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Search Senator Leahy’s press releases, floor statements, and Committee speeches by date or by subject.
Leahy Secures Funds for Lake Champlain To Counter Nuisance and Invasive Species
BURLINGTON, Vt. - Senator Patrick Leahy has secured new funds to counter invasive and nuisance plant and animal species that have made inroads in Lake Champlain's ecosystem. The invasive and nuisance species include cormorants and sea lamprey, as well as water chestnut and other aquatic plants. "Some of the same factors that make the lake so useful and so popular can also threaten it," Leahy said. "Protecting the lake requires steady and persistent cleanup, management and research efforts lik… Continue Reading
04.14.10
Justice For All
Sen. Patrick Leahy will be center stage this summer as the Senate Judiciary Committee considers the confirmation of the Supreme Court nominee appointed to take the place of retiring Justice John Paul Stevens. "This should not be a Democratic or Republican issue," Leahy said on Friday. No doubt, he remembers when the Senate confirmed Stevens to the court in 1975 with a vote of 98 to 0. But a lot has happened since 1975, and with the nation these days split into two seemingly irreconcilab… Continue Reading
04.14.10
Statement At Senate Judiciary Committee Hearing On Oversight Of The Department Of Justice
Attorney General Holder appears before the Committee today for the fifth time in this Congress. I want to thank him for his continued responsiveness to oversight requests from the Committee; it has been a marked improvement from the previous administration. I also congratulate the Attorney General on his successful trip last week to Spain, an ally that has also suffered devastating terrorist attacks, where he finalized an extensive security agreement of cooperation against terrorists and organ… Continue Reading
04.13.10
Hiawatha Elementary School
On April 13, 2010 Senator Leahy held an online chat with the 3rd grade students of Miss Kolter from Hiawatha Elementary School. Using Skype to communicate with students, their teachers and principal, Senator Leahy spoke about what it was like to work as a Senator, his childhood, helping the earthquake victims in Haiti and ways to protect Lake Champlain. Students asked questions about a variety of topics and answered some of Senator Leahy's questions about themselves. Listed below is a sample o… Continue Reading
04.13.10
Comment On GAO Report On Economic Effects Of Counterfeit And Pirated Goods
"The GAO report highlighted once again the link between strong intellectual property protection and economic growth. While the report noted that the 'illicit nature of counterfeiting and piracy makes estimating the economic impact of IP infringements extremely difficult,' there is no doubt that, as the GAO found, intellectual property theft hurts U.S. industry through lost sales, lost brand value, and reduced incentives to innovate. I will continue to work with the new Intellectual Property En… Continue Reading
04.13.10
Celebrating The Birth of Copyright
It was 300 years ago this week that the British Parliament enacted the Statute of Anne, the original predecessor of modern day copyright law. Today these copyright laws are a cornerstone of the American economy. This milestone is a fitting time to reflect on the vitality of our copyright laws and to renew our commitment to strong intellectual property enforcement that ensures copyrighted works have the protections that allow them to contribute so much to our economy and culture. The… Continue Reading
04.13.10
Comment On Bipartisan White House Meeting To Discuss Supreme Court Vacancy
"As he prepares to make his selection of a nominee to succeed Justice Stevens, President Obama is continuing his practice of reaching out to both sides of the aisle concerning judicial nominations. I am looking forward to this meeting, and to consulting with the President, and with the Majority Leader, the Republican Leader, and Senator Sessions. This is an important step in the process of confirming the next Supreme Court Justice." # # # # #… Continue Reading
04.13.10
Comment On Judicial Nominations
We are here to talk about the expanding backlog of pending nominations. The pattern of obstruction and delay in the Senate's consideration of these nominations - particularly judicial nominations - is unprecedented. Twenty-two nominations - 22 highly qualified nominees - are languishing on the Senate floor because we are unable to reach time agreements with Senate Republicans. Many of these nominees, which were reported by the Judiciary Committee without dissent, have been pending for months.… Continue Reading
04.12.10
Leahy Urges Attorney General To Implement Accountability Provisions Of Patriot Act Legislation
In advance of a Wednesday Department of Justice oversight hearing, Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) today released a letter sent last month to Attorney General Eric Holder, urging the Justice Department to implement key oversight and civil liberties protections included in the Committee-passed USA PATRIOT Act Sunset Extension Act. Last year, Leahy introduced the legislation to extend expiring provisions of the USA PATRIOT Act. A bipartisan majority of the Senate Judici… Continue Reading
04.09.10
Comment On The Announced Retirement Plans Of Associate Supreme Court Justice John Paul Stevens
When the Supreme Court recesses on Justice Stevens' final day on the bench, it will mark the end of an extraordinary judicial career spanning four decades, including 35 years on our highest court. The last Justice from "the Greatest Generation," John Paul Stevens first answered the call to service when he joined the Navy during World War II. Our nation called on him again years later, and he returned to public service as an appellate judge before accepting President Ford's nomination to serve … Continue Reading
04.07.10
No Further Delay Of Liu Confirmation Hearing
Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) Wednesday responded to a letter sent yesterday by Republican members of the Committee seeking a third postponement of a hearing to consider the nomination of Professor Goodwin Liu to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit. "At the time of Professor Liu's twice-rescheduled hearing, Committee members will have had more than seven weeks to review the nominee's record, and two weeks to review the materials submitted to the Committee… Continue Reading
04.05.10
Vermont’s ‘Art of Action’ Is Set To Come Alive In The Nation’s Capital
(MONDAY, April 5) - About 50 artworks crafted for an exhibit titled "Art of Action: Shaping Vermont's Future Through Art," will travel to Washington, D.C., next week where they will be on display from April 12 to 16, just steps away from the U.S. Capitol. Several of the artists will be on hand Tuesday, April 13, to meet with Senator Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.), who is hosting the display in the Russell Senate Office Building. The Vermont Arts Council, in collaboration with Lyman Orton and Janice Izz… Continue Reading
04.02.10
Burlington School District Lunch Program to Serve as National Model
Burlington, Vt. - Senator Patrick Leahy announced Friday that the U.S. Department of Agriculture has selected the Burlington School District as one of 15 school districts nationwide that will be visited by the USDA Farm to School Team to learn about Burlington's farm to school program. Burlington will be used as a national example for how Farm to School programs help to better connect children to their food and create opportunities for local farmers to provide their harvest to schools in their c… Continue Reading
04.01.10
Leahy: $13.6 M. Navy Contract Extension Will Take Goodrich-Vergennes Well Past Its Milestone 2000th Helicopter Diagnostics Unit
VERGENNES, Vt. - Senator Patrick Leahy Thursday announced that the U.S. Navy will award Goodrich a new $13,642,763 contract for continued work on the company's helicopter diagnostic system, which is managed by the firm's facility here. The innovative system for helicopter safety and maintenance already has earned the company more than $100 million in defense contracts, and Leahy last month joined Goodrich employees at the facility to mark shipment of the 2000th system. Work on the new contract… Continue Reading
03.31.10
Leahy Sets Vermont-Wide Small Business Lending Conference For Monday, April 26, In Barre
With tight credit still a problem for some Vermont businesses, U.S. Senator Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) has organized a free conference for small businesses in Vermont to learn about current lending and financing options available through local banks, credit unions, nonprofits, state entities and the federal government. The conference will be held at the Barre Auditorium on Monday, April 26, 2010, from 8 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. More details about the conference and registration information are available … Continue Reading
03.30.10
Vermont Delegation Calls on Nuclear Regulatory Commission to Reconsider Closed-Door Meeting
Sens. Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) and Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) and Rep. Peter Welch (D-Vt.) today called on the Nuclear Regulatory Commission to reconsider its decision to hold a closed-door meeting with local, state and federal officials in Keene, N.H., on April 14. The Vermont delegation's letter is copied below: March 30, 2010 The Honorable Gregory B. JaczkoChairmanU.S. Nuclear Regulatory CommissionWashington, D.C. 20555-0001 Dear Chairman Jaczko: We write to follow up on the Nuclear Regulatory … Continue Reading
03.30.10
Comments On Reforms To The Electronic Communications Privacy Act
"I applaud the announcement today by Digital Due Process and the Center for Democracy & Technology that a coalition of privacy advocates, legal scholars, and major Internet and communication service providers have joined together to release a consensus set of proposals to modernize the Electronic Communications Privacy Act. I look forward to reviewing these ideas. While the question of how best to balance privacy and security in the 21st century has no simple answer, what is clear is that … Continue Reading
03.26.10
Letter from Leahy, Kerry, and Frank to World Bank President Zoellick
Congress of the United States Washington, DC 20510 The Honorable Robert ZoellickPresidentThe World Bank1818 H StreetWashington, DC 20433 Dear President Zoellick: We are writing to express our concern with the World Bank's proposed loan to fund the construction of a large coal power plant for the South African utility, Eskom, that is due to come before the Bank's board in early April. As the World Bank prepares to request a general capital increase, engages in consultations on a new energy str… Continue Reading
03.26.10
Records in Real Time
The Freedom of Information Act has done a lot to make government more transparent. But in Washington - where need-to-know is the favorite status symbol - most agencies still ignore the legal deadlines and take months, even years, to respond to requests. Senators Patrick Leahy, a Democrat of Vermont, and John Cornyn, a Texas Republican, have introduced a bill that would push the bureaucracy to release information more quickly. It is an important and needed fix. The Freedom of Information Act, w… Continue Reading
03.26.10
The Leahy Letter - March 26, 2010
March 26, 2010 - Health Care Reform Edition Comprehensive Health Care Reform Signed Into Law On March 23, 2010, Senator Leahy was on hand at the White House ceremony as President Obama signed into law the historic Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. This new law is the most comprehensive health care reform since the creation of the Medicare program in 1965 and will provide health insurance for more than 32 million uninsured Americans and improve the health insurance system fo… Continue Reading
