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Search Senator Leahy’s press releases, floor statements, and Committee speeches by date or by subject.
Statement Of Senator Patrick Leahy On The Nominations Of Mary Elizabeth Phillips To The Western District Of Missouri And Thomas Owen Rice To The Eastern District Of Washington
Today the Senate will vote on the confirmation of two highly-qualified, consensus nominees to the Federal bench: Mary Elizabeth Phillips to the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Missouri and Thomas Owen Rice to the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Washington. I thank the Majority Leader for pressing for these votes. These are nominees who were reported unanimously by the Senate Judiciary Committee last October, almost five months ago. They are both supported by t… Continue Reading
03.06.12
Balancing Security And Open Government In The Cyber Age
The Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) has been a bulwark of our open society since it was signed into law by President Johnson 45 years ago. Today, amid debates in Congress about how best to improve the nation's security in cyberspace, we must remember that while we have an obligation to protect the government's most sensitive information, we also have an equally compelling duty to safeguard the public's "right to know" about threats to their health and safety. Of course government secrecy has… Continue Reading
03.05.12
Vermont Wins $3.4 Million for Head Start Education
BURLINGTON, Vt., March 5 - U.S. Sens. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) and Rep. Peter Welch (D-Vt.) announced today that the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has awarded Vermont $3.4 million in funding to help support Head Start programs in Barre and Burlington. The Central Vermont Community Action Agency in Barre was awarded $1.8 million. Another $1.5 million will go to the Champlain Valley Office of Economic Opportunity of Burlington. Head Start programs provide educ… Continue Reading
03.02.12
Leahy Announces $3 M. For Local Water Quality, Fisheries And Ecosystem Restoration Work
BURLINGTON, Vt. (FRIDAY, March 2) - Senator Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) Friday announced $3 million in new funding for a wide range of locally managed water quality, fisheries and ecosystem restoration work on Lake Champlain during the coming year. The federal dollars, just recently confirmed, are part of the newly enacted federal budget for this federal fiscal year. Leahy is a senior member of the Senate Appropriations Committee and the funds he secures for Vermont have long been the main engine fo… Continue Reading
03.01.12
Comments Of Senator Patrick Leahy On The Egyptian Government’s Release Of U.S. NGO Workers
[Sen. Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.), chairman of the Senate Appropriations Committee's budget panel for the State Department and foreign operations, is the architect of newly enacted conditions on U.S. military aid to Egypt. Leahy's committee included $1.3 billion in military aid to Egypt in the Fiscal Year 2012 budget, signed into law in December. But for the first time, the aid is subject to conditions proposed by Leahy which are based on Egyptian military leaders' Arab Spring pledges to the Egyptia… Continue Reading
03.01.12
Durbin, Leahy, Feinstein, Menendez, Cardin And Casey Ask President Obama To Extend Temporary Protected Status For Syrians In The U.S.
US Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL), Patrick Leahy (D-VT), Dianne Feinstein (D-CA), Robert Menendez (D-NJ), Ben Cardin (D-MD) and Bob Casey (D-PA) wrote to President Obama today, asking his Administration to extend temporary protected status (TPS) to Syrian nationals currently in the United States. Such a designation would allow Syrians living in the United States to temporarily stay because violence in their home country poses a serious threat to their safety. "In light of the ongoing violence a… Continue Reading
03.01.12
Statement Of Senator Patrick Leahy On The Blunt Amendment
The Senate is considering a bipartisan bill that would reauthorize critical infrastructure investments and that will protect an estimated 1.8 million jobs if enacted before the end of this month. Unfortunately, in order to move forward on this important legislation, my friends on the other side of the aisle have demanded that we first consider an amendment entirely unrelated to transportation or even job creation. We have now spent the past two days considering a Republican amendment that would… Continue Reading
02.29.12
Statement Of Senator Patrick Leahy On NOPEC Amendment To The Moving Ahead For Progress In The 21st Century Act
I am proud to join Senator Kohl and have long supported the No Oil Producing and Exporting Cartels Act (NOPEC). We were able to pass this NOPEC bill as a response to the OPEC oil cartel by a vote of 70 to 23 a few years ago. The Senate should pass it again. This time, the House should also adopt this sensible application of our antitrust laws to those who fix prices and manipulate the oil market to the detriment of American consumers. We should be doing what we can to ensure that oil pric… Continue Reading
02.29.12
Leahy Statement At Hearing On Banning Indefinite Detention Of Americans
[Senator Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) strongly opposed provisions of the National Defense Authorization Act that permit the indefinite detention of terrorism suspects, including American citizens arrested in the United States. Senator Leahy is a lead cosponsor of the Due Process Guarantee Act, bipartisan legislation that would ensure that the detention provisions of the NDAA do not permit the indefinite detention of citizens and lawful permanent residents of the United States. The Senate Judiciary Co… Continue Reading
02.29.12
Comment Of Senator Patrick Leahy On The Release Of Procedures For The Implementation Of The Mandatory Military Detention Provisions Of The NDAA
"I opposed and continue to oppose the mandatory military detention provisions enacted last year as part of the National Defense Authorization Act. I strongly supported efforts to strip these provisions from that legislation. "The White House has released the procedures that were required by the NDAA with respect to the mandatory military detention of terrorism suspects. I appreciate that the President has taken an aggressive approach in these procedures to preserve the flexibility of law enf… Continue Reading
02.28.12
Leahy Urges Senate Action On Long-Delayed Judicial Nominations
(Tuesday, Feb. 28, 2012) - Judiciary Committee Chairman Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) is urging Senate Republicans to consent to considering more than a dozen judicial nominations reported by the Judiciary Committee in 2011 that have yet to receive a confirmation vote in the Senate. "These highly qualified - consensus - nominees should be confirmed without further delay. They should have been confirmed last year," said Leahy. "One hundred and thirty million Americans live in circuits or districts wi… Continue Reading
02.28.12
Statement Of Senator Patrick Leahy At A Hearing On The FY2013 Budget Request For The Department Of State And Foreign Operations
Welcome, Madam Secretary. We appreciate that this is your first appearance before Congress on the President's fiscal year 2013 budget request for the Department of State and Foreign Operations. Before we begin I would like to note that we are missing a member of the Subcommittee today, Senator Mark Kirk. We are thinking of Senator Kirk and wish him the best for a speedy recovery. The request for the Department of State and Foreign Operations totals $54.7 billion which is a 2.6 percent incre… Continue Reading
02.27.12
Statement Of Senator Patrick Leahy On The Nomination Of Margo Brodie To The Eastern District Of New York
[The Senate is now voting on the nomination of Margo Brodie to the Federal District Court for the Eastern District of New York. Brodie's nomination was unanimously reported to the full Senate by the Judiciary Committee nearly five months ago.] Earlier this month the Senate finally ended a four-month and two-day filibuster of the confirmation of Judge Adalberto Jordan and he is now the first Cuban-American to serve on the Eleventh Circuit. We also finally ended the five-month filibuster of the… Continue Reading
02.23.12
Vermont Wins $35 million for Economic Development
, Feb. 23 - Sens. Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) and Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) and Rep. Peter Welch (D-Vt.) announced today that Vermont Rural Ventures will receive $35 million in federal tax credits to spur economic development projects throughout the state. "These tax credits will leverage private investment dollars, creating jobs for Vermonters and supporting long-term economic growth in our communities," Leahy said. "This award is particularly timely for Vermont, given the economic impact and loss of … Continue Reading
02.23.12
Sanders, Leahy, Welch, Shumlin Statement on Postal Service Consolidation
, Feb. 23 - Sens. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) and Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.), Rep. Peter Welch (D-Vt.) and Gov. Peter Shumlin (D-Vt.) issued the following statement today after the U.S. Postal Service announced plans to consolidate mail processing centers: "We are extremely disturbed that the Postal Service intends to continue with its original plan to close the processing plant at White River Junction. We are pleased that the processing plant in Essex Junction was spared, but what we are saying loudly a… Continue Reading
02.22.12
Delegation announces $930,000 loan to Jasper Hill Farms in Greensboro, supporting value-added agriculture in Vermont and state’s growing cheese industry
Vermont's congressional delegation - Sen. Patrick Leahy, Sen. Bernie Sanders and Rep. Peter Welch - today announced a $930,000 federal loan guarantee to Jasper Hill Farms in Greensboro. The funds will support 20 existing jobs and create 14 new ones. Approved by U.S. Department of Agriculture Rural Development (USDA RD), the loan guarantee will be used to finalize construction of two unfinished cheese cave vaults, which are carefully controlled environments where cheeses are aged. Additionally, … Continue Reading
02.21.12
Senators Seek Study on Voter Laws
, Feb. 21 - A group of U.S. senators today asked the Government Accountability Office to study what they called an "alarming number" of new state laws that will make it "significantly harder" for millions of eligible voters to cast ballots this November. Sens. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.), Richard Durbin (D-Ill.) and Bill Nelson (D-Fla.) sent a letter asking the non-partisan research arm of Congress for the review of new laws in at least 14 states. The study is needed "to ens… Continue Reading
02.17.12
Leahy: Vermont Nets $5.75 M. In Homeland Security Grants
Vermont will receive more than $5.75 million in federal grants from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS), U.S. Senator Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) announced Friday. The grants will help Vermont develop prevention and preparedness programs to respond to and recover from acts of terrorism and other catastrophic events. "As a rural, border state, prevention and preparedness plans are a must in Vermont," said Leahy. "I tragically saw firsthand this summer how devastating natural disasters can… Continue Reading
02.17.12
Delegation Introduces Bill To Extend Vital Safety Net For Vermont Dairy Farmers
FRIDAY, Feb. 17) -- Vermont's congressional delegation - Sen. Patrick Leahy and Sen. Bernie Sanders and Rep. Peter Welch - has introduced legislation to extend a vital safety net that helps dairy farmers ride out downturns in milk prices. Without action, dairy farmers could face a severe drop in support from the MILC safety net come September 1st. The MILC Continuation Act of 2012 would extend for one year the Milk Income Loss Contract (MILC) program at current support levels, which helps dai… Continue Reading
02.17.12
Leahy Hails New Influx Of Conservation Remediation Funds For Vermont Farms Harmed By Irene
(FRIDAY, Feb. 17) - Senator Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) says a fresh influx of funding from the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Farm Service Agency (FSA), using disaster relief funds that Leahy helped to add in November, will assist Vermont farmers whose lands were harmed by Irene. Vermont learned Thursday that the state will receive an additional $2.56 million, more than doubling an earlier allocation of $2.18 million, for a total of $4.7 million in federal funds from the Environmental Conservatio… Continue Reading
