Press Releases
Whitehouse Denounces Confirmation of Wheeler for EPA Deputy
Washington, DC - Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), a member of the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee, released the following statement on the confirmation of coal lobbyist Andrew Wheeler to be Deputy Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) today: "A fossil fuel flunky and a coal baron lobbyist are a dangerous duo to lead the EPA. Like his boss Administrator Scott Pruitt, Andrew Wheeler spent years fighting against the EPA's environmental protections. When coal … Continue Reading
04.11.18
Whitehouse Introduces Innovative Natural Gas Demand Response Legislation
Washington, DC - Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) introduced legislation today to encourage natural gas demand response programs, which reward reducing energy use, a model well established for electricity customers. Whitehouse's bill is one of the first pieces of federal legislation that leverages states' success in implementing demand response pilot programs, which can guard against price spikes for natural gas consumers and reduce the need to expand natural gas infrastructure. "Incentives t… Continue Reading
04.11.18
BLUMENTHAL, MARKEY & WHITEHOUSE INTRODUCE LEGISLATION TO MODERNIZE FOOD LABELING
[WASHINGTON, DC] - Today U.S. Senators Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Edward J. Markey (D-MA) and Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) introduced the Food Labeling Modernization Act to minimize confusing and misleading information that consumers encounter on food packages. Companion legislation was introduced in the House of Representatives last week by U.S. Representatives Frank Pallone, Jr. (D-NJ) and Rosa DeLauro (D-CT). "Consumers deserve clear, accurate information about the food they eat - but instead o… Continue Reading
04.10.18
Reed & Whitehouse Statement on Trump Nomination of Mary McElroy to the U.S. District Court for Rhode Island
WASHINGTON, DC - U.S. Senators Jack Reed and Sheldon Whitehouse today issued the following joint statement after President Trump nominated Rhode Island Public Defender Mary McElroy to the U.S. District Court for Rhode Island. Reed and Whitehouse originally recommended Ms. McElroy for this seat on the federal bench nearly three years ago. Her nomination was put forward by President Obama in September of 2015 and she was unanimously approved by the Senate Judiciary Committee in January of 2016, … Continue Reading
04.02.18
Whitehouse Calls Out Automakers, Pruitt for Rollback of Vital Fuel Economy Standards
Washington, DC - Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) slammed Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Scott Pruitt's decision today to begin unraveling important vehicle fuel efficiency standards that protect the health and safety of all Americans: "Fuel efficiency saves drivers money, lessens our reliance on foreign oil, and cuts carbon pollution. The auto industry agreed, adding that strong standards help them plan and invest wisely. They gave their word. "Automakers have the technology… Continue Reading
04.02.18
Whitehouse & Aquidneck Island Business Owners Highlight $30 Million in New Funding for Coastal Improvements Nationwide
Portsmouth, RI - U.S. Senator Sheldon Whitehouse today joined with area small business owners and local officials in the flood-prone Island Park neighborhood of Portsmouth to highlight the newly funded National Oceans and Coastal Security Fund, which can help coastal businesses weather rising seas and worsening storms. Congress approved $30 million in funding for the National Oceans and Coastal Security Fund, which will be awarded through a nationwide competitive grant process, in the omnibus s… Continue Reading
03.30.18
Whitehouse, Kaine, Duckworth, Hassan Push DeVos to Put New Public Service Student Debt Relief into Action
Washington, DC - Senators Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), Tim Kaine (D-VA), Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), and Maggie Hassan (D-NH) are calling for swift action from Education Secretary Betsy DeVos to implement legislation to bring recently passed student debt relief to borrowers in public service. The provisions, which passed as part of the omnibus spending bill last week, are based on a bill authored by Whitehouse and Kaine to fix a glitch in the Department of Education's Public Service Loan Forgiveness … Continue Reading
03.30.18
Whitehouse Passes Law to Help Forgive Student Loans for Rhode Islanders in Public Service Professions
Providence, RI - A version of the bill introduced by Senators Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) and Tim Kaine (D-VA) to fix a glitch in a federal loan forgiveness program was included in the omnibus federal spending bill that was signed into law last week. The provision will help relieve the financial burden for eligible Rhode Islanders working in public service fields, like teachers, social workers, and military personnel, who sought to use the Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) program but were n… Continue Reading
03.28.18
Whitehouse Statement on Delay in Termination of Deferred Enforced Departure for Liberian Refugees
Providence, RI - Senator Sheldon Whitehouse today issued the following statement regarding President Trump's decision to terminate Deferred Enforced Departure (DED) for Liberia, with an effective date of March 31, 2019 for Liberians living in the United States. "President Trump's decision to terminate the protected status for Liberians living in the United States will needlessly split apart families and send people who came here seeking safety back to a country that still faces serious challeng… Continue Reading
03.26.18
Whitehouse & Reed Announce Progress Protecting Funding for Bradley Hospital
Washington, DC - U.S. Senators Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) and Jack Reed (D-RI) today announced that a provision they fought for to protect funding for children's psychiatric teaching hospitals, including Bradley Hospital in East Providence, is included in the bipartisan legislation to reauthorize the Children's Hospital Graduate Medical Education (CHGME) Program. Whitehouse and Reed joined Senators Bob Casey (D-PA) and Johnny Isakson (R-GA) to introduce the CHGME Support Reauthorization Act of 2… Continue Reading
03.23.18
Whitehouse Praises Passage of Rhode Island Priorities in Government Funding Measure
Washington, DC - Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) cheered a range of critical Rhode Island priorities included today in an omnibus spending bill that will keep the federal government funded through September 30: "I'm proud of what this bill achieves for Rhode Island. It puts billions behind the fight against the opioid crisis, including hundreds of millions of dollars for programs established under my bipartisan addiction and recovery bill. And it targets federal opioid dollars at the state… Continue Reading
03.23.18
Whitehouse-Kaine Legislation to Help Forgive Student Loans for Public Service Workers Clears Congress
Washington, DC - Included in the omnibus federal spending bill that cleared Congress tonight is a version of a bill offered by Senators Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) and Tim Kaine (D-VA) to fix a glitch in a federal loan forgiveness program that is leaving teachers, soldiers, social workers, and other public servants with massive loan balances they thought would be forgiven. The provision will help to relieve the financial burden for eligible middle-class families who sought to use the Public Servi… Continue Reading
03.22.18
Whitehouse Statement on McMaster Stepping Down as National Security Advisor, Replacement with John Bolton
Washington, DC - Senator Sheldon Whitehouse issued the following statement on the departure of H.R. McMaster as President Trump's National Security Advisor and his replacement with former U.N. Ambassador John Bolton: "This is an unsettling choice for National Security Advisor. The president is best served by someone with a record of following the facts and sound advice from our leading national security and military experts. Mr. Bolton's record in the Bush administration and his pronouncement… Continue Reading
03.22.18
Whitehouse Applauds Inclusion in Omnibus of Bipartisan Legislation to Help Tech Companies Comply with Global Criminal Investigations
Washington, DC - Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) cheered inclusion in the omnibus spending bill of bipartisan legislation he cosponsored with fellow Senate Judiciary Committee members Orrin Hatch (R-UT), Chris Coons (D-DE), and Lindsey Graham (R-SC) to help put the U.S. and other countries on a path towards resolving the problem of cross-border data requests by law enforcement in the age of email and cloud computing. "Laws in the United States and abroad have struggled to keep up as more and … Continue Reading
03.20.18
Whitehouse, Cassidy Urge Azar to Focus on Reforming How Americans Pay for Health Care
Washington, DC - Senators Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) and Bill Cassidy, M.D. (R-LA), have requested a bipartisan dialogue with Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar on continuing progress in reforming the way Americans pay for and are delivered health care. Even after improvements in recent years, America remains by far the most expensive health care system in the world, the Senators note in a joint letter. Whitehouse and Cassidy call on Azar to ensure that the U.S. health … Continue Reading
03.16.18
Whitehouse Calls for Action on Bipartisan Bill to Help Women, Babies Struggling with Opioid Addiction
Providence, RI - U.S. Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) today called on Congress to take action on his new bipartisan legislation, which would authorize $160 million for programs that support expectant and new mothers and babies who are struggling with opioid addiction. Whitehouse made the statement at Women & Infants Hospital, flanked by health care professionals and state leaders. "Some of the most heartbreaking images I have seen from this public health crisis are of babies who are born… Continue Reading
03.16.18
Reed, Whitehouse Join Markey, Colleagues in Calling for Gun Violence Research Funding at CDC
Washington, DC - U.S. Senators Jack Reed (D-RI) and Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) have joined Senator Edward J. Markey (D-MA) and twenty-three other colleagues in calling on leaders of the Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee to immediately act on legislation to fund gun violence prevention research at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). "In the wake of the school shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, it has become increasingly clear that gun violenc… Continue Reading
03.14.18
Senate Clears Whitehouse’s Permanent Foreclosure Protections for Veterans and Servicemembers
Washington, DC - Today, the Senate passed Senator Sheldon Whitehouse's (D-RI) legislation to extend permanently vital foreclosure protection for servicemembers, veterans, and their families. Whitehouse's bill, which was included in a larger banking bill passed tonight, cements a one-year grace period protecting servicemembers leaving active duty from foreclosure. The grace period would otherwise expire in 2019. "Those who serve our country ought to be given a fair chance to get their financia… Continue Reading
03.13.18
Whitehouse Delivers 200th ‘Time to Wake Up’ Climate Speech
Washington, DC - On Tuesday evening, Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) delivered his 200th weekly speech imploring the Senate to wake up to the threat of climate change. Since April 2012, Whitehouse has taken to the Senate floor week after week to deliver in-depth remarks on the science of manmade climate change, its effects felt throughout the country and around the globe, and the political forces that impede climate action in Congress. Whitehouse was joined Tuesday by 16 Senators, who also d… Continue Reading
03.09.18
Whitehouse Sponsors Bill to Hold Corporations in Bankruptcy Accountable for Treating Workers and Retirees Fairly
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senators Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), Dick Durbin (D-IL), and Sherrod Brown (D-OH) have introduced a bill to protect employee and retiree earnings and retirement savings when businesses collapse. The Protecting Employees and Retirees in Business Bankruptcies Act would make several reforms to Chapter 11 bankruptcy law, putting workers' interests near the top when companies file for bankruptcy. "When a company goes into bankruptcy, workers on the assembly line or in the br… Continue Reading
