A Conversation with Senator Sheldon Whitehouse

This event is a part of Energy Week at Penn, a week of energy-focused events across Penn’s campus. Browse and register for other Energy Week events: energyweek.upenn.edu

Boxed lunches will be available to go following the event!

Throughout his tenure in the Senate, Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) has been a vocal advocate for climate action, consistently pushing for policies aimed at reducing greenhouse gas emissions and addressing the impacts of climate change. On the Senate floor, he has delivered nearly 300 “Time to Wake Up” speeches, which highlight the scientific consensus surrounding climate and the urgency of action needed.

Senator Whitehouse has supported measures to invest in renewable energy, improve energy efficiency, and reduce carbon emissions. He has also been a strong supporter of international efforts to combat climate change, including the Paris Agreement, and has called for greater U.S. leadership on the global stage. He has been a vocal critic of climate change denialism, pushing back against misinformation and advocating for evidence-based policymaking.

Senator Whitehouse will discuss his efforts around climate and energy policy, followed by a moderated question and answer session. If you wish to propose a question for consideration, please submit it with your registration.

Speaker

Senator Sheldon Whitehouse has earned a reputation in the Senate as a fierce advocate for progressive values and a thoughtful legislator capable of reaching across the aisle to achieve bipartisan solutions.

Senator Whitehouse has been at the center of bipartisan efforts to pass laws overhauling federal education policy, rebuilding our nation’s infrastructure, reforming the criminal and juvenile justice systems, protecting Americans from toxic chemicals in everyday products, and addressing ocean plastic waste.

Recognizing the devastating toll of addiction in Rhode Island and across the nation, Whitehouse authored the first significant bipartisan law to address the opioid crisis, the Comprehensive Addiction and Recovery Act.

Representing the Ocean State, Whitehouse plays a key role in crafting policies addressing climate change, environmental protection, and a price on carbon. He passed into law a dedicated fund to support ocean and coastal research and restoration and bipartisan legislation to confront the crisis of marine plastic and other waste polluting our oceans. He has worked to enact bipartisan measures to reduce carbon pollution and boost America’s clean energy economy.

Whitehouse has stood as a staunch defender of Social Security and Medicare, and has made improving care and reducing costs in our health care system a hallmark of his career. To counteract the corrosive effects of special interests in our democracy, Whitehouse has championed efforts to root out dark money from our elections and make Congress and the courts accountable to the American people.

A graduate of Yale University and the University of Virginia School of Law, Sheldon served as Rhode Island’s U.S. Attorney and state attorney general before being elected to the Senate, where he serves on the Finance Committee, the Judiciary Committee, the Environment and Public Works Committee, and the Budget Committee.

Please note this is an in-person event. We look forward to welcoming guests to the Kleinman Center’s Energy Forum.

Boxed lunches will be available to go following the event!