Senator Sheldon Whitehouse

Leadership: Senator Sheldon Whitehouse is a strong environmental leader and ocean champion. He has demonstrated incredible dedication to environmental protection throughout his first term. As a member of the Senate Environmental and Public Works committee (EPW), Senator Whitehouse helped to push the first ever piece of comprehensive global warming legislation. He continues to sponsor and cosponsor bills to mitigate climate change by transitioning to clean energy and preparing coastal areas for rising sea levels. He supports progressive and comprehensive energy reforms including raising standards for fuel economy in cars, appliances, home and workplace. He also supports mandating a dramatic increase in production and use of renewable fuels and removing tax breaks to large oil companies to instead invest in new and efficient energy markets. In January, Senator Sheldon and Representative Waxman formed a Climate Change Task Forece to pressure the federal government to move forward on climate legislation.
Senator Whitehouse sponsored:
- S. 561 (Offshoring Prevention Act of 2013)
- S. 646 (National Endowment for the Oceans Act of 2013)
- S. 1202 (A bill to establish an integrated Federal program to respond to ongoing and expected impacts of extreme weather and climate change by protecting, restoring, and conserving the natural resources of the United States, and to maximize government efficiency and reduce costs, in cooperation with State, local, and tribal governments and other entities, 2013)
- S. 1313 (Clean Estuaries Act of 2011)
- S. 1991 (A bill to establish the National Endowment for the Oceans, and for other purposes, 2011)
- S. 3697 (A bill to amend the Toxic Substances Control Act relating to certain mercury compounds, products, and processes, 2011)
- S. 3641 (National Endowment for the Oceans Act of 2010)
- S. 3862 (Oil Spill Victims Redress Act of 2010)
- S. 810 (Ocean and Coastal Adaptation Planning Act of 2009)
- S. 1379 (Energy Efficiency in Housing Act of 2009)
- S. 1428 (Mercury Pollution Reduction Act of 2009)
- S. 3344 (BP Deepwater Horizon Disaster Inquiry Commission Act of 2010)
- S. 3345 (Big Oil Polluter Pays Act of 2010)
- S. 3540 (Clean Estuaries Act of 2010)
Senator Whitehouse cosponsored:
- S. 51 (National Fish and Wildlife Foundation Reauthorization Act of 2013)
- S. 267 (Pirate Fishing Elimination Act of 2013)
- S. 269 (Antigua Convention Implementing Act of 2013)
- S. 307 (Close Big Oil Tax Loopholes Act of 2013)
- S. 349 (Wood-Pawcatuck Watershed Protection Act of 2013)
- S. 371 (Blackstone River Valley National Historical Park Establishment Act of 2013)
- S. 401 (Incentivizing Offshore Wind Power Act of 2013)
- S. 713 (Rhode Island Fishermen's Fairness Act of 2013)
- S. 741 (North American Wetlands Conservation Extension Act of 2013)
- S. 769 (America's Red Rock Wilderness Act of 2013)
- S. 827 (Big Oil Prevention Trust Fund Act of 2011, of 2013)
- S. 828 (Big Oil Prevention Unlimited Liability Act of 2011, of 2013)
- S. 913 (Oilheat Efficiency, Renewable Fuel Research and Jobs Training Act of 2013)
- S. 1201 (National Fish Habitat Conservation Act of 2012)
- S. 926 (COAST Anti-Drilling Act of 2011)
- S. 940 (Close Big Oil Tax Loopholes Act of 2011)
- S. 1201 (National Fish Habitat Conservation Act of 2011)
- S. 1451 (Billfish Conservation Act of 2011)
- S. 1494 (National Fish and Wildlife Reauthorization Act of 2011)
- S. 1582 (Clean Coastal Environment and Public Health Act of 2011)
- S. 1701 (Harmful Algal Blooms and Hypoxia Research and Control Amendments Act of 2011)
- S. 3164 (Polluter Pays Restoration Act of 2010)
- S. 3262 (Sustainable Water Infrastructure Investment Act of 2010)
- S. 3305 (Big Oil Bailout Prevention Liability Act of 2010)
- S. 3472 (Big Oil Bailout Prevention Unlimited Liability Act of 2010)
- S. 3466 (Environmental Crimes Enforcement Act of 2010)
- S. 3561 (Green Infrastructure for Clean Water Act of 2010)
- S. 345 (Tropical Forest and Coral Conservation Reauthorization Act of 2009)
- S. 787 (Clean Water Restoration Act of 2009)
- S. 850 (Shark Conservation Act of 2009)
- S. 878 (Clean Coastal Environment and Public Health Act of 2009)
- S.936 (Water Quality Investment Act of 2009)
- S. 937 (Sewage Overflow Community Right-to-Know Act of 2009)
- S. 1214 (National Fish Habitat Conservation Act of 2009)
- S. 1535 (Protect America's Wildlife Act of 2009)
- S. 1738 (Roadless Area Conservation Act of 2009)
- S. 1820 (Clean Cruise Ship Act of 2009)
- S. 2899 (Renewable Energy Incentive Act of 2009)