Press Releases
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
04.10.19
Whitehouse, Schatz, Heinrich, Gillibrand Introduce Updated Carbon Fee Amid Energized Climate Debate
Washington, D.C. - As members of Congress engage in a newly energized conversation about reducing carbon pollution, Senators Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), Brian Schatz (D-HI), Martin Heinrich (D-NM), and Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) today reintroduced legislation to place a price on the emissions driving climate change and putting Americans' health and the global economy at risk. The American Opportunity Carbon Fee Act would reduce the nation's greenhouse gas emissions by an estimated 51 percent by 2… Continue Reading
04.10.19
Whitehouse Encourages RI Municipalities, Organizations to Apply for New Round of Coastal Resilience Funding
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senator Sheldon Whitehouse today encouraged local governments and organizations in Rhode Island to submit pre-proposals for a new $29-million round of funding from the National Coastal Resilience Fund, a significant source of federal investment to support innovative proposals for boosting coastal communities' natural protections from storms and ability to recover. Full proposals will be accepted by invitation in July. Whitehouse wrote the legislation creating the fund, … Continue Reading
04.09.19
Whitehouse Slams Confirmation of Oklahoma Nominee over Multiple Falsehoods
Washington, DC - Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, released the following statement on federal district court nominee Patrick Wyrick's confirmation vote in the Senate this evening: "On top of sterling credentials and strong experience in the law, federal judges ought to demonstrate ethical backbone. Mr. Wyrick's record, on the other hand, is an ethical dead zone. He built his career serving as a go-between for fossil fuel interests and disgraced p… Continue Reading
04.08.19
Whitehouse & Reed Statement on Trump Re-nominating Mary McElroy to the U.S. District Court for Rhode Island
Washington, DC - U.S. Senators Sheldon Whitehouse and Jack Reed today issued the following joint statement after President Trump re-nominated Rhode Island Public Defender Mary McElroy to the U.S. District Court for Rhode Island. "We are pleased President Trump has re-nominated Mary McElroy. She deserves to be confirmed on the merits and we're committed to ensuring she gets an up or down vote by the full Senate. "Mary McElroy has impeccable credentials, broad bipartisan support, and has alrea… Continue Reading
04.05.19
Whitehouse, Hawley Introduce Bipartisan Legislation to Support Law Enforcement Community, Prevent Officer Suicides
Washington, D.C. - Suicide is the number one cause of death for police officers in the United States. But Congress has failed to fund grant programs that provide support services for police officers and their families. Current grant programs also do not allow funds to be used for suicide prevention efforts, mental health screenings, or training to identify officers at risk. U.S. Senators Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.) and Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) have introduced the bipartisan Supporting and Treating… Continue Reading
04.04.19
Whitehouse, Brown, Schakowsky Introduce Public Option for Affordable Care Act
Washington, DC - As the Department of Justice refuses to defend the law that has extended health insurance coverage to over 20 million Americans, U.S. Senators Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) and Sherrod Brown (D-OH) and Congresswoman Jan Schakowsky (D-IL) today introduced the Consumer Health Options and Insurance Competition Enhancement (CHOICE) Act, to add a publicly operated health insurance option to the Affordable Care Act's individual marketplaces. The bicameral measure would guarantee American… Continue Reading
04.04.19
Whitehouse, Warren, Merkley, Reed Introduce Bill to Protect Consumers from Runaway Credit Card Rates
Washington, DC - U.S. Senators Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), Jeff Merkley (D-OR), and Jack Reed (D-RI) have introduced legislation to protect Americans from runaway interest rates for credit cards and other consumer loans. The Empowering States' Rights to Protect Consumers Act would restore states' ability to limit consumer loan interest rates for their residents and help address the nearly $1 trillion Americans hold in credit card debt."Right now, Wall Street banks and th… Continue Reading
04.03.19
Whitehouse Statement on Rule Change for Trump Nominees
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senator Sheldon Whitehouse, a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, today issued the following statement on Majority Leader McConnell's use of the nuclear option to change the rules for confirming Trump administration nominees: "The rule change is a cynical move designed to speed up the conveyor belt of incompetent, extremist, and conflicted Trump administration nominees to appointments in the administration and on the federal bench. Accelerating this conveyor belt … Continue Reading
03.28.19
Wing Chau Nomination for U.S. Marshal Heads to Full Senate
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senators Sheldon Whitehouse and Jack Reed today announced that Wing Chau's nomination to serve as U.S. Marshal for Rhode Island has unanimously passed the Senate Judiciary Committee, on which Whitehouse serves. The nomination now heads to the full Senate for approval. "Today's vote marks a key step in the confirmation process. We are confident Wing Chau will serve Rhode Islanders honorably as our U.S. Marshal, and we look forward to the full Senate taking up this nomin… Continue Reading
03.28.19
Senators Whitehouse, Markey, Manchin: Purdue Should Commit in Writing to Make No Profit on Potential New Drug to Reverse Opioid Overdoses
Washington, D.C. - Senators Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.), Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.), and Joe Manchin (D-W.V.) today sent a letter to Purdue Pharma, manufacturer and marketer of the addictive painkiller OxyContin, in response to a media report concerning the company's bankruptcy consideration. In the story, Purdue claimed that it was in the process of developing and seeking Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval for a version of nalmefene hydrochloride - a more powerful overdose reversal me… Continue Reading
