WASHINGTON, May 28 -- Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse, D-Rhode Island, issued the following news release: As the nation mourns the 100,000 Americans who have tragically lost their fight to COVID-19, U.S. Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.) is announcing legislation introduced with U.S. Senators Brian Schatz (D-Hawai'i), Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.), Chris Coons (D-Del.), and Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) that pays tribute to the victims of the pandemic, including more than 600 Rhode Islanders, with a moment   more

WASHINGTON, May 29 -- Rep. David Cicilline, D-Rhode Island, issued the following news release: Democratic Policy and Communications Committee (DPCC) Chair David N. Cicilline (RI-01) applauded today's House passage of the bipartisan Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) Flexibility Act that will make the loan program more accessible and available to the small businesses that need help the most. The legislation gives small companies 24 weeks to use their loan, up from eight weeks under the current la  more

WASHINGTON, May 27 -- Sen. Jack Reed, D-Rhode Island, issued the following news release: As the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) takes a severe toll on Americans above the age of 65, U.S. Senator Jack Reed is calling on Congress to prioritize additional federal assistance to help seniors stay healthy, connected, and provide them with financial support and access to safer-at-home supportive services. Senator Reed says the next coronavirus relief bill must include targeted funding to ensure the well-  more

PROVIDENCE, Rhode Island, May 28 -- Sen. Jack Reed, D-Rhode Island, issued the following news release: In an effort to strengthen public transportation and reduce pollution, U.S. Senator Jack Reed (D-RI) announced a new $5,076,000 federal grant to help the Rhode Island Public Transit Authority (RIPTA) purchase 15 battery-electric buses. The new battery-electric buses will replace fifteen diesel buses and help improve air quality, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and get RIPTA closer to its goal  more

WASHINGTON, May 29 -- Sen. Jack Reed, D-Rhode Island, issued the following statement: After the number of U.S. unemployment claims surpassed 40 million people and the Trump White House announced that the Council of Economic Advisers will not release an updated round of annual economic projections this summer for the first time since the 1970s. * * * "Instead of trying to conceal bad data or avoid negative forecasts, the Trump Administration needs to be honest and take corrective action. The h  more

WASHINGTON, May 30 -- Sen. Jack Reed, D-Rhode Island, issued the following statement after ex-Minneapolis, Minnesota police officer Derek Chauvin, who was recorded forcing his knee on a handcuffed George Floyd's neck, has been arrested in connection to Floyd's death: "Everyone who saw a handcuffed George Floyd gasping for his last breath should be incensed. This killing was horrific and never should have happened. News of this arrest is a positive step toward accountability, but additional step  more

WASHINGTON, May 24 -- Sen. Jack Reed, D-Rhode Island, issued the following statement: As the U.S. Senate adjourns for the month of May without taking a single vote on legislation related to novel coronavirus (COVID-19) over the three-week session, U.S. Senator Jack Reed is voicing frustration with Senate Republicans' unwillingness to address the ongoing economic and public health crises that American families and businesses are facing. "The U.S. Senate has a responsibility to help keep people   more

WASHINGTON, May 30 -- Sen. Jack Reed, D-Rhode Island, issued the following statement on May 29 after President Trump announcement to cut U.S. ties with the World Health Organization, which serves as a central coordinating body for global public health emergencies: "Cutting ties to the World Health Organization doesn't help in any way. President Trump once again fails to realize that this is a pandemic. He can't wish it away by blaming the WHO or anyone else. I don't expect the President to chan  more

WASHINGTON, May 29 -- Sen. Jack Reed, D-Rhode Island, issued the following news release on May 28: As the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) has drastically impacted older Americans and changed the nation's long-term care landscape, U.S. Senators Jack Reed (D-RI) and Maggie Hassan (D-NH) and six of their colleagues led a call for the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to issue specific guidelines for when and how long-term care facilities can safely reopen their doors to visitors,   more

WASHINGTON, May 30 -- Sen. Jack Reed, D-Rhode Island, issued the following news release: As childhood vaccine rates for preventable diseases like measles and mumps have declined during the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, raising the possibility of an additional health crisis, U.S. Senators Jack Reed (D-RI), Maggie Hassan (D-NH) and 15 of their colleagues are calling on the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to address the falling rate of routine child immunizations. "  more

WASHINGTON, May 26 -- Sen. Jack Reed, D-Rhode Island, issued the following news release: With hundreds of thousands of restaurants and other small businesses hanging on by a thread, U.S. Senator Jack Reed is calling on the U.S. Senate to take swift action to fix the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP). Senator Reed says Congress must extend the amount of time small businesses have to spend PPP loans from 8 weeks to at least 24 weeks, while also increasing the repayment period from 2 years to 5 ye  more

PROVIDENCE, Rhode Island, May 30 -- Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse, D-Rhode Island, issued the following statement on the death of George Floyd: "A nation already grieving the tragic death of George Floyd woke up this morning to news of a black journalist arrested, a police station in embers, and a Commander in Chief who winks at white nationalism threatening black protestors with violence. "The President is on a mission to divide us, but we must not turn away from one another. "There is still a l  more

WASHINGTON, May 27 -- Sen. Jack Reed, D-Rhode Island, issued the following news release: U.S. Senators Jim Inhofe (R-OK) and Jack Reed (D-RI), chairman and ranking member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, announced the full committee and subcommittee markup schedule for the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for Fiscal Year 2021. "While we continue to address the coronavirus, we still have a sworn duty to address the threats facing our nation. For the past 59 years--in spite of an  more