Rhode Island Senator Sheldon Whitehouse is the new chairman of the Senate Budget Committee.
He says the committee will examine a range of issues that have enormous consequences for the economy and American families.
“I very much look forward to taking the helm,” said Whitehouse. “Together with the members of the Committee, we will examine a range of subjects that have enormous consequences for American families, the economy, and the federal budget. Chief among these is climate change, as economic experts warn of serious financial risks and as climate-related disaster spending continues to soar. We’ve got a planet seriously in trouble because of the unbridled mischief of the fossil fuel industry, we’ve got runaway economic inequality, and we’ve got a health care system that too often does not work for patients. There’s a lot of work to be done, and we are ready to hit the ground running to make the budget process and the entirety of the federal government work better for hardworking Rhode Islanders, grow the middle class, and lead the planet to safety.”
Whitehouse replaces Senator Bernie Sanders in the chairmanship.
(Photo by Drew Angerer/Getty Images)