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Search Senator Leahy’s press releases, floor statements, and Committee speeches by date or by subject.
Remarks of Senator Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.), Vice Chairman, Senate Appropriations Committee Press Conference – A Blueprint to Rebuild America’s Infrastructure
It wasn't that long ago when there was general agreement in our country and in Congress about the importance of investing in American infrastructure. The infrastructure that is needed for workers to get to their jobs, and American products to our markets. The investments that are needed to help drive our economy forward. In more recent times, the bipartisanship that used to make that possible has been corrosively undermined by obstructionism. Letting our infrastructure wind down and whither … Continue Reading
01.24.17
Statement Of Senator Patrick Leahy On Vermonters In The Women’s Marches In Montpelier And Washington
This weekend, Marcelle and I had the pleasure of hosting hundreds of Vermonters for coffee before the Women's March on Washington. I could not be prouder of the thousands more who marched in the Green Mountain State in Montpelier, our state capital, and those who drove through the night to show that our brave little state says no to hate. I was inspired by the sight of hundreds of thousands of pink hats showing the President that they are paying attention, they want their voices to be heard, a… Continue Reading
01.23.17
Statement of Senator Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) On the Nomination of Mike Pompeo to be Director of the CIA
Tonight, the Senate will vote on the President's nominee to be the Director of the Central Intelligence Agency. As I said on Friday, I do not believe the Senate should rush to confirm such a critical position, without the opportunity for debate or discussion. We are having that debate today, and that is why on Friday, I supported a motion to proceed to this nomination. Our intelligence agencies have an enormous task ahead. The challenges they face range from state-sponsored information warfa… Continue Reading
01.21.17
Leahy Welcomes Hundreds Of Vermonters To Nation’s Capital For The Women’s March
(SATURDAY, Jan. 21, 2017 ) - Senator Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) and Marcelle Saturday welcomed hundreds of Vermonters to the Nation's Capital for the Women's March. More than 800 Vermonters registered for the event. Speaking to the Vermont marchers, Leahy said: "Our brave little state says NO to hate." He said he was reminded of this quote from Martin Luther King Jr.: "We have to accept finite disappointment, but not give up infinite hope. Only light can crowd out darkness." You can view a gal… Continue Reading
01.20.17
Statement of Senator Patrick Leahy On The Nomination of James Mattis To Be Secretary Of Defense
Today I will vote for James Mattis to be the next Secretary of Defense. General Mattis stands out as a top-practitioner in his field. He has earned - and rightly deserves - near-universal respect. While I opposed the hurried waiving of a carefully considered statutory cooling off period for members of the military before they can become eligible for this civilian position, I made clear then, and restate now, that my opposition to this waiver was never about General Mattis himself. I was grat… Continue Reading
01.20.17
Statement Of Senator Patrick Leahy On The Nomination of General John Kelly To Be Secretary Of Homeland Security
General Kelly is no stranger to the problems we face along the southern border. As the commander of U.S. Southern Command, he is familiar not only with immigration challenges, but with drug trafficking. While I am grateful that he has not subscribed to the singular approach that President Trump has thus far proposed with respect to constructing a wall along our southern border, I am deeply concerned that he has admonished so-called sanctuary cities and has testified that accelerating the depor… Continue Reading
01.17.17
Leahy Releases Follow Up Questions To AG Nominee Sessions
(Tuesday, January 17, 2017) - Senator Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) Tuesday released written questions submitted for the record to the Attorney General nominee, Senator Jeff Sessions. The written queries focus on topics addressed in last week's confirmation hearings - including Senator Sessions' opposition to the Violence Against Women Act - as well as other subjects. During last week's confirmation hearings Leahy, the lead author of the Violence Against Women Reauthorization Act, pressed Sessions abo… Continue Reading
01.17.17
Comment Of Senator Patrick Leahy On Attending The Inaugural Ceremony
I will be attending this ceremony, as I have attended every previous inaugural ceremony - involving presidents of both parties -- while I have represented Vermonters in the U.S. Senate. I am taking part as a member of the Senate, which is one of our foundational institutions. I most certainly will not be taking part as a supporter of candidate Donald Trump, but as a guardian of our constitutional process and of the office of the presidency. It is no secret that I strongly opposed Donald Trump… Continue Reading
01.17.17
Senate Judiciary Democrats to Jeff Sessions: Don’t Block Russia Hack Investigation
Senate Judiciary Democrats to Jeff Sessions: Don't Block Russia Hack Investigation Washington-Senate Judiciary Committee Ranking Member Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) and all committee Democrats today called on Senator Jeff Sessions (R-Ala.), nominee for attorney general, to allow investigations of Russia hacking to proceed and to recuse himself from those proceedings. The letter poses two questions to Senator Jeff Sessions (R-Ala.), the nominee to become attorney general:… Continue Reading
01.17.17
LEAHY STATEMENT ON SECOND U.S. CONTRIBUTION OF $500 MILLION TO THE GREEN CLIMATE FUND
(TUESDAY, Jan. 17, 2017) - U.S. Senator Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.), Vice Chairman of the Senate Appropriations Committee and Ranking Member of the Subcommittee on the State Department and Foreign Operations, reaction to the State Department announcement of the second U.S. contribution of $500 million to the green climate fund: "I commend the Administration for making this contribution, which has bipartisan support in the Senate. It will help give us a 'seat at the table' in future climate change ne… Continue Reading
01.12.17
Statement of Senator Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) On Waiver Legislation for the Next Secretary of Defense
The Senate is faced with a clear but complicated choice: support this expedited legislation that will pave the way for the confirmation of the next nominee to be Secretary of Defense, or embroil one of the most consequential Cabinet positions - and with it the lives of thousands of men and women, as well as our national defense - in what would surely become a legal and legislative morass. The Framers of the Constitution established that the Senate should provide advice and consent in the appoin… Continue Reading
01.12.17
Statement Of Senator Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) On The DHS Proposed Rulemaking To Reform The Flawed EB-5 Program
[Senator Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) issued the following comment Thursday after the Department of Homeland Security released a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking that, once implemented, will make significant improvements to the EB-5 Regional Center Program. The proposal would raise the minimum investment levels for the first time since the EB-5 program was created in 1990, and it would restrict the ability of high-end real estate developers to take advantage of development incentives intended for distres… Continue Reading
01.12.17
LEAHY ANNOUNCES SENATE APPROPRIATIONS SUBCOMMITTEE RANKING MEMBERS
(THURSDAY, Jan. 12, 2017) - U.S. Senator Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.), Vice Chairman of the Senate Appropriations Committee, today announced the subcommittee ranking members for the 115th Congress. Leahy said: "The Appropriations Committee has a challenging year ahead. We must finish the work of the 114th Congress and pass the remaining fiscal year 2017 bills, while simultaneously preparing to address the needs of the next. Appropriations bills are where policy debates meet fiscal realities. Approp… Continue Reading
01.11.17
Leahy Joins Senator Tammy Baldwin And Others In Calling For Disclosure Of Trump Cabinet Nominees’ Golden Parachute Bonus Payouts
(WEDNESDAY, Jan. 11, 2017) -- U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin led a group of her colleagues in sending President-elect Trump a letter calling for his cabinet nominees to disclose any payments they may receive from former employers that is contingent upon accepting a job in the federal government. Senator Baldwin was joined by Senators Patrick Leahy (D-VT), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) and Chris Van Hollen (D-MD) in sending th… Continue Reading
01.10.17
Leahy Presses AG Nominee Not To Roll Back Key Protections For Victims Of Domestic Violence & Sexual Assault
(TUESDAY, Jan.10, 2017) - Senator Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.), the lead author of the bipartisan Violence Against Women Reauthorization Act which was enacted in 2013, challenged Attorney General nominee Senator Jeff Sessions (R-Ala.) on Tuesday not to roll back the important progress made to protect all victims of domestic and sexual violence, including LGBT individuals and those living on tribal lands. During the Judiciary Committee's consideration of the Sessions nomination Tuesday, Leahy asked: "… Continue Reading
01.10.17
Floor Remarks Of Senator Patrick Leahy On The Budget Resolution, S. Con. Res. 3 (To Instruct Committees To Draft Legislation To Repeal The ACA)
The 115th Congress convened just last week. I had hoped that with all the turmoil in the country that we would begin the year with a renewed sense of cooperation. But I am sorry to say, my friends in the Republican Party have chosen a different path. The very first thing on the agenda is to press forward with a sham budget. If you ask why we have a sham budget, a fake budget, an unrealistic budget-we find out that its only purpose is to set up a process to repeal the Affordable Care Act with a … Continue Reading
01.10.17
Leahy And Other Judiciary Committee Democrats Urge Panel To Prevent Politicization Of The Justice Department Under Trump
(TUESDAY, Jan. 10, 2017) -- With Senator Jeff Sessions's (R-AL) confirmation hearing underway, members of the Senate Judiciary Committee have written to Judiciary Chairman Charles Grassley (R-IA) requesting that the Committee serve as a bulwark against any politicization of the U.S. Department of Justice during the Trump administration. In their letter, the senators cite both the targeting of attorneys within the Department based on their previous advocacy and recent actions taken by the Trump … Continue Reading
01.10.17
Statement of Senator Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.), On Senator Dianne Feinstein Becoming Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Committee
Today, the Senate Judiciary Committee convenes for the first time in the 115th Congress and we mark an historic moment in the Committee's 200 year history. Last week, Senator Dianne Feinstein was named the Committee's ranking member, the first time in American history that a woman has served in this capacity. It is striking that 352 members have served on the Committee, and only six of those -- all Democrats-- have been women. Three of those six women are proudly serving on this important Com… Continue Reading
01.09.17
Jeff Sessions Was Too Extreme For Republicans In 1986. Is He Too Extreme For Republicans Now?
This week, the Senate Judiciary Committee will meet in a legendary room that has been the site of such historic events as the Watergate hearings, and Senator John Kennedy's presidential campaign announcement. This ornate room has since been named for my friend, the late Senator Ted Kennedy, and more recently senators have met in this room for the confirmation hearings of Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts and Attorney General Eric Holder. As senators prepare to gather in the Kennedy Cau… Continue Reading
01.05.17
As New Congress Opens, Leahy Joins Klobuchar And Others To Introduce Legislation To Lower Prescription Drug Prices For Seniors
(THURSDAY, Jan. 5, 2017) -- At the start of the new Congress, Senator Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) has joined Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.) and others in introducing legislation to lower prescription drug prices for seniors. The lawmakers have introduced the Medicare Prescription Drug Price Negotiation Act, which would allow Medicare to negotiate the price of prescription drugs. Current law only allows for bargaining by pharmaceutical companies and bans Medicare from doing so. The legislation woul… Continue Reading
