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Search Senator Leahy’s press releases, floor statements, and Committee speeches by date or by subject.
Leahy, Shaheen And Other Senators Introduce Northern Border Regional Commission Extension
Senator Patrick Leahy and a majority of other senators from the New Hampshire, Vermont, Maine and New York U.S. Senate delegations Thursday introduced legislation to reauthorize and strengthen the Northern Border Regional Commission (NBRC). The NBRC, a federal-state partnership for economic and community development in northern Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, and New York, has awarded $7.8 million in funding for 44 community development projects since its creation in 2008. The new legislation … Continue Reading
03.07.18
Appropriations Vice Chair Patrick Leahy, On Introduction Today Of Senate Democrats’ Jobs And Infrastructure Plan
The Trump infrastructure plan falls far short of what is needed to address our crumbling infrastructure. Instead of making real investments in roads, bridges and broadband, the President conjures up an illusory plan that would be funded on the backs of working Americans, by raising new Trump Tolls. It's smoke and mirrors. And it is made worse by a Trump budget that would cut transportation, housing, and urban development programs by 29 percent. We need real, direct investments in our inf… Continue Reading
03.05.18
Statement Of Senate Appropriations Committee Vice Chairman Patrick Leahy On The Retirement Of Chairman Thad Cochran (R-Miss.)
Marcelle and I count Thad among our dearest friends, and his leadership on the Appropriations Committee and in the Senate will be sorely missed. Despite being on opposite ends of the political spectrum, over the years Thad and I crossed the aisle to work hand-in-hand for the American people. Together, we championed the Farm-To-School Act. We worked together to pass the FY17 Omnibus, and he has been a steadfast partner as we moved through the FY18 appropriations process. Throughout all of thi… Continue Reading
02.28.18
Schatz, Lee, Leahy Introduce Bipartisan Legislation To Improve Compassionate Release Process, Save Taxpayer Money
U.S. Senators Brian Schatz (D-Hawai'i), Mike Lee (R-Utah), and Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) Wednesday introduced the Granting Release and Compassion Effectively (GRACE) Act, legislation that improves the Bureau of Prisons' (BOP) approval process for compassionate release. Authorized under the Sentencing Reform Act of 1984, which also eliminated parole for federal prisoners, compassionate release gives people incarcerated in federal prisons an opportunity to appeal for early release for "extraordinary a… Continue Reading
02.28.18
Leahy And Hatch Introduce Bipartisan ARTS Act, To Speed Processing Of Visas For Visiting Artists
U.S. Senators Orrin Hatch (R-Utah) and Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.), both former chairmen of the Senate Judiciary Committee, have introduced the Arts Require Timely Service Act (ARTS Act), a bill that would require U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services to provide premium processing (15-day turnaround) free of charge for any arts-related O or P visa petition that it fails to adjudicate within 14 days as required by law. Leahy said: "The ARTS Act ensures that organizations like the Vermont Symphony… Continue Reading
02.27.18
Leahy, Sanders, Welch Help Introduce Resolution To Reinstate Net Neutrality
On the Net Neutrality National Day of Action, Senate and House Democrats - including Vermont's Sen. Patrick Leahy (D), Sen. Bernie Sanders (I), and Rep. Peter Welch (D) -- introduced a Congressional Review Act (CRA) resolution to overturn the Federal Communications Commission's (FCC) partisan decision on net neutrality. Leahy, Sanders and Welch are all original cosponsors of the House and Senate resolutions to fully restore the 2015 Open Internet Order. The Senate CRA resolution of disapproval… Continue Reading
02.27.18
Leahy And Daines Introduce Legislation To Protect Americans’ Privacy At The Border
U.S. Senators Patrick Leahy and Steve Daines (R-Mont.) Tuesday introduced legislation requiring the government to have reasonable suspicion or probable cause to search or seize Americans' electronic devices at the border. Currently at the border, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) can search through a traveler's electronic devices without any suspicion at all. CBP officers can also request that a traveler provide their password or passcode, and seize the device if the traveler refuses. … Continue Reading
02.24.18
Marcelle Leahy Christens Latest Navy Ship, The USNS Burlington
Marcelle Leahy, accompanied by her husband, U.S. Senator Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.), on Saturday christened the USNS Burlington (EPF 10) at the Mobile, Ala., shipyard where it is being finished. Marcelle Leahy was chosen to sponsor this newest Navy ship, named for Vermont's largest city, which will be able to quickly deliver service members and materiel for military and humanitarian missions. Born in Newport, Vt., Marcelle Pomerleau Leahy is a first-generation American born of Canadian parents. Ma… Continue Reading
02.23.18
Leahy Renews Support For Commonsense Gun Safety Laws
As the Senate returns to session after the President's Day recess, Senator Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) has renewed his support for commonsense gun safety laws. "As are most Americans, I have been in awe of the students of Stoneman Douglas High School," Leahy said. "In the wake of unspeakable tragedy they have become the nation's voice, displaying incredible poise, passion, decency and courage in their calls for action. I stand with them. Congress must finally act and pass commonsense measures that… Continue Reading
02.16.18
Leahy To Lead Congressional Delegation To Cuba
U.S. Senator Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) will head a bicameral congressional delegation that will visit Cuba next week, during the congressional recess. Leahy for two decades has been centrally involved in efforts to replace the failed 50-year-old U.S. Cuba policy of isolation with a new path toward normalization. Leahy is the Vice Chairman of the Senate Appropriations Committee and also serves as the Ranking Member of the Appropriations Subcommittee on the State Department and Foreign Operations, … Continue Reading
02.15.18
Leahy Comment On President Trump's Efforts To Undermine Bipartisan Solutions To The DACA Crisis That He Created
"The President pitched Dreamers and their communities into crisis by rescinding DACA. Then he promptly reversed his initial soothing words and his pledge to support bipartisan solutions. He has done everything he can -- even prompting a government shutdown -- to repeatedly move the goalposts and to undermine every single sincere bipartisan effort to fix what he broke. He has cynically used Dreamers as hostages to his whims, and he is prolonging the nightmarish uncertainty that they, their fam… Continue Reading
02.15.18
Leahy, Feinstein, Cruz Introduce Resolution Urging China To Respect Tibetan Human Rights And Religious Freedom
Leahy, Feinstein, Cruz Introduce Resolution Urging China To Respect Tibetan Human Rights And Religious Freedom . . . Resolution recognizes "Tibetan Rights Day" on key anniversary WASHINGTON (THURSDAY, Feb. 15, 2018) - U.S. Senators Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.), Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.), and Ted Cruz (R-Texas) Thursday introduced a resolution commemorating the 59th anniversary of Tibet's 1959 uprising against Chinese rule - March 10, 2018 - as "Tibetan Rights Day." The resolution also addresses… Continue Reading
02.14.18
Leahy, Sanders, Welch: Vermont Nets $60 Million In Job-Creating Federal Tax Credits
Sen. Patrick Leahy (D), Sen. Bernie Sanders (I) and Rep. Peter Welch (D) Wednesday announced that Vermont Rural Ventures will receive $60 million in federal tax credits to spur economic development projects throughout the state. Congress established the New Markets Tax Credit (NMTC) Program in 2000 to spur private investment in economic development projects in communities with high poverty and high unemployment. Under the New Markets program, investors receive a credit against their federal in… Continue Reading
02.14.18
Senate Address Of Senator Leahy On The Senate's Immigration Debate, And The Dreamers
As the Senate debates the fate of our Nation's Dreamers this week, an uncontestable truth underpins our discussion: We are a Nation of immigrants. Unless you are Native American, you come from a line of people who come from somewhere else. More than in any country on Earth, this simple fact is a defining characteristic of our national identity. Throughout our history immigrant communities have greatly enriched our Nation; their individual stories have become the American story. Out of many,… Continue Reading
02.12.18
Leahy Reaction To The Trump Budget Proposals For The State Department And Foreign Operations
The State Department and USAID budget request for FY19 is a repeat of the simplistic, formulistic approach that was widely repudiated by Congress and the diplomatic and development community in FY18. Once again there is no fiscal, strategic, or pragmatic justification for these arbitrary cuts. They were made without any credible analysis of their impact or whether they are in our national interest. It is divorced from America's real-world security interests, and it would continue the Trump Ad… Continue Reading
02.12.18
Senate Appropriations Committee Vice Chairman Patrick Leahy On President Trump’s Budget Proposal And Infrastructure Plan
A budget is where we lay out our priorities as a nation. The priorities identified in this budget are not the priorities of the American people. By making drastic cuts to our domestic priorities, President Trump is abandoning the bipartisan budget deal reached by Congress and signed -- by the President -- last week. This is not a serious proposal; it is divorced from reality. And it would continue the Trump administration's full-on retreat from American global influence and leadership. Fu… Continue Reading
02.09.18
Graham, Durbin, Cruz, Cardin And Leahy Introduce Cambodia Accountability And Return On Investment Act
Graham, Durbin, Cruz, Cardin and Leahy Introduce Cambodia Accountability and Return on Investment Act WASHINGTON (FRIDAY, Feb. 9, 2018) - U.S. Senators Lindsey Graham (R-South Carolina), Dick Durbin (D-Illinois), Ted Cruz (R-Texas), Ben Cardin (D-Maryland) and Patrick Leahy (D-Vermont) introduced the Cambodia Accountability and Return on Investment (CARI) Act of 2018. The CARI Act restricts assistance to the Cambodian government due to actions taken as it relates to regional security, enforcem… Continue Reading
02.09.18
Leahy Outlines Vermont Priorities In Budget Deal That Passed Congress And Was Signed Into Law This Morning
Leahy Outlines Vermont Priorities In Bipartisan Budget Deal …Leahy, As Vice Chairman Of The Senate Appropriations Committee, Played Key Role In Negotiations WASHINGTON (FRIDAY, Feb. 9, 2018) - The Senate and the House early Friday morning passed a bipartisan budget agreement to keep the federal government open, strengthen the military and invest in priorities here at home. President Trump signed the bill upon receiving it Friday morning. Senator Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.), as Vice Chairman of… Continue Reading
02.09.18
Statement On The Passing Of Tony Pomerleau
Statement Of Senator Patrick Leahy On The Passing Of Tony Pomerleau Marcelle introduced me to her Uncle Tony nearly sixty years ago when I was a young college student. Within a very short time, he was making me feel like a member of the family, and he became Uncle Tony to me also. Our children, and then our grandchildren, always saw him as Uncle Tony when we would visit him and his wife, Rita. During the past few days Marcelle and I, and the children and grandchildren, have talked about Tony,… Continue Reading
02.08.18
Senate Floor Statement Of Appropriations Committee Vice Chairman Leahy On The Bipartisan Budget Deal
The consequences of the Budget Control Act sequestration cuts since 2011 have been devastating and will last for generations. Its impact on military readiness led Defense Secretary Mattis to say that no enemy on the field has done more to harm our military than what we have done ourselves through sequestration. By not investing in our domestic priorities, we allowed our infrastructure to crumble, care to our veterans to be delayed, and investments in education to fall behind. The bipartisan b… Continue Reading
