Press Releases
Whitehouse Statement on Meeting with Supreme Court Nominee Merrick Garland
Washington, DC - Moments ago in his Senate office, Senator Sheldon Whitehouse met with Supreme Court nominee Merrick Garland, Chief Judge of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit. Whitehouse is a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, which is charged with considering the nomination and making a recommendation to the full Senate regarding confirmation. Whitehouse released the following statement on today's meeting: "I had the privilege to work with Merrick Garland … Continue Reading
04.05.16
Whitehouse, Graham Hail Senate Passage of Defend Trade Secrets Act
Washington, DC - U.S. Senators Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) and Lindsey Graham (R-SC) yesterday voted in support of the Defend Trade Secrets Act (DTSA), which creates a new federal right of action for trade secret theft. The bipartisan legislation, which both Senators cosponsored, passed the Senate by a vote of 87-0. The version passed by the Senate reflects a number of changes made by the bill's authors at the request of Whitehouse, Graham, and other Judiciary Committee members at a December 20… Continue Reading
04.01.16
President Signs Whitehouse Bill to Protect Servicemembers and Veterans from Foreclosure
Providence, RI - Last night, President Barack Obama signed into law Senator Sheldon Whitehouse's Foreclosure Relief and Extension for Servicemembers Act, extending key foreclosure protection to those who serve. The legislation had passed both houses of Congress with unanimous support. Whitehouse released the following statement on the bill's signing."Those who serve in our armed forces keep us safe. They should have as much financial security as possible as they transition back to civilian li… Continue Reading
03.30.16
Whitehouse Hosts Roundtable on Drone, Laser Interference with Aircraft
Warwick, RI - Senator Sheldon Whitehouse today hosted a roundtable discussion on the growing threat that laser pointers and drones pose to aviation. "Flying has never been safer," said Senator Whitehouse. "But new threats to aviation safety are emerging. Pilots are reporting a big increase in the number of incidents of laser pointers being aimed at cockpits and drones flying dangerously close to aircraft. I led the charge in Congress to pass a law protecting our pilots from laser pointers. N… Continue Reading
03.24.16
Whitehouse Statement on Indictment of Iranian Hackers
Washington, DC - Today, the Department of Justice unsealed an indictment that charges seven Iranian nationals with conducting a campaign of cyber attacks against the United States on behalf of the Iranian government. U.S. Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) released the statement below regarding the announcement: "I applaud the Department of Justice for its efforts to halt sophisticated cyber attacks sponsored by the Government of Iran that targeted our financial institutions and critical infrast… Continue Reading
03.21.16
Whitehouse Applauds House Passage of his Bill to Protect Servicemembers from Foreclosure
Havana, Cuba - Senator Sheldon Whitehouse applauded the House's passage today of the Foreclosure Relief and Extension for Servicemembers Act, which extends key foreclosure protection to those who serve. Whitehouse authored the legislation, which was unanimously approved by the Senate in December. The bill now awaits the President's signature to become law. "Some of the men and women who've served our country need time to find their financial footing as they leave active service. They should… Continue Reading
03.21.16
Whitehouse Applauds House Passage of his Bill to Protect Servicemembers from Foreclosure
Havana, Cuba - Senator Sheldon Whitehouse applauded the House's passage today of the Foreclosure Relief and Extension for Servicemembers Act, which extends key foreclosure protection to those who serve. Whitehouse authored the legislation, which was unanimously approved by the Senate in December. The bill now awaits the President's signature to become law. "Some of the men and women who've served our country need time to find their financial footing as they leave active service. They should… Continue Reading
03.18.16
Whitehouse Announces Visit to Cuba with President Obama
Washington, DC - Senator Sheldon Whitehouse announced today that he will be accompanying President Barack Obama and his family for the first visit to Cuba by a sitting President in nearly nine decades. Congressman David Cicilline has also been invited. Whitehouse released the following statement regarding the trip: "Cutting diplomatic relations with Cuba more than a half century ago has not achieved the kind of change we intended. Now is the time for a different approach. Despite our diffe… Continue Reading
03.17.16
Hatch and Whitehouse’s Ensuring Patient Access and Effective Drug Enforcement Act Passes Senate
Washington, D.C. - Today, the Senate unanimously passed the Ensuring Patient Access and Effective Drug Enforcement Act, to help ensure that prescription drugs land in the hands of patients and not those who would abuse them. The bill, authored by Senators Orrin Hatch (R-UT) and Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), would clarify the standards companies must meet when protecting prescription drugs from being diverted toward improper uses and help protect patients from dangerous disruptions in the productio… Continue Reading
03.16.16
Whitehouse Introduces Bill to Help Behavioral Health Care Providers Adopt Electronic Health Records
Washington, DC - Today, Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) introduced legislation to support the integration of behavioral health care providers-like psychologists and psychiatric hospitals-into our national health information technology infrastructure, helping to ensure that patients in our mental health care system receive coordinated, quality care. Medicare and Medicaid have distributed nearly $32 billion in incentives for the adoption of electronic health records since 2009. However, psycho… Continue Reading
03.16.16
Whitehouse Congratulates Merrick Garland on Nomination to Supreme Court
Washington, DC - Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) released the following statement congratulating Merrick Garland, Chief Judge of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia, on his nomination for the Supreme Court. Whitehouse is a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, which is charged with considering the nomination and making recommendations to the full Senate regarding confirmation, and worked with Mr. Garland in the Department of Justice in the Clinton Administration. "Cong… Continue Reading
03.10.16
RI Delegation Signs Supreme Court Amicus Brief Urging Supreme Court to Uphold Executive Actions on Immigration
Washington, D.C. - In advance of oral arguments scheduled before the Supreme Court on April 18, U.S. Senators Jack Reed and Sheldon Whitehouse and Congressmen Jim Langevin and David Cicilline have joined more than 200 members of Congress in filing an amicus brief to the Supreme Court in support of the Obama administration's executive actions in the United States v. Texas case - the legal case that currently blocks implementation of the President's Deferred Action for Parents of Americans (DAPA) … Continue Reading
03.10.16
Senate Passes Whitehouse’s Far-Reaching Bill to Tackle Addiction Crisis
Washington, D.C. - With the rate of death from opioid-related overdose having quadrupled since 2000 and communities in Rhode Island and around the country fighting to control opioid and heroin abuse, the Senate has passed wide-ranging legislation to combat the ongoing national crisis. The Comprehensive Addiction and Recovery Act, authored by Senators Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) and Rob Portman (R-OH) and cosponsored by 42 others, will help states prevent drug abuse, treat addiction, and reduce ov… Continue Reading
03.10.16
Senate Passes Far-Reaching Bill to Tackle Addiction Crisis
Washington, D.C. - With the rate of death from opioid-related overdose having quadrupled since 2000 and communities around the country fighting to control opioid and heroin abuse, the Senate has passed wide-ranging legislation to combat the ongoing national crisis. The Comprehensive Addiction and Recovery Act, authored by Senators Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) and Rob Portman (R-OH) and cosponsored by Senators Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Kelly Ayotte (R-NH) and 40 others, will help states prevent drug ab… Continue Reading
03.10.16
Whitehouse Cheers U.S.-Canada Methane Accord
Washington, DC - Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) heralded the announcement today of a joint agreement between the United States and Canada to reduce methane emissions from the American and Canadian oil and gas industries by at least 40 percent below 2012 levels by 2025 and to protect the Artic. To achieve the emission targets the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has agreed to regulate existing sources of methane from the oil and gas sector. Whitehouse released the following stateme… Continue Reading
03.09.16
Far-Reaching Addiction Bill Clears Final Procedural Hurdle in Senate
Washington, DC - Key legislation to combat the addiction crisis unfolding throughout the country cleared a final procedural hurdle in the Senate today, setting up a vote on passage tomorrow. Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), author of the Comprehensive Addiction and Recovery Act, applauded the vote of 93-3 in favor of ending debate on the bill. "I'm very glad we could advance this important legislation. This vote brings us closer to passing far-reaching legislation to give the scores of comm… Continue Reading
03.08.16
Rhode Island Delegation Announces $891,243 to Help Protect Rhode Island Coastline
Washington, D.C. - Today, Senators Jack Reed and Sheldon Whitehouse and Congressmen Jim Langevin and David Cicilline announced $891,243 in federal funding for a partnership between Rhode Island and four other New England states to study the effects of coastal storms and develop tools and solutions to help communities respond to these events. The partnership will include researchers from the University of Rhode Island (URI) and the Rhode Island Coastal Resources Management Council (CRMC). "We n… Continue Reading
03.07.16
Whitehouse, Reed, Cicilline, Magaziner, and U.S. Treasury Highlight New Program to Expand Retirement Savings
Woonsocket, RI - Senators Sheldon Whitehouse and Jack Reed today joined Congressman David Cicilline, Rhode Island General Treasurer Seth Magaziner, and representatives of the U.S. Department of the Treasury and NeighborWorks Blackstone River Valley to highlight myRA, a new tool that can help thousands of Rhode Islanders begin to save for retirement. "Despite the success and popularity of Social Security, most people will need additional savings to enjoy financial freedom in their golden years,"… Continue Reading
03.02.16
Reed & Whitehouse Announce $750,000 to Help RI Manufacturers
WASHINGTON, DC -- U.S. Senators Jack Reed and Sheldon Whitehouse today announced $750,000 in federal funding to continue supporting the Polaris Manufacturing Extension Partnership (MEP). Based in Providence, Polaris MEP is a statewide non-profit organization that provides manufacturing business improvement programs to help the state's manufacturing industry become more competitive and innovative. Polaris is a business unit of the University of Rhode Island Research Foundation and has worked fo… Continue Reading
02.29.16
Cicilline and Whitehouse: U.S. Department of Education Should Use Providence’s After-School Success as National Model
Providence, RI - Today, alongside one of the leading after-school programs in the country and Providence Mayor Jorge Elorza, Congressman David Cicilline and Senator Sheldon Whitehouse highlighted Rhode Island's success in fostering partnerships between schools and after-school programs and called on the U.S. Department of Education to use that success as a model when implementing the nation's new K-12 education law. Cicilline and Whitehouse outlined their message to the federal education agency… Continue Reading
