Press Releases
USDA Takes Action to Help Dairy Farmers & Families in Need
Washington, DC - With U.S. dairy farmers struggling to cope with decreasing prices due to low world market prices, increased milk supplies and inventories, and slower demand, U.S. Senators Jack Reed and Sheldon Whitehouse today commended the U.S. Department of Agriculture's (USDA) plan to assist our nation's farmers by purchasing approximately 11 million pounds of cheese from private U.S. inventories to assist food banks and nutrition assistance programs across the nation. USDA estimates dairy… Continue Reading
08.22.16
RI Congressional Delegation Announces $385K in Fire & Rescue Funds for Lincoln, Narragansett, and Pawtucket
Pawtucket, RI - Today, U.S. Senators Jack Reed and Sheldon Whitehouse and Congressmen Jim Langevin and David Cicilline announced new federal funding to help fire departments in Lincoln, Narragansett, and Pawtucket purchase new equipment. The funding is made available through the Federal Emergency Management Agency's (FEMA) Assistance to Firefighters Grant Program (AFG). The Saylesville Fire District will use $59,048 in federal funds to purchase a new cascade air tank filling station to replace… Continue Reading
08.16.16
Delegation Announces $781,718 Grant to Help CCRI Aid Students
Providence, RI - Senators Jack Reed and Sheldon Whitehouse and Congressmen Jim Langevin and David Cicilline announced today that the Community College of Rhode Island (CCRI) has been awarded $781,718 from the U.S. Department of Education to help Rhode Islanders pursue postsecondary education. CCRI will use the funding to continue the work of its Rhode Island Educational Opportunity Center, which provides support and assistance to low-income and first-generation students seeking postsecondary ed… Continue Reading
08.10.16
Whitehouse Completes Tour of Utah to See Effects of Climate Change on State’s Economy and Landscape
Salt Lake City, UT - U.S. Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) wrapped up his tour of Utah today having spent three days visiting areas of the state affected by climate change and discussing action to reduce carbon pollution. Utah is the 13th state Whitehouse has visited in recent years to better understand how a changing climate influences state economies, disrupts local ecosystems, and alters the way of life in American communities. Whitehouse will use what he learned over the course of the trip… Continue Reading
08.09.16
Senator Whitehouse Meets with Mayor Biskupski to Discuss Effect of Climate Change on Salt Lake City
Salt Lake City, UT - Continuing his tour of Utah this week, U.S. Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) sat down with Salt Lake City Mayor Jackie Biskupski to discuss the climate policies she has pursued and the challenges the City must face as a result of climate change. Whitehouse, who met earlier in the day with the heads of various City departments and community groups, applauded the Mayor and City leaders for their ambitious renewable energy goals and advocating for climate research and policy … Continue Reading
08.09.16
Whitehouse, Schatz Call Out ExxonMobil for Continuing to Fund Effort to Block Climate Action
Washington, DC - Today, U.S. Senators Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) and Brian Schatz (D-HI) responded to a letter from ExxonMobil Corporation, which the oil giant had sent to both Senators in the wake of their Web of Denial floor action in July. In its letter, ExxonMobil made the case that it no longer funds groups that deny the science of climate change and that it supports a carbon fee, like Whitehouse and Schatz's American Opportunity Carbon Fee Act. Text of the Senators' response is provided b… Continue Reading
08.09.16
Whitehouse Hears From Utah Skiers, Ski Industry on Effects of Climate Change
Salt Lake City, UT - Today, U.S. Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) met with members of Utah's skiing community to discuss how they are preparing for the effects of climate change. Included in the meeting were representatives from Utah ski areas, local professional and recreational skiers, the Utah Ski & Snowboard Association (Ski Utah), the Protect Our Winters campaign, and local outdoor outfitters. Whitehouse, a leading voice on climate change in Washington, commended participants for the… Continue Reading
08.05.16
Andrew Cortés Selected to Lead National Apprenticeship Advisory Committee
Providence, RI - Senators Jack Reed and Sheldon Whitehouse, and Congressmen Jim Langevin and David Cicilline today cheered the announcement by U.S. Secretary of Labor Thomas E. Perez that Rhode Islander Andrew Cortés has been selected to lead the national Advisory Committee on Apprenticeship, which advises the Secretary of Labor on the Registered Apprenticeship program. The U.S. Department of Labor’s Registered Apprenticeship program is a training system that combines technical instruction with… Continue Reading
08.03.16
Senators Coons, Whitehouse call on Senator Cruz to hold hearing on Trump’s support for Russian involvement in U.S. election
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Chris Coons (D-Del.) and Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.), both members of the Senate Judiciary Committee, today called on Senator Ted Cruz (R-Tex.), Chairman of the Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Oversight, Agency Action, Federal Rights and Federal Courts, to hold a hearing to determine whether existing federal criminal statutes and federal court jurisdiction are sufficient to address conduct related to foreign entities attempting to undermine our elections. In the lett… Continue Reading
08.03.16
Whitehouse Statement on CEQ’s Final Climate Guidance for Federal Agencies Conducting NEPA Review
Washington, DC - The White House Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) has issued its final guidance for federal agencies to use in assessing the effects of their actions on our climate during National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) review. Senator Sheldon Whitehouse, who has long pushed for the Obama Administration to develop clear guidance on factoring climate effects into the NEPA review process, released the following statement on the CEQ's action: "The faster you're going, the better yo… Continue Reading
08.03.16
Whitehouse Helps Launch Partnership for Opioid Addiction Treatment
Providence, RI - U.S. Senator Sheldon Whitehouse today joined with leaders from Rhode Island's recovery community and law enforcement for a soft opening of CODAC Behavioral Healthcare's new facility co-located within The Providence Center on North Main Street in Providence. CODAC and The Providence Center have joined forces to provide complementary services, including the use of medication-assisted treatment (MAT), for clients diagnosed with co-occurring disorders related to opioid addiction an… Continue Reading
08.03.16
Broad Coalition of Senate Democrats Call on Top Consumer Agency to Move Swiftly to Limit Unfair Arbitration Agreements in Everyday Financial Contracts
WASHINGTON, D.C. [08/03/16]-Today, a group of nearly 40 Democratic Senators-led by Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.), U.S. Sen. Al Franken (D-Minn.), and U.S. Sens. Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) and Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio)-called on one of the nation's top consumer advocacy agencies to quickly finalize an important proposal to limit the use of what is called "forced arbitration" in contracts that Americans sign when they need to take out an auto loan, sign up for a checking account, or pay for c… Continue Reading
08.01.16
Federal Delegation Announces $619K to Protect Narragansett Bay
Providence, RI - Senators Jack Reed and Sheldon Whitehouse and Congressmen Jim Langevin and David Cicilline today announced $619,322 in federal funding from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) to support the Narragansett Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve's work to preserve and restore the coastal and estuarine ecosystems in Narragansett Bay. "The Narragansett Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve is an important ecological and research resource for Rhode Island, g… Continue Reading
07.27.16
RI Wins $13.1M Federal TIGER Grant for Pawtucket, Central Falls Rail Station
Providence, RI - In an effort to improve the state's transportation network and transform sections of Pawtucket and Central Falls, Rhode Island's Congressional delegation today announced a $13.1 million federal boost for building a new commuter rail station long-sought by Pawtucket and Central Falls. The Rhode Island Department of Transportation (RIDOT) will work with the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) to provide service at the station, which will provide riders with a more c… Continue Reading
07.26.16
Whitehouse Statement on the Passing of Mark Weiner
Providence, RI - U.S. Senator Sheldon Whitehouse today released the following statement on the passing of Mark Weiner, a fixture in Rhode Island politics for decades: "Mark was active in Democratic politics for a generation, and he was a personal friend. It's safe to say he was Rhode Island's biggest Clinton fan, and I know how excited he was to see Hillary accept the Party's nomination at this convention. Sandra and I extend our sincere condolences to Mark's wife Susan and his entire family.… Continue Reading
07.22.16
Whitehouse Applauds Signing of Comprehensive Addiction and Recovery Act Into Law
Washington, DC - Today the President signed into law legislation authored by Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) to give those on the front lines of the ongoing opioid abuse epidemic in America better tools to combat it. The Comprehensive Addiction and Recovery Act establishes a range of policies to prevent and treat addiction to opioid drugs, including programs to increase education on drug use, to expand medication-assisted treatment, to improve prescription drug monitoring programs, and to pro… Continue Reading
07.22.16
Senators Hit Back in Letter to Denial Front Groups
Washington, D.C. - Responding to a letter by 22 organizations with strong ties to the Koch network and lengthy records of misleading the public about the scientific consensus surrounding climate change, Senators Harry Reid (D-NV), Chuck Schumer (D-NY), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), Barbara Boxer (D-CA), Dick Durbin (D-IL), Bernie Sanders (I-VT), Al Franken (D-MN), Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), and Edward Markey (D-MA) called on the groups to disclose their secret backers and allow for an open dialogue a… Continue Reading
07.20.16
RI Delegation Announces Funding to Support College-Bound Students
Warwick, RI - In an effort to help more Rhode Island students stay in school and overcome barriers to higher education, U.S. Senators Jack Reed and Sheldon Whitehouse and U.S. Representatives Jim Langevin and David Cicilline today announced a $476,854 federal Educational Talent Search grant for the Community College of Rhode Island (CCRI). Educational Talent Search is a federally funded program designed to provide personalized services for educational success beyond high school. The program enc… Continue Reading
07.20.16
$300k in Federal Grants to Help RI Firefighters Purchase Needed Equipment
Lincoln, RI - Today, U.S. Senators Jack Reed and Sheldon Whitehouse and Congressmen Jim Langevin and David Cicilline announced over $300,000 in new federal funding for the Lime Rock Fire District, the Albion Fire Department, and the Rhode Island Fire Academy (RIFA) to purchase needed equipment. The funding is made available through the Federal Emergency Management Agency's (FEMA) Assistance to Firefighters Grant Program (AFG). The Lime Rock Fire District is receiving a federal share of $82,440… Continue Reading
07.15.16
Senators Call Out Web of Denial Blocking Action on Climate Change
Washington, D.C. - Throughout the week on the Senate floor, Senate Democrats called out various trade associations, foundations, and organizations for perpetrating a sprawling web of misdirection and disinformation to block action on climate change. The Senators' remarks detailed the concerted campaign waged by the Koch brothers, major fossil fuel companies, identity-scrubbing groups like Donors Trust and Donors Capital, and their allies to manipulate the public's perception of the climate cris… Continue Reading
