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Search Senator Leahy’s press releases, floor statements, and Committee speeches by date or by subject.
Senate Judiciary Committee Approves Leahy-Authored Substitute Amendment To Reauthorization Of FISA Amendments Act
- The Senate Judiciary Committee Thursday approved legislation that will extend expiring surveillance authorities under the FISA Amendments Act (FAA) until June 2015. Committee Chairman Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) authored a substitute amendment to the FAA Sunsets Extension Act that also added important reporting and oversight provisions to the bill. Among the improvements made in the legislation is a new requirement for the Inspector General of the Intelligence Community to conduct a thorough revie… Continue Reading
07.19.12
Senate Judiciary Committee Releases Defense Department Documents On Water Contamination At Camp Lejeune
(Thursday, July 19, 2012) - Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) on Thursday publicly released more than 8,000 Department of Defense documents relating to the historic drinking water contamination that occurred over several decades at Camp Lejeune Marine Corps Base. The contamination of drinking water at the North Carolina military base was one of the worst environmental disasters to occur on a domestic military installation. The environmental disaster is believed to have … Continue Reading
07.18.12
Leahy, Sanders, Welch Announce $3 Million For Deerfield Valley Transit Association
(WEDNESDAY, July 18) - U.S. Senators Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) and Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) and U.S. Representative Peter Welch (D-Vt.) Wednesday announced that the Federal Transit Administration has awarded the Deerfield Valley Transit Association (DVTA) $3 million to build a new administrative and maintenance facility in Wilmington. The project was selected on a competitive basis through agency's 2012 State of Good Repair Program. The DVTA will use the $3,084,831 grant to construct a new building… Continue Reading
07.18.12
Statement Of Senator Patrick Leahy On The High Price of Gasoline
I remain concerned about the high price of gasoline that continues to disproportionately hurt working class families, especially those in rural states like Vermont. In Vermont, the average price of gasoline remains above the national average. Despite significant efforts to improve public transportation in the state, many Vermonters must still rely on their cars as the primary mode of transportation. More can and must be done to help families who are struggling to find jobs and put food on the ta… Continue Reading
07.18.12
Leahy Chairs Hearing On Forensic Science Reform Proposals
(Wednesday, July 18, 2012) - Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Senator Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) is chairing a hearing Wednesday morning focusing on the importance of forensic evidence in criminal justice cases. Ensuring the reliable, fair, and accurate use of forensic evidence is a top priority for Leahy, and the issue has been a subject of discussion in a number of hearings held by the Judiciary Committee in recent years. Testimony, member statements, and a webcast of the hearing are available o… Continue Reading
07.17.12
The Role Of Smart Power Investments In Advancing U.S. Security, Prosperity, And Humanitarian Values
Thank you, Carolyn, for your kind words. I have long admired the work of Save the Children and you, too, should be recognized for your work. Thank you Liz, Clyde, members of the U.S. Global Leadership Coalition Board, Secretary Albright and Secretary Powell, for being here tonight and for this honor. I am delighted to share it with my good friend, Lindsey Graham. Senator Graham has been a great partner on the Appropriations Subcommittee on State and Foreign Operations, as was Senator Mi… Continue Reading
07.17.12
Leahy, Sanders, Welch: $1 M. Veterans Administration Grant To Veterans Inc.
Senator Patrick Leahy (D), Senator Bernie Sanders (I) and Representative Peter Welch (D) Tuesday announced a new $1 million Department of Veterans Affairs grant to Veterans Inc., a Worcester, Mass., based group that operates a residence for homeless veterans in Bradford, Vt. Veterans Inc. has been in operation for 20 years and provides supportive services to veterans and their families throughout New England. Veterans Inc. received the renewal grant from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs… Continue Reading
07.17.12
On Senate Floor, Leahy Urges Republican Senators To Support DISCLOSE Act
- Senator Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.), a leading cosponsor of legislation to mitigate the impact of the Supreme Court's 2010 decision in the Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission case, spoke on the Senate floor Tuesday morning about the need to restore the nation's campaign finance laws. In a Senate vote Monday night, Republicans filibustered a procedural motion to debate the Democracy Is Strengthened by Casting Light On Spending in Elections Act (DISCLOSE Act). The legislation would help c… Continue Reading
07.17.12
Leahy & Rubio Team Up To Combat Human Trafficking
Senators: "Our laws must be renewed and updated to protect victims and improve our government's ability to combat modern-day slavery. No matter where they are in the world, the victims of human trafficking need a strong America to champion their cause as our own." Below is the text of a guest column authored by Senator Leahy and Senator Rubio and submitted to Roll Call, and here is a link to today's Roll Call piece. Leahy and Rubio: Putting an End to Human Trafficking By Senator Patrick Leahy… Continue Reading
07.16.12
Leahy Presses Republicans To Join Democrats In Approving Consensus Judicial Nominees
While the Senate will vote Monday on the nomination of Kevin McNulty, a federal district court nominee pending on the floor since April, Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Patrick (D-Vt.) noted that 17 more judicial nominees still await confirmation votes. One of those nominees pending on the calendar, Michael A. Shipp, is awaiting confirmation to the same New Jersey district court to which McNulty was named. While McNulty was finally considered by the Senate Monday, Shipp's nomination remains… Continue Reading
07.13.12
Comment Of Senator Patrick Leahy On The Sentencing Of Eskinder Nega And Other Journalists By An Ethiopian Court
"This travesty makes a mockery of any pretense of justice in Ethiopia, whose government for years has enjoyed U.S. support. Mislabeling legitimate journalistic criticism of government repression as 'terrorism' is an insidious abuse of power that should have serious repercussions from the United States and the international community." # # # # #… Continue Reading
07.13.12
Leahy To Chair Hearing On Forensic Science Reform Proposals
(July 13, 2012) - The Senate Judiciary Committee will hold a hearing on July 18 to hear testimony about ongoing efforts to ensure that forensic evidence gathered in the criminal justice system is reliable, fair, and accurate, Chairman Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) has announced. It will be the Committee's third hearing on this issue in recent years. Leahy, a former prosecutor, has made improving forensic science a top priority and introduced legislation at the beginning of the Congress aimed at ensurin… Continue Reading
07.13.12
Senators Want Law Enforcement, Regulators To Step Up Investigation Of LIBOR Manipulation
In an effort to prevent possible banking fraud and restore integrity to our financial system, a key group of lawmakers is asking for a thorough, independent investigation into the London Inter-Bank Offered Rate (LIBOR) manipulation scandal and for any wrongdoing to be fully prosecuted. In a letter to U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder and the members of the Financial Stability Oversight Council (FSOC), which includes: U.S. Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner; Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernank… Continue Reading
07.12.12
The Leahy Letter -- July 12, 2012
Every Farm Bill Is A Big Deal For Vermont With current Farm Bill programs set to expire at the end of September, progress continues on producing a new 5-year Farm Bill. The Senate passed its version of a new Farm Bill last month, and this week committee action began on a counterpart version of the bill in the House of Representatives. Vermont again has a major stake in the outcome and a close seat at the table as the bill is being written. Senator Leahy, the most senior member of the Senat… Continue Reading
07.11.12
Leahy: Time Is Running Out For Victims Of Violence
(Wednesday, July 11, 2012) - Senator Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.), the lead author of the bipartisan Violence Against Women Reauthorization Act, spoke on the floor Wednesday about the bill to renew the program's charter, which has been lagging in the Congress since its strong bipartisan approval by the Senate and subsequent House action on a differing bill. While the Senate passed VAWA in April with a strong bipartisan vote, the two chambers have failed to put aside partisan rhetoric and send a bill t… Continue Reading
07.11.12
Statement Of Senator Patrick Leahy: A Timely And Needed Helping Hand To Small Businesses
Mr. President, small businesses and working families throughout Vermont and around the country are facing incredibly challenging times. These problems are especially acute in my state where we rely so heavily on small businesses to create jobs for our citizens and to make Vermont such a desirable place to live and visit. The Federal Government has rightly recognized the important role that small businesses play in our economy. From SBA loans to USDA Rural Development grants to small-busines… Continue Reading
07.11.12
Leahy Chairs Senate Judiciary Committee Hearing On Standard-Essential Patents
(Wednesday, July 11, 2012) - Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Senator Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) is chairing a hearing this morning on the use of exclusion orders to enforce "standard-essential" patents, which are used in key technologies such as wireless devices to allow interoperability. This next wave of the tech patent wars could potentially limit consumer access to popular technologies like the Xbox and the iPhone. Testimony, member statements, and a webcast of the hearing are available onl… Continue Reading
07.10.12
Justice Sandra Day O’Connor To Testify Before Leahy-Chaired Senate Judiciary Committee
(TUESDAY, July 10, 2012) - U.S. Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O'Connor will appear before the Senate Judiciary Committee on Wednesday, July 25, at a hearing entitled, "Ensuring Judicial Independence Through Civics Education," Chairman Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) announced Tuesday. The hearing comes 31 years after Justice O'Connor's historic nomination was announced by President Ronald Reagan. O'Connor, the first woman to serve on the high court, has made civics education her focus since retiring i… Continue Reading
07.10.12
Leahy Urges Votes On Pending Judicial Nominations Without Further Delay
(Tuesday, July 10, 2012) - The Senate will vote Tuesday on the nomination of John Fowlkes, Jr., a federal district court nominee pending on the floor since April, but Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) is urging final votes on nominees to long-pending judicial vacancies throughout the country. "What the American people and the overburdened Federal courts need are qualified judges to administer justice," said Leahy. "They are not helped by these partisan games. Following … Continue Reading
07.09.12
Comment Of Senator Patrick Leahy On The Food And Drug Administration Safety and Innovation Act
[Judiciary Committee Chairman Senator Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) issued the following comment Monday after President Barack Obama signed the Food and Drug Administration Safety and Innovation Act into law. The measure includes several provisions championed by Senator Leahy, including one to ensure public access to information about potential health and safety dangers under the Freedom of Information Act, and another to increase penalties for trafficking counterfeit drugs.] "The Food and Drug Adminis… Continue Reading
