Press Room
Press Releases
Search Senator Leahy’s press releases, floor statements, and Committee speeches by date or by subject.
Statement On The United States and Cuba Today
Mr. LEAHY. Mr. President, the Travel Section of the New York Times on Sunday, October 6, 2019, included a lengthy article about the extraordinary music of Cuba, and the rich culture that has developed over many generations around the creation and performance of music in that country. The article is too long to insert into the Record, but I encourage all Senators to read it as it describes in colorful detail the unique creativity, ingenuity, and complexity of Cuban music that derives from the … Continue Reading
10.24.19
Leahy And Daines Reintroduce Legislation To Protect Americans’ Privacy At The Border
(THURSDAY, Oct. 24, 2019) - Senator Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) and Senator Steve Daines (R-Mont.) Thursday reintroduced their legislation requiring the government to have reasonable suspicion or probable cause to search or seize Americans' electronic devices at the border. Currently, under the so-called "border search exception" to the Fourth Amendment, U.S. government officials can seize or search Americans' laptops, cell phones and other devices without any showing of probable cause to believe the… Continue Reading
10.24.19
Leahy And Other Senators Introduce Legislation To Prohibit Export Of Crowd Control Equipment To Hong Kong
(THURSDAY, Oct. 24, 2019) - Senator Patrick Leahy (D-VT) Thursday joined Senators Jeff Merkley (D-OR), John Cornyn (R-TX), Edward Markey (D-MA) and Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) in introducing new bipartisan legislation that would ban the U.S. export of crowd control equipment to the Hong Kong Police Force. The legislation follows documented reports by human rights groups that U.S.-made police equipment has been used by Hong Kong police to violate the human rights of peaceful protesters during Hong Ko… Continue Reading
10.24.19
Statement on Polio Eradication
Mr. LEAHY. Mr. President, today is World Polio Day and I want to comment briefly about the funding to support global polio eradication efforts in the Senate version of the fiscal year 2020 Department of State and Foreign Operations appropriations bill, which was reported unanimously by the Appropriations Committee on September 26th. Polio is a highly infectious, crippling, and potentially fatal disease. While there is no cure, there are safe and effective vaccines. The global strategy to eradi… Continue Reading
10.23.19
Leahy And Other Senators Announce That The USDA Inspector General Has Opened An Investigation Into Suppression Of Science At The Agency
(WEDNESDAY, Oct. 23, 2019) -- Senator Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) has joined Senators Mazie Hirono (D-Hawaii), Debbie Stabenow (D-Mich.), and 17 other senators in announcing that the Inspector General of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has opened an investigation that they requested into potential suppression and alteration of scientific reports, documents, and communications by political appointees at USDA. The announcement followed a June request by the senators to initiate the investigat… Continue Reading
10.22.19
Statement Of Senate Appropriations Committee Vice Chairman Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) On The Consideration Of The Agriculture, Interior, Transportation, Housing And Urban Development, Commerce, Justice, And Science Minibus Appropriations Bill
Today, we begin consideration of a bill containing the fiscal year 2020 Commerce, Justice, Science Appropriations Bill, the Agriculture Appropriations bill, the Interior Appropriations bill, and the Transportation, Housing and Urban Development Appropriations bill. All four of these bills are the product of hard work and bipartisan cooperation by each of the subcommittees, and were reported from the Appropriations Committee unanimously. They make critical investments in affordable housing, in… Continue Reading
10.21.19
Statement On Ocean Plastic Pollution
Mr. LEAHY. Mr. President, oceans, lakes, and rivers across our planet are filled with debris that litters shorelines and threatens public health, navigation safety, wildlife, and the environment. This debris causes serious damage to the health of ocean ecosystems and marine life, and, due to ocean currents, often travels great distances and poses threats to nations that are not responsible for the mismanagement of such waste. One of the most common forms of marine debris is plastic, which is ab… Continue Reading
10.18.19
Leahy On Sat. Hosts 23rd Annual VT Women’s Economic Opportunity Conf., At VTC In Randolph
This Saturday (Oct. 19) is the annual Vermont Women's Economic Opportunity Conference. Senator Patrick Leahy launched the yearly conference 23 years ago, and he partners with several agencies and organizations to organize the workshops. This year's keynote speaker is Jen Kimmich, CEO of Alchemist Brewery. Under Kimmich's leadership, the Stowe business has become one of Vermont's most popular tourist destinations and is famous for its Heady Topper brew. Leahy will introduce Jen Kimmich and make… Continue Reading
10.18.19
Leahy, Sanders, Welch Urge FDA To Swiftly Resolve Critical Drug Recall
, October 18 - Today, Sens. Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) and Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) and Rep. Peter Welch (D-Vt.) urged the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to swiftly resolve the recall of Natpara, a lifesaving drug used to manage blood calcium levels for people with a rare condition called hypoparathyroidism. "For the more than 2,000 patients in the United States who rely on Natpara to manage their blood calcium levels, the shortage of available product has potentially dire health consequences. Unt… Continue Reading
10.18.19
Senator Patrick Leahy On The Presentation Of The Letelier-Moffitt International Human Rights Award To The Municipal Committee For The Defense Of Nature And Public Resources
I congratulate the Municipal Committee for the Defense of Nature and Public Resources (Comité Municipal en Defensa de Bienes Comunes y Naturales de Tocoa) on receiving the 43rd annual Letelier-Moffitt International Human Rights Award, presented today in Guapinol, Tocoa, Honduras. The Committee and its members, integrated by community organizations in different sectors of the municipality, have worked to defend the Guapinol River through repeated calls to Honduran authorities to respect t… Continue Reading
10.17.19
Judicial Travel Accountability Act Unveiled In Congress
(THURSDAY, Oct. 17, 2019) - Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) and Congressman David Cicilline (D-RI) Thursday led a bipartisan group in Congress to introduce the Judicial Travel Accountability Act, a bill to close loopholes that allow Supreme Court justices and federal judges to avoid disclosing travel and hospitality perks they enjoy as prominent public figures. Given the life tenure and extraordinary power to shape American law that comes with a federal court seat, there is a strong public in… Continue Reading
10.16.19
Durbin, Leahy Introduce New Legislation To Increase Number Of Green Cards Available, Eliminating The Backlog
(WEDNESDAY, Oct. 16, 2019) - U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Immigration Subcommittee, and Senator Patrick Leahy (D-VT), former Chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, today introduced new legislation that would eliminate the family and employment green card backlog by increasing the number of green cards. Close to four million future Americans are on the State Department's immigrant visa waiting list, in addition to hundreds of thousand… Continue Reading
10.16.19
Reaction To President Trump’s Veto Of The Joint Resolution Of Disapproval Of President Trump’s Declaration Of A National Emergency
President Trump's veto once again confirms his willingness to sell out our armed forces by stealing $6.2 billion from our men and women in uniform. He is ignoring the explicit will of Congress in order to build his "big, beautiful," and useless vanity border wall. This should alarm every member of Congress, and the Appropriations Committee will not forget this as we continue our work to complete the fiscal year 2020 appropriations process. Congress is a coequal branch of government that canno… Continue Reading
10.11.19
Statement On Tibetan Refugees in Nepal
Today the number of refugees and displaced persons in the world is higher than at any time since World War II. Desperate people fleeing war, persecution, and natural disasters have shined a spotlight on the enormous challenges confronting the international community. We see it in Lebanon, where a quarter of the population is Syrian refugees. We see it in Bangladesh, where hundreds of thousands of Rohingya refugees have fled in order to shield themselves from ethnic cleansing perpetrated by the … Continue Reading
10.10.19
Democratic Appropriations Leaders Urge Greater Discipline, Transparency from Trump Administration Regarding ICE Funds
(THURSDAY, Oct. 10, 2019) - Leaders of the House and Senate Appropriations Committees and Subcommittees on Homeland Security Thursday wrote to the Trump administration urging "increased discipline and transparency" related to any exception to the automatic apportionment of funds for enforcement and removal operations (ERO) at U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). In a letter to Acting Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Director Russell Vought and Acting Department of Homeland Secur… Continue Reading
10.09.19
Comments On President’s Trump’s Decision To Suddenly Withdraw U.S. Forces From Northeastern Syria
While significant progress has been made against ISIS in Syria, it remains far from defeated and almost nothing else has turned out as people hoped. Much of the country is destroyed, roughly half a million Syrians have died, at least five million have fled to neighboring countries, and Bashir al-Assad, a ruthless dictator supported by Russia, is still in power. As was the case in the earliest days of the Syrian conflict, there are legitimate questions about the appropriate role of U.S. military… Continue Reading
10.09.19
Statement On The Case of Salman al-Awda
A year after the horrifying, premeditated murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi by agents of the Saudi Government, Salman al-Awda, a renowned Saudi reformist cleric, may be sentenced to prison or even death for acts of peaceful expression that are protected under international law and in every civilized nation. According to Human Rights Watch, Saudi authorities brought Mr. al-Awda, 61, before the Specialized Criminal Court, the country's terrorism tribunal, on September 3, 2018. It was the first… Continue Reading
10.09.19
Comments On President’s Trump’s Decision To Suddenly Withdraw U.S. Forces From Northeastern Syria
This precipitous decision, with minimal if any justification, consultation, or concern for the consequences, is immoral and unwise. Key Republicans and key Democrats in Congress have condemned this sudden action. By suddenly reversing course and abandoning those who have fought and died alongside our troops, we are signaling to the rest of the world that we cannot be trusted. It's been said that the President's sudden decision devalues the presidential handshake. Our allies, and the world, need … Continue Reading
10.09.19
Bristol And Gilman Economic Development Efforts Will Receive Federal Boosts
MONTPELIER, Vt. (Wednesday, Oct. 9, 2019) -- Senator Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) on Wednesday announced that two economic development projects in Addison and Essex Counties are receiving significant infusions of federal funds. In the Fiscal Year 2019 Omnibus Appropriations Bill, Leahy - the Vice Chairman of the Senate Appropriations Committee -- authored a unique partnership between the Northern Border Regional Commission and the U.S. Economic Development Administration that will result in the agenci… Continue Reading
10.04.19
Whitehouse And Leahy Call for Investigation into Conduct of Former Top Justice Department Official
(FRIDAY, Oct. 4, 2019) -- Senators Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) and Patrick Leahy (D-VT) on Friday released their request to the U.S. Department of Justice's Office of Professional Responsibility to investigate former Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General of the Civil Rights Division John Gore for possible ethics violations. Documents obtained by the senators through a watchdog group's Freedom of Information Act request show Gore taking action as a Department official to pursue allegations o… Continue Reading
