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Search Senator Leahy’s press releases, floor statements, and Committee speeches by date or by subject.
Comments Of Senator Patrick Leahy On The President’s National Security Address
The President's speech today underscores that in order to keep our nation safe and secure, we must do so in ways consistent with our values and in accordance with the rule of law. I applaud his renewed vow to close the detention facility at Guantanamo Bay, which I have long said contradicts our most basic principles of justice, undermines our national security, and degrades our standing abroad. I am also encouraged that the administration is taking steps to improve transparency as it pertains… Continue Reading
05.23.13
Senate Votes To Confirm D.C. Circuit Court Nominee
Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) hailed the unanimous confirmation Thursday of Sri Srinivasan to the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals. Leahy also criticized Republican efforts to delay a floor vote of the highly qualified nominee, who waited months for a confirmation hearing and who was first nominated nearly one year ago. "For the second time this year, the Majority Leader was forced to file cloture on one of President Obama's well-qualified nominees to the D.C. Circuit,… Continue Reading
05.21.13
#CIRmarkup: DAY FIVE RECAP: COMMITTEE CONCLUDES CONSIDERATION OF IMMIGRATION REFORM BILL
From The Senate Judiciary Committee Majority Staff S. 744: The Border Security, Economic Opportunity, and Immigration Modernization Act Day Five Recap: Committee Concludes Consideration of Immigration Reform Bill The Senate Judiciary Committee today completed consideration of S.744, the Border Security, Economic Opportunity, and Immigration Modernization Act. The immigration reform bill will make the first truly comprehensive reforms to the nation's immigration system in a generation. The bi… Continue Reading
05.21.13
Judiciary Committee Completes Historic Consideration Of Comprehensive Immigration Reform
The Senate Judiciary Committee approved Tuesday the Border Security, Economic Opportunity and Immigration Modernization Act, a bipartisan bill to reform the nation's immigration laws. The Committee held five markup sessions to consider the bipartisan legislation, debating more than 200 amendments offered by members of both parties. Tuesday's vote also comes after six hearings in the Judiciary Committee on the issue of immigration reform, including three focused specifically on the legislation… Continue Reading
05.21.13
Leahy Statement On Removing Discrimination From Broken Immigration System
(TUESDAY, May 21, 2013) -Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) made the following statement Tuesday about his amendments to the comprehensive immigration bill to provide equality in immigration law by allowing American citizens who are in long term committed relationships to sponsor their foreign partners or spouses for green cards. "I take the Republican sponsors of this important legislation at their word that they will abandon their own efforts if discrimination is remov… Continue Reading
05.21.13
Undocumented Workers Will Face A Hard-Earned Path To Citizenship
From The Senate Judiciary Committee Majority Staff S. 744: The Border Security, Economic Opportunity, and Immigration Modernization Act Undocumented Workers Will Face a Hard-Earned Path to Citizenship An estimated 11 million undocumented individuals are living and working in America. Both Republicans and Democrats agree that deporting millions of undocumented workers is unachievable. The Border Security, Economic Opportunity, and Immigration Modernization Act outlines a hard-earned path to ci… Continue Reading
05.21.13
Statement Of Senator Leahy (D-Vt.) The Agriculture Reform, Food and Jobs Act of 2013 Senate Floor
Last week, the Senate Agriculture Committee once again reported to the full Senate a bipartisan Farm Bill, and I am pleased the Senate has turned to its consideration this week. The bill before us represents nearly two years of hard work to satisfy the widely varied agricultural interests of this country, while supporting food assistance programs for those in need. The Agriculture Reform, Food and Jobs Act will save $23 billion over 10 years, which is remarkable given the fiscal restraints we … Continue Reading
05.21.13
Leahy: Vermont Nets $6.3 M. In Homeland Security Grants
Senator Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) on Tuesday announced that Vermont will receive $6.3 million in federal grants from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS), up from $5.7 million last year. The grants - under a formula championed by Leahy that protects smaller states like Vermont -- will help Vermont develop prevention and preparedness programs to respond to and recover from acts of terrorism and other catastrophic events. Leahy said, "As a rural state and a border state, Vermont understand… Continue Reading
05.21.13
Judiciary Committee Begins Fifth Day Of Markup
From The Senate Judiciary Committee Majority Staff S. 744: The Border Security, Economic Opportunity, and Immigration Modernization Act #CIRmarkup: Judiciary Committee Begins Fifth Day of Markup RECAP: The Senate Judiciary Committee has concluded four days of markup of the Border Security, Economic Opportunity, and Immigration Modernization Act. The Committee has considered over 165 amendments, offered by both Republicans and Democrats, to every title of the bill. Coming Up Today in the Comm… Continue Reading
05.21.13
Statement of Chairman Patrick Leahy Subcommittee on the Department of State and Foreign Operations Hearing on Assistance for Children in Adversity
I want to thank Senator Landrieu, whose idea it was to hold this hearing, and I thank our witnesses for being here. The fate of the world's children is the responsibility of everyone. Today, in the 21st Century, it is appalling to consider how many children are born into lives of misery. UNICEF's 2013 State of the World's Children report is due later this month, but the statistics available today show that in 2010 more than 8 million children died before the age of five, mostly from preventabl… Continue Reading
05.21.13
Day Four Recap: More Than 165 Amendments Considered To Immigration Bill
From The Senate Judiciary Committee Majority Staff S. 744: The Border Security, Economic Opportunity, and Immigration Modernization Act Day Four Recap: More Than 165 Amendments Considered to Immigration Bill The Senate Judiciary Committee on Monday continued consideration of the Border Security, Economic Opportunity, and Immigration Modernization Act. The markup began at 10:00 a.m., and concluded around 8:30 p.m. Through four days of markup, a total of 168 amendments were considered by the C… Continue Reading
05.20.13
Statement On the Senate Judiciary Committee’s Consideration of S.744, The Border Security, Economic Opportunity, and Immigration Modernization Act
Over the past several weeks the Senate Judiciary Committee has considered the Border Security, Economic Opportunity, and Immigration Modernization Act. In addition to the three hearings the Committee held this year on the need for comprehensive immigration reform, the Committee held an additional three hearings specifically on this legislative proposal after it was introduced. In those legislative hearings we received testimony from 26 witnesses, including the Secretary of Homeland Security, S… Continue Reading
05.20.13
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
