Press releases
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796 rows where state = "RI" and year = 2015 sorted by date descending
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| http://cicilline.house.gov/press-release/cicilline-leads-house-effort-fully-fund-blackstone-river-valley-national-park | Cicilline Leads House Effort to Fully Fund Blackstone River Valley National Park | 2015-12-31 | 2015 | 2015-12 | Democrat | House | RI | David Cicilline | C001084 | cicilline.house.gov | legacy | PAWTUCKET One year after leading the effort in the U.S. House to establish the Blackstone River Valley National Historical Park, U.S. Congressman David N. Cicilline (D-RI) helped secure full funding for the new National Parks operations in 2016. The creation of the Blackstone River Valley National Historical Park will help preserve the legacy of Rhode Islands role as the birthplace of the American Industrial Revolution, said Cicilline, who led a letter to the Chairman and Ranking Member of the House Appropriations Committees Subcommittee on Interior, Environment and Related Agencies to request robust funding for the National Park Service. I am delighted that the Federal government will provide full funding to support our new National Park in 2016. I look forward to continuing to work with community leaders in Rhode Island as this process moves ahead. Earlier this month, Congress passed legislation to fund the federal government through September 2016. Included in the bill, which President Obama has signed into law, is $927,000 in funding to fully support operations at the Blackstone River Valley National Historical Park. Last year, Cicilline introduced and the U.S. House Committee on Natural Resources later approved the Blackstone River Valley National Historical Park Establishment Act (H.R. 706). The legislation was later included as part of the National Defense Authorization Act that President Obama signed into law in December 2014. The Blackstone River Valley National Park is comprised of sites and districts in both Rhode Island and Massachusetts including the Blackstone River and its tributaries; the Blackstone Canal; the non-contiguous nationally significant historic districts of Old Slater Mill in Pawtucket; the villages of Slatersville (in North Smithfield) and Ashton (in Cumberland) Rhode Island; and Whitinsville and Hopedale in Massachusetts. Spanning from Worcester, MA to Providence, RI, the Blackstone River Valley is the Birthplace of the American Industrial Revolution. The Valleys beauty and hi… | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| http://cicilline.house.gov/press-release/increased-funding-alzheimer%E2%80%99s-research-federal-spending-bill-will-benefit-rhode-island | Increased Funding for Alzheimers Research in Federal Spending Bill Will Benefit Rhode Island | 2015-12-31 | 2015 | 2015-12 | Democrat | House | RI | David Cicilline | C001084 | cicilline.house.gov | legacy | PAWTUCKET During negotiations over federal spending for 2016, U.S. Congressman David N. Cicilline (D-RI) successfully advocated to significantly increase funding for Alzheimers disease research. The increase in available funding will also create new opportunities for colleges and universities in Rhode Island, including the University of Rhode Island, which received nearly $14 million in 2012 to improve care for individuals with Alzheimers disease. Currently, available treatments for Alzheimers disease are only able to provide modest relief of symptoms over time, while effective long-term treatments and preventative measures are not yet available. Funding for Alzheimers research is not keeping pace with Medicare and Medicaid spending, Cicilline wrote in a letter to the Chair and Ranking Member of the House Appropriations Committee. The federal spending bill passed by Congress earlier this month expanded funding for Alzheimers research from $586 million in 2015 to $936 million in 2016 an increase of nearly 60%. The increase in funding for Alzheimer's initiatives will expand resources available through theU.S. Department of Health and Human Services, including theNational Alzheimer's Project. The Secretary of Health and Human Serviceswill be required to coordinate Alzheimer's disease research and services across all federal agencies to accelerate the development of treatments that would prevent, halt, or reverse the course of Alzheimer's disease. This includes vital NIH research efforts to identify research priorities andmilestonesas well as expand research aimed at preventing and treating Alzheimer's. According to the Alzheimers Association, more than 5.3 million Americans, including 22,000 Rhode Islanders, are living with Alzheimers disease today. By 2025, the number of Americans with Alzheimers disease is expected to increase to 7.1 million. Experts believe robust funding for Alzheimers research could help develop a cure by 2025. The development of a treatment by 2025 could save the United States as much … | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| http://cicilline.house.gov/press-release/cicilline-releases-2015-year-end-report | Cicilline Releases 2015 Year-End Report | 2015-12-30 | 2015 | 2015-12 | Democrat | House | RI | David Cicilline | C001084 | cicilline.house.gov | legacy | PAWTUCKET U.S. Congressman David N. Cicilline today released a 2015 Year-End Report that highlights some of the work his office completed this year in four key areas: getting Rhode Islanders back to work, promoting efficiency in government, delivering federal resources to Rhode Island, and leading on critical policy issues. As 2015 draws to a close, I am extraordinarily grateful for the opportunity you have given me to represent you in the Congress of the United States, wrote Cicilline. The progress we have made would never have been possible if it werent for the active support and engagement I have received from folks all across Rhode Islands First District. I want to sincerely thank you for the work that you do. It is an honor to serve on your behalf. A copy of Congressman Cicillines 2015 Year-End Report can be downloaded by clicking here. Among the highlights included in the report are: Helped deliver $335.5 million in federal funding back to Rhode Island. Introduced and passed the Brickle Amendment into law, requiring the Departments of Defense and State to publicly document their work to notify American manufacturers regarding overseas procurement opportunities. Worked with Republican Congressman Steve Chabot to introduce and pass the Small Business Investment Company Capital Act through the House to expand access to capital for small businesses. Assisted with 1,437 constituent requests for casework, including help with Social Security benefits, IRS tax refunds, health care services, and more. Responded to 20,883 letters and emails from constituents. -30- | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://www.reed.senate.gov/news/releases/reed-casey-seek-to-raise-student-achievement-by-improving-teacher-preparation | Reed, Casey Seek to Raise Student Achievement by Improving Teacher Preparation | 2015-12-29 | 2015 | 2015-12 | Democrat | House | RI | Jack Reed | R000122 | www.reed.senate.gov | legacy | 12/29/2015CRANSTON, RI In an effort to boost student achievement in the classroom, U.S. Senators Jack Reed (D-RI) and Bob Casey (D-PA) have introduced the Educator Preparation Reform Act, aimed at better preparing teachers, principals, librarians, and other school leaders by developing the skills and knowledge they need to be effective and profession-ready on day one. The Educator Preparation Reform Act would overhaul federal laws governing teacher preparation, including reporting requirements, accountability provisions, and the TEACH Grant scholarship program. Earlier this month, the Washington Post reported that many high poverty schools struggle to fill their teaching positions and rely on a rotating cast of substitutes. The report went on to explain that inner-city schools tend to employ teachers who are more inexperienced than the hires at affluent schools, and the teachers often are not adequately trained for the intense environments they will face. We need to help motivated teachers and principals so they hit the ground running, especially in our highest need schools. We know that quality teachers and principals make a real positive difference for kids and help raise student achievement in the classroom. If we want to improve our schools, it is essential that teachers, principals, and other educators have a comprehensive system that supports their preparation, professional growth, and development, before the first day of school and continuing throughout their careers. There is a looming shortage of fully-prepared teachers and we must do better by our students and our schools. The legislation were introducing today encourages an increased level of investment in our teachers for the sake of our students, said Senator Reed. When children learn more at an early age they earn more later in life. One of the keys to helping our children learn more at a young age is a teacher who is ready to enrich students from day one, Senator Casey said. Giving our nations teachers the tools to succeed is an essential part… | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://www.reed.senate.gov/news/releases/reed-newly-passed-tax-benefits-will-help-working-riers-businesses-and-long-term-unemployed | Reed: Newly Passed Tax Benefits will Help Working RIers, Businesses, & Long-Term Unemployed | 2015-12-28 | 2015 | 2015-12 | Democrat | House | RI | Jack Reed | R000122 | www.reed.senate.gov | legacy | 12/28/2015PROVIDENCE, RI In an effort to help working families keep more of the money they earn, boost Rhode Islands economy, and provide local businesses with the financial stability and certainty they need to succeed, U.S. Senator Jack Reed helped pass legislation earlier this month to enhance and extend several targeted tax benefits. Attached to the omnibus appropriations bill that Congress passed on December 18 was a tax extenders package that includes several provisions supported by Senator Reed designed to help working families and grow our economy. The extenders package includes an expanded Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) and improvements to the Child Tax Credit (CTC), the American Opportunity Tax Credit, and the Work Opportunity Tax Credit. And in an effort intended to spur innovation, the bill also permanently extends the Research and Development Tax Credit and extends tax credits for investments in clean, renewable energy that will support green jobs in Rhode Island. We need a multi-faceted approach to growing our economy and increasing living standards for working families, said Senator Reed. Congress recently passed a law providing significant tax relief for hardworking Rhode Islanders. I hope businesses will follow through on the bill's provisions which are intended to encourage more hiring and wage growth. Although I did not support every provision in the tax extenders package, I voted for the bill because it helps working families keep more of their hard earned money and provides the financial certainty businesses need to better plan for the future. Senator Reed, who earlier this year cosponsored the Working Families Tax Relief Act of 2015, outlined several key provisions he supported that will benefit Rhode Island, including: Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC): The new law provides $30 billion to permanently extend an increased credit for working families. The EITC for low- and moderate-income workers rewards work, offsets federal payroll and income taxes, and helps families meet their basic need… | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://www.reed.senate.gov/news/releases/reed-increases-federal-resources-to-confront-heroin-crisis-and-overcome-barriers-to-treatment-and-recovery | Reed Increases Federal Resources to Confront Heroin Crisis & Overcome Barriers to Treatment and Recovery | 2015-12-26 | 2015 | 2015-12 | Democrat | House | RI | Jack Reed | R000122 | www.reed.senate.gov | legacy | 12/26/2015PROVIDENCE, RI In an effort to prevent heroin and prescription drug addiction from cutting short more lives in Rhode Island and nationwide, U.S. Senator Jack Reed is working to increase resources for Rhode Island and expand access to life-saving treatment for those in need. Whether it is helping an individual recover from addiction or helping entire communities overcome this opiate epidemic, they both require a multi-faceted, sustained approach. It also takes a real investment in resources. That is why I am working at the federal level to deliver additional funding to help communities across Rhode Island reduce abuse of opioids and prescription drugs. We need to improve addiction recovery outcomes and ensure people who need help have access to life saving treatments, said Reed. No community is immune to this problem and we have to overcome barriers to treatment." This week, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) released a report showing that drug overdose-induced deaths reached a record high last year, with 47,000 Americans lives being cut short. In Rhode Island, 241 people died from overdoses last year, an increase from 232 fatal overdoses in 2013, according to the Rhode Island Department of Health. Senator Reed, a senior member of the Appropriations Committee, helped include a provision to provide $7 million to fund anti-heroin task forces within the Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS) program. Rhode Island may compete for competitive grants from this pot of funding for improving drug prevention strategies, including investigations and activities related to stopping the distribution of heroin or unlawful diversion and distribution of prescription opioids. The bill also provides $12 million in funding for residential drug treatment, $13 million for prescription drug monitoring, and $42 million for drug courts and the CDCs state-based anti-drug program. We need coordinated action to save lives and help people struggling with addiction to heroin and drugs. This federal funding… | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| http://cicilline.house.gov/press-release/cicilline-celebrates-christmas-us-troops-serving-iraq | Cicilline Celebrates Christmas with U.S. Troops Serving in Iraq | 2015-12-25 | 2015 | 2015-12 | Democrat | House | RI | David Cicilline | C001084 | cicilline.house.gov | legacy | PAWTUCKET U.S. Congressman David N. Cicilline spent the Christmas holidays in Baghdad, Iraq where he thanked American troops for their service and sacrifice during the holiday season. During his visit, Cicilline met and had dinner with Rhode Islanders who are among the 3,000 American troops currently serving in Iraq. Cicilline, who serves on the House Foreign Affairs Committee, also participated in multiple briefings on the status of American military operations in the region. It was an incredibly humbling experience to spend Christmas in Iraq with the brave men and women of the United States Armed Forces and to have the opportunity to thank them on behalf of all Rhode Islanders. Our troops and their families are making extraordinary sacrifices in service to our nation and their example is an inspiration to us all, said Cicilline. Those who have served our country in uniform embody the very best that our country has to offer. They deserve our strong support and deep gratitude. I wish all of our troops, their families, and loved ones a safe and happy holiday. | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://www.reed.senate.gov/news/releases/-president-signs-reed-backed-bill-to-improve-access-to-bone-marrow-and-cord-blood-treatments-and-transplants | President Signs Reed-backed Bill to Improve Access to Bone Marrow & Cord Blood Treatments and Transplants | 2015-12-24 | 2015 | 2015-12 | Democrat | House | RI | Jack Reed | R000122 | www.reed.senate.gov | legacy | 12/24/2015WASHINGTON, DC - In an effort to help thousands of patients suffering from diseases requiring bone marrow and cord blood transplants, President Obama signed the Stem Cell Therapeutic and Research Reauthorization Act of 2015 into law. This critical measure, which was co-authored by U.S. Senators Orrin Hatch (R-UT) and Jack Reed (D-RI), reauthorizes the National Marrow Donor Program and the National Cord Blood Inventory, renewing until 2020 these federal programs for using bone marrow and cord blood to treat diseases and conduct research. This bipartisan law builds upon the highly successful National Marrow Donor Program that has been a lifeline for thousands of transplant patients over the last several decades. It helps bring hope and a second chance at life to thousands of patients in need this year, said Senator Reed. Bone marrow and cord blood transplants continue to offer effective treatments for a number of diseases and disorders, and renewal of this bipartisan law marks a critical step forward in expanding access to lifesaving therapies to millions of patients with conditions that can be treated and even cured with bone marrow or cord blood. Reauthorization of this significant, life-saving bill will advance the important work of the bone marrow and cord blood programs to promote new discoveries within the fields of cellular therapy and regenerative medicine, said Senator Hatch. Enacting this bill will also reaffirm the commitment that Congress made three decades ago to help patients with blood cancers and other life-threatening diseases by increasing access to life-saving transplants. Cord blood is the blood that remains in the placenta and in the attached umbilical cord after childbirth. It is collected and used in research because it is rich in blood-forming stem cells, which can be used to treat a range of diseases. The bill also reauthorizes the C.W. Bill Young Cell Transplantation Program, which houses the National Registry, known as Be the Match; the Office of Patient Advocacy; and the St… | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://www.reed.senate.gov/news/releases/reed-airport-officials-celebrate-completion-of-tf-greens-runway-safety-project | Reed, Airport Officials Celebrate Completion of T.F. Green’s Runway Safety Project | 2015-12-21 | 2015 | 2015-12 | Democrat | House | RI | Jack Reed | R000122 | www.reed.senate.gov | legacy | 12/21/2015WARWICK, RI As the work upgrading T.F. Green Airport continues, U.S. Senator Jack Reed today joined with Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Regional Administrator Amy Corbett, Rhode Island Airport Corporation (RIAC) President and CEO Kelly J. Fredericks, and airport officials to celebrate a new milestone in the airports modernization. A major project to improve the runway safety areas on Runway 16-34 has been completed and brings the runway into compliance with federal safety standards. Workers added an engineered materials arresting system (EMAS) to each end of the runway. EMAS is a bed of high-tech, energy-absorbent blocks that are designed to help safely stop a plane that overshoots the runway on an aborted takeoff or landing. The EMAS beds are comprised of a total of 7,662 individual, crushable blocks. Additionally, the project, which cost about $40 million, includes reconstruction of approximately 1,650 feet of Runway 16-34 and a portion of Taxiway C, as well as improvements to navigational aids and construction related to wetlands mitigation. Safety is our top priority and these new high-tech buffers will enhance safety, particularly for larger planes. I commend RIAC and Rhode Island workers for making these important safety upgrades on time and on budget. The extension of the runway can have a positive impact on job growth and attracting new businesses and visitors to Rhode Island. With this important safety project complete, our attention now can turn to making sure the runway extension project stays on target for completion by the end of 2017, said Senator Reed. In 2011, the FAA approved plans for T.F. Green to extend the primary runway, Runway 5-23, to the south by 1,530 feet to a total length of 8,700 feet. The longer runway will allow for larger, heavier planes which could mean enhanced West Coast and international flight options for travelers. We are grateful to Senator Reed and the Federal Aviation Administration for their steadfast support of T.F. Green Airport and the Airport Ex… | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| http://langevin.house.gov/press-release/langevin-supports-omnibus-spending-bill | Langevin Supports Omnibus Spending Bill | 2015-12-18 | 2015 | 2015-12 | Democrat | House | RI | Jim Langevin | L000559 | langevin.house.gov | legacy | Congressman Jim Langevin (D-RI) today voted to support H.R. 2029, a $1.1 trillion omnibus spending bill to fund the government for fiscal year 2016. The legislation contains several of Langevins priorities, including a boost in funding for respite care services and job training, and support for cybersecurity. While there are elements of this omnibus that trouble me deeply, such as the lifted ban on crude oil exports or the absence of support for gun violence research, this bill represents a truly bipartisan compromise, Langevin said. It brings stability to government and makes investments in important priorities like medical research, education, workforce development, as well as the environment through an extension of tax breaks for solar, wind and other renewable energy producers, and funding for the Land and Water Conservation Fund for three more years. The omnibus spending package provides a $1 million boost for Lifespan Respite Care programs, bringing this years total funding level to $3.36 million. Langevin authored and first introduced the Lifespan Respite Care Act in 2002, and it was signed into law in 2006. The omnibus measure also provides a $2 billion increase in funding for the National Institutes of Health (NIH), and reauthorizes the James Zadroga 9/11 Health and Compensation Act that provides lifetime health care benefits for 9/11 first responders. As co-chair of the Congressional Career and Technical Education Caucus, Langevin applauded the $86 million boost for job training grant funding, calling it a victory for workforce development programs that put people back to work. He likewise lauded the $570 million increase in Head Start funding, noting that early education and intervention programs keep at-risk youth from falling through the cracks and help them find a path to success. Langevin, who co-chairs the Congressional Cybersecurity Caucus, is particularly pleased that the omnibus includes his language from the Cybercrime Antitheft Resale Deterrent Extraterritoriality Revision (CARDER) Act. The C… | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://www.reed.senate.gov/news/releases/congress-passes-omnibus-appropriations-bill-that-benefits-ri | Congress Passes Omnibus Appropriations Bill that Benefits RI | 2015-12-18 | 2015 | 2015-12 | Democrat | House | RI | Jack Reed | R000122 | www.reed.senate.gov | legacy | 12/18/2015WASHINGTON, DC Today Congress approved the $1.15 trillion Fiscal Year 2016 Consolidated and Further Continuing Appropriations bill, also known as the omnibus, that included many important provisions for Rhode Island families. U.S. Senator Jack Reed, a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee and Ranking Member of the panels Transportation, Housing and Urban Development (THUD) Subcommittee, played an important role in crafting key pieces of the bill to help strengthen the economy, create jobs, and make critical investments in Americas future. The THUD section of the bill authored by Reed and THUD Chairman Susan Collins (R-ME) provides a total of $57.3 billion an increase of $3.53 billion over fiscal year 2015 -- for programs that build the U.S. transportation network, support housing programs, and spur economic development. Throughout the year, Senator Reed played a leadership role in working to reverse the harmful sequester caps and helped pass a bipartisan budget agreement to provide $80 billion in sequester relief over the next two years, evenly split between defense and domestic funding. As a result, the omnibus includes increased investments in education, infrastructure, economic development programs, public safety and national security. This bill provides the resources we need to maintain a strong defense and a strong economy. It restores our ability to make critical investments in education, housing, public health, and public safety as well as new resources to strengthen our workforce and grow the middle-class. We were able to include federal funds to boost transportation and community development projects in Rhode Island that will help keep our economy moving forward, said Reed, who highlighted several key areas of the bill that will benefit Rhode Island, including: Strengthening Our Transportation Infrastructure Senator Reed helped increase funds for the Federal-Aid Highway program, resulting in a projected allocation for Rhode Island of $229 million in highway grants and $38 million… | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://www.reed.senate.gov/news/releases/reed-helps-pass-bill-to-better-regulate-toxic-chemicals | Reed Helps Pass Bill to Better Regulate Toxic Chemicals | 2015-12-18 | 2015 | 2015-12 | Democrat | House | RI | Jack Reed | R000122 | www.reed.senate.gov | legacy | 12/18/2015WASHINGTON, DC Late last night the Senate unanimously passed critical legislation to update safety standards for tens of thousands of chemicals that are currently unregulated. U.S. Senator Jack Reed, a cosponsor of the Frank R. Lautenberg Chemical Safety for the 21st Century Act, hailed the bipartisan passage of the bill as an important step toward protecting families from dangerous, unregulated chemicals. The chemical safety reform bill would finally update the Toxic Substances Control Act of 1976 (TSCA) for the first time in nearly 40 years. The 1976 law is deeply flawed because it does not provide the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) with adequate authority to regulate toxic chemicals in commerce. According to the Natural Resources Defense Council, the law allowed 62,000 chemicals to remain on the market without testing when it first passed and over the last several decades the EPA has only required testing for about 200 of those chemicals, and has partially regulated just five. The nations forty year old law regulating toxic chemicals is badly outdated and in need of reform. Passage of this bill brings us a big step closer to setting clearer and stronger regulatory standards when it comes to chemical safety evaluations. These chemicals are found in everything from kids toys to furniture and cleaning and personal items and the American people deserve to know what chemicals they are being exposed to and should have confidence that they are truly safe because the government is doing its due diligence to help protect them. I will continue working with my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to ensure we continue to make progress on this much-needed reform and fortify both strong federal and state regulation of dangerous chemicals, said Reed. The Senate-passed bill would: Require safety reviews for all dangerous chemicals in active commerce literally thousands of chemicals will need review; Going forward, require EPA to review and approve new chemicals that come on the market each year; … | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://www.whitehouse.senate.gov/news/release/congress-reaches-end-of-year-compromise-on-spending-taxes | Congress Reaches End-of-Year Compromise on Spending, Taxes | 2015-12-18 | 2015 | 2015-12 | Democrat | House | RI | Sheldon Whitehouse | W000802 | www.whitehouse.senate.gov | legacy | 12.18.15 Congress Reaches End-of-Year Compromise on Spending, Taxes Whitehouse Worked to Include Oceans Fund, Other Key Provisions Washington, DC Congress today passed a comprehensive legislative package to fund the federal government through September 2016 and extend or make permanent a number of expired or expiring tax incentives. U.S. Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) expressed support for the package, which includes a number of provisions he authored or advocated for. This bipartisan agreement is good news for the economy. It will prevent a catastrophic government shutdown, and add a measure of certainty to the tax code for American families and businesses, said Whitehouse. Im particularly pleased that this legislation establishes, for the first time, a fund dedicated to the protection of our ocean and coastal resources. The agreement also permanently preserves tax credits critical to working families, like the American Opportunity Tax Credit for tuition and college expenses. This deal is far from perfect. I would have preferred, for example, that the tax cuts not add to the deficit. But it includes a number of important measures that will support middle-class jobs, increase access to college, protect our oceans and environment, and boost the renewable energy sector in Rhode Island and across the country. Democrats were able to fend off harmful riders that would have undermined the Clean Water Rule, Clean Power Plan, Endangered Species Act, and other landmark environmental protections. The deal establishes the National Oceans and Coastal Security Fund, a program authored by Whitehouse, which will provide funding for research, conservation, and restoration of our oceans and coasts. The fund will 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 communities across the count… | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://www.whitehouse.senate.gov/news/release/whitehouse-cheers-passage-of-bill-to-protect-the-public-from-toxic-chemicals | Whitehouse Cheers Passage of Bill to Protect the Public from Toxic Chemicals | 2015-12-18 | 2015 | 2015-12 | Democrat | House | RI | Sheldon Whitehouse | W000802 | www.whitehouse.senate.gov | legacy | 12.18.15 Whitehouse Cheers Passage of Bill to Protect the Public from Toxic Chemicals Senate Clears Priority for Rhode Island Officials and Leading Companies Washington, DC Senator Sheldon Whitehouse applauded the Senates unanimous approval last evening of legislation to help protect Americans from toxic chemicals in everyday products by improving the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA). Our main toxic chemicals law hasnt done nearly enough to protect Americans health and our environment. Its stuck states like Rhode Island with the difficult job of protecting the public from complicated chemicals and saddled businesses with a confusing patchwork of rules and regulations, said Whitehouse. This bill will provide consumers with confidence that the products they use are safe. It will also give more certainty to businesses. Im proud of the work weve done to craft this legislation and glad to see it advance. First passed in 1976, TSCA was supposed to protect the public and our environment from new and existing chemicals in the marketplace. However, in the almost 40 years since, the government has only been able to use TSCA to restrict the use of just five chemicals of the tens of thousands in useand even failed to ban asbestos. As a result, potentially harmful chemicals like BPA and flame retardants continue to be used in everyday products, like the thermal paper used at ATMs, couches, and even baby products. This exposes millions of Americans to substances that research suggests could be linked to a range of harmful effects. While allowing states to maintain their toxic chemical protection regimes, the legislation that passed last evening ensures review of all chemicals currently in commerce and that new chemicals are safe before they enter the marketplace. Concerns over the federal governments failure to act have prompted several states, including Rhode Island, to regulate chemical substances on their own, … | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| http://langevin.house.gov/press-release/langevin-statement-tax-extender-package | Langevin Statement on Tax Extender Package | 2015-12-17 | 2015 | 2015-12 | Democrat | House | RI | Jim Langevin | L000559 | langevin.house.gov | legacy | Congressman Jim Langevin (D-RI) issued the following statement in response to the Protecting Americans from Tax Hikes (PATH) Act of 2015, which was approved today by the House by a vote of 318-109: I supported todays tax extenders package with serious reservations. I am deeply dismayed that my Republican colleagues have once again failed to adhere to their oft-stated desire for deficit reduction and fiscal responsibility by crafting a package of tax cuts that are completely unpaid for. I also fear that passing this measure outside the context of comprehensive tax reform will ultimately make our efforts to reach a future bipartisan compromise much more difficult. However, I ultimately believe this proposal contains important provisions that will support working families and invest in our economic future as a nation. For small businesses, this package restores certainty, particularly by making permanent enhanced capital expensing under Section 179, which allows them to invest in the future of their companies and implement a plan for creating jobs. It also permanently authorizes the research and development tax credit that propels innovation and economic growth. And for millions of Americans, I am very pleased to see the inclusion of provisions that we know will keep more money in the pockets of working families, including expanded versions of the Earned Income Tax Credit and child tax credit, as well as the Work Opportunity Tax Credit. This proposal extends important tax provisions that allow families to provide for their children, empower Americans to pursue higher education, and support teachers who give so much to their students and classrooms. | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://www.reed.senate.gov/news/releases/after-reed-urges-action-congress-revives-perkins-student-loan-program | After Reed Urges Action, Congress Revives Perkins Student Loan Program | 2015-12-17 | 2015 | 2015-12 | Democrat | House | RI | Jack Reed | R000122 | www.reed.senate.gov | legacy | 12/17/2015WASHINGTON, DC After months of urging following the programs abrupt expiration in September, U.S. Senator Jack Reed today announced that Congress has passed a two-year extension of the popular Perkins Student Loan Program, a vital federal student lending program utilized by more than 9,000 students in Rhode Island to help them afford their college education. The bipartisan Federal Perkins Loan Program Extension Act of 2015 breathes new life into the program until a long-term solution can be found as part of the reauthorization of the Higher Education Act. The Perkins Loan Program, the nations oldest federal student loan program, has existed with broad bipartisan support since 1958 and has provided more than $28 billion in loans through almost 26 million awards to students in all 50 states. In the last academic year alone, the program lent $1.1 billion to more than half a million students with financial need across more than 1,500 institutions of higher education. For the 2013-14 school year, the program lent over $18 million to more than 9,000 Rhode Island students. Reed called on Congress to revive the program this fall after political infighting and two failed extension votes led to its expiration on September 30th. In October, Senator Reed helped to lead a bipartisan group of 54 Senators in demanding congressional leadership hold a vote and pass legislation to reauthorize the Perkins program as soon as possible. This week, a compromise was reached and Congress voted to extend the life of the program for two more years. Perkins is a cost-effective program that has helped thousands of deserving students in Rhode Island finance their education, and I am pleased to see this lifeline for students and families come back to life. While I am concerned about some of the eligibility changes included in the compromise legislation, this is good news for hardworking young people in need of assistance to afford college. Any future changes to student loan programs should be handled more responsibly so families … | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://www.reed.senate.gov/news/releases/reed-collins-seek-to-prioritize-cybersecurity-at-public-companies-through-sec-disclosures | Reed, Collins Seek to Prioritize Cybersecurity at Public Companies Through SEC Disclosures | 2015-12-17 | 2015 | 2015-12 | Democrat | House | RI | Jack Reed | R000122 | www.reed.senate.gov | legacy | 12/17/2015WASHINGTON, DC In an effort to increase transparency for investors and consumers in an age of persistent cybersecurity threats, U.S. Senators Jack Reed (D-RI) and Susan Collins (R-ME) today introduced the bipartisan Cybersecurity Disclosure Act of 2015. The bill seeks to strengthen and prioritize cybersecurity at publicly traded companies by encouraging the disclosure of cybersecurity expertise, or lack thereof, on corporate boards at these companies. In response to recent data breaches at various companies, which exposed the personal information of millions of customers, the Reed-Collins legislation asks each publicly traded company to include in its Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) disclosures to investors information on whether any member of the companys Board of Directors is a cybersecurity expert, and if not, why having this expertise on the Board of Directors is not necessary because of other cybersecurity steps taken by the publicly traded company. The legislation does not require companies to take any actions other than to provide this disclosure. Cyberattacks on large companies skyrocketed 44% last year over 2013 levels, and cybercrime costs businesses more than $400 billion a year, according to Lloyd's of London. Cybersecurity is one of the most significant and enduring challenges businesses face and should be accounted for as part of the corporate risk management process. Investors and customers deserve a clear understanding of whether public companies are prioritizing cybersecurity and whether they have directors who can play an effective role in cyber-risk oversight, said Senator Reed, a senior member of the Senate Banking Committee. This legislation will highlight how focused firms are in terms of data security and safeguarding private information and should encourage more companies to improve their cybergovernance. For decades the SEC has had the mandate to make sure investors and shareholders have similar information as insiders. Unfortunately, the annual disclosures made by… | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| http://cicilline.house.gov/press-release/cicilline-and-121-house-colleagues-introduce-assault-weapons-ban-2015 | Cicilline and 123 House Colleagues Introduce Assault Weapons Ban of 2015 | 2015-12-16 | 2015 | 2015-12 | Democrat | House | RI | David Cicilline | C001084 | cicilline.house.gov | legacy | WASHINGTON U.S. Congressman David N. Cicilline (D-RI), along with 123 co-sponsors, today introduced the Assault Weapons Ban of 2015 to prohibit the sale, transfer, production, and importation of new military-style weapons and high-capacity magazines that have become the firearm of choice for many mass shooters in the United States. Cicillines legislation also includes new safeguards on the sale or transfer of assault weapons already in circulation. Since 2011, the frequency of mass shootings has increased by a factor of three. And according to one study, more than half of all mass shooters used an assault weapon, a gun with a military-style feature, or a high-capacity magazine. The sole purpose of these types of weapons is to kill as many people as quickly as possible, said Cicilline. It is unconscionable that we continue to allow military-style weapons to be bought and sold while mass shootings are growing more common. This bill is an important first step that will restore some sanity to the way we treat guns in the United States. Congressman Cicillines leadership on the issue of gun violence prevention in our communities has been relentless, said Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi.As we push to expand and strengthen background checks and close the loophole that allows suspected terrorists to buy guns, it is essential that we keep assault weapons out of the hands of those who should not have them. There is no place for dangerous, military-style assault weapons on the streets of America, said House Democratic Whip Steny Hoyer. Since the federal assault weapons ban lapsed in 2004, tens of thousands of people have been killed by high-powered, high-capacity firearms in communities across our country. We must take action, and I commend Rep. Cicilline for leading on this critical issue of public safety. The Assault Weapons Ban of 2015 will prohibit the sale, transfer, production, and importation of: Semi-automatic rifles and handguns with a military-style feature that can accept a detachable magazine; Semi-automatic ri… | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| http://cicilline.house.gov/press-release/delegation-announces-277850-uri-fisheries-research | Delegation Announces $277,850 for URI Fisheries Research | 2015-12-16 | 2015 | 2015-12 | Democrat | House | RI | David Cicilline | C001084 | cicilline.house.gov | legacy | Washington, D.C. Today, the Rhode Island congressional delegation announced $227,850 in National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) funding for a team based at the University of Rhode Island (URI) to research the effects of climate change on Atlantic fisheries. The team will be headed by Dr. Jeremy Collie, a leading researcher at the URI Graduate School of Oceanography (GSO), and will include scientists from NOAAs Northeast Fisheries Science Center (NFSC), Narragansett Laboratory located on URIs Bay Campus. Narragansett Bay and the Atlantic are important drivers for our economy, and we need the best information possible to understand how climate change is affecting these waterways and our local fisheries. Luckily, we have some of the best researchers in this field right here in Rhode Island, and I congratulate Dr. Collie and his team on this award. This federal funding will allow scientists at the URI Graduate School of Oceanography to help us better prepare for the challenges posed by climate change, and make informed decisions about how to adapt to this evolving threat to our environment, said Senator Jack Reed, a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee. Fishermen whose families have made a living on Narragansett Bay and the Atlantic Ocean for generations have told me Sheldon, its getting weird out there. Climate change is disturbing their fisheries in ways were just beginning to understand. We have to learn whats going on to better prepare for changes that are taking place, said Senator Sheldon Whitehouse, a founder and co-chair of the Senate Oceans Caucus. Im glad this federal funding will go to a team led by one of the best oceanographic institutions in the world. Congratulations to Dr. Collie and the GSO on this award. Climate change has a significant impact, not just on the environment of our state, but on our economy as well. This research will shore up fisheries in Rhode Island, creating a more sustainable industry that can better withstand and adapt to a changing climate and the subseq… | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| http://langevin.house.gov/press-release/delegation-announces-277850-uri-fisheries-research | Delegation Announces $277,850 for URI Fisheries Research | 2015-12-16 | 2015 | 2015-12 | Democrat | House | RI | Jim Langevin | L000559 | langevin.house.gov | legacy | Today, the Rhode Island congressional delegation announced $227,850 in National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) funding for a team based at the University of Rhode Island (URI) to research the effects of climate change on Atlantic fisheries. The team will be headed by Dr. Jeremy Collie, a leading researcher at the URI Graduate School of Oceanography (GSO), and will include scientists from NOAAs Northeast Fisheries Science Center (NFSC), Narragansett Laboratory located on URIs Bay Campus. Narragansett Bay and the Atlantic are important drivers for our economy, and we need the best information possible to understand how climate change is affecting these waterways and our local fisheries. Luckily, we have some of the best researchers in this field right here in Rhode Island, and I congratulate Dr. Collie and his team on this award. This federal funding will allow scientists at the URI Graduate School of Oceanography to help us better prepare for the challenges posed by climate change, and make informed decisions about how to adapt to this evolving threat to our environment, said Senator Jack Reed, a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee. Fishermen whose families have made a living on Narragansett Bay and the Atlantic Ocean for generations have told me Sheldon, its getting weird out there. Climate change is disturbing their fisheries in ways were just beginning to understand. We have to learn whats going on to better prepare for changes that are taking place, said Senator Sheldon Whitehouse, a founder and co-chair of the Senate Oceans Caucus. Im glad this federal funding will go to a team led by one of the best oceanographic institutions in the world. Congratulations to Dr. Collie and the GSO on this award. Climate change has a significant impact, not just on the environment of our state, but on our economy as well. This research will shore up fisheries in Rhode Island, creating a more sustainable industry that can better withstand and adapt to a changing climate and the subsequent consequences … | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| http://langevin.house.gov/press-release/langevin-and-mccaul-urge-administration-weigh-wassenaar | Langevin and McCaul Urge Administration to Weigh in on Wassenaar | 2015-12-16 | 2015 | 2015-12 | Democrat | House | RI | Jim Langevin | L000559 | langevin.house.gov | legacy | Congressional Cybersecurity Caucus Co-chairs Congressmen Jim Langevin (D-RI) and Michael McCaul (R-TX) today sent a letter to National Security Advisor Susan Rice urging the Administrations involvement in revising the U.S. implementation of export controls on cybersecurity software. The letter, which is signed by 125 bipartisan Members of Congress, expresses concerns that, without careful tailoring, export controls could have both a chilling effect on research and a negative impact on the nations overall cybersecurity posture. The underlying goal of the export controls, which were agreed to by the 41 member states of the Wassenaar Arrangement, is to restrict the export of hacking tools, or intrusion software, that could be used for cybercrime and illegal surveillance. Although well intended, the legislators argue such terminology is very broadly defined in the original language of the Arrangement and that the Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) did not sufficiently tailor the definition when issuing its draft regulations. As a result, the original rule could have included a number of cybersecurity research products and defensive tools, thereby potentially hindering the ability of network operators to defend against cyber-attack. Langevin and McCaul, along with Congressmen Ted Lieu (D-CA) and David Schweikert (R-AZ), submitted public comments in July outlining flaws in the original draft. BIS has conducted an unprecedented degree of outreach on this issue, and I greatly appreciate their flexibility and transparency, said Langevin, a senior member of the House Committee on Homeland Security and its Subcommittee on Cybersecurity, Infrastructure Protection and Security Technologies. However, I think it is incumbent upon the White House to weigh in and help deconflict the guidance BIS has been receiving from the various agencies, particularly the State Department. This proposed rule and perhaps the underlying agreement itself would have significant unintended consequences for security researchers, cybersecurity pr… | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://www.reed.senate.gov/news/releases/delegation-announces-277850-for-uri-fisheries-research | Delegation Announces $277,850 for URI Fisheries Research | 2015-12-16 | 2015 | 2015-12 | Democrat | House | RI | Jack Reed | R000122 | www.reed.senate.gov | legacy | 12/16/2015WASHINGTON, DC Today, the Rhode Island congressional delegation announced $227,850 in National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) funding for a team based at the University of Rhode Island (URI) to research the effects of climate change on Atlantic fisheries. The team will be headed by Dr. Jeremy Collie, a leading researcher at the URI Graduate School of Oceanography (GSO), and will include scientists from NOAAs Northeast Fisheries Science Center (NFSC), Narragansett Laboratory located on URIs Bay Campus. Narragansett Bay and the Atlantic are important drivers for our economy, and we need the best information possible to understand how climate change is affecting these waterways and our local fisheries. Luckily, we have some of the best researchers in this field right here in Rhode Island, and I congratulate Dr. Collie and his team on this award. This federal funding will allow scientists at the URI Graduate School of Oceanography to help us better prepare for the challenges posed by climate change, and make informed decisions about how to adapt to this evolving threat to our environment, said Senator Jack Reed, a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee. Fishermen whose families have made a living on Narragansett Bay and the Atlantic Ocean for generations have told me Sheldon, its getting weird out there. Climate change is disturbing their fisheries in ways were just beginning to understand. We have to learn whats going on to better prepare for changes that are taking place, said Senator Sheldon Whitehouse, a founder and co-chair of the Senate Oceans Caucus. Im glad this federal funding will go to a team led by one of the best oceanographic institutions in the world. Congratulations to Dr. Collie and the GSO on this award. Climate change has a significant impact, not just on the environment of our state, but on our economy as well. This research will shore up fisheries in Rhode Island, creating a more sustainable industry that can better withstand and adapt to a changing climate and… | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://www.reed.senate.gov/news/releases/reed-boosts-transportation-and-housing-resources-for-ri-in-omnibus-appropriations-bill | Reed Boosts Transportation & Housing Resources for RI in Omnibus Appropriations Bill | 2015-12-16 | 2015 | 2015-12 | Democrat | House | RI | Jack Reed | R000122 | www.reed.senate.gov | legacy | 12/16/2015WASHINGTON, DC Today, the House and Senate Appropriations committees filed a $1.15 trillion fiscal year 2016 omnibus spending bill to fund the federal government through September 30, 2016. U.S. Senator Jack Reed (D-RI), Ranking Member of the Transportation, Housing, and Urban Development and Related Agencies (THUD) Appropriations Subcommittee, played a major role in crafting key pieces of the bill that will help strengthen our economy, create jobs, and make critical investments in Americas future. The THUD section of the bill provides a total of $57.3 billion an increase of $3.53 billion over fiscal year 2015 -- for programs that build our transportation network, support housing programs, and spur economic development. I plan to support this legislation. While imperfect, this compromise appropriations bill goes a long way toward responsibly meeting our most pressing national needs and benefits Rhode Island. This bill will help protect the American people, improve our infrastructure, and wisely invests in education, innovation, and economic growth, said Reed. Speaking about the THUD title of the bill, Reed noted: These investments yield a high rate of return for the American people. We were able to protect critical funding for the FAA, which should help keep improvements for T.F. Green on schedule. The bill includes federal funds to boost transportation and community development projects in Rhode Island that will help keep our economy moving forward. Reed also noted that he helped successfully beat back attempts to add several partisan policy riders to the bill, such as those that would have weakened Wall Street reform, eliminated protections for clean air and water, and interfered with the Consumer Financial Protection Bureaus (CFPB) ability to protect consumers. Reed helped ensure the final the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2016 includes key national investments in several areas, including: Transportation, Housing and Urban Development (T-HUD): $57.3 billion Senator Reed is the Ranking M… | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| http://cicilline.house.gov/press-release/dem-breaks-ground-new-green-beach-pavilion-lincoln-woods | DEM Breaks Ground on New "Green" Beach Pavilion at Lincoln Woods | 2015-12-15 | 2015 | 2015-12 | Democrat | House | RI | David Cicilline | C001084 | cicilline.house.gov | legacy | PROVIDENCE - The Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management is holding a special ceremony today to mark construction on a new green beach pavilion at Lincoln Woods State Park. Lincoln Woods, located just outside the Providence metro area, is one of Rhode Island's most popular state parks, attracting nearly one million visitors each year. Rhode Island is fortunate to have wonderful parks and natural areas where people can experience a beautiful sunset, hike a trail, or catch a fish, said First Gentleman Andy Moffit. Exploring nature provides an opportunity to recharge, connect with family, and promote healthy habits in our children. Its so important to our economy and way of life in Rhode Island that we continue to invest in these special places. I applaud Senator Reed and our Congressional Delegation for their leadership in making this great project at Lincoln Woods possible. The project will modernize facilities and visitor amenities at the Lincoln Woods beach while also improving energy efficiency and enhancing water quality in the lake. Three new buildings, connected by a central plaza, will be constructed; the fully-accessible buildings will house concessions, office space, restroom and shower facilities, and a nature center for educational programming. They were designed both to honor the history and aesthetic of the park as well as reduce their impact on the natural environment through the use of efficient technology, recycled materials, and innovative design strategies. The beach will always be the main attraction, but once it is completed this new facility will really enhance the visitor experience. I was pleased to work with the National Park Service to direct $1.7 million in federal funding to help make this restoration project a reality. The new pavilion offers a major upgrade in both aesthetic and practical terms. It will enhance recreational, educational, and ecological opportunities here at the park and be a model for sustainability, said Reed, the former Chairman of the Interior Appr… | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://www.reed.senate.gov/news/releases/opening-statement-by-ranking-member-jack-reed-sasc-hearing-on-civilian-nominations | Opening Statement by Ranking Member Jack Reed, SASC Hearing on Civilian Nominations | 2015-12-15 | 2015 | 2015-12 | Democrat | House | RI | Jack Reed | R000122 | www.reed.senate.gov | legacy | 12/15/2015OPENING STATEMENT OF U.S. SENATOR JACK REED RANKING MEMBER, SENATE ARMED SERVICES COMMITTEE SD-G50 DIRKSEN SENATE OFFICE BUILDING Tuesday, December 15, 2015 To consider the nominations of: Honorable Patrick J. Murphy to be Under Secretary of the Army; Dr. Janine Anne Davidson to be Under Secretary of the Navy; and Honorable Lisa S. Disbrow to be Under Secretary of the Air Force (As Prepared for Delivery) Thank you very much, Mr. Chairman. I join you in welcoming our nominees, and I thank you for holding this hearing to fill the important positions of Under Secretaries of the military departments. These positions involve significant and challenging duties. If confirmed, I am confident that our nominees are up to the challenge. Former Congressman Patrick Murphy has been nominated to be the Under Secretary of the Army, and I thank him for his willingness to serve in this position of great responsibility. Mr. Murphy was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives in 2006, and in doing so, became the first veteran of Operation Iraqi Freedom to serve in Congress. During his tenure, Mr. Murphy served with distinction on the House Armed Services Committee and the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, and he was an advocate for repealing the Department of Defenses Dont Ask, Dont Tell policy. In my view, it is important to note that Mr. Murphy served as an Assistant Professor at the United States Military Academy during his military service, and has continued his support to the Academy as a member of the Board of Visitors since 2011. Dr. Davidson has been nominated to be Under Secretary of the Navy. Dr. Davidson served on active duty with the Air Force, followed by serving in the private sector, in academia, think tanks, and the federal government, and most recently with the Council on Foreign Relations. Dr. Davidson also served as a Commissioner on the National Commission on the Structure of the Air Force, and currently serves as a member of the Reserve Forces Policy Board. She has … | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://www.reed.senate.gov/news/releases/reed-announces-86m-for-community-development-and-neighborhood-revitalization-throughout-ri | Reed Announces $8.6M for Community Development & Neighborhood Revitalization Throughout RI | 2015-12-15 | 2015 | 2015-12 | Democrat | House | RI | Jack Reed | R000122 | www.reed.senate.gov | legacy | 12/15/2015WASHINGTON, DC - In an effort to help revitalize local neighborhoods and support affordable housing and economic development programs throughout the state, U.S. Senator Jack Reed today announced that Rhode Island will receive over $8,586,000 in federal aid this week through the Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) program, the Home Investment Partnership (HOME) program, and the Emergency Shelter Grant (ESG) program. This federal funding contributes to Rhode Islands total allocation of more than $21 million for these programs for fiscal year 2015. The Rhode Island State Program will receive $4,915,519 in CDBG funds; $3,002,167 in HOME funds; and $668,699 in ESG funds. Eligible communities may apply to the state, which annually allocates the federal CDBG funds through a competitive process. CDBG funds may be used to address a variety of needs from revitalizing distressed areas by improving streetscapes and sidewalks and supporting small businesses, to removing blight and assisting with infrastructure projects. CDBG helps communities make locally driven economic development and other infrastructure improvements that are unique to their needs. By leveraging these federal funds with local resources, cities and towns can help businesses spur economic development and create jobs. HOME is the most flexible federal housing production program that allows Rhode Island to develop affordable housing opportunities for low-income families. ESG serves as a first response to help many homeless families in our communities and ensures they get access to emergency shelter services a critical program in our efforts to prevent and end homelessness throughout the state, said Reed, a senior member of the Banking Committee, which has jurisdiction over CDBG, HOME, and ESG, and the Ranking Member of the Appropriations Subcommittee on Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, and Related Agencies (THUD), which appropriates funds for the programs. I am proud to support these targeted investments for Rhode Island and wil… | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://www.whitehouse.senate.gov/news/speeches/time-to-wake-up-corporate-americas-call-for-climate-action | Time to Wake Up: Corporate America's Call for Climate Action | 2015-12-15 | 2015 | 2015-12 | Democrat | House | RI | Sheldon Whitehouse | W000802 | www.whitehouse.senate.gov | legacy | 12.15.15 Time to Wake Up: Corporate America's Call for Climate Action Mr. President, one of the brightest bright spots at the Paris climate talks last week was the robust corporate presence. Leading businesses and executives from around the world were there in Paris to voice their support for a strong international climate agreement. That brings me here today for the now 122nd time to say that it is time for America's leading corporations and their lobbyists to bring that same message here to Washington to help Congress wake up. Let me use an example of two of the good guys. The two biggest drinks companies in America are Coca-Cola and PepsiCo. Coke and Pepsi both signed this public letter urging strong climate action in Paris: Dear U.S. and global leaders: Now is the time to meaningfully address the reality of climate change. We are asking you to embrace the opportunity presented to you in Paris. ..... We are ready to meet the climate challenges that face our businesses. Please join us in meeting the climate challenges that face the world. And it is not just that public letter; Coca-Cola's Web site says it will reduce CO 2 emissions by 25 percent and that to do so, Coca-Cola will work to reduce the greenhouse gas emissions across its value chain, making comprehensive carbon footprint reductions across its manufacturing processes, packaging formats, delivery fleet, refrigeration equipment and ingredient sourcing. Coca-Cola also says: We continue to partner with peer companies, bottling partners, NGOs, governments and others in addressing our greenhouse gas emissions and encouraging progress in response to climate change. Pepsi's Web site heralds what it calls its commitment to action on climate change and announces that it has signed both the Ceres BICEP Climate Declaration in the United States and the Prince of Wales's Corporate Leaders Group Trillion Tonne Communique in the UK. These commitments, they say, are part of PepsiCo's overall strategy to address climate change by working across its… | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://www.reed.senate.gov/news/releases/reed-ridem-break-ground-on-new-green-beach-pavilion-at-lincoln-woods | Reed, RIDEM Break Ground on New "Green" Beach Pavilion at Lincoln Woods | 2015-12-14 | 2015 | 2015-12 | Democrat | House | RI | Jack Reed | R000122 | www.reed.senate.gov | legacy | 12/14/2015PROVIDENCE, RI -U.S. Senator Jack Reed and the Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management today held a special ceremony to mark construction on a new green beach pavilion at Lincoln Woods State Park. Lincoln Woods, located just outside the Providence metro area, is one of Rhode Island's most popular state parks, attracting nearly one million visitors each year. The beach will always be the main attraction, but once it is completed this new facility will really enhance the visitor experience. I was pleased to work with the National Park Service to direct $1.7 million in federal funding to help make this restoration project a reality. The new pavilion offers a major upgrade in both aesthetic and practical terms. It will enhance recreational, educational, and ecological opportunities here at the park and be a model for sustainability, said Senator Reed, the former Chairman of the Interior Appropriations Committee, which oversees the National Park Services budget. Rhode Island is fortunate to have wonderful parks and natural areas where people can experience a beautiful sunset, hike a trail, or catch a fish, said First Gentleman Andy Moffit. Exploring nature provides an opportunity to recharge, connect with family, and promote healthy habits in our children. Its so important to our economy and way of life in Rhode Island that we continue to invest in these special places. I applaud Senator Reed and our Congressional Delegation for their leadership in making this great project at Lincoln Woods possible. The project will modernize facilities and visitor amenities at the Lincoln Woods beach while also improving energy efficiency and enhancing water quality in the lake. Three new buildings, connected by a central plaza, will be constructed; the fully-accessible buildings will house concessions, office space, restroom and shower facilities, and a nature center for educational programming. They were designed both to honor the history and aesthetic of the park as well as reduce their impact on the natu… | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://www.reed.senate.gov/news/releases/reed-us-coast-guard-celebrate-completion-of-multi-million-dollar-upgrade-to-waterfront-at-naval-station-newport | Reed, U.S. Coast Guard Celebrate Completion of Multi-Million Dollar Upgrade to Waterfront at Naval Station Newport | 2015-12-14 | 2015 | 2015-12 | Democrat | House | RI | Jack Reed | R000122 | www.reed.senate.gov | legacy | 12/14/2015NEWPORT, RI U.S. Senator Jack Reed today was joined by Admiral Linda Fagan, the 1st U.S. Coast Guard District Commander, representatives from the U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) and Naval Station Newport, and Rhode Island construction workers for a ribbon cutting ceremony marking the completion of the new Coast Guard wharf project at Naval Station Newport. A senior member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, Senator Reed worked over the years to secure over $30 million for the Coast Guard and U.S. Navy to upgrade the waterfront area and provide for the construction of an 18,000 square foot, two-story masonry building containing support facilities for the Coast Guard Buoy tenders assigned to Naval Station Newport. This upgrade to the waterfront at Naval Station Newport is critical for the Coast Guard personnel working to defend our coastline, as well as the many other agencies that utilize the base. I was pleased to help direct federal funds home to Rhode Island to make these enhancements and build this new facility. While we count on the Coast Guard and other national security agencies to always be ready, we also need to maintain and improve our infrastructure to make sure that they have the facilities and equipment necessary to carry out their varied missions, said Senator Reed, the Ranking Member of the Senate Armed Services Committee. The project consisted of both shore-side and waterfront improvements to the wharf. Shore-side improvements included construction of a Shore Operations Building, parking area, storm water management system to collect and treat runoff generated from the USCG facility, and demolition of an existing Navy building. The projects waterfront improvements included installing shore tie utilities, cleats, bollards, and fenders for three Coast Guard Cutters (CGCs); paving along the waterfront; dredging of 5,000 cubic yards of material between the piers to deepen water for the maneuvering and berthing of vessels; and extending the sheet pile wall to provide a longer mooring face. Se… | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://www.reed.senate.gov/news/releases/reed-statement-on-international-climate-change-agreement | Reed Statement on International Climate Change Agreement | 2015-12-12 | 2015 | 2015-12 | Democrat | House | RI | Jack Reed | R000122 | www.reed.senate.gov | legacy | 12/12/2015PROVIDENCE, RI U.S. Senator Jack Reed issued the following statement on the announced international agreement to address climate change reached today in Paris: "This is a historic international agreement to responsibly reduce pollution and slow global climate change. "Climate change poses a serious threat to our future and now, for the first time, two hundred countries around the world are pledging to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. "This pact was years in the making and I commend President Obama for his leadership and commitment to bringing people together to help enact meaningful change. "We still have a long way to go, but todays historic agreement is a major step in the right direction." -end- Print Email Tweet | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://www.whitehouse.senate.gov/news/release/whitehouse-applauds-international-climate-accord | Whitehouse Applauds International Climate Accord | 2015-12-12 | 2015 | 2015-12 | Democrat | House | RI | Sheldon Whitehouse | W000802 | www.whitehouse.senate.gov | legacy | 12.12.15 Whitehouse Applauds International Climate Accord Newport, RIU.S. Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) released the following statement on the historic agreement, announced in Paris today, to limit global greenhouse gas emissions: This is a major victory for our climate, our oceans, and our children. The Paris Agreement represents the commitment of over 180 countriesrepresenting approximately 98 percent of greenhouse gas emissions worldwideto avoid the worst effects of climate change like drought, flooding, and extreme weather. It will also speed the transition to a clean energy economy. The Agreement is rigorous, requires transparency, and puts in place a framework to further reduce emissions over time. I applaud Secretary Kerry and our American negotiators and all of the parties involved for coming together for the good of our planet and future generations. ### Print Email Tweet Next Article Previous Article | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://www.reed.senate.gov/news/releases/reed-joins-reach-out-and-read-ri-to-celebrate-prescribe-a-book-act-becoming-law | Reed Joins Reach Out & Read RI to Celebrate ‘Prescribe a Book Act’ Becoming Law | 2015-12-11 | 2015 | 2015-12 | Democrat | House | RI | Jack Reed | R000122 | www.reed.senate.gov | legacy | 12/11/2015PROVIDENCE, RI Today, U.S. Senator Jack Reed joined health professionals and childhood literacy advocates from Reach Out and Read RI at the Chafee Health Center in Providence to celebrate President Obama signing Reeds Prescribe a Book Act into law. Reeds legislation creates federal grant opportunities for pediatric early literacy initiatives, authorizing competitive funding that could be used to help doctors and nurses provide low-income parents with a childrens book to take home at every wellness visit. This marks the first time a pediatric early literacy promotion initiative has been written into federal education policy. The legislation authorizes funding for literacy programs that target at-risk children. This law builds upon the success of Reach Out and Read, an evidence-based organization that addresses the importance of reaching children in the first years of life by incorporating literacy promotion into pediatric care. Coupled with the measures the Senator added into the ESSA to support school libraries along with other literacy provisions, the new law contains an enhanced focus on helping young people read. Literacy is the foundation for learning. Developing and building these skills begins at home, with parents as the first teachers. That is the basis for the Prescribe a Book Act, and its inclusion in the Every Student Succeeds Act is an important step forward. Helping young people learn to read is one of the most important things in terms of setting them along the right path and helping them develop the skills theyll need to be successful. This initiative empowers parents to help their kids and provides them with free books to get started, said Senator Reed, the author of the bipartisan Prescribe a Book Act, which was cosponsored by Senator Chuck Grassley (R-IA). There are 250 medical providers participating in Rhode Islands Reach Out and Read program, which serves over 31,000 children annually and distributed more than 57,000 books last year. Senator Reed visited the participating Provid… | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://www.whitehouse.senate.gov/news/release/senate-approves-whitehouse-bill-to-protect-servicemembers-from-foreclosure | Senate Approves Whitehouse Bill to Protect Servicemembers from Foreclosure | 2015-12-11 | 2015 | 2015-12 | Democrat | House | RI | Sheldon Whitehouse | W000802 | www.whitehouse.senate.gov | legacy | 12.11.15 Senate Approves Whitehouse Bill to Protect Servicemembers from Foreclosure Washington, DC Last evening, the U.S. Senate unanimously approved Senator Sheldon Whitehouses bill to keep military servicemembers and veterans out of foreclosure and in their homes after transitioning from active duty. Whitehouse has been fighting for years to ensure that those who have served our country and their families are protected from foreclosure as they transition from active-duty service and return to civilian life. Currently, thanks to legislation Whitehouse authored and helped to pass last year, servicemembers are protected from foreclosure for a full year after leaving active-duty service. That provision was due to expire at the end of 2015, meaning foreclosure protections for transitioning servicemembers would revert to just 90 days. The Whitehouse bill that passed yesterday extends the 12-month grace period through the end of 2017. Some of the men and women whove served our country need time to find their financial footing as they leave active service. They should get it, said Whitehouse. Our servicemembers keep us safe from all manner of threats around the globe. Its the least we can do to keep them and their families safe from foreclosure as they transition back to civilian life. Ill keep fighting to make these protections permanent, but Im pleased weve reached a unanimous, bipartisan agreement on a two-year extension. In 2008, Congress first extended the period of foreclosure protection under the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act (SCRA) from 90 days to nine months in response to a report by the Commission on the National Guard and Reserves. The report found that the threat of foreclosure is a stressor that need not be placed on members of the armed forces during the first months of their return to civilian life. In 2012, Senator Whitehouse successfully fought to extend the period of foreclosure protection even further, pushing it to one year. Since then, Whitehouse has succeeded in extending that … | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://www.reed.senate.gov/news/releases/opening-statement-by-ranking-member-jack-reed-sasc-hearing-on-increasing-the-effectiveness-of-military-operations | Opening Statement by Ranking Member Jack Reed, SASC Hearing on Increasing the Effectiveness of Military Operations | 2015-12-10 | 2015 | 2015-12 | Democrat | House | RI | Jack Reed | R000122 | www.reed.senate.gov | legacy | 12/10/2015OPENING STATEMENT OF U.S. SENATOR JACK REED RANKING MEMBER, SENATE ARMED SERVICES COMMITTEE SD-G50 DIRKSEN SENATE OFFICE BUILDING Thursday, December 10, 2015 To receive testimony on increasing effectiveness of military operations (As Prepared for Delivery) Thank you very much, Mr. Chairman. Id like to join you in thanking our distinguished panel of witnesses for their willingness to appear today to discuss ways that we may reform the Department of Defense to improve the effectiveness of military operations. Each of todays witnesses bring a unique perspective to this discussion - whether having directed a geographic combatant command like Admiral Stavridis, led a military service like General Schwartz, or rigorously studied military operations and organizations from an academic standpoint like Dr. Lamb. We have much to learn from your collective experiences and insights. On Tuesday, our hearing highlighted the need to improve the development and production of military strategy, including the Quadrennial Defense Review or QDR. As former Under Secretary of Defense for Policy Michele Flournoy said, Over the years the QDR has become a routinized, bottom-up staff exercise that includes hundreds of participants and consumes many thousands of man-hours, rather than a top-down leadership exercise that sets clear priorities, makes hard choices and allocates risk. I hope that todays witnesses will build upon that discussion by helping us to understand what organizational, process, and cultural changes may be necessary to better implement military strategy. Specifically, I hope our witnesses will focus on: The role and authorities assigned to the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, including whether the Chairman should be placed in the chain of command for military operations; Improving the employment and synchronization of military capabilities through possible structural reforms to our combatant commands, defense agencies, and field activities; and The potential benefits of adopting organiza… | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://www.reed.senate.gov/news/releases/senate-democrats-offer-plan-to-enhance-national-security-and-defeat-isis | Senate Democrats Offer Plan To Enhance National Security and Defeat ISIS | 2015-12-10 | 2015 | 2015-12 | Democrat | House | RI | Jack Reed | R000122 | www.reed.senate.gov | legacy | 12/10/2015WASHINGTON, DC This week, Senate Democrats released legislation, S.2377, to help defeat ISIS abroad while enhancing homeland security programs to protect the United States. The legislation is the culmination of proposals from the appropriate committees of jurisdiction. While the federal government is taking extraordinary measures to protect Americans, Senate Democrats believe additional action should be taken to address the threats from terrorism, including: Defeating ISIS Abroad Creating a new ISIS czar who would be fully empowered and in charge of the United States efforts to defeat ISIS. Cutting off ISIS access to money by imposing tough new sanctions on financial institutions if they knowingly facilitate financial transactions with ISIS. Intensifying airstrikes on ISIS strongholds and oil supplies. Increasing support for local forces fighting ISIS on the ground. Creating a new stabilization fund for Jordan and Lebanon to help those fleeing the conflict in Syria stay in the region, closer to their own homes. Confirming key national security positions necessary to fighting ISIS, such as Adam Szubin as Under Secretary for Terrorism and Financial Crimes at the Treasury Department. Improving intelligence sharing with our allies and partners. Improving migrant screening in Europe Developing a comprehensive strategy to counter ISIS propaganda and counter violent-extremism. Keeping America Safe Reforming the Visa Waiver Program by requiring the universal use of machine-readable, electronic passports in order to participate in the program. Closing the terrorist gun loophole which would stop individuals who are known or suspected terrorists from purchasing a gun. Strengthening aviation security by improving screening technology and Transportation Security Officers (TSOs) training, including tougher vetting and oversight of aviation workers and secure areas within airports. Locking down dirty bomb materials by requiring the federal government to issue a strategy for locking down the hig… | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| http://cicilline.house.gov/press-release/after-school-advocates-applaud-cicilline%E2%80%99s-work-include-new-strengthened-provisions | After School Advocates Applaud Cicillines Work to Include New, Strengthened Provisions in Education Bill | 2015-12-09 | 2015 | 2015-12 | Democrat | House | RI | David Cicilline | C001084 | cicilline.house.gov | legacy | WASHINGTON Rhode Island education and after school advocates praised U.S. Congressman David N. Cicilline today for his work to include after school initiatives in the Every Student Succeeds Act that passed the U.S. House of Representatives last week. This is a big win for Rhode Island students, said Cumberland High School Principal and 2016 NASSP National Principal of the Year Alan Tenreiro. Expanding the range of student support services we need, including after school programs, will help more young people get the help they need outside the classroom. I thank Congressman Cicilline for getting this work done for our state. The Every Student Succeeds Act, which reauthorizes the Elementary and Secondary Education Act through Fiscal Year 2020, resulted from negotiations between House and Senate conferees. The bill passed the House by an overwhelming 359-64 vote on Wednesday. Cicilline successfully lobbied the House and Senate conferees to include provisions he originally introduced earlier this year as part of the Community Partnerships in Education Act in order to strengthen after school efforts across the nation. The Every Student Succeeds Act is now expected to be considered by the U.S. Senate as early as next week. As Providence residents already know, effective after school initiatives help young people succeed from the moment they wake up in the morning until they go to bed at night, said Providence After School Alliance Executive Director Hillary Salmons. PASA applauds Congressman Cicilline for his work to include new and effective after school initiatives in the education bill, which will benefit young people all across Rhode Island. Among the provisions proposed by Cicilline are: Requirements for school districts to engage with community partners and intermediaries when applying for federal grants and implementing state and local education plans; New federal grants for states and school districts to support drug and violence prevention, healthy lifestyles, and social development skills; Reauthorization o… | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://www.reed.senate.gov/news/releases/congress-passes-major-k-12-education-reform-legislation-2015 | Congress Passes Major K-12 Education Reform Legislation | 2015-12-09 | 2015 | 2015-12 | Democrat | House | RI | Jack Reed | R000122 | www.reed.senate.gov | legacy | 12/09/2015WASHINGTON, DC In an effort to raise student achievement in the classroom, increase flexibility for states and school districts, and provide schools and teachers with new resources and support, the U.S. Senate today voted 85-12 to pass a major overhaul of federal education law known as the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA), which reauthorizes the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 and aims to fix the broken Bush-era No Child Left Behind (NCLB) education law that was adopted nearly fourteen years ago. The bipartisan bill includes several key provisions written by U.S. Senator Jack Reed to improve K-12 education in the United States. We must fulfill the promise of a high-quality education for all students. This legislation empowers schools to raise student achievement and will help provide the resources they need to succeed, said Senator Reed. Throughout this debate, I listened to parents, teachers, and educators and worked with them to ensure the federal government is more responsive to the educational needs of students. Despite its good intentions, No Child Left Behind was underfunded and relied on a top-down approach too focused on standardized testing. Assessment plays a critical role in education, but a strong system of assessment and accountability includes measures beyond standardized test scores. Without these other measures, we risk cheating students of the well-rounded education they deserve. The ESSA should raise the bar and foster stronger federal-state partnerships that will help more students achieve at a high standard. During a speech on the Senate floor Tuesday, Reed pointed out that every day, communities in Rhode Island and across the nation wrestle with how to address large achievement gaps based on wealth, race, ethnicity, and disability status. Underlying those achievement gaps we see are gaps in opportunity, he stated. We need to ensure our students have access to critical resources for learning, strong teachers, counselors, and principals, as well as a well-balanced … | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://www.reed.senate.gov/news/releases/congress-tells-schools-to-take-it-outside | Congress Tells Schools to ‘Take It Outside’ | 2015-12-09 | 2015 | 2015-12 | Democrat | House | RI | Jack Reed | R000122 | www.reed.senate.gov | legacy | 12/09/2015New K-12 education law empowers states and schools & includes No Child Left Inside provision to strengthen environmental education and outdoor learning WASHINGTON, DC Today, Congress passed a new K-12 education law that empowers schools, promises more flexibility for states, and reduces the reliance on high-stakes testing in public schools while maintaining strong oversight of student achievement. Included in the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA), a bipartisan bill that replaces the widely-criticized No Child Left Behind Act, is a key provision co-authored by U.S. Senator Jack Reed (D-RI) and Congressman John Sarbanes (D-MD) that will strengthen environmental education programs in schools across the country. The Reed-Sarbanes bill known as the No Child Left Inside (NCLI) Act authorizes funding to help states create environmental education plans and support outdoor learning programs and integrates environmental literacy activities into other key programs. The Every Student Succeeds Act will allow school districts to integrate environmental education into their programs for well-rounded education as well as their afterschool programs. The measure will support environmental education and hands-on, field-based learning experiences in participating schools nationwide. Reed and Sarbanes have been working together since 2007 to pass NCLI to help states and schools build environmental literacy programs, strengthen teacher training, and provide competitive grants to allow schools and non-profits to pay for quality outdoor education programs. Research by the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) shows that children who are allowed to get outdoors during the school day are more attentive in class and better off socially and physically. Environmental education can have a positive impact on kids health, academic achievement, and understanding of the natural world. This bill represents a major step forward, giving schools new opportunities to engage students through environmental education, said Senator Ree… | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://www.reed.senate.gov/news/releases/opening-statement-by-ranking-member-jack-reed-sasc-hearing-on-us-strategy-to-counter-isil | Opening Statement by Ranking Member Jack Reed, SASC Hearing on U.S. Strategy to Counter ISIL | 2015-12-09 | 2015 | 2015-12 | Democrat | House | RI | Jack Reed | R000122 | www.reed.senate.gov | legacy | 12/09/2015OPENING STATEMENT OF U.S. SENATOR JACK REED RANKING MEMBER, SENATE ARMED SERVICES COMMITTEE SD-106 DIRKSEN SENATE OFFICE BUILDING Wednesday, December 9, 2015 To receive testimony on the U.S. strategy to counter the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant and U.S. policy toward Iraq and Syria (As Prepared for Delivery) Thank you very much, Mr. Chairman. Let me join you in welcoming our witnesses. This mornings hearing is timely in light of several recent and concerning events, including ISIL claiming responsibility for the bombing of a Russian airliner, the attacks on innocent civilians in Beirut and Paris, and the deadly attack in San Bernardino by what appear to be self-radicalized individuals. Our hearts go out to the victims of these terrible and senseless tragedies. As the President outlined in his speech to the nation on Sunday, it is critical that the U.S.-led 60-plus-nation Coalition for defeating ISIL pursue a multidimensional approach. The United States and its coalition partners are intensifying their efforts to degrade ISIL militarily and deny their leaders any safe haven; to cut off ISIL financing; to interdict the flow of foreign fighters to ISIL controlled territories; and to counter the spread of ISILs murderous ideology that the President characterized as part of a cult of death. Such an approach will require the careful coordination of the military, intelligence, diplomatic, and law enforcement efforts to combat ISIL across the departments of the U.S. Government and within our coalition. Recently, the Administration announced a number of steps to intensify our military efforts in Iraq and Syria. These include: the deployment of A-10s to Turkey; the addition of special operations forces in northern Syria to assist local forces; and most recently, the announcement by Secretary Carter last week of the intent to deploy, in full coordination with the Government of Iraq, an expeditionary targeting force to assist the Iraqi and Kurdish security forces in removing ISIL leaders from t… | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://www.reed.senate.gov/news/videos/reed-introduces-ri-public-defender-mary-mcelroy-at-hearing-on-nomination-to-the-us-district-court | Reed Introduces RI Public Defender Mary McElroy at Hearing on Nomination to the U.S. District Court | 2015-12-09 | 2015 | 2015-12 | Democrat | House | RI | Jack Reed | R000122 | www.reed.senate.gov | legacy | U.S. Senator Jack Reed introduced Rhode Island Public Defender Mary McElroy to the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee on December 9, 2015 at a hearing on her nomination to the U.S. District Court for Rhode Island. | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://www.whitehouse.senate.gov/news/release/judiciary-committee-holds-hearing-on-mcelroys-nomination-for-us-district-court-for-rhode-island | Judiciary Committee Holds Hearing on McElroy’s Nomination for U.S. District Court for Rhode Island | 2015-12-09 | 2015 | 2015-12 | Democrat | House | RI | Sheldon Whitehouse | W000802 | www.whitehouse.senate.gov | legacy | 12.09.15 Judiciary Committee Holds Hearing on McElroys Nomination for U.S. District Court for Rhode Island Washington, D.C. The Senate Judiciary Committee today held a hearing to consider Mary McElroys nomination to be a United States District Judge for the District of Rhode Island, the states federal trial court which has jurisdiction to hear nearly all categories of federal cases, including both civil and criminal matters. Ms. McElroy currently serves as Rhode Islands top public defender, and if confirmed, would fill a vacancy left by Judge Mary M. Lisi, who assumed senior status on the Court on October 1st. U.S. Senators Jack Reed and Sheldon Whitehouse recommended Ms. McElroy to President Barack Obama for nomination in July. The President accepted the Senators recommendation and officially nominated McElroy in September. Noting that Ms. McElroy has widespread support from Rhode Islands legal and law enforcement community, including the current Attorney General of Rhode Island and the Superintendent of the Rhode Island State Police, Senator Reed stated during the hearing: They support Marys nomination due to her tireless work ethic, commitment to the law, and sense of decency. Reed continued: Her contributions and dedication to fair legal representation has taught Mary to see the world from many different viewpoints. The best judges must not only have a firm command of the law but must also be able to understand and appreciate, in an impartial manner, the circumstances and perspectives of all those who come before the court. Mary embodies both of these essential qualities. Senator Whitehouse, a member of the Judiciary Committee who served as Ranking Member during todays nomination hearing for Ms. McElroy and four other District Court judicial nominees, stated: Ms. McElroy is a devoted public servant and a talented attorney, who has built a long and impressive legal career. She possesses qualities common to the very best jurists, like patience, discretion, compassion, and a deep commitment to t… | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://www.whitehouse.senate.gov/news/release/senate-approves-k-12-overhaul | Senate Approves K-12 Overhaul | 2015-12-09 | 2015 | 2015-12 | Democrat | House | RI | Sheldon Whitehouse | W000802 | www.whitehouse.senate.gov | legacy | 12.09.15 Senate Approves K-12 Overhaul Whitehouse Helped Craft Law to Replace Broken, Burdensome No Child Left Behind Washington, DC The U.S. Senate today voted to ease the burdensome requirements of the No Child Left Behind education law, help reduce reliance on high-stakes testing, and expand access to a quality education for all students. The bipartisan Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA), which updates federal elementary and secondary education policies, was approved by a vote of 85-12. The legislation, having already been acted on by the House of Representatives, will now be signed into law by President Obama. Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) was closely involved in drafting the bill and negotiating the final package with his House and Senate colleagues, and it includes a number of provisions of importance to Rhode Island schools. The new law will require states to help schools get out from under burdensome regulations that can serve as barriers to tailored, school-based innovation. It creates new tools to identify and support middle school students at risk of dropping out. It will help keep students in juvenile justice facilities from falling further behind in their education, and support students in addiction recovery. The legislation encourages school districts to work with community-based organizations to improve afterschool programs. It offers grants to bolster history and civics education. Whitehouse worked with Sen. Jack Reed (D-RI) to include language to support school libraries, media centers, and related teacher training. I asked Rhode Island teachers, unions, reformers, school administrators, and parents how our nations education policies could best support our students, said Whitehouse. They all agreed the current law, No Child Left Behind, was broken, and they gave me thoughtful feedback that guided my efforts in Washington. Through good-faith, bipartisan debate and compromise… | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| http://cicilline.house.gov/press-release/rhode-island-arts-groups-receive-125000-federal-grants | Rhode Island Arts Groups Receive $125,000 in Federal Grants | 2015-12-08 | 2015 | 2015-12 | Democrat | House | RI | David Cicilline | C001084 | cicilline.house.gov | legacy | Providence, RI U.S. Senators Jack Reed and Sheldon Whitehouse and Congressmen Jim Langevin and David Cicilline cheered $125,000 in National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) funding for Rhode Island arts organizations. The NEA grants will help the groups pursue arts research, bring dance and theater productions to the stage, and promote the arts among Rhode Island youth. I am pleased that Rhode Island arts organizations have been selected to receive these federal grants to help boost education through the arts and cultural engagement, said Senator Jack Reed. Our artistic community is an economic engine and part of what makes Rhode Island such a great place to live, said Senator Sheldon Whitehouse, who led a workshop in July to assist Rhode Islanders interested in applying for NEA funding. This funding will help some of our leading arts groups strengthen that community by introducing talented young people to the arts and putting on first-rate productions. Rhode Island is home to rich cultural experiences and a truly vibrant arts scene. This is thanks, in large part, to a strong pipeline of young talent, cultivated by these organizations that invest so much time and resources into developing our next generation of artists and creators, said Congressman Jim Langevin. Congratulations to the grant award winners, and thank you for your commitment to fostering the arts in our state. This $125,000 grant will provide critical resources to help promote economic development here in Rhode Island and support our states thriving arts community, said Congressman David Cicilline. Im especially pleased that this funding will help make the arts accessible for young Rhode Islanders and encourage a deeper appreciation of the arts for the next generation. Recipients include: The Alliance of Artists Communities in Providence, to support arts research; Everett Dance in Providence, to support the touring of a multimedia physical theater piece exploring mass incarceration in America; New Urban Arts in Providence, to support the Youth Mentors… | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| http://langevin.house.gov/press-release/rhode-island-arts-groups-receive-125000-federal-grants | Rhode Island Arts Groups Receive $125,000 in Federal Grants | 2015-12-08 | 2015 | 2015-12 | Democrat | House | RI | Jim Langevin | L000559 | langevin.house.gov | legacy | U.S. Senators Jack Reed and Sheldon Whitehouse and Congressmen Jim Langevin and David Cicilline cheered $125,000 in National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) funding for Rhode Island arts organizations. The NEA grants will help the groups pursue arts research, bring dance and theater productions to the stage, and promote the arts among Rhode Island youth. I am pleased that Rhode Island arts organizations have been selected to receive these federal grants to help boost education through the arts and cultural engagement, said Senator Jack Reed. Our artistic community is an economic engine and part of what makes Rhode Island such a great place to live, said Senator Sheldon Whitehouse, who led a workshop in July to assist Rhode Islanders interested in applying for NEA funding. This funding will help some of our leading arts groups strengthen that community by introducing talented young people to the arts and putting on first-rate productions. Rhode Island is home to rich cultural experiences and a truly vibrant arts scene. This is thanks, in large part, to a strong pipeline of young talent, cultivated by these organizations that invest so much time and resources into developing our next generation of artists and creators, said Congressman Jim Langevin. Congratulations to the grant award winners, and thank you for your commitment to fostering the arts in our state. This $125,000 grant will provide critical resources to help promote economic development here in Rhode Island and support our states thriving arts community, said Congressman David Cicilline. Im especially pleased that this funding will help make the arts accessible for young Rhode Islanders and encourage a deeper appreciation of the arts for the next generation. Recipients include: The Alliance of Artists Communities in Providence, to support arts research; Everett Dance in Providence, to support the touring of a multimedia physical theater piece exploring mass incarceration in America; New Urban Arts in Providence, to support the Youth Mentorship in the Ar… | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://www.reed.senate.gov/news/releases/opening-statement-by-ranking-member-jack-reed-sasc-hearing-on-improving-the-pentagons-development-of-policy-strategy-and-plans | Opening Statement by Ranking Member Jack Reed, SASC Hearing on Improving the Pentagon’s Development of Policy, Strategy, & Plans | 2015-12-08 | 2015 | 2015-12 | Democrat | House | RI | Jack Reed | R000122 | www.reed.senate.gov | legacy | 12/08/2015OPENING STATEMENT OF U.S. SENATOR JACK REED RANKING MEMBER, SENATE ARMED SERVICES COMMITTEE SD-G50 DIRKSEN SENATE OFFICE BUILDING Tuesday, December 8, 2015 To receive testimony on improving the Pentagons development of policy, strategy, and plans (As Prepared for Delivery) Thank you very much, Mr. Chairman. Id like to join you in thanking our distinguished panel of witnesses for their willingness to appear today as we consider how the Department of Defense can improve its processes for developing defense policy and military strategy. Given their national security expertise, I welcome their thoughts and suggestions on specific steps they believe the Department could undertake to help us better address the complex national security issues confronting the U.S. today. As Secretary Bob Gates testified before this Committee in October, Americans, including all too often our leaders, regard international crises and military conflict as aberrations when, in fact and sad to say, they are the norm. He went on to further state, While we may not be interested in aggressors, terrorists, revanchists and expansionists half a world away, they ultimately are always interested in us or our interests or our allies and friends. Secretary Gates admonition has reverberated throughout our hearings these past few months. The Department of Defense is facing many complicated and rapidly evolving challenges. We have seen how violent extremist organizations are able to promote their destructive agendas and carry out attacks against the United States, our allies, and our respective interests. In Iraq and Syria, the breakdown of the nation-state system has allowed the re-emergence of centuries-old divisions, creating a vastly complex situation. At the same time, Russia continues its provocative behavior in Europe, while also deploying Russian troops and military equipment to Syria to directly support the failing Assad regime. Likewise, Chinas assertive behavior in the South China Sea region reflects both its desire to… | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://www.reed.senate.gov/news/releases/rhode-island-arts-groups-receive-125000-in-federal-grants | Rhode Island Arts Groups Receive $125,000 in Federal Grants | 2015-12-08 | 2015 | 2015-12 | Democrat | House | RI | Jack Reed | R000122 | www.reed.senate.gov | legacy | 12/08/2015PROVIDENCE, RI U.S. Senators Jack Reed and Sheldon Whitehouse and Congressmen Jim Langevin and David Cicilline cheered $125,000 in National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) funding for Rhode Island arts organizations. The NEA grants will help the groups pursue arts research, bring dance and theater productions to the stage, and promote the arts among Rhode Island youth. I am pleased that Rhode Island arts organizations have been selected to receive these federal grants to help boost education through the arts and cultural engagement, said Senator Jack Reed. Our artistic community is an economic engine and part of what makes Rhode Island such a great place to live, said Senator Sheldon Whitehouse, who led a workshop in July to assist Rhode Islanders interested in applying for NEA funding. This funding will help some of our leading arts groups strengthen that community by introducing talented young people to the arts and putting on first-rate productions. Rhode Island is home to rich cultural experiences and a truly vibrant arts scene. This is thanks, in large part, to a strong pipeline of young talent, cultivated by these organizations that invest so much time and resources into developing our next generation of artists and creators, said Congressman Jim Langevin. Congratulations to the grant award winners, and thank you for your commitment to fostering the arts in our state. This $125,000 grant will provide critical resources to help promote economic development here in Rhode Island and support our states thriving arts community, said Congressman David Cicilline. Im especially pleased that this funding will help make the arts accessible for young Rhode Islanders and encourage a deeper appreciation of the arts for the next generation. Recipients include: The Alliance of Artists Communities in Providence, to support arts research; Everett Dance in Providence, to support the touring of a multimedia physical theater piece exploring mass incarceration in America; New Urban Arts in Providence, to support … | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://www.reed.senate.gov/news/videos/reed-pushes-for-passage-of-major-k-12-education-reform-bill | Reed Pushes for Passage of Major K-12 Education Reform Bill | 2015-12-08 | 2015 | 2015-12 | Democrat | House | RI | Jack Reed | R000122 | www.reed.senate.gov | legacy | Senator Reed took to the Senate floor Tuesday to discuss his support for the Every Student Succeeds Act, a major overhaul of federal education law which reauthorizes the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 and aims to fix the broken Bush-era No Child Left Behind (NCLB) education law that was adopted nearly fourteen years ago. The bipartisan bill includes a several key provisions written by Senator Reed to improve K-12 education in the United States. | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://www.reed.senate.gov/news/releases/reed-announces-nearly-1-million-in-family-self-sufficiency-grants-for-10-rhode-island-communities | Reed Announces Nearly $1 Million in Family Self-Sufficiency Grants for 10 Rhode Island Communities | 2015-12-07 | 2015 | 2015-12 | Democrat | House | RI | Jack Reed | R000122 | www.reed.senate.gov | legacy | 12/07/2015PROVIDENCE, RI U.S. Senator Jack Reed today announced $986,705 in federal grants from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) to assist ten Rhode Island communities in deploying local strategies to help assisted housing residents find work, access job training resources, and achieve economic independence. The funding, made available through HUDs Family Self-Sufficiency (FSS) Program, will allow local public housing agencies to work with social service agencies, community colleges, businesses, and other local partners to help public housing residents and individuals participating in HUDs Housing Choice Voucher Program increase their education or gain marketable skills that will enable them to obtain employment or advance professionally. Congress combined the Public Housing and Housing Choice Voucher FSS programs to enhance opportunities for residents and better connect them with the services they need, a streamlining effort made possible by legislation authored by Senator Reed. Reed is the Ranking Member of the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Transportation, Housing and Urban Development (THUD), which oversees federal spending for HUD programs. The ultimate goal of the FSS program is to provide families with greater opportunities to develop the skills and experience necessary to obtain employment and increase their earnings. This is made possible through FSS Coordinators, who work as a conduit between Public Housing Authorities (PHAs), local partners, such as employers and service providers, and the families they serve. In addition to the ten Rhode Island communities set to receive funding from HUD, Rhode Island Housing will receive $183,618 in grant money to benefit other Rhode Island FSS participants. Every American deserves the opportunity to succeed. The Family Self-Sufficiency Program is about helping individuals set goals and providing them with the necessary support to achieve them. This federal funding will help individuals living in assisted housing learn marketable … | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://www.reed.senate.gov/news/releases/reed-restoring-us-ex-im-bank-is-a-victory-for-us-job-growth | Reed: Restoring U.S. Ex-Im Bank is a Victory for U.S. Job Growth | 2015-12-07 | 2015 | 2015-12 | Democrat | House | RI | Jack Reed | R000122 | www.reed.senate.gov | legacy | 12/07/2015WASHINGTON, DC U.S. Senator Jack Reed today celebrated the bipartisan reauthorization of the Export-Import Bank of the United States (Ex-Im), calling the Bank an important tool to help American companies compete in a global economy and sell more of their products overseas. The federal agency provides about $20 billion annually in loans and other export financing for American companies, including several in Rhode island, but was forced to cease operations earlier this year when some Republican lawmakers prevented Congress from acting to renew the banks charter. However, Senator Reed and a vast majority of Congress voted to renew Ex-Ims charter as part of a $305 billion surface transportation authorization bill that passed Congress last week. The Ex-Im Bank supports American exports abroad and jobs here at home. Ex-Im operates like a business and when Congress shuts it down like this, even temporarily, it can have a negative impact on American workers and our economy, said Senator Reed. With so many other nations heavily subsidizing their exports, we cannot afford to unilaterally surrender the international marketplace to China and others. Reviving the Ex-Im Bank means keeping jobs and investment here at home and I want to ensure every business in Rhode Island that exports goods has access to tools like Ex-Im that can help them grow. Founded in 1934, the Ex-Im Bank is an independent, self-sustaining agency with an 80+ year record of supporting U.S. jobs by financing the export of American goods and services to foreign buyers. It helps U.S. companies go toe-to-toe with foreign rivals through a variety of loan, guarantee, and credit insurance programs that help them compete in the global marketplace while keeping more jobs and manufacturing facilities here in the U.S. Since 2009, the Ex-Im Bank has supported 1.3 million private-sector, American jobs, including 164,000 jobs in the last fiscal year alone, and nearly 90 percent of the agencys transactions directly support American small businesses. The Ex-… | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://www.reed.senate.gov/news/releases/reed-statement-on-president-obamas-speech-on-terrorism | Reed Statement on President Obama’s Speech on Terrorism | 2015-12-06 | 2015 | 2015-12 | Democrat | House | RI | Jack Reed | R000122 | www.reed.senate.gov | legacy | 12/06/2015WASHINGTON, DC U.S. Senator Jack Reed (D-RI), the Ranking Member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, released the following statement tonight on President Obamas address on the threat of terrorism: ISIL continues to pose an evolving threat and our strategy to defeat them must evolve too. Tonight, the President discussed some of the ways we are ramping up security at home while taking the fight to ISIL, and what more we must do to protect the American people. American leadership is key and we must continue working with our allies and improving intelligence sharing and counterterrorism capabilities that deny safe haven to ISIL. But we also have to avoid past mistakes and understand that in order to be successful, ground combat troops in Iraq and Syria must be led primarily by local forces. The U.S. can play a critical role in assisting and enabling them. The President laid out a number of commonsense steps to better secure our borders and communities against the kind of violence that occurred in San Bernardino. The threat posed by ISIL demands that we take measures to support our law enforcement community. And it also demands that we continue to uphold our values and not give in to hate and fear. -end- Print Email Tweet | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://www.reed.senate.gov/news/releases/reed-dont-let-omnibus-become-a-vehicle-for-deregulating-wall-street-and-weakening-consumer-protections | Reed: Don’t Let Omnibus Become a Vehicle for Deregulating Wall Street & Weakening Consumer Protections | 2015-12-05 | 2015 | 2015-12 | Democrat | House | RI | Jack Reed | R000122 | www.reed.senate.gov | legacy | 12/05/2015WASHINGTON, DC Following passage of a major, five-year transportation authorization bill that included several bipartisan measures to provide targeted regulatory relief for financial institutions such as community banks and credit unions, U.S. Senator Jack Reed (D-RI) is calling on Congress not to add controversial, last-minute policy riders that would roll back Wall Street reform and crucial consumer protections to a year-end, must-pass omnibus appropriations bill. Reed, a senior member of the Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs Committee, took to the Senate floor earlier this week to point out that rolling back the protections that are in place due to the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act of 2010 would have negative impacts for consumers and could harm the U.S. economy in the long run. Wall Street reform made our financial system safer, and we cant let special interest lobbyists punch holes through important safeguards for middle-class families, said Reed. The Great Recession may be fading from some peoples memories, but deregulating Wall Street and rolling back these consumer protections would be a serious mistake that could weaken our economy and leave us vulnerable to another major financial crisis. Some of the deregulatory proposals seek to undo rules against predatory, high-cost mortgage lending and weaken the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB). With strong backing from Senator Reed, Congress created the CFPB in 2010 to help ensure the financial products and services that Americans depend on every day including credit cards, mortgages, and loanswork better for the people who use them. Since the CFPB opened for business, it has helped hold financial institutions accountable for mistreating consumers and worked to return more than $11 billion in relief to more than 25 million wronged consumers. The CFPB is making a real difference protecting consumers and taxpayers from financial abuses, payday lenders, and others. I will strongly oppose any attempts to weaken… | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| http://cicilline.house.gov/press-release/ri-delegation-backs-fast-act-boost-transportation-investment-ri | RI Delegation Backs FAST Act to Boost Transportation Investment in RI | 2015-12-04 | 2015 | 2015-12 | Democrat | House | RI | David Cicilline | C001084 | cicilline.house.gov | legacy | Washington, D.C. U.S. Senators Jack Reed and Sheldon Whitehouse and Representatives Jim Langevin and David Cicilline of Rhode Island applauded passage of a five-year $305 billion transportation authorization bill that should help provide states, communities, and businesses with a greater level of certainty. Under the new, bipartisan Fixing Americas Surface Transportation (FAST) Act, roughly $205 billion would be authorized for highways, $48 billion would be authorized for transit, and the remaining funds would be dedicated to National Highway Traffic Safety Administration programs. It is estimated that Rhode Island will receive an average of $231.7 million a year in federal funding for roads and bridges and another $39 million per year for mass transit programs. Under current law, the state receives about $211 million annually for highways and $36.3 million for transit. In the first year after the bill becomes law, Rhode Island is authorized to receive nearly $222 million in highway funding, a 5 percent boost over current levels. By 2020, the annual authorization for the state are projected reach more than $242 million. During the same period, Rhode Island transit funding will grow at over 3 percent in the first year to over $37 million; by 2020 Rhode Island will receive nearly $40 million in annual transit funding. The last multi-year highway and transit law expired in October 2009. Since then, federal aid to states has been provided through a series of short-term bills that ranged in length from two years to just a few days. Members of the delegation worked to include a number of important measures for Rhode Island. Calling the bill imperfect, but long overdue, Senator Jack Reed, who has prioritized Rhode Island infrastructure and public works investments as the Ranking Member of the Appropriations Subcommittee on Transportation and Housing and Urban Development (THUD), said the new multi-year authorization could help lead to the first long-term transportation upgrades that states have been able to make in yea… | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://www.reed.senate.gov/news/releases/congress-on-verge-of-passing-major-education-reform | Congress on Verge of Passing Major Education Reform | 2015-12-04 | 2015 | 2015-12 | Democrat | House | RI | Jack Reed | R000122 | www.reed.senate.gov | legacy | 12/04/2015WASHINGTON, DC Congress is on the verge of approving a major overhaul of federal education law that will give states and school districts more flexibility while raising student achievement in the classroom and providing schools and teachers with new resources and support. U.S. Senator Jack Reed (D-RI) helped author key sections of the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA), which reauthorizes the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 and seeks to fix the broken Bush-era No Child Left Behind (NCLB) education law that was signed into law nearly fourteen years ago. After years of work, and extensive negotiations between the U.S. Senate and the U.S. House of Representatives, the House this week adopted the compromise measure that contains a number of the education priorities Senator Reed spearheaded, including improving access to effective school library programs, enhancing professional development for teachers and principals, increasing the focus on resource equity, and strengthening family engagement and environmental education initiatives. The No Child Left Behind law was well intentioned, but flawed and underfunded. This represents a significant improvement. We need to set high expectations for all students and empower states and school districts to help them achieve, said Reed. ESSA will help ensure all students have access to a high-quality public education. It allows states to develop more holistic and robust accountability systems that move beyond test scores as the sole measure of school success. It also includes federal protections to help ensure that all students -- regardless of family income, race, ethnicity, or disability -- graduate from high school ready for the next step, whether it be college or the workforce. Our challenge and our responsibility is to create and support learning environments that enable young people to hone their talents, discover their skills, and pursue their passions. This bipartisan education bill advances those fundamental goals, continued Reed. "The Every … | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://www.whitehouse.senate.gov/news/release/ri-delegation-backs-fast-act-to-boost-transportation-investment-in-ri | RI Delegation Backs FAST Act to Boost Transportation Investment in RI | 2015-12-04 | 2015 | 2015-12 | Democrat | House | RI | Sheldon Whitehouse | W000802 | www.whitehouse.senate.gov | legacy | 12.04.15 RI Delegation Backs FAST Act to Boost Transportation Investment in RI New 5-year bill authorizes an average of over $270 million a year for RI transportation programs Washington, D.C. U.S. Senators Jack Reed and Sheldon Whitehouse and Representatives Jim Langevin and David Cicilline of Rhode Island applauded passage of a five-year $305 billion transportation authorization bill that should help provide states, communities, and businesses with a greater level of certainty. Under the new, bipartisan Fixing Americas Surface Transportation (FAST) Act, roughly $205 billion would be authorized for highways, $48 billion would be authorized for transit, and the remaining funds would be dedicated to National Highway Traffic Safety Administration programs. It is estimated that Rhode Island will receive an average of $231.7 million a year in federal funding for roads and bridges and another $39 million per year for mass transit programs. Under current law, the state receives about $211 million annually for highways and $36.3 million for transit. In the first year after the bill becomes law, Rhode Island is authorized to receive nearly $222 million in highway funding, a 5 percent boost over current levels. By 2020, the annual authorization for the state are projected reach more than $242 million. During the same period, Rhode Island transit funding will grow at over 3 percent in the first year to over $37 million; by 2020 Rhode Island will receive nearly $40 million in annual transit funding. The last multi-year highway and transit law expired in October 2009. Since then, federal aid to states has been provided through a series of short-term bills that ranged in length from two years to just a few days. Members of the delegation worked to include a number of important measures for Rhode Island. Calling the bill imperfect, but long overdue, Senator Jack Reed, who has prioritized Rhode Island infrastructure … | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://www.whitehouse.senate.gov/news/release/whitehouse-and-colleagues-file-supreme-court-brief-in-support-of-president-obamas-immigration-executive-actions | Whitehouse and Colleagues File Supreme Court Brief in Support of President Obama’s Immigration Executive Actions | 2015-12-04 | 2015 | 2015-12 | Democrat | House | RI | Sheldon Whitehouse | W000802 | www.whitehouse.senate.gov | legacy | 12.04.15 Whitehouse and Colleagues File Supreme Court Brief in Support of President Obamas Immigration Executive Actions Washington, DC U.S. Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), together with several members of the Senate and House of Representatives, filed a friend of the court brief in support of the Department of Justices petition for Supreme Court review of the Presidents immigration executive actions. The brief argues that the Presidents actions are consistent with Congressional intent and the Executive Branchs legal authority to enforce our immigration laws. When bipartisan immigration reform was stalled for years by the Republican-controlled Congress, President Obama moved ahead, under the clear authority given to him by our laws, to begin to repair our broken immigration system, said Whitehouse. Congress has tasked the Department of Homeland Security with the effective operation of our nations immigration system. For the sake of the families in Rhode Island and across the country who are suffering under the current system, the Supreme Court should affirm that these actions are well within the Administrations statutory authority. A total of 34 Senate Democrats and 184 House Democrats, including Senator Whitehouse, filed the amicus curiae brief in support of the petition for certiorari to the Supreme Court seeking review of a U.S. Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals ruling, which blocked the Secretary of Homeland Security from implementing the Deferred Action for Parents of Americans and Lawful Permanent Residents (DAPA) program and expanding the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program. Together these initiatives would provide temporary relief from deportation and work permits to eligible unauthorized immigrants, mainly immigrants brought here as children and parents of legal residents. According to the brief: Congress has granted the Secretary [of Homeland Security] broad discretion in determining how to carry out the immigration laws, and has explicitly directed the Secretary to est… | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| http://cicilline.house.gov/press-release/delegation-announces-182-million-water-infrastructure-improvements-rhode-island | Delegation Announces $18.2 Million for Water Infrastructure Improvements in Rhode Island | 2015-12-03 | 2015 | 2015-12 | Democrat | House | RI | David Cicilline | C001084 | cicilline.house.gov | legacy | Washington, D.C. After reversing proposed cuts to clean water infrastructure programs, U.S. Senators Jack Reed and Sheldon Whitehouse and Congressmen Jim Langevin and David Cicilline announced $18.2 million in federal funding for water infrastructure projects in Rhode Island. Administered by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the funding will go to two federal-state loan programs that supply local water systems with low-interest financing for projects that protect public health and environmental quality. In its 2015 budget request, the Obama Administration proposed deep cuts to the Clean Water and Safe Drinking Water State Revolving Funds. EPA requested just $1.8 billion $581 million below enacted levels, or a cut of nearly 25% for the programs. All four members of the states Congressional delegation along with several of their colleagues on both sides of the aisle worked together to restore EPAs proposed cuts to the programs and ensure Congress successfully appropriated about $2.4 billion necessary for the SRF programs in fiscal year 2015. As a result, Rhode Island this week received $9.4 million through the Clean Water State Revolving Fund (CWSRF) and $8.8 million through the Drinking Water State Revolving Fund (DWSRF), for a total of $18.2 million in clean water financing for water quality protection projects and enhancements. Administered by the Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management (DEM) and the Rhode Island Infrastructure Bank (RIIB), the CWSRF provides loans at low interest rates for water quality protection projects that improve wastewater treatment systems, control pollution from storm water runoff, and protect sensitive water bodies and estuaries. The Rhode Island Department of Health (DOH) and the RIIB are the state agencies that oversee the DWSRF, which provides loans at low interest rates for improvements to drinking water systems, focusing especially on small and low-income communities and programs that encourage pollution prevention to ensure that drinking water is s… | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| http://cicilline.house.gov/press-release/reps-juan-vargas-david-n-cicilline-and-bill-pascrell-jr-lead-letter-house-committee | Reps Juan Vargas, David N. Cicilline and Bill Pascrell, Jr Lead Letter to the House Committee on Appropriations to Increase Funding for Refugee Related-Accounts | 2015-12-03 | 2015 | 2015-12 | Democrat | House | RI | David Cicilline | C001084 | cicilline.house.gov | legacy | Washington, DC (December 3, 2015) - Yesterday, Rep. Juan Vargas (CA-51), Rep. David N. Cicilline and Rep. Bill Pascrell, Jr lead a group of Representatives from across the United States to send a letter to the House Appropriations Committee encouraging them to increase funding for refugee assistance and resettlement programs in the FY2016 budget. Over 75% of those seeking refuge in the US are women and children who are desperately trying to escape the danger that has removed them from their homes and continuously threatens their lives. Our screening process is rigorous and thorough; increasing funding would aid any areas where additional support is required, said Rep. Vargas. Providing the additional funds needed to support several refugee-related accounts would reflect our countrys moral leadership and counter ISISs barbaric acts. This is the single worst refugee crisis since the end of the Second World War. Providing adequate funding for refugee assistance and resettlement will ensure that we thoroughly and expeditiously screen refugees in order to do our part to help those fleeing unspeakable violence, said Rep. Cicilline. I thank my colleagues for this strong show of support and their commitment to maintaining our values as a nation. The United States has a moral obligation to do our part to assist in the worst humanitarian crisis of our time. The process for screening refugees is extensive and thorough, and we must ensure the resources and funding to support that process. I will continue the fight to promote, facilitate, and evaluate refugee resettlements in New Jersey and across the U.S. The letter encourages the Appropriations committee to provide funding for four main accounts: The U.S. Agency for International Developments International Disaster Assistance account. The Department of States Migration and Refugee Assistance and Emergency Refugee and Migration Assistance accounts. The Department of Health and Human Services' Office of Refugee Resettlements Refugee and Entrant Assistance account. The D… | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| http://cicilline.house.gov/press-release/ri-receives-additional-43-million-upgrade-newport%E2%80%99s-gateway-center | RI Receives Additional $4.3 Million to Upgrade Newports Gateway Center | 2015-12-03 | 2015 | 2015-12 | Democrat | House | RI | David Cicilline | C001084 | cicilline.house.gov | legacy | WASHINGTON, DC U.S. Senators Jack Reed and Sheldon Whitehouse and U.S. Representatives Jim Langevin and David Cicilline today announced that the Rhode Island Public Transit Authority (RIPTA) is being allocated an additional $4,346,001 in federal funding for exterior repair and improvement work at the Newport Gateway Center, one of RIPTAs major transit hubs. This brings the federal contributions for the project up to $6 million. Last year, the Congressional delegation helped secure $1.6 million in federal financing to help RIPTA cover costs of rebuilding and strengthening infrastructure damaged by Superstorm Sandy in 2012. RIPTA has already put the $1,602,000 grant, administered by the Federal Transit Administration (FTA), to work by starting design plans to improve passenger protection and reduce flooding at the Newport Gateway Center. With the start of the design work, it became clear that more work than initially anticipated was needed at the transit hub and visitors center on Americas Cup Avenue. RIPTA notified the FTA of the expanded scope of the project and has now been given a green light for an additional $4.346 million in repair and improvement work. The federal funding will cover 90-percent of the roughly $6.6 million total project cost, with the remaining 10-percent being contributed by the City of Newport. The Newport City Council finalized its commitment to the project last month. I commend RIPTA, Mayor Napolitano, and their partners for making a successful case and I am pleased to have helped make these resiliency funds available. This federal funding will help RIPTA rebuild smarter and stronger. Not only will the new facility better serve the community, but it should also make the Newport Gateway Center more resilient the next time a big storm hits, said Senator Jack Reed, the Ranking Member of the Appropriations Subcommittee on Transportation, Housing and Urban Development (THUD), who supported the establishment of a $3 billion competitive grant fund through the FTAs Hurricane Sandy Resilience Pro… | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| http://langevin.house.gov/press-release/langevin-applauds-bipartisan-education-bill | Langevin Applauds Bipartisan Education Bill | 2015-12-03 | 2015 | 2015-12 | Democrat | House | RI | Jim Langevin | L000559 | langevin.house.gov | legacy | Congressman Jim Langevin (D-RI), co-chair of the Congressional Career and Technical Education Caucus, today supported the Every Student Succeeds Act, ESEA Reauthorization, which replaces No Child Left Behind and establishes modernized, improved guidelines for education in America. The Every Student Succeeds Act is a bipartisan, bicameral piece of legislation that reminds us of the incredible good that can be accomplished when we put our differences aside for the benefit of our constituents, said Langevin. This bill is not perfect, but it is a significant improvement from the current system and I am proud and excited that the Congress was able to reach this important compromise. There is no responsibility more important than the promise we make to support our young people, and providing quality, accessible education for all is at the very core of that promise. The legislation includes an amendment that Langevin introduced with his CTE Caucus Co-Chair Congressman Glenn GT Thompson (R-PA) that allows states applying for funds under Title I to show how they would use those funds to provide apprenticeships that offer academic credit, and how they would use funds to provide comprehensive career counseling. This amendment is based on Langevin and Thompsons Counseling for Career Choice Act, a bipartisan bill that informs school counselors of local labor market conditions that they can use to help guide students postsecondary decisions. Education is about preparing young people for the future, and career readiness is a crucial piece of the puzzle. We must ensure that our schools are equipped with the resources necessary to inform students about workforce demands so they can make the best decisions about their futures, he said. The Every Student Succeeds Act outlines high standards for students, but puts much of the decision-making power back into the hands of states and local districts. States are required to have at least three levels of achievement standards, but will have flexibility to develop those standards. Langevi… | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| http://langevin.house.gov/press-release/langevin-supports-transportation-bill | Langevin Supports Transportation Bill | 2015-12-03 | 2015 | 2015-12 | Democrat | House | RI | Jim Langevin | L000559 | langevin.house.gov | legacy | Congressman Jim Langevin (D-RI) applauded House passage today of the Fixing Americas Surface Transportation (FAST) Act, a five-year, $305 billion transportation bill that funds infrastructure improvement projects, provides budget stability and improves federal transit and safety programs. Transportation infrastructure impacts our lives and our economy in so many ways. It is a quality of life and safety issue for all Americans, and strong infrastructure is the foundation for a strong economy, said Langevin. In Rhode Island, our infrastructure needs are significant. This bill not only provides the funding for important highway, bridge and public transit projects, but it also brings predictability to the process of budgeting, planning, and ultimately completing improvement projects across the state. The legislation includes language adapted from Langevins Transit Accessibility Innovation Act that would encourage transit systems to make public transportation more accessible and user-friendly for individuals with disabilities. Under current law, transit systems may use up to 10 percent of their Federal Transit Administration (FTA) funds to provide paratransit services. Langevins proposal, which successfully passed as part of the overall bill, would increase that to 20 percent if the transit system is able to address accessibility deficiencies and improve service in compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act. Accessible public transportation is essential for people with disabilities to live independently with strong ties to their communities. By improving their ability to connect to public services, education, employment and health care, we empower these individuals and put them on a path to success, said Langevin, who co-chairs the Bipartisan Disabilities Caucus. Equal rights and equal access for all Americans is our responsibility, and I am thrilled that this bill prioritizes transit accessibility. Langevin also signed onto a letter to protect high density states transit allocations, a proposal that was in… | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| http://langevin.house.gov/press-release/ri-receives-additional-43-million-upgrade-newport%E2%80%99s-gateway-center | RI Receives Additional $4.3 Million to Upgrade Newports Gateway Center | 2015-12-03 | 2015 | 2015-12 | Democrat | House | RI | Jim Langevin | L000559 | langevin.house.gov | legacy | U.S. Senators Jack Reed and Sheldon Whitehouse and U.S. Representatives Jim Langevin and David Cicilline today announced that the Rhode Island Public Transit Authority (RIPTA) is being allocated an additional $4,346,001 in federal funding for exterior repair and improvement work at the Newport Gateway Center, one of RIPTAs major transit hubs. This brings the federal contributions for the project up to $6 million. Last year, the Congressional delegation helped secure $1.6 million in federal financing to help RIPTA cover costs of rebuilding and strengthening infrastructure damaged by Superstorm Sandy in 2012. RIPTA has already put the $1,602,000 grant, administered by the Federal Transit Administration (FTA), to work by starting design plans to improve passenger protection and reduce flooding at the Newport Gateway Center. With the start of the design work, it became clear that more work than initially anticipated was needed at the transit hub and visitors center on Americas Cup Avenue. RIPTA notified the FTA of the expanded scope of the project and has now been given a green light for an additional $4.346 million in repair and improvement work. The federal funding will cover 90-percent of the roughly $6.6 million total project cost, with the remaining 10-percent being contributed by the City of Newport. The Newport City Council finalized its commitment to the project last month. I commend RIPTA, Mayor Napolitano, and their partners for making a successful case and I am pleased to have helped make these resiliency funds available. This federal funding will help RIPTA rebuild smarter and stronger. Not only will the new facility better serve the community, but it should also make the Newport Gateway Center more resilient the next time a big storm hits, said Senator Jack Reed, the Ranking Member of the Appropriations Subcommittee on Transportation, Housing and Urban Development (THUD), who supported the establishment of a $3 billion competitive grant fund through the FTAs Hurricane Sandy Resilience Program for public … | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://www.reed.senate.gov/news/releases/-ri-receives-additional-43-million-to-upgrade-newports-gateway-center | RI Receives Additional $4.3 Million to Upgrade Newport’s Gateway Center | 2015-12-03 | 2015 | 2015-12 | Democrat | House | RI | Jack Reed | R000122 | www.reed.senate.gov | legacy | 12/03/2015WASHINGTON, DC U.S. Senators Jack Reed and Sheldon Whitehouse and U.S. Representatives Jim Langevin and David Cicilline today announced that the Rhode Island Public Transit Authority (RIPTA) is being allocated an additional $4,346,001 in federal funding for exterior repair and improvement work at the Newport Gateway Center, one of RIPTAs major transit hubs. This brings the federal contributions for the project up to $6 million. Last year, the Congressional delegation helped secure $1.6 million in federal financing to help RIPTA cover costs of rebuilding and strengthening infrastructure damaged by Superstorm Sandy in 2012. RIPTA has already put the $1,602,000 grant, administered by the Federal Transit Administration (FTA), to work by starting design plans to improve passenger protection and reduce flooding at the Newport Gateway Center. With the start of the design work, it became clear that more work than initially anticipated was needed at the transit hub and visitors center on Americas Cup Avenue. RIPTA notified the FTA of the expanded scope of the project and has now been given a green light for an additional $4.346 million in repair and improvement work. The federal funding will cover 90-percent of the roughly $6.6 million total project cost, with the remaining 10-percent being contributed by the City of Newport. The Newport City Council finalized its commitment to the project last month. I commend RIPTA, Mayor Napolitano, and their partners for making a successful case and I am pleased to have helped make these resiliency funds available. This federal funding will help RIPTA rebuild smarter and stronger. Not only will the new facility better serve the community, but it should also make the Newport Gateway Center more resilient the next time a big storm hits, said Senator Jack Reed, the Ranking Member of the Appropriations Subcommittee on Transportation, Housing and Urban Development (THUD), who supported the establishment of a $3 billion competitive grant fund through the FTAs Hurricane Sandy R… | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://www.reed.senate.gov/news/releases/delegation-announces-182-million-for-water-infrastructure-improvements-in-rhode-island | Delegation Announces $18.2 Million for Water Infrastructure Improvements in Rhode Island | 2015-12-03 | 2015 | 2015-12 | Democrat | House | RI | Jack Reed | R000122 | www.reed.senate.gov | legacy | 12/03/2015WASHINGTON, DC After reversing proposed cuts to clean water infrastructure programs, U.S. Senators Jack Reed and Sheldon Whitehouse and Congressmen Jim Langevin and David Cicilline announced $18.2 million in federal funding for water infrastructure projects in Rhode Island. Administered by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the funding will go to two federal-state loan programs that supply local water systems with low-interest financing for projects that protect public health and environmental quality. In its 2015 budget request, the Obama Administration proposed deep cuts to the Clean Water and Safe Drinking Water State Revolving Funds. EPA requested just $1.8 billion $581 million below enacted levels, or a cut of nearly 25% for the programs. All four members of the states Congressional delegation along with several of their colleagues on both sides of the aisle worked together to restore EPAs proposed cuts to the programs and ensure Congress successfully appropriated about $2.4 billion necessary for the SRF programs in fiscal year 2015. As a result, Rhode Island this week received $9.4 million through the Clean Water State Revolving Fund (CWSRF) and $8.8 million through the Drinking Water State Revolving Fund (DWSRF), for a total of $18.2 million in clean water financing for water quality protection projects and enhancements. Administered by the Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management (DEM) and the Rhode Island Infrastructure Bank (RIIB), the CWSRF provides loans at low interest rates for water quality protection projects that improve wastewater treatment systems, control pollution from storm water runoff, and protect sensitive water bodies and estuaries. The Rhode Island Department of Health (DOH) and the RIIB are the state agencies that oversee the DWSRF, which provides loans at low interest rates for improvements to drinking water systems, focusing especially on small and low-income communities and programs that encourage pollution prevention to ensure that drinki… | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://www.reed.senate.gov/news/releases/opening-statement-by-ranking-member-jack-reed-sasc-hearing-on-supporting-the-warfighter-of-today-and-tomorrow | Opening Statement by Ranking Member Jack Reed, SASC Hearing on Supporting the Warfighter of Today and Tomorrow | 2015-12-03 | 2015 | 2015-12 | Democrat | House | RI | Jack Reed | R000122 | www.reed.senate.gov | legacy | 12/03/2015OPENING STATEMENT OF U.S. SENATOR JACK REED RANKING MEMBER, SENATE ARMED SERVICES COMMITTEE SD-106 DIRKSEN SENATE OFFICE BUILDING Thursday, December 3, 2015 To receive testimony on supporting the warfighter of today and tomorrow (As Prepared for Delivery) Thank you very much, Mr. Chairman. Id like to join you in thanking our witnesses for their willingness to appear today to testify on potential changes to the Department of Defenses (DOD) organization and processes that would enable the best possible support for our warfighters. I have no doubt that our distinguished panel of witnesses will provide the Committee with thought-provoking testimony drawn from their years of service in and out of uniform. A constant theme that has emerged in testimony from previous hearings is that DOD has a 20th century organizational structure which has great difficulty adjusting to many 21st century trends including globalization, rapid adoption of technology, and the free flow of information. These developments have complicated the security environment by facilitating the rise of near-peer competitors and irregular threats from transnational terrorist groups. However, I believe these trends also provide opportunities to improve U.S. military capabilities, which will support the warfighter, if they can be effectively harnessed through updated organizational structures and processes. As yesterdays hearing made clear, the men and women who make up the All-Volunteer Force remain this Committees top concern. And we must ensure they have the resources they need to complete their mission and return safely home. Testifying on these issues earlier this fall, former Secretary Gates described the challenges he faced in delivering rapidly needed capabilities to troops in the field because of prioritization of long-term programs of record by the military services. He said, the only way I could get significant new or additional equipment to commanders in the field in weeks or months not years was to take control of the… | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://www.reed.senate.gov/news/releases/reed-supports-pentagons-historic-plan-to-open-all-combat-jobs-to-qualified-women | Reed Supports Pentagon’s Historic Plan to Open All Combat Jobs to Qualified Women | 2015-12-03 | 2015 | 2015-12 | Democrat | House | RI | Jack Reed | R000122 | www.reed.senate.gov | legacy | 12/03/2015WASHINGTON, DC Today, after the Pentagon announced that after years of study, all combat jobs, including infantry units, will be open to qualified women beginning next year, U.S. Senator Jack Reed (D-RI), the Ranking Member of the Armed Services Committee, issued the following statement: Letting combat-qualified women serve their country to the fullest of their ability is a smart move that strengthens our nation. I applaud the Administrations decision to remove, once and for all, arbitrary barriers to service by women in our Armed Forces. The U.S. military is adapting to 21st century realities. Women are already serving on the front lines in hotspots around the world and this simply means servicemembers can be assigned to any position they are qualified for. This has been a multi-year, deliberative process that has required the Services to verify and develop occupational standards based on performance, not gender. Change will not happen overnight. It will likely take some time before women are assigned to certain combat occupations. But going forward, the combat effectiveness of our forces will increase as integrated units are able to take advantage of the very best talent available for military service, without restriction. I urge the Secretary and senior military leadership to carefully monitor the integration process and to develop long-term strategies that will enable all our warriors, men and women, to serve full and rewarding careers. Reed, a West Point graduate and former Army Ranger, noted that earlier this year the U.S. Army took a major step in opening Ranger School to all soldiers, regardless of gender, and three women made history when they graduated from the school this Fall. -end- Print Email Tweet | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://www.reed.senate.gov/news/releases/reed-urges-congress-to-responsibly-offset-tax-cuts-by-closing-tax-loopholes | Reed Urges Congress to Responsibly Offset Tax Cuts by Closing Tax Loopholes | 2015-12-03 | 2015 | 2015-12 | Democrat | House | RI | Jack Reed | R000122 | www.reed.senate.gov | legacy | 12/03/2015WASHINGTON, DC Today, U.S. Senator Jack Reed and four Senate colleagues urged the Chairman and Ranking Member of the Senate Finance Committee to offset the cost of the tax extenders legislation pending in Congress by closing tax loopholes that benefit hedge fund managers and corporate CEOs. The tax extenders bill is an annual package of tax breaks, deductions, credits, and other provisions that affect tax treatments for both businesses and some households. The final package is still being debated in Congress, but is likely to include tax breaks for large corporations that are not paid for and will significantly add to the deficit. We need to prioritize tax breaks that grow our economy and strengthen the middle class. If Senators also insist on tax cuts that help big business, those cuts should be treated the way investments in our infrastructure and student loans have been, and be paid for by closing some of the egregious loopholes in our tax code that Wall Street and big corporate CEOs are already exploiting. We need to break free of the approach in this Republican Congress where tax cuts for the wealthiest and big business are mindlessly added to the deficit, but investments in the middle class have to be paid for or force cuts elsewhere, said Senator Reed, a senior member of the Senate Banking Committee. Reed and his colleagues, U.S. Senators Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), Angus King (I-ME), Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), and Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), sent the letter to Finance Committee Chairman Orrin Hatch (R-UT) and Ranking Member Ron Wyden (D-OR) to highlight a persistent double standard in the Republican-controlled Congress whereby tax cuts that largely benefit businesses are allowed to drive up the deficit, while investments in infrastructure, medical research, education, and job training must be offset with budget cuts or increases in revenue. [A]s you work to finalize a tax extenders package, we urge you to also close tax loopholes to help pay for this bill so that we can give both businesses and middl… | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://www.whitehouse.senate.gov/news/release/delegation-announces-182-million-for-water-infrastructure-improvements-in-rhode-island | Delegation Announces $18.2 Million for Water Infrastructure Improvements in Rhode Island | 2015-12-03 | 2015 | 2015-12 | Democrat | House | RI | Sheldon Whitehouse | W000802 | www.whitehouse.senate.gov | legacy | 12.03.15 Delegation Announces $18.2 Million for Water Infrastructure Improvements in Rhode Island Washington, D.C. After reversing proposed cuts to clean water infrastructure programs, U.S. Senators Jack Reed and Sheldon Whitehouse and Congressmen Jim Langevin and David Cicilline announced $18.2 million in federal funding for water infrastructure projects in Rhode Island. Administered by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the funding will go to two federal-state loan programs that supply local water systems with low-interest financing for projects that protect public health and environmental quality. In its 2015 budget request, the Obama Administration proposed deep cuts to the Clean Water and Safe Drinking Water State Revolving Funds. EPA requested just $1.8 billion $581 million below enacted levels, or a cut of nearly 25% for the programs. All four members of the states Congressional delegation along with several of their colleagues on both sides of the aisle worked together to restore EPAs proposed cuts to the programs and ensure Congress successfully appropriated about $2.4 billion necessary for the SRF programs in fiscal year 2015. As a result, Rhode Island this week received $9.4 million through the Clean Water State Revolving Fund (CWSRF) and $8.8 million through the Drinking Water State Revolving Fund (DWSRF), for a total of $18.2 million in clean water financing for water quality protection projects and enhancements. Administered by the Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management (DEM) and the Rhode Island Infrastructure Bank (RIIB), the CWSRF provides loans at low interest rates for water quality protection projects that improve wastewater treatment systems, control pollution from storm water runoff, and protect sensitive water bodies and estuaries. The Rhode Island Department of Health (DOH) and the RIIB are the state agencies that oversee the DWSRF, which provides loans at low interest rates for improvements to drinking water systems, focusing especially on s… | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| http://langevin.house.gov/press-release/langevin-and-forbes-praise-committee-passage-carder-act | Langevin and Forbes Praise Committee Passage of CARDER Act | 2015-12-02 | 2015 | 2015-12 | Democrat | House | RI | Jim Langevin | L000559 | langevin.house.gov | legacy | Congressmen Jim Langevin (D-RI) and Randy Forbes (R-VA) today applauded passage of the Cybercrime Anti-Resale Deterrent and Extraterritoriality Revision (CARDER) Act by the House Judiciary Committee. Langevin, who is the co-founder and co-chair of the Congressional Cybersecurity Caucus, introduced the CARDER Act with Forbes as the lead Republican on the bill. The CARDER Act would make it easier for law enforcement to prosecute foreign criminals who trade in Americans stolen credit cards. These carders act as middlemen by linking computer criminals with those who use stolen credit card information to make fraudulent purchases. Taking down carder forums can make it significantly more difficult to sell credit card data and simultaneously increase the chances of identifying and arresting the hackers responsible for the initial theft. From large corporations to small businesses across the country, security breaches and the theft of American credit card data have reached epidemic proportions, costing time and money for both businesses and consumers, said Langevin. Cybercrime has a very real financial impact on those affected, and also on the underlying cost of doing business, and we must provide law enforcement with the tools necessary to bring these criminals to justice. I thank Rep. Forbes for his steadfast support of the bill and Chairman Goodlatte for bringing it before the Judiciary Committee. I look forward to its expeditious consideration by the full House. Protecting everyday Americans sensitive financial information from cybercrime is a critical 21st century issue, requiring 21st century laws to ensure bulky, outdated requirements dont hinder the Department of Justices ability to prosecute criminals outside the U.S. who commit crimes that harm Americans, said Forbes. I am proud to cosponsor and support the CARDER Act to ensure our law enforcement and prosecutors are equipped with the necessary tools to begin to attack the problem of cybercrime against U.S. citizens and businesses at its core. I applaud the Hou… | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://www.reed.senate.gov/news/releases/opening-statement-by-ranking-member-jack-reed-sasc-hearing-on-dod-personnel-reform-and-strengthening-the-all-volunteer-force | Opening Statement by Ranking Member Jack Reed, SASC Hearing on DOD Personnel Reform & Strengthening the All-Volunteer Force | 2015-12-02 | 2015 | 2015-12 | Democrat | House | RI | Jack Reed | R000122 | www.reed.senate.gov | legacy | 12/02/2015OPENING STATEMENT OF U.S. SENATOR JACK REED RANKING MEMBER, SENATE ARMED SERVICES COMMITTEE SD-G50 DIRKSEN SENATE OFFICE BUILDING Wednesday, December 2, 2015 To receive testimony on Department of Defense personnel reform and strengthening the All-Volunteer Force (As Prepared for Delivery) Thank you very much, Mr. Chairman. Id like to join you in thanking our witnesses for their willingness to appear before us today to provide their thoughts on personnel reform and strengthening the All-Volunteer Force. It is clear from the past work and prepared testimony that each of our witnesses brings a unique and valuable perspective on these issues. This Committee has held a series of hearings to review the organizational structure of the Department. Experts have testified on the importance of streamlining our defense acquisition processes; re-evaluating the roles and missions of the Services; ensuring effective management of the Department; and on the formulation of our defense strategy and future force structure. I believe todays hearing may be among the most important this Committee will convene during our review. The men and women who make up the All-Volunteer Force remain this Committees top concern. Any changes we recommend to the processes, structure, and organization of the Department of Defense, or to the benefit structure, will not matter if we dont provide the nation with a sufficiently sized, trained, and equipped military, of the necessary quality of character and talent, to meet national defense requirements. To that end, Congress has for several years considered various proposals for changes in compensation and health care to slow the growth of personnel costs so that those savings could be redirected to buy back readiness and modernization shortfalls. The Department has consistently, over the past several decades, proposed a budget in which military personnel costs comprised roughly 33 percent, or a third, of that total budget. In 1980, this third devoted to military personnel bough… | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://www.reed.senate.gov/news/releases/reed-calls-for-legislative-action-to-reduce-gun-violence | Reed Calls for Legislative Action to Reduce Gun Violence | 2015-12-02 | 2015 | 2015-12 | Democrat | House | RI | Jack Reed | R000122 | www.reed.senate.gov | legacy | 12/02/2015WASHINGTON, DC U.S. Senator Jack Reed released the following statement after another mass-shooting took place today in San Bernardino, California: Seeing another mass-shooting like this is heartbreaking. And while we dont know all the specifics here, the fact that some in the Senate still refuse to even hold a vote on legislation that would help address gun violence is appalling. There are commonsense steps we can take to make current background checks stronger, close loopholes to prevent terrorists from acquiring firearms, and block the interstate pipeline of illegal guns. It is long past time for Congress to take meaningful action. -end- Print Email Tweet | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://www.reed.senate.gov/news/releases/reed-helps-restore-critical-funding-for-ripta-in-transportation-bill | Reed Helps Restore Critical Funding for RIPTA in Transportation Bill | 2015-12-02 | 2015 | 2015-12 | Democrat | House | RI | Jack Reed | R000122 | www.reed.senate.gov | legacy | 12/02/2015WASHINGTON, DC Following a push by U.S. Senator Jack Reed, the Ranking Member of the Appropriations Subcommittee on Transportation and Housing and Urban Development (THUD), and other leading Democrats from the Northeast corridor, the joint House and Senate Transportation Conference has agreed to include the full restoration of funding to the critical 5340 High Density States Program in the final transportation bill set to be voted on later this week. I am pleased we were able to reclaim RIPTAs fair share of funding and save critical mass-transit dollars for high density states like Rhode Island. This loss of funding would have had led to more gridlock and tougher commutes and had a devastating impact on our public transportation system. I am pleased we were not only able to prevent the Houses short-sighted cuts from taking hold, but actually increase funding for mass-transit. Public transportation helps drive our economy. With more Rhode Islanders depending on public transportation, we must ensure RIPTA has the resources to provide safe, efficient, and reliable service. Senator Reed worked to remove language from the final bill that was included in the previous House-passed bill that would have meant a cut in federal funding to the Rhode Island Public Transportation Authority (RIPTA) of over $8.5 million a year. Reed and fellow Democrats from the Northeast corridor successfully removed the Herrera-Beutler Amendment to the surface transportation bill, which would have eliminated essential federal formula funding for Rhode Island, Connecticut, Delaware, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, and New York. These seven states provide over half of all public transportation trips in the United States. Senator Reed, who was the driving force for developing the current high-density public transportation formula back in 2005, stated: We need to wisely invest in our transportation infrastructure to enhance safety, generate jobs, and strengthen our transportation network, said Reed. This bill provides state tran… | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://www.reed.senate.gov/news/speeches/reed-warns-against-rolling-back-dodd-frank-wall-street-reform-protections | Reed Warns Against Rolling Back Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform Protections | 2015-12-02 | 2015 | 2015-12 | Democrat | House | RI | Jack Reed | R000122 | www.reed.senate.gov | legacy | 12/02/2015Mr. REED. Mr. President, I thank my colleague from Oregon for his leadership on this issue, and I thank my colleagues who are going to join us later. I am joining them in urging all of our colleagues in the Senate not to roll back the protections that are in place due to the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act of 2010. Let me remind everyone where we have come from. When we passed the Wall Street reform act, the Dodd-Frank act, we were in the most painful financial crisis since the Great Depression. The Dow Jones dropped from roughly 13,700 points in July of 2007 to 7,235 points by March of 2009, about a 47 percent drop in wealth as indicated by the stock market. It was a huge, huge hit. The line at that time was: What is happening to your 401(k) plan? Well, we have come back, and one of the reasons we have come back is because Dodd-Frank has now provided safer rules of the road for financial institutions. Back then and going forward, we lost 8.6 million jobs from January of 2008 until January of 2010. There were 8 million jobs lost primarily because Wall Street lost its way, frankly. The unemployment rate doubled from 5 percent in January of 2008 to 10 percent in October of 2009. In that period of time, roughly from July 2007 to November of 2014, nearly 7.5 million families lost their homes. These are sobering numbers. Behind each of these numbers is an individual or family--our constituents, who suffered real and serious damages. Again, this was traceable almost directly back to excesses on Wall Street, which we consciously tried to correct in the Dodd-Frank act, and it has provided a solid foundation for economic recovery. Slow as it has been, we are coming back. What happened was that these families lost their retirements--wiped out. It was not only the financial loss but the sheer psychological trauma of being either retired or on the edge of retirement and suddenly it was all gone. It has left a lasting impression. People have lost jobs, as I have indicated. It was a h… | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://www.whitehouse.senate.gov/news/release/sens-markey-whitehouse-blumenthal-to-obama-reform-coal-leasing-program-to-protect-climate-change-goals | Sens. Markey, Whitehouse, Blumenthal to Obama: Reform Coal Leasing Program to Protect Climate Change Goals | 2015-12-02 | 2015 | 2015-12 | Democrat | House | RI | Sheldon Whitehouse | W000802 | www.whitehouse.senate.gov | legacy | 12.02.15 Sens. Markey, Whitehouse, Blumenthal to Obama: Reform Coal Leasing Program to Protect Climate Change Goals Senators introduce legislation that would increase the royalty rate for coal produced on federal lands, prohibit overseas sale of federally-owned coal Washington (December 2, 2015) As President Obama joined with world leaders to help craft an international agreement on climate, Senators Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.) Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.) and Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) called on the President to reform the federal coal leasing program to protect Americas climate change goals. In a letter sent yesterday, the Senators called on President Obama use his executive authority to direct the Secretary of the Interior to significantly increase royalty rates to account for the social cost of carbon pollution from coal production on public lands and use his existing authority to prohibit the export of coal produced from public lands to foreign nations. Additionally, the Senators called on the President to suspend all new coal leasing until these reforms are implemented. Between 400 and 450 million tons of coal are produced from public lands in the United States each year, yet coal companies only pay 12.5 percent of the value of the natural resource, a royalty rate that does nothing to take into account the costs for climate change and human health associated with burning federally-owned coal. We should not take two steps forward reducing carbon pollution with the Clean Power Plan only for our federal coal program to force us to take two steps back, said Senator Markey. It makes no sense to subsidize coal companies to mine coal from federal lands just to export it and increase quantities of it abroad, where it will be burned to worsen climate change. We need to reform a federal coal program that is selling coal at bargain basement prices to the detriment of the American taxpayers economic and public… | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://www.reed.senate.gov/news/releases/opening-statement-by-ranking-member-jack-reed-sasc-hearing-on-acquisition-reform | Opening Statement by Ranking Member Jack Reed, SASC Hearing on Acquisition Reform | 2015-12-01 | 2015 | 2015-12 | Democrat | House | RI | Jack Reed | R000122 | www.reed.senate.gov | legacy | 12/01/2015OPENING STATEMENT OF U.S. SENATOR JACK REED RANKING MEMBER, SENATE ARMED SERVICES COMMITTEE SD-G50 DIRKSEN SENATE OFFICE BUILDING Tuesday, December 1, 2015 To receive testimony on acquisition reform: next steps (As Prepared for Delivery) Thank you very much, Mr. Chairman. Id like to join you in thanking our witnesses for their willingness to appear today to testify on the next steps in reforming the acquisition system used by the Department of Defense. Todays witnesses have a wealth of experience in defense acquisition, from both inside and outside of government. Their insight and experience on what works, and does not work, in our current acquisition system will help to inform the Committees review of possible reforms that would allow the Department to more effectively and efficiently procure goods and services. The Pentagons fundamental mission is the defense of our Nation, which requires that our military procure technologically advanced weapons platforms and invest in cutting edge research and development programs. According to the Congressional Research Service, the Department of Defense obligated $285 billion in contracts in FY 2014, which was more than all other government agencies combined. This amount included funding for high-end critical weapons systems such as the Joint Strike Fighter and the Ohio-class Replacement Program, as well as service support contracts which have much less visibility. In fact, the Government Accountability Office has stated that within the federal government, the Pentagon has the largest share of all service contracts totaling $156 billion in FY 2014. In an era of fiscal constraint, it has become even more important to ensure that the Department spends every dollar wisely. While the Department has made progress in addressing cost over-runs for major acquisition programs, more work remains. For every dollar that is spent on weapons systems that are under-performing, that is a dollar that wont be spent on other important requirements of the military ser… | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://www.whitehouse.senate.gov/news/speeches/time-to-wake-up-corporations-funding-phony-climate-denial | Time to Wake Up: Corporations Funding Phony Climate Denial | 2015-12-01 | 2015 | 2015-12 | Democrat | House | RI | Sheldon Whitehouse | W000802 | www.whitehouse.senate.gov | legacy | 12.01.15 Time to Wake Up: Corporations Funding Phony Climate Denial Madam President, as the Presiding Officer knows well, every week that I am here and the Senate is in session, I come to the floor to remind us of the damage carbon pollution continues to do to our atmosphere and oceans. Today I rise for the 120th time to urge my colleagues to wake up to the threat of climate change. I am not alone, although it sometimes seems a bit lonely here. We have an advertisement today in the Wall Street Journal--we will find it here in 1 second; well, I seem to have mislaid it--that has a considerable number of American companies that have called upon the public and called on the readers of the Wall Street Journal to support a strong outcome in Paris. It matches another Wall Street Journal full-page advertisement--this one went back to October 22--which was Republicans and Democrats Agree: U.S. Security Demands Global Climate Action. That had 23 Republican former officials, including Senators Cohen, Coleman, Danforth, Hagel, Lugar, Kassebaum, Smith, and Snowe, Secretaries of Commerce, State, Treasury, members of the National Intelligence Council, Homeland Security advisers, and Trade Representatives. In total, 33 Republican and military officials were calling on us to get serious about it. So a lot of people out there, including Republicans, are interested in getting something done. I wanted to build my remarks this week around something interesting that Pope Francis said this past weekend about the upcoming climate talks in Paris. He said: It would be sad, and dare I say even catastrophic, were special interests to prevail over the common good and lead to manipulating information in order to protect their own plans and interests. Sad, and even catastrophic--let's look at that part. The fact is, we have changed the composition of our atmosphere, pushing the concentration of carbon dioxide beyond the range it has been in for at least 800,000 years, longer than our species has been on the planet. For 8,000 ce… | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| http://cicilline.house.gov/press-release/two-cicilline-amendments-included-defense-bill-signed-today-president-obama | Two Cicilline Amendments Included in Defense Bill Signed Today by President Obama | 2015-11-26 | 2015 | 2015-11 | Democrat | House | RI | David Cicilline | C001084 | cicilline.house.gov | legacy | WASHINGTON President Obama today signed the National Defense Authorization Act, which includes language offered by U.S. Congressman David N. Cicilline (D-RI) to strengthen domestic manufacturing and advance American national security interests. Although this years defense bill is flawed in many ways, I am pleased that it will go into law with two amendments I offered to provide new opportunities for American manufacturers and strengthen our national security, said Cicilline. The Brickle amendment will ensure that the Federal government is transparent about its efforts to notify American companies about overseas procurement opportunities. This is an important step forward that will help ensure American workers have the opportunity to compete on a level playing field and create new, good-paying jobs in this country. Cicillines Brickle amendment requires the Secretary of Defense and Secretary of State to document their respective efforts to notify American manufacturers of procurement opportunities to equip the Afghan National Defense Security Forces. The proposal is named for longtime Rhode Island textile manufacturer Sam Brickle, chairman of the board of the Brickle Group in Woonsocket, who met with Cicilline last year and raised his concerns that the Department of Defense was not required to notify American manufacturers about overseas military contracts. As a result, American companies like the Brickle Group found themselves at a competitive disadvantage when trying to land procurement opportunities with foreign military entities. The Brickle Group, which provides more than 100 full- and part-time jobs, has previously manufactured berets for the U.S. Armed Forces, as well as wool for Homeland Security uniforms, and would be well-positioned to compete for new procurement opportunities if given the opportunity. In addition to the Brickle amendment, the new defense bill also includes language offered by Cicilline that requires the Secretaries of Defense and State to submit a report to Congress assessing the im… | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| http://cicilline.house.gov/press-release/delegation-noaa-clean-bay-roll-out-plans-marine-debris-cleanup-providence-seekonk | Delegation, NOAA, Clean The Bay Roll Out Plans for Marine Debris Cleanup of Providence & Seekonk Rivers | 2015-11-24 | 2015 | 2015-11 | Democrat | House | RI | David Cicilline | C001084 | cicilline.house.gov | legacy | Providence, RI Today in East Providence, the Rhode Island congressional delegation and a representative from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) joined Middletown-based nonprofit Clean The Bay (dba Clean Bays) as the group detailed plans to clean up marine debris along the Seekonk and Providence Rivers. For over 100 years, the Providence and Seekonk Rivers and portions of the Upper Narragansett Bay have been dirtied by broken and abandoned pilings, wrecked vessels, docks, auto parts, hardware, appliances, and other trash. This refuse harms local ecology and has rendered large portions of the waterways unusable to the public. Earlier this year, with support from the delegation, Clean The Bay secured a$194,800 grantfrom NOAA to begin removal of pilings and other marine debris over the next several years. The organization will also use the funding for outreach and to foster volunteer opportunities with community partners to further cleanup efforts. For years, Ive driven past this section of the Providence and Seekonk Rivers and thought about ways we could restore here the natural beauty we see in other areas of the Narragansett Bay region. Thats why Im so excited to see this project move forward, returning a forgotten waterway into a place Rhode Islanders can enjoy, said Senator Sheldon Whitehouse, who contacted Clean The Bay in an effort to find a Rhode Island group with the ability to do the job. Clean The Bay has proven itself to be up to the challenge. Best of luck to Captain Dresser and his crew as they start the next phase of this important project! I commend Captain Kent Dresser and his team. They literally do the heavy lifting when it comes to cleaning the Bay and organizing volunteers to help clean our shorelines. I am pleased to have helped secure federal funding over the years to support their efforts, said Senator Jack Reed, a member of the Appropriations Committee who has worked with Clean The Bay since 2005, and has helped successfully provide $685,000 in NOAA grants to Clean … | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| http://cicilline.house.gov/press-release/ri-congressional-delegation-urges-federal-energy-regulators-properly-account-renewable | RI Congressional Delegation Urges Federal Energy Regulators to Properly Account for Renewable Energy Resources | 2015-11-24 | 2015 | 2015-11 | Democrat | House | RI | David Cicilline | C001084 | cicilline.house.gov | legacy | Washington, D.C. Today U.S. Senators Jack Reed and Sheldon Whitehouse and Congressmen Jim Langevin and David Cicilline called on the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) to improve the methods for projecting electricity capacity and setting energy prices across New England. In a letter to FERC Chairman Norman C. Bay, the Rhode Island delegation said the operator of New Englands power grid insufficiently counts so-called distributed generation sources of energy, such as solar panels on consumers homes, when tallying the regions future energy needs. Although FERC recently ordered the regional grid operator to begin including some of these renewable energy resources, it still ignores large portions of distributed generation across New England. Each year, New England conducts an energy auction process that projects the regions electricity capacity needs several years into the future. Neglecting these sources of renewable energy that are expected to be on the electricity grid, the lawmakers wrote, inflates the regions projected capacity shortfall and drives up the amount of capacity the region needs to buy at auction, resulting in unnecessarily high prices for Rhode Islanders. We must work cooperatively with utilities and regulators to ensure Rhode Islanders have access to affordable energy. In assessing our energy capacity needs, we need to look at the full picture, so its important for FERC to examine the method by which electricity prices are currently calculated, and part of that is assessing the supply and demand of energy. Renewable energy sources should be taken into account as part of that calculation, and if they are not, it is important to understand why and what the implications are for consumers and electricity markets, said Reed. Simply ignoring large amounts of renewable generation is a mistake that costs New England ratepayers, said Whitehouse. Im glad FERC has begun to push for some distributed generation in these auctions, but its time to give renewable energy producers full credit for the … | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| http://langevin.house.gov/press-release/delegation-noaa-clean-bay-roll-out-plans-marine-debris-cleanup-providence-seekonk | Delegation, NOAA, Clean The Bay Roll Out Plans for Marine Debris Cleanup of Providence & Seekonk Rivers | 2015-11-24 | 2015 | 2015-11 | Democrat | House | RI | Jim Langevin | L000559 | langevin.house.gov | legacy | Today in East Providence, the Rhode Island congressional delegation and a representative from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) joined Middletown-based nonprofit Clean The Bay (dba Clean Bays) as the group detailed plans to clean up marine debris along the Seekonk and Providence Rivers. For over 100 years, the Providence and Seekonk Rivers and portions of the Upper Narragansett Bay have been dirtied by broken and abandoned pilings, wrecked vessels, docks, auto parts, hardware, appliances, and other trash. This refuse harms local ecology and has rendered large portions of the waterways unusable to the public. Earlier this year, with support from the delegation, Clean The Bay secured a $194,800 grant from NOAA to begin removal of pilings and other marine debris over the next several years. The organization will also use the funding for outreach and to foster volunteer opportunities with community partners to further cleanup efforts. For years, Ive driven past this section of the Providence and Seekonk Rivers and thought about ways we could restore here the natural beauty we see in other areas of the Narragansett Bay region. Thats why Im so excited to see this project move forward, returning a forgotten waterway into a place Rhode Islanders can enjoy, said Senator Sheldon Whitehouse, who contacted Clean The Bay in an effort to find a Rhode Island group with the ability to do the job. Clean The Bay has proven itself to be up to the challenge. Best of luck to Captain Dresser and his crew as they start the next phase of this important project! I commend Captain Kent Dresser and his team. They literally do the heavy lifting when it comes to cleaning the Bay and organizing volunteers to help clean our shorelines. I am pleased to have helped secure federal funding over the years to support their efforts, said Senator Jack Reed, a member of the Appropriations Committee who has worked with Clean The Bay since 2005, and has helped successfully provide $685,000 in NOAA grants to Clean The Bay and its … | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| http://langevin.house.gov/press-release/ri-congressional-delegation-urges-federal-energy-regulators-properly-account-renewable | RI Congressional Delegation Urges Federal Energy Regulators to Properly Account for Renewable Energy Resources | 2015-11-24 | 2015 | 2015-11 | Democrat | House | RI | Jim Langevin | L000559 | langevin.house.gov | legacy | Today U.S. Senators Jack Reed and Sheldon Whitehouse and Congressmen Jim Langevin and David Cicilline called on the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) to improve the methods for projecting electricity capacity and setting energy prices across New England. In a letter to FERC Chairman Norman C. Bay, the Rhode Island delegation said the operator of New Englands power grid insufficiently counts so-called distributed generation sources of energy, such as solar panels on consumers homes, when tallying the regions future energy needs. Although FERC recently ordered the regional grid operator to begin including some of these renewable energy resources, it still ignores large portions of distributed generation across New England. Each year, New England conducts an energy auction process that projects the regions electricity capacity needs several years into the future. Neglecting these sources of renewable energy that are expected to be on the electricity grid, the lawmakers wrote, inflates the regions projected capacity shortfall and drives up the amount of capacity the region needs to buy at auction, resulting in unnecessarily high prices for Rhode Islanders. We must work cooperatively with utilities and regulators to ensure Rhode Islanders have access to affordable energy. In assessing our energy capacity needs, we need to look at the full picture, so its important for FERC to examine the method by which electricity prices are currently calculated, and part of that is assessing the supply and demand of energy. Renewable energy sources should be taken into account as part of that calculation, and if they are not, it is important to understand why and what the implications are for consumers and electricity markets, said Reed. Simply ignoring large amounts of renewable generation is a mistake that costs New England ratepayers, said Whitehouse. Im glad FERC has begun to push for some distributed generation in these auctions, but its time to give renewable energy producers full credit for the electricity that they… | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://www.reed.senate.gov/news/releases/delegation-noaa-clean-the-bay-roll-out-plans-for-marine-debris-cleanup-of-providence-and-seekonk-rivers | Delegation, NOAA, Clean The Bay Roll Out Plans for Marine Debris Cleanup of Providence & Seekonk Rivers | 2015-11-24 | 2015 | 2015-11 | Democrat | House | RI | Jack Reed | R000122 | www.reed.senate.gov | legacy | 11/24/2015PROVIDENCE, RI Today in East Providence, the Rhode Island congressional delegation and a representative from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) joined Middletown-based nonprofit Clean The Bay (dba Clean Bays) as the group detailed plans to clean up marine debris along the Seekonk and Providence Rivers. For over 100 years, the Providence and Seekonk Rivers and portions of the Upper Narragansett Bay have been dirtied by broken and abandoned pilings, wrecked vessels, docks, auto parts, hardware, appliances, and other trash. This refuse harms local ecology and has rendered large portions of the waterways unusable to the public. Earlier this year, with support from the delegation, Clean The Bay secured a$194,800 grantfrom NOAA to begin removal of pilings and other marine debris over the next several years. The organization will also use the funding for outreach and to foster volunteer opportunities with community partners to further cleanup efforts. I commend Captain Kent Dresser and his team. They literally do the heavy lifting when it comes to cleaning the Bay and organizing volunteers to help clean our shorelines. I am pleased to have helped secure federal funding over the years to support their efforts, saidSenator Jack Reed, a member of the Appropriations Committee who has worked with Clean The Bay since 2005, and has helped successfully provide $685,000 in NOAA grants to Clean The Bay and its partners over that period. Cleaning the rivers and watersheds that flow into the Bay has important health and economic benefits for all Rhode Islanders. For years, Ive driven past this section of the Providence and Seekonk Rivers and thought about ways we could restore here the natural beauty we see in other areas of the Narragansett Bay region. Thats why Im so excited to see this project move forward, returning a forgotten waterway into a place Rhode Islanders can enjoy, said Senator Sheldon Whitehouse, who contacted Clean The Bay in an effort to find a Rhode Island group with the abili… | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://www.whitehouse.senate.gov/news/release/delegation-noaa-clean-the-bay-roll-out-plans-for-marine-debris-cleanup-of-providence-and-seekonk-rivers | Delegation, NOAA, Clean The Bay Roll Out Plans for Marine Debris Cleanup of Providence & Seekonk Rivers | 2015-11-24 | 2015 | 2015-11 | Democrat | House | RI | Sheldon Whitehouse | W000802 | www.whitehouse.senate.gov | legacy | 11.24.15 Delegation, NOAA, Clean The Bay Roll Out Plans for Marine Debris Cleanup of Providence & Seekonk Rivers Providence, RI Today in East Providence, the Rhode Island congressional delegation and a representative from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) joined Middletown-based nonprofit Clean The Bay (dba Clean Bays) as the group detailed plans to clean up marine debris along the Seekonk and Providence Rivers. For over 100 years, the Providence and Seekonk Rivers and portions of the Upper Narragansett Bay have been dirtied by broken and abandoned pilings, wrecked vessels, docks, auto parts, hardware, appliances, and other trash. This refuse harms local ecology and has rendered large portions of the waterways unusable to the public. Earlier this year, with support from the delegation, Clean The Bay secured a$194,800 grantfrom NOAA to begin removal of pilings and other marine debris over the next several years. The organization will also use the funding for outreach and to foster volunteer opportunities with community partners to further cleanup efforts. For years, Ive driven past this section of the Providence and Seekonk Rivers and thought about ways we could restore here the natural beauty we see in other areas of the Narragansett Bay region. Thats why Im so excited to see this project move forward, returning a forgotten waterway into a place Rhode Islanders can enjoy, said Senator Sheldon Whitehouse, who contacted Clean The Bay in an effort to find a Rhode Island group with the ability to do the job. Clean The Bay has proven itself to be up to the challenge. Best of luck to Captain Dresser and his crew as they start the next phase of this important project! I commend Captain Kent Dresser and his team. They literally do the heavy lifting when it comes to cleaning the Bay and organizing volunteers to help clean our shorelines. I am pleased to have helped secure federal funding over the years to support their efforts, said Senator Jack Reed, a member of the Appropriati… | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://www.whitehouse.senate.gov/news/release/ri-congressional-delegation-urges-federal-energy-regulators-to-properly-account-for-renewable-energy-resources | RI Congressional Delegation Urges Federal Energy Regulators to Properly Account for Renewable Energy Resources | 2015-11-24 | 2015 | 2015-11 | Democrat | House | RI | Sheldon Whitehouse | W000802 | www.whitehouse.senate.gov | legacy | 11.24.15 RI Congressional Delegation Urges Federal Energy Regulators to Properly Account for Renewable Energy Resources Washington, D.C. Today U.S. Senators Jack Reed and Sheldon Whitehouse and Congressmen Jim Langevin and David Cicilline called on the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) to improve the methods for projecting electricity capacity and setting energy prices across New England. In a letter to FERC Chairman Norman C. Bay, the Rhode Island delegation said the operator of New Englands power grid insufficiently counts so-called distributed generation sources of energy, such as solar panels on consumers homes, when tallying the regions future energy needs. Although FERC recently ordered the regional grid operator to begin including some of these renewable energy resources, it still ignores large portions of distributed generation across New England. Each year, New England conducts an energy auction process that projects the regions electricity capacity needs several years into the future. Neglecting these sources of renewable energy that are expected to be on the electricity grid, the lawmakers wrote, inflates the regions projected capacity shortfall and drives up the amount of capacity the region needs to buy at auction, resulting in unnecessarily high prices for Rhode Islanders. We must work cooperatively with utilities and regulators to ensure Rhode Islanders have access to affordable energy. In assessing our energy capacity needs, we need to look at the full picture, so its important for FERC to examine the method by which electricity prices are currently calculated, and part of that is assessing the supply and demand of energy. Renewable energy sources should be taken into account as part of that calculation, and if they are not, it is important to understand why and what the implications are for consumers and electricity markets, said Reed. Simply ignoring large amounts of renewable generation is a mistake that costs New England ratepayers, said Whitehouse. Im glad FERC has… | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| http://cicilline.house.gov/press-release/workforce-training-partnerships-look-fill-open-jobs-now | Workforce Training Partnerships Look to Fill Open Jobs Now | 2015-11-23 | 2015 | 2015-11 | Democrat | House | RI | David Cicilline | C001084 | cicilline.house.gov | legacy | Congressman David N. Cicilline, along with his colleagues in the Rhode Island Congressional Delegation and Governor Gina M. Raimondo, today announced the recipients of the Real Jobs RI implementation grants available through the Rhode Island Department of Labor and Training (DLT). Real Jobs RI is a demand-driven initiative that puts employers at the center of the state's workforce development efforts to train people for jobs that actually exist now. The implementation grants will provide funding to support the creation 26 Strategic Industry Partnerships. These groups will develop training, education and human resource solutions needed to address their business and talent needs This demand-driven program is part of our strategy to reinvigorate the economy to make sure we are training people for jobs that are open now, Raimondo said. We are moving decisively to deliver a more skilled workforce to employers and to help workers find well-paying jobs so they can make it in Rhode Island. Moving this program forward so quickly would not have happened without the support of our entire Congressional delegation. The partnerships from more than 10 sectors will split about $5 million in federal and state funding to implement detailed job-training plans driven by employers specific workforce needs, including jobs that are available now. The partnerships announced today include 186 employers and 108 strategic partners across various sectors including aquaculture, bioscience, design and health care, among others. Raimondo credited the pivotal role played by U.S. Senators Jack Reed and Sheldon Whitehouse, U.S. Congressmen Jim Langevin and David N. Cicilline, whose combined efforts secured funding from the US Department of Labor for the Real Jobs partnerships. We want current and future employers in Rhode Island to know that we will work with them to ensure that they can find and develop the skilled workers they need to grow and prosper. Governor Raimondo has brought real vision and focus to reimagining workforce development… | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://www.reed.senate.gov/news/releases/reed-and-whitehouse-urge-president-obama-to-take-executive-action-to-reduce-gun-violence | Reed & Whitehouse Urge President Obama to Take Executive Action to Reduce Gun Violence | 2015-11-23 | 2015 | 2015-11 | Democrat | House | RI | Jack Reed | R000122 | www.reed.senate.gov | legacy | 11/23/2015WASHINGTON, DC Today, U.S. Senators Jack Reed and Sheldon Whitehouse joined with 22 of their colleagues in urging President Barack Obama to investigate and pursue all possible options under his executive authority to reduce gun violence. In a letter to the President, the senators specially urged him to eliminate a loophole that currently allows individuals without a federal license to conduct high volumes of gun sales at gun shows, over the internet, and elsewhere, all without conducting background checks. U.S. Rep. Mike Thompson (CA-5), Chair of the House Gun Violence Prevention Task Force, today sent a similar letter signed by 114 of his colleagues in the House. We stand with you determined to take action to reduce the terrible epidemic of gun violence plaguing this nation. All across the country, communities are ravaged and lives are senselessly cut short by gun violence. Following yet another horrific mass shooting in Roseburg, Oregon, it is unthinkable that our country can continue to turn a blind eye to these tragedies, the Senators wrote. We urge you to address an aspect of the high-volume gun seller loophole that allows guns to be sold without a background check by eliminating the ambiguity surrounding the term engaged in the business as it pertains to federally licensed firearms dealers. Updating the definition of engaged in the business to provide more explicit guidance as to which gun sellers are required to obtain a federal firearms license wouldhelp ensure that individuals are not able to continue to exploit ambiguity in the current regulation and sell guns at a high volume without any oversight by ATF and without conducting background checks This change would be a positive step forward in achieving universal background checks, a policy change that roughly 90 percent of Americans support. It would help ensure that those clearly holding themselves out as gun dealers are held to the same standard as the thousands of responsible gun dealers already licensed with ATF across the country, the … | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://www.reed.senate.gov/news/releases/reed-statement-on-proposed-pfizer-and-allergan-tax-inversion-merger | Reed Statement on Proposed Pfizer and Allergan Tax-Inversion Merger | 2015-11-23 | 2015 | 2015-11 | Democrat | House | RI | Jack Reed | R000122 | www.reed.senate.gov | legacy | 11/23/2015WASHINGTON, DC U.S. Senator Jack Reed (D-RI) issued the following statement today after it was announced that pharmaceutical giant Pfizer plans to merge with Allergan, which has its corporate headquarters in Dublin, Ireland: The Treasury Department is making progress on thwarting inversions, but Congress needs to act to protect American taxpayers. This is an issue of economic fairness. Companies like Pfizer want to benefit from all the U.S. offers but they don't want to pay U.S. taxes. Instead of protecting companies that want to move their corporate addresses overseas, the Republican leadership should bring anti-inversion legislation up for a vote, said Reed. Earlier this year, Senator Reed and several of his colleagues reintroduced the Stop Corporate Inversion Act, which would amend the tax code to prevent U.S. companies to from moving their tax domicile overseas in order to evade U.S. taxes. In April, Reed and six of his colleagues introduced the American Business for American Companies Act, which would ban federal contracts for companies that move their headquarters overseas through inversion. According to the bipartisan Joint Committee on Taxation, inversions could cause the United States to lose about $33.5 billion in tax revenue over the next decade. While inverted companies incorporate overseas, they remain majority-owned by shareholders of the old U.S. corporation and do not have substantial business activities in the foreign country in which they are incorporating. -end- Print Email Tweet | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://www.reed.senate.gov/news/releases/workforce-training-partnerships-look-to-fill-open-jobs-now | Workforce Training Partnerships Look to Fill Open Jobs Now | 2015-11-23 | 2015 | 2015-11 | Democrat | House | RI | Jack Reed | R000122 | www.reed.senate.gov | legacy | 11/23/2015PROVIDENCE, RI Governor Gina M. Raimondo, along with the Rhode Island Congressional delegation, today announced the recipients of the Real Jobs RI implementation grants available through the Rhode Island Department of Labor and Training (DLT). Real Jobs RI is a demand-driven initiative that puts employers at the center of the state's workforce development efforts to train people for jobs that actually exist now. The implementation grants will provide funding to support the creation 26 Strategic Industry Partnerships. These groups will develop training, education and human resource solutions needed to address their business and talent needs This demand-driven program is part of our strategy to reinvigorate the economy to make sure we are training people for jobs that are open now, Raimondo said. We are moving decisively to deliver a more skilled workforce to employers and to help workers find well-paying jobs so they can make it in Rhode Island. Moving this program forward so quickly would not have happened without the support of our entire Congressional delegation. The partnerships from more than 10 sectors will split about $5 million in federal and state funding to implement detailed job-training plans driven by employers specific workforce needs, including jobs that are available now. The partnerships announced today include 186 employers and 108 strategic partners across various sectors including aquaculture, bioscience, design and health care, among others. Raimondo credited the pivotal role played by U.S. Senators Jack Reed and Sheldon Whitehouse, U.S. Congressmen Jim Langevin and David N. Cicilline, whose combined efforts secured funding from the US Department of Labor for the Real Jobs partnerships. We want current and future employers in Rhode Island to know that we will work with them to ensure that they can find and develop the skilled workers they need to grow and prosper. Governor Raimondo has brought real vision and focus to reimagining workforce development in our state.We are united… | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://www.whitehouse.senate.gov/news/release/reed-and-whitehouse-urge-president-obama-to-take-executive-action-to-reduce-gun-violence | Reed & Whitehouse Urge President Obama to Take Executive Action to Reduce Gun Violence | 2015-11-23 | 2015 | 2015-11 | Democrat | House | RI | Sheldon Whitehouse | W000802 | www.whitehouse.senate.gov | legacy | 11.23.15 Reed & Whitehouse Urge President Obama to Take Executive Action to Reduce Gun Violence 24 Senate Democrats call on White House to close loophole in face of Congressional inaction WASHINGTON, DC Today, U.S. Senators Jack Reed and Sheldon Whitehouse joined with 22 of their colleagues in urging President Barack Obama to investigate and pursue all possible options under his executive authority to reduce gun violence. In a letter to the President, the senators specially urged him to eliminate a loophole that currently allows individuals without a federal license to conduct high volumes of gun sales at gun shows, over the internet, and elsewhere, all without conducting background checks. We stand with you determined to take action to reduce the terrible epidemic of gun violence plaguing this nation. All across the country, communities are ravaged and lives are senselessly cut short by gun violence. Following yet another horrific mass shooting in Roseburg, Oregon, it is unthinkable that our country can continue to turn a blind eye to these tragedies, the Senators wrote. We urge you to address an aspect of the high-volume gun seller loophole that allows guns to be sold without a background check by eliminating the ambiguity surrounding the term engaged in the business as it pertains to federally licensed firearms dealers. Updating the definition of engaged in the business to provide more explicit guidance as to which gun sellers are required to obtain a federal firearms license wouldhelp ensure that individuals are not able to continue to exploit ambiguity in the current regulation and sell guns at a high volume without any oversight by ATF and without conducting background checks This change would be a positive step forward in achieving universal background checks, a policy change that roughly 90 percent of Americans support. It would help ensure that those clearly holding themselves out as gun deal… | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://www.whitehouse.senate.gov/news/release/whitehouse-statement-on-the-passing-of-dr-john-a-knauss | Whitehouse Statement on the Passing of Dr. John A. Knauss | 2015-11-23 | 2015 | 2015-11 | Democrat | House | RI | Sheldon Whitehouse | W000802 | www.whitehouse.senate.gov | legacy | 11.23.15 Whitehouse Statement on the Passing of Dr. John A. Knauss Providence, RI U.S. Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) released the following statement upon hearing of the passing of former Dean of the University of Rhode Island Graduate School of Oceanography John A. Knauss: Rhode Island has lost a beloved teacher, a visionary leader, and a brilliant scientist. Dean Knauss set out to create in the Ocean State a comprehensive oceanography and marine studies program. When he left the University of Rhode Island to head up the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration a quarter-century later, his Graduate School of Oceanography had become one of the premier graduate education and research institutions in oceanography in the world, and Knauss Fellowships became among the most prestigious of marine policy grants. Beyond his foresight and leadership, John will be remembered for his collegiality and collaboration among the administrators, faculty, and students he touched, and for his passion for living. Sandra and I extend our heartfelt condolences to the Knauss Family and to the entire marine science community. ### Print Email Tweet Next Article Previous Article | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| http://langevin.house.gov/press-release/langevin-statement-american-safe-act | Langevin Statement on American SAFE Act | 2015-11-20 | 2015 | 2015-11 | Democrat | House | RI | Jim Langevin | L000559 | langevin.house.gov | legacy | Congressman Jim Langevin (D-RI), a senior member of the House Armed Services and Homeland Security Committees, released the following statement in response to House passage, by a vote of 289 to 137, of H.R. 4038, the American SAFE Act of 2015: The safety and security of my constituents and all Americans is my first priority, and the American people should feel completely confident that we, as a Congress and as a nation, are doing everything in our power to protect our people and our freedom from the threat of terrorism and all those who seek to do us harm. However, I do not believe that protecting our national security precludes us from showing compassion to the refugees fleeing unspeakable violence and oppression in Syria, Iraq and other conflict zones. I know that we can both protect the American people and stay true to the values of the United States, a nation of immigrants that has been a beacon of hope for those who seek freedom, opportunity and tolerance, as well as protection from persecution. I voted today in favor of additional safeguards that will ensure the highest level of security screening for those who wish to enter this country and live by the American principles of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. Existing refugee screening standards are already rigorous and include biometric record checks and extensive interviews with specially-trained DHS officers, with preference given to the most vulnerable refugees. The process, which typically takes 18 to 24 months, is designed with a litany of checks and balances by an inter-agency team that includes the State Department, the Department of Defense, the Department of Homeland Security and the National Counterterrorism Center. Todays legislation would additionally require the FBI, Homeland Security Department and Director of National Intelligence to certify to Congress that any refugee from Syria or Iraq does not pose a threat to the United States. I believe these requirements will provide a reasonable new layer of assurance to our protocols, and … | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://www.reed.senate.gov/news/releases/after-reed-urges-action-treasury-department-moves-to-limit-corporate-tax-dodging-known-as-inversions | After Reed Urges Action, Treasury Department Moves to Limit Corporate Tax Dodging Known as ‘Inversions’ | 2015-11-20 | 2015 | 2015-11 | Democrat | House | RI | Jack Reed | R000122 | www.reed.senate.gov | legacy | 11/20/2015WASHINGTON, DC U.S. Senator Jack Reed today applauded a series of actions announced by the U.S. Treasury Department aimed at curbing a practice known as inversion, in which U.S. companies move their headquarters overseas, but only on paper, in order to avoid paying U.S. taxes. Through legislation and direct appeals to the Treasury Department, Reed has been working to close the inversion loophole to protect American taxpayers and businesses that pay their fair share of taxes. The U.S. Treasury Department on Thursday announced the new rules designed to make it more difficult for U.S. corporations to cut their tax bills by reincorporating overseas. The new restrictions strengthen existing rules imposed in September 2014 that were already on the books, but have continued to be exploited. This is an issue of simple economic fairness, and I applaud the Treasury Department for taking action to address this practice of corporate greed and tax evasion known as inversion. This corporate shell game allows some companies to shift their address abroad for tax purposes while remaining in the United States, benefitting from our workforce, research and innovation infrastructure, and education system, but shifting their tax burden to the American taxpayers. Middle-class families and small Main Street businesses dont have that option when tax season comes around. Ending inversions will help protect American taxpayers and American jobs, said Senator Reed. These steps by Treasury are a significant step in the right direction, but the best long-term solution is legislation that ends this practice once and for all. The new restrictions unveiled Thursday by the Treasury Department will limit the ability of U.S. companies to combine with foreign firms when the new overseas parent is a tax resident of a third country. The rules also make it harder for companies to inflate the size of the new foreign parent company in an effort to avoid what is known as the 80 percent rule, a requirement that the former owners of a U.S. comp… | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://www.reed.senate.gov/news/releases/reed-hails-new-submarine-manufacturing-facility-at-quonset-as-sign-of-economic-growth-and-ris-strategic-importance-to-national-defense | Reed Hails New Submarine Manufacturing Facility at Quonset as Sign of Economic Growth & RI’s Strategic Importance to National Defense | 2015-11-20 | 2015 | 2015-11 | Democrat | House | RI | Jack Reed | R000122 | www.reed.senate.gov | legacy | 11/20/2015NORTH KINGSTOWN, RI Hailing the new submarine production facility as a result of years of strategic federal investments and a sign of positive economic growth for the state as well as recognition of Rhode Islands strategic importance as a hub for undersea technology U.S. Senator Jack Reed celebrated the opening of a new General Dynamics-Electric Boat facility at Quonset Point. The new Ohio Replacement Automated Frame and Cylinder Facility, officially opened at a ribbon cutting ceremony on November 20, is the first of several facilities planned to support the increased submarine construction work planned for Quonset Point. The new 123,000 square foot, $47 million facility will support construction of the Ohio Replacement Submarine hull cylinders and the installation of large-diameter missile tubes into submarine missile compartment sections. The facility will feature six large indoor fixtures, four of which will be used to work on the hull of the next generation submarines and two dedicated to forming the missile section of the submarines. Construction of the next-generation nuclear submarines is slated to begin in fiscal year 2021. The ceremony at Quonset marked the completion of the first phase of the new open-bay facility, with another approximately 60,000 square feet to be built as part of a second phase of the project. Reed called the replacement program for the aging Ohio-class submarines the Navys number one priority. After many years of work, this new facility at Quonset is yet another sign of Electric Boats significant and growing presence in Rhode Island, and a recognition of the key role Rhode Island plays in our national defense. Weve made strategic investments to ensure Rhode Island is a high-tech hub of undersea technologies now and in the foreseeable future. We have to keep looking toward the future and I look forward to coming back here when the facility is humming with activity and bringing these new submarines to life, said Reed, the Ranking Member of the Senate Armed Services Co… | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| http://cicilline.house.gov/press-release/cicilline-statement-hr-4038 | Cicilline Statement on H.R. 4038 | 2015-11-19 | 2015 | 2015-11 | Democrat | House | RI | David Cicilline | C001084 | cicilline.house.gov | legacy | WASHINGTON U.S. Congressman David N. Cicilline (D-RI), a member of the House Judiciary Committee and the House Foreign Affairs Committee, issued the following statement today: Current federal law already requires refugees to be thoroughly screened by the FBI, State Department, Department of Homeland Security, Defense Department, and the National Counterterrorism Center. The screening process includes multiple high-level security checks, biometric screening, and a mandatory interview with Homeland Security before anyone is granted access to our country. In addition, existing federal law already prohibits admission of any person that poses a danger to the United States. H.R. 4038 adds no additional safety provisions nor new methods to enhance security, but only another layer of bureaucracy to the existing program. The current system works. In fact, of the 2,174 Syrian refugees admitted to our country since September 11, 2001, not a single one has been charged with a terrorism-related offense. I will continue to work with my colleagues on ways to improve our national security, but todays bill does nothing to make us safer. | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://www.reed.senate.gov/news/releases/reed-urges-gao-to-undertake-new-gun-violence-research-to-improve-public-health-and-gun-safety-programs | Reed Urges GAO to Undertake New Gun Violence Research to Improve Public Health and Gun Safety Programs | 2015-11-18 | 2015 | 2015-11 | Democrat | House | RI | Jack Reed | R000122 | www.reed.senate.gov | legacy | 11/18/2015WASHINGTON, DC U.S. Senator Jack Reed today joined Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), the Ranking Member of the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee, and 18 of their Senate colleagues in urging the head of the Government Accountability Office (GAO) to conduct a new study assessing the efficacy of public health and safety programs that are designed to impact gun safety, including the storage and security of guns in households. In the letter, the Senators stated that prevention of gun deaths and injuries should be an essential component of the federal governments commitment to public health and safety, and that previous federal campaigns on other challenges have helped to reduce dangerous behavior and improve public health and safety. With more than 300 million guns in American homes, we write to request that the Government Accountability Office (GAO) conduct a study to assess the efficacy of public health and safety programs designed to impact gun safety, including the storage and security of guns in households throughout our country, the Senators wrote in the letter. Too many families have suffered tragic losses and hardships as a result of gun deaths and injuries. This public health burden demands an assessment of potential actions by the federal government, including the possibility of robust partnerships with established nonprofits and provider organizations in the development of a public campaign aimed at informing physicians, clinicians, parents, and families about the public health need to address this urgent issue. The Senators requested a report that: analyzes the effectiveness of public health and safety programs at the federal, state, and local level that raise awareness and provide best practices for safe and secure storage of guns in households; identifies programs that seek to address unsafe gun access and ensure safe practices with regards to firearms; and details which federal agencies can influence public health or safety, childrens health, criminal justice, or vi… | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://www.reed.senate.gov/news/releases/us-senate-opens-floor-debate-on-transportation-hud-appropriations-bill | U.S. Senate Opens Floor Debate on Transportation-HUD Appropriations Bill | 2015-11-18 | 2015 | 2015-11 | Democrat | House | RI | Jack Reed | R000122 | www.reed.senate.gov | legacy | 11/18/2015Reed prioritizes infrastructure investments to help RI & includes a study to explore options for bringing Amtrak train service to T.F. Green Airport WASHINGTON, DC The U.S. Senate today kicked off floor action on its fiscal year 2016 Transportation, Housing, and Urban Development and Related Agencies (THUD) appropriations bill. The legislation includes funding for the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) and U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), along with other related agencies, and overall it would provide $57.27 billion in discretionary spending. Affordable, stable housing and a safe and efficient transportation network are vital to American families, our communities, and the success of our economy. The THUD bill is about making critical investments in our transportation and housing infrastructure that yield a high rate of return for the American people, said Reed, the Ranking Member of the THUD Appropriations Subcommittee, who, along with THUD Chairman Susan Collins (R-ME), is managing the bill on the floor. Reed noted that the recent passage of the Bipartisan Budget Agreement, which he advocated for, resulted in a $1.62 billion increase for this years THUD bill to improve our nations transportation and housing infrastructure. And in an effort to strengthen the U.S. economy and repair our nations highways, bridges, and roads, Senator Reed is pushing for a robust, long-term surface transportation authorization bill to replenish the Highway Trust Fund before it runs dry. This appropriations bill makes important contributions toward improving the safety of our roads and helping communities better connect people to jobs and housing opportunities. These investments can serve as a catalyst for economic development, while enhancing and preserving community assets. I hope Congress will work together toward a long-term surface transportation bill that invests in our infrastructure, said Reed, noting that this fiscal year 2016 spending bill provides critical transportation inve… | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://www.reed.senate.gov/news/videos/senator-reed-opens-floor-debate-on-fy2016-transportation-hud-appropriations-bill | Senator Reed Opens Floor Debate on FY2016 Transportation-HUD Appropriations Bill | 2015-11-18 | 2015 | 2015-11 | Democrat | House | RI | Jack Reed | R000122 | www.reed.senate.gov | legacy | Senator Reed joined Senator Susan Collins (R-ME) on the Senate floor to kick off the body's debate on the bipartisan FY 2016 Transportation, Housing, and Urban Development and Related Agencies (THUD) appropriations bill. The legislation includes critical funding for for transportation and housing programs. | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://www.whitehouse.senate.gov/news/release/house-passes-reform-for-regulations-covering-new-medical-therapies-bill-heads-to-presidents-desk | House Passes Reform for Regulations Covering New Medical Therapies, Bill Heads to President’s Desk | 2015-11-18 | 2015 | 2015-11 | Democrat | House | RI | Sheldon Whitehouse | W000802 | www.whitehouse.senate.gov | legacy | 11.18.15 House Passes Reform for Regulations Covering New Medical Therapies, Bill Heads to Presidents Desk Washington, D.C. A new 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 has passed in Congress and is now on its way to the Presidents desk. Senator Sheldon Whitehouse, D-R.I., a member of the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) committee, and Sen. Orrin Hatch, R-Utah, a member and former chairman of the Senate HELP Committee, lauded House passage of the Improving Regulatory Transparency for New Medical Therapies Act, for which they are the original cosponsors. A slow and seemingly unnecessary DEA approval process is preventing patients from getting new and innovative treatments that can help them, said Whitehouse. This legislation will limit the amount of time the DEA has to make a decision, ensuring quicker access for patients. I thank Senator Hatch for working with me on this bill and our House counterparts for moving it forward. I look forward to having it signed into law by the President. I am pleased the House of Representatives has passed this important legislation to give patients faster access to newly approved therapies, Hatch said. Our regulatory approach shouldnt ignore the urgent needs of Americas patients for lifesaving treatments. Enacting this law is an important step in streamlining administrative processes, increasing transparency, promoting medical innovation, and improving patient health. The Improving Regulatory Transparency for New Medical Therapies Act will amend the Controlled Substances Act to require the DEA to schedule a drug or substance that has never been marketed in the United States within 90 days of receiving a scheduling recommendation from the Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services. In addition, the legislation clarifies that for this subset of drugs that must be scheduled, market exclusivity period… | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://www.whitehouse.senate.gov/news/release/patriotic-millionaires-endorse-sen-whitehouses-disclose-act | Patriotic Millionaires Endorse Sen. Whitehouse’s DISCLOSE Act | 2015-11-18 | 2015 | 2015-11 | Democrat | House | RI | Sheldon Whitehouse | W000802 | www.whitehouse.senate.gov | legacy | 11.18.15 Patriotic Millionaires Endorse Sen. Whitehouses DISCLOSE Act Washington, DC Today, the Patriotic Millionaires, a group of high-net worth individuals advocating for greater political and economic fairness, called for the passage of the DISCLOSE Act, legislation introduced by U.S. Senator Sheldon Whitehouse to crack down on unlimited, secret spending in American elections. The endorsement is part of an agenda unveiled by the group to reverse the harmful concentration of dark political power in the hands of the very wealthy. Since the Supreme Courts disastrous Citizens United decision, corporations and millionaires have utilized their new legal ability to secretly buy election influence. The DISCLOSE Act will require political groups to list publicly their big donors, so voters can at least know who is trying to sway their opinions, said Whitehouse. The Patriotic Millionaires recognize the damage Citizens United has done to our democratic process and the desperate need for greater transparency. I appreciate their support. Transparency is very important because so many elected officials say one thing and do another, and the difference is based primarily on who theyre talking to, who they are getting their campaign funding from, said angel investor and philanthropist David desJardins of the Patriotic Millionaires. Congress must pass The DISCLOSE Act because voters have a right to know who their representatives are actually working for. The DISCLOSE Act requires any covered organization that spends $10,000 or more during an election cycle to file a report with the Federal Election Commission within 24 hours, detailing the amount and nature of each expenditure over $1,000 and the names of all of its donors who gave $10,000 or more. Transfer provisions in the bill prevent donors from using shell organizations to hide their activities. In addition to the DISCLOSE Act, the Patriotic Millionaires today endorsed legislation to raise the federal minimum wage to $15 and to end the preferential treatme… | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://www.reed.senate.gov/news/releases/opening-statement-by-ranking-member-jack-reed-sasc-hearing-on-dod-reform-and-overcoming-obstacles-to-effective-management | Opening Statement by Ranking Member Jack Reed, SASC Hearing on DOD Reform & Overcoming Obstacles to Effective Management | 2015-11-17 | 2015 | 2015-11 | Democrat | House | RI | Jack Reed | R000122 | www.reed.senate.gov | legacy | 11/17/2015OPENING STATEMENT OF U.S. SENATOR JACK REED RANKING MEMBER, SENATE ARMED SERVICES COMMITTEE SD-G50 DIRKSEN SENATE OFFICE BUILDING Tuesday, November 17, 2015 To receive testimony on Department of Defense reform overcoming obstacles to effective management (As Prepared for Delivery) Thank you very much, Mr. Chairman. Id like to join you in thanking our witnesses for their willingness to appear today to testify on the difficulties in managing the largest organization in the world the Department of Defense and how such management might be improved. Each of todays witnesses offers a different perspective, from both inside and outside of government, which will help to inform the Committees review of possible reforms to the DOD. Id like to extend a special welcome to Ms. Lisa Bisaccia, Executive Vice President and Chief Human Resources Officer for CVS Health Corporation which is headquartered in Woonsocket, Rhode Island. CVS is a recipient of the 2015 Secretary of Defense Employer Support Freedom Award for its support of employees who also serve in the National Guard and Reserves. Thank you for joining us today and the efforts of CVS to be a great partner to our military. The Pentagon, with its fundamental mission being the defense of our Nation, is not a business and it is unrealistic for us to believe it will or should operate like one in all aspects. However, there may be important process and organizational lessons-learned from the private sector that could help to accomplish this Committees objective of making DOD not only more efficient, but also more effective in the face of new threats, globalization of technology, and budget uncertainty. Although DOD and commercial industry measure success in different ways, and are under different constraints in terms of laws, regulations, and Congressional oversight, there are still many challenges that DOD shares with the commercial world. For example, both DOD and the commercial sector are continuously striving to reinvent themselves against exte… | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://www.reed.senate.gov/news/videos/reed-joins-msnbcs-chuck-todd-to-discuss-the-syrian-refugee-crisis-and-the-fight-against-isil | Reed Joins MSNBC's Chuck Todd to Discuss the Syrian Refugee Crisis & the Fight Against ISIL | 2015-11-17 | 2015 | 2015-11 | Democrat | House | RI | Jack Reed | R000122 | www.reed.senate.gov | legacy | Senator Reed joined MSNBC's Chuck Todd on Meet the Press Daily to discuss the latest national security and foreign policy challenges. | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z |
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