WASHINGTON, July 17 -- Rep. David Cicilline, D-Rhode Island, chairman of the House Democratic Policy and Communications Committee, issued the following news release: Congresswoman Debbie Dingell, Co-Chair of the House Democratic Policy and Communications Committee (DPCC), appeared on The Last Word With Lawrence O'Donnell on MSNBC to discuss the For The People agenda and how Democrats are working to lower health care costs, rebuild America's infrastructure, and fight corruption in Washington. Be  more

WASHINGTON, July 16 -- Rep. David Cicilline, D-Rhode Island, chairman of the House Democratic Policy and Communications Committee, issued the following news release: Congressman David Cicilline, Chair of the House Democratic Policy and Communications Committee (DPCC), appeared on Andrea Mitchell Reports on MSNBC to discuss Democrats' congressional oversight responsibilities. House Democrats continue to fight For the People to lower health care costs, increase paychecks by rebuilding America and  more

WASHINGTON, July 15 -- Rep. Ted Lieu, D-Rhode Island, chairman of the House Democratic Policy and Communications Committee, issued the following news release: Congressman Ted Lieu, Co-Chair of the House Democratic Policy and Communications Committee (DPCC), appeared on Weekends With Alex Witt on MSNBC to discuss House Democrat's congressional oversight responsibilities. Lieu emphasized that House Democrats are fighting For the People to lower health care costs, rebuild America's infrastructure,  more

WASHINGTON, July 17 -- Sen. Jack Reed, D-Rhode Island, issued the following news release: U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Jack Reed (D-RI) today introduced two pieces of legislation that aim to stop business practices known as inversions - corporate deals that allow U.S. companies to shift their corporate citizenship from the United States to a low-tax foreign jurisdiction, even while keeping their executives and headquarters in the United States. This is accomplished by merging with a for  more

WASHINGTON, July 16 -- The Government Accountability Office has issued a report on issues related to how the Environmental Protection Agency appoints advisory committee members. The report (GAO-19-280) is titled "EPA Advisory Committees: Improvements Needed for the Member Appointment Process". The report was sent to Sen. Tom Carper, D-Delaware, ranking member of the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee, Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse, D-Rhode Island, ranking member of the Senate Environment a  more

WASHINGTON, July 16 -- Sen. Jack Reed, D-Rhode Island, issued the following news release: * * * - Legislation extends National Flood Insurance Program for 5 yrs., institutes reforms to make it more affordable, efficient & sustainable * * * Today, U.S. Senator Jack Reed (D-RI) joined Senators Bob Menendez (D-NJ), Bill Cassidy (R-LA), Marco Rubio (R-FL) and others in introducing the National Flood Insurance Program Reauthorization and Reform Act of 2019. The bipartisan bill would reauthorize t  more

WASHINGTON, July 16 -- Rep. David Cicilline, D-Rhode Island, chairman of the Democratic Policy and Communications Committee, issued the following statement on the death of ex-Supreme Court Justice John Paul Stevens: "I am deeply saddened to learn of the death of former Supreme Court Justice John Paul Stevens, a giant of American legal jurisprudence. Justice Stevens served our country for three and a half decades on the Supreme Court." "He was a critical voice for the interests of working peopl  more

WASHINGTON, July 16 -- Rep. David Cicilline, D-Rhode Island, chairman of the Democratic Policy and Communications Committee, issued the following statement on House vote to condemning President Trump's so-called racist comments on congresswomen: "Telling any American to 'go back to where you came from' is the textbook definition of racism. "It's un-American, and it undermines the founding values of our great country. The fact that the other political party disagrees is insane. "I was proud   more

WASHINGTON, July 15 -- Rep. David Cicilline, D-Rhode Island, issued the following news release: U.S. Senators Jack Reed and Sheldon Whitehouse and U.S. Congressmen Jim Langevin and David Cicilline today announced a $2,031,812 grant to provide Rhode Island child development and family support services to low-income infants, toddlers, pregnant women and their families. The grant will be administered by Children's Friend, a child-serving nonprofit agency with sites in Providence, Pawtucket, and Ce  more

WASHINGTON, July 18 -- Rep. David Cicilline, D-Rhode Island, issued the following news release: The U.S. House of Representatives passed S.J.Res. 38, and two other measures today to block the sale of military weapons to Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates. This legislation, which has already passed the Senate, rejects President Trump's attempt to bypass Congressional approval on the sale of weapons being used in the deadly military campaign in Yemen. Democratic Policy and Communications   more

WASHINGTON, July 17 -- Rep. Jim Langevin, D-Rhode Island, member of the House Homeland Security Committee, issued the following remarks at the markup of the Joint Task Force to Combat Opioid Trafficking Act (H.R. 3722): The legislation, which will help prevent the trafficking of fentanyl and other opioids, was ordered reported to the full House of Representatives. "Thank you, Mr. Chairman, and thank you for including my bill, the Joint Task Force to Combat Opioid Trafficking Act of 2019, in th  more

WASHINGTON, July 16 -- Rep. Jim Langevin, D-Rhode Island, issued the following statement after voting in favor of a resolution condemning President Trump for the comments he made targeting Reps. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-New York, Ilhan Omar, D-Minnesota, Ayanna Pressley, D-Massachusetts, and Rashida Tlaib, D-Michigan: "The President's racist tweets disgrace the office he holds. Representatives Ocasio-Cortez, Omar, Pressley and Tlaib are patriotic Americans and dedicated public servants. "Ye  more

WASHINGTON, July 18 -- Rep. Jim Langevin, D-Rhode Island, issued the following statement after voting in favor of the Raise the Wage Act, which passed the House by a 231-199 vote: "Every worker deserves to be paid enough to live with dignity and to support their families. Gradually raising the minimum wage to $15 an hour will increase pay for up to 33 million Americans, lifting more than a million people out of poverty. "The Raise the Wage Act will better the lives of working people from all w  more

WASHINGTON, July 15 -- Rep. Jim Langevin, D-Rhode Island, issued the following news release: U.S. Senators Jack Reed and Sheldon Whitehouse and U.S. Congressmen Jim Langevin and David Cicilline today announced a $2,031,812 grant to provide Rhode Island child development and family support services to low-income infants, toddlers, pregnant women and their families. The grant will be administered by Children's Friend, a child-serving nonprofit agency with sites in Providence, Pawtucket, and Centr  more

WASHINGTON, July 19 -- Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-South Carolina, chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, issued the following news release: This week, the U.S. Senate unanimously passed legislation authored by Chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee Lindsey Graham (R-South Carolina) along with U.S. Senators Richard Blumenthal (D-Connecticut) and Sheldon Whitehouse (D-Rhode Island) to improve election security. The Defending the Integrity of Voting Systems Act would make it a federal crime t  more

WASHINGTON, July 16 -- Sen. Jack Reed, D-Rhode Island, ranking member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, issued the following opening statement at a nomination hearing of Mark Esper to be Defense Secretary: "I join you in welcoming Secretary Esper to this morning's hearing. I would also like to welcome Secretary Esper's family, including his wife Leah, and their children, Luke, John, and Kate. We are pleased you could be with us this morning. "Secretary Esper, as we review your qualifica  more

WASHINGTON, July 20 -- Sen. Jack Reed, D-Rhode Island, issued the following statement, which was published in the Congressional Record on July 18, on legislation (S. 2192) to amend the National Flood Insurance Act of 1968 to allow the administrator of the Federal Emergency Management Agency to provide capitalization grants to states to establish revolving funds to provide funding assistance to reduce flood risks: Today I am reintroducing the State Flood Mitigation Revolving Fund Act of 2019 alo  more

WASHINGTON, July 17 -- Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse, D-Rhode Island, issued the following news release: * * * - Explosion of warnings from regulators and financial institutions illustrate growing economic threat * * * U.S. Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) this evening from the Senate floor called on Congress to protect the American economy from the looming risks of climate change. A recent explosion of urgent warnings from government regulators and financial institutions worldwide illustrates th  more

WASHINGTON, July 19 -- Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse, D-Rhode Island, issued the following statement, which was published in the Congressional Record on July 17, on climate change: For a long time, people opposed to climate action said that tackling climate change would be too costly, would harm economic growth, would be bad for American businesses, and would kill jobs. It turns out these were phony arguments peddled by fossil fuel interests. It turns out they are flat wrong. It turns out that actual  more

WASHINGTON, July 17 -- Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse, D-Rhode Island, a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, issued the following statement on the death of retired Supreme Court Justice John Paul Stevens: "Justice Stevens was a giant of the law and a model Supreme Court Justice. "His passing is a solemn reminder of the loss to our Supreme Court of Justices who put justice ahead of politics. "He possessed a keen legal mind and, every bit as important, deep empathy for the people affected by hi  more

WASHINGTON, July 15 -- Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse, D-Rhode Island, issued the following news release: U.S. Senators Jack Reed and Sheldon Whitehouse and U.S. Congressmen Jim Langevin and David Cicilline today announced a $2,031,812 grant to provide Rhode Island child development and family support services to low-income infants, toddlers, pregnant women and their families. The grant will be administered by Children's Friend, a child-serving nonprofit agency with sites in Providence, Pawtucket, and  more

WASHINGTON, July 18 -- Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse, D-Rhode Island, issued the following news release: U.S. Senators Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), and Lindsey Graham (R-SC) today applauded the U.S. Senate's unanimous passage of their bipartisan legislation to improve election security. The Defending the Integrity of Voting Systems Act would make it a federal crime to hack any voting systems used in a federal election. The legislation now moves to the U.S. House of Representa  more

WASHINGTON, July 15 -- Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse, D-Rhode Island, issued the following news release: * * * - Government watchdog finds Trump EPA failed to follow its own rules while stocking key scientific panels with industry-backed members * * * The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) ought to follow its own rules designed to protect the independence and effectiveness of the agency's scientific advisory committees, writes the Government Accountability Office (GAO) in a report released toda  more