senator Sheldon Whitehouse

MEET SHELDON

Sheldon Whitehouse represents Rhode Island in the U.S. Senate, where he champions policies to uphold American leadership in the world, protect our planet in a changing climate, and hold the powerful accountable. Whitehouse is the Ranking Member of the Senate Environment and Public Works (EPW) Committee and Co-Chair of the Caucus on International Narcotics Control, and also serves as a senior member of the Judiciary Committee, the Budget Committee, and the Finance Committee. Whitehouse serves as Ranking Member of the Helsinki Commission, formally known as the Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe.

A graduate of Yale University and the University of Virginia School of Law, Sheldon served as Rhode Island’s U.S. Attorney and state attorney general before being elected to the Senate in 2006. He and his wife Sandra, a marine biologist and environmental advocate, live in Newport. They have two grown children.

EARLY LIFE

Born on October 20, 1955, Sheldon Whitehouse grew up in a Foreign Service family. Throughout his childhood, Whitehouse lived in Vietnam, Cambodia, South Africa, Congo, Guinea, Laos, and Thailand. While abroad with his family, Sheldon learned firsthand the example American democracy sets for the world and the value of public service.

Whitehouse graduated from Yale University with a degree in Architecture and later received his J.D. from the University of Virginia School of Law.

A CAREER OF SERVICE

After graduating from law school, Whitehouse worked as a clerk for the Supreme Court of West Virginia. He spent six years working as a lawyer in the Rhode Island Attorney General’s Office before taking on a number of high-ranking positions in the Governor’s Office under Governor Bruce Sundlun. In 1994, President Bill Clinton appointed Whitehouse as US Attorney for Rhode Island. Then, Whitehouse was elected by the people of Rhode Island to serve as the state’s Attorney General from 1999 to 2003.

SENATE CAREER

Whitehouse has represented Rhode Island in the United States Senate since 2007. In the Senate, Sheldon Whitehouse has earned a reputation as a fierce advocate for progressive values and a thoughtful legislator capable of reaching across the aisle to achieve bipartisan solutions. He has been at the center of bipartisan efforts to pass laws overhauling federal education policy, rebuilding our nation’s infrastructure, reforming the criminal and juvenile justice systems, protecting Americans from toxic chemicals in everyday products, and addressing ocean plastic waste.

Recognizing the devastating toll of addiction in Rhode Island and across the nation, Whitehouse authored the first significant bipartisan law to address the opioid crisis, the Comprehensive Addiction and Recovery Act.

Representing the Ocean State, Whitehouse plays a key role in crafting policies addressing climate change, environmental protection, and a price on carbon. He passed into law a dedicated fund to support ocean and coastal research and restoration and bipartisan legislation to confront the crisis of marine plastic and other waste polluting our oceans. He has worked to enact bipartisan measures to reduce carbon pollution and boost America’s clean energy economy.

Whitehouse has stood as a staunch defender of Social Security and Medicare, and has made improving care and reducing costs in our health care system a hallmark of his career. To counteract the corrosive effects of special interests in our democracy, Whitehouse has championed efforts to root out dark money from our elections and make Congress and the courts accountable to the American people.

Fighting the Climate Crisis

It’s time to wake up. I’m leading the work in Congress to advance smart solutions to address climate change, position Rhode Island as a leader in the clean energy economy, clean up our oceans, and hold the fossil fuel industry accountable.

Supreme Court Reform

The highest court shouldn’t have the lowest ethical standards – Supreme Court Justices and the decisions they make should not be influenced by billionaires and political insiders. I’m leading the charge to ensure that Congress will step in if the Supreme Court refuses to deal with its own ethical mess.

Growing the Middle Class

As Budget Committee Chairman, I am fighting to ensure economic security for all Rhode Islanders. I have always championed proposals to grow the middle class by increasing wages, protecting hard-earned benefits like Social Security, and ensuring the highest earners and big corporations pay their fair share.

Investing in Rhode Island

From upgrading the Pell Bridge to fixing Route 146 to opening workforce development centers, I’ve delivered major federal investments that are improving the lives of Rhode Islanders in every corner of the state.

Quality, Affordable Health Care

Every Rhode Islander deserves high-quality, affordable health care. I’m working to bring down the cost of prescription drugs, improve the quality of care, and ensure no one has to choose between their health and financial security.

Honoring Veterans

We owe our service members and their families a great debt of gratitude, and we need to support them in meaningful and lasting ways. We must ensure our troops have everything they need for success in their missions and when they return home.

Protecting Seniors

I’m working to strengthen Medicare and expand Social Security, all while extending the solvency of these programs. We owe it to the seniors who have paid into these programs over a lifetime of hard work.

Improving Education

We need to strengthen our nation’s public schools and ensure that children in every zip code have access to a first-rate education. There are steps we can take to make college more affordable and relieve the crushing burden of student debt.

Strengthening Democracy

I have led the fight to eliminate the scourge of dark money flooding our elections and corrupting our democracy. At home and abroad, I’m working to strengthen democratic institutions, uphold American leadership, and root out corruption.