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Press Releases
Search Senator Leahy’s press releases, floor statements, and Committee speeches by date or by subject.
Vermont Delegation Hails Plan To Open New Rural Health Resource Center At The White River Junction VA Hospital
The members of Vermont's Congressional Delegation - Sen. Patrick Leahy (D), Sen. Bernie Sanders (I) and Rep. Peter Welch (D) - welcomed the announcement Monday that the VA Medical Center in White River Junction has been selected to host the East Coast's Rural Health Resource Center. The Vermont lawmakers have pressed for steps to increase VA medical access in Vermont's rural areas.The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) plans to open the White River Junction Rural Health Resource Center on … Continue Reading
08.14.08
Leahy Files Supreme Court Brief On Behalf Of Vermont Musician Case To Be Argued Before High Court In November
Senator Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) Thursday filed a petition in the United States Supreme Court concerning a case the nation's top court will hear later this year involving Vermont resident Diana Levine. Leahy was joined by 17 members of Congress, including Vermont Senator Bernard Sanders and Vermont Congressman Peter Welch, in filing the petition, known as an amicus brief, on Thursday. On January 18, 2008, the Supreme Court granted review in Wyeth v. Diana Levine, a case in which a Vermont jury a… Continue Reading
08.14.08
Leahy Rebukes White House For Continued Failure To Comply With Congressional Subpoenas
In a letter sent Thursday to the White House, Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) Thursday rebuffed the administration's efforts to stonewall congressional investigators. Responding to an August 7 letter from White House Counsel Fred Fielding, Leahy rejected the administration's efforts to "run out the clock" on subpoenas issued by the Senate and House Judiciary Committees to current and former White House officials, including Chief of Staff Joshua Bolten and former White … Continue Reading
08.12.08
On Comments Of Attorney General Michael Mukasey To The American Bar Association
"Attorney General Mukasey's blanket conclusions appear premature based on the facts and evidence that congressional investigators and the Inspector General have uncovered so far. The White House stonewalling continues, with aides refusing to comply with congressional subpoenas and testify about their role in the politicization of the Department of Justice. The Attorney General, the nation's top law enforcement officer, seems intent on insulating this administration from accountability. We mus… Continue Reading
08.12.08
Leahy Bill To Extend U.S. Parole Commission Becomes Law
A bill introduced by Sen. Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) to extend the United States Parole Commission for three years was signed into law by the President today. The U.S. Parole Commission is charged with granting or denying parole for incarcerated prisoners under federal jurisdiction or the jurisdiction of the District of Columbia. The current Commission was originally constituted more than 20 years ago, and was slated to expire in 1992. Congress has acted four times to extend the Commission. Witho… Continue Reading
08.11.08
Leahy, Specter Press Mueller For Information About Improper FBI Access Of Reporters’ Phone Records
Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) and Ranking Member Arlen Specter (R-Pa.) sent a letter Monday to Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Director Robert Mueller pressing the Director to provide more information to Committee members about the misuse of so-called "exigent letters." Press accounts last week revealed that Mueller apologized to editors at The New York Times and The Washington Post for a 2004 breach of Department of Justice guidelines regarding subpoenas for r… Continue Reading
08.09.08
Work Funded By Leahy Will Zero In On The Most Serious Sources Of Phosphorus Runoff In The Missisquoi Bay Watershed
Vermont Senator Patrick Leahy Saturday announced the go-ahead for a technical survey that will identify the most serious sources of phosphorus runoff into the border-spanning Missisquoi Bay watershed, to boost efforts to reduce phosphorus pollution in Lake Champlain and the Bay. Leahy aide Bob Paquin announced the news on Leahy's behalf at the 7th annual International Northern Lake Champlain Coalition public meeting here. Leahy secured funding for the survey, which is being launched by the Int… Continue Reading
08.07.08
On Administration’s Second Refusal To Provide Testimony From Joshua Bolten
The White House today responded to a July 31 letter sent by Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) instructing White House Counsel Fred Fielding to advise the Committee when Joshua Bolten would comply with a congressional subpoena requiring testimony related to the firing of U.S. Attorneys. A ruling by District Court Judge John Bates last week rejected President Bush's claim that senior White House officials are not required to comply with congressional subpoenas. Today, Wh… Continue Reading
08.06.08
On Cyber Crime Legislation
"The coordinated effort by the U.S. Attorneys' office, the Justice Department's Criminal Division, the Secret Service and others shows what law enforcement can do when provided tools to combat cyber crime. The Senate has twice passed legislation to strengthen those tools to fight identity theft and protect the privacy of all Americans. We must provide law enforcement with the needed tools to safeguard that privacy. We cannot wait to enact legislation to combat cyber crime. When Congress retu… Continue Reading
08.01.08
Leahy Announces $1 Million In Grants For Local Drug Abuse Programs Across Vermont
Thirteen community coalitions across Vermont will receive continued federal support, totaling just over $1 million, for their efforts to combat drug abuse, according to Sen. Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.). The Drug-Free Communities grants from the Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) run for a year from September 30 this year and will help community groups work to prevent and reduce drug, alcohol, and tobacco abuse among youths and to strengthen community anti-drug coalitions among community o… Continue Reading
08.01.08
On The Retirement Of General Richard A. Cody
Mr. LEAHY. I rise to commend GEN Richard A. Cody, the Vice Chief of Staff of the Army, on his retirement. General Cody is one of the Nation's finest military officers, and, with a career that spans over 36 years in the Army, he leaves behind a stronger, more experienced, and more professional fighting force. Vermont is proud to call General Cody a native, and there is little doubt that his time growing up in our State capital, Montpelier, instilled in him a deep sense of loyalty and public servi… Continue Reading
08.01.08
Attorney General Asked To Assess Damage Done To Justice Department By Illegal, Politicized Hiring Practices
(Friday, August 1, 2008) - In the wake of reports that Justice Department officials used political and ideological screening tests to fill career positions, seven Democratic members of the Senate Judiciary Committee today asked Attorney General Michael B. Mukasey to assess whether this illegal hiring practice has done long-term damage to the mission of the Department. The letter to Mukasey was signed by Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) and Senators Sheldon Whitehouse (… Continue Reading
08.01.08
Kennedy, Leahy Introduce Bill To Reverse Supreme Court Medical Device Decision
The chairmen of two Senate panels Thursday night introduced legislation to reverse a U.S. Supreme Court decision handed down earlier this year which immunized medical device companies from state lawsuits brought by patients who are injured by faulty devices. Senator Edward Kennedy (D-Mass.), who chairs the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, and Senator Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.), who chairs the Senate Judiciary Committee, introduced the legislation Thursday. In February, the U.… Continue Reading
07.31.08
Statement Of Sen. Patrick Leahy Tribute To Wayside Restaurant
Mr. LEAHY. Mr. President, I would like to pay tribute to one of central Vermont's finest community gathering spaces, the Wayside Restaurant. Over the past 90 years, the Wayside has built its reputation around the State of Vermont as a quality establishment where neighbors enjoy a country style breakfast, a quick business lunch, or a well-rounded family dinner. The Wayside represents the needs of the community with affordable and diversely pleasant fare. In 1918, when Effie Ballou opened the sm… Continue Reading
07.31.08
Statement On Habeas Corpus In The Wake Of Boumediene vs. Bush
Last month's 5-4 Supreme Court decision in Boumediene v. Bush reaffirmed our core American values, and served as a stinging rebuke to the Bush administration's flawed power grabs over the last six years. The Bush administration's repeated attempts to eliminate meaningful review of its actions by the federal judiciary have again failed to withstand Supreme Court review. This decision is a vindication for those of us who have maintained from the beginning that the administration's detention poli… Continue Reading
07.31.08
On District Court Ruling Against Immunity For White House Officials Subpoenaed To Testify Before Congress
"I have long pointed out that this administration's claims of executive privilege and immunity, which White House officials have used to justify refusing to even show up when served with congressional subpoenas, are wrong. The claims are part of an arrogant White House cover up, designed to shield from public view the inappropriate and illegal actions of this administration. It is past time for senior administration officials to abide by the law and appear before Congress to offer testimony co… Continue Reading
07.31.08
Leahy Presses Rove, Bolten To Testify After Court Rules Against Immunity For White House Officials
Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) Thursday pressed for testimony from former White House Deputy Chief of Staff Karl Rove and White House Chief of Staff Joshua Bolten in connection with subpoenas issued by the Committee in June 2007 and July 2007. A ruling today by District Court Judge John Bates rejected President Bush's claim that senior White House officials are not required to comply with congressional subpoenas. On Thursday, Leahy sent letters to Rove's attorney, Ro… Continue Reading
07.31.08
Leahy Cyber Crime Measure Passes Senate
Legislation championed by Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) to fight identity theft and cyber crime unanimously passed the Senate Wednesday night and is headed to the House of Representatives for consideration. Leahy introduced the Identity Theft Enforcement and Restitution Act last October with the Committee's Ranking Member, Arlen Specter (R-Pa.), and worked quickly to move the legislation in the Judiciary Committee. The Senate unanimously passed the bill in November,… Continue Reading
07.31.08
Judiciary Committee Reports Bill To Address Juvenile Crime
The Senate Judiciary Committee today reported a bill to address issues related to deterring crime among young people, one of the nation's most vulnerable populations. The Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Act (JJDPA) was introduced last month by Chairman Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.), Ranking Member Arlen Specter (R-Pa.) and Sen. Herb Kohl (D-Wis.). The reauthorization bill has received bipartisan support in the Senate. Leahy, Specter and Kohl introduced the bill in June to reauthorize the… Continue Reading
07.30.08
Judiciary Panel Hears Testimony From Inspector General About Politicized Hirings At Department Of Justice
Department of Justice Inspector General Glenn A. Fine testified this morning before the Senate Judiciary Committee about a report released by his office Monday about politicized hirings at the Department of Justice. Committee Chairman Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) scheduled the hearing in advance of the report's release. The report examined allegations of politicized hiring at the Department by former senior staff members, as well as White House influence at the Department. It is the second in a ser… Continue Reading
