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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 McCain Amendment 4787 to the CJS Appropriations Bill
Statement of Senator Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.), Ranking Member, Senate Judiciary Committee, On McCain Amendment 4787 to the CJS Appropriations Bill June 22, 2016 Earlier this week, Senate Republicans once again blocked sensible gun safety measures that the majority of Americans support. And now the Republican leadership wants to change the subject. They are resorting to scare tactics to divert the attention of the American people from their failure to act in response to mass shootings. Let's be c… Continue Reading
06.21.16
Leahy Urges Senators To Support Amendment That Gives Law Enforcement Meaningful Resources To Prevent Terrorism
Leahy Urges Senators To Support Amendment That Gives Law Enforcement Meaningful Resources To Prevent Terrorism WASHINGTON (Tuesday, June 21, 2016) - Senate Republicans who blocked sensible gun safety measures this week are now pushing an unnecessary and overly broad surveillance measure involving innocent Americans' Internet activities. Instead of trying to change the subject away from the gun debate, Senator Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) urged Senators Tuesday to support his common sense amendment to … Continue Reading
06.21.16
Statement of Senator Patrick Leahy On Amendments to the CJS Appropriations Bill
Statement of Senator Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.), Ranking Member, Senate Judiciary Committee, On Amendments to the CJS Appropriations Bill June 21, 2016 After voting down sensible gun measures earlier this week, Republicans want to change the subject. They want to resort to scare tactics to divert the attention of the American people. Now they are offering an overbroad proposal that they argue is needed to keep this country safe. Let's be clear about what we need to stay safe. We need universal bac… Continue Reading
06.21.16
At SJC Hearing On Rising Prescription Drug Prices, Leahy Calls For Congressional Action
At SJC Hearing On Rising Prescription Drug Prices, Leahy Calls For Congressional Action . . . New Leahy Bill Would Deter Big Drug Firms From Blocking Or Slowing Generic Alternatives WASHINGTON (TUESDAY, June 21, 2016) - The rising costs of pharmaceutical drugs, including critical treatments for opioid overdoses, is a harm to consumers that Congress must address, Senator Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) said at a Judiciary Committee hearing Tuesday. "Pharmaceutical companies should be compensated for the… Continue Reading
06.21.16
Statement of Senator Patrick Leahy Hearing on “The CREATES Act: Ending Regulatory Abuse, Protecting Consumers, and Ensuring Drug Price Competition”
Statement of Senator Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) Ranking Member, Senate Judiciary Committee Hearing Before the Senate Judiciary Committee Subcommittee on Antitrust, Competition Policy and Consumer Rights on "The CREATES Act: Ending Regulatory Abuse, Protecting Consumers, and Ensuring Drug Price Competition" June 21, 2016 In recent months, the high cost of prescription drugs has been front and center in national news. Last year, American consumers learned of the unconscionable price-hike by Turing of… Continue Reading
06.21.16
Leahy Comment On The Unanimous Well-Qualified Rating of Chief Judge Merrick Garland By The American Bar Association
Comment Of Senator Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.), Ranking Member, Senate Judiciary Committee, On The Unanimous Well-Qualified Rating of Chief Judge Merrick Garland by the American Bar Association June 21, 2016 "Senate Republicans who are blocking Supreme Court nominee Merrick Garland are out of excuses. Today the American Bar Association announced its rating of Chief Judge Garland's nomination, unanimously awarding him its highest rating of 'Well-Qualified' to serve on the Supreme Court. Senate Repu… Continue Reading
06.21.16
Statement of Senator Patrick Leahy On Judicial Nominations June 21 2016
Statement of Senator Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.), Ranking Member, Senate Judiciary Committee, On Judicial Nominations June 21, 2016 Today this Committee holds a nominations hearing for four judicial nominees, including one circuit court nominee, Jennifer Puhl, for the Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals. The other three would fill district court vacancies in South Carolina, Idaho, and New York. This is just the fourth judicial nominations hearing of this year - and it should not be the last. In 2008 … Continue Reading
06.20.16
Reaction of U.S. Senator Patrick Leahy (D-Vt., Ranking Member, Appropriations Committee’s Subcommittee On The State Department And Foreign Operations) To Global Witness Report On Attacks Against Environmental Activists Worldwide
"Global Witness documents the shocking pattern of harassment and killings of environmental activists who courageously defend their land and water from the rapacious greed of multinational extractive industries in search of quick profits, often with the support of corrupt governments. Berta Caceres' death in Honduras made headlines around the world because of her notoriety, but there have been many like her who died in obscurity. Governments should be defending these people, not treating them l… Continue Reading
06.20.16
One Week After Mass Shooting In Orlando, Leahy Urges Senators To Support Common Sense Legislation To Make Our Communities Safer
(Monday, June 20, 2016) - A Vermont teen recently penned an open letter urging Senator Leahy and all Senators to "do something. Something big," in response to the mass shooting in Orlando that took 49 innocent lives. The letter was written by a Vermont teenager named Ella Staats, and it appeared in the Vermont Digger as part of the Young Writers Project. On Monday, Senator Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) took to the Senate floor to respond to Ms. Staats and all Americans who are calling on Congress to r… Continue Reading
06.20.16
One Week After Mass Shooting In Orlando, Leahy Urges Senators To Support Common Sense Legislation To Make Our Communities Safer
(Monday, June 20, 2016) - A Vermont teen recently penned an open letter urging Senator Leahy and all Senators to "do something. Something big," in response to the mass shooting in Orlando that took 49 innocent lives. The letter was written by a Vermont teenager named Ella Staats, and it appeared in the Vermont Digger as part of the Young Writers Project. On Monday, Senator Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) took to the Senate floor to respond to Ms. Staats and all Americans who are calling on Congress to r… Continue Reading
06.20.16
Leahy: “Today – and every day – I stand with refugees”
(Monday, June 20, 2016) - Marking World Refugee Day, Senate Judiciary Committee Ranking Member Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) called on lawmakers to stand with refugees escaping violence and persecution around the world-and to reject divisive rhetoric. "World Refugee Day is a day we remember our common humanity and the moral imperative to love and care for one another," Leahy said. "I can think of no better time than now to pause and remember those fundamental principles." He added: "The rhetoric of … Continue Reading
06.20.16
Statement of Senator Patrick Leahy (D-VT), Ranking Member, Senate Judiciary Committee, Commemorating World Refugee Day
Today, we commemorate World Refugee Day. It is a day we make clear that we stand with those who have survived the horrors of war, torture, and persecution. It is a day when we remember our common humanity and the moral imperative to love and care for one another. I can think of no better time than now to pause and remember those fundamental principles. The rhetoric of hate and intolerance has reached a frightening pitch in this country, much of it directed against innocent victims of persecut… Continue Reading
06.20.16
Leahy And Community Leaders Gather To Announce More Than $1 Million In New Funding To Help Connect Healthy Families, Farm And Food
BURLINGTON, Vt. (MONDAY, June 20, 2016) - Senator Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) Monday announced more than $1 million in new grants to support local agriculture and promote healthy communities. The grantees include Green Mountain Farm to School and Wholesome Wave, the Vermont Department of Health, and the University of Vermont Center for Rural Studies. The grants were awarded by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Food Insecurity Nutrition Incentive (FINI) and the Agriculture and Food R… Continue Reading
06.16.16
Leahy Named A Top Negotiator On CARA Act To Address Opioid
Leahy Named A Top Negotiator On LegislationTo Address Opioid Epidemic . . . Leahy To Join House-Senate Discussions On Comprehensive Addiction and Recovery Act WASHINGTON (THURSDAY, June 16, 2016) - The Senate on Thursday named Senator Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) as a key negotiator in bipartisan, bicameral discussions on legislation to address the nation's opioid crisis, which has deeply impacted Vermont and other states. "I am a proud cosponsor of the Comprehensive Addiction and Recovery Act, and … Continue Reading
06.16.16
Senate Passes Leahy-Authored Bill To Improve Criminal Justice System
Senate Approves Leahy-Authored Bill To Improve Criminal Justice System. . . Renewal Of Leahy's Groundbreaking Innocence Protection Act Facilitates Post-Conviction Use Of DNA Evidence WASHINGTON (THURSDAY, June 16, 2016) - The Senate on Thursday unanimously approved legislation long championed by Senator Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) to help ensure that the criminal justice system functions fairly. The Justice for All Reauthorization Act, coauthored by Leahy and Senator John Cornyn (R-Texas), supports … Continue Reading
06.16.16
Statement of Senator Patrick Leahy On Final Passage of the Justice for All Reauthorization Act
Statement of Senator Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.), Ranking Member, Senate Committee on the Judiciary, On Final Passage of the Justice for All Reauthorization Act June 16, 2016 One of America's greatest strengths is our judicial system: a system based on the ideal of equal justice for all. The Senate has a critical role to play in protecting this judicial system. Perhaps most importantly, it is our responsibility to confirm qualified judges to vacancies throughout the country so that our courts funct… Continue Reading
06.15.16
Leahy, During Senate Dem Filibuster To Force Debate On Gun Safety, After Orlando: Senate Must Pass Commonsense Steps To Support Law Enforcement & Protect Americans In Their Communities
Leahy: Senate Must Pass Commonsense Legislation To Support Law Enforcement & Protect Americans In Their Communities WASHINGTON (WEDNESDAY, June 15, 2016) - As chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee last Congress, Senator Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) moved a series of gun safety bills through committee to bring common sense reforms to our nation's gun laws. Speaking on the floor on Wednesday during an unscheduled floor discussion led by Senate Democrats to force a debate and votes on gun safety… Continue Reading
06.15.16
Statement of Senator Patrick Leahy On the Terrorist Attack in Orlando, Florida
Statement of Senator Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.), Ranking Member, Senate Judiciary Committee, On the Terrorist Attack in Orlando, Florida June 15, 2016 Marcelle and I, along with all Vermonters, were devastated by the news of the attack in Orlando, and our hearts go out to the victims and their families. All Americans deserve to feel safe in their communities regardless of their race, age, sex, ethnicity, religion, or sexual orientation. In the wake of the worst mass shooting in American history, al… Continue Reading
06.14.16
Leahy Leads Bipartisan Intro Of Bill To Tackle Rising Rx Drug Prices
Leahy Leads Bipartisan Introduction Of Legislation To Address Rising Prescription Drug Prices WASHINGTON (TUESDAY, June 14, 2016) - Top leaders on the Senate Judiciary Committee led by Ranking Member Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) introduced new legislation Tuesday to combat anticompetitive practices by brand-name drug companies that delay entry of lower-priced generic drugs. The issue will also be the subject of a Senate committee hearing next week. The Creating and Restoring Equal Access to Equivalen… Continue Reading
06.14.16
Statement of Senator Patrick Leahy On Introduction of the Creating and Restoring Equal Access to Equivalent Samples (CREATES)
Statement of Senator Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) Ranking Member, Senate Judiciary Committee On Introduction of the Creating and Restoring Equal Access to Equivalent Samples (CREATES) Act June 14, 2016 In recent months, the high cost of pharmaceutical products has been front and center in national news, sometimes with astonishing examples like the unconscionable price-hike by Turing Pharmaceuticals of their drug for patients with HIV from $13.50 to $750 per pill overnight. Pharmaceutical companies s… Continue Reading
