PRUITT. U.S. REPRESENTATIVE DAVID CICILLINE.

April 13, 2018
Dear David, If we want Rhode Island to succeed, we need to ensure that young people today can get the skills they need to be successful in college or to begin a career. That’s why I always look forward to the release of Kids Count Rhode Island’s annual Factbook. For policymakers, it’s one of the best tools we have for establishing benchmarks and measuring progress. In this year’s Factbook, which was released earlier this week, we found that Rhode Island is making progress, but as all of us know there’s still a lot of work to be done. We need to do everything we can to raise wages, create jobs, and ensure that every Rhode Islander has an opportunity not just to get by, but to get ahead. That’s why I’m going to continue working with non-profit partners like Kids Count, leaders in our private sector, and officials at every level of government to ensure that the next generation of Rhode Islanders can succeed. I’ll make sure to keep you updated on this work. In the meantime, this year’s Factbook is available on Kids Count RI's website.                                Scott Pruitt  As Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency, Scott Pruitt has a responsibility to conduct his duties in the best interests of the American people. Yet, his unethical behavior, wasteful use of taxpayer money, and efforts to undermine the EPA’s core mission to protect our environment are unacceptable. Since taking office, Pruitt has had multiple conflicts of interest, has refused to recuse himself on relevant issues under EPA consideration and engaged in potential anti-lobbying violations. Additionally, he has spent most of his first year in office meeting with his industry stakeholders – meetings that undoubtedly influenced his policy directives and decision-making at the EPA. In response to these actions, I led more than four dozen House Democrats in calling on President Trump to ask for Pruitt’s resignation. You can read our letter to the President here. Ending the Opioid Epidemic  Earlier this month, I voted to pass a government spending bill that delivers real results for Rhode Island. This includes a $3.1 billion increase in resources to end the opioid epidemic. I fought hard to make sure these funds were included, and now I’m going to continue working to ensure Rhode Island gets our fair share to ramp up our support for prevention, treatment, training for behavioral health care experts, and expanding access to the antidote naloxone for law enforcement officials who are often the first to respond to an overdose emergency. This ongoing epidemic has inflicted enormous pain on families across our state and across America. It has ravaged the lives of folks across racial, geographic, and socio-economic lines. I’m going to continue fighting for the resources and comprehensive strategies we need to end this public health crisis. Trump  This week, our country learned that FBI agents executed a court-approved warrant - obtained by the US Attorney for the Southern District of New York - to search the office of President Trump’s personal attorney. This is a serious development. What’s more disturbing is that, in the wake of these reports, the President appears to be using this unrelated action as a pretext to disparage Special Counsel Mueller’s investigation and openly contemplate firing him. We are a nation of laws. No person, not even the President, is above the law. If the President attempts to fire Special Counsel Mueller, or impede his investigation in any way, it would be a clear attempt to obstruct justice and undermine the rule of law. Republicans and Democrats need to make clear that they will not allow President Trump or anyone on his behalf to interfere with or attempt to impede any of these ongoing and serious investigations. Russia Sanctions  I have been pushing for tough new sanctions on Russia ever since we learned that Vladimir Putin’s regime interfered in the 2016 US presidential election. Last week, President Trump finally agreed to impose real penalties on some of Vladimir Putin’s closest friends and family members. There’s no question that this is a high price for Putin to pay for his aggressive behavior, and we need to keep the pressure on Russia for their aggressive activities. Now, President Trump needs to work with Congress to prepare a comprehensive strategy that contains Putin and Russia’s aggression permanently. We need to make absolutely clear that any further attempts to hurt American interests will be met with swift retribution. As always, if you or someone you know has any questions or concerns, please call my office at 729-5600 or send me an email at David.Cicilline@mail.house.gov . You can also click here  to follow my work on Twitter. Warm Regards, David Cicilline Member of Congress
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