Dear John,

This week, Rhode Island lost State Senator Maryellen Goodwin, a dedicated public servant, champion for her community and her district, and beloved colleague to so many of us. It has been a special blessing in my life to call her my friend, and I am heartbroken by her passing. Rhode Island is lucky to have been represented by a woman who every day worked so hard on behalf of her neighborhood and her community and believed so deeply in public service. She leaves behind an extraordinary legacy.

Maryellen courageously battled cancer for many years and did so with grace and strength, and comforted by her deep religious faith. Her family will remain in my thoughts and prayers, and I extend my heartfelt condolences to them during this difficult time. Rest in peace, my beautiful friend.

Updates from Rhode Island

$691,000 for Rhode Island’s Coasts

I’m thrilled to share that two Rhode Island projects are being awarded more than $691,000 in federal funding to protect and restore our shorelines and important coastal wetland habitats. These funding awards, made available through the bipartisan infrastructure law and Inflation Reduction Act, are a key part of our state’s fight against climate change and to preserve Rhode Island’s beauty and environment for generations to come.

The City of Providence is receiving $492,000 to study the Port of Providence’s coastline, including potential opportunities for future habitat restoration. This funding will also support a partnership with Groundwork Rhode Island and Save the Bay to conduct outreach and provide educational opportunities for local community members.

The Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management is receiving $199,000 to address sea level rise impacts through the design and permitting of projects that protect important coastal wetland habitats within the Narragansett Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve.

You can read more about the two projects here.

Updates from Washington, DC

Protecting Kids’ Sports

Rather than working to protect kids, House Republicans yesterday passed a bill to ban them from playing sports. H.R. 734 is a harmful, hateful bill that is part of a larger sinister campaign attacking trans kids for political points. It's shameful and wrong and must not be allowed to become law.

You can watch and read my full floor speech here.

Observing Yom HaShoah

This year, to mark Yom HaShoah (Holocaust Remembrance Day), I had the honor of hearing from Rae Goldfarb, a Holocaust survivor who was forced into hiding as a young girl in Poland. She and her mother were part of the resistance, joining armed partisans to fight the Nazis after her brother and grandmother were killed.

With antisemitism on the rise and reaching historic levels, we must come together to stand against this bigotry and hate. It is vital that we continue to tell the stories of the Holocaust so that all of us, and generations to come, continue to bear witness. Thank you, Rae, for your bravery and for sharing your family's story.

Supreme Court Accountability

This week, I joined with Congressman Hank Johnson in demanding that Speaker McCarthy and Judiciary Chairman Jim Jordan hold a hearing and floor vote on the Supreme Court Ethics, Recusal and Transparency (SCERT) Act.

If we want to restore faith in the Supreme Court, we need to implement clear ethics guidelines for all justices. Recent reporting on Justice Thomas’s actions makes this legislation all the more urgent.

You can read the full letter here.

Honoring the First Rhode Island Regiment with the Congressional Gold Medal

On Thursday, I introduced the First Rhode Island Regiment Congressional Gold Medal Act. This long overdue legislation will posthumously recognize the heroic efforts of America’s first integrated military unit with the Congressional Gold Medal, which will be presented to the Rhode Island State Library in the unit’s honor for display, research, and ceremonial purposes.

Rather than receiving the recognition they deserved following their service to our nation, many of those who fought in the First Rhode Island Regiment during the Revolutionary War were forced to resist efforts at re-enslavement, while at the same time having to fight for back wages from the Rhode Island General Assembly. This is hardly how we should treat those who fought for the creation of this nation. The Congressional Gold Medal was initially established by the Continental Congress in 1776 to honor high achievement and distinction among Revolutionary military and naval leaders. Surely, the First Rhode Island Regiment qualifies for this centuries-old tradition.

Free COVID Tests Via the Postal Service

The Biden Administration announced yesterday that households can once again order free at-home COVID-19 tests though the Postal Service this winter. You can order your tests at CovidTests.gov or by calling 1-800-232-0233 (TTY 1-888-720-7489).

Important Passport & Travel Information

Due to unprecedented demand, the State Department has recently released updated processing times for passports. For passport applications submitted after March 24, 2023, routine processing time is 10 to 13 weeks and expedited processing is 7 to 9 weeks.

Before booking international travel, please remember to check the expiration date on your passport and plan accordingly. Passports last for 5 or 10 years, depending on your age when the passport was issued. Some countries require that your passport be valid at least six months beyond the dates of your trip. Some airlines will not allow you to board if this requirement is not met.

You can learn more from the State Department here.

As always, I am here to serve you. If there is anything I can do, please call my office at 729-5600 or send me an email at [email protected].

Warm regards, 

David N. Cicilline
Member of Congress