Press Room
Press Releases
Search Senator Leahy’s press releases, floor statements, and Committee speeches by date or by subject.
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
05.09.13
Statement of Senator Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.), Chairman, Senate Judiciary Committee On the Nominations of Shelly Dick and Nelson Román
Over the last month, Senate Republicans have failed to refute the facts of what they have done to President Obama's judicial nominations. The Senate's work on judicial nominations should not be about partisan point-scoring; it should be about ensuring the American people have access to justice. I rejected that partisan tit-for-tat approach while moving to confirm 100 of President Bush's judicial nominees in just 17 months in 2001 and 2002. The question for the Senate is, are we doing enough … Continue Reading
05.09.13
Bipartisan Leahy-Cornyn Amendment “Leahy1” Prohibits Border Crossing Fees to Promote Commerce and Support American Border Communities
From the Senate Judiciary Committee Majority Staff The Border Security, Economic Opportunity, and Immigration Modernization Act (S.744) Bipartisan Leahy-Cornyn Amendment "Leahy1" Prohibits Border Crossing Fees to Promote Commerce and Support American Border Communities Whether they're from northern Vermont or southwest Texas, Americans living in border communities know their lives are interwoven with their neighbors across the border. Our children play sports across the border. Our fire de… Continue Reading
05.09.13
Leahy Amendment To Bar Border-Crossing Fees Is Approved By Senate Judiciary Committee, Added To Immigration Reform Bill
- The Senate Judiciary Committee, on a bipartisan voice vote, Thursday approved legislation authored by Chairman Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) and cosponsored by Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas) that blocks the creation of a land border crossing fee. The amendment was Leahy's first to file and be offered to the Border Security, Economic Opportunity and Immigration Modernization Act, which the Judiciary Committee is currently considering. The amendment responds to a request by the Department of Homeland Sec… Continue Reading
05.09.13
The Time Is Now For Comprehensive, Smart Immigration Reform
From The Senate Judiciary Committee Majority Staff S. 744: The Border Security, Economic Opportunity, and Immigration Modernization Act The Time Is Now For Comprehensive, Smart Immigration Reform The Senate Judiciary Committee has begun consideration of the Border Security, Economic Opportunity, and Immigration Modernization Act, legislation that will bring needed reforms to the nation's immigration system, bringing millions of people into the legal system, bolstering our economy, and uniting… Continue Reading
05.09.13
Leahy Kicks Off Committee Consideration Of Comprehensive Immigration Reform
The Senate Judiciary Committee is considering the Border Security, Economic Opportunity and Immigration Modernization Act, a bipartisan bill to reform the Nation's immigration laws. The legislation has been posted online for three weeks, and was also the subject of three hearings in April. The Committee has devoted a total of six hearings to the issue of immigration reform this year, including the Senate's first hearing on the topic in February. Chairman Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.), who in January… Continue Reading
05.08.13
Stowe Elementary School
On Wednesday, May 8, Sen. Leahy held his fifth online chat of the 113th Congress with members of Stowe Elementary School's Student Council. Using the internet to communicate with the students and their teachers, Sen. Leahy answered the students' questions on several issues, including the rising cost of higher education, the conflict in Syria and the future of gun violence legislation. Leahy has long been a leader in Congress in connecting to schoolrooms with Internet tools. Listed below are t… Continue Reading
05.08.13
Leahy, Sanders, Welch: Vermont Awarded $1.8 M. To Transform Abandoned Industrial Sites Into Community Assets
(WEDNESDAY, May 8) - U.S. Sens. Patrick Leahy and Bernie Sanders and Congressman Peter Welch Wednesday announced that six Vermont organizations will be receiving a share of $1.8 million from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to help assess, clean up, and reuse polluted industrial sites. Leahy, Sanders and Welch said the EPA's Brownfields Assessment, Revolving Loan Fund, and Cleanup grant program has helped dozens of Vermont communities turn old contaminated industrial sites into pa… Continue Reading
05.08.13
Leahy On Thursday Begins Markup Process For Comprehensive Immigration Reform Bill
On Thursday the Senate Judiciary Committee will begin markup sessions on the Border Security, Economic Opportunity and Immigration Modernization Act, first by debating the sponsors' amendment that provides technical corrections and improvements to the legislation. Chairman Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) will next recognize members wishing to offer amendments to the so-called "trigger" section of the legislation. The committee will then move to Title I of the bill, which focuses on border enforcement. T… Continue Reading
05.08.13
Leahy: General Electric/Rutland Gains $5.4 Million Navy Contract
Senator Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) Wednesday announced that General Electric Aviation of Rutland has been awarded a U.S. Navy contract for about $5.4 million for the development and production of fighter engines for the F/A-18 Super Hornet and EA-18G Growler aircraft. The contract, which is being divided among several regional GE plants, totals more than $45 million and is a modification to a previously awarded firm-fixed-price contract. GE Rutland receives 12 percent - about $5.4 million -- of the… Continue Reading
05.07.13
Leahy Files Additional Amendments To Immigration Reform Bill
Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) on Tuesday filed several amendments to the Border Security, Economic Opportunity and Immigration Modernization Act. All amendments filed by Committee members will be available later tonight online. The Committee will meet on Thursday to begin consideration of the bipartisan immigration reform bill. Among Leahy's amendments is one that provides equality in immigration law by allowing American citizens who are in long term committed rela… Continue Reading
05.07.13
SJC Chairman Leahy Hails Confirmation Of Privacy Board Chairman
- The Privacy and Civil Liberties Oversight Board (PCLOB) can operate at full strength now that the Senate voted to confirm its chairman David Medine, Judiciary Committee Chairman Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) said Tuesday. Medine's nomination was approved one year after he was reported by the Judiciary Committee and nine months after the Senate moved to confirm four other nominees to the privacy board. Leahy said the delay in taking up Medine's nomination "is reminiscent of how they have obstructed t… Continue Reading
05.07.13
Statement of Senator Patrick Leahy Hearing on USAID FY 2014 Budget Request Subcommittee on State and Foreign Operations
Good morning. We are meeting today to hear testimony from Dr. Rajiv Shah, Administrator of the United States Agency for International Development, who will discuss USAID's fiscal year 2014 budget request. Dr. Shah, thank you for being here. We have several new members on this subcommittee and I encourage you to be in contact with them. Those of us who have been here longer know that you are an articulate, passionate advocate for USAID and its mission. I do not envy anyone who is responsible… Continue Reading
