Press Room
Press Releases
Search Senator Leahy’s press releases, floor statements, and Committee speeches by date or by subject.
Statement Of Senator Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.), Chairman, Senate Judiciary Committee, On Judicial Nominations
Today we will finally vote on the confirmation of Jill Pryor of Georgia to fill a judicial emergency vacancy on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 11th Circuit. Her nomination has been pending in the Senate since February 2012-more than two and a half years, which is longer than any other currently pending judicial nominee. She received the American Bar Association's highest rating of unanimously well qualified and has the support of both of her Republican home state Senators-Senator Chambliss an… Continue Reading
09.08.14
Statement of Senator Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.), Chairman, Senate Judiciary Committee, On S.J. Res. 19 – A Constitutional Amendment Relating to Contributions and Expenditures Intended to Affect Elections
Today, the Senate will hold its first vote relevant to Senate Joint Resolution 19 - a constitutional amendment that would restore to Congress and the States the authority to set reasonable limits on contributions and expenditures in our elections. The amendment would also allow Congress and the States to distinguish between natural persons and corporations when shaping legislation regarding the financing of elections. The need for the States and for Congress to have this ability is fundamental… Continue Reading
09.08.14
Comment Of Senator Patrick Leahy On The Passing Of Lola Aiken
Marcelle and I were sorry to learn of the passing of Lola Pierotti Aiken. Her great partnership with her husband, a former Governor and then a U.S. Senator, is an important piece of the fabric of Vermont history. The daughter of a stonecutter, she never forgot her Vermont roots. She was well known for welcoming Vermonters whenever they stopped by his office in Washington to visit Senator Aiken - or, as she called him, "the Governor." She was a close friend of my mother, Alba Zambon Leahy,… Continue Reading
09.04.14
Leahy, Welch Encourage Dairy Farmers To Sign Up For New Insurance Program
MONTPELIER, Vt. (THURSDAY, Sept. 4) - At a farm in East Montpelier, Senator Patrick Leahy and Representative Peter Welch Thursday encouraged Vermont's dairy farmers to enroll in the new Margin Protection Program (MPP) and announced a series of workshops for interested participants. MPP is a voluntary insurance program included in the new Farm Bill that protects dairy farmers from market fluctuations in milk prices. The program replaces the expired Milk Income Loss Contract Program (MILC). S… Continue Reading
08.29.14
Comment Of Former FBI Director Louis Freeh (rlsd. at Dir. Freeh's req. by Sen. Leahy)
Comment From Former FBI Director Louis Freeh (Director Freeh and his office asked Senator Leahy to release this on his behalf after Leahy visited him Friday at the hospital) -- "I wish to thank Senator Patrick Leahy, my close friend of 24 years, as well as my dear friends Vice President Joe Biden, Senator Tom Carper, Attorney General Beau Biden, former Senator Joe Lieberman, former Attorney General Mike Mukasey, and so many others, for their outpouring of concern following my automobile accide… Continue Reading
08.28.14
Comment of Senator Patrick Leahy On Confirmation That Another Invasive Species -- The Spiny Water Flea -- Has Reached Lake Champlain
Comment Of Senator Patrick LeahyOn Confirmation That The Spiny Water FleaHas Reached Lake Champlain Thursday, Aug. 28, 2014 "It is terrible news that another invasive species -- and one with proven potential to seriously harm the ecosystem -- has reached Lake Champlain. In recent years this has been an ecological body blow that has unfolded in slow motion. We have known that this species was headed our way, and it's one reason I have worked hard to fund invasive species prevention efforts thr… Continue Reading
08.28.14
USDA Sec. Vilsack Visits Vermont
BURLINGTON, Vt. (THURSDAY, Aug. 28, 2014) - U.S. Secretary of Agriculture (USDA) Tom Vilsack Thursday joined Senator Patrick Leahy and other Vermont leaders at the Lake Champlain waterfront here to announce $46 million in new federal funding over the next five years, from the recently enacted Farm Bill, for water-quality-driven conservation measures on Vermont farms in the Lake Champlain watershed. The funding adds up to one of the largest commitments to cleanup efforts in the lake's watershed … Continue Reading
08.26.14
Leahy: Grant Will Help Vermont Track And Manage The Devastating Spread Of White-Nose Syndrome In Bat Populations
Leahy: Grant Will Help Vermont Track And Manage The Devastating Spread Of White-Nose Syndrome In Bat Populations (TUESDAY, Aug. 26, 2014) - Senator Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) says Vermont will receive a $42,895 grant from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) to support research and monitoring of bat populations as the insidious white-nose syndrome continues to spread in Vermont, the Northeast, and beyond. Discovered in 2006 near Albany, N.Y., white-nose syndrome (WNS) affects hibernating bats… Continue Reading
08.26.14
USDA Secretary Vilsack To Visit VT On Thursday; Ann't Set On Significant Water Quality Initiatives Related To Lake Champlain
Leahy: USDA Secretary Vilsack To Visit Vermont On Thursday . . . Announcement Set On Water Quality Initiatives Related To Lake Champlain (TUESDAY, Aug. 26, 2014) -- Senator Patrick Leahy announced Tuesday that U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack will visit Vermont this Thursday, August 28, to announce significant funding related to improving water quality through conservation-related practices on Vermont farms. Leahy is the most senior member of the Senate Agriculture Committee and on… Continue Reading
08.20.14
Leahy: Grants Totaling $185,865 To Two Vermont Farms Will Advance Value-Added Farm Products
(WEDNESDAY, Aug. 20, 2014) - Senator Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) says two Vermont farms will receive a total of $185,865 in grants under a program that encourages value-added American agricultural products. The awards, under the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Value-Added Producer Grant program, will be used to expand natural meat production and to develop nutritional labels, among other projects. Leahy said, "The Value-Added Grant Program has been a great success in Vermont and fits well into our … Continue Reading
08.18.14
Comments Of Senator Patrick Leahy (D-Vt., President Pro Tempore) On The Passing Of Former Senator Jim Jeffords
He was a partner in our work for Vermont, and he was a friend. He was a Vermonter through and through, drawn to political life to make a difference for our state and nation. Part of his legacy will also stand as an enduring chapter of the Senate's history. # # # # #… Continue Reading
08.15.14
Leahy Comments On Protests In Ferguson, Missouri
"Like many Vermonters, and thousands of people across the country, I am saddened by the news that an unarmed teenager was killed by a police officer in Ferguson, Missouri, last weekend. Details continue to emerge about this tragic event, and residents of Ferguson are understandably grieved and angry. "I have been shocked by the military-like response from the local police. We know in Vermont that effective policing requires the trust of the community; that trust has been more than strained in… Continue Reading
08.13.14
Leahy Urges FCC To Reach Beyond The Beltway For Feedback On Net Neutrality
WEDNESDAY, August 13, 2014 - As the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) considers how best to restore open Internet protections in light of a D.C. Circuit Court decision earlier this year, Senator Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) on Wednesday urged the FCC to listen to the voices of Americans outside of Washington who will be affected by their decisions. Leahy, who chairs the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee and who last month held a field hearing in Vermont on the issue, called on FCC Chairman Tom Whe… Continue Reading
08.09.14
Statement Of Senator Patrick Leahy (D-Vt., Senate president pro tempore, and chairman of the State Department and Foreign Operations Appropriations Subcommittee) On Limited Airstrikes In Iraq
"The United States should use limited force as necessary to protect our military and civilian advisors who remain in Iraq. I support President Obama's decision to launch targeted strikes against ISIS forces to do so and to assist with humanitarian relief in northern Iraq. The United States and the international community should not stand by and watch thousands of innocent civilians being starved to death because of their religion." # # # # #… Continue Reading
08.07.14
Statement of Senator Patrick Leahy On The Ceasefire in Gaza
I share the fervent hope of people around the world that the ceasefire in Gaza holds. The extent of the destruction is hard to fathom. In addition to more than 1800 killed and many more wounded, thousands of homes, businesses and public facilities have been reduced to rubble. I have been dismayed by the repeated shelling of United Nations facilities where large numbers of civilians, including women and children, were known to have sought safety. This can never be justified. As in the past a… Continue Reading
08.04.14
Comment Of Senator Patrick Leahy (D-Vt., chairman of the Appropriations subcommittee that funds the State Department and U.S. foreign aid programs), On AP Report About A USAID Program In Cuba
"It is one thing to support nascent Cuban civil society organizations, if USAID's role is disclosed in advance to participants and beneficiaries. It is quite another to concoct an HIV/AIDS workshop to promote a political agenda. If that is what happened here it is worse than irresponsible. It may have been good business for USAID's contractor, but it tarnishes USAID's long track record as a leader in global health." # # # # #… Continue Reading
08.04.14
Leahy: Vermont Nets $1.6 Million To Combat Domestic and Sexual Violence
Senator Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) Monday announced $1.6 million in federal grants from the Department of Justice's Office on Violence Against Women to combat domestic and sexual violence in Vermont. Leahy, long a champion in the fight against domestic violence, last year led the effort to reauthorize the landmark Violence Against Women Act, which won overwhelming bipartisan support in both the House and Senate. Leahy said, "I often remember my time as a State's Attorney in Vermont and the tragedy o… Continue Reading
08.01.14
Statement By Senator Patrick Leahy On The Crisis in Gaza
The crisis in Gaza is extremely distressing, particularly to those who had hope for Secretary of State Kerry's years of shuttle diplomacy between the Government of Israel and the Palestinian Authority. After seeing several similar attempts fail in the past, we know that for such diplomacy to succeed over the long term it will require the participation not only of representatives of the Israeli and Palestinian parties to the conflict, but also the active support of Egypt, Jordan, Turkey, and the… Continue Reading
08.01.14
Statement of Senator Patrick Leahy On The U.S.-Africa Summit
Mr. President, as chairman of the subcommittee responsible for funding and oversight of our nation's foreign assistance budget, I have witnessed firsthand the significant gains achieved by many African countries over the last 20 years. This progress has been driven by the ingenuity and hard work of the African people, and has been supported by U.S. assistance provided by the American people and others. I am pleased that so many African leaders will be coming to Washington next week for the U.… Continue Reading
07.31.14
Statement of Senator Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.), Chairman, Senate Judiciary Committee, On CIA Confirmation of Searching Senate Select Committee on Intelligence Computers
"I am appalled that the CIA searched the computers of Senate staffers who were working to shed light on a very dark chapter in our Nation's history. Congressional oversight of the executive branch, without fear of interference or intimidation, is fundamental to our Nation's founding principle of the separation of powers. The CIA's misconduct threatens the institution of the Senate and its role in ensuring the proper oversight of our government. The CIA Director owes the Senate and the America… Continue Reading
