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Search Senator Leahy’s press releases, floor statements, and Committee speeches by date or by subject.
Statement of Senator Patrick Leahy Chairman, Senate Judiciary Committee, On the Nominations of Sheri Chappell and Michael McShane
Today the Senate will finally be allowed to vote on the nominations of Judge Sheri Chappell and Judge Michael McShane. For Judge Chappell in particular, this day is long overdue. She was nominated almost a year ago, and was one of the 11 nominees who Senate Republicans refused to vote on before the end of the last Congress. They delayed her confirmation even though she had the support of every single Republican on the Judiciary Committee, and the bipartisan support of her home state Senators,… Continue Reading
05.20.13
Grassley43 Would Deport Immigrants Based on Guilt By Association
From The Senate Judiciary Committee Majority Staff S. 744: The Border Security, Economic Opportunity, and Immigration Modernization Act Grassley43 Would Deport Immigrants Based on Guilt By Association An amendment offered Monday during the Judiciary Committee's consideration of the Border Security, Economic Opportunity, and Immigration Modernization Act would impose a standard of guilt by association, subjecting immigrants who have never committed a crime to deportation, including legal resi… Continue Reading
05.20.13
Legalizing Profiling Will Eliminate Key Protections To Protect All Americans
From The Senate Judiciary Committee Majority Staff S. 744: The Border Security, Economic Opportunity, and Immigration Modernization Act Legalizing Profiling Will Eliminate Key Protections to Protect All Americans An amendment offered today Grassley49 during the Judiciary Committee's consideration of the Border Security, Economic Opportunity, and Immigration Modernization Act will legalize country of origin profiling. A similar amendment (Sessions39) has also been filed that would allow racia… Continue Reading
05.20.13
Claims That S. 744 Does Nothing To Address Border Security Ring Hollow
From The Senate Judiciary Committee Majority Staff S. 744: The Border Security, Economic Opportunity, and Immigration Modernization Act Claims That S.744 Does Nothing to Address Border Security Ring Hollow RHETORIC: During Monday's markup session, Republican Senators claimed that S.744 does not address border security concerns, and will do little to address security issues along the southern and northern borders. Despite an already strong track record of enforcement, S.744 devotes billions i… Continue Reading
05.20.13
Leahy Amendment to Support Victims of Domestic Violence, Sexual Assault and Trafficking Passes SJC
Chairman Patrick Leahy's (D-Vt.) amendment to assist immigrant women who are victims of domestic violence obtain work visas was approved Monday during the Judiciary Committee's consideration of bipartisan immigration reform legislation. Leahy, the lead author of the Violence Against Women Reauthorization Act (VAWA), cheered the Committee's bipartisan support for his amendment. "The ability to work is particularly important for survivors of these crimes," said Leahy, whose amendment passed unan… Continue Reading
05.20.13
Leahy3 Will Permit Work Authorization For Immigrant Domestic Violence Victims
From the Senate Judiciary Committee Majority Staff: The Border Security, Economic Opportunity, and Immigration Modernization Act (S.744) Leahy3 Will Permit Work Authorization for Immigrant Domestic Violence Victims Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) has offered an amendment to the Border Security, Economic Opportunity, and Immigration Modernization Act to provide authorization allowing immigrant victims of domestic violence and human trafficking to work while their appl… Continue Reading
05.20.13
Judiciary Committee Holds Fourth Markup On Comprehensive Immigration Reform
The Senate Judiciary Committee resumed consideration Monday of the Border Security, Economic Opportunity and Immigration Modernization Act, a bipartisan bill to reform the nation's immigration laws. A webcast of today's executive business meeting, which is in Room 216 of the Hart Senate Office Building, can be viewed online. More than 300 amendments were filed to the bipartisan bill, a copy of which has been posted online for more than one month. The Committee, under Chairman Patrick Leahy's … Continue Reading
05.20.13
#CIRmarkup: Immigration Markup Enters Fourth Day
From The Senate Judiciary Committee Majority Staff S. 744: The Border Security, Economic Opportunity, and Immigration Modernization Act #CIRmarkup: Immigration Markup Enters Fourth Day RECAP: The Senate Judiciary Committee has concluded three days of markup of the Border Security, Economic Opportunity, and Immigration Modernization Act. The Committee has considered nearly 100 amendments, offered by both Republicans and Democrats to the "pre-title," Title I, Title III, and Title IV of the bil… Continue Reading
05.16.13
Leahy: MILC Payments Released For Vermont Dairy Farmers, Just In Time For Spring Planting
Senator Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) says $2.2 million in milk program safety net payments are arriving just as Vermont dairy farmers need them most, as spring planting begins. The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) this week announced the payments under the Milk Income Loss Contract (MILC) program that provides support in months when the price that farmers are paid for their milk drops while production costs remain high. The MILC program expired in August of 2012, after the House of Representativ… Continue Reading
05.16.13
Day Three Recap: SJC Makes Inroads In Consideration Of CIR
From The Senate Judiciary Committee Majority Staff S. 744: The Border Security, Economic Opportunity, and Immigration Modernization Act Day Three Recap: SJC Makes Inroads in Consideration of CIR - #CIRmarkup The Senate Judiciary Committee met for a third executive session Thursday to continue consideration of the Border Security, Economic Opportunity, and Immigration Modernization Act. The markup began at 9:30 a.m., and concluded at 1:00 p.m. During Thursday's session a total of 26 amendments… Continue Reading
05.16.13
Leahy’s EB-5 Amendment Added To Immigration Reform Bill
Senator Patrick Leahy's (D-Vt.) amendment to make significant improvements to the job-creating EB-5 Immigrant Investor Regional Center program was unanimously approved by the Senate Judiciary Committee Thursday during the panel's third day of debate and votes on the comprehensive immigration reform bill. The amendment was filed to the bipartisan immigration reform bill by Leahy, who chairs the Judiciary Committee. The Leahy amendment was approved in a unanimous voice vote. Leahy has long champ… Continue Reading
05.16.13
SJC Sends Three Judicial Nominees To Full Senate
The Senate Judiciary Committee on Thursday approved three judicial nominees, including two circuit court nominees and a total of two nominees who should have been sent to the full Senate last year. Srikanth Srinivasan's nomination to the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals was unanimously approved on a bipartisan 18-0 vote. He was first nominated to the post by President Barack Obama nearly one year ago, and if confirmed, he would fill one of the four vacancies on the D.C. Circuit. Chairman Patrick… Continue Reading
05.16.13
Promoting America’s Entrepreneurial Spirit
In today's markup, the Judiciary Committee unanimously approved two amendments to reinforce the entrepreneurial spirit that has reinforce the country's entrepreneurial spirit. Leahy2, which permanently authorized the EB-5 program, and Whitehouse1, which helps participants in startup accelerators obtain INVEST visas, will take concrete steps to strengthen our economy. Both amendments will help spur innovation and enable America to continue as the world's economic leader. Boosting Our Economy… Continue Reading
05.16.13
Senator Leahy's Amendment To Make Permanent And to Strengthen The EB-5 Regional Center Program
Vermont secured a federal EB-5 Regional Center Designation in 1997. Vermont Senator Patrick Leahy, the program's leading champion in Congress, has partnered with the state to create Vermont jobs and has worked with Congress to make the Regional Center Program a vital part of the federal immigration system. The program has already attracted billions of dollars in capital investments and has helped create hundreds of jobs in Vermont and thousands more across the country. Today, Leahy is ch… Continue Reading
05.16.13
Continued Progress On Immigration Reform
From The Senate Judiciary Committee Majority Staff S. 744: The Border Security, Economic Opportunity, and Immigration Modernization Act #CIRmarkup: Continued Progress On Immigration Reform RECAP: The Senate Judiciary Committee has concluded two days of markup of the Border Security, Economic Opportunity, and Immigration Modernization Act. The Committee debated dozens of amendments offered by both Republicans and Democrats to the "pre-title," Title I, and Title IV of the bill, focusing on bor… Continue Reading
05.16.13
Comment of Senator Patrick Leahy On The Firing Of Acting IRS Director Steven Miller
"The President is right to dismiss the IRS chief, and cleaning house may take more firings."… Continue Reading
05.15.13
Statement of Senator Patrick Leahy Chairman, Senate Judiciary Committee On the Nomination of William Orrick, III To the United States District Court for the Northern District of California
I noted last week that Senate Republicans who have taken such pride in the number of judicial nominees being confirmed this year ignore how many were needlessly delayed from confirmation last year. There were 11 nominees left pending on the Senate floor, and another four nominees who had had hearings and could have been expedited, as we had done for many of President Bush's nominees, and all could and should have been confirmed before the end of last year. Instead, all had to be renominated, a… Continue Reading
05.14.13
Day Two Recap From The Markup Of The Immigration Reform Bill
From The Senate Judiciary Committee Majority Staff S. 744: The Border Security, Economic Opportunity, and Immigration Modernization Act Day Two Recap: Bipartisan Progress on Immigration Reform Bill - #CIRmarkup The Senate Judiciary Committee on Tuesday continued consideration of the Border Security, Economic Opportunity, and Immigration Modernization Act. The markup began at 10:00 a.m., and concluded at 5:10 p.m. During Tuesday's session a total of 38 amendments were considered by the Comm… Continue Reading
05.14.13
Leahy: Senate Farm Bill Includes New Dairy Program And Other Features Important To Vermont
- The U.S. Senate Agriculture Committee Tuesday approved a five-year farm bill that includes a new dairy program and other features important to agriculture in Vermont. The bipartisan vote was 15 to 5, sending the bill to the Senate Floor for debate and votes. Vermonters again have a front and center seat in the writing of the Farm Bill through the advocacy of Senator Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.), the most senior member of the Agriculture Committee and a former chairman of the panel. The Senate's bi… Continue Reading
05.14.13
Statement Of Senator Leahy (D-Vt.) Farm Bill Business Meeting Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry
Madam Chairwoman, you have accomplished what many have never dared attempt and have written two bipartisan Farm Bills in just over a year. As a former Chair of this Committee I know how difficult it is to draft a bill that seeks to satisfy the widely varied interests of this Committee, which are even more pronounced when considering the difficult fiscal restraints Congress faces. With your leadership and the leadership of Ranking Member Cochran, you have done a good job drafting the 2013 mark … Continue Reading
