Rhode Island

November 17, 2009 -- WASHINGTON, DC – By a vote of 100-0, the U.S. Senate today approved the Military Construction and Veterans Affairs appropriations bill for fiscal year 2010, including $73.55 million U.S. Senator Jack Reed (D-RI) helped secure to upgrade Naval Station Newport.

“This federal funding will allow the Navy to make critical renovations at Naval Station Newport and improve readiness and operational support for our troops,” said Reed, a member of both the Armed Services and Appropriations Committees. “This federal investment is vitally important to the continued presence and growth of Rhode Island’s military facilities and defense industry, which play an important role in our state’s economy.”    » read more »

November 16, 2009 -- Rhode Island Governor Donald L. Carcieri recently issued the following statement regarding the Revenue Estimating Conference’s revised revenue projections for the current fiscal year. The Revenue Estimating Conference projected revenue shortfall for the current fiscal year is $130.5 million.

“The revenue forecast is poor,” said Governor Carcieri “It is clearer than ever, Rhode Island is still in the throes of an economic recession. Unfortunately, this is not a surprise, as we have continued to see the economy worsen and revenues decline.”    » read more »

November 13, 2009 -- Warwick, RI - As millions of American homeowners continue to struggle against the tide of home foreclosures, U.S. Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) heard from Rhode Island homebuyers and realtors yesterday about the recession's impact on the local housing market. Whitehouse hosted a roundtable discussion at The Rhode Island Association of Realtors in Warwick.    » read more »

Bill Also Includes Measures to Extend Homebuyer Tax Credit and Help Businesses to Offset Losses Incurred During Recession

November 4, 2009 -- Washington, DC - With millions of Americans still struggling to find work in this difficult economy, the U.S. Senate today took action to assist those in need by extending unemployment insurance benefits for up to 20 weeks. The legislation, which passed the Senate by a vote of 98 to 0, will also expand and extend the $8,000 homebuyer tax credit passed earlier this year and allow businesses to offset losses incurred during the recession. Whitehouse, a cosponsor of the unemployment provision, released the following statement following today's vote:    » read more »

November 4, 2009 -- WASHINGTON, DC – In a positive step for Rhode Island's economy, the U.S. Senate today approved legislation championed by Senator Jack Reed (D-RI) to immediately extend unemployment benefits for up to 20 weeks for more than 4,000 Rhode Island job seekers who exhausted their current benefits. The Reid-Baucus-Reed-Shaheen legislation extends unemployment insurance benefits to jobless Americans in every state by up to 14 weeks, with an additional 6 weeks possible in high unemployment states like Rhode Island with rates at or above 8.5%.    » read more »

Nov. 3, 2009 -- The Rhode Island Governor’s Office of Economic Recovery & Reinvestment (OERR) today issued updated job figures created or retained by the American Recovery & Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA). The revised job figures shifted down to 1489.49, as compared to 1,703.45 previously reported. The shift is attributed to a comprehensive verification and validation review by the OERR and the various federal agencies that oversee each program.

The 1512 reporting process is part of the Recovery Act that requires data to be collected and provided to the federal government every three months beginning in October 2009. Data required to be reported includes:

* Money received and spent during specified reporting periods
* Award description    » read more »

November 3, 2009 -- WASHINGTON, DC -- Rhode Island’s Congressional delegation today announced that the U.S. Department of Energy is awarding a $15 million Recovery Act grant to Rhode Island LFG Genco, an affiliate of Ridgewood Renewable Power, to support the expansion of Ridgewood’s landfill methane-capture electricity generation plant in Johnston.

The project will be the second-largest landfill gas-to-electricity generation facility in the United States. The project will generate 42 MW of power, and save an estimated 1.21 trillion Btu annually from the landfill gas that would otherwise be flared.    » read more »

October 29, 2009 -- WASHINGTON, DC – U.S. Senator Jack Reed (D-RI), today announced that the Fiscal Year (FY) 2010 Interior-Environment Appropriations Conference Report, will provide over $30 million in federal funding for conservation and clean water projects in Rhode Island. The bill passed the House 247-178 earlier today and the Senate 72-28 this evening. The Conference Report now goes to the President to be signed into law.

Reed, a member of the Appropriations Subcommittee on Interior and Environment, noted that the Interior spending bill provides money for land acquisition, drinking water and storm water infrastructure, and environmental preservation projects.    » read more »

October 15, 2009 -- WASHINGTON, DC – U.S. Senator Jack Reed (D-RI) today announced that the City of Providence will receive over $1.75 million in flexible federal funding to improve energy efficiency in residential and municipal buildings. This award is administered by the U.S. Department of Energy under its Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grant (EECBG) Program.

The EECBG program is funded by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, which Senator Reed supported.

Providence is expected to use the funding to establish a revolving loan fund for residential and municipal building retrofits.    » read more »

Rhode Island Governor Donald L. Carcieri and the Rhode Island Office of Energy Resources (OER) today issued contracts to the state’s seven regional Community Action Program Agencies (CAP agencies) to distribute $12.2 million for the statewide Weatherization Program, funded by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA). Under the Recovery Act, Rhode Island will received $20 million in weatherization funds.    » read more »

Whitehouse-Supported Legislation Would Provide This Payment

October 14, 2009 -- Washington, D.C. - President Obama today announced his support for a plan to provide seniors in Rhode Island and across the country with a one-time payment of $250 in 2010 in addition to regular Social Security payments. U.S. Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) is a cosponsor of the Emergency Senior Citizens Relief Act (S. 1685), which would provide such a payment.

"Fixed incomes and a reliance on costly prescription drugs make it tough for seniors and disabled Rhode Islanders to make ends meet," said Whitehouse. "For these hard-hit Americans, every dollar counts, and I'm hopeful these payments will provide relief to our most vulnerable citizens."    » read more »

Oct. 9, 2009 -- The Rhode Island Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (RIDE) has distributed to school districts a total of $74.6 million in federal stimulus funds for the current fiscal year, Education Commissioner Deborah A. Gist announced today (October 8th, 2009).

The funds, made available through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA), are meant to save and create jobs and improve student achievement by advancing reform in four essential areas: improving teacher effectiveness, supporting and intervening in the lowest-performing schools, establishing world-class standards and assessments that are internationally benchmarked, and developing data systems to track progress and foster improvement.    » read more »

Oct. 6, 2009 -- The State of Rhode Island, along with the cities of Providence, Pawtucket, and Woonsocket today announced the distribution of $6.9 million for the Homeless Prevention and Rapid Re-Housing Program through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA). The funds will prevent homelessness, due to the loss of housing and jobs, and will provide assistance to move from emergency shelters into stable housing.

Governor Donald Carcieri noted that with the state's high unemployment rate, agencies are seeing individuals and families who are desperate for assistance. "We will be able to help people before they become homeless and get those who are homeless back on their feet. With winter approaching and our shelters at capacity, this program comes at the right time."    » read more »

October 7, 2009 -- WASHINGTON, DC – By a vote of 93-7, the U.S. Senate last night approved legislation providing over $80.5 million in defense funding for Rhode Island that U.S. Senator Jack Reed (D-RI) requested as part of the Department of Defense Appropriations Bill for fiscal year 2010.

Rhode Island’s defense industry employs about 16,000 people throughout the state and contributes nearly $2 billion annually to the local economy.    » read more »

September 30, 2009 -- Washington, D.C. - Rhode Island's Congressional Delegation today announced over $22 million in federal funding for Rhode Island to support cutting-edge medical research. The National Institutes of Health (NIH) will distribute 91 federal grants to eligible grantees throughout the state. These grants were funded by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, which the delegation supported.    » read more »