Press Releases
Whitehouse Urges Biden SCOTUS Commission to Address Special-Interest Assault on the Supreme Court
Washington, DC - Senate Judiciary Courts Subcommittee Chairman Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) released a letter he sent today to members of President Biden's Commission on the Supreme Court highlighting key questions about special-interest influence over the Court. Whitehouse has made clear the Commission cannot achieve meaningful reform, nor restore Americans' faith in the Court's integrity, without fully investigating and understanding the question of dark money's efforts to capture the Court. Sen… Continue Reading
05.17.21
On Tax Day, Whitehouse Introduces ‘Buffett Rule’ Bill to Ensure the Wealthiest Americans Pay a Fair Share in Taxes
Washington, DC - Billionaire investor Warren Buffett has said he pays a lower percentage of his income in taxes than his secretary. As millions of Americans file their taxes today, Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), Chair of the Senate Finance Subcommittee on Taxation and IRS Oversight, introduced his legislation to fix this problem. Whitehouse's Paying a Fair Share Act would ensure multi-millionaire and billionaire taxpayers like Warren Buffett pay at least a 30 percent effective tax rate. "Ou… Continue Reading
05.14.21
Senate Judiciary Dems Press DOJ to Not Appeal Federal Court Decision Ordering Release of Key OLC Memo Related to Mueller Report
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), Chair of the Judiciary Subcommittee on Federal Courts, Oversight, Agency Action, and Federal Rights; and U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee; today led Democratic members of the Senate Judiciary Committee in a letter to Attorney General Merrick Garland expressing serious concerns about the Trump-era Department of Justice's (DOJ) apparent misrepresentations to a federal court regarding an … Continue Reading
05.13.21
Whitehouse Calls for Swift Action on Climate Following Release of New EPA Climate Data
Washington, DC - Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), a senior member of the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee, released the following statement on the new data released by the EPA showing dramatic effects of climate change in the United States. "The data doesn't lie: the EPA's new report shows society pushing nature to its limit. Either we act now, or we risk failing the critical test of 1.5 degrees Celsius of warming and lock in ever-worsening threats. Against this backdrop, Congres… Continue Reading
05.13.21
New Whitehouse Bill Would Decarbonize Emissions-Heavy Aviation Sector
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) today introduced the Sustainable Aviation Fuel Act, ambitious new legislation to decarbonize the emissions-heavy aviation sector and curb climate change. The legislation sets a goal of achieving net 35 percent reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by 2035 and net zero emissions by 2050 in the U.S. aviation sector, and charts a path for reaching those benchmarks. U.S. Senator Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) is cosponsoring the legislation. "Air t… Continue Reading
05.13.21
Whitehouse-Murkowski Bill to Further Understanding of Oceans and Coasts Advances Out of Committee with Bipartisan Support
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senators Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) and Lisa Murkowski (R-AK), co-chairs of the bipartisan Senate Oceans Caucus, have announced that their legislation to advance data collection and monitoring of the Great Lakes, oceans, bays, estuaries, and coasts was approved by the Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee. The Bolstering Long-Term Understanding and Exploration of the Great Lakes, Oceans, Bays, and Estuaries Act, or the BLUE GLOBE Act, would accelerate tech… Continue Reading
05.11.21
Reed and Whitehouse Announce Recommendation of Zachary A. Cunha to be the Next U.S. Attorney for Rhode Island
WASHINGTON, DC - U.S. Senators Jack Reed and Sheldon Whitehouse today announced they have recommended that President Joe Biden nominate current Assistant U.S. Attorney Zachary A. Cunha, chief of the civil division for the United States Attorney's office, to be the next U.S. Attorney for Rhode Island. "Zachary Cunha is an experienced prosecutor with an exemplary record of service in the U.S. Attorney's office. He is an outstanding candidate to take on this new role and has solid relationships wi… Continue Reading
05.11.21
Tax Gap & Offshoring Hearing Sheds New Light on Trillions in U.S. Income Stowed Abroad
Washington, DC - During today's hearing of the Senate Finance Subcommittee on Taxation and IRS Oversight, a top IRS official testified that the amount of U.S. money held in offshore accounts - and therefore harder for American tax enforcement officials to track - is double what had been previously estimated. In response to a question from Subcommittee Chairman Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), IRS Acting Chief of Research and Analytics Officer Barry Johnson told the subcommittee that U.S. households ho… Continue Reading
05.11.21
Whitehouse Lays Out Plans as Chair of the Senate International Narcotics Control Caucus in New Op-Ed
READ FULL OP-ED HERE Washington, DC - In a new op-ed for Just Security, Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) lays out his plans as Chair of the Senate Caucus on International Narcotics Control, including a focus on the dark economy servicing the narcotics market and the "clash of civilizations" that forms its backdrop. Whitehouse also discusses the need to battle substance use in America and build on the success of bipartisan legislation to expand prevention, treatment, and recovery services. Est… Continue Reading
05.05.21
Gavel in Hand, Whitehouse Presses OPM for Leonard Leo Documents
Washington, DC - Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Courts Subcommittee, sent a letter today to the Acting Director of the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) following up on requests for records related to dark-money activist Leonard Leo's role advising the Trump administration on the selection and confirmation of judicial nominees. Over a year ago, Whitehouse led colleagues in requesting documents related to Leo's work leading and advising the Trump administratio… Continue Reading
05.05.21
RI Delegation Invites Local Restaurants to Apply for Aid from Newly Launched Restaurant Revitalization Fund
Providence, RI - Members of Rhode Island's congressional delegation today joined with hospitality industry representatives to invite owners of local dining establishments to apply for aid from the newly opened Restaurant Revitalization Fund. The delegation pushed for the $28.6-billion restaurant relief fund to be included in the American Rescue Plan, which President Biden signed into law in March. Today's event was held at The District, a popular restaurant in Providence's Jewelry District. "I'… Continue Reading
05.05.21
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
