Press Releases
Whitehouse Statement on DeVos Confirmation
Washington, DC - Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), a member of the Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee, issued the following statement today on the Senate's 51-50 vote to confirm Elisabeth DeVos to be Secretary of Education: "Vice President Pence's trip down Pennsylvania Avenue today shows just how hard Republicans have had to work to stack and jam President Trump's underqualified and conflicted nominees through the Senate. "Mrs. DeVos had every opportunity to make a convincing … Continue Reading
02.06.17
Senators to Trump: Expand Pell Grant to Make College More Affordable
WASHINGTON, DC - In an effort to help make college more affordable for American families, U.S. Senators Jack Reed (D-RI), Mazie Hirono (D-HI), and Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) joined with 25 of their Senate Democratic colleagues in sending a letter to President Trump asking him to expand the Pell Grant beginning in FY 2017. Pell Grants are federal, need-based financial aid awarded to qualified undergraduate students. Pell grants help pay for tuition, but unlike student loans, they do not need to … Continue Reading
02.04.17
Whitehouse Statement on Judge Robart’s Decision
Washington, DC - Senator Sheldon Whitehouse today released the following statement on U.S. District Judge James Robart's decision on President Donald Trump's executive order: "Judge Robart's decision underscores how rash and destructive President Trump's executive order has been. The Court found no support for the President's claim that banning refugees and legal immigrants from certain Muslim countries makes Americans safer. Indeed it has not. If anything, this half-baked effort has given t… Continue Reading
02.03.17
Senators to Trump: Show Us Who Is Buying Access to the ‘Winter White House’
Washington, DC - The Trump Organization's Mar-a-Lago club has doubled its membership fees on the eve of the President Trump's first visit to what the administration calls the nation's "Winter White House." Senators Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) and Tom Udall (D-NM) want to know who is paying the hundreds of thousands of dollars necessary for unlimited access to the newly christened executive mansion in Palm Beach. They sent a letter to President Trump today to ask. "At $200,000, the Mar-a-Lago me… Continue Reading
02.02.17
Whitehouse, Graham to Launch Bipartisan Investigation Into Russian Influence on Elections
Washington, DC - U.S. Senators Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) and Lindsey Graham (R-SC) today announced they will launch a bipartisan investigation into Russian efforts to influence democratic elections in the United States and abroad. The investigation will be conducted by the Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Crime and Terrorism. Graham and Whitehouse are the Chairman and Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Crime and Terrorism, respectively. Whitehouse and Graham issued the fol… Continue Reading
02.02.17
Whitehouse Votes ‘No’ on Mulvaney Nomination
Washington, DC - Today, in a business meeting of the Senate Budget Committee, Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) voted against the nomination of Congressman Mick Mulvaney (R-SC) to serve as Director of the Office of Management and Budget. Whitehouse released the following statement on today's vote: "In the House, Congressman Mulvaney was all too willing to play Russian roulette with the full faith and credit of the United States. He voted repeatedly to let the federal government default on its… Continue Reading
02.01.17
Whitehouse Votes ‘No’ on Sessions in Judiciary Committee
Washington, DC - Today, during a business meeting of the Senate Judiciary Committee, Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) voted against the nomination of Senator Jeff Sessions (R-AL) to serve as U.S. Attorney General. "Senator Sessions has a long history of demonstrated, open hostility for bedrock civil rights laws, and failed repeatedly to vigorously distance himself from extremist hate groups that hold him up as a champion of their perverse ideologies," said Whitehouse in a prepared statement a… Continue Reading
02.01.17
Whitehouse: “Hard to Believe” Pruitt Is Powerless to Come Clean on Potential Conflicts of Interest
Washington, DC - U.S. Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) wants to know why it can take over two years for Scott Pruitt's office to produce documents under Oklahoma's Open Records Act - and why he thinks Senators should get at the back of that line to get information on his record. Pruitt is Oklahoma's Attorney General and President Trump's nominee for Environmental Protection Agency Administrator. In a letter sent to Pruitt's office today, Whitehouse questions why Pruitt has brushed off request… Continue Reading
01.31.17
Whitehouse Slams Republicans for Undermining Norms of the Senate by Jamming Through Trump Nominees
Washington, DC - Today, Senate Republicans attempted to advance several nominations out of committee for full Senate consideration despite unanswered questions about their records. These included: Education Secretary nominee Betsy DeVos, who has not answered questions from Senator Sheldon Whitehouse and HELP Committee Democrats about her conflicts of interest; Treasury Secretary nominee Steven Mnuchin, who has provided the Finance Committee misleading answers about foreclosure practices under h… Continue Reading
01.31.17
Whitehouse Votes ‘No’ on Trump Education Pick
Washington, DC - Today, in the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee, Senator Sheldon Whitehouse voted against President Trump's pick for Education Secretary, Elisabeth DeVos, citing a record of advocating for failed education policies and Rhode Islanders' overwhelming opposition to her nomination. Whitehouse noted in particular the comments of Barbara Pellegrino, an award-winning first grade teacher in the Warwick Public Schools, who attended a meeting with Whitehouse and Rho… Continue Reading
01.31.17
Whitehouse Statement on Firing of Sally Yates
Washington, DC - Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) issued the following statement on the firing of Acting Attorney General Sally Yates: "Sally Yates was a career prosecutor in the Department of Justice back when I was United States Attorney. She represents the faithfulness and independence we want from career lawyers in that Department. Firing her brings back Nixonian echoes of the Saturday Night Massacre, and displays an administration all too comfortable playing fast and loose with the rule… Continue Reading
01.31.17
Whitehouse Statement on Trump Supreme Court Pick
Washington, DC - Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, released the following statement on President Donald Trump's nominee for the Supreme Court, United States Circuit Judge Neil Gorsuch: "The most important question President Trump's nominee will face is where he will stand on the special interest politics that has stricken the Court. For years, a gang of five Republican appointees took direction from big right-wing lobbies. Their efforts have corrup… Continue Reading
01.30.17
Senate Judiciary Members: Is DOJ Doing Its Job to Review Trump’s Executive Orders?
Washington, DC - Members of the Senate Judiciary Committee want to know whether the Justice Department lawyers charged with ensuring that the President is following the law are actually reviewing Donald Trump's executive actions. On Friday, when asked if its Office of Legal Counsel (OLC) was performing its duty to review the "form and legality" of executive orders and proclamations, the Justice Department responded "no comment." While subsequent reports have suggested OLC may have reviewed at … Continue Reading
01.30.17
Whitehouse Statement on Trump Immigration Order
Providence, RI - Senator Sheldon Whitehouse released the following statement on President Donald Trump's Executive Order restricting immigration to the United States: "President Trump's broad brush Executive Order on refugees doesn't discern women and children, local supporters, and employees who helped American troops and have to flee for safety, or other good reasons to keep a safe refugee process operating. None of the 9/11 terrorists came from these countries, and the last time 'America Fi… Continue Reading
01.30.17
U.S. Senator Sheldon Whitehouse and Senators Call on President Trump to Protect Americans from Higher Health Costs
WASHINGTON, D.C. - As a member of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee, U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin and Senators Patty Murray (D-WA), Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), Maggie Hassan (D-NH), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) and Al Franken (D-MN) sent a letter to President Trump calling on him to change course and avoid further harm to Americans who depend on the financial assistance provided under the Affordable Care Act (ACA) by protecting the cost-sharing subsidies that help lower o… Continue Reading
01.30.17
Senators Call on Sec. of State Nominee Rex Tillerson to Recuse Himself from All Matters Related to ExxonMobil
Washington (January 309, 2017) - As the Senate prepares to take its first full vote on the nomination of former ExxonMobil CEO Rex Tillerson to be Secretary of State, Senator Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.), a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, today led a group of nine other senators in calling on Mr. Tillerson to recuse himself from participating in any matter that could impact ExxonMobil for the entirety of his tenure at the department. Mr. Tillerson's Ethics Agreement includes only… Continue Reading
01.28.17
Whitehouse Statement on CBP Enforcement of Immigration Order and Ongoing Protests
Providence, RI - Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) issued the following statement on U.S. Customs and Border Protection's enforcement of President Donald Trump's Executive Order on immigration despite stays issued by federal courts, and on the ongoing protests nationwide: "When a judge in this country hands down an order, you follow it. Period. As a prosecutor, if I received a direction from the court, I shut up and did it, even if I didn't like it. That's how the rule of law works. Secreta… Continue Reading
01.27.17
Whitehouse Urges Rhode Islanders to Find Out if They Qualify for Tax Break
Providence, RI - Rhode Island residents who make $55,000 a year or less may be entitled to an Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) and free tax preparation. Senator Sheldon Whitehouse today joined the Rhode Island Community Action Association, Providence Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) Coalition, Citizens Bank, and the United Way of Rhode Island, among others, to launch a public awareness campaign at the Rhode Island State House promoting the EITC and free tax preparation. "The Earned Incom… Continue Reading
01.27.17
Senators Renew Calls for DeVos to Come Clean on Dark Money Ties
Washington, DC - Today, after receiving no responsive information to previous requests, several members of the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee (HELP) renewed their request to President Donald Trump's nominee for Secretary of Education, Elisabeth DeVos, to come clean about her connections to "dark money" groups. These groups, also known as 501(c)(4)s, allow political donors to avoid disclosing their identity and affiliations. DeVos has been directly involved in fundraisi… Continue Reading
01.26.17
Whitehouse Announces Opposition to DeVos Nomination
Washington, DC - Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), a member of the Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee, issued the following statement today on the nomination of Elisabeth DeVos to be Secretary of the U.S. Department of Education: "Every Rhode Island student deserves the chance to learn and gain the skills they need to get ahead. The mission of the U.S. Department of Education is to give them that chance. Promoting quality education for children no matter where they live require… Continue Reading
