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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 State Of The Union Message
The challenges the President outlined are difficult, but they are solvable. The job of political leaders is to find solutions, on issues which range from strengthening the economy and creating jobs, to deficit reduction and investing in our future. We need to move beyond the recent pattern of obstruction at any cost. Festering problems only worsen, and lost opportunities are wasteful. It will mean hard work, but that is not a sufficient reason to do nothing. The strong, bipartisan Senate pa… Continue Reading
02.12.13
Leahy, Crapo Hail Senate Passage Of Bipartisan VAWA Reauthorization
(Tuesday, Feb. 12, 2013) - Senator Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) and Senator Mike Crapo (R-Idaho) hailed Senate passage Tuesday of the Violence Against Women Reauthorization Act (VAWA), a bipartisan bill cosponsored by a total of 62 Senators which won 78 votes on the Senate floor. The measure now goes to the House for consideration. "There is strong, bipartisan support for VAWA reauthorization, and together we can finally finish what we started last year," said Leahy, the lead author of the VAWA bill… Continue Reading
02.12.13
Senate Overwhelmingly Backs Leahy Amendment To Combat Human Trafficking
(Tuesday, Feb. 12, 2013) - U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) hailed the Senate's overwhelming and bipartisan adoption Tuesday of an amendment to the Violence Against Women Reauthorization Act (VAWA) that would combat human trafficking. Leahy's amendment, adopted with the support of 93 Senators from both parties and states all over the country, would reauthorize the Trafficking Victims Protection Act (TVPRA). The reauthorization provides law enforcement the tools th… Continue Reading
02.12.13
Statement Of Senator Patrick Leahy On His Human Trafficking Amendment To The Violence Against Women Act
Today, after more than a week of consideration, the Senate will finally vote on the Violence Against Women Reauthorization Act. This is a good bill that makes needed changes recommended by victims and those who work with them every day. I urge all those Senators who have opposed reauthorizing VAWA to end their opposition and join with us. Despite the predictions by some that the Republican House of Representatives will refuse to consider the Senate bill, as it did last year, I see reason for h… Continue Reading
02.12.13
Statement Of Senator Patrick Leahy At A Hearing On Proposals To Reduce Gun Violence: Protecting Our Communities
I want to thank Senator Durbin for chairing today's hearing. Two weeks ago, the Committee began the new Congress with a hearing on what our Nation should do to address gun violence in the wake of the tragic shootings in Newtown. We have begun the collective effort to find solutions to help ensure that no family, no school, and no community ever has to endure such a grievous tragedy again. Today's hearing will continue this important discussion and make clear that we are mindful of the constit… Continue Reading
02.11.13
Leahy Calls On Senate To Support Efforts To Combat Human Trafficking
U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Patrick Leahy, lead author of the Violence Against Women Reauthorization Act (VAWA) currently pending on the floor, called on the Senate today to support his amendment to combat human trafficking. The Trafficking Victims Protection Reauthorization Act (TVPRA) provides law enforcement the tools they need to investigate human trafficking crimes domestically and supports efforts to address the issue of trafficking abroad. Leahy was the lead author of this … Continue Reading
02.08.13
Leahy Announces Witnesses For February 13 Hearing On Comprehensive Immigration Reform
- Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Patrick Leahy Friday released a list of witnesses invited to appear at a February 13 hearing on comprehensive immigration reform. Next week's hearing is the Senate's first on immigration reform this Congress, and will occur one day after President Barack Obama delivers his annual State of the Union address. The panel of witnesses will offer a broad range of testimony on an issue that will be at the forefront of both the Judiciary Committee, led by Leahy, a… Continue Reading
02.08.13
New England Senators Applaud Regional Effort to Reduce Carbon Pollution
Today, Senators from New England states participating in the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI) are applauding their states' recently announced commitments to prevent carbon emissions from exceeding the 2012 emissions levels of 91 million tons and to further reduce emissions in the years ahead. This commitment will boost local economies by sparking further investment in energy efficiency programs and renewable energy development. RGGI is a market-based effort to reduce greenhouse gas em… Continue Reading
02.08.13
Senator Leahy Joins Bipartisan Coalition To Strengthen, Improve Mental Health Care
(FRIDAY, Feb 8., 2013) - Senator Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) joined a bipartisan group of senators Thursday to introduce the Excellence in Mental Health Act to strengthen mental health services. The bill, introduced in the wake of the recent tragedy in Newtown, would help integrate the primary health system and mental and behavioral health care, to allow us to begin addressing the significant unmet need for mental health services in our communities. The bill is also sponsored by Senator Debbie Staben… Continue Reading
02.08.13
Leahy & Grassley Press Administration For Legal Justifications To Kill American Citizens Using Drones
FRIDAY, February 8, 2013 - Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) and Ranking Member Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) sent a letter Thursday calling on President Barack Obama to share with the Committee any legal memos on the targeted killings of Americans abroad. The Senators' bipartisan request came one day after the Administration's decision to share classified legal opinions justifying the president's ability to authorize the targeted killings of American citizens with the Senate … Continue Reading
02.07.13
Republican VAWA Substitute Overwhelmingly Defeated
(FRIDAY, Feb. 8, 2013) - The U.S. Senate Thursday night rejected a Republican alternative to the bipartisan Violence Against Women Reauthorization Act (VAWA) that is authored by Judiciary Committee Chairman Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) and sponsored by 62 senators from both parties. With the Republican alternative rejected by nearly two-thirds of all senators, and 65 members in all, the Senate is poised to pass Leahy's bipartisan VAWA bill in the coming days. Debate resumes Monday. The measure, cosp… Continue Reading
02.07.13
Leahy: Republican VAWA Bill A Poor Substitute For Victims
[The Senate is currently debating the Violence Against Women Reauthorization Act, a bipartisan bill authored by Senator Patrick Leahy that has a total of 62 cosponsors. Senator Leahy Thursday afternoon spoke out against the Republican alternative to the bipartisan VAWA bill, noting it does not include needed protections for underserved communities and does not respond to the needs of local domestic violence providers.] # # # # # Statement of Senator Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.), Chairman, Senate … Continue Reading
02.07.13
Comment Of Senator Patrick Leahy On the Federal Communications Commission’s Notice of Proposed Rulemaking On Rural Call Completion
[The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) on Thursday released a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking that seeks public comment on proposed rules to require the collection and retention of certain data by telephone carriers in order to address rural call completion problems. The proposed rules are designed to improve the ability of the FCC to monitor call completion performance and ensure that rural areas experience the same level of reliable telephone service that is provided to the rest of the co… Continue Reading
02.07.13
Senate Judiciary Committee Approves Three Circuit Court Nominees
(Thursday, Feb. 7, 2013) - The Senate Judiciary Committee approved on Thursday three circuit court nominees who were held over from last year. Committee Chairman Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) hailed the committee's action, and called for the full Senate to quickly consider these qualified nominees. "I have sought to respect home state Senators, Democrats and Republicans, with respect to judicial nominees within their states," Leahy said. "In fact both home state Senators for all of the judicial nominee… Continue Reading
02.07.13
Statement of Senator Patrick Leahy On The Rescue and Reconstruction of Cultural Antiquities in Timbuktu
Mr. LEAHY. Mr. President, there was a lot of attention recently on the French military's operation to repel Islamic extremists and Tuareg nationalist rebels who had terrorized the local population of northern Mali, including in the ancient city of Timbuktu. That operation was widely welcomed by local Malian citizens and the international community. Many of the rebels are believed to be hiding out among the local population until the French soldiers leave, so whether they are ultimately vanqui… Continue Reading
02.07.13
Leahy: Senate Should Pass Violence Against Women Reauthorization Act Today
(Thursday, Feb. 7, 2013) - U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) on Thursday called on Democrats and Republicans to support the bipartisan Violence Against Women Reauthorization Act (VAWA), which the Senate is debating today. The Leahy-authored bill updates and reauthorizes VAWA, the landmark law enacted in 1994 and twice reauthorized by Congress, which provides important protections for victims of domestic and sexual violence. The Senate passed a nearly identical measu… Continue Reading
02.05.13
Leahy Embassy Security Bill Passes Senate
-- The U.S. Senate Monday night approved legislation authored by Senator Patrick Leahy to transfer surplus funds for Iraq to U.S. embassy security needs in several locations that have been identified in the post-Benghazi review. Leahy's bipartisan bill would authorize the State Department to transfer to embassy security purposes up to $1.1 billion in previously appropriated funds that are no longer needed in Iraq because of reduced operations there. Leahy chairs the Appropriations Committee's… Continue Reading
02.04.13
Senate Begins Consideration Of Leahy-Crapo Violence Against Women Reauthorization Act
(Monday, February 4, 2013) - The Senate voted overwhelmingly Monday night to proceed to the Violence Against Women Reauthorization Act (VAWA), bipartisan legislation that provides important protections to victims of domestic and sexual violence. U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.), lead author of the bill, said the Senate's procedural vote Monday was an important first step in advancing the measure. "Our bill has more than 60 bipartisan Senate cosponsors, and togeth… Continue Reading
02.01.13
Comment Of Senator Patrick Leahy On The Retirement Of United States Secret Service Director Mark Sullivan
[Judiciary Committee Chairman Senator Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) issued the following comment Friday on the announcement that Mark Sullivan, U.S. Secret Service director, will step down from his position later this month. Sullivan began serving as Secret Service director in 2006.] "I thank and congratulate Director Sullivan on his three decades of service in federal law enforcement, and particularly the last seven years that he has served as director of the Secret Service. I have known Director Su… Continue Reading
02.01.13
Comment Of Senator Patrick Leahy On The Departure Of FTC Chairman Jon Leibowitz
[Judiciary Committee Chairman Senator Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) issued the following comment Friday on the announcement that Federal Trade Commission Chairman Jon Leibowitz will step down from his position later this month.] "I applaud the excellent work that Chairman Leibowitz has done at the Federal Trade Commission to protect consumers, preserve competition and safeguard privacy. For instance, Jon worked diligently both with the Judiciary Committee and in the courts to stop the anticompetitive… Continue Reading
