Press Releases
Bipartisan Bill to Crack Down on Illegal Robocalls Passes Senate
Washington, DC - U.S. Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) today cheered Senate passage of legislation he cosponsored to crack down on disruptive illegal robocalls. In a 97-1 vote, the Senate approved the Telephone Robocall Abuse Criminal Enforcement and Deterrence (TRACED) Act, which is sponsored by Senators Ed Markey (D-MA) and John Thune (R-SD). "In addition to being a persistent nuisance, robocalls can lead to data theft and financial fraud," said Whitehouse. "I'm pleased that this legislati… Continue Reading
05.20.19
Senators Keep Pressure on Treasury to Issue Carbon Capture Tax Credit Guidance
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senators Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), John Barrasso (R-WY), and Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV) today led a bipartisan group of colleagues in requesting guidance from the Department of Treasury for the implementation of the carbon capture utilization and storage tax credit program. The Senators were lead sponsors of the bipartisan FUTURE Act, which will encourage technological innovation in carbon capture utilization and storage while reducing carbon pollution. The FUTURE Act… Continue Reading
05.20.19
Whitehouse Cosponsors Green Bank Act to Create Jobs, Reclaim American Clean Energy Leadership
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) has joined U.S. Senator Chris Murphy (D-CT) in introducing the Green Bank Act, which would support job creation in Rhode Island's clean energy sector and fight climate change by incentivizing large-scale investment in green projects. The bill would create a National Green Bank to provide financing for regional, state, and municipal green banks, including the Rhode Island Infrastructure Bank. "A national green infrastructure bank would … Continue Reading
05.16.19
Senate Judiciary Committee Approves Whitehouse, Blumenthal, & Graham Bill to Prevent Cyberattacks on Voting Machines
Washington, DC - Today, the Senate Judiciary Committee approved bipartisan legislation authored by U.S. Senators Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), and Lindsey Graham (R-SC) to improve election security. The Defending the Integrity of Voting Systems Act would make it a federal crime to hack any voting systems used in a federal election. "Russia and other hostile actors are constantly bombarding the cyber defenses of American voting systems and other critical infrastructure i… Continue Reading
05.16.19
Whitehouse, Cartwright Introduce Bill to Protect Natural Resources from Climate Change Amid New Warning from UN
Washington, DC - Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) and Representative Matt Cartwright (D-PA) today introduced a bill to protect natural resources and wildlife from extreme weather and climate change. Whitehouse and Cartwright's Safeguarding America's Future and Environment (SAFE) Act would build on existing federal, state, and local efforts to establish an integrated national approach for environmental protection. An alarming new report released by the United Nations earlier this month indicat… Continue Reading
05.16.19
Whitehouse, Cotton, Colleagues Introduce Bill to Support Victims of Iranian Terrorism
Washington, D.C.- U.S. Senators Sheldon Whitehouse (D-Rhode Island), Tom Cotton (R-Arkansas), John Cornyn (R-Texas), Marco Rubio (R-Florida), Jim Inhofe (R-Oklahoma), Ted Cruz (R-Texas), Doug Jones (D-Alabama), Johnny Isakson (R-Georgia), and Jacky Rosen (D-Nevada) today introduced legislation to help American terror victims and their families collect financial judgments against Iran. Representatives Greg Pence (R-Indiana) and Ruben Gallego (D-Arizona) introduced companion legislation in the Hou… Continue Reading
05.09.19
Whitehouse, Blumenthal, Hirono Introduce AMICUS Act to Bring Transparency to Judicial Lobbying
Washington, D.C. - Senate Judiciary Committee members Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), and Senator Mazie Hirono (D-HI) today introduced the Assessing Monetary Influence in the Courts of the United States (AMICUS) Act to bring transparency to amicus-based judicial lobbying for the first time. "It defies reason that the branch of the federal government with the least direct accountability to the public is not subject to even the most basic lobbying disclosures… Continue Reading
05.07.19
Whitehouse, Blumenthal, and Graham Introduce Bipartisan Bill to Prevent Cyberattacks on Voting Machines
Washington, DC - U.S. Senators Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), and Lindsey Graham (R-SC) introduced bipartisan legislation to improve election security. The Defending the Integrity of Voting Systems Act would make it a federal crime to hack any voting systems used in a federal election. The bill is scheduled to be considered by the Judiciary Committee. "Russia and other hostile actors are continuously bombarding the cyber defenses of our critical infrastructure in an attem… Continue Reading
05.07.19
Whitehouse, Udall, Cardin Lead Call to Keep Appropriations Bills Free of Anti-Environmental Riders
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senators Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), Tom Udall (D-NM), and Ben Cardin (D-MD) today sent a letter to the Senate Appropriations Committee calling for FY 2020 appropriations bills to be free of unrelated policy riders that would harm public health and the environment. The letter was signed by 41 Senate Democrats, signaling that there is no path for anti-environmental riders in the Senate. "Pointless anti-environmental riders can only lead to gridlock and brinkmanship," said… Continue Reading
05.02.19
Whitehouse, Wyden, and Colleagues Introduce Legislation to Overhaul Energy Tax Code, Combat Climate Change
Washington, D.C. - Senate Finance Committee Ranking Member Ron Wyden, D-Ore., and 25 colleagues today introduced legislation to overhaul the federal tax code to support an innovative, low carbon economy. The Clean Energy for America Act would consolidate the current 44 energy incentives into three technology-neutral provisions that encourage clean electricity, clean transportation and energy efficiency. The bill is cosponsored by Senators Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., Debbie Stabenow, D-Mich., Maria C… Continue Reading
05.02.19
Coastal New England Senators Introduce Bipartisan Offshore Drilling Ban
Washington, D.C. - Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) today led a bipartisan group of New England Senators in reintroducing legislation to bar oil and gas drilling off the region's shoreline. While the Trump administration has stalled on releasing the next draft of its 5-year offshore leasing plan, it has not fully abandoned efforts to open areas of the Atlantic continental shelf to offshore drilling. Oil and gas exploration in the Atlantic puts vital coastline at risk, threatening a central ec… Continue Reading
05.01.19
Whitehouse Statement on Barr’s Mueller Investigation Testimony
Washington, DC - Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, released the following statement regarding the Judiciary Committee testimony today of Attorney General William Barr: "Attorney General Barr's testimony was an exercise in dissembling. He tried to convince us that words like 'summary' don't mean 'summary'. He said Special Counsel Mueller's concerns - expressed in a letter for everyone to see - weren't concerns at all. He said Justice Department pol… Continue Reading
04.30.19
Whitehouse, Durbin Introduce Bill to Crack Down on Payday Loans
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) has joined Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) in introducing the Protecting Consumers from Unreasonable Credit Rates Act of 2019, legislation that would eliminate the excessive rates and steep fees charged to consumers for payday loans by capping interest rates on consumer loans at an Annual Percentage Rate (APR) of 36 percent-the same limit currently in place for loans marketed to military service-members and their families. "Pa… Continue Reading
04.26.19
Senators Urge Administration to Support Victims of Iranian Terror Attacks
Washington, DC - Senators Sheldon Whitehouse (D-Rhode Island, Tom Cotton (R-Arkansas), James Inhofe (R-Oklahoma), Marco Rubio (R-Florida), Johnny Isakson (R-Georgia), Josh Hawley (R-Missouri), and John Cornyn (R-Texas) sent a letter to Attorney General William Barr and Solicitor General Noel Francisco urging them to support the victims of Iranian terror attacks in the case of Clearstream Banking S.A. v. Peterson. This case presents the administration with an opportunity to assist the Marine fami… Continue Reading
04.26.19
Whitehouse Cheers Pullback of Offshore Drilling Plan
Providence, RI - U.S. Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), a member of the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee and co-founder of the Senate Oceans Caucus, today released the following statement on the Trump administration's decision to put on hold plans to open American coastline to offshore drilling: "The Trump Administration's foolish offshore drilling proposal poses a risk to our economy that has united coastal Democrats and Republicans in opposition. It is welcome news that the Adm… Continue Reading
04.24.19
Whitehouse, Blumenthal, Tester File Brief in Major Campaign Finance Challenge
Washington, DC - Senators Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), and Jon Tester (D-MT) filed a brief with the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia today in a major campaign finance dispute. The case involves a federal law requiring disclosure of donors to groups spending to influence federal elections. Based on their firsthand knowledge of special interest influence in Congress, the senators argue that unlimited anonymous spending in federal elections has a deeply … Continue Reading
04.19.19
Whitehouse Statement on Redacted Mueller Report
Providence, RI - U.S. Senator Sheldon Whitehouse, a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, has released the following statement regarding the redacted version of the Mueller report: " My initial reactions are: The redacted report details an alarming account of Russian interference in our elections - one of sufficient magnitude, touching 120 million Americans and involving massive thefts of campaign information, to have tipped the close election in Trump's favor. Russia may have chosen ou… Continue Reading
04.12.19
Whitehouse Joins Warren in Reintroducing Legislation to Simplify Tax Filing and Save Families Money
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.) has joined Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), along with Senators Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.), Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.), Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), Tom Udall (D-N.M.), Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.), Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.), Maggie Hassan (D-N.H.), Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), Cory Booker (D-N.J.), and Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) to reintroduce the Tax Filing Simplification Act to ease the tax filing process for millions of American taxpayers and reduc… Continue Reading
04.12.19
Reed, Whitehouse Announce Confirmation of Wing Chau as RI U.S. Marshal
Washington, DC - U.S. Senators Jack Reed and Sheldon Whitehouse today announced the confirmation of native Rhode Islander and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) Senior Special Agent Wing Chau for Unites States Marshal for the District of Rhode Island. Upon Reed and Whitehouse's recommendation, the White House nominated Chau last August, and then renewed the nomination in the 116th Congress. The full Senate approved the nomination yesterday. Chau replaces outgoing U.S. … Continue Reading
04.11.19
Whitehouse Introduces DISCLOSE Act to Restore Americans’ Trust in Democracy
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) today introduced the DISCLOSE Act of 2019, which would require organizations spending money in federal elections to disclose their donors and help guard against hidden foreign interference in American democracy. "Americans recognize that their voices are being stymied by big special interests in Congress," said Whitehouse, who has introduced the DISCLOSE Act in every Congress since 2012. "On issues from climate change to gun safety, a … Continue Reading
