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Press Releases
Search Senator Leahy’s press releases, floor statements, and Committee speeches by date or by subject.
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
07.30.08
Leahy Urges Support For Reporters’ Shield Bill As Senate Prepares For Procedural Vote
(Wednesday, July 30, 2008) - The Senate is scheduled to take a critical vote this morning to decide if the body will proceed to debate on the Free Flow of Information Act, a bill that would establish a qualified federal reporters' shield law. Senator Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.), who chairs the Judiciary Committee that reported the bipartisan bill in October 2007, spoke on the Senate floor Wednesday morning, urging all Senators to support a full debate on the proposed legislation. Leahy has been pres… Continue Reading
07.29.08
Hearing On “Music And Radio In The 21st Century: Assuring Fair Rates And Rules Across Platforms”
Earlier in this Congress, I introduced S. 2500, the Performance Rights Act, with Senators Hatch, Feinstein and Corker. Musicians should be compensated fairly for the use of their work, whether it is transmitted by broadcast radio, Internet radio, satellite radio, or cable radio. The Performance Rights Act would codify that important right. Today's hearing focuses on the related and important topic of parity in the rate standards across those platforms. Senator Feinstein has been a leader on this… Continue Reading
07.28.08
On Inspector General And Office Of Professional Responsibility Report On Politicization At The Department Of Justice
"Today's report from the Inspector General and the Office of Professional Responsibility about their investigation into improper political influence in the hiring of attorneys for key career positions throughout the Department of Justice provides a close examination of another troubling chapter at the Department. The policies and attitudes of this administration encouraged politicization of the Department and permitted these excesses. It is now clear that these politically-rooted actions were … Continue Reading
07.28.08
Statement On S. 3297, “Advancing America’s Priorities Act”
Last week, I joined the Majority Leader in introducing S.3297, the "Advancing America's Priorities Act." The majority leader selected three dozen legislative items from the jurisdiction of seven Senate Committees, including eight Judiciary Committee bills, for this effort. These are all measures with bipartisan support and, we believe, the support of a strong bipartisan majority of the Senate. I have moved several such bills through the Judiciary Committee only to be stymied by objection once… Continue Reading
07.26.08
On The Warm In Winter And Cool In Summer Act Senate Floor
Mr. LEAHY. Mr. President, I rise in support of S. 3186, the Warm in Winter and Cool in Summer Act. As an original cosponsor of this important legislation that nearly doubles funding for the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program, LIHEAP, I urge my colleagues to support the motion to invoke cloture. While we are currently in the middle of summer, every Vermonter knows that winter isn't far off. Families in cold-weather States, like Vermont, who were able to pay this past winter's bill, are alr… Continue Reading
07.26.08
On Final Passage Of The Housing And Economic Recovery Act Senate Floor
Mr. LEAHY. Mr. President, the sluggish national economy and the rising cost of housing is a one-two punch that is keeping affordable housing out of the reach of too many Vermont families. It is important that during these times of economic hardship we do more--not less--to help struggling families make ends meet. I am pleased that today, after months of delay, the Senate is set to act on final passage of the Housing and Economic Recovery Act, H.R. 3221, a responsible bill to strengthen our econo… Continue Reading
07.25.08
Leahy Asks EPA Inspector General To Investigate Executive Privilege Claim And White House Interference
Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) Friday pressed the Inspector General's office at the Environmental Protection Administration (EPA) to investigate the President's purported claims of executive privilege over documents and testimony related to the public health threats of global warming, and possibleWhite House interference with EPA decision-making. On Thursday, Leahy canceled a hearing of the Senate Judiciary Committee after EPA Administrator Stephen Johnson declined t… Continue Reading
07.24.08
On S. 3297, The Advancing America’s Priorities Act
Earlier this week, I joined the Majority Leader in the introduction of S.3297, the Advancing America's Priorities Act. The Majority Leader selected 35 legislative items from the jurisdiction of seven Senate Committees, including eight bills from that of the Senate Judiciary Committee, for this effort. These are all measures with bipartisan support and, we believe the support of a strong bipartisan majority of the Senate. I have moved several through the Judiciary Committee and several have al… Continue Reading
07.24.08
Leahy, Specter, Bayh, Voinovich Introduce Intellectual Property Rights Enforcement Legislation
Leading advocates in the Senate today will introduce legislation to protect American innovation and address intellectual property rights enforcement. The Enforcement of Intellectual Property Rights Act of 2008 will be introduced in the Senate by Judiciary Committee Chairman Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) and Ranking Member Arlen Specter (R-Pa.), and is co-sponsored by Sens. Evan Bayh (D-Ind.), George Voinovich (R-Ohio). Senators Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) and John Cornyn (R-Texas) are also cosponsors… Continue Reading
07.24.08
Leahy Cancels Hearing After EPA Administrator Declines To Testify
The Chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee today canceled a hearing scheduled for July 30 at which the administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) was invited to present testimony about the EPA's refusal to provide Congress with documents related to the public health risks associated with global warming. In a letter to Sen. Patrick Leahy dated July 22, the EPA signaled that Johnson would decline the Committee's invitation to appear. Leahy and Sen. Barbara Boxer (D-Calif.), … Continue Reading
07.23.08
Exxon Oil Spill Victim Testifies At Senate Hearing
(Wednesday, July 23, 2008) - Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) today held a hearing to examine the shield recent Supreme Court decisions have provided for corporate misconduct. The hearing featured a witness panel that included a fisherwoman from Alaska, whose business was crippled by the 1989 Exxon Valdez oil spill in Prince William Sound. In a decision released by the Supreme Court in June, the damages assessed to Exxon by a jury were slashed, and the oil company is n… Continue Reading
07.23.08
Senators To Leavitt: Abandon Attempt To Undermine Women's Health In letter To HHS Secretary, 28 Senators Say Proposed Rule Would Limit Women's Family Planning Options, Access To Health Care Service
() - Twenty-eight U.S. Senators today wrote to Health and Human Services Secretary Michael Leavitt urging him to drop a draft regulation which could deny access to critical family planning options to millions of American women. The draft rule, which surfaced last week in news reports, aims to change the definition of abortion to include all contraceptives and therefore allow health care providers and corporations to refuse to provide family planning. The draft regulation could have the effect … Continue Reading
