Press Releases
Ahead of Tax Day Hearing, Whitehouse Announces Legislation to Protect Long-term Solvency of Social Security and Medicare
Washington, DC - As the deadline approaches for Americans to file their taxes, U.S. Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) announced new legislation to protect the solvency of Social Security and Medicare by making the nation's highest earners contribute their fair share. The bill will be filed on Tax Day, when Chairman Whitehouse will hold a Budget Committee hearing on how tax dodging by the wealthy and big corporations holds down the broader economy. "The ultra-wealthy shouldn't be able to get o… Continue Reading
04.14.23
New York Times Editorial Board Calls for Passage of Whitehouse’s SCERT Act
Washington, DC - This morning, the New York Times Editorial Board released an editorial endorsing U.S. Senator Sheldon Whitehouse's (D-RI) Supreme Court Ethics, Recusal, and Transparency (SCERT) Act. The editorial follows new reporting from ProPublica that Harlan Crow, a Republican megadonor, purchased several properties from Justice Clarence Thomas in 2014. Justice Thomas did not disclose the sales on his financial disclosure forms as federal law clearly requires. Yesterday's story follows … Continue Reading
04.14.23
Whitehouse and Johnson Request Referral of Justice Thomas to Attorney General
Washington, DC - Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) and Representative Hank Johnson (D-GA), today sent a letter calling on the Judicial Conference to refer Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas to the U.S. Attorney General for potential violations of the Ethics in Government Act 1978. The members sent this letter one day after a second ProPublica report exposed that Justice Thomas failed to disclose the sale of properties to billionaire Harlan Crow. The letter follows a request from the Campaig… Continue Reading
04.13.23
Whitehouse Urges Judicial Conference to Refer Justice Thomas to Attorney General for Apparent Brazen Disregard for Disclosure Laws
Washington, DC - U.S. Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) today called on the Judicial Conference to refer Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas to the U.S. Attorney General for potential violations of the Ethics in Government Act under 5 U.S.C. 13106. Whitehouse also reupped his call for the Chief Justice of the United States to launch an ethics investigation into Justice Thomas's financial relationship with a politically active billionaire and apparent brazen disregard for disclosure laws. New… Continue Reading
04.13.23
Whitehouse Applauds Environmental Protection Agency’s Proposed Federal Vehicle Emissions Standards
Washington, DC - U.S. Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) today applauded the new federal vehicle emissions standards proposed by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. "If we want to tackle the climate crisis while there is still time, we must act with urgency," said Whitehouse. "I applaud the Biden-Harris administration for proposing ambitious pollution standards that accelerate our transition to clean vehicles and mark a significant step in our fight against the climate crisis."… Continue Reading
04.12.23
Reed, Whitehouse File Amicus Brief Urging Appeals Court to Prevent Right-wing Ruling Threatening Access to Abortion Pill From Taking Effect
PROVIDENCE, RI -- U.S. Senators Jack Reed (D-RI) and Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) joined an amicus brief to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit in the case of Alliance for Hippocratic Medicine v. FDA, in support of the Biden administration's appeal of Judge Matthew J. Kacsmaryk's ruling that suspends the Food and Drug Administration's (FDA) more than 20-year-old approval of mifepristone. This ruling threatens access to mifepristone for patients nationwide, as well as FDA's Congressional… Continue Reading
04.11.23
Whitehouse Applauds United States Formally Submitting Acceptance to International Fisheries Agreement
Washington, DC - U.S. Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) today applauded news that the United States has formally submitted its acceptance of the World Trade Organization's new Agreement on Fisheries Subsidies. "This agreement is an important step towards leveling the playing field for the domestic fishing industry and cracking down on illegal fishing practices," said Whitehouse. "I applaud the Biden administration on this historic step and look forward to our continued partnership to expand th… Continue Reading
04.07.23
Whitehouse and Johnson Lead Letter to Chief Justice Calling for Investigation of Justice Thomas’s Extravagant Billionaire-Funded Trips
Washington, DC - Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) and Representative Hank Johnson (D-GA) today led their colleagues in a letter calling on the Chief Justice of the United States to launch an ethics investigation into Justice Clarence Thomas's extensive billionaire-funded luxury travel and other outstanding allegations of misconduct. The letter comes a day after a bombshell ProPublica report exposed that Justice Thomas and his wife accepted extravagant vacations worth as much as $500,000 on the… Continue Reading
04.06.23
Whitehouse Calls for Investigation Into Justice Thomas’s Extravagant Billionaire-Funded Travel
Washington, DC - Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), Chairman of the Senate Judiciary Courts Subcommittee, today called on the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court to launch an ethics investigation into Justice Clarence Thomas's extensive billionaire-funded luxury travel habits and other outstanding allegations of misconduct by Justice Thomas. The Senator's call comes after a bombshell report published by ProPublica exposing that Justice Thomas and his wife accepted extravagant vacations worth as … Continue Reading
04.04.23
Whitehouse Statement on Donald Trump’s Surrender in NY
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), a senior member of the Senate Judiciary Committee and former Rhode Island Attorney General and U.S. Attorney, today released the following statement after former president Donald Trump surrendered to prosecutors in New York: "The beauty of the American justice system is that the law applies equally to everyone - even former presidents - and everyone has the right to a fair proceeding free of intimidation or outside influence." The form… Continue Reading
04.03.23
Whitehouse Leads Charge to Compel SCOTUS Ethics Reform Through Appropriations Process
Washington, DC - Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), Chairman of the Senate Judiciary Courts Subcommittee, is leading fourteen senators in calling on the Senate Appropriations Committee to include language in the FY2024 appropriations bill directing the Supreme Court to adopt binding, transparent, and enforceable ethics rules. The senators' effort comes as the Supreme Court has refused to investigate multiple allegations of unethical conduct at the Court. The Court's failure to adopt basic eth… Continue Reading
03.31.23
Whitehouse, Colleagues Introduce “No Check, No Sale” Bill to Close the Charleston Loophole
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) this week joined Democratic colleagues to introduce legislation to close a current loophole that allows gun sales to proceed if a background check is not completed within a certain time period, even if the gun buyer is not legally allowed to purchase a gun. The gap in existing law has allowed thousands of gun sales to prohibited buyers, including the sale of the firearm used by the shooter in the deadly attack at Charleston's Emanuel AME… Continue Reading
03.31.23
Sen. Whitehouse, Rep. Eshoo Reintroduce Bill to Stop Excessively Loud Commercials
Washington, D.C. -Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) and Representative Anna G. Eshoo (D-CA) yesterday reintroduced the Commercial Advertisement Loudness Mitigation (CALM) Modernization Act, bicameral legislation that would update the CALM Act, a law enacted in 2010 to limit the loudness of TV ads. The CALM Modernization Act extends the CALM Act's prohibitions to all ad-supported streaming services to ensure that the volume of commercials on streaming services is not louder than regular programm… Continue Reading
03.29.23
Whitehouse Votes to Repeal Iraq War Authorizations
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) today joined colleagues from both sides of the aisle in voting to repeal the Iraq Authorizations for Use of Military Force (AUMF) of 1991 and 2002. The decades-old authorizations have left open the ability for a president to engage in military action in Iraq without seeking new permission from Congress. Whitehouse released the following statement after the vote: "Our country was mired in a misguided war in Iraq when I ran for Senate in… Continue Reading
03.28.23
After Whitehouse Spotlights Loopholes, Federal Judiciary Announces Tightening of Personal Hospitality Exceptions, Strengthening Ethics Standards for Justices & Judges
Washington, DC - U.S. Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), Chairman of the Senate Judiciary Courts Subcommittee, today released a letter from the Administrative Office of the Courts that confirms the Judicial Conference of the United States has adopted new, stricter rules requiring far more disclosure of free trips, meals, and other "hospitality" accepted by federal judges and Supreme Court justices. The Administrative Office's announcement comes in response to Whitehouse's letter last month call… Continue Reading
03.22.23
Whitehouse, Quigley Reintroduce Bill to Modernize the Nation’s Electric Grid
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) and U.S. Representative Mike Quigley (D-IL) today introduced the Streamlining Interstate Transmission of Electricity (SITE) Act, a bill to improve the process of constructing long range, inter-regional high voltage transmission lines throughout the United States. "If we don't build more long-range transmission lines, much of the low-cost clean energy that is coming online will simply not be able to get to the homes and businesses that ne… Continue Reading
03.22.23
Blumenthal & Whitehouse Introduce Junk Fee Prevention Act to End Unfair Surprise Costs for Consumers
WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Senators Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) and Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) introduced new legislation to eliminate excessive fees and bring transparency to the marketplace as hidden fees cost Americans billions of dollars annually. Today's introduction of the Junk Fee Prevention Act follows calls from President Joe Biden during his State of the Union address. The legislation would eliminate excessive, hidden, and unnecessary fees imposed on consumers and require full prices of serv… Continue Reading
03.21.23
Sen. Whitehouse & Rep. Johnson Release Correspondence with Michael Chertoff Regarding Dobbs Leak Investigation
Washington, DC - U.S. Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) and Congressman Hank Johnson (D-GA) today released their correspondence with Michael Chertoff, Executive Chairman of The Chertoff Group, regarding the Supreme Court's internal investigation into the leak of the draft opinion in the Dobbs case. The Chertoff Group, a security firm that had previously been hired as a contractor for the Supreme Court, was again brought on by the Court to assess the quality of the Court's internal investigation… Continue Reading
03.20.23
Whitehouse Applauds Biden Veto of Fossil Fuel-Backed Attack on Free Market Capitalism
Washington, D.C. - Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), Chairman of the Senate Budget Committee, today cheered President Joe Biden's veto of a fossil fuel-funded push to reverse a Department of Labor rule that allows fiduciaries to consider environmental, social and governance (ESG) principles in retirement plan investing. "MAGA Republicans and their fossil fuel overlords want Americans to believe that an epidemic of woke-ism has hit America's fiduciary financial institutions. Not true. The tr… Continue Reading
03.17.23
Reed, Whitehouse, Cicilline Celebrate Victories to Lower Rx Drug Costs and Raise Awareness for New $35-Monthly Cap on Insulin for RI Seniors
Cumberland, RI - In a major win for millions of diabetic Americans who need insulin to live and have been paying inflated prices for years, French pharmaceutical giant Sanofi - one of the top three insulin manufacturers for the U.S. - announced it will follow suit with its two major competitors by slashing the list price for its most prescribed insulin product by 78 percent. In agreeing to expand the capping of insulin prices at $35 per month for uninsured people and those with private insuranc… Continue Reading
