes Budget Targeting Economy, Veterans
Washington, D.C. - The budget resolution passed today by the Senate Budget Committee will increase funding for veterans, schools, and transportation infrastructure and provide for a second economic stimulus package to help working families facing continued financial hardship, U.S. Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) said today. Whitehouse, a member of the panel, voted to approve the measure, an annual resolution setting funding parameters and priorities for the federal government that was reported… Continue Reading
02.27.08
Senate Committee Considers Whitehouse Bill on Voting Rights
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.) testified today before the Senate Rules and Administration Committee on legislation he has introduced that would combat a voter-suppression tactic called "vote caging." The Caging Prohibition Act (S. 2305), introduced last November, would, among other things, prohibit "vote caging." Caging is a voter suppression tactic in which a campaign sends mail marked "do not forward" or "return to sender" to a targeted group of voters - often mi… Continue Reading
02.27.08
Whitehouse Slams Bush Official’s Stonewalling on Pollution Controls
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.) sharply questioned the Bush administration's top environment official at a Senate committee hearing today on his refusal to answer questions about his denial of a request by California, Rhode Island and other states to set tough restrictions on pollution. Documents released yesterday by Senator Barbara Boxer (D-Calif.), chairman of the Senate Environment and Public Works (EPW) Committee, appear to show that EPA Administrator Stephen L.… Continue Reading
02.22.08
Durbin and Whitehouse: Justice Department is Investigating Torture Authorization
Washington, DC - In response to a request by U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) and Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.), the Justice Department has announced it has launched an investigation of the role of top DOJ officials and staff attorneys in authorizing and/or overseeing the use of waterboarding by U.S. intelligence agencies. The investigation is being carried out by the Justice Department's Office of Professional Responsibility (OPR), which is responsible for investigating employees of the DOJ who… Continue Reading
02.21.08
Whitehouse Earns High Marks from National Environmental Group
Washington, D.C. - A national environmental advocacy organization has given U.S. Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.) one of its highest ratings for his strong voting record in support of environmental initiatives last year. The League of Conservation Voters (LCV) rated members of Congress on their support for legislation to combat global warming and promote energy efficiency in votes last year. Whitehouse's 93 percent score in the 2007 Environmental Scorecard placed him in the top 20 percent of… Continue Reading
02.19.08
Whitehouse: New Tax Form Should Help Seniors Claim Rebate
Washington, D.C. - A simplified tax form released today by the Internal Revenue Service will help Rhode Island seniors take advantage of rebates offered under new economic stimulus legislation, U.S. Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.) said. Under the new law, the federal government will provide rebate checks, starting at $300, to low- and middle-income Americans, including seniors living on Social Security benefits and disabled veterans or their survivors. But Whitehouse, a member of… Continue Reading
02.13.08
Whitehouse Applauds Enactment of Aid to Seniors
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.) issued the following statement today on economic stimulus legislation that will provide $300-$600 in rebates to most households, including seniors living on Social Security. President Bush signed the bill into law this afternoon. "The economic stimulus bill signed by the President today will provide badly-needed help to hundreds of thousands of Rhode Islanders - people who, in tough economic times, have stretched their budgets to pay f… Continue Reading
02.13.08
Senate Passes Ban on Torture Cosponsored by Whitehouse
Washington, D.C. - The U.S. Senate today passed legislation banning the use of torture by U.S. interrogators, a measure cosponsored by U.S. Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.). Whitehouse, a member of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, fought to include the provision in the House-Senate conference report, and praised today's vote as a clear sign that "the strength of America is the force of its ideals." "Torture is ineffective, unnecessary, andwrong, and it's dangerous to all those wh… Continue Reading
02.12.08
Senate Approves Whitehouse Measure Safeguarding Privacy Against Government Spying
Washington, D.C. - During its consideration of reforms to a federal law that sets restrictions on when the government can spy on Americans, the U.S. Senate today passed an amendment sponsored by U.S. Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.) that significantly strengthens judicial oversight and safeguards the privacy rights of innocent Americans who are not targeted for surveillance. "The Bush administration unilaterally assumed extraordinary authority to tap Americans' phones and to invade Americans… Continue Reading
02.12.08
Whitehouse, Durbin Call for Waterboarding Investigation
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.) joined U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) in a letter to two Justice Department watchdog offices today to request an investigation into the role of Justice Department officials in authorizing and/or overseeing the use of waterboarding by the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA). Both senators are members of the Senate Judiciary Committee. "Despite the virtually unanimous consensus of legal scholars and the overwhelming weight of legal prec… Continue Reading
02.07.08
Leahy, Whitehouse Urge Mukasey To Clarify Testimony About Destruction Of CIA Tapes
WASHINGTON (Thursday, Feb. 7, 2008) -Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) and Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.), who also sits on the panel, sent a letter Thursday urging Attorney General Michael Mukasey to clarify testimony given to the Committee during last week's Department of Justice oversight hearing. In the letter, they ask the Attorney General to explain the scope of the Department's investigation into the CIA's destruction of videotapes showing the use of harsh interr… Continue Reading
02.07.08
Senate Votes to Extend Relief to Seniors
Washington, D.C. - The U.S. Senate today approved an economic stimulus package that extends financial assistance to over 20 million seniors living on Social Security. U.S. Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.), a member of the Senate Special Committee on Aging, had urged Senate leaders in a letter last month to include aid to seniors in legislation aimed at boosting the economy. "The Senate did the right thing today," Whitehouse said. "In Rhode Island, too many seniors are struggling to make ends… Continue Reading
02.06.08
Drug Agency Announces Progress on New E-Prescribing Rules
Washington, D.C. - In the wake of tough questions from U.S. Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.), the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) has announced new progress on regulations lifting the federal prohibition against electronic prescriptions for certain medications classified as scheduled drugs. In written responses to questions Whitehouse raised during a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing he chaired in December, the agency said it had "provided the Department of Justice with a p… Continue Reading
02.05.08
Bush Budget Would Cut Help for Rhode Islanders in Need
Washington, D.C. - With Rhode Island families already facing the challenges of a looming economic downturn, President Bush has proposed deep cuts to programs that provide badly-needed help with home energy costs, affordable housing, and services to needy families. In response to the Bush administration's release of its fiscal year 2009 budget proposal, U.S. Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.), a member of the Senate Budget Committee, sharply criticized the President's misplaced priorities. "I'… Continue Reading
01.31.08
Whitehouse Applauds Focus on Seniors in Proposed Stimulus Measure
Washington, D.C. - In a speech on the Senate floor, U.S. Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.) applauded the inclusion of aid targeted to seniors in an economic stimulus package now being considered by the Senate. Many seniors who rely on savings and Social Security benefits would not be eligible for assistance under a plan negotiated by President Bush and the House of Representatives. Concerned that thousands of Rhode Island seniors could be excluded from this proposal, Whitehouse wr… Continue Reading
