Press Releases
Whitehouse: Additional Funding for Small Businesses, Health Care, Testing in Bipartisan Deal was Worth the Wait
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senator Sheldon Whitehouse is applauding a $484-billion bipartisan emergency deal to rescue small businesses, support hospitals, and expand testing amid the coronavirus pandemic. The legislation passed the Senate this evening by unanimous consent and heads to the House of Representatives. Whitehouse released the following statement: "This bipartisan compromise is much better than the bill Leader McConnell tried to jam through on his own earlier this month. In addition… Continue Reading
04.20.20
Reed & Whitehouse Demand Answers About Trump Administration’s Toxic Attacks on Clean Air During Pandemic
PROVIDENCE, RI - As Americans battle a potentially fatal novel coronavirus (COVID-19) that attacks people's respiratory system, U.S. Senators Jack Reed and Sheldon Whitehouse have urged the Trump Administration to cut down on air pollution by strengthening clean air standards to help protect public health. The senators cited a study by Harvard University's T.H. Chan School of Public Health, which analyzed data from 3,080 counties nationwide with confirmed coronavirus deaths and found a statisti… Continue Reading
04.17.20
Whitehouse, Senate Finance Committee Democrats Call for Transparent, Equitable Distribution of Remaining $70 Billion in CARES Act Hospitals Fund
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senator Sheldon Whitehouse has joined 11 Democratic members of the Senate Finance Committee in calling on the Trump administration to distribute the remaining critical COVID-19 aid to health care providers in an equitable and transparent way. In a letter sent to Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Alex Azar, the senators noted the distribution of the first $30 billion dollars failed to deliver funds where they are needed most. Rhode Island providers received $90.5… Continue Reading
04.16.20
RI Gets $2.3 Million CARES Act Grant to Boost Workforce & Help Dislocated Workers
PROVIDENCE, RI - In an effort to provide employment and training services to Rhode Islanders who were laid off because of the impact of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) public health emergency, U.S. Senators Jack Reed and Sheldon Whitehouse and U.S. Representatives Jim Langevin and David Cicilline today announced $2,326,005 in federal funding for Rhode Island through Dislocated Worker Grants (DWG). These awards are funded under the $2.2 trillion Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (C… Continue Reading
04.16.20
Whitehouse Selected for Bipartisan Panel on Safely Reopening American Economy
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senator Sheldon Whitehouse today announced that he has accepted President Donald Trump's invitation to serve on a bipartisan panel of members of Congress charged with determining guidelines for safely restarting the American economy amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Whitehouse issued the following statement on his appointment to the new committee: "I hope this panel will be a good-faith bipartisan effort informed by science and best practices. Ignoring public health experts … Continue Reading
04.15.20
Amid Increased Reports of Domestic Violence During Pandemic, Reed and Whitehouse Call for Additional Support for Victims and Survivors
Washington, D.C. - Amid increased reports of domestic violence in Rhode Island during the ongoing pandemic, U.S. Senators Jack Reed and Sheldon Whitehouse have joined a bipartisan group of 38 colleagues requesting that any future legislation to address COVID-19 includes support for victims and survivors of domestic violence and sexual assault. In a letter to Senate leadership and the Senate Appropriations Committee, Reed and Whitehouse expressed concern about reports that abusers are using COV… Continue Reading
04.14.20
Delegation Announces Additional $941K for RI Emergency Response to COVID-19
PROVIDENCE, RI - In an effort to protect public safety, U.S. Senators Jack Reed and Sheldon Whitehouse and Congressmen Jim Langevin and David Cicilline today announced that Rhode Island will receive an additional $941,560 in federal emergency management funding to help combat the novel coronavirus (COVID-19). The federal funds will help the Rhode Island Emergency Management Agency (RIEMA) work with local first responders to enhance emergency management and response capabilities. "Governor Raim… Continue Reading
04.14.20
Whitehouse, Doggett Release New Analysis Showing GOP Tax Provisions in CARES Act Overwhelmingly Benefit Million-Dollar-Plus Earners
NOTE: Following publication of its analysis, JCT revised its findings on 4/23. The latest version of that analysis is available here. These updates do not affect the distributional table below. Washington, DC - Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) and Lloyd Doggett (D-TX) released analysis today from the Joint Committee on Taxation (JCT) showing a massive windfall for a small group of wealthy taxpayers from a Republican provision in the coronavirus relief bill. According to the JCT, 43,000 i… Continue Reading
04.11.20
As States Face PPE Shortfall, Reed & Whitehouse Press Trump Administration for Information About Outsourcing the Distribution of Critical Medical Supplies to Private Companies
Washington, D.C. - With Rhode Island and states across the country facing severe challenges to secure lifesaving supplies from the federal government amid the COVID-19 pandemic, U.S. Senators Jack Reed and Sheldon Whitehouse have joined 45 of their Senate colleagues in raising serious concerns about the Trump Administration's reliance on private companies to distribute desperately needed medical supplies. Reed and Whitehouse are directly urging Vice President Mike Pence, who the President charg… Continue Reading
04.10.20
Reed & Whitehouse Urge Trump Administration to Deliver Promised Aid to Small Businesses
PROVIDENCE, RI - As the Trump Administration provides conflicting information to small businesses and fails to effectively implement a key federal disaster loan program, U.S. Senators Jack Reed and Sheldon Whitehouse, along with Senator Ron Wyden (D-OR) and 16 colleagues, are calling on the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) to ensure small businesses receive Economic Injury Disaster Loans (EIDLs) associated with the COVID-19 crisis and the new Emergency Economic Injury Grants (EEIGs) with… Continue Reading
04.10.20
Congressional Delegation Statement on Release of $90.5 Million for RI Hospitals
PROVIDENCE, RI - Today, the Trump Administration released the first allocation of funding for hospitals under the $2.2 trillion Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act (Public Law No. 116-136). The Trump Administration is releasing $30 billion today in coronavirus relief funding directed toward hospitals and providers in this initial wave of funds. Under the Administration's formula, a greater share of federal funding will go to hospitals that have more traditional Medicare … Continue Reading
04.09.20
RI Delegation Urges Trump Administration to Reconsider Minimum Service Rule That Unfairly Damages T.F. Green & Other Airports
PROVIDENCE, RI -- After the Trump Administration slighted T.F. Green airport in a "continuation of service" order for airlines receiving assistance under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act (Public Law No. 116-136), Rhode Island's Congressional delegation is urging the Secretary of Transportation Elaine Chao to ensure high levels of safety and service at all airports. U.S. Senators Jack Reed and Sheldon Whitehouse and Congressmen Jim Langevin and David Cicilline today… Continue Reading
04.09.20
Whitehouse, Doggett Press Trump Administration on Massive Tax Giveaways Slipped into COVID Relief Bill
Washington, DC - Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) and Congressman Lloyd Doggett (D-TX) are pressing the Trump administration to explain tax provisions in the recent COVID-19 relief bill that cost roughly $195 billion and have no connection to combatting the coronavirus pandemic and its economic fallout. According to reports, beneficiaries of the tax giveaways may include President Trump, his son-in-law Jared Kushner, and "real estate investors in President Trump's inner circle." In a letter a… Continue Reading
04.08.20
Congressional Delegation Announces Additional $7.25 Million to Help Community Health Centers Fight COVID-19
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senators Jack Reed and Sheldon Whitehouse, along with Congressmen Jim Langevin and David Cicilline, today announced $7.25 million in federal grant funding to help eight Rhode Island health centers in the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic. The health centers may deploy the funds to expand coronavirus testing, prevent and treat COVID-19, and increase staffing and treatment capacity to address the public health emergency. "Our community health centers are doing critical … Continue Reading
04.08.20
Reed, Whitehouse Press Administration on Unemployment Insurance Benefits
WASHINGTON, DC - Seeking to ensure that workers in Rhode Island and nationwide are able to access needed assistance during the current coronavirus crisis, U.S. Senators Jack Reed and Sheldon Whitehouse this week joined 35 Democratic colleagues in sending a letter to United States Department of Labor Secretary Eugene Scalia urging the Trump Administration to take additional action to ensure workers receive unemployment insurance as quickly as possible. In their letter, the Senators outline a num… Continue Reading
04.06.20
RI Delegation Announces Federal Grant to Bolster RIDOH’s COVID-19 Response
WASHINGTON, DC -- U.S Senators Jack Reed and Sheldon Whitehouse, along with Congressmen Jim Langevin and David Cicilline, today announced a new $666,000 grant from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to support Rhode Island's COVID-19 response. This funding will go directly to the Rhode Island Department of Health (RIDOH) for testing, lab support, supplies, surveillance systems, contact tracing, and supporting quarantine efforts. The funding stems from the phase one $7.8 … Continue Reading
04.03.20
Whitehouse, Blumenthal & Hirono Call on Pandemic Response Accountability Commission Chairman To Commit To Public Transparency & Disclosure
[WASHINGTON, DC] - Today, U.S. Senators Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), and Mazie K. Hirono (D-HI) wrote Glenn Fine, the newly appointed head of the Pandemic Response Accountability Commission, seeking his public commitment to "explicitly [reject] President Trump's efforts to block crucial information from reaching Congress and the American people." Congress included several oversight measures in the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act to ensure that… Continue Reading
04.03.20
Reed & Whitehouse Urge Treasury to Provide Veterans, SSI Beneficiaries with Direct Payments, Not Additional Paperwork
PROVIDENCE, RI - After successfully winning a major victory for seniors and retirees who rely on Social Security, U.S. Senators Jack Reed and Sheldon Whitehouse are seeking to do the same for millions of other Americans who receive Supplemental Security Income (SSI) benefits from the Social Security Administration (SSA) and veterans who get benefits from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). Reed and Whitehouse say the Treasury Department and Internal Revenue Service (IRS) should not un… Continue Reading
04.03.20
Whitehouse Office Available to Assist RI Small Businesses with SBA Loans
Washington, D.C. - As the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) today begins accepting applications for a new "Payroll Protection" loan forgiveness program, U.S. Senator Sheldon Whitehouse is reminding small business owners that his constituent services team is available to help Rhode Islanders navigate the application process. "Rhode Island small businesses are in crisis mode right now, and we know there is enormous demand for the SBA's new borrowing and loan forgiveness services," said Whi… Continue Reading
04.02.20
Following Calls from Reed, Whitehouse, and Colleagues, Treasury Reverses Course and Says Social Security Beneficiaries Do Not Need to File Tax Returns to Receive COVID-19 Direct Cash Assistance
Washington, D.C. - Following calls from Senators Jack Reed (D-RI), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), Maggie Hassan (D-NH), Sherrod Brown (D-OH), and their colleagues, the U.S. Treasury Department has announced that Social Security recipients will automatically receive direct cash assistance included in the CARES Act without having to file tax returns. Yesterday, the Senators raised alarms over guidance that the IRS issued earlier this week that said Social Security beneficiaries would need to file tax… Continue Reading
