WASHINGTON, June 12 -- Rep. David Cicilline, D-Rhode Island, issued the following news release: Democratic Policy and Communications Committee (DPCC) Chair David N. Cicilline (RI-01) is introducing new legislation that will place needed limits on President Trump's authority to deploy the United States Armed Forces against American citizens who are protesting police brutality. CBS News has reported that Trump attempted to deploy 10,000 troops into American communities last week. "President Trum  more

WASHINGTON, June 8 -- Rep. David Cicilline, D-Rhode Island, issued the following statement: "It is critical that we protect the income of Rhode Island and New England fishermen, while preserving our oceans and all the natural resources that make Rhode Island such a wonderful place to call home. "That is what President Obama did in establishing strong, pragmatic environmental protections for national marine monuments off our shores." "President Trump's decision to remove environmental protecti  more

WARWICK, Rhode Island, June 11 -- Rep. Jim Langevin, D-Rhode Island, issued the following statement: Congressman Jim Langevin (D-RI) has joined more than 150 of his Democratic colleagues in introducing the Justice in Policing Act of 2020, a sweeping reform bill focused on implementing structural changes to address police brutality, racial injustice and raise accountability standards and oversight. * * * "My heart continues to go out to George Floyd's loved ones. Sadly, his murder is yet anot  more

WASHINGTON, June 8 -- Rep. Elaine Luria, D-Virginia, issued the following joint statement after Defense Secretary Mark Esper refused to appear before the committee and explain the use of the military in response to peaceful protesters in the D.C.: The statement was co-authored by Reps. Susan Davis, D-California, Jim Langevin, D-Rhode Island, Rick Larsen, D-Washington, Jim Cooper, D-Tennessee, Joe Courtney, D-Connecticut, John Garamendi, D-California, Jackie Speier, D-California, Tulsi Gabbard,   more

WASHINGTON, June 12 -- Sen. Jack Reed, D-Rhode Island, issued the following news release: A key environmental program that President Trump repeatedly tried to zero out in the budget took an important step forward this week toward becoming permanently authorized and funded. In an effort allocate more federal funds to outdoor recreation and the preservation of public lands, the U.S. Senate voted 79-18 this week to proceed to the bipartisan Great American Outdoors Act. The bill, which is supporte  more

WASHINGTON, June 11 -- Sen. Jack Reed, D-Rhode Island, issued the following news release: In an effort to address economic and racial disparities in health care and prioritize federal funding for medically underserved communities, U.S. Senator Jack Reed (D-RI) is calling on Congress to support Community Health Centers (CHCs) that provide Americans with critical health care, including testing and treatment of novel coronavirus (COVID-19). Reed says that without additional federal support, CHCs a  more

WASHINGTON, June 13 -- Sen. Jack Reed, D-Rhode Island, issued the following news release: As more Americans return to the workplace and child care centers reopen with COVID-19 precautions and restrictions in place, U.S. Senator Jack Reed (D-RI) says ensuring access to quality, safe, affordable child care must be a priority because it is a public health and economic imperative. Reed is teaming up with U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA) in introducing the Child Care is Essential Act (S. 3874). Thi  more

WASHINGTON, June 11 -- Sen. Jack Reed, D-Rhode Island, issued the following news release: After the Trump Administration ordered large numbers of unidentified law enforcement officers to patrol the streets of Washington, DC, U.S. Senator Jack Reed (D-RI) joined with Chris Murphy (D-CT) in introducing the Law Enforcement Identification Act (S. 3909). This legislation requires all federal law enforcement officers, contractors, and members of the Armed Services to clearly identify themselves and t  more

WASHINGTON, June 12 -- Sen. Jack Reed, D-Rhode Island, issued the following news release on June 11: Last night, the Senate Armed Services Committee voted 25-2 to approve the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for Fiscal Year 2021 and help better safeguard the nation. This legislation authorizes funding levels and sets policies to equip, supply, and train our troops and provide for military families. The FY21 NDAA supports a total of $740.5 billion for national defense programs, includin  more

WASHINGTON, June 10 -- Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse, D-Rhode Island, issued the following news release on June 9: On this the 248th anniversary of the night bold Rhode Island colonists set the British Royal Navy's HMS Gaspee ablaze on Narragansett Bay, U.S. Senator Sheldon Whitehouse is teaming up with Pawtuxet Rangers Commanding Officer Col. Ronald Barnes for a virtual retelling of the story of the Gaspee Affair. While the burning of the Gaspee was one of the events that helped spark the American  more

WASHINGTON, June 11 -- Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse, D-Rhode Island, issued the following news release: Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) is pressing Assistant Attorney General Makan Delrahim, who leads the Department of Justice's Antitrust Division, for complete answers about the origins of the Trump administration's now-closed and highly political antitrust investigation into California's agreement with four automakers on vehicle emissions standards. The antitrust investigation was launched in c  more

WASHINGTON, June 13 -- Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse, D-Rhode Island, issued the following news release: Surrounding Capitol Hill Ocean Week, Senate Oceans Caucus co-chairs U.S. Senators Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) and Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) introduced legislation focused on protecting and utilizing blue carbon. The Blue Carbon for Our Planet Act highlights the habitats that continue to remove carbon out of our atmosphere, helping to combat the impacts of climate change. Blue carbon refers to carbon dio  more

WASHINGTON, June 13 -- Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse, D-Rhode Island, issued the following news release: In an effort to make it easier for Rhode Island small businesses to apply for federal loan forgiveness, U.S. Senators Jack reed and Sheldon Whitehouse today joined all 45 of their Democratic and Independent Senate colleagues in sending a letter to Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin and Small Business Administration (SBA) Administrator Jovita Carranza calling for urgently needed improvements to stre  more

WASHINGTON, June 13 -- Sen. Jack Reed, D-Rhode Island, issued the following news release: In an effort to make it easier for Rhode Island small businesses to apply for federal loan forgiveness, U.S. Senators Jack Reed and Sheldon Whitehouse joined all 45 of their Democratic and Independent Senate colleagues in sending a letter to Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin and Small Business Administration (SBA) Administrator Jovita Carranza calling for urgently needed improvements to streamline and simp  more

PROVIDENCE, Rhode Island, June 8 -- Sen. Jack Reed, D-Rhode Island, issued the following joint statement with Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse, D-Rhode Island, in response to the Trump administration's announcement that it is removing environmental protections for national marine monuments in the Atlantic Ocean off the coast of New England: "If President Trump had done his job and taken the threat of COVID-19 more seriously, our fishermen and our nation would be better positioned to weather this pandemi  more

WASHINGTON, June 10 -- Sen. Jack Reed, D-Rhode Island, issued the following news release: U.S. Sen. Mark R. Warner (D-VA), Vice Chairman of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, was joined by Senate Intelligence Committee members Sens. Dianne Feinstein (D-CA), Angus King (I-ME), and Sen. Jack Reed (D-RI), Ranking Member of Senate Armed Services Committee, in urging the Director of National Intelligence (DNI) to ensure than any potential plan to withdraw military personnel from Afghanista  more

WASHINGTON, June 11 -- Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse, D-Rhode Island, issued the following news release: With small businesses in need of local chambers of commerce and tourism initiatives more than ever, U.S. Senators Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) and Jack Reed (D-RI) are calling on Senate leaders to amend the CARES Act to allow small 501(c)(6) nonprofit organizations to participate in the U.S. Small Business Administration's (SBA) Paycheck Protection Program. Organizations that would become eligible fo  more

WASHINGTON, June 10 -- Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse, D-Rhode Island, issued the following news release: In an effort to protect taxpayers, crack down on criminals, and prevent bogus bank transfers from wiring hundreds of millions of dollars to fraudulent accounts, U.S. Senators Jack Reed (D-RI) and Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) are urging the Trump Administration to step up efforts to identify, halt, and prosecute unemployment insurance (UI) fraud and claw back stolen funds. Since March, 42.7 million p  more