Protecting Democracy from Disinformation Act will tightly restrict microtargeting, safeguard elections, prevent spread of disinformation
PAWTUCKET – U.S. Congressman David N. Cicilline (RI-01) announced today that he will introduce legislation that tightly restricts the use of personal, online consumer data that is often used to “microtarget” voters with misleading ads.
“Microtargeting is a threat to our democracy. Campaigns and foreign actors can use this technology to manipulate voters with high volumes of misleading information that is virtually impossible to keep track of,” said Cicilline. “The American people should choose their leaders, not sophisticated data firms or foreign adversaries that have their own agendas.”
Press Releases
2020/05/22
NEWPORT – In an effort to promote smart, sustainable economic development and ensure public input in how former U.S. Navy-owned land and infrastructure is used by the three municipalities that make up Aquidneck Island, U.S. Senators Jack Reed and Sheldon Whitehouse and U.S. Congressman David Cicilline today announced a new $300,000 federal grant by the U.S. Department of Commerce Economic Development Administration (EDA). The federal funding will be used for a study to evaluate options for a possible transfer of U.S. Government infrastructure to the municipalities of Newport, Middletown, and Portsmouth.
Reed, Whitehouse, and Cicilline announced the federal funds will be used to develop a plan to ensure the land and assets are utilized in a way that benefits the economy, environment, and overall quality of life throughout Aquidneck Island.
2020/05/21
PAWTUCKET – Democratic Policy and Communications Committee (DPCC) Chair David N. Cicilline (RI-01) hosted a virtual press conference today to urge that the United States Senate bring up the Heroes Act, legislation that will provide $5.3 billion to Rhode Island, keep first responders and health care workers in their jobs, strengthen our health care system, and expand our country’s testing capacity. Cicilline, who will testify on the Heroes Act before the Rhode Island Senate Committee on Finance at 4:00 PM, was joined on today’s call by U.S. Reps. Grace Meng, Brian Higgins, Donald Payne, and Dwight Evans.
2020/05/15
PAWTUCKET – Today, House Antitrust Subcommittee Chairman David N. Cicilline (RI-01) and Ranking Member F. James Sensenbrenner (WI-05) introduced the Local News and Emergency Information Act. The legislation would ensure that all local news organizations are eligible for federal stimulus through the Paycheck Protection Program.
2020/05/13
PAWTUCKET - House Antitrust Subcommittee Chairman David Cicilline (D-RI) and U.S. Senators Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) and Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) urged the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System (Federal Reserve) and the U.S. Department of the Treasury (Treasury Department) to use their authority under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act to restrict large corporations that receive bailout funds from engaging in potentially harmful mergers and acquisitions in order to protect small businesses and their workers, and to ensure a functioning, competitive economy.
2020/05/13
PAWTUCKET – House Antitrust Subcommittee Chairman David N. Cicilline (RI-01) issued the following statement today:
2020/05/12
PAWTUCKET – U.S. Congressman David N. Cicilline (RI-01) announced today that the Heroes Act, which the House will vote on Friday, provides more than $5.3 billion in new COVID-19 relief funding to protect the lives and livelihoods of Rhode Islanders. Cicilline will hold a virtual press conference on the bill with New England colleagues TOMORROW at 1:00 PM. Press can RSVP here.
The Heroes Act provides $1.9 billion to the State of Rhode Island, and another $1.117 billion to Rhode Island city and town governments, in its first year. It then provides $1.737 billion to the State, and $559 million to cities and towns, in its second year of implementation. A breakdown of the funding allocations for Rhode Island’s First District is embedded below.
2020/05/11
PAWTUCKET – U.S. Congressman David N. Cicilline (RI-01), who recently led 123 Republicans and Democrats in a letter urging support for local news in the next COVID-19 relief package, issued the following statement tonight:
“A thriving news industry is critical for any democracy. Local news outlets have been getting hammered for years, and this pandemic has made things even worse. That’s why I am pleased that the next COVID-19 relief package will make Rhode Island newspapers, radio, and television stations eligible for Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans. This is an important lifeline for trustworthy sources of local news that will help them continue to serve our communities.”
2020/05/08
Farm Fresh Rhode Island & RI Community Food Bank approved for USDA’s new Farmers to Families Food Box program
PROVIDENCE, RI – Due to the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, more Rhode Islanders than ever are in need of emergency and supplemental food. At the same time, Rhode Island farmers and food sector businesses are facing widespread market and supply chain disruption.
2020/05/07
PAWTUCKET – With 55% of Americans saying they feel lonelier today than they did at the start of social distancing, U.S. Congressman David N. Cicilline will begin holding a weekly check in to connect with constituents and, if necessary, refer them to resources available to them.
Congressman Cicilline Checking In will begin TOMORROW, May 8th, at 7:00 PM on Instagram (@RepDavidCicilline). Rhode Islanders will be able to talk with Congressman Cicilline via text and video once Cicilline starts the Instagram Live.
2020/05/07
PAWTUCKET – U.S. Congressman David N. Cicilline (RI-01), who serves on the House Judiciary Committee, issued the following statement today:
“This is an outrageous decision and a miscarriage of justice. Michael Flynn already pled guilty to a felony. Nothing that happened today can change that fact. The only thing that did change is that Attorney General Barr further corrupted the Department of Justice. The American people are justified in their anger that there is one set of rules for Donald Trump and his friends, and a completely different set of rules for everyone else.”
“This demands an immediate explanation from the Attorney General. He needs to answer for his actions before the House Judiciary Committee, and I am glad that Chairman Nadler is working to make that happen as soon as possible.”
2020/05/06
PAWTUCKET – U.S. Congressman David N. Cicilline (RI-01), who last night called on the Public Utilities Commission to extend their moratorium on utility terminations, issued the following statement tonight:
“Rhode Islanders shouldn’t have to worry about losing utility service in the middle of a pandemic. I am pleased that utility terminations are being suspended through the end of the month. This is the right thing to do.”
2020/05/06
Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senators Jack Reed and Sheldon Whitehouse, along with Congressmen Jim Langevin and David Cicilline, today announced that Thrive Behavioral Health, Inc. and Newport Mental Health have been awarded $8 million in federal grant funding from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration’s (SAMHSA) Center for Mental Health Services. All four members of Rhode Island’s Congressional Delegation advocated for this federal funding earlier this year in a joint letter to SAMHSA.
2020/05/05
Ocasio-Cortez, Jayapal, Raskin, Pocan, Neguse, Schakowsky co-leading effort to protect workers, consumers during global pandemic
PAWTUCKET – Antitrust Subcommittee Chairman David N. Cicilline (RI-01) is leading House lawmakers today in urging that the next COVID-19 relief package include language prohibiting corporate mergers that do not involve the purchase of a severely distressed company.
2020/05/05
PAWTUCKET – U.S. Congressman David N. Cicilline (RI-01) wrote to Rhode Island Public Utilities Commission (PUC) Chairperson Margaret Curran today asking that the PUC extend a moratorium on utility terminations that is slated to expire tomorrow.
2020/05/04
PAWTUCKET – House Antitrust Subcommittee Chairman David N. Cicilline (RI-01) issued the following statement after McGraw-Hill and Cengage decided not to move forward with their planned merger:
“As I warned two months ago, this merger would have created a single company that controlled more than 40% of the college textbook market. We’ve seen that movie before – such an entity would eliminate jobs and drive up costs for college kids who are already taking on enormous amounts of student loan debt. The merger made no sense, and I’m glad to learn that it has been abandoned.”
2020/05/01
Washington, D.C. – Today, House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jerrold Nadler (D-NY), Antitrust Subcommittee Chairman David N. Cicilline (D-RI), Subcommittee Ranking Member F. James Sensenbrenner (R-WI), Subcommittee Vice Chairman Joe Neguse (D-CO), Representative Pramila Jayapal (D-WA), Representative Ken Buck (R-CO), and Representative Matt Gaetz (R-FL) sent a letter to Jeff Bezos, the CEO and Founder of Amazon, calling on him to appear before the Committee to testify about competition concerns relating to Amazon's business practices.
2020/05/01
PAWTUCKET – Democratic Policy and Communications Committee (DPCC) Chair David N. Cicilline (RI-01) hosted a press call highlighting the ways that Democrats are fighting to provide much-needed help to frontline workers in the upcoming coronavirus relief bill. Cicilline was joined on today’s call by Democratic Caucus Vice Chair Katherine Clark (MA-05), Steering and Policy Committee Co-Chair Rosa DeLauro (CT-03), U.S. Rep. Ann McLane Kuster (NH-02), and U.S. Rep. Joe Kennedy III (MA-04).
2020/04/29
PAWTUCKET – U.S. Representatives David N. Cicilline (RI-01) and F. James Sensenbrenner (WI-05) are leading more than 100 members of both parties in pushing to protect local news publishers and broadcasters in the next COVID-19 relief package.
2020/04/21
PAWTUCKET – Democratic Policy and Communications Committee (DPCC) Chair David N. Cicilline (RI-01) issued the following statement today:
“As all of us work to flatten the curve, our first priority must be ensuring that working men and women make it through this crisis. I’m proud that we’ve reached an agreement that will provide more relief for workers and small business owners, deliver critical resources for hospitals and health care workers, and lay the groundwork for a national strategic testing policy that is essential for reopening our economy.”