Press Releases
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
09.24.15
Sen. Whitehouse Statement on Pope’s Address to Congress
Washington, DC - Today Pope Francis delivered an address to a joint session of Congress - the first Pope in history to do so. U.S. Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) attended the address and released the following statement: "From combating climate change to rooting out economic and social injustice, Pope Francis today called on all of us to address the major issues facing our 'common home.' In giving voice to the moral urgency of caring for God's creation, His Holiness cut through the barrica… Continue Reading
09.18.15
Senators ask U.S. Chamber of Commerce board member companies about the Chamber's Climate Denial Efforts
Washington, DC - Today, United States Senators Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), Patrick Leahy (D-VT), Barbara Mikulski (D-MD), Dianne Feinstein (D-CA), Barbara Boxer (D-CA), Bernie Sanders (I-VT), Tom Udall (D-NM), Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), Al Franken (D-MN), Mazie Hirono (D-HI), and Ed Markey (D-MA) sent letters to the CEOs of all 108 member companies of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce's Board of Directors asking about their positions on the Chamber's efforts to undermine the Obama… Continue Reading
09.18.15
Reed & Whitehouse Want RI Voices Heard on Marine Monuments
WASHINGTON, DC -- U.S. Senators Jack Reed (D-RI) and Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) say that creating a new, federally protected marine reserve in the Atlantic Ocean off the coast of Rhode Island and southern New England presents a real opportunity, but they are urging the Obama administration to be transparent about the process and provide far more details about the proposed reserve's boundaries. After the White House signaled its intention to designate a vast area of the Atlantic Ocean off the co… Continue Reading
09.17.15
RI Delegation Announces $194,800 NOAA Grant to Remove Marine Debris from the Upper Narragansett Bay
Providence, RI - Today, U.S. Senators Sheldon Whitehouse and Jack Reed and Congressmen Jim Langevin and David Cicilline announced a $194,800 grant from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) for Middletown-based nonprofit Clean The Bay, Inc. to remove marine debris from the Seekonk and Providence rivers and Upper Narragansett Bay. For over 100 years, the Providence and Seekonk rivers and portions of the Upper Narragansett Bay have been dirtied by broken and abandoned piling… Continue Reading
09.17.15
Sen. Whitehouse Introduces Bill to Support RI Credit Unions and Boost Small Business Lending
Washington, DC - U.S. Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) has joined forces with Senator Rand Paul (R-KY) to introduce the Small Business Lending Enhancement Act. This bipartisan legislation, which seeks to cut through red tape and encourage small business growth, would increase an arbitrary federal cap on credit union lending that has restricted lending to small businesses in recent years. The change is supported by the Credit Unions of Rhode Island, several of members of which met with Whiteho… Continue Reading
09.10.15
Whitehouse Introduces Legislation to Protect Oceans & Coastal Communities
Washington, DC - In the face of threats like stronger storms and rising sea levels, U.S. Senator Sheldon Whitehouse today introduced legislation to provide a reliable stream of funding to help protect our oceans, coasts, and Great Lakes. The National Oceans and Coastal Security Act would establish a Fund to support work that helps Americans understand and adapt to forces like sea level rise, severe storms, and ocean acidification, which threaten lives and economic prosperity in coastal communit… Continue Reading
09.08.15
Reed and Whitehouse Announce Nomination of Mary McElroy to the U.S. District Court for Rhode Island
WASHINGTON, DC - U.S. Senators Jack Reed and Sheldon Whitehouse today commended President Obama for nominating Rhode Island Public Defender Mary McElroy to the U.S. District Court for Rhode Island. Following an open and in-depth selection process, which included extensive interviews and careful deliberation, the Senators recommended Ms. McElroy's nomination to the President in July. "Mary McElroy is eminently qualified and will make an outstanding federal judge. She is a dedicated public serv… Continue Reading
08.19.15
RI Congressional Delegation Announces Nearly $600K in Funds for Central Falls and Portsmouth Fire Departments
Providence, RI - Today, U.S. Senators Jack Reed and Sheldon Whitehouse and Congressman David Cicilline announced new federal funding for the Central Falls Fire Department to hire new firefighters, and for both Central Falls and Portsmouth to purchase equipment. The funding is made available through the Federal Emergency Management Agency's (FEMA) Assistance to Firefighters Grant Program (AFG) and the Staffing for Adequate Fire & Emergency Response (SAFER) program. The Central Falls Fire De… Continue Reading
08.18.15
Reed & Whitehouse Announce Support for Iran Nuclear Agreement
PROVIDENCE, RI -- After numerous public hearings, classified briefings, consultation with nuclear experts, and discussions with Rhode Islanders, U.S. Senators Jack Reed (D-RI) and Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) today announced their support for the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), also known as the Iran nuclear agreement. This agreement, reached by the United States and five partner nations (the United Kingdom, China, France, Russia, and Germany) and Iran, would prohibit Iran from acquiri… Continue Reading
08.18.15
Whitehouse Applauds EPA’s Methane Rule to Reduce Emissions
Washington, DC - Today, U.S. Senator Sheldon Whitehouse released a statement applauding the Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) proposed plan to decrease methane and VOC emissions from the gas and oil industry. The plan would also require reductions in these gases from hydraulically fractured and refractured oil wells. The plan would use low-cost safeguards to reduce air pollution that harms public health and fuels climate change, and would yield net climate benefits up to $150 million in 2… Continue Reading
08.10.15
U.S. Senator Sheldon Whitehouse on the death of Master Sergeant Andrew McKenna
Newport, RI - U.S. Senator Sheldon Whitehouse has released the following statement on the death of Master Sergeant Andrew McKenna in Afghanistan: "We grieve for Master Sergeant Andrew McKenna, his family, and all those who loved him. This is a true loss for Rhode Island and our nation. He made the ultimate sacrifice for our country and will be remembered forever as a hero and a patriot. As we honor his life and selfless service, let us also reflect on the commitment and courage that the… Continue Reading
08.06.15
U.S. Senate Gets Cracking & Passes National Lobster Day Bill
WASHINGTON, DC - Any day is a great day to enjoy lobster, but this fall there will be added incentive to crack into New England's most famous crustacean: the U.S. Senate today unanimously approved a resolution designating Friday, September 25, 2015 as "National Lobster Day." The resolution, cosponsored by U.S. Senators Jack Reed (D-RI), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), and five New England colleagues, recognizes the historic and economic importance of the lobster industry to Rhode Island and other st… Continue Reading
08.05.15
U.S. Senate Approves Whitehouse-Vitter Estuary Legislation
Washington, D.C. - The U.S. Senate today unanimously approved bipartisan legislation authored by Sens. Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) and David Vitter (R-LA) to reauthorize the National Estuary Program (NEP). The program was first established in 1987 by the late Senator John Chafee (R-RI) to protect and restore estuarine habitats threatened by pollution and overdevelopment. Authorization for this important program expired in 2010. "Estuaries provide vital ecosystems for fisheries and wildlife, and… Continue Reading
08.03.15
Sen. Whitehouse Praises Clean Power Plan
Providence, RI - Today, as President Obama prepares to unveil his much-anticipated Clean Power Plan, U.S. Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) held a press conference with National Grid Rhode Island President Tim Horan and RI Office of Energy Resources Commissioner Marion Gold to discuss how the plan will benefit people and businesses in Rhode Island and across the country. The plan will, for the first time, require states to reduce carbon pollution from existing coal-fired power plants - the sing… Continue Reading
07.31.15
Whitehouse, Langevin, & Cicilline Mark 50 Years of Medicare & Medicaid in Rhode Island
Providence, RI - Today, U.S. Senator Sheldon Whitehouse and Congressmen Jim Langevin and David Cicilline joined seniors, leading health care providers and insurers, AARP of Rhode Island, and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Medicare and Medicaid programs. The event was held in Providence at the PACE Organization of Rhode Island, which coordinates a range of health care services for individuals on Medicare and Medicaid. President Lyndon B… Continue Reading
07.30.15
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
