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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 The Trump Directive To End The DACA Program
After promising he would treat DACA recipients with "great heart," President Trump has instead made a heartless decision to abandon protections for our Nation's DREAMers. An unfortunate pattern has emerged with this White House. Facing historic low approval ratings, the President desperately rallies his dwindling supporters by exploiting fear and resentment. Such conduct is shameful and unbecoming of the presidency, an office intended to represent our proudest ideals - not play to basest inst… Continue Reading
09.07.17
Summary: Departments of Labor, Health And Human Services, And Education, And Related Agencies FY 2018 Appropriations Bill
The fiscal year 2018 Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education, and Related Agencies (LHHS) Appropriations bill provides a total of $166 billion. This figure includes $164.1 billion in discretionary funding as well as $1.896 billion in cap adjustment funding to prevent waste, fraud, abuse and improper payments in the Medicare, Medicaid, and Social Security programs. U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-Wash.), Ranking Member of the Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services, … Continue Reading
09.07.17
Summary: State, Foreign Operations, And Related Programs FY 2018 Appropriations Bill
The bill provides $51.195 billion in discretionary budget authority, including $20.785 billion in Overseas Contingency Operations. The allocation is $10.7 billion above the President's request as scored by CBO, but it is $1.9 billion below the fiscal year 2017 enacted level when factoring in fiscal year 2017 funding for famine relief but not the Security Assistance Appropriations Act, 2017. U.S. Senator Leahy Ranking Member (D-Vt.), Ranking Member of the State, Foreign Operations, and Related… Continue Reading
09.06.17
Leahy And Cochran Re-Introduce Bill To Renew And Expand Farm To School Program
U.S. Senators Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) and Thad Cochran (R-Miss.) Wednesday re-introduced their legislation to extend a key nutrition program for school-aged children. The bipartisan Farm to School Act of 2017 will increase federal resources that bring fresh and nutritious local foods to schools across the country. Leahy, Vice Chairman of the Senate Appropriations Committee, is the author of the existing Farm to School program. Cochran is the Chairman of the Appropriations Committee, and both se… Continue Reading
09.06.17
Statement Of Appropriations Vice Chair Patrick Leahy On Harvey Disaster Relief Supplemental Appropriations Bill
(Wednesday, Sept. 6, 2017) - The U.S. House of Representatives Wednesday, by a vote of 419 to 3, approved $7.4 billion in appropriations for FEMA and $450 million for the Small Business Administration to support continued disaster relief following the destruction caused by Hurricane Harvey. The bill now moves to the Senate where Senate Appropriations Vice Chairman Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) will play a key role in passing it through the chamber.] Marcelle and I have held the people of Texas and Lou… Continue Reading
09.05.17
Comment Of Senator Patrick Leahy On The Trump Plan To End The DACA Program, Threatening Thousands of DREAMers
"After promising to show DACA recipients 'great heart,' the President has revealed he is as heartless as he is uninformed. We live in an unprecedented time when our President seeks to divide us, not to unite us. He rallies his dwindling supporters by exploiting fear and resentment, marginalizing those who are vulnerable and even those who risk their lives for our country and their communities. It is shameful and far beneath the office he holds. "Today President Trump is targeting yet another… Continue Reading
08.27.17
Statement On The Situation In Guatemala
Statement of United States Senator Patrick Leahy Vice Chairman, Committee on Appropriations On The Situation In Guatemala August 27, 2017 "Any action by officials of the Guatemalan Government to obstruct justice or otherwise impede the functions of the International Commission Against Impunity in Guatemala or its Commissioner, or the Office of the Attorney General, would trigger a strong reaction by the United States Congress. "The eligibility of the Guatemalan Government for assistance from … Continue Reading
08.25.17
Leahy REAX To The Arpaio Pardon
Comments Of Senator Patrick Leahy On President Trump's Pardon Of Sheriff Arpaio As President he has the right to pardon almost anyone. It is disheartening that he set the bar so very low for his first pardon. It is a shame to see the pardon power devalued like this. The ex-sheriff is a self-aggrandizing braggart who promoted racist law enforcement practices and cost taxpayers millions, and that is a reason they did not reelect him. After the racism and hate in Charlottesville, our country need… Continue Reading
08.23.17
Statement On President Trump’s Address On Afghanistan And South Asia
Statement Of Senator Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.), Vice Chairman, Appropriations Committee, On President Trump's Address On Afghanistan And South Asia August 22, 2017 "After blaming his predecessors and calling for an immediate withdrawal from Afghanistan during the campaign, President Trump has swung 180 degrees. His solution to a 16-year war involving hundreds of thousands of American troops, many of whom have served multiple tours, is to send more troops and abandon the Obama administration's fo… Continue Reading
08.23.17
Leahy Co-Leads Effort To Press USDA To Provide Relief To Dairy Farmers
Leahy Co-Leads Bipartisan Letter From New England Lawmakers Urging USDA to Provide Relief To Dairy Farmers . . . Sanders And Welch Also Are Among Signers Of Letter Urging USDA To Make Dairy Farmers Eligible For Federal Crop Insurance Program And To Develop New Insurance Programs For Dairy Producers (WEDNESDAY, Aug. 23, 2017) -- As dairy farmers across New England continue to struggle with historically low milk prices, Senator Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) and Senator Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.), and Repres… Continue Reading
08.23.17
Leahy REAX To Trump Threat To Shut Down Government
Leahy REAX To Trump Threat To Shut Down Government (WEDNESDAY, Aug. 23, 2017) - Vice Chairman of the Senate Appropriations Committee Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) Wednesday issued the following statement on President Trump's threat to shut down the government if Congress does not agree to forcing American taxpayers to fund a border wall: This is not President Trump's first threat to shut down the United States government over his foolish, costly and useless wall, wasting tens of billions in U.S. taxpa… Continue Reading
08.18.17
After Charlottesville Attack, Leahy and Twenty-Three Senators Press DHS on Trump Administration’s De-emphasis of Domestic Terrorism Efforts
In the wake of the deadly attack stemming from a far-right demonstration in Charlottesville, lawmakers led by U.S. Senator Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) are pressing the Department of Homeland Security on questions arising from the Trump Administration's apparent de-emphasis on protecting Americans from domestic terrorism, especially the Administration's apparent decision to de-emphasize combating far-right extremism. Leahy, joined by 23 other Senators, questioned DHS Acting Secretary Elaine Duke about… Continue Reading
08.17.17
Remarks Of Senator Patrick Leahy North East Regional IDeA Conference
Thank you, Frank, for your kind introduction and thank you all for inviting me here today. I particularly want to recognize the researchers who have travelled to Burlington from across the region and from NIH's campus in Bethesda. Thank you, Dr. Taylor and others for making the trip to Vermont. I hope you find some time to enjoy our beautiful state during your visit. The Institutional Development Award program was created to expand the breadth of institutions conducting biomedical research… Continue Reading
08.14.17
Statement of Senator Patrick Leahy On The Racist Demonstrations And Violence In Charlottesville
"This morning Marcelle and I will go to Mass honoring the life of a dear friend who just died. At Mass we will also pray - as we have throughout the weekend - that America can remember that all people are equal. There is no place in any great country for racial bias, religious bias or hatred of others. The President should denounce David Duke and others who say they carry out racial hatred in his name. I denounce it and as a Senator I will always denounce the racial, religious and even politi… Continue Reading
08.10.17
Governor Phil Scott And Senator Patrick Leahy Announce Northern Border Grants
Governor Phil Scott and U.S. Senator Patrick Leahy were in Hardwick Thursday to announce a $250,000 Northern Border Regional Commission (NBRC) grant to transform the former "Greensboro Garage" on Route 15 into a new agricultural enterprise center. The grant is one of ten NBRC grants totaling $2,228,801 announced Thursday, which will make vital infrastructure improvements, invest in job-creating technical assistance programs, and help businesses and organizations from Franklin to Caledonia Coun… Continue Reading
08.09.17
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
