Press Releases
Whitehouse, Wyden, Grassley, Rubio Urge Strong Implementation of Anti-Money Laundering Reform
Washington, DC - Today, Senators Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), Ron Wyden (D-OR), Chuck Grassley (R-IA), and Marco Rubio (R-FL) sent a bipartisan comment to the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN) encouraging the efficient, effective implementation of a beneficial ownership reporting system, as required by the Corporate Transparency Act (CTA). The senators have long championed greater transparency in the United States's incorporation laws to crack down on shell companies used to facilitate… Continue Reading
05.03.21
Senator Whitehouse and Representative Malinowski Urge Biden Administration to Take Aggressive Executive Action Against International Corruption and Kleptocracy
Washington, DC - Today, Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) and Representative Tom Malinowski (D-NJ) led a bicameral letter to United States Secretary of the Treasury Janet Yellen, urging the Department to take early action to combat international corruption and kleptocracy. The lawmakers urged Secretary Yellen to expand anti-money laundering reporting obligations to private equity and hedge fund advisors, and recommended other specific actions the Secretary can immediately take under current auth… Continue Reading
04.30.21
Whitehouse Votes to Deliver Major Upgrades for Water Infrastructure
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senator Sheldon Whitehouse has joined colleagues from both sides of aisle in voting to approve the Drinking Water and Wastewater Infrastructure Act of 2021, legislation to upgrade drinking water and wastewater infrastructure, improve the health of families across the nation, and address environmental justice. As a senior member of the Environment and Public Works Committee, Whitehouse has long been active in pushing for water infrastructure investments and helped craft th… Continue Reading
04.29.21
With Major Infrastructure Legislation on the Horizon, Whitehouse, Schumer, Cohen, and McKinley Introduce Bipartisan Tax Credit to Protect Children From Home Lead Hazards
Washington, D.C. - With lead hazards lurking in about 3.6 million homes of families with young children nationwide, U.S. Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY), Representative Steve Cohen (D-TN-09), and Representative David McKinley (R-WV-01) today introduced bipartisan legislation to help American families cover the cost of eliminating lead from their homes. The Home Lead Safety Tax Credit Act of 2021 would significantly broaden the national response to t… Continue Reading
04.29.21
Whitehouse Statement on Biden Address to Congress
Washington, DC - Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) released the following statement on President Biden's joint address to Congress tonight marking Biden's first 100 days in office: "Tonight, the president delivered a hopeful report on the great progress we've made during his first 100 days in office, and charted an equally hopeful path for a lasting, fair economic recovery after the pandemic. "I'm pleased to see the president follow the success of his COVID relief bill with two important propo… Continue Reading
04.28.21
Whitehouse-Cartwright Bill Would Establish National Strategy to Protect Natural Resources from Climate Change
Washington, DC - Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) and Representative Matt Cartwright (D-PA-08) today introduced a bill to protect natural resources and wildlife from the effects of climate change and increasingly frequent extreme weather events. The Safeguarding America's Future and Environment (SAFE) Act would build on existing federal, state, and local efforts to establish an integrated national approach to environmental protection. "The climate is changing, pushing the planet's finite natur… Continue Reading
04.28.21
Whitehouse, Wyden Launch Investigation Into Whether Political Interference Affected Caterpillar, Other Tax Investigations
Washington, DC - Senator Sheldon Whitehouse, D-R.I., and Senate Finance Committee Chair Ron Wyden, D-Ore., today launched an investigation into whether Trump administration political interference affected tax investigations, including a criminal investigation of Caterpillar, which former Attorney General William Barr represented. The senators wrote to Attorney General Merrick Garland and IRS Commissioner Rettig, "In 2015, Caterpillar disclosed that a federal grand jury in Illinois had begun inv… Continue Reading
04.26.21
Whitehouse, Crapo Release Energy Innovation Tax Credit Proposal
Washington, DC -Today, U.S. Senate Finance Committee member Sheldon Whitehouse (D-Rhode Island) and U.S. Senator Mike Crapo (R-Idaho), Ranking Member of the U.S. Senate Finance Committee, released a discussion draft of the Energy Sector Innovation Credit (ESIC) Act, a bipartisan energy tax proposal to encourage innovation in the clean energy sector. "We have plenty of good ideas for clean energy technology to battle climate change; the challenge is bringing them online quickly enough to make a … Continue Reading
04.26.21
Whitehouse Statement on Barrett’s Refusal to Recuse in Case Involving Group that Campaigned for her Confirmation
Washington, DC - Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Courts Subcommittee, released the following statement on Supreme Court Justice Amy Coney Barrett's decision not to recuse herself from Americans for Prosperity Foundation v. Rodriquez, a case involving a group that spent heavily to confirm her to the bench. Whitehouse led a letter to Justice Barrett calling on her to recuse herself under federal statute and clear Supreme Court precedent. Oral argument in the case t… Continue Reading
04.26.21
Whitehouse Statement on Oral Arguments in Americans for Prosperity Foundation v. Rodriquez
Washington, DC - Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Courts Subcommittee, released the following statement today on oral arguments at the Supreme Court in Americans for Prosperity Foundation (AFPF) v. Rodriquez, a case that could pave the way for sweeping protections for anonymous "dark-money" spending in American democracy: "This case may seem like a measly spat over state nonprofit rules, but a massive threat lurks within. If the big, special-interest donors behin… Continue Reading
04.23.21
Reed & Whitehouse Deliver Nearly $22 Million for RI Clean Water Projects & Call on Congress to Put Clean Water Upgrades on Tap in New Infrastructure Bill
PROVIDENCE, RI - In an effort to help create jobs and improve Rhode Island's water quality, U.S. Senators Jack Reed and Sheldon Whitehouse secured nearly $22 million in the fiscal year 2021 Consolidated Appropriations law to upgrade the state's water infrastructure. Today, Senators Reed and Whitehouse joined with officials from the Narragansett Bay Commission, the Rhode Island Infrastructure Bank, and Save The Bay to outline how these funds will be put to work in the Ocean State. Senators Reed… Continue Reading
04.22.21
Whitehouse Pledges to Help Pass Large-Scale Clean Energy Bill to Meet Biden’s Ambitious New Climate Goal
Washington, DC - U.S. Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) today applauded President Biden's ambitious new goal of reducing greenhouse emissions by at least 50 percent from 2005 levels before 2030. Whitehouse pledged to do his part in passing legislation that will allow the United States to meet that benchmark and reclaim international leadership on climate. "President Biden's goal of reducing emissions by at least half over the next decade is historic and ambitious," said Whitehouse. "The United … Continue Reading
04.22.21
Whitehouse, Johnson Renew Effort to Strengthen Judicial Influence Rules Following Action by Federal Courts
Washington, DC - The Chairs of the Senate and House Judiciary Subcommittees on the Courts, Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) and Congressman Hank Johnson (D-GA), announced plans today to renew their oversight on the issue of lax amicus curiae disclosure rules in the federal courts and to update their bill, the AMICUS Act, to strengthen amicus rules. The announcement follows reporting this week on a memorandum by the AMICUS Subcommittee of the federal Judicial Conference's Advisory Committee on t… Continue Reading
04.22.21
Whitehouse to Chair Senate Caucus on International Narcotics Control
Washington, DC - U.S. Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) announced today he will chair the United States Senate Caucus on International Narcotics Control, which advances international and domestic strategies to combat drug trafficking and improve cooperation between governments. In addition to curbing criminal narcotics enterprises, the bipartisan Caucus addresses the public health effects of substance use, and advances efforts to expand research and fight addiction. "Drug trafficking claims liv… Continue Reading
04.21.21
Ernst, Brown, Blumenthal, Whitehouse Push Bipartisan Bill Supporting Servicemembers’ Mental Health and Transition to Civilian Life
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Joni Ernst (R-Iowa), Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio), Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), and Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.) are introducing bipartisan legislation to support the mental health needs of servicemembers and veterans as they return to civilian life in their local communities. U.S. Reps. Anthony Gonzalez (R-Ohio), Jim Langevin (D-R.I.), Mariannette Miller-Meeks (R-Iowa), and Sara Jacobs (D-Calif.) are introducing companion legislation in the U.S. House of Representatives. T… Continue Reading
04.20.21
Whitehouse, Blumenthal, Johnson Call on Justice Barrett to Recuse Herself from Koch Dark Money Case
Washington, DC - Senators Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) and Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) and Congressman Hank Johnson (D-GA) released today a letter to Justice Amy Coney Barrett calling on her to recuse herself from Americans for Prosperity Foundation v. Rodriquez based on well-established law and Supreme Court precedent. AFPF v. Rodriquez is the latest move in a concerted effort by powerful special interests to cement their influence over government. The main litigant in the case, Americans for Prosp… Continue Reading
04.16.21
Reed, Whitehouse & McKee Announce $840,000 Down Payment for RI Veterans Home to Improve Care & Protect Veterans and Staff from COVID-19
BRISTOL, RI - Today, U.S. Senators Jack Reed and Sheldon Whitehouse joined Governor Daniel J. McKee and Rhode Island Office of Veterans Services Director Kasim Yarn to announce a new $840,000 federal grant for the state-run Rhode Island Veterans Home. This federal aid stems from a $100 million emergency payment to State Veteran Homes nationwide that Senators Reed and Whitehouse supported in the Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriations Act, which was signed into law in December… Continue Reading
04.09.21
RI Delegation Announces $724K EDA Grant for 401 Tech Bridge to Support Economic Recovery
Providence, RI - U.S. Senators Jack Reed and Sheldon Whitehouse and Congressmen Jim Langevin and David Cicilline today announced that 401 Tech Bridge has received $724,674 from the Economic Development Administration's (EDA) Scaling Pandemic Resilience Through Innovation and Technology (SPRINT) Challenge. The SPRINT Challenge was created last year by the CARES Act with the aim of harnessing America's entrepreneurial talents to address the economic and health risks caused by the coronavirus pande… Continue Reading
04.08.21
Whitehouse, Doggett Welcome Treasury Tax Plan to Keep Jobs & Profits in America
Washington, DC - Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) and Congressman Lloyd Doggett (D-TX) welcomed the U.S Treasury Department's new Made in America Tax Plan, a proposal containing central components of Whitehouse and Doggett's No Tax Breaks for Outsourcing Act. The Biden administration American Jobs Plan, released last week, proposes to generate revenue by closing loopholes and incentives in the tax code that send jobs and profits overseas. The new Treasury tax plan fleshes out those proposals in… Continue Reading
03.31.21
Senators Sound Alarm Over SCOTUS Case Threatening Constitutional Protection for Dark Money
READ THE FULL BRIEF HERE Washington, DC - Senator Sheldon Whitehouse and 14 colleagues filed a brief with the U.S. Supreme Court today in Americans for Prosperity Foundation v. Rodriquez, a case that opens the possibility of constitutional protection for anonymous "dark money." The challenge before the Court is the latest move in a campaign by powerful special interests to cement their influence over government following the 2010 Supreme Court decision in Citizens United v. FEC. The senators wa… Continue Reading
