Press Releases
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
01.27.14
RI Energy Efficiency Leader to Join Sen. Whitehouse for State of the Union Address
Providence, RI - U.S. Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) announced today that his guest for this year's State of the Union address will be Scott DePasquale, CEO of Utilidata - a Providence-based company that produces technology to help reduce energy waste from power lines between utilities' substations and their customers. The company moved to Providence from Spokane, Washington approximately two years ago and - with 36 employees and more hires coming soon - is growing quickly. "Scott's work i… Continue Reading
01.24.14
Reed & Whitehouse Urge Changes to Fix Flood Insurance Reform
WASHINGTON, DC - As the U.S. Senate prepares to vote next week on flood insurance reform, U.S. Senators Jack Reed and Sheldon Whitehouse are urging passage of the bipartisan Homeowner Flood Insurance Affordability Act. Reed, Whitehouse, and 29 of their colleagues are cosponsors of legislation that would limit abrupt increases in premiums for homeowners in older homes or in homes newly mapped into the floodplain. The bill will also require the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to compl… Continue Reading
01.15.14
Whitehouse Launches New Senate Initiative on Climate Change
Washington, DC - Yesterday, U.S. Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) joined Senator Barbara Boxer (D-CA) to announce the formation of the Senate Climate Action Task Force - a group of 18 Senators committed to fighting for action on climate change. The group will complement Senator Whitehouse's weekly climate speeches and the efforts of the Bicameral Task Force on Climate Change that he co-founded with Congressman Henry Waxman (D-CA). The purpose of the Senate Climate Action Task Force is to bett… Continue Reading
01.14.14
Sen. Whitehouse Statement on Federal Spending Deal
Washington, DC - Last night, Congressional negotiators unveiled a final spending plan for the federal government for fiscal year 2014. The plan allocates specific funding amounts for the budget deal passed by Congress last month. U.S. Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), a member of the Senate Budget Committee, released the statement below regarding the spending plan: "While this agreement is not perfect, I'm pleased that it secures funding for some important Rhode Island priorities. For examp… Continue Reading
01.14.14
Sen. Whitehouse Statement on Vote to Extend Emergency 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 who lost their unemployment benefits last month are worried about how they will make ends meet. Emergency unemployment benefits help families stay in their homes and put food on the table while they search for jobs, and we should make sure these benefits remain available for those wh… Continue Reading
01.07.14
Whitehouse Nominates Four Rhode Island Students for U.S. Service Academies
Providence, RI - Today, U.S. Senator Sheldon Whitehouse announced the nomination of four Rhode Islanders for consideration to the United States Service Academies. Whitehouse has nominated Liam Rial of North Kingstown and Cori Sullivan of Tiverton to the United States Naval Academy at Annapolis, Caroline Hamann of East Greenwich to the United States Military Academy at West Point, and Mauricio Agudelo of Pawtucket to the Unites States Air Force Academy at Colorado Springs. "I commend these four … Continue Reading
01.07.14
Sen. Whitehouse Statement on Vote to Extend Emergency Unemployment Benefits
Washington, DC - U.S. Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) released the statement below regarding today's procedural vote in the Senate on legislation to extend emergency unemployment benefits for three months: "Today's procedural vote brought us one step closer to extending emergency unemployment benefits for struggling Americans. Even with the worst of the recession behind us, too many Rhode Islanders have been unable to find work. Emergency unemployment benefits help families stay in their ho… Continue Reading
12.20.13
Waxman & Whitehouse Question U.S. Trade Representative’s Position on Tar Sands
Washington, D.C. - As the Obama Administration continues its process of determining whether to approve the development of the Keystone XL pipeline, a group of 21 U.S. Senators and Representatives are raising concerns about reports that U.S. trade negotiators are advocating for weaker international regulations on the tar sands crude oil that the pipeline would transport. In a letter led by Rep. Henry A. Waxman and Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse, the lawmakers ask whether the U.S. Trade Representative (… Continue Reading
12.19.13
Bicameral Task Force on Climate Change Releases Recommendations for Department of the Interior
Washington, DC - Following recent reports that John Podesta may be primed to push for "aggressive executive action on climate change" in his new role as White House counselor, the Bicameral Task Force on Climate Change today released a white paper recommending concrete steps the Department of the Interior (DOI) should take in carrying out the President's Climate Action Plan. DOI manages roughly one-fifth of the land in the U.S. and plays a key role in policies regarding energy production and c… Continue Reading
12.18.13
Sen. Whitehouse Statement on Passage of Budget
Washington, DC - Today the U.S. Senate voted 64 to 36 to pass a bipartisan budget agreement. U.S. Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), a member of the Budget Committee, released the following statement: "I supported the agreement because it provides budget certainty for two years, protects Social Security and Medicare benefits, and will help to prevent another government shutdown. While it doesn't go as far as I would have liked, the budget also provides for significant relief from the senseles… Continue Reading
12.17.13
Defense Authorization Bill Includes Bipartisan Asset Tracking Provision
Washington, D.C. - This week the U.S. Senate is expected to vote on the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), legislation that will authorize funding for defense programs in the year ahead. The final bill, which was unveiled last week, includes a bipartisan provision authored by U.S. Senators Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) and Rob Portman (R-OH) to strengthen the military's "asset tracking" efforts. These efforts can save taxpayer dollars and help prevent counterfeit military items from enteri… Continue Reading
12.17.13
Rhode Island Seniors Continue Benefitting from Health Care Law
Washington, DC - As the holiday season nears, thousands of Rhode Island seniors will have a little extra money thanks to prescription drug savings made possible by the Affordable Care Act. Through October of this year 10,600 Medicare recipients in Rhode Island saved over $7 million on prescription drugs, for an average savings of $677 per person. Prior to the passage of the Affordable Care Act, thousands of Rhode Island seniors fell into the so-called Medicare "doughnut hole" and were forced t… Continue Reading
12.16.13
Whitehouse Hosts Meeting with National Coalition to Highlight Rhode Island Leadership on Advanced Illness Care
Providence, RI - This morning, U.S. Senator Sheldon Whitehouse hosted a panel discussion with Bill Novelli, co-chair of the Coalition to Transform Advanced Care (C-TAC), to discuss the organization's work to improve advanced illness care. Advanced illness occurs when chronic conditions, such as end-stage cancer and heart disease, progress to the point that general functioning declines and medical treatment begins to lose its effect. During the meeting, Senator Whitehouse and Rhode Island health… Continue Reading
12.10.13
Sen. Whitehouse Statement on Budget Deal
Washington, DC - U.S. Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), a member of the Budget conference committee, released the statement below regarding the budget agreement announced today by Chairmen Patty Murray (D-WA) and Paul Ryan (R-WI): "I commend Chairman Murray for completing the difficult task of coming to a budget agreement with House Republicans. To be sure, this is not the deal any of us had hoped for. Republicans refused to end a single special tax deal or to maintain extended unemployment b… Continue Reading
12.10.13
Obamacare Will Help 172,000 Rhode Islanders Gain Access to Mental Health and Substance Use Disorder Benefits
Washington, DC - According to data released today by the White House, 172,000 Rhode Islanders will gain access to expanded mental health and substance use disorder benefits and federal parity protections thanks to the Affordable Care Act (ACA). U.S. Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), a strong advocate for mental health parity, applauded the announcement as the latest example of the ACA improving care for Rhode Islanders. "For too long, Americans suffering from mental health conditions have been… Continue Reading
12.10.13
Sen. Whitehouse: SCOTUS Should Uphold Cross-State Air Pollution Rule
Washington, DC - U.S. Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) released the statement below regarding the oral argument at the Supreme Court today on whether to uphold the Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) Cross-State Air Pollution Rule (CSAPR): "For too long, virtually uncontrolled coal-fired power plants have used tall smoke stacks to export dirty air to downwind states like Rhode Island - polluting our skies and endangering our health. In 2011, EPA established the Cross-State Air Pollution Ru… Continue Reading
12.10.13
RI Congressional Delegation Announces $123,000 in Federal Funding for Rhode Island Art Organizations
Washington, DC - Rhode Island's Congressional delegation today announced $123,000 in National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) grant funding for Rhode Island arts organizations and programs. These competitive grants were awarded to organizations that contribute to the cultural and economic development of the state through the arts. This is NEA's first round of FY2014 competitive grant awards. "This federal funding will help support local artists and bolster economic development and education through… Continue Reading
12.02.13
Whitehouse & RI Health Care Stakeholders Highlight how Health Reforms are Improving Quality of Care and Lowering Spending
Providence, RI - This morning, U.S. Senator Sheldon Whitehouse and Lieutenant Governor Elizabeth Roberts met with leaders of Rhode Island's health care industry to discuss how key reforms, some of which are part of the Affordable Care Act, are improving health care quality and lowering health spending in the state. During the roundtable, Representatives from Coastal Medical, Blue Cross Blue Shield Rhode Island, the Rhode Island Quality Institute, Care New England, and the Chronic Care Sustainab… Continue Reading
