Press Releases
Sens. Markey, Whitehouse, Blumenthal to Obama: Reform Coal Leasing Program to Protect Climate Change Goals
Washington (December 2, 2015) - As President Obama joined with world leaders to help craft an international agreement on climate, Senators Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.) Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.) and Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) called on the President to reform the federal coal leasing program to protect America's climate change goals. In a letter sent yesterday, the Senators called on President Obama use his executive authority to direct the Secretary of the Interior to significantly increase ro… Continue Reading
11.24.15
Delegation, NOAA, Clean The Bay Roll Out Plans for Marine Debris Cleanup of Providence & Seekonk Rivers
Providence, RI - Today in East Providence, the Rhode Island congressional delegation and a representative from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) joined Middletown-based nonprofit Clean The Bay (dba Clean Bays) as the group detailed plans to clean up marine debris along the Seekonk and Providence Rivers. For over 100 years, the Providence and Seekonk Rivers and portions of the Upper Narragansett Bay have been dirtied by broken and abandoned pilings, wrecked vessels, doc… Continue Reading
11.24.15
RI Congressional Delegation Urges Federal Energy Regulators to Properly Account for Renewable Energy Resources
Washington, D.C. - Today U.S. Senators Jack Reed and Sheldon Whitehouse and Congressmen Jim Langevin and David Cicilline called on the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) to improve the methods for projecting electricity capacity and setting energy prices across New England. In a letter to FERC Chairman Norman C. Bay, the Rhode Island delegation said the operator of New England's power grid insufficiently counts so-called distributed generation sources of energy, such as solar panels on… Continue Reading
11.23.15
Reed & Whitehouse Urge President Obama to Take Executive Action to Reduce Gun Violence
WASHINGTON, DC - Today, U.S. Senators Jack Reed and Sheldon Whitehouse joined with 22 of their colleagues in urging President Barack Obama to investigate and pursue all possible options under his executive authority to reduce gun violence. In a letter to the President, the senators specially urged him to eliminate a loophole that currently allows individuals without a federal license to conduct high volumes of gun sales at gun shows, over the internet, and elsewhere, all without conducting backg… Continue Reading
11.23.15
Whitehouse Statement on the Passing of Dr. John A. Knauss
Providence, RI - U.S. Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) released the following statement upon hearing of the passing of former Dean of the University of Rhode Island Graduate School of Oceanography John A. Knauss: "Rhode Island has lost a beloved teacher, a visionary leader, and a brilliant scientist. Dean Knauss set out to create in the Ocean State a comprehensive oceanography and marine studies program. When he left the University of Rhode Island to head up the National Oceanic and Atmosphe… Continue Reading
11.18.15
House Passes Reform for Regulations Covering New Medical Therapies, Bill Heads to President’s Desk
Washington, D.C. - A new measure that would bring predictable timeframes to the Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) scheduling process so new treatments can reach patients in a timely and transparent manner has passed in Congress and is now on its way to the President's desk. Senator Sheldon Whitehouse, D-R.I., a member of the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) committee, and Sen. Orrin Hatch, R-Utah, a member and former chairman of the Senate HELP Committee, lauded House passage of… Continue Reading
11.18.15
Patriotic Millionaires Endorse Sen. Whitehouse’s DISCLOSE Act
Washington, DC - Today, the Patriotic Millionaires, a group of high-net worth individuals advocating for greater political and economic fairness, called for the passage of the DISCLOSE Act, legislation introduced by U.S. Senator Sheldon Whitehouse to crack down on unlimited, secret spending in American elections. The endorsement is part of an agenda unveiled by the group to reverse the harmful concentration of "dark" political power in the hands of the very wealthy. "Since the Supreme Court's … Continue Reading
11.13.15
Sens. Whitehouse and Reed Honor RI Veteran for Service in WWII
Johnston, RI - Today, U.S. Sheldon Whitehouse awarded Senate certificates of recognition to 96-year-old Francis Norman Saran in honor of his service in the Army during World War II. Whitehouse presented Saran with the certificates on behalf of himself and his colleague, Senator Jack Reed. Johnston Mayor Joseph Polisena was also on hand to recognize Saran. Francis Saran, a lifelong Rhode Island resident, joined the Army as a young man and spent four years in the 272nd Infantry Regiment, a part … Continue Reading
11.06.15
Sen. Whitehouse Statement on Rejection of Keystone Pipeline
Washington, DC - U.S. Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) released the statement below today regarding President Obama's decision to reject the proposed Keystone XL pipeline: "The Keystone pipeline would have been a disaster for our environment and public health and would create only a few dozen permanent jobs. As the State Department's Final Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement for the project made clear, at present and expected oil prices the additional carbon pollution from the pipelin… Continue Reading
11.05.15
Whitehouse Introduces Bill to Protect Aircraft from Drones
Washington, DC - Today, U.S. Senator Sheldon Whitehouse introduced a bill to help protect American air traffic from the growing risk posed by drones. Whitehouse's Drone Operator Safety Act would make it a criminal offense to fly a drone in a way that interferes with the operation of manned aircraft in federal airspace. It also prohibits operators from flying drones in an airport's arrival or departure flight paths without permission from the airport's air traffic control tower. Violators woul… Continue Reading
11.05.15
Sen. Whitehouse Continues Focus on Campaign Finance Abuses by Nonprofit Groups
Washington, DC - Yesterday the Senate Judiciary Committee held a hearing on the nomination of Stuart F. Delery to be the Associate Attorney General of the United States. When questioning Delery, U.S. Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) brought up a topic which he has long sought to highlight: the failure of the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) to refer cases to the Department of Justice (DOJ) that appear to represent clear violations of the rules governing the political activity of tax-exempt 501(c… Continue Reading
11.04.15
Sen. Whitehouse Supporting Bill to Improve Treatment for Pregnant Women and Moms with Substance Use Disorders
Washington, DC - This week, U.S. Senators Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), Kelly Ayotte (R-NH), Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV), and Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) introduced bipartisan legislation to improve treatment programs for pregnant women and mothers who have a substance use disorder. The Improving Treatment for Pregnant and Postpartum Women Act would reauthorize residential treatment programs for pregnant and postpartum women supported by the federal Center for Substance Abuse Treatment. The bill would als… Continue Reading
11.03.15
Senators to CEOs: Don’t Give Up on Congress in Climate Efforts
Washington, DC - With more than 80 major corporations now signed onto the White House's American Business Act on Climate Pledge, a group of U.S. Senators is writing to the CEOs of those companies to applaud their commitment, but to also deliver an important message: don't forget about Congress. "All of the President's work is critical, but Congress can play a key role in achieving our climate goals," the Senators write. "From our perspective your commitments have yet to resonate with many in C… Continue Reading
11.02.15
Whitehouse: Let’s Give States an Incentive to Reduce Inefficient Medicare Spending
Washington, DC - Last week, as the Senate prepared to vote on a two-year budget deal to avert a government shutdown and a default on our debt, U.S. Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) spoke about how high health care spending continues to hamper our federal budget, and suggested a new approach to reduce spending. While noting that he supports the new budget deal, he also described how we can do better in future budget discussions. Using a series of charts, Whitehouse described how higher amounts… Continue Reading
10.30.15
Whitehouse Cheers Return of Volvo Ocean Race to Newport
Washington, DC - Today, the Volvo Ocean Race named Newport an official stopover for its 2017-2018 race following a highly successful visit to the Rhode Island city in May 2015. U.S. Senator Sheldon Whitehouse released the following statement regarding the announcement: "This is fantastic news for the City of Newport, the state of Rhode Island, and our ocean economy. The Volvo Ocean Race is a world-class competition that brings together some of the most talented sailors in the sport and draws … Continue Reading
10.29.15
Senators to Exxon: Are You Still Funding Climate Denial?
Washington, D.C. - In recent weeks investigative reports from InsideClimate News and the Los Angeles Times have shown that ExxonMobil knew about the link between carbon pollution and climate change as far back as the 1970s, and not only failed to act on it, but actively funded a campaign into the mid-2000s to sow public doubt about the facts. Now, a group of U.S. Senators are asking Exxon whether it is continuing to fund such efforts through an anonymous dark-money group called Donors Trust. I… Continue Reading
10.28.15
Sen. Whitehouse Statement on Two-Year Budget Deal
Washington, DC - U.S. Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) released the statement below today regarding the two-year budget deal negotiated by the White House and Congressional leaders: "This budget deal will provide much-needed relief from harmful sequester cuts and give the nation a measure of certainty we have lacked amid the patchwork of stop-gap spending bills passed in recent years. It will also avert a hike in Medicare Part B premium payments and protect benefits for Rhode Islanders in the… Continue Reading
10.27.15
Senate Passes Major Cybersecurity Legislation
Washington, DC - The U.S. Senate today passed the Cyber Information Sharing Act (CISA), legislation that will encourage greater coordination between the government and private sector to identify and respond to cyber threats. The final bill includes a provision authored by Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) to eliminate a loophole that allows foreign cybercriminals who traffic in stolen American financial information to escape prosecution in the United States. "Cyber attacks are among the greate… Continue Reading
10.27.15
Senate Passes Improving Regulatory Transparency for New Medical Therapies Act
Washington, DC - The Senate has passed a bipartisan measure that would bring predictable timeframes to the Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) scheduling process so new treatments can reach patients in a timely and transparent manner. Senators Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) and Orrin Hatch (R-UT), who sponsored the legislation, lauded Senate passage of the Improving Regulatory Transparency for New Medical Therapies Act. "Right now, patients too often have to wait for promising new treatments because of a … Continue Reading
10.26.15
$9 Million Federal TIGER Grant Paves the Way for a New Travel Plaza & Welcome Center on I-95 in Hopkinton
WASHINGTON, DC - In an effort to provide new retail, food, and fuel services for both local residents and travelers, as well as a multimodal transit hub, Rhode Island's Congressional Delegation was joined by Governor Gina M. Raimondo today in announcing a $9 million federal grant to build a new, state-of-the-art travel plaza and welcome center at Exit 1 off Interstate 95. The U.S. Department of Transportation approved the state's application for a competitive Transportation Investment Generatin… Continue Reading
