Sheldon Whitehouse
Encyclopedia
Sheldon Whitehouse is the junior U.S. Senator
from Rhode Island
, serving since 2007. He is a member of the Democratic Party
. He previously served as United States Attorney
(1994–1998) and State Attorney General
for Rhode Island
.
, New York
, the son of Mary Celine Rand and career diplomat Charles S. Whitehouse
, and grandson of diplomat Sheldon Whitehouse. He graduated from St. Paul's School
in Concord
, New Hampshire
, and from Yale University
in 1978. He received his Juris Doctor
(J.D.) from the University of Virginia School of Law
in 1982.
Whitehouse worked as a clerk for Judge Richard F. Neely in the Supreme Court of Appeals of West Virginia
from 1982 to 1983. He also worked in the Rhode Island Attorney General's office as a special assistant attorney general from 1985 to 1990, chief of the Regulatory Unit (which oversaw utilities) from 1988 to 1990, and also an assistant attorney general from 1989 to 1990.
Whitehouse worked as Rhode Island Governor Bruce Sundlun's
Executive Counsel beginning in 1991, and was later tapped to serve as Director of Policy. He oversaw the state's response to the RISDIC banking crisis, which took place right after Sundlun took office. Whitehouse was appointed by Sundlun to be the state's Director of Business Regulation in 1992, where he oversaw a drastic reform in the state's workers's compensation insurance system.
appointed Whitehouse to serve as United States attorney for Rhode Island in 1994. Whitehouse held the position for four years, and was the first prosecutor to convict a member of organized crime under Clinton's "three strikes law
" for organized crime. Whitehouse also initiated the investigation into municipal corruption
in Rhode Island that led to Operation Plunder Dome
, in which Providence Mayor Vincent "Buddy" Cianci
was eventually convicted on conspiracy charges.
. He initiated a lawsuit against the lead paint
industry that ended in a mistrial; the state later won a second lawsuit against former lead paint manufacturers Sherwin Williams Co., Millennium Holdings and NL Industries that found them responsible for creating a public nuisance. However, this decision was unanimously overturned by the Rhode Island Supreme Court
on July 1, 2008. The Court found that it is the responsibility of the property owners to abate and mitigate lead hazards (as specified by Rhode Island statute).
Whitehouse also founded the Rhode Island Quality Institute, "an organization dedicated to improving health care quality in the State of Rhode Island," and authorized the first Rhode Island State Police
wire tap
to investigate public corruption.
Whitehouse's tenure as attorney general also saw some controversy. When black Providence police officer Cornel Young Jr. was shot and killed by two fellow officers while he was off-duty in January 2000, Whitehouse was criticized for not appointing an independent prosecutor
to investigate the shooting. Later that year, Whitehouse was criticized when 15-year-old Jennifer Rivera, a witness in a murder case, was shot by a relative of the man she was to testify against later that year. After Rivera's shooting, Whitehouse strengthened the state's witness protection
program.
by former State Senator and two time failed gubernatorial candidate Myrth York
who was unsuccessful in the general election, against Republican Donald Carcieri
.
, a Republican
seeking a second full term. After winning the Democratic primary by a large margin, Whitehouse went on to defeat Chafee with 53 percent of the vote.
, Whitehouse cautioned that conservative opposition to the bill was moving toward historical incidences of mob violence, saying "Too many colleagues are embarked on a desperate, no-holds-barred mission of propaganda, obstruction and fear. . . . History cautions us of the excesses to which these malignant, vindictive passions can ultimately lead. Tumbrils have rolled through taunting crowds. Broken glass has sparkled in darkened streets. Strange fruit has hung from southern trees.".
In traditionally liberal Rhode Island, both the Democratic Whitehouse and his predecessor, Republican Lincoln Chafee, hold liberal political positions. However, Whitehouse has been to the left of Chafee on economic issues, a position that separated him from his opponent during the last election cycle. For the 2007 year, Whitehouse was ranked second-most liberal senator by the National Journal.
Whitehouse supports stem cell research, abortion rights, LGBT rights and gay marriage, as well as affirmative action. Whitehouse has publicly supported a reintroduction of the Equal Rights Amendment
. Like Chafee, Whitehouse opposed intervention in Iraq
(Chafee was the only Republican senator who voted against it) and the nomination of Samuel Alito
to the U.S. Supreme Court.
Whitehouse supports a more progressive tax system, strongly opposing the Bush tax cuts and proposals to repeal the Estate Tax and the Alternative Minimum Tax. He is in favor of gun control and has spoken out against the Patriot Act. Whitehouse supports introducing a timetable for withdrawal from Iraq and has stated that the US must use caution in the future and must avoid entering into military action in Iran
.
Despite a generally pro-rehabilitation stance on crime, Whitehouse supports the federal use of the death penalty (but supports it being illegal in Rhode Island). Whitehouse also opposed the North American Free Trade Agreement
and other similar proposals. He has styled himself as a supporter of fair trade and is opposed to using presidential authority to "fast track" normalized trade relations.
In addition, Whitehouse has stated that he does not want torture abuse by the Bush administration to be "papered over," and supports a commission to uncover war crimes by said administration.
On May 4, 2009, during a discussion on health information technology at the Brookings Institution in Washington, D.C., Whitehouse compared Medicare costs to a Nazi Air Force attacking Britain, "The health care tsunami that is coming at us is something we should all be gravely concerned about because it fundamentally threatens the fiscal survival of our country and we have to get ahead of it. We have to view ourselves like RAF [Royal Air Force] pilots and the radar has just lit up that Luftwaffe is coming at us, and we have got to scramble to get into the air as fast as we can because the system is headed towards a terrible calamity if we don’t. We have set zero dollars aside to pay for a $35-trillion liability for Medicare.” Greg D’Angelo, a policy analyst at the conservative Heritage Foundation
, said that it is unlikely that further government spending will avert the crisis that Whitehouse anticipates.
In December 2009, Whitehouse said "birthers
," "fanatics," and "people running around in right-wing militia and Aryan support groups "oppose America's Affordable Health Choices Act of 2009
.
George W. Bush
's "crony" (McGough's word) Attorney General
Alberto Gonzales
:
In May 2007, Whitehouse had joined other Senators in pressuring for Gonzales' resignation and continued to question Gonzales' service in the NSA warrantless surveillance controversy
.
On August 3, 2007, it was announced that Whitehouse would receive the Golden Gavel award, having presided over Senate debates for more than 100 hours in his first six months in office.
and Elena Mumm Thornton
Wilson. Her step-grandfather was prominent essayist and critic Edmund Wilson
. They live in Rhode Island
with their two children, Molly and Alexander.
Whitehouse is a descendent of William Bradford, colonial governor of Massachusetts
.
United States Senate
The United States Senate is the upper house of the bicameral legislature of the United States, and together with the United States House of Representatives comprises the United States Congress. The composition and powers of the Senate are established in Article One of the U.S. Constitution. Each...
from Rhode Island
Rhode Island
The state of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations, more commonly referred to as Rhode Island , is a state in the New England region of the United States. It is the smallest U.S. state by area...
, serving since 2007. He is a member of the Democratic Party
Democratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
. He previously served as United States Attorney
United States Attorney
United States Attorneys represent the United States federal government in United States district court and United States court of appeals. There are 93 U.S. Attorneys stationed throughout the United States, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, Guam, and the Northern Mariana Islands...
(1994–1998) and State Attorney General
State Attorney General
The state attorney general in each of the 50 U.S. states and territories is the chief legal advisor to the state government and the state's chief law enforcement officer. In some states, the attorney general serves as the head of a state department of justice, with responsibilities similar to those...
for Rhode Island
Rhode Island
The state of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations, more commonly referred to as Rhode Island , is a state in the New England region of the United States. It is the smallest U.S. state by area...
.
Early life, education, and career
Whitehouse was born in New York CityNew York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
, New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
, the son of Mary Celine Rand and career diplomat Charles S. Whitehouse
Charles S. Whitehouse
Charles Sheldon Whitehouse was an American career Foreign Service Officer. He was U.S. Ambassador to Laos and Thailand in the 1970s.-Early life:...
, and grandson of diplomat Sheldon Whitehouse. He graduated from St. Paul's School
St. Paul's School (Concord, New Hampshire)
St. Paul's School is a highly selective college-preparatory, coeducational boarding school in Concord, New Hampshire affiliated with the Episcopal Church. The school is one of only six remaining 100% residential boarding schools in the U.S. The New Hampshire campus currently serves 533 students,...
in Concord
Concord, New Hampshire
The city of Concord is the capital of the state of New Hampshire in the United States. It is also the county seat of Merrimack County. As of the 2010 census, its population was 42,695....
, New Hampshire
New Hampshire
New Hampshire is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. The state was named after the southern English county of Hampshire. It is bordered by Massachusetts to the south, Vermont to the west, Maine and the Atlantic Ocean to the east, and the Canadian...
, and from Yale University
Yale University
Yale University is a private, Ivy League university located in New Haven, Connecticut, United States. Founded in 1701 in the Colony of Connecticut, the university is the third-oldest institution of higher education in the United States...
in 1978. He received his Juris Doctor
Juris Doctor
Juris Doctor is a professional doctorate and first professional graduate degree in law.The degree was first awarded by Harvard University in the United States in the late 19th century and was created as a modern version of the old European doctor of law degree Juris Doctor (see etymology and...
(J.D.) from the University of Virginia School of Law
University of Virginia School of Law
The University of Virginia School of Law was founded in Charlottesville in 1819 by Thomas Jefferson as one of the original subjects taught at his "academical village," the University of Virginia. The law school maintains an enrollment of approximately 1,100 students in its initial degree program...
in 1982.
Whitehouse worked as a clerk for Judge Richard F. Neely in the Supreme Court of Appeals of West Virginia
Supreme Court of Appeals of West Virginia
The Supreme Court of Appeals of West Virginia is the state supreme court of West Virginia, the highest of West Virginia's state courts. It is located in the state capital, Charleston....
from 1982 to 1983. He also worked in the Rhode Island Attorney General's office as a special assistant attorney general from 1985 to 1990, chief of the Regulatory Unit (which oversaw utilities) from 1988 to 1990, and also an assistant attorney general from 1989 to 1990.
Whitehouse worked as Rhode Island Governor Bruce Sundlun's
Bruce Sundlun
Bruce Sundlun was an American politician and member of the Democratic Party who served as 71st Governor of Rhode Island from 1991 to 1995. He was Rhode Island's second Jewish governor, and the only Jewish governor in the United States during his two terms...
Executive Counsel beginning in 1991, and was later tapped to serve as Director of Policy. He oversaw the state's response to the RISDIC banking crisis, which took place right after Sundlun took office. Whitehouse was appointed by Sundlun to be the state's Director of Business Regulation in 1992, where he oversaw a drastic reform in the state's workers's compensation insurance system.
U.S. Attorney
President Bill ClintonBill Clinton
William Jefferson "Bill" Clinton is an American politician who served as the 42nd President of the United States from 1993 to 2001. Inaugurated at age 46, he was the third-youngest president. He took office at the end of the Cold War, and was the first president of the baby boomer generation...
appointed Whitehouse to serve as United States attorney for Rhode Island in 1994. Whitehouse held the position for four years, and was the first prosecutor to convict a member of organized crime under Clinton's "three strikes law
Three strikes law
Three strikes laws)"are statutes enacted by state governments in the United States which require the state courts to hand down a mandatory and extended period of incarceration to persons who have been convicted of a serious criminal offense on three or more separate occasions. These statutes became...
" for organized crime. Whitehouse also initiated the investigation into municipal corruption
Political corruption
Political corruption is the use of legislated powers by government officials for illegitimate private gain. Misuse of government power for other purposes, such as repression of political opponents and general police brutality, is not considered political corruption. Neither are illegal acts by...
in Rhode Island that led to Operation Plunder Dome
Operation Plunder Dome
Operation Plunder Dome was the codename of an undercover investigation by the United States Federal Bureau of Investigation into corruption within the government of the City of Providence, Rhode Island....
, in which Providence Mayor Vincent "Buddy" Cianci
Vincent Cianci
Vincent Albert "Buddy" Cianci, Jr. served as the mayor of Providence, Rhode Island, from 1975 to 1984 and again from 1991 to 2002...
was eventually convicted on conspiracy charges.
State Attorney General
In 1998, Whitehouse was elected as state attorney generalState Attorney General
The state attorney general in each of the 50 U.S. states and territories is the chief legal advisor to the state government and the state's chief law enforcement officer. In some states, the attorney general serves as the head of a state department of justice, with responsibilities similar to those...
. He initiated a lawsuit against the lead paint
Lead paint
Lead paint or lead-based paint is paint containing lead, a heavy metal, that is used as pigment, with lead chromate and lead carbonate being the most common. Lead is also added to paint to speed drying, increase durability, retain a fresh appearance, and resist moisture that causes corrosion...
industry that ended in a mistrial; the state later won a second lawsuit against former lead paint manufacturers Sherwin Williams Co., Millennium Holdings and NL Industries that found them responsible for creating a public nuisance. However, this decision was unanimously overturned by the Rhode Island Supreme Court
Rhode Island Supreme Court
The Rhode Island Supreme Court, founded in 1747, is the court of last resort in the U.S. State of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations. The Court consists of a chief justice and four associate justices. The current Justices of the Rhode Island Supreme Court are:*Chief Justice Paul A...
on July 1, 2008. The Court found that it is the responsibility of the property owners to abate and mitigate lead hazards (as specified by Rhode Island statute).
Whitehouse also founded the Rhode Island Quality Institute, "an organization dedicated to improving health care quality in the State of Rhode Island," and authorized the first Rhode Island State Police
Rhode Island State Police
The Rhode Island State Police is an agency of the state of Rhode Island responsible for statewide law enforcement and regulation, especially in areas underserved by local police agencies and on the state's limited-access highways...
wire tap
Telephone tapping
Telephone tapping is the monitoring of telephone and Internet conversations by a third party, often by covert means. The wire tap received its name because, historically, the monitoring connection was an actual electrical tap on the telephone line...
to investigate public corruption.
Whitehouse's tenure as attorney general also saw some controversy. When black Providence police officer Cornel Young Jr. was shot and killed by two fellow officers while he was off-duty in January 2000, Whitehouse was criticized for not appointing an independent prosecutor
Special prosecutor
A special prosecutor generally is a lawyer from outside the government appointed by an attorney general or, in the United States, by Congress to investigate a government official for misconduct while in office. A reasoning for such an appointment is that the governmental branch or agency may have...
to investigate the shooting. Later that year, Whitehouse was criticized when 15-year-old Jennifer Rivera, a witness in a murder case, was shot by a relative of the man she was to testify against later that year. After Rivera's shooting, Whitehouse strengthened the state's witness protection
Witness protection
Witness protection is protection of a threatened witness or any person involved in the justice system, including defendants and other clients, before, during and after a trial, usually by police...
program.
2002 gubernatorial election
Whitehouse was defeated in the Democratic primaryPrimary election
A primary election is an election in which party members or voters select candidates for a subsequent election. Primary elections are one means by which a political party nominates candidates for the next general election....
by former State Senator and two time failed gubernatorial candidate Myrth York
Myrth York
Myrth York is a Democratic politician, former Rhode Island State Senator and three-time unsuccessful candidate for Governor of Rhode Island....
who was unsuccessful in the general election, against Republican Donald Carcieri
Donald Carcieri
Donald L. "Don" Carcieri was the 73rd Governor of the U.S. state of Rhode Island. Carcieri has had a varied vocational background, having worked as a manufacturing company executive, aid relief worker, bank executive and teacher.-Personal background:...
.
2006 election
In 2006, Whitehouse ran for the seat occupied by Senator Lincoln ChafeeLincoln Chafee
Lincoln Davenport Chafee is an American politician who has been the 74th Governor of Rhode Island since January 2011. Prior to his election as governor, Chafee served in the United States Senate as a Republican from 1999 until losing his Senate re-election bid in 2006 to Democrat Sheldon...
, a Republican
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
seeking a second full term. After winning the Democratic primary by a large margin, Whitehouse went on to defeat Chafee with 53 percent of the vote.
Tenure
During the passing of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care ActPatient Protection and Affordable Care Act
The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act is a United States federal statute signed into law by President Barack Obama on March 23, 2010. The law is the principal health care reform legislation of the 111th United States Congress...
, Whitehouse cautioned that conservative opposition to the bill was moving toward historical incidences of mob violence, saying "Too many colleagues are embarked on a desperate, no-holds-barred mission of propaganda, obstruction and fear. . . . History cautions us of the excesses to which these malignant, vindictive passions can ultimately lead. Tumbrils have rolled through taunting crowds. Broken glass has sparkled in darkened streets. Strange fruit has hung from southern trees.".
In traditionally liberal Rhode Island, both the Democratic Whitehouse and his predecessor, Republican Lincoln Chafee, hold liberal political positions. However, Whitehouse has been to the left of Chafee on economic issues, a position that separated him from his opponent during the last election cycle. For the 2007 year, Whitehouse was ranked second-most liberal senator by the National Journal.
Whitehouse supports stem cell research, abortion rights, LGBT rights and gay marriage, as well as affirmative action. Whitehouse has publicly supported a reintroduction of the Equal Rights Amendment
Equal Rights Amendment
The Equal Rights Amendment was a proposed amendment to the United States Constitution. The ERA was originally written by Alice Paul and, in 1923, it was introduced in the Congress for the first time...
. Like Chafee, Whitehouse opposed intervention in Iraq
Iraq
Iraq ; officially the Republic of Iraq is a country in Western Asia spanning most of the northwestern end of the Zagros mountain range, the eastern part of the Syrian Desert and the northern part of the Arabian Desert....
(Chafee was the only Republican senator who voted against it) and the nomination of Samuel Alito
Samuel Alito
Samuel Anthony Alito, Jr. is an Associate Justice of the U.S. Supreme Court. He was nominated by President George W. Bush and has served on the court since January 31, 2006....
to the U.S. Supreme Court.
Whitehouse supports a more progressive tax system, strongly opposing the Bush tax cuts and proposals to repeal the Estate Tax and the Alternative Minimum Tax. He is in favor of gun control and has spoken out against the Patriot Act. Whitehouse supports introducing a timetable for withdrawal from Iraq and has stated that the US must use caution in the future and must avoid entering into military action in Iran
Iran
Iran , officially the Islamic Republic of Iran , is a country in Southern and Western Asia. The name "Iran" has been in use natively since the Sassanian era and came into use internationally in 1935, before which the country was known to the Western world as Persia...
.
Despite a generally pro-rehabilitation stance on crime, Whitehouse supports the federal use of the death penalty (but supports it being illegal in Rhode Island). Whitehouse also opposed the North American Free Trade Agreement
North American Free Trade Agreement
The North American Free Trade Agreement or NAFTA is an agreement signed by the governments of Canada, Mexico, and the United States, creating a trilateral trade bloc in North America. The agreement came into force on January 1, 1994. It superseded the Canada – United States Free Trade Agreement...
and other similar proposals. He has styled himself as a supporter of fair trade and is opposed to using presidential authority to "fast track" normalized trade relations.
In addition, Whitehouse has stated that he does not want torture abuse by the Bush administration to be "papered over," and supports a commission to uncover war crimes by said administration.
On May 4, 2009, during a discussion on health information technology at the Brookings Institution in Washington, D.C., Whitehouse compared Medicare costs to a Nazi Air Force attacking Britain, "The health care tsunami that is coming at us is something we should all be gravely concerned about because it fundamentally threatens the fiscal survival of our country and we have to get ahead of it. We have to view ourselves like RAF [Royal Air Force] pilots and the radar has just lit up that Luftwaffe is coming at us, and we have got to scramble to get into the air as fast as we can because the system is headed towards a terrible calamity if we don’t. We have set zero dollars aside to pay for a $35-trillion liability for Medicare.” Greg D’Angelo, a policy analyst at the conservative Heritage Foundation
Heritage Foundation
The Heritage Foundation is a conservative American think tank based in Washington, D.C. Heritage's stated mission is to "formulate and promote conservative public policies based on the principles of free enterprise, limited government, individual freedom, traditional American values, and a strong...
, said that it is unlikely that further government spending will avert the crisis that Whitehouse anticipates.
In December 2009, Whitehouse said "birthers
Barack Obama citizenship conspiracy theories
Conspiracy theories about the citizenship of Barack Obama claim that Barack Obama is not a natural-born citizen of the United States and is therefore not eligible to be President of the United States under Article Two of the U.S. Constitution. Some theories allege that Obama was born in Kenya, not...
," "fanatics," and "people running around in right-wing militia and Aryan support groups "oppose America's Affordable Health Choices Act of 2009
America's Affordable Health Choices Act of 2009
The proposed America's Affordable Health Choices Act of 2009 was an unsuccessful bill introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives on July 14, 2009. The bill was introduced during the first session of the 111th Congress as part of an effort of the Democratic Party leadership to enact health...
.
U.S. Attorney controversy
Whitehouse received notice in a June 2007 opinion piece from journalist (senior editorial writer) Michael McGough of the Los Angeles Times for Whitehouse's careful questioning and thoughtful statements, and his understanding that the less said, the more effective his efforts may be. McGough cites this statement by Whitehouse about PresidentPresident
A president is a leader of an organization, company, trade union, university, or country.Etymologically, a president is one who presides, who sits in leadership...
George W. Bush
George W. Bush
George Walker Bush is an American politician who served as the 43rd President of the United States, from 2001 to 2009. Before that, he was the 46th Governor of Texas, having served from 1995 to 2000....
's "crony" (McGough's word) Attorney General
Attorney General
In most common law jurisdictions, the attorney general, or attorney-general, is the main legal advisor to the government, and in some jurisdictions he or she may also have executive responsibility for law enforcement or responsibility for public prosecutions.The term is used to refer to any person...
Alberto Gonzales
Alberto Gonzales
Alberto R. Gonzales was the 80th Attorney General of the United States. Gonzales was appointed to the post in February 2005 by President George W. Bush. Gonzales was the first Hispanic Attorney General in U.S. history and the highest-ranking Hispanic government official ever...
:
In May 2007, Whitehouse had joined other Senators in pressuring for Gonzales' resignation and continued to question Gonzales' service in the NSA warrantless surveillance controversy
NSA warrantless surveillance controversy
The NSA warrantless surveillance controversy concerns surveillance of persons within the United States during the collection of foreign intelligence by the U.S. National Security Agency as part of the war on terror...
.
Committee assignments
Whitehouse is a member of the following committees:- Committee on the BudgetUnited States Senate Committee on the BudgetThe United States Senate Committee on Budget was established by the Congressional Budget and Impoundment Control Act of 1974. It is responsible for drafting Congress's annual budget plan and monitoring action on the budget for the Federal Government. The committee has jurisdiction over the...
- Committee on Environment and Public WorksUnited States Senate Committee on Environment and Public WorksThe United States Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works is responsible for dealing with matters related to the environment and infrastructure.-Members, 112th Congress:...
- Subcommittee on OversightUnited States Senate Environment and Public Works Subcommittee on OversightThe U.S. Senate Environment and Public Works Subcommittee on Oversight is one of seven subcommittees of the U.S. Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works.-Jurisdiction:According to the Committee's website:-Members, 111th Congress:...
(Chairman) - Subcommittee on Superfund, Toxics and Environmental Health
- Subcommittee on Water and WildlifeUnited States Senate Environment and Public Works Subcommittee on Water and WildlifeThe U.S. Senate Environment and Public Works Subcommittee on Water and Wildlife is one of seven subcommittees of the U.S. Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works.-Jurisdiction:According to the Committee's website:-Members, 111th Congress:...
- Subcommittee on Oversight
- Committee on the JudiciaryUnited States Senate Committee on the JudiciaryThe United States Senate Committee on the Judiciary is a standing committee of the United States Senate, of the United States Congress. The Judiciary Committee, with 18 members, is charged with conducting hearings prior to the Senate votes on confirmation of federal judges nominated by the...
- Subcommittee on Administrative Oversight and the CourtsUnited States Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Administrative Oversight and the CourtsThe Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Administrative Oversight and the Courts is one of seven subcommittees within the Senate Judiciary Committee.-Jurisdiction:...
(Chairman) - Subcommittee on Antitrust, Competition Policy and Consumer RightsUnited States Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Antitrust, Competition Policy and Consumer RightsThe Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Antitrust, Competition Policy and Consumer Rights is one of seven subcommittees within the Senate Judiciary Committee.-Jurisdiction:...
- Subcommittee on the Constitution
- Subcommittee on Immigration, Refugees and Border SecurityUnited States Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Immigration, Refugees and Border SecurityThe Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Immigration, Refugees, and Border Security is one of seven subcommittees within the Senate Judiciary Committee.-Jurisdiction:...
- Subcommittee on Administrative Oversight and the Courts
- Select Committee on IntelligenceUnited States Senate Select Committee on IntelligenceThe United States Senate Select Committee on Intelligence is dedicated to overseeing the United States Intelligence Community—the agencies and bureaus of the federal government of the United States who provide information and analysis for leaders of the executive and legislative branches. The...
- Special Committee on AgingUnited States Senate Special Committee on AgingThe United States Senate Special Committee on Aging was initially established in 1961 as a temporary committee; it became a permanent Senate committee in 1977...
- Commission on Security and Cooperation in EuropeCommission on Security and Cooperation in EuropeThe Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe , also known as the U.S. Helsinki Commission, is an independent U.S. Government agency created by Congress in 1976 to monitor and encourage compliance with the Helsinki Final Act and other OSCE commitments. It was established in 1976 pursuant to...
- International Narcotics Control CaucusInternational Narcotics Control CaucusThe United States Senate Caucus on International Narcotics Control was created to monitor and encourage the U.S...
- Impeachment Trial Committee on the Articles against Judge G. Thomas Porteous, Jr.Thomas PorteousGabriel Thomas Porteous, Jr. is a former United States federal judge who served for sixteen years before being impeached and removed from office in December 2010.-Background:...
On August 3, 2007, it was announced that Whitehouse would receive the Golden Gavel award, having presided over Senate debates for more than 100 hours in his first six months in office.
Caucus memberships
- Healthy Kids Caucus
- International Conservation CaucusUnited States Congressional International Conservation CaucusThe U.S. Congressional International Conservation Caucus is a bipartisan congressional organization that was founded in September 2003 with the conviction that “the United States of America has the opportunity, the obligation and the interests to advance the conservation of natural resources for...
(Co-Chair) - International Narcotics Control Caucus
- Senate Oceans CaucusSenate Oceans CaucusThe Senate Oceans Caucus is a bipartisan caucus working to increase awareness and find common ground in responding to issues facing the oceans and coasts...
(Co-Chair)
Electoral history
Personal life
In 1986 Whitehouse married Dr. Sandra Thornton, a marine biologist and granddaughter of James Worth ThorntonJames Worth Thornton
James Worth Thornton was a businessman and scion of the politically and socially connected Thorntons of Indiana. Thornton was the son of Sir Henry Worth Thornton and Lady Virginia Blair, daughter of banker and steel magnate George Dike Blair...
and Elena Mumm Thornton
Elena Mumm Thornton
Elena Mumm Thornton Wilson was born into an unusual, wealthy, aristocratic European family and was the fourth wife of the famed American writer Edmund Wilson. Elena was a central figure in Wilson's life from the time they met until his death in 1972. She was the literary executrix of his estate...
Wilson. Her step-grandfather was prominent essayist and critic Edmund Wilson
Edmund Wilson
Edmund Wilson was an American writer and literary and social critic and noted man of letters.-Early life:Wilson was born in Red Bank, New Jersey. His father, Edmund Wilson, Sr., was a lawyer and served as New Jersey Attorney General. Wilson attended The Hill School, a college preparatory...
. They live in Rhode Island
Rhode Island
The state of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations, more commonly referred to as Rhode Island , is a state in the New England region of the United States. It is the smallest U.S. state by area...
with their two children, Molly and Alexander.
Whitehouse is a descendent of William Bradford, colonial governor of Massachusetts
Massachusetts
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. It is bordered by Rhode Island and Connecticut to the south, New York to the west, and Vermont and New Hampshire to the north; at its east lies the Atlantic Ocean. As of the 2010...
.
External links
- United States Senator Sheldon Whitehouse official U.S. Senate site
- Whitehouse for Senate official campaign site
- Profile at SourceWatchSourceWatchSourceWatch is an internet wiki site that is a collaborative project of the liberal Center for Media and Democracy...
- Ancestry