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Search Senator Leahy’s press releases, floor statements, and Committee speeches by date or by subject.
Leahy Urges Senators To Support All Trafficking Survivors
(Wednesday, April 22, 2015) - In a floor speech Wednesday, Senate Judiciary Committee Ranking Member Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) called on lawmakers to listen to trafficking survivors and victims' advocates who believe that prevention is the most effective method to combat the scourge of human trafficking. While Leahy said he would support the bipartisan compromise to overcome an impasse on trafficking legislation, he urged Senators to work together to protect the most vulnerable children from falli… Continue Reading
04.22.15
Statement of Senator Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.), Ranking Member, Senate Judiciary Committee On Consideration of Amendment 301 to S. 178
This substitute brings together three important bills that provide a comprehensive approach to preventing human trafficking and helping survivors rebuild their lives. First, it includes the Leahy-Collins-Murkowski-Ayotte amendment to protect runaway and homeless youth from trafficking. Second, it includes the Klobuchar-Cornyn bill as reported last month by the Judiciary Committee. This safe harbor bill encourages states to treat victims of trafficking as the victims they truly are, and not as… Continue Reading
04.22.15
The Danville School
On April 22, 2015, Senator Leahy held an online chat with the 11th and 12th grade classrooms of Danville School. Senator Leahy was impressed by the students' questions on how things have changed in his four decades in Congress. He also enjoyed their questions regarding the Presidential race and religious freedom.… Continue Reading
04.21.15
Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition & Forestry Hearing on Opportunities and Challenges for Agriculture Trade with Cuba Remarks Of Senator Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.)
I commend the Chairman for holding this hearing to discuss new opportunities and challenges that await American agriculture in doing business in a country just 90 miles from our shore. We have the chance before us to give Cuban citizens the ability to gain greater control over their own lives, while also expanding markets for American farmers to sell their products. We know there will be some winners as part of any normalizing of trade with Cuba. However, we must also temper our hopes and r… Continue Reading
04.20.15
Comment Of Senator Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.), Ranking Member, Senate Judiciary Committee, On the Misuse of Forensic Evidence
[Senate Judiciary Committee Ranking Member Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) issued the following comment Monday after the Justice Department and FBI acknowledged the widespread misuse of faulty forensic evidence in 268 criminal trials over the course of the last two decades. Leahy, a former prosecutor, has previously authored the Criminal Justice and Forensic Science Reform Act to improve the reliability of forensic evidence in criminal cases. Leahy is also the author of the Innocence Protection Act, a l… Continue Reading
04.20.15
Statement of Senator Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.), Ranking Member, Senate Judiciary Committee, On Judicial Nominations
Today, we will be voting to confirm Judge George Hanks, who has been nominated to be a Federal district judge in the Southern District of Texas. Judge Hanks is just the second judicial nominee that we have voted to confirm more than three months into the 114th Congress. The slow trickle of confirmations that the new majority has allowed is undermining the functioning of our Federal courts and is hurting the American people. This past month, the Wall Street Journal wrote an alarming article ab… Continue Reading
04.15.15
Bipartisan Group of Senators Push for Equity in Law Enforcement Act
U.S. Senator Jack Reed (D-RI) today was joined by Senators Kelly Ayotte (R-NH), Patrick Leahy (D-VT), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), and Edward Markey (D-MA) in introducing the bipartisan Equity in Law Enforcement Act of 2015, which aims to expand the federal death benefits afforded to state and local law enforcement to include first responders who serve private institutions of higher education and rail carriers. The bill, introduced on the two year anniversary of the 2013 Boston Marathon bombings,… Continue Reading
04.15.15
Statement of Senator Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.), Ranking Member, Senate Judiciary Committee, On the Nomination of Loretta Lynch to be Attorney General of the United States
Loretta Lynch's nomination to be Attorney General has languished on the Senate floor for 48 days. This unnecessary wait time is twice as long as the last seven Attorney General nominees combined. Under any standard, she is not being treated fairly. For nearly seven weeks, she has waited for her confirmation vote to be scheduled by the Majority Leader. She has now earned the support to be confirmed and if the leader would simply schedule her vote, this eminently qualified prosecutor could get… Continue Reading
04.15.15
Statement of Senator Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) Ranking Member, Senate Judiciary Committee, Hearing on “The Need to Reform Asset Forfeiture”
Asset forfeiture is a powerful tool for law enforcement. It allows the government to seize the proceeds of crime, or property that was used in the commission of a crime. Every day, law enforcement officers use forfeiture to seize property associated with child pornography, cars and large quantities of cash from major drug traffickers, and the bank accounts of those who defraud and steal from innocent victims in the U.S. and around the world. When used appropriately, this tool deprives crimina… Continue Reading
04.14.15
Ahead of Tax Day, Leahy Proposes Trio of Tax Credit Bills
(TUESDAY, April 14, 2015) - Vermont Senator Patrick Leahy (D) Tuesday introduced a trio of tax credit proposals aimed at fighting hunger, supporting the arts, and protecting historic downtowns and villages. The straightforward proposals are among some of Leahy's priorities in the broader tax reform debate. The three Leahy-authored bills - The Good Samaritan Hunger Relief Tax Incentive Extension Act, The Artist-Museum Partnership Act, and The Historic Downtown Preservation and Access Act - w… Continue Reading
04.14.15
Reaction Of Senator Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) To The President’s Decision – Acting On The State Department’s Recommendation -- To Remove Cuba From 'State Sponsors Of Terrorism' List
"The President's action is another long-overdue and courageous step toward ending a failed policy and normalizing relations with Cuba. We have many differences with the Cuban government. But it makes no sense, and it devalues the list of state sponsors of international terrorism, to include a country that hundreds of thousands of Americans visit annually, whose government our friends and allies engage with regularly to their benefit, and that poses no threat to the United States." # # # # #… Continue Reading
04.14.15
After Months of Delay, Senate Republicans Finally Allow For a Vote on First Judicial Nominee of the 114th Congress
(Monday, April 13, 2015) - The Senate on Monday unanimously approved the confirmation of a long-pending judicial nominee to fill an emergency vacancy in Texas, marking the first time the Republican majority has allowed a vote on a judicial nominee in the 114th Congress. Judge Alfred Bennett is the first Federal judge confirmed by the Senate this year, by an overwhelming vote of 95-0. Despite having the support of both Texas Senators and receiving unanimous support from the Judiciary Committee,… Continue Reading
04.09.15
Reaction Of Senator Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) To The State Department’s Recommendation To Remove Cuba From 'State Sponsors Of Terrorism' List
"This would be another long-overdue and courageous step toward ending a failed policy and toward normalizing relations with Cuba. We have many differences with the Cuban government. But it makes no sense, and it devalues the list of state sponsors of international terrorism, to include a country that hundreds of thousands of Americans visit annually, whose government our friends and allies engage with regularly to their benefit, and that poses no security threat to the United States." # # # #… Continue Reading
04.07.15
Leahy, Sanders, Welch Announce Availability of $4.5 Million in Northern Border Grants
(TUESDAY, April 07, 2014) - Senator Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.), Senator Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) and Representative Peter Welch (D-Vt.) Tuesday announced the Northern Border Regional Commission (NRBC) will begin accepting applications for the next round of grants to encourage economic development and job creation along the Northeast border. The Commission has approximately $4.5 million in federal funding to award to projects in five northern counties in Vermont, and certain counties in New Hampshire a… Continue Reading
04.02.15
Leahy: VT Nets $93,000 To Help SNAP Participants Buy VT Produce
(THURSDAY, April 2, 2015) - Senator Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) Wednesday announced a $93,000 grant to help participants of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) buy more local produce in Vermont. The grant is part of $31.5 million in Food Insecurity Nutrition Incentive (FINI) grants announced by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). The SNAP program in Vermont is called 3SquaresVT. This comes just days after Leahy announced a $9 million grant from the USDA Food & Nutrition … Continue Reading
04.01.15
Comments Of Senator Patrick Leahy On The Listing Of The Northern Long-Eared Bat As A Threatened Species
I have closely followed and done what I can to address the outbreak of White Nose Syndrome (WNS) since its early discovery in bat hibernacula in Vermont and New York. All of us as Vermonters are deeply affected by the devastating toll this disease has taken on bat populations, including the Northern Long-Eared bat (NLEB). Bats are integral elements of our forest ecosystems and also generate billions of dollars of value each year for American agriculture. That is why I have long worked for ade… Continue Reading
03.27.15
Leahy Joins Marshfield Resident Diana Levine And Other Patient Advocates In Urging FDA To Protect Consumers Of Generic Drugs
(FRIDAY, March 27, 2015) - Senate Judiciary Committee Ranking Member Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) Friday led a coalition of 28 lawmakers in a letter urging the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to support consumers by adopting meaningful safety rules for labeling on generic drugs. The letter comes as Marshfield, Vt., resident Diana Levine and other patient advocates testified at a day-long FDA hearing in Silver Spring, Maryland, in support of a proposed FDA rule that would ensure that generic ma… Continue Reading
03.26.15
Statement of Senator Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.), Ranking Member, Senate Judiciary Committee, On Judicial Confirmations
We are now three months into the new Congress with Republicans in the majority. The Republican reign thus far has been defined by an attempt to shut down the Department of Homeland Security; a refusal to even allow a floor vote on an eminently qualified nominee for Attorney General; and the decision to inject a partisan abortion fight in what is otherwise an uncontroversial bill to build on our efforts to combat human trafficking. On top of all of this, the Senate Republican Leadership has bee… Continue Reading
03.26.15
Statement of Senator Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.), Ranking Member, Senate Judiciary Committee, On the Nomination of Loretta Lynch to Serve as Attorney General of the United States
One great responsibility that distinguishes the United States Senate is our constitutional role of advice and consent. We have a solemn duty to consider nominees for positions of great importance to the Nation, some of which are lifetime appointments. Every day that the nomination of Loretta Lynch to be the next Attorney General awaits a floor vote is another day the Senate fails to function as it should. The Attorney General is our Nation's top law enforcement official. The position is crit… Continue Reading
03.26.15
Senate Judiciary Committee Overwhelmingly Approves Leahy-Authored Bill To Reauthorize Lifesaving Bulletproof Vest Grant Program
(THURSDAY, March 26, 2015) - The Senate Judiciary Committee on Thursday overwhelmingly approved legislation authored by Ranking Member Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) to reauthorize the lifesaving Bulletproof Vest Partnership Grant Program, a federal grant program whose charter has expired and needs to be renewed. Leahy, who coauthored the original law establishing the matching grant program, hailed the Committee's action Thursday and called for the Senate to quickly take up and pass the measure. "I have… Continue Reading
