Bipartisan federal LGBT rights legislation will prohibit discrimination
WASHINGTON – Democratic Policy and Communications Committee (DPCC) Chair David N. Cicilline (RI-01) introduced the Equality Act of 2019 today with a record 239 co-sponsors. The legislation modifies existing civil rights law to extend anti-discrimination protections to LGBT Americans in access to employment, education, credit, jury service, federal funding, housing, and public accommodations. Senator Jeff Merkley has also introduced the bill in the U.S. Senate.
Press Releases
2019/03/13
WASHINGTON – Democratic Policy and Communications Committee Chair David N. Cicilline (RI-01) testified before the House Foreign Affairs Committee today on his bill to prohibit the use of unauthorized military force in Venezuela. H.R. 1004, the Prohibiting Unauthorized Military Action in Venezuela Act prevents the Trump administration from taking any military action related to Venezuela without the approval of Congress required by law. The following is footage and a transcript of Cicilline’s testimony:
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Congressman David N. Cicilline (RI-01)
House Foreign Affairs Committee: Hearing on H.R. 1004, Prohibiting Unauthorized Military Action in Venezuela Act
2019/03/12
WASHINGTON – House Antitrust Subcommittee Chairman David N. Cicilline (RI-01) held a hearing today to examine the possible impacts on the wireless market caused by the proposed merger between Sprint and T-Mobile. The following is footage and a transcript of Chairman Cicilline’s opening remarks:
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Chairman David N. Cicilline (RI-01)
Opening Remarks as Delivered
March 12, 2019
Today’s hearing is an important opportunity to examine the state of competition in the wireless industry and the competitive effects of the proposed merger of T-Mobile and Sprint.
2019/03/12
WASHINGTON – U.S. Congressmen David N. Cicilline (D-RI), Jim Langevin (D-RI), and Joe Courtney (D-CT) today announced that their legislation to protect portions of the Wood-Pawcatuck watershed was signed into law by the President as part of a bipartisan public lands package. The Wood-Pawcatuck Watershed Wild and Scenic River Act designates several waterways within the 300-square mile Wood-Pawcatuck watershed as part of the National Wild and Scenic Rivers System, establishing the first river system in Rhode Island with a “Wild and Scenic” designation. This designation formally recognizes the natural, cultural and recreational characteristics of these waterways and grants eligibility for additional federal preservation funding for conservation and stewardship.
2019/03/11
PROVIDENCE – Congressman David Cicilline has joined his colleague James Langevin in the House of Representatives as the newest member of the Congressional Task Force on Alzheimer’s disease, which was established 20 years ago to advance research and public awareness of Alzheimer’s disease by bringing the disease to the forefront of the congressional agenda.
2019/03/08
Ambitious “For The People Act” includes Cicilline’s DISCLOSE Act, Automatic Voter Registration Act
WASHINGTON – Making good on their promise to clean up corruption in Washington and make the federal government work for working people, House Democrats today passed the For The People Act (H.R.1), a large-scale effort to fix the broken American political system by making it easier to vote, ending the dominance of big money in politics, and ensuring public officials work for the public interest.
2019/03/07
WASHINGTON – House Antitrust Subcommittee Chair David N. Cicilline (RI-01) issued the following statement after Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg suggested his company would take the issue of user privacy more seriously:
“On its face, this might seem like a step in the right direction. But as I have said, Facebook cannot be trusted to regulate itself. I’ve had enough of their hollow promises and apology campaigns. Restoring Americans’ privacy must be a top priority for Congress.”
2019/03/07
WASHINGTON – Following reports that President Donald Trump directed then-National Economic Council Director Gary Cohn to use the Justice Department to block AT&T’s proposed acquisition of Time Warner, a move that could benefit Fox News and hurt CNN, House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jerrold Nadler (D-NY) and Antitrust Subcommittee Chairman David N. Cicilline (D-RI) are requesting the White House and Department of Justice turn over any documents or communications regarding the merger between November 9, 2016 and February 26, 2019.
2019/03/07
WASHINGTON – House Antitrust Subcommittee Chair David N. Cicilline (RI-01) hosted the subcommittee’s hearing today to investigate the harmful effects of consolidation and anticompetitive behavior in the health care market. The following is footage and a transcript of Chairman Cicilline’s opening remarks:
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Chairman David N. Cicilline (RI-01)
House Antitrust, Commercial and Administrative Law Subcommittee Hearing: Diagnosing the Problem: Exploring the Effects of Consolidation and Anticompetitive Conduct in Health Care Markets
Opening Remarks as Delivered
2019/03/05
PAWTUCKET – U.S. Congressman David N. Cicilline (RI-01) announced the following details for the 2019 Congressional Art Competition today:
Each spring, a nationwide high school arts competition is sponsored by the Members of the U.S. House of Representatives. The Artistic Discovery Contest is an opportunity to recognize and encourage the artistic talent across the nation, as well as in our congressional district.
The Congressional Art Competition is open to all high school students in the First District. The overall winner of our district's competition will be displayed for one year in the United States Capitol. The exhibit in Washington will also include artwork from other districts’ contest winners.
2019/02/28
WASHINGTON – Speaking at a press conference in the U.S. Capitol today, Democratic Policy and Communications Committee (DPCC) Chair David N. Cicilline announced a new legislative package to stop the use of forced arbitration clauses that are used by corporations to deny justice in consumer, civil rights, employment, and antitrust disputes.
“Forced arbitration clauses are a major problem. Every single day, working men and women are denied justice because of clauses that corporations hide in the fine print of mandatory contracts,” said Cicilline. “This is an issue that hurts consumers, sexual harassment victims, and veterans. We can do better. I’m proud to help lead this effort today.”
2019/02/27
WASHINGTON – Democratic Policy and Communications Committee (DPCC) Chair David N. Cicilline (RI-01) issued the following statement today after the U.S. House voted to pass H.R. 8, legislation that requires background checks on gun sales:
“Gun violence is a threat to public safety in communities all across America. It seems like every day there is another mass shooting on the news. Requiring background checks on all gun sales is one commonsense way to keep guns out of the hands of dangerous people.”
“This is something that Congress should have done years ago. For too long, too many Washington politicians who sat in the pocket of the gun lobby managed to block any proposals to strengthen gun laws. No more.”
2019/02/27
WASHINGTON – U.S. Congressman David N. Cicilline (RI-01) welcomed Father Philip G. Salois of North Smithfield to serve as Guest Chaplain for the House of Representatives today. The following is footage and a transcript of Father Salois’s prayer and Congressman Cicilline’s remarks on the House Floor:
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Father Philip G. Salois
Opening Prayer on the Floor of the U.S. House of Representatives
Prayer as Delivered
February 27, 2019
Let us pray.
2019/02/27
WASHINGTON – Democratic Policy and Communications Committee (DPCC) Chair David N. Cicilline (RI-01) issued the following statement today:
“Michael Cohen worked for a decade as President Trump’s personal ‘fixer.’ His testimony today was damning. He laid out in a detail a series of facts that clearly suggest the President has engaged in both criminal activity and a concerted effort to deceive the American people about his conduct. Congress needs to investigate these serious allegations further and decide on an appropriate action to take to protect the rule of law.”
2019/02/26
WASHINGTON – Making good on his promise a week ago, Democratic Policy and Communications Committee (DPCC) Chair David N. Cicilline (RI-01) today introduced the Special Counsel Transparency Act with Congressman Lloyd Doggett (TX-35). The bill requires that Special Counsel Mueller’s report on his investigation into ties between the Trump campaign and Russia’s interference in the 2016 election be made available to the public.
2019/02/26
WASHINGTON – Democratic Policy and Communications Committee (DPCC) Chair David N. Cicilline (RI-01) issued the following statement today after the U.S. House voted to reverse President Trump’s recent national emergency declaration:
“I’ve been to the border twice in the last year. I’ve seen it with my own eyes. There is no national emergency there.”
“Most illegal drugs are smuggled through legal ports of entry. Most illegal immigration comes from visa overstays. The President’s declaration of a national emergency does nothing to solve these problems. The only thing it does is to take away money that’s already been approved for our troops.”
2019/02/26
The House-passed public lands package will make segments of the Wood-Pawcatuck watershed eligible for protections and federal funding under the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act
WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Congressmen Jim Langevin (D-RI), Joe Courtney (D-CT), and David Cicilline (D-RI) announced their legislation to protect several local waterways passed the House of Representatives by a vote of 363-62 as part of a broader bipartisan public lands package. The Wood-Pawcatuck Watershed Wild and Scenic River Act designates portions of the Wood-Pawcatuck watershed as part of the National Wild and Scenic Rivers System, providing new access to federal funding for conservation and stewardship efforts.
2019/02/25
WASHINGTON – Democratic Policy and Communications Committee (DPCC) Chair David N. Cicilline (RI-01) introduced legislation today to ban the sale, manufacture, or possession of new military-style assault weapons.
“Semi-automatic weapons with military-style features are designed for one purpose only – to kill as many people as quickly as possible,” said Cicilline, who is a Vice Chair of the House Gun Violence Prevention Task Force. “These are weapons of war. They do not belong in our communities. This bill will cut off the supply of new assault weapons that have been used to terrorize innocent men, women, and children across America.”
2019/02/22
PAWTUCKET – Democratic Policy and Communications Committee (DPCC) Co-Chair David N. Cicilline (RI-01) introduced legislation today to block President Donald Trump’s attempt to use a national emergency declaration to build a border wall after Congress refused to provide him with the money to do so.
“Gun violence, climate change, and opioid addiction are national emergencies, but there is no national emergency at the border,” said Cicilline, who visited El Paso, Texas last month to meet with Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officials. “Most illegal drugs come through legal ports of entry, and most illegal immigration is a result of visa overstays. Building a wall won’t solve those problems. The only thing it will do is make it harder for us to do military construction projects here in Rhode Island.”
2019/02/20
PAWTUCKET – U.S. Congressman David N. Cicilline (RI-01) hosted a community discussion today with Pawtucket seniors at the Leon A. Mathieu Senior Center to talk about the introduction of the CREATES Act, his bill to lower the cost of prescription drugs.
“While health care costs for Americans have continued to increase over the past two years, President Trump and Congressional Republicans have focused their efforts on kicking millions of Americans off their health insurance and repealing the Affordable Care Act,” Cicilline said. “House Democrats have made it their priority to increase access to quality, affordable health care. That’s why I reintroduced the CREATES Act, my bipartisan legislation to lower the cost of prescription drugs and make health care more affordable for Rhode Islanders.”