WASHINGTON, Nov. 20 -- Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse, D-Rhode Island, issued the following news release: * * * - FAIR Fees Act would limit fees for checked bags, ticket changes, and cancellations * * * Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.) today joined Senator Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.) and Congressmen Steve Cohen (TN-09) and Jesus "Chuy" Garcia (IL-04) to introduce the Forbidding Airlines from Imposing Ridiculous (FAIR) Fees Act, legislation that would prohibit airlines from charging fees, includin  more

WASHINGTON, Nov. 18 -- Rep. David Cicilline, D-Rhode Island, issued the following news release: House Antitrust Subcommittee Chair David N. Cicilline (RI-01) and Judiciary Committee Chairman Jerrold Nadler (NY-10) introduced The Affordable Prescriptions for Patients Through Promoting Competition Act of 2019 (H.R. 5133) today to prohibit pharmaceutical companies from engaging in anticompetitive "product hopping." The bill is scheduled to be marked up in the Judiciary Committee on Wednesday. "Bi  more

WASHINGTON, Nov. 21 -- Rep. Jim Langevin, D-Rhode Island, issued the following news release: * * * - Award comes as Langevin himself is recognized by the National Council for Adoption as a "Friend of Adoption" * * * During a series of recent events highlighting November as National Adoption Month, Congressman Jim Langevin (D-RI) received the National Council for Adoption's Friend of Adoption Award and acknowledged Rhode Island resident Ted Sullivan, who was named by the Congressional Coaliti  more

WASHINGTON, Nov. 22 -- Rep. Jim Langevin, D-Rhode Island, issued the following news release: * * * - Bipartisan legislation would provide federal funding for states to develop career counseling frameworks * * * Today, in recognition of National Career Development Week, Congressmen Jim Langevin (D-RI) and Glenn 'GT' Thompson (R-PA), co-chairs of the Congressional Career and Technical Education (CTE) Caucus, introduced the Counseling for Career Choice Act, bipartisan legislation that would mak  more

WESTERLY, Rhode Island, Nov. 20 -- Sen. Jack Reed, D-Rhode Island, issued the following news release: * * * - Sen. Reed to help lead small biz walking tour in Westerly this weekend to promote Nov. 30 Small Business Saturday * * * As local merchants prepare to roll out the welcome mat for "Small Business Saturday," taking place nationwide on Saturday, November 30, U.S. Senator Jack Reed is once again encouraging Rhode Islanders to support local small businesses. In advance of Small Business S  more

WASHINGTON, Nov. 19 -- Sen. Jack Reed, D-Rhode Island, issued the following news release: The expanded capacity of the Fifth Generation (5G) wireless communications network is critical to America's economy and national security. 5G is the communications infrastructure that will help power our digital future and transform industries by supporting an innovative ecosystem of connected devices. And the country that dominates 5G infrastructure is likely to gain significant economic, commercial, and   more

WASHINGTON, Nov. 19 -- Rep. Jim Langevin, D-Rhode Island, issued the following statement after voting for the bill to fully fund the 2020 Census and keep the government open through Dec. 20, which passed the House by a 231-192 vote: "From critical funding allocations to important data sets, Rhode Island communities have much to gain from an accurate 2020 Census. "We must work diligently to ensure a thorough and accurate count. "I'm pleased that today's vote to keep the government open also i  more

WARWICK, Rhode Island, Nov. 20 -- Rep. Jim Langevin, D-Rhode Island, issued the following news release: Congressman Jim Langevin (D-RI) today announced that Victor Morente has joined his staff as Communications Director. Morente previously served as Press Secretary for the City of Providence where he was a spokesperson and primary media contact for several municipal departments and Mayor Jorge O. Elorza's Executive Office. "Victor has demonstrated a deep commitment to public service throughout  more

WASHINGTON, Nov. 21 -- Sen. Jack Reed, D-Rhode Island, issued the following news release: U.S. Senator Jack Reed, the Ranking Member of the Appropriations Subcommittee on Transportation, Housing and Urban Development (THUD), today announced $8,040,000 in federal funding for the Rhode Island Public Transit Authority (RIPTA) to build new mobility hubs at the University of Rhode Island (URI) in South Kingstown and the Community College of Rhode Island's (CCRI) Knight Campus. The federal investment  more

WASHINGTON, Nov. 19 -- Sen. Jack Reed, D-Rhode Island, issued the following statement on the death of businessman and civic leader Louis A. Fazzano: "I am deeply saddened by the passing of Louis A. Fazzano. "Rhode Island has lost a great business and community leader and I have lost a dear friend. "Lou was committed to public service and uplifting others. "He gave generously of his time, talent, and resources to make Rhode Island a better place for all." Mr. Fazzano was the Treasurer and   more

WASHINGTON, Nov. 22 -- Sen. Jack Reed, D-Rhode Island, issued the following news release: * * * - Sen. Reed calls on Trump to sign Hong Kong Human Rights and Democracy Act * * * On the heels of the U.S. Senate unanimously approving the Hong Kong Human Rights and Democracy Act, and the U.S. House of Representatives voting 417 to 1 in favor of the bill, President Trump - who pledged to be 'tough on China' - is now waffling over whether he will sign the bill into law. Cosponsored by U.S. Senat  more

WASHINGTON, Nov. 21 -- Sen. Jack Reed, D-Rhode Island, issued the following news release: * * * - Hours before midnight deadline, Congress approves a short-term spending appropriations bill to fund federal gov't through Dec. 20th * * * With federal agencies currently operating under a short-term continuing resolution (CR) that expires at midnight tonight, Congress today passed a stopgap measure that will keep the federal government open through December 20th and fund federal agencies at fisc  more

WASHINGTON, Nov. 21 -- Sen. Jack Reed, D-Rhode Island, issued the following news release: Today, Congress passed a bill to rename Central Falls' post office after a leader in the Rhode Island abolitionist and suffrage movements. The full U.S. Senate unanimously approved the measure, which Senators Jack Reed and Sheldon Whitehouse introduced in the Senate, and Congressmen David Cicilline and Jim Langevin introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives, to name the United States Post Office at 57  more

WASHINGTON, Nov. 21 -- Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse, D-Rhode Island, issued the following news release: * * * - Higher Education Sustainability Act would reauthorize University Sustainability Program * * * U.S. Senators Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), Jacky Rosen (D-NV), Cory Booker (D-NJ), and Jeff Merkley (D-OR) today introduced legislation to expand environmental sustainability initiatives on college and university campuses. "Colleges and universities have an important role in making their communi  more

PROVIDENCE, Rhode Island, Nov. 18 -- Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse, D-Rhode Island, issued the following news release: * * * - $75,000 will support restoration of Quonochontaug Pond in Charlestown and Westerly * * * U.S. Senator Sheldon Whitehouse today announced that the Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management (DEM) has received a $75,000 award from the National Coastal Resilience Fund developed by Whitehouse to restore and strengthen the natural infrastructure that protects coastal c  more

WASHINGTON, Nov. 20 -- Sens. Jim Inhofe, R-Oklahoma, and Jack Reed, D-Rhode Island, chairman and ranking member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, issued the following joint statement in response to a report from Reuters and CBS News alleging the Balfour Beatty Communities falsified maintenance records in order to receive performance bonuses at additional military installations: "This is not the first time allegations have been raised that Balfour Beatty has used fraudulent work order prac  more

WASHINGTON, Nov. 20 -- Sen. Jim Inhofe, R-Oklahoma, chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, issued the following joint statement with Ranking Member Jack Reed, D-Rhode Island, in response to a report from Reuters alleging the Balfour Beatty Communities falsified maintenance records in order to receive performance bonuses at military installations: "This is not the first time allegations have been raised that Balfour Beatty has used fraudulent work order practices at Air Force bases. Th  more

WASHINGTON, Nov. 21 -- Sen. Edward J. Markey, D-Massachusetts, issued the following joint statement with Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse, D-Rhode Island, on the approval by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission of grid operators' plans to incorporate energy storage technology into America's electric grids: "Thank you to the Commission for heeding our calls to finalize the grid operator plans and this important rule, and also for fending off polluters' attempts to weaken that rule. "This helps forwa  more

WASHINGTON, Nov. 20 -- Sens. Jim Inhofe, R-Oklahoma, and Jack Reed, D-Rhode Island, chairman and ranking member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, issued the following joint statement in response to a report from Reuters and CBS News alleging the Balfour Beatty Communities falsified maintenance records in order to receive performance bonuses at additional military installations: "This is not the first time allegations have been raised that Balfour Beatty has used fraudulent work order prac  more

WASHINGTON, Nov. 21 -- Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse, D-Rhode Island, issued the following joint statement with Sen. Edward J. Markey, D-Massachusetts, on the approval by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission of grid operators' plans to incorporate energy storage technology into America's electric grids: "Thank you to the Commission for heeding our calls to finalize the grid operator plans and this important rule, and also for fending off polluters' attempts to weaken that rule. "This helps forwa  more

WASHINGTON, Nov. 21 -- Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse, D-Rhode Island, issued the following news release: U.S. Senators Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) and John Cornyn (R-TX) today introduced the Recognizing Education, Employment, New Skills, and Treatment to Enable Reintegration (RE-ENTER) Act, which would allow federal judges to issue a Certificate of Rehabilitation to acknowledge an eligible offender who has successfully reintegrated into society. These certificates can help formerly incarcerated individ  more

WASHINGTON, Nov. 18 -- Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse, D-Rhode Island, issued the following news release: U.S. Senators Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), Martha McSally (R-AZ), Cory Booker (D-NJ), and Rob Portman (R-OH) today introduced legislation to end cosmetics animal testing and the sale of animal-tested cosmetics in the United States. The Humane Cosmetics Act would phase out the sale of any cosmetic products developed using animal testing and make it unlawful to conduct cosmetic animal testing in the   more

WASHINGTON, Nov. 18 -- Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse, D-Rhode Island, issued the following news release: * * * - ISO-NE's focus on preserving fossil fuel-heavy energy mix is preventing climate progress * * * U.S. Senators Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), Jack Reed (D-RI), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Bernie Sanders (I-VT), Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), Ed Markey (D-MA), and Chris Murphy (D-CT) today penned a letter to ISO New England (ISO-NE) calling on the regional grid operator to pursue changes to the energ  more