Press Releases
Whitehouse Cheers Return of Volvo Ocean Race to Newport
Washington, DC - Today, the Volvo Ocean Race named Newport an official stopover for its 2017-2018 race following a highly successful visit to the Rhode Island city in May 2015. U.S. Senator Sheldon Whitehouse released the following statement regarding the announcement: "This is fantastic news for the City of Newport, the state of Rhode Island, and our ocean economy. The Volvo Ocean Race is a world-class competition that brings together some of the most talented sailors in the sport and draws … Continue Reading
10.29.15
Senators to Exxon: Are You Still Funding Climate Denial?
Washington, D.C. - In recent weeks investigative reports from InsideClimate News and the Los Angeles Times have shown that ExxonMobil knew about the link between carbon pollution and climate change as far back as the 1970s, and not only failed to act on it, but actively funded a campaign into the mid-2000s to sow public doubt about the facts. Now, a group of U.S. Senators are asking Exxon whether it is continuing to fund such efforts through an anonymous dark-money group called Donors Trust. I… Continue Reading
10.28.15
Sen. Whitehouse Statement on Two-Year Budget Deal
Washington, DC - U.S. Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) released the statement below today regarding the two-year budget deal negotiated by the White House and Congressional leaders: "This budget deal will provide much-needed relief from harmful sequester cuts and give the nation a measure of certainty we have lacked amid the patchwork of stop-gap spending bills passed in recent years. It will also avert a hike in Medicare Part B premium payments and protect benefits for Rhode Islanders in the… Continue Reading
10.27.15
Senate Passes Major Cybersecurity Legislation
Washington, DC - The U.S. Senate today passed the Cyber Information Sharing Act (CISA), legislation that will encourage greater coordination between the government and private sector to identify and respond to cyber threats. The final bill includes a provision authored by Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) to eliminate a loophole that allows foreign cybercriminals who traffic in stolen American financial information to escape prosecution in the United States. "Cyber attacks are among the greate… Continue Reading
10.27.15
Senate Passes Improving Regulatory Transparency for New Medical Therapies Act
Washington, DC - The Senate has passed a bipartisan measure that would bring predictable timeframes to the Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) scheduling process so new treatments can reach patients in a timely and transparent manner. Senators Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) and Orrin Hatch (R-UT), who sponsored the legislation, lauded Senate passage of the Improving Regulatory Transparency for New Medical Therapies Act. "Right now, patients too often have to wait for promising new treatments because of a … Continue Reading
10.26.15
$9 Million Federal TIGER Grant Paves the Way for a New Travel Plaza & Welcome Center on I-95 in Hopkinton
WASHINGTON, DC - In an effort to provide new retail, food, and fuel services for both local residents and travelers, as well as a multimodal transit hub, Rhode Island's Congressional Delegation was joined by Governor Gina M. Raimondo today in announcing a $9 million federal grant to build a new, state-of-the-art travel plaza and welcome center at Exit 1 off Interstate 95. The U.S. Department of Transportation approved the state's application for a competitive Transportation Investment Generatin… Continue Reading
10.23.15
Reed & Whitehouse Seek to Close Unfair “Carried Interest” Tax Loophole
WASHINGTON, DC - In an effort to restore an important measure of fairness to the tax code, U.S. Senators Jack Reed and Sheldon Whitehouse are seeking to close the "carried interest" loophole, which lets Wall Street managers at investment partnerships treat most of the money they make as capital gains rather than as ordinary income. Reed and Whitehouse, along with U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) and several of their colleagues, sent a letter to Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and Minority Lead… Continue Reading
10.22.15
Judiciary Committee Clears Sentencing Reform and Corrections Act
Washington, DC - The Senate Judiciary Committee today passed the Sentencing Reform and Corrections Act, which grants judges greater sentencing flexibility for certain low-level drug offenders and establishes recidivism reduction programs, while targeting violent criminals. The bill passed the committee by a vote of 15-5. The bill passed today includes minor clarifications to the original bill text. The bill is the product of a thoughtful bipartisan deliberation that included U.S. Senator Sheld… Continue Reading
10.22.15
Senate Passes Legislation to Combat Pirate Fishing
Washington, DC - Last night the U.S. Senate unanimously passed the Illegal, Unreported, and Unregulated (IUU) Fishing Enforcement Act of 2015. The bill, which implements the policies of a treaty that was first approved by the Senate last year, increases enforcement capabilities for a number of international fishery agreements that combat IUU (or pirate) fishing, to protect fisheries across the entire United States. It was supported by U.S. Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) and his fellow co-ch… Continue Reading
10.19.15
Sen. Whitehouse Statement on New Corporate Climate Commitments
Washington, DC - Today, the White House announced that more American companies are signing on to the American Business Act on Climate Pledge, bringing the total number of committed companies to 81. U.S. Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), who has long encouraged stronger political engagement on climate change by corporations, released the statement below regarding the announcement: "While I appreciate these efforts from corporate America for a good outcome in Paris and to reduce their own carbo… Continue Reading
10.15.15
Sens. Reed and Whitehouse Call on Social Security to Recommend Changes to COLA Calculation
Providence, RI - Following an announcement today that Social Security recipients throughout the country will not receive a benefit increase in the coming year, U.S. Senators Jack Reed (D-RI) and Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) are asking the Social Security Administration for a formal review of the calculation used to determine annual cost-of-living adjustments (COLAs). "As you know, the Social Security Administration (SSA) today announced there will be no increase in benefits in 2016, the third tim… Continue Reading
10.14.15
Sen. Whitehouse and Hasbro Celebrate Progress on Toxic Chemicals Law
Providence, RI - As the Senate nears consideration of a major reform to the law intended to protect consumers from toxic chemicals in everyday products, U.S. Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) today held a press conference with local stakeholders to provide an update. The event was held at Hasbro, Inc., in Providence, which has long called for improvements to the law. Whitehouse joined Hasbro, Inc. Chairman, President & CEO Brian Goldner to celebrate recent progress and discuss how this new… Continue Reading
10.13.15
Whitehouse Statement on Bugat Botnet Takedown
Washington, DC - U.S. Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) released the statement below regarding today's announcement by the U.S. Department of Justice of the arrest of the administrator of the "Bugat" botnet and technical disruption of the malware: "I congratulate the Department of Justice, the FBI, and their partners on the arrest of botnet administrator Andrey Ghinkul and the disruption of the Bugat botnet. Advanced botnets like Bugat, which was designed to steal online banking credentials an… Continue Reading
10.06.15
Sens. Whitehouse and Cassidy Introduce Bipartisan Legislation to Improve Transparency and Performance of Health IT Systems
Washington, DC - U.S. Senators Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) and Bill Cassidy (R-LA) today introduced bipartisan legislation to strengthen accountability and improve transparency in health information technology (IT) systems. The Transparent Ratings on Usability and Security to Transform Information Technology (TRUST IT) Act of 2015 would help ensure that certified health IT systems are performing as promised in the field, and establish a rating system that will enable consumers to compare differen… Continue Reading
10.01.15
Whitehouse and Bipartisan Group of Senators Introduce Landmark Sentencing Reform and Corrections Act of 2015
Washington, DC - A bipartisan group of Senators, including Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.), today is introducing comprehensive legislation aimed at recalibrating prison sentences for certain drug offenders, targeting violent criminals, and granting judges greater discretion at sentencing for lower-level drug crimes. The package also seeks to curb recidivism by helping prisoners successfully re-enter society-provisions that Whitehouse authored with Senator John Cornyn (R-Texas). The Sentencing Reform… Continue Reading
09.30.15
Thousands of Rhode Island Seniors Save Over $50 Million from Health Care Law’s “Doughnut Hole” Fix Since 2010
Washington, D.C. - Thousands of Rhode Island seniors have saved over $50 million since 2010 on prescription drugs because of the Affordable Care Act, according to federal data released last week. This year, more than 7,200 Rhode Islanders on Medicare saved over $5.8 million on their prescriptions through July, for an average savings of $814 per patient. Prior to the passage of the Affordable Care Act in 2010, thousands of Rhode Island seniors fell into the coverage gap known as the "doughnut ho… Continue Reading
09.28.15
Whitehouse & Rhode Island Business Leaders Discuss Need to Pass Highway Funding Bill
Providence, RI - With federal road and bridge funding set to expire at the end of October, the Greater Providence Chamber of Commerce hosted U.S. Senator Sheldon Whitehouse, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, and Rhode Island business leaders for a roundtable discussion today on the need to pass a long-term highway funding bill. "The message today from the U.S. Chamber and these Rhode Island businesses was clear: we need to fix our roads and bridges. I couldn't agree more," said Whitehouse, who pl… Continue Reading
09.25.15
Whitehouse Statement on US-China Cyber Agreements
Washington, DC - U.S. Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) released the statement below regarding the cyber agreements announced today between the U.S. and China: "For far too long, China has stolen from American businesses and given our trade secrets to its own companies. Today's agreement, that 'neither country's government will conduct or knowingly support cyber-enabled theft of intellectual property,' could prove to be a first step toward ending this practice and protecting American individua… Continue Reading
09.25.15
U.S. Senate Passes Resolution Designating National Estuaries Week
Providence, RI - Last night, the Senate unanimously approved a resolution designating the week of September 19 through September 26, 2015 as National Estuaries Week. The legislation, sponsored by Senators Sheldon Whitehouse and Jack Reed, recognizes the importance of coastal and estuarine regions to our national economy. It also reaffirms the Senate's continued support for protecting and restoring these vital resources. Estuarine regions of the United States contribute a great deal to the eco… Continue Reading
09.25.15
Senators to Obama: Just Say No to Arctic Oil Drilling
Washington, DC - U.S. Senators Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Patrick Leahy (D-VT), Ben Cardin (D-MD), Bernie Sanders (I-VT), Al Franken (D-MN), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Brian Schatz (D-HI), Martin Heinrich (D-NM), Ed Markey (D-MA), Cory Booker (D-NJ), and Gary Peters (D-MI), today sent a letter urging the Obama Administration not to approve oil drilling off the coast of Alaska. Just two months after the Administration allowed Shell to drill two exploratory wells in Alaska's … Continue Reading
