Press Releases
Senators Urge IRS to Set Clear Rules for Political Activity by Dark Money Groups
Washington, DC - Today a group of 16 U.S. Senators led by Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) is sending a letter urging the Department of the Treasury and the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) to put an end to unlimited secret spending in elections by tax-exempt groups. Treasury and the IRS have been collecting comments in connection with a proposed rule change for 501(c)(4) social welfare groups announced in November. Also signing the letter are Sen. Charles E. Schumer (D-NY) - who introduced the or… Continue Reading
02.26.14
Sen. Whitehouse to Chair EPW Subcommittee on Clean Air
Washington, DC - U.S. Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), one of the Senate's strongest public health and environmental champions, will soon be taking the gavel as chairman of the Environment and Public Works (EPW) Subcommittee on Clean Air and Nuclear Safety. The change comes as a result of the committee assignment shakeup caused by the appointment of Senator Max Baucus (D-MT) as Ambassador to China. "This is a critical time in the fight for clean air and public health," said Whitehouse. "Peo… Continue Reading
02.26.14
Sen. Whitehouse Fighting to Reauthorize National Estuary Program
Washington, DC - Today, U.S. Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) introduced legislation to re-authorize the National Estuary Program (NEP), which was first established in 1987 by the late Republican Senator John Chafee, to protect and restore estuarine habitats threatened by pollution and overdevelopment. Authorization for this important program expired in 2010. "Estuaries provide buffers against dangerous winds and storm surges, act as filters protecting water quality from polluted runoff, and … Continue Reading
02.25.14
EPW Subcommittee Examines Natural Resource Adaptation
Washington, DC - Following the Obama Administration's recently announced proposal for a $1 billion Climate Resilience Fund, U.S. Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) today chaired a hearing entitled "Natural Resource Adaptation: Protecting Ecosystems and Economies." The hearing, which was held in Whitehouse's Environment and Public Works Subcommittee on Oversight, examined the benefits of healthy ecosystems to the tourism, recreation, and fishing industries, as well as to providing clean water and… Continue Reading
02.18.14
Whitehouse, Langevin, and Cicilline Call for Minimum Wage Increase
Providence, RI - With legislation to increase the federal minimum wage pending in Congress, U.S. Senator Sheldon Whitehouse and Congressmen Jim Langevin and David Cicilline hosted a roundtable discussion to hear from working Rhode Islanders, the business community, advocates, and economists on the need to raise the minimum wage. The lawmakers held the event at the Community Action Partnership of Providence on Tuesday. Whitehouse is a cosponsor of the Fair Minimum Wage Act, which is expected to… Continue Reading
02.18.14
Sen. Whitehouse Applauds Administration’s Push on Fuel Efficiency
Washington, DC - Today President Obama announced that he is directing the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and Department of Transportation (DOT) to develop and issue the next phase of medium- and heavy-duty vehicle fuel efficiency and greenhouse gas standards by March 2016. The standards, which are the latest piece of the President's Climate Action Plan, would help to reduce the carbon pollution that is contributing to climate change. "These standards will be a win-win for the American p… Continue Reading
02.12.14
Sen. Whitehouse: Obamacare is Working
Washington, DC - Today the Department of Health and Human Services announced that nearly 1.1 million people selected health insurance plans using the Affordable Care Act marketplaces in January alone, bringing total marketplace enrollment to nearly 3.3 million. This news follows an announcement yesterday that more than 50,000 Rhode Islanders have obtained health insurance coverage since the state's marketplace opened in October. U.S. Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) released the statement bel… Continue Reading
02.12.14
Senate Oceans Caucus Fighting Against Pirate Fishing
Washington, D.C. - The U.S. Senate Oceans Caucus is standing up for American fishermen who play by the rules and are put at a competitive disadvantage from illegal pirate fishing. The co-chairs of the Caucus are lending their support to four treaties - subject of a hearing this afternoon in a Senate Foreign Relations Subcommittee - that would address these and other issues affecting fisheries at home and abroad. The treaties were all recommended for ratification by the President, but have not … Continue Reading
02.11.14
Senators Introduce Bipartisan Bill to Crack Down on Steroids
Washington, DC - U.S. Senators Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) and Orrin Hatch (R-UT) today introduced legislation to end a loophole that allows designer anabolic steroids to easily be found online, in gyms, and even in retail stores. The Designer Anabolic Steroid Control Act would help protect consumers from these harmful products by properly classifying them as controlled substances and increasing criminal penalties for importing, manufacturing, or distributing them under false labels. Designer st… Continue Reading
02.06.14
Sen. Whitehouse Statement on Republican Obstruction of Unemployment Benefits
Washington, DC - U.S. Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) released the statement below regarding today's failed votes in the Senate to extend emergency unemployment benefits: "Right now, thousands of Rhode Islanders remain out of work because of the slow economy. But that's not their fault, and we should do everything we can to support them as our economy continues to recover. Unfortunately, the vast majority of Senate Republicans today continued blocking aid to these Rhode Islanders by voting … Continue Reading
02.06.14
Whitehouse to EPA: We Are Counting on You
Washington, DC - Today U.S. Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) visited the headquarters of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to testify in its public hearing on proposed carbon pollution standards for new power plants. The full text of Whitehouse's testimony, as delivered, is below. -------------------------------------------------- This year is our thirty-seventh straight year with a global temperature above the twentieth century average. It's the fourth hottest year on record in the… Continue Reading
02.05.14
Whitehouse Statement on CVS Announcement on Tobacco
Washington, DC - U.S. Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), a member of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, released the statement below regarding CVS Caremark's announcement that it will no longer carry tobacco products in its stores: "I am proud to see CVS Caremark - a leading Rhode Island business - take action to protect Americans' health. As the U.S. Surgeon General recently reported, thousands of Americans die early from smoking each year, costing the American econom… Continue Reading
01.31.14
Rhode Island to Receive $3 Million in Heating Assistance
Providence, RI - The Obama Administration announced Thursday that Rhode Island will receive $3 million in Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) funding to help low-income Rhode Islanders pay their heating bills. Earlier this week, U.S. Senators Jack Reed and Sheldon Whitehouse asked U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius to expedite the release of these funds, citing high energy costs and extreme cold afflicting the region. "During these difficu… Continue Reading
01.31.14
Whitehouse Traveling to Munich Security Conference
Washington, DC - U.S. Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) is joining U.S. Senator John McCain (R-AZ) to lead a congressional delegation to Munich, Germany this weekend to participate in the 50th annual Munich Security Conference. Whitehouse is the senior Democrat in the delegation and McCain is the senior Republican. "I'm honored to join Senator McCain and so many other colleagues at this prestigious event," said Whitehouse. "The conference features many of the world's leading experts on a ran… Continue Reading
01.31.14
Bicameral Task Force Co-Chairs React to Final SEIS on the Keystone XL Pipeline
WASHINGTON, DC- Today Bicameral Task Force on Climate Change Co-Chairs Rep. Henry A. Waxman and Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse commented on the State Department release of the final supplemental environmental impact statement of the Keystone XL tar sands pipeline. The statement includes projections of the carbon pollution impacts of the Keystone XL pipeline based on expected values for oil prices, tar sands production costs, transportation costs, supply-demand assumptions, and other pipelines, as well… Continue Reading
01.30.14
Senate Passes Bill to Fix Flood Insurance Program
Washington, DC - The U.S. Senate today approved legislation by a vote of 67-32 to spare many homeowners from sharp rate hikes in federal flood insurance policies. The legislation delays certain rate hikes for four years and requires the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to complete an affordability study and develop recommendations for a policy to assist homeowners who cannot afford their premiums. The bill, the Homeowner Flood Insurance Affordability Act, was passed in response to c… Continue Reading
01.30.14
Sens. & Rep. to FTC: Outlet Stores May Be Misleading Consumers
Washington, DC - Four Members of Congress are asking for a federal investigation into potentially misleading marketing practices by outlet stores across the United States. In a letter sent today to Federal Trade Commission (FTC) Chairwoman Edith Ramirez, U.S. Senators Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Ed Markey (D-MA) and Rep. Anna G. Eshoo (D-CA) called on the agency to look into claims that merchants may be selling lower quality items produced specifically for outlet store… Continue Reading
01.30.14
Sen. Whitehouse Statement on Retirement of Rep. Waxman
Washington, DC - U.S. Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) released the statement below today regarding Rep. Henry A. Waxman's announcement that he will retire at the end of this year: "Two of the historic experiences I've had in the Senate have been to serve with Ted Kennedy and to work with Henry Waxman, both giants on the legislative landscape. Henry is one of the most forceful advocates for progressive causes our nation has ever known, and his work has improved the lives of millions of Americ… Continue Reading
01.29.14
Senate Passes Whitehouse Amendment to Cut Through Red Tape on Habitat Projects
Washington, DC - The U.S. Senate today approved an amendment authored by Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) to cut through red tape and burdensome costs that can hamper habitat restoration projects. The amendment, which was added to the Homeowner Flood Insurance Affordability Act by voice vote, facilitates habitat restoration projects by exempting those funded with federal, state, or local dollars from fees associated with a request for a flood insurance rate map change. "Habitat restoration pr… Continue Reading
01.28.14
Sen. Whitehouse Statement on President’s State of the Union Address - 2014
Washington, DC - U.S. Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) released the statement below regarding President Obama's State of the Union address: "Tonight President Obama made clear that he is committed to using the full power of his office to address some of the major issues facing our country. From addressing the minimum wage, to advancing job creation and addressing carbon pollution, there is a great deal that the President can do now, without delay. I stand ready to support his efforts because… Continue Reading
