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Press Releases
Search Senator Leahy’s press releases, floor statements, and Committee speeches by date or by subject.
Leahy Welcomes Proposals To Promote Broadband Access For Americans
"I welcome the President's focus on deploying high-speed broadband and improving competition in communities across America, particularly in rural areas. Broadband is long past the point of being a luxury - it is a necessity, and the gap between urban and rural America is not closing nearly fast enough. The lack of adequate choices for consumers is also one of the main reasons why the FCC must act swiftly to protect an open Internet. I stand ready to work with the President and other Members o… Continue Reading
01.14.15
Lake Champlain Water Quality Efforts Net $16 M. Over 5 Years Under New USDA Regional Conservation Partnership Program
(WEDNESDAY, Jan. 14, 2015) -- Efforts to improve Lake Champlain's water quality got another major boost Wednesday, coming hard on the heels of a succession of other announcements of funding for Lake cleanup efforts in recent months. Grants under a new U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) resource conservation program in last year's Farm Bill were announced Wednesday in Washington by USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack and were hailed at an afternoon event at the Vermont State House by Governor Peter S… Continue Reading
01.13.15
Leahy Calls On Congress To Close Tax Loophole For Corporate Misconduct
(Tuesday, January 13, 2015) - Senate Judiciary Committee Ranking Member Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) on Tuesday introduced legislation to close a tax loophole that allows businesses to write off the punishment they receive for corporate wrongdoing as an ordinary business expense. The No Tax Write-Offs for Corporate Wrongdoers Act provides a commonsense fix to eliminate this tax break for corporate misconduct. "Under current law, a corporation or individual business owner may deduct the cost of court-… Continue Reading
01.12.15
Leahy, Sanders, Welch: Final Signup Figures For New Dairy Margin Protection Program Show Majority of Vermont Dairy Farmers Are Taking Advantage Of Program
(MONDAY, Jan. 12, 2015) -- Vermont's congressional delegation - Sen. Patrick Leahy (D), Sen. Bernie Sanders (I) and Rep. Peter Welch (D) - applauded USDA's Monday announcement that 582 Vermont dairy farms - 67 percent of Vermont's registered dairy farms -- and more than 23,000 of the nation's dairy operations - more than half of the country's dairy farms -- enrolled in the new Margin Protection Program (MPP) that was created by the 2014 Farm Bill. The voluntary program offers financial assistan… Continue Reading
01.12.15
Comment Of Senator Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.), Ranking Member, Senate Judiciary Committee, On the President’s Proposals to Protect American Consumers
[The President announced on Monday a new commitment to protecting Americans from data breaches and requiring businesses to take steps to notify consumers and protect personal data. In each of the last four Congresses, Leahy has introduced the Personal Data Privacy and Security Act to set a national standard for data breach notification, and to require businesses that collect and store consumers' sensitive personal information to safeguard that information from cyber threats. Last year, Leahy c… Continue Reading
01.11.15
Woodstock Middle/High School
On February 11, 2015, Senator Leahy held an online chat with Woodstock Union High School's AP Government class. Senator Leahy was impressed by the students' engagement on topics such as Cuba, immigration, and clashes between police officers and citizens throughout the country. Senator Leahy was especially engaged in the students' highlighting of the Mount Anthony Union High School's "professional integrity audit" of Fox News after Bill O'Reilly aired a rather negative segment on Bennington, Verm… Continue Reading
01.08.15
Leahy Joins In Offering Bipart. Senate Res. Thanking Pope Francis For Role In Rls. Of Alan Gross, Impr. Relations With Cuba --
U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL), Patrick Leahy (D-VT), Jeff Flake (R-AZ), Barbara Mikulski (D-MD), Mike Enzi (R-WY), Ben Cardin (D-MD), and Susan Collins (R-ME) today introduced a resolution commending Pope Francis for his leadership in helping to secure the release of Alan Gross, and for working with the governments of the United States and Cuba to achieve a more positive relationship. "Pope Francis seems to find new ways every day to make the world a little better," said Durbin. "Over the p… Continue Reading
01.08.15
Leahy Introduces Bipartisan Bill To Reauthorize Lifesaving Bulletproof Vest Grant Program
(Thursday, January 8, 2015) - Senate Judiciary Committee Ranking Member Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) on Thursday introduced bipartisan legislation cosponsored by Senator Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) to reauthorize the lifesaving Bulletproof Vest Partnership Grant Program, a federal grant program that helps state and local law enforcement agencies purchase bulletproof vests for officers working in the field. The program has issued more than one million lifesaving vests to 13,000 state and local law enforce… Continue Reading
01.07.15
Senator Leahy and Congresswoman Matsui Reintroduce Landmark Net Neutrality Legislation
(Wednesday, January 7, 2015) -Senator Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.), ranking member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, and Congresswoman Doris Matsui (D-Calif.), member of the House Energy and Commerce Communications and Technology Subcommittee, on Wednesday reintroduced bicameral legislation to require the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to ban so-called "paid prioritization" agreements between a broadband provider and a content provider. Reintroduction of the legislation comes as the FCC prep… Continue Reading
01.06.15
Leahy, Feinstein Re-Offer Bill To Restrict Use Of Cluster Munitions That Can Harm Innocent Civilians
Senators Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) and Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) today led a group of lawmakers in introducing the Cluster Munitions Civilian Protection Act of 2015, which would restrict the use of dangerous cluster munitions. In the Senate, the legislation is also co-sponsored by Senators Barbara Boxer (D-Calif.), Ben Cardin (D-Md.), Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), Al Franken (D-Minn.), Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), Patty Murray (D-Wash.), Tom Udall (D-N.M.), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.) and Ron W… Continue Reading
01.06.15
Senator Leahy Reintroduces Bill to Ensure Equal Treatment For All Spouses Under The Copyright Act
Senate Judiciary Committee Ranking Member Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) on Tuesday joined with Senators Ed Markey (D-Mass.), Chris Coons (D-Del.), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.) and Al Franken (D-Minn.) to reintroduce legislation that would close a loophole in the Copyright Act that discriminates among lawfully married couples. Today's bill introduction comes as Florida becomes the 36th state to allow all couples to marry. A provision in the Copyright Act grants rights to the surviving spouse of a copyrig… Continue Reading
12.29.14
Leahy: Senate Must Reauthorize Lifesaving Bulletproof Vest Grant Program Next Year
MONDAY, December 29, 2014 - Senator Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) will reintroduce legislation next month to reauthorize the lifesaving Bulletproof Vest Partnership Grant Program, a federal grant program that helps state and local law enforcement agencies purchase bulletproof vests for officers working in the field. Leahy, a former prosecutor, coauthored the original law establishing the matching grant program, which has issued more than one million lifesaving vests to state and local law enforcement … Continue Reading
12.23.14
Is 53 Years Long Enough To Conclude That Our Cuba Policy Has Failed?
Is 53 Years Long Enough To Conclude That Our Cuba Policy Has Failed? By Patrick Leahy On December 17th, President Obama and President Raul Castro made history. After 53 years of animosity rooted in the Cold War, they finally put our two countries on a new path. I worked for two years to help obtain Alan Gross' release from a Cuban prison, and flying to Cuba to bring him home was a joyous experience I will cherish always. Mr. Gross' case was the catalyst that finally brought to an end a policy… Continue Reading
12.23.14
Comment Of Senator Patrick Leahy (D-Vt., Senate President Pro Tempore and Dean of the Senate, chairman of State Department and Foreign Operations for the Appropriations Committee), On Adriana Perez
Comment Of Senator Patrick Leahy (D-Vt., Senate President Pro Tempore and Dean of the Senate, chairman of State Department and Foreign Operations for the Appropriations Committee), On Adriana Perez Tuesday, Dec. 23, 2014 "In February 2013, during one of our trips to Cuba my wife Marcelle and I agreed to meet with Adriana Perez. She made a personal appeal to Marcelle. She was 43 years old and afraid that she would never have the chance to have a child as she did not expect her husband to ever … Continue Reading
12.19.14
Leahy Commends U.S. Attorney Tristram Coffin For Years Of Service To Vermont
(Friday, December 19, 2014) - U.S. Attorney Tristram Coffin on Friday announced that he will be leaving his position next month after serving as Vermont's top federal prosecutor since 2009. U.S. Senator Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) praised Coffin for his years of service, and he committed to working quickly to find a highly qualified nominee to serve as Vermont's next U.S. Attorney. "Tris Coffin is a tough and fair prosecutor, and has been an effective law enforcement leader in Vermont. I join my fe… Continue Reading
12.17.14
PHOTOS: Senator Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) Leads Group To Cuba To Bring Back Alan Gross
(WEDNESDAY, Dec. 17, 2014) - Senator Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) Wednesday was joined by Senator Jeff Flake (R-Ariz.), Representative Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), Judy Gross and others for an early morning trip to Havana, Cuba to bring Alan Gross home. Leahy (D-Vt., president pro tempore of the Senate, and chairman of the State Department and Foreign Operations Appropriations Subcommittee) has long sought the release of Alan Gross and has visited him twice in the prison where he has been held for fiv… Continue Reading
12.17.14
Reaction Of Senator Patrick Leahy To The Release Of Alan Gross And Transforming U.S. Policy Toward Cuba
[Sen. Patrick Leahy (D-Vt., president pro tempore of the Senate, and chairman of the State Department and Foreign Operations Appropriations Subcommittee) has long sought the release of Alan Gross and has visited him twice in the prison where he has been held for five years. Leahy also has led in efforts over the years for fundamental changes in U.S. policy toward Cuba, including pushing for an end to the law that prevents most Americans from visiting Cuba. Leahy Wednesday morning went to Cuba … Continue Reading
12.17.14
Chairman, Senate Judiciary Committee, On Western District Court of Pennsylvania Decision on the President’s Executive Action
[Senator Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) issued the following comment Tuesday on a district court decision on President Obama's executive action to address the nation's broken immigration system. As chairman of the Judiciary Committee, Senator Leahy steered the bipartisan Border Security, Economic Opportunity, and Immigration Modernization Act through the Senate last year.] "In a very unusual step, a federal judge considering a criminal sentencing issue reached out, unprompted, to weigh in on the cons… Continue Reading
12.17.14
Delegation Calls on FairPoint to Negotiate
, Dec. 16 - Vermont's congressional delegation today sent a letter to FairPoint Communications urging the company to negotiate an end to its ongoing labor strike. "We are extremely disappointed that FairPoint management has not come back to the bargaining table with any meaningful concessions to end this strike," wrote Sens. Bernie Sanders, Patrick Leahy and Rep. Peter Welch in their joint letter. "It is becoming increasingly clear to Vermonters that management is more concerned with the intere… Continue Reading
12.17.14
Senator Patrick Leahy’s Comment On The Vermont Congressional Delegation’s Letter To FairPoint CEO Paul Sunu
On Tuesday Vermont Congressional Delegation - Sen. Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.), Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), and Rep. Peter Welch (D-Vt.) -- wrote to CEO of FairPoint Paul Sunu urging the company to return to the bargaining table to bring an end to the ongoing strike. Phone and internet outages during the strike have caused a spike in customer complaints to the Vermont Public Service Board. Earlier this fall Leahy called on both the company and its workers to return to the table to negotiate in good… Continue Reading
