press: releases: 1,312 rows where state = "VT" and year = 2014 sorted by date descending

One row per release. Full-text search runs over title + body text.

Data license: MIT · Data source: dwillis/congress-press

url: Link to the original release on the member's official site
text: Extracted body text (may be empty if the page could not be fetched)
has_text: 1 if body text was successfully extracted
date_source: How the publication date was determined
bioguide_id: Bioguide ID of the member

1,312 rows where state = "VT" and year = 2014 sorted by date descending

Search:

descending

url	title	date ▲	year	month	party	chamber	state	member_name	bioguide_id	domain	date_source	text	has_text	collected_at	updated_at
https://www.sanders.senate.gov/newsroom/newswatch/123114	News December 31	2014-12-31	2014	2014-12	Independent	House	VT	Bernard Sanders	S000033	www.sanders.senate.gov	legacy	News December 31 Wednesday, December 31, 2014 Senator Sanders Economic Security Despite some improvement in the economy, median incomes for American workers are falling. “If you look at the trend over the last 40 years, millions of people have seen a decline in their real income,” Sanders said Tuesday in a radio interview with Ed Schultz. “Economic security is of enormous importance,” the senator said on The Thom Hartmann Program as he outlined an agenda for the coming year. AUDIO, AUDIO A Progressive Vision “The great moral, economic and political issue of our time is the growing level of income and wealth inequality in our nation,” Sen. Sanders wrote in a column for Daily Kos, OpEdNews and Green Mountain Daily. "In the year 2015, our job is to gain control over the national debate, stay focused on the issues of real importance to the American people, stand up for our principles, educate and organize." LINK, LINK, LINK Voodoo Economics Republicans in Congress plan to fire Doug Elmendorf, the Congressional Budget Office chief, because he won't base economic projections on something they call "dynamic scoring." That is the new buzzword among right-wing economists for a notion that tax cuts result in economic growth that in turn yields more government revenue. “It is a fraud,” Sen. Sanders said on Tuesday on The Thom Hartmann Program. It’s what the first President Bush called “voodoo economics,” Sanders added. Budget Committee Americans can expect a smaller but more progressive Democratic caucus in the Senate next year, according to a blog for Moyers & Company, which noted that Sen. Sanders would lead the chamber's Budget Committee. Sanders hired University of Missouri-Kansas City economics professor Stephanie Kelton to serve as the chief economist for Democrats on the committee, The Kansas City Star reported. LINK, LINK World U.S. Denies Iran Swap Deal The United States called on Tuesday for the release of U.S. citizens held in Iran, denying a report that W…	1	2026-03-30T12:14:52Z	2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
https://www.sanders.senate.gov/newsroom/recent-business/agenda-for-america	Agenda for America	2014-12-31	2014	2014-12	Independent	House	VT	Bernard Sanders	S000033	www.sanders.senate.gov	legacy	Agenda for America 12 Steps Forward Rebuilding Our Crumbling Infrastructure Reversing Climate Change Creating Worker Co-ops Growing the Trade Union Movement Raising the Minimum Wage Pay Equity for Women Workers Trade Policies that Benefit American Workers Making College Affordable for All Taking on Wall Street Health Care as a Right for All Protecting the Most Vulnerable Americans Real Tax Reform 1. Rebuilding Our Crumbling Infrastructure We need a major investment to rebuild our crumbling infrastructure: roads, bridges, water systems, waste water plants, airports, railroads and schools. It has been estimated that the cost of the Bush-Cheney Iraq War, a war we should never have waged, will total $3 trillion by the time the last veteran receives needed care. A $1 trillion investment in infrastructure could create 13 million decent paying jobs and make this country more efficient and productive. We need to invest in infrastructure, not more war. 2. Reversing Climate Change The United States must lead the world in reversing climate change and make certain that this planet is habitable for our children and grandchildren. We must transform our energy system away from fossil fuels and into energy efficiency and sustainable energies. Millions of homes and buildings need to be weatherized, our transportation system needs to be energy efficient and we need to greatly accelerate the progress we are already seeing in wind, solar, geothermal, biomass and…	1	2026-03-30T12:14:52Z	2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
https://www.sanders.senate.gov/newsroom/newswatch/123014	News December 30	2014-12-30	2014	2014-12	Independent	House	VT	Bernard Sanders	S000033	www.sanders.senate.gov	legacy	News December 30 Tuesday, December 30, 2014 Senator Sanders Sanders: Trade Deal is a ‘Disaster’ Sen. Bernie Sanders said on Monday that he opposes a major trade deal that he says will lead to fewer jobs in the United States. He said the White House hopes to rush a treaty for a 12-nation Trans-Pacific Partnership through Congress next year. Sanders said treaties like this force American workers to compete against low-wage labor around the world leading to massive U.S. job losses, WFFF-TV and WVNY-TV reported. VIDEO, VIDEO A Progressive Vision “The great moral, economic and political issue of our time is the growing level of income and wealth inequality in our nation,” Sen. Sanders wrote in a column for The Huffington Post. Sanders called the disparity “a disgrace to everything this country is supposed to stand for,” MSNBC reported on Tuesday. Sanders said progressives must stay focused on issues of real importance to the American people, The Hill reported. LINK, LINK, VIDEO Rx Prices Escalating prices of some generic drugs are causing raised eyebrows and drained checking accounts. Sen. Sanders, chairman of a Senate health care subcommittee, has been outspoken on the increase in cost of generic drugs, the Herald-Whig in Quincy, Illinois, reported. "We are talking about the need of the American people to be able to afford the medicine that their doctors prescribe," Sanders told the Chicago Tribune. LINK Phoenix VA A federal administrative law judge upheld the firing of the former Phoenix VA director but rejected charges that she covered up long wait times. The judge concluded that it is "more likely than not that at least some senior leaders were aware or should have been of nationwide problems getting veterans scheduled for timely appointments.” A Fox News report showed former VA Secretary Eric Shinseki telling Chairman Sanders at a hearing in May that there was not a widespread problem of VA officials “cooking the books.” World Embassy in Iran President Barack Obama s…	1	2026-03-30T12:14:52Z	2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
http://www.leahy.senate.gov/press/leahy-senate-must-reauthorize-lifesaving-bulletproof-vest-grant-program-next-year	Leahy: Senate Must Reauthorize Lifesaving Bulletproof Vest Grant Program Next Year	2014-12-29	2014	2014-12	Democrat	House	VT	Patrick Leahy	L000174	www.leahy.senate.gov	legacy	12.29.14 Leahy: Senate Must Reauthorize Lifesaving Bulletproof Vest Grant Program Next Year . . . More Than One Million Vests Provided Through The Program MONDAY, December 29, 2014 – Senator Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) will reintroduce legislation next month to reauthorize the lifesaving Bulletproof Vest Partnership Grant Program, a federal grant program that helps state and local law enforcement agencies purchase bulletproof vests for officers working in the field. Leahy, a former prosecutor, coauthored the original law establishing the matching grant program, which has issued more than one million lifesaving vests to state and local law enforcement officers throughout the country since 1999 – including more than 4000 vests for officers in Vermont. Legislation to reauthorize the popular program was blocked in the last Congress, despite having broad bipartisan support. Leahy, the incoming ranking member of the Judiciary Committee, encouraged the incoming Republican majority to work with all Senate Democrats who support this critical, life-saving program. “Members of Congress often speak passionately about the need to support the officers who serve and protect the public on the front lines, but we need to match words with action,” Leahy said. “No action to protect and support law enforcement officers is more tangible and effective than this partnership. It proves and renews its value each time an officer goes on the beat.” Leahy continued: “No officer should have to serve without a protective vest. I am disappointed that a single Republican blocked the Senate from passing the bill this year, but our work does not stop at the end of the year. I will introduce the Bulletproof Vest Partnership Grant Program Reauthorization Act of 2015 as soon as the new legislative session begins so that we can work quickly next year to pass this important legislation. I hope that Senators from both sides of the aisle will join me in t…	1	2026-03-30T12:14:52Z	2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
https://www.sanders.senate.gov/newsroom/newswatch/122914	News December 29	2014-12-29	2014	2014-12	Independent	House	VT	Bernard Sanders	S000033	www.sanders.senate.gov	legacy	News December 29 Monday, December 29, 2014 Senator Sanders State of the Union Mount Anthony Union High School student Alexina Federhen made news when she won Sen. Sanders’ essay contest, earning the school a visit from the independent senator, according to a Bennington Banner review of top news in the past year. LINK World Jet Lost at Sea The head of the Indonesian agency searching for a missing AirAsia jet carrying 162 people said Monday that he believed the aircraft was “at the bottom of the sea,” The New York Times reported. LINK National Unemployment A U.S. economy that suddenly looks healthy—50 straight months of job gains, best quarter of growth in 11 years—is falling short in a key area. It isn’t luring back many of the millions who dropped out of the labor market during the down times. Over the past three months, an average of 6.8 percent of those outside the labor force either found a job or began looking for one. That means people are entering the labor force at the lowest pace in records kept since 1990, down from more than 8 percent in 2010. LINK Vermont Border Crossings People who cross into the United States by land a have new tool to help them learn where the shortest lines are at some border crossings. Earlier this month U.S. Customs and Border Protection launched its Border Wait Time app. It provides estimated wait times and open lane status at some land ports of entry, The Associated Press reported.	1	2026-03-30T12:14:52Z	2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
https://www.sanders.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/sanders-tpp-trade-deal-a-disaster	Sanders: TPP Trade Deal a Disaster	2014-12-29	2014	2014-12	Independent	House	VT	Bernard Sanders	S000033	www.sanders.senate.gov	legacy	Sanders: TPP Trade Deal a ‘Disaster’ Monday, December 29, 2014 BURLINGTON, Vt., Dec. 29 – U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) said today he will oppose a major global trade deal that would lead to fewer jobs and lower pay for workers in the United States. Sanders said he would work with organized labor, environmental groups and other opponents of a 12-nation Trans-Pacific Partnership that the White House hopes to rush through Congress in the coming year. He issued a statement citing 10 reasons to oppose the agreement. “The Trans-Pacific Partnership is a disastrous trade agreement designed to protect the interests of the largest multi-national corporations at the expense of workers, consumers, the environment and the foundations of American democracy. It will also negatively impact some of the poorest people in the world,” Sanders said. The treaty, which is expected to come before Congress in 2015, was written in secret with the help of Wall Street, the pharmaceutical industry and major media companies. The American public and members of Congress, however, were locked out of the process. The proposed agreement builds on similar ones such as the North American Free Trade Agreement, the Central America Free Trade Agreement and Permanent Normal Trade Relations with China. “These treaties have forced American workers to compete against desperate and low-wage labor around the world. The result has been massive job losses in the United States and the shutting down of tens of thousands of factories. “The TPP is more of the same, but even worse,” Sanders added. “It is part of a global race to the bottom to boost the profits of large corporations and Wall Street by outsourcing jobs; undercutting worker rights; dismantling labor, environmental, health, food safety and financial laws; and allowing corporations to challenge our laws in international tribunals rather than our own court system. “If TPP was such a good deal for America, the administration should have the courage to show th…	1	2026-03-30T12:14:52Z	2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
https://www.sanders.senate.gov/newsroom/recent-business/sanders-trade-deal-a-disaster	Sanders: Trade Deal a 'Disaster'	2014-12-29	2014	2014-12	Independent	House	VT	Bernard Sanders	S000033	www.sanders.senate.gov	legacy	Sanders: Trade Deal a 'Disaster' Monday, December 29, 2014 Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) tours a National Museum of American History gift shop that was restocked at his urging with all made-in-America merchandise on June 8, 2011. Sen. Bernie Sanders said on Monday that he will oppose a major global trade deal that would lead to fewer jobs and lower pay for workers in the United States. Sanders said he would work with organized labor, environmental groups and other opponents of a 12-nation Trans-Pacific Partnership that the White House hopes to rush through Congress in the coming year. He issued a statement citing 10 reasons to oppose the agreement. “The Trans-Pacific Partnership is a disastrous trade agreement designed to protect the interests of the largest multi-national corporations at the expense of workers, consumers, the environment and the foundations of American democracy. It will also negatively impact some of the poorest people in the world,” Sanders said. The treaty, which is expected to come before Congress in 2015, was written in secret with the help of Wall Street, the pharmaceutical industry and major media companies. The American public and members of Congress, however, were locked out of the process. The proposed agreement builds on similar ones such as the North American Free Trade Agreement, the Central America Free Trade Agreement and Permanent Normal Trade Relations with China. “These treaties have forced American workers to compete against desperate and low-wage labor around the world. The result has been massive job losses in the United States and the shutting down of tens of thousands of factories. “The TPP is more of the same, but even worse,” Sanders added. “It is part of a global race to the bottom to boost the profits of large corporations and Wall Street by outsourcing jobs; undercutting worker rights; dismantling labor, environmental, health, food safety and financial laws; and allowing corporations to challenge our laws in international tri…	1	2026-03-30T12:14:52Z	2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
https://www.sanders.senate.gov/newsroom/newswatch/122814	News December 28	2014-12-28	2014	2014-12	Independent	House	VT	Bernard Sanders	S000033	www.sanders.senate.gov	legacy	News December 28 Sunday, December 28, 2014 Senator Sanders World U.S. Ends Combat Mission in Afghanistan U.S.-led forces in Afghanistan are formally ending their combat mission on Sunday, leaving Afghan forces to battle a still-resilient Taliban insurgency largely on their own, The Wall Street Journal reported. LINK National As Medicaid Rolls Swell, Cuts Loom Just as millions of people are gaining insurance through Medicaid, the program is poised to make deep cuts in payments to many doctors, prompting some physicians and consumer advocates to warn that the reductions could make it more difficult for Medicaid patients to obtain care. The impact will vary by state, but a study by the Urban Institute estimates that doctors who have been receiving the enhanced payments will see their fees for primary care cut by 43 percent, on average, The New York Times reported. Vermont Vermont Yankee Shuting Down Monday marks the end of power generation at Vermont Yankee. Control room operators at the nuclear power plant will insert control rods to bring an end to 42½ years of generation, the Rutland Herald reported. LINK Leahy Photo Exhibit Sen. Patrick Leahy will be in Brattleboro this week for a display of photos he has taken during his 40 years in the Senate. The display at the Brattleboro Museum & Art Center will include pictures of American Alan Gross as he was released from prison in Cuba earlier this month. Leahy was part of the team that traveled to Havana to retrieve Gross, AP reported.	1	2026-03-30T12:14:52Z	2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
https://www.sanders.senate.gov/newsroom/must-read/chicago-gave-hundreds-of-high-risk-kids-a-summer-job-violent-crime-arrests-plummeted	Chicago gave hundreds of high-risk kids a summer job. Violent crime arrests plummeted.	2014-12-27	2014	2014-12	Independent	House	VT	Bernard Sanders	S000033	www.sanders.senate.gov	legacy	Chicago gave hundreds of high-risk kids a summer job. Violent crime arrests plummeted. By: Emily Badger Saturday, December 27, 2014 In a year full of distressing stories — especially about race, crime and violence in urban neighborhoods — this one points to some hope. Earlier this December, we covered a summer jobs program in Chicago that appeared to lead to fewer teenage arrests for violent crime. Our original story, republished below, also reminds us that policy solutions are possible — and possibly even inexpensive. A couple of years ago, the city of Chicago started a summer jobs programfor teenagers attending high schools in some of the city's high-crime, low-income neighborhoods. The program was meant, of course, to connect students to work. But officials also hoped that it might curb the kinds of problems — like higher crime — that arise when there's no work to be found. Research on the program conducted by the University of Chicago Crime Lab and just published in the journal Science suggests that these summer jobs have actually had such an effect: Students who were randomly assigned to participate in the program had 43 percent fewer violent-crime arrests over 16 months, compared to students in a control group. That number is striking for a couple of reasons: It implies that a relatively short (and inexpensive) intervention like an eight-week summer jobs program can have a lasting effect on teenage behavior. And it lends empirical support to a popular refrain by advocates: "Nothing stops a bullet like a job." Continue reading here.	1	2026-03-30T12:14:52Z	2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
https://www.sanders.senate.gov/newsroom/newswatch/122714	News December 27	2014-12-27	2014	2014-12	Independent	House	VT	Bernard Sanders	S000033	www.sanders.senate.gov	legacy	News December 27 Saturday, December 27, 2014 Senator Sanders Veterans’ Home The Vermont Veterans Home is expected to get a federal grant of almost $1 million. Joseph Krawczyk Jr., chairman of the home’s board of trustees, said it was “great” to hear from Sen. Sanders that the project was now on the VA’s priority list. “Sen. Sanders has always been a great supporter, not just of the veterans home, but of veterans overall throughout the country and we’re really happy he comes from Vermont,” Krawczyk told the Rutland Herald. LINK World N. Korea North Korea called President Barack Obama "a monkey" and blamed the U.S. on Saturday for shutting down its Internet amid the hacking row over the comedy "The Interview." North Korea has denied involvement in a crippling cyberattack on Sony Pictures but has expressed fury over the comedy depicting an assassination of its leader Kim Jong Un, CBS News reported. LINK National Thousands Expected at NYPD Funeral Thousands of police officers will gather in Queens, New York today for the funeral of New York City Police Officer Rafael Ramos. He was ambushed along with his partner one week ago. Today he will be laid to rest, with the nation's Vice President attending, CBS News reported. LINK Trade Deal President Obama is preparing a major push on a vast free-trade zone that seeks to enlist Republicans as partners and test his premise that Washington can still find common ground on major initiatives. It also will test his willingness to buck his own party in pursuit of a legacy-burnishing achievement. Already, fellow Democrats are accusing him of abandoning past promises on trade and potentially undermining his domestic priority of reducing income inequality, according to The Washington Post. LINK Jobs and Crime A couple of years ago, the city of Chicago started a summer jobs program for teenagers attending high schools in some of the city's high-crime, low-income neighborhoods. The program was meant to connect students to work, but of…	1	2026-03-30T12:14:52Z	2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
https://www.sanders.senate.gov/newsroom/newswatch/122614	News December 26	2014-12-26	2014	2014-12	Independent	House	VT	Bernard Sanders	S000033	www.sanders.senate.gov	legacy	News December 26 Friday, December 26, 2014 Senator Sanders National NSA Admits Privacy Violations The National Security Agency has released heavily redacted accounts of its employees’ violations against Americans’ privacy after the Sept. 11, 2001 terror attacks. Responding to a Freedom of Information Act lawsuit, the agency was required to file the reports with the Intelligence Oversight Board, The Wall Street Journal reported. LINK Phoenix VA Long before that the Veterans Affairs hospital in Phoenix manipulated waiting lists to hide that veterans were facing long delays to see doctors, senior department officials in Washington were aware of serious problems. The documents in the case of the Phoenix hospital director Sharon Helman, who contested her firing, provided new details of how much officials knew about the medical center, including patient backlogs, shortages of medical personnel and clinic space, and long waiting lists, The New York Times reported. LINK Female Veterans Thousands of female veterans are struggling to get health-care treatment and compensation from the Department of Veterans Affairs on the grounds that they suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder caused by sexual trauma in the military. The veterans and their advocates call it “the second battle” — with a bureaucracy they say is stuck in the past, The Washington Post reported. LINK Vermont Veterans’ Home The union representing Vermont state employees says the state is being cruel to put out word of layoffs at the Vermont Veterans Home in Bennington at Christmastime. Administration Secretary Jeb Spaulding said layoff notices have not gone out yet, but the Vermont State Employees Association has to be notified 35 days before reductions take effect. He said about six workers will lose their jobs due to a declining population at the home, AP reported. LINK	1	2026-03-30T12:14:52Z	2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
https://www.sanders.senate.gov/newsroom/newswatch/122414	News December 24	2014-12-24	2014	2014-12	Independent	House	VT	Bernard Sanders	S000033	www.sanders.senate.gov	legacy	News December 24 Wednesday, December 24, 2014 Senator Sanders FairPoint Strike Sen. Sanders renewed his call for FairPoint Communications to return to the bargaining table and negotiate with unions representing 1,700 striking works in Vermont, New Hampshire and Maine. “I worry very much about the quality of service that FairPoint is providing,” he noted in the WCAX-TV interview. Meanwhile, New Hampshire delayed action on a $13 million state contract with FairPoint. "I have big concerns … FairPoint right now wouldn't live up to the terms in the contract," Democratic Executive Councilor Colin Van Ostern said. VIDEO Single Payer Vermont Gov. Peter Shumlin’s decision to step back from developing the nation’s first single-payer health care system was “obviously a disappointment for many people in the state,” Sen. Sanders said in the WCAX-TV interview. “I look forward to working with the governor to see how we go forward.” The governor’s surprise announcement last week came as Sanders was touting Vermont as a model for the nation, Steve Early wrote for The Huffington Post and Truthout.org. VIDEO, LINK, LINK Postal Service With layoffs looming for up to 15,000 postal workers, Congress adjourned without passing a one-year moratorium on reduced mail delivery standards and plant closings, according to John Nichols of The Nation. He counted Sen. Sanders among the Postal Service’s “genuine advocates in Congress.” LINK Pre-K Education Vermont recently was awarded what is expected to be a four-year federal grant of more than $30 million for early-childhood education. “I am very excited about that. I am a member of the education committee and we worked very hard on that,” Sen. Sanders said in an interview on WCAX-TV. “What the psychologists tell us is that the age from zero to four are the most important years in development. VIDEO, LINK $1 Million for Vets Home The Vermont Veterans’ Home stands a good chance of receiving nearly $1 million from the federal government to renovate its…	1	2026-03-30T12:14:52Z	2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
https://www.sanders.senate.gov/newsroom/recent-business/the-week-in-review-122414	The Week in Review	2014-12-24	2014	2014-12	Independent	House	VT	Bernard Sanders	S000033	www.sanders.senate.gov	legacy	The Week in Review Friday, December 26, 2014 The Week in Review Home for the holidays in Vermont, Sen. Bernie Sanders sat down on Tuesday with WCAX-TV’s Kyle Midura to discuss state and national issues ranging from an exciting new early childhood education program in Vermont to a lingering strike by 1,700 workers in northern New England against a major Internet and phone service provider for the region. On Monday, Sanders spoke with WBUR-FM in Boston about a host of national issues including how he will use his new assignment as the ranking member of the Senate Budget Committee to fend off Republican attacks on Social Security and Medicare. Watch the WCAX-TV interview Big Ideas Sanders “has some big ideas about how to rein in big banks, cut defense spending, strengthen Social Security and Medicare, and address income and wealth inequality in the United States,” according to WBUR-FM in Boston. The senator discussed those and other topics during a wide-ranging interview Monday. Listen to the WBUR-FM interview Veterans Home The Vermont Veterans’ Home is in line for a nearly $1 million grant to help pay for a renovation project. The outgoing chairman of the Senate Committee on Veterans’ Affairs, Sanders said the Department of Veterans Affairs has placed the Vermont Veterans’ Home on a priority list for a federal matching grant. An Unsung Heroine “Gretchen Baily is an unsung heroine,” Sanders said of the Senate office’s casework coordinator whose last day on the job was Monday. Bailey led a team that has helped tens of thousands of Vermonters cut through red tape.. Earlier this year, she won a prestigious award for exemplary public service. “Gretchen strongly believes that government should work for people,” Sanders wrote a letter nominating her for the award. “Gretchen has dedicated her life to this mission.” Read more about Gretchen Bailey Need help?	1	2026-03-30T12:14:52Z	2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
https://www.leahy.senate.gov/press/comment-of-senator-patrick-leahy-d-vt-senate-president-pro-tempore-and-dean-of-the-senate-chairman-of-state-department-and-foreign-operations-for-the-appropriations-committee-on-adriana-perez	Comment Of Senator Patrick Leahy (D-Vt., Senate President Pro Tempore and Dean of the Senate, chairman of State Department and Foreign Operations for the Appropriations Committee), On Adriana Perez	2014-12-23	2014	2014-12	Democrat	House	VT	Patrick Leahy	L000174	www.leahy.senate.gov	legacy	12.23.14 Comment Of Senator Patrick Leahy (D-Vt., Senate President Pro Tempore and Dean of the Senate, chairman of State Department and Foreign Operations for the Appropriations Committee), On Adriana Perez Comment Of Senator Patrick Leahy (D-Vt., Senate President Pro Tempore and Dean of the Senate, chairman of State Department and Foreign Operations for the Appropriations Committee), On Adriana Perez Tuesday, Dec. 23, 2014 "In February 2013, during one of our trips to Cuba my wife Marcelle and I agreed to meet with Adriana Perez. She made a personal appeal to Marcelle. She was 43 years old and afraid that she would never have the chance to have a child as she did not expect her husband to ever be released from prison. As parents and grandparents we both wanted to try to help her. And as a Registered Nurse, Marcelle had particular knowledge of the medical realities she was facing. It was the humane thing to do. The Cuban Government paid for everything. It was also at a time when we were urging the Cubans to improve their treatment of Alan Gross, and to allow American doctors to travel to Cuba to examine him, which they ultimately did." # # # # # Press Contact Press Contact David Carle: 202-224-3693 Next Article Previous Article	1	2026-03-30T12:14:52Z	2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
https://www.leahy.senate.gov/press/is-53-years-long-enough-to-conclude-that-our-cuba-policy-has-failed	Is 53 Years Long Enough To Conclude That Our Cuba Policy Has Failed?	2014-12-23	2014	2014-12	Democrat	House	VT	Patrick Leahy	L000174	www.leahy.senate.gov	legacy	12.23.14 Is 53 Years Long Enough To Conclude That Our Cuba Policy Has Failed? Is 53 Years Long Enough To Conclude That Our Cuba Policy Has Failed? By Patrick Leahy On December 17th, President Obama and President Raul Castro made history. After 53 years of animosity rooted in the Cold War, they finally put our two countries on a new path. I worked for two years to help obtain Alan Gross' release from a Cuban prison, and flying to Cuba to bring him home was a joyous experience I will cherish always. Mr. Gross' case was the catalyst that finally brought to an end a policy that failed to achieve any of its objectives and isolated the United States. With the strong support of Pope Francis, the President has wisely charted a course that will promote reconciliation between the people of our two countries, advance our national interests in the hemisphere, and provide hope for democratic change in Cuba. The response to the President's announcement here and abroad has been overwhelmingly positive, from the U.S. business and agriculture communities to our allies around the world, and on the streets of Havana. Common sense dictates that it is beneath the United States to continue treating a tiny neighbor that poses no threat and whose people have much in common with us as an enemy. Not surprisingly a handful of members of Congress continue to defend a policy they fully acknowledge has failed through eight U.S. presidencies and they reflexively have condemned the President's actions. Their arguments boil down to this: Cuba remains a one party state whose government severely punishes dissent and is a sponsor of terrorism. On the first point they are right. Cuba's government is very repressive. Political opponents and human rights advocates are harassed and jailed. The solution of the President's critics, however, is more of the same, even though it hasn't worked for five decades, did nothing to help Alan Gross or the Cuban people, and has provided the Castro government with an excuse to blame the United Sta…	1	2026-03-30T12:14:52Z	2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
https://www.sanders.senate.gov/newsroom/newswatch/122314	News December 23	2014-12-23	2014	2014-12	Independent	House	VT	Bernard Sanders	S000033	www.sanders.senate.gov	legacy	News December 23 Tuesday, December 23, 2014 Senator Sanders Sanders Has ‘Big Ideas’ Sen. Bernie Sanders “has some big ideas about how to rein in big banks, cut defense spending, strengthen Social Security and Medicare, and address income and wealth inequality in the United States,” according to WBUR-FM in Boston. Sanders discussed those topics during a wide-ranging interview Monday. LINK Strengthen Social Security In the final days of the 2014 Congress, Sen. Sanders promised to push for new legislation to break up the big banks and expand Social Security, Thom Hartmann said Monday on The Thom Hartmann Program. LINK $1 Million for Vermont Veterans’ Home The state-run Vermont Veterans' Home in Bennington is in line for a nearly $1 million federal matching grant. Sen. Sanders, who chairs the Senate Veterans' Affairs Committee, announced the Department of Veterans Affairs has put the Bennington facility on a priority list for construction grants in 2015, The Associated Press and WVNY-TV reported. LINK, VIDEO World N. Korea Web Goes Down While perhaps a coincidence, the failure, which lasted about 10 hours, began after President Obama said the U.S. would respond to an act of “cybervandalism” against Sony Pictures, The New York Times reported. LINK National McConnel Going on Offense Sen. Mitch McConnell, the incoming majority leader, knows his real problem is not corralling mavericks in his party like Senator Ted Cruz. It is persuading other Senate Republicans conditioned to voting no that it is time to vote yes. “One of my challenges is to try to convince some of my members that passing an appropriations bill is a good thing, not a bad thing,” McConnell said during an interview with The New York Times. LINK FairPoint Contract Up in New Hampshire New Hampshire's Executive Council today will consider a $13 million state contract with FairPoint Communications as the company's Northern New England workers continue to strike. If the contract is approved, FairPoint would provid…	1	2026-03-30T12:14:52Z	2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
https://www.sanders.senate.gov/newsroom/recent-business/big-ideas	Big Ideas	2014-12-23	2014	2014-12	Independent	House	VT	Bernard Sanders	S000033	www.sanders.senate.gov	legacy	Big Ideas Tuesday, December 23, 2014 Big Ideas Sen. Bernie Sanders “has some big ideas about how to rein in big banks, cut defense spending, strengthen Social Security and Medicare, and address income and wealth inequality in the United States,” according to WBUR-FM in Boston. The senator discussed those and other topics during a wide-ranging interview Monday. Listen to the interview	1	2026-03-30T12:14:52Z	2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
https://www.sanders.senate.gov/newsroom/newswatch/122214	News December 22	2014-12-22	2014	2014-12	Independent	House	VT	Bernard Sanders	S000033	www.sanders.senate.gov	legacy	News December 22 Monday, December 22, 2014 Senator Sanders Postal Service Reform Passing legislation to reform the U.S. Postal Service remains a goal of Sen. Tom Carper as he steps down as chairman of the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee. Sen. Bernie Sanders, who has led the charge to keep Saturday mail and protect rural facilities and postal jobs, said he worked with Carper and others in the last month to reach a consensus and “we came very close.” Sanders told USA Today he was impressed with Carper’s efforts “to bridge the very wide gap between right-wing Republicans who want to dismember and eventually privatize the postal service and those of us trying to save and strengthen this vital institution and the jobs it provides.” State of the Union Sen. Sanders wants to hear from Vermont high school students about what they feel are the major issues facing the country. A panel of Vermont teachers will judge the essays, The Associated Press reported. Since the contest was first held, more than 1,150 Vermont students have participated, according to the article published by the Burlington Free Press, Brattleboro Reformer, Rutland Herald and Times Argus. LINK, LINK, LINK, LINK Date Lab Bernie Sanders is the “favorite politician” of Teresa Spencer, an actress who went on a date to a DuPont Circle restaurant with Steve Bradley, who listed John Lewis as his favorite politician in The Washington Post Sunday magazine blind-date feature. LINK World Obama Plans More Gitmo Transfers President Barack Obama aims to make 2015 a landmark year in his long-stalled effort to close the detention center in Guantanamo Bay, with plans to announce a flurry of detainee transfers in coming weeks, senior administration officials told The Wall Street Journal. LINK National New York Police Add Precautions Faced with the first targeted killings of New York City police officers in years, police leaders ratcheted up precautions for their vast patrol force on Sunday as officials des…	1	2026-03-30T12:14:52Z	2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
https://www.sanders.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/vermont-veterans-home-on-va-priority-list-for-1-million-grant	Vermont Veterans Home on VA Priority List for $1 Million Grant	2014-12-22	2014	2014-12	Independent	House	VT	Bernard Sanders	S000033	www.sanders.senate.gov	legacy	BURLINGTON, Dec.22 – U.S. Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee Chairman Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) today welcomed a Department of Veterans Affairs announcement that the state-run Vermont Veterans’ Home in Bennington is in line for a nearly $1 million federal matching grant. The Bennington facility is on the U.S Department of Veterans Affairs’ priority list for construction grants during the coming year. “I am committed to working with the state and the VA to ensure the veterans’ home can make these much-needed repairs,” said Sanders. “The men and women who have served our country in uniform deserve quality care in a safe home.” The Bennington kitchen-renovation project is part of the VA’s commitment to providing a safe living environment and medical care for aging and chronically-ill Veterans. The federal share of the project is $994,045.	1	2026-03-30T12:14:52Z	2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
https://www.sanders.senate.gov/newsroom/recent-business/an-unsung-heroine	An Unsung Heroine	2014-12-22	2014	2014-12	Independent	House	VT	Bernard Sanders	S000033	www.sanders.senate.gov	legacy	An Unsung Heroine Monday, December 22, 2014 “Gretchen Baily is an unsung heroine,” said Sen. Bernie Sanders. He was describing the Senate office’s casework coordinator whose last day on the job was Monday. Bailey led a team that has helped tens of thousands of Vermonters cut through red tape. Sometimes the federal bureaucracy needs a nudge and “that’s what we do,” she once said. Earlier this year, she won a prestigious award for exemplary public service. “Gretchen strongly believes that government should work for people,” Sanders wrote a letter nominating her for the award. “Gretchen has dedicated her life to this mission.” Read more about Gretchen Bailey Read the senator’s letter nominating her for an award Need help?	1	2026-03-30T12:14:52Z	2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
https://www.sanders.senate.gov/newsroom/newswatch/122114	News December 21	2014-12-21	2014	2014-12	Independent	House	VT	Bernard Sanders	S000033	www.sanders.senate.gov	legacy	News December 21 Sunday, December 21, 2014 Senator Sanders Tom Harkin Tribute The self-described progressive populist hung up his 40-year career in Congress last week — but not before urging his Senate colleagues to close the income gap, save the planet and make it easier for people with disabilities to get hired. Sen. Sanders said Harkin “will go down in history as one of the great senators,” Rekha Basu wrote in The Des Moines Register. LINK Sanders’ Essay Contest Returns Sen. Sanders is once again organizing a State of the Union essay contest for Vermont high school students. Participants are asked to write a 250- to 500-word essay that describes “their own view of the state of the union. The finalists’ pieces will be entered in the Congressional Record and the authors will meet with Sanders for a conversation, the Burlington Free Press reported. LINK National Two NYC Police Murdered A gunman shot and killed two New York City police officers before taking his own life in a brazen ambush that played out on a quiet Brooklyn street corner Saturday afternoon, New York police said. Plice are investigating social-media postings in which the gunman foreshadowed the killings and referenced Eric Garner and Michael Brown, two unarmed black men who recently died during encounters with white police officers, The Washington Post reported. LINK FairPoint Strike Two hundred FairPoint Communications workers rallied on Friday in Concord, New Hampshire, and promised to continue a 10-week-old strike that has begun to take a personal and financial toll on the workers and their families. Gov. Maggie Hassan met with FairPoint officials on Tuesday at the Statehouse and urged them to work in good faith with their employees, her spokesman said. The company’s 1,700 workers across Maine, New Hampshire and Vermont began striking in October. LINK Vermont Progressives Slam Shumlin’s ‘Broken Promises’ The Vermont Progressive Party issued a statement criticizing Gov. Peter Shumlin's decision …	1	2026-03-30T12:14:52Z	2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
https://www.sanders.senate.gov/newsroom/newswatch/122014	News December 20	2014-12-20	2014	2014-12	Independent	House	VT	Bernard Sanders	S000033	www.sanders.senate.gov	legacy	News December 20 Saturday, December 20, 2014 Senator Sanders Sanders: Don’t Cut Social Security Sen. Bernie Sanders is speaking out against proposed cuts to Social Security and Medicare that he said are on the House Republican Budget Committee agenda. At a time when poverty among senior citizens is increasing, Sanders said it would be a moral outrage to cut the programs. He proposed increasing benefits. In January, he will become the ranking member of the Senate Budget Committee, WVNY-TV reported. VIDEO Phone Strike FairPoint Communications employees picketed in Bennington on Friday after CEO Paul Sunu called the workers’ demands “unreasonable.” Sen. Sanders asked the company to put the interests of its workers and its customers ahead of the interests of “the multibillion dollar Wall Street hedge funds” that stand to profit from the sale of the company, the Bennington Banner reported. LINK National Obama Vows Response to N. Korea Cyberattack President Barack Obama vowed on Friday to respond to a devastating cyberattack on Sony Pictures that he blamed on North Korea, and scolded the Hollywood studio for caving in to what he described as a foreign dictator imposing censorship in America. Obama said the attack caused a lot of damage to Sony but that the company should not have let itself be intimidated into halting the public release of "The Interview," a lampoon portraying the assassination of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, Reuters reported. LINK Vermont Jobless Decline Vermont’s unemployment rate dropped a tenth of a point in November, the first decrease since April, officials said Friday. The Vermont Department of Labor said the seasonally adjusted statewide rate for November ticked down to 4.3 percent from the revised October rate. The national average remain unchanged in November at 5.8 percent. Vermont’s 4.3 percent jobless rate is tied for the 10th lowest in the country, Vermont Press Bureau reported. LINK Federal Prosecutor Resigns Tristram Coffin, the U.S.…	1	2026-03-30T12:14:52Z	2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
https://www.leahy.senate.gov/press/leahy-commends-us-attorney-tristram-coffin-for-years-of-service-to-vermont	Leahy Commends U.S. Attorney Tristram Coffin For Years Of Service To Vermont	2014-12-19	2014	2014-12	Democrat	House	VT	Patrick Leahy	L000174	www.leahy.senate.gov	legacy	12.19.14 Leahy Commends U.S. Attorney Tristram Coffin For Years Of Service To Vermont Coffin To Depart Next Month WASHINGTON (Friday, December 19, 2014) U.S. Attorney Tristram Coffin on Friday announced that he will be leaving his position next month after serving as Vermont's top federal prosecutor since 2009. U.S. Senator Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) praised Coffin for his years of service, and he committed to working quickly to find a highly qualified nominee to serve as Vermont's next U.S. Attorney. Tris Coffin is a tough and fair prosecutor, and has been an effective law enforcement leader in Vermont. I join my fellow Vermonters in thanking him for his service. Tris has demonstrated thoughtful leadership in partnering with state and local law enforcement and Vermont communities on a range of issues, including efforts to confront the crisis of heroin and opioid addiction. I commend Tris for his years of service to our state and wish him the best in his future endeavors, said Leahy, who currently chairs the Senate Judiciary Committee. Coffin was unanimously confirmed by the Senate in August 2009 to be Vermont's 36th United States Attorney. In September 2010, he convened an important symposium in the Statehouse in Montpelier to discuss the problem of opiate drug abuse. Both Leahy and Attorney General Holder participated in that symposium, and Leahy this year invited Coffin to deliver testimony at a Judiciary Committee field hearing in Rutland looking at community solutions to the opioid crisis. At that hearing, Coffin described his partnership working with Vermont schools to raise awareness and focus on prevention. Before serving as U.S. Attorney, Coffin worked in private practice in Burlington with the firm of Paul Frank & Collins, P.C. He previously served as an assistant U.S. Attorney in the Vermont district's criminal division from 1998 to 2006 and in the civil division from 1994 until 1998. Coffin also wor…	1	2026-03-30T12:14:52Z	2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
https://www.sanders.senate.gov/newsroom/newswatch/121914	News December 19	2014-12-19	2014	2014-12	Independent	House	VT	Bernard Sanders	S000033	www.sanders.senate.gov	legacy	News December 19 Friday, December 19, 2014 Senator Sanders Pensions Under Fire Retirees covered by financially-troubled pensions could soon see their benefits cut under legislation passed during the lame-duck session of Congress. Sen. Bernie Sanders on Thursday told MSNBC’s Ed Schultz that the pension provision tucked into a massive spending bill was one reason he voted against the measure. Instead of taking money from elderly retirees, Sanders said the government could help shore up the funds. “If this country could bailout the crooks on Wall Street who destroyed the economy surely the federal government can help working people who are absolutely dependent on these pensions,” Sanders said. VIDEO Cuba Relations Sen. Sanders told CBS News that he favors normalizing relations with Cuba. He said lifting a trade embargo "would benefit the economies of both countries" and cited an Atlantic Council survey that showed 56 percent of Americans favor changing Cuba policy. LINK Military Budget Sen. Sanders cast a “no” vote on a Pentagon spending bill last week. Sanders, who is set to take over as the ranking member of the Senate Budget Committee, is making an argument for cracking down on budgeting abuses at the Pentagon, according to The Nation's John Nichols. LINK Drug Prices Sen. Sanders used one of his last hearings as chairman of the Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee to review how the Department of Veterans Affairs has had to ration an expensive medicine that cures hepatitis C, a liver virus infecting 174,000 veterans, The Shreveport (Louisiana) Times reported. LINK FairPoint Strike Sen. Sanders on Thursday said he's disappointed in FairPoint Communications refusal to negotiate with striking unions in Vermont, New Hampshire and Maine. Sanders accused the company of wanting to slash wages and benefits for workers, WVNY-TV and WFFF-TV reported. The Vermont congressional delegation had urged the phone company to return to the bargaining table, WCAX-TV reported. VIDEO, VIDE…	1	2026-03-30T12:14:52Z	2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
https://www.sanders.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/sanders-dont-let-republicans_slash-social-security-medicare	Sanders: Dont Let Republicans Slash Social Security, Medicare	2014-12-19	2014	2014-12	Independent	House	VT	Bernard Sanders	S000033	www.sanders.senate.gov	legacy	Sanders: Don’t Let Republicans Slash Social Security, Medicare Friday, December 19, 2014 BURLINGTON, Vt., Dec. 19 – U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), who will step up in January to a new role as the Senate Budget Committee’s ranking member, said today that he strongly disagreed with the House Republican Budget Committee agenda calling for cuts to Social Security and Medicare. Sanders was responding to recent statements by U.S. Rep. Tom Price (R-Ga.), the incoming House Budget Committee chairman, that he would pursue proposals to cut mandatory spending on programs such as Social Security and Medicare. “At a time when poverty among seniors is increasing, and millions of elderly Americans lack sufficient income to buy the medicine or food they need, it would be a moral outrage for Congress to cut Social Security. In fact, instead of cutting Social Security benefits, we should be expanding them.” Sanders said. Sanders has proposed increasing benefits by lifting the cap on how much of a wage earner’s income is subject to the payroll tax that funds Social Security. Under Sanders’ plan, the wealthiest wage earners who make more than $250,000 a year would pay the same 6.2 percent share of their income into the retirement program as everyone else. The current cap for all beneficiaries is $117,000. “I will also fight the Republican effort to end Medicare as we know it and convert it into a voucher program,” Sanders said. The Ryan budget, which the incoming chairman praised, called for $129 billion in cuts to Medicare as part of $5 trillion in spending cuts over the next decade.	1	2026-03-30T12:14:52Z	2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
https://www.sanders.senate.gov/newsroom/recent-business/the-week-in-review-121914	The Week in Review	2014-12-19	2014	2014-12	Independent	House	VT	Bernard Sanders	S000033	www.sanders.senate.gov	legacy	The Week in Review Friday, December 19, 2014 The Week in Review President Barack Obama on Wednesday announced restoration of diplomatic ties between the United States and Cuba. The move was welcomed by Sen. Bernie Sanders, who had traveled to Cuba in February and met with an American prisoner who was freed as part of Wednesday’s diplomatic breakthrough. Named by Senate leadership to take over in January as ranking member of the Senate Budget Committee, Sanders on Monday said he will use the position to defend and expand Social Security. A New Era in U.S. Cuba Relations A trade embargo enacted 54 years ago amid Cold War tensions remains in place, but the White House plans to act soon on its own to re-establish commercial and diplomatic ties with Cuba. Sanders welcomed “a major step forward.” On the same day the diplomatic opening was announced in Washington and Havana, American government contractor Alan Gross was released from a Cuban prison where he had been held for five years. Sanders visited Cuba last February as part of a congressional delegation that met with Gross. Expand Social Security “At a time when prescription drug prices are skyrocketing and one-third of all seniors depend on Social Security for a least 90 percent of their income, we should not be cutting Social Security, we should be expanding it,” Sanders said in a Senate floor speech. “Despite what you may hear from some politicians or pundits on TV, Social Security is not going broke. In fact the program has a $2.76 trillion surplus and has paid out every nickel owed to every eligible beneficiary since its inception.” Watch the Senate floor speech Pension Cuts A provision tucked into a massive bill that the Senate approved last weekend will allow deep cuts in pensions for some current retirees. The provision – tucked into a massive spending bill – was one reason Sanders voted no. Instead of taking money from retirees, Sanders on Thursday suggested that Congress should consider shoring up the funds. “If th…	1	2026-03-30T12:14:52Z	2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
https://welch.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/reps-welch-d-vt-and-king-r-ny-rally-bipartisan-support-boost-funding-low	Reps. Welch (D-VT) and King (R-NY) Rally Bipartisan Support to Boost Funding For Low Income Heating Assistance Funds	2014-12-18	2014	2014-12	Democrat	House	VT	Peter Welch	W000800	welch.house.gov	legacy	Today, Representatives Peter Welch (D-VT) and Peter King (R-NY) sent a letter to President Obama calling for a $1.3 billion increase in funding for the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) in his fiscal year 2016 budget. The letter was signed by a bipartisan coalition of 124 House members. LIHEAP is the main federal program that helps low-income households and seniors with their energy bills, providing vital assistance during both the cold winter and hot summer months. LIHEAP households are among the most vulnerable in the country, the letter reads. According to the National Energy Assistance Director's Association (NEADA), more than 90 percent of LIHEAP recipients have at least one household member who is a child, elderly, or disabled, and 20 percent of households contain at least one veteran. For these households, LIHEAP funding has been a lifeline during challenging economic times. Access to affordable home energy is not a luxury it is a matter of health and safety. Since FY 2010, the funding for LIHEAP has declined by 1.7 billion which has reduced the number of households receiving for assistance by nearly 18 percent. Funding for LIHEAP in the recently enacted government funding bill was set at $3.39 billion. This bipartisan coalition is calling for $4.7 billion for the next fiscal year. Click here to view the original letter and all signatures. See the full text of the letter below: President Barack Obama The White House 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW Washington, DC 2050 President Barack Obama The White House 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW Washington, DC 20500 President Barack Obama The White House 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW Washington, DC 20500President Barack Obama The White House 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW Washington, DC 20500 Dear Mr. President, We are writing to request that you prioritize the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) in your Fiscal Year (FY) 2016 budget proposal by including no less than $4.7 billion for this program that provides critical support to o…	1	2026-03-30T12:14:52Z	2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
https://www.sanders.senate.gov/newsroom/newswatch/121814	News December 18	2014-12-18	2014	2014-12	Independent	House	VT	Bernard Sanders	S000033	www.sanders.senate.gov	legacy	News December 18 Thursday, December 18, 2014 Senator Sanders Major Step Forward for Cuba Relations Sen. Bernie Sanders on Wednesday welcomed news that the United States will open talks with Cuba aimed at restoring full diplomatic relations and that Cuba released Alan Gross, an American who Sanders visited in a Havana jail last February, The Christian Science Monitor, The Wall Street Journal, MarketWatch, Politico, Burlington Free Press, Seven Days, WVNY-TV, WFFF-TV and WPTZ-TV reported. Sanders lauded the move as “a major step forward in ending the 55-year Cold War with Cuba.” LINK, LINK, LINK, LINK, LINK, LINK, LINK, LINK, VIDEO U.S. Agriculture Eyes Cuba Several agriculture groups said they like what they’ve heard so far from the Obama administration about changes that could open limited Cuban markets. Sen. Heidi Heitkamp saw opportunity for farmers. She and Sens. Sanders and Jon Tester met with Cuban officials in February to discuss the possibility of expanding trade with the United States, Congressional Quarterly reported. LINK Budget Committee Sen. Michael Enzi will be the chairman of the Senate Budget Committee in the next Congress. The Wyoming Republican will get the job over current ranking member Jeff Session. The ranking member of the Democratic caucus on the panel will be Sen. Sanders, Reuters reported. “I look forward to working with Sen. Enzi on the Budget Committee to put together a budget which reflects the needs of the working families of our country, and not just powerful special interests,” Sanders said in Congressional Quarterly. Sanders said his top priority as ranking member of the Senate Budget Committee will be resisting cuts to Social Security in the newly Republican-controlled chamber, the Clinton (Iowa) Herald reported on Wednesday. LINK, LINK, LINK FairPoint Strike Vermont’s congressional delegation called this week for FairPoint Communications to negotiate an end to a two-month strike by about 1,700 New England workers after a rash of Interne…	1	2026-03-30T12:14:52Z	2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
https://www.sanders.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/sanders-deeply-disappointed-in-fairpoint	Sanders Deeply Disappointed in FairPoint	2014-12-18	2014	2014-12	Independent	House	VT	Bernard Sanders	S000033	www.sanders.senate.gov	legacy	BURLINGTON, Vt., Dec. 18 – U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) issued the following statement today after FairPoint Communications CEO Paul Sunu snubbed a request from the Vermont congressional delegation for the North Carolina company to negotiate an end to a two-month strike by about 1,700 New England workers: “I am deeply disappointed, but not surprised, with the response from Mr. Sunu. His letter confirms what I have long suspected. FairPoint wants to slash wages and benefits for Vermont workers and it refuses to negotiate in good faith. In essence his letter says FairPoint’s bargaining posture is ‘take it or leave it, we want it our way, and we’re not going to make any compromises.’ “Mr. Sunu fails to mention that the unions already have offered more than $200 million in concessions, nor does he describe just how deep FairPoint’s proposed cuts are. I think most Vermonters would be very surprised to know that FairPoint’s opening positon on new employee wages was below Vermont’s minimum wage. “Mr. Sunu also does not seem aware just how bad FairPoint service has become. Frankly, the people of Vermont are becoming sick and tired of poor customer service that is getting worse by the day. “It is time for FairPoint to put its customers’ safety and its workers wellbeing ahead of the interests of the multi-billion dollar Wall Street hedge funds that stand to profit from a sale of the company. It is time for FairPoint to negotiate a contract that respects the contributions of its experienced and dedicated workforce.”	1	2026-03-30T12:14:52Z	2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
https://www.sanders.senate.gov/newsroom/recent-business/retirement-security	Retirement Security?	2014-12-18	2014	2014-12	Independent	House	VT	Bernard Sanders	S000033	www.sanders.senate.gov	legacy	Retirement Security? Thursday, December 18, 2014 A little-noticed provision in a massive bill that the Senate approved last weekend will allow deep cuts in pensions for some current retirees. The provision would upend 40 years of federal law protecting the pensions for millions of retired workers who earned benefits over decades of loyal work. Former truck drivers, construction workers and supermarket checkout clerks are examples of the retirees whose pensions could be cut by as much as 50 percent in some cases. “I’ve talked to some of the union leaders on this and they’re outraged,” Sanders said Thursday in an interview with radio host Ed Schultz. “I will do everything I can to help find money so that workers don’t see cuts in their pensions.” Watch Sanders on The Ed Show Listen to the podcast	1	2026-03-30T12:14:52Z	2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
http://www.leahy.senate.gov/press/multimedia/full-news-conference-leahy-leads-group-to-bring-back-alan-gross-	Full News Conference: Leahy Leads Group To Bring Back Alan Gross	2014-12-17	2014	2014-12	Democrat	House	VT	Patrick Leahy	L000174	www.leahy.senate.gov	legacy	WASHINGTON (WEDNESDAY, Dec. 17, 2014) - Senator Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) Wednesday was joined by Senator Jeff Flake (R-Ariz.), Representative Chirs Van Hollen (D-Md.), Judy Gross and others for an early morning trip to Havana, Cuba to bring Alan Gross home. Leahy (D-Vt., president pro tempore of the Senate, and chairman of the State Department and Foreign Operations Appropriations Subcommittee) has long sought the release of Alan Gross and has visited him twice in the prison where he has been held for five years. Leahy also has led in efforts over the years for fundamental changes in U.S. policy toward Cuba, including pushing for an end to the law that prevents most Americans from visiting Cuba.	1	2026-03-30T12:14:52Z	2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
http://www.leahy.senate.gov/press/photos/the-release-of-alan-gross-and-transforming-us-policy-toward-cuba	The Release Of Alan Gross And Transforming U.S. Policy Toward Cuba	2014-12-17	2014	2014-12	Democrat	House	VT	Patrick Leahy	L000174	www.leahy.senate.gov	legacy	12.17.14 The Release Of Alan Gross And Transforming U.S. Policy Toward Cuba Sen. Patrick Leahy (D-Vt., president pro tempore of the Senate, and chairman of the State Department and Foreign Operations Appropriations Subcommittee) has long sought the release of Alan Gross and has visited him twice in the prison where he has been held for five years. Leahy also has led in efforts over the years for fundamental changes in U.S. policy toward Cuba, including pushing for an end to the law that prevents most Americans from visiting Cuba. Leahy Wednesday morning went to Cuba with Sen. Jeff Flake (R-Ariz.), Rep. Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), Judy Gross, and others, to bring Alan Gross home.	1	2026-03-30T12:14:52Z	2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
https://web.archive.org/web/20141227201938/http://www.leahy.senate.gov/press/multimedia/senator-patrick-leahy-d-vt-leads-group-to-cuba-to-bring-back-alan-gross-	Senator Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) Leads Group To Cuba To Bring Back Alan Gross	2014-12-17	2014	2014-12	Democrat	House	VT	Patrick Leahy	L000174	web.archive.org	legacy	Multimedia WASHINGTON (WEDNESDAY, Dec. 17, 2014) - Senator Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) Wednesday was joined by Senator Jeff Flake (R-Ariz.), Representative Chirs Van Hollen (D-Md.), Judy Gross and others for an early morning trip to Havana, Cuba to bring Alan Gross home. Leahy (D-Vt., president pro tempore of the Senate, and chairman of the State Department and Foreign Operations Appropriations Subcommittee) has long sought the release of Alan Gross and has visited him twice in the prison where he has been held for five years. Leahy also has led in efforts over the years for fundamental changes in U.S. policy toward Cuba, including pushing for an end to the law that prevents most Americans from visiting Cuba. Video Audio Photos	1	2026-03-30T12:14:52Z	2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
https://welch.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/welch-statement-release-alan-gross-and-breakthrough-us-cuban-relations	Welch Statement on Release of Alan Gross and Breakthrough in US-Cuban Relations	2014-12-17	2014	2014-12	Democrat	House	VT	Peter Welch	W000800	welch.house.gov	legacy	Rep. Peter Welch made the following statement after the Cuban government released USAID contractor Alan Gross and President Obama announced an historic breakthrough in U.S.-Cuban relations: This is great news for Alan Gross who is back home with his family during this special holiday season. But it is also great news for the American and Cuban people. With this announcement, both governments are mothballing the antiquated Cold War-like foreign policy that has characterized our bilateral relationship for decades in favor ofa new era of openness and cooperation. I applaud President Obama for his bold leadership. And I am especially proud of the quiet and persistent leadership of Senator Patrick Leahy who has been instrumental throughout the delicate discussions that led to the release of Mr. Gross and to this historic foreign policy breakthrough. #####	1	2026-03-30T12:14:52Z	2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
https://www.leahy.senate.gov/press/-reaction-of-senator-patrick-leahy-to-the-release-of-alan-gross-and-transforming-us-policy-toward-cuba	Reaction Of Senator Patrick Leahy To The Release Of Alan Gross And Transforming U.S. Policy Toward Cuba	2014-12-17	2014	2014-12	Democrat	House	VT	Patrick Leahy	L000174	www.leahy.senate.gov	legacy	12.17.14 Reaction Of Senator Patrick Leahy To The Release Of Alan Gross And Transforming U.S. Policy Toward Cuba [Sen. Patrick Leahy (D-Vt., president pro tempore of the Senate, and chairman of the State Department and Foreign Operations Appropriations Subcommittee) has long sought the release of Alan Gross and has visited him twice in the prison where he has been held for five years. Leahy also has led in efforts over the years for fundamental changes in U.S. policy toward Cuba, including pushing for an end to the law that prevents most Americans from visiting Cuba. Leahy Wednesday morning went to Cuba with Sen. Jeff Flake (R-Ariz.), Rep. Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), Judy Gross, and others, to bring Alan Gross home.] Today President Obama and President Raul Castro made history. After 54 years of animosity rooted in the Cold War, they have finally put our two countries on a new path. I congratulate them both. President Obama has done the right thing, and the courageous thing, in gaining the release of Alan Gross after five long years in a Cuban jail. Alan Gross was acting on behalf of the U.S. government when he was arrested, and our government his government had a responsibility to bring him home. By taking further steps to change a policy that is a relic of the Cold War, that has achieved none of its goals, and that has isolated the United States, the President has wisely charted a new course that serves our national interests in this hemisphere and the world. Our policies, frozen in time, have disserved the nation and have failed utterly and abysmally in achieving their original goals. I worked steadily for two years to help obtain the release of Alan Gross. I visited him twice in Cuba. Tim Rieser of my staff met with him two other times and spoke with him by phone weekly over a period of many months. From discussions with Judy Gross, I know the pain and heartache and worry that Alan's imprisonment has meant for her and for their two daughters. I met twice with President Raul Castro, with Foreig…	1	2026-03-30T12:14:52Z	2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
https://www.leahy.senate.gov/press/chairman-senate-judiciary-committee-on-western-district-court-of-pennsylvania-decision-on-the-presidents-executive-action-	Chairman, Senate Judiciary Committee, On Western District Court of Pennsylvania Decision on the Presidents Executive Action	2014-12-17	2014	2014-12	Democrat	House	VT	Patrick Leahy	L000174	www.leahy.senate.gov	legacy	12.17.14 Chairman, Senate Judiciary Committee, On Western District Court of Pennsylvania Decision on the President's Executive Action [Senator Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) issued the following comment Tuesday on a district court decision on President Obama's executive action to address the nation's broken immigration system. As chairman of the Judiciary Committee, Senator Leahy steered the bipartisan Border Security, Economic Opportunity, and Immigration Modernization Act through the Senate last year.] In a very unusual step, a federal judge considering a criminal sentencing issue reached out, unprompted, to weigh in on the constitutionality of the President's executive action on civil immigration matters. No party in the case raised such a challenge nor were there briefings or arguments on that issue. I strongly disagree with the court's reasoning but the process is also suspect. It is difficult to see this opinion as anything more than politically motivated judicial activism, given that the constitutionality of the President's actions was not being challenged in this case. It is important to make clear that the President's policy, which I strongly support, still stands. This is just the first of many court opinions that will be issued related to the President's executive action on immigration. I understand that members of the House of Representatives recently joined an amicus brief in another case. I wish they would put that energy into passing the bipartisan comprehensive immigration reform bill the Senate sent them more than a year and a half ago. # # # # # Press Contact Press Contact David Carle: 202-224-3693 Next Article Previous Article	1	2026-03-30T12:14:52Z	2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
https://www.leahy.senate.gov/press/delegation-calls-on-fairpoint-to-negotiate	Delegation Calls on FairPoint to Negotiate	2014-12-17	2014	2014-12	Democrat	House	VT	Patrick Leahy	L000174	www.leahy.senate.gov	legacy	12.17.14 Delegation Calls on FairPoint to Negotiate WASHINGTON, Dec. 16 Vermont's congressional delegation today sent a letter to FairPoint Communications urging the company to negotiate an end to its ongoing labor strike. We are extremely disappointed that FairPoint management has not come back to the bargaining table with any meaningful concessions to end this strike, wrote Sens. Bernie Sanders, Patrick Leahy and Rep. Peter Welch in their joint letter. It is becoming increasingly clear to Vermonters that management is more concerned with the interests of corporate owners of FairPoint than negotiating a reasonable agreement that is fair to your workers and customers. Since the strike began, Vermont's Department of Public Service has received more than 600 complaints from FairPoint's customers. A recent equipment failure caused a roughly six-hour outage of Vermont's 9-1-1 system, resulting in nearly 100 missed calls from Vermonters trying to reach emergency dispatchers. It is imperative that FairPoint returns to the bargaining table as soon as possible, negotiates in good faith, and allows its experienced and dedicated employees to get back to work. We are prepared to do whatever we can to help FairPoint's workers and management reach a compromise in these very difficult times, wrote the delegation. It has been 136 days since FairPoint's labor contract expired and 61 days since the beginning of the strike. More than 1,700 members of the Communications Workers of America and International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers are on strike against FairPoint in Vermont, New Hampshire and Maine. Read the letter here. Contacts:David Carle (Leahy): 202-224-3693 Michael Briggs (Sanders): 202-224-5141 Ryan Nickel (Welch): 202-225-4115 Press Contact Press Contact David Carle: 202-224-3693 Next Article Previous Article	1	2026-03-30T12:14:52Z	2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
https://www.leahy.senate.gov/press/photos-senator-patrick-leahy-d-vt-leads-group-to-cuba-to-bring-back-alan-gross	PHOTOS: Senator Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) Leads Group To Cuba To Bring Back Alan Gross	2014-12-17	2014	2014-12	Democrat	House	VT	Patrick Leahy	L000174	www.leahy.senate.gov	legacy	12.17.14 PHOTOS: Senator Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) Leads Group To Cuba To Bring Back Alan Gross WASHINGTON (WEDNESDAY, Dec. 17, 2014) - Senator Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) Wednesday was joined by Senator Jeff Flake (R-Ariz.), Representative Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), Judy Gross and others for an early morning trip to Havana, Cuba to bring Alan Gross home. Leahy (D-Vt., president pro tempore of the Senate, and chairman of the State Department and Foreign Operations Appropriations Subcommittee) has long sought the release of Alan Gross and has visited him twice in the prison where he has been held for five years. Leahy also has led in efforts over the years for fundamental changes in U.S. policy toward Cuba, including pushing for an end to the law that prevents most Americans from visiting Cuba. PHOTOS include photos taken by Leahy (and others, in the case in which Leahy is pictured) from this morning's trip to Cuba and are available for immediate use. http://www.leahy.senate.gov/press/photos/the-release-of-alan-gross-and-transforming-us-policy-toward-cuba Leahy's full statement is available here. # # # # # Press Contact David Carle: 202-224-3693 Press Contact Press Contact David Carle: 202-224-3693 Next Article Previous Article	1	2026-03-30T12:14:52Z	2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
https://www.leahy.senate.gov/press/senator-patrick-leahys-comment-on-the-vermont-congressional-delegations-letter-to-fairpoint-ceo-paul-sunu	Senator Patrick Leahys Comment On The Vermont Congressional Delegations Letter To FairPoint CEO Paul Sunu	2014-12-17	2014	2014-12	Democrat	House	VT	Patrick Leahy	L000174	www.leahy.senate.gov	legacy	12.17.14 Senator Patrick Leahy's Comment On The Vermont Congressional Delegation's Letter To FairPoint CEO Paul Sunu On Tuesday Vermont Congressional Delegation Sen. Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.), Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), and Rep. Peter Welch (D-Vt.) -- wrote to CEO of FairPoint Paul Sunu urging the company to return to the bargaining table to bring an end to the ongoing strike. Phone and internet outages during the strike have caused a spike in customer complaints to the Vermont Public Service Board. Earlier this fall Leahy called on both the company and its workers to return to the table to negotiate in good faith. Leahy, who continues to believe that a lengthy impasse offers no benefit to Vermont customers, FairPoint workers or the company, on Tuesday said: Vermonters are increasingly frustrated by the ongoing standoff at FairPoint. From the start it has been clear that the way to resolve this impasse is for all sides to return to the table to negotiate a new contract. The rising number of service issues since this began only serve to heighten the stakes and the need to return to the table. I renew my call for the company and the unions to meet face to face to work toward ensuring the resumption of the level of service that Vermonters expect and deserve. [The text of the Vermont Congressional Delegation's letter is below:] December 16, 2014 Paul H. Sunu Chief Executive Officer FairPoint Communications 521 E Morehead Street, Suite 500 Charlotte, NC 28202 Dear Mr. Sunu: It has now been 61 days since the beginning of the FairPoint strike and 136 days since FairPoint's labor contract expired. We are extremely disappointed that FairPoint management has not come back to the bargaining table with any meaningful concessions to end this strike.It is becoming increasingly clear to Vermonters that management is more concerned with the interests of corporate owners of FairPoint than negotiating a reasonable agreement that is fair to your workers and customers. It is imperative that FairPoint returns t…	1	2026-03-30T12:14:52Z	2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
https://www.sanders.senate.gov/newsroom/newswatch/121714	News December 17	2014-12-17	2014	2014-12	Independent	House	VT	Bernard Sanders	S000033	www.sanders.senate.gov	legacy	News December 17 Wednesday, December 17, 2014 Senator Sanders FairPoint Strike Vermont’s congressional delegation called Tuesday for FairPoint Communications to negotiate an end to a two-month strike by about 1,700 New England workers after a rash of Internet and phone outages on the network of the state’s dominant carrier. Sens. Patrick Leahy and Bernie Sanders and Rep. Peter Welch sent a letter to FairPoint CEO Paul Sunu saying failure to reach a fair agreement with workers is affecting customers and the services the company is required to provide, according to an Associated Press report published in Tuesday’s Burlington Free Press, Times-Argus and Rutland Herald. LINK, LINK Sanders: Save Social Security Democrats are elevating Sen. Sanders to a Budget Committee post he plans to use to protect Social Security, WCAX-TV reported. In Iowa weighing a 2016 presidential candidacy, Sanders told reporters after speaking to more than 200 people in Ames that his top priority as ranking member of the Senate Budget Committee will be resisting cuts to Social Security in the newly Republican-controlled chamber, The Associated Press reported in the Muscatine Journal and elsewhere. LINK, LINK Tax Breaks for Corporations Approved Before adjourning for the year, the Senate on Tuesday night voted to extend a raft of temporary tax breaks through the rest of 2014. The vote was 76-16 to clear the bill that now goes to President Barack Obama, who is expected to sign it. The final vote on the $41.6 billion package was very bipartisan. Sen. Ron Wyden, the outgoing chairman of the Senate Finance Committee, voted against the package. Sen. Sanders was among eight senators, according to Congressional Quarterly, who didn’t vote. LINK Holiday Dinner Sen. Sanders will host a free holiday dinner for seniors on Saturday at the Brattleboro Senior Center, the Brattleboro Reformer noted. World Pakistan Massacre Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif of Pakistan lifted a moratorium on the death penalty Wednesday a…	1	2026-03-30T12:14:52Z	2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
https://www.sanders.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/sanders-statement-on-cuba-announcements	Sanders Statement on Cuba Announcements	2014-12-17	2014	2014-12	Independent	House	VT	Bernard Sanders	S000033	www.sanders.senate.gov	legacy	BURLINGTON, Vt., Dec. 17 – Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) issued the following statement after it was announced that the United States will open talks with Cuba aimed at restoring full diplomatic relations and that Alan Gross, a U.S. citizen being held in Cuba has been released. "I applaud the president for beginning discussions to establish full diplomatic relations with Cuba, just like most of the rest of the world. This is a major step forward in ending the 55-year Cold War with Cuba. Normal diplomatic relations would mean not only that Americans have the opportunity to visit Cuba, but businesses in Vermont and elsewhere can sell products there. "When I visited Cuba last February I had the opportunity to meet Alan Gross, who was released today after being held for more than five years in prison. I am very glad he was finally released and will soon be reunited with his family."	1	2026-03-30T12:14:52Z	2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
https://www.sanders.senate.gov/newsroom/recent-business/sanders-applauds-developments-in-us-cuba-relations	Sanders Applauds Developments in U.S.-Cuba Relations	2014-12-17	2014	2014-12	Independent	House	VT	Bernard Sanders	S000033	www.sanders.senate.gov	legacy	Sanders Applauds Developments in U.S.-Cuba Relations Wednesday, December 17, 2014 Sen. Bernie Sanders applauded the president following news that the United States will open talks with Cuba aimed at restoring full diplomatic relations and that Alan Gross, a U.S. citizen being held in Cuba has been released. "This is a major step forward in ending the 55-year Cold War with Cuba. Normal diplomatic relations would mean not only that Americans have the opportunity to visit Cuba, but businesses in Vermont and elsewhere can sell products there,” said Sanders. "When I visited Cuba last year I had the opportunity to meet Alan Gross, who was released today after being held for more than five years in prison. I am very glad he was finally released and will soon be reunited with his family."	1	2026-03-30T12:14:52Z	2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
https://www.sanders.senate.gov/vermont/solar-plan-offers-barre-1-million-savings	Solar plan offers Barre $1 million savings	2014-12-17	2014	2014-12	Independent	House	VT	Bernard Sanders	S000033	www.sanders.senate.gov	legacy	Solar plan offers Barre $1 million savings By: David Delcore Times Argus Wednesday, December 17, 2014 BARRE — City councilors spent a portion of Tuesday night’s snowstorm listening to how a little sunshine could save the city nearly $1 million in electrical costs over the next 20 years. Plans to construct two 500-kilowatt solar energy facilities on separate parcels of privately owned property have reached the point where Novus Energy Development — a Montpelier company that develops community-scale net-metered solar projects — needs a nod from the council to proceed. The company didn’t get that Tuesday night, largely because Mayor Thomas Lauzon urged councilors to take a week to consider an offer he believes is too good to pass up but isn’t completely risk-free. It is possible, though not likely, Lauzon said, that utility costs could drop over the next 20 years — eroding or erasing the projected savings to the city, which would be receiving credit for power generated by the solar projects. “I haven’t found a report yet that would indicate energy prices are actually going to decrease,” Lauzon said, inviting councilors to do their own due diligence before meeting next week to vote on a solar service agreement with Novus Energy. That agreement is the product of a process started when Lauzon contacted Novus Energy principals Louis and Alex Bravakis eight months ago. Both men attended Tuesday’s meeting to update the council on the proposal, which has come into much sharper focus since they made a conceptual presentation in July. For starters, councilors were told Novus Energy has signed leases for two chosen sites — one near the top of the former Skyline Ski Center off Railroad Street and the other behind the Booth Brothers Dairy processing plant on Allen Street in Barre Town. They were also told the company has lined up an investor interested in financing and owning the solar projects that Novus Energy would design, obtain permits for and see thr…	1	2026-03-30T12:14:52Z	2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
https://www.sanders.senate.gov/vermont/vermonters-on-the-economy-there-is-not-a-level-playing-field-for-opportunity	Vermonters on the Economy: 'There Is Not A Level Playing Field.'	2014-12-17	2014	2014-12	Independent	House	VT	Bernard Sanders	S000033	www.sanders.senate.gov	legacy	Vermonters on the Economy: 'There Is Not A Level Playing Field.' Wednesday, December 17, 2014 Vermont’s jobless rate is one of the lowest in the United States. But thousands of Vermonters continue to struggle to find good-paying jobs. Many Vermonters who do have jobs don’t feel they are earning enough money to give their families the lives they were hoping for. Many of Vermont’s college graduates feel they can’t pursue their “dream jobs” because they have tens of thousands of student loans that must be repaid. Meanwhile, other Vermonters shared that they have serious doubts about whether there is a “level playing field for opportunity.” “I find the economy is very hard to live in today,” said Rachael Trill, 29, of Colchester, Vermont. “I live in a two-parent household. We have a young daughter and we both work -- and we still can’t manage to get by financially.” Trill said she would like to go back to school, but doesn’t want to take out thousands of dollars in loans to do it. “I can’t work, and go to school, and take care of her -- and afford to do all that at once,” she said, describing the challenges of affording day care, covering household expenses and finding money to pay for tuition. Thomas Smith, 56, of Burlington, Vermont is concerned many people in Vermont and throughout the United States won’t have enough money saved for retirement, a situation that will cause major difficulties in the decades ahead. Overall, he said, “I think one of my main concerns, in terms of economic policy in this country, is that there is not a level playing field for opportunity.” ‘PEOPLE CAN’T LIVE THEIR DREAM’ Marc Brunco, 23, senior at Lyndon State College, said student debt weighs on his personal finances and his future plans. He is not sure exactly how much debt he has – but estimates it is “around the $40,000 to $45,000 mark.” “I just try not to think about it,” he said. Seven in 10 seniors who graduated from public and nonprofit colleges in last year had student loan d…	1	2026-03-30T12:14:52Z	2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
https://welch.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/leahy-welch-greater-protection-starts-vermonts-fruit-vegetable-and-other	Leahy, Welch: Greater Protection Starts For Vermont's Fruit, Vegetable And Other Specialty Crop Growers	2014-12-16	2014	2014-12	Democrat	House	VT	Peter Welch	W000800	welch.house.gov	legacy	. . . USDA Rolls Out New Farm Bill Program Upgrade Championed By Leahy And Welch Helping Farmers Who Have Traditionally Been Ineligible For Federal Crop Insurance Sen. Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) and Rep. Peter Welch (D-Vt.) say greater protections are now available for farmers who grow specialty crops such as fruits, vegetables, maple syrup, floriculture, ornamental nursery, mushrooms, honey and energy crops. In the past, farmers of these crops have traditionally been ineligible for federal crop insurance, but under new provisions in the Noninsured Crop Disaster Assistance Program (NAP), authored by Leahy and Welch as part of the 2014 Farm Bill, new risk management tools are now available for these fruit and vegetable growers. In a joint statement, Leahy and Welch said: The devastation to crops from Tropical Storm Irene,underscored how important it was that Vermont farmers have financial protection. We fought hard to include language in the Farm Bill that would help ensure that Vermont farm families will be better able to withstand financial losses caused by natural disasters. These Vermont farmers finally will have similar tools to those that long have been offered to traditional commodity crop farmers. This is a boost for their financial security, and for their peace of mind. Before the Leahy-Welch 2014 Farm Bill provisions, specialty crop farmers did not have access to traditional crop insurance programs and could only purchase catastrophic' protection that kicked in only if more than half of a farmer's crops had been destroyed, and then paid only 55 percent of the value of what was lost. This was catastrophic coverage that might help buy seed for the next year but did little to make up a farmer's lost income. Under the new NAP Buy-Up provision, farmers can now choose higher levels of coverage, up to 65 percent of their expected production at 100 percent of the average market price. Thanks to the Leahy-Welch amendments, this new Buy-Up opportunity will be particularly helpful to beginning and traditionally underser…	1	2026-03-30T12:14:52Z	2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
https://www.leahy.senate.gov/press/leahy-urges-senate-to-approve-nominee-to-lead-key-immigration-office	Leahy Urges Senate To Approve Nominee To Lead Key Immigration Office	2014-12-16	2014	2014-12	Democrat	House	VT	Patrick Leahy	L000174	www.leahy.senate.gov	legacy	12.16.14 Leahy Urges Senate To Approve Nominee To Lead Key Immigration Office If Senators want our immigration laws enforced, they should focus on filling this key leadership position. WASHINGTON (Tuesday, December 16, 2014) Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) on Tuesday urged Senators to confirm Sarah Saldaa to be Assistant Secretary of Homeland Security, where she will lead the office of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). The office is critical to border enforcement, and has been without a Senate-confirmed leader since last year. Leahy, who steered the Border Security, Economic Opportunity, and Immigration Modernization Act through the Senate last year, said that Senate Republicans who say they want more border security should support Saldaa's confirmation. Some want to use Ms. Saldaa's nomination as an opportunity to attack President Obama's executive action on immigration. But that is not the issue we are considering today, Leahy said. There is no evidence that she was involved in either the House's refusal to allow a vote on the Senate-passed comprehensive immigration reform bill or the President's decision to take what steps he could in the wake of the House's refusal to act. The vote before us concerns Ms. Saldaa's qualifications to lead ICE, and she has proved that she is more than capable of executing the duties of the position. Leahy added: If Senators want our immigration laws enforced, they should focus on filling this key leadership position. Earlier this month, the Judiciary Committee approved Saldana's nomination on a 10-8 vote. Her nomination was also considered and approved last month by the Senate Homeland Security and Government Affairs Committee, where she earned strong bipartisan support. Saldaa currently serves as the U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas, a position to which she was unanimously confirmed by the Senate in 2011. # # # # # …	1	2026-03-30T12:14:52Z	2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
https://www.leahy.senate.gov/press/leahy-welch-greater-protection-starts-for-vermonts-fruit-vegetable-and-other-specialty-crop-growers	Leahy, Welch: Greater Protection Starts For Vermonts Fruit, Vegetable And Other Specialty Crop Growers	2014-12-16	2014	2014-12	Democrat	House	VT	Patrick Leahy	L000174	www.leahy.senate.gov	legacy	12.16.14 Leahy, Welch: Greater Protection Starts For Vermont's Fruit, Vegetable And Other Specialty Crop Growers . . . USDA Rolls Out New Farm Bill Program Upgrade Championed By Leahy And Welch Helping Farmers Who Have Traditionally Been Ineligible For Federal Crop Insurance (TUESDAY, Dec. 16, 2014) Sen. Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) and Rep. Peter Welch (D-Vt.) say greater protections are now available for farmers who grow specialty crops such as fruits, vegetables, maple syrup, floriculture, ornamental nursery, mushrooms, honey and energy crops. In the past, farmers of these crops have traditionally been ineligible for federal crop insurance, but under new provisions in the Noninsured Crop Disaster Assistance Program (NAP), authored by Leahy and Welch as part of the 2014 Farm Bill, new risk management tools are now available for these fruit and vegetable growers. In a joint statement, Leahy and Welch said: The devastation to crops from Tropical Storm Irene,underscored how important it was that Vermont farmers have financial protection. We fought hard to include language in the Farm Bill that would help ensure that Vermont farm families will be better able to withstand financial losses caused by natural disasters. These Vermont farmers finally will have similar tools to those that long have been offered to traditional commodity crop farmers. This is a boost for their financial security, and for their peace of mind. Before the Leahy-Welch 2014 Farm Bill provisions, specialty crop farmers did not have access to traditional crop insurance programs and could only purchase catastrophic' protection that kicked in only if more than half of a farmer's crops had been destroyed, and then paid only 55 percent of the value of what was lost. This was catastrophic coverage that might help buy seed for the next year but did little to make up a farmer's lost income. Under the new NAP Buy-Up provision, farmers can now choose higher l…	1	2026-03-30T12:14:52Z	2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
https://www.sanders.senate.gov/newsroom/newswatch/121614	News December 16	2014-12-16	2014	2014-12	Independent	House	VT	Bernard Sanders	S000033	www.sanders.senate.gov	legacy	News December 16 Tuesday, December 16, 2014 Senator Sanders Sanders: Expand Social Security Sen. Bernie Sanders, who is moving to a new post as top minority member of the Senate Budget Committee, said on Monday that he'll use the position to defend Social Security, which he calls "the most successful government program in history." The Associated Press and WPTZ-TV reported. Sanders said questions about Social Security's long-term solvency are misplaced. The program has a $2.76 trillion surplus and has paid out promised benefits consistently since it was founded nearly 80 years ago, he said in a Senate speech featured on C-SPAN. LINK, VIDEO, VIDEO Budget Committee Senate Republican leaders on Monday announced their conference's new committee assignments for the next Congress. The only race for committee leadership still undecided is for the Senate Budget Committee. Sen. Sanders was selected late last week to become the Budget panel’s ranking member next year, The Hill reported. LINK David Koch is ‘Fascinating’ Barbara Walters of ABC News interviewed conservative donor David Koch as one of her "most fascinating people of 2014." She called him a hero to the right and villain to the left and showed a snippet of a speech by Sen. Sanders. “I don't know if the Koch brothers are nice guys or not nice guys. That's not the issue.” Sanders has criticized the billionaire's efforts to buy elections, according to Newsbusters. LINK Treasury Nominee Republican Sen. Chuck Grassley is joining a growing number of Senate Democrats and Sen. Sanders in expressing concerns about the president's nomination of Antonio Weiss, a Wall Street insider and investment banker, for a top position at the Treasury Department, Business Insider reported. LINK Tar Sands Pipeline Environmental activists are hoping low oil prices will push President Barack Obama to reject the Keystone XL pipeline, Politico reported. Sen. Sanders, a strong opponent of the pipeline, noted the "abundance of oil on the market…	1	2026-03-30T12:14:52Z	2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
https://www.sanders.senate.gov/newsroom/newswatch/1216142	News December 16	2014-12-16	2014	2014-12	Independent	House	VT	Bernard Sanders	S000033	www.sanders.senate.gov	legacy	News December 16 Tuesday, December 16, 2014 Senator Sanders Sanders Vows to Protect Social Security Sen. Bernie Sanders was in Iowa Tuesday, telling a mostly Democratic audience he will use his position as the No. 2 on the budget committee to resist cuts to Social Security in the new Republican-controlled Senate, The Associated Press reported. After an hour-long talk with 200 Democratic activists, Sanders told reporters his priority on the committee is to draft a budget that "works for the middle class and working class of this country." LINK Split Up Big Banks A controversial spending bill passed by Congress opens the door for future taxpayer bailouts of big banks by loosening regulations intended to clamp down on Wall Street gambling, Raw Story reported. Sen. Sanders plans a legislative push to split up major financial institutions. “If Congress cannot regulate Wall Street, there is just one alternative,” said Sanders. “It is time to break these too-big-to-fail banks up so that they can never again destroy the jobs, homes, and life savings of the American people.” LINK World Taliban Massacre Taliban gunmen stormed a military-run school in the northwestern Pakistani city of Peshawar on Tuesday, killing at least 141 people, mostly children, before Pakistani officials declared a military operation to clear the school over, The Associated Press reported. LINK Russia President Barack Obama will sign a package of Russia sanctions despite having concerns about the impact of the legislation, the White House said Tuesday according to The Wall Street Journal. The bill was passed by Congress last week and adds additional sanctions to Russian weapons companies and energy interests. It also provides additional military aid to the Ukrainian government, which has been involved in a low-grade military conflict with its neighbor. LINK National Jeb Bush to Explore Run for President President Jeb Bush will “actively explore the possibility of running for president” in 2016, accord…	1	2026-03-30T12:14:52Z	2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
https://www.sanders.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/delegation-calls-on-fairpoint-to-negotiate	Delegation Calls on FairPoint to Negotiate	2014-12-16	2014	2014-12	Independent	House	VT	Bernard Sanders	S000033	www.sanders.senate.gov	legacy	Delegation Calls on FairPoint to Negotiate Tuesday, December 16, 2014 WASHINGTON, Dec. 16 – Vermont’s congressional delegation today sent a letter to FairPoint Communications urging the company to negotiate an end to its ongoing labor strike. “We are extremely disappointed that FairPoint management has not come back to the bargaining table with any meaningful concessions to end this strike,” wrote Sens. Bernie Sanders, Patrick Leahy and Rep. Peter Welch in their joint letter. “It is becoming increasingly clear to Vermonters that management is more concerned with the interests of corporate owners of FairPoint than negotiating a reasonable agreement that is fair to your workers and customers.” Since the strike began, Vermont’s Department of Public Service has received more than 600 complaints from FairPoint’s customers. A recent equipment failure caused a roughly six-hour outage of Vermont’s 9-1-1 system, resulting in nearly 100 missed calls from Vermonters trying to reach emergency dispatchers. “It is imperative that FairPoint returns to the bargaining table as soon as possible, negotiates in good faith, and allows its experienced and dedicated employees to get back to work. We are prepared to do whatever we can to help FairPoint’s workers and management reach a compromise in these very difficult times,” wrote the delegation. It has been 136 days since FairPoint’s labor contract expired and 61 days since the beginning of the strike. More than 1,700 members of the Communications Workers of America and International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers are on strike against FairPoint in Vermont, New Hampshire and Maine. Read the letter here.	1	2026-03-30T12:14:52Z	2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
https://www.sanders.senate.gov/newsroom/recent-business/state-of-the-union2	State of the Union	2014-12-16	2014	2014-12	Independent	House	VT	Bernard Sanders	S000033	www.sanders.senate.gov	legacy	State of the Union Tuesday, December 16, 2014 Sen. Bernie Sanders on Monday launched his annual State of the Union essay contest. The contest is designed to engage Vermont’s high school students on the major issues facing the country. The U.S. Constitution calls for the president to “give to the Congress information of the State of the Union, and recommend to their consideration such measures as he shall judge necessary and expedient.” As the president prepares to deliver his State of the Union speech to a joint session of Congress next month, Sanders’ essay contest asks Vermont’s high school students to write an essay of 250 words to 500 words detailing their own view of the state of the union. Sanders annual essay contest, now in its fifth year, is an opportunity for Vermont students to articulate what issues they would prioritize, if they were president. A panel of Vermont teachers will judge the essays. The finalists will have their essays entered into the Congressional Record and join the senator for a roundtable discussion. The winner will also have the opportunity to invite Sanders to their school to hold a student town meeting. “We need our students to be engaged, to help find solutions for the problems that confront us, and to think about the future of our country. That’s what democracy is all about,” said Sanders, who serves on the Senate education committee. Since the contest was first held, more than 1,150 students from schools throughout Vermont have written essays about such important issues as the declining middle class, climate change, health care reform, and the rising cost of a college education. The deadline for student essay submissions is noon on Friday, Jan. 9, 2015. More information can be found on the senator’s webpage at https://www.sanders.senate.gov/stateoftheunion/. Since Sanders’ essay contest began in 2010, winning essays have been written by students from the Vermont Commons School, Winooski High School, Champlain Valley Union High School, an…	1	2026-03-30T12:14:52Z	2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
https://www.sanders.senate.gov/newsroom/newswatch/121514	News December 15	2014-12-15	2014	2014-12	Independent	House	VT	Bernard Sanders	S000033	www.sanders.senate.gov	legacy	News December 15 Monday, December 15, 2014 Senator Sanders Senate Passes $1.1 Trillion Bill The Senate late Saturday night passed a $1.1 trillion spending bill by a 56-40 vote that crisscrossed party lines. Sen. Bernie Sanders said the bill lacks need regulation for big banks and ignores the needs of the middle class, WCAX-TV reported on Sunday. VIDEO Sanders Votes No In a rare split within Vermont's congressional delegation, Sen. Patrick Leahy voted in favor of the bill that Sen. Sanders called "totally crazy." Sanders joined 21 Democrats and 18 Republicans in opposing it. Rep. Peter Welch also voted against the bill when it passed the House Thursday night. Sanders and Welch took issue with two policy riders attached to the spending bill that would roll back regulations governing Wall Street banks and dramatically increase the amount of money donors can give to political parties. In a statement released ahead of Saturday's vote, Sanders also faulted the legislation for failing to invest in infrastructure improvements and environmental programs, Seven Days reported. LINK Party Splits Sen. Sanders and all of the Senate’s other potential presidential candidates from both parties voted against the bill, The Wall Street Journal, Bloomberg Radio News nd Daytona Beach (Florida) News-Journal reported on Monday. “There was commonality among 2016 candidates. They didn't like this bill. Isn't that representative of the Democrats also having a problem with their... Warren wing?” Candy Crowley asked Sen. Chuck Schumer on CNN. “I think that the differences between -- among Democrats are small compared to the huge chasm of Republicans,” Schumer said. LINK, LINK, LINK An American Agenda “We need to put the unemployed back to work, to raise wages and make certain that all Americans have the health care and education they need for healthy and productive lives,” Sen. Sanders wrote in a column published Monday in the Des Moines Register. LINK Bernie’s Bigger Platform Sen. Sanders has long…	1	2026-03-30T12:14:52Z	2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
https://www.sanders.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/sanders-announces-fifth-annual-state-of-the-union-essay-contest	Sanders Announces Fifth Annual State of the Union Essay Contest	2014-12-15	2014	2014-12	Independent	House	VT	Bernard Sanders	S000033	www.sanders.senate.gov	legacy	Sanders Announces Fifth Annual State of the Union Essay Contest Monday, December 15, 2014 WASHINGTON, Dec. 15 – Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) has launched his annual State of the Union essay contest. The contest is designed to engage Vermont’s high school students on the major issues facing the country. The U.S. Constitution calls for the president to “give to the Congress information of the State of the Union, and recommend to their consideration such measures as he shall judge necessary and expedient.” As the president prepares to deliver his State of the Union speech to a joint session of Congress next month, Sanders’ essay contest asks Vermont’s high school students to write an essay of 250 words to 500 words detailing their own view of the state of the union. Sanders annual essay contest, now in its fifth year, is an opportunity for Vermont students to articulate what issues they would prioritize, if they were president. A panel of Vermont teachers will judge the essays. The finalists will have their essays entered into the Congressional Record and join the senator for a roundtable discussion. The winner will also have the opportunity to invite Sanders to their school to hold a student town meeting. “We need our students to be engaged, to help find solutions for the problems that confront us, and to think about the future of our country. That’s what democracy is all about,” said Sanders, who serves on the Senate education committee. Since the contest was first held, more than 1,150 students from schools throughout Vermont have written essays about such important issues as the declining middle class, climate change, health care reform, and the rising cost of a college education. The deadline for student essay submissions is noon on Friday, Jan. 9, 2015. More information can be found on the senator’s webpage at https://www.sanders.senate.gov/stateoftheunion/. Since Sanders’ essay contest began in 2010, winning essays have been written by students from the Vermont Commons …	1	2026-03-30T12:14:52Z	2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
https://www.sanders.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/sanders-to-defend-social-security-on-budget-committee	Sanders to Defend Social Security on Budget Committee	2014-12-15	2014	2014-12	Independent	House	VT	Bernard Sanders	S000033	www.sanders.senate.gov	legacy	Sanders to Defend Social Security on Budget Committee Monday, December 15, 2014 WASHINGTON, Dec. 15 – Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), slated to take over as the ranking member of the Senate Budget Committee, announced today that he will use the position to defend and expand Social Security, “the most successful government program in history.” “At a time when prescription drug prices are skyrocketing and one-third of all seniors depend on Social Security for a least 90 percent of their income, we should not be cutting Social Security, we should be expanding it,” said Sanders. “Despite what you may hear from some politicians or pundits on TV, Social Security is not going broke. In fact the program has a $2.76 trillion surplus and has paid out every nickel owed to every eligible beneficiary since its inception.” Speaking on the Senate floor, Sanders said one of the major threats to Social Security is a proposal promoted by Republican budget negotiators to change how the consumer price index is calculate in a way designed to cut annual cost-of-living adjustments for Social Security benefits. Under the so-called chained CPI, the average senior who retires at age 65 would see their Social Security benefits cut by about $658 a year when they reach 75 and by about $1,100 a year once they turn 85. At the beginning of 2014, the average Social Security benefit for a retired worker was $1,193.92 a month. The change in the formula for calculating inflation also would also substantially cut benefits for nearly 4 million veterans. The largest cuts would impact young, permanently disabled veterans who were seriously wounded in combat. It would also impact more than 350,000 survivors who receive service-connected death benefits. Veterans who started receiving VA disability benefits at age 30 would have their benefits reduced by $1,425 at age 45, $2,341 at age 55 and $3,231 at age 65. Sanders has introduced legislation that would lift the cap on contributions to Social Security in order to secur…	1	2026-03-30T12:14:52Z	2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
https://www.sanders.senate.gov/newsroom/recent-business/expand-social-security	Expand Social Security	2014-12-15	2014	2014-12	Independent	House	VT	Bernard Sanders	S000033	www.sanders.senate.gov	legacy	Expand Social Security Monday, December 15, 2014 Sen. Bernie Sanders, slated to take over as the ranking member of the Senate Budget Committee, announced Monday that he will use the position to defend and expand Social Security, “the most successful government program in history.” “At a time when prescription drug prices are skyrocketing and one-third of all seniors depend on Social Security for a least 90 percent of their income, we should not be cutting Social Security, we should be expanding it,” said Sanders. “Despite what you may hear from some politicians or pundits on TV, Social Security is not going broke. In fact the program has a $2.76 trillion surplus and has paid out every nickel owed to every eligible beneficiary since its inception.” Watch the Senate floor speech Speaking on the Senate floor, Sanders said one of the major threats to Social Security is a proposal promoted by Republican budget negotiators to change how the consumer price index is calculate in a way designed to cut annual cost-of-living adjustments for Social Security benefits. Under the so-called chained CPI, the average senior who retires at age 65 would see their Social Security benefits cut by about $658 a year when they reach 75 and by about $1,100 a year once they turn 85. At the beginning of 2014, the average Social Security benefit for a retired worker was $1,193.92 a month. The change in the formula for calculating inflation also would also substantially cut benefits for nearly 4 million veterans. The largest cuts would impact young, permanently disabled veterans who were seriously wounded in combat. It would also impact more than 350,000 survivors who receive service-connected death benefits. Veterans who started receiving VA disability benefits at age 30 would have their benefits reduced by $1,425 at age 45, $2,341 at age 55 and $3,231 at age 65. Sanders has introduced legislation that would lift the cap on contributions to Social Security in order to secure …	1	2026-03-30T12:14:52Z	2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
https://www.sanders.senate.gov/vermont/senate-proclamation-rebecca-haslam	Senate Proclamation - Rebecca Haslam	2014-12-15	2014	2014-12	Independent	House	VT	Bernard Sanders	S000033	www.sanders.senate.gov	legacy	Senate Proclamation - Rebecca Haslam Monday, December 15, 2014 M. President, I rise today to bring to your attention a remarkable Vermonter, Rebecca Haslam, who is recognized as Vermont’s 2015 Teacher of the Year. The honor is a testament to Rebecca’s hard work and dedication to improved learning and education. Rebecca’s leadership in education has helped foster intellectual and personal growth in countless students. She has earned the respect of the community through her commitment, dedication, and passion to her classroom and her innovative approach to learning. Her dedication to her students is unwavering, “They have such a love of learning and they are joyful when they come to school,” she explains. Moreover, Rebecca provides a comfortable environment for students to learn, fostering social, academic, and emotional development for her students. As an educator, Rebecca sets high expectations and routines in the classroom to ensure the success of all her students. She is diligent in providing academic rigor and a caring environment. Her academic expectations inspire students of all backgrounds and learning abilities. In our state’s biggest city, Burlington, she tackles difficult issues many students have faced. Rebecca pulls on her own childhood experiences to better address the stereotypes and biases she noticed as a child. As a student, she recalls her own classmates were quick to point out she was different, “It was like here’s the norm, and here’s you,” Rebecca shared with a local reporter. As a child, Rebecca was never empowered with the language or the space to talk about her experience as a minority, and she does not want the same for the youth of today. To better address race and culture in the classroom, Rebecca is also the Burlington School District social studies and equity coach. In this role she creates curriculum, teaches side by side with colleagues, and works to promote an inclusive classroom environment in all six elementary schools. Additionally, Reb…	1	2026-03-30T12:14:52Z	2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
https://www.sanders.senate.gov/newsroom/must-read/is-it-bad-enough-yet	Is It Bad Enough Yet?	2014-12-14	2014	2014-12	Independent	House	VT	Bernard Sanders	S000033	www.sanders.senate.gov	legacy	Is It Bad Enough Yet? By: Mark Bittman Sunday, December 14, 2014 The police killing unarmed civilians. Horrifying income inequality. Rotting infrastructure and an unsafe “safety net.” An inability to respond to climate, public health and environmental threats. A food system that causes disease. An occasionally dysfunctional and even cruel government. A sizable segment of the population excluded from work and subject to near-random incarceration. You get it: This is the United States, which, with the incoming Congress, might actually get worse. This in part explains why we’re seeing spontaneous protests nationwide, protests that, in their scale, racial diversity, anger and largely nonviolent nature, are unusual if not unique. I was in four cities recently — New York, Washington, Berkeley and Oakland — and there were actions every night in each of them. Meanwhile, workerswalked off the job in 190 cities on Dec. 4. The root of the anger is inequality, about which statistics are mind-boggling: From 2009 to 2012 (that’s the most recent data), some 95 percent of new income has gone to the top 1 percent; the Walton family (owners of Walmart) have as much wealth as the bottom 42 percent of the country’s people combined; and “income mobility” now describes how the rich get richer while the poor ... actually get poorer. Continue reading here.	1	2026-03-30T12:14:52Z	2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
https://www.sanders.senate.gov/newsroom/newswatch/121414	News December 14	2014-12-14	2014	2014-12	Independent	House	VT	Bernard Sanders	S000033	www.sanders.senate.gov	legacy	News December 14 Sunday, December 14, 2014 Senator Sanders Senate Passes $1.1 Trillion Bill The Senate voted 56-40 on Saturday night to approve a $1.1 trillion deal and send the legislation to President Barack Obama. Sen. Bernie Sanders and nearly every other senator mentioned as a future presidential candidate voted no, Politico reported. In stark contrast to House Democrats who nearly derailed the budget, just five Senate Democrats and Sanders voted against the procedural motion that ended debate on the bill, The Guardian and CQ/Roll Call reported. LINK, LINK, LINK, LINK Wall Street Wins, Taxpayers Lose The $1.1 trillion bill rolled back regulations on Wall Street. Federally insured funds can now be used again by banks in high-risk investments. “When they make a whole lot of money they get richer, but when they lose money because of the repeal of this provision, the taxpayers of this country have to bail them out,” Sen. Sanders said. “Does anybody – anybody – think that that makes any sense at all?” Sanders asked in an NBC News report on KWQC-TV in Davenport, Iowa, and other network affiliates nationwide. LINK, VIDEO Sanders: Break Up Big Banks Sen. Sanders plans to introduce legislation to break up Wall Street banks and prevent them from using a provision in the spending bill to engage in the kind of investments that led to the 2008 financial crisis. He used Saturday’s Senate session to outline a proposal that he believes would counter a provisions meant to gut a 2010 law. “If Congress cannot regulate Wall Street, there is just one alternative. It is time to break these too-big-to-fail banks up so that they can never again destroy the jobs, homes and life savings of the American people,” Sanders said in The Washington Times. LINK The Billionaire Class From 2009 to 2012 (that's the most recent data), some 95 percent of new income has gone to the top 1 percent … while the poor actually get poorer. “Increasingly, it seems, there's an appetite and even unity to take on t…	1	2026-03-30T12:14:52Z	2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
https://www.sanders.senate.gov/newsroom/recent-business/senate-passes-bill-that-rolls-back-bank-regulation	Senate Passes Bill that Rolls Back Bank Regulation	2014-12-14	2014	2014-12	Independent	House	VT	Bernard Sanders	S000033	www.sanders.senate.gov	legacy	Senate Passes Bill that Rolls Back Bank Regulation Sunday, December 14, 2014 The Senate on Saturday night voted 56-40 for a controversial $1.1 trillion bill that rolls back regulations on Wall Street, lets companies reduce pensions for current retirees, cuts funding for the EPA and dramatically increases how much rich people may donate to politicians. Sen. Bernie Sanders voted no. Read why In stark contrast to House Democrats who nearly derailed the budget, just five Senate Democrats and Sanders voted against the motion that ended debate on the bill. Under the measure headed to the White House for President Barack Obama’s signature, federally insured funds may be used again by banks in high-risk investments. That risky practice was outlawed by the 2010 Dodd-Frank Wall Street reform law. “When they make a whole lot of money they get richer, but when they lose money because of the repeal of this provision, the taxpayers of this country have to bail them out,” Sen. Sanders said. “Does anybody – anybody – think that that makes any sense at all?” Sanders asked in a Senate floor speech. Watch “Totally crazy,” Sanders said of the deal in a Friday night interview with Rachel Maddow. Watch Sanders announced on Saturday that he plans to introduce legislation to break up Wall Street banks and prevent them from using a provision in the spending bill to engage in the kind of investments that led to the 2008 financial crisis. “If Congress cannot regulate Wall Street, there is just one alternative. It is time to break these too-big-to-fail banks up so that they can never again destroy the jobs, homes and life savings of the American people,” Sanders said. Read more	1	2026-03-30T12:14:52Z	2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
https://www.sanders.senate.gov/newsroom/newswatch/121314	News December 13	2014-12-13	2014	2014-12	Independent	House	VT	Bernard Sanders	S000033	www.sanders.senate.gov	legacy	News December 13 Saturday, December 13, 2014 Senator Sanders Senate Sets Saturday Vote on Spending Bill The Senate moved closer to passing a $1.1 trillion bill to fund almost all of the government through most of 2015, but a late-night maneuver by Sen. Ted Cruz delayed a final vote on the spending deal and forced the Senate to meet on Saturday. Sen. Bernie Sanders opposes the bill that he said “comes nowhere close to reflecting the needs and priorities of the American people," WCAX-TV, Politico, National Journal, The Nation and WAMC-FM reported. LINK, LINK, LINK, LINK, VIDEO Wall Street Banks Wall Street lobbyists tucked a provision in the bill to put taxpayers on the hook if risky investments boomerang, Sen. Sanders warned on KTVM-TV in Butte, Montana, and other NBC News affiliates. “If they win they make a lot of money. If they lose the taxpayers bail them out. That is totally crazy,” Sanders explained to Rachel Maddow on MSNBC. “Anyone who thinks that Congress regulates Wall Street has got it backwards,” Sanders said in reports by The Associated Press and USA Today. Sanders’ effort to delete the provision was unlikely to succeed, The New York Post reported. Sanders and another critic of the bill, Sen. Elizabeth Warren, declined to say whether they would filibuster, The Washington Post reported. LINK, LINK, LINK, LINK, LINK, VIDEO, VIDEO Senate Passes Bloated Pentagon Budget The Senate gave final approval to a $560 billion defense spending bill on Friday. “I just don't think we can spend all that much on defense and ignore the needs of our kids, ignore the needs of our elderly, ignore the needs of our working families, of our infrastructure, of education. We've got to get our priorities right," said Sen. Sanders on WCAX-TV. He voted against the bill. LINK, VIDEO Sanders Named Ranking Member on Budget Panel Senate Democrats appointed independent Sen. Sanders to lead their caucus on the chamber's budget committee next year, the Burlington Free Press, The Wall Street Jo…	1	2026-03-30T12:14:52Z	2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
https://www.sanders.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/wall-street-runs-washington-sanders-says-in-proposing-to-break-up-big-banks-	Wall Street Runs Washington, Sanders Says in Proposing to Break Up Big Banks	2014-12-13	2014	2014-12	Independent	House	VT	Bernard Sanders	S000033	www.sanders.senate.gov	legacy	WASHINGTON, Dec. 13 – Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) said he will introduce legislation to break up Wall Street megabanks that are using a bill before the Senate today to put taxpayers on the hook for the banks’ risky investments. Sanders outlined the proposal as the Senate, in a rare Saturday session, prepared to take up a House-passed bill that would roll back a law limiting risky investments like those that caused the financial crisis of 2008 and the recession that followed. “Over the last several days, it has become abundantly clear that Congress does not regulate Wall Street but Wall Street regulates Congress. If Wall Street lobbyists can literally write a provision into law that will allow too-big-to-fail banks to make the same risky bets that nearly destroyed our economy just a few years ago, it should be obvious to all that their incredible economic and political power is a huge danger to our economy and our way of life,” Sanders said. Lobbyists for Citigroup drafted the measure and JP Morgan CEO Jamie Dimon reportedly called congressmen to lobby for the provision that would gut a key provision of Dodd-Frank, the Wall Street reform law passed in 2010. “Enough is enough,” Sanders said. “Today, almost all of the too-big-to-fail banks are bigger and even more powerful than they were before we bailed them out. The six largest financial institutions have over $9.8 trillion in assets — the equivalent of more than 60 percent of GDP. They issue over half of the mortgages and more than two-thirds of the credit cards in America. “If Congress cannot regulate Wall Street, there is just one alternative. It is time to break these too-big-to-fail banks up so that they can never again destroy the jobs, homes, and life savings of the American people. “At the beginning of the new Congress, I will be introducing legislation that will break these behemoth banks up once and for all. If a financial institution is too big to fail, it is too big to exist. I look forward to working with both progressive and conservative Se…	1	2026-03-30T12:14:52Z	2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
https://www.sanders.senate.gov/newsroom/recent-business/break-up-big-banks-sanders-says-as-senate-debates-bill-to-gut-wall-street-reform	Break Up Big Banks, Sanders Says as Senate Debates Bill to Gut Wall Street Reform	2014-12-13	2014	2014-12	Independent	House	VT	Bernard Sanders	S000033	www.sanders.senate.gov	legacy	Break Up Big Banks, Sanders Says as Senate Debates Bill to Gut Wall Street Reform Saturday, December 13, 2014 As the Senate met in a rare Saturday session, Sen. Bernie Sanders said he will introduce legislation to break up Wall Street megabanks that are using a bill before the Senate this weekend to put taxpayers on the hook for the banks’ risky investments. The House-passed bill would roll back a law limiting risky investments like those that caused the financial crisis of 2008 and the recession that followed. “Over the last several days, it has become abundantly clear that Congress does not regulate Wall Street but Wall Street regulates Congress. If Wall Street lobbyists can literally write a provision into law that will allow too-big-to-fail banks to make the same risky bets that nearly destroyed our economy just a few years ago, it should be obvious to all that their incredible economic and political power is a huge danger to our economy and our way of life,” Sanders said. Lobbyists for Citigroup drafted the measure and JP Morgan CEO Jamie Dimon reportedly called congressmen to lobby for the provision that would gut a key provision of Dodd-Frank, the Wall Street reform law passed in 2010. “Enough is enough,” Sanders said. “Today, almost all of the too-big-to-fail banks are bigger and even more powerful than they were before we bailed them out. The six largest financial institutions have over $9.8 trillion in assets — the equivalent of more than 60 percent of GDP. They issue over half of the mortgages and more than two-thirds of the credit cards in America “If Congress cannot regulate Wall Street, there is just one alternative. It is time to break these too-big-to-fail banks up so that they can never again destroy the jobs, homes, and life savings of the American people. “At the beginning of the new Congress, I will be introducing legislation that will break these behemoth banks up once and for all. If a financial institution is too big to fail, it is too big to exist…	1	2026-03-30T12:14:52Z	2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
https://welch.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/representatives-adam-kinzinger-r-il-and-peter-welch-d-vt-lead-house	Representatives Adam Kinzinger (R-IL) and Peter Welch (D-VT) to Lead House Energy Savings Performance Caucus in the 114th Congress	2014-12-12	2014	2014-12	Democrat	House	VT	Peter Welch	W000800	welch.house.gov	legacy	Representatives Peter Welch (D-VT) and Adam Kinzinger (R-IL) will co-chair the House Energy Savings Performance Caucus for the 114th Congress. Rep. Kinzinger replaces Representative Cory Gardner (R-CO), the Caucus' co-founder and co-chair in the 113th Congress, who was elected to the U.S. Senate in November. In the new Congress, the Caucus will aggressively advocate for the use of Energy Savings Performance Contracts (ESPCs) and Utility Energy Service Contracts (UESCs) at federal departments and agencies and ensure that the Administration achieves its goal of $2 billion in new contracts by the close of 2016. ESPCs and UESCs are public-private partnerships that allow companies to perform energy upgrades on federal buildings, requiring them to guarantee, measure and verify the energy cost savings. The companies assume all the costs and risks associated with the upgrades, and the federal government shares in the monetary savings. Representative Kinzinger brings to this position the credentials of a widely respected leader on energy efficiency issues. I am pleased to partner with him in pursuit of our Caucus goal of saving taxpayer dollars by cutting the energy bills at federal agencies," said Welch. The federal government has over 3 billion square feet of building space. Making these buildings energy efficient will save taxpayer dollars, improve the environment and boost the construction and energy sectors of our economy. It's been an honor to work with Rep. Gardner in the last Congress and I look forward to having him as a strong ally in the Senate. The federal government is the single largest consumer of energy in the U.S. Making our energy consumption more efficient not only saves taxpayer money and reduces a huge amount of waste, but it also sets an example for other organizations, said Kinzinger. I'm proud to spear-head this effort and I look forward to seeing what we can accomplish in the 114th Congress. "Energy savings performance contracts (ESPCs) are an innovative way to reduce energy consumption, save ta…	1	2026-03-30T12:14:52Z	2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
https://www.leahy.senate.gov/press/leahy-reax-as-house-leaves-town-w/o-passing-bipartisan-foia-improvement-act-to-boost-govt-transparency_	Leahy REAX As House Leaves Town w/o Passing Bipartisan FOIA Improvement Act To Boost Govt. Transparency	2014-12-12	2014	2014-12	Democrat	House	VT	Patrick Leahy	L000174	www.leahy.senate.gov	legacy	12.12.14 Leahy REAX As House Leaves Town w/o Passing Bipartisan FOIA Improvement Act To Boost Govt. Transparency [Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) issued the following statement on Friday after the House failed to pass the bipartisan FOIA Improvement Act before adjourning for the year. The legislation authored by Leahy and Senator John Cornyn (R-Texas) was unanimously approved in the Senate earlier this week is supported by more than 70 groups that advocate for government transparency, as well as the Sunshine in Government Initiative.] Statement Of Senator Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.), Chairman, Senate Judiciary Committee, On The FOIA Improvement Act of 2014 December 12, 2014 I am deeply disappointed that last night the House failed to pass the FOIA Improvement Act. This bipartisan bill was reported unanimously by the Senate Judiciary Committee last month, and it was the product of months of hard work by Senator Cornyn and me. Our bill is supported by more than 70 public interest groups that advocate for government transparency and it passed out of the Senate unanimously. I would think that members of the House Republican leadership, who have spent so much time on oversight of the Obama administration, would support the goal of making government more accountable and transparent. But instead of supporting this bill, they have chosen secrecy over sunlight. The FOIA Improvement Act would codify what the President laid out in his historic executive order in 2009 by requiring Federal agencies to adopt a Presumption of Openness' when considering the release of government information under FOIA. This bill would require agencies to find a foreseeable harm if they want to withhold information from the public. Prioritizing the people's interest in what their government is doing, our bill will reduce the overuse of exemptions to withhold information. Federal agencies have been required to apply this standard since 2009. They also used this same standard during President Clinton's terms …	1	2026-03-30T12:14:52Z	2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
https://www.leahy.senate.gov/press/leahy-responds-to-internet-service-providers-failure-to-pledge-not-to-engage-in-internet-fast-lanes	Leahy Responds to Internet Service Providers' Failure to Pledge Not to Engage in Internet Fast Lanes	2014-12-12	2014	2014-12	Democrat	House	VT	Patrick Leahy	L000174	www.leahy.senate.gov	legacy	12.12.14 Leahy Responds to Internet Service Providers' Failure to Pledge Not to Engage in Internet Fast Lanes As FCC Considers Net Neutrality Proposals,Leahy Responds to Internet Service Providers'Failure to Pledge Not to Engage in Internet Fast Lanes WASHINGTON (Friday, December 12, 2014) As the Federal Communications Commission prepares to approve updated open Internet rules, Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) criticized several of the nation's leading Internet service providers for failing to pledge not to engage in paid prioritization deals through which websites could be charged for priority access over the Internet. In October, Leahy sent letters to the leaders of Comcast, AT&T, Verizon, Time Warner Cable, and Charter Communications calling on them to make such a pledge to protect their customers and promote competition online. We need meaningful pledges from our Nation's broadband providers that they share the American public's commitment to an Internet that remains open and equally accessible to all, Leahy said. In October, I wrote to the major Internet service providers asking them to make exactly that commitment. They all maintained that they do not currently plan to engage in paid prioritization; an assertion I welcome. What they did not do was answer my call for a firm commitment that they will never engage in that behavior in the absence of clear rules prohibiting such deals. This is disappointing, Leahy continued. The concern over a pay-to-play Internet that advantages the largest corporations over smaller players is very real. I was disappointed that some Internet service providers in their responses brushed aside these concerns dismissively. It is not demagoguery,' as Verizon suggested in its response, when small business owners like Cabot Orton of the Vermont Country Store say that they simply want to see an Internet that continues to treat all businesses equally. It is not a phantasm' when independent content creators like actress Ruth Livier acknowledge…	1	2026-03-30T12:14:52Z	2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
https://www.leahy.senate.gov/press/leahy-unprecedented-new-focus-on-heroin-and-opioid-addition-in-budget-bill-awaiting-final-action-friday-or-saturday	Leahy: Unprecedented New Focus On Heroin And Opioid Addiction In Budget Bill Awaiting Final Action Friday Or Saturday	2014-12-12	2014	2014-12	Democrat	House	VT	Patrick Leahy	L000174	www.leahy.senate.gov	legacy	12.12.14 Leahy: Unprecedented New Focus On Heroin And Opioid Addiction In Budget Bill Awaiting Final Action Friday Or Saturday . . . Legislation Includes New Leahy-Led Program For Federal Response To Opioid Scourge WASHINGTON (FRIDAY, Dec. 12, 2014) A new program proposed by U.S. Senator Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) to combat the vexing problems associated with heroin and opioid addiction affecting Vermont and the nation, as well as new funding to address the epidemic, is included in the comprehensive federal budget bill. The House of Representatives passed the bill late Thursday night and the Senate is expected to vote on it Friday or Saturday. Leahy was instrumental in securing the funding for the new program, initiating an unprecedented new focus on heroin and opioid addiction. Leahy said, This scourge has insidiously seeped into towns in Vermont and across the country, ravaging lives, crippling families and scarring neighborhoods and communities. These new initiatives are the result of a search for good answers by listening and asking in communities that are facing these threats. This is a moral investment in partnering with communities by supporting law enforcement efforts and by expanding treatment options for those in need. These efforts and this funding add up to an unprecedented new focus on the problem. Leahy chairs the Judiciary Committee and the most senior member of the Appropriations Committee, which handled the Senate's work in writing the budget bill. Leahy announced that the bill will create the Anti-Heroin Task Force, to be run by the Justice Department's COPS Office (Community Oriented Policing Services). The Leahy-led initiative provides $7 million for competitive grants to law enforcement agencies in states like Vermont, with high per capita levels of primary treatment admissions for both heroin and other opioids. The funds will be used for drug enforcement, including investigations and activities…	1	2026-03-30T12:14:52Z	2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
https://www.leahy.senate.gov/press/senate-fri-night-passes-leahy-authored-commission-to-review-the-future-of-the-army-with-major-implications-for-the-future-of-the-national-guard	Senate Fri. night passes Leahy-authored Commission To Review The Future Of The Army, with major implications for the future of the National Guard	2014-12-12	2014	2014-12	Democrat	House	VT	Patrick Leahy	L000174	www.leahy.senate.gov	legacy	12.12.14 Senate Fri. night passes Leahy-authored Commission To Review The Future Of The Army, with major implications for the future of the National Guard Leahy-Authored Commission To Review Future of Army Passes As Part Of Annual Defense Authorization Bill . . . Major Implications Also For The Future Of The National Guard . . . Bill Also Adds Portions Of VT's Upper Missisquoi And Trout Rivers To National Wild And Scenic Rivers System . . . Senate Action Sends Bill To President's Desk WASHINGTON (FRIDAY, Dec. 12, 2014) U.S. Senate National Guard Caucus Co-Chair Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) Friday praised inclusion of the National Commission on the Future of the Army in the final Fiscal Year 2015 National Defense Authorization Act, which now heads to the President's desk to be signed into law. The Senate passed the annual defense authorization bill Friday night in a vote of 89 to 11. The independent review panel will consider and evaluate key policies concerning the make-up, training and deployment processes of the U.S. Army. This review has major implications as well for the future of the National Guard. The panel will also make recommendations to Congress and the President about how to best shape the Army for the future and address antiquated practices within the Army. In addition to establishing the panel, the law will also freeze some of the most controversial proposals of the President's Fiscal Year 2015 budget proposal, including the transfer of all Apache attack helicopters, until after the Commission issues its report. The provisions included in the authorization bill were introduced earlier this year by Leahy and Guard Caucus Co-Chair Senator Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.). Their bipartisan legislation was cosponsored by 47 senators. The Administration's budget proposal reflected many tough choices about the future size and shape of each of the Services, said Leahy. But it also included decisions about the U.S. Army that would irreversibly change the nature of that branch of our Armed Forces, incl…	1	2026-03-30T12:14:52Z	2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
https://www.leahy.senate.gov/press/statement-of-senator-patrick-leahy-president-pro-tempore-on-the-consolidated-and-further-continuing-appropriations-act	Statement Of Senator Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.),President Pro Tempore, On The Consolidated and Further Continuing Appropriations Act	2014-12-12	2014	2014-12	Democrat	House	VT	Patrick Leahy	L000174	www.leahy.senate.gov	legacy	12.12.14 Statement Of Senator Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.),President Pro Tempore, On The Consolidated and Further Continuing Appropriations Act Statement Of Senator Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.), President Pro Tempore, On The Consolidated and Further Continuing Appropriations Act December 12, 2014 After late night theatrics in the House yesterday, I hope the Senate will soon vote on the fiscal year 2015 Omnibus appropriations bill, and certainly well before tomorrow's midnight deadline. I support this comprehensive spending package. It has been too long since Congress passed successive appropriations bills that didn't simply kick the can further down the road, or leave government spending on autopilot. The legislation before us is the product of months of negotiations in the Senate and with our House counterparts. Chairwoman Mikulski has done an outstanding job and should be congratulated for her perseverance in bringing us to this point. I spoke yesterday about the funds included in this bill for the State Department and foreign operations. Important funding for the environment, for AIDS prevention and treatment, United Nations peacekeeping, and emergency funding for Ebola. This bill will protect U.S. security, humanitarian, and economic interests around the world. But it also funds many of the domestic priorities that have faced budget cuts and that the people of our states depend on, from law enforcement to transportation, health care, and protecting our national parks. The Omnibus includes critical investments in our rivers and lakes, including an increase in funding for Lake Champlain through the EPA's Geographic Program. I want to thank Senator Jack Reed, the chair of the Interior Appropriations Subcommittee, for his assistance in protecting the funding for all of the Geographic Programs receiving funding in this bill. Lake Champlain and its tributaries are a celebrated part of Vermont's natural landscape. We have worked hard over many years to address many challenges, but serious threats to the Lake remain…	1	2026-03-30T12:14:52Z	2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
https://www.leahy.senate.gov/press/vermont-rivers-recognized-as-wild-and-scenic-rivers	Vermont Rivers Recognized as Wild and Scenic Rivers	2014-12-12	2014	2014-12	Democrat	House	VT	Patrick Leahy	L000174	www.leahy.senate.gov	legacy	12.12.14 Vermont Rivers Recognized as Wild and Scenic Rivers' Vermont Rivers Recognized as Wild and Scenic Rivers' WASHINGTON, Dec. 12 Vermont's congressional delegation applauded the passage today of legislation to add portions of the Upper Missisquoi and Trout Rivers to the National Wild and Scenic Rivers System. Vermont's rivers are an essential part of our state's rural character. The wild and scenic designation highlights the unique cultural, scenic and recreational qualities of these Vermont rivers, the delegation said in a joint statement. The recognition also empowers communities along the rivers to protect these resources. The measure was introduced by Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), co-sponsored by Sen. Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.), and Rep. Peter Welch (D-Vt.) introduced the measure in the House. The House passed the legislation on Sept. 15 and the Senate passed the measure today. The Vermont congressional delegation began work on this designation back in 2007 at the request of local communities, when the initial legislation to authorize a study of this potential addition to the National Wild and Scenic Rivers System was first introduced. Designation under the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act will help protect the natural, cultural and recreational qualities of the Upper Missisquoi and Trout rivers, enabling continued enjoyment of the rivers by fishermen, hunters and paddlers. It will also help maintain water quality within the rivers, as well as in Lake Champlain. The National Wild and Scenic Rivers system was established in 1968 to recognize and preserve rivers with exceptional scenic and recreational value. Forty-one states and territories now have rivers listed in the Wild and Scenic Rivers System. The Missisquoi and Trout Rivers are Vermont's first rivers to be added to the prestigious national river network. ##### Press Contact Press Contact David Carle: 202-224-3693 Next Article …	1	2026-03-30T12:14:52Z	2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
https://www.sanders.senate.gov/newsroom/must-read/the-vanishing-male-worker-how-america-fell-behind	The Vanishing Male Worker: How America Fell Behind	2014-12-12	2014	2014-12	Independent	House	VT	Bernard Sanders	S000033	www.sanders.senate.gov	legacy	The Vanishing Male Worker: How America Fell Behind By: Binyamin Appelbaum Friday, December 12, 2014 ANNAPOLIS, Md. — Frank Walsh still pays dues to the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers, but more than four years have passed since his name was called at the union hall where the few available jobs are distributed. Mr. Walsh, his wife and two children live on her part-time income and a small inheritance from his mother, which is running out. Sitting in the food court at a mall near his Maryland home, he sees that some of the restaurants are hiring. He says he can’t wait much longer to find a job. But he’s not ready yet. “I’d work for them, but they’re only willing to pay $10 an hour,” he said, pointing at a Chick-fil-A that probably pays most of its workers less than that. “I’m 49 with two kids — $10 just isn’t going to cut it.” Working, in America, is in decline. The share of prime-age men — those 25 to 54 years old — who are not working has more than tripled since the late 1960s, to 16 percent. More recently, since the turn of the century, the share of women without paying jobs has been rising, too. The United States, which had one of the highest employment rates among developed nations as recently as 2000, has fallen toward the bottom of the list. Continue reading here.	1	2026-03-30T12:14:52Z	2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
https://www.sanders.senate.gov/newsroom/newswatch/121214	News December 12	2014-12-12	2014	2014-12	Independent	House	VT	Bernard Sanders	S000033	www.sanders.senate.gov	legacy	News December 12 Friday, December 12, 2014 Senator Sanders House Sends Spending Bill to Senate The House narrowly approved a $1.1 trillion spending package to keep most government agencies operating through next summer. The 219-206 vote came late Thursday less than three hours before government funding expired at midnight. The Senate is expected to vote Friday on the package loaded with Republican policy riders to loosen Wall Street regulations, slash pensions and cut environmental protection spending. “This is a bad bill, and I'm certainly going to vote against it,” Sen. Bernie Sanders told MSNBC. “It’s does not reflect the needs of the working families of this country” he told The Washington Post. It contains “very onerous provisions which will hurt working people,” he said in Politico. LINK, LINK, VIDEO Breaks for Big Banks While the bill includes increased funding for veterans' health care - one of Sanders's top priorities - he told The Washington Post that the changes in Wall Street regulations are “totally absurd.” Congressional Quarterly said Sens. Sanders and Elizabeth Warren threatened to vote against the bill over their concerns that it undercuts a Wall Street reform law by letting banks protected by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation trade in risky derivatives. “Instead of cracking down on Wall Street CEOs who plunged the country into a terrible recession, this bill allows too-big-to-fail banks to make the same risky bets on derivatives that led to the largest taxpayer bailout in history and nearly destroyed the economy,” Sanders said in The Hill. LINK, LINK, LINK Budget Politics “The desires of establishment Democrats have been increasingly drowned out by liberals like Sen. Warren, who have energized activists across America and are beginning to pull other Democrats further to the left. That's a dynamic that will likely play out in the Democratic presidential primaries. To many in the party, likely front-runner Hillary Rodham Clinton is too cozy with W…	1	2026-03-30T12:14:52Z	2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
https://www.sanders.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/sanders-appointed-ranking_member-of-senate-budget-committee	Sanders Appointed Ranking Member of Senate Budget Committee	2014-12-12	2014	2014-12	Independent	House	VT	Bernard Sanders	S000033	www.sanders.senate.gov	legacy	Sanders Appointed Ranking Member of Senate Budget Committee Friday, December 12, 2014 WASHINGTON, Dec. 12 – Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) issued the following statement today after Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) announced Sanders’ appointment as the ranking member of the Senate Budget Committee in the next session of Congress: “I want to thank Sen. Reid and the Democratic caucus for the opportunity to serve as the ranking member on the Senate Budget Committee. At a time when the middle class is disappearing and the gap between the rich and everybody else is growing wider, we need a budget which reflects the needs of working families and not Wall Street and the top 1 percent. I look forward to working with Democrats and Republicans on the committee to craft a budget that is fair to all Americans, not just the powerful special interests.”	1	2026-03-30T12:14:52Z	2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
https://www.sanders.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/sanders-opposes-spending-bill	Sanders Opposes Spending Bill	2014-12-12	2014	2014-12	Independent	House	VT	Bernard Sanders	S000033	www.sanders.senate.gov	legacy	Sanders Opposes Spending Bill Friday, December 12, 2014 WASHINGTON, Dec. 12 – Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) issued the following statement on a massive $1.01 trillion spending bill that the Senate plans to take up later today: “At a time when the middle class continues to disappear, and the gap between the very rich and everyone else grows wider, this bill comes nowhere close to reflecting the needs and priorities of America’s working families. “Instead of helping to strengthen Social Security, Medicare and other programs that help working families, this bill would allow the Pentagon to spend almost as much as the rest of the world combined on our military and seemingly never-ending wars in the Middle East.” “Instead of investing in rebuilding our crumbling infrastructure and creating millions of decent-paying jobs, this bill would let companies renege on promises they made to their workers by cutting the pension benefits of current retirees. “Instead of cracking down on Wall Street CEOs whose greed and illegal behavior plunged the country into a terrible recession, this bill allows too-big-to-fail banks to make the same risky bets on derivatives that led to the largest taxpayer bailout in history and nearly destroyed the economy. “Instead of cutting back on the ability of billionaires to buy elections, this bill outrageously gives the wealthy even more power over the political process. “Instead of giving the Environmental Protection Agency the tools it needs to begin dealing with the planetary crisis of global warming, this bill would cut spending by the EPA.”	1	2026-03-30T12:14:52Z	2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
https://www.sanders.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/vermont-rivers-recognized-as-wild-and-scenic-rivers	Vermont Rivers Recognized as Wild and Scenic Rivers	2014-12-12	2014	2014-12	Independent	House	VT	Bernard Sanders	S000033	www.sanders.senate.gov	legacy	Vermont Rivers Recognized as ‘Wild and Scenic Rivers’ Friday, December 12, 2014 WASHINGTON, Dec. 12 – Vermont’s congressional delegation applauded the passage today of legislation to add portions of the Upper Missisquoi and Trout Rivers to the National Wild and Scenic Rivers System. “Vermont’s rivers are an essential part of our state’s rural character. The wild and scenic designation highlights the unique cultural, scenic and recreational qualities of these Vermont rivers,” the delegation said in a joint statement. “The recognition also empowers communities along the rivers to protect these resources.” The measure was introduced by Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), co-sponsored by Sen. Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.), and Rep. Peter Welch (D-Vt.) introduced the measure in the House. The House passed the legislation on Sept. 15 and the Senate passed the measure today. The Vermont congressional delegation began work on this designation back in 2007 at the request of local communities, when the initial legislation to authorize a study of this potential addition to the National Wild and Scenic Rivers System was first introduced. Designation under the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act will help protect the natural, cultural and recreational qualities of the Upper Missisquoi and Trout rivers, enabling continued enjoyment of the rivers by fishermen, hunters and paddlers. It will also help maintain water quality within the rivers, as well as in Lake Champlain. The National Wild and Scenic Rivers system was established in 1968 to recognize and preserve rivers with exceptional scenic and recreational value. Forty-one states and territories now have rivers listed in the Wild and Scenic Rivers System. The Missisquoi and Trout Rivers are Vermont’s first rivers to be added to the prestigious national river network.	1	2026-03-30T12:14:52Z	2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
https://www.sanders.senate.gov/newsroom/recent-business/sanders-says-no-to-spending-bill	Sanders Says 'No' to Spending Bill	2014-12-12	2014	2014-12	Independent	House	VT	Bernard Sanders	S000033	www.sanders.senate.gov	legacy	Sanders Says 'No' to Spending Bill Friday, December 12, 2014 As the Senate prepared to take up a massive $1.01 trillion spending bill, Sen. Bernie Sanders explained why he plans to vote against the measure. “At a time when the middle class continues to disappear, and the gap between the very rich and everyone else grows wider, this bill comes nowhere close to reflecting the needs and priorities of America’s working families,” said Sanders. “Instead of helping to strengthen Social Security, Medicare and other programs that help working families, this bill would allow the Pentagon to spend almost as much as the rest of the world combined on our military and seemingly never-ending wars in the Middle East. Instead of investing in rebuilding our crumbling infrastructure and creating millions of decent-paying jobs, this bill would let companies renege on promises they made to their workers by cutting the pension benefits of current retirees. “Instead of cracking down on Wall Street CEOs whose greed and illegal behavior plunged the country into a terrible recession, this bill allows too-big-to-fail banks to make the same risky bets on derivatives that led to the largest taxpayer bailout in history and nearly destroyed the economy. Instead of cutting back on the ability of billionaires to buy elections, this bill outrageously gives the wealthy even more power over the political process. “Instead of giving the Environmental Protection Agency the tools it needs to begin dealing with the planetary crisis of global warming, this bill would cut spending by the EPA.”	1	2026-03-30T12:14:52Z	2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
https://www.sanders.senate.gov/newsroom/recent-business/the-week-in-review-121214	The Week in Review	2014-12-12	2014	2014-12	Independent	House	VT	Bernard Sanders	S000033	www.sanders.senate.gov	legacy	The Week in Review Friday, December 12, 2014 The Senate on Friday took up a $1.1 trillion spending bill jam-packed by Republicans with favors for big banks and big businesses. Sen. Bernie Sanders said he opposes the measure that “comes nowhere close to reflecting the needs and priorities of America’s working families.” The Senate Intelligence Committee on Tuesday issued a blistering report blaming the Central Intelligence Agency for misleading Congress about its brutal interrogations of terrorism suspects. The Senate on Friday approved a bloated budget bill for the military. Sanders voted no. Also on Friday, Senate leadership named Sanders the ranking member of the Senate Budget Committee. Spending Bill As the Senate prepared to take up a massive spending bill, Sanders explained why he plans to vote against the measure. “At a time when the middle class continues to disappear, and the gap between the very rich and everyone else grows wider, this bill comes nowhere close to reflecting the needs and priorities of America’s working families,” said Sanders. Instead of helping to strengthen Social Security, Medicare and other programs that help working families, this bill would allow the Pentagon to spend almost as much as the rest of the world combined on our military and seemingly never-ending wars in the Middle East. Instead of investing in rebuilding our crumbling infrastructure and creating millions of decent-paying jobs, this bill would let companies renege on promises they made to their workers by cutting the pension benefits of current retirees. Instead of cracking down on Wall Street CEOs whose greed and illegal behavior plunged the country into a terrible recession, this bill allows too-big-to-fail banks to make the same risky bets on derivatives that led to the largest taxpayer bailout in history and nearly destroyed the economy. Instead of cutting back on the ability of billionaires to buy elections, this bill outrageously gives the wealthy even more power over the politi…	1	2026-03-30T12:14:52Z	2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
http://www.leahy.senate.gov/press/statement-of-senator-patrick-leahy-d-vt-chairman-senate-judiciary-committee-on-the-passage-of-hr-1447-the-death-in-custody-reporting-act-of-2013	Statement of Senator Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.), Chairman, Senate Judiciary Committee, On the Passage of H.R. 1447, the Death in Custody Reporting Act of 2013	2014-12-11	2014	2014-12	Democrat	House	VT	Patrick Leahy	L000174	www.leahy.senate.gov	legacy	12.11.14 Statement of Senator Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.), Chairman, Senate Judiciary Committee, On the Passage of H.R. 1447, the Death in Custody Reporting Act of 2013 Today Senators have finally come together to pass the Death in Custody Reporting Act, which will provide important transparency to law enforcement efforts and our prison system. At a time when our Nation is having an important conversation about police encounters that result in the loss of life, we know that hundreds of police-related deaths are unaccounted for in federal statistics. The Death in Custody Reporting Act will require that state and Federal law enforcement officials report deaths in their custody, including those that occur during arrest. The Justice Department will then have the opportunity to analyze the data and see what we can learn from it. The American people deserve as much. Too many communities across our country are losing faith in our justice system. This bill provides a step toward accountability, and it is my hope that it may ultimately lead to restoring some measure of trust in these communities. If we are ever able to truly embody the words engraved in Vermont marble above the United States Supreme Court building, “Equal Justice Under the Law,” then more of course must be done. And I look forward to continuing these efforts in the next Congress. The prior authorization for the Death in Custody Reporting Act expired in 2006, and after too many years of inaction, I am glad that Democrats and Republicans have come together and sent this reauthorization bill to the President for signature. My appreciation goes to Congressman Bobby Scott, who sponsored and has long championed this legislation, as well Senator Richard Blumenthal, who sponsored a Senate version. This has been an important week for transparency. On Monday, the Senate came together to pass my bipartisan FOIA Improvement Act and I hope the House will soon take up this bill. And on Tuesday, I spoke on the Senate floor in favor of the release of t…	1	2026-03-30T12:14:52Z	2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
http://www.leahy.senate.gov/press/statement-of-senator-patrick-leahy-on-the-omnibus-appropriations-bill1	Statement of Senator Patrick Leahy On The Omnibus Appropriations Bill	2014-12-11	2014	2014-12	Democrat	House	VT	Patrick Leahy	L000174	www.leahy.senate.gov	legacy	12.11.14 Statement of Senator Patrick Leahy On The Omnibus Appropriations Bill Mr. President, after nine months of hearings and briefings, and many long days and nights of negotiations, this past weekend the Appropriations Committee completed work on the fiscal year 2015 Consolidated and Further Continuing Appropriations Act. Earlier this year, many of us came to the floor to praise Chairwoman Mikulski for her heroic effort to pass the fiscal year 2014 Omnibus. While many in Washington thought that feat could not be repeated two years in a row, she proved them wrong. Chairwoman Mikulski rallied her twelve subcommittees, and reached across the aisle to negotiate this omnibus and avoid another shutdown. Without her, this would not have been possible. Like Chairwoman Mikulski, my friend Senator Shelby from Alabama, the Committee’s Vice Chairman, also deserves a great deal of praise for the role he played. Without Senator Shelby’s recognition of the importance of passing appropriations bills rather than continuing to fund the government on autopilot, we would not have reached this point. As chairman of the Department of State and Foreign Operations Subcommittee I also want to thank Ranking Member Lindsey Graham, Chairwoman Kay Granger, and Ranking Member Nita Lowey who were, as always, able partners whose wealth of experience is invaluable to the subcommittee’s work and is reflected throughout the final agreement. I look forward to working with incoming subcommittee chairman Graham next year to continue to fund the diplomacy and foreign aid programs that are essential to protecting United States interests around the world, in a manner that reflects American values. This bill was negotiated with the full participation of representatives of both parties, in both Houses of Congress. It is a balanced, bipartisan bill. Every word was discussed and agreed to by Republicans and Democrats, and our respective bills have been publicly available since they were reported out of Committee in June. Di…	1	2026-03-30T12:14:52Z	2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
https://www.leahy.senate.gov/press/judiciary-committee-sends-three-judicial-nominees-to-full-senate	Judiciary Committee Sends Three Judicial Nominees To Full Senate	2014-12-11	2014	2014-12	Democrat	House	VT	Patrick Leahy	L000174	www.leahy.senate.gov	legacy	12.11.14 Judiciary Committee Sends Three Judicial Nominees To Full Senate Panel Also Approves Nominee To Serve As Drug Policy Director WASHINGTON (Thursday, December 11, 2014) The Senate Judiciary Committee on Thursday unanimously approved three judicial nominees who now go to the full Senate for consideration. Chairman Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) urged the Senate to take up and pass all pending nominations before the end of the year. It is imperative for the Senate to continue to work on nominations. With cooperation there is still time to confirm these non-controversial nominees before we adjourn for the year, Leahy said. The district court nominees approved Thursday to fill vacancies in Virginia, North Carolina and New Yorkwhich is an emergency vacancynow join nine other judicial nominees pending on the Senate floor. Three of those nominees already pending on the executive calendar would fill emergency vacancies in Texas, the longest running of which has been vacant for more than six years. I hope that at the very least, the Texas senators will work to get consent on their side of the aisle to confirm the three district court nominees to fill judicial emergency vacancies pending on the Executive Calendar, Leahy said. These Texas nominees were nominated more than five months ago and reported out on unanimous voice vote. There is no objection on my side of the aisle to confirming them today. The Committee also approved the nomination of Michael Botticelli to serve as Director of the Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP). His nomination was approved on a voice vote. Results of the meeting can be found online. Nominations Pending On The Senate Calendar Stephen Bough (WD MO) Reported on September 18, 2014 Jorge Alonso (ND IL) Reported on November 20, 2014 Haywood Gilliam (ND CA) Reported on November 20, 2014 Amit Mehta (D DC) Reported on November 20…	1	2026-03-30T12:14:52Z	2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
https://www.sanders.senate.gov/newsroom/newswatch/121114	News December 11	2014-12-11	2014	2014-12	Independent	House	VT	Bernard Sanders	S000033	www.sanders.senate.gov	legacy	News December 11 Thursday, December 11, 2014 Senator Sanders Torture Report Sen. Bernard Sanders denounced the brutal interrogation tactics described in a withering Senate Intelligence Committee report on the Central Intelligence Agency. He told The New York Times in an interview that he was especially disturbed by the panel's conclusion that the CIA misled the White House and Congress. "If anyone is lying to elected officials, they should be fired immediately," he said. But most of the major presidential candidates would not plunge into the debate over the report and some ducked questions entirely. Sen. Rand Paul, approached outside his office Wednesday, would not answer questions. LINK Big Hug for Rich Donors Democratic lawmakers expressed outrage at a provision slipped into the omnibus government funding bill that would expand the amount wealthy donors can give to national political party committees. The provision, buried on page 1,599 of a 1,603-page bill, would increase the sums a single contributor could give to a party committee by nearly tenfold. Sen. Sanders told The Huffington Post that the provision is “a total outrage.” In a Senate speech, Sanders said that "the billionaire class can now put unlimited sums of money into elect candidates who represent their interests,” CNN, KVUE-TV in Austin, Texas, WVLT-TV in Knoxville, Tennessee, WSJV-TV in South Bend, Indiana, and other stations reported. LINK, LINK, VIDEO, VIDEO, VIDEO Treasury Pick Panned An increasing number of senators, including Sanders, oppose the nomination of Wall Street banker Antonio Weiss to a key Treasury Department post, Salon, CNN Money, Politico, American Banker, Talking Points Memo and The Huffington Post reported. The brawl has become a proxy battle for a deepening rift in the party over its ties to the financial industry, according to a Wall Street Journal article listing Sanders among those opposing the New York banker. Sanders raised questions about the nominee’s experience helping corpor…	1	2026-03-30T12:14:52Z	2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
https://www.sanders.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/sanders-votes-no-on-defense-authorization-bill	Sanders Votes No on Defense Authorization Bill	2014-12-11	2014	2014-12	Independent	House	VT	Bernard Sanders	S000033	www.sanders.senate.gov	legacy	Sanders Votes No on Defense Authorization Bill Thursday, December 11, 2014 WASHINGTON, Dec. 11 – The Senate today advanced a Department of Defense bill that would authorize $560 billion for the military. The vote was 85-14. Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) voted “no” and issued the following statement: “I am voting no because I have very serious concerns about our nation's bloated military budget and the misplaced national priorities this bill reflects. “At a time when our national debt is more than $18 trillion and we spend nearly as much on defense as the rest of the world combined, the time is long overdue to end the waste and financial mismanagement that have plagued the Pentagon for years. “The situation is so absurd that the military is unable to even account for how it spends all of its money. The non-partisan watchdog agency, the Government Accountability Office, said ‘serious financial management problems at the Department of Defense made its financial statements un-auditable.’ “I support a strong defense system for our country and a robust National Guard and Reserve that can meet our domestic and foreign challenges. At a time when the country is struggling with huge unmet needs, however, it is unacceptable that the Defense Department continues to waste massive amounts of money.”	1	2026-03-30T12:14:52Z	2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
https://www.sanders.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/sanders-welcomes-funding-for-affordable-rental-housing	Sanders Welcomes Funding for Affordable Rental Housing	2014-12-11	2014	2014-12	Independent	House	VT	Bernard Sanders	S000033	www.sanders.senate.gov	legacy	Sanders Welcomes Funding for Affordable Rental Housing Decision could mean up to $3 million for Vermont to meet rental housing needs Thursday, December 11, 2014 WASHINGTON, Dec. 11 – Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), a national leader in efforts to increase affordable housing, welcomed a move today that could free up hundreds of millions of dollars to expand affordable rental housing nationwide. The Federal Housing Finance Agency today decided to use excess profits from Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac to fund the National Housing Trust Fund starting next year. The contributions from Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac will provide a new dedicated revenue source for states to finance very-low-income rental housing construction and rehabilitation projects. “This is really excellent news,” said Sanders, who first proposed legislation in the House of Representative in 2001 to create the Housing Trust Fund. The Housing Trust Fund became law in 2008, but has never received any funding, until now. “It is no secret that over the past decade, incomes have not come close to keeping pace with the escalating costs of housing. At a time when millions of families are struggling to get by, and when many households are spending 50 percent or more of their limited income on housing, the Trust Fund will provide resources to build the affordable housing we desperately need and create thousands of good-paying jobs.” The National Low Income Housing Coalition had estimated that in 2012 there were only 3.2 million rental housing units available and affordable for the 10.3 million extremely-low-income households that need them. Sheila Crowley, the coalition president, cited Sanders’ role in a statement celebrating “a great victory” for the homeless and poor. “At long last, the National Housing Trust Fund will have funds to begin to ameliorate the shortage of housing that they can afford. I am very grateful to Sen. Bernie Sanders for championing the NHTF since the first days of our campaign in 2001.” In Verm…	1	2026-03-30T12:14:52Z	2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
https://www.sanders.senate.gov/newsroom/recent-business/sanders-opposes-bloated-pentagon-budget	Sanders Opposes Bloated Pentagon Budget	2014-12-11	2014	2014-12	Independent	House	VT	Bernard Sanders	S000033	www.sanders.senate.gov	legacy	Sanders Opposes Bloated Pentagon Budget Thursday, December 11, 2014 The Senate on Thursday advanced a Department of Defense bill that would authorize $560 billion for the military. The vote was 85-14. Sen. Bernie Sanders voted no. “I am voting no because I have very serious concerns about our nation's bloated military budget and the misplaced national priorities this bill reflects. At a time when our national debt is more than $18 trillion and we spend nearly as much on defense as the rest of the world combined, the time is long overdue to end the waste and financial mismanagement that have plagued the Pentagon for years. “The situation is so absurd that the military is unable to even account for how it spends all of its money. The non-partisan watchdog agency, the Government Accountability Office, said ‘serious financial management problems at the Department of Defense made its financial statements un-auditable.’ “I support a strong defense system for our country and a robust National Guard and Reserve that can meet our domestic and foreign challenges. At a time when the country is struggling with huge unmet needs, however, it is unacceptable that the Defense Department continues to waste massive amounts of money.”	1	2026-03-30T12:14:52Z	2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
http://www.leahy.senate.gov/press/judiciary-committee-chairman-leahy-chairs-confirmation-hearing-with-intellectual-property-nominees	Judiciary Committee Chairman Leahy Chairs Confirmation Hearing With Intellectual Property Nominees	2014-12-10	2014	2014-12	Democrat	House	VT	Patrick Leahy	L000174	www.leahy.senate.gov	legacy	12.10.14 Judiciary Committee Chairman Leahy Chairs Confirmation Hearing With Intellectual Property Nominees WASHINGTON (Wednesday, December 10, 2014) – Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) is chairing a confirmation hearing this morning for Michelle Lee, nominated to serve as the Under Secretary of Commerce for Intellectual Property and Director of the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO), and Daniel Marti, nominated to serve as Intellectual Property Enforcement Coordinator (IPEC). Testimony, member statements, and a webcast of the hearing are available online. Statement Of Senator Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.), Chairman, Senate Judiciary Committee Hearing On Executive Nominations December 10, 2014 Today the Committee is considering nominees to two important leadership positions charged with supporting our Nation’s creators, artists, and inventors. I take a strong personal interest in these positions both as a leader of this Committee, and as the senior Senator for Vermont. Vermont is home to a diverse range of artists, writers, and creators. Every year, it ranks among the most innovative States that have the highest patents per capita. Vermonters know firsthand that creators and innovators are the lifeblood of this country—fueling our imagination while creating jobs and contributing billions of dollars to the economy. The two nominations we are considering today play a central role promoting this important work. The Intellectual Property Enforcement Coordinator or “IPEC” was created by legislation I authored in 2008 that was reported by this Committee and passed the Senate with unanimous support. Our objective was to take a comprehensive approach to intellectual property enforcement within the U.S. government, to ensure that law enforcement has the tools it needs and that agencies are working together efficiently. The IPEC plays a valuable role bringing together members of the Internet ecosystem to address the complex problem of online IP theft. Earlier this year…	1	2026-03-30T12:14:52Z	2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
http://www.leahy.senate.gov/press/leahy-hails-historic-funding-levels-for-crime-victims	Leahy Hails Historic Funding Levels For Crime Victims	2014-12-10	2014	2014-12	Democrat	House	VT	Patrick Leahy	L000174	www.leahy.senate.gov	legacy	12.10.14 Leahy Hails Historic Funding Levels For Crime Victims Support for Violence Against Women Act Programs Also Benefit From Appropriations Agreement WASHINGTON (Wednesday, December 10, 2014) –Legislation to fund the government through next year includes a substantial increase for critical victims’ support programs championed by Vermont Senator Patrick Leahy. Under the Omnibus Appropriations Bill agreement struck between House and Senate negotiators, the Crime Victims Fund, which provides support for crime victims and their families, will be able to reach more victims of crime thanks to a raise in the fund’s cap. The fund is financed by criminal fines and penalties — not taxpayer dollars — and it is currently capped at $745 million. Under the funding agreement reached late Tuesday, that cap will now be $2.3 billion, a 200 percent increase. Leahy, chairman of the Judiciary Committee and the most senior member of the Appropriations Committee, hailed the announcement on Wednesday. “For years I have urged Congress to show its support for victims of crime. The Crime Victims Fund represents our commitment to our citizens, and with this funding bill, we are renewing that commitment. I applaud this important announcement, and I will continue to work across the aisle to protect this Fund and ensure it helps the victims of crime,” Leahy said. Leahy, a former prosecutor who worked day to day with crime victims, has long urged Congress to raise the cap for the Crime Victims Fund so that it can reach more victims of crime. Leahy introduced the bipartisan Crime Victims Fund Preservation Act in 2009, and he has also worked to ensure money from the fund goes directly to victims. Money from the fund supports a broad range of services for crime victims, including compensation for hospital bills, burial costs, or other restitution. The Vermont Center for Crime Victims Services (VCCVS) receives funding from the federa…	1	2026-03-30T12:14:52Z	2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
http://www.leahy.senate.gov/press/vermont-wins-33-million-for-pre-k_delegation-and-governor-announce	Vermont Wins $33 Million for Pre-K, Delegation and Governor Announce	2014-12-10	2014	2014-12	Democrat	House	VT	Patrick Leahy	L000174	www.leahy.senate.gov	legacy	12.10.14 Vermont Wins $33 Million for Pre-K, Delegation and Governor Announce WASHINGTON, Dec. 10 – Vermont was awarded $7.3 million in what is expected to be a $33.4 million, four-year federal grant for pre-kindergarten programs at public schools and Head Start agencies throughout the state. Sens. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) and Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.), Rep. Peter Welch (D-Vt.) and Gov. Peter Shumlin (D) announced the grant today. Sanders, a member of the Senate education committee, worked with the U.S. Department of Education, the congressional delegation and the Shumlin administration to secure the funding to operate the Pre-K program. “At a time when working families are struggling to find quality and affordable child care, this grant is a big boost for Vermont,” Sanders said. “The grant will help Vermont lead the nation in early-childhood education as we better prepare our kids for school and the challenges and opportunities of life.” “Vermont has always understood the importance of early-childhood education and how effective it can be in helping children break the cycle of poverty,” Leahy said. “This is great news for Vermont and recognition of the quality of our education system and its leaders,” Welch said. “Vermont is one of the top states in America when it comes to early childhood education, and we’re committed to being the best. We know that investments in our youngest children pay huge dividends in their ability to achieve in school and succeed in life,” Shumlin said. “We will use this $33 million directly to expand access to quality early education for Vermont children most in need. I congratulate those at Agencies of Education and Human Services, my own staff, and our many grant partners statewide for their hard work in securing these funds for our children,” the governor added. The latest award is in addition to $37 million Vermont received last year to lay the foundation for its pre-K program. The earlier federal grant made the state eligible for today’s round of awards to implemen…	1	2026-03-30T12:14:52Z	2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
http://www.leahy.senate.gov/press/with-adjournment-now-only-hours-away-leahy-calls-on-house-to-pass-foia-improvement-act	With Adjournment Now Only Hours Away, Leahy Calls On House To Pass FOIA Improvement Act	2014-12-10	2014	2014-12	Democrat	House	VT	Patrick Leahy	L000174	www.leahy.senate.gov	legacy	12.10.14 With Adjournment Now Only Hours Away, Leahy Calls On House To Pass FOIA Improvement Act WASHINGTON (Wednesday, December 10, 2014) -- Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) called on the House to pass the bipartisan FOIA Improvement Act that the Senate unanimously approved earlier this week before adjourning for the year. “This legislation is all about government transparency. If House Republicans want this administration to be more accountable, then they must put it on the suspension calendar without delay. Let’s get it done,” Leahy said. “With the sun about to set on this congressional session, the House should not leave this sunshine bill undone, on the table. Time is quickly running out, and the House must act without further delay.” The bill strengthens the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA), the nation’s premier open government law, by requiring Federal agencies to operate under a “presumption of openness” when considering the release of government information. This is the same language the President laid out in his historic memorandum in 2009, and which is already being followed by government agencies. The Leahy-Cornyn bill would make this presumption a permanent fixture in FOIA. The legislation would not require the disclosure of information that is prohibited from being released, such as classified information, and Leahy worked with relevant Committees in the Senate to ensure the bill would allow government attorneys to do their jobs while still upholding transparency. Leahy worked with Senator John Cornyn (R-Texas), his longtime partner on transparency issues, to usher their bipartisan bill through the Senate. The FOIA Improvement Act is supported by more than 70 groups that advocate for government transparency, as well as the Sunshine in Government Initiative. An outline of the FOIA Improvement Act can be found here, and text of legislation can be found online. # # # # # Press Contact Press Contact David Carle: 202-224-3693 …	1	2026-03-30T12:14:52Z	2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
https://www.leahy.senate.gov/press/leahy-announces-key-win-for-lake-champlain-in-federal-budget-bill	Leahy Announces Key Win For Lake Champlain In Federal Budget Bill	2014-12-10	2014	2014-12	Democrat	House	VT	Patrick Leahy	L000174	www.leahy.senate.gov	legacy	12.10.14 Leahy Announces Key Win For Lake Champlain In Federal Budget Bill WASHINGTON (WEDNESDAY, Dec. 10, 2014) Senator Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) Wednesday announced that key funding for Lake Champlain has been included in the comprehensive budget package that will be considered by Congress later this week, as the clock runs out on the congressional session. Leahy is the most senior member of the Senate Appropriations Committee and played a key role in negotiating several parts of the final federal budget bill, which was unveiled Tuesday night. At Leahy's urging, the final appropriations bill includes a $3 million increase over last year for Lake Champlain through the Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) Geographic Program. The total allocation under the program for Lake Champlain is $4.399 million. The Geographic Program, and Lake Champlain in particular, have seen gradual funding reductions in recent years, and the President's budget request for federal Fiscal Year 2015 included just $1.399 million. In the new bill, Leahy was able to reverse that trend for this federal fiscal year. We have invested far too much and for far too long in the restoration and preservation of Lake Champlain to walk back on that commitment, Leahy said. With new federal requirements forcing Vermont, New York and all of our Lake partners to make difficult decisions about how to maintain our Great Lake,' this federal support will go a long way toward preserving one of Vermont's greatest natural resources for generations to come. Through his work on the Appropriations and Agriculture Committees, Leahy long has led efforts to direct tens of millions of federal dollars to support efforts to restore Lake Champlain. Leahy added, Lake Champlain and its tributaries are a celebrated part of Vermont's natural landscape. We have worked so hard over so many years to address many challenges, but threats to the Lake remain. Lake Champlain supports our local economies and is a pillar of our tourism industry. I am as committed as ever…	1	2026-03-30T12:14:52Z	2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
https://www.sanders.senate.gov/newsroom/newswatch/121014	News December 10	2014-12-10	2014	2014-12	Independent	House	VT	Bernard Sanders	S000033	www.sanders.senate.gov	legacy	News December 10 Wednesday, December 10, 2014 Senator Sanders CIA Lied about Ineffective Torture A Senate report on Central Intelligence Agency torture of detainees found that the agency lied about brutal tactics which were ineffective in intelligence gathering. Sen. Bernie Sanders called it “an ugly chapter in American history,” WCAX-TV, WVNY-TV, WFFF-TV, MSNBC online and The Washington Examiner reported. LINK, LINK, VIDEO, VIDEO, VIDEO, VIDEO, VIDEO Vermont Wins $33 Million for Pre-K Vermont has received $7.3 million in what is expected to be a $33.4 million, four-year federal grant for pre-kindergarten programs in public schools and Head Start agencies. The grant is in addition to $37 million Vermont received last year to lay the foundation for its pre-kindergarten program. Vermont's congressional delegation made the case for the state's application in an Oct. 10 letter to Education Secretary Arne Duncan and Health and Human Services Secretary Sylvia Mathews Burwell, The Associated Press reported. LINK Climate Change A group of Senate Democrats is pushing President Barack Obama's administration to toughen rules on carbon pollution from existing power plants, The Hill and KTVZ-TV in Bend, Oregon, reported. Sen. Bernie Sanders signed the letter which said the EPA should require more renewable energy and energy efficiency deployment. LINK, LINK Older Americans Act Sen. Sanders “stands above all others” as a champion for seniors issues, Bob Blancato of the Elder Justice Coalition wrote in Forbes. Sanders “produced a strong and bipartisan Older Americans Act reauthorization bill … but it has stalled,” Blancato wrote LINK Treasury Nominee Sen. Elizabeth Warren and other progressives are challenging the credentials of President Obama's nominee for a top Treasury Department job, Bloomberg reported. Sen. Sanders has also questioned the nomination, Politico reported. LINK, LINK WWII City A U.S. Senate bill would designate Wilmington, North Carolina, as the first American W…	1	2026-03-30T12:14:52Z	2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
https://www.sanders.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/vermont-wins-33-million-for-pre-k_delegation-and-governor-announce	Vermont Wins $33 Million for Pre-K, Delegation and Governor Announce	2014-12-10	2014	2014-12	Independent	House	VT	Bernard Sanders	S000033	www.sanders.senate.gov	legacy	Vermont Wins $33 Million for Pre-K, Delegation and Governor Announce Wednesday, December 10, 2014 WASHINGTON, Dec. 10 – Vermont was awarded $7.3 million in what is expected to be a $33.4 million, four-year federal grant for pre-kindergarten programs at public schools and Head Start agencies throughout the state. Sens. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) and Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.), Rep. Peter Welch (D-Vt.) and Gov. Peter Shumlin (D) announced the grant today. Sanders, a member of the Senate education committee, worked with the U.S. Department of Education, the congressional delegation and the Shumlin administration to secure the funding to operate the Pre-K program. “At a time when working families are struggling to find quality and affordable child care, this grant is a big boost for Vermont,” Sanders said. “The grant will help Vermont lead the nation in early-childhood education as we better prepare our kids for school and the challenges and opportunities of life.” “Vermont has always understood the importance of early-childhood education and how effective it can be in helping children break the cycle of poverty,” Leahy said. “This is great news for Vermont and recognition of the quality of our education system and its leaders,” Welch said. “Vermont is one of the top states in America when it comes to early childhood education, and we’re committed to being the best. We know that investments in our youngest children pay huge dividends in their ability to achieve in school and succeed in life,” Shumlin said. “We will use this $33 million directly to expand access to quality early education for Vermont children most in need. I congratulate those at Agencies of Education and Human Services, my own staff, and our many grant partners statewide for their hard work in securing these funds for our children,” the governor added. The latest award is in addition to $37 million Vermont received last year to lay the foundation for its pre-K program. The earlier federal grant made the state elig…	1	2026-03-30T12:14:52Z	2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
https://www.sanders.senate.gov/newsroom/recent-business/the-filibernie	The Filibernie	2014-12-10	2014	2014-12	Independent	House	VT	Bernard Sanders	S000033	www.sanders.senate.gov	legacy	The Filibernie Wednesday, December 10, 2014 Sen. Bernie Sanders took to the Senate floor on this day four years ago and didn’t stop speaking for 8 ½ hours. Some called it a filibuster. Keith Olberman dubbed it the Filibernie. The speech made the case against a tax deal that had been reached by President Barack Obama with the Republican leadership in Congress to extend Bush-era tax breaks for the wealthiest Americans. “It makes no sense to me to provide huge tax breaks for millionaires and billionaires while we drive up the national debt that our children and grandchildren will have to pay,” Sanders said of the deal at the time. Over Sanders’ objection, the tax deal was approved for two more years. Since then, however, Sanders’ view has prevailed and Congress let tax breaks for the top 1 percent of wage earners expire. Watch Keith Olberman on the Filibernie Watch the speech	1	2026-03-30T12:14:52Z	2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
http://www.leahy.senate.gov/press/leahy-statement-on-the-state-of-civil-rights	Leahy Statement On The State of Civil Rights	2014-12-09	2014	2014-12	Democrat	House	VT	Patrick Leahy	L000174	www.leahy.senate.gov	legacy	12.09.14 Leahy Statement On The State of Civil Rights WASHINGTON (Tuesday, December 9, 2014) – The Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on the Constitution, Civil Rights and Human Rights is currently holding a hearing on “The State of Civil and Human Rights in the United States.” Committee Chairman Senator Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) helped to pass the Matthew Shepard and James Byrd, Jr., Hate Crimes Prevention Act, which was enacted in 2009 and broadened federal hate crimes law to include crimes based on gender, sexual orientation, gender identity or disability. He is the author of the bipartisan, bicameral legislation to strengthen the Voting Rights Act and combat voter discrimination in all states and jurisdictions, and a cosponsor of the bipartisan Smarter Sentencing Act, which would lower nonviolent drug mandatory sentences. Senator Leahy’s statement for the record for today’s hearing is below. Testimony, member statements, and a webcast of the hearing are available online. Statement of Senator Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.), Chairman, Senate Judiciary Committee, Hearing on “The State of Civil and Human Rights in the United States” December 9, 2014 Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., said, “The arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends towards justice.” However, the arc does not bend towards justice without effort. We must put in the necessary hard work – as well as build the foundation and structure – for justice to prevail. It has taken the blood, sweat, and tears of many Americans to push for a “more perfect union.” We must not stop now. There are too many cracks in this foundation, especially in areas such as voting rights, the criminal justice system, and privacy and civil liberties. In the area of voting rights, states continue to pass restrictive voting laws that disenfranchise millions of voters, a disproportionate number of which are minorities. Discriminatory voting laws have become even more common in the wake of last year’s Supreme Court decision dismantling key provisions of the Voting Rights …	1	2026-03-30T12:14:52Z	2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
http://www.leahy.senate.gov/press/multimedia/leahy-speaks-on-release-of-senates-historic-report-on-torture	Leahy Speaks On Release Of Senate’s Historic Report On Torture	2014-12-09	2014	2014-12	Democrat	House	VT	Patrick Leahy	L000174	www.leahy.senate.gov	legacy	WASHINGTON (Tuesday, December 9, 2014) – The summary of a thoroughly researched Congressional report on the Central Intelligence Agency’s (CIA) use of torture during the Bush administration finally makes details of the program public to policymakers and all Americans who had previously been misled, Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) said in a lengthy floor speech on Tuesday. Leahy, who as chairman of the Judiciary Committee presided over several of the many hearings that collected dozens of hours of testimony on the legality and use of harsh interrogation techniques under the Bush administration, said the release of the executive summary of the Senate Intelligence Committee Study of the CIA’s Detention and Interrogation Program “disproves CIA claims that the torture program was necessary to protect our nation and that it thwarted attacks.”	1	2026-03-30T12:14:52Z	2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
http://www.leahy.senate.gov/press/statement-of-senator-patrick-leahy-d-vt-chairman-senate-judiciary-committee-on-senate-consideration-of-trafficking-legislation	Statement Of Senator Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.), Chairman, Senate Judiciary Committee, On Senate Consideration of Trafficking Legislation	2014-12-09	2014	2014-12	Democrat	House	VT	Patrick Leahy	L000174	www.leahy.senate.gov	legacy	12.09.14 Statement Of Senator Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.), Chairman, Senate Judiciary Committee, On Senate Consideration of Trafficking Legislation I could not be a stronger supporter of efforts to prevent human trafficking. But we must offer comprehensive solutions that provide meaningful and reliable resources to support these survivors. Just this Congress, I have led the reauthorization of the Trafficking Victims Protection Act – widely recognized as this country’s most important tool in combatting human trafficking. The law reasserted the United States as a global leader in fighting trafficking by strengthening tools available to prosecutors and providing services for victims, including those victims here at home. The Leahy-Crapo Violence Against Women Reauthorization Act also passed this Congress. That bill expanded the availability of grants to support victims of human trafficking, as well as sexual assault and domestic violence. And now I am working to enact the Runaway and Homeless Youth and Trafficking Prevention Act (S.2646). This bill authorizes the critical resources needed to provide shelter and services for the 1.6 million youth in this country who are homeless. Many of these young people are, or are at risk of becoming, victims of human trafficking. It is time we put our money where our mouth is. We must reauthorize these existing programs that work. These children, whether in Vermont, Minnesota, or Texas, need a place to stay and be safe. And I will not leave these priorities behind for political reasons. # # # # # Press Contact Press Contact David Carle: 202-224-3693 Next Article Previous Article	1	2026-03-30T12:14:52Z	2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
https://www.leahy.senate.gov/press/leahy-speaks-on-release-of-senates-historic-report-on-torture-	Leahy Speaks On Release Of Senates Historic Report On Torture	2014-12-09	2014	2014-12	Democrat	House	VT	Patrick Leahy	L000174	www.leahy.senate.gov	legacy	12.09.14 Leahy Speaks On Release Of Senate's Historic Report On Torture Our nation needed a full accounting of the CIA's treatment of detainees. With this report, at last we have it. WASHINGTON (Tuesday, December 9, 2014) The summary of a thoroughly researched Congressional report on the Central Intelligence Agency's (CIA) use of torture during the Bush administration finally makes details of the program public to policymakers and all Americans who had previously been misled, Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) said in a lengthy floor speech on Tuesday. Leahy, who as chairman of the Judiciary Committee presided over several of the many hearings that collected dozens of hours of testimony on the legality and use of harsh interrogation techniques under the Bush administration, said the release of the executive summary of the Senate Intelligence Committee Study of the CIA's Detention and Interrogation Program disproves CIA claims that the torture program was necessary to protect our nation and that it thwarted attacks. This program did not make us safer, Leahy said, adding: This should not come as a surprise. The Senate Judiciary Committee held numerous hearings on the Bush administration's interrogation policies and practices. What we heard time and again, from witness after witness, is that torture and other cruel treatment do not work. Leahy is a longtime advocate for government transparency and the accountability that it brings. Just yesterday he shepherded his bipartisan FOIA Improvement Act through the Senate based on the principle that Americans have the right to know what their government is doing. Earlier this year, he spoke in support of the Intelligence Committee releasing the summary of its report, noting that it provides critical Congressional oversight of a program that was not subject to such transparency when it was in use under President George W. Bush. In his floor statem…	1	2026-03-30T12:14:52Z	2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
https://www.sanders.senate.gov/newsroom/newswatch/120914	News December 9	2014-12-09	2014	2014-12	Independent	House	VT	Bernard Sanders	S000033	www.sanders.senate.gov	legacy	News December 9 Tuesday, December 9, 2014 Senator Sanders The Middle Class Americans are "a lot better off today than six years ago when George W. Bush left office," Sen. Bernie Sanders told The Ed Schultz Show, but more aggressive action is needed to create jobs and lift wages, the senator added in a radio interview that aired on Monday. AUDIO An American Agenda Sen. Sanders has laid out a 12-point economic plan for jobs, pay equity and a living wage. “It’s one thing to talk about the problems, and it’s important we do that, but it’s another thing to come up with an agenda that rebuilds the middle class," Sanders said Monday on The Leslie Marshall Show. AUDIO Treasury Nominee Progressive groups are emailing supporters, calling on them to oppose President Barack Obama's nomination of Wall Street banker Antonio Weiss for the top spot at the Treasury Department, The Hill reported. Sens. Sanders, Dick Durbin and Elizabeth Warren have aired concerns about the pick. LINK 350.org Bill McKibben, one of America’s highest profile climate activists, is stepping down as the board chairman of 350.org, the environmental organization he co-founded, the Addison County Independent reported. McKibben has been one of the most vocal opponents of the Canadian tar sands pipeline, which Sen. Sanders voted against. LINK World Climate Conference In a sign of the importance that the Obama administration has placed on the outcome of United Nations climate change negotiations taking place this week, Secretary of State John Kerry will arrive on Thursday in Lima, Peru, to strongly urge negotiators to reach a deal, The New York Times reported. LINK Combat Command Ends in Afghanistan American and NATO troops closed their operational command in Afghanistan on Monday, lowering flags in a ceremony to mark the formal end of their combat mission in a country still mired in war 13 years after the U.S.-led invasion, The Associated Press reported. LINK National Torture Report On the eve of a long-a…	1	2026-03-30T12:14:52Z	2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
https://www.sanders.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/sanders-statement-on-cia-report	Sanders Statement on CIA Report	2014-12-09	2014	2014-12	Independent	House	VT	Bernard Sanders	S000033	www.sanders.senate.gov	legacy	Sanders Statement on CIA Report Tuesday, December 9, 2014 WASHINGTON, Dec. 9 – Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) today issued the following statement on a Senate Intelligence Committee investigation which found that the Central Intelligence Agency misled the White House and Congress about the brutal interrogation of terrorism suspects: “A great nation must be prepared to acknowledge its errors. This report details an ugly chapter in American history during which our leaders and the intelligence community dishonored our nation’s proud traditions. Of course we must aggressively pursue international terrorists who would do us harm, but we must do so in a way that is consistent with the basic respect for human rights which makes us proud to be Americans. “The United States must not engage in torture. If we do, in an increasingly brutal world we lose our moral standing to condemn other nations or groups that engage in uncivilized behavior.”	1	2026-03-30T12:14:52Z	2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
https://www.sanders.senate.gov/newsroom/recent-business/cia-brutality-dishonesty-detailed-in-senate-report	CIA Brutality, Dishonesty Detailed in Senate Report	2014-12-09	2014	2014-12	Independent	House	VT	Bernard Sanders	S000033	www.sanders.senate.gov	legacy	CIA Brutality, Dishonesty Detailed in Senate Report Tuesday, December 9, 2014 A Senate Intelligence Committee investigation found that the Central Intelligence Agency misled the White House and Congress about the brutal interrogation of terrorism suspects. “A great nation must be prepared to acknowledge its errors. This report details an ugly chapter in American history during which our leaders and the intelligence community dishonored our nation’s proud traditions,” said Sen. Bernie Sanders. “Of course we must aggressively pursue international terrorists who would do us harm, but we must do so in a way that is consistent with the basic respect for human rights which makes us proud to be Americans. “The United States must not engage in torture. If we do, in an increasingly brutal world, we lose our moral standing to condemn other nations or groups that engage in uncivilized behavior,” the senator added. Read the report	1	2026-03-30T12:14:52Z	2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
https://www.leahy.senate.gov/press/leahy-and-cornyn-urge-senate-to-pass-foia-improvement-act-today	Leahy & Cornyn Urge Senate To Pass FOIA Improvement Act TODAY	2014-12-08	2014	2014-12	Democrat	House	VT	Patrick Leahy	L000174	www.leahy.senate.gov	legacy	12.08.14 Leahy & Cornyn Urge Senate To Pass FOIA Improvement Act TODAY WASHINGTON (Monday, December 8, 2014) -- Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) and Senator John Cornyn (R-Texas) urged Senators Monday to pass historic legislation that strengthens the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA), the nation's premier open government law. The FOIA Improvement Act of 2014, which was approved unanimously by the Judiciary Committee last month, requires Federal agencies to operate under a presumption of openness when considering the release of government information under the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA). This is the same language the President laid out in his historic memorandum in 2009, and which is already being followed by government agencies. The Leahy-Cornyn bill would make this presumption a permanent fixture in FOIA. The legislation would not require the disclosure of information that is prohibited from being released, such as classified information. Maintaining an open government is fundamental to our democracy. The FOIA Improvement Act will help open the government to the 300 million Americans it serves by placing a statutory priority on openness and transparency, rather than allowing agencies simply to hide behind exemptions, Senator Leahy said. As a former prosecutor, I also understand the need for attorneys to do their work. Our legislation increases transparency while allowing government attorneys to do their job. The Senate must pass our legislation today so it can be sent over to the House and enacted this year. An open and transparent government is the linchpin of American democracy, and the Senate should pass our bill without delay to improve this important law and promote greater accountability for the American people from their government, Senator Cornyn said. The FOIA Improvement Act is supported by more than 70 groups that advocate for government transparency, as well as the Sunshine in Government Initiative. An outline of the FOIA Improvement Act can be foun…	1	2026-03-30T12:14:52Z	2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
https://www.leahy.senate.gov/press/senate-monday-night-passes-leahys-foia-improvement-act-	Senate Monday Night Passes Leahys FOIA Improvement Act	2014-12-08	2014	2014-12	Democrat	House	VT	Patrick Leahy	L000174	www.leahy.senate.gov	legacy	12.08.14 Senate Monday Night Passes Leahy's FOIA Improvement Act Leahy And Cornyn Call On House To Pass Legislation, Send It To The House For Signature This Week WASHINGTON (Monday, December 8, 2014) -- Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) and Senator John Cornyn (R-Texas) hailed the Senate's passage late Monday of historic legislation that strengthens the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA), the nation's premier open government law. The FOIA Improvement Act of 2014, which was approved unanimously by the Judiciary Committee last month, requires Federal agencies to operate under a presumption of openness when considering the release of government information under the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA). This is the same language the President laid out in his historic memorandum in 2009, and which is already being followed by government agencies. The Leahy-Cornyn bill would make this presumption a permanent fixture in FOIA. The legislation would not require the disclosure of information that is prohibited from being released, such as classified information. Maintaining an open government is fundamental to our democracy. The FOIA Improvement Act will help open the government to all Americans by placing an emphasis on openness and transparency, rather than allowing agencies simply to hide behind exemptions, Leahy and Cornyn said in a joint statement. The Senators added: With the Senate's action today, it is critical the House take up and pass the FOIA Improvement Act this week so it can be enacted this year. The FOIA Improvement Act is supported by more than 70 groups that advocate for government transparency, as well as the Sunshine in Government Initiative. An outline of the FOIA Improvement Act can be found here, and text of legislation can be found online. ##### Press Contact Press Contact David Carle: 202-224-3693 …	1	2026-03-30T12:14:52Z	2026-03-30T12:14:52Z

Advanced export

JSON shape: default, array, newline-delimited, object

CREATE TABLE [releases] (
   [url] TEXT PRIMARY KEY,
   [title] TEXT,
   [date] TEXT,
   [year] TEXT,
   [month] TEXT,
   [party] TEXT,
   [chamber] TEXT,
   [state] TEXT,
   [member_name] TEXT,
   [bioguide_id] TEXT,
   [domain] TEXT,
   [scraper] TEXT,
   [source] TEXT,
   [date_source] TEXT,
   [text] TEXT,
   [has_text] INTEGER,
   [collected_at] TEXT,
   [updated_at] TEXT
);
CREATE INDEX [idx_releases_date]
    ON [releases] ([date]);
CREATE INDEX [idx_releases_year]
    ON [releases] ([year]);
CREATE INDEX [idx_releases_party]
    ON [releases] ([party]);
CREATE INDEX [idx_releases_chamber]
    ON [releases] ([chamber]);
CREATE INDEX [idx_releases_state]
    ON [releases] ([state]);
CREATE INDEX [idx_releases_bioguide_id]
    ON [releases] ([bioguide_id]);
CREATE INDEX [idx_releases_has_text]
    ON [releases] ([has_text]);

Press releases

1,312 rows where state = "VT" and year = 2014 sorted by date descending

Advanced export