Rhode Islanders know they can count on Sheldon Whitehouse to fight for the middle-class values that matter most to us. Sheldon believes that every child deserves the opportunities provided by a good education, and that anyone willing to work hard should be able to find a good job. He believes in the promise of Social Security and Medicare to provide a basic measure of dignity for seniors when they retire.
Sheldon has hosted more than 100 community dinners in every corner of the state to hear the concerns of Rhode Islanders. He is dedicated to helping small businesses grow, making health care affordable for every family, and fighting to break through the barricade of special interests in Washington that are blocking action on climate change. The Providence Journal described Sheldon as “a strong-willed and articulate member of the Senate on national issues and an energetic champion of Rhode Island economic and other interests.”
A graduate of Yale University and the University of Virginia School of Law, Sheldon served as Rhode Island’s Director of Business Regulation under Governor Sundlun before being recommended by Senator Pell and nominated by President Bill Clinton to be Rhode Island’s United States Attorney in 1994. He was elected Attorney General of Rhode Island in 1998, a position in which he served until 2003. On November 7, 2006, Rhode Islanders elected Sheldon to the United States Senate, where he is a member of the Budget Committee; the Environment and Public Works Committee (EPW); the Judiciary Committee; the Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee; and the Special Committee on Aging. He is the Ranking Member of the Judiciary Subcommittee on Crime and Terrorism and of the EPW Subcommittee on Oversight.
He and his wife Sandra, a marine biologist and environmental advocate, live in Newport. They have two children.
NATIONAL VISIBILITY AWARD
Senator Sheldon Whitehouse is a recipient of the Visibility Award. During the confirmation hearings for Attorney General Jeff Sessions, Senator Whitehouse asked a question pertaining explicitly to secular Americans. By referencing our community during this important hearing, Senator Whitehouse showed his commitment to ensuring that nonreligious Americans are a part of the national political conversation.