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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 (D-Vt.), Chairman, Senate Judiciary Committee, On the Nomination of Robert Wilkins
As we begin 2014, I hope we can set aside our differences and do what is best for this country by confirming qualified nominees to fill critical vacancies facing our Federal Judiciary. We can do this today by voting to end the filibuster of Judge Robert Wilkins, who has been nominated to serve on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit. Judge Wilkins was nominated last June, and it is time that he received an up-or-down vote on his nomination. Last month, before we adjourned the Senate… Continue Reading
01.09.14
Fact Sheet: The Personal Data Privacy And Security Act
Fact Sheet The Personal Data Privacy And Security Act LINK to news announcement on introduction of the bill LINK to Section-By-Section Summary of the bill LINK to complete text of the bill The Personal Data Privacy And Security Act (PDPSA), And CFAA: The Computer Fraud and Abuse Act (CFAA) currently makes it a crime to for a person to use a computer in a manner that "exceeds" their "authorized access." The bill contains several provisions to help ensure that the government uses the imp… Continue Reading
01.08.14
Senator Leahy Praises Governor Shumlin’s Plan To Address Opiate Addiction
Senator Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) Wednesday praised Governor Peter Shumlin for his focus on the startling rates of opiate addiction in Vermont in his State of the State address. Leahy applauded Governor Shumlin for his commitment to programs and policies to help address growing rates of addiction in Vermont. Leahy, a former Vermont prosecutor who now chairs the Senate Judiciary Committee, in recent years has hosted Judiciary Committee field hearings on drug addiction and drug-related crime in Rutl… Continue Reading
01.08.14
Leahy Reintroduces Data Privacy Legislation
(Wednesday, January 8, 2014) - Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) on Wednesday reintroduced sweeping legislation to protect Americans' personal information and ensure their privacy. Leahy also announced the issue of data privacy would be the subject of a committee hearing early in the new Senate session. Leahy first authored and sponsored the Personal Data Privacy and Security Act in 2005, and he has reintroduced the legislation in each of the last four Congresses. The … Continue Reading
01.07.14
Statement Of Senator Patrick Leahy On The Farm Bill Conference, Senate Floor, January 7, 2014
In this new year and this new congressional session, the Farm Bill remains as one of the Nation's top legislative priorities. Yet it has languished in Congress's in-box. As the Senate begins this new session, it is a relief -- at last -- to be able to say that there are new glimmers of hope that Congress is finally nearing the point of being able to complete work on a Farm Bill. Like other Committees here in Congress, the Farm Bill Conference Committee, led by Chairwoman Stabenow and Chairman… Continue Reading
12.31.13
Comment Of SJC Chairman Leahy On Chief Justice Roberts' Year-End Report On The Federal Judiciary
"The Chief Justice's annual year-end report again focuses on the significant financial strain on our Federal courts. These cuts have a real impact for Americans seeking justice, and pose real threats to the dedicated public servants who work in our nation's Federal courts as well as to members of the public. A return to regular order in our appropriations process will, I hope, ensure that our courts have the resources they require. "In his report, Chief Justice Roberts warns against the dang… Continue Reading
12.23.13
Comment Of Senator Patrick Leahy On The Agreement By Governor Shumlin, Attorney General Sorrell And Entergy, Concerning Vermont Yankee
"I am pleased to hear that the State of Vermont and Entergy have been able to come to agreement with respect to the future of the Vermont Yankee nuclear power plant, and I look forward to learning the details of this agreement when they become available. Moving ahead with a safe decommissioning of Vermont Yankee is of the utmost importance to the State of Vermont, and especially to the Vermonters in the plant's vicinity. I believe that safety must remain a top focus as this process moves forwa… Continue Reading
12.22.13
Bad Times for Big Brother
It has been a long week for the National Security Agency. Last Monday, a federal judge ruled for the first time that the agency's continuing sweep of Americans' phone data -- a once-secret program legally sanctioned for seven years and illegally conducted for five years before that -- was very likely unconstitutional. Judge Richard Leon denounced the agency's activities in collecting data on all Americans' phone calls as ''almost Orwellian.'' Two days later, the Obama administration released a … Continue Reading
12.22.13
President’s Review Group To Appear Before SJC Next Month
(Sunday, December 22, 2013) - The members of the President's Review Group on Intelligence and Communications Technologies will appear before the Senate Judiciary Committee next month to provide testimony on their recent recommendations to overhaul the government's surveillance authorities, Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) announced Sunday. This will be the Judiciary Committee's first full committee hearing in the new year. "The recommendations from the President's Revie… Continue Reading
12.20.13
Senate Republicans Block Nine Judicial Nominees From Confirmation
(Friday, December 20, 2013) - Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) blasted Republicans for needlessly blocking the confirmation of nine judicial nominees currently pending on the floor before the end of the year. "Republicans are once again-for the fifth year in a row-rejecting the longstanding Senate practice of scheduling confirmation votes on consensus nominees before the end of the session," Leahy said. "The result is that we will spend a significant portion of the next… Continue Reading
12.20.13
Statement Of Senator Patrick Leahy Chairman, Senate Judiciary Committee, On the First Session Of The 113th Congress Progress Made And Much Left Incomplete
Statement Of Senator Patrick Leahy Chairman, Senate Judiciary Committee, On the First Session Of The 113th Congress Progress Made And Much Left Incomplete As the first session of the 113th Congress comes to a close, it is appropriate to reflect on some of the accomplishments of the year, while acknowledging that so much more could have been done had Republicans in both the Senate and the House cooperated. We have passed some common sense, good government legislation. As Chairman of the Se… Continue Reading
12.20.13
Statement of Senator Patrick Leahy On the Farm Bill Conference Progress
While the days are limited before the end of 2013, the Farm Bill Conference Committee presses on, working together in a bipartisan fashion to resolve differences and to take the steps necessary to enact a comprehensive and balanced Farm Bill. Under the leadership of Chairwoman Stabenow and Chairman Lucas, it now appears we are on target to complete our work on this bill early in the New Year. Nonetheless, it has now been more than 440 days since the Farm Bill first expired. Farms are businesses… Continue Reading
12.20.13
Statement Of Senator Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.), Chairman, Senate Judiciary Committee, On Judicial Nominations in 2013
Republicans are once again-for the fifth year in a row-rejecting the longstanding Senate practice of scheduling confirmation votes on consensus nominees before the end of the session. Rather than working in a bipartisan fashion to confirm consensus nominees to fill judgeships as we wind down for the year, Senate Republicans have deliberately refused to agree to vote on consensus nominees who could and should be confirmed without delay. The result is that we will spend a significant portion of… Continue Reading
12.20.13
Comment Of Senator Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.), Chairman, Senate Judiciary Committee, On Target Data Breach
"Like many Americans, I am troubled by the revelation that Target suffered a major data security breach involving 40 million credit and debit cards used to pay for purchases at its stores. This data security breach is just the latest in a series of breaches that have impacted the privacy of millions of American consumers in recent years. It is also an important reminder that the Congress must act to develop a comprehensive national strategy to improve the nation's cybersecurity. "In the Dig… Continue Reading
12.20.13
Statement of Senator Patrick Leahy on the 2014 Defense Authorization Act.
Mr. LEAHY. Mr. President, the compromise Fiscal Year 2014 National Defense Authorization Act is an important authorization bill that I intend to support. This will be the second legislative matter considered by the Senate this week that reflects the kind of compromise too often missing from our deliberations in Congress. It does not meet the needs of every Senator, but it marks a step in the right direction and will allow the Department of Defense to move forward key programs in the coming year.… Continue Reading
12.20.13
Leahy Hails Confirmation Of Mayorkas To Top DHS Position
(Friday, December 20, 2013) -Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) hailed the Senate's vote Friday to confirm Alejandro Mayorkas to serve as Deputy Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security. The position has been without a Senate-confirmed leader since April. "The Department of Homeland Security is the leading agency for some of the most pressing issues facing our Nation, from providing disaster relief to protecting our borders," said Leahy, who spoke on the floor in … Continue Reading
12.20.13
Chairman, Senate Judiciary Committee, On the Confirmation of Alejandro Mayorkas To be Deputy Secretary of Homeland Security
The Department of Homeland Security is the leading agency for some of the most pressing issues facing our Nation, from providing disaster relief to protecting our borders. To serve the American people, this agency needs a full complement of leaders, and that is why I am glad the Senate is considering the nomination of Alejandro Mayorkas to be Deputy Secretary of Homeland Security. I commend Senator Carper, Chairman of the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, for making his nom… Continue Reading
12.20.13
Protecting Citizens, and Their Privacy
In NYT Op-E, All 5 Members Of President's Review Group On NSA/Surveillance Endorse A Key Element Of The Leahy-Sensenbrenner USA FREEDOM Act: End The Domestic Program For Storing Bulk Telephone Metadata… Continue Reading
12.19.13
Leahy, Sanders, Welch Welcome FDA’s Pledge To Redraft Controversial FDA Food Safety Rules, Reflecting Concerns They Raised On Behalf Of Vermont Food Producers
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) confirmed Thursday that they will redraft controversial new food safety rules, and then seek additional public input, as requested last month by Vermont's congressional delegation -- Senator Patrick Leahy (D), Senator Bernie Sanders (I), and Congressman Peter Welch (D). In a joint statement Leahy, Sanders and Welch said: "We supported the Food Safety Modernization Act when it was adopted in 2011, but we also have serious concerns about FDA's first … Continue Reading
12.19.13
Vermont Wins $37 Million for Universal Pre-School
Vermont today won a $37 million federal grant for a statewide, pre-kindergarten program at public schools. Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), a member of the Senate education committee, worked closely with federal officials and Gov. Peter Shumlin's administration to secure the grant for early childhood education. Sanders said, "Psychologists tell us that, in terms of human development, the most important years are birth through four years of age. Yet, in terms of early childhood education, our natio… Continue Reading
