Press Room
Press Releases
Search Senator Leahy’s press releases, floor statements, and Committee speeches by date or by subject.
Senate Judiciary Committee Considers Associate Attorney General, Solicitor General Nominations
(Tuesday, Feb. 10, 2009) -- The Senate Judiciary Committee today held a hearing to consider the nominations of Thomas J. Perrelli to be the Associate Attorney General, and Elena Kagan to be the Solicitor General of the United States. The nominees' bipartisan Committee questionnaires and letters of support are available online. The hearing is webcast live online. Committee Chairman Patrick Leahy's statement on the nominations follows.] Statement of Senator Patrick Lea… Continue Reading
02.09.09
Restoring Trust in the Justice System: The Senate Judiciary Committee's Agenda in the 111th Congress
Senator Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) Chairman, Senate Judiciary Committee United States Senate Georgetown University February 9, 2009 As Prepared It is great to be back at Georgetown. It was at the Law Center in December 2006 that I first outlined the Senate Judiciary Committee's agenda for the last Congress. It seems fitting to return to the University at the start of the 111th Congress to take stock, and to look forward. I thank Judge Katzmann for the opportunity to present this Marver Be… Continue Reading
02.09.09
The 2009 Marver Bernstein Lecture “Restoring Trust in the Justice System: The Senate Judiciary Committee's Agenda In The 111th Congress”
As Prepared Click here to view the video of the full program on the Georgetown University website. It is great to be back at Georgetown. It was at the Law Center in December 2006 that I first outlined the Senate Judiciary Committee's agenda for the last Congress. It seems fitting to return to the University at the start of the 111th Congress to take stock, and to look forward. I thank Judge Katzmann for the opportunity to present this Marver Bernstein Lecture. What an e… Continue Reading
02.05.09
Comment On The President’s Signing Of CHIP
"Parents and grandparents know how important health insurance is for their children and it's time the country moved even closer to covering the millions of children without health insurance. As one of the first bills signed by President Obama, Congress and the President are signaling to the country that our nation's children are a top priority. Vermont has been a national leader on children's health care and this bill will take us even closer to providing all children with he… Continue Reading
02.05.09
States Should Have More Flexibility To Allocate Funds Under Neighborhood Stabilization Program
(Thursday, Feb. 5, 2009) - Senators Patrick Leahy (D-VT), Bob Casey (D-PA), Arlen Specter (R-PA), Chris Dodd (D-CT), Charles Schumer (D-NY) and John Kerry (D-MA) introduced a bipartisan amendment to provide state and local governments with more flexibility in using funds allocated by the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) under the Neighborhood Stabilization Program (NSP). "Addressing the housing crisis is a vital step in moving the country toward economic re… Continue Reading
02.05.09
Leahy Says Vermont Mother's Ordeal In Peanut-Salmonella Case Shows Need For ‘Jail Time’ In Protecting Public From Tainted Food
A South Burlington woman, invited by Senator Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.), Thursday told the Senate Agriculture Committee about the hurdles she faced getting the facts about the salmonella poisoning that threatened her son's life. Gabrielle Meunier's 7-year-old-son Christopher fell ill last fall in a case connected to the peanut-salmonella outbreak associated with products from the Peanut Corporation of America (PCA). After Leahy called for an investigation into possible crimina… Continue Reading
02.05.09
Leahy, Grassley Introduce Anti-Fraud Legislation
(Thursday, Feb. 5, 2009) - Senator Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) and Senator Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) introduced legislation Thursday to provide the federal government with more tools to investigate and prosecute financial fraud. The Fraud Enforcement and Recovery Act makes necessary changes to federal criminal laws, including criminal fraud, securities law, and money laundering laws, increases the funding available to the federal law enforcement agencies to combat mortgage fraud an… Continue Reading
02.05.09
Judiciary Committee Considers Deputy Attorney General Nominee
(Thursday, Feb. 5, 2009) - Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) chaired a hearing Thursday morning to consider the nomination of David W. Ogden to be the Deputy Attorney General, the number two position in the Department of Justice. President Obama announced Ogden's designation on January 5. He is a partner at WilmerHale in Washington, D.C. On Monday, the Senate confirmed Eric Holder to be the Attorney General of the United States. For more information … Continue Reading
02.04.09
Leahy, Hatch Introduce Bipartisan Performance Rights Legislation
(Wednesday, Feb. 4, 2009) - Senators Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) and Orrin Hatch (R-Utah) introduced bipartisan legislation Wednesday to give fair compensation to musical artists while protecting songwriters. The Performance Rights Act would end an exemption benefiting traditional, over-the-air broadcasters, which are not required to pay recording artists for use of their work, as webcasters, satellite radio providers and cable companies do. Under current law, conventional radio stations are n… Continue Reading
02.03.09
Statement On The Situation In Sri Lanka
Mr. LEAHY. The ethnic conflict in Sri Lanka that has waxed and waned for decades costing the lives of tens of thousands of people, has exploded into a full scale war and it is civilians who are bearing the brunt of the carnage. The origins of the conflict arise from decades of the Sinhalese majority's systematic discrimination against the Tamil minority, and its denial of the Tamils' meaningful participation in the political process. The Sri Lankan army is almost exclusively Sinhales… Continue Reading
02.03.09
Leahy Notices Confirmation Hearing For Associate Attorney General, Solicitor General Nominees
(Tuesday, Feb. 3, 2009) - Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) on Tuesday noticed a hearing to consider the nominations Thomas Perrelli to be the Associate Attorney General, the number three position at the Department of Justice, and Elena Kagan to be the Solicitor General of the United States. Perrelli and Kagan will appear before the Committee on February 10, at 10:00 a.m. The Judiciary Committee will hold a hearing Thursday on the nomination of David W. Ogden to b… Continue Reading
02.03.09
Comment On President Obama’s Nomination Of Senator Judd Gregg To Be Secretary Of Commerce
"Judd Gregg will be a credit to the new administration just as he has been a credit to the Senate. I will miss serving with my friend but I admire his commitment to our country. "He is a senator of extraordinary intellect and discipline who is able to rise above partisanship. Together he and I have led the Senate Appropriations panel that oversees one of the largest and farthest-reaching federal agencies, the State Department, and the close relationship we have forged has yielded practi… Continue Reading
02.03.09
Protect Health Privacy Provisions In Recovery Package
(Tuesday, Feb. 3, 2009) - Senator Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) Tuesday urged Congress to support critical health information privacy protections included in the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, which the Senate is considering this week. The legislation includes funding for investments and incentives in health information technology. The increased use of technology and the Internet can help reduce health care costs and increase Americans' accessibility to health care services. Leahy has… Continue Reading
02.02.09
Holder Confirmed In Overwhelming Senate Vote
(Monday, Feb. 2, 2009) - The United States Senate Monday night overwhelmingly voted 75-21 to confirm Eric H. Holder Jr. to be the 82nd Attorney General of the United States. Attorney General Holder's designation was first announced more than two months ago, on Dec. 1, 2008. Last month, the Senate Judiciary Committee held two days of hearings to consider the nomination. Holder responded to hundreds of questions submitted for the record before the Committee voted to report the nomination … Continue Reading
02.02.09
Leahy Opens Debate On Holder Nomination; Senate To Vote Tonight
Sen. Leahy Opens Debate On Eric Holder's Nomination WASHINGTON (Monday, Feb. 2, 2009) - The Senate is expected to vote later tonight on the nomination of Eric H. Holder Jr. to be Attorney General of the United States. Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.), opened the Senate's debate on the nomination this afternoon. Holder's nomination was reported by the Judiciary Committee in a 17-2 vote on Jan. 28. A vote is expected around 6:15 p.m. Statement Of Senator Pat… Continue Reading
01.31.09
Comment On HHS Nominee Tom Daschle
"Tom Daschle has dedicated his life to public service. I have every confidence that he will be a great Secretary of Health and Human Services. I look forward to working with him to finally deliver real health care reform for the American people." # # # # #… Continue Reading
01.30.09
Reaction To The Announcement That The Department Of Justice Will Investigate Possible Criminal Violations By Peanut Corporation Of America
Earlier today, Senator Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) sent a letter to Acting Attorney General Mark Filip urging the Justice Department to launch a criminal investigation into the actions of the Peanut Corporation of America. A report from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) revealed that the PCA knowingly provided tainted peanut products to food producers. The tainted products have led to an outbreak of salmonella poisoning. Four cases in Vermont have been linked to the outbreak, and more t… Continue Reading
01.30.09
Vermont Stands To Gain $492.3 Million In Grants Under Senate’s Economic Recovery Bill
(Friday, Jan. 30) - New official estimates released late Friday by the Senate Appropriations Committee show that Vermont would garner a two-year minimum of $492.3 million in formula grants under the Senate's version of the economic recovery and reinvestment package that will reach the Senate Floor next week, according to Sen. Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.), the panel's third most-senior member. The new Senate Appropriations Committee analysis does not include hundreds of millions more to Vermonter… Continue Reading
01.30.09
Leahy Calls For Criminal Investigation Into Peanut-Salmonella Outbreak
(Friday, Jan. 30) - Senator Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) is calling for a criminal investigation of Peanut Corporation of America (PCA), which, according to a report by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), knowingly sold peanut products containing salmonella. The salmonella outbreak has resulted in one of the largest food recalls in history and has been linked to the deaths of eight people, and more than 500 people have fallen ill. The outbreak has affected people in 43 states. In Vermont,… Continue Reading
01.30.09
The Leahy Letter - January 30, 2009
Reinvestment Plan Will Help America And Vermont On Tuesday January 27, 2009, the Senate Appropriations Committee approved the American Recovery and Reinvestment Plan to provide assistance to hardworking Americans struggling during the widening economic crisis. As a senior member of the Appropriations Committee, Senator Leahy has been working to incorporate priorities important to Vermont, including expanded broadband access, an increase in nutrition programs, and much needed improvements … Continue Reading
