Press Releases
Whitehouse, Senate Democrats Condemn Trump Administration for Rescinding Civil Rights Guidance Promoting Diversity in Education
Washington, DC - U.S. Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) has joined Senators Patty Murray (D-WA) and Dianne Feinstein (D-CA), along with 20 other Senate Democrats, in a letter to Attorney General Jeff Sessions and Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos condemning their decision last month to rescind civil rights guidance promoting diversity in education. "With almost daily attacks from your Administration on the protections for immigrants, women, children, people of color, people with disabilities, … Continue Reading
08.03.18
Whitehouse Condemns Trump Administration’s Escalating Attacks on the Media
Washington, DC - Following the Trump administration's decision to ban CNN reporter Kaitlan Collins from a press event after she questioned President Trump on his relationship with his former attorney Michael Cohen, U.S. Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) joined Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) and eight other senators to introduce a resolution condemning the White House's attempts to restrict media access and affirming the importance of a free and unfettered press. Over the previous weekend, Vi… Continue Reading
08.02.18
Whitehouse, Alexander, Rounds, Booker Introduce IMAGINE Act to Spur Use of Innovative Materials in Rebuilding American Infrastructure
Washington, DC - Senators Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), Lamar Alexander (R-TN), Mike Rounds (R-SD), and Cory Booker (D-NJ) have introduced the Innovative Materials for America's Growth and Infrastructure Newly Expanded (IMAGINE) Act, to encourage research and deployment of innovative construction materials in transportation and water infrastructure projects nationwide. Investing in these new techniques and materials would help to extend the life of critical public works that draw increasingly poor… Continue Reading
08.02.18
Whitehouse Statement on Trump Fuel Standard Rollback
Washington, DC - Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), a member of the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee, released the following statement on the Trump administration's proposal to roll back critical fuel economy standards for cars and trucks: "Automakers acted proud of themselves for committing to this plan under President Obama - and they should have been. The standards would save American motorists $1.7 trillion over the life of their vehicles, and reduce the pollution driving clim… Continue Reading
08.02.18
Senate Approves Bipartisan Whitehouse Amendment to Encourage Kelp Farming
Washington, DC - U.S. Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) today announced that the Senate has passed a bipartisan amendment designed to help encourage growth and job creation in the emerging kelp farming industry. "Kelp is good for human health and good for our environment and oceans," said Whitehouse. "Our bipartisan amendment will help the promising ocean-grown kelp industry, which is just getting started in Rhode Island." Whitehouse's amendment, which was cosponsored by Senators Lisa Murkow… Continue Reading
08.02.18
RI Fire Departments Receive $107K to Purchase Gear & Improve Safety
Today, U.S. Senators Jack Reed and Sheldon Whitehouse and Congressmen Jim Langevin and David Cicilline announced $106,668 in federal funding to help the Central Falls Fire Department, Kingston Fire Department, and Albion Fire District purchase needed equipment and gear to help them better serve their communities. The funding is being awarded through the Federal Emergency Management Agency's (FEMA) Assistance to Firefighters Grant (AFG) Program. The Central Falls Fire Department will use $59,… Continue Reading
08.01.18
Whitehouse, Rubio, Wyden Legislation to Tackle Money Laundering through High-End Real Estate Clears Senate
Washington, DC - Today, Senators Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), Marco Rubio (R-FL), and Ron Wyden (D-OR) succeeded in passing bipartisan legislation to lay the groundwork for expanding a U.S. Department of the Treasury initiative to crack down on foreign nationals laundering money through high-end American real estate. Passed as an amendment to a government funding measure, the senators' legislation requires the Treasury Department to issue a report on its program that collects shell corporations' … Continue Reading
08.01.18
Whitehouse Calls on Trump Administration to Reverse Course on Damaging Proposed Changes to Title X Women’s Health Care Program
Washington, DC - U.S. Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) has joined U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA) and 43 other senators in a comment to Secretary Alex Azar at the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) strongly opposing the Trump Administration's proposal to restrict the Title X family planning program and reduce access to health care for millions of women. The senators called on the Administration to reverse course and revoke its planned changes. "As U.S. Senators, we are deeply con… Continue Reading
07.31.18
Whitehouse, Markey, Merkley Push CEQ Nominee Neumayr for Answers on Ocean Policy
Washington, DC - Senate Oceans Caucus Co-Chair Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) and fellow Oceans Caucus members Edward J. Markey (D-MA) and Jeff Merkley (D-OR) pressed President Donald Trump's nominee to run the White House's Council on Environmental Quality, Mary Neumayr, on her views on important federal initiatives to help protect and manage ocean resources. During her confirmation process, Whitehouse, Markey, and Merkley pressed Neumayr on her views on the Trump administration's new federal ocean… Continue Reading
07.31.18
Time To Wake Up: To Davos or not to Davos
Mr. President, the big oil companies-particularly Exxon, Shell, BP, and Chevron-want us to believe that they've turned over a new leaf, that they're finally in favor of climate action. All four of them claimed to support the Paris Agreement. And Exxon, Shell, and BP all claim to support putting a price on carbon emissions; a price that would reflect the costs of the damage climate change inflicts on the environment, the economy, and public health. For example, here's Exxon's website: "ExxonMo… Continue Reading
07.27.18
Whitehouse Slams Republican Stonewalling of Key Kavanaugh Documents
Washington, DC - Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, released the following statement regarding the refusal by Judiciary Committee Chairman Charles Grassley (R-IA) to request critical documents related to Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh's work as a senior advisor to President George W. Bush: "The current occupant of the Oval Office is under investigation for obstruction of justice and may soon test the Supreme Court on questions of executive powe… Continue Reading
07.27.18
Senators Urge FERC to Heed Long-Term Harm of Carbon Pollution
***READ THE SENATORS' COMMENT LETTER HERE*** Washington, DC - Six senators have lodged a formal argument with the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) calling for the Commission to incorporate the social cost of carbon - the measure of carbon pollution's long-term harm - in its evaluation of energy projects around the country. Senators Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Ben Cardin (D-MD), Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), Edward J. Markey (D-MA), and Brian Schatz (D-HI) filed the of… Continue Reading
07.26.18
Whitehouse Files SCOTUS Brief Defending Americans’ Right to Their Day in Court
***READ THE BRIEF HERE*** Washington, DC - Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) - a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, and a former Rhode Island Attorney General and U.S. Attorney - has filed a friend-of-the-court brief with the Supreme Court in New Prime, Inc. v. Dominic Oliveira arguing in favor of Americans' right to settle disputes in court. In his brief, Whitehouse details the far-reaching campaign by corporate special interests to erode access to civil court proceedings in favor of f… Continue Reading
07.25.18
RI Receives Nearly $3.9 Million Federal Grant to Aid in Opioid Epidemic Recovery
WASHINGTON, DC - Today, U.S. Senators Jack Reed and Sheldon Whitehouse and U.S. Representatives Jim Langevin and David Cicilline announced that $3,894,875 in National Health Emergency (NHE) Dislocated Worker Demonstration Grant funding is heading to Rhode Island to help curb the threat of opioid addiction and overdose. Rhode Island is one of six states set to receive a share of $22 million awarded by the U.S. Department of Labor to provide reemployment services for individuals impacted by the h… Continue Reading
07.25.18
Whitehouse and Blumenthal Call for Public Hearings on NRA Role in 2016 Russian Election Interference
Washington, DC - U.S. Senators Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) and Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) are urging Judiciary Committee Chairman Charles Grassley (R-IA) to hold public hearings with National Rifle Association (NRA) leadership to determine what these NRA officials knew about Russia's attempts to illegally launder money through their organization during the 2016 election cycle. Last week, Maria Butina, a suspected Russian agent, was indicted for her involvement in an alleged conspiracy to "infiltra… Continue Reading
07.24.18
Senators Press DOJ on New Criminal Division Head’s Ethics Agreements, Recusals
Washington, DC - Senators Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) and Dick Durbin (D-IL) led 14 Democratic members of the Senate Judiciary and Intelligence Committees in asking leaders at the Department of Justice to detail the ethical agreements binding the newly confirmed head of the Department's Criminal Division, Brian Benczkowski. The information would shed light on whether Benczkowski-a nominee noted as uniquely underqualified, who served as an aide to then-Senator Jeff Sessions and on the Trump transi… Continue Reading
07.23.18
Narragansett Fire Department Receives $218K Federal Grant for New Equipment & Rescue Training
Today, U.S. Senators Jack Reed and Sheldon Whitehouse and Congressman Jim Langevin announced $218,096 in federal funding to help the Narragansett Fire Department purchase needed equipment and provide water rescue training. The funding is being awarded through the Federal Emergency Management Agency's (FEMA) Assistance to Firefighters Grant (AFG) Program. The Narragansett Fire Department will use the federal funds to upgrade older manual ambulance stretchers with new power-lift stretchers and w… Continue Reading
07.23.18
Senators Raise Alarm about EPA Nominees Starting Work before Confirmation
Washington, DC - Today, Senators Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), Tom Carper (D-DE), Bernie Sanders (I-VT), and Edward J. Markey (D-MA) pressed two corporate executives tapped to lead offices at the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) on whether they are skirting the Senate's constitutional advice and consent role and violating federal law by taking jobs as "special counsel to the Administrator" before their confirmation. President Donald Trump has nominated DowDupont lawyer Peter Wright to run the… Continue Reading
07.20.18
Reed, Whitehouse Write in Support of Lowering Nicotine Levels in Cigarettes
Providence, RI - U.S. Senators Jack Reed (D-RI) and Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) joined Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) and eleven other Democratic colleagues to submit comments in support of the Food and Drug Administration's (FDA) recent initiative to reduce the level of nicotine in cigarettes to non-addictive or minimally addictive levels. In the comment letter, the senators encouraged the FDA to expand the initiative to include other tobacco products that serve as a substitute for cigare… Continue Reading
07.19.18
Whitehouse Signals Opposition to Rettig Nomination
Washington, DC - Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), a member of the Senate Finance Committee, signaled his opposition to the nomination of Charles Rettig for Commissioner of the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) in a Finance Committee hearing today and issued the following statement: "Just this week, the IRS decided to shield from the public some of the biggest special interests spending secret money in our elections. That decision widened an avenue of influence that already allows the likes of t… Continue Reading
