Press releases
Data license: MIT · Data source: dwillis/congress-press
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472 rows where chamber = "House", state = "VT" and year = 2020 sorted by date descending
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| url | title | date ▲ | year | month | party | chamber | state | member_name | bioguide_id | domain | scraper | source | date_source | text | has_text | collected_at | updated_at |
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| https://www.sanders.senate.gov/press-releases/sanders-to-demand-votes-on-house-passed-2000-direct-payments-bill-and-mcconnells-bill/ | Sanders to Demand Votes on House-Passed $2,000 Direct Payments Bill and McConnells Bill | 2020-12-31 | 2020 | 2020-12 | Independent | House | VT | Bernard Sanders | S000033 | www.sanders.senate.gov | legacy | WASHINGTON, December 31 Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) announced on Thursday that he will challenge Majority Leader Mitch McConnell to bring his own legislation to the floor, in addition to the bill passed by the House of Representatives with support from 44 Republicans and 231 Democrats to give working-class Americans $2,000 direct payments, for an up-or-down vote. The working class of America is facing more economic desperation than at anytime since the Great Depression, Sanders said. They need our help and they need it now. I'm offering a compromise path forward to resolve our current impasse and give Americans the vote they deserve on direct payments. Tomorrow, we should vote on the McConnell bill and the House-passed bill. What objection could Leader McConnell have for not voting on his own bill? McConnell's legislation was introduced after the Republican Leader told the Senate that he would prioritize moving a package of President Trump's priorities, including $2,000 direct payments. Packaging a repeal of Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act and a Congressional inquiry into supposed voter fraud in addition to direct payments, McConnell announced that those are the three important subjects the president has linked together. This week, the Senate will begin a process to bring these three priorities into focus. Sanders responded: McConnell began the process on Tuesday, and he should finish that work by putting his bill on the floor of the U.S. Senate for consideration before we go home for the New Year. Sanders will ask for unanimous consent to bring both pieces of legislation up for a vote on Friday afternoon. | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://www.sanders.senate.gov/press-releases/vermonts-congressional-delegation-recognizes-vermont-u-s-service-academy-nominees-via-video-livestream-wednesday-december-30/ | Vermonts Congressional Delegation Recognizes Vermont U.S. Service Academy Nominees via Video Livestream Wednesday, December 30 | 2020-12-31 | 2020 | 2020-12 | Independent | House | VT | Bernard Sanders | S000033 | www.sanders.senate.gov | legacy | U.S. Senator Patrick Leahy, U.S. Senator Bernie Sanders, and U.S. Representative Peter Welch on Wednesday evening recognized 28 young Vermonters who received nominations to the United States Service Academies, Class of 2025. Each year the Vermont delegation hosts a reception at the Vermont State House for the nominees. However, for everyone's safety, this year's ceremony was held virtually. The names of this year's nominees, selected by Leahy, Sanders, and Welch through a competitive vetting process, and forwarded to the Academies for final decisions, are: Mr. Eusebio Aja IIIof Barre, Vermont (U.S. Air Force Academy, U.S. Naval Academy) Nominated by: Leahy, Sanders, Welch Mr. Matthew Bayardof Saint Albans, Vermont (U.S. Air Force Academy, U.S. Military Academy) Nominated by: Leahy, Sanders, Welch Ms. Allison Bradleyof Woodstock, Vermont(U.S. Naval Academy) Nominated by: Leahy, Sanders, Welch Mr. Matthew Durginof Cabot, Vermont (U.S. Military Academy) Nominated by: Leahy, Sanders, Welch Mr. Fletcher Footeof Newport, Vermont (U.S. Air Force Academy, U.S. Naval Academy) Nominated by: Leahy Ms. Pauline Garzaof Essex Junction, Vermont (U.S Naval Academy) Nominated by: Leahy, Sanders, Welch Mr. Aidan Geboof Vergennes, Vermont (U.S. Naval Academy) Nominated by: Leahy, Sanders, Welch Ms. Katherine Hawkoof Shelburne, Vermont (U.S. Military Academy, U.S. Naval Academy, U.S. Merchant Marine Academy) Nominated by: Leahy, Sanders, Welch Ms. Charlotte Hillof Williston, Vermont (U.S. Naval Academy) Nominated by: Leahy, Sanders, Welch Ms. Julia Hortonof Saint Albans, Vermont (U.S. Naval Academy) Nominated by: Leahy, Sanders, Welch Mr. Ethan Howellof Milton, Vermont(U.S. Air Force Academy) Nominated by: Leahy, Sanders, Welch Mr. Patrick Kwassof South Burlington, Vermont(U.S. Air Force Academy, U.S. Naval Academy) Nominated by: Leahy Mr. Joshua Lajeunesseof Montpelier, Vermont (U.S. Military Academy, U.S. Merchant Marine Academy, U.S. Naval Academy) Nominated by: Leahy, Sanders, Welch Ms. Wylie Lucasof Norwich, Vermont (U.S. Milit… | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://www.sanders.senate.gov/press-releases/sanders-demands-mcconnell-hold-vote-on-2000-direct-payments/ | Sanders Demands McConnell Hold Vote on $2,000 Direct Payments | 2020-12-28 | 2020 | 2020-12 | Independent | House | VT | Bernard Sanders | S000033 | www.sanders.senate.gov | legacy | WASHINGTON, December 28 Senator Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) issued the following statement in response to the House of Representatives' overwhelming 275-134 passage of $2,000 direct payments for the working class: The House has passed a $2,000 direct payment for working people. It is time for the Senate to act. This week on the Senate floor Mitch McConnell wants to vote to override Trump's veto of the $740 billion defense funding bill and then head home for the New Year. I'm going to object until we get a vote on legislation to provide a $2,000 direct payment to the working class. Let me be clear: If Senator McConnell doesn't agree to an up or down vote to provide the working people of our country a $2,000 direct payment, Congress will not be going home for New Year's Eve. Let's do our job. | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://www.sanders.senate.gov/press-releases/sanders-calls-on-mitch-mcconnell-to-pass-2000-direct-payments-legislation-in-the-senate/ | Sanders Calls on Mitch McConnell to Pass $2,000 Direct Payments Legislation in the Senate | 2020-12-24 | 2020 | 2020-12 | Independent | House | VT | Bernard Sanders | S000033 | www.sanders.senate.gov | legacy | BURLINGTON, December 23 In response to President Trump's disapproval of the $908-billion COVID-19 relief package passed by Congress on Monday, Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) issued the following statement: In America today, millions of Americans are facing economic desperation and need help now.I have been calling on Congress for months to pass legislation to provide every working class American with $2,000 a month until the pandemic ends.Now that Senator Schumer, Speaker Pelosi and President Trump have all indicated strong support for a $2,000 direct payment the ball is in Senate Majority Leader McConnell's court. I say to Senator McConnell: Let the Senate vote immediately on a stand-alone bill to provide a $2,000 direct payment for the working class and $4,000 for couples. If no Republican objects to that bill, it could pass by unanimous consent today. Sanders is the co-author, with Senators Kamala Harris (D-Calif.) and Ed Markey (D-Mass.), of the Monthly Economic Crisis Support Act, which would provide $2,000 direct monthly payments to working-class Americans for the duration of the pandemic. | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://www.leahy.senate.gov/press/daines-leahy-bipartisan-bill-promoting-affordable-health-insurance-passes-senate-heads-to-presidents-desk- | Daines, Leahy Bipartisan Bill Promoting Affordable Health Insurance Passes Senate, Heads to Presidents Desk | 2020-12-22 | 2020 | 2020-12 | Democrat | House | VT | Patrick Leahy | L000174 | www.leahy.senate.gov | legacy | 12.22.20 Daines, Leahy Bipartisan Bill Promoting Affordable Health Insurance Passes Senate, Heads to President's Desk . . . . Bill prevents health insurance companies from price fixing, collusion U.S. SENATE U.S.Senators Steve Daines (Mont.) and Patrick Leahy (Vt.) announced that their bipartisan bill promoting access to affordable health care by increasing transparency and enhancing consumer protections in the health insurance passed the U.S. Senate and will be headed to the President's desk to be signed into law. The Competitive Health Insurance Reform Act willensure that health insurance issuers are subject to the same federal antitrust laws prohibiting unfair trade practices, such as price fixing and collusion, as virtually every other industry in our economy. Our bipartisan bill will allow for greater transparency and oversight into the health insurance industry and help make health insurance more affordable for Montanans and Americans across the country. I look forward to this commonsense bill being signed into law, Daines said. While ordinary Americans are suffering through an unprecedented, deadly pandemic, multi-billion dollar health insurance companies are boasting record-high profits. It makes little sense that these powerful actors should also benefit from an antiquated exemption in the law shielding them from all scrutiny and oversight by our federal antitrust authorities. Our overwhelmingly bipartisan bill would simply subject health insurance providers to our federal antitrust laws just like every other major sector of the American economy. This is a commonsense bill that promotes competition and protects consumers, and I hope President Trumpswiftly signs it into law.Leahy said. The bipartisan billamends the McCarran-Ferguson Act to restore the application of federal antitrust laws to the health insurance industry, but does not otherwise interfere with or impact the authority of state authorit… | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://www.leahy.senate.gov/press/sanders-leahy-welch-applaud-dam-repair-funding-for-vermont | Sanders, Leahy, Welch Applaud Dam-Repair Funding For Vermont | 2020-12-22 | 2020 | 2020-12 | Democrat | House | VT | Patrick Leahy | L000174 | www.leahy.senate.gov | legacy | 12.22.20 Sanders, Leahy, Welch Applaud Dam-Repair Funding For Vermont WASHINGTON, Dec. 22 Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), Sen. Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) and Rep. Peter Welch (D-Vt.) announced that legislation passed by Congress last night will fund critical water infrastructure projects, including three aging flood-control dams. The Vermont delegation also announced that the state of Vermont has signed an agreement with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to make much-needed repairs to the Waterbury Dam. The project will begin in early 2021, using $40 million in federal funding secured by the delegation. The America's Water Infrastructure Act of 2020, to be signed into law today, includes language first authored by Senator Sanders in 2016 in the Water Resources Development Act. This year, the amendment authored by Sanders in the Senate and Welch in the House increases the authorization of federal funding to $60 million each for safety improvements at certain state-owned flood control dams constructed by the federal government before 1940. In Vermont, three dams the Waterbury, East Barre and Wrightsville dams are eligible to receive funding under this provision. These dams are essential pieces of Vermont's infrastructure, said Sanders, who is a senior member of the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee, which has jurisdiction over the water infrastructure legislation. Maintaining and repairing the dams especially the Waterbury Dam has long been a priority for our state. This bipartisan legislation is an important step toward rebuilding aging dams in Vermont and throughout the United States. Leahy, Vice Chairman of the Senate Appropriations Committee, said: I have been proud to secure funding for the Waterbury Dam through the appropriations process, and I'm pleased to see the increased spending authorized by this legislation at the request of Senator Sanders and Congressman Welch.Those funds may be very helpful if the cost exceeds the $40 million already appropriated for work on this critical pro… | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://www.sanders.senate.gov/press-releases/sanders-leahy-welch-applaud-dam-repair-funding-for-vermont/ | Sanders, Leahy, Welch Applaud Dam-Repair Funding for Vermont | 2020-12-22 | 2020 | 2020-12 | Independent | House | VT | Bernard Sanders | S000033 | www.sanders.senate.gov | legacy | WASHINGTON, Dec. 22 Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), Sen. Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) and Rep. Peter Welch (D-Vt.) announced that legislation passed by Congress last night will fund critical water infrastructure projects, including three aging flood-control dams. The Vermont delegation also announced that the state of Vermont has signed an agreement with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to make much-needed repairs to the Waterbury Dam. The project will begin in early 2021, using $40 million in federal funding secured by the delegation. The America's Water Infrastructure Act of 2020, to be signed into law today, includes language first authored by Senator Sanders in 2016 in the Water Resources Development Act. This year, the amendment authored by Sanders in the Senate and Welch in the House increases the authorization of federal funding to $60 million each for safety improvements at certain state-owned flood control dams constructed by the federal government before 1940. In Vermont, three dams the Waterbury, East Barre and Wrightsville dams are eligible to receive funding under this provision. These dams are essential pieces of Vermont's infrastructure,said Sanders,who is a senior member of the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee, which has jurisdiction over the water infrastructure legislation. Maintaining and repairing the dams especially the Waterbury Dam has long been a priority for our state. This bipartisan legislation is an important step toward rebuilding aging dams in Vermont and throughout the United States. Leahy, Vice Chairman of the Senate Appropriations Committee, said: I have been proud to secure funding for the Waterbury Dam through the appropriations process, and I'm pleased to see the increased spending authorized by this legislation at the request of Senator Sanders and Congressman Welch.Those funds may be very helpful if the cost exceeds the $40 million already appropriated for work on this critical project, and funds may also be needed for work to the other eligible Vermont dams. I was pr… | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://www.sanders.senate.gov/press-releases/sanders-statement-on-passage-of-covid-19-relief-package/ | Sanders Statement on Passage of COVID-19 Relief Package | 2020-12-22 | 2020 | 2020-12 | Independent | House | VT | Bernard Sanders | S000033 | www.sanders.senate.gov | legacy | WASHINGTON, December 21 Upon the Senate's passage of the $908-billion COVID-19 spending package, Sen. Sanders (I-Vt.) issued the following statement: Tonight, Congress passed a $908-billion COVID-19 relief bill that extends unemployment benefits through the early spring, and provides support for small businesses, schools, healthcare, nutrition, rentalassistance, child care, broadband, the Postal Service, as well as funding to help distribute vaccines. During the last several weeks, I have been working very hard, along with Republican Senator Josh Hawley of Missouri, to provide direct payments to working families throughout the country. Our goal was to replicate what was in the CARES bill of March, which was $1200 for every working-class adult and $500 for each child. While we did not get as much as we wanted, because of opposition from the Republican leadership and too many Democrats, the bill does include a $600 direct payment for every working-class American earning less than $75,000 a year, and a $1,200 direct payment for couples making less than $150,000 a year, plus $600 for each child. That means that the average family of four will receive a direct payment of $2400. While including these direct payments ultimately improved this bill, given the enormous economic desperation that so many working families across this country are now experiencing, there is no question but that this legislation did not go anywhere near far enough. When President-Elect Biden assumes office next month and when the Senate comes back into session in January, I will immediately begin fighting for another relief bill to help America's working familiesincluding another round of direct payments and more relief for the unemployed, the hungry, the uninsured and those who owe back rent and are behind on their mortgage payments. In this unprecedented crisis, it is imperative that we do everything we can to protect the working families of our country, the elderly, the children and the poor. | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://www.leahy.senate.gov/press/appropriations-vice-chair-leahy-announces-vermont-highlights-of-govt-funding-bill | Appropriations Vice Chair Leahy Announces **VERMONT HIGHLIGHTS** Of Govt. Funding Bill | 2020-12-21 | 2020 | 2020-12 | Democrat | House | VT | Patrick Leahy | L000174 | www.leahy.senate.gov | legacy | 12.21.20 Appropriations Vice Chair Leahy Announces **VERMONT HIGHLIGHTS** Of Govt. Funding Bill WASHINGTON (MONDAY, Dec. 21, 2020) Senator Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) Monday evening announced key Vermont highlights of the bipartisan agreement to fund the government for the remainder of fiscal year 2021, which includes the COVID relief package to provide relief to the thousands of Vermonters suffering during an unprecedented health and economic crisis. As the Vice Chairman of the Senate Appropriations Committee, Leahy secured several key priorities for Vermont in the fiscal year 2021 spending package. The overall bill which includes the 12 annual Appropriations bills that fund the federal government totals more than $2.3 trillion in funding for programs across the federal government and efforts to combat the pandemic and provide relief to the American people. Leahy said: The Omnibus Appropriations Bill is the product of hard work and compromise, and Vermonters can be proud of what is in this package. From expanding broadband access and stimulating economic development and job creation, to investing in our great Lake Champlain and Vermont's dairy industry, to providing help for those who continue struggling with the scourge of opioids, it will provide desperately needed relief to Vermonters and invests in our communities. In terms of COVID relief, the direct payments included in this package are a fraction of what they should be after months of obstruction and delay by Republican leadership, but it is a start, and I will continue to fight for the help that Vermonters need and deserve. The agreement includes significant investments across Vermont and the nation in education and early childhood programs, substance abuse and mental health services, food and nutrition programs, and increases for housing and homeless services to help those who are the most vulnerable. The relief package to address the ongoing pandemic includes extensions of pandemic unemployment programs through March, direct payments to qu… | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://www.leahy.senate.gov/press/merkley-colleagues-push-22-financial-services-companies-to-prioritize-american-health-safety-economic-security-by-not-insuring-arctic-drilling- | Merkley, Colleagues Push 22 Financial Services Companies to Prioritize American Health, Safety, Economic Security by Not Insuring Arctic Drilling | 2020-12-21 | 2020 | 2020-12 | Democrat | House | VT | Patrick Leahy | L000174 | www.leahy.senate.gov | legacy | 12.21.20 Merkley, Colleagues Push 22 Financial Services Companies to Prioritize American Health, Safety, Economic Security by Not Insuring Arctic Drilling WASHINGTON, D.C. Oregon's U.S. Senator Jeff Merkley teamed up with U.S. Senators Patrick Leahy (D-VT), Dianne Feinstein (D-CA), Martin Heinrich (D-NM), Cory Booker (D-NJ), and Chris Van Hollen (D-MD) to press executives of 22 financial services companies to not insure any oil and gas developments in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, citing significant financial risk, catastrophic damage to one of the world's most delicate ecosystems, and the acceleration of climate chaos. The senators' letterswhich were sent to AIG, Allianz, Aviva, AXIS, Chubb, CNA, Generali, Liberty Mutual, Lloyd's, Markel, Munich Re, QBE, RLI, SCOR, Sompo, Swiss Re, Talanx, The Hartford, Tokio Marine, Travelers, WR Berkley, and Zurich Cantonal Bankfollow a series of efforts by the Trump administration to auction off Arctic Refuge oil and gas leases in the coming weeks before the Biden administration is sworn in. The Arctic is on the frontline of climate crisis, warming at three times the rate of the rest of the world. Fossil fuel extraction in these areas risks exacerbating climate chaos and irreparably damaging the local environment, the lawmakers wrote. In addition to highlighting the detrimental impacts of boosting the use of fossil fuels on the future of our planet, the senators emphasized the financial risks of investing in Arctic oil extractionrisks that have led 27 major financial institutions, including five major American banks, to decide not to invest in Arctic oil and gas development projects. Oil and gas development in the Arctic is increasingly financially risky. Arctic drilling operations would face extreme and treacherous conditions with severely limited access to respond to an oil spill or an accident. The environmental, social, and governance factors linked with these developments will likely expose your company to unnecessary reputation, legal, and finan… | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://www.leahy.senate.gov/press/statement-on-fy-2021-omnibus-appropriations-bills-and-covid-relief-package | Statement On FY 2021 Omnibus Appropriations Bills And COVID Relief Package | 2020-12-21 | 2020 | 2020-12 | Democrat | House | VT | Patrick Leahy | L000174 | www.leahy.senate.gov | legacy | 12.21.20 Statement On FY 2021 Omnibus Appropriations Bills And COVID Relief Package . . . . Senate Floor After months of delay and painstaking negotiation, this afternoon we will have before us a spending package that includes all 12 appropriations bills for fiscal year 2021, and a vitally important COVID relief package. It provides funding for programs that are critically important to the American people, and I urge its swift passage. We are already 2 months and 20 days into the fiscal year. We cannot delay further. As Vice Chairman of the Appropriations Committee, I worked hard to reach agreement on this omnibus appropriations bill that will fund the federal government through the remainder of the fiscal year, without relying on a long-term continuing resolution. This was no easy task. The budget caps were very lean this year, providing a less than one percent increase in non-defense discretionary spending to meet the needs of a nation reeling from the worst public health pandemic in a century. This would have been difficult under ordinary circumstances, but was made even more difficult given the global health and economic crisis we face. Yet, within this tight topline, we have produced a bill that provides important increases in programs that serve the American people and invest in our economy. Importantly, this bill drives the final stake through the heart of the Trump Administration's effort to substantially diminish the role of government in helping Americans in need and promoting economic growth. President Trump's first budget proposed to substantially diminish the role of government, proposing to cut non-defense spending by 9 percent in fiscal year 2018, and 18 percent by 2021. He proposed to completely eliminate programs millions of Americans rely on every day, such as Low Income Home Energy Assistance (LIHEAP), Community Development Block Grants (CDBG), HOME, Legal Services Corporation, Food for Pea… | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://www.leahy.senate.gov/press/vice-chairman-leahy-releases-fiscal-year-2021-omnibus-appropriations-bill | Vice Chairman Leahy Releases Fiscal Year 2021 Omnibus Appropriations Bill | 2020-12-21 | 2020 | 2020-12 | Democrat | House | VT | Patrick Leahy | L000174 | www.leahy.senate.gov | legacy | 12.21.20 Vice Chairman Leahy Releases Fiscal Year 2021 Omnibus Appropriations Bill WASHINGTON (Monday, Dec. 21, 2020) Senate Appropriations Committee Vice Chairman Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) Monday released the $1.4 trillion fiscal year 2021 Omnibus Appropriations bill. Leahy said: This agreement is the product of weeks of hard work and compromise. This is not the bill I would have written on my own. It includes things I support and things I oppose. But on balance, passage of this bill is unquestionably in the interest of the American people, and both the House and the Senate should act on it quickly. Leahy's full statement is available HERE. The bill includes critical funding for programs that help grow our economy and support working families. Importantly, it includes increased funding for education, early childhood programs, mental health services, and desperately needed food assistance programs to help families struggling in this unprecedented health and economic crisis. It provides increases for affordable housing and homelessness services to help those who are most vulnerable, especially in these uncertain times. Democrats fought for these increases and they would not be available under a continuing resolution. A full summary of the bill is available HERE. Bill text is available HERE. A breakdown by Appropriations Subcommittee is available below: Agriculture Commerce, Justice, Science Defense Energy and Water Financial Services and General Government Homeland Security Interior and Environment Labor, Health and Human Services, Education and Related Programs Legislative Branch Military Construction and VA State, Foreign Operations and Related Agencies Transportation, Housing and Urban Development A summary of the much needed COVID Relief Package, as produced by the Senate Minority Leader's office, is available HERE. # # # # # Next Article Previous Article | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://www.leahy.senate.gov/press/statement-on-attorney-general-william-barr-and-the-future-of-the-department-of-justice-senate-floor | Statement On Attorney General William Barr And The Future Of The Department Of Justice Senate Floor | 2020-12-19 | 2020 | 2020-12 | Democrat | House | VT | Patrick Leahy | L000174 | www.leahy.senate.gov | legacy | 12.19.20 Statement On Attorney General William Barr And The Future Of The Department Of Justice Senate Floor As William Barr's second tenure as Attorney General is coming to an end, it is important for the Senate to reflect upon his legacy, and upon the challenges now facing the Department of Justice. The Office of Attorney General fills a unique role within our system of government. Created by the Judiciary Act of 1789, an Attorney General is not a traditional member of the President's cabinet. As Supreme Court Justice James Iredell observed in 1792, the position is not called the Attorney General of the President, but Attorney General of the United States. This is because an Attorney General's client is not the president, but the American people. An Attorney General's duty is not to defend the president, but to uphold the rule of law and do so with integrity and independence. President Trump has a very different view. He views the Office of Attorney General as an extension of his political power, to be wielded like a weapon to further his agenda. He believes it exists to benefit him personally, to target his opponents and protect him and his friends. His view stands in stark contrast to everything the Attorney General is supposed to represent. It came as no surprise, then, that during his nomination hearing Mr. Barr was questioned about which type of Attorney General he would be: the president's lawyer, or an impartial pursuer of justice. He was adamant that while he may sympathize with the President's policy choices, his role as a policy advisor would be distinct from that of the nation's chief law enforcement officer. If confirmed, he assured us, his job would not be to protect the President. Thirty years ago I voted for Mr. Barr to serve as Attorney General to then-President George H.W. Bush. I had my disagreements with him then, several in fact. But when I heard in late 2018 that President Trump intended to nominate him for a second tenure as Attorney General, I was hopeful. After the short… | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://www.sanders.senate.gov/press-releases/senator-bernie-sanders-receives-covid-19-vaccine-from-u-s-capitol-physician-dr-brian-p-monahan/ | Senator Bernie Sanders Receives COVID-19 Vaccine from U.S. Capitol Physician, Dr. Brian P. Monahan | 2020-12-19 | 2020 | 2020-12 | Independent | House | VT | Bernard Sanders | S000033 | www.sanders.senate.gov | legacy | WASHINGTON December 19 U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders received the COVID-19 vaccine from U.S. Capitol physician, Dr. Brian P. Monahan on Saturday. Sanders said, Following the advice of the Office of the Attending Physician, today I received the safe and effective COVID-19 vaccine. As the vaccine is being distributed, we must all continue wearing masks and engage in social distancing. That is how we will beat this virus and end this terrible pandemic. | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://www.sanders.senate.gov/press-releases/over-2000-vermonters-join-sanders-for-virtual-seniors-town-hall/ | Over 2,000 Vermonters Join Sanders for Virtual Seniors Town Hall | 2020-12-18 | 2020 | 2020-12 | Independent | House | VT | Bernard Sanders | S000033 | www.sanders.senate.gov | legacy | BURLINGTON December 18 U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders held a virtual town hall Thursday evening to provide an update from Congress and to hear the thoughts and concerns of older Vermonters. Over 2,000 Vermont seniors joined Sanders for the town meeting which was held via phone call and streamed live on Sanders' website. Each December, Sanders hosts holiday meals for seniors throughout the state. However, for everyone's safety, this year's event was held virtually. Sanders participated by video from his Senate office in Washington, D.C. Our senior meals and town meetings are always a highlight of the holiday season. While we couldn't be together in person this year, I'm very pleased we had the opportunity to gather virtually, said Sanders. Especially at a time when many seniors are unable to be with friends and family, I thought it was important to continue this annual event and hear from my constituents about the issues that matter most to them, as well as the challenges they are facing. After Sanders' introductory remarks, Vermonters asked questions on a wide range of issues. Areas of interest ranged from ways to expand and protect Medicare and Social Security, to struggles affording housing, heat, food, and prescription medications. With negotiations continuing in Congress, the COVID-19 relief package was on the minds of many who participated in the town hall. Many asked Sanders about the effort he is leading to ensure that a direct payment provision is included in the final relief bill, as well as his hope that Congress and a Biden Administration will continue to work on and pass additional, much-needed emergency relief in the new year. If approved, these direct payments to Vermonters would add about $350 million to the local economy. It's interesting that all of the questions tonight touched on issues that millions and millions of people are struggling with. Whether it's inadequate Social Security benefits, whether it's the high cost of prescription drugs, whether it's the housing crisis, whether it is student d… | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://www.sanders.senate.gov/press-releases/sanders-delivers-floor-speech-urging-senate-to-pass-1200-in-direct-relief-to-working-class/ | Sanders Delivers Floor Speech Urging Senate to Pass $1,200 in Direct Relief to Working Class | 2020-12-18 | 2020 | 2020-12 | Independent | House | VT | Bernard Sanders | S000033 | www.sanders.senate.gov | legacy | WASHINGTON, December 18 Senator Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) went to the Senate floor this afternoon to seek unanimous consent to pass legislation he had introduced earlier today to provide direct payments to working families across the United States. Sanders' proposal provides a direct payment of $1,200 for every working-class American, $2,400 for couples, and $500 for children. He was joined on the floor by Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.), who spoke in support of the legislation. Sanders stated, If this country means anything, if the U.S. government means anything, it means that we cannot turn our backs on that suffering, and that we cannot leave Washington for the holidays to go back to our families unless we address the pain and anxiety of other families throughout this country. Read the legislation here. Sanders' speech can be watchedhere, and the prepared remarks can be read below: Mr. President, this country faces the worst set of public health and economic crises that we have faced in over a hundred years. As a result of the pandemic more people are becoming infected than ever before. Hospitalization is higher than ever before. And more people are dying than ever before. We all hope and pray that the new vaccine will be distributed as quickly as possible and that it will put an end to this nightmare. But, today, the truth is that millions of low-income and middle class families are suffering in a way that we have not seen since the Great Depression. Today, the reality is that over half of our workers are living paycheck to paycheck trying to survive on $10 or $12 an hour. The reality is that millions of senior citizens all over this country are trapped in their homes, unable to see their kids or grandchildren, unable to go to a grocery store, and are trying to survive on $12 or $14,000 a year. In addition, millions more with disabilities are also suffering. Further, in America today, one out of four workers are either unemployed or make less than $20,000 a year. And, in the midst of this pandemic, b… | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://www.leahy.senate.gov/press/patents-for-humanity-legislation-championed-by-leahy-and-grassley-passes-senate-unanimously-and-heads-to-presidents-desk-for-signature | Patents For Humanity Legislation, Championed By Leahy And Grassley, Passes Senate Unanimously And Heads To Presidents Desk For Signature | 2020-12-16 | 2020 | 2020-12 | Democrat | House | VT | Patrick Leahy | L000174 | www.leahy.senate.gov | legacy | 12.16.20 Patents For Humanity Legislation, Championed By Leahy And Grassley, Passes Senate Unanimously And Heads To President's Desk For Signature . . . Bill Would Codify Program That Encourages And Rewards Use Of Patented Technology To Tackle Humanitarian Needs WASHINGTON (WEDNESDAY, Dec. 16, 2020) -- The Patents for Humanity Program Improvement Act, authored and long championed by Senator Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) and Senator Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa), passed the Senate unanimously on Tuesday night. This bipartisan bill encourages and rewards the use of patented technology to address humanitarian needs. Patents for Humanity is the United States Patent and Trademark Office's (USPTO) awards competition which recognizes innovators who use game-changing technology to meet global humanitarian challenges. Winners of the program receive a certificate to accelerate certain processes at the USPTO; for example, accelerated review of another application or reexamination request. This legislation would codify the program and allow winners to transfer these certificates to a third party, which the USPTO and small start-up companies have long said will help this vital program grow and even attract small inventors who might not use the certificates themselves. The Patents for Humanity program has already made a critical difference across the world. Winners have worked to improve nutrition, provide clean drinking water and sanitation, fix broken bones in remote hospitals that lack x-ray technology, bring solar-powered energy to villages that are off the power grid, and combat the problem of dangerous counterfeit drugs, among other achievements. Leahy and Grassley both spoke at the virtual 2020 awards ceremony. Details on the 2020 award winners can be found here. Leahy and Grassley have introduced similar legislation in the past, and in the 114th Congress the bill passed the Senate unanimously. In this Congress, for the first time,… | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://www.sanders.senate.gov/press-releases/sanders-helps-lead-fight-for-direct-payments/ | Sanders Helps Lead Fight for Direct Payments | 2020-12-16 | 2020 | 2020-12 | Independent | House | VT | Bernard Sanders | S000033 | www.sanders.senate.gov | legacy | WASHINGTON, December 16 Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) has been leading the fight in Washington to provide direct benefits to working families as they struggle through the pandemic and economic downturn. Sanders is fighting for $1,200 for every worker earning less than $75,000 a year, and $2,400 a couple earning less than $150,000 a year. Each child would receive a benefit of $500. This is what existed in the CARES Act passed in March. Currently, negotiations have the benefit set at $600 per adult and $600 per child. At this level, approximately 445,000 Vermont adults and 153,000 children roughly 93 percent of the state's population would receive these benefits. This amounts to over $345 million in direct benefits going to Vermonters, which will be an important economic stimulus. Sanders said: At a time when many Vermonters are struggling to put food on the table, pay their rent or mortgage, or have the necessary income to go to the doctor, it is imperative that Congress provide direct payments for working families. I am glad that we are making progress on this issue, but more has to be done, and I will continue that fight. | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://www.sanders.senate.gov/press-releases/sanders-on-manchin-romney-deal-congress-cannot-go-home-until-working-class-receives-1200-direct-payments/ | Sanders on Manchin-Romney Deal: Congress Cannot Go Home Until Working Class Receives $1,200 Direct Payments | 2020-12-14 | 2020 | 2020-12 | Independent | House | VT | Bernard Sanders | S000033 | www.sanders.senate.gov | legacy | WASHINGTON, December 14 Sen. Sanders (I-Vt.) issued the following statement in response to the Manchin-Romney COVID19 legislation to be released this afternoon: As a result of the pandemic, tens of millions of Americans are facing economic desperation.They can't afford to pay their rent and face eviction, they can't afford to go to the doctor, they can't afford to feed their children and they are going deeper and deeper into debt.Congress cannot go home for the Christmas holidays until we pass legislation which provides a $1,200 direct payment to working class adults, $2,400 for couples, and a $500 payment to their children. This is what Democrats and Republicans did unanimously in March through the CARES Act.This is what we have to do today. | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://www.leahy.senate.gov/press/statement-on-the-fy2021-national-defense-authorization-actconference-report | Statement On The FY2021 National Defense Authorization Act Conference Report | 2020-12-11 | 2020 | 2020-12 | Democrat | House | VT | Patrick Leahy | L000174 | www.leahy.senate.gov | legacy | 12.11.20 Statement On The FY2021 National Defense Authorization Act Conference Report . . . . Congressional Record Mr. President, the Senate has before it today the result of a compromise. The conference report that will result in the adoption of the National Defense Authorization Act NDAAfor fiscal year 2021 is neither the bill the Senate approved, nor the one the House passed. I am pleased that this conference report cures many of the problems that led to my vote to oppose the Senate bill. Specifically, the conference report is void of the authority for funds to support testing of a new nuclear device, which was included in the Senate bill. This sends an important message to the world about Congress's support for U.S. leadership in armed control. Further, the conference report advances the progress we have made with regard to Vietnam. This NDAA sends a clear message that Congress believes in the importance of cooperation with Vietnam, both to advance our shared security interests and to address some of the worst consequences of that war. The conference report will extend the authorization for the Department of Defense to help decontaminate the Bien Hoa Airbase from the lingering poison of dioxin, and it includes new authorization to help the Government of Vietnam locate and identify some of its hundreds of thousands of MIAs, as they have helped us locate our own MIAs over so many years. The bill will also help the veterans of that war who were exposed to dioxin. The expansion of presumption of exposure included in this bill will mean that Americans suffering from a number of linked ailments can spend their time seeking treatment, rather than jumping through bureaucratic and legal hoops. For many veterans exposed to airborne toxic substances through burn pits, this bill also includes a number of provisions to make it easier to identify their exposure and for them to make connections needed while seeking medical c… | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://www.leahy.senate.gov/press/klobuchar-leahy-introduce-jamal-khashoggi-press-freedom-accountability-act- | Klobuchar, Leahy Introduce Jamal Khashoggi Press Freedom Accountability Act | 2020-12-10 | 2020 | 2020-12 | Democrat | House | VT | Patrick Leahy | L000174 | www.leahy.senate.gov | legacy | 12.10.20 Klobuchar, Leahy Introduce Jamal Khashoggi Press Freedom Accountability Act . . . . Honoring the memory of journalist Jamal Khashoggi, legislation would ensure governments that commit human rights abuses against journalists are held accountable by the United States WASHINGTON U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) and Patrick Leahy (D-VT) introduced legislation to ensure governments that commit human rights against journalists abuses are held accountable by the United States. It is widely believed that Jamal Khashoggi, a Washington Post journalist and resident of the U.S., was murdered in Saudi Arabia's consulate in Istanbul under orders from the Saudi government because of his writings in opposition to Saudi government policies. To help protect journalists across the world, the Jamal Khashoggi Press Freedom Accountability Act would place targeted sanctions, restrict foreign aid, and increase reporting on human rights abuses committed against journalists by foreign governments. We must ensure that journalists in the United States and around the world are able to do their jobs without fear of harm, Klobuchar said. It is unacceptable to suppress, imprison, and violently target the press, and the Jamal Khashoggi Act would ensure that the United States holds foreign governments who attempt to do so accountable. It is shocking that journalists today in many countries are increasingly the targets of harassment, threats, wrongful imprisonment, and assassination, Leahy said. Jamal Khashoggi's gruesome murder shined a spotlight on the peril journalists face every day. It is why the United States, where a free press is the cornerstone of our democracy, should do everything possible to defend the rights and safety of journalists and ensure that those who seek to intimidate and silence the press are held accountable. Representative Adam Schiff (D-CA) leads companion legislation in the House of Representatives. Thi… | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://www.leahy.senate.gov/press/murphy-leahy-menendez-van-hollen-wyden-statement-on-sentencing-of-walid-fitaihi-in-saudi-arabia | Murphy, Leahy, Menendez, Van Hollen, Wyden Statement On Sentencing Of Walid Fitaihi In Saudi Arabia | 2020-12-10 | 2020 | 2020-12 | Democrat | House | VT | Patrick Leahy | L000174 | www.leahy.senate.gov | legacy | 12.10.20 Murphy, Leahy, Menendez, Van Hollen, Wyden Statement On Sentencing Of Walid Fitaihi In Saudi Arabia WASHINGTONU.S. Senator Chris Murphy (D-Conn.), along with U.S. Senators Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.), Bob Menendez (D-N.J.), Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), and Ron Wyden (D-Ore.), on Thursday released the following statement on the sentencing of an American citizen, Walid Fitaihi, in Saudi Arabia: We are appalled that Walid Fitaihi has been sentenced to six years in prison by a Saudi court on politically motivated charges. We have repeatedly called for the release of Dr. Fitaihi since his arrest in 2017, and supported Secretary Pompeo's direct appeals to Saudi authorities to resolve his case. Unfortunately, the Saudi government has ignored these bipartisan appeals, despite clear implications for the U.S.-Saudi relationship, the senators said. The senators continued: Fitaihi is a dual American-Saudi citizen who was sentenced, in part, for the supposed crime of obtaining U.S. citizenship without permission from the Saudi government. He was also sentenced for offending foreign countries' with his peaceful speech on Twitter, where he posted messages in support of democratic protests across the Arab world in 2011. The Saudi government should immediately release Dr. Fitaihi, lift the travel ban on his family, and drop these baseless and politically motivated charges. The persecution of American citizens, which also includes the ongoing detention of Salah al Haidar and Bader al Ibrahim, is unacceptable. ### Next Article Previous Article | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://www.sanders.senate.gov/press-releases/sanders-gillibrand-warren-merkley-markey-and-wyden-urge-colleagues-to-defend-working-class-in-covid-19-relief-proposal-2/ | Sanders Demands Direct Payments for Working Families | 2020-12-10 | 2020 | 2020-12 | Independent | House | VT | Bernard Sanders | S000033 | www.sanders.senate.gov | legacy | WASHINGTON, December 10 Senator Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) stated today on the Senate floor that given the enormity of the current economic crisis, the Senate must pass a $1,200 direct payment for working class adults and $500 for their children as part of any COVID-19 relief package. He is filing an amendment today to the one-week Continuing Resolution to do just that. Sanders said that it would be unacceptable for Congress to adjourn for the holidays while turning its back on the economic desperation facing tens of millions of Americans. In a speech on the floor today, he stated: When a national emergency occurs the United States government must respond. And we are in an economic emergency today. To get out of Washington, to turn our backs on the suffering of so many of our people would be immoral, would be unconscionable, and cannot be allowed to happen. Sanders' speech can be watchedhere, and the prepared remarks can be read below: Mr. President: This country today faces an unprecedented crisis both in terms of the pandemic and the economic meltdown. I understand that there are negotiations going on in terms of coming up with an economic package dealing with COVID-19 relief. I applaud the hard work that each of the negotiators are doing. But the truth is that the results up to this point are totally unsatisfactory given the economic desperation facing tens of millions of working families. Back in March, at the beginning of the pandemic, the United States Congress unanimously Democrats and Republicans worked with President Trump to come up with an economic package that went a long way toward preventing absolute misery and destitution for so many of our people. Through no fault of their own, COVID-19 resulted in millions of people losing their jobs and their income. And, in response, Democrats and Republicans in the Congress came together, worked with the President of the United States and, in a very significant way, responded to that crisis. Mr. President, what I don't understand is that at a time when, in many … | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://www.sanders.senate.gov/press-releases/sanders-hawley-introduce-1200-direct-payments-amendment-to-attach-to-end-of-year-legislation/ | Sanders, Hawley Introduce $1,200 Direct Payments Amendment to Attach to End-of-Year Legislation | 2020-12-10 | 2020 | 2020-12 | Independent | House | VT | Bernard Sanders | S000033 | www.sanders.senate.gov | legacy | WASHINGTON, December 10 Sens. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) and Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) are introducing a bipartisan amendment to attach to must-pass legislation to be considered by Congress, which would provide $1,200 in direct payments to working-class adults and $500 to each of their children.This amendment, similar to what was passed in the CARES Act, would be attached to must-pass legislation to keep the government going. In the midst of this terrible pandemic and economic crisis, this amendment would make certain that working families get the urgent, direct support they need to survive,said Sanders.A direct payment of $1,200 for adults and $500 for kids would help desperate families pay rent and heating bills, put food on the table, and be able to go to the doctor.In the midst of so much economic desperation, Congress cannot go on recess without providing this $1,200 emergency assistance to the American people in their time of need.I look forward to working across the aisle with Senator Hawley to ensure that the United States Senate passes this amendment. It would be a dereliction of duty if Congress adjourns for Christmas without having a vote on providing working families with direct payments,said Hawley.Working people are struggling. And they should be the first people given relief, not last. The crisis of rising unemployment claims, ever-expanding food lines, evictions, and growing credit card debt has been staring us in the face for months. It's time we do something about it and provide emergency relief to Americans. The amendment is modeled on the $1,200 direct payment for working-class adults plus $500 for their children passed by Congress unanimously in the $2.2 trillion CARES Act in March and signed into law by President Trump. Watch Sanders' and Hawley's floor remarks on this proposalhere. Read the text of the amendmenthere. | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://www.leahy.senate.gov/press/statement-on-house-passage-of-a-one-week-continuing-resolution | Statement On House Passage Of A One Week Continuing Resolution | 2020-12-09 | 2020 | 2020-12 | Democrat | House | VT | Patrick Leahy | L000174 | www.leahy.senate.gov | legacy | 12.09.20 Statement On House Passage Of A One Week Continuing Resolution I am glad that the House passed a one week continuing resolution that will allow us the time we need to complete our work on full year appropriations bills, and I urge the Senate to take up and pass it as soon as possible. We cannot and will not allow government funding to lapse in the midst of an unprecedented health and economic crisis. Chairwoman Lowey, Ranking Member Granger, Chairman Shelby, myself, and our staff, have been tirelessly working through the nights and the weekend to reach an agreement, and we will continue to do so. Time and again, appropriators have shown that we can reach a bipartisan compromise that funds the government and addresses the nation's priorities. I believe we are very close to reaching that compromise once again, and I look forward to continuing this work on behalf of my home state of Vermont and the American people. # # # # Next Article Previous Article | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://www.leahy.senate.gov/press/house-passes-antitrust-whistleblower-protections-authored-by-grassley-leahy- | House Passes Antitrust Whistleblower Protections Authored by Grassley, Leahy | 2020-12-08 | 2020 | 2020-12 | Democrat | House | VT | Patrick Leahy | L000174 | www.leahy.senate.gov | legacy | 12.08.20 House Passes Antitrust Whistleblower Protections Authored by Grassley, Leahy WASHINGTON(Tuesday, Dec. 8, 2020) The U.S. House of Representatives Tuesday passed legislation by Sens. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) and Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) granting protections to whistleblowers who shine a light on violations of antitrust laws. The Criminal Antitrust Anti-Retaliation Act, which unanimously passed the Senate last year, must now be signed by the President to become law. Competition is essential for a thriving, affordable and innovative marketplace. When our antitrust laws are violated, consumers are often left paying the price. The Criminal Antitrust Anti-Retaliation Act encourages and shields from reprisal private sector employees to shine a light on activities that violate our antitrust laws. This bipartisan bill is an important step to safeguarding fair marketplaces as well as the whistleblowers who support them. It's earned broad support in both chambers of Congress, and I urge President Trump to sign it into law without delay, Grassley said. Our country has a proud history of protecting whistleblowers who expose wrongdoing, beginning when the Continental Congress unanimously passed the first whistleblower law 242 years ago. Today, Congress honors that longstanding tradition by unanimously passing the bipartisan Criminal Antitrust Anti-Retaliation Act that I co-authored with Senator Grassley. In an era where dominant corporations aggressively seek to expand their profits and quash competitors, our laws should protect whistleblowers who take significant risks to report criminal antitrust violations like price fixing that undermine free and fair competition. That's exactly what our legislation would do. I urge President Trump to sign this commonsense, bipartisan bill into law without delay, Leahy said. The Criminal Antitrust Anti-Retaliation Act extends whistleblower protections for employees who provide information to the Department of Justice related to criminal antitrust violations. The Senate… | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://www.sanders.senate.gov/press-releases/sanders-gillibrand-warren-merkley-markey-and-wyden-urge-colleagues-to-defend-working-class-in-covid-19-relief-proposal/ | Sanders, Gillibrand, Warren, Merkley, Markey and Wyden Urge Colleagues to Defend Working Class in COVID-19 Relief Proposal | 2020-12-08 | 2020 | 2020-12 | Independent | House | VT | Bernard Sanders | S000033 | www.sanders.senate.gov | legacy | WASHINGTON, December 8 Sens. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.), Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.),Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.),Ed Markey (D-Mass.) and Ron Wyden (D-Ore.)urged Senate Democrats today to recognize the enormity of the economic and public-health crisis posed by COVID-19 and join them in demanding that any new COVID-19 relief proposal includes a $1,200 direct payment to adults and $500 to their children, while rejecting provisions to give a liability shield to corporations who threaten the health and safety of workers and customers. In a letter to their colleagues, the Senators note that COVID-19 is infecting nearly 200,000 Americans and killing 2,000 Americans daily, and argue that a bipartisan proposal under negotiation does not go anywhere near far enough, as America experiences the worst economic crisis since the Great Depression. Only $348 billion in new money is currently allocated in that proposal, the Senators point out, even though the Trump Administration and a bipartisan coalition in the House supported over $1.8 trillion in COVID-19 relief that also included another $1,200 direct payment. It would be unacceptable to take a major step backwards from those previous efforts by passing legislation that only included $348 billion in new money, the Senators wrote to their Democratic colleagues. The lawmakers further expressed their opposition to a get-out-of-jail free card to companies that put the lives of their workers and customers at risk currently under consideration in a bipartisan COVID-19 relief measure, and cited concerns from labor groups that granting immunity would make the country less safe at the exact moment when the COVID-19 pandemic is entering a new, dangerous phase. The letter's signatories also registered their agreement with President-elect Biden that a $1,200 direct payment should be included in this proposal, as over half of American workers live paycheck to paycheck and one in four are either unemployed or make less than $20,000 a year, while millions more face evicti… | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://www.leahy.senate.gov/press/statement-on-the-urgent-need-for-covid-relief | Statement On The Urgent Need For COVID Relief | 2020-12-07 | 2020 | 2020-12 | Democrat | House | VT | Patrick Leahy | L000174 | www.leahy.senate.gov | legacy | 12.07.20 Statement On The Urgent Need For COVID Relief . . . . Senate Floor It's been 321 days since the first COVID-19 case was reported in the United States. It's been 282 days since the first COVID-19 death was reported in the United States. The Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that the unemployment rate in November was 6.7 percent, nearly double the rate in November of last year. Hundreds of thousands of small businesses across the country have closed, permanently, due to COVID. As of today, there are more than 14.8 million reported cases of COVID-19 in the United States one million more than just a week ago. More than 282,000 Americans have died. And it has been 256 days since the Senate passed the CARES Act. Two hundred and fifty-six days since the Senate acted in a comprehensive, meaningful way to address the real and mounting concerns and needs of our constituents. Healthcare workers and caregivers, business owners and employees, teachers and students all in need of support in these difficult and uncertain times. Families wrestling with heightened food insecurity, and the threat of eviction hanging over them. States strapped by budget shortfalls, forced to lay off thousands of employees. It's been 205 days since the House first passed the HEROES Act. And it's been 65 days since they stepped forward to offer a substantial compromise on the HEROES Act, and pass it again. And where does it sit? On the Republican Leader's desk, collecting dust, as the largest, and most significant bill in the McConnell legislative graveyard. Like millions of Americans, I am encouraged by the news in recent weeks that pharmaceutical companies are making significant progress in vaccine development. I am encouraged that some of those vaccines may be available as early as later this month. But let's not forget why we were able to develop vaccines so quickly it is because of long-standing federal investments in cutting… | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://www.leahy.senate.gov/press/reaction-of-senator-patrick-leahy-to-the-national-academies-of-sciences-report_assessment-of-illness-in-us-government-employees-and-their-families-at-overseas-embassies | Reaction Of Senator Patrick Leahy To The National Academies Of Sciences Report, Assessment Of Illness In U.S. Government Employees And Their Families At Overseas Embassies | 2020-12-06 | 2020 | 2020-12 | Democrat | House | VT | Patrick Leahy | L000174 | www.leahy.senate.gov | legacy | 12.06.20 Reaction Of Senator Patrick Leahy To The National Academies Of Science's Report, Assessment Of Illness In U.S. Government Employees And Their Families At Overseas Embassies This report, long awaited, was finally released because I and other Members of Congress insisted that the public, and especially the families of those afflicted, be able to read it. I thank the members of the NAS Standing Committee for the considerable time and effort they devoted to this vexing issue. Their report leads to several conclusions, including: Several Members of Congress, among others, who rushed to judgment when these illnesses were first reported and publicly accused the Cuban Government, did so without any evidence or factual basis. None of the investigations and studies that have occurred since then, including by the FBI and the NAS, produced evidence implicating the Cubans, yet they have never retracted those accusations. Secretary Pompeo slashed our Embassy staff in Havana to a skeleton crew, and kicked out most of the Cubans at their Embassy in Washington, while U.S. Embassies in China and elsewhere, despite similar incidents, have remained fully operational and no punitive action was taken. These incidents were exploited by the Trump Administration to buttress its punitive and cynical isolationist policy toward Cuba that has failed to achieve any of its objectives. The Trump Administration's handling of these incidents has been sluggish, superficial, disjointed, overly secretive, and infected by politics. They even denied the NAS Standing Committee access to relevant information. It is a textbook case of how not to respond to such a challenge, and it compounded the anguish of the afflicted U.S. Embassy personnel and their families. There are reasons to be seriously concerned with the safety of our Embassy personnel, wherever they are posted overseas, based on the findings and conclusions of this report. The Biden Administration should promptly consult with Congress on how to implement the NAS's rec… | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://www.sanders.senate.gov/press-releases/sanders-statement-on-manchin-romney-covid19-proposal/ | Sanders Statement on Manchin-Romney COVID19 Proposal | 2020-12-04 | 2020 | 2020-12 | Independent | House | VT | Bernard Sanders | S000033 | www.sanders.senate.gov | legacy | BURLINGTON, December 4 Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) issued the following statement on the Manchin-Romney COVID19 legislative proposal: Given the enormous economic desperation facing working families in this country today, I will not be able to support the recently announced Manchin-Romney COVID proposal unless it is significantly improved. Unfortunately, despite long-time Democratic opposition, this proposal provides 100% legal immunity to corporations whose irresponsibility has led to the deaths of hundreds of workers. It would continue to provide a get-out-of-jail free card to companies that put the lives of their workers and customers at risk. In fact, the Manchin-Romney proposal will, through this liability provision, encourage corporations to avoid implementing the common sense safety standards needed to protect workers and consumers and make a bad situation worse. Further, during the worst economic crisis since the Great Depression, when over half of our workers are living paycheck to paycheck, when one out of four workers are either unemployed or make less than $20,000 a year, when 92 million Americans are uninsured or under-insured, when tens of millions of people face eviction and when hunger in America is exploding, it is unacceptable that the Manchin-Romney proposal does not even do what the CARES Act did and provide, at the very least, a $1,200 direct payment to working class Americans and $500 for their kids. Tens of millions of Americans living in desperation today would receive absolutely no financial help from this proposal. That is not acceptable. Last March, with unanimous support in Congress, President Trump signed the $2 trillion CARES Act into law that provided a $600 a week supplement in unemployment benefits and a $1,200 direct payment to every working class adult, $500 per child and significant help for small businesses, states and cities. In October, as part of the negotiating process, the Trump Administration and a bi-partisan coalition in the House supported over $1.8 trillion in COVID… | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://www.leahy.senate.gov/press/leahy-sanders-and-welch-encourage-vermont-dairy-farmers_to-enroll-in-safety-net-program-ahead-of-friday-dec-11-deadline | Leahy, Sanders And Welch Encourage Vermont Dairy Farmers To Enroll In Safety-Net Program Ahead Of Friday, Dec. 11, Deadline | 2020-12-03 | 2020 | 2020-12 | Democrat | House | VT | Patrick Leahy | L000174 | www.leahy.senate.gov | legacy | 12.03.20 Leahy, Sanders And Welch Encourage Vermont Dairy Farmers To Enroll In Safety-Net Program Ahead Of Friday, Dec. 11, Deadline (THURSDAY, Dec. 3, 2020) -- Vermont's congressional delegation Senator Patrick Leahy (D), Senator Bernie Sanders (I), and Representative Peter Welch (D) are encouraging Vermont dairy farmers to consider enrolling in theDairy Margin Coverage (DMC) program, a voluntary safety net program created in the 2018 Farm Bill to help producers manage volatile milk prices and feed costs. The enrollment period for 2021 closes on Friday, December 11. In a joint statement, Leahy, Sanders, and Welch said: Dairy farms are foundational to Vermont's rural economy and our producers have faced unprecedented challenges this year. The COVID-19 pandemic has constrained supply chains, disrupted markets, and injected significant volatility and uncertainty into dairy prices. As we have worked hard to secure urgent federal assistance for farmers to weather this storm, the importance of safety net programs like Dairy Margin Coverage cannot be overstated. Current dairy future prices are forecasting another challenging year in 2021 as the market continues to stabilize, and margins are expected to trigger DMC payments throughout much of the year. We encourage all Vermont dairy producers to talk to their cooperatives, contact their Farm Service Agency field offices, and to strongly consider enrolling in DMC by the December 11 deadline. To enroll in the DMC program for 2021, farmers must contact their county Farm Service Agency (FSA) office by Friday, Dec. 11, 2020. Contact information is available from the FSA State Office at 356 Mountain View Drive, Colchester, (802) 658-2803,https://www.fsa.usda.gov/state-offices/Vermont. Farmers can also find more information about DMC, including a decision tool, at FSA's Dairy Margin Coverage website. # # # # # Next Article Previous Article | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://www.leahy.senate.gov/press/leahy-is-among-bipartisan-group-of-members-of-congress-to-file-supreme-court-amicus-brief-in-support-of-human-trafficking-victims | Leahy Is Among Bipartisan Group Of Members Of Congress To File Supreme Court Amicus Brief In Support Of Human Trafficking Victims | 2020-12-01 | 2020 | 2020-12 | Democrat | House | VT | Patrick Leahy | L000174 | www.leahy.senate.gov | legacy | 12.01.20 Leahy Is Among Bipartisan Group Of Members Of Congress To File Supreme Court Amicus Brief In Support Of Human Trafficking Victims WASHINGTON (TUESDAY, Dec. 1, 2020) U.S. Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) and U.S. Representative Chris Smith (R-NJ) led a bipartisan group of 21 members of Congress, including Senator Patrick Leahy (D-VT), in filing an amicus brief supporting victims of human trafficking in their case against two corporations Nestl USA and Cargill alleged to have knowingly aided and abetted the abuse of child slaves trafficked to work on cacao farms in Cte d'Ivoire. The Supreme Court heard oral arguments on the case today. In addition to Leahy, the brief was joined by U.S. Senators Sherrod Brown (D-OH), Ben Cardin (D-MD), Chris Coons (D-DE), Dick Durbin (D-IL), Robert Menendez (D-NJ), Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Ron Wyden (D-OR), and U.S. Representatives Joaquin Castro (D-TX), David Cicilline (D-RI), Steve Cohen (D-TN), Pramila Jayapal (D-WA), Tom Malinowski (D-NJ), Tony Crdenas (D-CA), Carolyn Maloney (D-NY), Gregory Meeks (D-NY), Jerry Nadler (D-NY), Bobby Scott (D-VA), and Nydia Velzquez (D-NY). The members of Congress's amicus brief focuses on the extensive and bipartisan efforts by Congress to eradicate human trafficking, forced labor, and all forms of modern day slavery, most notably through the Trafficking Victims Protection Act (TVPRA), authored by Rep. Smith. The legislation, passed by Congress in 2000 and strengthened through subsequent reauthorizations, criminalizes sex and labor trafficking, creates a federal civil remedy for victims of human trafficking, and expands the law to allow for civil and criminal liability for forced labor committed internationally. The amicus brief argues that the TVPRA is the correct guidepost to determine Congress' views on human trafficking and that the law does not preclude trafficking victims from bringing a lawsuit in the U.S. under the Alien Tort Statue (ATS), emphasizing that Congress intends the liability for those who benefit from t… | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://www.sanders.senate.gov/press-releases/taxpayers-subsidize-poverty-wages-at-walmart-mcdonalds-other-large-corporations-gao-finds/ | Taxpayers Subsidize Poverty Wages at Walmart, McDonalds, Other Large Corporations, GAO Finds | 2020-11-18 | 2020 | 2020-11 | Independent | House | VT | Bernard Sanders | S000033 | www.sanders.senate.gov | legacy | WASHINGTON, November 18 Many full-time workers employed by some of America's largest and most profitable corporations receive wages so low that they qualify for Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP, or food stamps) benefits and Medicaid, according to a report released today by the Government Accountability Office (GAO). The report,Millions of Full-time Workers Rely on Federal Health Care and Food Assistance Programs,commissioned by Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), found that 5.7 million Medicaid enrollees and 4.7 million SNAP recipients who worked full-time for 50 or more weeks in 2018 earned wages so low that they qualified for these federal benefits. An estimated 12 million wage-earning adults enrolled in Medicaid and 9 million wage-earning adults living in households receiving SNAP benefits worked at some point in 2018. At a time when huge corporations like Walmart and McDonald's are making billions in profits and giving their CEOs tens of millions of dollars a year, they're relying on corporate welfare from the federal government by paying their workers starvation wages. That is morally obscene.U.S. taxpayers should not be forced to subsidize some of the largest and most profitable corporations in America.It is time for the owners of Walmart, McDonald's and other large corporations to get off of welfare and pay their workers a living wage,said Sanders.No one in this country should live in poverty. No one should go hungry. No one should be unable to get the medical care they need. It is long past time to increase the federal minimum wage from a starvation wage of $7.25 an hour to $15, and guarantee health care to all Americans as a human right. GAO sent questionnaires to state Medicaid and SNAP agencies and analyzed data from 15 such agencies across 11 states. Each agency reported the 25 most common employers of Medicaid enrollees and SNAP recipients. Among the 15 agencies, Walmart was in the top four employers of program beneficiaries in each and every one. McDonald's was a top-five employer of employ… | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://www.leahy.senate.gov/press/statement-on-the-eighteenth-meeting-of-states-parties-to-the-mine-ban-treaty | Statement On The Eighteenth Meeting Of States Parties To The Mine Ban Treaty | 2020-11-16 | 2020 | 2020-11 | Democrat | House | VT | Patrick Leahy | L000174 | www.leahy.senate.gov | legacy | 11.16.20 Statement On The Eighteenth Meeting Of States Parties To The Mine Ban Treaty I remember the sense of hope I felt on September 26, 1994, when President Bill Clinton, in a speech at the United Nations, called for ridding the world of anti-personnel landmines. It was heralded as a bold challenge by the world's only military superpower in response to the increasing global outrage about the carnage these inherently indiscriminate weapons were causing in dozens of countries, including landmines left by our own soldiers in wars long past. In furtherance of that goal, President Clinton announced that the Department of Defense would seek alternatives to anti-personnel mines that are triggered by the victim, often an innocent civilian. In the 26 years since that speech, 164 governments have joined the international treaty banning the production, use, export, and stockpiling of anti-personnel mines, and the number of mine casualties has plummeted. Billions of dollars have been spent largely by the United States to locate and destroy unexploded mines, and that costly, dangerous work continues in many countries. But despite this progress, each year thousands of people lose life or limb from these weapons which continue to be used in some armed conflicts today, mostly by irregular armed groups rather than government forces. The 18th Meeting of states parties to what is commonly called the Mine Ban Treaty begins today, but, regrettably, the United States which spends more on its armed forces than China, Russia, India, Germany, France, the UK, Japan and the next half dozen largest militaries combined may not be among the governments participating since it has not joined the treaty. In fact, under the Trump administration, the progress made under the Clinton, Bush, and Obama administrations to align our policy with the treaty was summarily reversed in February, with no prior consultation with other governments, humanitarian organizations, or Congress. That was done despite the fact that the United State… | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://www.leahy.senate.gov/press/leahy-and-others-ask-trump-administration-to-suspend-all-federal-executions-during-transition-period | Leahy And Others Ask Trump Administration To Suspend All Federal Executions During Transition Period | 2020-11-13 | 2020 | 2020-11 | Democrat | House | VT | Patrick Leahy | L000174 | www.leahy.senate.gov | legacy | 11.13.20 Leahy And Others Ask Trump Administration To Suspend All Federal Executions During Transition Period In less than three months, Trump Administration executed seven people more than the total number executed over the previous six decades; DOJ has scheduled another execution for November 19, and two more in December 2020. Leahy, Durbin, and Booker last year also introduced legislation to ban the use of the federal death penalty. (FRIDAY, Nov. 13, 2020) -- U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL), Patrick Leahy (D-VT), and Cory Booker (D-NJ), along with U.S. Representative Ayanna Pressley (D-MA-07), Friday called on the Trump Administration to suspend all federal executions so the incoming Biden-Harris Administration can evaluate and determine the future use of the death penalty by the federal government. For more than 17 years, no federal death sentence was carried out. Then, in July 2020, Attorney General Bill Barr recklessly restarted federal executions. In less than three months, the Administration executed seven peoplemore than the total number executed over the previous six decades. The Department of Justice has scheduled another execution for November 19, and two more in December 2020. President-Elect Biden's plan for strengthening America's commitment to justice includes the elimination of the federal death penalty and Vice-President-Elect Harris is an original cosponsor of legislation we have introduced to eliminate the federal death penalty. A record number of Americans voted in favor of President-Elect Biden and Vice-President Elect Harris and they deserve an opportunity to implement their policy agenda without the Trump Administration rushing to take preemptive and irreversible steps, the lawmakers wrote in a letter to AG Barr. While you will remain in office for a few more weeks, going forward with executions in the weeks before the new administration takes office would be a grave injustice. Last year, Leahy, Durbin, Pressley and Booker introduced bicameral legislation to immediately … | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://www.leahy.senate.gov/press/comment-on-the-release-of-the-fy-2021-senate-appropriations-bills- | Comment On The Release Of The FY 2021 Senate Appropriations Bills | 2020-11-10 | 2020 | 2020-11 | Democrat | House | VT | Patrick Leahy | L000174 | www.leahy.senate.gov | legacy | 11.10.20 Comment On The Release Of The FY 2021 Senate Appropriations Bills Today, Chairman Shelby released draft bills and explanatory statements for each of the twelve FY 2021 appropriations bills. Chairman Shelby and I agree on the importance of completing our work on the twelve bills before the continuing resolution expires on December 11. I am very disappointed that the majority chose to cancel Committee mark ups of the FY 2021 bills and that the bills were not considered by the full Senate, eliminating the ability of members to offer amendments. This is an important part of the process when developing legislation. It would have given all members a chance to weigh in and publicly debate these bills. That is our job as Senators. That is how a democracy is supposed to function, regardless of which party is in the majority. We should not be running away from the tough issues. However, our goal is to work with the House to conference all twelve appropriations bills and avert a government shutdown. We only have four weeks to do it. In order to accomplish our work, we need Senate bills to work from. The twelve bills being released by the Chairman on Tuesday will help us move forward in this process. Many of the bills were the result of bipartisan work, and I appreciate those areas where we were able to come to agreement. However, there are significant issues that we will want to address in negotiations with the House. The first is the need to address the coronavirus crisis in this country. This country is headed for a deadly winter and it is long past time for us to provide the resources the country needs to get this virus under control and our economy back open. These bills do not provide any such relief. It is imperative that we do what is necessary to stop this pandemic from spreading. Whether this takes the form of separate legislation, or additional emergency titles added onto these bills, I remain ready to do what is necessary to help a country in crisis. Secondly, there are a number of issue… | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://www.leahy.senate.gov/press/the-thin-red-white-and-blue-line-thanks-to-the-election-workers-who-are-showing-the-resilience-of-our-democracy | The Thin Red, White And Blue Line: Thanks To The Election Workers Who Are Showing The Resilience Of Our Democracy | 2020-11-06 | 2020 | 2020-11 | Democrat | House | VT | Patrick Leahy | L000174 | www.leahy.senate.gov | legacy | 11.06.20 The Thin Red, White And Blue Line: Thanks To The Election Workers Who Are Showing The Resilience Of Our Democracy By Patrick Leahy The 2020 presidential election may be nearing an end but it is not yet over, and it will be months before we know the final results of some U.S. Senate races. But at a time of heightened divisiveness and disillusionment in our country, and in the midst of a worsening public health crisis unlike any the world has faced in more than 100 years, we should all take pride in the way that the thousands of poll workers, vote counters, and state officials have conducted themselves over these long days and nights. We have seen the best of America, as they have carried out their responsibilities with the utmost seriousness and care. They have not been intimidated by threats or baseless claims of fraud, even from the White House podium. They have not succumbed to impatience or pressure. They have followed their procedures methodically and meticulously, day after day, hour after hour. It is the best evidence that, at its core, our democracy is strong, despite relentless attempts by some, including President Trump and members of his family, to sow division and doubt, and even to incite violence.It is the American people, and only the people, who ultimately choose their leaders, by the simple act of voting. It is not rocket science. It requires marking a box, and, for mail-in ballots, sealing an envelope and dropping it in the mail. These procedures have been in place for decades. President Trump won in 2016 with the support of votes that were mailed in by absentee Republican voters, and in some states he won by the slimmest of margins. He voted in this election by mailing in his ballot, so it is ludicrous to impugn the integrity of others who mailed in their ballots. Each state counts those votes according to its own procedures, which vary from state to state. And that is what they are do… | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://www.leahy.senate.gov/press/leahy-vermonts-dream-program-receives-125-million_to-mentor-youth-affected-by-opioid-and-drug-addiction | Leahy: Vermonts DREAM Program Receives $1.25 Million To Mentor Youth Affected By Opioid and Drug Addiction | 2020-10-30 | 2020 | 2020-10 | Democrat | House | VT | Patrick Leahy | L000174 | www.leahy.senate.gov | legacy | 10.30.20 Leahy: Vermont's DREAM Program Receives $1.25 Million To Mentor Youth Affected By Opioid and Drug Addiction . . . . Dept. of Justice Funding Will Expand Reach in Rural Communities (FRIDAY, Oct. 30, 2020) -- Senator Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) Friday announced that Vermont's DREAM program will receive a three-year, $1.25 million grant from the Department of Justice (DOJ) to support peer mentoring for elementary-aged youths in rural communities whose lives have been affected by the opioid epidemic. This is the second such award made to Vermont mentoring programs since Leahy, as Vice Chairman of the Senate Appropriations Committee, worked to expand the program's eligibility to include rural states that have been hard hit by drug addiction. The change was first made in the fiscal year 2019 Consolidated Appropriations Act. Leahy said: We know mentoring works, it can literally change lives. For a young person whose family life has been upended by the opioid epidemic, this kind of one-on-one connection can be a lifeline. It's even more critical now, as we see the increase in rural isolation brought on by the COVID pandemic. The Youth Initiative grant, administered by the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP), will help match high school mentors and elementary-aged mentees from rural communities across Vermont. DREAM, which works to close the opportunity gap that exists for many of Vermont's young people, seeks to boost educational expectations, grow personal aspirations and build trusting relationships through its mentor pairings. The program also works to provide supportive social environments that will reduce the likelihood of youths engaging in high-risk behaviors, including substance misuse. Through inequitable and often racialized systems, there is a growing socio-economic chasm in resources, life experiences and access to adult mentors for youth in low-income households, said Michael… | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://www.leahy.senate.gov/press/bipartisan-due-process-act-by-leahy-and-others-aims-to-protect-americans-from-asset-forfeiture_abuse | Bipartisan DUE PROCESS Act By Leahy And Others Aims To Protect Americans From Asset Forfeiture Abuse | 2020-10-29 | 2020 | 2020-10 | Democrat | House | VT | Patrick Leahy | L000174 | www.leahy.senate.gov | legacy | 10.29.20 Bipartisan DUE PROCESS Act By Leahy And Others Aims To Protect Americans From Asset Forfeiture Abuse WASHINGTON (THURSDAY, Oct. 29, 2020) A bipartisan group of senators this week introduced legislation to protect property owners whose assets are seized by the federal government. The DUE PROCESS Act is sponsored by Sens. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa), Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.), Mike Crapo (R-Idaho) and Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) all members of the Senate Judiciary Committee. Asset forfeiture laws are important and valuable tools for law enforcement to gain control over assets used to further terrorism and the drug trade, but as we've seen, they can also be abused. This bill is designed to protect the rights of people whose property has been seized without any judicial finding of wrongdoing. It's a step in the right direction to ensure that seizures happen in accordance with the law and that constitutional rights are protected, Grassley said. Asset forfeiture authorities are effective tools for law enforcement, but we have seen time and again these tools are ripe for abuse. Too often Americans do not receive notice that their property was seized, or the civil seizure is never connected to any charged criminal conduct. This legislation would affirm our commitment to Americans' most fundamental constitutional rights, ensuring that due process never takes a back seat to expediency, Leahy said. Requiring Americans to prove the government took their property improperly, rather than the government proving guilt, undermines our system of justice. Commonsense restraints on civil asset forfeiture are necessary for protecting the rights of law-abiding Americans. This legislation will provide needed safeguards for those whose assets have been unjustifiably seized without due cause or conviction, Crapo said. Due process is one of the pillars of our democracy. Seizing property without convicting or even charging the owners with a crime runs contrary to our principles. Our bill would ensure that property right… | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://www.sanders.senate.gov/press-releases/sanders-klobuchar-issue-statement-correcting-misinformation-from-president-trump-and-justice-kavanaugh-on-voting-processes/ | Sanders, Klobuchar Issue Statement Correcting Misinformation from President Trump and Justice Kavanaugh on Voting Processes | 2020-10-28 | 2020 | 2020-10 | Independent | House | VT | Bernard Sanders | S000033 | www.sanders.senate.gov | legacy | WASHINGTON, October 28 U.S. Senators Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) and Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.) released the statement below following President Trump's recent false statement that it is inappropriate and illegal to count ballots after Election Day, and the Supreme Court's ruling inDemocratic National Committee v. Wisconsin Legislature,where Justice Kavanaugh's concurring opinion contains incorrect information regarding voting: In America, we count the votes to determine who wins an election. Despite the incorrect assertions from President Trump and Justice Kavanaugh, election officials across the country accept ballots well after Election Day every year, and results are not certified until the votes are counted and a canvas to confirm the results is conducted.Absentee ballots counted after election day do not flip the results of an election,' as Justice Kavanaugh claimed. They are the results of the election. More than twenty states, including states like Mississippi, Kansas, and Utah, require ballots postmarked by Election Day to be counted even if they are received after Election Day. This is critical to ensuring that those who may face hardships in voting, including members of our military serving abroad and those affected by COVID-19, are not disenfranchised by things like mail delays. These are not new rules and they do not serve any political party. It is on all of us to reject misinformation and to tell the truth. Our election systems span 50 states, five territories, and thousands of jurisdictions. State and local election officials are working around the clock, and experts have concluded that the integrity of our election system is strong. The best defense against those trying to undermine our democracy is the resolve of the American people, who are voting by the millions as we speak. Keep voting. On October 18, Sanders and Klobuchar, along with Senators Schumer (D-N.Y.), Heinrich (D-N.M.), Murphy (D-Conn.), and Duckworth (D-Ill.), issued a report titled2020 General Election: Counting Votes & What to Expect… | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://www.sanders.senate.gov/press-releases/sanders-condemns-senate-confirmation-of-judge-barrett-to-supreme-court/ | Sanders Condemns Senate Confirmation of Judge Barrett to Supreme Court | 2020-10-26 | 2020 | 2020-10 | Independent | House | VT | Bernard Sanders | S000033 | www.sanders.senate.gov | legacy | WASHINGTON, October 26 Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) issued the following statement criticizing the Republican-controlled Senate's confirmation of Judge Amy Coney Barrett to the Supreme Court: Tonight's vote to confirm Amy Coney Barrett as a Supreme Court justice is a disgrace, not only because of what she will do when she gets on the bench, but because of the entire process, which was pushed through with extraordinary hypocrisy by Senate Republicans in the last days of a president's term. At this particular moment, over 50 million people have already cast their ballots to determine who the next President of the United States should be. Now is not the time to be voting on a Supreme Court justice. What we should be voting on instead is a major Covid-19 stimulus package to protect the working people of this country, who, by the tens of millions, have lost their jobs. They're struggling right now to pay their rent, get health insurance, and put food on the table to feed their kids. That is the issue we should be dealing with right now, and I am committed to ensuring that the next U.S. Senate, under Democratic leadership, will make a major Covid-19 stimulus bill the first order ofpriority. Watch Sanders' remarks on his vote against Barrett's confirmationhere. | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://www.leahy.senate.gov/press/statement-on-confirmation-vote-of-to-be-justice-amy-barrett-the-masks-are-off | Statement On Confirmation Vote Of To Be Justice Amy Barrett "The Masks Are Off" | 2020-10-25 | 2020 | 2020-10 | Democrat | House | VT | Patrick Leahy | L000174 | www.leahy.senate.gov | legacy | 10.25.20 Statement On Confirmation Vote Of To Be Justice Amy Barrett "The Masks Are Off" . . . . Senate Floor Just four weeks ago members of the Senate gathered just down the hallway in Statuary Hall. We gathered to honor Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, the first woman to lie in state at the U.S. Capitol. Justice Ginsburg was a trailblazer, a woman who may have stood at just over five feet tall but was nonetheless a giant of the law. The nation grieved for her, not simply because she was a brilliant lawyer and justice, but because she was a fighter. And she fought for those who needed fighting for most Americans for whom the promise of America was still just a promise. I have spoken at length about what Justice Ginsburg meant to the struggle for equality for millions of Americans. I will not repeat those words today, except to say that Justice Ginsburg's life's work left our nation a more perfect union. We will forever be in her debt. A day after we gathered in Statuary Hall, with the nation in mourning and days before Justice Ginsburg was laid to rest with her husband in Arlington Cemetery the President held a celebratory ceremony to nominate her replacement. The masks were off at that Rose Garden ceremony, in more ways than one. Republicans made it clear they would stop at nothing to confirm Justice Ginsburg's replacement before a presidential election just weeks away. Yes, the masks were off. From that moment, the confirmation process for Judge Amy Coney Barrett has been a caricature of illegitimacy. I will not dispute that it is the responsibility of this body to consider Justice Ginsburg's replacement to the Supreme Court. But this is not how we should do it. Not during such a polarizing time for our country, just one week from a presidential election after more than 57 million Americans have already voted. Not at the expense of every precedent and principle this institution once stood for. Not when doing… | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://www.leahy.senate.gov/press/leahy-sanders-and-democratic-colleagues-urge-devos-to-help-82-million-federal-student-loan-borrowers-currently-unable-to-access-relief | Leahy, Sanders and Democratic Colleagues Urge DeVos to Help 8.2 Million Federal Student Loan Borrowers Currently Unable to Access Relief | 2020-10-22 | 2020 | 2020-10 | Democrat | House | VT | Patrick Leahy | L000174 | www.leahy.senate.gov | legacy | 10.22.20 Leahy, Sanders and Democratic Colleagues Urge DeVos to Help 8.2 Million Federal Student Loan Borrowers Currently Unable to Access Relief 8.2 million federal student loan borrowers currently cannot access critical relief made available by the CARES Act, including a freeze on all payments, interest, and collections In a letter, Leahy, Sanders and 32 Senate Democrats urge DeVos to use her existing authority to make sure these struggling borrowers don't fall through the cracks (THURSDAY, Oct. 22, 2020) U.S. Senators Patrick Leahy (D-VT), Bernie Sanders (I-VT), and 32 Senate Democrats sent a letter urging Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos to ensure all struggling federal student borrowers can gain access to crucial federal relief. Since March, the CARES Act has provided forbearance, waived interest, and halted collections for borrowers whose student loans were directly held by the U.S. Department of Education. But, according to new information provided to Senator Murray by the Department, 8.2 million federal student loan borrowers currently cannot take advantage of this relief, because some or all of their loans do not quality. Of those borrowers, 4.4 million people are not receiving any relief, and 3.8 million people have a mix of loans that qualify and those that do not. To ensure that these borrowers don't continue to face unnecessary financial struggles and confusion, the senators urged Secretary DeVos to take immediate action to help them qualify for much-needed relief. The more than eight million student loan borrowers falling into donut holes of critical relief have missed out on needed benefits and suffered unnecessary complexity and confusion for more than six months, wrote the senators in the letter. It is essential that the Department immediately begin the targeted outreach and take the actions we are requesting. In the letter, the senators pressed Secretary DeVos to immediately reach out to borrowers currently missing out on relief and help them consolidate their loans into quali… | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://www.leahy.senate.gov/press/senate-democrats-denounce-trump-administrations-historically-low-refugee-resettlement-goal-and-push-for-increased-admissions | Senate Democrats Denounce Trump Administrations Historically Low Refugee Resettlement Goal And Push For Increased Admissions | 2020-10-22 | 2020 | 2020-10 | Democrat | House | VT | Patrick Leahy | L000174 | www.leahy.senate.gov | legacy | 10.22.20 Senate Democrats Denounce Trump Administration's Historically Low Refugee Resettlement Goal And Push For Increased Admissions WASHINGTON (THURSDAY, Oct. 22, 2020) Senator Bob Menendez (D-N.J.), Ranking Member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, today was joined by 22 of his Senate Democratic colleagues in opposing the Trump administration's proposal to cap refugee admissions at 15,000 for Fiscal Year 2021the lowest ceiling in the history of the U.S. Refugee Admissions Program (USRAP)and in urging the administration to increase refugee admissions. The United States has a long, bipartisan legacy of providing refugees protection through resettlementprior to 2016 we resettled an average of more than 80,000 refugees per year, the Senators wrote in a letter to Secretaries Michael Pompeo and Alex Azar and Under Secretary Chad Wolf. Yet, during this time of soaring global resettlement needs, this Administration has once again abdicated America's global leadership role by further reducing the refugee admissions ceiling to its lowest level in the 40-year history of the program. We urge you to substantially increase the refugee admissions target for FY 2021, and end the current suspension of the refugee resettlement program. The Senators highlighted the importance of a strong resettlement program, which serves as an essential lifeline for the most vulnerable among the 29.6 million refugees worldwide while also strengthening our communities and economy. In addition, the Senators affirmed the importance of U.S. leadership on resettlement as a powerful tool to garner greater global support for refugees facing persecution. American leadership in refugee resettlement is critical in securing greater global support for this important lifeline, which is available to less than one percent of all refugees, the Senators added.As this Administration has slashed its annual refugee admissions goals, other leading resettlement countries have followed suit and lowered their resettlement numbers as well. Joi… | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://www.leahy.senate.gov/press/stabenow-leahy-lead-call-for-usda-to-reverse-decision-to-decrease-covid-19-relief-available-to-dairy-farmers | Stabenow, Leahy Lead Call For USDA To Reverse Decision To Decrease COVID-19 Relief Available To Dairy Farmers | 2020-10-22 | 2020 | 2020-10 | Democrat | House | VT | Patrick Leahy | L000174 | www.leahy.senate.gov | legacy | 10.22.20 Stabenow, Leahy Lead Call For USDA To Reverse Decision To Decrease COVID-19 Relief Available To Dairy Farmers Washington Today, a group of 15 Senators led by U.S. Senators Debbie Stabenow (D-Mich.), Ranking Member of the U.S. Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry, and Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.), the most senior member of the Committee, called on the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to reverse its decision to unfairly exclude dairy farmers from receiving COVID-19 relief to cover losses related to meat production. While milk is the primary income for dairy farms, they often are diversified operations with significant revenue coming from the meat of cows as they are retired from milking. In the original Coronavirus Food Assistance Program (CFAP), the USDA compensated dairy farmers and other livestock producers for losses related to meat produced from breeding animals. When USDA announced CFAP 2, the second version of the relief program, the Department made a significant change to exclude those losses. This change will affect the livestock industry and will be particularly harmful to dairy farmers who often operate at extremely tight margins, wrote the Senators. The decision is even more troubling considering that USDA clearly has sufficient resources to cover these losses. Additionally, it is less complicated for both USDA and farmers to cover all livestock and avoid confusion about what animals are covered or excluded. Considering the dairy industry's traditionally tight margins, USDA's decision to shift course and arbitrarily exclude dairy farm losses related to meat production is a significant blow, wrote the Senators. We urge USDA to reverse this arbitrary decision and make breeding animals eligible for CFAP 2 like they were under the original relief program. In addition to Senators Stabenow and Leahy, the letter was signed by Senators Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.), Robert Casey (D-Pa.), Angus King (I-Maine), Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), Ron Wyden (D-Ore.), Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.… | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://www.leahy.senate.gov/press/wyden-leahy-schumer-merkley-ask-national-guard-for-wildfire-readiness-assessment | Wyden, Leahy, Schumer, Merkley Ask National Guard For Wildfire Readiness Assessment | 2020-10-22 | 2020 | 2020-10 | Democrat | House | VT | Patrick Leahy | L000174 | www.leahy.senate.gov | legacy | 10.22.20 Wyden, Leahy, Schumer, Merkley Ask National Guard For Wildfire Readiness Assessment Senators praise Guard response to 2020 wildfires, say assessment will help ensure Guard has the firefighting resources it needs Washington, D.C. U.S. Sens. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., Patrick Leahy, D-Vt., Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., and Jeff Merkley, D-Ore., today led colleagues in asking the National Guard for a report on its readiness to help states prepare, fight and recover from wildfires. In a letter to the Chief of the National Guard Bureau, General Daniel R. Hokanson, the senators wrote, As devastating fires of historic proportion continue to ravage the United States, we ask you to provide us an assessment of the National Guard's ability to prepare for, respond to, and help state firefighting forces recover from wildfires. A frank estimation will help Congress address any gaps and use every resource available to respond to this year's fires. It will also help us better resource and equip the Guard for a future in which human-driven climate change will make fire seasons increasingly severe and destructive. We commend all the heroic men and women of the National Guard who have been responding to raging wildfires as part of a federal, state, and local effort, the senators wrote.With a more complete understanding of the Guard's ability to respond, we can ensure proper resourcing and will be better able to keep our Guard members always ready and always there. The senators requested the National Guard provide the following information in response to today's letter: The availability of appropriately trained personnel and equipment for firefighting-related needs; An accounting of the capacity available through Emergency Management Assistance Compacts and whether expanding them may provide additional opportunities or wildfire capacity; and Any National Guard Bureau plans or constructs developed with governors for coordinated regional response. Wyden, Leahy, Schumer and Merkley were joined by U.S. Sens. Patty M… | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://www.leahy.senate.gov/press/leahy-senate-democrats-to-attorney-general-barr-immediately-halt-efforts-to-gut-the-affordable-care-act-in-court | Leahy, Senate Democrats To Attorney General Barr: Immediately Halt Efforts To Gut The Affordable Care Act In Court | 2020-10-21 | 2020 | 2020-10 | Democrat | House | VT | Patrick Leahy | L000174 | www.leahy.senate.gov | legacy | 10.21.20 Leahy, Senate Democrats To Attorney General Barr: Immediately Halt Efforts To Gut The Affordable Care Act In Court . . . As Supreme Court ACA Hearing Approaches and Republicans Ram Through a Supreme Court Nominee in an Illegitimate Process, Democratic Lawmakers Highlight How an ACA Repeal Can Impact Health Coverage for Americans Who Contract COVID-19. . . . "It is unconscionable for the Department of Justice to pursue this lawsuit in the midst of this unprecedented public health crisis, and we urge you to rescind your support of these efforts immediately." Text of Letter WEDNESDAY, Oct. 21, 2020) -- Senator Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.), the former chairman and longest serving member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, along with 19 other senators, on Wednesday sent a letter to Attorney General William Barr, urging the Department of Justice (DOJ) to rescind its support of the Supreme Court lawsuit that seeks to invalidate the Affordable Care Act (ACA). In the letter, the senators spotlight how health insurance protections for millions of Americans are at stake in light of the current Supreme Court nomination fight and the ways in which health insurers could discriminate against millions more people who contract COVID-19 if the pre-existing protections in the ACA are gutted. The letter was also signed by Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), Ed Markey (D-Mass.), Mazie K. Hirono (D-Hawaii.), Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.), Tammy Baldwin (D-Wisc.), Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), Gary Peters (D-Mich.), Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.), Maggie Hassan (D-N.H.), Cory Booker (D-N.J.), Tina Smith (D-Minn.), Kamala Harris (D-Calif.), Jack Reed (D-R.I.), Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.), and Chris Murphy (D-Conn.). "We urge the Department of Justice to immediately rescind its support of the lawsuit in California v. Texas asking the Supreme Court to declare the ACA unconstitutional and invalidate the law in its entirety," wrote the lawmake… | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://www.leahy.senate.gov/press/statement-on-the-need-for-a-comprehensive-covid-relief-bill | Statement On The Need For A Comprehensive COVID Relief Bill | 2020-10-21 | 2020 | 2020-10 | Democrat | House | VT | Patrick Leahy | L000174 | www.leahy.senate.gov | legacy | 10.21.20 Statement On The Need For A Comprehensive COVID Relief Bill . . . . Senate Floor We are in the middle of the most devastating public health crisis in modern history, and the American people are paying a terrible price. Nearly 220,000 people have died in just ten months. That is significantly more than the number of Americans who died in the Korean, Vietnam, Iraq, and Afghanistan wars combined. Remember when President Trump called himself a war president? Has he acted like one? He called the virus a hoax, and he's been AWOL ever since. Millions have lost their jobs and are struggling to make ends meet. People are being evicted from their homes, they are living in their cars, in shelters or on the street, and relying on the generosity of others. And the virus is still not remotely under control. The need for another comprehensive emergency funding bill to address the COVID crisis is obvious and urgent, as it has been for five months. And what is the Senate doing? Staging show votes on COVID relief bills that the Majority Leader knows will go nowhere, and going back on their word to rush through the nomination of a Supreme Court Justice less than two weeks before an election and after millions of Americans have already voted. Where are their priorities? I know where mine are. They are with the families of the 220,000 Americans who have lost their lives to this virus. They are with the thousands of Vermonters and the millions more across the nation who have lost their jobs during this pandemic. They are with the small business owners struggling to stay afloat during this crisis. They are with the fathers and mothers who are wondering if they will be able to pay next month's rent or put food on the table. They are with the children struggling to learn through zoom calls and online classes. This is a national disaster that requires real solutions. We need a comprehensive bill to address this problem. We… | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://www.leahy.senate.gov/press/vermont-agriculture-update | Vermont Agriculture Update | 2020-10-20 | 2020 | 2020-10 | Democrat | House | VT | Patrick Leahy | L000174 | www.leahy.senate.gov | legacy | 10.20.20 Vermont Agriculture Update Vermont Agriculture UPDATE *** Under Pilot Pgm., VT Dairy Farmers For 1st Time Can Be Paid Directly For Work In Protecting Water Quality *** Ironing Out The Bump In Federal Hemp Standards Recent federal actions will help Vermont's newest agricultural business sector (hemp), as well as the state's most longstanding farm sector (dairy), according to Senator Patrick Leahy. ENLISTING DAIRY FARMERS IN PROTECTING WATER QUALITY: On the more traditional farm front, there was also recent good news that could bring long-lasting benefits to the dairy industry. Under a pilot program funded through a $7 million USDA grant, farmers for the first time will be paid directly for services they provide in protecting water quality for the benefit of all Vermonters. Funding is through the Resource Conservation Partnership Program that Leahy worked to include in the 2014 and 2018 Farm Bills. This program will put Vermont at the forefront in demonstrating Payment for Ecosystem Services (PES) projects, an approach to environmental protection in which the community benefits of well managed resources are measured, and land owners are paid by the unit, as they would be for other goods or services. Farmers are embracing this concept that allows them to flexibly manage their land, recognizing that they know their land best, and paying farmers for measurable outcomes. This Vermont pilot will help demonstrate whether the PES approach may reduce phosphorus runoff more efficiently than do traditional regulatory approaches. HEMP AND CBD PRODUCTION: Vermont has been a leader in CBD hemp production since the crop was first legalized in the 2014 Farm Bill. As the former chairman and longest-serving member of the Agriculture Committee, Leahy worked on provisions in the 2014 law that allowed for limited hemp cultivation and sales under pilot programs run by state agriculture agencies. Before that law, hemp had been illegal under the same federal law that bans marijuana. Vermont … | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://www.leahy.senate.gov/press/leahy-and-sanders-seek-swift-release-of-liheap-heating-help | Leahy And Sanders Seek Swift Release Of LIHEAP Heating Help | 2020-10-19 | 2020 | 2020-10 | Democrat | House | VT | Patrick Leahy | L000174 | www.leahy.senate.gov | legacy | 10.19.20 Leahy And Sanders Seek Swift Release Of LIHEAP Heating Help . . . . 40 senators urge the Trump Admin. to provide LIHEAP funds to states as soon as possible (MONDAY, Oct. 19, 2020) With winter around the corner and heating costs projected to increase this season, Senator Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) and Senator Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) joined a bipartisan coalition of 40 senators in urging the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to release funds for the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) as swiftly and at the highest level possible under the current continuing resolution. The senators say federal LIHEAP funding is a crucial lifeline that assists low-income households and seniors on fixed incomes pay their energy bills and stay safe during the winter. Under a continuing Appropriations Committee resolution, HHS typically releases 90 percent of the $3.7 billion full-year appropriation. Leahy said: With the pandemic continuing to depress family incomes nationwide, and an early fall here in Vermont, it's vital that HHS act swiftly to release LIHEAP dollars to the states. As vice chairman of the Appropriations Committee I've fought year after year to support strong funding for LIHEAP because I know Vermonters rely on this help to keep warm. Any delay in sending these dollars to Vermont will result in Vermont families delaying filling their fuel tanks as nights get colder. I understand the urgency, and I hope the Administration does as well. Sanders said: As a result of this horrific health and economic crisis, Vermonters are hurting like they have never hurt before. It is critical that we get this home heating lifeline to Vermonters immediately. In the richest country on Earth, we have a moral responsibility to make sure that no one has to make the unacceptable choice between putting food on the table, paying for their prescription drugs, or heating their homes this winter. On the Appr… | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://www.sanders.senate.gov/press-releases/sanders-senate-democrats-to-american-people-do-not-allow-trump-to-undermine-nov-3-election-results/ | Sanders, Senate Democrats To American People: Do Not Allow Trump To Undermine Nov. 3 Election Results | 2020-10-19 | 2020 | 2020-10 | Independent | House | VT | Bernard Sanders | S000033 | www.sanders.senate.gov | legacy | WASHINGTON, October 18 Senate Budget Committee Ranking Member Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.), Senate Rules Committee Ranking Member Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), Senator Chris Murphy (D-Conn.), Senator Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.), and Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.) today released areportsummarizing for the American people what to expect on Election Day and reinforcing the Democrats' call to encourage everyone to vote. The report follows the months-long effort by President Trump to undermine the election and his repeated refusal to commit to a peaceful transfer of power. With the general election already well underway in every state across the country, Sanders and Senate Democrats have a clear message for the American people: Vote and cast your ballot as early as possible. While expressing optimism that Election Day will go smoothly around the country, the jointly authored report outlines the possibility that in some states, the outcome might not be known on November 3. The last message from the report is to make absolutely clear that voter intimidation is illegal and that federal law prohibits coercing or threatening anyone in order to interfere with their right to vote. The American people must be prepared for an election that is unprecedented in our history due to the enormous increase in mail-in ballots that have been, and will be, cast as a result of the pandemic,said Senator Sanders.No one should have to risk their health or their lives in order to vote, and that is why many millions are voting through mail-in ballots. One of the worst lies that Donald Trump is spreading is that there is a massive amount of voter fraud in this country.That is a total lie which no election official, Republican or Democrat, can support.What we are doing with this effort is ensuring that the American people understand that if American democracy means anything, it means that every vote must be countedno matter how long it takes. President Trump has for months now been laying the foundation to u… | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://www.leahy.senate.gov/press/statement-of-senator-patrick-leahy-d-vt-senate-judiciary-committee-executive-business-meeting | Statement Of Senator Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) Senate Judiciary Committee Executive Business Meeting | 2020-10-15 | 2020 | 2020-10 | Democrat | House | VT | Patrick Leahy | L000174 | www.leahy.senate.gov | legacy | 10.15.20 Statement Of Senator Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) Senate Judiciary Committee Executive Business Meeting This Committee may not be through the confirmation hearings for Judge Barrett, but we are now officially through the looking glass. As if ramming through confirmation hearings just two weeks after Judge Barrett's nomination and less than three weeks before an election amid a pandemic affecting Committee members wasn't enough of a sham, we are now proceeding to advance her nomination before her hearings have even concluded. Before we even have a chance to ask the nominee all of our questions. Before we have a chance to hear from all of the witnesses this Committee deemed necessary to provide input on the nomination. And apparently before this Committee has even reviewed all of Judge Barrett's record. Records of Judge Barrett's undisclosed speeches and materials continue to pour in, including seven more last night. All were omitted from her questionnaire. I am not suggesting that Judge Barrett intentionally failed to disclose all of these records to the Committee. But I am absolutely suggesting that the Committee's mad rush to confirm her has predictably resulted in a sloppy process and an incomplete record. There is no reason why these deficiencies cannot be cured. There is no reason why this nomination cannot be delayed. If President Trump wins re-election, this Committee could take up Judge Barrett's nomination in January. That process would be legitimate. This one is not. Instead, this process is a caricature of illegitimacy. The fact that we had a nominee before Justice Ginsburg was even buried in order to jam this nomination through before the election will forever mark this process as the callous, political power grab that it is. It's no secret why President Trump is so desperate to install Judge Barrett before the election. Always one to say the quiet part out loud, President Trump has said he expects his nominee to side with him in any election-related dispute. He has made it impossib… | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://www.leahy.senate.gov/press/statement-of-senator-patrick-leahy-on-the-recent-fighting-in-the-south-caucuses | Statement Of Senator Patrick Leahy On The Recent Fighting In The South Caucuses | 2020-10-15 | 2020 | 2020-10 | Democrat | House | VT | Patrick Leahy | L000174 | www.leahy.senate.gov | legacy | 10.15.20 Statement Of Senator Patrick Leahy On The Recent Fighting In The South Caucuses I am deeply troubled by the recent military aggression in the South Caucuses, apparently initiated by Azerbaijan, including reports of possible war crimes and mounting civilian casualties. There is a real risk that this protracted conflict could spiral out of control, provoking the involvement of the armed forces of regional powers. That would be a disaster for the civilian population. The immediate priority must be maintaining an unconditional ceasefire as sought by the Minsk Group. But recurring indiscriminate shelling and other acts of violence will continue to imperil local inhabitants until the Governments of Azerbaijan and Armenia make the necessary choices to secure a sustainable diplomatic resolution, with the input of those most affected by this conflict, because it will never be settled through military force. That is why the United States should seek to reinvigorate the Minsk process and urge all governments involved in the fighting, directly or indirectly, to commit to negotiate in good faith. Previous Article | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://www.leahy.senate.gov/press/comment-of-senator-patrick-leahy-at-the-conclusion-wednesday-night-of-judge-amy-coney-barretts-testimony | Comment Of Senator Patrick Leahy At The Conclusion Wednesday Night Of Judge Amy Coney Barretts Testimony | 2020-10-14 | 2020 | 2020-10 | Democrat | House | VT | Patrick Leahy | L000174 | www.leahy.senate.gov | legacy | 10.14.20 Comment Of Senator Patrick Leahy At The Conclusion Wednesday Night Of Judge Amy Coney Barrett's Testimony . . . . Wednesday Evening This unseemly and hypocritical push to ram a Supreme Court nominee through with just days before an election in which millions already have voted is not only an affront to the American people, but it damages the Senate and our courts. Republicans have cleared the Senate's decks not to work on much-needed COVID relief, but to spend two of the last weeks before the election on this mad rush to swing the balance of the Supreme Court for decades. This president and Senate Republicans also clearly see an opportunity in Judge Barrett to fulfill their dream to kill the Affordable Care Act. Sherepeatedly has criticized the constitutionality and legality of the ACA, while acknowledging to me that she has never once defended it. Republicans want to make sure the cards are stacked against the ACA and against the tens of millions of Americans whose lives depend upon it when the Supreme Court hears the latest Republican-led lawsuit to overturn the ACA on November 10. # # # # # (Senator Patrick Leahy, D-Vt., is a leading member and former chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee) Previous Article | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://www.leahy.senate.gov/press/reaction-to-the-decision-by-the-trump-administration-to-grant-a-visa-to-indonesian-defense-minister-prabowo | Reaction To The Decision By The Trump Administration To Grant A Visa To Indonesian Defense Minister Prabowo | 2020-10-13 | 2020 | 2020-10 | Democrat | House | VT | Patrick Leahy | L000174 | www.leahy.senate.gov | legacy | 10.13.20 Reaction To The Decision By The Trump Administration To Grant A Visa To Indonesian Defense Minister Prabowo Indonesian Minister of Defense Prabowo has been credibly implicated in gross violations of human rights, including kidnapping, torture, and disappearances, and under our law he is ineligible to enter this country. By granting him a visa, the President and Secretary of State have shown once again that for them law and order' is an empty slogan that ignores the imperative of justice. The State Department should apply the law and deny him a visa, and the Pentagon should reaffirm its commitment to the rule of law. ##### Next Article Previous Article | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://www.leahy.senate.gov/press/vermont-delegation-demands-postmaster-general-deliver-and-install-critical-mail-processing-machine-to-white-river-junction-facility | Vermont Delegation Demands Postmaster General Deliver and Install Critical Mail Processing Machine to White River Junction Facility | 2020-10-13 | 2020 | 2020-10 | Democrat | House | VT | Patrick Leahy | L000174 | www.leahy.senate.gov | legacy | 10.13.20 Vermont Delegation Demands Postmaster General Deliver and Install Critical Mail Processing Machine to White River Junction Facility WASHINGTON Senator Bernie Sanders (I), Senator Patrick Leahy (D), and Representative Peter Welch (D) on Tuesday sent a letter to Postmaster General Louis DeJoy demanding the immediate delivery and installation of the new AFCS 200 cancellation machine at the White River Junction mail processing facility, a machine that is critical to the efficient handling of the mail. In the letter, Leahy, Sanders, and Welch wrote, While we have been promised for months that a new AFCS 200 cancellation machine will be installed, we have just learned that this will not occur until January of 2021 at the earliest. This timing is both unacceptable and another example of this administration's attempt to sabotage the Postal Service and the 2020 election." The cancellation machines at the White River Junction facility have been due to be replaced for several years now. USPS recently removed an AFCS (legacy system) cancellation machine from the facility, leaving the White River Junction center with just one operational cancellation machine. When that machine breaks down, as it did this past weekend, postal employees are forced to process mail by hand, which significantly delays the process. These employees are to be commended for their hard work and dedication and should be given every available resource to ensure the safe and timely processing of the mail, which includes a record number of mail-in ballots. Waiting until 2021 to get this new machine to Vermont will present undue harm to the hundreds of thousands of Vermonters who have been given the ability to vote by mail by November 3rd as well as Vermont's seniors, veterans, and people with disabilities who rely on the Postal Service for the delivery of their prescriptions, concluded the Vermont delegation. It will also further harm all those who will be separated from their families this holiday season if they are unable to rely… | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://www.sanders.senate.gov/press-releases/vermont-delegation-demands-postmaster-general-deliver-and-install-critical-mail-processing-machine-to-white-river-junction-facility/ | Vermont Delegation Demands Postmaster General Deliver and Install Critical Mail Processing Machine to White River Junction Facility | 2020-10-13 | 2020 | 2020-10 | Independent | House | VT | Bernard Sanders | S000033 | www.sanders.senate.gov | legacy | WASHINGTON Senator Bernie Sanders (I), Senator Patrick Leahy (D), and Representative Peter Welch (D) on Tuesday sent aletterto Postmaster General Louis DeJoy demanding the immediate delivery and installation of the new AFCS 200 cancellation machine at the White River Junction mail processing facility, a machine that is critical to the efficient handling of the mail. In the letter, Leahy, Sanders, and Welch wrote, While we have been promised for months that a new AFCS 200 cancellation machine will be installed, we have just learned that this will not occur until January of 2021 at the earliest. This timing is both unacceptable and another example of this administration's attempt to sabotage the Postal Service and the 2020 election. The cancellation machines at the White River Junction facility have been due to be replaced for several years now. USPS recently removed an AFCS (legacy system) cancellation machine from the facility, leaving the White River Junction center with justoneoperational cancellation machine. When that machine breaks down, as it did this past weekend, postal employees are forced to process mail by hand, which significantly delays the process. These employees are to be commended for their hard work and dedication and should be given every available resource to ensure the safe and timely processing of the mail, which includes a record number of mail-in ballots. Waiting until 2021 to get this new machine to Vermont will present undue harm to the hundreds of thousands of Vermonters who have been given the ability to vote by mail by November 3rd as well as Vermont's seniors, veterans, and people with disabilities who rely on the Postal Service for the delivery of their prescriptions, concluded the Vermont delegation. It will also further harm all those who will be separated from their families this holiday season if they are unable to rely on promise of the U.S. Postal Service to receive mail from loved ones a small but critically important way to reduce isolation, depression, and loneliness, par… | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://www.leahy.senate.gov/press/leahy-highlights-health-care-story-and-effects-of-supreme-court-overturning-aca-in-vermont | Leahy Highlights Health Care Story And Effects Of Supreme Court Overturning ACA In Vermont | 2020-10-12 | 2020 | 2020-10 | Democrat | House | VT | Patrick Leahy | L000174 | www.leahy.senate.gov | legacy | 10.12.20 Leahy Highlights Health Care Story And Effects Of Supreme Court Overturning ACA In Vermont WASHINGTON (MONDAY, Oct. 12, 2020) Just now, Senator Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) shared the story of Martha Richards, a Vermonter who is enrolled in the Affordable Care Act's (ACA) expanded Medicaid program. Senators are highlighting the devastating effects of the Supreme Court potentially overturning the ACA in the midst of a global pandemic. The ACA provides insurance for more than 20 million Americans and protections for the 130 million Americans with pre-existing conditions. Excerpt of Senator Leahy's remarks: Overturning the Affordable Care Act has been perhaps the single most important policy objective of the Republican Party over the last decade. If Republicans are now successful, the results will be nothing short of catastrophic for the millions of Americans who depend on its coverage and protections. That includes Martha Richards, a Vermonter who reached out to my office concerned about the fate of the Medicaid expansion under the Affordable Care Act. Martha earns just over the minimum wage in Vermont while working for the Vermont State Parks. She raised two kids on her own. Soon after enrolling in the expanded Medicaid program she began experiencing debilitating pain in her ear and behind her eye. That led to a series of expensive medical tests, including two MRIs that cost $6,000 each. She shudders at the thought of what would have happened without the ACA's Medicaid expansion. If it is discarded now as the Republican Attorneys General have requested in the case before the Supreme Court millions of Americans like Martha would be on their own. I am also concerned about Mary Nadon Scott, who lives in Northfield, Vermont, just over the ridge from my home in Middlesex. In her twenties, Mary was diagnosed with Friedreich's Ataxia, a rare neurological disease that's a pre-existing condition. While Vermont has some basic protections for those with pre-existing conditions, they apply only to… | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://www.leahy.senate.gov/press/opening-statement-on-the-nomination-of-justice-amy-coney-barrett-to-be-associate-justice-of-the-united-states-supreme-court | Opening Statement On The Nomination Of Justice Amy Coney Barrett To Be Associate Justice Of The United States Supreme Court | 2020-10-12 | 2020 | 2020-10 | Democrat | House | VT | Patrick Leahy | L000174 | www.leahy.senate.gov | legacy | 10.12.20 Opening Statement On The Nomination Of Justice Amy Coney Barrett To Be Associate Justice Of The United States Supreme Court I have served in the Senate for 46 years, a span that includes 20 Supreme Court nominations and 16 confirmation hearings. None not one looked anything like this one. We are less than two weeks removed from Justice Ginsburg being laid to rest. It is true that it is the responsibility of this Committee to consider her replacement on the Supreme Court. But this is not how we should do it. We should not have had a nomination ceremony before Justice Ginsburg was even buried, while the nation was mourning her passing. We should not be holding a hearing just 16 days later, when this Committee has afforded itself three times as long to vet other modern nominees to our nation's highest court. We should not be holding a hearing three weeks from a presidential election, when millions of Americans have already voted. Not when doing so requires that literally half of the Senate go back on their word, contradicting every argument they made four years ago about the American people needing a voice during election year vacancies. We should not be holding this hearing when it is plainly unsafe to do so. I'd like to place into the record a letter from Senators Booker, Harris and myself to the Chairman, asking that these hearings not proceed without proper testing measures in place. Two members of this Committee are just now emerging from quarantine after testing positive for COVID. Other members have declined to get tested at all. And yet the Chairman has refused to implement a daily testing regime to keep members, staff, and Judge Barrett and her family safe. By ignoring our request to implement daily testing, this Committee is displaying the same disregard for taking basic steps to mitigate the spread of this virus as President Trump. The Senate should also not be holding this hearing while doing nothing to pass a desperately-needed COVID relief bill. Every senator on this Committe… | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://www.leahy.senate.gov/press/leahy-booker-harris-press-chairman-graham-not-to-conduct-supreme-court-hearings-without-covid-19-testing-procedures-in-place | Leahy, Booker, Harris Press Chairman Graham Not To Conduct Supreme Court Hearings Without COVID-19 Testing Procedures In Place | 2020-10-09 | 2020 | 2020-10 | Democrat | House | VT | Patrick Leahy | L000174 | www.leahy.senate.gov | legacy | 10.09.20 Leahy, Booker, Harris Press Chairman Graham Not To Conduct Supreme Court Hearings Without COVID-19 Testing Procedures In Place . . . Warn That Hearings Could Otherwise Become Virus Super-Spreader (FRIDAY, Oct. 9, 2020) Senator Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.), Senator Cory Booker (D-N.J.) and Senator Kamala Harris (D-Calif.) Friday pressed Judiciary Committee Chairman Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) not to proceed with Supreme Court confirmation hearings next week unless stringent COVID-19 testing procedures are implemented immediately. Pointing out that two Judiciary Committee members have tested positive for COVID-19 and others have thus far refused to be tested, the senators told Graham that without testing procedures in place, the hearings could threaten the safety and health of all who attend in person. The senators wrote: In the wake of news that Senators Lee and Tillis tested positive for COVID-19 after attending the White House event announcing Amy Coney Barrett's nomination to the Supreme Court, Judiciary Committee Democrats asked that you postpone her confirmation hearings to ensure that we don't risk the health and safety of fellow Senators, Senate staff, other Senate employees, as well as Judge Barrett and her family. To date, we understand that you plan to proceed with these hearings on October 12, 2020, despite the serious risks they present. We urge you against unsafely moving forward with these hearings while no clear testing regime is in place to ensure that they do not become another super-spreader of this deadly virus. The senators continued: Without these precautionary measures in place, Senators, Senate staff, press, Judge Barrett and her family will face a serious, unnecessary risk of contracting COVID-19. We also have a moral responsibility to protect the workers who make it possible for us to do our jobs in the Senate each and every day. Absent these protocols, you are ignoring CDC best practices … | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://www.leahy.senate.gov/press/leahy-joins-in-letter-to-postmaster-general-dejoy-requesting-immediate-action-to-address-impacts-to-election-mail-delivery-caused-by-usps-failure-to-update-voter-address-changes- | Leahy Joins In Letter To Postmaster General DeJoy Requesting Immediate Action To Address Impacts To Election Mail Delivery Caused By USPS Failure To Update Voter Address Changes | 2020-10-09 | 2020 | 2020-10 | Democrat | House | VT | Patrick Leahy | L000174 | www.leahy.senate.gov | legacy | 10.09.20 Leahy Joins In Letter To Postmaster General DeJoy Requesting Immediate Action To Address Impacts To Election Mail Delivery Caused By USPS Failure To Update Voter Address Changes WASHINGTON (FRIDAY, Oct. 9, 2020) On Friday, U.S. Senators Jacky Rosen (D-NV), a member of the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee (HSGAC) and Senator Gary Peters (D-MI), Ranking Member of HSGAC, led 17 of their Senate colleagues in a letter to Postmaster General DeJoy raising concerns about recent reports that for three weeks in August, the United States Postal Service (USPS) failed to update address changes in the National Change of Address Linkage database (NCOALink), which most states use to keep voters addresses up to date. In the letter, the Senators ask the Postmaster General to answer several questions to assure Americans that this error will not impact their ability to safely and securely vote-by-mail in the upcoming general election. We write to express our concern about recent reports that in August, the United States Postal Service failed to update address data in the National Change of Address Linkage database (NCOALink) and to request information about the resulting impact on election mail. With voters already casting ballots across the nation, such failures are unacceptable and require immediate action, wrote the lawmakers. BACKGROUND: The letter was also signed by Senators Sherrod Brown (D-OH), Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), Mazie Hirono (D-HI), Patrick Leahy (D-VT), Cory Booker (D-NJ), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), Ron Wyden (D-OR), Maggie Wood Hassan (D-NH), Jack Reed (D-RI), Ed Markey (D-MA), Tina Smith (D-MN), and Tom Carper (D-DE). The full text of the letter can be found here and below: Dear Mr. DeJoy: We write to express our concern about recent reports that in August, the United States Postal Service (USPS) failed to update address data in the National Chang… | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://www.leahy.senate.gov/press/leahy-tests-negative-for-covid-19 | Leahy Tests Negative For Covid-19 | 2020-10-05 | 2020 | 2020-10 | Democrat | House | VT | Patrick Leahy | L000174 | www.leahy.senate.gov | legacy | 10.05.20 Leahy Tests Negative For Covid-19 Statement Of David Carle, Spokesman For Senator Patrick Leahy Senator Leahy was tested for COVID-19 earlier today since he attended the Senate Judiciary Committee hearing on Thursday, where it is now known that two senators were present who have tested positive for the virus. While he did not come into close contact with these two senators for an extended period of time, he took the test at the advice of the Capitol Physician. The test was negative and Senator Leahy continues to exhibit no symptoms for the virus. Given the potential exposure of the virus to all members and staff on the Judiciary Committee last week, and given that four senators on the Committee are currently self-quarantining, Senator Leahy firmly believes that it has become impossible to proceed with a hearing to consider Judge Barrett's nomination, in just seven days from now, in accordance with CDC guidelines. Doing so would needlessly place the health and safety of members, staff, journalists, and the nominee and her family at risk. # # # # # Previous Article | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://www.leahy.senate.gov/press/judiciary-committee-democrats-to-chairman-graham-supreme-court-hearing-would-endanger-health-safety- | Judiciary Committee Democrats to Chairman Graham | 2020-10-03 | 2020 | 2020-10 | Democrat | House | VT | Patrick Leahy | L000174 | www.leahy.senate.gov | legacy | 10.03.20 Judiciary Committee Democrats to Chairman Graham Supreme Court Hearing Would Endanger Health, Safety (SATURDAY, Oct. 3, 2020) Senate Judiciary Committee Ranking Member Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) today led all 10 Judiciary Committee Democrats in calling on Chairman Lindsey Graham to delay the Supreme Court confirmation hearings for Judge Amy Coney Barrett after President Trump and committee members Senators Mike Lee and Thom Tillis tested positive for the coronavirus. To proceed at this juncture with a hearing to consider Judge Barrett's nomination to the Supreme Court threatens the health and safety of all those who are called upon to do the work of this body, the senators wrote. The senators continue, The American people are looking to us. Now is the time to provide much-needed COVID relief, not to rush through a Supreme Court nomination and further endanger health and safety. Full text of the letter follows: October 3, 2020 The Honorable Lindsey O. Graham Chairman Committee on the Judiciary United States Senate Washington, D.C. 20510 Dear Chairman Graham: We learned yesterday that President Trump and Senators Lee and Tillis have tested positive for COVID-19. We sincerely hope that the President and our Senate colleagues recover fully and quickly. As United States Senators and members of the Senate Judiciary Committee, we have the responsibility to protect this nation and the American people. That includes our fellow Senators, Judge Barrett and her family, our staffs, and the men and women who keep the Senate complex safe, clean, and operational. At least two members of this Committee have already contracted COVID-19, and several other members were in close proximity. As you are aware, the CDC has advised that individuals [s]tay home for 14 days after [ ] last contact with a person who has COVID-19, even if those individuals test negative for COVID-19 or feel healthy. To pro… | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://www.sanders.senate.gov/press-releases/vermont-seniors-can-now-get-food-assistance-more-easily-thanks-to-the-new-3squaresvt-in-a-snap-program/ | Vermont Seniors Can Now Get Food Assistance More Easily, Thanks to the New 3SquaresVT IN A SNAP Program | 2020-10-02 | 2020 | 2020-10 | Independent | House | VT | Bernard Sanders | S000033 | www.sanders.senate.gov | legacy | BURLINGTON, October 2 Beginning October 1st, 2020, Vermont seniors applying for 3SquaresVT are able to use a simple application and benefit renewal process as part of the new 3SquaresVT IN A SNAP program. The easy to use application is available to individuals and households age 60 or older and persons with disabilities. 3SquaresVT IN A SNAP is an improvement to the State's food assistance program,saysKaty Davis, Community Health Initiatives Director at Hunger Free Vermont. Traditional applications can be lengthy to complete, and the benefit renewal process often burdensome, leaving many Vermonters' benefits to lapse. The new program will streamline applications and allow recipients to retain benefits for up to three years without additional paperwork. For too long, a complex application process has prevented older Vermonters from receiving benefits. With hunger on the rise as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, Congress made important changes to the SNAP program, known locally as 3SquaresVT , that make it much easier for older Vermonters to access nutritious foods. In contrast to critical emergency food distribution efforts and invaluable contributions by the charitable food system, SNAP is one of the best, most sustainable food supports Vermonters can feel confident about. In the richest country in the history of the world, no one should ever have to worry about going to bed hungry. Period. But as so many people are struggling right now to put food on the table, I strongly urge older Vermonters to see if you qualify for 3SquaresVT,saidSenator Bernie Sanders, a long-time champion of nutrition assistance programs. We are dealing with the worst health crisis and economic crisis in our lifetimes. Today, as 29 million Americans are struggling with hunger and millions of seniors are trying to get by on fixed incomes, I want every Vermonter to know that I am continuing to fight to expand critically important anti-hunger programs, like Meals on Wheels, school nutrition, and SNAP,Sanders continued. In additi… | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://www.leahy.senate.gov/press/statement-on-the-passage-of-the-fy-2021-continuing-resolution | Statement On The Passage Of The FY 2021 Continuing Resolution | 2020-09-30 | 2020 | 2020-09 | Democrat | House | VT | Patrick Leahy | L000174 | www.leahy.senate.gov | legacy | 09.30.20 Statement On The Passage Of The FY 2021 Continuing Resolution . . . . Senate Floor Today the Senate will vote on a continuing resolution to keep the government funded through December 11, 2020. I strongly urge all members to vote aye. The last thing our country needs is a government shutdown in the middle of a global pandemic and an unprecedented economic crisis. The bill we are considering passed the House by a wide margin, a rarity these days in Washington. It provides funding for the government through December 11 at fiscal year 2020 funding levels and under the same terms and conditions contained in the fiscal year 2020 appropriations laws. It also includes several authorization matters to extend programs that otherwise would expire, including important health, transportation, and veterans programs. I am pleased the bill includes the Emergency USCIS Stopgap Stabilization Act to help prevent furloughs of federal employees at the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, many of whom work in my home state of Vermont. These dedicated federal employees perform critical work, helping immigrants apply for citizenship, visas, and asylum. They have lived under the threat of furlough for months now, in the middle of a global pandemic, all the while continuing their important work. While I believe more fiscal reforms and stronger oversight are needed at USCIS, this legislation will help stave off the immediate crisis while we work on a longer term solution. I am also glad this bill includes nearly $8 billion for child nutrition programs, especially the extension of the Pandemic Electronic Benefits Transfer (EBT) Program that provides millions of children with additional monthly benefits for food purchases while schools are closed.This assistance is desperately needed as families across the nation struggle to make ends meet and put food on the table. While I support the continuing resolution and urge my co… | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://www.leahy.senate.gov/press/leahy-sanders-and-welch-press-usda-on-food-box-contract | Leahy, Sanders And Welch Press USDA On Food Box Contract | 2020-09-28 | 2020 | 2020-09 | Democrat | House | VT | Patrick Leahy | L000174 | www.leahy.senate.gov | legacy | 09.28.20 Leahy, Sanders And Welch Press USDA On Food Box Contract (MONDAY, Sept. 28, 2020) Senator Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.), Senator Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) and Representative Peter Welch (D-Vt.) have sent an oversight letter to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, following the Department's award of the Farmers to Families Food Box contract to two out-of-state entities. The Delegation's letter raises concerns about the continuity of operations in Vermont's feeding program through October, the end of the federal program. The Abbey Group, a food service company based in Enosburg Falls, Vt., distributed 568,682 food boxes containing local Vermont produce regionally from May through mid-September. The USDA selected Costa Fruit and Produce, based in Massachusetts, and Sysco, based in Texas, to distribute food boxes in Vermont for the third and final phase of the Farmers to Families Food Box program. The Farmers to Families Food Box program partners with regional and local producers to purchase fresh produce, dairy and meat for distribution to food-insecure families. As Vice Chairman of the Senate Appropriations Committee, Leahy played a lead role in negotiating authority for the USDA program and including it in the Families First Coronavirus Response Act passed by Congress in March. See the full text of the letter here. Leahy said: From May through September, the Abbey Group, along with their local partners, strove to do the right thing by purchasing local Vermont agricultural products and distributing them to families in need in a strategic, efficient and dignified manner. I fully expect that the new contract holders for Vermont will do everything they can to emulate Vermont's past success with this program in its final month of operation. But I have serious concerns that the USDA's decision to switch contract holders at the eleventh hour will reduce the access to an important market for our Vermont farms, and food access for Vermont households. Sanders said: The COVID-19 crisis has highlighted the huge… | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://www.leahy.senate.gov/press/leahy-sanders-welch_vermont-community-lenders-net-115-million-in-federal-funds-to-increase-lending-investment-and-business-support | Leahy, Sanders, Welch: Vermont Community Lenders Net $1.15 Million In Federal Funds to Increase Lending, Investment And Business Support | 2020-09-28 | 2020 | 2020-09 | Democrat | House | VT | Patrick Leahy | L000174 | www.leahy.senate.gov | legacy | 09.28.20 Leahy, Sanders, Welch: Vermont Community Lenders Net $1.15 Million In Federal Funds to Increase Lending, Investment And Business Support (MONDAY, Sept. 28, 2020) -- Senator Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.), Senator Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) and Representative Peter Welch (D-Vt.) announced Monday that three Vermont organizations have received $1.15 million in federal funds from the U.S. Treasury Department's Community Development Financial Institutions (CDFI) Fund. The grants will enable financial institutions to provide business development support and increase lending and investment activity in low-income and economically distressed communities. The CDFI Fund awarded $187.3 million in grants and loans to 357 community credit unions, loan funds and other financial institutions across the country that provide affordable financial products and services in economically distressed areas. Three Vermont programs received funds through these awards: The Flexible Capital Fund, L3C, received $125,000 Opportunities Credit Union received $375,000 Vermont Community Loan Fund Inc. received $650,000 In a joint statement, Leahy, Sanders and Welch said: These awards will bring key resources to community based initiatives in Vermont that are focused on alleviating poverty and advancing social justice issues that are especially important during the current health and economic crisis. Opportunities Credit Union, VCLF and the Flexible Capital Fund have a proven track record of using federal funds to improve the lives of Vermonters. Because of their work, more Vermonters will have access to safe and affordable housing, childcare, small business capital and health care. Leahy, the Vice Chairman of the Senate Appropriations Committee, has long been an advocate for the CDFI program. The program has played an important role in Vermont's economy by investing in small businesses, families and neighborhoods that would not have access to the capital they need from conventional lenders. The Flexible Capital Fund is the … | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://www.leahy.senate.gov/press/comment-on-president-trumps-nomination-of-judge-amy-coney-barrett-to-the-us-supreme-court | Comment On President Trump's Nomination Of Judge Amy Coney Barrett To The U.S. Supreme Court | 2020-09-26 | 2020 | 2020-09 | Democrat | House | VT | Patrick Leahy | L000174 | www.leahy.senate.gov | legacy | 09.26.20 Comment On President Trump's Nomination Of Judge Amy Coney Barrett To The U.S. Supreme Court Yesterday, I stood by Justice Ginsburg as she lay in state at the U.S. Capitol, honoring her life, her legacy, and our friendship. Today, barely a week after she passed, President Trump has nominated Judge Amy Coney Barrett to fill her seat on the Supreme Court. Justice Ginsburg hasn't even been laid to rest yet. There is no mystery surrounding the Republicans' mad rush to fill this vacancy before an election that is just 38 days away. Just one week later the Supreme Court will hear arguments in the Republican-led lawsuit to overturn the Affordable Care Act. Republicans believe this nominee will accomplish from behind the bench what they failed to accomplish for years in the halls of Congress: strip healthcare and protections for preexisting conditions from millions of Americans, all in the middle of a pandemic. Republicans also believe Judge Barrett will be the deciding vote to overturn Roe v. Wade, turning back the clock nearly a half century on women's autonomy over their bodies and their lives. And President Trump who instinctively believes that all branches of government exist simply to serve his will expects that his nominee will help deliver him four more years in the White House when he inevitably raises his baseless allegations of widespread voter fraud following the election. With this vacancy, Republicans see the potential for a wholly partisan Court an extension of their raw political power. This is why they have gone back on their word, contradicting and twisting every argument they made in 2016 about the American people needing a voice during an election year vacancy. This is why Republicans are willing to ignore the clear majority of Americans who today believe the next president should fill this vacancy. But the American people deserve better than this. I will scrutinize Judge Barrett's nomination as I have the 19 others over my 46 years in the Senate with an exhaustive examinat… | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://www.sanders.senate.gov/press-releases/sanders-statement-on-supreme-court-nomination/ | Sanders Statement on Supreme Court Nomination | 2020-09-26 | 2020 | 2020-09 | Independent | House | VT | Bernard Sanders | S000033 | www.sanders.senate.gov | legacy | BURLINGTON, September 26 Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) issued the following statement on President Trump's nomination of Amy Coney Barrett to the Supreme Court: President Trump and Senate Republicans have badly mismanaged a deadly pandemic for months. Now, in the midst of an unprecedented public health crisis, they are willing to ram through a Supreme Court nomineewithin dayswho will vote to destroy the Affordable Care Act, kick millions of Americans off their health care, and eliminate protections for millions more who have preexisting conditions. This is an absolute outrage.The American people will not stand for this cynical effort to fill a Supreme Court vacancy, just days before an election, with someone who will roll back basic protections for women, workers, voters, people of color, the LGBT community, and our environment. I strongly oppose this nomination and we must fight as hard as we can to ensure that this nominee is not confirmed. | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://www.leahy.senate.gov/press/menendez-leahy-and-kaine-unveil-reforms-restricting-us-arms-sales-to-human-rights-abusers- | Menendez, Leahy, and Kaine Unveil Reforms Restricting U.S. Arms Sales to Human Rights Abusers | 2020-09-24 | 2020 | 2020-09 | Democrat | House | VT | Patrick Leahy | L000174 | www.leahy.senate.gov | legacy | 09.24.20 Menendez, Leahy, and Kaine Unveil Reforms Restricting U.S. Arms Sales to Human Rights Abusers . . . . SAFEGUARD Act prohibits arms sales to countries committing genocide or war crimes; increases Congressional oversight of provision of arms, defense services to ensure protection of human rights WASHINGTON Senator Bob Menendez (D-N.J.), Ranking Member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Senator Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.), and Senator Tim Kaine (D-Va.) today introduced the Safeguarding Human Rights in Arms Exports (SAFEGUARD) Act of 2020. With a growing list of foreign governments using U.S-sold arms and defense services in the commission of human rights abuses against innocent civilians in combat, the senators' new legislation reasserts the importance of Congress' role in the arms sales process in an attempt to prevent the United States government from contributing to or facilitating such abuses in the future. Specifically, the SAFEGUARD Act seeks to enact reforms to the Arms Export Control Act to make the protection and promotion of human rights a primary consideration in the exportation of deadly weapons and defense services to other countries and international organizations. Safeguarding and prioritizing basic human rights in the sale or transfer of lethal arms and in training, advising and support services is not just a moral imperative; it is a fundamental responsibility for any country that wishes to provide such weapons or services to others, Ranking Member Menendez said. The United States has for too long devoted inadequate care to this responsibility, and innocent people have suffered for it. The U.S. should support partners and friendly countries in their legitimate defense needs, and we should be able to do so without the blood of the innocent on our hands. The SAFEGUARD Act is a common sense reform to make certain no U.S. President can ever reward human rights abusers or war criminals with… | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://www.leahy.senate.gov/press/statement-of-senator-patrick-leahy-executive-business-meeting | Statement Of Senator Patrick Leahy Executive Business Meeting | 2020-09-24 | 2020 | 2020-09 | Democrat | House | VT | Patrick Leahy | L000174 | www.leahy.senate.gov | legacy | 09.24.20 Statement Of Senator Patrick Leahy Executive Business Meeting . . . . Senate Judiciary Committee I spoke on the Floor earlier this week about what Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg meant to the courts, what she meant to the struggle for equality for millions of Americans, and what she meant to me. Standing just over five feet tall, she was nonetheless a giant of the law. She was also overwhelmingly good and kind. We will forever be in her debt. It certainly is the job of this Committee to consider her replacement to the Supreme Court. But this is not how we should do it. Not before she is even buried and while the nation is mourning. Not during such a polarizing time for our country, just 40 days from a presidential election. Not at the expense of every precedent and principle this institution used to stand for. Not when doing so requires that half of the United States Senate go back on their word, contradicting every argument they made in 2016 about the American people needing a voice during an election year vacancy. Everyone here knows in their hearts this is wrong. There are so many new excuses for the Republican Party's head-spinning about-face that they are hard to keep track of. I've heard that there was an unspoken exception to the McConnell rule in 2016. Apparently the American people do not get a voice when the White House and Senate are under the control of the same party. Pay no attention to the fact that this contradicts everything Republicans claimed to believead nauseumfor 10 months in 2016. But even this attempt at a fig leaf of institutional cover falls on its face. If the Majority Leader's 2016 rule to let the American people decide only applies when there is a divided government, then the unprecedented 10-month blockade of Judge Merrick Garland contradicted the confirmation of Justice Kennedy by a Democratic Senate during an election year in 1988. Republicans now also claim there's prece… | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://www.leahy.senate.gov/press/statement-on-the-motion-to-proceed-to-the-continuing-resolution- | Statement On The Motion To Proceed To The Continuing Resolution | 2020-09-24 | 2020 | 2020-09 | Democrat | House | VT | Patrick Leahy | L000174 | www.leahy.senate.gov | legacy | 09.24.20 Statement On The Motion To Proceed To The Continuing Resolution In a few moments we will vote on the motion to proceed to H.R. 8337, the Continuing Appropriations Act, 2021 and other Extensions Act of 2020. I urge all members to vote aye. This bill provides funding for the government through December 11 at fiscal year 2020 funding levels and under the same terms and conditions contained in the fiscal year 2020 appropriations laws. It also includes several authorization matters to extend programs that otherwise would expire, including important health and veterans programs. While I support this bill, I am very disappointed that it is needed at all. We had ample time in the Senate to complete our work on the twelve appropriations bills, yet we did not mark up a single bill. We had ample time in the Senate to consider appropriations bills on the floor, but the Majority Leader was more interested in confirming extreme, right-wing judges than moving any legislation to addresses the needs of the American people, including appropriations bills or critical legislation to combat the COVID virus and its impact on families and the economy. Today, not only are we conceding that we cannot do our most basic job of completing appropriations bills on time, we have failed to address an unprecedented health and economic crisis for months. Last week, more than 870,000 Americans filed for unemployment benefits for the first time in this pandemic. Kitchen cabinets across the country are bare as families struggle without enough to eat. Schools do not have enough resources to teach our children at home or protect them inside the classroom. This is infuriating. Republican leadership and the President have cast aside the desperate needs of the American people in favor of government on autopilot. They are more concerned with securing a hyper-partisan Supreme Court than the health and safety of the American people or doing the most basic job of Congress. It's that simple. I will have more to say about the continu… | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://www.leahy.senate.gov/press/vermont-council-on-world-affairs | Vermont Council On World Affairs | 2020-09-22 | 2020 | 2020-09 | Democrat | House | VT | Patrick Leahy | L000174 | www.leahy.senate.gov | legacy | 09.22.20 Vermont Council On World Affairs . . . . Engage the World 2020 Thank you Tricia, and it is good to be with all of you. This is a somber time for our country. Justice Ruth Bader Ginsberg was a towering figure on the Supreme Court, whose decisions changed our society for the better in profound ways, including for generations of women. She was also a wonderful, kind, and generous person, who Marcelle and I were very lucky to know. I mention her today not just to remember her, but because of the title of this conference Engage The World. To me, as I will say more about, how we engage with the world, and the impact we have, is a function of the principles we stand for as a nation and whether we live up to and defend those principles. Justice Ginsberg defined and reinforced those principles in ways that have shaped our lives here at home, but that also resonate beyond our borders. The Vermont Council on World Affairs has put together an extraordinary program for the next four days. Any conference that includes topics as varied as race and diplomacy, the refugee crisis, Guatemalan cooking, the coronavirus, Ugandan dance, and climate change is bound to attract a lot of interest. So I congratulate you for organizing this conference and for lining up such an interesting roster of speakers. I think this is exactly what Vermont's Senator Warren Austin, who became the U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations and who founded the Vermont Council on World Affairs, would have wanted. If Senator Austin were alive today he would not only be proud of what you are doing. I think he would be doubly convinced of the need for the Vermont Council in a time of rising populism, nationalism, and isolationism and the fear, xenophobia, intolerance, and disillusionment that underlies them. I can't speak to each of those topics in the few minutes I have, but I do want to highlight several points, including the International Visito… | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://www.sanders.senate.gov/press-releases/sanders-dos-docenas-de-legisladores-piden-responsabilidad-de-la-oea-para-garantizar-elecciones-justas-en-bolivia/ | Sanders, Dos Docenas de Legisladores Piden Responsabilidad de la OEA Para Garantizar Elecciones Justas en Bolivia | 2020-09-22 | 2020 | 2020-09 | Independent | House | VT | Bernard Sanders | S000033 | www.sanders.senate.gov | legacy | (Read the version in Englishhere.) WASHINGTON, 22 deseptiembreEl senador Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), la representante Jan Schakowsky (D-Ill.), el representante Hank Johnson (D-Ga.) y la representante Deb Haaland (DN.M.) lideran una carta bicameral enviada hoy al Secretario de Estado Mike Pompeo. En dicha carta, junto a dos docenas de miembros del Congreso, le piden al Departamento de Estado que lleve a cabo una revisin completa e independiente de la Organizacin de Estados Americanos (OEA) con respecto a sus acciones en noviembre pasado que contribuyeron a un importante deterioro respecto a derechos humanos y democracia en Bolivia. Los miembros del Congreso expresaron su profunda preocupacin por la falta de responsabilidad y transparencia de la OEA con respecto a lasdenunciasampliamenterefutadasde fraude electoral en Bolivia el ao pasado. El New York Timesinformque estas afirmaciones iniciales de la OEA fueron aprovechadas para intensificar las protestas, reunir apoyo internacional y expulsar al [presidente] Morales del poder con apoyo militar semanas despus. Las autoridades no electas, reconocidas rpidamente por el Secretario General de la OEA, han promovido una agenda racista, anti-indgena y desplegado militares para reprimir violentamente las protestas, resultando en la muerte y heridas de muchos civiles, escribieron los congresistas, citando uninformerealizado por la Clnica Internacional de Derechos Humanos en la Facultad de Derecho de Harvard. Por muchos meses, la OEA se ha negado a responder preguntas bsicas de los miembros del Congreso sobre sus reclamos, a pesar del rol del Congreso en la apropiacin de la mayor parte del presupuesto de la OEA, expresaron los legisladores. Dado que la OEA est preparada para tomar una determinacin sobre la libertad, la justicia y la integridad de las prximas elecciones en Bolivia bajo un gobierno represivo y no electo, los legisladores instan a la administracin a usar su voz en la OEA para abogar por una evaluacin exhaustiva e independiente de las declaraciones de la OEA y asegu… | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://www.sanders.senate.gov/press-releases/sanders-two-dozen-lawmakers-call-for-oas-accountability-to-ensure-fair-elections-in-bolivia/ | Sanders, Two Dozen Lawmakers Call for OAS Accountability to Ensure Fair Elections in Bolivia | 2020-09-22 | 2020 | 2020-09 | Independent | House | VT | Bernard Sanders | S000033 | www.sanders.senate.gov | legacy | (Lase la versin en espaol aqu) WASHINGTON, September 22 In a bicameral letter sent to Secretary of State Mike Pompeo today, Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), Rep. Jan Schakowsky (D-Ill.), Rep. Hank Johnson (D-Ga.), and Rep. Deb Haaland (D-N.M.) led two dozen members of Congress in calling on the State Department to pursue a full, independent review of the Organization of American States (OAS) regarding its actions last November that contributed to a major deterioration of human rights and democracy in Bolivia. The members of Congress expressed deep concern with the OAS's lack of accountability and transparency regarding the organization's widely refuted claims of electoral fraud in Bolivia last year. The New York Times reported that these initial OAS claims were seized on to escalate protests, gather international support, and push [President] Morales from power with military support weeks later. The unelected authorities, quickly recognized by the OAS Secretary General, have promoted a racist, anti-indigenous agenda and deployed the military to violently repress protests, resulting in the killing and injury of many civilians, wrote the lawmakers, citing a report conducted by Harvard Law School's International Human Rights Clinic. For months, the OAS has refused to answer basic questions from legislators regarding its claims despite the role of Congress in appropriating the majority of the OAS's budget, continued the lawmakers. Given that the OAS is poised to make a determination of the freedom, fairness, and integrity of the upcoming elections in Bolivia under an unelected and repressive government, the members of Congress urge the administration to use its voice at the OAS to advocate for a thorough, independent assessment of the OAS's statements, and ensure that corrective measures are taken to ensure that future OAS electoral observation missions perform their functions in an independent, impartial and professional manner. The Organization of American States' decision last year to declare Bolivia's election fraud… | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://www.leahy.senate.gov/press/address-on-the-passing-of-justice-ruth-bader-ginsburg | Address On The Passing Of Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg | 2020-09-21 | 2020 | 2020-09 | Democrat | House | VT | Patrick Leahy | L000174 | www.leahy.senate.gov | legacy | 09.21.20 Address On The Passing Of Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg . . . . Senate Floor I stand here today with an incredibly heavy heart. Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg a tireless, legendary champion of equality who reshaped our society for the better passed away on Friday, the first eve of Rosh Hashanah. Adherents of the Jewish faith believe that a person who passes away during the High Holidays is a person of great righteousness. Truer words couldn't be spoken of Justice Ginsburg. Standing at just over five feet tall, she was a giant among us. A moral beacon whose life and legacy have inspired millions of Americans to do their part to bring about a more just and more perfect Union. We are forever indebted to her. The Brooklyn-born daughter of working-class Jewish parents, the young girl who would become just the second woman to serve on the Supreme Court knew from early on that she would have to fight for her place in the world. And what a fighter she was. When she entered Harvard Law School in 1956, just one of nine women in a class of over five hundred, the United States was truly a man's world. Women were expected to stay home and out of the work place. Even when they had jobs, they could be fired for getting pregnant and they otherwise earned barely half of what men earned for the same work. Women couldn't get credit cards without their husbands' consent. As Justice Ginsburg would remark some years later, these and other gender-based rules helped to keep women not on a pedestal, but in a cage. Justice Ginsburg refused to accept the status quo. She believed unwaveringly that equal justice under law fundamentally required gender equality. When she joined the ACLU's Women's Rights Project in the early 1970s, she waged a systematic legal campaign against gender discrimination, ultimately winning five out of the six cases she took to the Supreme Court. She eloquently and incisively convinced the all-male Court to s… | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://www.leahy.senate.gov/press/statement-on-the-continuing-resolution | Statement On The Continuing Resolution | 2020-09-21 | 2020 | 2020-09 | Democrat | House | VT | Patrick Leahy | L000174 | www.leahy.senate.gov | legacy | 09.21.20 Statement On The Continuing Resolution I am glad that the House introduced a continuing resolution today. I strongly urge Republicans and Democrats in both the House and Senate to take it up and pass it as soon as possible. The last thing our country needs is a government shutdown in the middle of a global pandemic and an unprecedented economic crisis. But make no mistake, the urgent need for this continuing resolution is a symptom of a dysfunctional Congress. It's a senseless and entirely avoidable made-in-Washington crisis. The Senate Appropriations Committee should have been allowed to do its work and complete all 12 appropriations bills months ago. The majority of these bills would have had strong bipartisan support. Instead, we are left with a continuing resolution that kicks the can down the road and offers no helping hand to the millions of Americans who are suffering during this pandemic. Today, schools are struggling to safely educate our nation's children in both the classroom and remotely without enough funding to do so. Lines at food banks are at historic levels. Families are struggling to pay rent and eviction moratoriums have expired across the country. States do not have the money they need to safely carry out an election that is only 43 days away and in the middle of a pandemic. Without a legislative change extending critical deadlines, our ability to achieve a fair and accurate count in the 2020 Census remains at risk. The American people are suffering. It is infuriating that Republicans refuse to acknowledge this reality. Yet, instead of doing their job and considering and passing full-year appropriations bills and a desperately needed COVID relief bill, Senate Republicans have focused this year almost entirely on packing the courts with right-wing, extreme judges. Faced with an unprecedented health and economic crisis, does this spur Republicans to action? No. What does? A Supreme Court vacancy in an election year that under their own precedent should not be filled until… | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://welch.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/rep-peter-welch-introduces-bill-extend-deadline-vermont-use-coronavirus | Rep. Peter Welch Introduces Bill to Extend Deadline for Vermont to Use Coronavirus Relief Funds | 2020-09-18 | 2020 | 2020-09 | Democrat | House | VT | Peter Welch | W000800 | welch.house.gov | legacy | WASHINGTON Rep. Peter Welch on Friday introduced legislation to extend the deadline for state and local governments to use funds appropriated by the CARES Act. Currently, the state and local relief funds from the CARES Act must be used by December 31st, making it impossible to complete long-term recovery projects. Rep. Welch's bill would fix that by authorizing the use of these funds through September 30, 2021. Our state and local communities need help to get through this unprecedented and challenging time, said Welch. But implementing the changes needed to cope with the disruptions to our lives, work and communities caused by the coronavirus pandemic will take time. From implementing broadband projects to continuing safe school re-openings, this bill will give Vermont the flexibility it needs to use the funds passed by Congress in the CARES Act. Extending the deadline to use these funds will help complete important projects but it is no substitute for the badly needed additional aid included in the House passed Heroes Act. We must pass another relief package without delay. Through more than 100 meetings with Vermonters across the state, Rep. Welch has identified several areas that will benefit from extending the CARES Act deadline. Among them are: Broadband projects that often take longer to complete. With remote work and school, reliable internet has become more important than ever. Help for the homeless and other housing projects that need assistance past December 31st. Keeping children safe during the second semester of school, including HVAC and other safety upgrades that are constrained by an end of year deadline. Agricultural Support programs that are still determining farm needs and adjustments. Adjustments to seating and other safety improvements for the State Legislature and other state agencies. Some state IT projects critical to delivering services to Vermonters. Full text of the bill is here. It is cosponsored by Rep. Kendra Horn (D-Okla.). ### | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://www.leahy.senate.gov/press/comment-on-the-passing-of-justice-ruth-bader-ginsburg | Comment On The Passing Of Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg | 2020-09-18 | 2020 | 2020-09 | Democrat | House | VT | Patrick Leahy | L000174 | www.leahy.senate.gov | legacy | 09.18.20 Comment On The Passing Of Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg Marcelle and I are overcome with sadness. Almost exactly a year ago Marcelle introduced Justice Ginsburg during an Action For Cancer Awareness event, a memory that Marcelle will always treasure. Justice Ginsburg was brilliant and was a legend of the law. She has become a heroine and even an icon to millions of Americans. She was also unmistakably kind and funny, and a fundamentally decent human being. Difficult days are ahead. And Senators McConnell and Graham must not treat this President's Supreme Court nominees differently than President Obama's Supreme Court nominees. They must exhibit a shred of integrity and recognize that abandoning their word now, and breaking all precedents by ramming a nominee through most likely after the election would cause the nation tremendous pain. But tonight I will simply reflect on Justice Ginsburg's life and legacy. I am so thankful for every day she spent here with us, serving the American people with unparalleled grace, integrity, and an unyielding sense of equality and justice. May she rest in peace and power. # # # # # Previous Article | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://www.leahy.senate.gov/press/leahy-co-leads-letter-pressing-dhs-inspector-general-for-swift-investigation-into-alleged-forced-hysterectomies | Leahy Co-Leads Letter Pressing DHS Inspector General For Swift Investigation Into Alleged Forced Hysterectomies | 2020-09-18 | 2020 | 2020-09 | Democrat | House | VT | Patrick Leahy | L000174 | www.leahy.senate.gov | legacy | 09.18.20 Leahy Co-Leads Letter Pressing DHS Inspector General For Swift Investigation Into Alleged Forced Hysterectomies WASHINGTON (FRIDAY, Sept. 18, 2020) On Friday, Senators Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.), Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.), Patty Murray (D-Wash.), Bob Casey (D-Pa.) and Cory Booker (D-N.J.), joined by 37 senators, called on the Department of Homeland Security's inspector general to expeditiously investigate a whistleblower complaint alleging forced hysterectomies at an ICE facility and conduct a nationwide review of reproductive health policies and practices at ICE facilities. Senator Leahy said: Forced sterilization procedures are abhorrent human rights violations and have been an instrument of genocides around the world. We must never tolerate such practices here in the United States especially not at the hands of those acting on behalf of our own government. These allegations must swiftly be investigated, and any individuals found responsible for these human rights violations must be held accountable. The senators wrote: Forced sterilizations infringe on reproductive rights and autonomy. To understand whether such violations may have been committed against immigrants in our federal government's custody, the Inspector General's Office should immediately investigate the reproductive health policies and practices at the ICDC and at other facilities, including but not limited to, all instances of forced, coerced, or medically unnecessary hysterectomies. In addition to Senators Leahy, Feinstein, Murray, Casey and Booker, the letter was signed by Senators Charles E. Schumer (D-N.Y.), Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.), Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.), Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.), Mazie K. Hirono (D-Hawaii), Michael Bennet (D-Colo.), Maggie Hassan (D-N.H.), Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.), Tom Udall (D-N.M.), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.), Angus King (I-Maine), Tina Smith (D-Minn.), Tim Kaine (D-Va.), Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.), Edward J. Ma… | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://www.sanders.senate.gov/press-releases/sanders-statement-on-passing-of-justice-ruth-bader-ginsburg/ | Sanders Statement on Passing of Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg | 2020-09-18 | 2020 | 2020-09 | Independent | House | VT | Bernard Sanders | S000033 | www.sanders.senate.gov | legacy | BURLINGTON, September 18 Sen. Bernie Sanders issued the following statement on the passing of Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg: The passing of Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg is a tremendous loss to our country. She was an extraordinary champion of justice and equal rights, and will be remembered as one of the great justices in modern American history. Unfortunately, we've already heard tonight from Sen. McConnell that he has decided to go against Justice Ginsburg's dying wishes and violate his own past statements in order to bring a judge nominated by President Trump to the floor of the United States Senate. That's in direct contradiction of his statement in 2016, when he said Supreme Court nominees should not be voted on during a presidential election year: Our view is this: Give the people a voice in filling this vacancy,' he said. McConnell is cementing a shameful legacy of brazen hypocrisy. Thankfully not all Senate Republicans agree. Just today, Sen. Lisa Murkowski came out against an appointment this close to an election. I would not vote to confirm a Supreme Court nominee,' she said. We are 50 some days away from an election.' In addition, several of McConnell's other colleagues have previously stated they're against confirming a new justice this close to an election. Sen. Chuck Grassley said in May, You can't have one rule for Democratic presidents and another rule for Republican presidents.' Sen. Susan Collins said, I think that's too close, I really do,' when asked by The New York Times about appointing a justice in October. But no one has been clearer than Judiciary Committee Chair Sen. Lindsay Graham. He promised in 2018 that if an opening comes in the last year of President Trump's term, and the primary process has started, we'll wait to the next election.' The right thing to do here is clear. The Republicans in the Senate know it, and many of them have stated it clearer than I could. We should let voters decide. Period. | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| http://www.sanders.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/gillibrand-sanders-reintroduce-postal-banking-act-to-fund-us-postal-service | Gillibrand, Sanders Reintroduce Postal Banking Act to Fund U.S. Postal Service | 2020-09-17 | 2020 | 2020-09 | Independent | House | VT | Bernard Sanders | S000033 | www.sanders.senate.gov | legacy | Gillibrand, Sanders Reintroduce Postal Banking Act to Fund U.S. Postal Service Thursday, September 17, 2020 WASHINGTON, September 17 Today, U.S. Senators Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.) and Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) held a conversation on Facebook Live to announce the Postal Banking Act. The United States Postal Service (USPS) has faced repeated attacks by the Trump administration including denying emergency funding during the pandemic and putting postal workers at risk of losing their jobs, disrupting operations and services, and delaying mail delivery. The Postal Banking Act would re-establish postal banking to provide financial security to millions of Americans in low-income and rural communities and create approximately $9 billion in annual revenue and strengthen USPS. "It is absolutely unacceptable that communities all over America lack traditional banking services, said Senator Sanders."During the worst economic crisis since the Great Depression, we need to make sure that everyone in America is able to receive the affordable banking services that they desperately need.No one in America should have to pay a 400 percent interest rate on a $375 loan from a payday lender.The time has come toput predatory lenders out of business and provide affordable banking options to all Americans through the United States Postal Service. And that is exactly what our legislation will do." "Being poor in America was expensive before the pandemic, and this unprecedented crisis has made it even harder for under-served communities to access the financial services they need. In addition, the administration's relentless attacks on the Postal Service and push for privatization is compounding the challenges faced by American families, said Senator Gillibrand. The USPS is the only institution that serves every community in the country, from inner cities to rural America. The Postal Banking Act would reinforce the Postal Service, provide critical revenue, and establish postal banking for the nearly 10 million Am… | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| http://www.sanders.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/sanders-welch-introduce-bill-to-give-states-greater-control-over-reactor-shutdown-plans | Sanders, Welch Introduce Bill to Give States Greater Control Over Reactor Shutdown Plans | 2020-09-17 | 2020 | 2020-09 | Independent | House | VT | Bernard Sanders | S000033 | www.sanders.senate.gov | legacy | Sanders, Welch Introduce Bill to Give States Greater Control Over Reactor Shutdown Plans Thursday, September 17, 2020 WASHINGTON Senator Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) and Representative Peter Welch (D-Vt.) introduced the Nuclear Plant Decommissioning Act of 2020 today, which gives states a meaningful role in the development and approval of reactor shutdown plans and post-shutdown license transfers.The legislation is co-led in the Senate by Sen. Duckworth (D-Ill.), Sen. Markey (D-Mass.) and Sen. Gillibrand (D-N.Y.) and cosponsored by Sen. Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.), Sen. Durbin (D-Ill.), Sen. King (I-Me.), Sen. Warren (D-Mass.) and Rep. Engel (D-N.Y.) in the U.S. House. Communities experiencing the safety and economic impacts of nuclear plant decommissioning deserve dedicated economic relief and a role in shaping those decommissioning plans for nuclear reactors near them, especially in light of the coronavirus and climate change crises, Sanders said. This input is especially critical given the potential for non-operational plants to sit for decades before removal and decontamination. The Nuclear Plant Decommissioning Act of 2020 would transform a process that is weighted almost entirely toward the power plant licensees into one that strikes a reasonable balance between licensees and the impacted communities. Vermonters know first-hand that decommissioning a nuclear power plant has enormous economic and environmental impacts on states and neighboring communities, said Welch. It is essential that state and local leaders have a seat at the table throughout the decommissioning process. This commonsense legislation ensures the decommissioning process is transparent, inclusive and collaborative. The Vermont Yankee nuclear power plant in Vernon was shuttered at the end of 2014 and ownership of the decommissioned plant was transferred in 2019. This bill would give affected states like Vermont an opportunity to weigh in on the new shutdown plan if there is a license transfer or other significant change to… | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| http://www.sanders.senate.gov/newsroom/video-audio/live-sens-gillibrand-and-sanders-talk-postalbanking | LIVE: Sens. Gillibrand and Sanders Talk PostalBanking | 2020-09-17 | 2020 | 2020-09 | Independent | House | VT | Bernard Sanders | S000033 | www.sanders.senate.gov | legacy | LIVE: Sens. Gillibrand and Sanders Talk PostalBanking Join me and Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand as we introduce the Postal Banking Act. Together, we will guarantee basic banking services to allno outrageous fees or interest ratesall at your local post office. | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://welch.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/leahy-sanders-welch-introduce-bill-give-states-greater-control-over | Leahy, Sanders, Welch Introduce Bill to Give States Greater Control Over Reactor Shutdown Plans | 2020-09-17 | 2020 | 2020-09 | Democrat | House | VT | Peter Welch | W000800 | welch.house.gov | legacy | WASHINGTON Senators Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) and Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), and Representative Peter Welch (D-Vt.) today introduced the Nuclear Plant Decommissioning Act of 2020, which gives states a meaningful role in the development and approval of reactor shutdown plans and post-shutdown license transfers. Leahy said: The closure of Vermont Yankee has shown us how much local communities have at stake, in both the short and long term, when a plant shuts down, and also the great value that local leaders and citizens can offer at every step of the decommissioning process. This legislation brings the benefits of those lessons to provide host communities across the United States a seat at the table. Communities experiencing the safety and economic impacts of nuclear plant decommissioning deserve dedicated economic relief and a role in shaping those decommissioning plans for nuclear reactors near them, especially in light of the coronavirus and climate change crises, Sanders said. This input is especially critical given the potential for non-operational plants to sit for decades before removal and decontamination. The Nuclear Plant Decommissioning Act of 2020 would transform a process that is weighted almost entirely toward the power plant licensees into one that strikes a reasonable balance between licensees and the impacted communities. Vermonters know first-hand that decommissioning a nuclear power plant has enormous economic and environmental impacts on states and neighboring communities, said Welch. It is essential that state and local leaders have a seat at the table throughout the decommissioning process. This commonsense legislation ensures the decommissioning process is transparent, inclusive and collaborative. The Vermont Yankee nuclear power plant in Vernon was shuttered at the end of 2014 and ownership of the decommissioned plant was transferred in 2019. This bill would give affected states like Vermont an opportunity to weigh in on the new shutdown plan if there is a license transfer or other significant cha… | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://www.leahy.senate.gov/press/as-new-school-year-begins-leahy-joins-senators-markey-schumer-cantwell-van-hollen-bennet-hassan-schatz-and-other-senators-in-demanding-urgent-action-by-fcc-to-connect-students-to-online-learning | As New School Year Begins, Leahy Joins Senators Markey, Schumer, Cantwell, Van Hollen, Bennet, Hassan, Schatz And Other Senators In Demanding Urgent Action By FCC To Connect Students To Online Learning | 2020-09-17 | 2020 | 2020-09 | Democrat | House | VT | Patrick Leahy | L000174 | www.leahy.senate.gov | legacy | 09.17.20 As New School Year Begins, Leahy Joins Senators Markey, Schumer, Cantwell, Van Hollen, Bennet, Hassan, Schatz And Other Senators In Demanding Urgent Action By FCC To Connect Students To Online Learning . . . . FCC need not, and should not, wait for Congress to act to close the homework gap Washington (September 17, 2020) Senator Patrick Leahy (D-VT) Thursday joined Senators Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.), Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.), Ranking Member Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.), and Senators Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), Michael Bennet (D-Colo.), Maggie Hassan (D-N.H.), and Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii) led29 of their colleagues in a letter to the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) urging it to immediately utilize the E-Rate program to provide internet connectivity to students at home. Due to the coronavirus pandemic, students across the country are increasingly attending virtual classrooms. Yet, studies indicate that as many as 16 million children in the United States lack internet access at home and are unable to participate in online learning. These students are disproportionally from communities of color, low-income households, and rural areas. The E-Rate Program is, and has been for more than two decades, an essential source of funding to connect the nation's K-12 schools and libraries to the internet. The FCC has clear authority and available funding under the E-Rate program to provide connections at students' homes which, because schools have had to close their doors, have become de facto classrooms. However, the FCC has narrowly construed its ability to act during the current emergency, needlessly leaving millions of children at risk of falling behind in their studies. The FCC has the power to help mitigate the impact of the coronavirus on our most vulnerable families, write the lawmakers in their letter to FCC Chairman Ajit Pai. We now urge you in the strongest possible terms to utilize this aut… | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://www.leahy.senate.gov/press/leahy-and-all-judiciary-committee-democrats-call-for-review-of-political-interference-in-the-durham-investigation | Leahy And All Judiciary Committee Democrats Call For Review Of Political Interference In The Durham Investigation | 2020-09-17 | 2020 | 2020-09 | Democrat | House | VT | Patrick Leahy | L000174 | www.leahy.senate.gov | legacy | 09.17.20 Leahy And All Judiciary Committee Democrats Call For Review Of Political Interference In The Durham Investigation WASHINGTON (THURSDAY, Sept. 17, 2020) Senator Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) Thursday joined Senate Judiciary Committee Ranking Member Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) and all 10 committee Democrats in calling on the Justice Department inspector general to review whether U.S. Attorney John Durham's probe into FBI activities is violating longstanding rules that protect criminal investigations from political influence. Their letter follows reports that Durham's top deputy resigned due to concerns that Durham is being pressured to issue a report before the upcoming election. [Recent] actions suggest that the Durham investigation is being misused for partisan political purposes and undermine the legitimacy of any investigative steps Mr. Durham takes. In addition, it remains unclear what rules and authority permit the public release of a report' by U.S. Attorney Durham, raising additional concerns about the legitimacy of his appointment and work, the senators wrote. We therefore request that your office investigate whether the Durham investigation has operated consistent with Department rules governing the appointment of U.S. Attorneys and the Department's rules on public statements concerning pending investigations, taking action that may impact an upcoming election, and White House-Department communications concerning pending criminal investigations. Full text of the letter follows: September 17, 2020 The Honorable Michael E. Horowitz Inspector General United States Department of Justice 950 Pennsylvania Avenue NW Washington, D.C. 20530 Dear Inspector General Horowitz: We write to request that you investigate whether U.S. Attorney John Durham's investigation complies with Department of Justice policies, including policies that protect criminal investigations from political influence. The Department's mission to ensure fair and impartial administration of justice for all Americans… | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://www.leahy.senate.gov/press/leahy-joins-in-urging-trump-to-work-with-congress-to_provide-emergency-rental-assistance-protections | Leahy Joins In Urging Trump To Work With Congress To Provide Emergency Rental Assistance, Protections | 2020-09-17 | 2020 | 2020-09 | Democrat | House | VT | Patrick Leahy | L000174 | www.leahy.senate.gov | legacy | 09.17.20 Leahy Joins In Urging Trump To Work With Congress To Provide Emergency Rental Assistance, Protections . . . . Vulnerable Infants, Children, Young Adults, Caregivers, Parents Facing Unprecedented Economic Strain amid Public Health Crisis WASHINGTON, DC Today, U.S. Senator Sherrod Brown (D-OH), Ranking Member of the U.S. Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs, led 30 of his Senate colleagues in sending a letter to President Trump urging him to work with Congress on a bipartisan basis to enact legislation that provides the emergency assistance and protections renters need to stay in their homes. Millions of children and youth are at risk of being evicted from their homes due to the Trump administration's refusal to support critical rental assistance and relief measures to protect their health and well-being during this pandemic. Even before the pandemic, a quarter of all renters were spending half their incomes on housing, and more than 20 million children lived in households that struggled to afford housing, wrote the senators. This pandemic is not only revealing the inequities in our society, but exacerbating them. Recent data from the U.S. Census Bureau show that nearly 1-in-5 renters were behind on rent in July. This hardship fell more heavily on Black and brown renters and families with children, among whom more than 1-in-4 had fallen behind on rent. Along with Brown, the letter was also signed by U.S. Senators Charles Schumer (D-NY), Patrick Leahy (D-VT), Ron Wyden (D-OR), Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV), Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), Jack Reed (D-RI), Tina Smith (D-MN), Bob Menendez (D-NJ), Brian Schatz (D-HI), Richard Durbin (D-IL), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), Ben Cardin (D-MD), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), Bob Casey (D-PA), Mazie Hirono (D-HI), Bernie Sanders (I-VT), Cor… | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://www.sanders.senate.gov/press-releases/gillibrand-sanders-reintroduce-postal-banking-act-to-fund-u-s-postal-service/ | Gillibrand, Sanders Reintroduce Postal Banking Act to Fund U.S. Postal Service | 2020-09-17 | 2020 | 2020-09 | Independent | House | VT | Bernard Sanders | S000033 | www.sanders.senate.gov | legacy | WASHINGTON, September 17 Today, U.S. Senators Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.) and Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) held a conversation on Facebook Live to announce the Postal Banking Act. The United States Postal Service (USPS) has faced repeated attacks by the Trump administration including denying emergency funding during the pandemic and putting postal workers at risk of losing their jobs, disrupting operations and services, and delaying mail delivery. The Postal Banking Act would re-establish postal banking to provide financial security to millions of Americans in low-income and rural communities and create approximately $9 billion in annual revenue and strengthen USPS. It is absolutely unacceptable that communities all over America lack traditional banking services, said Senator Sanders. During the worst economic crisis since the Great Depression, we need to make sure that everyone in America is able to receive the affordable banking services that they desperately need. No one in America should have to pay a 400 percent interest rate on a $375 loan from a payday lender. The time has come to put predatory lenders out of business and provide affordable banking options to all Americans through the United States Postal Service. And that is exactly what our legislation will do. Being poor in America was expensive before the pandemic, and this unprecedented crisis has made it even harder for under-served communities to access the financial services they need. In addition, the administration's relentless attacks on the Postal Service and push for privatization is compounding the challenges faced by American families, said Senator Gillibrand. The USPS is the only institution that serves every community in the country, from inner cities to rural America. The Postal Banking Act would reinforce the Postal Service, provide critical revenue, and establish postal banking for the nearly 10 million American households who lack access to basic financial services. I'm proud to reintroduce this legislation with my friend Senator Sanders, a… | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://www.sanders.senate.gov/press-releases/sanders-welch-introduce-bill-to-give-states-greater-control-over-reactor-shutdown-plans/ | Sanders, Welch Introduce Bill to Give States Greater Control Over Reactor Shutdown Plans | 2020-09-17 | 2020 | 2020-09 | Independent | House | VT | Bernard Sanders | S000033 | www.sanders.senate.gov | legacy | WASHINGTON Senator Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) and Representative Peter Welch (D-Vt.) introduced the Nuclear Plant Decommissioning Act of 2020 today, which gives states a meaningful role in the development and approval of reactor shutdown plans and post-shutdown license transfers. The legislation is co-led in the Senate by Sen. Duckworth (D-Ill.), Sen. Markey (D-Mass.) and Sen. Gillibrand (D-N.Y.) and cosponsored by Sen. Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.), Sen. Durbin (D-Ill.), Sen. King (I-Me.), Sen. Warren (D-Mass.) and Rep. Engel (D-N.Y.) in the U.S. House. Communities experiencing the safety and economic impacts of nuclear plant decommissioning deserve dedicated economic relief and a role in shaping those decommissioning plans for nuclear reactors near them, especially in light of the coronavirus and climate change crises, Sanders said. This input is especially critical given the potential for non-operational plants to sit for decades before removal and decontamination. The Nuclear Plant Decommissioning Act of 2020 would transform a process that is weighted almost entirely toward the power plant licensees into one that strikes a reasonable balance between licensees and the impacted communities. Vermonters know first-hand that decommissioning a nuclear power plant has enormous economic and environmental impacts on states and neighboring communities, said Welch. It is essential that state and local leaders have a seat at the table throughout the decommissioning process. This commonsense legislation ensures the decommissioning process is transparent, inclusive and collaborative. The Vermont Yankee nuclear power plant in Vernon was shuttered at the end of 2014 and ownership of the decommissioned plant was transferred in 2019. This bill would give affected states like Vermont an opportunity to weigh in on the new shutdown plan if there is a license transfer or other significant change to the decommissioning plan. Sanders and Welch first introduced an early version of the Nuclear Decommissioning Act in 2014, shortly after the closu… | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| http://www.sanders.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/sanders-schumer-call-for-special-committee-to-ensure-election-security | Sanders, Schumer Call for Special Committee to Ensure Election Security | 2020-09-16 | 2020 | 2020-09 | Independent | House | VT | Bernard Sanders | S000033 | www.sanders.senate.gov | legacy | Sanders, Schumer Call for Special Committee to Ensure Election Security Wednesday, September 16, 2020 WASHINGTONIn response to the disturbing rise in attacks on the fundamental security and legitimacy of our elections, Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) and Senator Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) sent a letter to Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) requesting the formation of a specialbipartisancommittee to hear testimony from state and local officials, election experts, and others to reassure the American people that the election will go smoothly and reliably. "Nothing is more fundamental to our democracy than the integrity of our elections, Senators Schumer and Sanders wrote. Sadly, there are some who are systematically undermining public confidence in the voting process, and irresponsibly fanning suspicions and conspiracy theories about the legitimacy of election results. "With the election less than two months away the Senate should immediately establish a specialbipartisancommittee, with equal representation from both parties, thesenators continued."The function of that committee must be to hold hearings about what is being done around the country to make certain that our public institutions are prepared to conduct a smooth and reliable election which will be free from voter suppression and intimidation, that every vote will be counted and that there will be confidence in the ultimate outcome." The full lettercan be foundhere. | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://welch.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/representatives-welch-kuster-pappas-and-pingree-applaud-decision-lift | Representatives Welch, Kuster, Pappas and Pingree Applaud Decision to Lift Canadian Aluminum Tariff | 2020-09-16 | 2020 | 2020-09 | Democrat | House | VT | Peter Welch | W000800 | welch.house.gov | legacy | WASHINGTON Representatives Peter Welch (D-Vt.-At Large), Annie Kuster (D-N.H.-2), Chellie Pingree (D- Maine-1) and Chris Pappas (D- N.H.-1) applauded the Trump administration's decision to suspend a 10% tariff on Canadian aluminum imports. The decision comes just days after the representatives wrote President Trump supporting the request of Governors Scott, Sununu and Mills to lift the tariffs. We are pleased that by working together with our governors and congressional delegations, we succeeded in reversing this harmful tariff on Canadian aluminum imports, said Welch, Kuster, Pingree and Pappas. This is an important victory for our regional economy and for the continued close cooperation with Canada. Trade with Canada is critical for Vermont's and our neighboring border states' economies, said Governor Scott. This is why Governor Mills, Governor Sununu and I advocated for this policy change, and I was grateful Congressman Welch and his colleagues did so as well. Reversing these tariffs is beneficial for many Vermont businesses, and I appreciate the White House taking this important step. Recently, Representatives Welch and Kuster, separately, discussed cross border trade issues with David Alward, Canadian Consul General to New England, and the impact that an escalated trade war would have on the regional economy. The members reiterated the importance of trade for local businesses and the need for a continued strong trading partnership between the United States and Canada. You can read the full letter sent by the representatives on September 11th here. You can read the full letter sent by Governors Scott, Sununu and Mills here. ### | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://www.sanders.senate.gov/press-releases/sanders-schumer-call-for-special-committee-to-ensure-election-security/ | Sanders, Schumer Call for Special Committee to Ensure Election Security | 2020-09-16 | 2020 | 2020-09 | Independent | House | VT | Bernard Sanders | S000033 | www.sanders.senate.gov | legacy | WASHINGTON In response to the disturbing rise in attacks on the fundamental security and legitimacy of our elections, Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) and Senator Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) sent a letter to Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) requesting the formation of a special bipartisan committee to hear testimony from state and local officials, election experts, and others to reassure the American people that the election will go smoothly and reliably. Nothing is more fundamental to our democracy than the integrity of our elections, Senators Schumer and Sanders wrote. Sadly, there are some who are systematically undermining public confidence in the voting process, and irresponsibly fanning suspicions and conspiracy theories about the legitimacy of election results. With the election less than two months away the Senate should immediately establish a special bipartisan committee, with equal representation from both parties, the senators continued. The function of that committee must be to hold hearings about what is being done around the country to make certain that our public institutions are prepared to conduct a smooth and reliable election which will be free from voter suppression and intimidation, that every vote will be counted and that there will be confidence in the ultimate outcome. Nothing is more fundamental to our democracy than the integrity of our elections, Senators Schumer and Sanders wrote. Sadly, there are some who are systematically undermining public confidence in the voting process, and irresponsibly fanning suspicions and conspiracy theories about the legitimacy of election results. With the election less than two months away the Senate should immediately establish a specialbipartisancommittee, with equal representation from both parties, thesenators continued.The function of that committee must be to hold hearings about what is being done around the country to make certain that our public institutions are prepared to conduct a smooth and reliable election which will… | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://www.leahy.senate.gov/press/leahy-and-other-leading-democratic-senators-decry-trump-administration-on-expulsion-of-asylum-seekers-from-venezuela-cuba-and-nicaragua- | Leahy And Other Leading Democratic Senators Decry Trump Administration On Expulsion Of Asylum Seekers From Venezuela, Cuba, And Nicaragua | 2020-09-15 | 2020 | 2020-09 | Democrat | House | VT | Patrick Leahy | L000174 | www.leahy.senate.gov | legacy | 09.15.20 Leahy And Other Leading Democratic Senators Decry Trump Administration On Expulsion Of Asylum Seekers From Venezuela, Cuba, And Nicaragua WASHINGTON (MONDAY, Sept. 14, 2020) Senator Bob Menendez (D-N.J.), Ranking Member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, today was joined by Senators Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.), and Ben Cardin (D-Md.) in calling on the Trump administration to end its anti-immigrant policies denying access to asylum for Venezuelans, Cubans, Nicaraguans, and others forced to flee their countries. In a letter addressed to Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and Department of Homeland Security Under Secretary for Strategy, Policy, and Plans Chad Wolf, the Senators decried the Trump administration's policy of forcing legal asylum seekers into dangerous cities in Mexico and its record of deporting them back to the dictatorships they fled. The administration's policies to expel and endanger refugees and asylum seekers from Venezuela, Cuba, Nicaragua and other countries send a message of callousness, cruelty, and disregard for human rights that feeds our adversaries' agenda to cast doubt on the United States' exceptional role as a beacon of freedom and democracy, the Senators wrote. The Senators expressed concern that the Trump administration is forcing these vulnerable migrants back to some of Mexico's most violent cities, where they are reportedly subjected to extortion and kidnapping by organized criminal groups. Added the Senators, We fail to see how denying protection and inflicting further suffering on Venezuelans, Cubans, and Nicaraguans and others fleeing brutal regimes serves U.S. foreign policy and humanitarian interests. The Senators also condemned the administration's record of deporting individuals and families back to the dictatorships they were forced to flee, what would amount to a violation of U.S. law prohibiting refoulement. A copy of the letter may be found HERE and below: Secretary Pompeo and Under Secretary Wolf: Given the Trump admi… | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://welch.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/welch-kuster-pappas-and-pingree-send-letter-trump-opposing-tariffs | Welch, Kuster, Pappas and Pingree Send Letter to Trump Opposing Tariffs on Canadian Aluminum | 2020-09-11 | 2020 | 2020-09 | Democrat | House | VT | Peter Welch | W000800 | welch.house.gov | legacy | WASHINGTON Representatives Peter Welch (D-Vt.-At Large), Annie Kuster (D-N.H.-2), Chris Pappas (D-N.H.-1) and Chellie Pingree (D-Maine-1) on Friday sent a letter to President Trump asking him to reverse his decision to impose a 10% tariff on Canadian aluminum imports. The letter expresses full support of the letter sent by the Governors of Vermont, New Hampshire and Maine requesting that the President remove the tariff on Canadian aluminum. This tariff is extremely detrimental to the economies of our states and the close and mutually beneficial relationship our states have enjoyed with Canada, our major trading partner, wrote the Representatives. It is imperative that our states continue to expand and strengthen our economic and social ties with Canada. The tariff weakens that bond. You can read the full letter here. Vermont Governor Phil Scott (R) sent a letter with New Hampshire Governor Chris Sununu (R) and Maine Governor Janet Mills (D) on September 8th. You can read that letter here. ### | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| http://www.sanders.senate.gov/newsroom/recent-business/floor-speech-on-the-republican-skinny-relief-bill | Floor Speech on the Republican "Skinny" Relief Bill | 2020-09-10 | 2020 | 2020-09 | Independent | House | VT | Bernard Sanders | S000033 | www.sanders.senate.gov | legacy | Floor Speech on the Republican "Skinny" Relief Bill Thursday, September 10, 2020 Statement on the Republican Skinny Relief Bill Mr. President: Today, as a result of the horrific pandemic and economic meltdown, the American working-class is hurting like they have never hurt before. Tens of millions of our fellow citizens have lost their jobs. They have lost their incomes. They have lost their health insurance. They have depleted their life savings. They cannot afford to pay the rent. They cannot afford to put food on the table. And they are scared to death that any day now they will get a knock on the door from the sheriff evicting them from their homes and throwing them and their belongings out on the street. Mr. President. This is the United States of America, the richest country in the history of the world. No one should be going hungry. No one should have to live in fear of becoming homeless. No one should be denied the health care that they need, especially during the worst public health crisis in over a hundred years. But that is precisely what is going on all over America as we speak. Just the other day, National Public Radio released a survey on the unprecedented economic suffering facing the American people that should shock everyone in the United States Senate into action. And here is what that survey found: 46 percent of Americans over 150 million people are now experiencing serious financial problems. 41 percent of Americans over 134 million people - have used up all or most of their savings. 33 percent of American families have had someone in their household who has either lost a job, lost a business or has been furloughed during the pandemic. Mr. President. This is an unprecedented moment in American history and the Senate needs to take unprecedented action now to improve the lives of the American people. And yet, in the midst of all of this pain, what has the Republican Senate done over the last 5 months to address the economic suffering of the American pe… | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| http://www.sanders.senate.gov/newsroom/video-audio/pass-the-relief-our-people-neednow | Pass The Relief Our People NeedNow | 2020-09-10 | 2020 | 2020-09 | Independent | House | VT | Bernard Sanders | S000033 | www.sanders.senate.gov | legacy | Pass The Relief Our People NeedNow Instead of providing more corporate welfare to billionaires and large corporations, we need to provide more financial relief to the tens of millions of Americans who are hurting like they have never hurt before. | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://www.leahy.senate.gov/press/leahy-and-the-green-mountain-national-forest-construction-of-long-sought-forest-hq-will-begin-this-month | Leahy And The Green Mountain National Forest: Construction Of Long-Sought Forest HQ Will Begin This Month | 2020-09-10 | 2020 | 2020-09 | Democrat | House | VT | Patrick Leahy | L000174 | www.leahy.senate.gov | legacy | 09.10.20 Leahy And The Green Mountain National Forest: Construction Of Long-Sought Forest HQ Will Begin This Month . . . . A New Gateway To A Natural Resource That's The Legacy Of Every Vermonter' (THURSDAY, Sept. 10, 2020) -- The U.S. Forest Service will begin construction this month of a new Forest Supervisor's Headquarters building for the Green Mountain and Finger Lakes National Forests (GMNF). The $6 million facility will be built on Route 4 in Mendon. Senator Patrick Leahy and the GMNF made the announcement on Thursday. Leahy has worked for years to support and advance this project, using his key roles as Vice Chairman of the Senate Appropriations Committee and as the senior member and former chair of the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, And Forestry. Leahy has made a high priority of securing a visitor-friendly, federally owned GMNF Headquarters, which can also serve as a gateway to what he has long seen as a tremendous natural resource that is part of the legacy of every Vermonter. The new GMNF Headquarters will be an 11,550-square-foot federal building located on National Forest Service land, on Route 4 in Mendon. The state-of-the-art building will provide a greatly enhanced experience for visitors and a more efficient work environment for Forest Service staff. A local company, VMS Construction of Rutland, was awarded the contract for the site preparation work, which will begin this month and continue through this Fall season. The project has been planned by the Forest Service for about 15 years and will now be built as the result of directive language and funding that Leahy secured in the Forest Service's annual funding bill. Construction on the building itself will begin next Spring. The overall project cost will be about $6 million. Leahy said: This new state-of-the-art headquarters for the Green Mountain National Forest will support Vermont's vital outdoor recreation, timber sectors, and serve… | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://www.leahy.senate.gov/press/schatz-senators-demand-answers-from-census-bureau-on-how-they-will-ensure-fair-count-accurate-apportionmen-of-congressional-representation-in-2020-census | Schatz, Senators Demand Answers From Census Bureau On How They Will Ensure Fair Count, Accurate Apportionmen Of Congressional Representation In 2020 Census | 2020-09-10 | 2020 | 2020-09 | Democrat | House | VT | Patrick Leahy | L000174 | www.leahy.senate.gov | legacy | 09.10.20 Schatz, Senators Demand Answers From Census Bureau On How They Will Ensure Fair Count, Accurate Apportionmen Of Congressional Representation In 2020 Census WASHINGTON Today, U.S. Senator Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii) led a group of 19 senators in calling on the Census Bureau to provide more details on how they plan to use data from the 2020 Census to apportion congressional representation. This comes after multiple attempts by President Trump to interfere with the count for political purposes, as well as the limitations on conducting the census in full during the coronavirus pandemic. With the president's unconstitutional memorandum excluding undocumented people from apportionment, coupled with your agency's decision to end the 2020 Census count one month early, we also raise serious concerns about a fair and accurate distribution of congressional representation,the senators wrote. In their letter to Census Bureau Director Steven Dillingham, the senators are asking for answers on the data and methodologies that the bureau will use to decide how many members of the House of Representatives each state will receive in the 118th Congress. They highlight concerns about how only certain states are sharing citizenship information and the data acquired could be inconsistent, unreliable, or incompletewhich may lead to an inaccurate distribution of congressional representation. The resulting reapportionment report submitted to the U.S. House of Representatives by the president will be an inaccurate, arbitrary, and unconstitutional distribution of congressional seats across the country,the senators wrote. In addition to Senator Schatz, the letter was signed by Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.), Ron Wyden (D-Ore.), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.), Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio), Jack Reed (D-R.I.), Cory Booker (D-N.J.), Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), Tom Udall (D-N.M.), Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.), Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.), Ed Markey (D-Mass.), Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), MartinHeinr… | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| http://www.sanders.senate.gov/newsroom/recent-business/sanders-presses-health-officials-on-vaccine-availability | Sanders Presses Health Officials on Vaccine Availability | 2020-09-09 | 2020 | 2020-09 | Independent | House | VT | Bernard Sanders | S000033 | www.sanders.senate.gov | legacy | Sanders Presses Health Officials on Vaccine Availability Wednesday, September 9, 2020 By:WCAX News Team;WCAX Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders Wednesday pressed federal health officials on whether Americans will have to pay for a vaccine once one has been approved by the FDA. The Senate Committee on Health, Education Labor and Pensions heard from advisers to the president's coronavirus response, including National Institutes of Health Director Francis Collins and U.S. Surgeon General Jerome Adams. In response to a question from Sanders on the cost of a future vaccine, both said that cost would not be a barrier This is something I'm gonna be working very hard on. Other senators will as well. Will you join us in the effort to make sure that this vaccine will be distributed free of charge to all Americans? Sanders asked U.S. Surgeon General Jerome Adams. I want to give you a very direct answer. Yes. As surgeon general of the United States, I promise you we will use every federal tool that we have to make sure that cost is not an obstacle for people to receive the vaccine that is likely the most anticipated of our time, Adams responded. Both Adams and Collins also stressed that safety will not be compromised by the vaccine's accelerated timeline. They say if it doesn't work or isn't safe, it won't be used and any doses that have been produced will be destroyed. | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z |
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