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Search Senator Leahy’s press releases, floor statements, and Committee speeches by date or by subject.
Statement Of Senator Patrick Leahy On Developments Concerning North Korea
There are no quick, surgical military solutions to the North Korea threat, and this is no time for reckless, provocative tweets. Millions of lives could be lost if mistakes are made. This is not something that will be solved by loud impulsive rhetoric issued from a golfing resort. This is a time for the President to bring in the military and congressional leadership as well as our intelligence agencies and give a clear response. This is a global challenge and the response must be a collectiv… Continue Reading
08.08.17
Senator Leahy's Letter to Secretary Tillerson on Human Rights Abuses in Honduras
Dear Secretary Tillerson: We are writing in response to Mr. Joseph Mcmanus ' s May 24, 2017 reply to our letter of April 5, 2017. In his letter, Mr. Mcmanus describes actions by the Government of Honduras and MACCIH to address the widespread corruption and violence in that country. However, Mr. Mcmanus ' s letter did not respond to several of our recommendations , including: Establish effective criteria for measuring compliance with such human rights conditions, with the input of… Continue Reading
08.04.17
Leahy Joins Bipartisan Effort To Protect Purple Heart Medals
U.S. Senator Patrick Leahy joined Senator David Perdue (R-Ga.) and a bipartisan group of senators including, Senators Tom Udall (D-NM), Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV), Susan Collins (R-ME), and Luther Strange (R-AL) to take action protecting the Purple Heart medal and stop second-hand dealers from profiting off of the sacrifices of America's war heroes. The Senate passed this protection of our military's highest honor for those who have fought to preserve our freedom by unanimous consent. "The me… Continue Reading
08.03.17
Stabenow, Brown, Baldwin, Leahy And Others Announce Medicare At 55 Act
U.S. Senators Debbie Stabenow (D-MI), Sherrod Brown (D-OH), Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), Patrick Leahy and four other Senators Thursday introduced the Medicare at 55 Act, which provides an option for people between the ages of 55 and 64 to buy into Medicare. There are 41 million Americans between the ages of 55 and 64, and millions of them are burdened by high insurance premiums, unaffordable deductibles and limited options. "People between the ages of 55 and 64 often have more health problems and f… Continue Reading
08.02.17
Statement Of Senator Patrick Leahy On the Confirmation of Christopher Wray to be Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation
I supported Christopher Wray's nomination in the Judiciary Committee to be the next Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation. I did so because I believe he is qualified and-critically-I believe he will stand up for the independence of the FBI. Such independence has never been more at risk. We need a new FBI Director because the president fired the last one, Director James Comey. And his reason for doing so was disturbing: to take pressure off of the FBI's investigation into Russian in… Continue Reading
08.02.17
Appropriations Vice Chair Leahy Announces $270,000 In Humanities Grants To Vermont Organizations
Senator Patrick Leahy, Vice Chairman of the Senate Appropriations Committee, announced Wednesday that Vermont organizations have been awarded three highly competitive National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) matching grants totaling $270,000. The grants, to a Brattleboro history project, the University of Vermont, and the Vermont Farmers Market Education Center, will fund projects for humanities research and public engagement. Leahy said: "Grants like these help us foster and conserve the … Continue Reading
08.01.17
Appropriations Vice Chairman Leahy REAX To Senate Consideration Of House "Minibus"
This reckless bill would break through the budget caps and waste billions on a misguided and ineffective border wall. Without a bipartisan budget deal lifting the caps, passing this would result in a 13.2 percent sequester on national security programs in just a few months, undermining military readiness. The bill also contains poison pill riders that erode clean water protections and slashes energy innovation programs. By putting the cart before the horse, the defense increases in this package… Continue Reading
07.27.17
Senator Leahy's Statement On Introduction Of His Bill With Sen. Mike Lee (R-Utah) To Modernize ECPA, To Protect Americans' Email Privacy
(Senator Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) joined with Senator Mike Lee (R-Utah) on Thursday to introduce their bipartisan legislation to update the Electronic Communications Privacy Act (ECPA) for the 21st Century. The ECPA Modernization Act of 2017 ensures that law enforcement agencies will have to secure warrants to read Americans' communications, including those stored in the cloud. This, coupled with their separate Email Privacy Act of 2017 that the senators introduced at the same time, seeks to pres… Continue Reading
07.27.17
Statement of Senator Patrick Leahy On The Repeal Of The Affordable Care Act And The Debate On A Trumpcare Replacement
On Tuesday, the Vice President cast a tie-breaking vote to move to debate on a health care reconciliation bill, the contents of which even now remain a mystery to most of us. This vote to proceed without a transparent path forward underscores a process that has, from the beginning, been politics and policymaking at their worst. You would think that after seven years of campaigning to repeal the Affordable Care Act, the Majority would have a plan in place to do just that. Instead, a dozen or s… Continue Reading
07.27.17
Leahy Scores Key Victories For Vermont As Appropriation Bill Clears Committee
Senator Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.), Vice Chairman of the Senate Appropriations Committee, on Thursday secured major victories for Vermont and communities across the country as the Commerce, Justice and Science Appropriations Bill cleared the Appropriations Committee. Leahy was instrumental in including millions of dollars in additional resources to combat the opioid epidemic, support Lake Champlain through the National Sea Grant program, promote economic development in Vermont and other Northern Bor… Continue Reading
07.27.17
Leahy: Senate Appropriations Committee Rejects Trump’s Unbalanced Budget
Senator Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.), Vice Chairman of the Senate Appropriations Committee, Thursday helped steer through a funding bill that rejects efforts by the Trump Administration to eliminate housing, transportation and infrastructure programs vital to communities across Vermont. The Committee Thursday approved the fiscal year 2018 Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, and Related Agencies Appropriations Bill, which maintains level funding for the Essential Air Service, Home Investmen… Continue Reading
07.27.17
Leahy Joins Durbin, Schumer And Other Democratic Senators In Calling On President Trump To Protect Dreamers
U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY), and 40 of their Democratic Senate colleagues today asked President Donald Trump to use his executive authority to the greatest extent possible to protect the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program, which provides temporary relief from deportation to immigrant students who arrived in the United States as children if they register with the government, pay a fee, and pass criminal and natio… Continue Reading
07.27.17
Leahy Scores Public ‘Right To Know’ Win, To Open Access To Taxpayer-Funded Congressional Research Reports
Senator Patrick Leahy Thursday advanced legislation in the Senate Appropriations Committee to make all non-confidential reports prepared by the Congressional Research Service (CRS) - Congress's research arm - freely available to the public, schools and libraries across the country. A legislative branch agency within the Library of Congress, CRS issues or updates more than 3000 reports each year on topics ranging from the structure of government agencies, to summaries of legislative proposals an… Continue Reading
07.27.17
SUMMARY: Appropriations Committee Approves FY18 Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, and Related Agencies Appropriations Bill
The fiscal year 2018 Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, and Related Agencies (THUD) Senate Appropriations bill provides a total of $60.058 billion in discretionary budget authority - $2.41 billion more than in fiscal year 2017 and $12.130 billion more than the President's budget request. Additional resources are provided to prevent and end homelessness among veterans and youth, as well as to maintain existing rental housing assistance for nearly 5 million households nationwide. The b… Continue Reading
07.27.17
Appropriations Committee Republicans Reject Democratic-Led Investments In The American People For Third Week In A Row
Senate Appropriations Committee Republicans Thursday rejected amendments offered by Committee Democrats that would have improved public safety, bolstered economic development and invested in our nation's infrastructure. The party-line opposition marks the third week in a row Republicans have blocked the Democrats efforts to invest in the American people by increasing both defense and non-defense spending constrained under the Budget Control Act. Offered by Senate Appropriations Committee Vice … Continue Reading
07.27.17
SUMMARY: Appropriations Committee Approves FY2018 Commerce, Justice, Science Appropriations Bill
The fiscal year 2018 Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies (CJS) Appropriations Bill provides a total of $53.4 billion in discretionary funding, $3.2 billion less than fiscal year 2017 and $4.4 billion more than the President's request. The CJS bill invests in a wide range of critical programs that affect the lives of all Americans. The bill provides $29.1 billion, $121 million more than fiscal year 2017 and $740 million more than the President's request for the Department of Justic… Continue Reading
07.27.17
SUMMARY: Appropriations Committee Approves FY18 Legislative Branch Appropriations Bill
The fiscal year 2018 Legislative Branch Appropriations Bill provides $3.171 billion in discretionary budget authority, excluding items pertaining solely to the House, which total an additional $1.319 billion. Total funding accommodated in the bill is $4.490 billion, which is $50 million more than the fiscal 2017 enacted level and $192 million less than budget request. The bill provides critical increases for the Congressional Budget Office, the Government Accountability Office, the United Stat… Continue Reading
07.27.17
Vice Chairman Leahy Statement On FY '18 CJS, THUD and Legislative Branch Appropriations Bills
Today we mark up three appropriations bills, the fiscal year 2018 Commerce and Justice, Science and Related Agencies bill, the Transportation, and Housing and Urban Development and Related Agencies bill, and the Legislative Branch Appropriations bill. I want to thank Chairman Shelby and Ranking Member Shaheen for their hard work on the CJS bill. This bill represents a truly bipartisan process, making the most out of a tight allocation to fund law enforcement, invest in science, and support eco… Continue Reading
07.25.17
[BREAKING] Reaction Of Senator Patrick Leahy To The Senate's Vote To Proceed To Consideration Of Trumpcare Legislation
[Senator Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) voted no on the motion to proceed to consideration of Trumpcare legislation.] This was a lockstep vote for Trumpcare, produced through a secretive and shoddy process. These decisions mean health or illness and life or death to countless Americans. And let's be clear: Republican senators have no idea what they voted for with this motion to proceed. Millions upon millions of Americans' health is at stake. This cynical vote is intended to lead to a final Trumpca… Continue Reading
07.21.17
Leahy And Bipartisan Drug Affordability CREATES Act Cosponsors Urge FDA Commissioner To Reform Anticompetitive Drug Practices
Leahy And Bipartisan Drug Affordability Cosponsors Urge FDA Commissioner To Reform Anticompetitive Drug Practices WASHINGTON (July 20/21, 2017) - U.S. Senator Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.), joined by Senators Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa), Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), and Mike Lee (R-Utah), are asking Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Commissioner Scott Gottlieb to address anticompetitive practices currently used by some brand-name pharmaceutical companies to delay the manufacture and introduction of generic dr… Continue Reading
