Press Room
Press Releases
Search Senator Leahy’s press releases, floor statements, and Committee speeches by date or by subject.
Summary Of The 2018 Senate Farm Bill
Office Of Senator Patrick Leahy Vermont Highlights In The Senate Farm Bill WASHINGTON (FRIDAY, June 29, 2018) - The five-year Farm Bill that cleared the U.S. Senate Thursday night includes significant wins for Vermont families, organic and dairy farms and rural development priorities. As a leading member of the Senate Agriculture Committee, Senator Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) played the key role in shaping provisions that are important to Vermont's economy, Vermont farmers, the food and nutrition o… Continue Reading
06.28.18
Leahy And Murray Introduce Legislation To Limit Warrantless Vehicle Stops And Property Searches Near The Border
U.S. Senators Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) and Patty Murray (D-Wash.) Thursday introduced legislation to establish critical privacy protections in the United States by limiting the unreasonably wide "border zone" within which Department of Homeland Security (DHS) officers may - without warrants - stop vehicles and search private land for the purpose of patrolling the border. Currently DHS officers have broad legal authority to stop vehicles and search private land, without warrants, for the purpose o… Continue Reading
06.28.18
Leahy Leads Charge To Research Alternatives To Opioids For Chronic Pain Through Defense Department Health Program
Continuing to lead the charge in the Senate Appropriations Committee in the fight against the opioid epidemic, Senator Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) Thursday steered $10 million to a new research program in the Department of Defense to study alternatives to opioids for chronic pain management. Despite a number of programs meant to help the service community understand and address the potentially harmful effects of long-term opioid abuse, the Department of Defense does not have a comprehensive strategy… Continue Reading
06.28.18
Leahy Guides Creation Of National Centers To Address Rural Addiction Through The Senate Appropriations Committee
Drawing on the groundbreaking work being done at the University of Vermont and the UVM Medical Center to address opioid addiction in rural America, Senator Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) Thursday guided new funding through the Senate Appropriations Committee to establish three "Rural Centers of Excellence on Substance Use Disorders" around the country. Leahy, Vice Chairman of the Senate Appropriations Committee, said: "Rural communities, like those across Vermont, have been at the front lines of the op… Continue Reading
06.27.18
REAX Of Senator Patrick Leahy On Justice Kennedy’s Announcement Of His Decision To Retire From The Supreme Court
I urge senators, the President, and the American people to consider the methodical and measured approach Justice Kennedy has taken for decades on the Court. I did not agree with many of his opinions, but I always respected his independence, and his willingness to defend the most vulnerable and recognize the innate rights of all Americans. If President Trump attempts to replace Justice Kennedy with an extreme nominee outside of the mainstream, we face the prospect of a Supreme Court that would … Continue Reading
06.27.18
Leahy Statement At The Hearing On The FY19 Budget Request For The Department Of State
Secretary Pompeo, welcome. We appreciate you being here. You are no stranger to the Congress, and I am sure you know of the Appropriations Committee's long bipartisan support for the State Department, regardless of which party controls the White House or the Congress. I think we showed that again last week, when the Committee unanimously reported the fiscal year 2019 State, Foreign Operations bill. By rejecting the cuts proposed by OMB, our goal was to enable the United States to remain the… Continue Reading
06.26.18
Comments Of Senator Patrick Leahy On The Supreme Court’s 5 To 4 Decision Upholding President Trump’s Travel Ban
"On his third attempt, President Trump regrettably was able to convince the thinnest majority of the Supreme Court to uphold his Muslim ban. Whatever garb in which the President's lawyers may have cloaked this ban, from its very inception this policy was rooted in animus toward Muslims. And there is no pretense that this is somehow required to protect our national security. Every senior national security official in the Trump administration I have asked made clear that citizenship alone is no… Continue Reading
06.22.18
Comment of Senator Leahy On The Supreme Court’s Decision On Cell-Site Location Information, In Carpenter v. U.S.
The U.S. Supreme Court Friday issued an opinion in Carpenter v. U.S., holding that the Fourth Amendment generally requires the government to obtain a warrant to obtain geolocation information through cell-site location information. Senator Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.), a leading member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, and the lead sponsor of the bipartisan Electronic Communications Privacy Act (ECPA) Modernization Act (S.1657), released the following comment: "The Supreme Court's decision perfectly… Continue Reading
06.22.18
Remarks Of Senator Leahy At Burlington Naturalization Ceremony
Thank you for inviting me to be with you, on a day that none of us will ever forget. Lives are changed, and rekindled, and given new meaning when our newest citizens join our communities. We are all inspired as we reflect on the meaning, and the promise, of citizenship in the United States of America. I especially thank Judge Crawford for convening this session of the Federal Court. Ceremonies like this speak powerfully to the fact that we are, at our very core, a nation of immigrants. Welc… Continue Reading
06.22.18
Leahy Cosponsors Booker Bill Targeting Family Detention, Inhumane Conditions Of Immigration Detention Centers, Flawed Detention Processing System
U.S. Senator Cory Booker (D-NJ), along with U.S. Senators Patrick Leahy (D-VT), Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), Mazie Hirono (D-HI), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), Bernie Sanders (D-VT), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), Jeff Merkley (D-OR), and Ron Wyden (D-OR), today introduced a bill targeting family detention and the harsh and inhumane conditions of immigration detention centers that the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) uses to house thousands of immigrants. The bill is a Senate c… Continue Reading
06.22.18
Leahy Joins Letter To Secretary Mattis Demanding Why JAGs Are Being Sent To Southern Border
U.S. Senators Kirsten Gillibrand, Ranking Member of the Senate Armed Services Personnel Subcommittee, Joni Ernst (R-IA), Chairman of the Senate Armed Services Subcommittee on Emerging Threats and Capabilities, and Patrick Leahy (D-VT), Vice Chairman of the Senate Committee on Appropriations, today wrote to Secretary of Defense James Mattis urging him to reverse his recent decision to send military Judge Advocates (JAGs) to the Southern border to prosecute immigration cases. The Defense Departmen… Continue Reading
06.21.18
Leahy Opening Remarks At The FY19 State And Foreign Operations Appropriations Bill Markup
Thank you Mr. Chairman. At a time when some, including at the highest level, in our government seem to not miss any opportunity to fan the flames of intolerance and division in this country - and division between the United States and other nations including some of our closest allies - this Committee has refused to take part. We have instead sought to promote bipartisanship and unity in support of appropriations bills that reflect what is in the best interest of all Americans. For a second … Continue Reading
06.20.18
NEWS from Leahy and Scott: President Nominates Retired Essex Police Chief To Be Vermont’s Next U.S. Marshal
President Trump on Wednesday nominated retired Essex Police Chief Brad LaRose to be Vermont's next U.S. Marshal. Senator Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) and Governor Phil Scott (R) had jointly recommended LaRose to the President in January, to fill the vacancy. If confirmed, LaRose would oversee all U.S. Marshals Service operations in Vermont. With offices in Burlington, Rutland, and Brattleboro, the Marshals Service plays a crucial role in protecting public safety in Vermont and is responsible for app… Continue Reading
06.20.18
BREAKING: Comment Of Senator Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) On President Trump's Reversal Of His Mandatory Family Separation Policy
Today the American people, through their forceful and justified outrage, proved that people, joining together, can drive positive change even during the Trump administration. After weeks of false and conflicting justifications for requiring that children be torn from their parents at the border, the President backed down. But we must not be fooled. We need to ensure that the 2,500 children already separated are promptly reunited with their families. We must be clear that mass incarceration … Continue Reading
06.20.18
REAX Of Appropriations Vice Chair Leahy To The Senate’s Vote Wednesday Afternoon Rejecting President Trump’s Rescission Package
The Senate has reinforced the bipartisan, bicameral budget deal struck by Congress four months ago by rejecting President Trump's shortsighted rescission package. The message that this vote sends at both ends of Pennsylvania Avenue will be heard loudly and clearly. Here in the Senate, we are committed to making the appropriations process work again. The Appropriations Committee has reported seven, bipartisan appropriations bills, and we will consider three more tomorrow in committee. This w… Continue Reading
06.20.18
Secretary of State Jim Condos and Senator Patrick Leahy Announce Vermont’s Receipt Of $3 Million in Federal Election Security Funds for Vermont Elections
Secretary of State Jim Condos and U.S. Senator Patrick Leahy announced today that the State of Vermont has received $3 million in State Election Security Grants appropriated by Congress to bolster election security efforts and replace aging election infrastructure. "These funds will allow us to make critical upgrades to our elections systems to bolster their security" said Secretary Condos. "In this digital age bad actors are always evolving so we must work diligently to stay one step ahead of … Continue Reading
06.19.18
FY2019 State & Foreign Operations Appropriations Bill Approved by Senate Subcommittee
SUMMARY SUBCOMMITTEE ON THE DEPARTMENT OF STATE, FOREIGN OPERATIONS, AND RELATED PROGRAMS FISCAL YEAR 2019 APPROPRIATIONS BILL Subcommittee Mark: June 19, 2018 Washington, D.C. (Tuesday, June 19, 2018) - The bill provides $54.418 billion in discretionary budget authority, including $8 billion in Overseas Contingency Operations. The allocation is $12.2 billion above the President's request and $400 million above the fiscal year 2018 enacted level. U.S. Senator Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.), Ran… Continue Reading
06.19.18
Senate Subcommittee Approves FY2019 Financial Services & General Government Appropriations Bill
SUMMARY Financial Services and General Government FISCAL YEAR 2019 APPROPRIATIONS BILL Subcommittee Mark: June 19, 2018 Washington, D.C. - The fiscal year 2019 Senate Financial Services and General Government bill provides $23.688 billion to related agencies, which is $265 million more than fiscal year 2018, and $70 million more than the President's budget request. "U.S. Senator Chris Coons (D-DE), Ranking Member of the Senate Appropriations Financial Services and General Government Su… Continue Reading
06.18.18
Leahy Leads Judiciary Democrats In Letter To Grassley Calling For Hearing On President Trump's Family Separation Policy
On Monday, Senator Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.), a senior member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, led all Judiciary Committee Democrats in sending a letter to Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa), calling on him to promptly hold a hearing on the Trump administration's inhumane family separation policy. Since President Trump announced his "zero-tolerance" policy, nearly 2,500 children - some of them just infants - have been torn away from their families at the border. Leahy and Judicia… Continue Reading
06.18.18
Vermont Receives Increased Opioid Funding Through New Leahy-Negotiated Omnibus Formula
Senator Patrick Leahy welcomed the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration's (SAMHSA) Monday announcement that Vermont will receive an allocation of $4 million in fiscal year 2018 to fight the opioid epidemic across the state. The funding, a significant increase over past years, is part of a new State Opioid Response Grant program created as part of the Leahy-negotiated 2018 Consolidated Appropriations Act signed into law this spring. Vermont's $4 million grant is a direct re… Continue Reading
