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Search Senator Leahy’s press releases, floor statements, and Committee speeches by date or by subject.
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
05.14.13
Immigration Reform Strenghtens Our Economy
From the Senate Judiciary Committee Majority Staff The Border Security, Economic Opportunity, and Immigration Modernization Act (S.744) Immigration Reform Strengthens Our Economy - #CIRmarkup In today's markup, Senator Sessions offered an amendment (Sessions1) to severely limit the number of immigrants allowed into the country. He repeatedly provided a false and exaggerated number that the bipartisan immigration reform bill will result in the admittance of up to 30 million new immigrants. Ex… Continue Reading
05.14.13
#CIRmarkup: The Time Is Now For Comprehensive, Smart Reform
From The Senate Judiciary Committee Majority Staff S. 744: The Border Security, Economic Opportunity, and Immigration Modernization Act #CIRmarkup: The Time Is Now For Comprehensive, Smart Reform RECAP: On Thursday, May 9, the Senate Judiciary Committee began its markup of the Border Security, Economic Opportunity, and Immigration Modernization Act. The Committee debated a total of 33 amendments offered by both Republicans and Democrats to the "pre-title" and Title I of the bill, which focuse… Continue Reading
05.14.13
Judiciary Committee Resumes Consideration Of Comprehensive Immigration Reform
The Senate Judiciary Committee resumed consideration Tuesday 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 G-50 of the Dirksen Senate Office Building, can be viewed online. More than 300 amendments were filed to the bipartisan immigration bill, a copy of which has been posted online for nearly one month. Last week the Committee, under C… Continue Reading
05.14.13
Comment Of Senator Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.), Chairman, Senate Judiciary Committee, On Reports Of DOJ’s Collection Of Associated Press Telephone Records
"The burden is always on the government when they go after private information - especially information regarding the press or its confidential sources. I want to know more about this case, but on the face of it, I am concerned that the government may not have met that burden. I am very troubled by these allegations and want to hear the government's explanation." # # # # #… Continue Reading
05.13.13
Leahy Introduces Bill To Reauthorize Lifesaving Bulletproof Vest Grant Program
Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) Monday introduced legislation to reauthorize the lifesaving Bulletproof Vest Partnership Grant Program, a federal grant program that helps state and local law enforcement agencies purchase bulletproof vests for officers working in the field. Leahy coauthored the original law establishing the matching grant program, which since 1999 has issued more than one million lifesaving vests to state and local law enforcement officers throughout t… Continue Reading
05.13.13
Leahy: General Electric/Rutland Gains Another $2.6 Million Addition To Navy Contract
Senator Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) Friday announced that General Electric Aviation of Rutland has been awarded an additional $2.6 million for a U.S. Navy contract for the development and production of fighter engines for the EA-18G Growler aircraft. This modification to a previously awarded firm-fixed-price contract, which comes on the heels of a $5.4 million contract addition to GE Aviation of Rutland earlier this week, is being divided among several regional GE plants and totals more than $22 mill… Continue Reading
05.10.13
Senate Judiciary Committee To Continue Consideration Of Immigration Reform Next Week
On Tuesday, May 14, the Senate Judiciary Committee will continue consideration of the Border Security, Economic Opportunity and Immigration Modernization Act. Chairman Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) announced on Friday that the Committee will begin consideration of amendments relevant to the nonimmigrant visa provisions in Title IV of the bill. Tuesday's markup will begin at 10 a.m., in Room G-50 of the Dirksen Senate Office Building. "We made significant progress this week and have completed our work… Continue Reading
05.10.13
A Tax For Crossing The Northern Border? This Vermonter Just Says NO
Last month the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) made a misstep in including in its budget proposal a request for appropriations to study charging people admission for crossing the border into the United States. It does not take a study to know that charging Canadian relatives, friends, tourists, business people and shoppers a fee to enter the United States is a bad idea. I do not intend to let this half-baked idea see the light of day. I will be fighting this on all fronts. This week, a… Continue Reading
05.09.13
Day One Recap: Bipartisan Progress On Immigration Reform Bill
From The Senate Judiciary Committee Majority Staff S. 744: The Border Security, Economic Opportunity, and Immigration Modernization Act Day One Recap: Bipartisan Progress on Immigration Reform Bill - #CIRmarkup The Senate Judiciary Thursday began consideration of the Border Security, Economic Opportunity, and Immigration Modernization Act. The markup began at 9:30 a.m., and concluded at 5:05 p.m. In addition to the sponsors' amendment, a total of 32 amendments were offered by Republicans and… Continue Reading
05.09.13
Judiciary Committee Approves Bipartisan Leahy Amendment On Fencing
- The Senate Judiciary Committee, on a bipartisan voice vote, Thursday approved an amendment to the immigration bill authored by Chairman Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) and cosponsored by Senator John Cornyn (R-Texas) to provide the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) with more flexibility to spend the $1.5 billion allocated in the bill for fence building. The amendment addresses a request from DHS Secretary Janet Napolitano, who in April testified on the Border Security, Economic Opportunity and Immi… Continue Reading
05.09.13
Leahy-Cornyn Bipartisan Amendment “Leahy4” Ensures Effective Use of Border Funds
From The Senate Judiciary Committee Majority Staff S. 744: The Border Security, Economic Opportunity, and Immigration Modernization Act Leahy-Cornyn Bipartisan Amendment "Leahy4" Ensures Effective Use of Border Funds Over the last couple of years, we have dramatically increased our fencing on the Southern Border. We now have over 655 miles of fence infrastructure at a cost of nearly $2.5 billion. What the Amendment Does The Leahy-Cornyn Fence Amendment allows the Department of Homeland… Continue Reading
