Press Releases
Senate Passes Six-Year Highway Bill
Washington, DC - The U.S. Senate today passed the DRIVE Act, a major transportation funding bill that would provide long-term certainty for federal highway projects. U.S. Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) is a member of the committee that wrote the bill, and successfully included a new "Assistance for Major Projects Program" which would provide funding to assist states in completing large, important, and expensive projects like reconstruction of Rhode Island's 6-10 Connector. "Rhode Island bad… Continue Reading
07.28.15
Whitehouse Applauds City of Providence’s Divestment from Fossil Fuel Companies
Washington, DC - Today U.S. Senator Sheldon Whitehouse released the following applauding the unanimous decision by Mayor Elorza and the City of Providence's Board of Investment Commissioners to divest the city's finances from major fossil fuel companies. The Board's decision follows a 2013 vote by the Providence City Council to divest the city of holdings in a broad array of fossil fuel companies. "The City of Providence has sent a clear signal about these companies and the fossil fuel indust… Continue Reading
07.27.15
Block Island Wind Farm Completes First "Steel in the Water"
Block Island, R.I. - July 27, 2015 - In an historic moment for the American offshore wind industry, the Block Island Wind Farm has reached its "steel in the water" milestone with the installation of the first wind farm foundation component. Deepwater Wind's offshore foundation installation contractor set the first, 400-ton steel jacket on the sea floor on Sunday, July 26 at the wind farm site, roughly three miles off the Block Island coast. A joint venture between Weeks Marine and Manson Constru… Continue Reading
07.23.15
Judiciary Committee Clears Grassley, Whitehouse Bill to Reauthorize Juvenile Justice Programs with Improved Accountability
Washington, DC - The Senate Judiciary Committee today passed legislation from Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley and Senator Sheldon Whitehouse that would ensure that at-risk youth are fairly and effectively served by juvenile justice grant programs. Their legislation updates existing law by promoting improved transparency and accountability at the state and federal level. It also adds additional support for youth with mental illnesses and guards against fraud and mismanagement of gran… Continue Reading
07.22.15
New GAO Report Finds Serious Vulnerabilities to Waste and Fraud with Medicare Provider List
Washington, D.C. - Today, a new report found that the list maintained by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) of physicians and other providers authorized to bill Medicare has serious shortfalls and inaccuracies, leaving Medicare vulnerable to hundreds of millions of dollars in in waste and fraud. According to the Government Accountability Office (GAO), the list, known as the Provider Enrollment and Chain/Ownership System (PECOS), included thousands of suspicious and invalid addr… Continue Reading
07.21.15
Delegation & Raimondo Announce $250,000 in Federal Funds to Benefit RI Youth with Substance Abuse Disorders
Washington, D.C. - Rhode Island's congressional delegation and Governor Gina M. Raimondo announced today that the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has awarded $250,000 to the Rhode Island Department of Behavioral Healthcare, Developmental Disabilities and Hospitals (BHDDH) to plan and implement the Rhode Island Youth Treatment Planning project. The project aims to improve substance abuse and mental health services for Rhode Island's youth. The project will coordinate Rhode I… Continue Reading
07.16.15
Senate Passes Landmark Overhaul of Federal Education Law
Washington, DC - The U.S. Senate has passed landmark legislation overhauling federal education policy for elementary and secondary schools. The Every Child Achieves Act, which passed by a vote of 81-17, eliminates the one-size-fits-all provisions of the Bush-era No Child Left Behind law that placed too much emphasis on standardized test results and pressured teachers to "teach to the test." Instead, the bill allows communities, parents, and teachers to work together to improve schools using a … Continue Reading
07.15.15
Whitehouse Voices Support for Every Child Achieves Act
Washington, DC - Last evening, U.S. Senator Sheldon Whitehouse delivered remarks on the Senate floor about pending legislation to reauthorize the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA). Whitehouse, a member of the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee, helped to craft the bill, the Every Child Achieves Act. In his remarks, Whitehouse discussed how his work with Rhode Island education leaders, students, and parents shaped his priorities for the bill and led him t… Continue Reading
07.15.15
Sen. Whitehouse Urges DOJ to Take Action on Dark Money
Washington, DC - In a letter sent today to U.S. Attorney General Loretta Lynch, Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) is urging the Department of Justice (DOJ) to crack down on "a pattern of open and notorious abuses" in our nation's campaign finance system. Specifically, Whitehouse argues that some 501(c)(4) "social welfare" organizations take advantage of ambiguities in Treasury Department rules to raise and spend unlimited amounts of money in secret. Whitehouse has long urged federal agencies to t… Continue Reading
07.14.15
Sen. Whitehouse Statement on Iran Nuclear Deal
Washington, DC - U.S. Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) released the statement below regarding today's announcement of a deal between the United States, its allies, and Iran to prevent Iran from developing a nuclear weapon: "Whenever possible, I believe the U.S. should seek to advance our security goals through diplomacy rather than force. The President and his team, particularly Secretary Kerry, deserve tremendous credit for pursuing this diplomatic solution to one of our world's most pressing… Continue Reading
07.13.15
Reed, Whitehouse and Langevin Celebrate $770,000 in Federal Funding for Narragansett Fire Department
Narragansett, RI - Today, at the Narragansett Fire Department headquarters, U.S. Senators Jack Reed and Sheldon Whitehouse and Congressman Jim Langevin announced $769,582 in federal funding for the Narragansett Fire Department to purchase a new ladder truck and firefighting equipment. Reed, Whitehouse, and Langevin also toured the headquarters and heard from firefighters about how this funding will help keep Narragansett residents safe. The Narragansett Fire Department's current ladder truck i… Continue Reading
07.09.15
Portman and Whitehouse Amendment to Support Recovery Support Services to Students Passes Senate
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senators Rob Portman (R-Ohio) and Sheldon Whitehouse (D- R.I.) today applauded passage of their amendment to the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) reauthorization that expands drug and violence prevention grants to provide recovery support services to students in schools and communities working to overcome addiction. The Every Child Achieves Act authorizes grant programs to address drug abuse and violence prevention in schools and communities across the coun… Continue Reading
07.09.15
Reed and Whitehouse Announce Recommendation of Mary McElroy to the U.S. District Court for Rhode Island
PROVIDENCE, RI - The process to fill the upcoming federal court vacancy in Rhode Island took a step forward today as United States Senators Jack Reed and Sheldon Whitehouse announced they have recommended that President Barack Obama nominate Rhode Island Public Defender Mary McElroy, of Coventry, to the U.S. District Court in Providence. "After a months-long, open effort to solicit qualified applicants and conduct extensive interviews, we are prepared to take the next step in this process and h… Continue Reading
06.30.15
Whitehouse Applauds Obama Administration's Expansion of Overtime Pay
Providence, RI - Today the Obama Administration's Department of Labor proposed a new rule to boost wages for millions of salaried workers by setting a new income limit for automatic overtime pay. U.S. Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) has been advocating for the change, signing onto a letter to the President in January urging him to raise the protection threshold. "Too many workers in Rhode Island and across the country are working long hours without guaranteed overtime pay," Whitehouse said. "… Continue Reading
06.26.15
Sen. Whitehouse Statement on Supreme Court’s Ruling on Marriage Equality
Washington, DC - Today the U.S. Supreme Court ruled 5-4 that state-based bans on same-sex marriage are unconstitutional, making same-sex marriages legal nationwide. U.S. Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), a longtime support of marriage equality, released the statement below regarding the decision: "Today the Supreme Court affirmed that the love of all Americans, regardless of sexual orientation, is equal under the law. We have already recognized this basic truth in Rhode Island, but I'm glad … Continue Reading
06.25.15
Sen. Whitehouse Statement on Supreme Court’s Decision to Uphold ACA Subsidies
Washington, DC - Today the Supreme Court ruled 6-3 for the government in King v. Burwell, upholding the Affordable Care Act's (ACA) health insurance subsidies in states that do not have state-based insurance exchanges. U.S. Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), who voted for the ACA and was deeply involved in crafting the law as a member of the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions, released the statement below regarding the decision: "Today, once again, the Supreme Court affi… Continue Reading
06.24.15
Whitehouse Cosponsors Bill to Strengthen Voting Rights Act Protections
Washington, DC - Today a group of Senators and House Members introduced the Voting Rights Advancement Act (VRAA) of 2015 to restore and strengthen the protections of the historic Voting Rights Act of 1965. The bill was cosponsored by Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) and comes two years after the Supreme Court gutted core protections in the Voting Rights Act in Shelby County v. Holder. "The Voting Rights Act has stood for generations as a bulwark against discrimination at the ballot box, upho… Continue Reading
06.24.15
EPW Committee Approves Major Highway Funding Measure
Washington, DC - The Senate Environment and Public Works (EPW) Committee today passed a major transportation funding bill that would provide long-term certainty for federal highway projects. U.S. Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) is a member of the committee and helped to include a new "Assistance for Major Projects Program" in the bill, which is based on a "Projects of National and Regional Significance Program" he has championed in previous years. The new program would provide funding to ass… Continue Reading
06.23.15
Whitehouse Statement on Trade Promotion Authority Vote
Washington, DC - Today, by a vote of 60-37, the Senate advanced Trade Promotion Authority legislation, which would deny Congress the opportunity to fully vet and amend sweeping trade deals with foreign nations. Senator Sheldon Whitehouse, who voted against advancing the bill, released the following statement on today's vote: "I'm disappointed that my colleagues voted to prohibit Congress from improving future trade agreements. Past trade pacts have hurt Rhode Island workers, and I believe we … Continue Reading
06.23.15
Bicameral Call for Greater Transparency in Political Spending
Washington, D.C. - In separate letters sent by House and Senate lawmakers today, Congresswoman Anna G. Eshoo (D-Calif.) and Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.) led over 100 House Members and 26 Senators, respectively, in calling on the president to issue an Executive Order requiring companies that do business with the federal government to fully disclose their political contributions. "Taxpayers have a right to know where their money is spent and you have the power to ensure that the American… Continue Reading
