Press Room
Press Releases
Search Senator Leahy’s press releases, floor statements, and Committee speeches by date or by subject.
Senate Republicans Continue Blocking Consensus Judicial Nominees
(Tuesday, April 26, 2016) - Senate Republicans, who are refusing to hold a hearing and a vote for Supreme Court nominee Merrick Garland, are also refusing to vote on 20 lower court nominees who are waiting to serve on courts around the country. On Tuesday, Republicans blocked the confirmation of 11 federal district court nominees-including nominees with Republican support. "There is no good reason that judicial nominees praised by Republican Senators should be blocked by Republican leadership… Continue Reading
04.26.16
In Remarks At Kennedy Institute Event, Leahy Calls On Republicans To Restore Senate Tradition And Consider SCOTUS Nominee
(Tuesday, April 26, 2016) - Speaking at an event hosted by the Kennedy Institute Tuesday, Senate Judiciary Committee Ranking Member Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) called for a return to Senate tradition when it comes to considering Supreme Court nominees. Leahy noted that during the entire 47-year career of the late Senator Edward Kennedy (D-Mass.), and going back to 1916, no pending Supreme Court nominee has been denied a hearing and a vote. Today, however, Senate Republicans are creating new history … Continue Reading
04.26.16
Statement of Senator Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.), Ranking Member, Senate Judiciary Committee, Remarks at the Edward M. Kennedy Institute Event: The U.S. Senate’s Role in Confirming Supreme Court Justices
Good morning. I thank the Edward M. Kennedy Institute for inviting me, and to Vicki for being with us today. The Kennedy name is synonymous with public service. Ted Kennedy dedicated his life to serving the people of Massachusetts and the people of America - especially the disempowered and disadvantaged. He was an inspiration to us all. These days, we certainly could use some more of Senator Kennedy's commitment to the Constitution. I hope this event will remind us what it means to be… Continue Reading
04.25.16
Statement of Senator Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.), Commemorating Earth Day
Last Friday marked the 46th annual Earth Day, and we cannot ignore that we are at a crossroads in time. Human-caused climate change is accelerating with each passing year, and is now taking a severe toll on our planet. We see it in our scorched farmlands and burnt forests in the West, and in the flood ravaged river valleys and super-storm battered coastlines in the East. Climate change is not a hoax and we must act now to protect our future and our future generations. Earth Day is an opportunit… Continue Reading
04.22.16
Paris Agreement Signing On Earth Day Honors The Meaning And The Goals Of Earth Day
(FRIDAY, April 22, 2016) - Senator Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) and Representative Peter Welch (D-Vt.) this week joined 143 congressional colleagues in voicing strong support for the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) Paris Agreement ahead of its signing Friday by Secretary John Kerry. Under President Obama's leadership and with the strong support of congressional Democrats, the United States rallied more than one hundred nations in support of the historic agreement last De… Continue Reading
04.22.16
In Wake Of PFOA Contamination, Leahy, Sanders And Welch Call For Stricter Federal Regulations
(Friday, April 22, 2015) - As tests for perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) contaminating drinking water in North Bennington, Bennington and Pownal continue this week, Senator Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.), Senator Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) and Representative Peter Welch (D-Vt.) pressed two congressional committees, charged with finalizing legislation to regulate toxic chemicals, for stricter federal rules and deference to strong state protections already in place in Vermont and across the country. The Vermont … Continue Reading
04.21.16
Cornyn, Leahy, Grassley, Franken, Hatch, Coons Introduce Bill to Aid Response Training to Active Shooters
U.S. Senators John Cornyn (R-TX), Patrick Leahy (D-VT), Chuck Grassley (R-IA), Al Franken (D-MN), Orrin Hatch (R-UT) and Chris Coons (D-DE) issued the following statements after introducing the Protecting Our Lives by Initiating COPS Expansion (POLICE) Act of 2016, which will allow law enforcement and medical personnel across the country to use federal grant funds to train and better prepare for active shooter situations, including training civilians how to respond if confronted by an active sho… Continue Reading
04.20.16
Statement of Senator Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.), Nomination Hearing of Dr. Carla Hayden to be Librarian of Congress
For a young student or a lifelong learner, a library can be an exciting place. I realized this at the age of four, when I received my first library card at the Kellogg-Hubbard Library in Montpelier, Vermont. Some of my fondest memories as a child were at the library, where everyone fit in and possibilities were limitless. Today, the Rules Committee considers the nomination of Dr. Carla Hayden to lead the Library of Congress, one of the largest libraries in the world. Dr. Hayden brings direc… Continue Reading
04.20.16
Statement of Senator Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.), Ranking Member, Senate Judiciary Committee, On Judicial Nominations
Today, this Committee is holding its first nominations hearing since January. Since that time, judicial vacancies have risen across the Nation and nominations to fill empty judgeships have piled up in this Committee. In addition to the five judicial nominees on this hearing, there are 27 other judicial nominees that are waiting for a hearing - including Chief Judge Garland to fill the vacancy on the Supreme Court. If we followed the timing that the last 14 Supreme Court nominees received, we … Continue Reading
04.20.16
House Judiciary Committee Overwhelmingly Approves Leahy-Authored Bill To Reauthorize Lifesaving Bulletproof Vest Grant Program
(Wednesday, April 20, 2016) - Senator Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) on Wednesday hailed the House Judiciary Committee for overwhelmingly approving his legislation to reauthorize the lifesaving Bulletproof Vest Partnership Grant Program, a federal grant program whose charter has long been expired and needs to be renewed. Following the committee's action on Wednesday, Leahy called for the full House to quickly pass the bill so that it can be sent to the President for signature. The Senate passed the bip… Continue Reading
04.20.16
Comment of Senator Patrick Leahy On Senate Passage Of The Energy Policy Modernization Act
(WEDNESDAY, April 20, 2016) - The Senate Wednesday passed legislation in a vote of 85 to 12 to modernize U.S. energy policy, address emerging challenges from climate change to cyber threats, update the nation's energy infrastructure, and permanently reauthorize the Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF). Senator Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) voted for the Energy Policy Modernization Act, the first broad bipartisan energy legislation since 2007, which covers a wide array of issues from efficiency to in… Continue Reading
04.19.16
Vermont EPSCoR Wins $20 Million Award From National Science Foundation To Study and Promote Resiliency in Lake Champlain Basin
What makes some parts of the Lake Champlain basin and its watersheds resilient in the face of extreme weather events, increasingly common as climate change warms Vermont, while other parts fail to recover and rebound? A $20 million award from the National Science Foundation to Vermont EPSCoR will help answer that question, providing much needed information to decision-makers as they govern the basin and develop policies that reach far into the future. The award, one of the largest in Vermont… Continue Reading
04.19.16
On The Anniversary Of The Oklahoma City Bombing, Leahy Calls For The Senate To Come Together And Do The Work Of The American People
(Tuesday, April 19, 2016) - Today marks the 21st anniversary of the tragic Oklahoma City bombing that took the lives of 168 people, including 19 children. In the immediate aftermath of that tragedy, Supreme Court nominee Merrick Garland supervised the team investigating and prosecuting the Oklahoma City bombing and drew praise from all sides for his work. Noting the important anniversary and Garland's critical work on the ground in Oklahoma City, Senate Judiciary Committee Ranking Member Patri… Continue Reading
04.19.16
Statement of Senator Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.), Ranking Member, Senate Judiciary Committee, On the 21st Anniversary of the Oklahoma City Bombing
Today we remember the victims and families whose lives were forever changed by the bombing in Oklahoma City twenty-one years ago. That bombing shook our Nation to its core. It remains the worst act of home-grown terrorism our Nation has endured. The destruction and loss of life were overwhelming. This photograph, of a firefighter carrying the limp and bloodied body of a toddler from the wreckage, came to symbolize the horror of the attack. One hundred sixty-eight innocent lives perished tha… Continue Reading
04.15.16
Leahy Welcomes Vermont And Canadian Officials And Business Leaders To Mark Continued Progress On Preclearance Operations That Will Facilitate Air, Rail, Water And Land Travel Between Vermont And Canada, While Strengthening Security
ESSEX JUNCTION, Vt. (FRIDAY, April 15, 2016) - Senator Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) Friday joined Vermont and Canadian officials and business leaders in Essex Junction, Vt., to mark progress on facilitating travel and commerce between Vermont and Canada. Leahy, long an advocate for the return of the "Montrealer" rail line and easing air travel to Vermont from airports like Billy Bishop Toronto City Airport, said legislation he introduced earlier this year would make important strides toward making th… Continue Reading
04.15.16
Leahy: Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) Reauthorization Bill Further Delays Needed Rules And Does Not Go Far Enough To Protect Farmers And Small Businesses
(FRIDAY, April 15, 2016) - Senator Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) - a leading member of the Senate Agriculture Committee and earlier a conferee on the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act of 2010 - Thursday voted against the CFTC reauthorization bill, which the committee passed on a partisan vote. Leahy's amendment to strike unneeded FOIA exemptions, cosponsored by Senator Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa), was accepted as part of the Manager's Package to amend the bill, before passage. Foll… Continue Reading
04.14.16
Comments Of Senator Patrick Leahy On State And Federal EB-5 Enforcement Actions In Vermont
[Senator Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) has worked to reform the EB-5 Regional Center program for years. His EB-5 amendment to Comprehensive Immigration Reform passed the Senate in 2013, but the House of Representatives failed to allow a vote on the bill. He also requested that the Government Accountability Office audit the program and pressed the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to do what it can to improve the program administratively. Then last year he co-authored a broad, bipartisan reform bi… Continue Reading
04.14.16
Senate Judiciary Committee Approves Legislation to Empower Survivors of Sexual Assault Introduced by Shaheen, Blumenthal & Leahy
**The Sexual Assault Survivors' Rights Act was authored by Sen. Jeanne Shaheen with the input of Amanda Nguyen, a survivor of sexual assault** **Legislative breakthrough occurs during Sexual Assault Awareness Month** **Change.org petition calling on Congress to act, now has over 90,000 signatures** (Washington, DC)-Legislation to establish basic rights for survivors of sexual assault has cleared a key hurdle in Congress. This morning, the Senate Judiciary Committee approved legislation intr… Continue Reading
04.14.16
Statement of Senator Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.), Ranking Member, Senate Judiciary Committee, On the Federal Bureau of Investigation Whistleblower Protection Enhancements Act of 2016
Senator Grassley and I both believe that whistleblowers play an essential role in providing transparency and accountability in the Federal government. That is why we worked closely together to author the FBI Whistleblower Protection Enhancements Act being considered today. This legislation will help protect FBI employees who report wrongdoing at the agency and shields them from unjust retaliation. Our bipartisan legislation is long overdue. We have heard of numerous instances in which FBI em… Continue Reading
04.14.16
SJC Ranking Member Leahy Calls On Chairman Grassley To Send SCOTUS Nominee Committee Questionnaire & Schedule Confirmation Hearing THIS MONTH
(Thursday, April 14, 2016) - Chief Judge Merrick Garland was nominated nearly one month ago to fill a vacancy on the Supreme Court. On Thursday, Judiciary Committee Ranking Member Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) called on committee Republicans to support a full and fair process for the nominee. And consistent with committee tradition, Leahy also urged Chairman Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) to join him in sending the nominee a committee questionnaire and to schedule a confirmation hearing this month. "Chief J… Continue Reading
