{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "is_view": false, "human_description_en": "where party = \"Democrat\", state = \"VT\" and year = 2017 sorted by date descending", "rows": [["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.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://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://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.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://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.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.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.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.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://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.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://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://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://welch.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/welch-statement-doj-decision-withhold-federal-law-enforcement-grants", "Welch Statement on DOJ Decision to Withhold Federal Law Enforcement Grants", "2017-11-16", "2017", "2017-11", "Democrat", "House", "VT", "Peter Welch", "W000800", "welch.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "WASHINGTON - Rep. Peter Welch (D-VT) issued the following statement in response to a decision by the U.S. Department of Justice to initiate punitive measures against the State of Vermont and the City of Burlington related to immigration.\n\u201cThis decision is a slap in the face to Burlington, the State of Vermont and law enforcement agencies across our state.\u00a0It is a blatant attempt by the Attorney General to strong-arm state and local governments in this country to fall in line with the Trump Administration\u2019s offensive anti-immigrant policies.\u00a0The courts should block this heavy-handed and punitive decision.\u201d\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.leahy.senate.gov/press/leahy-statement-on-the-national-defense-authorization-act-conference-report", "Leahy Statement On The National Defense Authorization Act Conference Report", "2017-11-16", "2017", "2017-11", "Democrat", "House", "VT", "Patrick Leahy", "L000174", "www.leahy.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "11.16.17\n\t\t\t Leahy Statement On The National Defense Authorization Act Conference Report \n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tThe Fiscal Year 2018 National Defense Authorization Act, while laudable in its goals, does not comport with reality.\u00a0 At roughly $700 billion, the proposed base funding in this bill is $85 billion above budget caps that are set in law for fiscal year 2018 in the Budget Control Act (BCA), and $31 billion above\u00a0the administration\u2019s budget request.\u00a0 If the authorized funding level were to be appropriated, without changing the caps, it would trigger a 12 percent across-the-board sequester of defense programs to bring spending levels back to the fiscal year 2018 levels contained in the Budget Control Act.\u00a0\u00a0 A sequester of this size would hit us in readiness.\u00a0 It would hamper our day-to-day operations and maintenance.\u00a0 It would hurt our troops.\u00a0 Our military leaders do not support such a sequester.\r\nIf we really want to support our military, and the men and women in uniform, we must immediately reach a bipartisan budget deal to lift the artificial and unrealistically low budget caps that were set in law in 2011.\u00a0 It is hard to get every member of this Chamber to agree on anything, but on this we can agree: sequester has had a negative impact on our country that will impact a generation.\u00a0 We need to have an honest conversation about what the needs of our country are\u2014both in military and domestic spending, and draft our spending bills accordingly.\u00a0\r\nI do appreciate the work that Senator McCain and Senator Reed have put into this massive legislation.\u00a0 While my concerns with the funding levels authorized in this bill prevent me from supporting it, I do believe it reflects a strong commitment to the programs and policies that support our service members and their families.\u00a0 That must always be our goal.\r\nI am pleased that the conferenced bill maintains support for medical research that matter so much to our service members, and to all Americans who benefit from the lifesaving results made possible through these programs. I am also grateful for the inclusion of language I authored that would pave the way for piloting a preventative mental health program for our National Guard and Reserve. Like physical health, we know that with particular training and mental preparation, a person can be more resilient mentally when faced with challenges, and building that readiness is necessary to maintain the all-volunteer force. Progress is already being made with shifting to a preventative model in the special forces community, I hope to soon see similar progress in developing models for the members of our Guard and Reserve.\r\nThis final bill also includes several amendments I proposed to make sure U.S. efforts, especially in Afghanistan, are consistent with U.S. values.\u00a0 These include a provision aimed at improving the way the Departments of Defense and State provide human rights training to partner forces, and a requirement to establish a plan on how to improve our ability to help foreign governments protect civilians.\u00a0 The final bill also authorizes establishment of a position in the Department of Defense to oversee its implementation of, and coordination with the Department of State on, the Leahy Law for human rights vetting for Afghan security forces.\r\nIn three weeks and one day, the current resolution funding our government will expire. Yet, instead of sitting down with Democrats to work together \u2013 just as we did earlier this year to enact the fiscal year 17 omnibus spending bill \u2013 to find a path forward to raise the budget caps and fund our government for the rest of the fiscal year, Republicans are focused on a tax cut bill that will add $1.5 trillion to the debt.\u00a0 Instead of acting responsibly, and in the greatest traditions of the Senate, the majority is marching towards another partisan fight on the floor on a deeply flawed tax bill that will impact every corner of our economy.\r\nLet\u2019s get to work for the American people.\u00a0 For months I have been calling for a bipartisan budget deal to lift the caps on both sides for both defense and non-defense programs based on parity.\u00a0 It is time to complete those negotiations. We owe it to the men and women who serve.\u00a0 We owe it to the American people.\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/reaction-of-appropriations-vice-chair-patrick-leahy-d-vt-to-the-house-passed-tax-bill", "Reaction Of Appropriations Vice Chair Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) To The House-Passed Tax Bill", "2017-11-16", "2017", "2017-11", "Democrat", "House", "VT", "Patrick Leahy", "L000174", "www.leahy.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "11.16.17\n\t\t\t Reaction Of Appropriations Vice Chair Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) To The House-Passed Tax Bill \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 . . . \u201cA hodge-podge collection of broken promises to middle class Americans\u201d\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t The House has passed a hodge-podge collection of broken promises to middle class Americans.\u00a0 Republican leaders and President Trump promised \u00a0to close loopholes for large corporations and the wealthiest Americans to pay for lowering their tax rates.\u00a0 Instead, their tax rates would be cut, and the loopholes remain, meaning even lower effective tax rates for the wealthy, while exploding the federal debt.\u00a0\r\nVermonters would pay more by losing deductions for state and local taxes, by losing deductions for school loan interest payments and by losing deductions for medical expenses.\u00a0\r\nThis bill, produced by a handful of Republicans, behind closed doors, delivers huge tax breaks for corporations, padding corporations\u2019 already bulging coffers, and it gives short shrift to ordinary Americans. \u00a0There certainly are ways to do tax reform in the right way, through a bipartisan process, to truly benefit middle income families and to spur new investment, but this plan has missed that boat.\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://welch.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/welch-slams-trump-ryan-tax-proposal-during-house-debate", "Welch Slams Trump-Ryan Tax Proposal During House Debate", "2017-11-15", "2017", "2017-11", "Democrat", "House", "VT", "Peter Welch", "W000800", "welch.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Washington, DC \u2013 This afternoon, Rep. Peter Welch (D-VT) spoke against the Trump-Ryan tax proposal being debated by the House of Representatives.\u00a0A final vote on the bill is expected tomorrow by early afternoon.\n\u201cIf you asked 435 members of Congress if they want to raise taxes on students, the answer from 435 members would be \u2018no.\u2019 This bill was written by and for the donor class. Let\u2019s defeat this bill and stand up for the middle class.\u201d\nA full transcript of Rep. Welch\u2019s remarks can be found here.\nClick image to view video of Rep. Welch\u2019s full remarks. \n###", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.leahy.senate.gov/press/appropriations-vice-chairman-leahy-statement-at-hearing-on-va-efforts-to-prevent-and-combat-opioid-over-medication", "Appropriations Vice Chairman Leahy Statement At Hearing On VA Efforts To Prevent And Combat Opioid Over Medication", "2017-11-15", "2017", "2017-11", "Democrat", "House", "VT", "Patrick Leahy", "L000174", "www.leahy.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "11.15.17\n\t\t\t Appropriations Vice Chairman Leahy Statement At Hearing On VA Efforts To Prevent And Combat Opioid Over Medication \n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tThe opioid epidemic has reached every state \u2013 every community \u2013 in the country.\u00a0 It is impacting sons and daughters, mothers and fathers, friends and coworkers.\u00a0 And it is impacting our veterans and servicemembers. We have for over 16 years of war asked members of the active and reserve components to serve an unprecedented numbers of deployments, leaving too many veterans broken and in pain.\u00a0\r\nWhen we needed these brave men and women to return to battle, it was too easy to prescribe opioids for pain management. That practice has continued when they returned home, where the military and the VA lean far too heavily on opioids to manage pain.\u00a0\r\nIt is now an all too familiar story.\u00a0 Over-prescribing opioid medications for chronic pain opens the door to addiction, overdose and suicide risk, which devastate families and communities. According to a 2011 VA study, veterans are twice as likely to die from overdoses than the U.S. civilian population.\u00a0 Yet we continue to prescribe opioids to veterans and our active duty military at an alarming rate.\u00a0\r\nAmong veterans, the number of prescriptions written for opioid painkillers increased 77 percent between 2004 and 2012. \u00a0Beginning in 2014, the VA took common sense steps to increase patient education, provide alternative therapeutic approaches, and allow VA providers to participate in state prescription drug monitoring programs.\u00a0 The result has been more than 260,000 fewer patients receiving opioids this year, down from the 2012 peak of nearly 700,000 veterans.\u00a0 But that still leaves more than 400,000 veterans receiving opioids from VA facilities \u2013 this is unacceptable.\r\nBy continuing the over-prescription and use of these dangerous and highly addictive drugs, we are creating a unique set of problems and challenges for our Nation\u2019s veterans and our military.\u00a0 For example, half of all returning veterans suffer chronic pain, and more than 63 percent of those veterans have a mental health diagnosis.\u00a0 This means that veterans with post-traumatic stress or depression are more likely to suffer from chronic pain, increasing the risks associated with disability, psychological stress and suicide.\r\nAnd far too often this has tragic consequences.\u00a0 Mr. Simcakoski, I want to apologize that the system failed your son.\u00a0\u00a0 He deserved better. Our veterans deserve better.\r\nSome progress is being made since the Congress passed the Comprehensive Addiction and Recovery Act last year. But we need to do better for our veterans by investing in treatments to manage their chronic pain other than opioids and helping those who are addicted to opioids.\u00a0\r\nI have heard from several Vermont veterans who are having difficulty accessing alternative treatments like acupuncture, chiropractic care or yoga, despite the efforts they and their doctor have made to settle on a non-opioid treatment right for them.\u00a0 It should not be easier to get a bottle of pills than it is to access the therapy you want close to home.\u00a0 That is not right.\u00a0 We also need to do more to ensure both the VA and private practices are communicating with each other about the unique needs of our veterans, so that when a veteran makes use of a program like CHOICE their history of pain management decisions is taken into account.\u00a0\r\nI am glad that we are beginning to move the conversation on opioid addiction away from incarceration.\u00a0 This is an approach I first highlighted during a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing in 2008, when the Committee went to Vermont to see how my home state is leading the Nation in addressing this disease as a national health care crisis.\u00a0\r\nOn the Senate Appropriations Committee, we are working together to provide roughly $1.4 billion in fiscal year 2018 to address the opioid crisis, an increase of more than $137 million above the President\u2019s budget request, $17 million above the House mark, and $41 million above fiscal year 2017 enacted levels.\u00a0 This subcommittee alone provides $386 million to treat and prevent opioid dependency amongst veterans.\r\nBut we clearly have much more to do.\u00a0 And we cannot continue to fail our veterans and our military.\u00a0 This hearing is just the next step \u2013 it is far from the last one.\u00a0 Since March, I have been calling for a bipartisan budget deal that would result in more money for this subcommittee to address the needs of our nation\u2019s veterans, including opioid addiction.\u00a0 I hope we can reach a deal within the week.\u00a0 \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/leahy-slams-attorney-general-sessions-for-threatening-public-safety-funding-to-burlington-and-the-state-of-vermont-over-the-trump-administrations-misguided-anti-immigrant-policies", "Leahy Slams Attorney General Sessions For Threatening Public Safety Funding To Burlington And The State Of Vermont, Over The Trump Administrations Misguided Anti-Immigrant Policies", "2017-11-15", "2017", "2017-11", "Democrat", "House", "VT", "Patrick Leahy", "L000174", "www.leahy.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "11.15.17\n\t\t\t Leahy Slams Attorney General Sessions For Threatening Public Safety Funding To Burlington And The State Of Vermont, Over The Trump Administration\u2019s Misguided Anti-Immigrant Policies \n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t[(WEDNESDAY, Nov. 15, 2017) \u2013 This afternoon (Wednesday), Attorney General Jeff Sessions\u2019 Justice Department notified the State of Vermont and the City of Burlington that the Department believes they have laws, policies or practices that violate 8 U.S.C. 1373, a federal statute that promotes information-sharing related to immigration enforcement.\u00a0 In all, the Department cited 29 jurisdictions, sometimes derided as \u201csanctuary cities,\u201d that are being threatened with the withholding of funds. \u00a0Specifically, the Department is questioning whether the State of Vermont and the City of Burlington comply with requirements of the fiscal years 2016 and 2017 Byrne Justice Assistance Grants (Byrne JAG).\u00a0 In all, the Department threatened 29 jurisdictions, sometimes derided as \u201csanctuary cities,\u201d with the withholding of Byrne JAG funds. \u00a0The State of Vermont and the City of Burlington have until December 8, 2017, to submit a response to the Department that addresses whether they have laws, policies or practices that violate this statute.\u00a0 Byrne JAG is the primary provider of federal criminal justice funding to state and local governments, including law enforcement agencies.\u00a0 This program uses a congressionally mandated formula, as laid out by Congress.\u00a0 In fiscal year 2016, the State of Vermont received $507,892 and the City of Burlington received $39,945.\u00a0 For fiscal year 2017, Vermont\u2019s allocation is $476,496, and Burlington\u2019s is $38,845, but the Justice Department is holding up all Byrne JAG grants for the entire nation.\r\nFollowing is a comment on this by Senator Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.).\u00a0 Leahy is the Vice Chairman of the Senate Appropriations Committee and a leading member of the Senate Judiciary Committee:]\r\n\u201cThese moves against the State of Vermont and the City of Burlington by Attorney General Sessions are shameful.\u00a0 I strongly believe that police chiefs and local leaders should decide what state and local policies are necessary and best to keep their communities safe \u2014 not an Attorney General who is attempting to extort immigration reform by cutting off vital public safety dollars to local communities and their residents.\r\n\u201cThe Attorney General\u2019s decision puts public safety at risk by delaying nearly $700 million in Byrne JAG, SCAAP, COPS Hiring, and Anti-Methamphetamine and Anti-Heroin Task Forces funding for law enforcement agencies across the country. \u00a0This only serves to punish local law enforcement agencies and victims of domestic and sexual violence and other violent crimes. \u00a0Frankly, this funding should have been out the door months ago from the Justice Department, and these delays will jeopardize local efforts to fight crime, including criminal gang activity, and to combat heroin trafficking.\u00a0 Just today a federal judge enjoined the Justice Department from pursuing these very policies.\u00a0 These actions make one thing clear: \u00a0In their disgraceful and unending efforts to villainize and scapegoat immigrants, President Trump and Attorney General Sessions are willing to make our communities less safe and to abandon victims of crime.\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.leahy.senate.gov/press/leahy-introduces-the-consumer-privacy-protection-act", "Leahy Introduces The Consumer Privacy Protection Act", "2017-11-14", "2017", "2017-11", "Democrat", "House", "VT", "Patrick Leahy", "L000174", "www.leahy.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "11.14.17\n\t\t\t Leahy Introduces The Consumer Privacy Protection Act \n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tSenator Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.), joined by six other senators, Tuesday introduced comprehensive consumer privacy legislation to protect Americans\u2019 sensitive personal information against cyberattacks and to ensure timely notification and protection when data is breached.\r\nLeahy\u2019s Consumer Privacy Protection Act of 2017 would require companies to take preventive steps to defend against cyberattacks and data breaches, and to quickly provide consumers with notice and appropriate protection when a data breach occurs.\u00a0 The bill addresses the kinds of security breaches that have affected multiple companies \u2013 most notably the recent, massive Equifax breach that exposed the personal information of almost half the American population. This sensitive consumer information is increasingly targeted by both criminal hackers and hostile foreign powers.\r\nLeahy said:\u00a0 \u201cCompanies that profit from our personal information should be obligated to take steps to keep it safe, and to provide notice and protection to consumers when those protections have failed.\u00a0 This is a comprehensive program to help ensure that when Americans entrust corporations with their most sensitive personal information, these firms take the right steps to keep it secure and to do the right thing if breaches do occur.\u00a0 In today\u2019s world, data security is no longer just about protecting our identities and our bank accounts; it is about protecting our privacy and even our national security.\u201d The bill is cosponsored by Senators Ed Markey (D-Mass.), Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.); Ron Wyden (D-Ore.), Al Franken (D-Minn.), Tammy Baldwin (D-Wisc.), and Kamala Harris (D-Calif.) who have long shared Leahy\u2019s commitment to consumer privacy protection.\u00a0  The Consumer Privacy Protection Act requires that corporations meet certain baseline privacy and data security standards to keep information they store about consumers safe, and it requires that these firms provide notice and protection to consumers in the event of a breach.\u00a0 This legislation protects broad categories of data, including: (1) social security numbers and other government-issued identification numbers; (2) financial account information, including credit card numbers and bank accounts; (3) online usernames and passwords, including email names and passwords; (4) unique biometric data, including fingerprints and faceprints; (5) information about a person\u2019s physical and mental health; (6) information about geolocation; and (7) access to private digital photographs and videos. This Consumer Privacy Protection Act has the support of leading consumer privacy advocates, including the Center for Democracy and Technology, the Consumer Federation of America, New America\u2019s Open Technology Institute, and Public Knowledge.  Consumer Federation of America\u2019s Susan Grant, director of Consumer Protection Privacy, said:\u00a0 \u201cThis bill takes the right approach to address our data breach crisis by requiring strong security measures to be implemented from the start, not just notice after a breach has occurred.\u201d Michelle De Mooy, director of Privacy and Data at the Center for Democracy & Technology, said:\u00a0 \u201cAs Americans are well aware, data breaches have become ubiquitous but they are not inevitable; enacting common sense legislation to hold companies accountable for their data practices is long overdue.\u00a0 We are pleased to support Senator Leahy\u2019s bill, which protects both Americans\u2019 personal information and their ability to trust the digital ecosystem.\u201d The full text of the bill can be found here.\u00a0 Leahy\u2019s statement on the bill in the Congressional Record 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/leahy-statement-on-the-introduction-of-the-consumer-privacy-protection-act-of-2017", "Leahy Statement On the Introduction of the Consumer Privacy Protection Act of 2017", "2017-11-14", "2017", "2017-11", "Democrat", "House", "VT", "Patrick Leahy", "L000174", "www.leahy.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "11.14.17\n\t\t\t Leahy Statement On the Introduction of the Consumer Privacy Protection Act of 2017 \n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tToday, I am introducing the Consumer Privacy Protection Act of 2017. \u00a0This legislation, if enacted, will help ensure that when Americans entrust corporations with their most sensitive personal information, these corporations take the right steps to keep this information secure, and do the right thing in the event of a data breach.\u00a0 In today\u2019s modern world, data security is no longer just about protecting our identities and our bank accounts; it is about protecting our privacy and even our national security.\u00a0\r\nThe need for this legislation has long been clear, and never more so than in the wake of the recent, massive Equifax data breach.\u00a0 After media investigations and multiple Congressional hearings, we learned that the Equifax breach exposed the sensitive personal information of almost half the American population.\u00a0 We also learned that Equifax failed to take basic steps to secure its databases, and waited an unjustifiably long period before notifying consumers and regulators.\u00a0 Clearly, it is past time for all corporations that hold our personal information to maintain some common-sense, baseline cybersecurity standards.\r\nCorporations make significant profits from our personal information, and they should be obligated to keep it safe.\u00a0 Yet too often, data breaches continue to plague American businesses and compromise the privacy of millions of consumers. \u00a0At the same time, the amount of information we share with corporations who are the target of these breaches is growing.\u00a0 Corporations collect and store our social security numbers, our bank account information, and our email addresses.\u00a0 They collect information about our private health and medical conditions. \u00a0They know what routes we take to work and where we drop our kids off at school. \u00a0They can replicate our fingerprints or even faceprints.\u00a0 We trust them with private photographs that we store in the cloud.\u00a0 This information is increasingly targeted by both criminal hackers and nation-states, including hostile foreign powers.\r\nThe Consumer Privacy Protection Act I am introducing today is based on legislation I first introduced in 2015, and builds and expands on data security legislation that I have introduced in Congress since 2005.\u00a0 It seeks to protect the vast amount of information that we now share with corporations each and every day. \u00a0Americans want to know that the corporations who are profiting from their information are actually doing something to prevent the next data breach.\u00a0 Americans want to know when someone has had unauthorized access to their bank accounts and to their private family photographs, but they do not just want to be notified of yet another data breach.\u00a0 Consumers should not have to settle for mere notice of data breaches.\u00a0 American consumers deserve protection.\u00a0 This legislation would accomplish that.\u00a0\u00a0\r\nThe Consumer Privacy Protection Act requires that corporations meet certain baseline privacy and data security standards to keep information they store about their customers safe, and requires that corporations provide notice and protection to consumers in the event of a breach.\u00a0 This legislation protects broad categories of data, including, (1) social security numbers and other government-issued identification numbers; (2) financial account information, including credit card numbers and bank accounts; (3) online usernames and passwords, including email names and passwords; (4) unique biometric data, including fingerprints; (5) information about a person\u2019s physical and mental health; (6) information about geolocation; and (7) access to private digital photographs and videos.\r\nIt is true that not every breach can be prevented.\u00a0 Cyber criminals and nation-state actors are determined and constantly looking for new ways to pierce the most sophisticated security systems.\u00a0 But just as we expect a bank to put a lock on the front door and an alarm on the vault to protect its customers\u2019 money, we expect corporations to take reasonable measures to protect the personal information they collect from us.\u00a0 Unfortunately, many of the corporations that profit from the very information that we entrust them to protect, have woefully inadequate measures to secure this information.\u00a0 For others, security is simply not a priority. \u00a0American consumers deserve better and our national security demands it.\r\nThis legislation creates civil penalties for corporations that fail to meet the required privacy and data security standards established in the bill or fail to provide notice and protection to consumers when a breach occurs.\u00a0 The Department of Justice, the Federal Trade Commission, and State attorneys general each have a role in enforcement. \u00a0This legislation also requires corporations to inform Federal law enforcement of all large data breaches, as well as breaches that could impact the federal government.\u00a0 Such notification is necessary to help law enforcement bring these cyber criminals to justice and identify patterns that help protect against future attacks.\r\nMany Americans understandably assume Federal law already protects this sensitive information\u2014common sense tells us that it should.\u00a0 Unfortunately, the reality is that it does not.\u00a0 States provide a patchwork of protection, and while some laws are strong, others are not.\u00a0 For example, my home state of Vermont has a strong data breach notification law that that has been in effect since 2007. \u00a0But there are many other States that have not passed data security laws designed to prevent data breaches.\u00a0\r\nThis legislation sets a floor: a baseline standard that that protects Americans across the country, while also freeing individual States to provide even stronger protections to their residents.\u00a0 In crafting Federal law, we must be careful not to override strong State laws, but we also need to ensure that all Americans, regardless of where they live, have their privacy protected.\u00a0 To this end, the Consumer Privacy Protection Act preempts State law relating to data security and data breach notification only to the extent that the protections under those laws are weaker than those provided for in this bill.\u00a0 We must ensure that consumers do not lose privacy protections they currently enjoy. \u00a0Since this bill is modeled after those States with the strongest consumer protections, I believe it will improve protections for consumers in nearly every State.\u00a0\r\nI am joined today by Senators Markey, Blumenthal, Wyden, Franken, and Baldwin in introducing this legislation.\u00a0 These Senators have long shared my commitment to protecting consumer privacy.\u00a0 This legislation also has the support of leading consumer privacy advocates, including: the Center for Democracy and Technology, the Consumer Federation of America, New America\u2019s Open Technology Institute, and Public Knowledge.\u00a0\r\nMillions of Americans who have had their personal information compromised or stolen as a result of a data breach consider this issue to be of critical importance and a priority for the Senate. \u00a0Protecting privacy rights should be important to all of us, regardless of party or ideology.\u00a0 I hope all Senators will support this common-sense measure to better protect Americans\u2019 privacy.\u00a0\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/leahy-statement-on-the-attorney-generals-russia-related-testimony-before-the-senate-", "Leahy Statement On the Attorney Generals Russia-related testimony before the Senate", "2017-11-13", "2017", "2017-11", "Democrat", "House", "VT", "Patrick Leahy", "L000174", "www.leahy.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "11.13.17\n\t\t\t Leahy Statement On the Attorney General\u2019s Russia-related testimony before the Senate  \n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tOver the past 10 months, the Attorney General has testified before the Senate on three occasions about his knowledge of and contacts with Russian operatives.\u00a0 He also answered written questions and provided additional supplemental testimony.\u00a0 But he still has not gotten his story straight.\u00a0 On numerous occasions, new disclosures of his communications involving Russia have raised serious doubts about his testimony.\u00a0 And not one of these disclosures has come from the Attorney General; all have come from the press or unsealed court records.\u00a0 That is a problem.\r\nThis started in January.\u00a0 At his nomination hearing both Senator Franken and I asked him about contacts with Russian officials.\u00a0 I asked him in writing whether he had been in contact with anyone connected to the Russian government about the 2016 election.\u00a0 It was not a tricky or surprising question.\u00a0 Other Trump officials\u2019 undisclosed contacts with Russians, like those of Michael Flynn or Jared Kushner, were major headlines at the time.\u00a0 Under oath, then-Senator Sessions answered with a single word, \u201cno.\u201d\u00a0 We soon learned that the answer was \u201cyes\u201d\u2014just the opposite.\r\nIn March, the Washington Post reported that Sessions met with Russian Ambassador Kislyak on two occasions during the height of the 2016 campaign.\u00a0 Days later, the Attorney General was forced to recuse himself from the Russia investigation.\u00a0 In June, the press reported on a third undisclosed contact.\u00a0 In July, despite the Attorney General\u2019s previous assertions that he never discussed the campaign with Russian officials, U.S. intelligence intercepts reportedly revealed that he had done just that\u2014discussing the campaign and its positions on Russia-related issues with the Russian ambassador.\u00a0 When I asked the Attorney General about this report in the Judiciary Committee last month, his testimony shifted yet again; he acknowledged that it was \u201cpossible\u201d he had those conversations.\u00a0 That flatly contradicts his testimony to me in January. \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\r\nAnd the disclosures show no sign of stopping.\u00a0 Two weeks ago, unsealed court records revealed additional Russian connections that were discussed during a Trump campaign meeting in March 2016.\u00a0 Then-Senator Sessions reportedly admonished those in attendance to not discuss the issue again out of fear it would leak to the press.\u00a0 And just last week another foreign policy campaign aide testified that he informed Sessions of his planned trip to Russia in July 2016.\u00a0 Once again, the descriptions of these communications are impossible to reconcile with the Attorney General\u2019s testimony, in which he claimed under oath that he was not aware of any contact between the Trump campaign and Russian officials.\r\nThe notion that the Attorney General is just forgetful is simply not believable.\u00a0 Potential Russian involvement in our elections was a major story at the time.\u00a0 In July 2016, then-candidate Trump encouraged Russia to commit espionage against his political opponent, Hillary Clinton, by stealing her emails.\u00a0 That same week then-Senator Sessions told CNN that \u201cpeople come up to [him] all the time\u201d to talk about Russia hacking Hillary Clinton\u2019s emails.\u00a0Exactly who were all these people talking to him about Russia hacking Hillary Clinton\u2019s emails?\u00a0 And should he have disclosed any of these conversations to the Judiciary Committee?\u00a0 We do not yet know.\u00a0 Senator Durbin recently asked him this in a written question, and we look forward to his response.\r\nI want another point to be clear:\u00a0 I have never accused the Attorney General of colluding with Russia, and I am not doing so now.\u00a0 But it is clear that the Kremlin tested the waters with then-Senator Sessions, as it did with so many other Trump campaign officials.\u00a0 It is equally clear that the Attorney General concealed his own contacts with Russian officials, and he has failed to correct the record even when given multiple opportunities to do so.\u00a0 I agree with Senators Graham, Franken, and others that he needs to come back once again to testify before the Senate Judiciary Committee.\u00a0 It is time we hear the whole story.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\r\nAn important part of that story is what the Attorney General did on May 9th, the day President Trump fired FBI Director James Comey.\u00a0 To justify the dismissal, the president cited a Justice Department memorandum signed off by Attorney General Sessions.\u00a0 The memo attempted to justify firing Director Comey because he treated Hillary Clinton unfairly during the email investigation.\u00a0 We later learned there was an earlier, unsent letter that pointed to President Trump\u2019s true motivation for firing Director Comey: the Russia investigation.\u00a0 The day before the dismissal the Attorney General and Deputy Attorney General were reportedly called into the White House to discuss the earlier letter.\u00a0 The next day, May 9th, they delivered their own hastily drafted memo that provided the alternative justification for firing Director Comey.\r\nHere\u2019s the problem: The May 9th memo was a fa\u00e7ade.\u00a0 It was a pretext.\u00a0 The White House needed to point to anything other than Russia to justify dismissing Director Comey, and the Attorney General obliged.\u00a0 But the president could not keep the secret.\u00a0 The very next morning, he boasted to Russian officials visiting the Oval Office that firing Director Comey took great pressure off of him from the Russia investigation.\u00a0 Two days later, on national television, the president made clear what we all knew:\u00a0 He fired the lead Russia investigator due to concerns over how he was handling the Russia investigation.\u00a0\r\nHere is another problem:\u00a0 Firing an investigator in order to stymie a legitimate investigation is a crime\u2014it is called obstruction of justice.\u00a0 Whether there is sufficient evidence to merit a charge of obstruction against the president will likely be revealed by Special Counsel Mueller.\u00a0 If so, the Attorney General may have to admit the May 9th memo that he approved was nothing but a smokescreen\u2014an attempt to mask an uncomfortable truth and excuse the inexcusable.\u00a0 Prosecutors do not look kindly upon those who aid others in covering up crimes.\r\nFor many years I sat with Senator Sessions on the Judiciary Committee.\u00a0 We disagreed on many policy issues, but I never questioned his commitment to the rule of law.\u00a0I do question this president\u2019s commitment to the rule of law.\u00a0 This month alone President Trump repeatedly directed the Justice Department to target his political opponents and chase his conspiracy theories.\u00a0 This is a president who needs to be told \u201cno.\u201d\u00a0 May 9th was one of those moments.\u00a0 I am greatly disappointed that Attorney General Sessions was not up to the task.\u00a0 This is a solemn obligation that goes to the heart of what it means to be Attorney General\u2014ensuring that no person, not even a president, is above the law.\u00a0 He is not a Secretary of Justice, serving the president blindly and covering his flaws.\u00a0 He is the Attorney General of the United States, serving the American people.\u00a0 I fear Attorney General Sessions has lost sight of this distinction.\r\nWe are in the midst of perhaps the most serious national security investigation of our time. A foreign adversary attacked our democracy and our elections.\u00a0 We know that Russia will be back.\u00a0\u00a0If we are serious about preventing the next attack, we must know what happened during the last.\u00a0 The American people deserve answers.\u00a0 No more obfuscation.\u00a0 No more falsehoods.\u00a0 This starts with the Attorney General returning to the Senate Judiciary Committee to explain, in person, under oath, why he has not provided truthful, complete answers to some of the most pressing questions facing our nation today.\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0\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/leahy-no-tax-breaks-for-corporate-misconduct", "Leahy: No Tax Breaks For Corporate Misconduct", "2017-11-09", "2017", "2017-11", "Democrat", "House", "VT", "Patrick Leahy", "L000174", "www.leahy.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "11.09.17\n\t\t\t Leahy: No Tax Breaks For Corporate Misconduct \n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tU.S. Senator Patrick Leahy Thursday reintroduced legislation to close a tax loophole that allows corporations to write off the punishment they receive for egregious wrongdoing as an \u201cordinary\u201d business expense.\r\nPunitive damages are imposed rarely, and only on bad actors whose reckless misconduct resulted in extreme consequences \u2013 and usually great harm to peoples\u2019 lives.\u00a0 Such damages are intended to impose a punishment on the wrongdoer so that more responsible decisions will be made in the future.\u00a0 But enabling corporations to deduct these damages lessens the deterrent effect of that punishment.\u00a0 Leahy first introduced legislation to close this loophole in 2011.\u00a0 The bill is cosponsored by Senators Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), Jack Reed (D-R.I.), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.), and Maggie Hassan (D-N.H.).\r\nLeahy said:\u00a0 \u201cBy giving corporations a deduction specifically for their wrongdoing, our tax code winks and nods at future wrongdoers who know that they can simply write off the damages they owe for the damage they cause.\u00a0 This is wrong.\u00a0 Protecting Americans from corporate misconduct is not a political or partisan issue.\u00a0 It is our job.\u201d\r\nCorporate bad actors have been hit with punitive damages and penalties for causing tragic disasters such as the 1989 Exxon Valdez oil spill which devastated Alaska\u2019s southern coast; the 2010 explosion at Big Branch mine in West Virginia that claimed the lives of 29 miners; and the 2010 Deepwater Horizon rig explosion in the Gulf of Mexico that claimed 11 lives and led to the worst oil spill in U.S. history. But thanks to the existing loophole, these corporations were lawfully able to deduct these punitive damages and penalties as a mere cost of doing business.\r\nThe Joint Committee on Taxation has estimated that closing the punitive damages loophole could increase federal revenues by $415 million over 10 years.\r\nBlumenthal said: \u201cA tax write-off for corporate malfeasance defies all reason. The companies that take advantage of this despicable loophole are responsible for devastating environmental disasters, white collar wrongdoing, and even the loss of human life. They should be punished fully for these acts - not given a reprieve by our tax code.\u201d\r\nReed said: \u201cFraud and gross negligence are not legitimate business activities, and penalties for these misdeeds should not be tax-deductible business expenses.\u00a0 Taxpayers should not foot the bill for punitive damages that are designed to hold bad actors accountable for causing serious harm.\u00a0 Congress needs to close tax loopholes that subsidize corporate wrongdoing.\u201d\r\n\u201cOur top priority in reforming our tax code should be ensuring that hard-working Granite Staters and families across this country have what they need to get ahead and stay ahead, not rewarding big corporations for wrongdoing and misconduct,\u201d Senator Hassan said. \u201cThe No Tax Write-Offs for Corporate Wrongdoers Act is a common-sense measure to hold big corporations responsible for misconduct accountable, while putting middle class Granite Staters and Americans first.\u201d\r\nRepublican leaders in Congress has been pushing tax cut proposals that disproportionately advantage wealthy corporations over middleclass Americans.\u00a0 The No Tax Write-Offs for Corporate Wrongdoers Act would hold corporations accountable for their reckless misconduct while simultaneously reducing the deficit.\u00a0 When the Senate considers tax reform, Leahy intends to propose his legislation as an amendment to the Republican bill.\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-confirms-senator-leahys-and-governor-scotts-recommendation-for-vermonts-next-us-attorney-christina-nolan", "Senate Confirms Senator Leahys And Governor Scotts Recommendation For Vermonts Next U.S. Attorney, Christina Nolan", "2017-11-09", "2017", "2017-11", "Democrat", "House", "VT", "Patrick Leahy", "L000174", "www.leahy.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "11.09.17\n\t\t\t Senate Confirms Senator Leahy\u2019s And Governor Scott\u2019s Recommendation For Vermont\u2019s Next U.S. Attorney, Christina Nolan \n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tThe U.S. Senate Thursday night unanimously confirmed Christina Nolan to be Vermont\u2019s next U.S. Attorney, following the recommendation of U.S. Senator Patrick Leahy and Vermont Governor Phil Scott (R).\u00a0 Ms. Nolan was nominated less than two months ago by President Trump, and she is one of only two U.S. Attorney nominees to be confirmed in states with Democratic Senators and is also one of only two women to be confirmed as U.S. Attorneys in this Congress.\u00a0 Leahy is a leading member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, which handled the nomination.\u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0\r\nMs. Nolan will be the 38th U.S. Attorney and the first woman to be Senate-confirmed in Vermont\u2019s history. \u00a0She will lead an office of some 45 employees, including 20 attorneys who represent the United States in criminal and civil litigation in Vermont.\u00a0 Ms. Nolan has served as an Assistant U.S. Attorney in Vermont since 2010, and in recent years has focused on criminal cases involving trafficking in heroin and other opioids.\r\nIn a joint statement, Leahy and Scott said:\r\n\u201cChristina Nolan is a native Vermonter and a well-respected Assistant U.S. Attorney with a passion for the State of Vermont and for the mission of a prosecutor \u2014 to seek justice and improve our communities. \u00a0She also understands the public safety challenges facing our state, especially how opioid addiction has affected so many Vermont families and how this needs to be an important focus of the office.\u00a0 We were proud to join together to recommend Christina to the President for this position, the top federal law enforcement official in our state. \u00a0We know she will make Vermont proud.\r\n\u201cWe also extend our appreciation to Eugenia A.P. Cowles, who has served Vermonters well as the Acting U.S. Attorney since February.\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://welch.house.gov/media-center/in-the-news/addison-county-independent-local-farmers-congressman-welch-share-farm", "Addison County Independent: Local Farmers, Congressman Welch Share Farm Priorities", "2017-11-08", "2017", "2017-11", "Democrat", "House", "VT", "Peter Welch", "W000800", "welch.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "\u201cIt\u2019s a mess in Washington,\u201d Congressman Peter Welch told a group of Champlain Valley specialty crop farmers who gathered in Middlebury last week to share their wish lists for the 2018 farm bill. But, despite the dysfunction in much of the nation\u2019s capital,\u00a0 the Vermont Democrat said there is still hope because there tends to be bipartisan support to \u201cget a decent farm bill.\u201d\nKey to building that support, he said, is first gathering specific concerns and recommendations from constituents.\n\u201cA lot of my colleagues, Republican and Democrat, will be having similar meetings with folks like you in their communities,\u201d Welch said. \u201cThe purpose of this meeting today is to get input from you as to what I should be doing on the farm bill.\u201d\nThe around 15 participants gathered, fittingly, in the processing area at Happy Valley Orchard on Monday morning.\nOne topic Welch wished to discuss was support for local foods, which, he said, is an important topic for Congressional representatives from around the country.\nHe described a \u201csignificant movement in Congress to try to broaden out the farm bill to support local agriculture.\u201d And he noted the growing awareness nationwide of the multiple positive impacts local sustainable agriculture brings to local communities. Chief among these benefits is healthier food, Welch said, but there are other benefits.\n\u201cThere\u2019s a growing sense of awareness that (local, sustainable agriculture) is good for the environment,\u201d he said. \u201cIt keeps land open. People just love the \u2018collateral consequences\u2019 of your work and husbandry. And there\u2019s a growing appreciation for the economic impact that the work you do has because that money stays locally.\u201d\nArea farmers in attendance included three apple growers \u2014 host Stan Pratt and Shoreham orchardists Bill Suhr and Scott Douglas \u2014 and vegetable growers Becky Maden of Orwell\u2019s Singing Cedars Farmstead and Spencer Blackwell of Middlebury\u2019s Elmer Farm. Grower/vintners from South Hero\u2019s Snow Farm Vineyard and Shelburne Vineyard found Ken Albert also took part. Other participants came from the Agency of Agriculture, University of Vermont Extension and Vermont Tree Fruit Growers Association.\nTopics they raised included:\n\u2022\u00a0 How to make crop insurance programs more effectively meet the needs of different kinds of growers.\n\u2022\u00a0 The importance of Farm Service Agency loans to farmers.\n\u2022\u00a0 Increased and more reliable funding for university extension services, which conduct agricultural research and provide technical support to farmers. Terry Bradshaw, UVM Extension\u2019s apple expert, described Extension funding as \u201ccrumbling\u201d for some time.\n\u2022\u00a0 Funding to support the statewide network of specialized weather stations that are critical to apple growers being able to get real-time disease and insect information.\n\u2022\u00a0 Support for farmers implementing new food safety regulations.\nAlso discussed were how to balance consumer demand for cheap food, which often means food produced by large-scale agribusiness, with the benefits of sustainable, locally grown food, produced on a smaller scale.\nShelburne Vineyard\u2019s Albert brought to Welch\u2019s attention the absurdity of a regulation that allows him to ship 375-milliliter but not 200ml bottles of ice wine out of state.\nFarm labor \u2014 though not an area of federal legislation covered by farm bills \u2014 came up repeatedly. Participants discussed the difficulties of finding and keeping local labor, the likely difficulty for farmers that would be brought about by an increase in the minimum wage, and the challenges inherent in using the federal H2A visa program, which brings the Jamaican apple pickers who harvest most of Vermont\u2019s apples. The labor needs and challenges varied considerably depending on the crop being grown.\nCongress typically passes a farm bill every five years. The current farm bill expires Sept. 30, 2018. It covers 12 areas, including commodity crops (such as dairy products and the \u201cbig five\u201d of corn, soybeans, wheat, rice and cotton); so-called \u201cspecialty crops,\u201d which in Vermont covers things like vegetables, berries, tree fruits like apples, maple syrup, hops, and any crops not considered \u201ccommodities\u201d; crop insurance; natural resources conservation; research on food and farming; energy; rural development; international agricultural trade; and nutrition.\nWelch held a similar meeting with county dairy farmers last spring. Representatives from Sen. Leahy\u2019s and Sen. Sanders\u2019 offices are conducting similar listening sessions around the state.\nAs in previous negotiations, a major challenge working toward the 2018 farm bill will be allocating a fairer share of resources for local, sustainable agriculture.\n\u201cBig farm commodity crops have dominated the farm bill. It\u2019s like: \u2018What\u2019s good for Cargill is good for America.\u2019 Well, I think most people here would dispute that,\u201d Welch said. \u201cThere\u2019s a tug-of-war over how resources should be divided between large commodity crops and more diversified farms aimed at supporting local agriculture.\u201d\nWelch emphasized repeatedly that this tug of war \u201cdoesn\u2019t split along party lines because you go to any part of the country and there\u2019s enormous interest in local organic agriculture.\u201d\nTo emphasize this point Welch told a humorous story involving food safety regulations, cheese ripening and a moment of close collaboration with Wisconsin Congressman and Speaker of the House Paul Ryan.\nHis experience in negotiating past farm bills has shown that success comes from listening to constituents and then building coalitions in Washington.\n\u201cWhat\u2019s happened for me in the past with the farm bill is that if I can start creating a coalition of people who are advocating for a set number of things it will help us. We can have enormous influence on what the ultimate shape of the farm bill is. That\u2019s what we\u2019re talking about.\u201d\nWelch urged constituents to keep in touch as work continues on the 2018 farm bill.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.leahy.senate.gov/press/breaking-leahy-reax-to-new-treasury-dept-regs-restricting-travel-and-transactions-by-american-citizens-in-cuba-", "BREAKING: Leahy REAX To New Treasury Dept. Regs. Restricting Travel & Transactions By American Citizens In Cuba", "2017-11-08", "2017", "2017-11", "Democrat", "House", "VT", "Patrick Leahy", "L000174", "www.leahy.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "11.08.17\n\t\t\t BREAKING: Leahy REAX To New #Treasury Dept. Regs. Restricting Travel & Transactions By American Citizens In #Cuba  \n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\u201cThese new regulations are reminiscent of the Cold War and what one would expect of a paranoid totalitarian government, not a democracy like ours. \u201cThe hypocrisy of the White House ideologues is glaring.\u00a0 It is stunning.\u00a0 On a day when President Trump and members of his Cabinet are feted in Beijing by the world\u2019s most repressive, nuclear-armed communist government, in a country to which Americans can travel freely, his Treasury Department releases onerous and petty restrictions on what private American citizens can do in Cuba -- an impoverished neighbor that poses not the slightest threat to the United States.\u00a0 \u00a0 \u201cNobody supports the Cuban military, a decrepit institution that is no match for a single U.S. battalion.\u00a0 But far from promoting human rights in Cuba, these new regulations will hurt fledgling entrepreneurs and the rest of the Cuban people by discouraging Americans from traveling there.\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.leahy.senate.gov/press/leahy-and-lee-reax-to-house-judiciary-approval-of-key-reforms-to-section-702-surveillance-authorities", "Leahy And Lee REAX To House Judiciary Approval Of Key Reforms To Section 702 Surveillance Authorities", "2017-11-08", "2017", "2017-11", "Democrat", "House", "VT", "Patrick Leahy", "L000174", "www.leahy.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "11.08.17\n\t\t\t Leahy And Lee REAX To House Judiciary Approval Of Key Reforms To Section 702 Surveillance Authorities \n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t[On Wednesday, the House Judiciary Committee reported the USA Liberty Act, sponsored by House Judiciary Chairman Bob Goodlatte (R-Va.) and Ranking Member John Conyers, Jr. (D-Mich.), and by Crime Subcommittee Chairman Jim Sensenbrenner (R-Wis.) and Ranking Member Sheila Jackson Lee (D-Texas).\u00a0 The legislation, which reauthorizes and reforms Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) Amendments Act, was approved by a vote of 27-8 and will now be reported to the House Floor.\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. \u00a0Senator Lee and Senator Leahy together released the following statement:]\r\nWe applaud the House Judiciary Committee and its Chairman Bob Goodlatte and Ranking Member John Conyers for advancing legislation that would reauthorize Section 702 surveillance authorities with some important improvements.\u00a0 The bill codifies an end to \u201cabout\u201d collection, closes a loophole that allows this national security tool to be used for standard domestic criminal investigations without a warrant, and contains many other provisions to protect the privacy and civil liberty interests of Americans. \u00a0This bill is part of a promising, bipartisan effort to provide some long-overdue reforms to this surveillance authority.\r\nJust as we did last Congress, we are working with both House Judiciary Committee leaders as well as with leading voices in the Senate, such as Senator Dianne Feinstein, to introduce our own strong reform bill in the Senate in the near term.\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/leahys-bulletproof-vest-program-awards-grants-to-34-vermont-communities-to-help-equip-law-enforcement-officers-with-280-more-lifesaving-vests", "Leahys Bulletproof Vest Program Awards Grants To 34 Vermont Communities To Help Equip Law Enforcement Officers With 280 More Lifesaving Vests", "2017-11-08", "2017", "2017-11", "Democrat", "House", "VT", "Patrick Leahy", "L000174", "www.leahy.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "11.08.17\n\t\t\t Leahy\u2019s Bulletproof Vest Program Awards Grants To 34 Vermont Communities To Help Equip Law Enforcement Officers With 280 More Lifesaving Vests \n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tSenator Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) Wednesday announced that 34 Vermont law enforcement agencies will receive federal funding to help purchase a total of 280 lifesaving protective vests. The FY 2017 funding, administered by the U.S. Department of Justice, is made possible under the Leahy-authored Bulletproof Vest Partnership (BVP) Program. \u00a0With these most recent awards, Vermont agencies to date have received more than $1 million to help purchase nearly 4,800 vests.\r\nLeahy said:\u00a0 \u201cIn Vermont and across the nation, those who protect our communities increasingly are being called upon to respond to dangerous situations. \u00a0As recent tragedies have shown us, yet again, we must do all we can to ensure the safety of those who risk their own lives to protect innocent people.\u201d\u00a0 He noted the need for protective vests is heightened by the rise in drug trafficking in Vermont and around the nation.  A leading member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, Leahy led the work to create the vest program in the aftermath of a 1997 shootout on the Vermont-New Hampshire border in which the gunman killed four people, including two state troopers. \u00a0Three law enforcement officers were wounded. \u00a0The gunman, who was also killed, was armed with a semi-automatic rifle and wore a bulletproof vest.  Nationwide, the Leahy-authored BVP program has awarded more than 13,000 jurisdictions a total of $430 million in federal funds to support the purchase of more than 1.2 million vests (1,294,837 as of July 2017).\u00a0 Leahy leads in securing annual funding for the program as Vice Chairman of the Senate Appropriations Committee. \u00a0 Leahy noted that the program is vital for small communities that struggle under tight budgets to keep their officers safe. \u00a0Through Leahy\u2019s efforts, communities that cannot meet the 50 percent federal match requirements may also be eligible for waivers. \u00a0Leahy led the five-year reauthorization of the BVP program in 2016.\r\n\u201cThis is the type of commonsense program that Congress must continue to support for decades to come,\u201d Leahy said. \u00a0\u201cWe have solid evidence that these vests save lives.\u201d\r\nVermont Jurisdictions Receiving Bulletproof Vest Grants\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\nState\r\n\r\n\r\nJurisdiction Name\r\n\r\n\r\nBVP Funding Amount\r\n\r\n\r\nEstimated Number of Vests\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\nVT\r\n\r\n\r\nBARRE CITY\r\n\r\n\r\n$4,684.80\r\n\r\n\r\n14\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\nVT\r\n\r\n\r\nBARRE TOWN\r\n\r\n\r\n$478.78\r\n\r\n\r\n2\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\nVT\r\n\r\n\r\nBRATTLEBORO TOWN\r\n\r\n\r\n$4,053.08\r\n\r\n\r\n14\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\nVT\r\n\r\n\r\nBURLINGTON CITY\r\n\r\n\r\n$9,490.19\r\n\r\n\r\n34\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\nVT\r\n\r\n\r\nCALEDONIA COUNTY\r\n\r\n\r\n$6,064.04\r\n\r\n\r\n21\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\nVT\r\n\r\n\r\nCOLCHESTER TOWN\r\n\r\n\r\n$1,916.73\r\n\r\n\r\n6\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\nVT\r\n\r\n\r\nFRANKLIN COUNTY\r\n\r\n\r\n$1,277.82\r\n\r\n\r\n4\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\nVT\r\n\r\n\r\nGRAND ISLE COUNTY\r\n\r\n\r\n$1,794.94\r\n\r\n\r\n5\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\nVT\r\n\r\n\r\nHARDWICK TOWN\r\n\r\n\r\n$1,178.79\r\n\r\n\r\n4\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\nVT\r\n\r\n\r\nHARTFORD TOWN\r\n\r\n\r\n$2,330.02\r\n\r\n\r\n5\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\nVT\r\n\r\n\r\nKILLINGTON TOWN\r\n\r\n\r\n$664.47\r\n\r\n\r\n2\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\nVT\r\n\r\n\r\nLAMOILLE COUNTY\r\n\r\n\r\n$3,587.87\r\n\r\n\r\n15\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\nVT\r\n\r\n\r\nLUDLOW TOWN\r\n\r\n\r\n$520.71\r\n\r\n\r\n1\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\nVT\r\n\r\n\r\nMIDDLEBURY TOWN\r\n\r\n\r\n$1,753.01\r\n\r\n\r\n5\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\nVT\r\n\r\n\r\nMILTON TOWN\r\n\r\n\r\n$1,880.79\r\n\r\n\r\n5\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\nVT\r\n\r\n\r\nMONTPELIER CITY\r\n\r\n\r\n$1,018.27\r\n\r\n\r\n3\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\nVT\r\n\r\n\r\nMORRISTOWN TOWN\r\n\r\n\r\n$958.37\r\n\r\n\r\n3\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\nVT\r\n\r\n\r\nNEWPORT CITY\r\n\r\n\r\n$5,031.41\r\n\r\n\r\n14\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\nVT\r\n\r\n\r\nNORTHFIELD TOWN\r\n\r\n\r\n$3,549.01\r\n\r\n\r\n9\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\nVT\r\n\r\n\r\nNORWICH TOWN\r\n\r\n\r\n$1,916.73\r\n\r\n\r\n4\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\nVT\r\n\r\n\r\nORANGE COUNTY\r\n\r\n\r\n$4,642.07\r\n\r\n\r\n15\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\nVT\r\n\r\n\r\nORLEANS COUNTY\r\n\r\n\r\n$1,183.58\r\n\r\n\r\n4\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\nVT\r\n\r\n\r\nRANDOLPH TOWN\r\n\r\n\r\n$1,397.62\r\n\r\n\r\n3\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\nVT\r\n\r\n\r\nRICHMOND TOWN\r\n\r\n\r\n$591.79\r\n\r\n\r\n2\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\nVT\r\n\r\n\r\nRUTLAND CITY\r\n\r\n\r\n$3,833.45\r\n\r\n\r\n12\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\nVT\r\n\r\n\r\nSHELBURNE TOWN\r\n\r\n\r\n$1,594.08\r\n\r\n\r\n4\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\nVT\r\n\r\n\r\nSOUTH BURLINGTON CITY\r\n\r\n\r\n$2,292.09\r\n\r\n\r\n7\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\nVT\r\n\r\n\r\nSPRINGFIELD TOWN\r\n\r\n\r\n$1,375.65\r\n\r\n\r\n5\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\nVT\r\n\r\n\r\nST ALBANS CITY\r\n\r\n\r\n$1,916.73\r\n\r\n\r\n6\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\nVT\r\n\r\n\r\nSWANTON VILLAGE\r\n\r\n\r\n$1,131.42\r\n\r\n\r\n5\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\nVT\r\n\r\n\r\nWILLISTON TOWN\r\n\r\n\r\n$1,195.96\r\n\r\n\r\n5\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\nVT\r\n\r\n\r\nWINDHAM COUNTY\r\n\r\n\r\n$9,364.01\r\n\r\n\r\n35\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\nVT\r\n\r\n\r\nWINDSOR TOWN\r\n\r\n\r\n$664.12\r\n\r\n\r\n2\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\nVT\r\n\r\n\r\nWINHALL TOWN\r\n\r\n\r\n$1,585.30\r\n\r\n\r\n5\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\nVT\r\n\r\n\r\nTotals for VT(34 Jurisdictions):\r\n\r\n\r\n$86,917.70\r\n\r\n\r\n280\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-leads-senators-urging-senate-finance-committee-to-reject-tax-changes-to-401ks", "Leahy Leads Senators Urging Senate Finance Committee To Reject Tax Changes To 401(k)s", "2017-11-07", "2017", "2017-11", "Democrat", "House", "VT", "Patrick Leahy", "L000174", "www.leahy.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "11.07.17\n\t\t\t Leahy Leads Senators Urging Senate Finance Committee To Reject Tax Changes To 401(k)\u2019s \n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tSenator Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) Tuesday led a group of Senate Democrats in calling on the leadership of the Senate Finance Committee to reject changes to the tax system that would harm existing tax incentives for Americans to save for retirement.\u00a0 The letter comes as Senate Republicans are poised to release their own version of tax reform legislation later this week.\r\nSenate Republicans may be considering making changes to the incentives Americans enjoy for retirement, specifically by adopting so-called \u201cRothification,\u201d which would eliminate or limit the amount of pre-tax money that can be contributed to these 401(k) accounts.\u00a0 In the letter, Leahy and his allies highlight research showing that workers at all income levels participating in employer-sponsored retirement plans contribute on average at least $2,700 annually to their accounts.\u00a0 This amount exceeds the $2,400 limit that Republicans reportedly have considered setting as a new pre-tax limit for retirement account contributions.\r\nThe Leahy-led letter says:\u00a0 \u201cCongress needs to do more to improve retirement incentives for the American people, not less.\u00a0 Dramatically altering incentives for retirement simply to raise short-term revenue to pay for tax cuts for the wealthy is a cynical ploy that will harm hardworking Americans in every state.\u201d\r\nThe full text of the letter is available here.\r\nJoining Leahy on the letter are Senators Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.), Tammy Baldwin (D-Wisc.), Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.), Maggie Hassan (D-N.H.), Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.), Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), Cory Booker (D-N.J.), Tom Udall (D-N.M.), Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), Chris Murphy (D-Conn.), Angus King (I-Maine), Ed Markey (D-Mass.), Jack Reed (D-R.I.), Kamala Harris (D-Calif.), and Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.).\r\n\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://welch.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/leahy-sanders-welch-announce-early-release-169-million-heating", "Leahy, Sanders, Welch Announce Early Release of $16.9 Million in Heating Assistance for Vermonters", "2017-11-03", "2017", "2017-11", "Democrat", "House", "VT", "Peter Welch", "W000800", "welch.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "FRIDAY, Nov. 3, 2017 -- Senator Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.), Senator Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) and Congressman Peter Welch (D-Vt.), who advocated for the early release of federal home heating aid funds as Vermont\u2019s winter approaches, today announced that the Department of Health and Human Services has released $16.9 million in heating assistance for Vermont.\nLeahy, Sanders and Welch have long championed funding for the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP), which helps struggling Vermonters heat their homes. \u00a0\nIn a joint statement, Leahy, Sanders and Welch said: \u201cWith temperatures dropping in Vermont, the immediate release of this money is welcome news. Energy assistance is a critical lifeline for countless Vermonters, and we must redouble our efforts to protect this vital safety net program, which is under attack by the Trump Administration.\u201d\u00a0\nPresident Trump has proposed completely eliminating LIHEAP, which would have more than 20,000 Vermonters in the cold without heating assistance.\u00a0Leahy, Sanders and Welch have consistently been in the forefront in defending and maintaining funding for the LIHEAP lifeline, and Leahy, as Vice Chairman of the Senate Appropriations Committee, worked to maintain funding for LIHEAP during the panel\u2019s consideration of the omnibus appropriations bill enacted in February, and to restore the Trump LIHEAP cuts in the appropriations bill approved by the panel on Sept. 7.\nLast heating season, the LIHEAP benefit paid eligible Vermonters an average of $831, covering 50 percent of their fuel costs. This season, it's expected to pay $879, an estimated 53 percent of costs for eligible households.\u00a0Vermonters seeking home heating assistance should call 1-800-479-6151 or visit the website of the Department of Children and Families here.\n\u00a0\nContacts: \u00a0\nDavid Carle (Leahy): 202-224-3693\nDan McLean (Sanders): 802-862-6695\nKate Hamilton\u00a0 (Welch): 202-440-3340\n\u00a0\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.leahy.senate.gov/press/leahy-ag-sessions-must-return-to-judiciary-committee-for-under-oath-testimony-to-address-new-revelations", "Leahy: AG Sessions Must Return To Judiciary Committee For Under-Oath Testimony To Address New Revelations", "2017-11-02", "2017", "2017-11", "Democrat", "House", "VT", "Patrick Leahy", "L000174", "www.leahy.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "11.02.17\n\t\t\t Leahy: AG Sessions Must Return To Judiciary Committee For Under-Oath Testimony To Address New Revelations \n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t[On Monday, unsealed court records revealed that George Papadopoulos \u2013 former foreign policy advisor to the Trump campaign \u2013 pleaded guilty to lying to the FBI about interactions with Russian agents during the 2016 campaign. \u00a0Court documents show that there was a March 31, 2016, \u201cnational security meeting\u201d in Washington, D.C., involving candidate Trump and other advisors, where Papadopoulos explained that he had connections to the Russian government and he offered to \u201chelp arrange a meeting between then-candidate Trump and [Russian] President Putin.\u201d Then-Senator Sessions, serving as chairman of the campaign\u2019s national security team, also attended this meeting, sitting just a few seats away from Papadopoulos.\u00a0 Sessions reportedly \u201cshut down\u201d Papadopoulos and asserted that the topic should not be discussed again.\u00a0 Senator Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.), a leading member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, has confronted the Attorney General in two hearings this year about his communications with individuals with connections to the Russian government in the context of concerns that members of the Trump campaign colluded with the Kremlin in its efforts to elect Donald Trump.\u00a0 Leahy\u2019s statement follows:]\u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0\r\n\u201cAttorney General Sessions needs to come back before the Senate Judiciary Committee. \u00a0The description of the March 2016 meeting contained in unsealed court documents is impossible to reconcile with the Attorney General\u2019s appearance before the Judiciary Committee just two weeks ago.\u00a0 In that hearing, he again testified under oath that he was not aware of any communications between individuals affiliated with the Trump campaign and Russian officials. \u00a0The Attorney General was already given an opportunity to correct his earlier misleading answers to me and Senator Franken in January through written, supplemental testimony. \u00a0Yet he only continued to mislead. \u00a0He now needs to come back before the Committee, in person, under oath, to explain why he cannot seem to provide truthful, complete answers to these important and relevant questions.\u201d\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.leahy.senate.gov/press/leahy-reax-on-the-closed-door-gop-tax-plan-and-the-frantic-rush-to-pass-it-without-hearings-", "Leahy REAX On The Closed-Door GOP Tax Plan And The Frantic Rush To Pass It Without Hearings", "2017-11-02", "2017", "2017-11", "Democrat", "House", "VT", "Patrick Leahy", "L000174", "www.leahy.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "11.02.17\n\t\t\t Leahy REAX On The Closed-Door GOP Tax Plan And The Frantic Rush To Pass It Without Hearings  \n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\u201cRepublicans are repeating the same mistakes they made with health care.\u00a0 It\u2019s the same old playbook: jam through a bill, cobbled together in a back room, that sticks it to hard-working Americans.\u00a0\r\n\u201cRepublicans are desperately seeking a \u2018win\u2019 in Congress, but this one would only come at great cost to the American people.\r\n\u201cWhat House Republican leaders released is a hugely complex bill, with hundreds of pages of fine print, written behind closed doors.\u00a0 House leaders, at President Trump\u2019s tweeted insistence, plan to ram it through in one week -- next week -- with no hearings and little chance for meaningful review, analysis or debate.\u00a0 For generations to come, the selective tax cuts contemplated by Republicans in Congress and by the President would touch every corner of our complex economy and would hurt millions of families, while helping giant corporations.\u00a0\r\n\u201cVermonters with medical expenses, student loans or state tax payments are not the only ones with crucial stakes in this debate.\u00a0 These are serious pocketbook policy decisions that should not be rushed at hyper speed through a hyper-partisan process.\r\n\u201cI want a bipartisan tax reform bill that puts the emphasis on helping working Vermonters and small businesses, not the already flush bank deposits of large corporations.\u00a0 But based on what I\u2019ve seen so far, that is not the direction the House is going.\u00a0 We need to slow down and look carefully, prudently and seriously at this hastily produced bill before putting it on a partisan fast track to the President\u2019s desk.\u00a0 \u201d\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    \n\t\t    \tPrevious Article", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.leahy.senate.gov/press/leahy-reax-on-withdrawal-of-the-clovis-nom-to-usdas-top-science-post-leahy-is-a-leading-member-of-the-agriculture-", "Leahy REAX On Withdrawal Of The Clovis Nom. To USDAs Top Science Post; Leahy Is A Leading Member Of the Agriculture", "2017-11-02", "2017", "2017-11", "Democrat", "House", "VT", "Patrick Leahy", "L000174", "www.leahy.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "11.02.17\n\t\t\t Leahy REAX On Withdrawal Of The Clovis Nom. To USDA\u2019s Top Science Post; Leahy Is A Leading Member Of the Agriculture  \n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\u201cSam Clovis was almost a comically bad nominee, even for this administration. \u00a0He is inarguably unqualified, and he is wrong on almost every major issue relevant to the chief scientist post to which he was nominated. \u00a0His nomination is all too typical of the anti-science agenda and the know-nothingism pushed by President Trump and his administration.\u00a0 But President Trump already knew that when he nominated Mr. Clovis, and that is not why his nomination was abruptly pulled today. \u00a0Not because of his association with birtherism or as a climate change denier, or his other repugnant assertions.\r\n\u201cHis nomination was withdrawn because we learned on Monday that last year Mr. Clovis, while serving as the co-chairman for the national Trump campaign, gave the green light to George Papadopolous\u2019 attempts to collude with Russian operatives and obtain stolen emails from the Clinton campaign. \u00a0Mr. Clovis\u2019 nomination was only withdrawn because that would certainly have been a topic during his upcoming testimony, under oath, before the Senate Agriculture Committee. \u00a0I know because I was going ask him all about it to get more facts on the record and before the American people.\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/leahy-announces-74-million-in-federal-funding-to-support-victim-service-programs-in-vermont", "Leahy Announces $7.4 Million in Federal Funding To Support Victim Service Programs in Vermont", "2017-11-01", "2017", "2017-11", "Democrat", "House", "VT", "Patrick Leahy", "L000174", "www.leahy.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "11.01.17\n\t\t\t Leahy Announces $7.4 Million in Federal Funding To Support Victim Service Programs in Vermont \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 Grants Will Also Strengthen Domestic and Sexual Violence Response in Rural Communities\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t U.S. \u00a0Senator Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) has announced that Vermont organizations will receive 10 grants totaling more than $7.4 million from the U.S. Department of Justice to support crime victims and to strengthen services for survivors of domestic and sexual violence.\r\nAs a former prosecutor and as the Vice Chairman of the Senate Appropriations Committee, Leahy has long led efforts to protect funding for the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) and the Victims of Crime Act (VOCA), the two federal programs that provide direct support to victims. \u00a0Leahy also led the Senate in strengthening and reauthorizing VAWA in 2013 as the chief author and sponsor of that legislation, and in 2015 he helped raise the cap on the Crime Victims Fund so that states would be eligible for more funding.\r\n\u201cIt is vitally important to continue to support those who are supporting victims. \u00a0We have a highly effective network of organizations that serve thousands of Vermont residents every year, and we must ensure they have the tools they need to do their work,\u201d Leahy said. \u201cWe know that half of all homicides in Vermont are related to domestic violence. \u00a0This disturbing reality tears at the fabric of all our communities, from our urban centers to our most rural towns.\u00a0 That is why one of my highest priorities in renewing VAWA was to strengthen support for victims, especially in rural communities with access to few resources.\u201d\r\nKaren Tronsgard-Scott, executive director of the Vermont Network Against Domestic and Sexual Violence, said: \u00a0\u201cSurvivors of domestic and sexual violence need the support of our communities. \u00a0These grants create innovative approaches to providing these vitally important supports and will help survivors reconstruct their lives free from violence.\u00a0 We are grateful for Senator Leahy\u2019s deep understanding of domestic and sexual violence and how it impacts survivors and communities in Vermont, and his stalwart support for these programs.\u201d\r\nChris Fenno, executive director of the Vermont Center for Crime Victim Services, said: \u00a0\u201cThe criminal justice system can be overwhelming for a person who has experienced a robbery, an assault, rape or murder. \u00a0These grants provide crucial victim services to over 25,000 individuals each year across the state of Vermont, and help make the experience less daunting on many levels. We appreciate Senator Leahy\u2019s lifelong dedication to improving the justice system\u2019s response for people whose lives have been impacted by crime.\u201d\r\nThis additional funding comes on the heels of the Senate Appropriations Committee passing a Commerce, Justice and Science Appropriations bill this summer that included $483.5 million for the Violence Against Women Act, a $2 million increase over FY17 levels.\u00a0 That bill included a $1 million increase for a Leahy-authored rural grants program that delivers funds specifically to rural states like Vermont.\u00a0 The appropriations bill also included an additional $1 million in Leahy-authored transitional housing grants, a program that awarded Burlington $349,454 in this round of grants.\r\n FY 2017 U.S. Department of Justice Grants to Vermont:\r\n\u00a0\r\nViolence Against Women Act (VAWA) - Eight grants totaling $3.35 million:\r\n\u2022 Council on Aging for Southeastern Vermont, Inc., Springfield: $395,029\r\nThis funding will enhance the training of police, prosecutors, and the judiciary to investigate and prosecute cases of abuse, mistreatment, violence, and assault of elderly victims.\r\n\u2022 Vermont Center for Crime Victim Services (VCCVS), Waterbury: $372,649\r\nThe Sexual Assault Services Program grant provides states with formula funding to support rape crisis centers and other core services to victims of sexual assault throughout the state.\r\n\u2022 Steps to End Domestic Violence, Burlington: $349,454\r\nThis transitional housing grant assists homeless victims of sexual assault, domestic and dating violence, and stalking by providing short-term housing options and emergency shelter, as well as case management, child care, and other support services to move clients towards securing permanent housing.\r\n\u2022 Champlain Valley Office of Economic Opportunity, City of St. Albans and Voices Against Violence: $379,240\r\nThis funding will enhance the community justice response to domestic violence by strengthening partnerships between criminal justice agencies, victim service providers and community organizations in Franklin and Grand Isle counties.\r\n\u2022 Have Justice \u2013 Will Travel (HJWT), Vershire: $359,281\r\nWith this award, HJWT and its project partners will provide direct legal services and assistance in accessing social services for victims in Bennington and Rutland counties.\r\n\u2022 WISE, Windsor County: $490,382 \r\nThis funding will increase capacity to more effectively serve residents of Windsor County, with an emphasis on the rural towns of Windsor, West Windsor, Weathersfield and Reading, focusing on victim services and coordinated response.\r\n\u2022 Vermont Center for Crime Victim Services, Waterbury: $750,000\r\nThis funding will allow VCCVS to expand the Vermont Rural Grant project in areas of Washington and Lamoille counties, enhancing access to specialized services for victims.\r\n\u2022 Vermont Network Against Domestic and Sexual Violence, Montpelier: $239,126\r\nThis funding supports the state coalition\u2019s efforts to coordinate victim services statewide and advance the goals of VAWA.\r\n Victims of Crime Act (VOCA):\u00a0 Two grants totaling $4.1 million:\r\n\u2022 Vermont Center for Crime Victim Services: $3.97 million\r\nThis funding represents Vermont\u2019s allocation under the state victim assistance formula and is funded through the federal Crime Victims Fund, supported through federal fines and penalties rather than with taxpayer dollars. These funds enhance direct services to crime victims in Vermont and support victim advocates in every state\u2019s attorney\u2019s office throughout Vermont.\r\n\u2022 Vermont Center for Crime Victim Services: $119,000\r\nAdditional funding for direct compensation payments to eligible crime victims.\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/senate-last-night-passes-resolution-by-leahy-and-cruz-calling-for-irans-release-of-unjustly-imprisoned-americans", "Senate Last Night Passes Resolution By Leahy And Cruz Calling For Irans Release Of Unjustly Imprisoned Americans", "2017-11-01", "2017", "2017-11", "Democrat", "House", "VT", "Patrick Leahy", "L000174", "www.leahy.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "11.01.17\n\t\t\t Senate Last Night Passes Resolution By Leahy And Cruz Calling For Iran\u2019s Release Of Unjustly Imprisoned Americans \n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tU.S. Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) and U.S. Senator Patrick Leahy issued the following statement on the Senate\u2019s passage Tuesday night of their bipartisan resolution calling on the Government of Iran to release all unjustly detained American citizens and legal permanent residents, including Siamak Namazi, Baquer Namazi, Xiyue Wang and Nizar Zakka, and to return Robert Levinson.\r\n\u201cFor years the Iranian regime has brutally detained and imprisoned Americans and dual-nationals as a matter of policy, in an effort to leverage the freedom of our citizens for political concessions,\u201d Sen. Cruz said. \u201cWe have a moral imperative to speak for the silenced and shackled, to hold those responsible in Iran to account for detaining and mistreating our people, and to fight for the release and return of those held hostage by the Islamic Republic of Iran. I am glad that today the Senate has voted in support of this vital measure. I will continue to work with my colleagues to ensure the United States safely brings our people back to American soil.\r\n\u201cThere are few more egregious violations of human rights and human dignity than to wrongfully imprison innocent people under harsh conditions for purposes of extortion, which the Government of Iran engages in as a matter of state policy and practice,\u201d Sen. Leahy said.\u00a0\u201cBaquer Namazi, 80 years old and in failing health, is one of several Iranian-Americans being cruelly abused in this manner.\u00a0 It is imperative that the Administration uses its diplomatic tools to obtain their freedom.\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.leahy.senate.gov/press/10-senators-led-by-leahy-ask-president-to-abstain-in-tomorrows-un-general-assembly-vote-on-the-failed-55-year-us-embargo-of-cuba", "10 Senators Led By Leahy Ask President To Abstain In Tomorrows UN General Assembly Vote On The Failed 55-Year U.S. Embargo Of Cuba", "2017-10-31", "2017", "2017-10", "Democrat", "House", "VT", "Patrick Leahy", "L000174", "www.leahy.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "10.31.17\n\t\t\t 10 Senators Led By Leahy Ask President To Abstain In Tomorrow\u2019s UN General Assembly Vote On The Failed 55-Year U.S. Embargo Of Cuba \n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tWith the UN General Assembly tomorrow (Wednesday) scheduled to take up a periodic resolution calling for an end to the 55-year-old U.S. embargo on Cuba, U.S. Senator Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) has headed a letter, signed also by nine other senators, urging that the United States abstain on the vote, as the United States did last year. \u00a0The letter is available at this LINK:\u00a0 https://www.leahy.senate.gov/download/cuban-embargo-letter\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-of-the-senate-agriculture-committee-about-the-nomination-of-sam-clovis-to-be-the-usdas-chief-scientist", "Comment Of Senator Patrick Leahy Of The Senate Agriculture Committee About The Nomination Of Sam Clovis To Be The USDAs Chief Scientist", "2017-10-31", "2017", "2017-10", "Democrat", "House", "VT", "Patrick Leahy", "L000174", "www.leahy.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "10.31.17\n\t\t\t Comment Of Senator Patrick Leahy Of The Senate Agriculture Committee About The Nomination Of Sam Clovis To Be The USDA\u2019s Chief Scientist \n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\u201cIf his anti-science record were not enough cause for concern, the latest reporting suggesting that Mr. Clovis may have facilitated Russian collusion in our elections raises these concerns to an alarming level. \u00a0Even for this administration, that should be disqualifying.\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/reaction-of-senator-patrick-leahy-to-the-report-of-the-independent-team-of-experts-investigating-the-assassination-of-berta-caceres-in-honduras", "Reaction Of Senator Patrick Leahy To The Report Of The Independent Team Of Experts Investigating The Assassination Of Berta Caceres In Honduras", "2017-10-31", "2017", "2017-10", "Democrat", "House", "VT", "Patrick Leahy", "L000174", "www.leahy.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "10.31.17\n\t\t\t Reaction Of Senator Patrick Leahy To The Report Of The Independent Team Of Experts Investigating The Assassination Of Berta Caceres In Honduras \n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\u201cThis damning report corroborates what many have suspected -- that the investigation of Berta Caceres\u2019 murder has been plagued by incompetence, attempts to stonewall and deflect blame to protect those who conceived of and paid for this plot, and a glaring lack of political will.\u00a0 The Public Ministry needs to fully disclose, without further delay, all testimony and electronic and ballistics evidence to the Caceres family\u2019s legal representatives and defendants\u2019 lawyers, as required by law.\u00a0 The Ministry also needs to ensure that every piece of evidence is properly safeguarded, and to follow the evidence wherever it leads to arrest those responsible.\r\n\u201cIt is shameful that despite intense domestic and international pressure, this horrific case has languished, while those responsible have sought to derail it.\u00a0 And there are hundreds of other Honduran social activists and journalists who have been similarly threatened and killed, whose cases have not even prompted investigations.\r\n\u201cAny hope that the Honduran Government may have of continued U.S. assistance under the Alliance for Prosperity Plan will hinge, in part, on the outcome of the Caceres case, acceptance of the legitimate role of civil society and the independent press, and top-to-bottom reform of the judicial system.\u201d\r\n# # # # #\r\n   [Senator Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.), Vice Chairman of the Appropriations Committee and Ranking Member of its Subcommittee on The State Department and Foreign Operations, has consistently called for justice in the case of indigenous Honduran environmental activist Berta Caceres, who was assassinated in March 2016.]\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-statement-response-charges-filed-against-three-former-trump", "Welch Statement in Response to Charges Filed Against Three Former Trump Campaign Officials", "2017-10-30", "2017", "2017-10", "Democrat", "House", "VT", "Peter Welch", "W000800", "welch.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "WASHINGTON \u2013 Rep. Peter Welch (D-VT) issued the following statement in response to the charges filed against three former Trump campaign officials, including campaign chairman and chief strategist Paul Manafort, in the ongoing investigation by special counsel Robert Mueller into Russian efforts to influence the 2016 presidential election.\n\u201cToday\u2019s indictments mark the beginning of the American people finally getting a definitive answer to the central question of what then-candidate Donald Trump and his associates knew about Russian efforts to influence the outcome of our 2016 election, and to what extent, if any, they colluded in this sinister effort.\u00a0 \nAfter reading news accounts of the charges against Mr. Manafort, I am mystified at how Donald Trump could have hired an individual with such a shady background as his top campaign official.\nIt is clear that Mr. Mueller is methodically and systematically following the facts, as he should. I remain confident he will get to the bottom of this mess and hold accountable anyone who broke the law.\u201d\u00a0\u00a0\n\u00a0\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.leahy.senate.gov/press/as-mueller-investigation-proceeds-leahy-calls-to-protect-integrity-and-independence-of-special-counsel", "As Mueller Investigation Proceeds, Leahy Calls to Protect Integrity And Independence Of Special Counsel", "2017-10-30", "2017", "2017-10", "Democrat", "House", "VT", "Patrick Leahy", "L000174", "www.leahy.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "10.30.17\n\t\t\t As Mueller Investigation Proceeds, Leahy Calls to Protect Integrity And Independence Of Special Counsel \n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\u201cToday we learned that one of then-candidate Trump\u2019s foreign policy advisors lied to the FBI about his attempts to coordinate meetings between the Trump campaign and the Kremlin. \u00a0We separately learned that Trump campaign chairman Paul Manafort was deeply connected to and profited from Russian interests in Ukraine, and he allegedly laundered millions of dollars through foreign accounts and lied about it to the U.S. government.\u00a0 He then went on to serve as the chairman of President Trump\u2019s campaign, for free, where he discussed with an associate how to use that position to settle outstanding debts related to his pro-Russian work in Ukraine.\r\n\u201cThe Special Counsel\u2019s investigation into Russian interference in our election and related matters is ongoing. \u00a0Special Counsel Mueller must be permitted to follow the facts, wherever they lead. \u00a0\u00a0Any direct or indirect attempts to interfere with or undermine the Special Counsel\u2019s investigation are dangerous, and could possibly constitute obstruction of justice. \u00a0Our democracy was attacked. \u00a0All of us now \u2013 Republicans and Democrats alike \u2013 must protect the integrity and independence of the Special Counsel\u2019s investigation.\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/a-reality-check-on-the-presidents-opioid-announcement", "A REALITY CHECK ON THE PRESIDENTS OPIOID ANNOUNCEMENT", "2017-10-26", "2017", "2017-10", "Democrat", "House", "VT", "Patrick Leahy", "L000174", "www.leahy.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "10.26.17\n\t\t\t A REALITY CHECK ON THE PRESIDENT\u2019S OPIOID ANNOUNCEMENT \n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tWhite House\u2019s Tough Talk On The Opioid Crisis Crumbles\r\nAs New \u2018Plan\u2019 Offers No New Resources,\r\nWhile Congressional Republicans Act To Slash Medicaid By $1 Trillion\r\nPresident Trump\u2019s long awaited declaration on the nationwide opioids crisis is 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\nIt is far past time for the administration to acknowledge that the opioid crisis is a national emergency that affects every community across the country.\u00a0 This scourge does not discriminate between rich and poor, or Republicans and Democrats, or urban areas and rural ones.\r\nThe plan provides no new funding, but attempts to take credit for what Congress provided in the fiscal year (FY) 2017 Consolidated Appropriations Act (P.L. 115-31).\u00a0 Making the response to the crisis even worse, the President\u2019s FY 2018 budget proposes to cut funding for the opioid epidemic by $97 million compared the FY 2017 enacted levels.\r\nAmericans suffering from opioid addiction do not want or need empty talk and symbolic action.\u00a0 They need resources for medication-assisted treatment, which is expensive, yet House and Senate Republicans just passed a budget with the President\u2019s support that slashes Medicaid by $1 trillion, which would force States to severely reduce coverage and restrict eligibility.\u00a0\r\nThe President touts that this plan allows the Department of Labor to issue dislocated worker grants to help workers who have been displaced from the workforce because of the opioid crisis.\u00a0 Yet the President\u2019s budget request would slash funding for dislocated workers grants for states and national emergencies by more than 40 percent in FY 2018, a cut of over $500 million, despite his empty promises to help American workers and fight the opioid crisis.\r\nThe Senate Appropriations Committee is working to provide the necessary funding to target this crisis by providing roughly $1.4 billion in its FY 2018 spending bills, an increase of more than $137 million above the President\u2019s budget request, $42 million above the House, and $41 million above FY 2017 enacted levels.\u00a0 These resources include:\r\n \r\n$174 million for the Justice Department to fight heroin and illegal distribution and use of opioids, which includes $12 million for Anti-Heroin Task Force grants to states.\u00a0 The Trump budget eliminates this program.\r\n$316 million for Health and Human Services to address the opioid crisis, including $15 million at SAMHSA for a new opioid prevention program.\u00a0 The Trump budget provides nothing for this.\r\n$500 million for the State Response To The Opioid Abuse Crisis grants provided by the 21st Century Cures Act to help prevent and treat opioid abuse in hundreds of underserved areas around the nation.\r\n$386 million for Veterans Affairs for treatment and prevention of opioid dependency among veterans.\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/leahy-releases-further-under-oath-queries-to-ag-sessions-as-part-of-the-judiciary-committees-doj-oversight-hearing-process", "Leahy Releases Further Under-Oath Queries To AG Sessions As Part Of The Judiciary Committees DOJ Oversight Hearing Process", "2017-10-26", "2017", "2017-10", "Democrat", "House", "VT", "Patrick Leahy", "L000174", "www.leahy.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "10.26.17\n\t\t\t Leahy Releases Further Under-Oath Queries To AG Sessions As Part Of The Judiciary Committee\u2019s DOJ Oversight Hearing Process \n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tSenator Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) on Thursday released his written questions for the record to Attorney General Jeff Sessions following the Senate Judiciary Committee\u2019s Justice Department oversight hearing with him last week.\u00a0  Leahy\u2019s written questions \u2013 to which Attorney General Sessions will provide responses under oath \u2013 focus on a variety of issues, including Sessions\u2019 misleading testimony in response to a prior question from Leahy about the scope of his contacts with Russian officials as a senior Trump campaign surrogate.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0  Leahy\u2019s questions also probe why President Trump is personally interviewing U.S. attorney nominees \u2013 an extraordinarily unusual move \u2013 and only for districts in which he has properties or his close associates are under federal investigation.\u00a0 Leahy also presses the Attorney General to recuse himself from any cases in which he clearly has conflicts of interest.  Leahy also questions the Attorney General about the Justice Department\u2019s sharp reversals on voting rights cases; on his guidance to discriminate against LGBTQ individuals in the name of religious liberty; on plans that may eviscerate due process and judicial independence in immigration courts; and on threats to press freedom.\u00a0  Leahy\u2019s written questions to Attorney General Sessions can be found online HERE:\u00a0https://www.leahy.senate.gov/download/leahy-qfrs-to-ag-sessions-102617.\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/statement-of-appropriations-vice-chairman-leahy-on-the-presidents-announcement-on-the-opioid-epidemic", "Statement Of Appropriations Vice Chairman Leahy On the Presidents Announcement On The Opioid Epidemic", "2017-10-26", "2017", "2017-10", "Democrat", "House", "VT", "Patrick Leahy", "L000174", "www.leahy.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "10.26.17\n\t\t\t Statement Of Appropriations Vice Chairman Leahy On the President\u2019s Announcement On The Opioid Epidemic \n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tIt is far past time for the administration to acknowledge that the opioid crisis is a national emergency that affects every community across the country. This is a scourge that does not discriminate between rich and poor, or Republicans and Democrats, or urban areas and rural ones.\u00a0 But the President\u2019s talk is just that \u2013 talk.\u00a0 There is no action or new funding behind the President\u2019s empty words to address this crisis. This is not acceptable.\u00a0\u00a0\r\nThe Republicans voted TODAY in the House of Representatives, and last week in the Senate, to slash Medicaid by $1 trillion, only to pay for tax cuts for the wealthy.\u00a0 Medicaid is a critical lifeline to providing critical care to victims of opioid abuse.\u00a0\r\nAnd the cuts do not stop there.\u00a0 The President\u2019s budget request seeks to eliminate programs, like the anti-heroin task force, that have proven to be effective, including in my home state of Vermont.\u00a0 In fact, the President\u2019s fiscal year 2018 budget would reduce funding for the opioid epidemic by $97 million.\u00a0\r\nThe Senate Appropriations Committee has not followed suit in making these reckless cuts.\u00a0 We instead are working to provide the necessary funding to address this crisis.\u00a0 Between programs within the Justice Department, Health and Human Services Department, and Veterans Affairs, fiscal year 2018 Senate Appropriations bills would provide roughly $1.4 billion in funding, an increase of more than $137 million above the President\u2019s budget request. \u00a0Including:\r\n \r\n$15 million at SAMHSA for a new opioid prevention program (nothing in President Trump\u2019s budget request).\r\n$500 million for the State Response To The Opioid Abuse Crisis grants.\r\n$12 million for Anti-Heroin Task Force grants to states (eliminated in the President\u2019s budget request).\r\n$386 million to treat and prevent opioid dependency among veterans.\r\n \r\nSenate Appropriations Committee Democrats have gone further to combat this epidemic like the public health crisis that it is.\u00a0 In September we put forward a proposal that would provide more than $1 billion in additional funding to further prevent and treat addiction to heroin and other opioids.\u00a0 It was voted down by our Republican colleagues.\u00a0 \u00a0\r\nWe are past the time for just talk.\u00a0 The administration MUST take real action to start acting like a true partner in addressing this national health crisis.\u00a0 And to genuinely address this crisis we will need more resources.\u00a0\r\nSince March, I have been calling on Republicans to negotiate a budget deal.\u00a0 This budget deal needs to provide equal relief from sequestration for non-defense programs. If we do this, we can provide resources and substantial increases in funding to address the opioid crisis.\u00a0\r\nMy state of Vermont has pushed forward, working together with communities, law enforcement agencies and health care providers to treat this as the health crisis that it is.\u00a0 Marcelle and I have sat with families in Vermont who have lost their children and Vermonters who are in recovery.\u00a0 These are people who want and need our help, not a jail cell.\u00a0 We cannot and will not arrest our way out of this problem.\u00a0 We must do better.\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://welch.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/welch-sanders-introduce-legislation-requiring-drug-companies-negotiate", "Welch, Sanders Introduce Legislation Requiring Drug Companies to Negotiate Lower Drug Prices for Seniors", "2017-10-25", "2017", "2017-10", "Democrat", "House", "VT", "Peter Welch", "W000800", "welch.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "WASHNGTON \u2013 \u00a0Rep. Peter Welch (D-VT), Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) and Reps. Elijah Cummings (D-MD) and Lloyd Doggett (D-TX) today introduced legislation to require the federal government to leverage its bulk purchasing power to negotiate lower Medicare drug prices for seniors.\nCurrent law prohibits the Secretary of Health and Human Services from negotiating directly with pharmaceutical companies for lower Medicare drug prices.\u00a0As a result, Medicare pays, on average, 73 percent more than Medicaid and 80 percent more than the Veterans Administration (VA) for brand-name drugs. If Medicare paid the same price for drugs as Medicaid and the VA, the federal government could save between $15.2 billion and $16 billion a year.\nSeparately today, Rep. Welch and Rep. Cummings sent a letter to President Trump expressing their \u201cprofound disappointment\u201d that he has failed to follow through on his commitment to work with them to write and pass Medicare drug price negotiation legislation. During the 2016 presidential campaign, then-candidate Trump expressed strong support for Medicare price negotiation.\u00a0 In an Oval Office meeting on March 8, Welch and Cummings solicited input and support from the President for their bill. \u00a0The letter sent by the pair today follows two previous unanswered letters on April 20, 2017 and June 21, 2017. \u00a0\u00a0\n\u201cWhy is it that today Americans are walking into pharmacies and finding that the price of their medicine has doubled or tripled for no particular reason? The answer is that the drug companies can get away with it,\u201d Sanders said. \u201cAt a time when we spend many billions of dollars on medicine, it is time for Medicare to be able to sit down with the drug companies and negotiate prices.\u201d\n\u201cIt simply makes no sense that Medicare is prohibited by law from using its immense purchasing power to get a better deal from drug companies for seniors. Paying retail prices for wholesale purchases is absurd. It's long past time we put an end this sweetheart deal for big Pharma,\u201d Welch said. \nThis bill is cosponsored in the House by Reps. Pocan, Higgins, Ellison, Schakowsky, Kaptur, Norton, Jayapal, Cohen, Gabbard, Grijalva, Nadler, Raskin, and DeLauro and in the Senate by Senators Leahy, Reed, Gillibrand, Harris, and Franken.\nThis bill is endorsed by the Alliance for Retired Americans, American Federation of Teachers, the Center for Medicare Advocacy, CREDO, Doctors for America, the Economic Policy Institute Policy Center, Families USA, Knowledge Ecology International, Medicare Rights Center, MoveOn, the National Committee to Preserve Social Security and Medicare, Patients for Affordable Drugs, Prescription Justice, Public Citizen, Social Security Works, and The Senior Citizens League.\nVideo of the press conference can be downloaded here.\nFor a copy of the legislation,\u00a0click here.\nFor a factsheet,\u00a0click here.\n\u00a0\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.leahy.senate.gov/press/in-late-night-vote-vp-casts-tie-breaking-vote-to-kill-consumer-protection", "In Late Night Vote, VP Casts Tie-Breaking Vote To Kill Consumer Protection Rule That Would Have Restored Ordinary Americans' Legal Rights When Harmed By Large Financial Firms", "2017-10-25", "2017", "2017-10", "Democrat", "House", "VT", "Patrick Leahy", "L000174", "www.leahy.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "10.25.17\n\t\t\t In Late Night Vote, VP Casts Tie-Breaking Vote To Kill Consumer Protection Rule That Would Have Restored Ordinary Americans' Legal Rights When Harmed By Large Financial Firms  \n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tAnother Wall Street Win Over Regular Americans \u2013\r\n\u00a0\r\nIn Late Night Vote, VP Pence Casts Tie-Breaking Vote To Kill CFPB Consumer Protection Rule\r\nThat Would Have Restored Americans\u2019 Legal Rights For Remedies When They Are Harmed By Large Financial Firms\r\n\u00a0\r\n. . . Leahy Has Spotlighted Use Of Forced Arbitration By Such Firms As Wells Fargo And Equifax\r\n\u00a0\r\n[The Senate Tuesday night narrowly passed a measure to kill a new consumer protection rule by the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) that would have restored consumers\u2019 rights to band together in class action lawsuits for remedies \u2013 and transparency \u2013 when they are harmed by financial services firms, such as Wells Fargo and Equifax.\u00a0 When applying for commonly used products such as credit cards and other financial services, consumers today are typically forced to sign small-print forced mandatory arbitration clauses, which preclude such lawsuits and compel consumers instead to enter into mandatory arbitration, behind closed doors.\u00a0 Leahy has been a leader in pushing back against this effort by President Trump and congressional Republicans to use the Congressional Review Act (CRA) to kill the new consumer protection rule.\u00a0 Leahy also is the chief sponsor of the Restoring Statutory Rights Act, which would ensure that when Congress or the states have created rights and remedies for injured victims, they are able to enforce those rights and remedies in court.\u00a0 Leahy\u2019s bill, which is pending before the Judiciary Committee, also makes clear that when states take action to address forced arbitration \u2013 as Vermont and other states have tried to do \u2013 federal law should not interfere.\u00a0 The effort to kill the CFPB rule was strongly supported by powerful Wall Street interests.\u00a0 The Senate vote Tuesday night was 51 to 50, with Vice President Pence casting the tie-breaking vote.\u00a0 The House already has passed the same CRA measure, which now goes to the President\u2019s desk for signing.\u00a0 Leahy voted against killing the consumer protection rule and entered a statement about the vote (below) into the Congressional Record.]\r\n\u00a0\r\nLeahy Statement On The Congressional Resolution Of Disapproval Relating To The CFPB's Arbitration Rule\r\n   Something truly outrageous is happening today on the floor of the Senate.\u00a0 The resolution we will consider today signals to the American people, in no uncertain terms, that they do not deserve the right to seek justice when big banks or other financial service providers rip them off, leave their personal information exposed to hackers, or engage in discrimination.\u00a0 The resolution of disapproval before us today will strip Americans of their rights in court and will ensure that corporate wrongdoing can remain shrouded in secrecy \u2014 all to protect powerful companies like Wells Fargo and Equifax.\u00a0 \u00a0\r\nAccess to our court system is a fundamental principle in American society.\u00a0 It ensures that all those who wrong others, no matter how powerful, are equal in the eyes of the law and can be held accountable.\u00a0 That may no longer be the case.\u00a0 Access to our courts is under assault by companies that slip forced arbitration clauses into the fine print of agreements for basic services like checking accounts and credit cards.\u00a0 For some of these companies, like Equifax, consumers are not even their customers.\u00a0 They sell consumers\u2019 financial information to other companies.\u00a0 They have little incentive to protect consumers or even treat them fairly.\u00a0 That is how Equifax can actually make significant profits after it carelessly allowed the personal information of half of the adult population in the United States to be compromised.\u00a0 This is wrong.\r\nThe Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) rightly put some commonsense limitations on the abuse of forced arbitration clauses.\u00a0 The rule provides that financial services companies cannot force consumers to sign away their right to join a class action lawsuit.\u00a0 The rule also requires more transparency when arbitration is used to ensure that wrongdoing cannot be hidden by powerful companies to keep consumers in the dark.\u00a0 Protecting consumers in this way should not be controversial.\r\nWith the blunt instrument of a resolution of disapproval, the Majority is seeking to strike the CFPB\u2019s rule and prevent it from ever implementing a similar rule in the future.\u00a0 This action, through a simple majority vote, would slam the courthouse door shut on every American who is ever ripped off by a company like Wells Fargo or has their sensitive personal information carelessly left unprotected by a company like Equifax.\u00a0 If we go down the path of striking this rule, consumers will only be left with the same empty, meaningless apologies we always hear from these companies when they are finally caught red-handed.\r\nI hope the American people are following this vote today.\u00a0 If they want to know whether their senator stands with them, or stands with corporate abusers, they will certainly find out.\u00a0 Whose side will the Senate be on when the roll call is taken on this key vote?\u00a0 The American people, and their rights as citizens and as consumers?\u00a0 Or the powerful corporate interests who are pushing to repeal this protective rule?\u00a0 We shall soon see.\u00a0\r\nThis should not be a partisan issue.\u00a0 We all represent the American people.\u00a0 It is time we act like it.\u00a0 The Vermonters I represent are watching.\u00a0 They now what is at stake by repealing this rule. I urge every Senator who shared my outrage at Wells Fargo and Equifax to take a stand and reject this shameful resolution.\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/udall-leahy-feinstein-blumenthal-trump-administration-must-answer-why-nominees-are-serving-without-senate-confirmation-", "Udall, Leahy, Feinstein, Blumenthal: Trump Administration Must Answer Why Nominees Are Serving Without Senate Confirmation", "2017-10-25", "2017", "2017-10", "Democrat", "House", "VT", "Patrick Leahy", "L000174", "www.leahy.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "10.25.17\n\t\t\t Udall, Leahy, Feinstein, Blumenthal: Trump Administration Must Answer Why Nominees Are Serving Without Senate Confirmation  \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 Michael Dourson, chemical industry hired gun, may be already influencing EPA toxics office work, without being vetted by full Senate\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t Dourson and other Trump nominees may be violating the law and circumventing the Constitution\r\nToday, U.S. Senators Tom Udall (D-N.M.), Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.), Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.), and Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) sent a letter to Office of Presidential Personnel (OPP) Director John DeStefano in response to reports that the Trump administration is allowing individuals nominated by the president to perform the duties of their appointed positions prior to receiving Senate confirmation. If true, the senators said, such actions are unlawful and circumvent the Senate\u2019s constitutional role to provide advice and consent on presidential nominations. The four senior Democratic senators are seeking information from OPP about the number, names, and positions of nominated individuals serving in the administration prior to Senate confirmation, the extent of their temporary duties, and the administration\u2019s actions to ensure that they are complying with all relevant ethics rules.\r\n\u00a0\r\nThe senators noted the particularly concerning example of reports that Michael Dourson, who has been nominated to serve as assistant administrator for the Environmental Protection Agency\u2019s (EPA) Office of Chemical Safety and Pollution Prevention, may be already performing the duties of that position without having been vetted by the full Senate. According to news reports, the EPA has so far declined to publicly clarify Dourson\u2019s role at the agency.\u00a0\r\n\u00a0\r\n\"Concerns have been raised regarding Dourson\u2019s close ties to the chemical industry, including his partnership in a consulting firm that advised companies facing health a safety challenges from EPA. Although Dourson pledged in his ethics agreement to minimize certain ethical conflicts of interest upon confirmation, it remains unclear whether these steps were taken prior to his assuming his current role,\u201d the senators wrote. \"As Dourson\u2019s nomination raises serious questions regarding his ability to serve as an effective regulator of the chemical companies he used to represent, his nomination requires a full and fair vetting by the Senate. Accordingly, Dourson\u2019s performance of the substantive duties of the appointed position before confirmation could have a detrimental effect on EPA\u2019s ability to protect public health and safety. To date, EPA has refused to explain Dourson\u2019s exact current role or how he is interacting with the office he has been nominated to lead.\u201d\r\n\u00a0\r\nThe Federal Vacancies Reform Act of 1998 prohibits an individual from performing the duties of an appointed position on an \u201cacting\u201d basis without Senate confirmation if that same individual has also been nominated to fill the vacant position permanently. To ensure compliance, the law also provides that \u201cany function or duty of a vacant office\u201d performed by a person not properly serving under the statute \u201cshall have no force or effect.\u201d\r\n\u00a0\r\nIn addition to Dourson, \"there have also been reports that multiple nominees\u2014including individuals at the Department of Energy, the Department of State, and the Office of Management and Budget\u2014may also be performing the duties of their appointed positions prior to Senate confirmation. Such actions would not only subject the work of these agencies to legal challenges and uncertainty but also would be an affront to the Senate\u2019s constitutional responsibility to provide advice and consent with respect to presidential appointments,\u201d the senators continued.\u00a0\r\n\u00a0\r\nThe senators seek answers from OPP\u2019s DeStefano to a series of oversight questions by November 8, 2017. The senators are asking for the names, position descriptions, and authorities of all individuals nominated to a presidentially appointed, Senate-confirmed position who are currently serving within the executive branch even though they have not been confirmed. In addition, the senators request that DeStefano outline the steps he has taken to ensure that all of these individuals are abiding by their ethics agreements.\r\n\u00a0\r\nThe full text of the letter is below and here. \u00a0\r\n\u00a0\r\nDear Mr. DeStefano:\r\n\u00a0\r\nWe write today regarding reports that the Trump administration is allowing individuals nominated by the President to perform the duties of their appointed positions prior to Senate confirmation. We are concerned that such actions, if true, are unlawful and circumvent the Senate\u2019s constitutional role to provide advice and consent with respect to presidential appointments.\u00a0\r\n\u00a0\r\nAs you may be aware, the Federal Vacancies Reform Act of 1998 authorizes the President to direct certain individuals to temporarily carry out the duties of a vacant presidentially-appointed position in an acting capacity without Senate confirmation. However, Congress also took steps to preserve the Senate\u2019s advice and consent power by prohibiting an individual from performing the duties of an appointed position if the President has nominated that individual to fill the vacant position permanently. To ensure compliance, the law also provides that \u201cany function or duty of a vacant office\u201d performed by a person not properly serving under the statute \u201cshall have no force or effect.\u201d\u00a0\r\n\u00a0\r\nWe are particularly troubled by reports that Michael Dourson, who the President nominated to serve as the Environmental Protection Agency\u2019s (EPA) Assistant Administrator of the Office of Chemical Safety and Pollution Prevention, may be performing the duties of that position as an advisor to Administrator Scott Pruitt prior to Senate confirmation. Concerns have been raised regarding Dr. Dourson\u2019s close ties to the chemical industry, including his partnership in a consulting firm that advised companies facing health a safety challenges from EPA. Although Dr. Dourson pledged in his ethics agreement to minimize certain ethical conflicts of interest upon confirmation, it remains unclear whether these steps were taken prior to his assuming his current role.\u00a0\r\n\u00a0\r\nAs Dr. Dourson\u2019s nomination raises serious questions regarding his ability to serve as an effective regulator of the chemical companies he used to represent, his nomination requires a full and fair vetting by the Senate. Accordingly, Dr. Dourson\u2019s performance of the substantive duties of the appointed position before confirmation could have a detrimental effect on EPA\u2019s ability to protect public health and safety. \u00a0To date, EPA has refused to explain Dr. Dourson\u2019s exact current role or how he is interacting with the office he has been nominated to lead.\r\n\u00a0\r\nIn addition to Dr. Dourson, there have also been reports that multiple nominees\u2014including individuals at the Department of Energy, the Department of State, and the Office of Management and Budget\u2014may also be performing the duties of their appointed positions prior to Senate confirmation. Such actions would not only subject the work of these agencies to legal challenges and uncertainty but also would be an affront to the Senate\u2019s constitutional responsibility to provide advice and consent with respect to presidential appointments.\r\n\u00a0\r\nAs the Director of the White House Office of Presidential Personnel, you are responsible for overseeing the selection process for presidential appointments and ensuring, in conjunction with the Office of Personnel Management and relevant agencies, that nominees who are currently serving within the executive branch follow all laws and regulations before their confirmation by the Senate. For these reasons, we request that you provide:\r\n\u00a0\r\n1. The names and position descriptions for all individuals nominated to a presidentially-appointed, Senate-confirmed position who are currently serving, in any capacity, within the executive branch prior to confirmation by the Senate.\r\n\u00a0\r\n2. A description of any authorities delegated to and duties performed by all individuals nominated to a presidentially-appointed, Senate-confirmed position who are currently serving, in any capacity, within the executive branch prior to confirmation by the Senate.\r\n\u00a0\r\n3. The steps you have taken to ensure that all individuals nominated to a presidentially-appointed, Senate-confirmed position, who are currently serving in any capacity within the executive branch, but have not been confirmed by the Senate, are abiding by their ethics agreements and Executive Order 13700 (also known as the Trump Ethics Pledge). Please specify if any such individual has received a waiver with respect to any ethics law or regulation or the Trump Ethics Pledge.\u00a0\r\n\u00a0\u00a0\r\nPlease provide your responses to these questions in writing by November 8, 2017. Please also contact Jonathan Black to arrange for a time for a briefing regarding these topic. Thank you for your attention to this matter.\u00a0\r\n\u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0\r\nSincerely,\u00a0\r\n\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/leahy-statement-on-the-congressional-resolution-of-disapproval-relating-to-the-cfpbs-arbitration-rule", "Leahy Statement On The Congressional Resolution Of Disapproval Relating To The CFPB's Arbitration Rule", "2017-10-24", "2017", "2017-10", "Democrat", "House", "VT", "Patrick Leahy", "L000174", "www.leahy.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "10.24.17\n\t\t\t Leahy Statement On The Congressional Resolution Of Disapproval Relating To The CFPB's Arbitration Rule \n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tSomething truly outrageous is happening today on the floor of the Senate.\u00a0 The resolution we will consider today signals to the American people, in no uncertain terms, that they do not deserve the right to seek justice when big banks or other financial service providers rip them off, leave their personal information exposed to hackers, or engage in discrimination.\u00a0 The resolution of disapproval before us today will strip Americans of their rights in court and will ensure that corporate wrongdoing can remain shrouded in secrecy \u2014 all to protect powerful companies like Wells Fargo and Equifax.\u00a0 \u00a0\r\nAccess to our court system is a fundamental principle in American society.\u00a0 It ensures that all those who wrong others, no matter how powerful, are equal in the eyes of the law and can be held accountable.\u00a0 That may no longer be the case.\u00a0 Access to our courts is under assault by companies that slip forced arbitration clauses into the fine print of agreements for basic services like checking accounts and credit cards.\u00a0 For some of these companies, like Equifax, consumers are not even their customers.\u00a0 They sell consumers\u2019 financial information to other companies.\u00a0 They have little incentive to protect consumers or even treat them fairly.\u00a0 That is how Equifax can actually make significant profits after it carelessly allowed the personal information of half of the adult population in the United States to be compromised.\u00a0 This is wrong.\r\nThe Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) rightly put some commonsense limitations on the abuse of forced arbitration clauses.\u00a0 The rule provides that financial services companies cannot force consumers to sign away their right to join a class action lawsuit.\u00a0 The rule also requires more transparency when arbitration is used to ensure that wrongdoing cannot be hidden by powerful companies to keep consumers in the dark.\u00a0 Protecting consumers in this way should not be controversial.\r\nWith the blunt instrument of a resolution of disapproval, the Majority is seeking to strike the CFPB\u2019s rule and prevent it from ever implementing a similar rule in the future.\u00a0 This action, through a simple majority vote, would slam the courthouse door shut on every American who is ever ripped off by a company like Wells Fargo or has their sensitive personal information carelessly left unprotected by a company like Equifax.\u00a0 If we go down the path of striking this rule, consumers will only be left with the same empty, meaningless apologies we always hear from these companies when they are finally caught red-handed.\r\nI hope the American people are following this vote today.\u00a0 If they want to know whether their senator stands with them, or stands with corporate abusers, they will certainly find out.\u00a0 Whose side will the Senate be on when the roll call is taken on this key vote?\u00a0 The American people, and their rights as citizens and as consumers?\u00a0 Or the powerful corporate interests who are pushing to repeal this protective rule?\u00a0 We shall soon see.\u00a0\r\nThis should not be a partisan issue.\u00a0 We all represent the American people.\u00a0 It is time we act like it.\u00a0 The Vermonters I represent are watching.\u00a0 They now what is at stake by repealing this rule. I urge every Senator who shared my outrage at Wells Fargo and Equifax to take a stand and reject this shameful resolution.\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/in-the-news/bennington-banner-welch-keep-fighting-partisan-tide", "Bennington Banner: Welch: Keep Fighting the Partisan Tide", "2017-10-23", "2017", "2017-10", "Democrat", "House", "VT", "Peter Welch", "W000800", "welch.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "On a visit to Bennington, Rep. Peter Welch echoed recent remarks from Gov. Phil Scott, calling for bipartisan remedies for a polarized nation. The Democratic U.S. representative and Vermont's Republican governor, who visited the county last week, both decried the partisan wrangling in Washington. Each contrasted that scene with the move civil political atmosphere they see in the Green Mountain State. \"We are kind of stalled in Congress right now,\" Welch said. \"It is really, really unacceptable to the American people.\" Welch spoke in Bennington on Friday during an afternoon meeting of the Rotary Club. Welch and two staffers had two stops prior to that. They first visited Vishay-Tansitor Electronics. Then, they spent an hour meeting with staff, residents and officials at the Vermont Veterans' Home. Col. Al Faxon, chief operating officer, led the tour. Having served in the House for 11 years, Welch, speaking to the Rotary Club, said he's struck by the extreme partisanship that has overwhelmed efforts toward compromise on legislation. \"There have been good times and bad times,\" he said. \"The good times have been when there is a consensus among the people who are there to get something done.\" A member of the Problem Solvers Caucus in Congress, which includes Democrats and Republicans, Welch said he is pushing against rigid philosophical approaches on myriad issues most Americans want to see addressed. A good example of reasonableness, Welch said, is a plan for reforming the individual insurance market portion of the Affordable Care Act while stabilizing the program for the next two years.\u00a0 It was put forth recently by Sen. Lamar Alexander, R-Tenn., and Sen. Patty Murray, D-Washington.\u00a0 The proposal would begin to address subsidy issues that most Democrats acknowledge with the act, Welch said, but wouldn't simply repeal what is commonly known as Obamacare, as Republicans repeatedly have tried to do. Among the several state governors who've expressed support for the compromise plan is Scott, Welch noted.\u00a0 Republican governors, also including Charlie Baker in Massachusetts, are saying, \"let's do the Alexander-Murray fix,\" Welch said. \"That is an example of trying to come together in a concrete way.\" At some point, he added, compromising to deal with a relatively small issue could spur the kind of bipartisanship that often prevailed in Congress in the past. \"In my view, we have to break the fever,\" he said. Welch said he knows from talking to Republicans that many now see both good and bad in the ACA, as do most Democrats, but in the House at least, compromises rarely make it to the floor for a vote.\u00a0 He said Republican Speaker Paul Ryan remains under intense pressure from the hard right members of his party, yet he has failed to work with Democrats to pass versions of bills that a majority of the House could support.\u00a0 The principal reason, Welch said, is that House Republicans have agreed not to bring a major bill to the floor unless it can be passed with Republican votes alone, giving more extreme members greater influence over bills and thwarting compromise. \"This has been a big impediment to progress,\" he said. Referring to his time as president of the Vermont Senate, he recalled appointing then-Sen. Scott to an important committee chairmanship, even though the future governor was a Republican. When he has mentioned that to people in Washington, he said, \"they really think I have to have a mental status exam.\" The key is in finding the right person for a post regardless of party, he said. \"And it's about being a nice guy; it's because that is the way to get something done.\" His belief, Welch said, \"is that we will have to bring the Vermont way of doing business to the U.S. Congress before we start making progress ... And I see more and more of my Republican colleagues who share this view.\" Asked what could help foster bipartisan approaches, Welch said two changes would \"give a boost to democracy,\" and help bring the nation back from the brink of a polarization abyss. One key, he said, would be to address the Citizens United decision of the U.S. Supreme Court, which removed restrictions on political campaign spending. When he was first elected to the House, Welch said he and Republican opponent Martha Rainville could agree, as they did, not to run negative campaign ads. \"Today, we could never enforce that kind of agreement,\" he said, as outside groups or wealthy donors from outside the state could funnel cash into ads with the goal of creating a Congressional majority for one party or another. The other key, he said, is to end gerrymandering of legislative districts by whichever party is in power in states when the lines are redrawn, thereby creating \"safe seats\" for that party. The trend toward states handing over redistricting authority to a nonpartisan commission, as opposed to the legislature, is beginning to address that problem, he said. Asked by a woman who said that she's \"never felt as despondent or full of despair\" as she has with the political scene today, Welch acknowledged that the \"guardrails of democracy\" seem to have disappeared, and that the expectation that political discourse would \"operate within certain lanes of travel\" no longer holds. \"It is tough with this president,\" he said of Donald Trump, \"because things change so much as to what the daily focus is, and that's a challenge.\" However, those challenges also constitute \"why we have to decide to engage,\" Welch said. \"We don't get to decide what the times are like,\" he added. \"We get to decide whether we are going to engage in what those times require.\" There is never any way to know whether an effort will succeed, he said, but Welch said he takes heart seeing the work of local organizations and business leaders around Vermont, and of municipal and state officials who are providing leadership locally. \"So thank you for what you do,\" he told club members, \"and I am going to do everything I can do to try to restore some Vermont way of doing business to the United States Congress.\"", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.leahy.senate.gov/press/approps-vice-chairman-leahy-statement-on-emergency-supplemental-appropriations-for-recent-disasters", "Approps Vice Chairman Leahy Statement On Emergency Supplemental Appropriations For Recent Disasters", "2017-10-23", "2017", "2017-10", "Democrat", "House", "VT", "Patrick Leahy", "L000174", "www.leahy.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "10.23.17\n\t\t\t Approps Vice Chairman Leahy Statement On Emergency Supplemental Appropriations For Recent Disasters \n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tNo one in this chamber is immune from disaster.\u00a0 Six years ago, Marcelle and I watched with great alarm as communities around Vermont felt the devastating impact of Tropical Storm Irene.\u00a0 That storm washed away entire communities in our state, tearing down homes, local landmarks and bridges alike.\u00a0\r\nRepublicans and Democrats in the Senate, from across the country, stood by Vermont\u2019s side then to help us rebuild.\u00a0 Because that is who we are as Americans.\u00a0 We lift each other up in times of disaster.\u00a0\r\nToday, in California and across the West, families are returning to the charred ruins of their homes. \u00a0In Florida and Texas communities are trying to put their lives back together after Hurricane Harvey and Irma. And in Puerto Rico, hundreds of thousands are still without potable water, electricity, cell service, or adequate medical supplies following Hurricane Maria.\u00a0 Millions of Americans need us to work together to help lift them up.\u00a0\r\nThat is why it is so disappointing that President Trump seems more concerned with claiming credit for a job well done than the actual situation on the ground, particularly in Puerto Rico.\u00a0 President Trump has given himself a \u201c10 out of 10\u201d for the Administration\u2019s response to the devastating hurricane, but let\u2019s look at some numbers that really matter.\u00a0\u00a0\r\nIt has been 48 days since Hurricane Irma made landfall in Puerto Rico, and 34 days since Hurricane Maria tore through the island. These storms wreaked havoc on those who live there, destroying houses, and killing at least 49 people.\u00a0 Yet 48 days later nearly 80 percent of the island is still without power, and over 30 percent of the population is without clean drinking water.\u00a0 Roads are impassable.\u00a0 Bridges are down.\u00a0 Hospitals operate on generators.\u00a0\r\nThe Administration was slow to respond to the disaster, and to claim that they get a \u201c10 out of 10\u201d for their response is to ignore the facts.\u00a0 This is not a reality TV show where the participant with the highest score advances to the next round.\u00a0 These are people\u2019s lives.\u00a0 These are people\u2019s homes.\u00a0 This is the hard part of governing.\u00a0 This is where we roll up our sleeves and dig in for the long haul.\u00a0\r\nToday we will vote to advance a disaster package containing $36.5 billion in additional emergency relief.\u00a0 The bill includes $18.7 billion for the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Disaster Relief Fund, $16.0 billion for National Flood Insurance Program debt forgiveness, $1.2 billion for nutrition assistance, and $576.5 million to address wildfires in the Western United States.\u00a0\u00a0\r\nAs Vice Chairman of the Appropriations Committee, I support this bill and urge my colleagues to do the same.\u00a0 If we do not act, the Disaster Relief Fund and the Flood Insurance Program will run out of resources in a matter of days.\u00a0 This money will allow FEMA, the Department of Defense, the Army Corps of Engineers, and other agencies to continue their work in all of the devastated communities, and families to begin rebuilding their homes.\u00a0\u00a0\r\nBut this is still just the next step on the path to recovery.\u00a0\r\nLast week I met with the Governor of Puerto Rico, Ricardo Rossell\u00f3.\u00a0 He detailed the unique challenges facing Puerto Rico.\u00a0 The electric grid was almost completely destroyed.\u00a0 Its infrastructure was demolished.\u00a0 Houses were flattened.\u00a0 At the same time, Puerto Rico faces a fiscal situation that will make it nearly impossible for it to provide the federal match required for most disaster assistance programs, and it faces a Medicaid funding crisis that may leave nearly one million people without health care in just a matter of months.\u00a0\r\nOur response cannot be business as usual.\u00a0 Going forward we need to tailor disaster assistance to meet Puerto Rico\u2019s unique challenges.\u00a0 We may need to consider legislation to address its unique needs.\u00a0 And, most importantly, we need to think long term.\u00a0 To simply replace and repair what was destroyed would be short-sighted.\u00a0\r\nWe must help Puerto Rico recover and rebuild to be more resilient and better prepared.\u00a0 We should invest in the 3.4 million U.S. citizens in Puerto Rico and their infrastructure so the next disaster is not a humanitarian crisis.\u00a0\r\nThis opportunity is not unique to Puerto Rico.\u00a0 We must acknowledge that historic storms are now annual occurrences, and we must respond accordingly.\u00a0 Across the country, from the wildfires in California to the flood damage in Florida, Texas, and the U.S. Virgin Islands, we can invest in technology, conservation and infrastructure that will mitigate further damage and make our communities more resilient.\u00a0\r\nThis will require a commitment from the United States Government that is not measured in days, or weeks or months, but in years.\u00a0 A commitment that does not waiver, and a commitment that does not depend on whether you live in Texas, Florida, Puerto Rico, or the U.S. Virgin Islands.\u00a0\r\nToday, I urge all Senators to support this emergency supplemental that will provide much needed assistance to disasters across the country.\u00a0 But this is still just the next step on the path to recovery.\u00a0\r\nThe Trump Administration has committed to putting forward a third, more comprehensive disaster package in the coming weeks.\u00a0 As Vice Chairman of the Senate Appropriations Committee, I intend to hold the Administration to that commitment.\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/senate-appropriations-committee-vice-chairman-patrick-leahy-d-vt-meets-with-governor-of-puerto-rico-ahead-of-senate-consideration-of-emergency-funding", "Senate Appropriations Committee Vice Chairman Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) Meets With Governor Of Puerto Rico Ahead Of Senate Consideration Of Emergency Funding", "2017-10-20", "2017", "2017-10", "Democrat", "House", "VT", "Patrick Leahy", "L000174", "www.leahy.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "10.20.17\n\t\t\t Senate Appropriations Committee Vice Chairman Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) Meets With Governor Of Puerto Rico Ahead Of Senate Consideration Of Emergency Funding \n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tSenate Appropriations Committee Vice Chairman Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) late Thursday met with the Governor of Puerto Rico, Ricardo Rossell\u00f3, ahead of Senate consideration of emergency supplemental appropriations to respond to recent natural disasters.\u00a0\r\nLeahy said: \u00a0\u201cAs a Vermonter, a Senator and the Vice Chairman of the Senate Appropriations Committee, I assured Governor Rossell\u00f3 that we stand with the people of Puerto Rico.\u00a0 The path to recovery from Hurricane Maria is not measured in days.\u00a0 It is measured in years, and it will require the unwavering support of the United States Government to recover and to rebuild our communities to be more resilient.\u00a0 However, I continue to be concerned with the slow pace of the administration\u2019s response, and I urge the administration to rapidly overcome any remaining obstacles. \u00a0As U.S. citizens, we stand by each other in times of disaster.\u00a0 It is who we are.\u201d\r\nThe U.S. House of Representatives last week passed an emergency supplemental appropriations request that included $18.7 billion for the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Disaster Relief Fund, $16.0 billion for National Flood Insurance Program debt forgiveness, $1.2 billion for nutrition assistance and $576.5 million to address wildfires in the western United States. \u00a0The Senate expects to pass the emergency funding next week.\u00a0\r\nCongress in early September\u00a0approved a $15.25 billion emergency supplemental package to address destruction caused by Hurricanes Harvey and Irma. The Trump Administration has committed to putting forward a third comprehensive disaster package for Hurricanes Harvey, Irma and Maria in the coming weeks.\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.leahy.senate.gov/press/senators-cruz-and-leahy-pen-letter-urging-apple-ceo-tim-cook-to-stop-enabling-the-great-firewall", "Senators Cruz and Leahy Pen Letter Urging Apple CEO Tim Cook to Stop Enabling the Great Firewall", "2017-10-19", "2017", "2017-10", "Democrat", "House", "VT", "Patrick Leahy", "L000174", "www.leahy.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "10.19.17\n\t\t\t Senators Cruz and Leahy Pen Letter Urging Apple CEO Tim Cook to Stop Enabling the Great Firewall \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 \u2018As long as the Great Firewall operates and is enabled by American technology companies, Internet freedom in China will remain at risk\u2019\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t U.S. Sens. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) and Patrick Leahy on Thursday released a letter addressed to Apple CEO Tim Cook regarding\u00a0reports\u00a0that Apple has removed Virtual Private Network (VPN) applications (apps) from the version of Apple\u2019s App Store available to users in the People\u2019s Republic of China.\r\n\u201cThe threat that the Great Firewall poses to the freedom of the people of China is similar to the threat that the Berlin Wall imposed on the people of East Berlin for twenty-eight years,\u201d the senators wrote. \u00a0\u201cAs long as the Great Firewall operates and is enabled by American technology companies, Internet freedom in China will remain at risk.\u201d\r\nSee the full text of letter\u00a0here.\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/judiciary-democrats-call-on-doj-to-produce-documents-that-may-show-coordination-with-trump-voter-fraud-commission", "Judiciary Democrats Call on DOJ to Produce Documents That May Show Coordination with Trump Voter Fraud Commission", "2017-10-17", "2017", "2017-10", "Democrat", "House", "VT", "Patrick Leahy", "L000174", "www.leahy.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "10.17.17\n\t\t\t Judiciary Democrats Call on DOJ to Produce Documents That May Show Coordination with Trump Voter Fraud Commission \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 \u2018If these communications concern ongoing or contemplated cases or investigations in the Civil Rights Division, they could violate the Administration\u2019s policy limiting contacts between the White House and the Department\u2019\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t Recently revealed court records suggest the Department of Justice coordinated with President Donald Trump\u2019s Advisory Commission on Election Integrity, which has sought sensitive voter roll data on the majority of the voting public and conducted highly partisan hearings based on discredited allegations of voter fraud.\u00a0 Today, all Democratic members of the Senate Judiciary Committee signed a letter, led by Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), pushing the Justice Department to produce documents described in the court records that show such coordination is taking place.\u00a0 The Senators\u2019 letter follows a similar request to the Justice Department in late September that has gone unanswered.\r\nAt the beginning of the month, in a court case between the Commission and the civil rights group Lawyers\u2019 Committee for Civil Rights Under Law, the Commission produced an index of hundreds of Commission-related documents being withheld by the Department.\u00a0 Entries on the list \u201cappear to show that the Department was coordinating with the Commission about data collection and other voting issues,\u201d the Senators write.\r\n\u201cIf these communications concern ongoing or contemplated cases or investigations in the Civil Rights Division, they could violate the Administration\u2019s policy limiting contacts between the White House and the Department,\u201d the Senators continue.\u00a0 \u201cFull disclosure of these documents is necessary for Congress to provide appropriate oversight on this issue.\u201d\r\nIn March, former Justice Department Civil Rights Division staffer J. Christopher Adams, the Heritage Foundation\u2019s Hans von Spakovsky, and Kansas Secretary of State and Commission Vice Chair Kris Kobach called for ridding the Civil Rights Division of \u201cideological rot.\u201d\u00a0 They proposed doing so by stripping career attorneys of hiring and firing authority and vesting that authority with Trump political appointees.\u00a0 In June, the Commission and the Chief of the Voting Section of the Civil Rights Division sent letters on the same day to state election officials seeking voter roll information.\r\nFull text of the Senators\u2019 letter is below.\u00a0 A PDF copy is available here.\r\n\u00a0\r\n\u00a0\r\n\u00a0\r\nOctober 17, 2017\r\nDear Attorney General Sessions, Deputy Attorney General Rosenstein, Associate Attorney General Brand, and Acting Assistant Attorney General Gore:\r\nWe write to follow up on our previous inquiries regarding the Department of Justice\u2019s (\u201cDOJ\u201d) involvement with the Presidential Advisory Commission on Election Integrity (\u201cthe Commission\u201d).\r\nOn July 11, we wrote to request information regarding DOJ\u2019s June 28 letter to forty-four states requesting information about state-level procedures for maintaining voter registration lists.\u00a0 We wrote again on September 26, regarding documents that showed DOJ leadership\u2019s apparent role in selecting the members of the Commission.\u00a0 We have not yet received responses to these letters.\r\nSince then, additional documents have come to light evidencing the Department\u2019s involvement with the Commission\u2019s workings.\u00a0 This is concerning, particularly in light of another recent court production showing Commission Vice Chair Kris Kobach\u2019s plans to dismantle the National Voter Registration Act.[1]\u00a0 As we have written before, it would be a low moment for the Department to have been a facilitator of Mr. Kobach\u2019s efforts to suppress voter access by perpetuating the myth of widespread voter fraud.\u00a0\r\nIn litigation against the Lawyers\u2019 Committee for Civil Rights Under Law, the Commission recently produced a Vaughn index to justify withholding from FOIA production hundreds of Commission-related documents.[2]\u00a0 While we have reasons to question the Commission\u2019s bases for those non-disclosures even in the context of private party litigation, FOIA exemptions are not a basis for the executive branch to shield documents from Congressional oversight.\u00a0 From the Vaughn index, it is clear that the Department is in possession of, and indeed has already collected, documents responsive to our earlier requests.\r\nThese include at least the following entries on the Commission\u2019s Vaughn index:\r\n \r\nMay 15, 2017:\u00a0 \u201cemail exchange re: Chicago board of election\u201d (DOJ official to Commissioner Christy McCormick) (#541)\r\n \r\n \r\nJune 15, 2017:\u00a0 \u201cemail about setting up a time to speak\u201d\u00a0 (Andrew Kossack, the Commission\u2019s designated federal officer, to DOJ official) (#687)\r\n \r\n \r\nJuly 5-6, 2017:\u00a0 \u201cemail exchange discussing voting issue with attachment\u201d (DOJ Official to McCormick) (#544)\r\n \r\n \r\nAug. 1-2, 2017:\u00a0 \u201cemail chain and planner setting a time for a call\u201d (Kossack to Department of Homeland Security Official and Staff, DOJ) (#738 & 741)\r\n \r\n \r\nAug. 22, 2017:\u00a0 \u201cemail re: collecting data from non-state entities\u201d (Kossack to DOJ) (#748)\r\n \r\n \r\nSept. 5, 2017:\u00a0 \u201cemail forwarding link to news article\u201d (DOJ official to McCormick) (#564)\r\n \r\n \r\nSept. 6, 11, 2017:\u00a0 \u201cemails exchange discussing Chicago voting issue\u201d (Third party to McCormick, DOJ official) (#565)\r\n \r\n \r\nSept. 15, 2017: \u201cemail exchange re: sending materials for litigation index\u201d (Kossack to DOJ, King) (#343)\r\n \r\n \r\nUndated:\u00a0 Litigation documents and emails with DOJ (#778)\r\n \r\nWhile some of these entries might be related to the Department\u2019s representation of the Commission in litigation, other entries appear to show that the Department was coordinating with the Commission about data collection and other voting issues.\u00a0 If these communications concern ongoing or contemplated cases or investigations in the Civil Rights Division, they could violate the Administration\u2019s policy limiting contacts between the White House and the Department.[3]\u00a0 Full disclosure of these documents is necessary for Congress to provide appropriate oversight on this issue.\u00a0\r\nThe Vaughn index shows the Department has records of these communications in its possession and should be able to produce them to us without further delay.\u00a0 Accordingly, we respectfully ask that the Department immediately produce records of any and all communications between Department of Justice or Civil Rights Division leadership[4] and the White House, the Office of the Vice President, the White House Counsel\u2019s Office, the Commission, or any of the Commission\u2019s members or representatives, regarding the Commission or its work, either before or after its formation.\r\nWe also repeat our request that the Department respond immediately to the outstanding requests in our above-referenced July 11, 2017 and September 26, 2017 letters.\r\n    \r\n\r\n\r\n[2] https://www.scribd.com/document/360511302/Vaughn-Index#\r\n\r\n\r\n[3] Memo from Donald F. McGahn II, Counsel to the President, to All White House Staff, Communications Restrictions with Personnel at the Department of Justice, January 27, 2017.\r\n\r\n\r\n[4] Including Attorney General Sessions, Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein, Associate Attorney General Rachel Brand, former Acting Associate Attorney General/current Principal Deputy Associate Attorney General Jesse Panuccio, former Acting Assistant Attorney General Tom Wheeler, Acting Assistant Attorney General John Gore, or any other political appointee in the Department.\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://welch.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/welch-statement-president-trumps-decision-end-cost-sharing-reduction", "Welch Statement on President Trump's Decision to End Cost-Sharing Reduction Payments", "2017-10-13", "2017", "2017-10", "Democrat", "House", "VT", "Peter Welch", "W000800", "welch.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "WASHINGTON \u2013 Rep. Peter Welch (D-VT) issued the following statement in response to President Trump\u2019s decision to end the cost-sharing reduction payments required under the Affordable Care Act. \n\u201cPresident Trump\u2019s decision to cut off payments that defray out of pocket costs for low income Americans is stunning, reckless, and cruel.\u00a0After 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.\u00a0I hope this irresponsible decision is overturned by the courts.\u00a0In the meantime, Congress should move forward with making the Affordable Care Act work better for working families.\u201d\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.leahy.senate.gov/press/leahy-statement-on-president-trumps-decision-to-not-certify-the-iran-deal-", "Leahy Statement On President Trumps Decision To Not Certify The Iran Deal", "2017-10-13", "2017", "2017-10", "Democrat", "House", "VT", "Patrick Leahy", "L000174", "www.leahy.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "10.13.17\n\t\t\t Leahy Statement On President Trump\u2019s Decision To Not Certify The Iran Deal  \n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\u201cPresident Trump\u2019s decision not to certify the Iran deal recklessly endangers our national security interests, isolates our country, and is contrary to determinations made by his own Administration that Iran has been compliant with the agreement -- all for the sake of fulfilling a campaign slogan.\u00a0 It will signal to the world \u2013 including to North Korea \u2013 that the United States cannot be trusted to keep its word.\u00a0\r\n\u201cThe Iran deal is not perfect.\u00a0 No multilateral agreement is. That is why there are many other sanctions that the vast majority of Members of Congress, myself included, have supported to address Iran\u2019s other destabilizing actions. \u00a0But halting Iran\u2019s nuclear program is a significant victory for world stability, and renegotiating the agreement is not feasible.\u00a0 Our European allies have already released a joint statement noting the importance of keeping the agreement intact.\u00a0 As long as Iran complies, so should we.\u00a0\r\n\u201cRather than trying to score political points by talking tough, the President should be working with our partners to ensure the nuclear deal continues to be implemented faithfully, and engaging Congress on a bipartisan strategy to continue combating Iran\u2019s other malign activities.\r\n\u201cIt is now the responsibility of Congress to find a responsible path forward to protect U.S. national interests, including by refraining from enacting any legislation that would jeopardize the Iran deal. Our credibility and national security depends on it.\u201d\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.leahy.senate.gov/press/leahy-statement-on-president-trumps-recent-actions-on-health-care", "Leahy Statement On President Trumps Recent Actions On Health Care", "2017-10-13", "2017", "2017-10", "Democrat", "House", "VT", "Patrick Leahy", "L000174", "www.leahy.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "10.13.17\n\t\t\t Leahy Statement On President Trump\u2019s Recent Actions On Health Care \n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\u201cThe President does not want to provide \u201cgreat\u201d health care.\u00a0 The President wants to tear down the Affordable Care Act, stripping affordable, comprehensive health care coverage from millions of American people, and thousands of Vermonters.\u00a0 His latest attempt to do so is as blatant and obvious as throwing a brick through a plate glass window.\u00a0 His Executive Order and announcement late last night will both drive premiums higher, making it difficult for middle class families to afford health insurance.\u00a0 The President\u2019s irresponsible actions will cut $12 million in Cost Sharing Reduction payments to Vermont next year alone, affecting thousands of Vermont families. The President has spurned the bipartisan efforts in Congress to improve the Affordable Care Act, and is instead punishing millions of families who cannot otherwise afford health insurance. \u00a0Like the House repeal bill he criticized earlier this year, the President\u2019s actions are just mean.\r\n\u201cThis is no longer the campaign, and health care policy is more than a partisan applause line.\u00a0 It is long past time for the President to realize that real lives are at stake.\u201d\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.leahy.senate.gov/press/leahy-sanders-welch-reaction-to-mamadou-bah", "Leahy, Sanders, Welch Reaction To Mamadou Bah", "2017-10-12", "2017", "2017-10", "Democrat", "House", "VT", "Patrick Leahy", "L000174", "www.leahy.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "10.12.17\n\t\t\t Leahy, Sanders, Welch Reaction To Mamadou Bah \n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\nSenator Leahy, Senator Sanders, and Congressman Welch wrote a letter to ICE on September 5th requesting that they take no further action to deport Mamadou Bah, pending the results of his motions in Immigration Court and his application to USCIS for a green card based on his marriage to a U.S. citizen. \u00a0ICE denied the request on September 13th.\r\n\u201cWe are appalled that the Trump Administration is pursuing an unbridled effort to deport contributing members of our community with no room for compassion or moderation. We wrote a letter to ICE in September requesting that they take no further action to deport Mamadou Bah, pending the results of his motions in Immigration Court and his application to USCIS for a green card based on his marriage to a U.S. citizen. \u00a0ICE denied this request. Prior administrations focused our limited immigration enforcement resources on removing criminals and those who pose a public safety risk.\u00a0 This administration foolishly considers almost\u00a0all undocumented immigrants a priority for removal, which results in cases where people are ripped from their US citizen spouses and children, leaving broken families in their wake. We are heartbroken for Mamadou, his wife and their children.\u201d\r\nDavid Carle (Leahy): 202-224-3693 Dan McLean (Sanders): 802-862-6695 Kate Hamilton\u00a0 (Welch): 202-440-3340\r\n###\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\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://welch.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/welch-urges-house-action-opioid-crisis-shares-vermont-experience", "Welch Urges House Action on Opioid Crisis; Shares Vermont Experience with Epidemic", "2017-10-11", "2017", "2017-10", "Democrat", "House", "VT", "Peter Welch", "W000800", "welch.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "WASHINGTON \u2013 Rep. Peter Welch (D-VT) testified today before a key House subcommittee to urge House action on the opioid epidemic ravaging communities in Vermont and across the country. He shared Vermont\u2019s experience with the epidemic, including a story about a mother whose son became addicted to heroin.\u00a0He also outlined a four-part legislative agenda for the subcommittee to consider, including fully funding the Comprehensive Addiction and Recovery Act, funding research into alternative treatments for pain, authorizing partial fill policies for opioid prescriptions, and better educating physicians on the safe prescribing of opioid drugs.\n\u201cThis so affects us all, I mean it\u2019s heartbreaking.\u00a0It doesn\u2019t matter if it is a red district or a blue district. It doesn\u2019t matter what your view is on the size and scope of government,\u201d Welch testified.\u00a0\u201cOur job in Congress is to come up with policies that will help people help themselves.\u201d\n\u00a0A full transcript of Welch\u2019s remarks before the House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Health can be found here.\nClick image to view video of Rep. Welch\u2019s full remarks.\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.leahy.senate.gov/press/comment-of-senator-patrick-leahy-d-vt-on-senator-mcconnells-remarks-concerning-the-blue-slip-tradition", "Comment of Senator Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) On Senator McConnells Remarks Concerning The Blue Slip Tradition", "2017-10-11", "2017", "2017-10", "Democrat", "House", "VT", "Patrick Leahy", "L000174", "www.leahy.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "10.11.17\n\t\t\t Comment of Senator Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) On Senator McConnell\u2019s Remarks Concerning The \u201cBlue Slip\u201d Tradition \n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t[The Constitution requires presidents to seek both the \u201cAdvice and Consent\u201d of the Senate in appointing judges to lifetime posts on the federal courts.\u00a0 Blue slips distributed and collected by the Judiciary Committee are an enforcement mechanism for the \u201cadvice\u201d prong of the Senate\u2019s constitutional role.\u00a0 When a senator returns a favorable blue slip it demonstrates that the senator elected to represent that state with the judicial vacancy was consulted, and that the nominee is likely to be confirmed.]\r\n\u201cIt was not that long ago that Senator McConnell led a letter to President Obama, which was also delivered to me, stating that the Republican Conference expected the blue slip policy to be observed, \u2018even-handedly and regardless of party affiliation.\u2019 \u00a0I did just that as chairman of the Judiciary Committee. \u00a0While I was chairman no judicial nominee \u2014 district court or circuit court \u2014 received a hearing without the committee first receiving both home state senators\u2019 favorable blue slips. \u00a0I maintained this policy during both Republican and Democratic administrations, even in the face of significant pressure from within my party to abandon it, including from Senate leadership.\u00a0 This protected not just\u00a0the rights of both Republicans and Democrats, but it protected the Senate\u2019s unique institutional role in our democracy by making meaningful the Constitution\u2019s \u2018Advise and Consent\u2019 requirement.\r\n\u201cNow that a Republican is in the White House, Senator McConnell is trying to turn the Judiciary Committee into a rubber stamp for President Trump.\u00a0 But it is not up to Senator McConnell; it is up to the committee\u2019s chairman. Chairman Grassley has told me he will respect the blue slip tradition, just as I did.\u00a0 I trust him to keep his word.\u201d\r\n# # # # #\r\n\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://welch.house.gov/media-center/in-the-news/market-watch-rep-peter-welch-allergans-bold-brazen-bizarre-patent-deal", "Market Watch: Rep. Peter Welch on Allergan's 'Bold, Brazen, Bizarre' Patent Deal with an American Indian Tribe", "2017-10-10", "2017", "2017-10", "Democrat", "House", "VT", "Peter Welch", "W000800", "welch.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Rep. Peter Welch (D-Vt.) is not mincing words when it comes to Allergan Inc.\u2019s deal with an American Indian tribe geared toward protecting one of the company\u2019s top products.\n\u201cI was astonished at the creativity in craft manipulation to extend the patent,\u201d Welch told MarketWatch on Thursday, adding, \u201cthey would only do that if they felt a kind of arrogant confidence that they can continue to get away with murder.\u201d\nAllergan\u2019s AGN, +1.09%\u00a0 agreement with the New York state-based St. Regis Mohawk Tribe, under which Allergan sold the patents on dry eye medication Restasis to the tribe in order to dismiss challenges made through the U.S. Patent and Trade Office\u2019s inter partes review process, was announced in September.\nSince then, the deal has been widely criticized and invited lawmaker scrutiny. A bipartisan House Oversight committee letter was sent this week\u2014Welch was one of the four signatories\u2014requesting more information about the deal. And Sen. Claire McCaskill (D-Mo.), who has said the move \u201cshould be illegal,\u201d said on Thursday that she has drafted a bill in response.\nDrug prices are a key issue for Welch, who met with President Donald Trump and colleague Rep. Elijah Cummings (D-Md.) in March to discuss drug prices and, again with Cummings, sent a letter about prices to manufacturers of multiple sclerosis drugs this summer.\nEven before Hurricanes Harvey, Irma and Maria and the deadliest mass shooting in modern U.S. history in Las Vegas on Sunday, drug prices seemed to have fallen off the White House\u2019s agenda.\nBut Welch is still hopeful, he said on Thursday, describing prescription drug costs as one of the larger problems facing the U.S., given the spiraling cost of health care.\nWelch described Allergan\u2019s patent deal as alternately \u201cbold,\u201d \u201cbrazen\u201d and \u201cbizarre.\u201d\n\u201cCongress has a policy by law that extends market protection for a period of time for a new drug, and I\u2019m supportive of that. It allows drug company to recoup their investment costs and make a profit,\u201d he said. \u201cBut when companies that have been given this legal protection try to extend it for pretty flimsy reasons, it really comes at the expense of consumers and taxpayers.\u201d\n\u201cIf legislation is necessary to stop this, I would support legislation,\u201d Welch said. Welch is looking at McCaskill\u2019s legislation closely and his office expects he will introduce it in the House next week, according to a spokeswoman.\nAllergan said in a Friday statement that the company disagrees with Welch, adding that the deal does not fully shield Restasis from patent litigation.\nLawmakers should instead focus on the inter partes review (IPR) process, the company said, referring to another channel by which patents can be challenged and one that many drugmakers have criticized.\nAllergan has \u201crepeatedly\u201d said it is concerned about the IPR process, the company said, since the process undermines the \u201cdelicate balance\u201d of the Hatch-Waxman generic law, is implemented through the \u201cnot-impartial\u201d Patent and Trademark Office and \u201ccreates an unnecessary and unfair burden on innovators of branded medicines by opening up patents to parallel and often inconsistently adjudicated challenges before both federal courts and the Patent Trial and Appeal Board.\u201d\nBut Welch said the request was \u201cjust changing the topic,\u201d adding, \u201cthat has nothing to do with scheming to extend the life of the patent.\u201d", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://welch.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/leahy-sanders-welch-vermont-firefighters-receive-16-million-federal", "Leahy, Sanders, Welch: Vermont Firefighters  Receive $1.6 Million in Federal Grants", "2017-10-06", "2017", "2017-10", "Democrat", "House", "VT", "Peter Welch", "W000800", "welch.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "BURLINGTON, Vt., Oct. 6 \u2013 Vermont\u2019s congressional delegation announced Friday that firefighters throughout Vermont have received $1,635,648 through 15 federal grants.\nThe awards are part of the Federal Emergency Management Agency\u2019s Assistance to Firefighters Grant program, which helps fire departments purchase critically needed equipment to better protect the public and first responders.\u00a0 This year\u2019s Assistance to Firefighters grants will help buy a range of equipment, including turnout gear, breathing apparatus, a brush truck and radios.\n\u201cOur firefighters play an invaluable role in communities throughout Vermont. We are pleased to be able to help provide the resources they need. These federal grants will play a crucial role in purchasing essential equipment to help our first responders protect Vermonters,\u201d said Sens. Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) and Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), and Rep. Peter Welch (D-Vt.).\nThe grants announced Friday are in addition to a $329,378 FEMA grant the Vermont Public Safety Department\u2019s Division of Fire Safety received last month to help the Division implement \u201cFire Safe 802,\u201d a statewide, rural home fire safety education project.\nThe federal grants were awarded to:\n-Bradford Fire Department; $113,694;\n-Champion Fire Company of South Londonderry; $84,096;\n-Ferrisburgh Volunteer Fire Department; $76,762;\n-Franklin Fire Department; $50,186;\n-Grand Isle Volunteer Fire Department; $80,000;\n-Middlebury Fire Department; $219,223;\n-New Brook Fire Department; $93,334;\n-Pawlet Volunteer Fire Department; $72,381;\n-Springfield Fire Department; $250,069;\n-Stamford Volunteer Fire Department; $14,191;\n-Underhill-Jericho Fire Department; $19,048;\n-Vermont Department of Public Safety, Division of Fire Safety, Vermont Fire Academy; $426,925;\n-West Dummerston Volunteer Fire Department; $40,000;\n-West Dummerston Volunteer Fire Department; $76,096;\n-Wilmington Fire Department; $19,643\nThe next Assistance to Firefighters Grant application period is expected to open this fall.\u00a0 For updates, please visit https://www.fema.gov/welcome-assistance-firefighters-grant-program\nContacts: David Carle (Leahy): 202-224-3693  \n\tDan McLean (Sanders): 802-862-6695  \n\tKate Hamilton\u00a0 (Welch): 202-440-3340\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"]], "truncated": false, "filtered_table_rows_count": 514, "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 \"party\" = :p0 and \"state\" = :p1 and \"year\" = :p2 order by date desc limit 101", "params": {"p0": "Democrat", "p1": "VT", "p2": "2017"}}, "facet_results": {"party": {"name": "party", "type": "column", "hideable": false, "toggle_url": "/press/releases.json?party=Democrat&state=VT&year=2017", "results": [{"value": "Democrat", "label": "Democrat", "count": 514, "toggle_url": "http://dpwillis-congress-press-search.hf.space/press/releases.json?state=VT&year=2017", "selected": true}], "truncated": false}, "chamber": {"name": "chamber", "type": "column", "hideable": false, "toggle_url": "/press/releases.json?party=Democrat&state=VT&year=2017", "results": [{"value": "House", "label": "House", "count": 514, "toggle_url": "http://dpwillis-congress-press-search.hf.space/press/releases.json?party=Democrat&state=VT&year=2017&chamber=House", "selected": false}], "truncated": false}, "state": {"name": "state", "type": "column", "hideable": false, "toggle_url": "/press/releases.json?party=Democrat&state=VT&year=2017", "results": [{"value": "VT", "label": "VT", "count": 514, "toggle_url": "http://dpwillis-congress-press-search.hf.space/press/releases.json?party=Democrat&year=2017", "selected": true}], "truncated": false}, "year": {"name": "year", "type": "column", "hideable": false, "toggle_url": "/press/releases.json?party=Democrat&state=VT&year=2017", "results": [{"value": "2017", "label": "2017", "count": 514, "toggle_url": "http://dpwillis-congress-press-search.hf.space/press/releases.json?party=Democrat&state=VT", "selected": true}], "truncated": false}}, "suggested_facets": [], "next": "2017-10-06,https~3A~2F~2Fwelch~2Ehouse~2Egov~2Fmedia-center~2Fpress-releases~2Fleahy-sanders-welch-vermont-firefighters-receive-16-million-federal", "next_url": "http://dpwillis-congress-press-search.hf.space/press/releases.json?party=Democrat&state=VT&year=2017&_next=2017-10-06%2Chttps~3A~2F~2Fwelch~2Ehouse~2Egov~2Fmedia-center~2Fpress-releases~2Fleahy-sanders-welch-vermont-firefighters-receive-16-million-federal&_sort_desc=date", "private": false, "allow_execute_sql": true, "query_ms": 1269.0362078137696, "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"}