Press Room
Press Releases
Search Senator Leahy’s press releases, floor statements, and Committee speeches by date or by subject.
Statement On The Capitol Riots And Republicans’ Attempt To Overturn The Election
January 6, 2021, will forever mark a historic day for our nation. Not simply because our beloved Capitol building - the very heart of our democracy - laid under siege. Not simply because rioters stormed the Senate and House floors, assaulting Capitol Police officers and leaving a wake of destruction along the way. Not simply because the President of the United States encouraged his supporters to commit these felonies - to march to the Capitol and "to fight," in his words. No, today will also… Continue Reading
01.06.21
Comment Of Senator Patrick Leahy On The Riot At The U.S. Capitol
The criminals who injured people, defiled the Nation's Capitol, and destroyed thousands of dollars' worth of property should be prosecuted for their felonies. And Senators tonight should and are reconvening without delay to resume the electoral count. President Trump doesn't want to accept defeat, so he instead promotes delusional conspiracy theories and encourages felonies. But the Senate has a job to do. We must protect the Constitution and prepare for the new President. It's the Americ… Continue Reading
01.05.21
Vermont’s Congressional Delegation To Recognize Vermont U.S. Service Academy Nominees On Wednesday, December 30, 2020, Video Livestream
U.S. Senator Patrick Leahy, U.S. Senator Bernie Sanders, and U.S. Representative Peter Welch on Wednesday evening recognized 28 young Vermonters who received nominations to the United States Service Academies, Class of 2025. Each year the Vermont delegation hosts a reception at the Vermont State House for the nominees. However, for everyone's safety, this year's ceremony was held virtually. The names of this year's nominees, selected by Leahy, Sanders, and Welch through a competitive vetting pr… Continue Reading
12.22.20
Sanders, Leahy, Welch Applaud Dam-Repair Funding For Vermont
, Dec. 22 - Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), Sen. Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) and Rep. Peter Welch (D-Vt.) announced that legislation passed by Congress last night will fund critical water infrastructure projects, including three aging flood-control dams. The Vermont delegation also announced that the state of Vermont has signed an agreement with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to make much-needed repairs to the Waterbury Dam. The project will begin in early 2021, using $40 million in federal funding s… Continue Reading
12.22.20
Daines, Leahy Bipartisan Bill Promoting Affordable Health Insurance Passes Senate, Heads to President’s Desk
U.S. SENATE - U.S. Senators Steve Daines (Mont.) and Patrick Leahy (Vt.) announced that their bipartisan bill promoting access to affordable health care by increasing transparency and enhancing consumer protections in the health insurance passed the U.S. Senate and will be headed to the President's desk to be signed into law. The "Competitive Health Insurance Reform Act" will ensure that health insurance issuers are subject to the same federal antitrust laws prohibiting unfair trade practices, s… Continue Reading
12.21.20
Merkley, Colleagues Push 22 Financial Services Companies to Prioritize American Health, Safety, Economic Security by Not Insuring Arctic Drilling
Oregon's U.S. Senator Jeff Merkley teamed up with U.S. Senators Patrick Leahy (D-VT), Dianne Feinstein (D-CA), Martin Heinrich (D-NM), Cory Booker (D-NJ), and Chris Van Hollen (D-MD) to press executives of 22 financial services companies to not insure any oil and gas developments in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, citing significant financial risk, catastrophic damage to one of the world's most delicate ecosystems, and the acceleration of climate chaos. The senators' letters-which were sen… Continue Reading
12.21.20
Appropriations Vice Chair Leahy Announces **VERMONT HIGHLIGHTS** Of Govt. Funding Bill
(MONDAY, Dec. 21, 2020) - Senator Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) Monday evening announced key Vermont highlights of the bipartisan agreement to fund the government for the remainder of fiscal year 2021, which includes the COVID relief package to provide relief to the thousands of Vermonters suffering during an unprecedented health and economic crisis. As the Vice Chairman of the Senate Appropriations Committee, Leahy secured several key priorities for Vermont in the fiscal year 2021 spending package. T… Continue Reading
12.21.20
Statement On FY 2021 Omnibus Appropriations Bills And COVID Relief Package
After months of delay and painstaking negotiation, this afternoon we will have before us a spending package that includes all 12 appropriations bills for fiscal year 2021, and a vitally important COVID relief package. It provides funding for programs that are critically important to the American people, and I urge its swift passage. We are already 2 months and 20 days into the fiscal year. We cannot delay further. As Vice Chairman of the Appropriations Committee, I worked hard to reach agree… Continue Reading
12.21.20
Vice Chairman Leahy Releases Fiscal Year 2021 Omnibus Appropriations Bill
(Monday, Dec. 21, 2020) - Senate Appropriations Committee Vice Chairman Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) Monday released the $1.4 trillion fiscal year 2021 Omnibus Appropriations bill. Leahy said: "This agreement is the product of weeks of hard work and compromise. This is not the bill I would have written on my own. It includes things I support and things I oppose. But on balance, passage of this bill is unquestionably in the interest of the American people, and both the House and the Senate should ac… Continue Reading
12.19.20
Statement On Attorney General William Barr And The Future Of The Department Of Justice Senate Floor
As William Barr's second tenure as Attorney General is coming to an end, it is important for the Senate to reflect upon his legacy, and upon the challenges now facing the Department of Justice. The Office of Attorney General fills a unique role within our system of government. Created by the Judiciary Act of 1789, an Attorney General is not a traditional member of the President's cabinet. As Supreme Court Justice James Iredell observed in 1792, the position "is not called the Attorney General… Continue Reading
12.16.20
Patents For Humanity Legislation, Championed By Leahy And Grassley, Passes Senate Unanimously And Heads To President’s Desk For Signature
(WEDNESDAY, Dec. 16, 2020) -- The Patents for Humanity Program Improvement Act, authored and long championed by Senator Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) and Senator Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa), passed the Senate unanimously on Tuesday night. This bipartisan bill encourages and rewards the use of patented technology to address humanitarian needs. Patents for Humanity is the United States Patent and Trademark Office's (USPTO) awards competition which recognizes innovators who use game-changing technology to me… Continue Reading
12.11.20
Statement On The FY2021 National Defense Authorization Act Conference Report
Mr. President, the Senate has before it today the result of a compromise. The conference report that will result in the adoption of the National Defense Authorization Act- NDAA-for fiscal year 2021 is neither the bill the Senate approved, nor the one the House passed. I am pleased that this conference report cures many of the problems that led to my vote to oppose the Senate bill. Specifically, the conference report is void of the authority for funds to support testing of a new nuclear device, w… Continue Reading
12.10.20
Klobuchar, Leahy Introduce Jamal Khashoggi Press Freedom Accountability Act
U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) and Patrick Leahy (D-VT) introduced legislation to ensure governments that commit human rights against journalists abuses are held accountable by the United States. It is widely believed that Jamal Khashoggi, a Washington Post journalist and resident of the U.S., was murdered in Saudi Arabia's consulate in Istanbul under orders from the Saudi government because of his writings in opposition to Saudi government policies. To help protect journalists across the w… Continue Reading
12.10.20
Murphy, Leahy, Menendez, Van Hollen, Wyden Statement On Sentencing Of Walid Fitaihi In Saudi Arabia
U.S. Senator Chris Murphy (D-Conn.), along with U.S. Senators Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.), Bob Menendez (D-N.J.), Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), and Ron Wyden (D-Ore.), on Thursday released the following statement on the sentencing of an American citizen, Walid Fitaihi, in Saudi Arabia: "We are appalled that Walid Fitaihi has been sentenced to six years in prison by a Saudi court on politically motivated charges. We have repeatedly called for the release of Dr. Fitaihi since his arrest in 2017, and suppor… Continue Reading
12.09.20
Statement On House Passage Of A One Week Continuing Resolution
I am glad that the House passed a one week continuing resolution that will allow us the time we need to complete our work on full year appropriations bills, and I urge the Senate to take up and pass it as soon as possible. We cannot - and will not - allow government funding to lapse in the midst of an unprecedented health and economic crisis. Chairwoman Lowey, Ranking Member Granger, Chairman Shelby, myself, and our staff, have been tirelessly working through the nights and the weekend to reac… Continue Reading
12.08.20
House Passes Antitrust Whistleblower Protections Authored by Grassley, Leahy
(Tuesday, Dec. 8, 2020) - The U.S. House of Representatives Tuesday passed legislation by Sens. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) and Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) granting protections to whistleblowers who shine a light on violations of antitrust laws. The Criminal Antitrust Anti-Retaliation Act, which unanimously passed the Senate last year, must now be signed by the President to become law. "Competition is essential for a thriving, affordable and innovative marketplace. When our antitrust laws are violated, c… Continue Reading
12.07.20
Statement On The Urgent Need For COVID Relief
It's been 321 days since the first COVID-19 case was reported in the United States. It's been 282 days since the first COVID-19 death was reported in the United States. The Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that the unemployment rate in November was 6.7 percent, nearly double the rate in November of last year. Hundreds of thousands of small businesses across the country have closed, permanently, due to COVID. As of today, there are more than 14.8 million reported cases of COVID-19 in the Un… Continue Reading
12.06.20
Reaction Of Senator Patrick Leahy To The National Academies Of Science’s Report, “Assessment Of Illness In U.S. Government Employees And Their Families At Overseas Embassies”
This report, long awaited, was finally released because I and other Members of Congress insisted that the public, and especially the families of those afflicted, be able to read it. I thank the members of the NAS Standing Committee for the considerable time and effort they devoted to this vexing issue. Their report leads to several conclusions, including: Several Members of Congress, among others, who rushed to judgment when these illnesses were first reported and publicly accused the Cuban … Continue Reading
12.03.20
Leahy, Sanders And Welch Encourage Vermont Dairy Farmers To Enroll In Safety-Net Program Ahead Of Friday, Dec. 11, Deadline
(THURSDAY, Dec. 3, 2020) -- Vermont's congressional delegation - Senator Patrick Leahy (D), Senator Bernie Sanders (I), and Representative Peter Welch (D) - are encouraging Vermont dairy farmers to consider enrolling in the Dairy Margin Coverage (DMC) program, a voluntary safety net program created in the 2018 Farm Bill to help producers manage volatile milk prices and feed costs. The enrollment period for 2021 closes on Friday, December 11. In a joint statement, Leahy, Sanders, and Welch said… Continue Reading
12.01.20
Leahy Is Among Bipartisan Group Of Members Of Congress To File Supreme Court Amicus Brief In Support Of Human Trafficking Victims
(TUESDAY, Dec. 1, 2020) - U.S. Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) and U.S. Representative Chris Smith (R-NJ) led a bipartisan group of 21 members of Congress, including Senator Patrick Leahy (D-VT), in filing an amicus brief supporting victims of human trafficking in their case against two corporations - Nestlé USA and Cargill - alleged to have knowingly aided and abetted the abuse of child slaves trafficked to work on cacao farms in Côte d'Ivoire. The Supreme Court heard oral argume… Continue Reading
