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Search Senator Leahy’s press releases, floor statements, and Committee speeches by date or by subject.
Leahy Chairs Hearing On Challenges For Immigration Courts
(Wednesday, May 18, 2011) - Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) chaired a hearing Wednesday morning focused on "Improving Efficiency and Ensuring Justice in the Immigration Court System." It was the second hearing related to immigration matters held in the Judiciary Committee this week. Last week, President Obama spoke about the need for immigration reform in a speech in Texas. Backlogs in the nation's immigration courts have resulted in an average time for case complet… Continue Reading
05.18.11
Comment Of Senator Patrick Leahy On Senate Debate Of S. 953, The Offshore Production And Safety Act Of 2011
"The Senate begins debate this morning on a Republican bill that would give exclusive jurisdiction of civil cases involving Gulf of Mexico oil spills to the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals. This provision is nothing more than forum shopping to benefit big oil. "Damage claims from environmental disasters should be heard in the states affected. This provision would hurt the rights of those in Florida, Alabama, and elsewhere, and set a dangerous precedent. States' rights were once a bipartisan c… Continue Reading
05.17.11
Comment Of Senator Patrick Leahy On The Bill To Scale Back Oil Company Tax Loopholes, And On The Filibuster Of The Bill
[Senator Leahy is a cosponsor of the bill. Tonight (6:45 p.m.), in a vote of 52 to 48, the U.S. Senate failed to end a filibuster that has prevented a full debate and vote on the bill, falling eight votes short of the supermajority of 60 votes needed.] "These tax expenditures paid for by the American people go day in and day out to some of the wealthiest and most profitable oil companies of all time. If these tax breaks were ever justified, that time passed long, long ago. Budgets are about … Continue Reading
05.17.11
Comment Of Senator Patrick Leahy On Extension Of Temporary Protected Status (TPS) For Haiti Beneficiaries
"I commend the Secretary for extending Temporary Protected Status for Haitians in the United States. Sixteen months after the devastating earthquake, Haiti is still struggling to rebuild, to promote public health and to protect its citizens, as I saw firsthand during my recent visit. An extension of TPS is the right step to take for humanitarian reasons, but it also will aid Haiti in much broader ways as Haitians in the United States work and contribute to their families' and their nation's re… Continue Reading
05.17.11
Delegation announces job-training funding for young Vermonters
BURLINGTON, Vt., May 17 - Vermont's congressional delegation on Tuesday announced a $1,024,000 Department of Labor grant to help young Vermonters earn their high school degrees and develop valuable skills. The grant is part of nearly $76 million in funding for YouthBuild programs that provide training to young people throughout the nation. The over $1 million in funding to Vermont will go to ReSOURCE, a non-profit located in Burlington, to implement a two year YouthBuild program that will enrol… Continue Reading
05.17.11
Leahy Introduces Benchmark Bill To Update Key Digital Privacy Law
(Tuesday, May 17, 2011) - Senator Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) Tuesday introduced anticipated legislation to update the Electronic Communications Privacy Act (ECPA), one of the nation's premier digital privacy laws. Leahy was the lead author of the 1986 law, which was enacted to protect the privacy of Americans' electronic communications. The Electronic Communications Privacy Act (ECPA) Amendments Act will make commonsense changes to existing law to improve privacy protections for consumers' electron… Continue Reading
05.17.11
Senate Confirms Long-Pending Second Circuit Judicial Nominee
(Tuesday, May 17, 2011) - A bipartisan majority of the U.S. Senate Tuesday voted to confirm a long-pending nominee to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit, Susan Carney of Connecticut. Carney was first nominated in May 2010, and appeared before the Senate Judiciary Committee in September. Her nomination received strong bipartisan support in the Judiciary Committee, but was one of 19 nominations approved by the Committee yet returned to the President at the conclusion of the 111th … Continue Reading
05.17.11
Leahy To U.S. Border Chief: Restore Amtrak Service From Vt. To Montreal
(Tuesday, May 17, 2011) - At a hearing in Washington Tuesday, Vermont Senator Patrick Leahy pressed the top official with U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) to work with state officials to help restore important Amtrak service from Vermont to Montreal. The Commissioner of CBP, Alan Bersin, testified at a Senate Judiciary Subcommittee hearing focused on security and commerce along the northern border and at ports of entry. Amtrak service from Vermont to Montreal was suspended in the 1980s… Continue Reading
05.12.11
Comment Of Senator Patrick Leahy On The Obama Administration’s Cybersecurity Proposals
"I welcome the President's proposals to strengthen and enhance our national cybersecurity. I am pleased that the package includes proposals to establish a national standard for data breach notification and new tools to combat cybercrime. These provisions mirror the bipartisan Leahy Personal Data Privacy and Security Act, which the Judiciary Committee has favorably reported several times in past Congresses. The recent reports of data security breaches at Sony and Epsilon, along with the new pr… Continue Reading
05.12.11
Vermont Guard Wins $2 Million More for Model Veterans Outreach Program
, May 12 - The Department of Defense today committed more than $2.1 million for a one-year extension of a Vermont National Guard outreach program to help veterans returning from deployments in Afghanistan and elsewhere. The Vermont Guard program was funded since 2006 by federal grants secured by Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), a member of the Senate Veterans' Affairs Committee. With continued funding for the program in jeopardy, a Sanders provision was added to a 2011 Pentagon appropriations bill… Continue Reading
05.12.11
Leahy, Hatch, Grassley Unveil Targeted Bill To Counter Online Infringement
(Thursday, May 12, 2011) - Senate Judiciary Committee leaders Thursday renewed bipartisan efforts to counter the illegal online sale of counterfeit goods. Legislation introduced by Senators Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.), Orrin Hatch (R-Utah), and Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) aims to crack down on rogue websites dedicated to the sale of infringing or counterfeit goods. The Preventing Real Online Threats to Economic Creativity and Theft of Intellectual Property Act, or PROTECT IP Act, follows bipartisan legi… Continue Reading
05.12.11
Comment Of Senator Patrick Leahy On The President’s Decision To Ask Director Mueller To Continue For Two Years As Director Of The Federal Bureau Of Investigation
"While the threat from al Qaeda continues, and as the President makes necessary shifts in his national security team, I was delighted when President Obama informed me that he has asked Director Mueller to stay on at the Bureau for an additional two years. "The Bureau has seen significant transformation since September 11, 2001, and Director Mueller has handled this evolution with professionalism and focus. The FBI plays a critical role in our efforts to protect national security. I appreciate… Continue Reading
05.12.11
Statement Of Senator Patrick Leahy On the 2011 National Police Week
This afternoon I had the honor of attending the Top Cops event hosted by President Obama at the White House. I will be honored Sunday to attend the National Peace Officers Memorial ceremony. I appreciate the support the President is showing for our law enforcement officers not just this week but every week. Local law enforcement is critical to the peace and security of our families and communities in Vermont and across the country. In 1962, President John F. Kennedy signed a proclamation to … Continue Reading
05.11.11
Leahy Speaks About Potential Vermont Impact Of Proposed AT&T/T-Mobile Merger
This morning's hearing on the AT&T/T-Mobile Merger is being webcast live online. Statement Of Senator Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.), Chairman, Senate Judiciary Committee, Hearing On "The AT&T/T-Mobile Merger: Is Humpty Dumpty Being Put Back Together Again?" May 11, 2011 Today, we examine the competitive impact of AT&T's proposed acquisition of T-Mobile. This acquisition would combine the Nation's second and fourth largest providers of wireless communications, and will have a last… Continue Reading
05.10.11
Leahy: Debate On Chen Nomination Long Overdue
The Senate today is debating on the nomination of Edward Chen to fill a judicial emergency vacancy on the Federal District Court for the Northern District of California. Chen was first nominated for the vacancy on August 6, 2009. He has four times been reported by the Judiciary Committee. Statement Of Senator Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.), Chairman, Senate Judiciary Committee, On the Nomination Of Ed Chen To The District Court For The Northern District Of California May 10, 2011 Today the Sen… Continue Reading
05.10.11
Comment Of Senator Patrick Leahy On Comprehensive Immigration Reform
"I listened with interest to President Obama's remarks in Texas today about our broken immigration system. I am committed to comprehensive immigration reform, as I always have been. That is why I supported the comprehensive proposal introduced by Senator Menendez last Congress, and I supported President George W. Bush's efforts before that. "Immigration reform is a complicated and emotional topic, and while there are many differences of opinion, there are more areas in which we are in agreeme… Continue Reading
05.10.11
Stowe Elementary School
On May 10, 2011 Senator Leahy held an online chat with 4th and 5th grade students on the Stowe Elementary School Student Council. Using Skype to communicate with students, their advisors, and principal, Senator Leahy spoke about what it was like to be a young Senator and his favorite parts of the job. Students also asked questions about the conflicts in Libya and Afghanistan, the death of Osama Bin Laden, and the recent flooding and tornadoes around the country. This was Senator Leahy's fourth t… Continue Reading
05.10.11
Statement Of Senator Patrick Leahy On the Subcommittee On Privacy, Technology And The Law Hearing On “Protecting Mobile Privacy: Your Smartphones, Tablets, Cell Phones and Your Privacy.”
Today, the Subcommittee on Privacy, Technology and the Law holds a very important hearing on the privacy implications of Smartphones and other mobile applications. I commend the Subcommittee's Chairman, Senator Franken, for holding this timely hearing -- the first for this new subcommittee -- and I thank him for his dedicated leadership on consumer privacy issues. Throughout my three decades in the Senate, I have worked to safeguard the privacy rights of all Americans. Ensuring that our Fede… Continue Reading
05.09.11
Leahy: “No Justification” For Failure To Act On Cole Nomination
The Senate is expected to vote on the motion to invoke cloture on the nomination of James Cole to be the Deputy Attorney General of the United States around 5:30 p.m. this evening. Statement Of Senator Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.), Chairman, Senate Judiciary Committee On Cloture On The Nomination Of Jim Cole To Be Deputy Attorney General May 9, 2011 As Prepared For Delivery The Majority Leader has been required to file cloture in an attempt to overcome a Republican filibuster of the nominatio… Continue Reading
05.09.11
Comment Of Senator Patrick Leahy On The Failed Vote On The Motion To Invoke Cloture On The Nomination Of James Cole To Be The Deputy Attorney General
"One week ago, a successful operation led to the death of the world's number one terrorist. Experts and the American people believe that we are now facing a heightened terrorism threat in the wake of the raid upon Osama bin Laden's compound. Our success in protecting our Nation depends on the ability of the President to rely on his national security team. Jim Cole is a key member of that team, with a well-deserved reputation for toughness, fairness, and integrity. He has demonstrated the lea… Continue Reading
