Press Room
Press Releases
Search Senator Leahy’s press releases, floor statements, and Committee speeches by date or by subject.
Leahy Lays Out Judiciary Committee Agenda For 113th Congress
NOTE: Prepared remarks include Chairman Leahy's announcement that the first Judiciary Committee hearing on issues relating to gun violence (and the first such hearing announced in Congress) will be two weeks from today, Jan. 30. A webcast of the speech can be viewed here. Address By Senator Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.), Chairman, Senate Judiciary Committee "The Agenda of the Senate Judiciary Committee for the 113th Congress" Georgetown University Law Center It is great to see so many stude… Continue Reading
01.11.13
Comment Of Senator Patrick Leahy On President Obama’s Announcement Of National Human Trafficking Awareness Day
[U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) issued the following comment Friday to commemorate National Human Trafficking Awareness Day and reaffirm his commitment to passing the Trafficking Victims Protection Reauthorization Act (TVPRA), which last year drew 56 cosponsors, including 15 Republicans.] "Trafficking is an affront to human dignity and a generator of human suffering that we cannot ignore. I was disappointed that Congress failed last year to pass the bipartisa… Continue Reading
01.11.13
Leahy, Sanders, Welch: Economic Development Administration Awards $1.8 M. To Help Businesses, Farms, Towns And Nonprofits Harness Online Tools To Bolster Disaster Resiliency
MONTPELIER, Vt. (Friday, Jan. 11, 2013) - Sen. Patrick Leahy, Sen. Bernie Sanders, and Rep. Peter Welch announced Friday that the U.S. Economic Development Administration (EDA) has awarded Vermont a $1.8 million grant to help businesses, farms, towns and nonprofits use online resources to bolster disaster resiliency in the wake of Irene and other disasters that struck Vermont in 2011. The Vermont Council on Rural Development (VCRD) applied for the grant out of a pool of disaster funding Leahy, S… Continue Reading
01.09.13
Comments of Senator Patrick Leahy On Continuing His Chairmanship Of The Appropriations Committee’s Subcommittee On The Department of State, Foreign Operations, And Related Programs
"Vermonters are outward looking and have a long history of working to make life better here at home and across the globe. I have been privileged to serve as a voice for Vermont on foreign policy matters. That is why I have chosen for so many years to head one of the two Senate committees responsible for U.S. foreign affairs and protecting our global interests. "This panel is where American values are put into action and funding decisions are made to advance our national security interests, to… Continue Reading
01.08.13
Leahy To Discuss Judiciary Committee Agenda For 113th Congress In Speech At Georgetown University Law Center
Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) will speak on Wednesday, January 16, at the Georgetown University Law Center in Washington, D.C., where he will discuss legislative priorities for the Senate Judiciary Committee in the 113th Congress. WHO: Senator Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.), Chairman, Senate Judiciary Committee Introduction by Georgetown University Law Center Dean William M. Treanor WHAT: Remarks on "The Agenda for the Senate Judiciary C… Continue Reading
01.07.13
Comments Of Senator Patrick Leahy On The President’s Intention To Nominate Former Senator Chuck Hagel To Be Secretary Of Defense
I've served with Senator Hagel and I know him to be a person of great ability and integrity. On the Appropriations Committee those of us charged with handling the Senate's work on the Pentagon budget will have to make more than a hundred billion dollars in cuts to begin with, and it will be good to work with someone like Chuck Hagel who can lead the Pentagon during a difficult time of transition. He is a combat veteran who still carries shrapnel in his body from his wounds - he will not need o… Continue Reading
01.07.13
Leahy, Sanders, Welch: Vermont Nets $377,000 For Historic Site Preservation
(MONDAY, Jan. 7) - Senator Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.), Senator Bernie Sanders (I.-Vt.), and Congressman Peter Welch (D-Vt.) announced Monday that Vermont has been awarded $377,564 in historic preservation grants. The grants will help the state preserve and protect its historic sites. The grants are part of $22.9 million in historic preservation grants awarded nationwide, with Vermont receiving 1.6 percent of the total award. State officials may use the grants to fund a broad range of preservation … Continue Reading
01.03.13
Comment Of Senator Patrick Leahy On Federal Trade Commission Review Of Google
[U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) issued the following comment Thursday in light of the Federal Trade Commission concluding its review of Google's Internet and business practices.] "I am pleased that the FTC conducted an important inquiry into whether the Nation's dominant Internet search company engaged in 'search bias' in a manner that constituted a violation of the Federal Trade Commission Act. I am disappointed, however, that it relied on simple, voluntary com… Continue Reading
01.03.13
President Signs Leahy's 'Dale Long Act' That Supports Injured 1st Responders
(THURSDAY, Jan. 3, 2013) - Capping a three-year effort by Senator Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.), President Obama has signed into law legislation authored by Leahy that will remedy coverage gaps in the federal program that provides a crucial safety net for the families of first responders who are killed or permanently disabled in the line of duty. The measure is Leahy's most recent effort to close gaps in the Public Safety Officers' Benefits Act (PSOB) that have left some first responders without benefi… Continue Reading
01.03.13
Leahy: General Electric Of Rutland Gains $8 Million Navy Contract
(THURSDAY, January 3) - Senator Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) Thursday announced that General Electric Aviation of Rutland has been awarded a U.S. Navy contract for $8,056,982 for the development and production of fighter engines and devices for the EA-18G aircraft. The contract, which is being divided among several regional GE plants, totals more than $67 million and is a modification to a previously awarded firm-fixed-price contract. GE Rutland receives 12 percent of the total award. As the most sen… Continue Reading
01.02.13
Comment Of Senator Patrick Leahy On The Fiscal Cliff Agreement
It is not the agreement that I or any one of us would have written on our own, but it does includes several important provisions that will benefit every Vermonter, our state's economy and the nation. The agreement continues unemployment benefits for those still struggling to find work during the fragile economic recovery. It prevents tax hikes that would have suddenly hit middle income families across Vermont. Something especially important to Vermont and our state's dairy farmers is the time… Continue Reading
01.02.13
Comment Of Senator Patrick Leahy On Republican Objections To The Nomination Of David Medine As Chairman of The Privacy And Civil Liberties Oversight Board
[U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) issued the following comment Wednesday after Senate Republicans objected to confirming the nomination of David Medine to serve as chairman of the Privacy and Civil Liberties Oversight Board (PCLOB). The Senate confirmed four PCLOB nominees in August, but without its chairman the board cannot fully function. Medine's nomination was pending on the Senate calendar since May.] "I am disappointed that Senate Republicans have refused to … Continue Reading
01.02.13
Comments Of Senator Patrick Leahy On The Passing Of Bishop Moses Anderson
[Bishop Moses B. Anderson, retired auxiliary bishop for the Archdiocese of Detroit, died on Jan. 1. He had been living in Livonia, Mich. Bishop Anderson and U.S. Senator Patrick Leahy of Vermont became lifelong friends while both were at Saint Michael's College in Winooski, Vt.] "Bishop Moses Anderson and I became close friends at Saint Michael's College, where I was an undergraduate student. And after Marcelle and I married, he became a close friend of our family, even baptizing one of our … Continue Reading
01.02.13
Leahy Hails Passage of Legislation to Make Technical Improvements to the Bipartisan Leahy-Smith America Invents Act
(Wednesday, January 2, 2013) - The House Tuesday passed legislation, amended last week by the Senate, to make technical corrections to the bipartisan Leahy-Smith America Invents Act, which was signed into law in 2011. The legislation seeks to clarify and improve the patent reform law, and to streamline its implementation. With yesterday's House vote, the bill now goes to the President's desk for signature. "The important reforms made by the America Invents Act go a long way toward improving the… Continue Reading
01.01.13
Leahy Secures Key Additions To Dairy Safety Net In 'Cliff' Package
(TUESDAY, Jan. 1) -- The fiscal cliff fix passed by the Senate in the wee hours of the new year Tuesday morning also includes a dairy cliff fix crucial to Vermont dairy farmers, secured during intense negotiations by Senator Patrick Leahy. The package also extends the farm bill through the end of this September. The Senate-passed bill will continue the MILC safety net program, including crucial "feed cost adjuster" formulas insisted on by Leahy that are vital in helping dairy farmers cope with… Continue Reading
12.31.12
Comment Of Senator Patrick Leahy On Chief Justice Roberts’ Year-End Report On The Federal Judiciary
"Chief Justice John Roberts, in his annual year-end report, chose to focus much of his attention on cost-saving measures by the Federal courts, and he rightly calls on the other two branches to support the judiciary with needed resources so that the justice system can work for all Americans. I thank the Chief Justice for continuing to raise this issue and I applaud the dedicated work of so many public servants who work in our nation's Federal courts. "I echo the Chief Justice's call for the ap… Continue Reading
12.31.12
Senate Approves Leahy-Backed Bill To Reduce Rape Kit Backlog
(Monday, December 31, 2012) - U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) on Monday hailed the Senate's passage late Sunday of legislation to improve the Debbie Smith DNA Backlog Reduction Program, a successful grant initiative aimed at reducing the backlog of untested rape kits throughout the country. The provision coauthored by Leahy and attached as an amendment to the SAFER Act improves the Debbie Smith Program, a program enacted in 2004 to reduce a national backlog of r… Continue Reading
12.30.12
Senate Confirms Nominee To Lead Antitrust Division At Department Of Justice
(Sunday, December 30, 2012) - U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) welcomed Sunday the Senate's vote to confirm William Baer to be an Assistant Attorney General for the Antitrust Division in the Department of Justice. Baer's nomination was favorably reported by the Judiciary Committee in September. # # # # # Statement Of Senator Patrick Leahy (D-VT), Chairman, Senate Judiciary Committee, On the Confirmation of William Baer to be Assistant Attorney General D… Continue Reading
12.27.12
Leahy Urges Senate To Support Stronger Oversight And Shorter Sunset For FISA Amendments Act
Senator Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) Thursday urged lawmakers to adopt the Judiciary Committee's substitute amendment to extend expiring surveillance authorities under the FISA Amendments Act (FAA), which includes important reporting and oversight provisions and a shorter sunset to ensure a more thorough Congressional review. The Senate Thursday afternoon began debate on Leahy's amendment to the pending FISA legislation. "While there is no question that the surveillance powers established in the FISA … Continue Reading
12.27.12
Statement Of Senator Patrick Leahy On H.R. 5949, Extension Of The FISA Amendments Act Of 2008
When Congress passed the FISA Amendments Act of 2008, it granted the Government sweeping new electronic surveillance powers which, if abused or misused, could impinge on the privacy rights of Americans. Congress enacted these controversial authorities with the understanding that it would re-examine these provisions within four years, and determine whether to allow these authorities to continue. While there is no question that the surveillance powers established in the FISA Amendments Act have … Continue Reading
