Press Releases
Whitehouse Cheers Senate Passage of Historic Respect for Marriage Act
Washington, DC - U.S. Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) today voted to pass the Respect for Marriage Act, landmark legislation to enshrine marriage equality into federal law. Whitehouse, who is a cosponsor of the bill, released the following statement after it was approved by the Senate on a bipartisan 61-36 vote: "The radical far-right majority planted via the Federalist Society on the Supreme Court has demonstrated that it is perfectly willing to roll back constitutional rights. In the Cour… Continue Reading
11.29.22
Sen. Whitehouse and Rep. Johnson Respond to SCOTUS Letter Regarding Outside Influence Scandal
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) and Congressman Hank Johnson (D-GA-04), Chairmen of the Senate and House Judiciary Courts Subcommittees respectively, are responding to a new letter from the legal counsel for the Supreme Court. The Court's response comes after Whitehouse and Johnson wrote to the Supreme Court last week calling for answers to basic questions about apparent ethical lapses related to an outside influence campaign targeting Republican-appointed justices. T… Continue Reading
11.28.22
Whitehouse Blasts Right-Wing 501(c)(3) Group’s Pro-GOP Political Activities
Washington, DC - U.S. Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), Chairman of the Senate Finance Taxation and IRS Oversight Subcommittee, announced today that he wrote to the Conservative Partnership Institute (CPI) seeking more information about reports suggesting that CPI is in violation of the Internal Revenue Service's regulations on permissible activities for 501(c)(3) organizations. "CPI is a 501(c)(3) organization and expressly solicits tax-deductible charitable donations to support its work. D… Continue Reading
11.23.22
Senators Whitehouse and Warren Urge Department of Justice to Investigate FTX Collapse, Hold Any Lawbreakers Accountable
Text of Letter (PDF) Washington, D.C. - United States Senators Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) and Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) sent a letter to the Department of Justice (DOJ) requesting personal accountability for former FTX CEO Sam-Bankman Fried and any complicit FTX executives for wrongdoing following the cryptocurrency exchange's swift collapse. In early November, FTX, one of the world's-largest crypto platforms, announced that it and more than 130 additional affiliated companies had filed for bank… Continue Reading
11.21.22
Sen. Whitehouse and Rep. Johnson Press SCOTUS About Apparent Ethical Lapses After New Outside Influence Scandal Emerges
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) and Congressman Hank Johnson (D-GA-04), Chairmen of the Senate and House Judiciary Courts Subcommittees respectively, yesterday evening wrote to the Supreme Court calling for responses to questions about apparent ethical lapses related to an outside influence campaign targeting Republican-appointed justices that was exposed by recent reporting in Politico, Rolling Stone, and the New York Times. A New York Times report from Saturday revea… Continue Reading
11.19.22
After New York Times Report, Sen. Whitehouse and Rep. Johnson Call on SCOTUS to End Stonewalling About Right-Wing Outside Influence Over Justices and Adopt Ethics Reforms
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) and Congressman Hank Johnson (D-GA-04), Chairmen of the Senate and House Judiciary Courts Subcommittees respectively, today called on the Supreme Court to end its stonewalling about right-wing outside influence over the Republican-appointed justices. Their statement follows a disturbing new New York Times report revealing how one right-wing group sought to influence the justices and was able to gain advance knowledge of the Court's decis… Continue Reading
11.09.22
Federal Delegation Announces $63.8 Million to Cut Energy Costs for Rhode Islanders and Make Homes More Efficient
Providence, RI - U.S. Senators Jack Reed and Sheldon Whitehouse and Congressmen Jim Langevin and David Cicilline today announced a major $63.8 million allocation to allow the Rhode Island Office of Energy Resources to stand up new home energy rebate programs included in Democrats' Inflation Reduction Act. The Inflation Reduction Act was passed by Democrats in Congress and signed into law by President Biden in August. "Thanks to the Inflation Reduction Act, $63.8 million in energy savings and… Continue Reading
11.07.22
A New HQ for RIBBA & an Equity Business Hub to Empower Black-Owned and Minority Businesses
PROVIDENCE, RI - Today, U.S. Senators Jack Reed and Sheldon Whitehouse joined Lisa Ranglin, Founder, President & CEO of the Rhode Island Black Business Association (RIBBA), along with U.S. Representative David Cicilline, Providence Mayor Jorge O. Elorza and Neil Steinberg, President and CEO of the Rhode Island Foundation to announce the acquisition of 220 Smith Street to serve as RIBBA's new headquarters and a co-work space for budding entrepreneurs in the city that are looking to scale up. … Continue Reading
11.05.22
Whitehouse Calls On House to Pass Sunshine Protection Act
Washington, D.C. - As Daylight Saving Time ends and Americans prepare to set their clocks back an hour, Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) is urging the House of Representatives to take up and pass the bipartisan Sunshine Protection Act, a bill to make Daylight Saving Time permanent nationwide. The Senate passed the legislation by unanimous consent in March, sending it to the House of Representatives. "The outdated ritual of 'falling back' disrupts our daily routine and darkens our lives - in a… Continue Reading
11.01.22
Reed, Whitehouse, Cicilline Join Mayor Rivera to Help Unveil Plans for New Community Center Coming to Central Falls
CENTRAL FALLS, RI - Plans for the new El Centro community center in Central Falls are moving along. Today, U.S. Senators Jack Reed and Sheldon Whitehouse and Congressman David Cicilline joined Central Falls Mayor Maria Rivera and local community leaders to announce new federal funding to bring a full-service community center to Central Falls. Central Falls has been without a community center since the old Ralph J. Holden Community Center was shuttered in 2011. The new city-run center, to be k… Continue Reading
10.31.22
Reed, Whitehouse, Langevin, & Cicilline Join State and Union Officials to Celebrate $82.5 Million Federal Grant to Modernize Pell Bridge
Jamestown, RI - U.S. Senators Jack Reed and Sheldon Whitehouse and Congressmen Jim Langevin and David Cicilline today joined state and union officials to celebrate a $82.5 million grant from the U.S. Department of Transportation's INFRA Grant Program to upgrade the iconic Pell Bridge that connects Newport and Jamestown. Planned improvements to the deck, cable suspension system, and towers will extend the life of New England's longest suspension bridge by an additional 50 to 75 years. Today's e… Continue Reading
10.31.22
Whitehouse Applauds President Biden’s Call for Big Oil to Stop Profiteering and Lower Energy Prices
Providence, RI - Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) cheered remarks by President Joe Biden today urging the fossil fuel industry to stop its reckless profiteering and lower energy prices. Whitehouse is the lead Senate sponsor of the Big Oil Windfall Profits Tax, a bill to claw back the largest oil companies' excess profits and return them to American families. Whitehouse issued the following statement on the President's remarks: "Big Oil is exploiting Putin's invasion of Ukraine and a cartel-d… Continue Reading
10.27.22
Delegation Delivers Another $11.25M to Shore Up Port Infrastructure at Quonset
NORTH KINGSTOWN, RI - In an effort to boost the number of ships, jobs, and revenue generated by Quonset's Port of Davisville, U.S. Senators Jack Reed and Sheldon Whitehouse and U.S. Representatives James Langevin and David Cicilline today announced $11,250,000 to upgrade the port's North Berth at Pier 1, which was built in 1941. The project includes demolition and removal of existing material, construction of approximately 32,000 square feet of pier deck/foundation/pile caps, 20 mooring bollard… Continue Reading
10.26.22
Sen. Whitehouse and Rep. Johnson Zero In On Opaque Web of Election Deniers and Vote Suppressors Peddling Sham Legal Theory in High-Stakes Election Case
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) and Congressman Hank Johnson (D-GA-04), Chairmen of the Senate and House Judiciary Courts Subcommittees respectively, today filed an amicus brief with the Supreme Court in Moore v. Harper, a pending high-stakes partisan gerrymandering case with the potential to unleash chaos in American elections. In their brief, Whitehouse and Johnson reveal how the individuals and funders behind various amicus curiae-or "friend of the court"-briefs fil… Continue Reading
10.24.22
Whitehouse Urges Rhode Islanders to Apply for Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program Waiver by Oct. 31 Deadline
Providence, RI - U.S. Senator Sheldon Whitehouse today joined with Rhode Islanders who have had considerable student loan balances erased through the U.S. Department of Education's Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) Program to raise awareness about the upcoming October 31 deadline to apply for loan forgiveness under a temporary waiver broadening PSLF eligibility. This morning's event took place at College Visions, a Providence nonprofit that helps first-generation and low-income students ac… Continue Reading
10.18.22
Central Falls Gets $1.2M COPS Hiring Grant to Add 6 New Police Officers
CENTRAL FALLS, RI - Today, U.S. Senators Jack Reed and Sheldon Whitehouse and U.S. Representative David Cicilline joined Central Falls Mayor Maria Rivera in announcing $1.2 million in federal funding to help the Central Falls Police Department add six more police officers to patrols and fill existing vacancies. Administered by the U.S. Department of Justice's Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS) Office, this COPS Hiring Program (CHP) grant will help put more police officers on the street… Continue Reading
10.17.22
RI Delegation Delivers $6M to Strengthen Manufacturing
WASHINGTON, DC - In an effort to strengthen Rhode Island manufacturing and the domestic supply chain, U.S. Senators Jack Reed and Sheldon Whitehouse and Congressmen Jim Langevin and David Cicilline today announced $6,021,500 in federal funding to support the Polaris Manufacturing Extension Partnership (MEP). Based in Providence, Polaris MEP is a statewide non-profit organization that provides competitive manufacturing business improvement programs to help the state's manufacturing sector innovat… Continue Reading
10.12.22
RI Gets Another $353 Million for Transportation Infrastructure Upgrades from Historic Infrastructure Law
PROVIDENCE, RI -- Today, U.S. Senators Jack Reed and Sheldon Whitehouse and Congressmen Jim Langevin and David Cicilline announced that Rhode Island has been allocated another $353 million from the historic Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (P.L. 117-58) to strengthen roads, bridges, and other key transportation infrastructure across the state. The $ 352,961,207 in federal infrastructure funding for Fiscal Year 2023 is being released to the state this week by the U.S. Department of Transpo… Continue Reading
10.11.22
Whitehouse to Lead Bicameral Resolution Declaring October 2022 National Youth Justice Action Month
Washington, DC - Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) is set to introduce a bicameral, bipartisan resolution designating October 2022 as National Youth Justice Action Month. The Senate resolution raises awareness about the collateral consequences youth face when they are treated as adults in the criminal justice system, and encourages the Department of Justice's Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention to fully implement Whitehouse's Juvenile Justice Reform Act of 2018. U.S. Senator … Continue Reading
10.05.22
CRMC Nets $206,000 NOAA Grant to Examine RI’s Shoreline Public Access Needs
WAKEFIELD, RI - The Rhode Island Coastal Resources Management Council (RI CRMC) has designated 235 rights-of-way to the shore under its program since 1978, working with municipalities, non-profits, and individual citizens to provide protection for these shoreline public access points against time, neglect, and other forces. In recent years, however, it has become clear that the distribution of those ROWs is uneven, and more attention to improving shoreline access for all Rhode Islanders is warra… Continue Reading
