Press Releases
Whitehouse Applauds Senate Action to Extend Federal Job Growth Program
Washington, DC - U.S. Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) released the statement below today regarding the approval by the U.S. Senate of legislation to extend the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) programs: "In this tough economy, it's important to give our small businesses the support they need to grow and create jobs. These programs have helped keep our state and our country at the forefront of worldwide research and development efforts sin… Continue Reading
11.29.11
Senate Approves Amendment to Combat Counterfeit Products Sold to the Military
Washington, DC - The U.S. Senate today unanimously approved an amendment to a key Defense funding bill which includes a measure from U.S. Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) to crack down on criminals who traffic in counterfeit military products. The bipartisan Combating Military Counterfeits Act, which was cosponsored by Senators Leahy (D-VT), Hatch (R-UT), McCain (R-AZ), Kyl (R-AZ), Graham (R-SC), Klobuchar (D-MN), Coons (D-DE), and Blumenthal (D-CT), was included in a larger amendment offered b… Continue Reading
11.28.11
Whitehouse Encourages Seniors to Take Advantage of Medicare Open Enrollment Period
Providence, RI - U.S. Senator Sheldon Whitehouse has prepared a special web page with resources for Rhode Islanders on Medicare who are making decisions about their coverage during the Medicare Open Enrollment period. Open Enrollment, which ends this year on December 7th, is the one time each year that Medicare beneficiaries can review the Medicare policy choices available for the coming year and choose the one that is right for them. Whitehouse's Medicare Open Enrollment Resources page can be … Continue Reading
11.16.11
Senators Introduce Climate Change Adaptation Legislation
Washington, DC - With incidents of prolonged drought, rising sea levels, and flooding on the rise, U.S. Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), a member of the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee (EPW), introduced a bill today to require federal natural resource agencies to plan for the projected long-term effects of climate change, and encourage states to prepare natural resources adaptation plans. The Safeguarding America's Future and Environment Act (SAFE) Act also would create a science… Continue Reading
11.10.11
Whitehouse Applauds Decision to Reassess Keystone XL Pipeline
Washington, DC - U.S. Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) released the statement below today following the State Department's announcement that it would reassess the proposed route of the Keystone XL pipeline, which would carry tar sands oil from Canada to the Gulf of Mexico. "I applaud President Obama's decision to reassess the route of the Keystone XL pipeline. Serious questions have been raised regarding the safety of the pipeline, the adequacy of the project's environmental review, and the wi… Continue Reading
11.10.11
Whitehouse Applauds Senate Passage of Bill to Boost Jobs for Veterans
Washington, DC - U.S. Senator Sheldon Whitehouse released the statement below today following the Senate's approval of the VOW to Hire Heroes Act of 2011, which will help our veterans find jobs after returning from active duty. "Since September 11th, our military servicemen and women have faced huge demands, and have risen to every challenge. Yet, for too long, unemployment has been disproportionately high among our veterans. This legislation will help reverse that trend by providing tax cred… Continue Reading
11.10.11
Whitehouse Hearing Demonstrates Potential Benefits of Health Care Delivery System Reform
Washington, DC - Today, as the Congressional "supercommittee" continues looking for ways to reduce our federal deficit and with House Republicans this year pushing for cuts in Medicare, U.S. Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) brought together a panel of experts to discuss ways to reduce the skyrocketing costs in our health care system while improving the quality of care people receive. Whitehouse chaired a hearing of the Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee to examine the Obam… Continue Reading
11.09.11
Senate Committee Approves Bill to Fund RI Transportation Infrastructure
Washington, DC - The U.S. Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works today approved legislation re-authorizing federal transportation funding for the next two years. U.S. Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), a member of the Committee, supported the re-authorization, which prevents the harmful cuts in transportation funding proposed by House Republicans. "In Rhode Island and across the country, the infrastructure that helped build our great economy is crumbling," said Whitehouse. "We badly n… Continue Reading
11.08.11
Senators Introduce Legislation Empowering States to Protect Consumers from Abusive Lending
Stop Wall Street From Taking Advantage of Struggling Families Washington, DC - With public frustration growing over the unfair practices of big banks, U.S. Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) introduced a bill today to protect consumers by restoring the ability of states to set limits on credit card and other consumer loan interest rates. The Empowering States' Rights to Protect Consumers Act would amend the Truth in Lending Act of 1968 to clarify that all consumer lenders-regardless of their… Continue Reading
11.02.11
Whitehouse Joins President to Push for Infrastructure Jobs
Washington, D.C. - Today U.S. Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) joined President Barack Obama at a press conference to urge support for legislation that will put Americans back to work and help rebuild our aging transportation infrastructure. Senator Whitehouse is an original cosponsor of the Rebuild America Jobs Act, which would provide immediate investments to improve roads and bridges, and would help establish a new "infrastructure bank" to fund future projects. During his remarks today, P… Continue Reading
11.01.11
Senators Introduce Constitutional Amendment to Clean Up Campaign Finance System
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Tom Udall and Michael Bennet today introduced a constitutional amendment to grant Congress the authority to regulate the campaign finance system. Among other important reforms, the amendment would allow Congress to correct the controversial Citizens United v. FEC Supreme Court ruling on campaign finance that has the effect of allowing virtually unlimited corporate and special interest spending in elections. Joining Udall and Bennet as original cosponsors of the legis… Continue Reading
10.25.11
Senators Urge Supercommittee to Reduce Debt Through Clean Energy and Conservation
Washington, DC - With less than five weeks until the Joint Select Committee on Deficit Reduction is due to submit its plan to reduce the long-term national debt, a group of U.S. Senators sent a letter to the Democratic and Republican Co-Chairs of the committee urging them to seek savings in federal energy costs through a number of clean energy and energy efficiency strategies. U.S. Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) led the letter, which was also signed by Senators Barbara Boxer (D-CA), Richard … Continue Reading
10.24.11
Whitehouse Applauds New Obama Administration Effort on Foreclosures
Providence, RI - U.S. Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) is applauding today's announcement by the Obama Administration that the Home Affordable Refinance Program (HARP) will be expanded to help more families avert foreclosure. Earlier this month, Whitehouse joined a bipartisan group of Senators in writing to Administration officials to urge that they help more homeowners refinance their mortgages to reduce monthly payments and take advantage of record-low interest rates. Whitehouse is also a c… Continue Reading
10.21.11
Whitehouse Applauds US Troop Withdrawal from Iraq
Washington, DC - U.S. Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) released the following statement today after President Obama announced that all U.S. troops would be withdrawn from Iraq by the end of the year. "I applaud President Obama for standing by his pledge to pull all troops out of Iraq by the end of the year. After years of hard fighting and billions of dollars spent, it is time to conclude the war in Iraq. I look forward to having our Iraq veterans home for the holidays in Rhode Island this yea… Continue Reading
10.21.11
Senate Committee Approves Key Education Bill
Washington, DC - The U.S. Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) has approved bipartisan legislation to re-authorize the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) - a law which was last updated under President Bush's "No Child Left Behind" initiative in 2001. The legislation approved by the Committee will eliminate some of the more burdensome requirements of the "No Child Left Behind" law, and also contains a key provision to improve our nation's middle schools whi… Continue Reading
10.20.11
Whitehouse Statement on Passing of John Hardiman
Washington, DC - U.S. Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) issued the following statement today honoring Rhode Island Public Defender John Hardiman, who passed away yesterday: "Today my thoughts and prayers are with the family of John Hardiman, who dedicated his life to upholding the law and ensuring fair access to our system of justice for all Rhode Islanders," said Whitehouse, a former U.S. Attorney and Attorney General for Rhode Island. "I'm grateful that I got to know and work with John during… Continue Reading
10.19.11
RI Seniors to Receive First Social Security Boost in Three Years
Washington, DC - U.S. Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) today applauded an announcement by the Social Security Administration that seniors will receive an increase in their benefits next year for the first time since 2009. Rhode Island seniors and disabled people receiving Social Security benefits will see a cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) of 3.6 percent in their monthly checks starting in January. "This is welcome news for Rhode Island seniors struggling to stay afloat in this tough economy,"… Continue Reading
10.13.11
U.S. Senators Introduce Bill to Create a New National Historical Park in the Blackstone Valley
WASHINGTON, DC - In an effort to preserve the industrial heritage and natural and cultural resources of the Blackstone Valley, and help provide economic development opportunities for the region, U.S. Senators Jack Reed (D-RI), John Kerry (D-MA), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), and Scott Brown (R-MA) today introduced bipartisan legislation to create the John H. Chafee Blackstone River Valley National Historical Park. As the birthplace of the American Industrial Revolution, this area is a national tre… Continue Reading
10.12.11
Whitehouse: We Must Take Action to Create Jobs
Washington, DC - Yesterday evening, U.S. Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) called on his Senate colleagues to work together to create jobs for the American people. In a speech submitted to the Congressional Record, Whitehouse urged passage of President Obama's American Jobs Act, and shared the story of a Narragansett family struggling to make ends meet to highlight the need for immediate action. "With 61,000 Rhode Islanders and millions of Americans currently looking for jobs, we must take swif… Continue Reading
10.12.11
Thousands of RI Seniors Benefitting from “Doughnut Hole” Fix
Washington, DC - Last year, as part of the health care reform law, U.S. Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) helped lead the successful fight to end the Medicare Part D prescription drug "doughnut hole" which leaves thousands of Rhode Island seniors paying the total cost of their prescription drugs every year. According to a recently released report by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, more than 6,700 Rhode Island seniors have received prescription drug discounts as a result of the la… Continue Reading
