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Press Releases
Search Senator Leahy’s press releases, floor statements, and Committee speeches by date or by subject.
Remarks On US Institute Of Peace - Vietnam Wartime Accounting Initiative
Thank you Lise, and thanks to the United States Institute of Peace for hosting this event. I am very grateful for the strong interest USIP has shown in the work the United States and Vietnam are doing to address some of the most difficult legacies of the war. I also want to welcome our counterparts from Vietnam's Ministry of Defense and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, including my good friend Ambassador Ha Kim Ngoc as well as officials from our Department of Defense, Department of State, and … Continue Reading
07.30.21
Leahy, Sanders, Welch: Treasury To Release Funding For Vermont Counties Secured Through The American Rescue Plan
(FRIDAY, July 30, 2021) - Vermont's Congressional Delegation, Senator Patrick Leahy, Senator Bernie Sanders and Congressman Peter Welch, announced Friday that the U.S. Treasury Department will release funding secured through the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) designated for communities in Vermont's 14 counties. The funding had been held back due to the Treasury Department's previous designation that Vermont's counties were units of general local government, as is the case in most other states.… Continue Reading
07.29.21
Address On The Bipartisan Emergency Capitol Security Supplemental Appropriations Bill
I rise on the Senate Floor today to urge that the Senate take up and pass H.R. 3237, the Emergency Security Supplemental Appropriations Act of 2021, with an amendment at the desk. The amendment is the result of bipartisan compromise between myself and Vice Chairman Shelby, and I want to thank him for his hard work and his friendship. This $2.1 billion dollar package is designed to address the aftermath of the violent insurrection that took place on January 6, heal the remaining scars of the C… Continue Reading
07.27.21
Leahy Announces Bipartisan Agreement On Capitol Security Emergency Supplemental Appropriations Bill
(Tuesday, July 27, 2021) - Senate Appropriations Committee Chairman Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) Tuesday announced a $2.1 billion bipartisan agreement on an emergency security supplemental to address the fallout of the January 6 insurrection, the withdrawal of American troops from Afghanistan, and expenses incurred on the Capitol complex as a result of the COVID pandemic. Leahy said: "We have the responsibility to take care of the Capitol Police in the wake of their incredible service on January 6th,… Continue Reading
07.27.21
Leahy, Schumer, Sanders And Gillibrand Introduce Bill To Reauthorize Champlain Valley National Heritage Partnership
(TUESDAY, July 27, 2021) - U.S. Senators Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.), Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.), Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), and Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.) Tuesday introduced a bill to reauthorize the Champlain Valley National Heritage Partnership (CVNHP). Established in 2006 to recognize and promote the importance of the historical, cultural, recreational and economic resources of the Champlain Valley, the CVNHP is slated to sunset on October 12, 2021. Their bill would authorize the partnership for the… Continue Reading
07.22.21
Schatz, Collins, Young, Leahy, Cassidy Introduce Bipartisan Legislation To Reform Disaster Recovery
(THURSDAY, July 22, 2021) - U.S. Senators Brian Schatz (D-Hawai'i), Susan Collins (R-Maine), Todd Young (R-Ind.), Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.), and Bill Cassidy, M.D. (R-La.) today introduced legislation to help communities plan for and recover from major disasters. The Reforming Disaster Recovery Act would strengthen the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development's (HUD) disaster recovery grants for states, local governments, and tribes. It would also improve coordination at the federal level by… Continue Reading
07.22.21
Statement Following The White House Signing Ceremony On The VOCA Fix To Sustain The Crime Victims Fund Act
Today President Biden signed the bipartisan VOCA Fix to Sustain the Crime Victims Fund Act of 2021. I thank President Biden and my fellow senators for working together to provide this urgently needed legislation to ensure the continuity of services for victims of crime across our nation. This bill will make a real difference in the lives of millions of Americans. I was proud to support this legislation as an original cosponsor and to watch President Biden sign it into law this afternoon. The… Continue Reading
07.22.21
After New Details On Kavanaugh Investigation Surface, Senators Call On FBI For Answers On Handling Of ‘Tip Line’
(THURSDAY, July 22, 2021) - Senators Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), Chris Coons (D-DE), Dick Durbin (D-IL), Patrick Leahy (D-VT), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Mazie Hirono (D-HI), and Cory Booker (D-NJ) wrote to FBI Director Christopher Wray last evening requesting additional information on the FBI's 2018 supplemental background investigation of Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh. The senators' request follows a letter from the Bureau to Whitehouse and Coons revealing new details on the Kavanaugh … Continue Reading
07.21.21
Address On The One-Year Anniversary Of The Passing Of John Lewis
I rise on the Senate Floor today to honor the legacy of one of this country's most cherished heroes and a dear friend of mine: John Lewis. This past Saturday marked one year since we said goodbye to John. The pain of his loss is still fresh for my wife Marcelle and me, as it is for millions of Americans. He wasn't just a moral giant and guiding light for the world. He was, as he always told me, my brother. For more than six decades, John Lewis served the United States with an unyielding… Continue Reading
07.20.21
Senator Leahy And Senator Daines Request Updates On Enforcement Of New Antitrust Authorities Over Health Insurance Companies
(TUESDAY, July 20, 2021) - Senators Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) and Steve Daines (R-Mont.) on Tuesday requested updates from both the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and the Department of Justice (DOJ) on their recent efforts to combat anticompetitive conduct in the health insurance industry. The two senators recently served as chief cosponsors of the bipartisan Competitive Health Insurance Reform Act (CHIRA), which protects consumers by repealing a long-outdated antitrust exemption for the health ins… Continue Reading
07.19.21
Reaction Of Senator Patrick Leahy To Canada’s Decision On Opening Its Border To U.S. Citizens
I am delighted to hear that fully-vaccinated Vermonters will be able to visit Canada for non-essential purposes. I have been hearing from Vermonters throughout the pandemic about the need to reopen the border and visit our neighbors in the north to see family and friends. I believe it is important for us to follow Canada's lead and reopen our side of the border to fully-vaccinated Canadians for non-essential travel purposes. Our Congressional Delegation called for a resumption of greater cross… Continue Reading
07.16.21
News You Can Use: Vermont Families Receive Enhanced Child Tax Credit
(FRIDAY, July 16, 2021) - This week, thousands of families across Vermont will begin receiving enhanced Child Tax Credit payments with eligible households set to see payments of $250 or $300 per child monthly for the remainder of the year. U.S. Senator Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) and his colleagues on Capitol Hill passed an historic expansion of the Child Tax Credit as part of the American Rescue Plan Act proposed by President Biden and passed through Congress in March, 2021. Leahy said: "Families, … Continue Reading
07.14.21
24th Women's Economic Opportunity Conference
After a year that held so much uncertainty, I am pleased to announce that we are finalizing plans for Vermont's 24th Annual Women's Economic Opportunity Conference (WEOC) to be held on October 23, 2021. With everyone's health and safety in mind, we will be hosting a virtual event this year and it will be a bit more abbreviated than our usual day-long conference, instead running from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. I hope you will join us.In keeping with the long WEOC tradition, we will hear from a dynamic ke… Continue Reading
07.14.21
Statement At The Senate Judiciary Committee Hearing: "Restoring The Voting Rights Act After Brnovich And Shelby County"
Thank you, Mr. Chairman, for holding this hearing on what Congress must do to restore the Voting Rights Act in response to the Supreme Court's sustained efforts to cripple it. The VRA is one of this body's greatest legislative achievements, and it has enjoyed overwhelming bipartisan support for virtually its entire existence. So it is an affront to the will of Congress that two partisan decisions have gutted the landmark law making our democracy accessible to millions who have wrongfully been sh… Continue Reading
07.13.21
Comment On The President’s Forthcoming Nomination Of Former Senator Jeff Flake To Be U.S. Ambassador To Turkey
My good friend Jeff Flake this afternoon called to let me know that he has accepted the request of President Biden to serve as our Ambassador to Turkey. I had the pleasure of knowing and working closely with Jeff Flake in several ways during his service in the Senate. I told him that the President had made an outstanding choice. Turkey has been an ally of the United States for many decades, and the American people have great respect and fondness for the Turkish people and for Turkey's rich cu… Continue Reading
07.12.21
Statement of Senator Patrick Leahy On The United States and Cuba
I want to speak briefly about a topic that I have spoken about before, which is U.S. policy toward Cuba. The recent press reports of Cubans protesting in the streets, demanding greater freedom and economic opportunity, graphically illustrate the widespread hardship and hunger, and the need for fundamental change in Cuba. Human rights are universal, and the Cuban people are no different from people everywhere who want to be able to speak freely without fear of retribution. We have been told t… Continue Reading
07.09.21
Statement of Senate Appropriations Chairman Leahy On The Capitol Security Supplemental
It is urgent that Congress pass a security supplemental to address the needs of the National Guard and the Capitol Police resulting from the fallout of the January 6 insurrection. As I have warned, if we do not act, Capitol Police projects they will deplete salaries funds sometime in August, and they already exceeded their projected overtime because of activities resulting from January 6th in late June. The National Guard will also be forced to cut training sometime in August as well. It has be… Continue Reading
07.08.21
Comment Of Sen. Leahy About President Biden’s Appointment Of Gov. Scott To The Council Of Governors
"I was proud to recommend Governor Scott for the Council of Governors to advise the President and his Cabinet about critical security, and disaster response and recovery matters. Throughout this difficult time as we battle the effects of the pandemic, Governor Scott has shown himself time and again as a pragmatic decision-maker and a partner in my efforts in Congress to help Vermont. He has been laser-focused on serving Vermonters in their most challenging times. As I worked to pass laws providi… Continue Reading
07.01.21
Reaction Of Senator Patrick Leahy, Lead Author Of The John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act, To Supreme Court's 6-3 Decision In The Brnovich Case
"I am deeply disappointed by this decision which is a body blow to yet another critical pillar of the Voting Rights Act - our nation's marquee law protecting Americans' precious and foundational right to vote. By overriding Congress's clear intent in crafting Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act - affirmed over and over again with overwhelming bipartisan support - a partisan majority on the Court has yet again made it easier for states to suppress the vote with impunity and harder to protect it. … Continue Reading
06.29.21
Leahy Joins The Trust For Public Land In Huntington To Release Report On Community Forest And Open Space Benefits
HUNTINGTON, Vt. (TUESDAY, June 29, 2021) - Senator Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) Tuesday visited the Huntington Community Forest to coincide with the release of a special report, "Community Forests: A Path to Prosperity and Connection" by the Trust for Public Land. The property, immediately adjacent to the Brewster-Pierce Memorial School, is one of many forests in Vermont and across New England and the nation that offer community members and students the opportunity to learn, play, and connect with nat… Continue Reading
