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Search Senator Leahy’s press releases, floor statements, and Committee speeches by date or by subject.
Senate Last Night Passes Resolution By Leahy And Cruz Calling For Iran’s Release Of Unjustly Imprisoned Americans
U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) and U.S. Senator Patrick Leahy issued the following statement on the Senate's passage Tuesday night of their bipartisan resolution calling on the Government of Iran to release all unjustly detained American citizens and legal permanent residents, including Siamak Namazi, Baquer Namazi, Xiyue Wang and Nizar Zakka, and to return Robert Levinson. "For years the Iranian regime has brutally detained and imprisoned Americans and dual-nationals as a matter of policy, in an… Continue Reading
10.31.17
10 Senators Led By Leahy Ask President To Abstain In Tomorrow’s UN General Assembly Vote On The Failed 55-Year U.S. Embargo Of Cuba
With the UN General Assembly tomorrow (Wednesday) scheduled to take up a periodic resolution calling for an end to the 55-year-old U.S. embargo on Cuba, U.S. Senator Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) has headed a letter, signed also by nine other senators, urging that the United States abstain on the vote, as the United States did last year. The letter is available at this LINK: https://www.leahy.senate.gov/download/cuban-embargo-letter… Continue Reading
10.31.17
Reaction Of Senator Patrick Leahy To The Report Of The Independent Team Of Experts Investigating The Assassination Of Berta Caceres In Honduras
"This damning report corroborates what many have suspected -- that the investigation of Berta Caceres' murder has been plagued by incompetence, attempts to stonewall and deflect blame to protect those who conceived of and paid for this plot, and a glaring lack of political will. The Public Ministry needs to fully disclose, without further delay, all testimony and electronic and ballistics evidence to the Caceres family's legal representatives and defendants' lawyers, as required by law. The Mi… Continue Reading
10.31.17
Comment Of Senator Patrick Leahy Of The Senate Agriculture Committee About The Nomination Of Sam Clovis To Be The USDA’s Chief Scientist
"If his anti-science record were not enough cause for concern, the latest reporting suggesting that Mr. Clovis may have facilitated Russian collusion in our elections raises these concerns to an alarming level. Even for this administration, that should be disqualifying."… Continue Reading
10.30.17
As Mueller Investigation Proceeds, Leahy Calls to Protect Integrity And Independence Of Special Counsel
"Today we learned that one of then-candidate Trump's foreign policy advisors lied to the FBI about his attempts to coordinate meetings between the Trump campaign and the Kremlin. We separately learned that Trump campaign chairman Paul Manafort was deeply connected to and profited from Russian interests in Ukraine, and he allegedly laundered millions of dollars through foreign accounts and lied about it to the U.S. government. He then went on to serve as the chairman of President Trump's campai… Continue Reading
10.26.17
Leahy Releases Further Under-Oath Queries To AG Sessions As Part Of The Judiciary Committee’s DOJ Oversight Hearing Process
Senator Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) on Thursday released his written questions for the record to Attorney General Jeff Sessions following the Senate Judiciary Committee's Justice Department oversight hearing with him last week. Leahy's written questions - to which Attorney General Sessions will provide responses under oath - focus on a variety of issues, including Sessions' misleading testimony in response to a prior question from Leahy about the scope of his contacts with Russian officials as a se… Continue Reading
10.26.17
A REALITY CHECK ON THE PRESIDENT’S OPIOID ANNOUNCEMENT
White House's Tough Talk On The Opioid Crisis Crumbles As New 'Plan' Offers No New Resources, While Congressional Republicans Act To Slash Medicaid By $1 Trillion President Trump's long awaited declaration on the nationwide opioids crisis is nothing more than symbolic talk. There is no action or new funding behind the President's empty words to address this crisis. This is unacceptable. It is far past time for the administration to acknowledge that the opioid crisis is a national emergency… Continue Reading
10.26.17
Statement Of Appropriations Vice Chairman Leahy On the President’s Announcement On The Opioid Epidemic
It is far past time for the administration to acknowledge that the opioid crisis is a national emergency that affects every community across the country. This is a scourge that does not discriminate between rich and poor, or Republicans and Democrats, or urban areas and rural ones. But the President's talk is just that - talk. There is no action or new funding behind the President's empty words to address this crisis. This is not acceptable. The Republicans voted TODAY in the House of Repre… Continue Reading
10.25.17
Udall, Leahy, Feinstein, Blumenthal: Trump Administration Must Answer Why Nominees Are Serving Without Senate Confirmation
Dourson and other Trump nominees may be violating the law and circumventing the Constitution Today, U.S. Senators Tom Udall (D-N.M.), Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.), Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.), and Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) sent a letter to Office of Presidential Personnel (OPP) Director John DeStefano in response to reports that the Trump administration is allowing individuals nominated by the president to perform the duties of their appointed positions prior to receiving Senate confirmation. If tr… Continue Reading
10.25.17
In Late Night Vote, VP Casts Tie-Breaking Vote To Kill Consumer Protection Rule That Would Have Restored Ordinary Americans' Legal Rights When Harmed By Large Financial Firms
Another Wall Street Win Over Regular Americans - In Late Night Vote, VP Pence Casts Tie-Breaking Vote To Kill CFPB Consumer Protection Rule That Would Have Restored Americans' Legal Rights For Remedies When They Are Harmed By Large Financial Firms . . . Leahy Has Spotlighted Use Of Forced Arbitration By Such Firms As Wells Fargo And Equifax [The Senate Tuesday night narrowly passed a measure to kill a new consumer protection rule by the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) th… Continue Reading
10.24.17
Leahy Statement On The Congressional Resolution Of Disapproval Relating To The CFPB's Arbitration Rule
Something truly outrageous is happening today on the floor of the Senate. The resolution we will consider today signals to the American people, in no uncertain terms, that they do not deserve the right to seek justice when big banks or other financial service providers rip them off, leave their personal information exposed to hackers, or engage in discrimination. The resolution of disapproval before us today will strip Americans of their rights in court and will ensure that corporate wrongdoin… Continue Reading
10.23.17
Approps Vice Chairman Leahy Statement On Emergency Supplemental Appropriations For Recent Disasters
No one in this chamber is immune from disaster. Six years ago, Marcelle and I watched with great alarm as communities around Vermont felt the devastating impact of Tropical Storm Irene. That storm washed away entire communities in our state, tearing down homes, local landmarks and bridges alike. Republicans and Democrats in the Senate, from across the country, stood by Vermont's side then to help us rebuild. Because that is who we are as Americans. We lift each other up in times of disaste… Continue Reading
10.20.17
Senate Appropriations Committee Vice Chairman Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) Meets With Governor Of Puerto Rico Ahead Of Senate Consideration Of Emergency Funding
Senate Appropriations Committee Vice Chairman Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) late Thursday met with the Governor of Puerto Rico, Ricardo Rosselló, ahead of Senate consideration of emergency supplemental appropriations to respond to recent natural disasters. Leahy said: "As a Vermonter, a Senator and the Vice Chairman of the Senate Appropriations Committee, I assured Governor Rosselló that we stand with the people of Puerto Rico. The path to recovery from Hurricane Maria is not measured … Continue Reading
10.19.17
Senators Cruz and Leahy Pen Letter Urging Apple CEO Tim Cook to Stop Enabling the Great Firewall
U.S. Sens. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) and Patrick Leahy on Thursday released a letter addressed to Apple CEO Tim Cook regarding reports that Apple has removed Virtual Private Network (VPN) applications (apps) from the version of Apple's App Store available to users in the People's Republic of China. "The threat that the Great Firewall poses to the freedom of the people of China is similar to the threat that the Berlin Wall imposed on the people of East Berlin for twenty-eight years," the senators wrote… Continue Reading
10.17.17
Judiciary Democrats Call on DOJ to Produce Documents That May Show Coordination with Trump Voter Fraud Commission
Recently revealed court records suggest the Department of Justice coordinated with President Donald Trump's Advisory Commission on Election Integrity, which has sought sensitive voter roll data on the majority of the voting public and conducted highly partisan hearings based on discredited allegations of voter fraud. Today, all Democratic members of the Senate Judiciary Committee signed a letter, led by Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), pushing the Justice Department to produce documents descr… Continue Reading
10.13.17
Leahy Statement On President Trump’s Decision To Not Certify The Iran Deal
"President Trump's decision not to certify the Iran deal recklessly endangers our national security interests, isolates our country, and is contrary to determinations made by his own Administration that Iran has been compliant with the agreement -- all for the sake of fulfilling a campaign slogan. It will signal to the world - including to North Korea - that the United States cannot be trusted to keep its word. "The Iran deal is not perfect. No multilateral agreement is. That is why there ar… Continue Reading
10.13.17
Leahy Statement On President Trump’s Recent Actions On Health Care
"The President does not want to provide "great" health care. The President wants to tear down the Affordable Care Act, stripping affordable, comprehensive health care coverage from millions of American people, and thousands of Vermonters. His latest attempt to do so is as blatant and obvious as throwing a brick through a plate glass window. His Executive Order and announcement late last night will both drive premiums higher, making it difficult for middle class families to afford health insur… Continue Reading
10.12.17
Leahy, Sanders, Welch Reaction To Mamadou Bah
Senator Leahy, Senator Sanders, and Congressman Welch wrote a letter to ICE on September 5th requesting that they take no further action to deport Mamadou Bah, pending the results of his motions in Immigration Court and his application to USCIS for a green card based on his marriage to a U.S. citizen. ICE denied the request on September 13th. "We are appalled that the Trump Administration is pursuing an unbridled effort to deport contributing members of our community with no room for compassio… Continue Reading
10.11.17
Comment of Senator Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) On Senator McConnell’s Remarks Concerning The “Blue Slip” Tradition
[The Constitution requires presidents to seek both the "Advice and Consent" of the Senate in appointing judges to lifetime posts on the federal courts. Blue slips distributed and collected by the Judiciary Committee are an enforcement mechanism for the "advice" prong of the Senate's constitutional role. When a senator returns a favorable blue slip it demonstrates that the senator elected to represent that state with the judicial vacancy was consulted, and that the nominee is likely to be confi… Continue Reading
10.06.17
Reaction To Trump Adm. Lifting Sanctions On Sudan
Reaction Of Appropriations Committee Vice Chair Patrick Leahy To The Permanent Lifting Of Sanctions On Sudan By The Trump Administration "I supported the Trump Administration's decision in July to extend the review period for easing sanctions against Sudan, but today's announcement to lift sanctions is shockingly premature. While Sudan's cooperation in some areas has improved, the government continues to impede humanitarian access and violate the fundamental rights of its citizens, as it has do… Continue Reading
