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Press Releases
Search Senator Leahy’s press releases, floor statements, and Committee speeches by date or by subject.
Vermont Congressional Delegation Announces Nine Vermont Communities Will Share $3.9 Million In Stimulus Funds For New Public Transit Vehicles
- Vermont's Congressional Delegation -- Senator Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.), Senator Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) and Representative Peter Welch (D-Vt.) - Wednesday announced that nine Vermont public transit providers will share $3.9 million in economic recovery funds for new vehicles. The list was formally approved Wednesday by the U.S. Federal Transit Administration. The Vermont Agency of Transportation will use the $3.9 million to purchase 33 buses and vans for nine local transit providers around… Continue Reading
06.09.09
Senate Judiciary Committee Subcommittee Holds Hearing To Examine ‘Prolonged Detention’
(Tuesday, June 9, 2009) - A Senate Judiciary Committee panel Tuesday morning will consider the consequences of 'prolonged detention' of detainees held in U.S. custody. The Subcommittee on the Constitution, chaired by Senator Russ Feingold (D-Wis.), will hear testimony from a panel of six witnesses. Member statements, witness testimony, and a live webcast of the hearing are available online. Full Committee Chairman Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) issued the following statement at the hearing. … Continue Reading
06.09.09
Sotomayor Confirmation Hearing To Begin July 13
Sen. Leahy Sets Time For Sotomayor Hearing WASHINGTON - Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) Tuesday announced that hearings to consider the nomination of Judge Sonia Sotomayor to be an Associate Justice of the U.S. Supreme Court will begin on July 13. In a statement on the Senate floor, Leahy said, "This is a schedule that tracks the process the Senate followed by bipartisan agreement in considering President Bush's nomination of John Roberts to the Supreme Cour… Continue Reading
06.09.09
Leahy Announces Grant For Vermont Network Against Domestic And Sexual Violence
Senator Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) announced Tuesday that the Vermont Network Against Domestic and Sexual Violence will receive a federal grant of more than $156,000 from the U.S. Department of Justice. The funds were provided in the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, which was signed into law earlier this year. The grant was awarded by the Justice Department's Office of Violence Against Women. The funding will provide direct support and resources to the Network to rai… Continue Reading
06.08.09
Vermont Is Getting A New Passport Office
It happens all the time in Vermont: You've booked an overseas flight and days before your departure you discover your passport has expired. The only way to make sure you get your passport renewed in time is to drive to Boston, which has the nearest Passport Agency, offering a greater range of passport services to U.S. citizens than can local clerks and post offices are able to offer. Passport help and services in Vermont soon will be closer to home. Senator Patrick Leahy announced th… Continue Reading
06.08.09
Attorney General To Testify Before Senate Judiciary Committee
(Monday, June 8, 2009) - Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) Monday announced that the Committee will hold its first Department of Justice oversight hearing of the 111th Congress on June 17. Attorney General Eric Holder will testify. The Senate Judiciary Committee holds periodic oversight hearings of the Department of Justice. The oversight hearing will be held on Wednesday, June 17, 2009, at 10:00 a.m., in room 226 of the Dirksen Senate Office Building. The hear… Continue Reading
06.05.09
Vermont Nets More Than $5 M. In Forest Upgrades In Latest Installment Of Economic Recovery Funds
Vermont's Green Mountain National Forest and its surrounding communities will benefit from the next wave of economic recovery act funds coming to the state. Vermont's Congressional Delegation - Senator Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.), Senator Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) and Congressman Peter Welch (D-Vt.) - said the U.S. Forest Service will invest $5.295 million in economic stimulus funds on projects that range from road upgrades to waterway improvements that will help conserve endangered species such a… Continue Reading
06.04.09
Statement On The Situation In Sri Lanka
Mr. LEAHY. Mr. President, the recent defeat of Sri Lanka's Tamil Tigers, otherwise known as the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam, or LTTE, is a very welcome development. Led by a reclusive, cult-like figure who apparently saw no evil in forcibly recruiting and brainwashing young children to become suicide bombers, the LTTE long ago forfeited any legitimate claim to representing the interests of the Tamil population. This resounding victory offers the possibility--after 30 long years of co… Continue Reading
06.04.09
Senate Judiciary Committee Reports First Judicial Nominations
(Thursday, June 4, 2009) - The Senate Judiciary Committee Thursday reported the first judicial nominations of the 111th Congress. Judge David Hamilton is a nominee to fill a vacancy on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit, and Judge Andre Davis is a nominee to fill a vacancy on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit. The Committee also reported one executive nomination to the Senate for consideration. Thomas Perez is nominated to be Assistant Attorney General for t… Continue Reading
06.04.09
Comment On The Questionnaire For Judge Sonia Sotomayor To Be Associate Justice Of The Supreme Court
"It has taken just one week for Judge Sotomayor to complete and return this detailed, bipartisan questionnaire to the Senate. She has an exceptional record in public service, and her record is open and impressive. From her years in law enforcement as a tough prosecutor, to more than 17 years on the federal bench, Judge Sotomayor's commitment to the rule of law is clear and unequivocal. I was impressed when I met with her earlier this week, and I know many other Senators have been impres… Continue Reading
06.04.09
Leahy, Sessions Release Completed Sotomayor Questionnaire
UPDATE: In addition to the bipartisan Committee questionnaire, all of the attachments submitted are now available on the web. Judge Sotomayor has submitted a limited number of video and audio files as well. A list will be posted and made available, where possible, Friday. WASHINGTON - Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) and Ranking Member Jeff Sessions (R-Ala.) Thursday released the completed bipartisan questionnaire submitted by Judge Sonia Sotomayor in connecti… Continue Reading
06.04.09
The Leahy Letter - June 4, 2009
Senator Leahy Meets With Judge Sonia Sotomayor As Chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, Senator Leahy will oversee the confirmation hearings of Judge Sonia Sotomayor to be on the U.S. Supreme Court. On Tuesday, Senator Leahy and Judge Sotomayor met to discuss her nomination. You can click here to find out more about the upcoming confirmation process. You can also listen to or watch Senator Leahy's news conference that followed their meeting by clicking here. _____________________… Continue Reading
06.03.09
Vermont Witness To Be Joined By Actress Gabrielle Union At Hearing Before Leahy Panel
The Director of the Vermont Network Against Domestic and Sexual Violence, Karen Tronsgard-Scott, will testify June 10 before a panel chaired by Senator Patrick Leahy. The hearing will focus on the importance of the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA), which supports the work of law enforcement officers, prosecutors, courts, shelters, and other programs to stem domestic and dating violence, sexual assault and stalking. The Act was signed into law in 1994. Leahy has also invited actress … Continue Reading
06.03.09
Statement On The Uniting American Families Act: Addressing Inequality in Federal Immigration Law
For too long, gay and lesbian American citizens whose partners are foreign nationals have been denied the ability to sponsor their loved ones for lawful permanent residency. Under current immigration law, many citizens have been forced to choose between their country and their loved ones. No American should face such a choice. The preservation of family unity is at the core of our immigration legal system. This American value must apply to all families. During the past several years, A… Continue Reading
06.02.09
Leahy Applauds Extension For State Compliance With Sex Offender Registration And Notification Act
Tuesday applauded the Justice Department's decision to give a one-year extension to states and other jurisdictions struggling to comply with the provisions of the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act (SORNA). The Act was included as part of the Adam Walsh Child Protection and Safety Act, which was signed into law in 2006, and required states to comply with the provisions by July of this year. In March, Leahy and other congressional leaders urged Attorney General Eric Holder to extend… Continue Reading
06.02.09
Comments Following Meeting with Judge Sonia Sotomayor
Press Conference After Meeting With Judge Sonia Sotomayor I was delighted to have the chance to see Judge Sotomayor, again. I have come to know her fairly well during her years of service on the Second Circuit, the Circuit covering Vermont, New York and Connecticut. I noted when my friend from New Hampshire announced his retirement how much I have admired Justice Souter's commitment to justice and the rule of law rather than to ideology. Like Justice Souter, Judge Sotomayor has a first-ra… Continue Reading
06.01.09
Leahy-Sotomayor Meeting Set For Tuesday June 1, 2009
Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) will meet with Judge Sonia Sotomayor, President Obama's nominee to the U.S. Supreme Court, on Tuesday, June 2, at 11:30 a.m., in Leahy's Washington, D.C., Senate office, room 433 of the Russell Senate Building. Photo-op at 11:30 a.m. Leahy (D-Vt.) will briefly comment after the meeting, at approximately 12:00 p.m., in room 432 of the Russell Senate Building. # # # # #… Continue Reading
06.01.09
Vermont Delegation Announces $39 Million In Economic Stimulus Funds for Statewide Clean Water Projects At St. Albans Press Conference
ST. ALBANS - Senator Bernie Sanders, Congressman Peter Welch and a representative of Senator Patrick Leahy announced today the release of $39 million in economic stimulus funds during a press conference at the St. Albans Bay Village Pavilion. The grants and low-interest loans, to be distributed through the Environmental Protection Agency, will go to 41 wastewater clean-up projects and 42 drinking water projects throughout Vermont. The funds, which were made possible by the American Recovery and… Continue Reading
05.27.09
Vermont Nets $30 Million In Tax Credits From Economic Recovery Plan For Economic Development And Housing Initiatives
U.S. Sen. Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) says Vermont will receive $30 million under an innovative and proven economic development program - New Market Tax Credits (NMTC) - to spur economic growth and affordable housing in the state. The funds, included in the recently enacted American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA), will be formally announced by Secretary Timothy Geithner at Noon on Wednesday (today). Leahy, a senior member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, played a key role in incl… Continue Reading
05.27.09
Leahy, Sessions Release Sotomayor Questionnaire
Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) and Ranking Member Jeff Sessions (R-Ala.) Wednesday released the bipartisan questionnaire the Senate Judiciary Committee has asked Judge Sonia Sotomayor to complete in connection with her nomination to be an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States. Once the questionnaire is completed and returned to the Committee, copies will be made available online and in print. # # # # #… Continue Reading
