{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "is_view": false, "human_description_en": "where chamber = \"House\", state = \"VT\" and year = 2017 sorted by date descending", "rows": [["https://www.sanders.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/sanders-statement-on-republican-tax-plan", "Sanders Statement on Republican Tax Plan", "2017-12-27", "2017", "2017-12", "Independent", "House", "VT", "Bernard Sanders", "S000033", "www.sanders.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Sanders Statement on Republican Tax Plan\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\tWednesday, December 27, 2017\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\tBURLINGTON, Vt., Dec. 27  U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) issued the following statement Wednesday regarding the Republican tax plan:\r\n\"The Republicans are so desperate to spin their disastrous tax plan that they have resorted to taking comments I recently made completely out of context. Let me set the record straight.\r\n\"The Trump-Republican tax plan is one of the worst pieces of legislation in the modern history of our country. At a time of massive income and wealth inequality, 83 percent of the tax benefits in that bill go to the top 1 percent at the end of 10 years and 60 percent of the benefits go to the top one-tenth of 1 percent. On the other hand, by the end of the decade, 92 million middle-class Americans will actually be paying more in taxes, including 8 million in the first year alone. Further, this legislation will result in 13 million people losing their health insurance while substantially raising premiums all across the country. It also raises the deficit by $1.4 trillion, laying the groundwork for House Speaker Paul Ryan and other Republicans to call for cuts to Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid and other important programs in the name of 'deficit reduction.'\r\n\"Instead of this grossly obscene piece of legislation, let's pass tax reform that permanently benefits all middle-income and working-class families without giving tax breaks to the top 1 percent. Instead of providing huge tax breaks to the rich and large corporations that explode the deficit, which this bill does, millionaires, billionaires and large, profitable corporations must begin paying their fair share of taxes. Then, among other things, we can permanently double the standard deduction, expand the Earned Income Tax Credit, re-instate the personal exemptions and make the Child Tax Credit fully refundable  without increasing the debt future generations will inherit.\"", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.sanders.senate.gov/newsroom/recent-business/sanders-statement-on-republican-tax-plan", "Sanders Statement on Republican Tax Plan", "2017-12-27", "2017", "2017-12", "Independent", "House", "VT", "Bernard Sanders", "S000033", "www.sanders.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Sanders Statement on Republican Tax Plan\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\tWednesday, December 27, 2017\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\tBURLINGTON, Vt., Dec. 27  U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) issued the following statement Wednesday regarding the Republican tax plan:\r\n\"The Republicans are so desperate to spin their disastrous tax plan that they have resorted to taking comments I recently made completely out of context. Let me set the record straight.\r\n\"The Trump-Republican tax plan is one of the worst pieces of legislation in the modern history of our country. At a time of massive income and wealth inequality, 83 percent of the tax benefits in that bill go to the top 1 percent at the end of 10 years and 60 percent of the benefits go to the top one-tenth of 1 percent. On the other hand, by the end of the decade, 92 million middle-class Americans will actually be paying more in taxes, including 8 million in the first year alone. Further, this legislation will result in 13 million people losing their health insurance while substantially raising premiums all across the country. It also raises the deficit by $1.4 trillion, laying the groundwork for House Speaker Paul Ryan and other Republicans to call for cuts to Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid and other important programs in the name of 'deficit reduction.'\r\n\"Instead of this grossly obscene piece of legislation, let's pass tax reform that permanently benefits all middle-income and working-class families without giving tax breaks to the top 1 percent. Instead of providing huge tax breaks to the rich and large corporations that explode the deficit, which this bill does, millionaires, billionaires and large, profitable corporations must begin paying their fair share of taxes. Then, among other things, we can permanently double the standard deduction, expand the Earned Income Tax Credit, re-instate the personal exemptions and make the Child Tax Credit fully refundable  without increasing the debt future generations will inherit.\"", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.leahy.senate.gov/press/leahy-congressional-record-statement-on-pandemic-preparedness", "Leahy Congressional Record Statement On Pandemic Preparedness", "2017-12-22", "2017", "2017-12", "Democrat", "House", "VT", "Patrick Leahy", "L000174", "www.leahy.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "12.22.17\n\t\t\t Leahy Congressional Record Statement On Pandemic Preparedness \n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tMr. President, 2018 marks the 100 year anniversary of the influenza pandemic that killed an estimated 50 million people, including 670,000 Americans. I suspect most people assume that given the remarkable advances in modern medicine since 1918 nothing so disastrous could happen again, but in fact it could and next time it could be even worse. The spread of infectious diseases and drug resistance, and the accompanying threats to global security, are on the rise  and the international community is woefully underprepared to fight back. \r\nThe several large-scale infectious disease outbreaks of the last two decades, including SARS, H1N1, and Ebola have revealed the extent to which individual countries and the international community at large need to dramatically improve their preparedness to respond to such potentially catastrophic health crises.\r\nThe stark reality is that the threat is increasing. An ever-growing, increasingly-mobile global population will provide the breeding ground for the emergence and contagion of existing and new infectious diseases.\r\nThe potential threats from infectious disease outbreaks include not only catastrophic loss of life, but severe economic harm and social and political instability. The 2014-15 Ebola outbreak, for example, which began with the death of a two-year-old boy in a remote Guinean village, ultimately killed more than 11,000 people across six countries, left thousands of children orphaned, caused an estimated economic loss to those countries of nearly $3 billion, and resulted in many people losing confidence in their countrys public health system.\r\nIt is important to note that Ebola, which is spread through direct contact and terrified millions of people including in this country, is hardly the most infectious known disease. Several other disease agents, such as measles and influenza, can be spread through the air and can develop into epidemics or pandemics much more rapidly.\r\nThat is one of the reasons why many global health experts fear that an infectious disease outbreak far worse than Ebola will occur sometime in the next twenty years, and that the number of outbreaks will become more frequent.\r\nAnd yet, despite improvements in access to safe water and sanitation, vaccine development, and other public health advances to combat infectious diseases, an enormous amount of work remains. \r\nOne of the most important lessons learned from the Ebola outbreak is that time is of the essence. The lack of a rapid, coordinated global response resulted in many preventable deaths. Disease surveillance systems were poor or nonexistent in the severely impacted countries, there was a lack of trained personnel to rapidly deploy, and no effective public communication system was in place to inform and update local communities.\r\nAn additional problem was the inability to quickly mobilize resources. Countries and NGOs around the globe lacked a reserve of available funds. The Congress took a step toward addressing this issue in the fiscal year 2017 State and Foreign Operations appropriations bill, which included a $70 million Emergency Reserve Fund to address infectious disease outbreaks around the globe. In the fiscal year 2018 Senate version of the State and Foreign Operations bill, Chairman Graham and I included $130 million for programs to prevent and respond to such emerging health threats.\r\nHowever, as I have said before and I will say again, far more needs to be done to build the public health infrastructure to prevent and respond to disease pandemics. As the international community works to be more prepared for infectious disease outbreaks, the U.S. should continue to play a leading role in preparedness planning. Unfortunately, President Trumps fiscal year 2018 budget would cut funding for these very programs, including for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which played an indispensable role in responding to the Ebola and Zika outbreaks, as it has to many other international health crises.\r\nIt is time we invest and prepare for pandemics in a similar way as we invest and prepare for war, nuclear disasters, or other large-scale threats to global security. The potential consequences are no less serious. I urge the White House to face up to this reality and dramatically increase funding for these programs at CDC, the U.S. Agency for International Development, and other federal agencies that play a role in global health security.\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t Press Contact \n\t\t\t\tDavid Carle: 202-224-3693\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\n\t  \n\t\n\t\n\t\n  \n\t\n    \n    \n    \n    \n    \n    \t\n    \t\n\t    \t  \n\t\t    \n\t\t    \tNext Article\n\t\t    \n\t\t    \n\t\t    \tPrevious Article", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.leahy.senate.gov/press/leahy-congressional-record-statement-on-threats-to-worldwide-press-freedom", "Leahy Congressional Record Statement On Threats To Worldwide Press Freedom", "2017-12-22", "2017", "2017-12", "Democrat", "House", "VT", "Patrick Leahy", "L000174", "www.leahy.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "12.22.17\n\t\t\t Leahy Congressional Record Statement On Threats To Worldwide Press Freedom \n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tMr. President, we are all too familiar with President Trumps fake news mantra, which he has repeatedly used to discredit unfavorable news reports and undermine the credibility of the media in our country.\r\nThis mantra, and the accompanying threats to freedoms of speech and of the press, have now spread far beyond our borders. Autocrats and dictators around the world are enthusiastically using the concept of fake news, and the legitimacy granted to it by the President of the United States, to further undermine and restrict press freedom and fact-based reporting on corruption, human rights and other abuses in their own countries.\r\nFor example, in response to an Amnesty International report on thousands of military prison deaths in Syria, President Bashar al-Assad remarked, You can forge anything these days, we are living in a fake news era. Similarly, in response to news reports on persecution of the Rohingya ethnic minority group in Myanmar, an officer in Myanmars Rakhine state security ministry stated, There is no such thing as Rohingya. It is fake news.\r\nThe list goes on and includes comments from autocratic leaders in the Philippines, Venezuela, Russia, China, and Turkey, among others, who have used the fake news mantra to legitimize harassment, arrests, and prosecutions of journalists.\r\nLast week, the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) released its annual census of imprisoned journalists worldwide, which has hit an historical high of 262. The total does not include the many more journalists who were imprisoned for a period of time during the year before being released prior to the December 1st census. A CPJ statement published with the report noted that:\r\nFar from isolating repressive countries for their authoritarian behavior, the United States, in particular, has cozied up to strongmen such as Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdo?an and Chinese President Xi Jinping. At the same time, President Donald Trumps nationalistic rhetoric, fixation on Islamic extremism, and insistence on labeling critical media fake news serves to reinforce the framework of accusations and legal charges that allow such leaders to preside over the jailing of journalists.\r\nThe First Amendment to the United States Constitution has inspired people around the world for over two hundred years. It was reaffirmed in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, and versions of it have been included in the Constitutions of many countries. Yet while the United States has long been a global leader for freedom of expression, the White House is now actively working to undermine press freedom. President Trumps reckless rhetoric has not only harmed our credibility and our reputation, it has emboldened foreign dictators who fear nothing more than for their misdeeds to be exposed by the media. The consequence is journalists threatened and imprisoned, journalists assassinated with impunity, publishers who are intimidated, and the ultimate casualty is the truth.\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t Press Contact \n\t\t\t\tDavid Carle: 202-224-3693\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\n\t  \n\t\n\t\n\t\n  \n\t\n    \n    \n    \n    \n    \n    \t\n    \t\n\t    \t  \n\t\t    \n\t\t    \tNext Article\n\t\t    \n\t\t    \n\t\t    \tPrevious Article", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.leahy.senate.gov/press/leahy-statement-on-the-situation-in-peru", "Leahy Statement On The Situation In Peru", "2017-12-22", "2017", "2017-12", "Democrat", "House", "VT", "Patrick Leahy", "L000174", "www.leahy.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "12.22.17\n\t\t\t Leahy Statement On The Situation In Peru \n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tMr. President, I want to speak briefly about the unfolding political crisis, which is also a crisis for justice, in Peru.\r\nPeru transitioned to democracy in 2000, after two decades of internal armed conflict and authoritarian rule. The country has made important strides in rebuilding its democratic institutions, consolidating the rule of law, and combatting impunity. But today, efforts by a majority in the Peruvian Congress to arbitrarily remove judges from the countrys highest court, the Constitutional Tribunal, and to oust the Attorney General for courageously doing his job, threaten to undermine those gains and reverse Perus democratic progress.\r\nAs a former prosecutor and the senior Democrat on the Senate Judiciary Committee, I am especially concerned about the attempt by the majority in Perus Congress to impeach Attorney General Pablo Snchez in the midst of his offices investigation into allegations that the presidential campaign of Keiko Fujimori received illegal contributions in 2011. The effort to remove Attorney General Snchez strongly suggests a deliberate strategy to obstruct justice and to undermine the autonomy of the Attorney Generals Office. This would represent a grave setback for hard-fought gains to reestablish an independent judiciary and the rule of law in Peru. It would have serious ramifications for U.S.- Peruvian relations.\r\nCredible allegations of corruption must be thoroughly investigated, without prejudice to party or power, and with due process for the accused. I urge members of Perus Congress to support those who are acting on behalf of the Peruvian people in the pursuit of truth and justice. Key to this is respect for the autonomy of the Office of the Attorney General and of the Constitutional Tribunal, institutions that are guarantors of human rights and the rule of law.\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t Press Contact \n\t\t\t\tDavid Carle: 202-224-3693\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\n\t  \n\t\n\t\n\t\n  \n\t\n    \n    \n    \n    \n    \n    \t\n    \t\n\t    \t  \n\t\t    \n\t\t    \tNext Article\n\t\t    \n\t\t    \n\t\t    \tPrevious Article", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.leahy.senate.gov/press/statement-of-senate-appropriations-committee-vice-chairman-patrick-leahy-d-vt-on-supporting-the-continuing-resolution", "Statement of Senate Appropriations Committee Vice Chairman Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) On Supporting The Continuing Resolution", "2017-12-22", "2017", "2017-12", "Democrat", "House", "VT", "Patrick Leahy", "L000174", "www.leahy.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "12.22.17\n\t\t\t Statement of Senate Appropriations Committee Vice Chairman Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) On Supporting The Continuing Resolution \n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tGoverning by crisis must come to an end. Since March, I have been calling for a bipartisan budget deal, based on parity, that would pave a path toward responsibly funding the government and averting this 11th hour Republican shutdown crisis.\r\nI have not lost faith that such a deal can still be reached. So, tonight I voted aye on the Continuing Resolution to keep the government open into January. A government shutdown helps no one.\r\nThis will allow us one more month to reach a bipartisan budget deal based on parity and address the needs of our military and the needs of our communities. But this is not the only thing we must accomplish in the coming months. Our list of unfinished business is long. We need to pass the DREAM Act, and we need to do it soon.DREAMers are American in every way except on paper, having been brought here as children through no fault of their own. By definition, DREAMers are law-abiding strivers, serving our communities as doctors and teachers and defending our homeland as brave men and women in uniform. This must be our one of our top priorities. We need to reform Section 702 of the FISA Amendments Act to protect the privacy of all Americans. We need a permanent reauthorization for the Childrens Health Insurance Program, and Community Health Centers. And we need to consider a comprehensive disaster relief package that takes into consideration the unique needs of the people of Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands.\r\nWe have a lot to do, but it is time we take the work of the American people seriously and move beyond governing by crisis.\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t Press Contact \n\t\t\t\tDavid Carle: 202-224-3693\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\n\t  \n\t\n\t\n\t\n  \n\t\n    \n    \n    \n    \n    \n    \t\n    \t\n\t    \t  \n\t\t    \n\t\t    \tNext Article\n\t\t    \n\t\t    \n\t\t    \tPrevious Article", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.leahy.senate.gov/press/leahy-reax-to-the-presidents-threat-to-cut-support-to-the-un-and-to-countries-that-oppose-his-us-embassy/jerusalem-decision-", "Leahy REAX To The Presidents Threat To Cut Support To The UN And To Countries That Oppose His U.S. Embassy/Jerusalem Decision", "2017-12-21", "2017", "2017-12", "Democrat", "House", "VT", "Patrick Leahy", "L000174", "www.leahy.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "12.21.17\n\t\t\t Leahy REAX To The Presidents Threat To Cut Support To The UN And To Countries That Oppose His U.S. Embassy/Jerusalem Decision  \n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t[Sen. Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) is the Vice Chairman of the Senate Appropriations Committee and Ranking Member of its State Department and Foreign Operations Subcommittee.] The Presidents decision to ignore his national security advisors about moving our embassy at this fragile moment was cause enough for concern. Now he is compounding that error by threatening the United Nations itself, as well as other countries, many of which are close allies, with a cutoff of the support we provide that serves our own national interests and security. This further weakens our national interests, while further weakening our influence in the world. As has been aptly noted, this is not America first; this is America alone.  Campaign promises may make good political fodder. But the words and actions of this White House over the past 12 months have made a solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict harder to achieve. That is harmful to our own security, harmful to Israels long-term security, and harmful to stability in that region and beyond.\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t Press Contact \n\t\t\t\tDavid Carle: 202-224-3693\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\n\t  \n\t\n\t\n\t\n  \n\t\n    \n    \n    \n    \n    \n    \t\n    \t\n\t    \t  \n\t\t    \n\t\t    \tNext Article\n\t\t    \n\t\t    \n\t\t    \tPrevious Article", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.leahy.senate.gov/press/leahy-statement-on-the-need-to-pass-the-dream-act", "Leahy Statement On The Need To Pass The DREAM Act", "2017-12-21", "2017", "2017-12", "Democrat", "House", "VT", "Patrick Leahy", "L000174", "www.leahy.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "12.21.17\n\t\t\t Leahy Statement On The Need To Pass The DREAM Act \n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tWe are a nation of immigrants. That should be an obvious point, but it bears repeating at a time when our president sees political advantage in trafficking in xenophobic scapegoating. Unless you are Native American, you come from a line of people who come from somewhere else. Indeed that simple fact is an integral part of the American story.             \r\nWe are also a Nation that believes that anything is possible. Our ancestors and relatives journeyed here because, in America, where you come from does not determine what you can accomplish. In this great country, as long as you work hard and play by the rules, you can achieve your dreams. That itself is the American Dream.                                  \r\nNo single group of people embodies these ideals more than our Nations DREAMers. DREAMers grew up in this country; they were brought here as children. They seek only the opportunity to contribute to our Nation and to be legally recognized as the Americans that they are. DREAMers are our neighbors, our teachers, and our first responders. \r\nNearly a thousand DREAMers serve in our armed forces, risking their lives to defend the only country they have ever known as home. We cannot in good faith claim to care about the American Dream if we neglect to protect the very people who are living it.\r\nTake, for example, Dr. Juan Conde, a DACA recipient and a resident of Vermont. Dr. Conde was born in Mexico and brought to the United States as a child by his mother. In 2007, his mother was tragically taken by cancer. Showing remarkable courage and determination for a young man, this tragedy inspired Dr. Conde to find a way to help cancer patients like his mother. Yet he was unable to become an oncologist due to his immigration status. So instead he decided to obtain a Ph.D. in cancer research from the University of Texas.        \r\nBut Dr. Conde wanted to treat cancer patients, not just study the disease. After receiving DACA status in 2012, he was empowered to pursue his medical degree. And he is currently a medical student at University of Vermonts Larner College of Medicine.\r\nDr. Conde hopes to spend his life in the United States treating cancer patients and helping to find a cure for the disease. My hope is that we can make that happen, not just for Dr. Conde but for every other DREAMer. There are almost 800,000 DREAMers like Dr. Conde, all of whom have just as much potential to make our communities and our country truly great. To deny them these opportunities because they were brought here as children is as senseless as it is cruel. \r\nYet that is the decision the president made. He could have worked with Congress to find a permanent solution for DREAMers while leaving DACA protections in place. Instead, he cast them aside. And his administration has made absurd, nonfactual, and offensive arguments in support of that decision ever since. When Attorney General Sessions announced that DACA was being terminated, he argued that the program was an example of the Obama administrations repeated failure to enforce our immigration laws. He argued that such failure caused crime, violence, and even terrorism. During Senate Judiciary Committee hearings I pressed both the Attorney General and his Department on this point  to name just one DREAMer who was involved in terrorist activity. Of course they could not. But apparently fear mongering is more effective than acknowledging simple truths.                               \r\nBy definition, DREAMers are law-abiding. They seek nothing more than to contribute to our country. If the president refuses to stand with DREAMers, then Congress must. We have done it before in the Senate. Four years ago, 68 Senators  Democrats and Republicans  voted for comprehensive immigration reform legislation that I managed on the Senate floor. That legislation included key protections for DREAMers, including an expedited pathway to citizenship. It is time for the Senate to act again now. And for the House to follow suit. The future of DREAMers  and the fate of the American Dream itself  lies in our hands.\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t Press Contact \n\t\t\t\tDavid Carle: 202-224-3693\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\n\t  \n\t\n\t\n\t\n  \n\t\n    \n    \n    \n    \n    \n    \t\n    \t\n\t    \t  \n\t\t    \n\t\t    \tNext Article\n\t\t    \n\t\t    \n\t\t    \tPrevious Article", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.leahy.senate.gov/press/sens-paul-wyden-lee-and-leahy-release-joint-statement-on-fisa-reform-", "Sens. Paul, Wyden, Lee, and Leahy Release Joint Statement on FISA Reform", "2017-12-21", "2017", "2017-12", "Democrat", "House", "VT", "Patrick Leahy", "L000174", "www.leahy.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "12.21.17\n\t\t\t Sens. Paul, Wyden, Lee, and Leahy Release Joint Statement on FISA Reform  \n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tToday, U.S. Senators Rand Paul (R-KY), Ron Wyden (D-OR), Mike Lee (R-UT), and Patrick Leahy (D-VT) released the following statement opposing any long-term extension of Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) without the serious and public debate the American people deserve and should expect from their elected representatives:\r\nCongress should not vote on any long-term reauthorization of Section 702 until both the House and Senate have fully debated meaningful reforms in 2018.\r\n###\r\n\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t Press Contact \n\t\t\t\tDavid Carle: 202-224-3693\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\n\t  \n\t\n\t\n\t\n  \n\t\n    \n    \n    \n    \n    \n    \t\n    \t\n\t    \t  \n\t\t    \n\t\t    \n\t\t    \tPrevious Article", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.sanders.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/sanders-votes-against-continuing-resolution", "Sanders Votes Against Continuing Resolution", "2017-12-21", "2017", "2017-12", "Independent", "House", "VT", "Bernard Sanders", "S000033", "www.sanders.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Sanders Votes Against Continuing Resolution\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\tThursday, December 21, 2017\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\tWASHINGTON, Dec. 21  Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) issued the following statement Thursday after voting against a temporary spending bill:\r\n\"I voted no on the continuing resolution because it is unconscionable for Congress to go home for the holidays while leaving major crises unresolved. There are 800,000 Dreamers in this country who are on the verge of losing their legal status and who could soon be subject to deportation if we do not act. For three months, the Childrens Health Insurance Program and the community health center program have not been reauthorized or fully funded. Millions of children and families are wondering whether they will be able to continue to receive health care. Over 1.5 million older workers and retirees will soon see the pensions they were promised cut by up to 60 percent if Congress does not do its job.\r\n\"It would simply be wrong to pass another continuing resolution. These problems must be addressed, and they must be addressed now.\"", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.sanders.senate.gov/newsroom/recent-business/sanders-votes-against-continuing-resolution", "Sanders Votes Against Continuing Resolution", "2017-12-21", "2017", "2017-12", "Independent", "House", "VT", "Bernard Sanders", "S000033", "www.sanders.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Sanders Votes Against Continuing Resolution\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\tThursday, December 21, 2017\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\tWASHINGTON, Dec. 21  Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) issued the following statement Thursday after voting against a temporary spending bill:\r\n\"I voted no on the continuing resolution because it is unconscionable for Congress to go home for the holidays while leaving major crises unresolved. There are 800,000 Dreamers in this country who are on the verge of losing their legal status and who could soon be subject to deportation if we do not act. For three months, the Childrens Health Insurance Program and the community health center program have not been reauthorized or fully funded. Millions of children and families are wondering whether they will be able to continue to receive health care. Over 1.5 million older workers and retirees will soon see the pensions they were promised cut by up to 60 percent if Congress does not do its job.\r\n\"It would simply be wrong to pass another continuing resolution.These problems must be addressed, and they must be addressed now.\"", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.leahy.senate.gov/press/leahy-statement-in-support-of-democracy-in-honduras", "Leahy Statement In Support of Democracy in Honduras", "2017-12-20", "2017", "2017-12", "Democrat", "House", "VT", "Patrick Leahy", "L000174", "www.leahy.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "12.20.17\n\t\t\t Leahy Statement In Support of Democracy in Honduras \n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tMr. President, on Monday the head of the Honduras Supreme Electoral Tribunal declared Juan Orlando Hernandez the next President of Honduras. Shortly thereafter, the Secretariat of the Organization of American States, one of the principal international observers, announced that it could not certify the election as free and fair and called for a new election. Yesterday, after his top advisors rebuked the OAS for infringing on Honduras sovereignty, President Hernandez, stating that the Honduran people have spoken, declared himself President-elect.\r\nOn December 5, I spoke at length about the Honduran election, and I have made several statements since then. I will not repeat what I, and many others, have already said about the troubling process orchestrated by President Hernandez and his associates over the past several years to lay the groundwork for his reelection for an unprecedented second presidential term. Nor about the many irregularities that have caused masses of people to take to the streets in protest since the vote on November 26. As of today, at least 12 protesters, and perhaps as many as 20, have been killed and many more injured, mostly from military police firing live ammunition. I was disappointed that in his speech yesterday President Hernandez made no mention of those tragic deaths.\r\nAs we await the Trump Administrations decision on whether to support the OASs call for a new election or accept President Hernandez claim to a second term, I want to make three points.\r\nFirst, if this flawed election had been held in a country not led by a president whose consolidation of power and reliance on the military and police have had the strong backing of the White House and the State Department, it is doubtful that it would be accepted as free and fair. Instead, the White House  which has been willing to excuse the Hernandez governments corruption scandals and crackdown on the press and civil society  would likely be calling for a recount or, if the integrity of the ballots could not be assured, a new election.\r\nSecond, the OAS deserves the thanks of people throughout this hemisphere for the role it has played as an impartial observer and for standing up for a free and fair election in Honduras at a time when democratic processes, freedom of expression and association, and independent judiciaries are threatened not only in Honduras but in many parts of Latin America. Next year, presidential and parliamentary elections are scheduled in many countries in Central and South America, and the OAS  which has been a strong defender of democracy and human rights in Venezuela  has a vital role to play in seeking to ensure that those elections meet international standards of fairness and transparency. It is therefore particularly important and reassuring that the OAS Secretariat has insisted on such standards in Honduras by calling for a new election, and it is just as important that the United States stands with the OAS at this time.\r\nThird, it is ultimately for the people of Honduras to decide what kind of a government they want, and whether to accept the result declared by the Supreme Electoral Tribunal, which has little credibility outside of President Hernandez National Party. It is clear that the country is sharply divided politically, socially, and economically. Absent an electoral process that is widely accepted as free and fair, that divisiveness will imperil the progress that is urgently needed in combating poverty, violence, organized crime, corruption, and impunity that pose immense challenges for the future. \r\nBut the international community, and particularly the people of this hemisphere, also has a stake in this election and in Honduras future. In the past decade alone, the United States has provided many hundreds of millions of dollars in aid to Honduras, much of which I supported. But that aid has not achieved the results that the Honduran people and we wanted, and the reason for that, I believe, is primarily because successive Honduran governments were not serious about addressing many of the key problems I have mentioned. Yet the aid kept flowing. Unfortunately, I am not convinced that the current government is sufficiently serious about this, either.\r\nHonduras today desperately needs a freely and fairly elected leader who can unite the country. Unfortunately, this election lacked the conditions of fairness and transparency necessary to produce that result. If a new election is held under such conditions it is entirely possible that President Hernandez may win. Or he may not. But for him, or any candidate, to obtain the mandate required to unite the country and make a credible case that his government is a deserving partner of the United States, it will need to be by rejecting the serious flaws of this election and demonstrating to all the people of Honduras and this hemisphere what real democracy looks like.\r\nMr. President, I ask unanimous consent that todays Bloomberg View editorial calling for a new democratic election in Honduras be printed in the Record.\r\n\r\nThe U.S. Should Back New Elections in Honduras\r\nLatin America needs to start its big election year on the right foot.\r\nby\r\nThe Editors\r\n\r\nDecember 20, 2017 7:00 AM\r\nThere is only one way out of Honduras's deepening political crisis, and that is a new presidential election. It's a solution the U.S., with its long history in Latin America, should help bring about -- although it would help if it had an ambassador there.\r\nThe certification this week of incumbent President Juan Orlando Hernandezs contested victory in last month's election has brought Hondurans into the streets, continuing a wave of violent demonstrations that have claimed at least 24 lives. It comes after a deeply flawed ballot-counting process that included long delays, after which Hernandez's early deficit mysteriously disappeared. (The final tally put him ahead by about 1.5 percent.) The vote was denounced by numerous observers -- including the Organization of American States, which has called for new elections.\r\nYet the U.S., which has no ambassador in Tegucigalpa or an assistant secretary of State for the hemisphere, has been only mildly critical. When Hernandez's victory was certified, it urgedopposing political parties to \"raise any concerns they may have.\" And just after the disputed election, the State Department renewed aid to Honduras -- a move widely interpreted as tacit support for Hernandez.\r\nHernandez has won friends in Washington with his willingness to crack down on crime and illegal migration to the U.S., and his investor-friendly policies. At the same time, his administration has been responsible for ugly human rights abuses and been implicated in several high-profile corruption scandals. Moreover, he has extended his tenure only by packing Hondurass Supreme Court to lift the country's one-term limit for presidents. The head of the court responsible for certifying election results is one of Hernandez's close allies.\r\nEven before last month's flawed vote, Honduras was notable for the lack of popular confidence in its electoral mechanisms. And if it's stability that Washington seeks, these disputed results don't promise to achieve it. Protracted unrest will only make fighting drugs and illegal migration harder.\r\nThe contrast between the OAS and the U.S. could also hurt U.S. influence and credibility. The U.S. has rightly supported the OAS in its efforts to hold Venezuela accountable for its electoral crimes. If it fails to do the same in Honduras, it risks setting a dangerous double standard. This would be especially damaging in a year when nearly two out of three Latin Americans are scheduled to go to the polls.\r\nAs the administration's just-released National Security Strategy says, \"Stable, friendly, and prosperous states in the Western Hemisphere enhance our security and benefit our economy.\" The best way to ensure that Honduras becomes one is to support free, transparent and fair elections.\r\nEditors: James Gibney, Michael Newman.\r\n# # # # #\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t Press Contact \n\t\t\t\tDavid Carle: 202-224-3693", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.sanders.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/sanders-demands-congress-protect-dreamers-fund-chcs-and-chip-before-going-home", "Sanders Demands Congress Protect Dreamers, Fund CHCs  CHIP Before Going Home", "2017-12-20", "2017", "2017-12", "Independent", "House", "VT", "Bernard Sanders", "S000033", "www.sanders.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Sanders Demands Congress Protect Dreamers, Fund CHCs & CHIP Before Going Home\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\tWednesday, December 20, 2017\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\tWASHINGTON, Dec. 20  In a speech on the Senate floor Wednesday, Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) said it would be unacceptable for Congress to break for the holidays without protecting Dreamers, funding community health centers and the Childrens Health Insurance Program (CHIP) and addressing a number of other issues critical to working families.\r\nIt really would be unconscionable to leave Washington after giving tax breaks to billionaires and large corporations, while we ignore the enormous problems facing the middle class and working families of our country, Sanders said.\r\nIn his speech, he outlined the priorities that must be addressed before the end of the year.\r\nDACA:Any end of the year spending agreement must address the fear and uncertainty unnecessarily caused by the administrations reckless actions, and a clean DREAM Act must be signed into law. This is not just what Bernie Sanders wants.A Quinnipiac poll came out the other day in which 77 percent of the American people supported maintaining legal status for these young people and allowing them to move forward towards citizenship.\r\nCommunity Health Centers:If we do not act soon, 70 percent of community health center funding will be cut, and 2,800 health centers will close their doors.Further, 51,000 jobs will be lost, and 9 million patients will lose access to their health care. That would be unacceptable. Community Health Centers must funded at the levels contained in the bipartisan legislation introduced earlier this year by Senators Blunt and Stabenow.\r\nChildrens Health Insurance Program (CHIP):If CHIP is not reauthorized,9 millionchildren in working families will lose their health insurance. These children are covered by CHIP because their families earn too much to qualify for Medicaid but too little to afford private health insurance. Anything short of a full CHIP reauthorization will cause unnecessary confusion and stress for working families and their children.And this re-authorization must not be offset by slashing the prevention fund or other unacceptable offsets.\r\nMulti-Employer Pensions:If Congress does not act soon, the earned pension benefits of more than 1.5 million workers and retirees in multi-employer pension plans could be cut by up to 60 percent. When a worker is promised a pension benefit after a lifetime of hard work that promise must be kept. Congress needs to act before the end of the year to make sure that no one in America in a multi-employer pension plan will see their pension cut.\r\nSocial Security Administration:Since 2010, Congress has cut Social Securitys operating budget by 16 percent and Republicans want to cut it another 4 percent this year.According to a recentWashington Post article, 10,000 people died in the past year waiting for a decision on Social Security disability benefits. We need to increase funding for these vital services by at least $1.4 billion just to bring staffing back up to 2010 levels.\r\nStudent Loan Forgiveness:Because of problems with student loan servicing and complicated program requirements, there are tens of thousands of student loan borrowers who might not get the forgiveness theyve earned. That would be unacceptable. Congress must fix this problem now to make sure that 150,000 Americans can receive the student loan forgiveness they have earned and deserve.\r\nRural Infrastructure:Rural America is being shortchanged by the current, arbitrary funding caps set under the Budget Control Act.We need to bolster infrastructure investments in rural America by more than $2 billion, which are not being adequately funded under the current, arbitrary funding caps set by the Budget Control Act.\"\r\nFight the Opioid and Mental Health Epidemic: With this upcoming funding bill, Congress needs to double funding for mental health. That would send an extra billion dollars to programs that right now support treatment for more than 7 million people and provide training and resources to help identify mental health crises.\r\nTo watch Sanders' speech,click here.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.sanders.senate.gov/newsroom/video-audio/sharing-the-holidays-with-vermont-seniors", "Sharing the Holidays with Vermont Seniors", "2017-12-20", "2017", "2017-12", "Independent", "House", "VT", "Bernard Sanders", "S000033", "www.sanders.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", null, 0, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://welch.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/house-floor-welch-rails-against-gop-tax-bill", "On House Floor, Welch Rails Against GOP Tax Bill", "2017-12-19", "2017", "2017-12", "Democrat", "House", "VT", "Peter Welch", "W000800", "welch.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "WASHINGTON  Today on the floor of the House of Representatives, Rep. Peter Welch (D-VT) railed against the GOP tax bill as it was debated by Members of Congress. Welch voted against the bill which passed the House this afternoon by a vote of 227-203.\nYoure a Vermont familyif youre lucky, you might make a couple hundred bucks. But at what price? Once these benefits expire, 83 percent of the benefits of the individual tax break go to the top one percent of Americans. At what price? Two trillion dollars added to the deficit. And let me tell you this: Vermont families, working families, theyd like a tax cut, but not one that their children and grandchildren are going to have to pay. That is unconscionable.\nA full transcript of Rep. Welchs remarks can be found here.\nClick image to view video of Rep. Welchs full remarks.\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.leahy.senate.gov/press/sen-patrick-leahy-on-his-no-vote-as-senate-tues-night-nears-final-passage-of-republican-tax-plan-", "Sen. Patrick Leahy, On His NO Vote, As Senate Tues. Night Nears Final Passage Of Republican TAX PLAN", "2017-12-19", "2017", "2017-12", "Democrat", "House", "VT", "Patrick Leahy", "L000174", "www.leahy.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "12.19.17\n\t\t\t Sen. Patrick Leahy, On His NO Vote, As Senate Tues. Night Nears Final Passage Of Republican TAX PLAN  \n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tLittle more than a month ago, the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act was unveiled in the Senate. Just a few short weeks later, we are on the verge of passing a colossal bill, publicly available for just four days, that makes sweeping changes to every aspect of our economy. We are moving so fast that the American people would be forgiven for thinking we were addressing a national emergency. And yet, fires are still blazing in California, power in Puerto Rico is still not fully restored, and victims around the Gulf of Hurricanes Harvey, Irma and Maria are still struggling to pick up the pieces and rebuild. There are indeed national emergencies we should be addressing, but instead of doing so, Republicans in Congress are focused first on passing tax cuts for corporations and billionaires  tax cuts that will add an estimated $1.5 trillion to the deficit.\r\nThe process that led to the bill we are voting on today has been fundamentally flawed from the outset. From the beginning, this bill has been written behind closed doors by Senate Republicans. No hearings were ever held on this bill, denying the American people an opportunity to add their voices to the debate. When the Senate voted on its version of this bill in the dead of night, Senators only received the text a few hours before the vote  and even then, the text was hastily put together, with scribbles written into the margins. We discovered that lobbyists knew more about what was in it than those of us who had the responsibility to vote on it. No wonder that it was loaded with last-minute special interest giveaways.\r\nThere is serious doubt this bill will benefit the middle class, as Republicans claim. What we do know is that it will result in millions of fewer insured Americans and higher health care premiums for millions more. At the same time, corporations will receive a windfall in permanent tax cuts that will bust our budget for decades to come. Even more appallingly, it includes special provisions that will directly benefit the President and some Members of Congress. It doesnt end there. Republicans have yet to address the $1 trillion in cuts to Medicare, Social Security and other programs vital to the American people, which will be spurred by the passage of this bill. This bill cynically and surreptitiously sets the stage for those slashing cuts.\r\nThis is a bill that cheats our future for the sake of a tax-cut windfall for the one percent. It does absolutely wonderful things for the wealthiest taxpayers, like the President, his cronies and his family. If he wants to dispute that, he should finally release his tax returns, and prove to the American people that the Christmas present the President talks about will not, in fact, benefit his bottom line.\r\nWhat we do know is this bill does not advance the common good. It offers little but crumbs on the table and coal in the stockings of hardworking Americans, while the wealthiest individuals and corporations reap the rewards of this bill, with the false promise of trickle-down benefits to everyone else. The wealthiest are doing just fine and big corporations already are pulling in record profits, which theyre not investing but salting away. More than 400 millionaires have urgently told Congress that they dont need more tax cuts.\r\nRepublicans will continue to claim that their bill represents serious tax reform, but the public isnt fooled. Poll after poll shows that the American people see this bill for what it is: a betrayal of the middle class and a betrayal of American values. They have seen enough of trickle-down economics to know that the benefits never flow to them. At the end of the day, it is clear that this bill was never really about the middle class; it was about the Republican donor class.\r\nI wish we had gone down a different path, one where both parties worked together to provide real relief to the working families we all represent. It belies the storied history of this institution to rush through such a sweeping bill, through an arcane process of reconciliation intended to secure the lowest possible number of votes to succeed, without the benefit of public opinion, or even public review.\r\nAfter one of the least productive sessions of Congress that I can recall, Republicans are so desperate for a win that they will mortgage away our future. This bill is not tax reform. This is a cartoonish caricature of what real tax reform should look like. It is dishonest to its core. It is cynical, and it can only breed more cynicism by the public. It is bad policy, it is indefensible policy, and it is wrong.\r\nIt is said that every generation has a responsibility to leave our nation better, brighter, and stronger for the generations that follow. This tax bill accomplishes none of those goals.\r\nI strongly oppose  I reject  this conference report, and the crass, partisan path that brought us here.\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t Press Contact \n\t\t\t\tDavid Carle: 202-224-3693\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\n\t  \n\t\n\t\n\t\n  \n\t\n    \n    \n    \n    \n    \n    \t\n    \t\n\t    \t  \n\t\t    \n\t\t    \n\t\t    \tPrevious Article", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.leahy.senate.gov/press/leahy-reaction-to-the-tses-declaration-of-juan-orlando-hernandez-as-the-winner-in-the-honduran-election", "Leahy Reaction To The TSE's Declaration Of Juan Orlando Hernandez As The Winner In The Honduran Election", "2017-12-18", "2017", "2017-12", "Democrat", "House", "VT", "Patrick Leahy", "L000174", "www.leahy.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "12.18.17\n\t\t\t Leahy Reaction To The TSE's Declaration Of Juan Orlando Hernandez As The Winner In The Honduran Election \n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\"Unfortunately, the announcement by the Supreme Electoral Tribunal leaves too many questions unanswered. There were multiple opportunities for fraud in this election, and only a determination by impartial international observers that the vote tally was fair and transparent will provide the necessary credibility to the process. The Honduran people deserve no less. I urge the EU and the OAS to insist on whatever action - including a complete recount or a new election if necessary - to eliminate any reasonable suspicion of fraud that could have affected the result. I also urge the Honduran police to immediately cease the use of live ammunition against protesters. There is no justification for the tragic loss of life that has occurred.\"\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t Press Contact \n\t\t\t\tDavid Carle: 202-224-3693\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\n\t  \n\t\n\t\n\t\n  \n\t\n    \n    \n    \n    \n    \n    \t\n    \t\n\t    \t  \n\t\t    \n\t\t    \n\t\t    \tPrevious Article", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.sanders.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/report-republican-tax-bill-hands-15-corporations-236-billion-tax-break", "Report: Republican Tax Bill Hands 15 Corporations $236 Billion Tax Break", "2017-12-18", "2017", "2017-12", "Independent", "House", "VT", "Bernard Sanders", "S000033", "www.sanders.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Report: Republican Tax Bill Hands 15 Corporations $236 Billion Tax Break\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\tMonday, December 18, 2017\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\tWASHINGTON, Dec. 18  The Republican tax bill, which will be voted upon this week, will provide 15 of the largest and most profitable American corporations a $236 billion tax cut, according to a report prepared for Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) by the Senate Budget Committee Democratic staff.\r\nIn the final legislation released Friday night, Republicans are offering corporations a nearly 20 percent tax cut to repatriate trillions of dollars stashed in offshore tax havens. The proposed 15.5 percent rate would be a boondoggle for profitable, multinational corporations.\r\nAfter making $59 billion in profits last year, Apple would be the biggest winner with a tax break as large as $47.97 billion on the $246 billion it has stashed in offshore tax havens.\r\nPfizer, with $775 million in 2016 profits, would receive up to a $38.8 billion tax cut; Microsoft up to a $27.7 billion cut after last years profits topped $20 billion; and, with $10.2 billion profits last year,General Electric would receive a tax break of up to $15.99 billion.\r\nA repatriation tax holiday has not worked in the past and will not work now, according to the report. As part of the 2004 American Jobs Creation Act, corporations were allowed to repatriate funds at a 5.25 percent tax rate with the assumption that the money would be used to boost the economy and create jobs. Instead, corporations brought $312 billion to the US and spent it on executive pay raises and stock buy backs.\r\n- In 2004, Pfizer repatriated $35.5 billion, fired 11,748 workers and gave its executives a raise of $12.8 million.\r\n- In 2004, Johnson & Johnson repatriated $10.6 billion, fired 4,062 workers, and gave its executives a raise of more than $32.8 million. The companystands to gain a tax cut of up to $12.9 billion tax break as a result of the Republican tax bill.\r\nDuring the debate over tax reform, corporate leaders have acknowledged that they will use repatriated funds to pay down debt or turn the gains over to their shareholders. They have made it clear that they have no intention of using the influx of cash to create jobs or invest in the American economy.\r\nThis report is further proof that the Republican tax bill is a massive giveaway to the largest corporations in the country and the wealthiest individuals. Meanwhile, while the very rich get much richer more than half of middle class families will pay more in taxes at the end of ten years. Further, by running up a $1.4 trillion deficit, the Republicans are paving the way for massive cuts to Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid. This is a tax bill written for wealthy Republican campaign contributors, not for the average American. It must be defeated,\" Sanders said.\r\nTo read the report,click here.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.sanders.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/sanders-congress-must-not-break-until-it-deals-with-major-crises", "Sanders: Congress Must Not Break Until it Deals With Major Crises", "2017-12-18", "2017", "2017-12", "Independent", "House", "VT", "Bernard Sanders", "S000033", "www.sanders.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Sanders: Congress Must Not Break Until it Deals With Major Crises\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\tMonday, December 18, 2017\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\tBURLINGTON, Vt., Dec. 18  U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) issued the following statement Monday regarding the end-of-year spending bill:\r\n\"As I have stated many times, Congress must not break for recess unless it addresses some of the major crises facing this country. While Republicans believe that tax breaks for billionaires and large corporations is the nation's major priority, I strongly disagree. Here are some of the issues that Congress must deal with now.\r\n\"We must act now to prevent 800,000 Dreamers, young people who were raised in this country and know no other home, from losing their legal status. Any end of the year spending agreement must address the fear and uncertainty unnecessarily caused by the administration's reckless actions, and a clean Dream Act must be signed into law.\r\n\"We must not allow 9 million children to lose their health insurance because the Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP) has not been re-funded. As of December 6th, nine states have already exhausted their 2017 funding, and 16 more states will exhaust their funding by the end of next month. Full funding for CHIP must be reauthorized.\r\n\"It has been more than two months since funding for the Community Health Center program has lapsed. If we do not act very soon, health care for the 27 million Americans who utilize community health centers will be threatened. Lives will be lost. Unnecessary suffer will occur. The community health center program must be fully funded.\r\n\"If Congress does not act soon, the earned pension benefits of more than 1.5 million workers and retirees in multi-employer pension plans could be cut by up to 60 percent. When a worker is promised a pension benefit after a lifetime of hard work that promise must be kept. Congress needs to act before the end of the year to make sure that no American in a multi-employer pension plan will see their pension cut.\"\r\nSanders and U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) authored an op-ed in The New York Times Monday detailing the priorities that should be at the top of Congress' agenda at the end of the year.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.sanders.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/sanders-statement-on-final-gop-tax-bill", "Sanders Statement on Final GOP Tax Bill", "2017-12-15", "2017", "2017-12", "Independent", "House", "VT", "Bernard Sanders", "S000033", "www.sanders.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Sanders Statement on Final GOP Tax Bill\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\tFriday, December 15, 2017\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\tBURLINGTON, Vt., Dec. 15  U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) issued the following statement Friday after Congressional Republicans released their final tax bill:\r\n\"This tax bill is a moral and economic obscenity. It is a gift to wealthy Republican campaign contributors and an insult to the working families of our country. At a time of massive income and wealth inequality this bill would provide the majority of benefits to the top 1 percent and the largest corporations. Unbelievably, at the end of 10 years it would actually raise taxes on millions of middle-class families and, by creating a $1.4 trillion deficit, would pave the way for massive cuts to Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid and other important programs. No member of Congress should vote for this disastrous legislation.\"", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.sanders.senate.gov/newsroom/recent-business/sanders-statement-on-final-gop-tax-bill", "Sanders Statement on Final GOP Tax Bill", "2017-12-15", "2017", "2017-12", "Independent", "House", "VT", "Bernard Sanders", "S000033", "www.sanders.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Sanders Statement on Final GOP Tax Bill\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\tFriday, December 15, 2017\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\tBURLINGTON, Vt., Dec. 15 U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) issued the following statement Friday after Congressional Republicans released their final tax bill:\r\n\"This tax bill is a moral and economic obscenity. It is a gift to wealthy Republican campaign contributors and an insult to the working families of our country. At a time of massive income and wealth inequality this bill would provide the majority of benefits to the top 1 percent and the largest corporations. Unbelievably, at the end of 10 years it would actually raise taxes on millions of middle-class families and, by creating a $1.4 trillion deficit, would pave the way for massive cuts to Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid and other important programs. No member of Congress should vote for this disastrous legislation.\"", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://welch.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/welch-statement-fcc-net-neutrality-action-and-legislation-he-sponsoring", "Welch Statement on FCC Net Neutrality Action, and Legislation He is Sponsoring to Overturn It", "2017-12-14", "2017", "2017-12", "Democrat", "House", "VT", "Peter Welch", "W000800", "welch.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Rep. Peter Welch (D-VT) issued the following statement in response to a vote by the Federal Communications Commission this afternoon to repeal net neutrality rules. In addition, he will soon join colleagues on the House Energy and Commerce Committee to introduce legislation to reverse this decision. \n\u201cToday\u2019s decision to gut net neutrality is a disaster for consumers and an early Christmas present to big broadband companies who can now pick and choose who gets access to the internet and at what speed. I will soon introduce legislation to reverse this horrible decision so that the internet remains open and accessible to all Americans.\u201d\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.leahy.senate.gov/press/leahy-authored-farm-bill-provision-nets-millions-for-northeast-kingdom", "Leahy-Authored Farm Bill Provision Nets Millions For Northeast Kingdom", "2017-12-14", "2017", "2017-12", "Democrat", "House", "VT", "Patrick Leahy", "L000174", "www.leahy.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "12.14.17\n\t\t\t Leahy-Authored Farm Bill Provision Nets Millions For Northeast Kingdom \n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t \n\t\t\n\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n        \n\t\t\t\t . . . Leahy-Led REAP Zone Designation Continues To Address NEK Needs, Now Topping $200 Million Since 2001\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t Senator Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) announced Thursday that U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) economic development investments in the Northeast Kingdom now total more than $9.1 million during 2017.\r\nNEK-area businesses, nonprofits and municipalities received 36 awards from the U.S. Department of Agriculture Office of Rural Development (USDA-RD) to assist with a diverse range of business assistance, infrastructure upgrades and energy efficiency improvement projects.\u00a0 More than $5.5 million of the awards during federal fiscal year 2017 were made possible through the Rural Area Economic Partnership (REAP) Zone, a special designation secured by Leahy in the last Farm Bill.\u00a0\r\nLeahy is a leading member of the Senate Agriculture Committee, which oversees USDA and handles the Senate\u2019s work in writing Farm Bills, and he also now is the Vice Chairman of the Senate Appropriations Committee, which annually appropriates funds for the USDA.\u00a0\r\nLeahy said:\u00a0 \u201cThese USDA investments are empowering local organizations and businesses to make our Vermont communities stronger.\u00a0 The diverse nature of Rural Development\u2019s programs mean that federal help can be pre-tailored to address distinct needs for each community. \u00a0As Congress begins writing a new Farm Bill in 2018, I\u2019ll be focused on making sure that USDA-RD continues to have resources like these to invest in Vermont.\u201d\r\nUSDA, through its Rural Development mission area, administers and manages housing, business and community infrastructure programs through a national network of state and local offices. \u00a0These programs are designed to improve the economic stability of rural communities, businesses, residents, farmers and ranchers to improve the quality of life in rural areas.\r\nSince 2001 Leahy has consistently and successfully fought to designate, and to renew, the Northeast Kingdom of Vermont -- Caledonia, Essex, and Orleans Counties -- as a REAP Zone, a USDA RD designation recognizing the unique rural nature of a region that prioritizes the region\u2019s grant applications.\u00a0 Successfully designated in the 2014 Farm Bill, the Northeast Kingdom REAP Zone is one of only four regions nationwide designated as REAP Zones by USDA-RD, an arm of USDA focused on helping rural communities thrive.\u00a0 The designation gives applicants to some of USDA RD\u2019s 40 grant and loan programs access to a reserved set of funds only available to REAP Zones.\u00a0 Leahy worked with the Northeast Kingdom Collaborative, a group of economic and community development organizations from across Caledonia, Essex and Orleans Counties, to create Vermont\u2019s REAP Zone.\r\nSince the creation of the NEK REAP Zone, USDA has invested more than $200 million in Caledonia, Essex and Orleans Counties.\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\nGrant\r\n\r\n\r\nOrganization\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n$35,300\r\n\r\n\r\nTown of St. Johnsbury\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n$14,087\r\n\r\n\r\nVermont Sun Ltd.\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n$99,999\r\n\r\n\r\nNorthern Community Investment Corp.\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n$60,000\r\n\r\n\r\nTown of St. Johnsbury\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n$48,626\r\n\r\n\r\nCeneter for an Agricultural Economy\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n$72,821\r\n\r\n\r\nPermanent Fund for VT Children\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n$47,000\r\n\r\n\r\nVT State Colleges\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n$12,110\r\n\r\n\r\nKaufman, Bruce\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n$9,475\r\n\r\n\r\nSouth Royalton Food Cooperative\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n$50,000\r\n\r\n\r\nCenter for an Agricultural Economy\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n$12,400\r\n\r\n\r\nHeartbeet Lifesharing Corp.\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n$3,682\r\n\r\n\r\nGilman Housing Trust\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n$14,800\r\n\r\n\r\nLyndon Institute\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n$50,000\r\n\r\n\r\nSt. Johnsbury Athenaeum\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n$5,320,000\r\n\r\n\r\nTown of St. Johnsbury\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n$430,000\r\n\r\n\r\nTown of St. Johnsbury\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n$71,000\r\n\r\n\r\nNE Kingdom Travel and Tourism Assoc.\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n$26,738\r\n\r\n\r\nNorthern Forest Center, Inc.\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n$99,999\r\n\r\n\r\nNorthern Community Investment Corp.\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n$75,000\r\n\r\n\r\nNorthern Community Investment Corp.\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n$25,000\r\n\r\n\r\nVT Council on the Arts\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n$96,700\r\n\r\n\r\nVT Housing and Conservation Board\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n$189,400\r\n\r\n\r\nCanaan Fire District #1\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n$55,200\r\n\r\n\r\nTroy School District\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n$31,900\r\n\r\n\r\nTown of Charleston\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n$37,500\r\n\r\n\r\nBarton Village, Inc.\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n$98,157\r\n\r\n\r\nVermont Farm-to-School\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n$99,999\r\n\r\n\r\nForestville Foundation, Inc.\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n$695,600\r\n\r\n\r\nTown of Newport\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n$19,997\r\n\r\n\r\nKingdom Brewing\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n$760,000\r\n\r\n\r\nHighland Lodge 2016, LLC\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n$79,625\r\n\r\n\r\nCity of Newport\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n$58,947\r\n\r\n\r\nThe Art House, Inc.\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n$6,327\r\n\r\n\r\nAsa H. Searles dba Ellie's Sugarhouse\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n$52,626\r\n\r\n\r\nGilman Housing Trust\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\u00a0\r\n\r\n\r\n\u00a0\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\nLoans\r\n\r\n\r\nOrganization\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n$233,000\r\n\r\n\r\nCanaan Fire District #1\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t Press Contact \n\t\t\t\tDavid Carle: 202-224-3693\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\n\t  \n\t\n\t\n\t\n  \n\t\n    \n    \n    \n    \n    \n    \t\n    \t\n\t    \t  \n\t\t    \n\t\t    \tNext Article\n\t\t    \n\t\t    \n\t\t    \tPrevious Article", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.leahy.senate.gov/press/leahy-sanders-join-markey-on-resolution-to-restore-fccs-net-neutrality-rules", "Leahy, Sanders Join Markey On Resolution To Restore FCCs Net Neutrality Rules", "2017-12-14", "2017", "2017-12", "Democrat", "House", "VT", "Patrick Leahy", "L000174", "www.leahy.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "12.14.17\n\t\t\t Leahy, Sanders Join Markey On Resolution To Restore FCC\u2019s Net Neutrality Rules \n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t \n\t\t\n\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n        \n\t\t\t\t . . . CRA resolution would reinstate robust net neutrality protections and the Open Internet Order\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t Vermont\u2019s two U.S. senators \u2013 Sen. Patrick Leahy (D) and Sen. Bernie Sanders (I) have joined Sen. Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.), a member of the Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee, and 13 other senators on Thursday in announcing their plan to introduce a Congressional Review Act (CRA) resolution that would undo Thursday\u2019s action by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) and restore the 2015 net neutrality rules.\r\nThe FCC Thursday afternoon approved an item that guts the 2015 Open Internet Order, which the D.C. Circuit Court upheld in 2016. \u00a0The Open Internet Order prohibited internet service providers from setting up internet fast and slow lanes and ensured they could not block or slow down internet traffic.\r\n\u201cDonald Trump\u2019s FCC made an historic mistake today by overturning its net neutrality rules, and we cannot let it stand,\u201d said Senator Markey. \u201cWithout strong net neutrality rules, entrepreneurs, inventors, small businesses, activists and all those who rely on a free and open internet will be at the mercy of big broadband companies that can block websites, slow down traffic and charge websites fees in order to increase their profits.\r\n\u201cWe will fight the FCC\u2019s decisions in the courts, and we will fight it in the halls of Congress,\u201d continued Senator Markey. \u201cWith this CRA, Congress can correct the Commission\u2019s misguided and partisan decision and keep the internet in the hands of the people, not big corporations. Our Republicans colleagues have a choice - be on the right side of history and stand with the American people who support net neutrality, or hold hands with the big cable and broadband companies who only want to supercharge their profits at the expense of consumers and our economy.\u201d\r\nA copy of the CRA can be found HERE.\r\nSenator Markey\u2019s resolution of disapproval would rescind FCC Chairman Ajit Pai\u2019s item and fully restore the Open Internet Order. CRA resolutions allow Congress to overturn regulatory actions at federal agencies with a simple majority vote in both chambers.\u00a0 In accordance with the Congressional Review Act, the senators will formally introduce the resolution once the rule is submitted to both houses of Congress and published in the federal register. Congressman Mike Doyle (D-Penn.) plans to introduce a CRA resolution in the House of Representatives.\u00a0\u00a0\r\nIn addition to Leahy and Sanders, other senators cosponsoring the CRA resolution include Senators Ron Wyden (D-Ore.), Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.), Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii.), Richard Blumenthal (D\u2013Conn.), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.), Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.), Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.), Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.), Maggie Hassan (D-N.H.), Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), Gary Peters (D-Mich.), and Debbie Stabenow (D-Mich.).\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t Press Contact \n\t\t\t\tDavid Carle: 202-224-3693\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\n\t  \n\t\n\t\n\t\n  \n\t\n    \n    \n    \n    \n    \n    \t\n    \t\n\t    \t  \n\t\t    \n\t\t    \n\t\t    \tPrevious Article", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.leahy.senate.gov/press/leahy-usda-economic-development-investments-in-vermont-this-year-now-top-222-million", "Leahy: USDA Economic Development Investments In Vermont This Year Now Top $222 Million", "2017-12-14", "2017", "2017-12", "Democrat", "House", "VT", "Patrick Leahy", "L000174", "www.leahy.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "12.14.17\n\t\t\t Leahy: USDA Economic Development Investments In Vermont This Year Now Top $222 Million \n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tSenator\u00a0 Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) announced Thursday that U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) economic development investments in the Vermont now total more than $222 million during fiscal year 2017.\u00a0 Federal funds supported a broad range of activities in thirteen Vermont counties, including business development, housing construction and purchases, municipal investments in infrastructure and awards to academic institutions of higher education.\u00a0\u00a0 The funds were made available through the U.S. Department of Agriculture Office of Rural Development (USDA-RD) an arm of USDA focused on helping rural communities thrive.\r\nLeahy is a leading member of the Senate Agriculture Committee, which oversees USDA and handles the Senate\u2019s work in writing Farm Bills, and he now also is the Vice Chairman of the Senate Appropriations Committee, which annually appropriates funds for the USDA.\u00a0\r\nLeahy said:\u00a0 \u201cThese USDA investments are empowering local organizations and businesses to make our Vermont communities stronger.\u00a0 The diverse nature of Rural Development\u2019s programs mean that federal help can be pre-tailored to address distinct needs for each community. \u00a0As Congress begins writing a new Farm Bill in 2018, I\u2019ll be focused on making sure that USDA-RD continues to have resources like these to invest in Vermont.\u201d\r\nUSDA, through its Rural Development mission area, administers and manages housing, business and community infrastructure programs through a national network of state and local offices. \u00a0These programs are designed to improve the economic stability of rural communities, businesses, residents, farmers and ranchers to improve the quality of life in rural areas. For 2017 USDA RD awarded more than $9 million in business loans and grants, assisted more than 400 Vermonters in purchasing homes, and invested $128 million in community facilities and infrastructure.\u00a0\u00a0\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t Press Contact \n\t\t\t\tDavid Carle: 202-224-3693\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\n\t  \n\t\n\t\n\t\n  \n\t\n    \n    \n    \n    \n    \n    \t\n    \t\n\t    \t  \n\t\t    \n\t\t    \tNext Article\n\t\t    \n\t\t    \n\t\t    \tPrevious Article", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.leahy.senate.gov/press/leahy-usda-economic-development-investments-in-washington-county-this-year-now-top-51-million", "Leahy: USDA Economic Development Investments In Washington County This Year Now Top $5.1 Million", "2017-12-14", "2017", "2017-12", "Democrat", "House", "VT", "Patrick Leahy", "L000174", "www.leahy.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "12.14.17\n\t\t\t Leahy: USDA Economic Development Investments In Washington County This Year Now Top $5.1 Million \n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tSenator Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) announced Thursday that USDA economic development investments in Washington County now total more than $5.1 million during fiscal year 2017.\u00a0 Area businesses, nonprofits and economic development organizations received 12 awards from the U.S. Department of Agriculture Office of Rural Development (USDA-RD) to assist with a diverse range of projects that included business assistance, capital for startup businesses and energy efficiency improvements.\u00a0\r\nLeahy is a leading member of the Senate Agriculture Committee, which oversees USDA and handles the Senate\u2019s work in writing Farm Bills, and he now also is the Vice Chairman of the Senate Appropriations Committee, which annually appropriates funds for the USDA.\r\nLeahy said:\u00a0 \u201cThese USDA investments are empowering local organizations and businesses to make our Vermont communities stronger.\u00a0 The diverse nature of Rural Development\u2019s programs mean that federal help can be pre-tailored to address distinct needs for each community. \u00a0As Congress begins writing a new Farm Bill in 2018, I\u2019ll be focused on making sure that USDA-RD continues to have resources like these to invest in Vermont.\u201d\r\nUSDA, through its Rural Development mission area, administers and manages housing, business and community infrastructure programs through a national network of state and local offices. \u00a0These programs are designed to improve the economic stability of rural communities, businesses, residents, farmers and ranchers to improve the quality of life in rural areas.\r\n\u00a0\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\nGrants\r\n\r\n\r\nOrganization\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n$34,380\r\n\r\n\r\nGreen Mountain Harvest\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n$144,091\r\n\r\n\r\nCentral VT Solid Waste Management District\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n$29,500\r\n\r\n\r\nCenter for Wholesome Communities\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n$30,000\r\n\r\n\r\nBarre Historical Society\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n$45,116\r\n\r\n\r\nVermont Council on Rural Development\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n$11,906\r\n\r\n\r\nBear Roots Farm LLC\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\nLoans\r\n\r\n\r\n\u00a0\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n$250,000\r\n\r\n\r\nCommunity Capital of Vermont\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n$2,400,000\r\n\r\n\r\nPitcher Inn Partners LLC\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n$1,000,000\r\n\r\n\r\nVT Community Loan Fund\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\nLoan/Grant\r\n\r\n\r\n\u00a0\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n$605,000\r\n\r\n\r\nCommunity Capital of Vermont\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n$575,000\r\n\r\n\r\nCentral Vermont Economic Development Corporation\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t Press Contact \n\t\t\t\tDavid Carle: 202-224-3693\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\n\t  \n\t\n\t\n\t\n  \n\t\n    \n    \n    \n    \n    \n    \t\n    \t\n\t    \t  \n\t\t    \n\t\t    \n\t\t    \tPrevious Article", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.leahy.senate.gov/press/leahy-usda-economic-development-investments-in-windham-county-this-year-now-top-31-million", "Leahy: USDA Economic Development Investments In Windham County This Year Now Top $3.1 Million", "2017-12-14", "2017", "2017-12", "Democrat", "House", "VT", "Patrick Leahy", "L000174", "www.leahy.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "12.14.17\n\t\t\t Leahy: USDA Economic Development Investments In Windham County This Year Now Top $3.1 Million \n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tSenator Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) announced Thursday that U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) economic development investments in Windham County now total more than $3.1 million during fiscal year 2017.\u00a0 Area businesses, nonprofits and municipalities received 16 awards from the U.S. Department of Agriculture Office of Rural Development (USDA-RD) to assist with a diverse range of projects that included business assistance, infrastructure upgrades and energy efficiency improvements.\u00a0 The USDA-RD investments leveraged an additional $7 million from other sources for a collective impact of $10.3 million.\r\nLeahy is a leading member of the Senate Agriculture Committee, which oversees USDA and handles the Senate\u2019s work in writing Farm Bills, and he now also is the Vice Chairman of the Senate Appropriations Committee, which annually appropriates funds for the USDA.\r\nLeahy said:\u00a0 \u201cThese USDA investments are empowering local organizations and businesses to make our Vermont communities stronger.\u00a0 The diverse nature of Rural Development\u2019s programs mean that federal help can be pre-tailored to address distinct needs for each community. \u00a0As Congress begins writing a new Farm Bill in 2018, I\u2019ll be focused on making sure that USDA-RD continues to have resources like these to invest in Vermont.\u201d\r\nUSDA, through its Rural Development mission area, administers and manages housing, business and community infrastructure programs through a national network of state and local offices. \u00a0These programs are designed to improve the economic stability of rural communities, businesses, residents, farmers and ranchers to improve the quality of life in rural areas.\r\n\u00a0\r\n\u00a0\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\nGrant\r\n\r\n\r\nOrganization\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n$14,000\r\n\r\n\r\nPost Oil Solutions\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n$500,000\r\n\r\n\r\nBrattleboro Development Credit Corporation\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n$7,700\r\n\r\n\r\nHolton Home\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n$21,000\r\n\r\n\r\nSandglass Theater\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n$503,000\r\n\r\n\r\nVillage of Saxtons River\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n$375,750\r\n\r\n\r\nWomen's Community Center, Inc.\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n$26,670\r\n\r\n\r\nFriends of the Brattleboro Music Center, Inc.\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n$11,700\r\n\r\n\r\nFriends of the Brattleboro Music Center, Inc.\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n$11,630\r\n\r\n\r\nFriends of the Brattleboro Music Center, Inc.\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n$27,300\r\n\r\n\r\nHolton Home\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n$50,000\r\n\r\n\r\nBrattleboro School District\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n$12,020\r\n\r\n\r\nRetreat Farm, Ltd.\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n$50,000\r\n\r\n\r\nWomen's Community Center, Inc.\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n$1,500,000\r\n\r\n\r\nSoutheast Vermont Transit\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n$65,638\r\n\r\n\r\nNortheast Recycling Council, Inc.\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n$3,487\r\n\r\n\r\nAmpers and Brockway Mills Hydro LLC\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t Press Contact \n\t\t\t\tDavid Carle: 202-224-3693\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\n\t  \n\t\n\t\n\t\n  \n\t\n    \n    \n    \n    \n    \n    \t\n    \t\n\t    \t  \n\t\t    \n\t\t    \tNext Article\n\t\t    \n\t\t    \n\t\t    \tPrevious Article", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.leahy.senate.gov/press/leahy-vermont-is-a-crucial-step-closer-to-improved-air-and-rail-travel-with-canada", "Leahy: Vermont Is A Crucial Step Closer To Improved Air And Rail Travel With Canada", "2017-12-14", "2017", "2017-12", "Democrat", "House", "VT", "Patrick Leahy", "L000174", "www.leahy.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "12.14.17\n\t\t\t Leahy: Vermont Is A Crucial Step Closer To Improved Air And Rail Travel With Canada \n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tSenator Patrick Leahy hails action this week by the Canadian Parliament to pass new customs preclearance language into law that will make possible improved rail and air travel between Vermont \u2013 and other points in the United States -- and Canada.\r\nThe Canadian Senate passed the legislation, known as C-23, last week, and the bill took its last step in the Canadian legislative process on Tuesday night, receiving Royal Assent.\u00a0 The bill is companion legislation to Leahy\u2019s Promoting Travel, Commerce, and National Security Act, which became law in 2016. \u00a0With the law\u2019s adoption, streamlined customs procedures will be implemented for air travel \u2013 and eventually passenger rail service \u2013 between Burlington and Canadian cities, and between other U.S. and Canadian destinations. \u00a0Following enactment of C-23, the Canadian government will work to adopt implementing regulations.\r\nLeahy said:\u00a0 \u201cPassage of C-23 is a major milestone that brings Vermont another crucial step closer to smoother travel to Canada.\u00a0 I had a very positive call this week with the Canadian Ambassador to the United States, David MacNaughton, about the vital ways that expanded preclearance will help strengthen ties between Vermont and Canada.\u00a0 With this legislation now in place, Canada and the United States \u2013 and especially Vermont -- are poised to reap the rewards of improved border security and better economic growth.\u00a0 I look forward to continuing my work and partnership with the Canadian government to make expanded preclearance a reality.\u201d\r\nThe international agreement advances two of Leahy\u2019s key national goals: enhancing U.S. national security, and increasing efficiency for travelers and commercial exchanges. \u00a0Leahy has long advocated improving cross-border travel and was the driving force behind this effort, writing the bill, forging the bipartisan and bicameral coalition, and guiding its passage through the Senate and into law.\r\nThe United States currently operates preclearance facilities at 15 airports in 6 countries, including Canada. \u00a0These facilities allow individuals to pass through Customs and Border Protection (CBP) inspections prior to traveling, expediting their arrival in the United States, and protecting national security by preventing those who should not be traveling to the United States from doing so before they arrive. \u00a0Under a new agreement, the United States will expand its preclearance operations in Canada. \u00a0The Leahy-authored legislation ensures that the United States has the legal authority to hold U.S. officials accountable if they engage in wrongdoing while stationed in Canada \u2013 a necessary prerequisite to full implementation of this agreement.\r\nThese international, cross-border efforts remove all legislative hurdles to the creation of a preclearance facility at Montreal\u2019s Central Station, for reestablishing passenger train service between Vermont and Montreal, and is a step forward to improve air service between Burlington International Airport and Toronto City Airport. \u00a0The United States currently stations CBP officers in select locations in Canada to inspect passengers and cargo bound for the United States before they leave Canada.\u00a0 These preclearance operations relieve congestion at U.S. airports, improve commerce, save money, and provide national security benefits.\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t Press Contact \n\t\t\t\tDavid Carle: 202-224-3693\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\n\t  \n\t\n\t\n\t\n  \n\t\n    \n    \n    \n    \n    \n    \t\n    \t\n\t    \t  \n\t\t    \n\t\t    \n\t\t    \tPrevious Article", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.leahy.senate.gov/press/reaction-of-senator-patrick-leahy-d-vt-to-the-fccs-vote-to-repeal-net-neutrality-protections", "Reaction Of Senator Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) To The FCCs Vote To Repeal Net Neutrality Protections", "2017-12-14", "2017", "2017-12", "Democrat", "House", "VT", "Patrick Leahy", "L000174", "www.leahy.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "12.14.17\n\t\t\t Reaction Of Senator Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) To The FCC\u2019s Vote To Repeal Net Neutrality Protections \n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t[Following is the statement of Senator Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) about the FCC\u2019s action Thursday to dismantle the FCC\u2019s earlier net neutrality rules.\u00a0 Leahy has long been a leading advocate of net neutrality and brought the Senate Judiciary Committee to Vermont to hear testimony from small Vermont businesses, libraries and ordinary Vermonters about the importance of keeping the internet unhindered by \u2018toll lanes\u2019 and other discriminatory practices.]\r\n\u201cToday the FCC took a wrecking ball to the pillars of freedom and openness upon which the Internet was built. \u00a0Without the protection of net neutrality rules, powerful telecommunication companies can decide which content gets preferential treatment and which gets throttled or even blocked.\u00a0 That will hurt consumers, small businesses and startups. \u00a0The FCC is stifling innovation and competition.\u00a0\r\n\u201cThis has been a rushed, cynical and slipshod process that has been fundamentally flawed.\u00a0 Chairman Pai and the FCC\u2019s Republican majority have shown a shocking disregard for the overwhelming input from the public, choosing instead to listen only to those with the deepest pockets.\u00a0 They have made it clear that the voices of the American people do not matter to them and will be ignored in President Trump\u2019s Washington.\u00a0 As a staunch supporter of net neutrality rules, I will keep fighting until these protections are restored.\u201d\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t Press Contact \n\t\t\t\tDavid Carle: 202-224-3693\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\n\t  \n\t\n\t\n\t\n  \n\t\n    \n    \n    \n    \n    \n    \t\n    \t\n\t    \t  \n\t\t    \n\t\t    \tNext Article\n\t\t    \n\t\t    \n\t\t    \tPrevious Article", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.sanders.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/-sanders-statement-on-fcc-decision-to-repeal-net-neutrality", "Sanders Statement on FCC Decision to Repeal Net Neutrality", "2017-12-14", "2017", "2017-12", "Independent", "House", "VT", "Bernard Sanders", "S000033", "www.sanders.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Sanders Statement on FCC Decision to Repeal Net Neutrality\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\tThursday, December 14, 2017\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\tWASHINGTON, Dec. 14 \u2013 Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) issued the following statement Thursday after the Federal Communications Commission voted to repeal net neutrality protections:\r\n\"Once again, the Trump administration has sided with big money and against the interests of the American people. The FCC\u2019s vote to end net neutrality is an egregious attack on our democracy. With this decision the internet and its free exchange of information as we have come to know it will cease to exist. The end of net neutrality protections means that the internet will be for sale to the highest bidder, instead of everyone having the same access regardless of whether they are rich or poor, a big corporation or small business, a multimedia conglomerate or a small online publication. At a time when our democratic institutions are already in peril, we must do everything we can to stop this decision from taking effect.\"", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.sanders.senate.gov/newsroom/recent-business/-sanders-statement-on-fcc-decision-to-repeal-net-neutrality", "Sanders Statement on FCC Decision to Repeal Net Neutrality", "2017-12-14", "2017", "2017-12", "Independent", "House", "VT", "Bernard Sanders", "S000033", "www.sanders.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Sanders Statement on FCC Decision to Repeal Net Neutrality\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\tThursday, December 14, 2017\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\tWASHINGTON, Dec. 14 \u2013 Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) issued the following statement Thursday after the Federal Communications Commission voted to repeal net neutrality protections:\r\n\"Once again, the Trump administration has sided with big money and against the interests of the American people. The FCC\u2019s vote to end net neutrality is an egregious attack on our democracy. With this decision the internet and its free exchange of information as we have come to know it will cease to exist. The end of net neutrality protections means that the internet will be for sale to the highest bidder, instead of everyone having the same access regardless of whether they are rich or poor, a big corporation or small business, a multimedia conglomerate or a small online publication. At a time when our democratic institutions are already in peril, we must do everything we can to stop this decision from taking effect.\"", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.sanders.senate.gov/newsroom/video-audio/listening-to-vermont-students", "Listening to Vermont Students", "2017-12-14", "2017", "2017-12", "Independent", "House", "VT", "Bernard Sanders", "S000033", "www.sanders.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", null, 0, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.sanders.senate.gov/newsroom/video-audio/listening-to-vermont-students_", "Listening to Vermont Students", "2017-12-14", "2017", "2017-12", "Independent", "House", "VT", "Bernard Sanders", "S000033", "www.sanders.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", null, 0, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.leahy.senate.gov/press/leahy-floor-statement-on-repeal-of-net-neutrality-rules", "Leahy Floor Statement On Repeal Of Net Neutrality Rules", "2017-12-13", "2017", "2017-12", "Democrat", "House", "VT", "Patrick Leahy", "L000174", "www.leahy.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "12.13.17\n\t\t\t Leahy Floor Statement On Repeal Of Net Neutrality Rules \n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tThis week, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) is preparing to give a giant, early Christmas present to a few, deep-pocketed telecom companies, as it prepares to repeal critical net neutrality protections.\u00a0 Net neutrality is the simple principle that the Internet should be kept free and open by preventing the corporations who control the connections to selectively throttle or block certain content.\u00a0 Repealing net neutrality rules will benefit just a few powerful corporations\u2014and it will do so at the expense of small businesses, consumers, and hardworking Americans, whose persistent and passionate voices on this issue have been completely ignored by the FCC\u2019s Republican majority.\r\nDespite calling for public hearings when the current net neutrality protections were developed, Chairman Pai has failed to heed his own advice now that he is in charge of the FCC.\u00a0 The only people he seems to have listened to are those with deep enough pockets to afford high-powered lobbyists.\u00a0 If you are a concerned citizen or small business owner, your voice does not matter to this FCC.\u00a0 As someone who held public hearings on this issue in 2014, I can tell you that there is widespread and overwhelming support for net neutrality just about everywhere except at the FCC itself.\r\nIf Chairman Pai took the time to listen, as I did, he would hear from small business owners like Cabot Orton at the Vermont Country Store, who told me, \u201cwe\u2019re not asking for special treatment, incentives or subsidies. All the small business community asks is simply to preserve and protect Internet commerce as it exists today, which has served all businesses remarkably well.\u201d\u00a0 Just today, we have received a letter from businesses in northern New England, including Vermont\u2019s own Ben and Jerry\u2019s, Cabot Creamery Cooperative, and King Arthur Flour, discussing the \u201ccrippling effect\u201d a repeal of net neutrality rules would have on rural businesses.\u00a0 I ask unanimous consent that a copy of this letter be placed in the Record at the conclusion of my remarks.\r\nChairman Pai would hear from libraries, which for some rural communities are the only way to access the Internet.\u00a0 As Vermont\u2019s State Librarian, Martha Reid, told me: \u201cAll Americans\u2014including the most disenfranchised citizens, those who would have no way to access the Internet without the library\u2014need to be able to use Internet resources on an equal footing.\u201d\u00a0\r\nChairman Pai would also hear from independent content creators whose voices are too often not heard on traditional media.\u00a0 As actress, writer, and producer Ruth Livier told me: \u201c[I]n the unprecedented world of an open, nondiscriminatory Internet, no longer did low-budgets and no connections mean there was no way in.\u00a0 Never again could we be disregarded by anyone who essentially asks, \u2018Who are you to have your story be told?\u2019\u201d\u00a0 These are the voices that are being ignored, and these are the Americans who stand to lose the most from Chairman Pai\u2019s misguided plan.\u00a0\r\nThis is not about partisanship.\u00a0 Republicans and Democrats alike benefit from the power of an open Internet, and equally stand to be harmed if the rules of the road ensuring its openness go away.\u00a0 None of us should support a process that willfully dismisses the voices of our constituents.\u00a0 I hope that all Senators will join me in calling on the FCC to abandon its reckless vote to repeal net neutrality.\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t Press Contact \n\t\t\t\tDavid Carle: 202-224-3693\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\n\t  \n\t\n\t\n\t\n  \n\t\n    \n    \n    \n    \n    \n    \t\n    \t\n\t    \t  \n\t\t    \n\t\t    \n\t\t    \tPrevious Article", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.leahy.senate.gov/press/why-budget-parity-matters-the-need-for-investing-equally-in-our-military-and-our-communities", "Why Budget Parity Matters: The Need For Investing Equally In Our Military And Our Communities", "2017-12-13", "2017", "2017-12", "Democrat", "House", "VT", "Patrick Leahy", "L000174", "www.leahy.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "12.13.17\n\t\t\t Why Budget Parity Matters: The Need For Investing Equally In Our Military And Our Communities \n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t \n\t\t\n\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n        \n\t\t\t\t By Senator Patrick Leahy\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t Democrats and Republicans agree that we must fully fund and support our military.\u00a0 But our military readiness is being hampered by artificial and unrealistically low caps on defense spending, as a result of the Budget Control Act (BCA) of 2011, and that law\u2019s required spending cuts known as \u201csequestration.\u201d\r\nIn July, Defense Secretary Mattis testified before the Senate Appropriations Committee that \u201cfor all the heartache caused by the loss of our troops during these wars, no enemy in the field has done more to harm the readiness of our military than sequestration.\u201d\r\nThis is a made-in-Washington problem, and we can fix it.\u00a0 In July, I offered a plan that would have addressed the needs of our military by increasing defense spending by $54 billion in fiscal year 2018.\u00a0\r\nBut the devastating consequences of these artificial spending caps reach far beyond the Pentagon.\u00a0 Constraining spending on non-defense priorities like infrastructure, job training, education, public safety and meal programs have been equally devastating.\u00a0\r\nAs an example, the American Society of Civil Engineers gave our country\u2019s infrastructure a D+ for 2016.\u00a0 This was the collective grade for the roads, bridges, dams, drinking water and wastewater, public parks and schools on which we all depend. \u00a0We need real and effective investments to repair and improve our crumbling infrastructure across the country.\u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0\r\nThis is why we cannot just provide relief for our defense spending needs.\u00a0 My plan would have raised the spending caps for both defense spending and non-defense spending by $54 billion, an equal increase commonly referred to as \u201cparity.\u201d Much of our national security is funded through non-defense programs, such as caring for our veterans, the Coast Guard, and the FBI.\r\nParity is the principle that we can both strengthen our military and ensure that every child can access a healthy, complete breakfast and lunch at school.\u00a0 It is the principle that our national security is intrinsically linked to the investments we make in our communities.\u00a0\r\nSecretary Mattis agrees with this principle, and once famously said that if we do not fully fund the State Department, we should be prepared to buy more ammunition for our military.\u00a0\u00a0\r\nThis is not an option between using tax dollars to stock pile ammunition or investing in programs that make the world safer by feeding starving children, that help other countries care for and protect millions of refugees fleeing violence or civil war, that combat HIV and other life-threatening diseases, and that promote democracy.\u00a0 We can responsibly do both.\u00a0\r\nI\u2019ll finish with one last quote from Secretary Mattis: \u201cAmerica\u2019s got two fundamental powers: the power of intimidation and the power of inspiration.\u00a0\r\nWe inspire the world with the investments that we make in ourselves.\u00a0 We make sure a child goes to school without worrying where her next meal is coming from.\u00a0 Because a hungry child cannot learn and go on to be a doctor, or a lawyer, or a Marine, and accomplish her American dream.\r\nParity is the idea that investments in our security and investments in our communities are not separate priorities. \u00a0Parity serves the idea of a stronger America that tends to our country\u2019s true and pressing national priorities. \u00a0We must meet our responsibilities, now, to our constituents, to our communities, and to future generations. \u00a0The stakes we face are too high for gamesmanship.\u00a0\r\n\u00a0\r\n# # # # # #\r\n\u00a0\r\n[Senator Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) is the Vice Chairman of the Senate Appropriations Committee.]\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t Press Contact \n\t\t\t\tDavid Carle: 202-224-3693\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\n\t  \n\t\n\t\n\t\n  \n\t\n    \n    \n    \n    \n    \n    \t\n    \t\n\t    \t  \n\t\t    \n\t\t    \n\t\t    \tPrevious Article", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.sanders.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/tax-conference-committee-statement", "Tax Conference Committee Statement", "2017-12-13", "2017", "2017-12", "Independent", "House", "VT", "Bernard Sanders", "S000033", "www.sanders.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Tax Conference Committee Statement\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\tWednesday, December 13, 2017\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\tSen. Bernie Sanders' prepared statement for the tax conference committee. Sanders is the ranking member of the Budget Committee.\r\nMr. Chairman, as you well know, this is not a real conference committee. It is a sham. According to media reports, much of this legislation has already been written behind closed doors which is consistent with the entire process for this bill from day one.\r\nIn legislation that will have a major impact on our economy there has not been one public hearing, no opportunity to hear from economists, governors, mayors or ordinary Americans who will be impacted by this legislation. \u00a0\r\nThis is legislation that was written for wealthy campaign contributors, for the billionaire class and by the billionaire class. In fact, it is my understanding that over 6,000 lobbyists have worked on this legislation behind closed doors. \u00a0\r\nMr. Chairman, every poll that I have seen shows that by overwhelming numbers the American people do not want this bill to be passed. They know that in the Senate bill, in the midst of massive wealth and income inequality, 62 percent of the tax benefits go to the top 1 percent and 42 percent of the benefits go to the top one-tenth of 1 percent.\r\nIn America today, the very rich are becoming much richer while the middle class continues to shrink, and your solution is to provide 62 percent of the benefits to the top 1 percent.\r\nThe American people also understand that at the end of 10 years, 83 million middle class Americans will see their taxes go up under the Senate bill. They know that, with 13 million Americans losing their health insurance, health care premiums on the individual market will increase by 10 percent. And they also know, that despite years of Republicans telling us how concerned they are about deficits and the national debt, this legislation will increase the deficit by $1.4 trillion over 10 years. \u00a0\r\nAnd, furthermore, the American people are outraged by what Speaker Paul Ryan is proposing. And that is that he wants to offset this $1.4 trillion deficit by making massive cuts to Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid. And that is where the Republican Party is today. Huge tax breaks for billionaires. And proposals to cut programs that are life and death for working families, the elderly, the children, the sick and the poor.\u00a0\r\nMr. Chairman, just a few examples of the absurdity of this legislation.\u00a0\r\nThe Senate bill provides a 90 percent tax deduction to Wall Street hedge fund managers who become residents of the Virgin Islands, while the House bill increases the taxes of working class graduate students by treating their tuition waivers as taxable income.\r\nAt a time when climate change is ravaging the planet, the Senate bill gives investors in the Keystone Pipeline a 23 percent tax deduction on their profits after this pipeline leaked 210,000 gallons of oil in South Dakota.\r\nThe Senate bill provides Pfizer, one of the largest and most profitable drug companies in the country with a $24 billion tax break on their offshore profits, while the House bill tells cancer patients they can no longer receive a tax deduction on their out-of-pocket medical expenses.\r\nThe House bill gives the Koch brothers, who have contributed hundreds of millions into Republican candidates, a tax break on their dark money political contributions, while taking away the tax deduction teachers get for buying school supplies for low-income students who can\u2019t afford pencils, notebooks and crayons.\u00a0\r\nAt a time of massive wealth and income inequality, we need to rebuild the disappearing middle class. We do not need to provide tax breaks to billionaires.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.sanders.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/trumps-dod-unprepared-for-climate-adaptation-rejected-recommendations-for-improvement", "Trump's DOD Unprepared for Climate Adaptation, Rejected Recommendations for Improvement", "2017-12-13", "2017", "2017-12", "Independent", "House", "VT", "Bernard Sanders", "S000033", "www.sanders.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "WASHINGTON, Dec. 13 \u2013 After reviewing mounting evidence from the Government Accountability Office that climate change has reduced military readiness, President Donald Trump's administration rejected the science attributing extreme weather events to climate change as well as recommendations to monitor the effects of climate change.\r\nThe Pentagon\u2019s rejection of established climate science comes in response to a new GAO report prepared for Sens. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), Jack Reed (D-R.I.), Ben Cardin (D-Md.), Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii), Tim Kaine (D-Va.) and Richard Durbin (D-Ill.). The study, reviewing the Pentagon\u2019s efforts to plan for the impact of climate change on military bases in overseas locations, was requested in early 2016.\r\n\u00a0DOD has publicly acknowledged since 2010 that climate change is a threat to national security, and has said in the past that climate change will have serious implications on the ability to maintain and sustain military infrastructure and ensure military readiness. However, the Pentagon does not track how much the impacts of climate change will cost the department and regularly exempts key national security sites from vulnerability assessments, making it harder for DOD to effectively manage and budget for climate-related risks, according to a new report GAO prepared. New installations are rarely designed to include climate change adaptation because DOD inconsistently includes the relevant information in training and design standards.\r\nIn its review of overseas military installations, GAO found numerous examples of potential and observed impacts of climate change-related extreme weather on DOD infrastructure and operations, including flooding, facility damage, water shortages, power outages, increased maintenance and encroachment on training. Many of these events threaten the United States\u2019 military preparedness.\r\nIn response to GAO\u2019s recommendation that DOD require installations to systematically and comprehensively track the costs associated with extreme weather and climate change, President Trump\u2019s Department of Defense said last month that the science attributing extreme weather events to climate change \u201cis not supported\u201d by previous GAO reports, and that associating extreme weather events to climate change \u201cdoes not warrant the time and money\u201d necessary to do so.\r\nDOD also rejected recommendations that the Army, Navy and Air Force take steps to administer climate-change vulnerability assessments to relevant locations, saying that the qualitative nature of the assessments render them \u201cnot a useful tool\u201d for making long-term decisions.\r\n\"With President Trump as commander in chief, the Department of Defense, which previously called climate change a national security threat, now questions the science linking increasingly common extreme weather events to climate change. This is unacceptable and could severely jeopardize our military readiness. The Department of Defense should be doing all it can to fight the causes and prepare for the impacts of climate change to prevent threats to our national security, not questioning virtually the entire scientific community,\" Sanders said.\r\n\u201cIn this report, the nonpartisan GAO finds that climate change is real, that its effects (like sea level rise) are tangibly impacting military bases around the world, and that there is clear public benefit to doing something about it,\u201d said Kaine, a member of the Senate Armed Service Committee. \u201cThis follows on previous GAO reports showing clear challenges facing domestic military bases like Naval Station Norfolk. When scientists, the Department of Defense, Hampton Roads military and civilian leaders, and the federal government\u2019s accountability watchdog all agree that climate change is real and needs to be addressed, we should listen to them. Denial is not an option.\u201d\r\n\u201cThe U.S. defense community has consistently issued warning about climate change being a \u2018threat multiplier.\u2019 To postpone action to address and adapt for greater certainty on the causes and effects of climate change, as the Trump Administration is proposing, would be wholly irresponsible and potentially very costly,\u201d said Cardin. \u201cThe findings of this report demonstrate that DOD has worked to understand the challenge, but needs a willingness at the political level, and adequate resources, to do more to lower risk and ensure military readiness in the face of our changing global climate.\u201d\r\n\u00a0Click\u00a0here\u00a0to read the GAO report.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.sanders.senate.gov/newsroom/recent-business/trumps-dod-unprepared-for-climate-adaptation-rejected-recommendations-for-improvement", "Trump's DOD Unprepared for Climate Adaptation, Rejected Recommendations for Improvement", "2017-12-13", "2017", "2017-12", "Independent", "House", "VT", "Bernard Sanders", "S000033", "www.sanders.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "WASHINGTON, Dec. 13 \u2013 After reviewing mounting evidence from the Government Accountability Office that climate change has reduced military readiness, President Donald Trump's administration rejected the science attributing extreme weather events to climate change as well as recommendations to monitor the effects of climate change.\r\nThe Pentagon\u2019s rejection of established climate science comes in response to a new GAO report prepared for Sens. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), Jack Reed (D-R.I.), Ben Cardin (D-Md.), Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii), Tim Kaine (D-Va.) and Richard Durbin (D-Ill.). The study, reviewing the Pentagon\u2019s efforts to plan for the impact of climate change on military bases in overseas locations, was requested in early 2016.\r\n\u00a0DOD has publicly acknowledged since 2010 that climate change is a threat to national security, and has said in the past that climate change will have serious implications on the ability to maintain and sustain military infrastructure and ensure military readiness. However, the Pentagon does not track how much the impacts of climate change will cost the department and regularly exempts key national security sites from vulnerability assessments, making it harder for DOD to effectively manage and budget for climate-related risks, according to a new report GAO prepared. New installations are rarely designed to include climate change adaptation because DOD inconsistently includes the relevant information in training and design standards.\r\nIn its review of overseas military installations, GAO found numerous examples of potential and observed impacts of climate change-related extreme weather on DOD infrastructure and operations, including flooding, facility damage, water shortages, power outages, increased maintenance and encroachment on training. Many of these events threaten the United States\u2019 military preparedness.\r\nIn response to GAO\u2019s recommendation that DOD require installations to systematically and comprehensively track the costs associated with extreme weather and climate change, President Trump\u2019s Department of Defense said last month that the science attributing extreme weather events to climate change \u201cis not supported\u201d by previous GAO reports, and that associating extreme weather events to climate change \u201cdoes not warrant the time and money\u201d necessary to do so.\r\nDOD also rejected recommendations that the Army, Navy and Air Force take steps to administer climate-change vulnerability assessments to relevant locations, saying that the qualitative nature of the assessments render them \u201cnot a useful tool\u201d for making long-term decisions.\r\n\"With President Trump as commander in chief, the Department of Defense, which previously called climate change a national security threat, now questions the science linking increasingly common extreme weather events to climate change. This is unacceptable and could severely jeopardize our military readiness. The Department of Defense should be doing all it can to fight the causes and prepare for the impacts of climate change to prevent threats to our national security, not questioning virtually the entire scientific community,\" Sanders said.\r\n\u201cIn this report, the nonpartisan GAO finds that climate change is real, that its effects (like sea level rise) are tangibly impacting military bases around the world, and that there is clear public benefit to doing something about it,\u201d said Kaine, a member of the Senate Armed Service Committee. \u201cThis follows on previous GAO reports showing clear challenges facing domestic military bases like Naval Station Norfolk. When scientists, the Department of Defense, Hampton Roads military and civilian leaders, and the federal government\u2019s accountability watchdog all agree that climate change is real and needs to be addressed, we should listen to them. Denial is not an option.\u201d\r\n\u201cThe U.S. defense community has consistently issued warning about climate change being a \u2018threat multiplier.\u2019 To postpone action to address and adapt for greater certainty on the causes and effects of climate change, as the Trump Administration is proposing, would be wholly irresponsible and potentially very costly,\u201d said Cardin. \u201cThe findings of this report demonstrate that DOD has worked to understand the challenge, but needs a willingness at the political level, and adequate resources, to do more to lower risk and ensure military readiness in the face of our changing global climate.\u201d\r\n\u00a0Click\u00a0here\u00a0to read the GAO report.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://welch.house.gov/media-center/in-the-news/roll-call-trumps-jerusalem-decision-called-provocative-counterproductive", "Roll Call: Trump's Jerusalem Decision Called 'Provocative,' Counterproductive", "2017-12-11", "2017", "2017-12", "Democrat", "House", "VT", "Peter Welch", "W000800", "welch.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "President Donald Trump\u00a0says his\u00a0decision to buck the advice of America\u2019s closest Muslim allies and recognize Jerusalem as Israel\u2019s capital\u00a0is part of a broader strategy shift needed to produce a Middle East peace pact. But some lawmakers and experts argue the president has unnecessarily undercut himself.\nTrump on Wednesday formally announced he will abide by a\u00a01995 U.S. law and move the U.S. embassy in Israel to Jerusalem\u00a0and recognize that city as the country\u2019s official capital. He noted that for the last 22 years, his predecessors have \u2014 despite some campaign-trail pledges to the contrary \u2014 exercised a waiver in that law to keep the embassy in Tel Aviv.\n\u00a0\n\u201cToday, we finally acknowledge the obvious that Jerusalem is Israel\u2019s capital,\u201d the U.S. president said. \u201cWe cannot solve our problems by making the same failed assumptions,\u201d he added in a not-that-veiled jab at Presidents Bill Clinton, George W. Bush and\u00a0Barack Obama.\nThat shot at the last three diplomats in chief was vintage Trump. So, too, were other parts of his Jerusalem address from the White House\u2019s Diplomatic Reception Room, which was\u00a0noticeably decked out for Christmas.\nHe said those three chief executives signed the law\u2019s waivers every six months \u201cbased on facts as they understood them at the time.\u201d\n\u201cNevertheless, the record is in. We are no closer to the lasting peace agreement\u201d than the day Congress sent Clinton the Jerusalem Embassy Act, Trump said. He contended it would be \u201cfolly to assume that\u201d his administration should follow \u201cthe exact same formula\u201d as the previous three U.S. administrations in search of an Israeli-Palestinian peace pact and expect \u201ca better result.\u201d\nThe Jerusalem decision also carried the hallmarks of the 45th president in its basis in Israel\u2019s right \u2014 as a \u201csovereign country,\u201d as Trump put it \u2014 to select its own capital city. The comment was reminiscent of ones he made during his recent swing through Asia, when he defended his \u201cAmerica first\u201d governing philosophy and urged Asian countries to make decisions on trade based on a similar viewpoint and aggressive pursuit of their own interests over ones common to multiple countries.\n\u201cAcknowledging this fact\u201d is \u201cessential\u201d to the peace process, he said, adding that Jerusalem is the \u201ccapital the Jewish people established in ancient times.\u201d In the president\u2019s mind, his May trip to Israel and Palestinian Authority-controlled areas showed that \u201cJerusalem [is] the seat of modern Israeli government,\u201d a city that is home to its government agencies and the official residences of its prime minister and president.\n\u201cMany visiting U.S. presidents, secretaries of State and military leaders have met their counterparts in Jerusalem, as I did earlier this year,\u201d he noted.\nThe White House made its decision after a months-long review process, and without fear of sizable congressional backlash.\nA senior administration official who briefed reporters on the decision Tuesday evening noted that \u201c10 successive Congresses\u201d have reaffirmed the 1995 law in various ways, adding the\u00a0Senate in June unanimously passed a resolution (90-0) that is reflected in Trump\u2019s decision.\nThat bipartisan resolution had 17 co-sponsors, including Majority Leader\u00a0Mitch McConnell\u00a0and Minority Leader\u00a0Charles E. Schumer. \u201cJerusalem should remain the undivided capital of Israel in which the rights of every ethnic and religious group are protected,\u201d it states. \u201cThere has been a continuous Jewish presence in Jerusalem for [three] millennia.\u201d\nIndeed, the support for such a move was still bipartisan.\u00a0\n\u201cJerusalem is the capital of the State of Israel, something that the United States Congress has reaffirmed and a fact of history that cannot be denied. Our country must play a constructive role in supporting Israel as it seeks the peace and security its people deserve by continuing to promote a two-state solution through direct, bilateral negotiations that will end any question of Jerusalem\u2019s status,\u201d House Minority Whip\u00a0Steny H. Hoyer\u00a0of Maryland\u00a0said after Trump\u2019s announcement.\u00a0\nThe ornate room in the executive mansion featured several large Christmas trees, the familiar blue presidential podium and a table at which Trump signed his second Jerusalem Embassy Act waiver \u2014 which he will do every six months until a new embassy is erected in no fewer than three years. But the elephant in the geopolitical room still dominated the scene: Trump\u2019s decision to buck the advice of America\u2019s closest Muslim allies \u2014 including\u00a0Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas\u00a0\u2014 and make the move just as sources say his administration was making progress in its Middle East peace push.\n\u201cHe\u2019s undercutting his own efforts at peacemaking. That\u2019s the reality,\u201d said Democratic Rep.\u00a0Peter Welch, a member of the House Oversight National Security Subcommittee. \u201cIn the area of the efforts in the Middle East, I\u2019m positive about the actions he\u2019s taking. [His team] has been having success at gaining the trust of the Palestinians.\u201d\nDuring an interview minutes before Trump\u2019s formal announcement, Welch said Palestinian officials speak highly of Trump son-in-law Jared Kushner, the senior White House adviser who is leading the Israeli-Palestinian peace effort, and Jason Greenblatt, the administration\u2019s top Middle East peace negotiator.\n\u201cYou need trust to get at the critical issues if you want to have any hope of a two-state solution. This action is highly provocative,\u201d the Vermont Democrat said. \u201cThe reality is Israel controls Jerusalem, yes. But the city is also highly significant to Jews, Christians and Muslims. \u2026 This is very provocative move in the eyes to Muslims in the regions, and to some of our closest allies in that region.\u201d\nFor Welch and other skeptics, the head-scratching question is this, in his words: \u201cWhy take an action that even our Arab allies view as dangerous? It\u2019s a finger in the eye to a lot of people in the region.\u201d\nSen.\u00a0Patrick J. Leahy\u00a0of Vermont, who is the top Democrat on the Senate Appropriations subcommittee that allocates the annual State Department budget from which the new embassy likely will be funded, called the decision a \u201cterrible mistake.\u201d\n\u201cI think it, I\u2019m sure, overjoyed major contributors\u201d\u00a0to Trump\u2019s 2016 presidential campaign, Leahy told reporters Wednesday morning. \u201cBut it was a bad mistake, and I think the fact of the reactions ... from the Jordanians on, shows how much it\u2019s going to hamper efforts for real peace in the Middle East.\u201d\nAsked by a Roll Call reporter if he worries the move will give a boost to Iran and groups like the Islamic State \u2014 whom foreign policy experts warn will be able to message, fundraise and recruit off Trump\u2019s decision \u2014 Leahy let out a sardonic laugh before answering. \u201cThat\u2019s what every leader over there says,\u201d he replied. (Notably, however, that is not what Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu contends.)\nPrevious U.S. presidents have sided with the leaders of not only Jordan, but other close American allies like Saudi Arabia and Turkey in opting against the embassy move and formal recognition. The leaders of those countries did just that in recent days, pleading with Trump in a series of telephone conversations to resist his instincts.\nBut it was the president\u2019s core beliefs in countering Washington\u2019s long-held conventional thinking that won out. In his mind, being open about Jerusalem\u2019s diplomatic status should help \u2014 not hold back \u2014 the peace process.\nHe called his decision \u201cthe right thing to do\u201d and \u201csomething that has to be done.\u201d\n\u201cThere will, of course, be disagreement and dissent regarding this announcement \u2014 but we are confident that ultimately, as we work through these disagreements, we will arrive at a place of greater understanding and cooperation,\u201d Trump said, his mouth becoming dry at points late in the speech for the second time in a few weeks in that very room.\n\u201cI also want to make one point very clear: This decision is not intended in any way to reflect a departure\u201d from long-held U.S. policy positions on Jerusalem\u2019s disputed borders or America\u2019s pursuit of a Palestinian state alongside the Jewish one, he said.\nTrump said his Jerusalem decision is merely a reflection of what he said is \u201cobvious,\u201d that Jerusalem already is the functional capital of Israel.\nThe president also said the move should not and is not intended to affect his administration\u2019s stated goals. \u201cThe United States would support a two-state solution, if agreed to by both sides,\u201d he said, calling on \u201cboth sides to maintain the status quo\u201d at the city\u2019s holy sites.\nAlways eager to cast himself as the dealmaker in chief, Trump declared that despite shunning the advice of Abbas and other Muslim leaders, he is intent on securing a \u201cgreat deal\u201d for both sides.\nBut skeptics wonder just how far back he might have set Kushner and Greenblatt and question whether the decision is rooted in the former reality television star\u2019s penchant to shake things up and generate headlines.\n\u201cBeing provocative, that\u2019s not a plan, that\u2019s a personality trait,\u201d Welch said. \u201cThe trust-building that Greenblatt and Kushner were succeeding at, why undercut that? Why do this to be provocative and throw everyone into disarray?\u201d\n\u201cIt\u2019s like he wakes up every day and says, \u2018Who can I upset today?\u2019 I guess the answer today was the Palestinian Authority, Muslim people in the region and his Sunni allies,\u201d he said. \u201cIt just leaves you mystified.\u201d", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://welch.house.gov/media-center/in-the-news/st-albans-messenger-welch-its-dangerous-situation", "St. Albans Messenger: Welch: 'It's a Dangerous Situation'", "2017-12-11", "2017", "2017-12", "Democrat", "House", "VT", "Peter Welch", "W000800", "welch.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "As the threat of another government shutdown loomed on Thursday, Rep. Peter Welch, D-Vt., was busy dealing with an array of fast-changing events that will have varying degrees of impact in Vermont.\n\u201cIt\u2019s wild,\u201d Welch said in a conversation with the St. Albans Messenger. As he was waiting for the Republicans to offer a plan to fund the government, he refelected on Jerusalem, impeachment and the House firearms vote, all of which had taken place the day before.\nOn Wednesday, President Donald Trump announced the U.S. would consider Jerusalem the capital of Israel, drawing rebukes from around the world. Rep. Al Green, D-Texas, brought articles of impeachment to the House floor, and the House voted to override local gun laws and allow concealed carry of firearms in places that currently bar it.\nThen there was the government shutdown. \u201cMy guess is it will be averted,\u201d Welch on Thursday. He was correct. The Republicans in both the House and Senate later that day passed a continuing resolution to keep the government operating until Dec. 22, with few Democratic votes.\nThe resolution, he said, was entirely in Republican hands, and they didn\u2019t want a distraction from their tax bill, he suggested.\n\u201cEverything they\u2019re doing is trying to get their tax bill through by Christmas,\u201d Welch said.\nThe debate over a continuing resolution and whether that resolution should keep the government running for two or three weeks was among three groups of Republican representatives and senators: the so-called Freedom Caucus, moderates and conservatives, Welch said \u2014 Democrats were excluded from the conversation.\n\u201cMy view, very strongly, is that we should keep the lights on,\u201d he said.\nHowever, his position was that Democrats should oppose a continuing resolution unless it contains funding for fighting the opiate epidemic, the Department of Veterans Affairs and the Children\u2019s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) as well as an agreement that any cuts to non-military programs will be matched by cuts to the Pentagon budget.\nThe resolution as passed did not include funding for CHIP, which provides health insurance on a sliding scale to children whose parents make too much money to qualify for Medicaid, but who do not have access to health insurance through their employer. In Vermont, the program is known as Dr. Dynasaur.\nCongress allowed the program to expire in the fall, and across the country, states are starting to run out of money to pay for health care for children.\nREPUBLICANS ONLY\nUnlike his immediate predecessor, House Speaker Paul Ryan is not willing to build a coalition of Democrats and more moderate Republicans on issues such as the debt ceiling and the budget, explained Welch.\n\u201cWhat Ryan has done so far is make a commitment to his conference that he won\u2019t work with Democrats,\u201d said Welch. \u201cAnd his conference is divided.\n\u201cIt\u2019s a dangerous situation, quite frankly,\u201d Welch added.\nThe Republicans negotiated both their health care repeal bills and the current tax proposals behind closed doors and without input from Democrats. The bills were, Welch said, \u201cwritten in secret.\u201d\nHe expressed concern the budget may take a similar path.\n\u201cIn any budget, there\u2019s negotiations,\u201d said Welch, who once led the Vermont Senate. \u201cWe simply have to get back to some compromise.\u201d\nAs things stand, Welch said Ryan has \u201chandcuffed himself and he\u2019d given the keys to the handcuffs to the Freedom Caucus, the most extreme elements of his caucus.\u201d\nIMPEACHMENT\nWelch voted to table Green\u2019s impeachment resolution, along with 363 other members of the House. Just 58 Democrats voted in favor of proceeding with the articles, with four voting present.\n\u201cI think President Trump has been divisive and destructive,\u201d said Welch. \u201cIt\u2019s dismaying to me how much chaos he\u2019s created.\u201d\nWelch cited specifically Trump\u2019s efforts at deregulation, his decision to withdraw from the Paris Climate Accords, and his efforts to end the Affordable Care Act health insurance programs without a replacement.\n\u201cHe\u2019s been very divisive,\u201d Welch repeated.\nIt was that divisiveness which Green made the focus of his articles of impeachment. Previous impeachment articles have accused the president of violating the emoluments clause of the Constitution by profiting from his role as president, and alleged collusion with Russia. Green\u2019s accused the President of dividing the country by promoting and expressing bigotry against a number of groups including blacks, Muslims, Puerto Ricans and people who are transgender.\n\u201cWe\u2019ve got to hold the President accountable,\u201d said Welch, but he argued that the investigation being led by special counsel Robert Mueller into the connections between Trump\u2019s campaign and administration and Russia are the best means of doing that.\n\u201cThe Mueller investigation is aggressive and it\u2019s making progress,\u201d Welch said.\n\u201cWe\u2019ve really got to support Mueller (and) continue to let him pursue all the facts,\u201d he said.\n\u201cThere\u2019s a lot of smoke there,\u201d said Welch, noting that the President initially denied any contacts with Russia, but now evidence has shown considerable contact during both the campaign and the transition between members of Trump\u2019s team and Russians. Some of those Russians have been members of the government while others reportedly had close ties to it.\n\u201cIn reality, the impeachment process is political,\u201d said Welch. While the Constitution states a president and other federal officials may be impeached for \u201chigh crimes and misdemeanors\u201d that term has never been defined.\nBefore an impeachment can take place, \u201cyou\u2019ve got to establish a foundation that has credibility with the American people and that requires investigation,\u201d Welch said.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.sanders.senate.gov/newsroom/must-read/lives-at-risk-inside-a-senior-complex-in-puerto-rico-with-no-power", "Lives at Risk Inside a Senior Complex in Puerto Rico With No Power", "2017-12-11", "2017", "2017-12", "Independent", "House", "VT", "Bernard Sanders", "S000033", "www.sanders.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Lives at Risk Inside a Senior Complex in Puerto Rico With No Power\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\tMonday, December 11, 2017\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\tSAN JUAN, P.R. \u2014 Altagracia Rodriguez de Jesus woke up on a recent morning and cranked open the aluminum shutters along one wall of her small, eighth-floor apartment overlooking the capital.\r\nShe took a cold shower and kept the bathroom door open to let in the sunlight. Her cockatiel, Precious, sat in a cage on the toilet. Ms. Rodriguez de Jesus, 80, sang to the bird.\r\nShe and other residents at the subsidized apartment tower where she lives could not switch on lights, cook on electric stoves, turn on bedroom air-conditioners or use washing machines.\r\nHurricane Irma cut power to the San Juan neighborhood of Hill Brothers on Sept. 6. Then, two weeks later, Hurricane Maria devastated the entire island\u2019s electrical grid. It was not until early December that part of the neighborhood had power again.\r\nContinue reading here.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.sanders.senate.gov/newsroom/must-read/people-dont-take-their-pills-only-one-thing-seems-to-help", "People Dont Take Their Pills. Only One Thing Seems to Help.", "2017-12-11", "2017", "2017-12", "Independent", "House", "VT", "Bernard Sanders", "S000033", "www.sanders.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "People Don\u2019t Take Their Pills. Only One Thing Seems to Help.\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t By:\u00a0 Austin Frakt \n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\tMonday, December 11, 2017\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\tFor all that Americans spend on prescription drugs \u2014\u00a0$425 billion last year \u2014 you\u2019d think we\u2019d actually take our medicine.\r\nBut one of the frustrating truths about American health care is that half or more of prescribed medication is never taken.\r\nIt\u2019s called medication nonadherence, and it\u2019s a\u00a0well-documented\u00a0and\u00a0longstanding\u00a0problem, particularly for patients with chronic conditions. The drugs they\u2019re prescribed are intended to\u00a0prevent costly complications, reduce hospitalization, even keep them alive. But even when the stakes are high, many patients don\u2019t take their meds.\r\nThis seems like a problem we ought to be able to solve. It motivates high tech approaches,\u00a0like digital pills\u00a0that can automatically communicate to doctors that they\u2019ve been taken.\r\nContinue reading here.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.sanders.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/sanders-statement-on-government-spending-deadline", "Sanders Statement on Government Spending Deadline", "2017-12-09", "2017", "2017-12", "Independent", "House", "VT", "Bernard Sanders", "S000033", "www.sanders.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Sanders Statement on Government Spending Deadline\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\tSaturday, December 9, 2017\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\tThe Republicans, who control the U.S. Senate, the U.S. House and the White House, must not be allowed to shut the government down at the end of the year.\u00a0 Since the passage of the Budget Control Act in 2011, every budget agreement reached between Republicans and Democrats has maintained parity between defense and non-defense spending.\u00a0 That must not change. \u00a0\r\nWhile the rich become much richer, many millions of middle class families are struggling to survive.\u00a0 The Republicans cannot ask for $54 billion more in military spending, and ignore the health care needs of our children and working families in the CHIP and Community Health Center programs.\u00a0 They cannot ignore millions of older workers who are about to lose the pensions they were promised, younger people burdened with outrageous levels of student debt or veterans unable to get the quality health care they were promised.\u00a0 They cannot ignore the reality that 800,000 Dreamers will start losing their legal status in a few months and that an opioid epidemic is sweeping the country. \u00a0\r\nIn short, the Republicans must work in a bi-partisan way to pass a budget which reflects the needs of all Americans, not just wealthy campaign contributors.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.sanders.senate.gov/newsroom/recent-business/sanders-statement-on-government-spending-deadline", "Sanders Statement on Government Spending Deadline", "2017-12-09", "2017", "2017-12", "Independent", "House", "VT", "Bernard Sanders", "S000033", "www.sanders.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Sanders Statement on Government Spending Deadline\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\tSaturday, December 9, 2017\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\tThe Republicans, who control the U.S. Senate, the U.S. House and the White House, must not be allowed to shut the government down at the end of the year.\u00a0 Since the passage of the Budget Control Act in 2011, every budget agreement reached between Republicans and Democrats has maintained parity between defense and non-defense spending.\u00a0 That must not change. \u00a0\r\nWhile the rich become much richer, many millions of middle class families are struggling to survive.\u00a0 The Republicans cannot ask for $54 billion more in military spending, and ignore the health care needs of our children and working families in the CHIP and Community Health Center programs.\u00a0 They cannot ignore millions of older workers who are about to lose the pensions they were promised, younger people burdened with outrageous levels of student debt or veterans unable to get the quality health care they were promised.\u00a0 They cannot ignore the reality that 800,000 Dreamers will start losing their legal status in a few months and that an opioid epidemic is sweeping the country. \u00a0\r\nIn short, the Republicans must work in a bi-partisan way to pass a budget which reflects the needs of all Americans, not just wealthy campaign contributors.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.leahy.senate.gov/press/net-neutrality-showdown-leahy-and-other-senators-use-fcc-chairs-own-words-to-urge-him-to-delay-thursdays-vote-until-full-impact-can-be-considered", "NET NEUTRALITY SHOWDOWN Leahy & Other Senators Use FCC Chair's Own Words To Urge Him To Delay Thursday's Vote, Until Full Impact Can Be Considered", "2017-12-08", "2017", "2017-12", "Democrat", "House", "VT", "Patrick Leahy", "L000174", "www.leahy.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "12.08.17\n\t\t\t NET NEUTRALITY SHOWDOWN Leahy & Other Senators Use FCC Chair's Own Words To Urge Him To Delay Thursday's Vote, Until Full Impact Can Be Considered \n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tAs Next Week\u2019s Threatened Repeal Of Net Neutrality Rules Looms, Leahy And Other Senators, In A Letter To FCC Chair Pai, Use Pai\u2019s Own Words To Urge Delay Of The Net Neutrality Vote Until The Full Impact Of Repeal Can Be Faithfully Considered\r\nWASHINGTON (FRIDAY, Dec. 8, 2017) \u2013 Continuing the fight against next week\u2019s threatened repeal of net neutrality rules, Senator Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) and other senators, led by Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), are urging Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Chairman Ajit Pai to delay the FCC\u2019s December 14 vote on repealing net neutrality rules until the full impact of repeal can be faithfully considered, in accordance with Pai\u2019s own earlier standards of rulemaking.\r\nLeahy for years has been a leader in pressing for net neutrality rules, and he brought the Senate Judiciary Committee to Vermont to hear directly from Vermont businesses, nonprofit organizations and citizens about the harm that would directly come from installing \u201ctoll booths\u201d on the Internet.\r\nIn a letter sent to Pai on Friday, Blumenthal and Leahy, joined by Sens. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), Edward Markey (D-Mass.) and Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio), quoted Pai\u2019s statements from his dissent of the Notice of Proposed Rulemaking for the 2015 Open Internet Order, which established the rules \u2013 known as net neutrality \u2013 that protect the open internet. In his dissent, Pai reprimanded his FCC colleagues for their failure to \u201cgive the American people a full and fair opportunity to participate in this process,\u201d and \u201censure that [FCC\u2019s] decisions are based on a robust record.\u201d To meet these standards, Pai suggested commissioning a series of studies by ten economists that would fully evaluate the impact of net neutrality.\r\n\u201cAccordingly,\u201d wrote the senators, \u201cwe ask that you heed your own advice and delay your planned vote on this item until you have faithfully executed all of the steps outlined above and provided the American people \u2018a full and fair opportunity to participate in this process.\u2019\u201d\r\nThe full text of the senators\u2019 letter is available for download here, and copied below.\r\nDear Chairman Pai:\r\nWe understand that you intend the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to vote on your draft order to dismantle our current net neutrality rules at the upcoming Open Commission Meeting on Thursday, December 14. We write calling on you to delay this vote.\r\nAs you will remember, in your dissent of the 2015 Open Internet Order (Protecting and Promoting the Open Internet, GN Docket No. 14-28), you stated:\r\n \r\n\u201cGoing forward, we need to give the American people a full and fair opportunity to participate in this process. And we must ensure that our decisions are based on a robust record.\r\n\u201cSo what is the way forward? Here is one suggestion. Just as we commissioned a series of economic studies in past media-ownership proceedings, we should ask ten distinguished economists from across the country to study the impact of our proposed regulations and alternative approaches on the Internet ecosystem. To ensure that we obtain a wide range of perspectives, let each Commissioner pick two authors. To ensure accuracy, each study should be peer reviewed. And to ensure public oversight, we should host a series of hearings where Commissioners could question the authors of the studies and the authors of those studies could discuss their differences. Surely the future of the Internet is no less important than media ownership.\r\n\u201cBut we should not limit ourselves to economic studies. We should also engage computer scientists, technologists, and other technical experts to tell us how they see the Internet\u2019s infrastructure and consumers\u2019 online experience evolving. Their studies too should be subject to peer review and public hearings.\u201d\r\n \r\nAccordingly, we ask that you heed your own advice and delay your planned vote on this item until you have faithfully executed all of the steps outlined above and provided the American people \u201ca full and fair opportunity to participate in this process.\u201d It is vital that all aspects of the draft order are subject to the same peer review and public hearings you have always advocated. This is necessary to ensure \u201cour decisions are based on a robust record.\u201d\r\nThank you for your immediate attention to this matter.\r\n# # # # #\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t Press Contact \n\t\t\t\tDavid Carle: 202-224-3693\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\n\t  \n\t\n\t\n\t\n  \n\t\n    \n    \n    \n    \n    \n    \t\n    \t\n\t    \t  \n\t\t    \n\t\t    \n\t\t    \tPrevious Article", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://welch.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/welch-displays-works-artist-candy-barr-vermont-office", "Welch Displays Works by Artist Candy Barr in Vermont Office", "2017-12-07", "2017", "2017-12", "Democrat", "House", "VT", "Peter Welch", "W000800", "welch.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "WASHINGTON - Rep. Peter Welch (D-Vt.) is currently presenting 10 paintings in his Burlington office by local artist Candy Barr. The exhibit is entitled \u201cVermont & Maine: Paintings on Location.\u201d\nBarr graduated from Rhode Island School of Design with both a BFA in Painting and a MAT in Lithography, and also earned a MFA from Vermont College.\u00a0Her work has been described as \u201cmoving\" and as being \"a true master of color.\"\u00a0 From Warren since 1976, with over 50 years of painting experience from models and working on locations in plein air,\u00a0she brings a breadth of knowledge of art history, exquisite skill for color and a deep understanding of what makes paint come to life.\u00a0\u00a0\n\u201cI\u2019m pleased to be able to recognize talented Vermont artists like Candy by featuring their work in my Vermont office,\u201d said Rep. Welch. \u201cI hope Vermonters will take the opportunity to visit my office and enjoy these works of art.\u201d\n\"Making paintings brings me great pleasure while the unsettled world today contributes to my desire to seek comfort in nature,\u201d said Barr.\u00a0\u201cI am most comfortable while intensely observing my environment and during the mindful processes of painting it.\" \nThe exhibit will be on display through the end of April 2018. The public is invited to Barr\u2019s work.\u00a0 Welch\u2019s Vermont office is located at the Vermont Innovation Center at 128 Lakeside Avenue, Suite 235 in Burlington. Office hours are Monday through Friday from 9am to 5pm.\nFor more information on Barr\u2019s work, please visit http://candybarrartist.com.\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.leahy.senate.gov/press/appropriations-vice-chairman-leahys-statement-on-a-continuing-resolution-through-december-22", "Appropriations Vice Chairman Leahy's Statement On A Continuing Resolution Through December 22", "2017-12-07", "2017", "2017-12", "Democrat", "House", "VT", "Patrick Leahy", "L000174", "www.leahy.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "12.07.17\n\t\t\t Appropriations Vice Chairman Leahy's Statement On A Continuing Resolution Through December 22 \n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tThe current spending caps set in place by law will not responsibly fund the government or alleviate the consequences of sequestration on our domestic priorities or our military readiness. Since March, I have constantly repeated that we must reach a bipartisan budget deal that is based on parity, free of poison pill riders and not waste taxpayer dollars on President Trump\u2019s useless border wall.\u00a0 But with the current continuing resolution expiring tomorrow, we are running out of time to reach an agreement.\r\nThe continuing resolution before us today will allow us more time to reach a bipartisan agreement and keep the government\u2019s lights on during negotiations.\u00a0 The key to a successful negotiation is parity. Sequestration has had devastating consequences on our country that will impact a generation, but we must raise the caps on both sides of the ledger\u2014defense and non-defense.\u00a0\r\nThis is not an academic exercise.\u00a0 The decisions we make here today have real impacts on people\u2019s lives.\u00a0 There is no question that sequestration has hurt our military readiness, but it has also hurt our Nation\u2019s economy and led to a decline in critical government services on which millions of Americans depend.\u00a0\u00a0\r\nOur veterans have been short-changed.\u00a0 An average of 558,000 veterans fail to get a healthcare appointment within the 30-day standard.\u00a0 The average wait time for the VA to process a benefit appeal is over three years.\u00a0\r\nOur infrastructure is crumbling.\u00a0 America now gets a D+ rating from the American Society of Civil Engineers.\u00a0 This means the roads, bridges, dams, drinking water, public parks and schools we all use and depend on have a near failing grade.\u00a0\u00a0\r\nEducation programs have suffered.\u00a0 The purchasing power of the maximum Pell Grant now covers only 29 percent of the average price for college.\u00a0\r\nOur elderly citizens are getting short-changed.\u00a0 More than 1 million Social Security benefits appeals are backlogged an average of 605 days.\u00a0 An estimated 10,000 people die each year before their appeals are completed.\u00a0 I could go on and on.\u00a0\r\nIf we raise the caps for defense programs but do not also raise the caps to properly fund our non-defense priorities, we will still short-change our men and women in uniform.\u00a0 If we do not invest in our Nation\u2019s economy and educate our youth, the military will not have the expertise, qualified soldiers, or advanced research that it needs to be the best in the world. \u00a0If we do not invest in diplomacy, our world becomes less safe \u2013 and we are less safe.\u00a0 And we would fail to provide the level of care for our veterans that they deserve.\r\nI am confident that we can reach an agreement that addresses our country\u2019s needs and responsibly funds our government.\u00a0 It is discouraging that the President has cast doubt on these negotiations and has even invited a \u201cgood government shutdown.\u201d\u00a0 Even more discouraging is a recent Washington Post story reporting that the President has told confidants that a government shutdown would be good for him politically.\u00a0 This is irresponsible and no way to govern.\u00a0 In all my years in the Senate, with Republican and Democratic Presidents alike, never have I heard such damaging rhetoric come from the President of the United States.\r\nThe last Republican shutdown in 2013 dealt a devastating blow to the Nation\u2019s economic growth, amounting to an estimated $1.5 billion lost for each of the 16 days of the shutdown.\u00a0 Federal workers were furloughed, through no fault of their own, for a combined total of 6.6 million days, stalling important research and grinding our government to a halt.\u00a0\r\nTo be clear, the Republicans are in charge of the House, the Senate, and the White House.\u00a0 If there is a Republican shutdown this fiscal year, it is because they want one.\u00a0 I hope that the two-week continuing resolution that is before us is an indication that they will not go down that path.\u00a0 Republicans should work with Democrats to produce a responsible, bipartisan budget deal that meets the needs of our Nation.\u00a0 We have squandered enough time.\u00a0 I stand ready \u2013 as I have been since March \u2013 to work with the Republican leadership to secure the funding agreements we need to complete our appropriations work for this fiscal year.\u00a0 This two-week continuing resolution will give us that chance.\u00a0 I urge an aye vote.\u00a0\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t Press Contact \n\t\t\t\tDavid Carle: 202-224-3693\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\n\t  \n\t\n\t\n\t\n  \n\t\n    \n    \n    \n    \n    \n    \t\n    \t\n\t    \t  \n\t\t    \n\t\t    \n\t\t    \tPrevious Article", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.sanders.senate.gov/bernies-podcast/-episode-12-our-budget-priorities-with-elizabeth-warren-120717", "Episode 12: Our Budget Priorities with Elizabeth Warren", "2017-12-07", "2017", "2017-12", "Independent", "House", "VT", "Bernard Sanders", "S000033", "www.sanders.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "While Republicans are busy trying to give enormous tax breaks to billionaires and corporations, Sen. Elizabeth Warren and I are here to talk about what we really should be prioritizing in our budget to invest in working families and put the middle class first.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.sanders.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/sanders-statement-on-tax-reform-conference-committee", "Sanders Statement on Tax Reform Conference Committee", "2017-12-07", "2017", "2017-12", "Independent", "House", "VT", "Bernard Sanders", "S000033", "www.sanders.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Sanders Statement on Tax Reform Conference Committee\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\tThursday, December 7, 2017\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\tWASHINGTON, Dec. 7 \u2013\u00a0Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) issued the following statement Thursday after\u00a0Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) named him to the conference committee on the Republican tax legislation:\r\n\"I thank Leader Schumer for putting me on the so-called 'tax reform' conference committee. Let me be very clear: Both versions of the Senate and the House tax bills are morally grotesque and terrible economic policy. Both bills would provide massive tax breaks for millionaires and billionaires, increase taxes on millions of middle class Americans, raise the deficit by more than $1 trillion, and lead to savage cuts in Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid. And, by the way, both of these bills would provide major tax incentives to move American jobs and profits overseas. As a member of the conference committee, I will do everything I can to defeat these bills. We need to rebuild the disappearing middle class, not provide more tax breaks to billionaires. \"", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.sanders.senate.gov/newsroom/recent-business/sanders-statement-on-tax-reform-conference-committee", "Sanders Statement on Tax Reform Conference Committee", "2017-12-07", "2017", "2017-12", "Independent", "House", "VT", "Bernard Sanders", "S000033", "www.sanders.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Sanders Statement on Tax Reform Conference Committee\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\tThursday, December 7, 2017\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\tWASHINGTON, Dec. 7 \u2013 Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) issued the following statement Thursday after Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) named him to the conference committee on the Republican tax legislation: \"I thank Leader Schumer for putting me on the so-called 'tax reform' conference committee. Let me be very clear: Both versions of the Senate and the House tax bills are morally grotesque and terrible economic policy. Both bills would provide massive tax breaks for millionaires and billionaires, increase taxes on millions of middle class Americans, raise the deficit by more than $1 trillion, and lead to savage cuts in Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid. And, by the way, both of these bills would provide major tax incentives to move American jobs and profits overseas. As a member of the conference committee, I will do everything I can to defeat these bills. We need to rebuild the disappearing middle class, not provide more tax breaks to billionaires. \"", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.leahy.senate.gov/peoples-academy-high-school", "People's Academy High School", "2017-12-06", "2017", "2017-12", "Democrat", "House", "VT", "Patrick Leahy", "L000174", "www.leahy.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "12.06.17\n\t\t\t People's Academy High School \n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tOn December 6, 2017, Senator Leahy had the opportunity to chat with students from Peoples Academy High School in Morrisville. \u00a0Senator Leahy enjoyed answering questions from students who are studying genocide, human rights, international law and foreign policy as well as students studying Spanish.\u00a0 Senator Leahy was very impressed with the students\u2019 thoughtful questions and enjoyed hearing their insights on human rights abuses and genocide and how the United States can be a global leader.\u00a0 He also appreciated the students\u2019 dedication to helping Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands rebuild after the recent hurricanes.\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t Press Contact \n\t\t\t\tDavid Carle: 202-224-3693\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\n\t  \n\t\n\t\n\t\n  \n\t\n    \n    \n    \n    \n    \n    \t\n    \t\n\t    \t  \n\t\t    \n\t\t    \n\t\t    \tPrevious Article", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.leahy.senate.gov/press/comment-of-senator-leahy-on-president-trumps-decision-on-the-us-embassy-in-israel", "Comment Of Senator Leahy On President Trumps Decision On The U.S. Embassy In Israel", "2017-12-06", "2017", "2017-12", "Democrat", "House", "VT", "Patrick Leahy", "L000174", "www.leahy.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "12.06.17\n\t\t\t Comment Of Senator Leahy On President Trump\u2019s Decision On The U.S. Embassy In Israel \n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\u201cCampaign promises to score political points, without careful consideration of U.S. national interests, rarely make good policy, and I fear this is a particularly dangerous example of that.\u00a0 It will make the already distant goal of peace in the Middle East that much harder to reach.\u201d\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t Press Contact \n\t\t\t\tDavid Carle: 202-224-3693\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\n\t  \n\t\n\t\n\t\n  \n\t\n    \n    \n    \n    \n    \n    \t\n    \t\n\t    \t  \n\t\t    \n\t\t    \n\t\t    \tPrevious Article", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.leahy.senate.gov/press/comment-of-senator-patrick-leahy-on-senator-al-franken", "Comment of Senator Patrick Leahy On Senator Al Franken", "2017-12-06", "2017", "2017-12", "Democrat", "House", "VT", "Patrick Leahy", "L000174", "www.leahy.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "12.06.17\n\t\t\t Comment of Senator Patrick Leahy On Senator Al Franken \n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tI just learned of the latest, disturbing allegation against Senator Franken.\u00a0 While the facts from case to case can differ, and while there are sound reasons for weighing evidence in such cases in a deliberate and carefully considered process, Senator Franken\u2019s situation has become untenable.\u00a0 I am concerned that even a prompt Ethics Committee investigation and recommendations will not come soon enough.\u00a0 He has to step aside.\u00a0 I hope as a nation that we are beginning to come to terms with the systemic problem of sexual harassment and assault, but we still have a long way to go.\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t Press Contact \n\t\t\t\tDavid Carle: 202-224-3693\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\n\t  \n\t\n\t\n\t\n  \n\t\n    \n    \n    \n    \n    \n    \t\n    \t\n\t    \t  \n\t\t    \n\t\t    \n\t\t    \tPrevious Article", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.sanders.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/sanders-statement-on-franken", "Sanders Statement on Franken", "2017-12-06", "2017", "2017-12", "Independent", "House", "VT", "Bernard Sanders", "S000033", "www.sanders.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Sanders Statement on Franken\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\tWednesday, December 6, 2017\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\tWASHINGTON, Dec. 6 \u2013\u00a0Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) issued the following statement on Sen. Al Franken (D-Minn.):\r\n\"Sen. Franken has said that he will be making an announcement about his political future tomorrow. The right thing is for him to resign. We are now at a crossroads in American culture. And it is an important one. The way we treat women in our country has been abysmal in almost every way. We are finally addressing the issue of sexual harassment, and we need to get it right. But the conversation we are having now is only the tip of the iceberg. It needs to be an ongoing movement of women and men that includes a national discussion about sexism, sexual harassment, objectification, inequality and abuse of power.\"", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.sanders.senate.gov/newsroom/recent-business/sanders-statement-on-franken", "Sanders Statement on Franken", "2017-12-06", "2017", "2017-12", "Independent", "House", "VT", "Bernard Sanders", "S000033", "www.sanders.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Sanders Statement on Franken\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\tWednesday, December 6, 2017\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\tWASHINGTON, Dec. 6 \u2013\u00a0Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) issued the following statement on Sen. Al Franken (D-Minn.):\r\n\"Sen. Franken has said that he will be making an announcement about his political future tomorrow. The right thing is for him to resign. We are now at a crossroads in American culture. And it is an important one. The way we treat women in our country has been abysmal in almost every way. We are finally addressing the issue of sexual harassment, and we need to get it right. But the conversation we are having now is only the tip of the iceberg. It needs to be an ongoing movement of women and men that includes a national discussion about sexism, sexual harassment, objectification, inequality and abuse of power.\"", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.leahy.senate.gov/press/leahy-statement-at-appropriations-subcommittee-hearing-addressing-the-opioid-crisis-in-america", "Leahy Statement At Appropriations Subcommittee Hearing \"Addressing The Opioid Crisis In America\"", "2017-12-05", "2017", "2017-12", "Democrat", "House", "VT", "Patrick Leahy", "L000174", "www.leahy.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "12.05.17\n\t\t\t Leahy Statement At Appropriations Subcommittee Hearing \"Addressing The Opioid Crisis In America\" \n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tThank you, Mr. Chairman.\u00a0 Here\u2019s a startling statistic: last year alone, drug overdoses claimed the lives of 64,000 people.\u00a0 This is the latest figure in a shocking rise in overdose deaths, driven by the opioid epidemic that has hit every corner of our country, and plagues every community.\u00a0 This is a public health crisis.\u00a0 We need to start treating it like one.\u00a0 We need to allocate every necessary resource to finally \u2013 and meaningfully \u2013 confront it.\u00a0\r\nVermont has made tremendous strides by leveraging Medicaid dollars through a \u201chub and spoke\u201d model to confront opioid addiction as a healthcare crisis, not an incarceration problem.\u00a0 This is a system that provides patients with medication-assisted treatment and connects patients with a variety of resources from housing to peer support to counseling, not just once or twice, but through their recovery and beyond.\u00a0\r\nIn Vermont, this model is proving effective.\u00a0 But we must continue to invest in it.\u00a0 It is alarming and disappointing that, from the start of his administration, President Trump has refused to make the necessary investments to tackle the opioid epidemic.\u00a0 The President\u2019s budget request seeks to eliminate programs, like the anti-heroin task force, that have proven to be effective.\u00a0 In fact, in his budget, President Trump called for reducing funding for the opioid epidemic by $104 million.\u00a0\r\nAnd President Trump\u2019s long awaited October declaration on the nationwide opioids crisis proved nothing more than symbolic talk.\u00a0 There is no action or new funding behind the President\u2019s empty words to address this crisis.\u00a0 This is unacceptable.\r\nEven worse, in the middle of the night Saturday, Republicans here in the Senate voted to slash Medicaid by $1 trillion to pay for tax cuts for the wealthy.\u00a0 Medicaid is a critical lifeline to provide care for victims of opioid abuse and is the main funding source behind Vermont\u2019s \u201chub and spoke\u201d model.\u00a0\u00a0\r\nWe cannot pretend to be seriously addressing this crisis while simultaneously kicking the legs out from under the recovery effort.\u00a0\r\nHere in the Senate Appropriations Committee, however, we are trying to meet our commitment to address this public health crisis. The fiscal year 2018 Senate Appropriations bills would provide more than $1.6 billion in funding.\r\nSince March, I have been calling for a bipartisan deal that would raise the spending caps for both defense and non-defense spending and allow us to increase these investments, because we still need to be doing more.\u00a0 It is now December.\u00a0 We need that deal, and we need it now.\r\nIt should not be understated: 64,000 people lost their lives to opioid addiction last year.\u00a0 Tens of thousands of more people were impacted by those deaths \u2013 families, friends, communities.\u00a0 I fear those numbers will only rise this year, next year, and beyond if we do not act now to fight this epidemic.\u00a0 It affects us all.\u00a0 It\u2019s time we give it the serious attention and investment it demands.\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t Press Contact \n\t\t\t\tDavid Carle: 202-224-3693\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\n\t  \n\t\n\t\n\t\n  \n\t\n    \n    \n    \n    \n    \n    \t\n    \t\n\t    \t  \n\t\t    \n\t\t    \n\t\t    \tPrevious Article", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.leahy.senate.gov/press/leahy-statement-regarding-the-fccs-rollback-of-net-neutrality-protections", "Leahy Statement Regarding the FCC's Rollback of Net Neutrality Protections", "2017-12-05", "2017", "2017-12", "Democrat", "House", "VT", "Patrick Leahy", "L000174", "www.leahy.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "12.05.17\n\t\t\t Leahy Statement Regarding the FCC's Rollback of Net Neutrality Protections \n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tNext week, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) will consider a proposed rule that, if approved, will end \u201cnet neutrality\u201d as we know it and will threaten the foundation of a free and open Internet.\u00a0 Net neutrality is the simple proposition that Internet service providers should treat all Internet traffic the same; they should not be able to exploit their power to charge for preferred treatment, allowing big corporations to dominate the Internet.\r\nThe Chairman of the FCC, Ajit Pai, wants the FCC to undo its protections for net neutrality.\u00a0 His proposed ruling is perversely styled as \u201cRestoring Internet Freedom,\u201d when in fact it would do the opposite.\u00a0 It would allow Internet service providers to decide which websites will be privileged and which will be throttled or even blocked.\u00a0 Make no mistake:\u00a0 This will mean that the big firms that can afford the \u201cfast lane\u201d will be protected, while harming consumers, start-ups, and potentially even freedom of speech online.\r\nAlarmingly, Chairman Pai has decided to ignore millions of comments submitted by individuals across the country, citing concerns that they are not \u201cunique.\u201d\u00a0 As a member of Congress accountable to my constituents, this is a particularly offensive posture.\u00a0 \u201cUnique\u201d or not, comments and concerns submitted to my office by Vermonters are treated with the same weight and value as any other.\u00a0 Until the FCC fully and meaningfully considers the more than 21.7 million comments it has received about this proposed rule, it should not proceed with this vote.\r\nA recent New York Times article by Farhad Manjoo, entitled, \u201cThe Internet Is Dying. Repealing Net Neutrality Hastens That Death,\u201d lays out clearly why the FCC\u2019s proposed repeal of net neutrality will bring the open Internet one giant leap closer to becoming a corporate playground.\u00a0 If, as expected, Chairman Pai jams through his proposed rule change next week, it will be clear that he has done so to the benefit of a few deep-pocketed corporations and to the detriment of everyone else who relies on the Internet to support commerce, communication, and community. \u00a0I ask unanimous consent that the article by Mr. Manjoo be printed in the Record.\r\n# # # # #\r\nThe New York Times\r\nNovember 29, 2017\r\nThe Internet Is Dying. Repealing Net Neutrality Hastens That Death.\r\nBy Farhad Manjoo\r\nThe internet is dying.\r\nSure, technically, the internet still works. Pull up Facebook on your phone and you will still see your second cousin\u2019s baby pictures. But that isn\u2019t really the internet. It\u2019s not the open, anyone-can-build-it network of the 1990s and early 2000s, the product of technologies created over decades through government funding and academic research, the network that helped undo Microsoft\u2019s stranglehold on the tech business and gave us upstarts like Amazon, Google, Facebook and Netflix.\r\nNope, that freewheeling internet has been dying a slow death \u2014 and a vote next month by the Federal Communications Commission to undo net neutrality would be the final pillow in its face.\r\nNet neutrality is intended to prevent companies that provide internet service from offering preferential treatment to certain content over their lines. The rules prevent, for instance, AT&T from charging a fee to companies that want to stream high-definition videos to people.\r\nBecause net neutrality shelters start-ups \u2014 which can\u2019t easily pay for fast-line access \u2014 from internet giants that can pay, the rules are just about the last bulwark against the complete corporate takeover of much of online life. When the rules go, the internet will still work, but it will look like and feel like something else altogether \u2014 a network in which business development deals, rather than innovation, determine what you experience, a network that feels much more like cable TV than the technological Wild West that gave you Napster and Netflix.\r\nIf this sounds alarmist, consider that the state of digital competition is already pretty sorry. As I\u2019ve argued regularly, much of the tech industry is at risk of getting swallowed by giants. Today\u2019s internet is lousy with gatekeepers, tollbooths and monopolists.\r\nThe five most valuable American companies \u2014 Amazon, Apple, Facebook, Google and Microsoft \u2014 control much of the online infrastructure, from app stores to operating systems to cloud storage to nearly all of the online ad business. A handful of broadband companies \u2014 AT&T, Charter, Comcast and Verizon, many of which are also aiming to become content companies, because why not \u2014 provide virtually all the internet connections to American homes and smartphones.\r\nTogether these giants have carved the internet into a historically profitable system of fiefs. They have turned a network whose very promise was endless innovation into one stuck in mud, where every start-up is at the tender mercy of some of the largest corporations on the planet.\r\nMany companies feel this shift. In a letter to Ajit Pai, the F.C.C. chairman, who drafted the net neutrality repeal order, more than 200 start-ups argued this week that the order \u201cwould put small and medium-sized businesses at a disadvantage and prevent innovative new ones from even getting off the ground.\u201d This, they said, was \u201cthe opposite of the open market, with a few powerful cable and phone companies picking winners and losers instead of consumers.\u201d\r\nThis was not the way the internet was supposed to go. At its deepest technical level, the internet was designed to avoid the central points of control that now command it. The technical scheme arose from an even deeper philosophy. The designers of the internet understood that communications networks gain new powers through their end nodes \u2014 that is, through the new devices and services that plug into the network, rather than the computers that manage traffic on the network. This is known as the \u201cend-to-end\u201d principle of network design, and it basically explains why the internet led to so many more innovations than the centralized networks that came before it, such as the old telephone network.\r\nThe internet\u2019s singular power, in its early gold-rush days, was its flexibility. People could imagine a dazzling array of new uses for the network, and as quick as that, they could build and deploy them \u2014 a site that sold you books, a site that cataloged the world\u2019s information, an application that let you \u201cborrow\u201d other people\u2019s music, a social network that could connect you to anyone.\r\nYou didn\u2019t need permission for any of this stuff; some of these innovations ruined traditional industries, some fundamentally altered society, and many were legally dubious. But the internet meant you could just put it up, and if it worked, the rest of the world would quickly adopt it.\r\nBut if flexibility was the early internet\u2019s promise, it was soon imperiled. In 2003, Tim Wu, a law professor now at Columbia Law School (he\u2019s also a contributor to The New York Times), saw signs of impending corporate control over the growing internet. Broadband companies that were investing great sums to roll out faster and faster internet service to Americans were becoming wary of running an anything-goes network.\r\nSome of the new uses of the internet threatened their bottom line. People were using online services as an alternative to paying for cable TV or long-distance phone service. They were connecting devices like Wi-Fi routers, which allowed them to share their connections with multiple devices. At the time, there were persistent reports of broadband companies seeking to block or otherwise frustrate these new services; in a few years, some broadband providers would begin blocking new services outright.\r\nTo Mr. Wu, the broadband monopolies looked like a threat to the end-to-end idea that had powered the internet. In a legal journal, he outlined an idea for regulation to preserve the internet\u2019s equal-opportunity design \u2014 and hence was born \u201cnet neutrality.\u201d\r\nThough it has been through a barrage of legal challenges and resurrections, some form of net neutrality has been the governing regime on the internet since 2005. The new F.C.C. order would undo the idea completely; companies would be allowed to block or demand payment for certain traffic as they liked, as long as they disclosed the arrangements.\r\nAt the moment, broadband companies are promising not to act unfairly, and they argue that undoing the rules would give them further incentive to invest in their broadband capacity, ultimately improving the internet.\r\nBrian Hart, an F.C.C. spokesman, said broadband companies would still be covered by antitrust laws and other rules meant to prevent anticompetitive behavior. He noted that Mr. Pai\u2019s proposals would simply return the network to an earlier, pre-network-neutrality regulatory era.\r\n\u201cThe internet flourished under this framework before, and it will again,\u201d he said.\r\nBroadband companies are taking a similar line. When I pointed out to a Comcast spokeswoman that the company\u2019s promises were only voluntary \u2014 that nothing will prevent Comcast from one day creating special tiers of internet service with bundled content, much like the way it now sells cable TV \u2014 she suggested I was jumping the gun.\r\nAfter all, people have been predicting the end of the internet for years. In 2003, Michael Copps, a Democratically appointed commissioner on the F.C.C. who was alarmed by the central choke points then taking command of the internet, argued that \u201cwe could be witnessing the beginning of the end of the internet as we know it.\u201d\r\nIt\u2019s been a recurrent theme among worriers ever since. In 2014, the last time it looked like net neutrality would get gutted, Nilay Patel, editor of the Verge, declared the internet dead (he used another word for \u201cdead\u201d). And he did it again this year, anticipating Mr. Pai\u2019s proposal.\r\nBut look, you might say: Despite the hand-wringing, the internet has kept on trucking. Start-ups are still getting funded and going public. Crazy new things still sometimes get invented and defy all expectations; Bitcoin, which is as Wild West as they come, just hit $10,000 on some exchanges.\r\nWell, O.K. But a vibrant network doesn\u2019t die all at once. It takes time and neglect; it grows weaker by the day, but imperceptibly, so that one day we are living in a digital world controlled by giants and we come to regard the whole thing as normal.\r\nIt\u2019s not normal. It wasn\u2019t always this way. The internet doesn\u2019t have to be a corporate playground. That\u2019s just the path we\u2019ve chosen.\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t Press Contact \n\t\t\t\tDavid Carle: 202-224-3693", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.sanders.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/sanders-statement-on-trumps-plan-to-recognize-jerusalem-as-the-capital-of-israel", "Sanders Statement on Trump's Plan to Recognize Jerusalem as the Capital of Israel", "2017-12-05", "2017", "2017-12", "Independent", "House", "VT", "Bernard Sanders", "S000033", "www.sanders.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Sanders Statement on Trump's Plan to Recognize Jerusalem as the Capital of Israel\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\tTuesday, December 5, 2017\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\tWASHINGTON, Dec. 5 \u2013\u00a0Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) responded to reports Tuesday that President Donald Trump plans\u00a0to recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel:\r\n\"I\u2019m extremely concerned by reports that President Trump plans to recognize Jerusalem as the capital of the state of Israel. There\u2019s a reason why all past U.S. administrations have avoided making this move, and why leaders from all over the world, including a group of former Israeli ambassadors, have warned Trump against doing it: It would dramatically undermine the prospects for an Israeli-Palestinian peace agreement, and severely, perhaps irreparably, damage the United States\u2019 ability to broker that peace. What the U.S. should be doing now is bringing adversaries in the Middle East together to seek common solutions, not exacerbating tensions in this highly volatile region.\"", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.sanders.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/sanders-to-trump-keep-your-promises-to-protect-social-security-and-medicare", "Sanders to Trump: Keep Your Promises to Protect Social Security and Medicare", "2017-12-05", "2017", "2017-12", "Independent", "House", "VT", "Bernard Sanders", "S000033", "www.sanders.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Sanders to Trump: Keep Your Promises to Protect Social Security and Medicare\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\tTuesday, December 5, 2017\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\tWASHINGTON, Dec. 5 \u2013 Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) challenged President Donald Trump to keep his repeated promise to protect Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid from Republican attempts to cut the programs.\r\n\u201cMr. President, on the campaign trail you said over and over again you would not cut Social Security or Medicare or Medicaid. And today, I am asking you nothing more than to keep your word. Don't lie to the American people. Millions of people voted for you because you said you would not cut Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid. Keep your word. Tell Senate Leader McConnell and tell House Speaker Paul Ryan that you will veto any legislation that cuts these programs,\u201d Sanders said on the Senate floor Tuesday.\r\nTrump said\u00a0repeatedly\u00a0during the campaign that he would not cut Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid.\u00a0\r\nIn March 2016, then-candidate Trump said that unlike House Speaker Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) he would protect the programs.\r\n\u201cYou know, Paul [Ryan] wants to knock out Social Security, knock it down, way down. He wants to knock Medicare way down,\u201d Trump\u00a0told\u00a0WROK radio in Wisconsin. \u201cI\u2019m not going to cut it, and I\u2019m not going to raise ages, and I\u2019m not going to do all of the things that they want to do. But they want to really cut it, and they want to cut it very substantially, the Republicans, and I\u2019m not going to do that.\u201d\r\nAccording to The New York Times, Republicans plan to focus on cuts to Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid following tax reform.\r\n\u201cAs the tax cut legislation passed by the Senate early Saturday hurtles toward final approval, Republicans are preparing to use the swelling deficits made worse by the package as a rationale to pursue their long-held vision: undoing the entitlements of the New Deal and Great Society, leaving government leaner and the safety net skimpier for millions of Americans,\u201d\u00a0the Times\u00a0reported\u00a0in a front-page story last weekend.\r\nLast\u00a0week, a number of Republicans publicly said that they plan to cut \u201centitlement programs\u201d after passing their tax bill.\r\nAt a FOX News town hall this week,\u00a0Ryan said, \u201cThere\u2019s two things you got to do to get this debt under control. Cut spending \u2013 most importantly reform entitlement programs \u2013 and grow the economy.\u201d\r\n\u201cMany argue that you can\u2019t cut taxes because it will drive up the deficit,\u201d Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) told business leaders. \u201cBut we have to do two things. We have to generate economic growth, which generates revenue, while reducing spending. That will mean instituting structural changes to Social Security and Medicare for the future.\u201d\r\nAnd\u00a0in an exchange\u00a0with Sanders on the Senate floor before the tax bill passed, Sen. Pat Toomey (R-Pa.) refused to say that he would not support cutting Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid \u2013\u00a0saying only that he would protect people currently on the programs.\r\nTo watch and download Sanders' challenge to Trump on the Senate floor,click here.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.sanders.senate.gov/newsroom/recent-business/sanders-statement-on-trumps-plan-to-recognize-jerusalem-as-the-capital-of-israel", "Sanders Statement on Trump's Plan to Recognize Jerusalem as the Capital of Israel", "2017-12-05", "2017", "2017-12", "Independent", "House", "VT", "Bernard Sanders", "S000033", "www.sanders.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Sanders Statement on Trump's Plan to Recognize Jerusalem as the Capital of Israel\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\tTuesday, December 5, 2017\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\tWASHINGTON, Dec. 5 \u2013\u00a0Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) responded to reports Tuesday that President Donald Trump plans\u00a0to recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel:\r\n\"I\u2019m extremely concerned by reports that President Trump plans to recognize Jerusalem as the capital of the state of Israel. There\u2019s a reason why all past U.S. administrations have avoided making this move, and why leaders from all over the world, including a group of former Israeli ambassadors, have warned Trump against doing it: It would dramatically undermine the prospects for an Israeli-Palestinian peace agreement, and severely, perhaps irreparably, damage the United States\u2019 ability to broker that peace. What the U.S. should be doing now is bringing adversaries in the Middle East together to seek common solutions, not exacerbating tensions in this highly volatile region.\"", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.sanders.senate.gov/newsroom/recent-business/sanders-to-trump-keep-your-promises-to-protect-social-security-and-medicare", "Sanders to Trump: Keep Your Promises to Protect Social Security and Medicare", "2017-12-05", "2017", "2017-12", "Independent", "House", "VT", "Bernard Sanders", "S000033", "www.sanders.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Sanders to Trump: Keep Your Promises to Protect Social Security and Medicare\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\tTuesday, December 5, 2017\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\tWASHINGTON, Dec. 5 \u2013 Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) challenged President Donald Trump to keep his repeated promise to protect Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid from Republican attempts to cut the programs.\r\n\u201cMr. President, on the campaign trail you said over and over again you would not cut Social Security or Medicare or Medicaid. And today, I am asking you nothing more than to keep your word. Don't lie to the American people. Millions of people voted for you because you said you would not cut Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid. Keep your word. Tell Senate Leader McConnell and tell House Speaker Paul Ryan that you will veto any legislation that cuts these programs,\u201d Sanders said on the Senate floor Tuesday.\r\nTrump said\u00a0repeatedly\u00a0during the campaign that he would not cut Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid.\u00a0\r\nIn March 2016, then-candidate Trump said that unlike House Speaker Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) he would protect the programs.\r\n\u201cYou know, Paul [Ryan] wants to knock out Social Security, knock it down, way down. He wants to knock Medicare way down,\u201d Trump\u00a0told\u00a0WROK radio in Wisconsin. \u201cI\u2019m not going to cut it, and I\u2019m not going to raise ages, and I\u2019m not going to do all of the things that they want to do. But they want to really cut it, and they want to cut it very substantially, the Republicans, and I\u2019m not going to do that.\u201d\r\nAccording to The New York Times, Republicans plan to focus on cuts to Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid following tax reform.\r\n\u201cAs the tax cut legislation passed by the Senate early Saturday hurtles toward final approval, Republicans are preparing to use the swelling deficits made worse by the package as a rationale to pursue their long-held vision: undoing the entitlements of the New Deal and Great Society, leaving government leaner and the safety net skimpier for millions of Americans,\u201d\u00a0the Times\u00a0reported\u00a0in a front-page story last weekend.\r\nLast\u00a0week, a number of Republicans publicly said that they plan to cut \u201centitlement programs\u201d after passing their tax bill.\r\nAt a FOX News town hall this week,\u00a0Ryan said, \u201cThere\u2019s two things you got to do to get this debt under control. Cut spending \u2013 most importantly reform entitlement programs \u2013 and grow the economy.\u201d\r\n\u201cMany argue that you can\u2019t cut taxes because it will drive up the deficit,\u201d Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) told business leaders. \u201cBut we have to do two things. We have to generate economic growth, which generates revenue, while reducing spending. That will mean instituting structural changes to Social Security and Medicare for the future.\u201d\r\nAnd\u00a0in an exchange\u00a0with Sanders on the Senate floor before the tax bill passed, Sen. Pat Toomey (R-Pa.) refused to say that he would not support cutting Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid \u2013\u00a0saying only that he would protect people currently on the programs.\r\nTo watch and download Sanders' challenge to Trump on the Senate floor,\u00a0click here.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.leahy.senate.gov/press/leahy-statement-on-the-election-in-honduras", "Leahy Statement On The Election In Honduras", "2017-12-04", "2017", "2017-12", "Democrat", "House", "VT", "Patrick Leahy", "L000174", "www.leahy.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "12.04.17\n\t\t\t Leahy Statement On The Election In Honduras \n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tThose of us who care about Central America have watched the election for Honduras\u2019 next president with increasing alarm.\u00a0 It has been more than a week since November 26, when the people of Honduras cast their votes.\u00a0 Since then, repeated delays and suspicious behavior \u2013 which suggests either incompetence or fraud \u2013 by the Supreme Electoral Tribunal (TSE) that has been tallying the ballots, has incited large public demonstrations.\u00a0\r\nLate last week, the government of President Juan Orlando Hernandez suspended constitutional rights and imposed a ten-day, 6 p.m. to 6 a.m. curfew.\u00a0 Several protesters, including a 19-year-old girl, have reportedly been shot and killed by Honduran troops, and hundreds more have been arrested.\u00a0 Salvador Nasralla, the main opposition candidate, called for a new election and reportedly urged the Honduran police and military to disobey orders of their commanders to fire on demonstrators.\r\nEven before the Honduran people went to the polls the prospects for a free, fair and peaceful election faced many challenges.\u00a0 The most obvious point of contention is that President Hernandez is seeking a second term, since until recently the Honduran Constitution had been interpreted to limit presidents to a single four-year term.\u00a0\r\nIronically, in 2009 former President Manuel Zelaya was forced from power by a coalition of military officers, business owners, and conservative politicians including Hernandez, after Zelaya sought to extend his own rule by proposing a popular referendum on the issue of presidential re-election.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\r\nZelaya\u2019s ouster was initially labeled a coup by the U.S. State Department, but it was not long before the United States accepted the result and resumed sending economic and military aid to the government of President Porfirio Lobo.\u00a0 During the next three years the influx of illicit drugs and the incidence of violence, including assassinations of journalists and other civil society leaders, increased dramatically, and Honduras became among the most violent countries in the world.\r\nAfter Hernandez became president of the National Congress, he and his National Party replaced the Supreme Court with justices intended to support their political agenda.\u00a0 And in 2013, Hernandez was declared President of Honduras after an election fraught with reports of vote buying and threats and assassinations of political opponents.\u00a0\r\nTwo years later, the Supreme Court ruled that he could run for a second term \u2013 paving the way for last week\u2019s election.\u00a0 Just eight years after former President Zelaya was pushed out for proposing that the Honduran people vote on the question of a second term, President Hernandez had consolidated his control by replacing the justices of the Supreme Court, appointing the TSE, maintaining a majority in the Congress, and using the State media to drown out his critics.\u00a0 It was widely predicted that he would coast to victory.\u00a0\r\nBut President Hernandez\u2019 government, in addition to becoming increasingly autocratic, has been dogged by accusations of pervasive corruption.\u00a0\r\nFor these reasons, and because of the opaque and bizarre conduct of the TSE during the vote tallying process, it is perhaps not surprising that the situation has deteriorated to the point of becoming a national crisis of confidence in the integrity of Honduras\u2019 democracy.\u00a0\r\nContrary to past practice, the TSE did not issue early results until the day after the polls closed.\u00a0 At that time it announced that with 57 percent of the vote counted, Mr. Nasralla, a former TV sports journalist, was leading by 5 percentage points.\u00a0 This indicated the possibility of an historic upset, and while based on past practice the final count was expected the next day, the process of tallying the votes dragged on behind closed doors with no further announcements.\r\nWhile Nasralla and his supporters celebrated and the third-placed candidate, Luis Zelaya of the Liberal party, conceded, President Hernandez and his allies in the press insisted that he would come out on top once the rural votes were counted.\r\nThe TSE also said the rural vote count was delayed, and on Wednesday, after a long silence, the TSE indicated that Nasralla\u2019s lead had started to shrink.\u00a0 But the press reported that no technical reason was apparent to explain the delay as the results from all polling stations were reportedly transmitted electronically as soon as the polls closed.\u00a0\r\nAs time dragged on, suspicions of fraud escalated among Nasralla\u2019s supporters, and last Wednesday afternoon the TSE said its computer system had inexplicably ceased functioning for five hours.\u00a0 Then on Wednesday night the TSE reported that President Hernandez was ahead by several thousand votes, which triggered protests by Nasralla\u2019s supporters, some of them reportedly throwing rocks and lighting fires, who were met by troops firing tear gas and live bullets.\u00a0\r\nAccording to press reports, the opposition is questioning ballots from 5,300 polling places and has called for a recount of ballots from three rural departments.\u00a0 But this morning, after only a partial recount, the TSE announced its final tally in favor of President Hernandez by just 1.49 percent, a gap of 52,333 votes.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\r\nThe process has been so lacking in transparency, so fraught with irregularities and inexplicable delays, and coupled with reports of excessive force by the Honduran police and military against peaceful protesters, it is increasingly obvious that the TSE\u2019s announcement only made a bad situation worse.\u00a0 There is too much suspicion of fraud, and too much distrust.\u00a0\r\nOn Saturday, I asked the U.S. Embassy in Tegucigalpa three simple but important questions about the delays, the TSE\u2019s tally of the votes, and the reports of shootings of protesters.\u00a0 It is Monday night and I have yet to receive answers.\u00a0 This lack of responsiveness by our government in such a time of crisis is troubling, and I hope it is not a new standard.\r\nEarlier this evening, the OAS issued a statement that \u201cthe tight margin of the results, and the irregularities, errors and systemic problems that have surrounded this election do not allow the Mission to hold certainty about the results.\u201d\u00a0 There are also reports that\u00a0increasing numbers of Honduran police officers are refusing orders to use force against the protesters.\u00a0\r\nThe importance of this election, which will determine who leads Honduras for the next four years, cannot be overstated.\u00a0 This is especially so because of the way it came about in the first place.\u00a0 There was already resentment toward President Hernandez for the double standard of participating in the coup against Zelaya, and then orchestrating his own path to re-election.\u00a0 As one Honduran was quoted saying, they \u201care reliving the entire crisis from the coup of 2009, and the majority of people don\u2019t really like that because it brings back some ugly memories.\u201d\r\nPresident Hernandez and Mr. Nasralla offer significantly different approaches to tackling the country\u2019s problems.\u00a0 Given the debacle of the past week and the growing popular outcry, it is apparent that establishing the credibility of the electoral process and the integrity of Honduras\u2019 democracy requires either recounting the contested ballots from each of the 5,300 polling places in the presence of representatives of the political parties, representatives of civil society, and international observers; or holding a new election.\u00a0\r\nIn the meantime, it is the responsibility of the Honduran government \u2013 particularly the police and the military \u2013 to respect and defend the right of the Honduran people to freely and peacefully express their opinions.\r\nHonduras faces a defining moment in its modern history.\u00a0 How the government resolves this crisis will determine the path of the country for the foreseeable future.\u00a0 It will also determine the extent of validity and support the next government receives from the United States, because only a credible election, accepted widely by the Honduran people as free and fair, coupled with a demonstrable commitment to transparency, to freedom of expression and association, and to the rule of law, will justify that validity and support.\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t Press Contact \n\t\t\t\tDavid Carle: 202-224-3693", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.sanders.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/sanders-speaks-with-vermont-high-school-students_about-goals-after-graduation-", "Sanders Speaks With Vermont High School Students  About Goals After Graduation", "2017-12-04", "2017", "2017-12", "Independent", "House", "VT", "Bernard Sanders", "S000033", "www.sanders.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "MORRISVILLE, Vt., Dec. 4 \u2013 U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) visited Peoples Academy in Morrisville Monday morning to have an open conversation with students about their aspirations and goals after graduating high school.\r\n\u201cIt\u2019s important that we understand how students see their options as they prepare to graduate high school,\u201d said Sanders, who serves on the Senate education committee.\r\n\u201cDo they have adequate information to determine the best college for them and how they can finance a higher education? If they are not going to college, do they know how to get training to secure the best jobs that are out there?\u201d Sanders said.\r\nSanders was joined by Vermont Agency of Education Secretary Rebecca Holcombe, Vermont Department of Labor Commissioner Lindsay Kurrle, local business owners, and other state and regional education and workforce development leaders.\u00a0\r\n\u201cThe economic return to education is increasing. Students need to understand -- and need help leveraging -- the benefit of some post-secondary credential, whether it is an industry recognized credential in a trade or a college degree,\u201d Holcombe said, adding, \u201cAnd, particularly in some of our rural communities, wouldn\u2019t it be great if some of our students grew up to be the doctors, skilled tradespeople and other professionals their communities desperately need to grow a more prosperous future?\u00a0 We need to work together to make this happen.\u201d\r\nSanders visited the Vermont high school to seek candid input from young Vermonters to help inform his work in the Senate.\r\nPhilip Grant, principal of Peoples Academy, said high schools throughout Vermont have become \u201cincreasingly more collaborative and creative to help prepare students for their path beyond graduation.\u201d\r\n\u201cIncreased and flexible opportunities, such as early college, dual enrollment, online learning, internships, and expanding tech centers are also greatly improving students\u2019 focus and access to postsecondary aspirations. As a result, seniors are becoming more prepared for what they want to do in life,\u201d Grant said.\r\nIn October, Sanders held a series of college fairs in Vermont to help high school students and their families learn about higher education options. Next spring, Sanders will host additional resource fairs with information about higher education and career opportunities.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.sanders.senate.gov/newsroom/recent-business/sanders-challenges-trump-to-reject-gop-plan-to-cut-social-security-medicare-medicaid", "Sanders Challenges Trump to Reject GOP Plan to Cut Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid", "2017-12-04", "2017", "2017-12", "Independent", "House", "VT", "Bernard Sanders", "S000033", "www.sanders.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Sanders Challenges Trump to Reject GOP Plan to Cut Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\tMonday, December 4, 2017\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\tREADING, Penn., Dec. 3 \u2013 At a rally here Sunday against the Republican tax bill, U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) challenged President Donald Trump to keep his word to protect Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid.\r\n\u201cMr. President, you told the American people time and time again you were not going to cut Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid. Today, get on the phone. Tell Paul Ryan, tell Mitch McConnell that you will veto any bill that cuts Social Security, that cuts Medicare, that cuts Medicaid,\u201d Sanders said.\r\nTrump said\u00a0repeatedly\u00a0during the campaign that he would not cut Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid.\u00a0\r\nIn March 2016, then-candidate Trump said that unlike House Speaker Paul Ryan (R-Wisc.) he would protect the programs.\r\n\u201cYou know, Paul [Ryan] wants to knock out Social Security, knock it down, way down. He wants to knock Medicare way down,\u201d Trump\u00a0told\u00a0WROK radio in Wisconsin. \u201cI\u2019m not going to cut it, and I\u2019m not going to raise ages, and I\u2019m not going to do all of the things that they want to do. But they want to really cut it, and they want to cut it very substantially, the Republicans, and I\u2019m not going to do that.\u201d\r\nIt is now becoming very clear that is exactly what Republicans intend to do. This week, a number of Republicans publicly said that they plan to cut \u201centitlement programs\u201d after passing their tax bill.\r\nAt a FOX News town hall this week,\u00a0Ryan said, \u201cThere\u2019s two things you got to do to get this debt under control. Cut spending \u2013 most importantly reform entitlement programs \u2013 and grow the economy.\u201d\r\n\u201cMany argue that you can\u2019t cut taxes because it will drive up the deficit,\u201d U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) told business leaders. \u201cBut we have to do two things. We have to generate economic growth, which generates revenue, while reducing spending. That will mean instituting structural changes to Social Security and Medicare for the future.\u201d\r\nAnd\u00a0in an exchange\u00a0with Sanders on the Senate floor before the tax bill passed, U.S. Sen Pat Toomey (R-Penn.) refused to say that he would not support cutting Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid \u2013\u00a0saying only that he would protect people currently on the programs.\r\nTo watch the rally,\u00a0click here.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.sanders.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/sanders-challenges-trump-to-reject-gop-plan-to-cut-social-security-medicare-medicaid", "Sanders Challenges Trump to Reject GOP Plan to Cut Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid", "2017-12-03", "2017", "2017-12", "Independent", "House", "VT", "Bernard Sanders", "S000033", "www.sanders.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Sanders Challenges Trump to Reject GOP Plan to Cut Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\tSunday, December 3, 2017\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\tREADING, Penn., Dec. 3 \u2013 At a rally here Sunday against the Republican tax bill, U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) challenged President Donald Trump to keep his word to protect Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid.\r\n\u201cMr. President, you told the American people time and time again you were not going to cut Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid. Today, get on the phone. Tell Paul Ryan, tell Mitch McConnell that you will veto any bill that cuts Social Security, that cuts Medicare, that cuts Medicaid,\u201d Sanders said.\r\nTrump said repeatedly during the campaign that he would not cut Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid.\u00a0\r\nIn March 2016, then-candidate Trump said that unlike House Speaker Paul Ryan (R-Wisc.) he would protect the programs.\r\n\u201cYou know, Paul [Ryan] wants to knock out Social Security, knock it down, way down. He wants to knock Medicare way down,\u201d Trump told WROK radio in Wisconsin. \u201cI\u2019m not going to cut it, and I\u2019m not going to raise ages, and I\u2019m not going to do all of the things that they want to do. But they want to really cut it, and they want to cut it very substantially, the Republicans, and I\u2019m not going to do that.\u201d\r\nIt is now becoming very clear that is exactly what Republicans intend to do. This week, a number of Republicans publicly said that they plan to cut \u201centitlement programs\u201d after passing their tax bill.\r\nAt a FOX News town hall this week, Ryan said, \u201cThere\u2019s two things you got to do to get this debt under control. Cut spending \u2013 most importantly reform entitlement programs \u2013 and grow the economy.\u201d\r\n\u201cMany argue that you can\u2019t cut taxes because it will drive up the deficit,\u201d U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) told business leaders. \u201cBut we have to do two things. We have to generate economic growth, which generates revenue, while reducing spending. That will mean instituting structural changes to Social Security and Medicare for the future.\u201d\r\nAnd in an exchange with Sanders on the Senate floor before the tax bill passed, U.S. Sen Pat Toomey (R-Penn.) refused to say that he would not support cutting Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid \u2013\u00a0saying only that he would protect people currently on the programs.\r\nTo watch the rally, click here.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://welch.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/itc-provides-relief-illegal-chinese-imports-northeast-kingdom-s-columbia", "ITC Provides Relief From Illegal Chinese Imports to Northeast Kingdom\u2019s Columbia Forest Products", "2017-12-01", "2017", "2017-12", "Democrat", "House", "VT", "Peter Welch", "W000800", "welch.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Washington, DC - Following four years of advocacy by Rep. Peter Welch (D-VT), the U.S. International Trade Commission (ITC) today provided long overdue relief to a key employer in the Northeast Kingdom.\u00a0\nColumbia Forest Products, which maintains a manufacturing facility in Newport, Vermont, has been struggling to compete with illegal Chinese imports. In a unanimous ruling, the ITC voted 4-0 to impose significant tariffs on dumped and subsidized imports of Chinese hardwood plywood.\n\u201cToday\u2019s decision is great news for the employees of Columbia Forest Products,\u201d said Rep. Welch. \u201cThe company and its employees have been reeling from subsidized and illegal competition from China.\u00a0 This important decision will level the playing field for the company, preserve jobs, and ensure its continued contributions to the regional economy.\u201d \nIn 2012, the company, a hardwood veneer and plywood manufacturer, filed a petition with the ITC protesting the dumping of cheap and illegal Chinese hardwood and veneer products that undercut its business in Vermont and around the country.\nIn 2013, Rep. Welch personally testified before the Commission on the company\u2019s behalf.\u00a0 In addition, Welch helped lead two Congressional letters of support for the industry to the Commission, one in 2013 and one this year.\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://welch.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/welch-warren-introduce-legislation-boost-nih-and-fda-medical-research", "Welch, Warren Introduce Legislation to Boost NIH and FDA Medical Research", "2017-12-01", "2017", "2017-12", "Democrat", "House", "VT", "Peter Welch", "W000800", "welch.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "WASHINGTON - Rep. Peter Welch (D-Vt.) has joined Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) in introducing legislation that would boost funding for critical medical research.\u00a0The bill would pay for the new research by requiring large pharmaceutical companies that break the law and settle their cases to reinvest a percentage of their profits into medical research conducted by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and Food and Drug Administration (FDA).\u00a0\u00a0\n\u201cToo often, drug companies game the system to maximize corporate profits at the expense of consumers and taxpayers,\u201d said Welch. \u201cThis commonsense legislation will hold them accountable, while funding vital medical research that will keep America on the cutting edge of innovation, medicine, and scientific progress.\u201d\nCritical federal investments in medical research have remained nearly flat for over a decade.\u00a0Today 9 out of 11 research proposals are left unfunded, threatening the pace of medical breakthroughs and undercutting America\u2019s status as the world\u2019s leader in medical innovation.\u00a0The last decade has also seen a troublesome spike in the number of major drug companies settling with the government for breaking the law and defrauding taxpayers.\nThe Medical Innovation Act (H.R. 4487) would reverse both trends by making it easier for drug companies to develop the next generation of cures, while making it harder for them to profit from breaking the law and defrauding taxpayers. \u00a0Drug company payments, which would vary according to the severity of the settlement penalty, would only be required of companies that rely on federally-funded research to develop billion-dollar, \u201cblockbuster\u201d drugs and only when they subsequently break the law and enter into major settlement agreements with the federal government.\nIn such cases, the settlements would go forward as they normally do, but the offending company would also be required to reinvest a relatively small portion of the profits it has generated as a result of taxpayer-supported research back into the NIH and FDA. These supplemental payments would equal between 0.75% and 1.5% of the offending company's profits for each of its blockbuster drugs that can be traced back to government research support, over a period of five years.\nThe full text of the bill can be found here.\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.sanders.senate.gov/newsroom/video-audio/testing-solar-in-vermont", "Testing Solar in Vermont", "2017-12-01", "2017", "2017-12", "Independent", "House", "VT", "Bernard Sanders", "S000033", "www.sanders.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", null, 0, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.sanders.senate.gov/newsroom/video-audio/vermont-viewpoint-howard-sinnott", "Vermont Viewpoint: Howard Sinnott", "2017-12-01", "2017", "2017-12", "Independent", "House", "VT", "Bernard Sanders", "S000033", "www.sanders.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", null, 0, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.leahy.senate.gov/press/leahy-statement-on-the-tax-cuts-and-jobs-act", "Leahy Statement On The Tax Cuts And Jobs Act", "2017-11-30", "2017", "2017-11", "Democrat", "House", "VT", "Patrick Leahy", "L000174", "www.leahy.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "11.30.17\n\t\t\t Leahy Statement On The Tax Cuts And Jobs Act \n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tDuring Thanksgiving last week, families across the country came together to give thanks for the blessings of the past year.\u00a0 One group in particular \u2013 corporate CEOs \u2013 had a special reason to be thankful: the Republican tax bill we are considering today.\u00a0 Rather than engaging in a bipartisan process to develop and enact meaningful tax reform that will benefit working Americans and small businesses, Republicans in Congress have spent the last few weeks crafting tax cut legislation that will overwhelmingly favor large corporations and ultra-wealthy Americans.\u00a0 Just in time for the holiday season, this bill delivers everything on the Republican donor class\u2019s wish list while providing the vast majority of working Americans with little more than a lump of coal.\r\nThis tax bill would have harmful and far-reaching effects, in countless ways, for our economy, for the budget, for our healthcare system, for our environment, and for the pocketbooks of middle income Americans from coast to coast.\u00a0 Yet despite these enormous threats across the board, rarely, if ever, have I seen such a secretive and slapdash process, and such a shoddy result.\u00a0 Republican leaders purposely chose a partisan process, not a bipartisan process.\r\nThis bill has one clear goal \u2013 provide corporations with permanent tax cuts at any and all costs.\u00a0 Unfortunately, the costs of providing these unnecessary cuts are high and fall disproportionately on lower and middle income Americans, who will only see temporary cuts that will expire in 2025.\u00a0 The true purpose and slant of this bill are belied by the fact that huge tax cuts for corporations would be permanent, while the meager adjustments for hardworking Americans are only temporary.\u00a0 Critical deductions relied upon by many Vermonters, including the State and Local Tax Deduction, are reduced or eliminated.\u00a0 These changes are likely to result in higher taxes for many working families.\u00a0 To add insult to injury, even after targeting the middle class to pay for permanent corporate tax cuts, the bill will still end up adding more than $1.4 trillion to our deficit and debt over the next 10 years.\r\nThis is a bill that cheats our future for the sake of a tax-cut windfall for the one percent. \u00a0It does absolutely wonderful things for the wealthiest taxpayers, like the President, his cronies and his family.\u00a0 But it does not advance the common good.\u00a0 It offers crumbs to hardworking Americans, while the wealthiest individuals and corporations reap the rewards of this bill, with the false promise of trickle-down benefits to everyone else. \u00a0The wealthiest are doing just fine and big corporations already are pulling in record profits, which they\u2019re not investing but salting away.\u00a0 They don\u2019t need more tax cuts. \u00a0More than 400 millionaires have urgently told Congress that they don\u2019t need more tax cuts.\r\nEven more appallingly, to pay for these tax giveaways for corporations, Republicans intend to strip health insurance from 13 million Americans, a move that threatens to seriously destabilize the health insurance market.\u00a0 Americans with health insurance today will face higher premiums as a result of this bill becoming law.\u00a0 As the Congressional Budget Office found in its recent analysis, by 2027 the bill takes away billions of dollars in federal healthcare support for Americans making less than $75,000.\u00a0 This needlessly puts innocent lives at risk.\u00a0 To the extent that working Vermonters see any benefit from the tax cuts included in this bill, those gains will be more than wiped away by these changes to our healthcare system.\r\nWhat\u2019s more, this Republican proposal will also cause irreparable harm to our environment by opening up oil and gas drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR) \u2013 all to pay for tax breaks for corporations, including those in the oil and gas industry.\u00a0 Exposing this breathtaking area of the country to the ravages of oil and gas drilling would be an environmental tragedy.\u00a0 Even worse, the rationale for it may be built on a false premise.\u00a0 There is evidence to suggest that opening this area for development would not even provide the economic benefits being claimed.\u00a0 Turning ANWR into an oil field is yet another gift to corporate interests at the expense of the American people and at the cost of damage to their public lands.\r\nThese are just some of the devastating consequences this bill will have if it is enacted.\u00a0 And we know this isn\u2019t even the bill on which we will ultimately cast a vote. \u00a0This bill has been written and rewritten so many times behind closed doors, and we have every reason to believe Republicans will conclude this arcane reconciliation process by offering a final amendment, unveiled at the last minute, without the benefit of thorough review and debate.\u00a0 For an issue this complex that touches every aspect of our economy, moving at a breakneck, partisan pace is a dangerous and reckless approach.\u00a0 How many Senators who support this legislation can look their constituents in the eye and honestly tell them they know every detail of this bill and how it will impact them and our country?\u00a0 Can the Senators who support this bill in good faith promise it won\u2019t raise their constituents\u2019 taxes, today, tomorrow, next year, or in a decade?\u00a0 Or that it won\u2019t set in motion slashing cuts to Medicare, Social Security and Medicaid?\r\nRemember the promises the Republican majority made just months ago?\u00a0 They promised their bill would boost the economy and help middle class Americans, and that it wouldn\u2019t explode the debt and the deficits.\u00a0 The President himself promised that the bill wouldn\u2019t benefit him or other wealthy taxpayers.\u00a0 Now we know the truth.\u00a0 The independent Congressional Budget Office and countless economists have made clear that those promises have been utterly shredded. \u00a0Further damage is done by this direct hit on the health insurance that is relied upon by millions of Americans, and by the elimination of the deductibility of state and local taxes.\u00a0 Blowing a hole in the budget will seed the ground for rising interest rates that will hit every family and drag down our economy, and Republican cuts to Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid will follow.\r\nEven these huge corporate tax cuts are not structured in a way that would truly encourage investments here at home and boost workers\u2019 wages. \u00a0There\u2019s no bang, let alone a popgun pop, for shoveling out these more than one trillion bucks.\r\nWe need to go back to the drawing board and start this process over again.\u00a0 Let Republicans and Democrats work together on real tax reform that simplifies the tax code and provides real benefits to working Americans.\u00a0 This bill is not tax reform.\u00a0 This is a cartoonish caricature of what real tax reform should look like.\u00a0 It is dishonest to its core.\u00a0 It is cynical, and it can only breed more cynicism by the public. \u00a0It is not only bad policy, it is horrible policy.\u00a0 And it is wrong.\u00a0\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t Press Contact \n\t\t\t\tDavid Carle: 202-224-3693", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.leahy.senate.gov/press/senators-to-trump-administration_reject-calls-for-new-nuclear-weapons", "Senators to Trump Administration:  Reject Calls for New Nuclear Weapons", "2017-11-30", "2017", "2017-11", "Democrat", "House", "VT", "Patrick Leahy", "L000174", "www.leahy.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "11.30.17\n\t\t\t Senators to Trump Administration:  Reject Calls for New Nuclear Weapons \n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t \n\t\t\n\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n        \n\t\t\t\t Senators also want rising costs of modernization effort addressed in next Nuclear Posture Review\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t Senator Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) joined Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.), Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.) and 12 other Senators today to urge the Trump administration to reject calls for new nuclear weapons and to reevaluate the affordability of the current nuclear modernizations effort in the next Nuclear Posture Review.\r\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u201cMany of us oppose the development of new nuclear weapons and believe that the sole purpose of our nuclear arsenal is to deter a nuclear attack,\u201d the senators wrote. \u201cIn light of the CBO report, it is now also clear that developing new nuclear weapons is unaffordable, and would force tradeoffs between needed investments in our conventional capabilities.\u201d\r\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 The full text of the letter follows:\r\n\u00a0\r\nNovember 30, 2017\r\nDear Secretaries Tillerson, Mattis and Perry:\r\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 As you finalize the administration\u2019s Nuclear Posture Review (NPR), we strongly urge you to consider the Congressional Budget Office\u2019s (CBO) recent analysis of the increasing cost of the existing nuclear modernization plan. In light of the CBO\u2019s findings, we urge you to incorporate the CBO\u2019s analysis into the NPR process so that the review\u2019s recommendations are affordable, strictly necessary to maintain deterrence, and do not force the nation to choose between an increasingly costly nuclear modernization program and maintaining conventional superiority.\r\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 The CBO makes clear that the administration\u2019s current nuclear modernization plan is unaffordable and will reduce our ability to make necessary investments in our conventional capabilities. The CBO reported that the administration\u2019s plan will cost up to $1.7 trillion, with inflation, over the next 30 years, with an annual cost of approximately $50 billion in the 2030s. The agency noted that these costs would \u201cdirectly compete for funding with other defense priorities,\u201d principally planned investments in our conventional systems, at a time when defense spending is likely to be constrained by long-term fiscal pressures.\r\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 The CBO also detailed options to significantly alter the existing modernization plan while still meeting our deterrence requirements. Specifically, the CBO outlined nine options that would either cancel or delay specific nuclear weapons systems, or reduce the number of deployed warheads in line with the Defense Department\u2019s 2013 Nuclear Employment Strategy. The CBO also considered the possibility of forgoing modernization of select triad components without risking a failure of deterrence. Clearly the existing modernization plan is not sacrosanct.\r\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Many of us oppose the development of new nuclear weapons and believe that the sole purpose of our nuclear arsenal is to deter a nuclear attack. In light of the CBO report, it is now also clear that developing new nuclear weapons is unaffordable, and would force tradeoffs between needed investments in our conventional capabilities. We urge you to reject calls to develop new low-yield weapons or to increase nuclear delivery systems beyond those already planned, which are simply divorced from budgetary realities.\r\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Many of us have opposed certain aspects of the nuclear modernization plan as unnecessary and destabilizing. The CBO\u2019s report makes clear, at a minimum, that the existing plan is unaffordable and needs revision. We strongly urge you to incorporate the CBO\u2019s findings into the review process so that the NPR can offer a realistic path to maintaining deterrence.\r\nSincerely,\u00a0\r\nDianne Feinstein\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0\r\nEdward J. Markey\r\nPatrick Leahy\u00a0\r\nRichard J. Durbin\r\nTammy Baldwin\r\nChris Van Hollen\r\nAl Franken\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\r\nElizabeth Warren\r\nSheldon Whitehouse\u00a0\u00a0\r\nRon Wyden\r\nJeff Merkley\u00a0 \u00a0\r\nPatty Murray\r\nBernard Sanders\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0\r\nBrian Schatz\r\nKamala D. Harris\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t Press Contact \n\t\t\t\tDavid Carle: 202-224-3693\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\n\t  \n\t\n\t\n\t\n  \n\t\n    \n    \n    \n    \n    \n    \t\n    \t\n\t    \t  \n\t\t    \n\t\t    \n\t\t    \tPrevious Article", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.leahy.senate.gov/press/leahy-announces-13-million-grant-to-help-the-vermont-state-police-combat-the-opioid-epidemic", "Leahy Announces $1.3 Million Grant To Help The Vermont State Police Combat The Opioid Epidemic", "2017-11-29", "2017", "2017-11", "Democrat", "House", "VT", "Patrick Leahy", "L000174", "www.leahy.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "11.29.17\n\t\t\t Leahy Announces $1.3 Million Grant To Help The Vermont State Police Combat The Opioid Epidemic \n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t \n\t\t\n\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n        \n\t\t\t\t . . . Vermont Grant Is One Of Only 8 Nationwide\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t Senate Appropriations Committee Vice Chairman Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) Wednesday announced a grant of more than $1.3 million for the Vermont State Police (VSP) to continue its aggressive work fighting the opioid epidemic in Vermont.\r\nThis was the second-largest of only eight grants awarded nationwide through the highly competitive COPS Anti-Heroin Task Force (AHTF) grant program that Leahy created in the fiscal year 2015 Commerce, Justice, and Science (CJS) appropriations bill.\u00a0 In his new role as the Vice Chairman of the Senate Appropriations Committee, Leahy fought hard to fund the program at $10 million in the fiscal year 2017 enacted CJS appropriations act, despite the Department of Justice proposing to eliminate the program.\u00a0 The VSP will use the $1.3 million award to continue funding the five troopers and one analyst hired with the first grant of more than $1.4 million that it received in 2015 through the AHTF grant program.\u00a0 Leahy also is a leading champion of this and other COPS programs on the Judiciary Committee, which oversees the program.\r\nLeahy said: \u00a0\u201cI designed the Anti-Heroin Task Force grant program specifically with the Vermont State Police\u2019s Drug Task Force in mind.\u00a0 The vital and highly successful investigative work that the Task Force does in Vermont is a key component of our fight against the scourge of addiction that touches communities and families across our state.\u00a0 The detectives and analysts dedicated to the anti-heroin task force, whose work\u00a0is supported with these funds, work to get right at the heart of Vermont\u2019s distribution networks, targeting those who profit from the misery of Vermonters and their families.\u201d\r\n\u201cWe know that enforcement is only one element of the fight against opioid addiction, and I will continue to work to see that funding to support prevention, education, treatment and recovery also reaches those who are in need,\u201d Leahy said.\u00a0 \u201cBut we must do everything in our power to stem the flow of these deadly drugs, and I applaud the work of the Vermont Drug Task Force in helping to do that.\u201d\r\nPresident Trump\u2019s budget for fiscal year 2018 proposed eliminated funding for the AHTF grant program.\u00a0 Despite the administration\u2019s proposal, Leahy was able to ensure that the fiscal year 2018 Senate CJS appropriations bill includes $12 million in funding for the program, a $2 million increase over fiscal year 2017.\r\nVermont State Police Col. Matthew Birmingham said:\u00a0 \u201cThe funds from this award are an important part of our enforcement strategy focused on dismantling heroin trafficking networks in Vermont. \u00a0We will continue to work with our partners in treatment and prevention to stem the impact that heroin and opiates have on Vermonters. \u00a0We are grateful to Senator Leahy for his efforts to create and sustain this funding.\u201d\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t Press Contact \n\t\t\t\tDavid Carle: 202-224-3693\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\n\t  \n\t\n\t\n\t\n  \n\t\n    \n    \n    \n    \n    \n    \t\n    \t\n\t    \t  \n\t\t    \n\t\t    \n\t\t    \tPrevious Article", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.sanders.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/sanders-statement-on-motion-to-proceed-with-republican-tax-plan", "Sanders Statement on Motion to Proceed with Republican Tax Plan", "2017-11-29", "2017", "2017-11", "Independent", "House", "VT", "Bernard Sanders", "S000033", "www.sanders.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Sanders Statement on Motion to Proceed with Republican Tax Plan\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\tWednesday, November 29, 2017\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\tWASHINGTON, Nov. 29 \u2013 Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), ranking member of the Senate Budget Committee, issued the following statement Wednesday after Senate Republicans voted to move forward with their tax bill:\r\n\"I am disappointed but not surprised that the Republicans voted unanimously to proceed with a disastrous tax bill. This bill will provide 62 percent of the benefits to the top 1 percent and at the end of 10 years increase taxes on 87 million middle class households \u2013 half of the families making $200,000 a year or less. Together the American people must rally to defeat the Republican tax bill.\"", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.sanders.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/sanders-statement-on-trumps-promotion-of-anti-muslim-videos", "Sanders Statement on Trump's Promotion of Anti-Muslim Videos", "2017-11-29", "2017", "2017-11", "Independent", "House", "VT", "Bernard Sanders", "S000033", "www.sanders.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Sanders Statement on Trump's Promotion of Anti-Muslim Videos\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\tWednesday, November 29, 2017\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\tWASHINGTON, Nov. 29 \u2013 Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) issued the following statement Wednesday:\r\n\"I do not make it a habit to respond to every ugly or absurd tweet from President Trump. If I did that, I\u2019d have little time for anything else. But even for Trump, today's retweet of a series of offensive videos from a British right-wing, anti-Muslim fringe group reaches a new low. The goal of these videos is clear: to promote fear and hatred of Muslims, and to incite hostility toward a minority group. I know that Trump is not much into history or the U.S. Constitution, but he ought to know that millions of men and women have struggled, fought and died to defend our democracy and the religious freedom that our Constitution guarantees. \"This Friday I will be visiting Louisville, Kentucky, the city where Muhammad Ali, one of the most popular athletes of the 20th Century, who also happened to be an American Muslim, was born and raised. While there I plan on visiting the Muhammad Ali Center, a museum that focuses not only on Ali\u2019s career as a boxer and athlete, but also on his legacy as an activist and spokesman for the Muslim faith.\"", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.sanders.senate.gov/newsroom/recent-business/sanders-statement-on-motion-to-proceed-with-republican-tax-plan", "Sanders Statement on Motion to Proceed with Republican Tax Plan", "2017-11-29", "2017", "2017-11", "Independent", "House", "VT", "Bernard Sanders", "S000033", "www.sanders.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Sanders Statement on Motion to Proceed with Republican Tax Plan\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\tWednesday, November 29, 2017\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\tWASHINGTON, Nov. 29 \u2013 Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), ranking member of the Senate Budget Committee, issued the following statement Wednesday after Senate Republicans voted to move forward with their tax bill:\r\n\"I am disappointed but not surprised that the Republicans voted unanimously to proceed with a disastrous tax bill. This bill will provide 62 percent of the benefits to the top 1 percent and at the end of 10 years increase taxes on 87 million middle class households \u2013 half of the families making $200,000 a year or less. Together the American people must rally to defeat the Republican tax bill.\"", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.sanders.senate.gov/newsroom/video-audio/sanders-challenges-republicans-to-prove-him-wrong-about-tax-bill", "Sanders Challenges Republicans to Prove Him Wrong About Tax Bill", "2017-11-29", "2017", "2017-11", "Independent", "House", "VT", "Bernard Sanders", "S000033", "www.sanders.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Sanders Challenges Republicans to Prove Him Wrong About Tax Bill \n            On the Senate floor Wednesday, Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) challenged Republicans to tell him he is \u201cwrong\u201d \u2013 that they will not cut Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid if the tax bill passes and creates a $1.4 trillion deficit.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.sanders.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/sanders-colleagues-unveil-legislation-to-rebuild-puerto-rico-and-virgin-islands", "Sanders, Colleagues Unveil Legislation to Rebuild Puerto Rico and Virgin Islands", "2017-11-28", "2017", "2017-11", "Independent", "House", "VT", "Bernard Sanders", "S000033", "www.sanders.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "WASHINGTON, Nov. 28 \u2013\u00a0Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), along with five cosponsors in the Senate, introduced a comprehensive plan Tuesday to address the immediate humanitarian needs in Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands and ensure that the islands not only recover, but are able to rebuild in a way that empowers them to thrive.\r\nThe Puerto Rico and Virgin Islands Equitable Rebuild Act is cosponsored in the Senate by Sens. Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.), Kamala Harris (D-Calif.) Ed Markey (D-Mass.) and Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.). Reps. Stacy Plaskett (D-V.I.), Nydia M.\u00a0Vel\u00e1zquez\u00a0(D-N.Y.) and Darren Soto (D-Fla.) will introduce a companion bill in the House. The bill is endorsed by\u00a075 organizations.\r\nMore than two months after Hurricane Maria, much of Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands remain devastated. More than half of Puerto Rico is still without power. In both territories, clean drinking water is difficult if not impossible to find in many areas and thousands of people are still living in temporary shelters.\r\nThe legislation introduced today would instruct the federal government to immediately address these humanitarian crises by mobilizing all necessary resources and assets to restore power, provide clean drinking water and food, safe shelter and access to health care. And, it would do so without forcing the territories to take on more debt.\r\nThe Puerto Rico and Virgin Islands Equitable Rebuild Act emphasizes local control and sustainable rebuilding of the territories and instructs Congress to address Puerto Rico\u2019s debt \u2013 a major impediment to a just and full recovery. And, it ensures that any federal disaster funding provided to the islands is protected from Wall Street vulture funds and acted upon with local input and local workers.\r\nSan Juan Mayor\u00a0Carmen Yul\u00edn Cruz\u00a0offered her support for the bill:\u00a0\u201cThe bill that Senator Sanders has introduced in the United States Congress is a comprehensive plan that provides the blueprint for the transformation of Puerto Rico. While dealing with all major areas of immediate concern: energy, health and education it also sets the foundation to make Puerto Rico a more equitable, just and fair society for all. Senator Sanders also shows a great deal of respect and faith in us when claiming that the recovery or Puerto Rico must be in Puerto Rican hands. The bill comes from Sanders\u2019 commitment of listening first hand to the hopes and aspirations of our people and must be given serious consideration by Congress.\u201d\r\n\u201cIt is unconscionable that in the wealthiest nation in the world we have allowed our\u00a0fellow citizens\u00a0to suffer for so long. The full resources of the United States must be brought to bear on this crisis,\u00a0for as long as is necessary,\u201d said\u00a0Sanders, who visited Puerto Rico in October. \u201cBut we cannot simply rebuild Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands the way they were. We must go forward to create a strong, sustainable economy and energy system in both territories and address inequities in federal law that have allowed the territories to fall behind in almost every measurable social and economic criteria.\u201d\r\n\r\nThe bill addresses seven components necessary to rebuild and move the islands forward:\r\n1)\u00a0Debt and Privatization:\u00a0Puerto Rico\u2019s debt must be addressed to ensure the territory can recover with dignity. Congress must also prevent the privatization of public institutions to benefit creditors in Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands. Puerto Rico is struggling with an unsustainable $74.8 billion of debt, much of which is held by Wall Street creditors, with an additional $49 billion in unpaid pension obligations. The territories\u2019 recovery should not add to existing debt. 2) Resilient and Renewable Energy:\u00a0Instead of simply rebuilding an antiquated, centralized and inefficient system dependent on imported fossil fuels, the bill ensures the electric grids will be rebuilt to be more renewable and resilient, to provide less expensive electricity and create local jobs. 3) Medicaid and Medicare Parity:\u00a0The health care systems in the Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico were inadequate before the hurricanes made landfall, in large part because they receive far fewer federal dollars compared to states. The bill makes Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands eligible for the same Medicare and Medicaid benefits as the rest of America. 4) Rebuild and Improve the VA Hospital and Clinics:\u00a0Appropriates necessary funds to the VA for veterans in Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands. 5) Improve Public Schools, Colleges, and Childcare Facilities:\u00a0In addition to rebuilding damaged schools and childcare facilities, we must face the fact that many of these facilities were inadequate before the storms hit. Hundreds of public schools in Puerto Rico have been closed because of austerity policies, and schools in the Virgin Islands are struggling to prepare students for college and future careers. The bill appropriates necessary funds for services and facilities for public Head Start, elementary, secondary and higher education. \u00a0 6) Invest in Infrastructure and Spur Economic Development:\u00a0Underfunded infrastructure in Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands contributed to the severity of the damage from Hurricanes Irma and Maria. In addition to rebuilding damaged facilities, the legislation would make significant investments in the islands\u2019 physical infrastructure to spur the local economy and create jobs.  \u00a0  7)\u00a0Environmental Cleanup:\u00a0Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands have significant environmental contamination related to the hurricanes, prior pollution and a legacy of military bombing exercises on Vieques. The legislation would provide grants to the EPA, the Department of the Interior and the Department of Defense for environmental remediation.\r\n\r\n\"This bill from Senator Sanders is crucial because it will emphasize the importance of input in the recovery process by local impacted communities along with ensuring public participation in an open and transparent oversight process. This legislation will also promote long-term economic development, environmental safeguards, and rights of the local communities affected and to chart the path to recovery for the Virgin Islands. Ensuring the input of local communities as well as local and municipal powers in the recovery effort of the Virgin Islands is critical to a balanced response that fully meets the needs of impacted communities of the territories. It is imperative that we learn from the shortcomings from these disasters that have created a humanitarian crises the echoes of which are still being felt in the Virgin Islands,\"\u00a0Plaskett\u00a0said.\r\n\"The principles and the legislation being announced today provide a framework not just for finally getting control of the ongoing crisis \u2013 but ensuring we invest to build Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands back better. This will lay the groundwork for making Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands whole,\" said\u00a0Vel\u00e1zquez.\u00a0\r\n\"The people of Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands suffered one of the worst disasters our country has ever experienced, and Congress has done the minimum expected of us. Congress must rise to the occasion and implement this new Marshall Plan to help our fellow American citizens rebuild and recover,\" said\u00a0Gillibrand. \"We must all pledge to stand with these families until the islands are rebuilt and fully back on their feet.\"\r\n\"This bill provides the help that the people of Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands desperately need. It tells millions of U.S. citizens: we have not forgotten you. Congress should pass it right away -- the people of Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands are counting on us. I was glad to work closely with Senator Sanders on this far-reaching bill so that we can aid our fellow U.S. citizens and help them along a path to full recovery,\"\u00a0said\u00a0Warren.\r\n\r\n\"The people of Puerto Rico have been living in a nightmare for far too long,\" stated\u00a0Soto. \"We talk about power to the people. The people of Puerto Rico and Virgin Islands need power! I am proud to co-introduce the Just Rebuild Puerto Rico & the U.S. Virgin Islands Act of 2017, legislation that will help them get the lights back on and their economies going again. \u00a0As we look to rebuild the islands, we have an opportunity to become an energy model for the 21st century if we invest right.\"\r\n\u00a0\r\n\"The people of Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands have waited far too long for a comprehensive effort from the federal government to recover from these devastating storms and to rebuild in a way that makes them stronger for the future. The Administration and Congress must stop delaying, and pass real, meaningful relief so that these Americans can begin the process of long-term recovery,\"\u00a0Markey\u00a0said.\r\nFor a summary of the bill,\u00a0click here.\r\nFor the section by section,\u00a0click here.\r\nFor a copy of the legislation,\u00a0click here.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.sanders.senate.gov/newsroom/recent-business/sanders-colleagues-unveil-legislation-to-rebuild-puerto-rico-and-virgin-islands", "Sanders, Colleagues Unveil Legislation to Rebuild Puerto Rico and Virgin Islands", "2017-11-28", "2017", "2017-11", "Independent", "House", "VT", "Bernard Sanders", "S000033", "www.sanders.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "WASHINGTON, Nov. 28 \u2013\u00a0Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), along with five cosponsors in the Senate, introduced a comprehensive plan Tuesday to address the immediate humanitarian needs in Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands and ensure that the islands not only recover, but are able to rebuild in a way that empowers them to thrive.\r\nThe Puerto Rico and Virgin Islands Equitable Rebuild Act is cosponsored in the Senate by Sens. Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.), Kamala Harris (D-Calif.) Ed Markey (D-Mass.) and Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.). Reps. Stacy Plaskett (D-V.I.), Nydia M. Vel\u00e1zquez (D-N.Y.) and Darren Soto (D-Fla.) will introduce a companion bill in the House. The bill is endorsed by\u00a075 organizations.\r\nMore than two months after Hurricane Maria, much of Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands remain devastated. More than half of Puerto Rico is still without power. In both territories, clean drinking water is difficult if not impossible to find in many areas and thousands of people are still living in temporary shelters.\r\nThe legislation introduced today would instruct the federal government to immediately address these humanitarian crises by mobilizing all necessary resources and assets to restore power, provide clean drinking water and food, safe shelter and access to health care. And, it would do so without forcing the territories to take on more debt.\r\nThe Puerto Rico and Virgin Islands Equitable Rebuild Act emphasizes local control and sustainable rebuilding of the territories and instructs Congress to address Puerto Rico\u2019s debt \u2013 a major impediment to a just and full recovery. And, it ensures that any federal disaster funding provided to the islands is protected from Wall Street vulture funds and acted upon with local input and local workers.\r\nSan Juan Mayor\u00a0Carmen Yul\u00edn Cruz\u00a0offered her support for the bill:\u00a0\u201cThe bill that Senator Sanders has introduced in the United States Congress is a comprehensive plan that provides the blueprint for the transformation of Puerto Rico. While dealing with all major areas of immediate concern: energy, health and education it also sets the foundation to make Puerto Rico a more equitable, just and fair society for all. Senator Sanders also shows a great deal of respect and faith in us when claiming that the recovery or Puerto Rico must be in Puerto Rican hands. The bill comes from Sanders\u2019 commitment of listening first hand to the hopes and aspirations of our people and must be given serious consideration by Congress.\u201d\r\n\u201cIt is unconscionable that in the wealthiest nation in the world we have allowed our\u00a0fellow citizens\u00a0to suffer for so long. The full resources of the United States must be brought to bear on this crisis,\u00a0for as long as is necessary,\u201d said\u00a0Sanders, who visited Puerto Rico in October. \u201cBut we cannot simply rebuild Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands the way they were. We must go forward to create a strong, sustainable economy and energy system in both territories and address inequities in federal law that have allowed the territories to fall behind in almost every measurable social and economic criteria.\u201d\r\n\r\nThe bill addresses seven components necessary to rebuild and move the islands forward:\r\n1)\u00a0Debt and Privatization:\u00a0Puerto Rico\u2019s debt must be addressed to ensure the territory can recover with dignity. Congress must also prevent the privatization of public institutions to benefit creditors in Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands. Puerto Rico is struggling with an unsustainable $74.8 billion of debt, much of which is held by Wall Street creditors, with an additional $49 billion in unpaid pension obligations. The territories\u2019 recovery should not add to existing debt. 2) Resilient and Renewable Energy:\u00a0Instead of simply rebuilding an antiquated, centralized and inefficient system dependent on imported fossil fuels, the bill ensures the electric grids will be rebuilt to be more renewable and resilient, to provide less expensive electricity and create local jobs. 3) Medicaid and Medicare Parity:\u00a0The health care systems in the Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico were inadequate before the hurricanes made landfall, in large part because they receive far fewer federal dollars compared to states. The bill makes Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands eligible for the same Medicare and Medicaid benefits as the rest of America. 4) Rebuild and Improve the VA Hospital and Clinics:\u00a0Appropriates necessary funds to the VA for veterans in Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands. 5) Improve Public Schools, Colleges, and Childcare Facilities:\u00a0In addition to rebuilding damaged schools and childcare facilities, we must face the fact that many of these facilities were inadequate before the storms hit. Hundreds of public schools in Puerto Rico have been closed because of austerity policies and schools in the Virgin Islands are struggling to prepare students for college and future careers. The bill appropriates necessary funds for services and facilities for public Head Start, elementary, secondary and higher education. \u00a0 6) Invest in Infrastructure and Spur Economic Development:\u00a0Underfunded infrastructure in Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands contributed to the severity of the damage from Hurricanes Irma and Maria. In addition to rebuilding damaged facilities, the legislation would make significant investments in the islands\u2019 physical infrastructure to spur the local economy and create jobs.  \u00a0  7)\u00a0Environmental Cleanup:\u00a0Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands have significant environmental contamination related to the hurricanes, prior pollution and a legacy of military bombing exercises on Vieques. The legislation would provide grants to the EPA, the Department of the Interior and the Department of Defense for environmental remediation.\r\n\r\n\"This bill from Senator Sanders is crucial because it will emphasize the importance of input in the recovery process by local impacted communities along with ensuring public participation in an open and transparent oversight process. This legislation will also promote long-term economic development, environmental safeguards, and rights of the local communities affected and to chart the path to recovery for the Virgin Islands. Ensuring the input of local communities as well as local and municipal powers in the recovery effort of the Virgin Islands is critical to a balanced response that fully meets the needs of impacted communities of the territories. It is imperative that we learn from the shortcomings from these disasters that have created a humanitarian crises the echoes of which are still being felt in the Virgin Islands,\"\u00a0Plaskett\u00a0said.\r\n\"The principles and the legislation being announced today provide a framework not just for finally getting control of the ongoing crisis \u2013 but ensuring we invest to build Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands back better. This will lay the groundwork for making Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands whole,\" said\u00a0Vel\u00e1zquez.\u00a0\r\n\r\n\"The people of Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands suffered one of the worst disasters our country has ever experienced, and Congress has done the minimum expected of us. Congress must rise to the occasion and implement this new Marshall Plan to help our fellow American citizens rebuild and recover,\" said\u00a0Gillibrand. \"We must all pledge to stand with these families until the islands are rebuilt and fully back on their feet.\"\r\n\r\n\"This bill provides the help that the people of Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands desperately need. It tells millions of U.S. citizens: we have not forgotten you. Congress should pass it right away -- the people of Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands are counting on us. I was glad to work closely with Senator Sanders on this far-reaching bill so that we can aid our fellow U.S. citizens and help them along a path to full recovery,\"\u00a0said\u00a0Warren.\r\n\r\n\r\n\"The people of Puerto Rico have been living in a nightmare for far too long,\" stated\u00a0Soto. \"We talk about power to the people. The people of Puerto Rico and Virgin Islands need power! I am proud to co-introduce the Just Rebuild Puerto Rico & the U.S. Virgin Islands Act of 2017, legislation that will help them get the lights back on and their economies going again. \u00a0As we look to rebuild the islands, we have an opportunity to become an energy model for the 21st century if we invest right.\"\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\"The people of Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands have waited far too long for a comprehensive effort from the federal government to recover from these devastating storms and to rebuild in a way that makes them stronger for the future. The Administration and Congress must stop delaying, and pass real, meaningful relief so that these Americans can begin the process of long-term recovery,\"\u00a0Markey\u00a0said.\r\n\r\n\u201cThe devastating effects of this historic natural disaster calls for a historic response. Our bill has the makings of a Marshall Plan \u2013 providing vital funds to rebuild islands\u2019 housing, electricity, health care, and basic government operations. Relief is not enough. Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands must rebuild with resilience to better withstand future disasters, and we must meet our moral obligation to help fellow American citizens in need,\u201d\u00a0Blumenthal\u00a0said.\r\nFor a summary of the bill,\u00a0click here.\r\nFor the section by section,\u00a0click here.\r\nFor a copy of the legislation,\u00a0click here.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.sanders.senate.gov/vermont/what-i-learned-in-high-school-last-week", "What I learned in High School Last Week", "2017-11-28", "2017", "2017-11", "Independent", "House", "VT", "Bernard Sanders", "S000033", "www.sanders.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "What I learned in High School\u2026 Last Week\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t By:\u00a0 U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders  \n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\tTuesday, November 28, 2017\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\tLast year, more than 60,000 people died from opioid overdoses in the United States. That\u2019s more Americans dying in one year than during the entire 19 years of the Vietnam War.\u00a0 In our small state, 112 Vermonters died from a drug overdose, which is three times as many as died in 2010.\u00a0 And what\u2019s even more shocking than the sheer numbers of people dying is how hard this epidemic is hitting younger people. Drug overdose is now the leading cause of death for people younger than 50. In Vermont, the average age of death from overdose is just 40 years old.\u00a0 And in 2016, nearly 20 percent of the drug overdose deaths were in people under age 30.\r\nSolving the opioid epidemic will not be easy. We\u2019re going to have to challenge the pharmaceutical industry, which made huge profits by putting drugs on the market that were far more addictive than they admitted. We\u2019re going to have to deal with drug wholesalers, who are selling far more pills than anyone thinks is necessary for medical reasons. We\u2019re going to have to make sure doctors and dentists \u2013 as Vermont providers have begun doing \u2013 take up safe prescribing practices so excess painkillers aren\u2019t abused or misused and that states use tools to curb so-called \u201cdoctor shopping\u201d and \u201cpill-mills.\u201d\r\nBut, at the end of the day, if we\u2019re going to solve this terrible crisis, we\u2019re going to have to do a lot better job at prevention \u2013 keeping people from turning to drugs in the first place. And to do that, we must look to our young people. For that reason, on the Friday before the Thanksgiving break, I went to Burlington High School to talk to the entire student body. I was joined by T.J. Donovan, Vermont\u2019s Attorney General; Dr. Heather Stein, an expert on opioid addiction; and Kelly Breeyear, a courageous woman who is living in recovery from addiction.\u00a0I wanted to discuss the dangers of taking opioids, but I also wanted to hear from our students. I needed their help.\u00a0\r\nIn Washington, I sit on the Senate\u2019s Health, Education, Labor and Pension Committee, which hears from some of the most knowledgeable people in this country on all kinds of matters relating to health care and education. But on this issue of opioid and heroin addiction, and on the question of why so many young people are turning to drugs and how we can prevent that, I believe our nation\u2019s young people might know more than the experts.\r\nThese young people know first-hand what it\u2019s like to live in a family where a parent struggles with addiction. They know from personal experience what kind of pressure exists when your best friends are experimenting with pills and ask you to join in. They might also know, if they injured themselves or had their wisdom teeth removed, how tempting it could be to keep taking painkillers prescribed by a doctor, even when the physical pain subsides. They certainly know better than older generations what it\u2019s like to be growing up in today\u2019s crazy and rapidly changing world.\u00a0 And, perhaps most tragically, they know how common it can be to struggle with anxiety or even depression \u2013 a growing problem for young people.\r\nIn their questions and comments, what I heard from these high school students was truly insightful. Many of them talked about looking for ways to fight stigma, to make it clear that it is okay to confide in each other about personal and family problems and that one not need to be embarrassed to ask for professional help. They talked about how important it is for people struggling with addiction to not only have access to treatment, but have their recovery supported when they came back home. They wanted to understand why health insurance companies are willing to pay for expensive prescription opioids, but refuse to cover other options like acupuncture and yoga, or mental health care.\r\nIf I learned one thing from talking with and listening to these students, it\u2019s that they do know the dangers of heroin and other opioids. They know that these drugs can destroy their lives, and the lives of the people they love. But I also learned that they want and need constructive alternatives.\u00a0 And that, as adults, is our job.\u00a0\r\nWe must create schools that challenge them intellectually and support them emotionally, and make sure that none of them \u201cfall through the cracks.\u201d We must help make sure they have a safe place to live and an opportunity for higher education or a job that gives them purpose. We must appreciate their ideas and make them a part of the solution.\u00a0 Every single one of our young people deserves a chance at a bright future. And when we accomplish that, I have little doubt that we will have gone a long way toward ending the opioid crisis.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://welch.house.gov/media-center/in-the-news/vermont-business-magazine-gentleman-every-sense-word-mr-welch-goes", "Vermont Business Magazine: A Gentleman in Every Sense of the Word: Mr. Welch Goes to Washington", "2017-11-27", "2017", "2017-11", "Democrat", "House", "VT", "Peter Welch", "W000800", "welch.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "There are two great threats to American democracy today and neither one are named Trump, said Vermont\u2019s lone-ranger congressman, Peter Francis Welch (D-VT).\n\u201cOne is (the US Supreme Court decision) Citizens United and the immense amount of money in politics that\u2019s not accountable,\u201d Welch said. \u201cAnd the other is gerrymandering, where you get boutique districts designed for either the extreme right or the extreme left. Those two issues have gotten worse since I\u2019ve been in Congress. Trump just upped the ante.\u201d\nVermonters elected Welch to the House of Representatives as their standard-bearing liberal/progressive, throwing him into the flaming fires of Washington politics in 2006, back when George W Bush was president. Liking what they saw, they have sent him back every two years since.\u00a0\nIf Vermonters thought Welch would have an easier time after Bush, when Democratic President Barack Obama came into office, then two words should correct that thinking: those words are Mitch and McConnell.\nSenate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) is the man who vowed to stonewall every piece of Obama\u2019s legislation that he could get his hands on. He remains Senate Majority Leader. And now there\u2019s President Donald Trump. You have to wonder if Vermonters have a collective death wish for Welch.\nWelch, however, loves his job and refuses to talk about retiring.\n\u201cCongress has been a tremendous opportunity for someone who believes we\u2019ve all got to pitch in to do the best to maintain our democracy,\u201d he said. \u201cI just love serving in Congress. And my period in Congress has been extraordinary times for the country.\u201d\u00a0\nIn person Welch looks like a buttoned-down lawyer, but he has an unexpected history of involvement in social justice issues that some might call radical.\u00a0\n\u201cIt\u2019s the culture I grew up in,\u201d said Welch, who was born into a large Irish Catholic family in Springfield, Mass. \u201cWhen I was a kid we took a trip down south to Florida. I think we were in Georgia when I saw the segregated water fountains and bathrooms. They were quite shocking and I wasn\u2019t prepared for it. So when I got involved in community organizing in Chicago, I was working with an organization affiliated with Dr Martin Luther King and the Southern Christian Leadership Conference. The first summer, we took buses and went down to Atlanta for the SCLC convention. We went to the Ebenezer Baptist Church, heard Ralph Abernathy, Hosea Williams and then Martin Luther King speak. That was quite a stunning experience for this person from Springfield, Mass.\u201d\nIn Vermont, Welch, 70, served as a public defender and as a principal in the small White River Junction law firm of Welch Graham & Manby. He served in the Vermont Senate on two occasions, both times being elected head of the chamber. According to his website, he was the first Democratic president pro tem in the history of the state.\n\u201cI say this for a laugh, but there\u2019s a lot of truth in it \u2014 I\u2019d been gone so long people forgot why they were mad at me,\u201d Welch said. \u201cSo they elected me Senate president a second time. In my job, no matter what you\u2019re doing, people are always mad at you. Whatever you\u2019re doing, you should be doing something else.\u201d\nWelch went to Congress after a 2006 campaign that was called \u201cthe cleanest in American politics.\u201d He and his Republican opponent (Martha Rainville) vowed not to run negative campaign ads; even under party pressure, they kept that vow.\u00a0\nFor a lone congressman from a tiny state, Welch has been in the thick of things ever since he won that fight. He is a Chief Deputy Whip of the House Democratic Caucus and a member of the Democratic Steering and Policy Committee. He serves on the Committee on Energy and Commerce and the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform.\u00a0\nIn his Congressional career Welch has experienced more ups and downs than a roller coaster, but he has retained his principles, remained a firm liberal and, in the spirit of Jim Jeffords and George Aiken, been a strong supporter of civility, progress and across-party cooperation in politics.\n\u201cPeter Welch is a model statesman,\u201d said Christopher P Gibson, a Republican from upstate New York who served in Congress from 2011 to 2017 before retiring from public life. \u201cHe works very hard for all his people. He works well with his colleagues in Washington, DC. He\u2019s somebody I have the utmost respect for.\u201d\nTogether, Gibson and Welch worked on Hurricane Irene relief, veterans\u2019 assistance, the farm bills and legislation to help fight Lyme disease.\n\u201cWe worked together on very important legislation,\u201d Gibson said. \u201cAfter Hurricane Irene, we were co-chairs of the relief task force and were successful in delivering significant federal funds to help our areas in the region recover. When it comes to fostering small business growth, job creation and seeing wages rise, Vermonters have a tremendous advocate in Peter Welch.\u201d\nWelch is married to Margaret Cheney, a commissioner of the Vermont Public Utility Commission. His first wife, Joan Smith, died of cancer in 2004. Welch has five stepchildren from his first marriage and three stepchildren from his second.\nIn conversation, Welch is earnest, intense, thoughtful, accessible and friendly. He has a sense of humor so dry it borders on irony. He may be somewhat lacking in flash, brash or charisma; the best words to describe him are \u201cthoroughly decent.\u201d\nOr, as climate change activist and Middlebury Professor Bill McKibben said, \u201cHe is a gentleman in every sense of that word, and people respond to that.\u201d\nOther notable Vermont constituents feel the same way.\n\u201cI have been so grateful for the opportunity to know and work with Peter Welch,\u201d said Green Mountain Power CEO Mary Powell. \u201cPeter has been the source of great inspiration for me when it comes to making a difference and tackling challenges head on. Maybe even more important, though, is his ability to tackle challenges with what feels at times like endless love, curiosity and a true desire to bridge differences and create rational, practical and meaningful outcomes. Vermont is lucky to have him serving us in Washington.\u201d\nWelch\u2019s strong support of the environment has also earned him McKibben\u2019s approval.\n\u201cI know a lot of members of Congress, and Peter Welch is unique in a couple of ways,\u201d McKibben said. \u201cHe is relentlessly progressive and doesn't pull his punches. But he manages to work across ideological boundaries in the moment in American history when that may be hardest.\u00a0On environmental issues he's been absolutely stalwart from day one. He\u2019s always willing to pitch in to help. And since he's very respected by his colleagues, that means he can accomplish a good deal.\u201d\nFormer Speaker of the Vermont House of Representatives Shapleigh Smith, now an attorney with Dinse Knapp McAndrew, knew Welch even before he went into politics.\u00a0\n\u201cHe and I had a case together, probably in the late 1990s,\u201d Smith said. \u201cI found him to be someone who was just incredibly interested in what other people had to think. He\u2019s just an easy person to talk to. When I came into public service, he was that way in the building \u2014\u00a0very open, very approachable, really willing to consider all points of view. And that\u2019s still true.\u201d\u00a0\nOn the issue of health care, Welch has won the admiration of, among others, Thomas Huebner, the president of the Rutland Medical Center.\n\u201cPeter has been involved in health policy issues since he was in the Vermont Legislature,\u201d Huebner said. \u201cHe has been a strong advocate in health policy matters. He has really pushed for broad coverage for Vermonters in Vermont and in Congress. He was active in helping to establish Catamount Health and the Affordable Health Act. He\u2019s been a friend to health care providers \u2014 to hospitals and doctors \u2014 helping to ensure we have the federal resources we need to take care of our community. He\u2019s a 100 percent reliable friend to us. He\u2019s been really active in helping our health care system in Vermont to be successful.\u201d\nAt this writing, the Trump Administration is trying to cut back on the 340B Drug Discount Program that requires drug manufacturers to provide outpatient drugs to eligible health care organizations and others at reduced prices.\u00a0\n\u201cWe count on that revenue to help pay our bills,\u201d Huebner said. \u201cThere\u2019s a new rule that\u2019s trying to take that away from us, and Peter has been terrific in trying to sustain that for us. He\u2019s been there every time we need him. It\u2019s a proposed rule and it has not gone into effect and he\u2019s trying to prevent that from ever happening.\u201d\u00a0\nWelch doesn\u2019t pull his punches. In a health-care related Tweet on October 13, he called Trump\u2019s decision to cut off payments that defray out-of-pocket costs for low-income Americans \u201cstunning, reckless and cruel.\u201d\nHe went on to say, \u201cAfter failing to convince Congress to repeal the Affordable Care Act, he is now openly sabotaging it, which will raise the premiums of hardworking Americans by 20 percent. He is also undermining bipartisan discussions well underway in Congress to make much needed improvements to the law. I hope this irresponsible decision is overturned by the courts. In the meantime, Congress should move forward with making the Affordable Care Act work better for working families.\u201d\nThe issues may change but Welch remains constant \u2014 and constantly a Vermonter.\u00a0\nHe keeps his promises. For example, he went to DC with a mandate to end the Iraq War.\n\u201cWe became a majority and Nancy Pelosi was Speaker,\u201d Welch said. \u201cThat\u2019s when we really started putting pressure on to get us home from Iraq. Not that things are calm over there now by any means, but we don\u2019t have the same number of troops as we did. Vermonters paid a high price in Iraq. We had the highest death rate per capita in Iraq and Afghanistan for a period of time. It\u2019s sort of a Vermont tradition \u2014 we had the highest death rate per capita during the Civil War as well.\u201d\nWithin three months of getting to DC, Welch was on the ground in Iraq with both Republican and Democratic colleagues. Then he went to the White House and met with George Bush and Vice President Dick Cheney.\u00a0\n\u201cIt was my chance to advocate for my position directly to the president on the behalf of Vermonters who felt very strongly about it,\u201d Welch said.\nThings should have been easier for Welch during the Obama administration, when, for a brief time, Democrats held the White House and a majority in the House and Senate. But that\u2019s when the Republicans shifted the playing field \u2014 in what some worry might be a permanent shift.\u00a0\n\u201cIn 2010 the Tea Party came to Congress, and from my perspective it was terrible,\u201d Welch said. \u201cWe went from a Congress where we were engaged in public policy \u2014 and you can debate whether we could have done a better health care bill or a better Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act \u2014 to a Congress where the sole objective was summed up by Mitch McConnell when he said, \u2018My job is to make sure Barack Obama is a one-term president.\u2019 I found that truly bizarre. When Jim Douglas, a Republican, was governor of Vermont, I remember a lot of my Democratic colleagues wanted us to give him a hard time. They thought that would somehow lead us to the governorship. And I reminded them that the same people who had voted for us voted for him.\u201d\nSerious competition should be practiced during the campaign, Welch said. After that, elected officials should get down to the hard work of governance.\u00a0\n\u201cThat was not the Mitch McConnell\u2019s orientation,\u201d Welch said. \u201cBut it\u2019s the orientation of Vermonters. McConnell was explicit that his job was to just say no and actively undercut anything Obama was proposing. That\u2019s flat-out wrong. That\u2019s not the job of an elected official. Then we went through the process of voting to repeal health care like 60 times, voting to repeal Dodd-Frank 60 times, or however many times it was. It was sort of a show Congress, in the sense that the Republican majority in the House couldn\u2019t get their legislation passed. Either they couldn\u2019t get it through the Senate or they couldn\u2019t get it signed by Obama. So there was a lot of wheel-spinning and symbolic work and it\u2019s emblematic of why people are getting so frustrated with the institution.\u201d\nWelch\u2019s technique is to build bridges, build alliances, build relationships and build anything else he hopes will help him serve his state.\u00a0\n\u201cWhen we were in the majority, when we were doing the climate change bill and I was doing an energy efficiency bill, even though I didn\u2019t \u2018need\u2019 Republican votes, I went and saw every Republican member of the Energy and Commerce Committee to ask if they had any suggestions about what to put in my energy efficiency bill,\u201d Welch said. \u201cThey appreciated that I stopped by, they gave me ideas, and if they were good ideas I incorporated them in my bill. Even though, in the end, they didn\u2019t vote for it. But it made it a better bill.\u201d\nThe Democrats were in the minority in Washington when Tropical Storm Irene tore up much of Vermont.\u00a0\n\u201cWe were in real trouble in the House with Irene,\u201d Welch said. \u201cWe had a Republican majority, I was a delegation of one, and I wasn\u2019t on one of the jurisdictional committees. I needed Republicans to help me, and a lot of those Republicans I\u2019d been to, unsolicited, and asked them for their input, well they remembered that and said, \u2018Let\u2019s see if we can help Peter.\u2019 One of those people was the House Majority Leader at the time, Eric Cantor (R-VA). He helped me the most.\u201d\nThe laws governing the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) had to be changed to give Vermont well beyond the maximum amount of financial help allowed by law at the time.\n\u201cWe needed that because our damages were so great,\u201d Welch said. \u201cWe needed legislation. We had a Democratic majority in the Senate at the time; Senator Leahy was on the Appropriations Committee and he was in a solid position to help Vermont. I was in a precarious position. But by the end of the whole process, when it was very contentious and politicized, the Cantor staff was coming up to me on the floor of the House and asking me, \u201cMr Welch, do we have everything in the bill that Vermont needs?\u2019 Some of my colleagues couldn\u2019t believe it.\u201d\nThis being Congress, even doing the right thing was quid pro quo.\n\u201cNow, Eric Cantor and I disagreed about tax and budget issues and the war and a lot of things,\u201d Welch said. \u201cBut on the other hand, my job was to do things that Vermont needed done. Irene was a big deal and I\u2019d established relationships that I think helped us get through it. I worked with Eric on another bill and the Democratic leadership was upset with me. He asked me to co-sponsor this bill to get more money into pediatric cancer research. At the time the Democrats \u2014 and I was among them \u2014 were very upset with the budget proposals of the Republicans. They were really shrinking the research budget for the National Institutes of Health. I thought that was terrible. So there was a reservation on the part of the Democratic leadership about doing a piecemeal approach. My view was why not? If we can get money for kids\u2019 cancer, then let\u2019s do it.\u201d\nThe cancer research money would come from taxpayer dollars previously earmarked to support the Democratic and Republican conventions. Both sides had already agreed it was no longer an appropriate use of public funds.\u00a0\n\u201cSo I broke with the Democrats,\u201d Welch said. \u201cWe\u2019d like to have more research for cancer, especially for kids, so what\u2019s the problem? I was the lead Democratic sponsor and eventually we wore down the resistance and got that passed. We even had an Oval Office signing with President Obama.\u201d\nFinding common ground may be difficult, but it can make things happen the right way for Vermont, and Vermont expects it, Welch said.\u00a0\n\u201cWe\u2019re hanging on, but still trying to do things that Vermont needs to get done,\u201d Welch said. \u201cI found some common ground in energy efficiency with a lot of my Republican colleagues. Even if they deny climate change, they can see the benefits of efficiency \u2014 because you spend less.\u201d\nCommon sense is one of the biggest arrows in Welch\u2019s quiver. Right now he\u2019s arguing with the Democrats about offering support to out-of-work coal miners; his position puts him squarely in Republican territory.\n\u201cThe more we work to address climate change issues and move from a carbon economy to a clean energy economy, the more we have to reach out and try to help the folks in coal country who are being hammered by the transition,\u201d Welch said.\nTwo years ago, Welch visited a coal mine in West Virginia with Representative David McKinley (R-WV).\n\u201cWe went down 1,000 feet and four and a half miles in,\u201d Welch said. \u201cI was a little scared \u2014 it\u2019s so dark and deep. Then they turned the lights off.\u201d\nWelch enjoyed meeting the coal miners, who reminded him of Vermont dairy farmers.\n\u201cThey are wonderful people,\u201d Welch said. \u201cThe only people I\u2019ve ever met who work so hard are Vermont dairy farmers. They\u2019re the salt of the earth and they\u2019re proud of their work. And it\u2019s dangerous work. They\u2019ve suffered a lot, but they kept the lights on for us in Vermont. So yes, we have to move away from the carbon economy. But that doesn\u2019t mean we have to move away from the folks who helped us.\u201d\nWith that in mind, last year Welch was the lead sponsor on a bill that successfully restored coal miners\u2019 health care benefits.\u00a0\n\u201cThey also lost their pensions,\u201d Welch said. \u201cI had a press conference just the other day, three members from West Virginia, all Republicans, and me, trying to get their pensions back.\u201d\nThe election of Donald J Trump as president of the United States only amplified the anti-government feeling in Congress typified by McConnell.\u00a0\n\u201cThere\u2019s an emerging opposition to the role of government,\u201d Welch said. \u201cThere are a lot of Congressmen who basically don\u2019t believe in government. And that\u2019s unique. In the state Senate, I served with liberal Democrats and conservative Republicans but everyone believed that government should function. They believed there are roles the government should play. We\u2019ve got a lot of people down there now who challenge that. They\u2019re willing to shut the government down. They\u2019re willing to default on the debt.\u201d\nWelch blames Citizens United and gerrymandered districts for the problem.\n\u201cNo majority leader in the history of the country has ever lost a primary, but Eric Cantor did (in 2014),\u201d Welch said. \u201cAnd it doesn\u2019t make sense, because a majority leader is in a position to really help his or her district. The money in politics just turns people off. We\u2019re flooded with ads that are toxic and people throw their hands up and get sick of all of us.\u201d\u00a0\nDemocrats are partially to blame for this situation, Welch said.\n\u201cA lot of America has not been doing well economically \u2014 and rural America especially,\u201d Welch said. \u201cThere really is a divide. People who voted for Trump used to vote for Democrats. They saw the banks getting bailed out but they didn\u2019t get help on their mortgages. They saw the one percent doing great but their kids either can\u2019t go to school or, when they get out, they\u2019ve got debts equal to the mortgages we had when we were starting out. They feel government policies are not helping them get ahead. It\u2019s partly from trade deals but also from technology that\u2019s taken over jobs.\u201d\nFor example, when Welch was down in the mines he saw gigantic grinding machines chewing up the walls and dumping coal directly onto conveyor belts that traveled six miles just to reach the surface.\n\u201cTwelve people were working with this incredible machine, taking out tons and tons of coal,\u201d he said.\u201dThirty years ago, there would have been 300 people down there doing that work. It\u2019s the technology and the transition in the economy. There are winners and losers and I don\u2019t think our political policies have caught up with the challenges we face.\u201d\nThere\u2019s a word for a world without government, and that word is anarchy. It would make for a frightening end game, if that\u2019s where the country is going.\n\u201cI\u2019m not exaggerating,\u201d Welch said. \u201cA lot of folks think we\u2019ll all be better on our own. Now, some of these folks, if your house was on fire, they would be there to help. As a neighbor they\u2019d be fantastic. But they get skeptical or outright hostile about government. You saw that when those folks wanted to repeal Obamacare and had no replacement. Another moment came a few years ago when it came time to raise the debt ceiling and pass a budget, and they were willing to shut government down \u2014 and they did! Or they were willing to default on the debt, which they came within an inch of doing. Those are nuclear tactics. Default on the debt and you\u2019ll do enormous damage to the country and our credit rating. It would cost us billions of dollars. This is something really new.\u201d\nBrinksmanship, tense negotiations, seeing who\u2019s going to blink first \u2014 these are not unfamiliar tactics to Welch.\u00a0\n\u201cI worked with Ralph Wright and he wasn\u2019t afraid to be really aggressive,\u201d Welch said. \u201cBut most of us have some limits, because we know if we go beyond them we risk doing more harm than the good we claim is justifying our position. Those boundaries are eroding, if not vanishing, under President Trump. The norms, the guardrails, the things that establish reasonable boundaries whether you\u2019re a liberal or conservative? Those guardrails are collapsing.\u201d\nEarly Life\nWelch was born into a large Irish Catholic family in Springfield, Mass. He has an older brother and sister who are twins and three younger siblings.\u00a0\n\u201cWe\u2019re all still close,\u201d he said. \u201cEveryone\u2019s doing well.\u201d\nHis father was a dentist and his mother a homemaker. Both are now deceased.\nHis father wasn\u2019t interested in politics per se, Welch said, but he was very interested in what was going on in Springfield.\u00a0\n\u201cThe congressman in Springfield back then was Eddie Boland, and he used to be over at the house every now and then,\u201d Welch said. \u201cThe first campaign I worked on was his. I was passing out bumper stickers and literature \u2014 a very high level job.\u201d\u00a0\nBack then, Springfield was called the City of Homes; but urban renewal in the 1960s tore down a large swath of those homes in the name of progress and the Interstate highway system.\u00a0\nBut before then, in the 1950s and early 1960s, Welch said Springfield \u201cwas a great place to grow up. There were lots of manufacturing jobs. There was a big insurance company. It was very ethnic. Our neighborhood was very much mixed. We had a lot of Catholics who identified where they lived by their parish, and lots of Protestants and Jews. They all lived on our street. It was an eclectic place.\u201d\nThe term \u201chelicopter parent\u201d was unknown while Welch was growing up. He would hop on his bicycle after school and go hang out with his friends \u2014 he says he\u2019s still close to many of them. He was an athletic kind of guy. He played hockey at Holy Trinity Church and basketball at Holy Name. In baseball season, he was at the park.\u00a0\nWork was always an integral part of the picture, not because he had to work but because he wanted spending money. When he started out as a caddy at the Longmeadow Country Club, where caddies could play for free on Mondays, he was 12 years old.\n\u201cI worked all the time,\u201d Welch said. \u201cAll the summers. I worked in a quarry in East Longmeadow, in a machine tool company and as a camp counselor. One of the jobs was at a freight yard loading trailer trucks. All my brothers and sisters worked. We didn\u2019t have cars. We could walk to school, including high school. But I needed money to be with my friends and go out and do teenage things. The big job to get was construction because they paid the best. But they were the hardest jobs to get. Mostly you had a have a father who was in construction and could hook you up at a job site.\u201d\nAfter high school, Welch went to the nearby College of the Holy Cross in Worcester, where his father had gone and where some of his brothers also studied. He began a degree in history and kept right on working.\n\u201cI used to work at the Holiday Inn,\u201d Welch said. \u201cOne year I had 13 W-2s. I\u2019d get a job whenever I needed some money. When it snowed you could go down to the railroad yards and shovel the switches. I\u2019m most proud that whenever I needed money I could go to the fright yards in Worcester and Springfield. Just show up. They almost always needed someone to load the boxes onto the trucks.\u201d\nCivil Rights\nWelch came of age in the mid-Sixties, when the civil rights and anti-war movements were heating up.\n\u201cI left college at the end of my sophomore year and spent my junior year doing community organizing on the West Side of Chicago,\u201d Welch said. \u201cThat was a risky decision. It was the height of the Vietnam War. If you weren\u2019t in school you could get drafted. I went out there just for the summer but got so involved that a few of us decided to stay out there for the year. That was long before there were internships, and my parents were upset. My father went to talk to Father Brooks at Holy Cross to urge him to tell me to go back to school. And he said, \u2018Well, we think what your son is doing is very good.\u2019\u201d\nThanks to Father Brooks, Welch was able to enroll at Chicago\u2019s Loyola University, continuing his studies and staying out of the arms of the draft.\u00a0\n\u201cFather Brooks arranged for us to take some courses, and I\u2019m just so grateful to the Jesuits,\u201d Welch said. \u201cSometimes professors would come to our apartment on the West Side. It gave us an extraordinary degree of flexibility.\u201d\nWelch returned to Holy Cross for his senior year. Then he returned to Chicago as a member of the first class of Robert F Kennedy Fellows \u2014 about 30 young people from around the country chosen because they were doing community organizing.\u00a0\nThe Fellows program was established by Kennedy\u2019s family to honor his legacy and \u201cto advocate for a more just and peaceful world\u201d after the senator and presidential candidate was assassinated.\u00a0\n\u201cThe grassroots community organization I started working on, called the Contract Buyers League, had become this big organization in Chicago,\u201d Welch said. \u201cSo I went back.\u201d\nAfrican-American families were being ripped off when they tried to buy homes. The League fought for their rights.\n\u201cInstead of being able to buy with a conventional mortgage, they couldn\u2019t get a mortgage from the banks because the banks had red-lined the neighborhood,\u201d Welch said. \u201cThey couldn\u2019t get Federal Housing Administration support. The real estate speculators would buy a piece of property and double the price and sell it by contract \u2014 not even a mortgage \u2014 to the black families moving in. And they charged higher interest rates. Under a contract, if you missed a payment after four or five years you would lose your house. It was brutal, very brutal.\u201d\nThe League organized rent strikes which quickly became confrontational.\u00a0\n\u201cThe sheriff was coming to evict people,\u201d Welch said. \u201cWe would find out where the sheriff was going and put rings of people around the house to protect it. That went on for quite a while.\u201d\nWelch was also swept up in the police riots outside the Democratic National Convention in 1968.\n\u201cI was at the Hilton during the demonstrations,\u201d he said. \u201cI was participating in a lot of the meetings with the students who were organizing a presence. For a lot of us, it wasn\u2019t that we showed up to demonstrate. We wanted to go in and then all hell broke loose with the Chicago cops outside the Hilton. Mayor Daley\u2019s police did not use the light touch. It was quite astonishing to see this enormous use of force. The National Guard got called out as well. When you have that breakdown in dialogue, it was apparent to me even then that nothing good can come out of it.\u201d\nWhen the mayor and the police became involved in the housing issue, everything changed.\n\u201cDaley sent us a message by having the police ring an entire block,\u201d Welch said. \u201cThey evicted a family \u2014 it was their first successful eviction \u2014 and when the police left we moved the family back in. Then we went down and had negotiations. I was in a conference room doing a lot of the press work and contract work, and the mayor was coming into our room and then going to the Contract Buyers in the other room. And we would try to mediate a resolution to the dispute. Ultimately we made some significant progress.\u201d\nThe banks agreed to write mortgages. The FHA agreed to insure the mortgages. The contract sellers began to renegotiate the deals so African-American families could get a legitimate mortgage at a reasonable price.\nWelch put in another year and decided to go to law school.\n\u201cI saw that the law has really made a difference,\u201d Welch said. \u201cBad laws were discriminating against good people and were causing enormous pain. And I saw how politics made a difference. Mayor Dailey had an enormous amount of power that eventually he used in a way that was constructive. He used it to bring about a better resolution for the folks I was advocating for.\u201d\nAt the time, Welch thought his community action activities had been successful.\u00a0\n\u201cBut it\u2019s still tough in that neighborhood,\u201d Welch said. \u201cThe ways in which injustice finds a way to emerge is just ongoing. The fight never stops.\u201d\nComing to Vermont\nWelch chose to take his law degree at the University of California at Berkeley. Then he chose Vermont to put down roots.\u00a0\n\u201cMy uncle was town manager in Barre, and my father liked to come up to fish and ski,\u201d Welch said. \u201cI used to come up with him and always liked it up here. I\u2019m not much of a fisherman, but I liked being with my uncle and my father. And I liked skiing. When I got out of law school I had to make a decision. I had opportunities to work on K Street or Wall Street and I ended up on Bridge Street in White River Junction. And coming from Berkeley to White River Junction? That was culture shock.\u201d\nWelch\u2019s intention in coming to Vermont was to work in a small law firm and find ways to be active in his new community.\n\u201cWhere that was going to lead wasn\u2019t quite clear to me,\u201d he said. \u201cBut I ended up, instead of being in a big firm where you\u2019re working on a big case and you\u2019re a small part of it, working with a small law firm for nine months. I did my clerkship and became a public defender. So I was trying cases.\u201d\nPolitics was still in his heart, however. Welch won a state Senate seat in 1980.\n\u201cIt was something you could do in a small community,\u201d he said. \u201cThat opportunity to be really involved. I like the responsibility of it. And it was the year of the Reagan Revolution. I rode in on Reagan\u2019s coattails.\u201d\nBy his second term in the Senate Welch was minority leader; soon after that he was president pro tem.\nThere followed a long series of adventures, issues, successes and controversies in Vermont politics \u2014 all thoroughly covered in the media and too many to be covered here.\nWelch gave up his Senate seat to run in a four-way primary for Congress in 1988, where he lost by 54 votes. \u201cNot that I remember,\u201d he joked. (Paul Poirier won the nomination and finished third to Independent Bernie Sanders and Republican Peter Smith; Sanders came back to beat Smith in the rematch in 1990).\nTwo years later Welch ran for governor and lost to Dick Snelling, who died soon afterward. Lieutenant Governor Howard Dean then became governor.\n\u201cThen I was back practicing law, and I was out of politics pretty much for the 90s,\u201d Welch said. \u201cAnd it wasn\u2019t clear to me that I\u2019d be back. Then Howard Dean appointed me to return to the Senate in 2001 when one of our senators took a full time job. I came back to fill up the second part of her term. And then the next year I was elected Senate president again.\u201d\nWinning And Losing\nThe jobs of Senate president, governor and congressman are very different. Was Welch running for higher office just because the seats were open and they looked like the next steps up in his career? He thinks it\u2019s more than that.\n\u201cWhen you get in a campaign you put enormous energy into it,\u201d Welch said. \u201cWhen you lose, the biggest disappointment is that you lose the opportunity to do the work you\u2019ve been talking about. You really get invested in wanting to do the work. Winning office is less about the satisfaction of that night when you\u2019re declared the winner, and more about the two years ahead when you have the opportunity to do the work you love to do.\u201d\nWelch felt his campaigns had given him a handle on Vermonters\u2019 challenges and aspirations. When Senator Jeffords retired and then-Congressman Bernie Sanders ran for his seat in the Senate in 2006, Welch ran for Congress again, against a formidable Republican opponent, Martha Rainville, former Adjutant General of the Vermont National Guard and the first woman in the country to serve in such a position.\nEarly in the campaign, Welch and Rainville met and signed what is called a Clean Campaign Pledge, promising not to run a negative campaign.\u00a0\n\u201cEven now, Vermonters thank me and her for that,\u201d Welch said. \u201cIt was the only contested race in the country where the two candidates promised \u2014 and kept the promise \u2014 that they wouldn\u2019t run a negative ad. Why? We thought negative ads were toxic. It would be bad for Vermonters and bad for the dialog. We could debate the issues and people could decide who they wanted to represent them. It was old-fashioned. We couldn\u2019t do it now. It was before Citizens United.\u201d\nBefore Citizens United, candidates had control over their political campaign ads. Today they may control their own ads, but any person or group can put out an ad supporting any position they want \u2014 without the approval of the candidates, even the ones they\u2019re supporting.\u00a0\nThe campaign that Welch and Rainville ran garnered national attention as the cleanest race in the country. Both candidates, however, were under pressure to conform and put out attack ads.\u00a0\n\u201cBoth of us had to be very assertive with the national campaign committees,\u201d Welch said. \u201cThe head of the Democratic National Committee was that sweet and gentle guy who\u2019s now mayor of Chicago, Rahm Immanuel. And he wanted me to run negative ads. I said, \u2018No way. No how.\u2019 Martha and I were so locked into this and it was so public that both the Republicans and Democrats had to respect it. They knew that whoever went first with a negative ad, Vermonters would punish them. So they restrained themselves.\n\u201cNow if the Koch brothers or whoever wanted to spend a lot of money, they could come in and run whatever ads they want to run. We could not enforce something like that now. It\u2019s a toxic effect of Citizen\u2019s United. Vermonters wouldn\u2019t be able to figure out who was paying for the ad, so they\u2019d associate a very negative ad with the campaigner.\u201d\nWelch won the race and began his career in Congress.\nSince then, has he met the extremely wealthy, ultra conservative and anti-government Koch brothers?\n\u201cI haven\u2019t had the pleasure,\u201d he said dryly. \u201cI\u2019m not invited to their retreats.\u201d\nCongressman Welch\nWhen Welch arrived in Congress he had to maneuver in a world ruled by the kind of formal etiquette you hardly ever see outside of a European royal court. Of course he made mistakes.\n\u201cWhen I first got here, I screwed up and it was a real lesson,\u201d Welch said. \u201cI was in my first year here. It was the height of the Democratic effort to get us out of Iraq. I was pretty upset with Bush and his \u2018weapons of mass destruction.\u2019 I was on the floor of the House and got overzealous.\u201d\nIt may surprise some people, but one of the arcane rules about speaking on the House floor is that you\u2019re not allowed to make personal comments.\u00a0\n\u201cI said something about President Bush that probably crossed the line,\u201d Welch said. \u201cAnd as soon as I did that I had a sinking feeling. It was not the way I wanted to introduce myself to my colleagues. The person running the floor was then-Representative Ray LaHood (R-IL). He was subsequently the secretary of transportation. Unlike what some of my colleagues would do, which is take advantage of my mistakes, he very gently said, \u2018The member from Vermont might reconsider certain words.\u2019 He gave me the opportunity to amend my remarks.\u201d\nThere was a lesson to be learned here.\n\u201cHow powerful that gracious gesture was to me, and how important it was when I had the opportunity to do it for others,\u201d Welch said. \u201cWe\u2019re losing that generosity of spirit; we\u2019re losing the willingness to give colleagues the benefit of the doubt. There was a tone in this institution that I thought Ray LaHood embodied. Vermont-like decency. He gave me a break.\u201d\nWelch joined the Energy and Commerce Committee and started his life in Congress in 2007. The economy tanked in 2008. Wall Street banks started failing. When Obama became president, there was serious work to be done.\nWelch was the leader on the energy efficiency component of the Waxman-Markey Bill, designed to create clean energy jobs, achieve energy independence, reduce global warming and pollution and help the US transition to a clean-energy economy. It got through the House but died in the Senate. Welch also supported Dodd-Frank.\n\u201cThe Dodd-Frank Bill was really essential,\u201d Welch said. \u201cWe did the recovery act, the health care bill, a climate change bill. It was an extraordinarily active period of time, the first two years of the Obama presidency. The threat to our economy was real. It was terrifying when the financial sector collapsed.\u201d\nIt was especially gut-wrenching for him and many of his colleagues to bail out Wall Street without giving a similar bailout to Main Street.\u00a0\n\u201cFor those of us who had to make the tough call to rescue the financial system, it was not that we wanted to do a favor for anybody,\u201d Welch said. \u201cBut we wanted to avoid the harm for everybody where there were collateral consequences to the bad conduct of the Wall Street actors.\u201d\nWelch remembered a beautiful October day when he was driving down the Interstate and got pulled over by the state police.\n\u201cThe state trooper was so courteous,\u201d Welch said. \u201cHe asks me for my license and then he recognizes me. \u2018Peter,\u2019 he says, \u2018what are you guys doing down there? My wife and I lost $5,000 of our retirement the last couple of days.\u2019 It was terrible what was happening to people. I think we had to bail out the banks, but there was a real residue from it that resulted with some elevation of the Tea Party. And we\u2019re still feeling that.\u201d\nWelch\u2019s career in Congress can almost be described as whiplashed.\n\u201cI go from the excitement of getting elected and the return of Democratic power,\u201d Welch said. \u201cWe were focusing on ending the war and trying to bring our troops home, to Obama\u2019s getting elected and a very affirmative agenda, but dealing with the worst economic crisis that the country\u2019s had since the Depression, and then the Tea Party came in and a lot of my class got defeated.\u201d\u00a0\nConstituent Service\nWelch is famous for his constituent service. A good example came in 2014 and it concerned the cheeses of Jasper Hill Farms in Greensboro.\u00a0\nJasper Hill has won many international quality awards; its cheeses are impressive as well as delicious. So it was somehow fortuitous that Jasper Hill co-owner Mateo Kehler happened to be in Washington for an American Society of Microbiology conference when the Food and Drug Administration \u2014 with epic bad timing \u2014 announced it was banning the use of wooden shelving for ripening cheeses.\nJasper Hill is also famous for its enormous and profitable cheese-ripening cave. All the cheeses are ripened on wood shelving \u2014\u00a020 linear miles of it, according to Kehler. He called the FDA ruling an \u201cexistential threat\u201d to his business. He was in town so he called Welch.\n\u201cThe FDA ruling was going to be devastating to that cave,\u201d Welch said. \u201cThere are millions of dollars of cheese boards there. The whole aging process was going to be destroyed. It was an overreaction by the FDA.\u201d\nAccording to Welch, when the FDA found sanitation problems in one cheese-aging plant in New York, it blamed the boards and banned them everywhere.\n\u201cObviously, the problem was the lack of sanitation in that particular operation,\u201d Welch said. \u201cThey could have been using granite shelves.\u201d\nWooden shelving has been in place for hundreds of years in Europe. Many cheeses depend on the aging and flavor the wood brings to the ripening cheeses.\u00a0\n\u201cSo many cheeses rely on wood to give them their distinct flavors,\u201d said an article on the subject in the Huffington Post (https://www.huffingtonpost.com/culture-magazine/fda-bans-wood-aging-boar...(link is external)) \"Taleggio, Beaufort, and Parmigiano-Reggiano all use wood as an integral part of their processes, using the porous material to draw out moisture.\u201d\n\u201cThis is supported by sound science at this point,\u201d Kehler said. \u201cIf we replaced the wood with stainless steel \u2014\u00a0which is a surface not as good as wood for ripening natural rinded cheese because it creates anaerobic conditions on the surface of the cheese \u2014 essentially we would have to spend many millions of dollars. There were cheese microbiologists in Washington when that announcement was made. We were able to bring microbiologists who had careers spent in studying the use of wood in traditional cheese making to sit down with Congressman Welch and his staff and lay out the science. Congressman Welch really stopped that effort to ban wood in its tracks.\u201d\nAnd how did Welch save the cheese-aging industry? By enlisting, of all people, Speaker of the House Paul Ryan (R-WI).\u00a0\n\u201cPaul Ryan was the chair of the budget committee,\u201d Welch said. \u201cWe contacted Ryan's office and I see him on the floor. \u2018Paul,\u2019 I said, \u2018you and I have a cheese problem.\u2019 That got his attention because he\u2019s from Wisconsin. We called the FDA and said, \u2018We have a cheese problem but you better be sure you don\u2019t have a budget problem.\u2019 We were successful in getting that ban derailed, and also in creating a dialogue. We started having the FDA come up and interact with our cheese producers \u2014\u00a0to educate the regulators. They could see that the cheese makers were totally committed to health and the quality and safety of their products.\u201d\nKehler emphasized that the industry was not adverse to regulation.\n\u201cWe believe we need good regulation,\u201d Kehler said. \u201cWe\u2019re not anti-regulation. But having good regulation that\u2019s based on sound science is something Congressman Welch\u2019s office and his staff believe in. Welch\u2019s ability to commit to understanding these complex issues is a real benefit to Vermonters. There are big political risks he\u2019s willing to take because he has a team that has a handle on the science. That\u2019s something that separates him from many of his colleagues in the House.\u201d\nWelch\u2019s prompt action on this \u2014 and several other issues important to Kehler and his business \u2014 have made him something of a hero.\n\u201cI think he\u2019s willing to consider all points of view in a way that most politicians aren\u2019t willing to do anymore,\u201d Kehler said. \u201cIt\u2019s a challenging time to be a political figure who\u2019s trying to reach across the aisle. Partisans really expect you to stay in your corner and they\u2019ll punish you if you\u2019re willing to accede anything. I don\u2019t think Peter will have political consequences because of that. Vermont, while a blue state, also has an expectation that its people in state government and on the national level are going to try and get things done. I consider Peter one of my role models in how I want to approach my job in the public sphere.\u201d\nWelch clearly takes joy in trying to help people, Kehler said.\n\u201cHe really wants to listen to everybody, not just the people who voted for him, and he has fun in the job,\u201d Kehler said. \u201cI really count myself and our business as fortunate to be located in a state where we can call our representatives in Congress and actually connect with them. Congressman Welch, along with Senator Leahy and Senator Sanders, have been real champions.\u201d\nKehler had special praise for Welch\u2019s staff.\n\u201cOne thing that really impressed me about Welch is the quality and caliber of his staff,\u201d he said. \u201cThey have taken the time and allowed themselves to be educated not just by us but by the scientific community to support science-based issues and the regulatory issues we\u2019ve faced.\u201d\nThe Future\nWith the advent of the Trump Administration. Welch says his job has dramatically changed.\n\u201cNow the job is about defending core values like our civil liberties, like respect for all our religions, like respect for women, like respect for our institutions, like fiscal responsibility \u2014\u00a0which is getting thrown out the window, ironically, by President Trump,\u201d Welch said. \u201cThese tax cuts he wants to pass? He says they will be \u2018paid for by themselves.\u2019 That\u2019s a fantasy. All of these things that have been so important in building our country and are much larger than any individual. These are all under assault in this new administration. I now see much of my job as trying to restore functionality to Congress.\u201d\nIt\u2019s a big job. What are his plans?\n\u201cI believe the way we do business in Vermont is what we have to bring to Washington,\u201d Welch said. \u201cIt\u2019s about engaged debate and fierce debate, but its civil debate and mutual respect. Now the big challenge is trying to restore civil engagement in a Congress which is basically turning its back on it. So what feels good to me, even in this tough spot, is representing a state where those values are very important. You could have a lot of people from Vermont doing my job, but whether they are Republican or Democrat, we\u2019d be united in saying that we have to be talking to each other. We need mutual respect and we need to be on the level. And that approach ultimately has to prevail in order for us to make progress.\u201d\nGive Welch\u2019s talent for bipartisanship, it\u2019s no surprise that he\u2019s already found a way. The Congressional Problem Solvers is a group of House and Senate members who meet regularly to build trust across the aisle. It goes without saying that Welch is a member.\n\u201cThere are starting to be a lot of us,\u201d Welch said. \u201cWe\u2019re 20 Republicans and 20 Democrats. The thing that unites us is the view that at the end of the day, we have to take a step forward. Yelling at each other isn\u2019t the way to make that happen. In the past on health care, for example, it\u2019s always been \u2018Repeal! Just throw the whole thing out.\u2019 And there is no replacement. But we got together and made a specific proposal to deal with a concrete problem in the Affordable Care Act. It\u2019s in the individual market. Only a small percentage of people are in the individual health insurance market, but when you hear about premiums going up, that\u2019s where it is.\u201d\nSome of the Democratic leadership doesn\u2019t want attention put on changes to the ACA, since it might lead to one of those slippery slopes Congress is so afraid of \u2014 scuttling the whole thing.\u00a0\n\u201cWell, there was a problem with the ACA,\u201d Welch said. \u201cAnd my Republican colleagues were under pressure not to engage with us, because if they were to help fix it, it would be acknowledging that there were some good things about it. Allowing for pre-existing conditions. Making insurance available up to age 26. No lifetime caps.\u201d\u00a0\nAt this writing, in both the House and the Senate, Problem Solvers are working on this specific change \u2014 it\u2019s a small change \u2014 to make the ACA better.\n\u201cThat\u2019s an example of where getting specific helps, as opposed to any abstract proposal,\u201d Welch said. \u201cIt\u2019s the first time since the passing of the ACA that we\u2019ve had a bipartisan proposal to fix a component in the ACA. And we\u2019ve seen it get some legs in the Senate. There are members on both sides who want to make Congress work. A lot of my Republican colleagues are just dismayed at what\u2019s going on.\u201d\nWill Welch run for another term? Will he go back into the furnace for another fiery round?\n\u201cI won\u2019t answer that question,\u201d Welch said, laughing. \u201cJournalists couldn\u2019t beat the answer out of me with a plastic hose. I really love my job, and I say that fully aware that it\u2019s a very difficult time here. The Trump era, in my view, is quite dangerous. There\u2019s a lack of respect for the institutions. For preparation. For the understanding that a person of power needs a sense of restraint. It\u2019s shocking to me that that person could be elected. I see my job as defending our Constitutional rights and getting us back to being a responsible institution. I spend a lot of time in Vermont seeing how folks are really committed to things like climate change and health care reform. My job is to bring that Vermont approach to Washington. So I still like the job, even though it is markedly different.\u201d", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.sanders.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/sanders-to-republicans-how-much-will-you-cut-social-security-medicare-and-medicaid-to-pay-for-tax-cuts", "Sanders to Republicans: How Much Will You Cut Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid to Pay for Tax Cuts?", "2017-11-27", "2017", "2017-11", "Independent", "House", "VT", "Bernard Sanders", "S000033", "www.sanders.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Sanders to Republicans: How Much Will You Cut Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid to Pay for Tax Cuts?\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\tMonday, November 27, 2017\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\tWASHINGTON, Nov. 27 \u2013 In a letter sent Monday to Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) and House Speaker Paul Ryan (R-Wisc.), Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) demanded honesty from the Republican leaders as to how they would pay for the $1.4 trillion deficit in their \"tax reform\" bills.\r\n\"I am very concerned that if you succeed in passing tax legislation that significantly adds to our national debt, you will then move aggressively to balance the budget on the backs of working families, the elderly, the children, the sick and the poor. In other words, in order to pay for tax breaks for the rich and large corporations, you will make massive cuts to Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid, nutrition, environmental protection and every other program designed to protect the needs of the middle class and working families of our country,\" Sanders wrote in the letter.\r\n\"The bottom line is that the American people have a right to know exactly how you plan to pay for a $1.4 trillion increase in the deficit before, not after, tax legislation is signed into law. In your response, please be as specific as you can.\"\r\nTo read the letter, click here.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.sanders.senate.gov/newsroom/recent-business/sanders-to-republicans-how-much-will-you-cut-social-security-medicare-and-medicaid-to-pay-for-tax-cuts", "Sanders to Republicans: How Much Will You Cut Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid to Pay for Tax Cuts?", "2017-11-27", "2017", "2017-11", "Independent", "House", "VT", "Bernard Sanders", "S000033", "www.sanders.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Sanders to Republicans: How Much Will You Cut Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid to Pay for Tax Cuts?\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\tMonday, November 27, 2017\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\tWASHINGTON, Nov. 27 \u2013 In a letter sent Monday to Senate Majority Leader McConnell (R-Ky.) and House Speaker Ryan (R-Wisc.), Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) demanded honesty from the Republican leaders as to how they would pay for the $1.4 trillion deficit in their \"tax reform\" bills.\r\n\"I am very concerned that if you succeed in passing tax legislation that significantly adds to our national debt, you will then move aggressively to balance the budget on the backs of working families, the elderly, the children, the sick and the poor. In other words, in order to pay for tax breaks for the rich and large corporations, you will make massive cuts to Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid, nutrition, environmental protection and every other program designed to protect the needs of the middle class and working families of our country,\" Sanders wrote in the letter.\r\n\"The bottom line is that the American people have a right to know exactly how you plan to pay for a $1.4 trillion increase in the deficit before, not after, tax legislation is signed into law. In your response, please be as specific as you can.\"\r\nTo read the letter, click here.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.sanders.senate.gov/newsroom/video-audio/happy-thanksgiving", "Happy Thanksgiving", "2017-11-23", "2017", "2017-11", "Independent", "House", "VT", "Bernard Sanders", "S000033", "www.sanders.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Happy Thanksgiving \n            On behalf of Jane, my four kids and seven grandchildren, I wish everyone a very happy Thanksgiving. This has been a tough year, but we can move forward as a country in a direction based on generosity and love.\n            \n                \n                    \n                       \t\n        \t\t\t\t\n                        \n                            \n                                \n                                \n                                    \n                                    \n                                    \n                                \n                                \n        \t\t\t\t\t\t\n                            \n                        \n                        \n    \t\t\t\t\t\t\n                            \t\n    \t\t\t\t\t\t\n    \t\t\t\t\t\n                    \n                \n            \n        \t\n            \n            \n            \n                \n                \n                \n                \n                    \n                   \tSee Video on YouTube\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tTweet\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n                    \nCopy Link", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://welch.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/welch-statement-fcc-chairmans-proposal-repeal-net-neutrality-rules", "Welch Statement on FCC Chairman's Proposal to Repeal Net Neutrality Rules", "2017-11-22", "2017", "2017-11", "Democrat", "House", "VT", "Peter Welch", "W000800", "welch.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Rep. Peter Welch (D-VT) issued the following statement in response to the Federal Communications Commission chairman\u2019s proposal to repeal net neutrality rules. \n\u201cA free and open internet is essential to the free flow of ideas, creativity, participatory democracy, and commerce. This proposal is a wholesale abandonment of the FCC's core responsibility to protect the interests of consumers and an early Christmas present to big telecom companies, who will be able to pick and choose who gets access to the internet and at what speed. I hope the courts overturn this misguided anti-consumer policy.\u201d\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.leahy.senate.gov/press/-reaction-of-senator-patrick-leahy-d-vt-to-apples-response-to-the-letter-from-senator-cruz-and-senator-leahy-", "Reaction of Senator Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) To Apples Response To The Letter From Senator Cruz And Senator Leahy", "2017-11-21", "2017", "2017-11", "Democrat", "House", "VT", "Patrick Leahy", "L000174", "www.leahy.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "11.21.17\n\t\t\t  Reaction of Senator Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) To Apple\u2019s Response To The Letter From Senator Cruz And Senator Leahy  \n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\u201cAmerican tech companies have become leading champions of free expression.\u00a0 But that commitment should not end at our borders.\u00a0 Global leaders in innovation, like Apple, have both an opportunity and a moral obligation to promote free expression and other basic human rights in countries that routinely deny these rights.\u00a0 Apple is clearly a force for good in China, but I also believe it and other tech companies must continue to push back on Chinese suppression\u00a0of free expression.\u201d\r\nLINK to Apple\u2019s letter: \u00a0\u00a0https://www.leahy.senate.gov/download/apple-letter-on-china-to-leahy-and-cruz\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t Press Contact \n\t\t\t\tDavid Carle: 202-224-3693\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\n\t  \n\t\n\t\n\t\n  \n\t\n    \n    \n    \n    \n    \n    \t\n    \t\n\t    \t  \n\t\t    \n\t\t    \tNext Article\n\t\t    \n\t\t    \n\t\t    \tPrevious Article", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.leahy.senate.gov/press/appropriations-committee-vice-chairman-leahy-calls-on-congress-for-bipartisan-budget-deal", "Appropriations Committee Vice Chairman Leahy Calls On Congress For Bipartisan Budget Deal", "2017-11-21", "2017", "2017-11", "Democrat", "House", "VT", "Patrick Leahy", "L000174", "www.leahy.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "11.21.17\n\t\t\t Appropriations Committee Vice Chairman Leahy Calls On Congress For Bipartisan Budget Deal \n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tSenate Appropriations Committee Vice Chairman Patrick Leahy Tuesday renewed his call for a bipartisan budget deal that would allow for real investments in the American people.\r\nLeahy said: \u201cWith just 17 days until the current continuing resolution expires and the threat of sequestration looming in January, our toughest path remains ahead.\u00a0 We must come together to reach a bipartisan budget deal that allows for an increase in both defense AND non-defense spending to alleviate the devastating consequences of sequestration on our domestic priorities and military readiness.\u00a0 I look forward to working with Chairman Cochran and leadership on both sides of the aisle in accomplishing that goal.\u201d\r\nUnder the Budget Control Act of 2011 (BCA), discretionary programs are recklessly slashed by $2 trillion under post-sequestration budget cuts.\u00a0 The resulting cuts have already taken their toll on everything from the readiness of U.S. armed forces, to millions of families not receiving heating assistance, and drastic cuts to federal investment in job training and employment programs.\u00a0 The consequences of these cuts will be felt for a generation or more. \u00a0\u00a0\r\nUnless a budget deal is reached, the BCA would demand another $5 billion in cuts from fiscal year 2017 funding levels -- $2 billion from defense and $3 billion from non-defense discretionary funding. The Chairman\u2019s mark for defense appropriations released Tuesday exceeds the spending caps by $70 billion and if enacted will trigger across the board spending cuts of more than 13 percent for defense programs on January 15 unless a bipartisan budget agreement is reached. \u00a0\r\nIn July, Leahy offered a proposal that would increase defense spending in fiscal year 2018 by $54 billion above post-sequester spending caps, mandated by the Budget Control Act, and provide an\u00a0equal\u00a0increase in non-defense programs \u2013 a budget and policy approach known as \u201cparity.\u201d\u00a0 Committee Democrats offered a series of funding amendments to each appropriations bill to spotlight the investments in the American people that could and should be made under this proposal.\u00a0\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t Press Contact \n\t\t\t\tDavid Carle: 202-224-3693\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\n\t  \n\t\n\t\n\t\n  \n\t\n    \n    \n    \n    \n    \n    \t\n    \t\n\t    \t  \n\t\t    \n\t\t    \tNext Article\n\t\t    \n\t\t    \n\t\t    \tPrevious Article", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.leahy.senate.gov/press/appropriations-vice-chair-leahys-summary-of/reax-to-chairmans-mark-for-the-fy2018-homeland-security-appropriations-bill", "Appropriations Vice Chair Leahys SUMMARY of/REAX To Chairmans Mark For The FY2018 Homeland Security Appropriations Bill", "2017-11-21", "2017", "2017-11", "Democrat", "House", "VT", "Patrick Leahy", "L000174", "www.leahy.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "11.21.17\n\t\t\t Appropriations Vice Chair Leahy\u2019s SUMMARY of/REAX To Chairman\u2019s Mark For The FY2018 Homeland Security Appropriations Bill \n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tThe Senate Appropriations Committee Tuesday made public the Chairman\u2019s Mark of the fiscal year 2018 Department of Homeland Security Appropriations bill.\u00a0The bill provides a total discretionary appropriation of $51.565 billion.\u00a0 The net discretionary total is $44.050 billion after the following amounts are excluded:\u00a0 $559 million in emergency appropriations for disaster relief; cap adjustment funding of $6.793 billion for disaster relief; and $163 million for Overseas Contingency Operations.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\r\nU.S. Senator Jon Tester (D-Mont.), Ranking Member of the Department of Homeland Security Subcommittee, said:\r\n\u201cThe annual Homeland Security Appropriations bill is critically important for our national security, cybersecurity, airport security, and our emergency responders.\u00a0 Unfortunately, this bill funds a costly and ineffective border wall that is wasting taxpayers\u2019 money and blocking a bipartisan debate on this important legislation.\u00a0 We can\u2019t spend billions of dollars on a wall at the expense of our firefighters, airports, ports, transit hubs, and local communities.\u00a0We can secure our borders more effectively with better technology and more manpower without saddling our kids and grandkids with the debt a border wall will require. As the appropriations process moves forward, I hope we can reignite a spirit of compromise and working together.\u201d\r\nU.S. Senator Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.), Vice Chairman of the Senate Appropriations Committee, said:\r\n\u201cPresident Trump ran on a clear campaign promise \u2013 he was going to build a wall between the U.S. and Mexico, and Mexico would pay for it.\u00a0 He could not have been clearer. \u00a0I have also been clear about how I feel about this misguided campaign promise.\u00a0 Building a wall along our southern border is a waste of taxpayer dollars and an insult to our neighbor to the South.\r\nTo pay for Trump\u2019s wall, vital programs have been slashed out of this bill, which will make our country less safe.\u00a0 This is bumper sticker budgeting at its worst, and it is why it is important that we reach a bipartisan budget deal as soon as possible.\u00a0 A budget deal that allows us to invest in the American people \u2013 not waste their tax dollars on a misguided wall.\u201d\r\nKey Points & Highlights\r\nWhile the bill rejects the Administration\u2019s request to hire 850 deportation officers and denies the request to increase the number of detention beds, full funding is provided for the President\u2019s unnecessary border wall.\u00a0 The Administration has yet to provide a comprehensive plan on how the Department plans to secure the southwest border, including the total number of miles required for the wall, its full cost, an extensive analysis of alternatives, a cost-benefit analysis, and how eminent domain concerns will be addressed.\r\nIn order to fund the border wall and other assets not requested in the budget, the bill cuts funding for border security technologies, aviation security, and Federal assistance to secure our local communities.\u00a0 Three critical laboratories are eliminated, weakening our defenses against biological, radiological, and chemical attacks.\u00a0 Making matters even worse, there is a Department-wide reduction that will make it more difficult for front line components to operate effectively.\u00a0\u00a0\r\n \r\nCustoms and Border Protection. The bill provides $13.543 billion for CBP.\u00a0 In order to fully fund the border wall, significant reductions are made to other smart, proven, and immediately deployable border security technologies.\u00a0 This includes significant reductions to non-intrusive inspection systems, targeting enhancements, and unattended ground sensors.\u00a0 There are major cuts to investments in air and marine assets including no funding for a requested upgrade to a Blackhawk helicopter, funding only one multi-role enforcement aircraft (a key land and maritime border security asset) and other aircraft sensors and spare parts.\u00a0 Additionally, no funds are included to hire more CBP officers at our ports of entry.\u00a0 When combined with the reductions in the bill and the primary focus on border security between the ports, travelers will likely experience longer wait times to cross our land borders and longer lines to enter through our airports while importers will experience longer wait lines to deliver manufactured goods and fresh vegetables.\u00a0 Language is included, however, focusing on security and travel requirements on our northern border and directing enhanced staffing. Importantly, $15 million is directed to procure equipment to interdict shipments of opioids being smuggled into this country.\u00a0 This epidemic is touching every American life and all means must be marshalled to stop this threat from outside our borders.\r\n \r\n \r\nImmigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).\u00a0 The bill includes $6.665 billion for ICE. The bill rejects the requests to hire 850 deportation officers and to fund 51,379 detention beds.\u00a0 Funds are included to maintain the average daily bed population assumed in fiscal year 2017.\u00a0 The Alternatives to Detention (ATD) program is funded at the requested level of $178 million with language regarding the use of ATD on children and immigrant families and release of those who do not pose a public security risk.\u00a0 The bill includes funds to hire 150 criminal investigators and support staff for child exploitation; smuggling and trafficking of humans, weapons, and drugs; and other transnational crime cases.\r\n \r\n \r\nTransportation Security Administration.\u00a0 TSA is funded at $7.142 billion.\u00a0 With fee revenue offsetting this amount, the net appropriation is $4.672 billion. Funding for Transportation Security Officers (TSOs) is reduced by $83 million at a time when passenger volume continues to increase.\u00a0 This will result in a reduction of over 1,000 TSOs and longer security wait times for air travelers.\u00a0 The bill cuts TSA\u2019s Visible Intermodal Prevention and Response (VIPR) teams from 31 to 8.\u00a0 These security teams provide a visible security presence and deterrence at all modes of transportation.\u00a0 Eighteen cities would lose VIPR teams if this bill is enacted and the number of operations would be cut by approximately 74 percent.\u00a0 Importantly, the bill rejects the request to eliminate the TSA Law Enforcement Reimbursement program and provides $45 million for its continuation, the same level as in fiscal year 2017.\u00a0 Over 300 airports nationwide participate in the program to assist TSA in ensuring the safety and security of persons and property at TSA-passenger security checkpoints.\u00a0 The bill includes $77 million to continue staffing airport exit lanes, rejecting the Administration\u2019s proposal to eliminate the program and shift the burden to airports.\u00a0\u00a0\r\n \r\n \r\nCoast Guard. \u00a0The Coast Guard is funded at $9.338 billion, excluding mandatory and overseas contingency funding.\u00a0 Of note, funding is included for the first Offshore Patrol Cutter and four Fast Response Cutters, as requested.\u00a0 These ships are replacing aging cutters that are long passed their expected service life and will enhance the Coast Guard\u2019s ability to conduct search and rescue operations, enforce border security, interdict drugs, and respond to disasters.\u00a0 The bill also includes $7.3 billion to sustain front-line operations, including funds to operate new assets, military and civilian pay, and parity with DoD Services for military benefits.\r\n \r\n \r\nSecret Service.\u00a0 The bill funds the Secret Service at $1.956 billion.\u00a0 This includes: $47 million for protective countermeasures for emerging threats against the President and Vice President; $8.4 million in support to investigators of missing and exploited children; and $19.8 million for support to computer forensics training for state and local law enforcement, legal, and judicial professionals.\r\n \r\n \r\nNational Protection and Programs Directorate.\u00a0 NPPD is funded at $1.803 billion.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Major investments include: $731 million in cybersecurity for federal network protection; $257 million for nationwide cyber incident response teams and cybersecurity technical assistance to state, local and tribal governments;\u00a0 $341 million to continue working with industry sectors to safeguard critical infrastructure (from dams to banks) against catastrophic failures due to terrorism or natural disasters; and $164.8 million for nationwide emergency communication network protection and call prioritization during disasters.\u00a0 The bill also includes $1.476 billion, in fee funding, for the Federal Protective Service to safeguard federal employees and property.\r\n \r\n \r\nOffice of Health Affairs. \u00a0OHA is funded at $113 million.\u00a0 Major investments include $79 million for early detection of a chemical or biological attack.\u00a0 The bill eliminates\u00a0\u00a0 the National Biosurveillance Integration Center (NBIC) as proposed in the budget.\u00a0\u00a0 NBIC played a major role in information sharing and decision-making during the recent ebola, zika, and other emerging threats incidents.\u00a0 This termination will reduce the Nation\u2019s and the Department\u2019s awareness and early warning of biological threats.\u00a0 \r\n \r\n \r\nFederal Emergency Management Agency. \u00a0FEMA is funded at $4.518 billion, including $559 million designated as emergency and excluding disaster cap adjustment funding of $6.793 billion.\u00a0 Funding will support a portion of FEMA\u2019s past preparedness and response efforts to support disasters and provide grants to state, local, tribal and territorial governments to maintain core capabilities for extraordinary events.\u00a0 Funding is reduced for port, transit, and pre-disaster mitigation grants.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\r\n \r\nFunding highlights include:\r\n-\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 $2.849 billion for grants and training to state, local, tribal and territorial governments for terrorism prevention; disaster mitigation; firefighting equipment and hiring; and maintaining emergency management core capabilities.\u00a0 Some of the deep cuts proposed in the budget are rejected, however funds to protect ports are cut by 50 percent, security funds for transit systems are cut by 40 percent, and pre-disaster mitigation grants are cut by 25 percent.\r\n-\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 The bill provides only $27.5 million for Urban Search and Rescue teams, a reduction of $10.8 million or 28 percent.\u00a0\u00a0 The capabilities of USAR teams, many of which responded to recent hurricanes and wildfires, would be greatly diminished by this bill.\u00a0\r\n-\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 $80.9 million for capital projects related to emergency communications infrastructure and maintenance of Mt. Weather Emergency Operations Center.\u00a0\r\n-\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 $7.352 billion to fully fund disaster relief efforts known prior to Hurricanes Harvey, Irma, Maria, Nate and communities affected by wildfires, which are being funded through separate legislation.\u00a0 This amount includes $6.793 billion in cap adjustment funding and $559 million in emergency funds.\u00a0\r\n \r\nUnited States Citizenship and Immigration Services.\u00a0 USCIS is funded at $132 million in direct appropriations. USCIS is an almost entirely fee-funded agency and the budget assumes collection of $4.31 billion in fees to process applications for green cards, naturalization, asylum and refugee claims among many other categories.\u00a0 The bill permits the use of $10 million for citizenship assistance grants to lawfully present aliens. The appropriated funds are used for operation and expansion of the E-Verify employment verification system.\r\n \r\n \r\nFederal Law Enforcement Training Centers.\u00a0 FLETC is funded at $241 million. \u00a0Funding will allow interagency law enforcement training for 91 United States government federal law enforcement agencies on four main campuses.\u00a0\r\nScience and Technology.\u00a0S&T is funded at $720 million.\u00a0 The bill eliminates funding for three laboratory facilities -- the National Biodefense Analysis and Countermeasures Center, the Chemical Security Analysis Center, and the National Urban Security Technology Laboratory.\u00a0 This decision will result in a national security gap in countering biological, radiological, and chemical threats.\u00a0 In addition, the bill provides $37 million for University Programs, $7.1 million more than the request.\r\n \r\n \r\nDomestic Nuclear Detection Office.\u00a0 DNDO is funded at $310 million.\u00a0 Included in this amount is a $1.2 million increase in support to state and local detection programs.\u00a0 The Securing the Cities program is funded at $21.135 million \u2013 the same as fiscal year 2017 and the request.\u00a0 The bill includes a reduction of $31.6 million for acquisitions of large scale detection systems and human portable rad/nuclear detection systems.\r\nOffice of Inspector General.\u00a0 OIG is funded at $127 million, $48 million or 38 percent less than fiscal year 2017.\u00a0 The bill includes a $48 million transfer from the Disaster Relief Fund.\u00a0 \u00a0However, because DRF funds can only be used for disaster audits, all other DHS investigative work will be reduced, including border security and immigration activities.\r\n \n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t Press Contact \n\t\t\t\tDavid Carle: 202-224-3693\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\n\t  \n\t\n\t\n\t\n  \n\t\n    \n    \n    \n    \n    \n    \t\n    \t\n\t    \t  \n\t\t    \n\t\t    \tNext Article\n\t\t    \n\t\t    \n\t\t    \tPrevious Article", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.leahy.senate.gov/press/durbin-leahy-statement-on-fy18-defense-appropriations-chairmans-mark", "Durbin, Leahy Statement on FY18 Defense Appropriations Chairman's Mark", "2017-11-21", "2017", "2017-11", "Democrat", "House", "VT", "Patrick Leahy", "L000174", "www.leahy.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "11.21.17\n\t\t\t Durbin, Leahy Statement on FY18 Defense Appropriations Chairman's Mark \n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tU.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), vice chairman of the Defense Appropriations Subcommittee, and U.S. Senator Patrick Leahy, vice chairman of the Appropriations Committee, released the following statement on the release of the Fiscal Year 2018 Defense Appropriations Act. The bill exceeds President Trump\u2019s request by $15.3 billion, and exceeds the sequestration caps by $70 billion.\r\nThis is a step forward, though we remain deeply concerned about the process. So before anyone cheers the major new investments in our national defense, we should pause and recognize that the lack of a budget deal means that all of these new investments will be automatically cut by 13% beginning on January 15th.\r\nThe right way forward is to conclude a budget deal and then pass an omnibus as soon as possible that contains equal investments in both the military and America\u2019s many critical domestic needs.\u00a0That must include the bipartisan Dream Act to which the President has already committed.\r\nAnd while the lack of a budget deal to address these issues is extremely concerning, we would like to recognize Chairman Cochran\u2019s work in the Defense Subcommittee to look out for America\u2019s service members and the security of our country.\u00a0We remain hopeful that a budget agreement can be reached soon to keep all of America strong.\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t Press Contact \n\t\t\t\tDavid Carle: 202-224-3693\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\n\t  \n\t\n\t\n\t\n  \n\t\n    \n    \n    \n    \n    \n    \t\n    \t\n\t    \t  \n\t\t    \n\t\t    \n\t\t    \tPrevious Article", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.leahy.senate.gov/press/leahy-slams-border-wall-funding-as-bumper-sticker-budgeting", "Leahy Slams Border Wall Funding As Bumper Sticker Budgeting", "2017-11-21", "2017", "2017-11", "Democrat", "House", "VT", "Patrick Leahy", "L000174", "www.leahy.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "11.21.17\n\t\t\t Leahy Slams Border Wall Funding As \u201cBumper Sticker Budgeting\u201d \n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tSlamming the proposal as \u201cbumper sticker budgeting,\u201d Senate Appropriations Committee Vice Chairman Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) Tuesday focused on a provision in the Department of Homeland Security Appropriations bill that would provide $1.6 billion from American taxpayers for President Trump\u2019s border wall with Mexico.\u00a0\r\nLeahy said: \u00a0\u201cThis is bumper sticker budgeting to save face for one of President Trump\u2019s failed campaign promises.\u00a0 Instead of wasting billions of taxpayer dollars to fund this costly and ineffective proxy for real action on immigration reform, we should be directing our resources toward finding cures for cancer, building schools for our children, feeding the hungry, rebuilding our infrastructure and real security.\u00a0 We should be investing in what brings us together, not building walls that drive us apart.\u201d\r\nPlaced in strategic locations identified by the Department of Homeland Security as being in need of additional security to prevent illegal border crossings or other illicit activities, the United States already has 654 miles of pedestrian fencing or vehicle barriers along its southern border.\u00a0 The additional 74 miles of President Trump\u2019s border wall proposed in the appropriations bill is estimated to impact 900 landowners and cost as much as $22 million per mile.\u00a0 With legal disputes still ongoing from border wall construction a decade ago in Texas, the legal costs of new construction are expected to be astronomical and drawn out over years.\r\nWith illegal border crossings on the decline and apprehensions along the southern border reaching historic lows, Leahy argued that American tax dollars should be spent elsewhere and invested in the American people.\u00a0 If the bill had gone through markup in the full Senate Appropriations Committee, Leahy would have offered an amendment that would have blocked funding for the wall unless it was paid for by Mexico, as President Trump promised.\r\nLeahy said: \u00a0\u201cPresident Trump ran on a clear campaign promise \u2013 he was going to build a wall between the U.S. and Mexico, and Mexico would pay for it.\u00a0 He could not have been clearer. \u00a0I have also been clear about how I feel about this misguided campaign promise.\u00a0 Building a wall along our southern border is a waste of taxpayer dollars and an insult to our neighbor to the South.\u00a0 From every perspective, this costly wall is an unwelcome turkey.\u201d\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t Press Contact \n\t\t\t\tDavid Carle: 202-224-3693\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\n\t  \n\t\n\t\n\t\n  \n\t\n    \n    \n    \n    \n    \n    \t\n    \t\n\t    \t  \n\t\t    \n\t\t    \tNext Article\n\t\t    \n\t\t    \n\t\t    \tPrevious Article", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.leahy.senate.gov/press/sen-leahy-sen-cardin-and-others-send-letter-to-mnuchin-on-sec-oil-gas-mining-transparency-rule", "Sen. Leahy, Sen. Cardin And Others Send Letter To Mnuchin On SEC Oil, Gas, Mining Transparency Rule", "2017-11-21", "2017", "2017-11", "Democrat", "House", "VT", "Patrick Leahy", "L000174", "www.leahy.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "11.21.17\n\t\t\t Sen. Leahy, Sen. Cardin And Others Send Letter To Mnuchin On SEC Oil, Gas, Mining Transparency Rule \n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t \n\t\t\n\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n        \n\t\t\t\t . . . Senators criticize Treasury move to invalidate law, point to other country, company compliance as proof that transparency works\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t U.S. Senator Ben Cardin (D-Md.), Ranking Member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, led 14 of his colleagues Tuesday, including Senator Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.), in a letter to Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin, urging him to withdraw the Department\u2019s recent recommendation that a key extractive industry transparency provision be completely repealed by Congress. Earlier this year, Congressional Republicans halted the Securities and Exchange Commission\u2019s implementation of the rule but left the underlying rulemaking instructions in place.\r\nSection 1504 of Dodd-Frank, also known as the bipartisan Cardin-Lugar Anti-Corruption provision, promotes transparency and accountability by requiring domestic and foreign oil, gas, and mineral companies traded on U.S. stock exchanges to publish the payments they make to foreign governments.\u00a0 Leahy also played a central role in its enactment.\r\nJoining Senator Cardin on the letter are U.S. Senators Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio), Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.), Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.), Ed Markey (D-Mass.), Tom Udall (D-N.M.), Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.), Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), Chris Coons (D-Del.), and Bob Menendez (D-N.J.).\r\n\u201cThe Treasury Department\u2019s recommendation to repeal the statute would forfeit U.S. leadership on this critical issue, at a time when it is vital the U.S. reaffirm its commitment to combating corruption,\u201d the Senators said. \u201cRepeal would also undermine our energy security and our national security\u2026.undermine global transparency and anti-corruption efforts, and undercut our allies who followed U.S. leadership by enacting and implementing their own disclosure measures.\u201d\r\n\u201cSection 1504 supports the Treasury Department\u2019s mission to help ensure a more stable operating environment for U.S. and U.S.-listed companies, to strengthen national security, and to protect the capital of American investors,\u201d the Senators added. \u201cWe urge you to withdraw this recommendation.\u00a0\r\nThe full text of the Senators\u2019 letter follows:\r\nDear Secretary Mnuchin:\r\nWe strongly disagree with the Treasury Department\u2019s recent recommendation that Congress repeal Section 1504 of the 2010 Dodd-Frank Act, also known as the bipartisan Cardin-Lugar Anti-Corruption Provision, and urge you to withdraw the recommendation.\r\nSection 1504 supports the Treasury Department\u2019s mission to help ensure a more stable operating environment for U.S. and U.S.-listed companies, to strengthen national security, and to protect the capital of American investors. The Treasury Department's position that the information in Section 1504 payment disclosures may not be \u201cmaterial\u201d is contrary to the stated views of investors and to the clear intent of Congress.\u00a0 Section 1504 is the product of many years of bipartisan deliberation by Congress and at least five years of thorough consideration by the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), which included significant consideration of investor interests.\r\nWe urge the Treasury Department to examine the SEC\u2019s extensive comment record, containing statements from investors with nearly\u00a0$10 trillion in assets under management.\u00a0Those comments, from a broad cross-section of investors, make clear they support the law because it will help them better assess and mitigate material investment risks. Today, as oil, gas, and mining projects enter increasingly dangerous and conflict-prone frontiers, investors need full disclosure to guide their decision-making and to protect themselves from social, political, sanctions, expropriation, reputational, regulatory, and other risks.\r\nWe also disagree with the Department\u2019s assertion that Section 1504 would \u201cimpose significant costs upon public companies that are widely held by all investors.\u201d Section 1504 is a reporting requirement, not an onerous regulation that significantly burdens oil, gas, and mining companies that are operating within the bounds of law. Today, there is broad agreement among those companies about the importance of project-level payment transparency. Indeed, major successful U.S.-listed oil companies like BP, Shell, Total, and the world\u2019s largest mining companies, BHP Billiton and Rio Tinto, have been reporting their project-level payments to governments under equivalent EU requirements for years. Even state-owned firms such as Rosneft, Gazprom, and CNOOC have reported their project-level payments. A repeal of the law would seriously undermine global transparency and anti-corruption efforts, and undercut our allies who followed U.S. leadership by enacting and implementing their own disclosure measures.\u00a0\r\nA common global standard simplifies compliance for multinational companies. Repeal of this rule would eliminate the equivalence that currently exists with the EU, Canada, and Norway, and would actually raise compliance costs for cross-listed companies that would have to prepare multiple reports. In fact, since reporting began, companies have called for a level playing field through a consistent global payment transparency standard.\r\nThe Treasury Department\u2019s recommendation to repeal the statute would forfeit U.S. leadership on this critical issue, at a time when it is vital the U.S. reaffirm its commitment to combating corruption. Repeal would also undermine our energy security and our national security. Ceding U.S. leadership on this important issue would encourage corrupt governments and their allies around the world, and weaken the efforts of our allies committed to this anti-corruption fight. We urge you to withdraw this recommendation.\r\nSincerely,\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t Press Contact \n\t\t\t\tDavid Carle: 202-224-3693", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.leahy.senate.gov/press/statement-of-senator-patrick-leahy-d-vt-on-federal-judges-nationwide-injunction-blocking-trump-executive-order-on-sanctuary-jurisdictions", "Statement Of Senator Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) On Federal Judges Nationwide Injunction Blocking Trump Executive Order On Sanctuary Jurisdictions", "2017-11-21", "2017", "2017-11", "Democrat", "House", "VT", "Patrick Leahy", "L000174", "www.leahy.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "11.21.17\n\t\t\t Statement Of Senator Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) On Federal Judge\u2019s Nationwide Injunction Blocking Trump Executive Order On \u201cSanctuary Jurisdictions\u201d \n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t[Last week the U.S. Department of Justice notified 29 jurisdictions, including the State of Vermont and the City of Burlington, of its plans to withhold federal funding based on claims that their policing policies violated federal law with respect to immigration enforcement. Both Vermont jurisdictions have steadfastly denied the DOJ claims, which threatened more than $500,000 in Byrne JAG funding to Vermont law enforcement agencies.\u00a0 Following is Senator Patrick Leahy\u2019s reaction to the court\u2019s nationwide injunction:]\r\nOn Monday night a federal judge saw the Trump Administration\u2019s attempt to deny critical funding to so-called \u201csanctuary jurisdictions\u201d for what it is: unconstitutional. \u00a0Police chiefs, sheriffs and local leaders should decide what state and local policies are necessary to keep their communities safe -- not a President and an Attorney General who are attempting to extort immigration reform by cutting off vital public safety resources to those communities. \u00a0This decision makes clear that it is an affront to our government\u2019s fundamental separation of powers for the Trump Administration to retaliate against states and localities that refuse to bow to its xenophobic, anti-immigrant agenda. \u00a0The Trump Administration\u2019s efforts to villainize and scapegoat immigrants and harass states and communities are not just disgraceful, they are illegal.\u00a0 This decision casts doubt on the authority of the Attorney General to withhold funding from the 29 jurisdictions that were notified last week.\u00a0\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t Press Contact \n\t\t\t\tDavid Carle: 202-224-3693\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\n\t  \n\t\n\t\n\t\n  \n\t\n    \n    \n    \n    \n    \n    \t\n    \t\n\t    \t  \n\t\t    \n\t\t    \tNext Article\n\t\t    \n\t\t    \n\t\t    \tPrevious Article", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.leahy.senate.gov/press/appropriations-vice-chair-leahys-summary-of-chairmans-mark-of-fy2018-financial-services-and-genl-govt-appropriations-bill", "Appropriations Vice Chair Leahys Summary Of Chairmans Mark Of FY2018 Financial Services & Genl. Govt. Appropriations Bill", "2017-11-20", "2017", "2017-11", "Democrat", "House", "VT", "Patrick Leahy", "L000174", "www.leahy.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "11.20.17\n\t\t\t Appropriations Vice Chair Leahy\u2019s Summary Of Chairman\u2019s Mark Of FY2018 Financial Services & Gen\u2019l. Govt. Appropriations Bill \n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tToday the Senate Appropriations Committee made public the Chairman\u2019s Mark of the fiscal year 2018 Financial Services and General Government (FSGG) Appropriations bill.\u00a0 The bill provides a total of $21.035 billion, including $159 million in disaster funds.\u00a0 This funding level is $480 million less than the fiscal year 2017 enacted level and nearly $2 billion less than the fiscal year 2018 President\u2019s request.\u00a0\r\nU.S. Senator Chris Coons (D-Del.), Ranking Member of the Financial Services and General Government Subcommittee, said:\r\n\u201cI\u00a0thank\u00a0Chair Capito\u00a0for\u00a0addressing a number of my priorities in this bill, in particular, the Community Development Financial Institutions (CDFI) Fund and the Small Business Administration. \u00a0I commend her for addressing many\u00a0agencies\u2019\u00a0pressing needs by providing resources above the level the President requested, including for the Internal Revenue Service, the Office of National Drug Control Policy, and the Truman Scholarship Foundation.\r\nHowever, I am disappointed that the Senate bill includes two new riders that I don\u2019t believe belong in this bill.\u00a0\u00a0First, the bill includes a provision that effectively negates the campaign finance spending limits imposed on coordinated spending by federal candidates and party committees.\u00a0 Second, the bill puts in jeopardy continued funding for the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau.\r\nIf the subcommittee had marked-up, I would have offered amendments to provide much-needed funding to states to protect their election systems from outside intrusions and to protect the personal data collected by the new Presidential Advisory Commission on Election Integrity.\r\n\u00a0I am also disappointed that funding for some key regulatory agencies falls far below the necessary levels, jeopardizing the ability of these agencies to vigorously protect markets, investors, and consumers from unscrupulous practices.\u00a0 In addition, I\u2019m concerned that no funding is provided for construction of federal buildings.\u00a0\r\nI\u00a0look forward to working with the Chair and our House counterparts as the appropriations process advances.\u201d\r\nU.S. Senator Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.), Vice Chairman of the Senate Appropriations Committee said:\r\n\u201cI thank Chair Capito and Ranking Member Coons for their hard work on this bill and addressing the needs of many agencies.\u00a0 However, like Senator Coons, I am particularly concerned about the inclusion of policy riders that have no place in the appropriations process.\u00a0 If the majority wants to rewrite campaign finance law or undermine the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, they should introduce standalone bills that the Senate can debate.\u00a0 These measures should not be buried in must-pass spending bills.\u00a0\r\n\u201cI am also concerned with some of the drastic cuts this bill contains, including cuts to the IRS, the Consumer Product Safety Commission, and the GSA. I am particularly concerned that the bill does not include funding for election security grants.\r\n\u201cUltimately, this bill falls short of so many urgent needs.\u00a0We cannot responsibly fund the government if we do not reach a new bipartisan budget deal that lifts the reckless budget caps.\u00a0 The consequences of sequestration have been devastating, and we must reach a bipartisan solution.\u201d\r\nKey Points & Highlights\r\nThe bill provides funding for the Department of the Treasury, the Executive Office of the President, the Judiciary, the District of Columbia, and more than two dozen independent federal agencies.\u00a0\r\n \r\nInternal Revenue Service (IRS)\r\n \r\nThe bill includes $11.112 billion for the IRS, which is $124 million below the fiscal year 2017 level.\u00a0 Resources for the IRS have been cut by $1 billion since fiscal year 2010, so by further cutting the IRS\u2019 resources, the bill will deprive taxpayers of needed assistance to help comply with their tax obligations.\r\n \r\nTreasury Community Development Financial Institutions (CDFI) Fund\r\n \r\nThe bill provides $248 million for the CDFI Fund to promote economic and community development, equal to the fiscal year 2017 enacted level.\u00a0 The bill eliminates funding for the Healthy Food Financing Initiative, which helps support healthy food options in underserved communities.\r\n \r\nDistrict of Columbia (DC)\r\n \r\nThe bill recommends $704 million in special federal payments for over a dozen distinct purposes relating to the District of Columbia.\u00a0 This is $52 million, or four percent, less than fiscal year 2017 and the same as the President\u2019s request.\u00a0\u00a0 In addition to the special federal payments, the bill approves the District\u2019s annual local operating budget.\r\n \r\nCommodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC)\r\n \r\nThe bill freezes CFTC funding at the fiscal year 2017 level of $250 million, which is the same as the President\u2019s request.\u00a0 Without additional resources, the CFTC\u2019s ability to fully oversee the futures, options and swaps markets will be adversely impacted.\r\n \r\nConsumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC)\r\n \r\nThe bill funds CPSC at $123 million, $3 million less than the fiscal year 2017 enacted level.\u00a0 The CPSC is the independent regulatory agency responsible for protecting the public against unreasonable risks of injury from consumer products.\u00a0 At this reduced level, the agency will need to reduce employees by 22 FTEs, leave some ports unstaffed for surveillance of imports, reduce internet surveillance of retail products, delay enhancements to import surveillance technology, limit public campaigns from the outreach office, and postpone work on a long-standing rulemaking.\u00a0\r\n \r\nGeneral Services Administration (GSA)\r\n \r\nThe bill drastically reduces funding for the Federal Buildings Fund to a level of $7.810 billion, which is more than $1 billion, or 12 percent, less than the fiscal year 2017 enacted level and more than $2 billion, or 22 percent, less than the budget request.\u00a0 No funding is provided for construction ($790 million was requested), which will further delay ongoing projects like the FBI and DHS headquarters consolidations, thereby, making the projects more expensive.\u00a0 Only $94 million is provided for repair of federal buildings ($1.444 billion was requested), which will further lengthen the backlog of needed repairs to federal buildings.\r\n \r\nOffice of Personnel Management (OPM)\r\n \r\nThe bill funds OPM (non-IG) at $261 million, $1.8 million more than the fiscal year 2017 enacted level and $19 million or 7 percent, less than the budget request.\u00a0 This level funds\u00a0 OPM\u2019s IT Modernization at substantially less than requested levels delaying progress on a critically important initiative in the wake of OPM data breaches.\r\n \r\nSecurities and Exchange Commission (SEC)\r\n \r\nThe bill includes $1.847 billion for the SEC, the same as the President\u2019s request and $242 million above the FY 2017 level.\u00a0 Funds appropriated for the SEC are fully offset with transaction fee receipts.\u00a0\r\n \r\nSmall Business Administration (SBA)\r\n \r\nThe bill includes $887 million for the SBA, equal to the FY 2017 level. Within this level, the bill funds SCORE at $11.5 million, an increase of $1 million above the FY 2017 level, and Small Business Development Centers at $130 million, $5 million above the FY 2017 level.\u00a0 The bill also increases the cap on SBA\u2019s 7a loan program to $29 billion, $1.5 billion above the current level.\r\nPoison Pill Riders\r\n \r\nCampaign Finance Coordinated Spending Limits:\r\n \r\nThis provision would relax campaign finance restrictions to allow significantly more spending by a candidate. Under current law, each year candidates can receive $5,400 per donor, while party committees can receive significantly more ($339,000 per donor), and there are limits on coordination between candidates and parties. The rider would allow parties to consult with candidates on advertising without that spending counting towards the candidate\u2019s limits, effectively allowing candidates to spend significantly more money.\r\n \r\nConsumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) Funding:\r\n \r\nTwo provisions would shift the CFPB from mandatory to discretionary funding and repeal a prohibition in the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act that specifically blocks the Appropriations Committees from reviewing the CFPB\u2019s budget request. Dodd-Frank created the CFPB with an automatic funding stream, like other financial regulators, in order to protect it from being underfunded and undermined through the annual budget process.\u00a0\u00a0\r\nCoons Amendment\r\nAt each of the previous markups, Democrats offered alternative amendments that taken together would ultimately increase defense spending in fiscal year 2018 by $54 billion above post-sequester spending caps, mandated by the Budget Control Act, and provide an\u00a0equal\u00a0increase in non-defense programs \u2013 a budget and policy approach known as \u201cparity.\u201d\u00a0\r\nHad the Full Committee convened to mark up the draft bill, Senator Coons would have offered an amendment to increase investments in FSGG programs by $1.912 billion above the Senate bill level.\r\nHighlights of the Coons Amendment:\r\n \r\n$400 million for grants to States for upgrades to their election systems in a way that meets the needs of that State.\r\n$30 million more for the CDFI Fund and $30 million for the SBA to strengthen our economy by increasing investment in underserved areas and helping small businesses grow.\r\n$22 million more for the Treasury Office of Terrorism and Financial Intelligence and the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network to protect the nation\u2019s financial systems from all forms of financial crime.\r\n$25 million more for the CFTC to strengthen cybersecurity.\r\n$10 million more for the CPSC and $10 million more for the Federal Trade Commission to protect consumers\r\n$600 million more for the IRS to improve taxpayer\u2019s services.\u00a0 Resources for the IRS have been cut more than $1 billion since 2010.\r\n$20 million more for the OPM to improve the protection of federal employee data in the wake of previous data breaches.\r\n$30 million more for DC, including funds to reimburse DC for costs associated with the recent Presidential Inauguration for which DC has not been fully reimbursed.\r\n$735 million for the GSA Federal Buildings Fund to restore the $200 million rescission of funds targeted toward a new FBI Headquarters Building, $450 million toward completion of the DHS headquarters consolidation, and $85 million to address needed major repairs to federal buildings.\u00a0\r\n \n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t Press Contact \n\t\t\t\tDavid Carle: 202-224-3693", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.leahy.senate.gov/press/appropriations-vice-chair-leahys-summary-of-chairmans-mark-of-the-fy2018-interior-environment-appropriations-bill", "Appropriations Vice Chair Leahys Summary Of Chairmans Mark Of The FY2018 Interior, Environment Appropriations Bill", "2017-11-20", "2017", "2017-11", "Democrat", "House", "VT", "Patrick Leahy", "L000174", "www.leahy.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "11.20.17\n\t\t\t Appropriations Vice Chair Leahy\u2019s Summary Of Chairman\u2019s Mark Of The FY2018 Interior, Environment Appropriations Bill \n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tThe Senate Appropriations Committee Monday made public the Chairman\u2019s Mark for the Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies Fiscal Year 2018 Appropriations Bill.\u00a0 The Senate bill recommends $32.536 billion in discretionary funding for agencies funded by the Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies bill, which includes $32.030 billion in discretionary funds and $507 million in emergency funds to pay for wildland firefighting needs.\u00a0\u00a0 Excluding emergency funding, the amount provided is $250 million below the fiscal year 2017 level and $4.831 billion above the President\u2019s budget request.\u00a0 The bill makes troubling cuts to clean air and water programs and includes a number of policy riders that would weaken the nation\u2019s core laws protecting public health and the environment.\r\nU.S. Senator Tom Udall (D-N.M.), Ranking Member of the Subcommittee on the Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies, said:\r\n\u201cI deeply regret that we weren\u2019t able to come together and produce a bipartisan bill, because this bill includes many priorities for New Mexico and the nation that I want to support.\u00a0\u00a0I especially appreciate that Senator Murkowski worked with me and other members on both sides of the aisle to reject the president\u2019s disastrous proposal to eliminate the National Endowment for the Arts and National Endowment for the Humanities and maintain level funding for each of the endowments.\u00a0 But I can\u2019t look past the deep and damaging cuts to the EPA budget in this bill that put public health at risk.\u00a0 And I can't ignore that it takes aim at the laws that protect our environment and our communities.\u00a0 It\u2019s very disappointing that this bill continues to be the target for unacceptable poison pill policy riders that undercut bedrock environmental laws like the Endangered Species Act and the Clean Water Act.\u00a0 Had we marked up, I would have offered an amendment to restore the EPA's budget and significantly expand other critical Tribal, natural resources and environmental protection programs.\u00a0 It wouldn\u2019t have restored every cut or patched every hole, but it would have responded to the worst funding gaps in the EPA budget, strengthened infrastructure and created jobs.\u201d\r\nU.S. Senator Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.), Vice Chairman of the Senate Appropriations Committee, said:\r\n\u201cI want to thank Chair Murkowski and Ranking Member Udall for their work on this bill.\u00a0 While I am deeply disappointed that the overall bill has bowed to the anti-science know-nothingism of President Trump by slashing environmental programs and denying the reality of climate change, I am glad we were able to secure funding for programs that are vitally important for Lake Champlain and conservation efforts my home state of Vermont.\r\nBut this bill falls far short of the funding we need and contains poison pill riders that have no place in the appropriations process. \u00a0We cannot responsibly fund the government if we do not reach a new bipartisan budget deal that lifts the reckless budget caps, and we must accept the reality of climate change.\u00a0 The consequences of sequestration have been devastating, and we must reach a bipartisan solution.\r\nKey Points & Highlights\r\n \r\nEnvironmental Protection Agency (EPA) Operations.\u00a0 The bill includes unacceptable cuts to EPA\u2019s operating budget, including 10 percent reductions to programs supporting clean water, clean air, enforcement against polluters, and scientific research.\u00a0 The bill even eliminates the Integrated Risk Information System (IRIS), the critical EPA program relied on worldwide for assessments of toxic chemicals.\u00a0 The bill imposes the IRIS workload onto the recently-reformed Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) program, which was not designed to accommodate the breadth of the IRIS program\u2019s responsibilities.\u00a0 The bill also allows EPA to allocate an additional $68 million in program cuts with no restrictions \u2013 enabling even further cuts to critical programs without the input of the Appropriations Committee.\u00a0 Funding is also included to enable the administration to cut a full quarter of EPA\u2019s current staff of scientists and public health experts.\u00a0 Finally, the bill endorses the President\u2019s request to eliminate nearly all of the agency\u2019s climate change programs.\r\n \r\n \r\nWater Infrastructure State Revolving Funds.\u00a0 Within the budget for EPA, the bill provides $2.258 billion for the Clean Water and Drinking Water revolving funds, which are provided directly to the states for water and wastewater infrastructure projects.\u00a0 This is the same level of funding provided in fiscal year 2017 and will help supply Americans with clean drinking water and replace aging sewer systems. The bill focuses new investments on drinking water, which is critical for states and cities working to replace lead service lines and upgrade other aging infrastructure.\u00a0 This funding also supports construction jobs.\u00a0 The bill would result in nearly 1,000 water infrastructure projects, more than 50,000 jobs, and $4.3 billion in matching investments from states.\u00a0 However, the bill offsets these much needed investments with unacceptable cuts to key EPA programs supporting clean water, clean air, climate, and environmental enforcement.\r\n \r\n \r\nWildland Fire Management.\u00a0 The bill provides $3.625 billion to the Forest Service and Interior Department for wildland firefighting, a decrease of $97 million below the fiscal year 2017 level.\u00a0 Within that amount, the bill provides for the forecasted costs estimated by the agencies for fire suppression, which is $507 million more than the President requested.\u00a0 In addition, hazardous fuels reduction is funded at $392.5 million for the Forest Service and $184 million for Interior, a total increase of $6.5 million above the fiscal 2017 level.\r\n \r\n \r\nNational Park Service.\u00a0 The bill provides $2.942 billion for the National Park Service, an increase of $10 million above the fiscal year 2017 level and an increase of $389 million above the budget request.\u00a0 The bill includes $221.7 million for national park construction needs, an increase of $12 million above fiscal year 2017.\u00a0 Funding for park operations is reduced by nearly 1 percent compared to fiscal year 2017, though the bill does provide sufficient funding for operations of newly authorized parks and also continues $13 million for grants to protect and preserve important civil rights sites.\u00a0 A total of $20 million is provided for the Centennial Challenge program to match non-Federal investments and fund infrastructure and visitor services needs at parks around the nation.\r\n \r\n \r\nNative American Trust Responsibilities.\u00a0 The bill includes $5.040 billion for tribal health programs of the Indian Health Service (IHS), which is flat compared to the fiscal year 2017 level and $302 million above the President\u2019s request.\u00a0 The bill restores proposed cuts in the President\u2019s request to tribal health programs, including substance abuse and mental health services, and provides $50 million in additional funds not included in the budget request to staff newly constructed facilities.\u00a0 However, the recommendation also forces the Service to absorb current service costs\u2014meaning that most tribal health programs will effectively get cut by inflation.\u00a0 The bill also includes $2.87 billion for the Bureau of Indian Affairs, $7.5 million above the fiscal year 2017 level and $379 million above the President\u2019s request.\u00a0 The bill provides fixed costs and small increases to public safety and justice programs, road maintenance, school construction, natural resource programs and some tribal education programs.\u00a0\r\n \r\n \r\nFish and Wildlife Service.\u00a0 The bill makes an unacceptable cut to the Fish and Wildlife Service\u2019s programs supporting the implementation of the Endangered Species Act, reducing funding for listing of species by $3.4 million (16 percent).\u00a0 The bill maintains funding for operations of the National Wildlife Refuge System at the fiscal year 2017 level of $483.9 million, rejecting the President\u2019s budget proposal to cut funding for refuges by $13.8 million.\u00a0 Despite cuts proposed in the President\u2019s budget request, the bill does provide $1 million more than fiscal year 2017\u2019s\u00a0 level in funding for anti-wildlife trafficking programs to better protect elephants, rhinoceroses, tigers, and other iconic species.\u00a0\r\n \r\n \r\nLand and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF).\u00a0 The bill provides a total of $400 million for land acquisition, conservation easements, and state assistance grants, which is equal to the fiscal year 2017 level and well above the $64 million proposed in the President\u2019s request.\u00a0 LWCF is critical for improving recreational access to our federal lands, protecting iconic landscapes, delivering grants to states and local governments to create and protect urban parks and open spaces, and providing farmers and ranchers with easements to allow them to continue to steward their private lands in the face of development pressures.\r\n \r\n \r\nPayment in Lieu of Taxes (PILT).\u00a0 The bill funds payments to counties through the PILT program at a total of $465 million, equal to fiscal year 2017.\r\n \r\n \r\nCultural and Arts Programs.\u00a0 The bill provides a total of $878.4 million for the Smithsonian Institution, which is $15 million above the fiscal year 2017 level.\u00a0 The National Endowments for the Arts and the Humanities, which provide grants to cultural institutions in every state, are each provided $149.9 million, equal to the fiscal year 2017 level.\u00a0 The President\u2019s request proposed terminating the endowments.\u00a0 The National Gallery of Art receives $156.5 million, an increase of $1 million above last year\u2019s level.\r\n \r\nPoison Pill Riders\r\nThe bill includes a number of troubling policy riders that undermine core environmental protection laws and are unrelated to the Committee\u2019s jurisdiction, including:\r\n \r\nClean Water.\u00a0 Provides a free pass to rescind and replace federal protections for streams and wetlands by blocking any new rule to define Waters of the United States from being challenged on its merits and exempting EPA from longstanding procedural requirements, weakening public involvement in the regulatory process.\r\n \r\n \r\nForestry Reforms.\u00a0 Couples budgetary reforms for wildland firefighting with major new authorizations that modify environmental requirements for forestry projects, set aside logging restrictions on old-growth trees in the Tongass National Forest, and provide a blanket exemption for Alaska from the Roadless Rule, which prohibits commercial logging and road construction in certain areas, overriding various court decisions.\r\n \r\n \r\nEndangered Species Protections.\u00a0 The bill includes several provisions that erode the Endangered Species Act and override court rulings upholding the protections afforded to species under the law, including:\r\n \r\n \r\nReconsultation Requirements.\u00a0 Includes new language that would overturn a court decision that requires federal land managers to reconsult with the Fish and Wildlife Service on land management plans when a new species is listed, critical habitat is designated, or other new pertinent information on a listed species becomes available.\u00a0 This will result in logging and resource development decisions being made without up-to-date science and species status, which could further imperil threatened or endangered species.\r\n \r\n \r\nGray Wolves.\u00a0 Includes new language that overrides court rulings requiring that specific populations of gray wolves must maintain protections under the Endangered Species Act, circumventing the scientific and legal process established to protect imperiled species.\r\n \r\n \r\nLesser Prairie Chicken.\u00a0 Includes new language that prevents the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service from fulfilling its obligations under the Endangered Species Act.\u00a0 The provision blocks the agency from conducting any activities related to determining if the lesser prairie chicken may be a threatened species, setting a dangerous precedent by circumventing the scientific and legal process established to protect imperiled species.\r\n \r\n \r\nSage Grouse.\u00a0 Continues language that prevents the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service from fulfilling its obligations under the Endangered Species Act.\u00a0 The provision overrides a court requirement that the agency make a determination on whether sage-grouse should be listed as a threatened or endangered species and sets a dangerous precedent by circumventing the scientific and legal process established to protect imperiled species.\r\n \r\n \r\nForest Biomass.\u00a0 Includes language making permanent changes to federal policy on carbon emissions from forest biomass, that shortcuts the scientific process by automatically deeming certain activities as having a neutral impact on climate change.\u00a0\u00a0\r\n \r\n \r\nLead Ammunition.\u00a0 Continues language that exempts lead ammunition and fishing tackle from environmental controls under the Toxic Substances Control Act and other environmental laws.\r\n \r\n \r\nYazoo Pumps Reconsideration.\u00a0 New language directing immediate construction of a controversial flood control project, despite the George W. Bush Administration\u2019s rejection of the project based on findings that it would significantly degrade municipal water supplies, fisheries, productive bottomland hardwood forests, and wildlife and habitat on tens of thousands of acres of public and private lands.\u00a0 The language would also block any legal challenges and waive all other administrative requirements, such as compliance with the Endangered Species Act.\r\n \r\nUdall Amendment\r\nSenator Udall planned to offer a funding amendment to the Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies bill that would have increased funding for safe drinking water and clean water infrastructure, to protect natural and cultural resources, fulfill the nation\u2019s trust responsibility, and protect science and human health.\u00a0 The amendment, totaling $3.1 billion, would have been a component of the effort by Committee Democrats to invest in the American people.\u00a0 The Democrats\u2019 proposals would ultimately increase defense spending in fiscal year 2018 by $54 billion above post-sequester spending caps, mandated by the Budget Control Act, and provide an equal increase in non-defense programs \u2013 a budget and policy approach known as \u201cparity.\u201d\u00a0 The text and breakdown of the Udall Amendment is available HERE.\u00a0\r\n \r\n$1 billion in new funds for water infrastructure, including $500 million for grants to states through EPA Clean Water State Revolving Fund, $380 million for grants to states through EPA Drinking Water State Revolving Fund, and $120 million to fully fund new water lead protection grants authorized through the 2016 Water Infrastructure Improvements for the Nation Act.\r\n \r\n \r\n$400 million to double investments in Land and Water Conservation Fund, for a total of $800 million.\r\n \r\n \r\n$255 million in new funds for Park Service operations and construction.\r\n \r\n \r\n$125 million for Forest Service fuels reduction and capital improvements.\r\n \r\n \r\n$80 million each in new operating funds for the Fish and Wildlife Service and Bureau of Land Management, including funds to support all existing national monuments.\r\n \r\n \r\n$18 million in new funding to fully fund county payments through the Payments in Lieu of Taxes program.\r\n \r\n \r\n$404 million in new funds for tribal health priorities through the Indian Health Service to cover current service requirements and expand clinical programs.\r\n \r\n \r\n$171 million in new funds for construction of tribal health facilities.\r\n \r\n \r\n$200 million for new funds for core program needs at the Bureau of Indian Affairs and Bureau of Indian Education, including education, public safety and law enforcement, natural resources programs and broadband capacity development.\r\n \r\n \r\n$50 million for construction of tribal schools.\r\n \r\n \r\n$25 million to fund additional tribal land and water claims settlements.\r\n \r\n \r\n$200 million to restore proposed cuts within the bill to EPA\u2019s core research and regulatory programs, including fully restoring funding eliminated in the base bill for the IRIS program and protecting the TSCA program from being overwhelmed by new responsibilities outside the scope of its current authorities.\r\n \r\n \r\n$79 million to fully fund need museum repairs at the Smithsonian Institution.\r\n \r\n \r\n$25 million in grants to states to fund historic preservation needs, including brick and mortar projects through the Save America\u2019s Treasures program.\r\n \r\n \r\n$17.5 million each in new funds for grants to state arts and humanities councils through the National Endowments for the Arts and Humanities.\r\n \n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t Press Contact \n\t\t\t\tDavid Carle: 202-224-3693\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\n\t  \n\t\n\t\n\t\n  \n\t\n    \n    \n    \n    \n    \n    \t\n    \t\n\t    \t  \n\t\t    \n\t\t    \tNext Article\n\t\t    \n\t\t    \n\t\t    \tPrevious Article", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.leahy.senate.gov/press/federal-grants-totaling-nearly-600000-to-help-5-vt-communities-hire-new-officers-cops-grants", "Federal Grants Totaling Nearly $600,000 To Help 5 VT Communities Hire New Officers (COPS Grants)", "2017-11-20", "2017", "2017-11", "Democrat", "House", "VT", "Patrick Leahy", "L000174", "www.leahy.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "11.20.17\n\t\t\t Federal Grants Totaling Nearly $600,000 To Help 5 VT Communities Hire New Officers (COPS Grants) \n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tSenator Patrick Leahy Monday announced that five rural Vermont law enforcement agencies will receive a total of nearly $600,000 to help hire new officers through the Department of Justice COPS Hiring Program. The program covers a large portion of the costs that communities face when adding officers to their ranks, thereby supporting the goals of community policing. \u201cThese funds are critical to small law enforcement agencies that would otherwise find it too costly to bring a new officer on board,\u201d said Leahy, a longtime champion of the program who continues to support its funding through his role as Vice Chairman of the Senate Appropriations Committee. \u201cWith the increase in opioid abuse and its inherent problems, our law enforcement agencies and officers are stretched to their limits. This is the type of federal spending that just makes common sense.\u201d\r\nThe funding provides up to 75 percent of the entry-level salaries and benefits of full-time officers over a three-year period, with a required 25 percent local match. Each of the five Vermont grants will allow the respective departments to hire one new officer.\r\nThe FY 2017 grants include:\r\n \r\nEssex County Sheriff\u2019s Department - $113,169\r\nFranklin County Sheriff\u2019s Department - $93,583\r\nHardwick Police Department - $125,000\r\nOrange County Sheriff\u2019s Department - $125,000\r\nVillage of Winhall Police Department - $125,000\r\n \r\nIn the case of Franklin County, the new funding will help hire a School Resource Officer in Fairfax for grades K-12, according to Franklin County Sheriff Robert Norris.\r\nLeahy said he was pleased that this year\u2019s grant awards would be helping some of the state\u2019s most rural populations, noting, \u201cOur small law enforcement agencies are being asked to do more every day to meet the needs of their communities. \u00a0We know the challenges of illegal drug use hit our small towns just as they do our larger cities, and our law enforcement partners need \u00a0resources to fight this epidemic.\u201d\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0\r\nSince the program was signed into law in 1994, COPS Hiring grants have supported hiring more than 130,000 law enforcement officers throughout the country. \u00a0Last year the Burlington Police Department received a $625,000 COPS Hiring grant to help the city hire five additional officers over a three-year period.\u00a0\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t Press Contact \n\t\t\t\tDavid Carle: 202-224-3693\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\n\t  \n\t\n\t\n\t\n  \n\t\n    \n    \n    \n    \n    \n    \t\n    \t\n\t    \t  \n\t\t    \n\t\t    \tNext Article\n\t\t    \n\t\t    \n\t\t    \tPrevious Article", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.leahy.senate.gov/press/leahy-notches-key-victories-for-lake-champlain-and-vermont-in-appropriations-bill", "Leahy Notches Key Victories For Lake Champlain And Vermont In Appropriations Bill", "2017-11-20", "2017", "2017-11", "Democrat", "House", "VT", "Patrick Leahy", "L000174", "www.leahy.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "11.20.17\n\t\t\t Leahy Notches Key Victories For Lake Champlain And Vermont In Appropriations Bill \n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tSenate Appropriations Committee Vice Chairman Patrick Leahy Monday announced several key victories for programs that support Lake Champlain, conservation initiatives, and historic downtowns across Vermont.\u00a0 The programs were funded through the Appropriations Committee bill on the Interior, Environment and Related Agencies, for Fiscal Year 2018, which was released on Monday afternoon.\u00a0 The bill will now be negotiated to reconcile differences between the Senate and House bills prior to being considered by the full Senate.\u00a0\r\nLeahy said:\u00a0 \u201cWhile I am deeply disappointed that the overall bill has bowed to the anti-science know-nothingism of President Trump by slashing environmental programs and denying the reality of climate change, I am glad we were able to secure funding for programs that are vitally important for Lake Champlain and conservation efforts across our state.\u00a0 As Vice Chairman, I will continue to fight against the Trump agenda and work to restore the cuts that are in this bill as we continue through the appropriations process.\u201d\r\nThe Senate bill contains:\r\n \r\n$4 million increase, for a total $8.4 million, for the Lake Champlain Program;\r\n$8 million increase, for a total $444 million, for the EPA Geographic Programs;\r\n$3 million increase for a new federal Historic Revitalization Grants program;\r\n$100,000 increase, for a total $489,000, to administer and implement the Lake Champlain Sea Lamprey Control Program;\r\n$35 million increase, for a total $106.5 million, for U.S. Forest Service Capital Improvements; and\r\n$1.8 million for Forest Service Acquisition of Rolston Rest.\r\n \r\nPresident Trump\u2019s budget would have eliminated all of the EPA\u2019s Geographic Programs, abandoning a significant portion of federal support for ongoing regional clean-up projects in areas like Lake Champlain, the Great Lakes and the Gulf of Mexico that partner with local programs to find solutions.\u00a0 In large complex ecosystems like Lake Champlain, stopping investments into cleanup efforts would have reverberating consequences that would result in losing the progress we have made.\u00a0 As one of the Geographic Programs, the Lake Champlain Program grants millions of dollars to local communities and organizations for pollution prevention and education work.\u00a0 Blue green algae monitoring by the Lake Champlain Committee,\u00a0storm water structures at the Shelburne Community School and Smilie School in Bolton, support for the Franklin County Farmers Watershed alliance, planning work to solve combined sewer overflows in Vergennes, and green storm water infrastructure in Rutland County\u2019s Moon Brook are a few examples of more than 90 projects supported in 2016.\u00a0 \u00a0\r\nThe $3 million for a new federal program to support historic preservation is based on the Village Revitalization Initiative (VRI), championed by Leahy through a partnership with the Preservation Trust of Vermont. Since its establishment, the VRI has rehabilitated 27 historic community buildings in the hearts of 25 Vermont town centers and has leveraged nearly $27 million toward total project costs.\u00a0 This effort garnered the National Advisory Council on Historic Preservation\u2019s (ACHP) Chairman\u2019s Award for Achievement in Historic Preservation, and the National Trust for Historic Preservation Richard H. Driehaus Award in 2011 and 2014.\r\nThe U.S. Forest Service manages national forest land like the Green Mountain National Forest.\u00a0 The increase to the capital improvement accounts would allow for trail repair and construction of new facilities to increase public access.\u00a0 The current Supervisor\u2019s office and visitor center for the Green Mountain and Finger Lakes National Forest has occupied leased space in downtown Rutland for the past 25 years.\u00a0 A portion of the increase in the capital improvement fund to a total of $106.5 million will likely be used to construct a permanent facility on Route 4 in Mendon, Vermont, which has been a priority of the service since the 1990s.\u00a0\u00a0\r\nThe bill includes $69.5 million for the U.S. Forest Service for land acquisition through the Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF), including $1.8 million for the acquisition of Rolston Rest, which is a critical link in Vermont\u2019s statewide trail networks and connects major tracts of the Green Mountain National Forest. This National Forest acquisition in Chittenden will reopen the property to public access and protect the wild character and scenic views of the Long Trail and the Catamount Trail, as well as protect rare species and water quality, while preventing habitat\u00a0\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t Press Contact \n\t\t\t\tDavid Carle: 202-224-3693\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\n\t  \n\t\n\t\n\t\n  \n\t\n    \n    \n    \n    \n    \n    \t\n    \t\n\t    \t  \n\t\t    \n\t\t    \tNext Article\n\t\t    \n\t\t    \n\t\t    \tPrevious Article", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.leahy.senate.gov/press/appropriations-vice-chairman-leahys-reax-to-trump-adms-3rd-emergency-supplemental-request", "Appropriations Vice Chairman Leahy's REAX To Trump Adm.'s 3rd Emergency Supplemental Request", "2017-11-17", "2017", "2017-11", "Democrat", "House", "VT", "Patrick Leahy", "L000174", "www.leahy.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "11.17.17\n\t\t\t Appropriations Vice Chairman Leahy's REAX To Trump Adm.'s 3rd Emergency Supplemental Request \n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t[Senate Appropriations Committee Vice Chairman Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) Friday issued the following statement on the Trump Administration\u2019s emergency supplemental request, totaling $44 billion, to address recent natural disasters.\u00a0 Earlier this month, Leahy and Senator Schumer led a letter outlining what Senate Democrats believe should be contained in the supplemental request.]\r\nThe Trump Administration\u2019s request does not come close to meeting the needs of victims of recent natural disasters in Texas, Florida, California, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands.\u00a0 Earlier this month, Senator Schumer and I led Senate Democrats in calling on President Trump to put forward a comprehensive package to provide relief from the recent onslaught of natural disasters.\u00a0 This is not that package.\u00a0 This is wholly inadequate and downright insulting, especially for the people of Puerto Rico who, eight to ten weeks after Hurricanes Irma and Maria, are struggling to get the lights back on and are looking to Congress for help.\u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0\r\nAs Vice Chairman of the Senate Appropriations Committee I have received requests for more than $180 billion in federal assistance from communities impacted by hurricanes Harvey, Irma, and Maria.\u00a0 This request doesn\u2019t come even close to meeting those needs.\u00a0 This was a chance for the Trump Administration to show that they care about ALL Americans and that the federal government stands behind disaster-struck communities.\u00a0 They failed.\u00a0 It does not provide sufficient funds to rebuild homes, roads, bridges, schools, or Puerto Rico\u2019s electrical grid.\u00a0 What\u2019s more, the Administration wants to pay for this package by making cuts to other important programs that states, including Texas, Florida and others affected by the hurricanes, rely on.\u00a0 This is not how we have treated disasters in the past, and Texas, Florida, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands deserve no less than our full commitment to help them rebuild.\u00a0\r\nI am particularly concerned that the Administration\u2019s proposal fails to meet the unique needs of the people of Puerto Rico.\u00a0 The new $12 billion dollar mitigation fund proposed by this Administration will never flow to Puerto Rico because it favors states that can provide matching funds.\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0\r\nIf we do not now stand behind the people of Puerto Rico, how can we expect them to have faith in us in the future?\u00a0 Much like in the delayed response to Katrina and the people of New Orleans, we are seeing the people of Puerto Rico lose faith that we will help them rebuild.\u00a0 Thousands are abandoning their homes and communities for the mainland.\u00a0 This will have cascading consequences for generations to come, exacerbating what was already a fragile economy on the island and risking the wreckage of its vibrant culture.\u00a0 We need to send a signal that we are with them, and we need to send it now.\u00a0 \u00a0\r\nFor 73 days,\u00a0the people of Puerto Rico, United States citizens, have endured the largest power outage in U.S. history, with nearly 50 percent of the island still in the dark.\u00a0 For 73 days these Americans have been trying to rebuild their homes, their schools and their communities on the promise that we will stand with them.\u00a0 The President\u2019s plan is unacceptable.\u00a0 Mr. President, this is not a \u201c10 out of 10\u201d response.\u00a0\u00a0\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t Press Contact \n\t\t\t\tDavid Carle: 202-224-3693\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\n\t  \n\t\n\t\n\t\n  \n\t\n    \n    \n    \n    \n    \n    \t\n    \t\n\t    \t  \n\t\t    \n\t\t    \tNext Article\n\t\t    \n\t\t    \n\t\t    \tPrevious Article", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.leahy.senate.gov/press/senate-unanimously-passes-grassley-leahy-bill-to-protect-whistleblowers-in-criminal-antitrust-cases", "Senate Unanimously Passes Grassley-Leahy Bill to Protect Whistleblowers in Criminal Antitrust Cases", "2017-11-17", "2017", "2017-11", "Democrat", "House", "VT", "Patrick Leahy", "L000174", "www.leahy.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "11.17.17\n\t\t\t Senate Unanimously Passes Grassley-Leahy Bill to Protect Whistleblowers in Criminal Antitrust Cases \n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tThe U.S. Senate Wednesday night unanimously passed the Criminal Antitrust Anti-Retaliation Act to extend whistleblower protection for employees who provide information to the Department of Justice related to criminal antitrust violations.\u00a0 Senators Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) and Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.), coauthors of the legislation, hailed the Senate\u2019s quick action on their bipartisan measure.\u00a0 Approval of the bill comes just one month after the Judiciary Committee unanimously reported it to the full Senate.\u00a0 Grassley, current Judiciary Committee Chairman, and Leahy, a former chair of the panel, have worked on this legislation since a Government Accountability Office report recommended these changes in 2011.\u00a0\u00a0 The measure has passed the Senate the past two Congresses but was not taken up by the House.\r\n\u201cWhistleblowers who shed light on violations of our antitrust laws not only help to fight crime; they also help protect consumers from less choice and higher prices in the marketplace. Our bill encourages private sector employees to disclose such criminal behavior by protecting them from retaliation at work.\u00a0 Whistleblowers are critical to exposing fraud, waste and abuse in government, and it\u2019s high time we empower whistleblowers in the private sector to do the same for consumers,\u201d Grassley said.\r\n\u201cI applaud the Senate for again acting to advance meaningful bipartisan legislation that will improve the detection and enforcement of antitrust laws.\u00a0 I will now work with Senator Grassley to advance this commonsense legislation in the House and finally get it to the President for signature.\u00a0 No one should be retaliated against for blowing the whistle on criminal activity.\u00a0 If enacted, this legislation will make it harder for bad actors to get away with illegal anticompetitive behavior.\u00a0 Most importantly, it will promote a free and open marketplace and will protect consumers,\u201d Leahy said.\r\nThe bill allows employees who believe they are victims of retaliation to file complaints with the Secretary of Labor, and it provides for those employees to be reinstated to their former status if the Secretary finds in their favor.\u00a0 Leahy and Grassley authored similar whistleblower statutes as part of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act in 2002.\u00a0 A copy of the measure approved by the Senate on can be found HERE.\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t Press Contact \n\t\t\t\tDavid Carle: 202-224-3693\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\n\t  \n\t\n\t\n\t\n  \n\t\n    \n    \n    \n    \n    \n    \t\n    \t\n\t    \t  \n\t\t    \n\t\t    \tNext Article\n\t\t    \n\t\t    \n\t\t    \tPrevious Article", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.leahy.senate.gov/press/senator-lee-and-senator-leahy-introduce-the-usa-liberty-act-in-the-senate", "Senator Lee And Senator Leahy Introduce The USA Liberty Act In The Senate", "2017-11-17", "2017", "2017-11", "Democrat", "House", "VT", "Patrick Leahy", "L000174", "www.leahy.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "11.17.17\n\t\t\t Senator Lee And Senator Leahy Introduce The USA Liberty Act In The Senate \n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t \n\t\t\n\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n        \n\t\t\t\t . . . Key Privacy Improvements For FISA\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t Senator Mike Lee (R-Utah) and Senator Patrick Leahy have jointly introduced the Uniting and Strengthening American Liberty Act (USA Liberty Act) of 2017 in the United States Senate.\u00a0 Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) Amendments Act will expire on December 31, 2017.\u00a0 This legislation would reauthorize Section 702 while making key privacy improvements.\u00a0\r\nSection 702 allows the government to collect sweeping amounts of Internet and other communications, including content and metadata, by targeting communications of foreigners abroad. But in doing so, the government also acquires a vast amount of Americans\u2019 communications and is able to search through such collection without a warrant or even a court order.\u00a0 The Lee-Leahy legislation would apply stricter limits on the government\u2019s ability to search Section 702 collection for communications of Americans and persons inside the United States, to ensure this surveillance is consistent with the Fourth Amendment.\r\nThe bill is modeled after legislation of the same name introduced in the House of Representatives by House Judiciary Chairman Bob Goodlatte (R-Va.) and Ranking Member John Conyers Jr. (D-Mich.).\u00a0 Last Congress, Senators Lee and Leahy partnered with the same House Judiciary leaders to pass the historic USA FREEDOM Act, which ended NSA bulk metadata collection and contained significant reforms to other surveillance authorities.\r\nBoth the House bill, which earlier this month was reported out of the House Judiciary Committee in a strong bipartisan vote, and this Senate companion bill contain long-overdue reforms to this powerful surveillance authority.\u00a0 They codify an end to \u201cabout\u201d collection, enhance accountability, and increase protections for queries of Section 702 metadata, among other important reforms.\u00a0 The Senate legislation also contains a provision based on an amendment that Senator Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) introduced in the Senate Intelligence Committee that closes the so-called \u201cbackdoor\u201d loophole by extending warrant protections to Americans and persons inside the United States for queries of Section 702 contents in both national security and ordinary criminal investigations.\u00a0\r\nSenator Lee said:\u00a0 \u201cAmericans\u00a0have never been more concerned about the security and privacy of their online communications than they are today.\u00a0 This\u00a0bill implements some much needed reforms to our\u00a0surveillance laws that will better protect law-abiding Americans'\u00a0privacy in a manner consistent with the 4th Amendment.\"\r\nSenator Leahy said:\u00a0 \u201cI am proud to again join with Senator Lee to ensure that appropriate and commonsense limits are applied to the government\u2019s vast surveillance powers.\u00a0 This legislation maintains a critical balance between protecting national security and ensuring the privacy rights and civil liberties of law-abiding Americans, and also provides additional oversight and transparency.\u00a0 It is my hope that this bipartisan legislation will result in real and meaningful reform to this powerful surveillance tool.\u201d\r\nLeading civil liberties and national security advocates have praised the legislation:\r\nElizabeth Goitein, co-director of the Brennan Center\u2019s Liberty and National Security Program, said:\u00a0 \u201cThis bill fixes the most serious problem with Section 702 surveillance today: the government\u2019s ability to read Americans\u2019 e-mails and listen to their telephone calls without a warrant,\u201d and called the legislation \u201ca very promising development in the reform debate.\u201d\r\nThe legislation is also supported by the civil liberties and civil rights community, such as the American Civil Liberties Union, the Center for Democracy and Technology, the Constitution Project, New America\u2019s Open Technology Institute, and the Project on Government Oversight.\r\nThe full text of the legislation can be found here.\u00a0\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t Press Contact \n\t\t\t\tDavid Carle: 202-224-3693\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\n\t  \n\t\n\t\n\t\n  \n\t\n    \n    \n    \n    \n    \n    \t\n    \t\n\t    \t  \n\t\t    \n\t\t    \tNext Article\n\t\t    \n\t\t    \n\t\t    \tPrevious Article", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.sanders.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/sanders-holds-student-meeting-on-opioids", "Sanders Holds Student Meeting on Opioids", "2017-11-17", "2017", "2017-11", "Independent", "House", "VT", "Bernard Sanders", "S000033", "www.sanders.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Sanders Holds Student Meeting on Opioids\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\tFriday, November 17, 2017\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\tBURLINGTON, Vt., Nov. 17 \u2013 U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) held a student town meeting Friday with the entire student body of Burlington High School and the Burlington Technical Center to discuss the opioid crisis in Vermont and throughout the United States.\u00a0\u00a0\r\n\u201cI need your help. Not only for Vermont, but for the entire country,\u201d Sanders told the students. \u201cIt is critically important that we have an honest and open discussion about this crisis that claimed the lives of 112 Vermonters last year, and affected thousands more. If we do not have the courage to talk about this issue. We are never, ever going to solve it.\u201d\u00a0\r\n\u201cNone of us are immune to the effects of addiction. It doesn\u2019t matter if you live in New York City or rural Vermont,\u201d said Sanders, who serves on the U.S. Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions.\u00a0\r\nSanders was joined by a panel including: Kelly Breeyear, a Vermonter who shared her personal experience with addiction, Vermont Attorney General T.J. Donovan and\u00a0Dr. Heather Stein, associate medical director at the Community Health Centers of Burlington.\u00a0\r\n\u201cYou have a choice now. After you have it in your system, you may not have a choice ever again,\u201d Breeyear said. \u201cWe need to start telling the truth. We need your help to find a solution. We need to stop this now.\u201d\r\nDonovan said, \u201cWe have to speak out, lift people up and help members of the community with this disease. The opiate crisis doesn't discriminate -- it affects everyone. We all have to work together, from people in government to teachers, students and family members.\u201d\r\nStein runs Community Health Centers of Burlington\u2019s program that helps patients who are struggling with substance abuse. \u201cYour brain is going to be hooked on something faster than someone twice your age,\u201d Stein told the students. \u201cYou\u2019ll do things you can\u2019t imagine now to get narcotics.\u201d\r\nFollowing the panel discussion, students participated in a question-and-answer session, sharing personal experiences and asking a broad range of questions.\r\nLast year, more than 60,000 people died from opioid overdoses in the United States, including 112 in Vermont. Narcan was used on more than 2,200 Vermonters last year to reverse the effects of an overdose, according to the Vermont Department of Health.\r\nIf you or someone you know needs help with an opioid addiction, call toll free 1-866-652-4636 or dial 2-1-1.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.sanders.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/sanders-statement-on-white-house-request-for-disaster-relief-funds", "Sanders Statement on White House Request for Disaster Relief Funds", "2017-11-17", "2017", "2017-11", "Independent", "House", "VT", "Bernard Sanders", "S000033", "www.sanders.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Sanders Statement on White House Request for Disaster Relief Funds\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\tFriday, November 17, 2017\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\tBURLINGTON, Vt., Nov. 17 \u2013\u00a0U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) issued the following statement Friday after the White House asked Congress for $44 billion in additional\u00a0disaster relief for areas ravaged by hurricanes Harvey, Irma and Maria:\r\n\"The president\u2019s request for supplemental appropriations for disaster relief is totally inadequate. While the president wants to provide the very richest people in this country hundreds of billions in tax relief, he is largely ignoring the needs of the communities that were devastated by the recent hurricanes. Two months after Hurricane Maria, the people of Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands are still suffering without electricity, clean water and other basic necessities. That is not acceptable. I will be releasing comprehensive legislation this month to address the short- and long-term needs of the people of Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. As a nation, we must stand with those communities that have been devastated by natural disasters.\"", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"]], "truncated": false, "filtered_table_rows_count": 860, "expanded_columns": [], "expandable_columns": [], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "units": {}, "query": {"sql": "select url, title, date, year, month, party, chamber, state, member_name, bioguide_id, domain, scraper, source, date_source, text, has_text, collected_at, updated_at from releases where \"chamber\" = :p0 and \"state\" = :p1 and \"year\" = :p2 order by date desc limit 101", "params": {"p0": "House", "p1": "VT", "p2": "2017"}}, "facet_results": {"party": {"name": "party", "type": "column", "hideable": false, "toggle_url": "/press/releases.json?chamber=House&state=VT&year=2017", "results": [{"value": "Democrat", "label": "Democrat", "count": 514, "toggle_url": "http://dpwillis-congress-press-search.hf.space/press/releases.json?chamber=House&state=VT&year=2017&party=Democrat", "selected": false}, {"value": "Independent", "label": "Independent", "count": 346, "toggle_url": "http://dpwillis-congress-press-search.hf.space/press/releases.json?chamber=House&state=VT&year=2017&party=Independent", "selected": false}], "truncated": false}, "chamber": {"name": "chamber", "type": "column", "hideable": false, "toggle_url": "/press/releases.json?chamber=House&state=VT&year=2017", "results": [{"value": "House", "label": "House", "count": 860, "toggle_url": "http://dpwillis-congress-press-search.hf.space/press/releases.json?state=VT&year=2017", "selected": true}], "truncated": false}, "state": {"name": "state", "type": "column", "hideable": false, "toggle_url": "/press/releases.json?chamber=House&state=VT&year=2017", "results": [{"value": "VT", "label": "VT", "count": 860, "toggle_url": "http://dpwillis-congress-press-search.hf.space/press/releases.json?chamber=House&year=2017", "selected": true}], "truncated": false}, "year": {"name": "year", "type": "column", "hideable": false, "toggle_url": "/press/releases.json?chamber=House&state=VT&year=2017", "results": [{"value": "2017", "label": "2017", "count": 860, "toggle_url": "http://dpwillis-congress-press-search.hf.space/press/releases.json?chamber=House&state=VT", "selected": true}], "truncated": false}}, "suggested_facets": [], "next": "2017-11-17,https~3A~2F~2Fwww~2Esanders~2Esenate~2Egov~2Fnewsroom~2Fpress-releases~2Fsanders-statement-on-white-house-request-for-disaster-relief-funds", "next_url": "http://dpwillis-congress-press-search.hf.space/press/releases.json?chamber=House&state=VT&year=2017&_next=2017-11-17%2Chttps~3A~2F~2Fwww~2Esanders~2Esenate~2Egov~2Fnewsroom~2Fpress-releases~2Fsanders-statement-on-white-house-request-for-disaster-relief-funds&_sort_desc=date", "private": false, "allow_execute_sql": true, "query_ms": 111.57651199027896, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}