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Search Senator Leahy’s press releases, floor statements, and Committee speeches by date or by subject.
Leahy Calls On USDA To Raise Minimum Broadband Speeds For Rural Vermont And Rural America
(WEDNESDAY, Feb. 10, 2016) - Senator Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) on Wednesday sent a letter to Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack, asking him to use his existing authority to raise the minimum broadband speed that determines funding eligibility for the Farm Bill broadband loan program. Leahy's letter follows his successful inclusion of report language in the Fiscal Year 2016 Agriculture Appropriations bill directing USDA to implement the broadband provisions of the 2014 Farm Bill, including the author… Continue Reading
02.09.16
The Newton School
On February 9, 2015, Senator Leahy held an online chat with the third, fourth and fifth grade social studies classes of the Newton School. The Senator was quite impressed by the students' questions, specifically about their interest in his role as U.S. Senator for Vermont. The Senator was also impressed by the efforts of the students' teacher, Mr. Walker, to create the "Society Game" in which students learn about real life situations facing the world today.… Continue Reading
02.09.16
Comments Of Senator Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) On President Obama’s Fiscal Year 2017 Budget Proposal, Released Today
Stepping Up Efforts To Counter The Opioid/Heroin Epidemic I welcome the President's proposal to invest more than $1 billion to combat the nationwide opioid and heroin epidemic. His proposal reflects the range of challenges and needs that Vermont faces. Overdose deaths, particularly among young people, are dramatically rising, and communities across the country are struggling to address this corrosive threat. This epidemic is a national emergency, it is a public health crisis in Vermont, and … Continue Reading
02.09.16
Statement of Senator Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.), Ranking Member, Senate Judiciary Committee, On Judicial Nominations
Today we will vote on the nomination of Rebecca Ebinger to fill a judicial vacancy in the Federal District Court in the Southern District of Iowa. Ms. Ebinger is a highly qualified nominee who has devoted her legal career to public service. Since 2012, she has served as a district judge in Iowa State court. Prior to joining the bench, Judge Ebinger served as a prosecutor at the Federal and state levels in Iowa, including in the U.S. Attorney's Offices for the Southern and Northern Districts … Continue Reading
02.08.16
Leahy Introduces Bipartisan Legislation To Support The Vermont Arts
(Monday, February 8, 2016) - Vermont Senator Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) introduced bipartisan legislation Monday to support nonprofit arts organizations in obtaining visas for visiting foreign artists. Currently, nonprofit arts organizations such as the Vermont Symphony Orchestra have to wait months while visa applications for their visiting foreign artists are processed. A nonprofit can pay a fee to speed up this lengthy process, but the cost is often out of reach for many organizations. The Arts… Continue Reading
02.05.16
Statement of Senator Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) On Recent Regulatory Changes Related To Cuba
Mr. President, last week the administration took another step in unraveling the web of onerous, misguided, and self-defeating restrictions on the ability of American citizens to travel to Cuba and to interact with the people of Cuba. Effective as of January 27, the Departments of Treasury and Commerce published revised regulations that end certain payment and financing restrictions, allow for more authorized exports to Cuba in a variety of sectors, and expand authorized travel categories and al… Continue Reading
02.04.16
Statement of Senator Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) On The Need For More Action To Combat Opioid Addiction
Today I had planned to be in the Senate Judiciary Committee debating and pushing for passage of the Comprehensive Addiction and Recovery Act, or CARA. Unfortunately, the markup was postponed but I am hopeful that next week we will make progress on this important bill. The need for this legislation and Senator Shaheen's emergency supplemental appropriations bill is nothing short of urgent. States like Vermont and New Hampshire have been deeply affected by this wave of addiction. The media has… Continue Reading
02.04.16
Leahy Unveils Legislation To Restore The Rights Of Americans From Forced Arbitration
(Thursday, February 4, 2016) - Senator Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) introduced new legislation Thursday to restore the rights of Americans who too often are forced into mandatory arbitration in civil rights cases, employment disputes, and other lawsuits. Leahy was joined by Senator Al Franken (D-Minn.), who is the lead cosponsor of the legislation. "When Americans sign cell phone agreements, rent an apartment, or accept a contract for a job, most of us focus on the service we are about to receive or … Continue Reading
02.03.16
Comment of Senator Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) and Senator Mike Lee (R-Utah) On the House Judiciary Committee’s Plans to Consider the Bipartisan Email Privacy Act
"This year marks the 30th anniversary of the enactment of the Electronic Communications Privacy Act. Technology has dramatically changed in the three decades since that landmark legislation became law, and we have fought to pass bipartisan legislation that brings privacy protections for the digital world in line with those in the physical world. "It is good news that the House Judiciary Committee will finally take up the popular and bipartisan Email Privacy Act, companion legislation to the b… Continue Reading
02.03.16
Barre Town Middle and Elementary School
On February 3, 2015, the Senator held an online chat with the fourth graders of the Barre Town School. Senator Leahy was impressed with the students' questions, especially with regards to their desire to understand the ways in which we can promote change in our communities.… Continue Reading
02.03.16
Leahy Calls On Congress To Close Tax Loophole For Corporate Misconduct
(Wednesday, February 3, 2016) - Senate Judiciary Committee Ranking Member Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) on Wednesday introduced an amendment to the pending energy bill on the Senate floor to close a tax loophole that allows businesses to write off the punishment they receive for corporate wrongdoing as an ordinary business expense. The amendment is an identical version to the No Tax Write-Offs for Corporate Wrongdoers Act, legislation Leahy introduced last year to enforce a commonsense fix to eliminat… Continue Reading
02.03.16
Statement of Senator Patrick Leahy Ranking Member, Judiciary Committee Hearing on “The Need for Transparency in the Asbestos Trusts”
Today the Judiciary Committee meets to discuss legislation that purports to promote more transparency in asbestos trusts. Before we get into a detailed discussion about the merits of the proposed legislation, I want to make sure we all remember why we are here today. For decades, millions of American workers were secretly poisoned. Men and women who worked in our Nation's factories, shipyards, mines and construction sites, and service members in the military, unknowingly inhaled air that was … Continue Reading
02.02.16
Statement of Senator Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.), Ranking Member, Senate Judiciary Committee, Hearing on “The failures and future of the EB-5 Regional Center program: Can it be fixed?”
I want to thank Chairman Grassley for holding this important hearing, what I expect to be the first in an oversight series. We have worked closely together to bring attention to the problems plaguing the EB-5 Regional Center program. I strongly believe the EB-5 Regional Center program can generate investment and create jobs in rural and poor urban areas that struggle to grow their economies. That is why I have worked to reauthorize the program for many years. Unfortunately, the Regional Center p… Continue Reading
02.02.16
Leahy Responds To President’s Proposal For More Than $1B To Combat Opioid Abuse And Heroin Addiction
[Senator Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) responded to President Obama's call on Tuesday for Congress to provide more than $1 billion in new funding to address prescription opioid and heroin addiction. In recent years, rural communities in Vermont have been hit hard by the epidemic, which has been the focus of Senate Judiciary Committee hearings that Leahy has previously chaired in Vermont and Washington. Last week Leahy invited Governor Shumlin to testify before the Senate Judiciary Committee in Washing… Continue Reading
02.02.16
Leahy: Job-Creating Foreign Investment Program (EB-5) Must Be Reformed
(Tuesday, February 2, 2016) - Problems plaguing the EB-5 Regional Center program must be addressed through bipartisan legislation this year, Senate Judiciary Committee Ranking Member Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) said Tuesday. Leahy's comments during an oversight hearing for the EB-5 program came less than two months after Congressional leaders blocked a bipartisan, bicameral proposal to usher in needed reforms for the jobs program that has experienced significant problems in recent years. Reviews by … Continue Reading
01.28.16
Leahy-Grassley Amendment To Protect Whistleblowers Earns Unanimous Support In Judiciary Committee
(Thursday, January 28, 2016) - The Senate Judiciary Committee on Thursday unanimously approved an amendment coauthored by U.S. Senators Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) and Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) to ensure that companies cannot intimidate whistleblowers by threatening them with lawsuits for trade secret theft. Leahy and Grassley have long worked together to strengthen whistleblower protections. Their amendment, which was added to the bipartisan Defend Trade Secrets Act, protects whistleblowers who share… Continue Reading
01.28.16
Leahy Backs Legislation To Protect Vermont Businesses From Trade Secret Theft
(THURSDAY, January 28, 2016) - The Senate Judiciary Committee on Thursday passed bipartisan legislation to protect American businesses from trade secrets theft. At the markup, Senator Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) noted that Vermont businesses rely on trade secrets to protect their intellectual property and emphasized the importance of those protections. "In Vermont, trade secrets protect the specialized knowledge of woodworkers and artisans who have been crafting heirloom products for generations," s… Continue Reading
01.27.16
Statement of Senator Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.), Ranking Member, Senate Judiciary Committee, On Judicial Nominations
Today we will vote on the nomination of John Michael Vazquez to fill a judicial emergency vacancy in the Federal District Court in the District of New Jersey. His confirmation is long overdue. He was nominated over 10 months ago and reported out of the Judiciary Committee by unanimous voice vote over 4 months ago. Mr. Vazquez is an outstanding nominee who has experience both in private practice and in the public sector. Since 2008, he has practiced as a named partner at the law firm of Critc… Continue Reading
01.27.16
At SJC Hearing on Heroin Abuse, Leahy Emphasizes Importance of Prevention & Treatment And Calls For More Resources
(WEDNESDAY, Jan. 27, 2016) - During a hearing Wednesday of the Senate Judiciary Committee on the rise of heroin and opioid addiction, Senator Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) highlighted Vermont's community-based response to the epidemic and called for more resources to be devoted to prevention and treatment. "Vermont has not been immune to the scourge of opioid and heroin abuse," said Leahy, the Committee's most senior ranking Democrat. "But in true Vermont fashion, we have rallied together to tackle th… Continue Reading
01.27.16
Statement of Senator Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.), Ranking Member, Senate Judiciary Committee, Hearing on “Attacking America’s Epidemic of Heroin and Prescription Drug Abuse”
Local communities throughout the nation - both urban and rural - are grappling with the tragic effects of the epidemic of heroin and prescription opioid abuse. We have all seen the statistics showing the dramatic rise in overdose deaths particularly among young people. The stories behind these numbers shed light on the human impact of this epidemic: families trying to find and afford treatment for a loved one hooked on painkillers; children neglected or left behind by an addicted parent; victi… Continue Reading
