Press releases
Data license: MIT · Data source: dwillis/congress-press
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688 rows where state = "VT" and year = 2016 sorted by date descending
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| url | title | date ▲ | year | month | party | chamber | state | member_name | bioguide_id | domain | scraper | source | date_source | text | has_text | collected_at | updated_at |
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| https://www.leahy.senate.gov/press/leahy-reaction-on-russian-hacking-of-a-vermont-electric-utility | Leahy Reaction On Russian Hacking Of A Vermont Electric Utility | 2016-12-30 | 2016 | 2016-12 | Democrat | House | VT | Patrick Leahy | L000174 | www.leahy.senate.gov | legacy | 12.30.16 Leahy Reaction On Russian Hacking Of A Vermont Electric Utility Statement of Senator Patrick Leahy On Russian Hacking Friday, December 30, 2016 State-sponsored Russian hacking is a serious threat, and the attempts to penetrate the electric grid through a Vermont utility are the latest example. My staff and I were briefed by Vermont State Police Colonel Matthew Birmingham this evening. This is beyond hackers having electronic joy rides this is now about trying to access utilities to potentially manipulate the grid and shut it down in the middle of winter. That is a direct threat to Vermont and we do not take it lightly. # # # # # 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.sanders.senate.gov/newsroom/must-read/sanders-va-must-not-be-privatized | Sanders: VA Must Not Be Privatized | 2016-12-30 | 2016 | 2016-12 | Independent | House | VT | Bernard Sanders | S000033 | www.sanders.senate.gov | legacy | Sanders: VA Must Not Be Privatized Friday, December 30, 2016 WASHINGTON, Dec. 30 – Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), a former chairman of the Senate Committee on Veterans’ Affairs, issued the following statement Friday in response to reports that President-elect Donald Trump is considering privatizing the Department of Veterans Affairs: “Privatizing the VA would be an insult to the more than 22 million veterans who risked their lives to defend our country and it would significantly lower the quality of health care they receive. Our goal, shared by The American Legion and other major veterans’ organizations, must be to improve the VA, not destroy it. When men and women put their lives on the line to defend us, the president must listen to them, not to the Koch brothers and their extreme right-wing, anti-government ideology. We will vigorously oppose any and all efforts to privatize the VA. “The president-elect should listen to American Legion Executive Director Verna Jones, who recently said the nation’s largest veterans’ organization ‘would like the Trump administration to know that we value our Department of Veterans Affairs’ because ‘dollar-for-dollar, there is no better care or value available anywhere in the United States – period.’ “The president-elect should listen to the Veterans of Foreign Wars. ‘Politicians, pundits and politically-motivated organizations are using the national crisis in access to care at the Department of Veterans Affairs as justification to dismantle and privatize the VA health care system, with some even proposing that veterans be charged for their service-connected care. The VFW says no! Veterans must not stand idle as politicians who never served or use the VA health care system dictate when and where veterans can receive care.’ “The president-elect should listen to Paul Rieckhoff of the Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America who said, ‘The worst case scenario within the vets community is a total dismantling of everything they worked generati… | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://www.sanders.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/sanders-statement-on-va | Sanders Statement on VA | 2016-12-30 | 2016 | 2016-12 | Independent | House | VT | Bernard Sanders | S000033 | www.sanders.senate.gov | legacy | Sanders Statement on VA Friday, December 30, 2016 WASHINGTON, Dec. 30 – Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), a former chairman of the Senate Committee on Veterans’ Affairs, issued the following statement Friday in response to reports that President-elect Donald Trump is considering privatizing the Department of Veterans Affairs: “Privatizing the VA would be an insult to the more than 22 million veterans who risked their lives to defend our country and it would significantly lower the quality of health care they receive. Our goal, shared by The American Legion and other major veterans’ organizations, must be to improve the VA, not destroy it. When men and women put their lives on the line to defend us, the president must listen to them, not to the Koch brothers and their extreme right-wing, anti-government ideology. We will vigorously oppose any and all efforts to privatize the VA.“The president-elect should listen to American Legion Executive Director Verna Jones, who recently said the nation’s largest veterans’ organization ‘would like the Trump administration to know that we value our Department of Veterans Affairs’ because ‘dollar-for-dollar, there is no better care or value available anywhere in the United States – period.’“The president-elect should listen to the Veterans of Foreign Wars. ‘Politicians, pundits and politically-motivated organizations are using the national crisis in access to care at the Department of Veterans Affairs as justification to dismantle and privatize the VA health care system, with some even proposing that veterans be charged for their service-connected care. The VFW says no! Veterans must not stand idle as politicians who never served or use the VA health care system dictate when and where veterans can receive care.’“The president-elect should listen to Paul Rieckhoff of the Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America who said, ‘The worst case scenario within the vets community is a total dismantling of everything they worked generations to create. There i… | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://www.sanders.senate.gov/newsroom/must-read/senators-ask-trump-epa-chief-pick-to-disclose-energy-industry-ties | Senators Ask Trump EPA Chief Pick to Disclose Energy Industry Ties | 2016-12-29 | 2016 | 2016-12 | Independent | House | VT | Bernard Sanders | S000033 | www.sanders.senate.gov | legacy | Senators Ask Trump EPA Chief Pick to Disclose Energy Industry Ties Thursday, December 29, 2016 Democrats on the U.S. Senate's environment panel on Wednesday asked President-elect Donald Trump's choice to head the Environmental Protection Agency to disclose his ties to the energy industry ahead of his confirmation hearing early next year. The six senators sent a letter to Scott Pruitt, who as Oklahoma Attorney General led several lawsuits against the Obama administration's EPA to block its environmental rules. They asked him to list his connections to energy companies, to weigh whether these will influence his ability to run the agency. "What that conduct says about your ability to lead EPA in a manner that is not beholden to special or secret interests is a subject that we expect will receive a full airing during your confirmation hearing," the senators wrote in the letter. The senators raised concerns about a 2014 New York Times report, which found that Pruitt's policy positions as Oklahoma's top attorney reflected his close ties to Devon Energy Corp. Continue reading here | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://www.leahy.senate.gov/press/reaction-of-senator-patrick-leahy-d-vt-to-the-united-states-abstention-in-the-un-security-council-on-the-resolution-on-israeli-settlements | Reaction Of Senator Patrick Leahy (D-Vt) To The United States Abstention In The UN Security Council On The Resolution On Israeli Settlements | 2016-12-24 | 2016 | 2016-12 | Democrat | House | VT | Patrick Leahy | L000174 | www.leahy.senate.gov | legacy | 12.24.16 Reaction Of Senator Patrick Leahy (D-Vt) To The United States Abstention In The UN Security Council On The Resolution On Israeli Settlements "Ever since Oslo, Republican and Democratic administrations have opposed Israeli settlement construction in the West Bank as an obstacle to peace. That was not a throwaway line, but nevertheless,year after year the expansion of settlements into disputed territory continued and even accelerated as if the policy of the United States, and UN resolutions, didn't matter. "Throughout theseyears, U.S. militaryaid to Israel has increased, evenasprospects for a two statesolution, which Israeli leaders have consistently claimed to want, have steadily diminished. And even asthe festeringIsraeli-Palestinian conflict has itselfbecome a threat to thenational security ofthe United States. "I commend President Obama and Ambassador Power for makingclear that while wedeplore the failure of the Palestinian leadership to condemn violence andwill defend Israel against any foe, we will do so in a manner that says we must also defend America's interests as Ambassador Power 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.sanders.senate.gov/vermont/vermonts-snowmobiling-season-underway_as-new-lvrt-sections-open | Vermonts Snowmobiling Season Underway, As New LVRT Sections Open | 2016-12-23 | 2016 | 2016-12 | Independent | House | VT | Bernard Sanders | S000033 | www.sanders.senate.gov | legacy | Vermont’s Snowmobiling Season Underway, As New LVRT Sections Open Friday, December 23, 2016 Vermont’s snowmobile season has begun. This year, Vermonters and visitors to our state will be able to enjoy newly opened sections of the Lamoille Valley Rail Trail (LVRT). When complete, the LVRT will be a 93-mile long, multi-use, four-season recreational trail that traverses northern Vermont from Swanton to St. Johnsbury. The rail trail will be longest of its kind in New England. So far, about one-third of the project is complete, said Cindy Locke, the executive director the Vermont Association of Snow Travelers (VAST). The most recent trail sections completed are the 13-mile section from West Danville to St. Johnsbury and the 17-mile leg from Morrisville to Jeffersonville, Locke said. The next section to be created will be from Sheldon to Swanton. In addition to significantly expanding VAST’s roughly 500-mile trail network throughout Vermont, the LVRT is providing new opportunities for walkers, runners, bicyclists, horse-riders, dog mushers, snowshoers and cross-country skiers. Sen. Bernie Sanders secured $5.2 million for the project in 2006. Another $10 million to $12 million will be needed to finish the trail, Locke said, adding that the goal is to complete the project in the next six years. VAST has launched a fundraising effort to help raise resources which could include additional state and federal funds. Locke said it is hard to underestimate the value of the project for the region’s economy. “We have seen businesses growing -- businesses being born -- because of this trail,” she said. “This is like the best story in the world. It is going to do so much for the economy of northern Vermont.” Since the LVRT is a four-season trail, the economic benefit is not limited to winter. Restaurants and biking tour companies, for example, have been given a major boost from the increased tourism along the sections of the trail that have been completed, Locke said. “I se… | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://www.leahy.senate.gov/press/the-year-closes-on-a-high-note-for-vermonts-transportation-future_--- | The Year Closes On A High Note For Vermonts Transportation Future -- Leahy-Authored Bill To Facilitate Preclearance Travel Operations In Canada Is Signed Into Law | 2016-12-22 | 2016 | 2016-12 | Democrat | House | VT | Patrick Leahy | L000174 | www.leahy.senate.gov | legacy | 12.22.16 The Year Closes On A High Note For Vermont's Transportation Future' -- Leahy-Authored Bill To Facilitate Preclearance Travel Operations In Canada Is Signed Into Law . . . Thursday News Conference In Burlington Spotlights Removal Of The Largest Hurdle For Swifter Cross-Border Air and Rail Travel Between Vermont and Canada BURLINGTON (THURSDAY, Dec. 22, 2016) Senator Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) was joined Thursday by federal and state officials, representatives of Amtrak, Porter Airlines and local chamber of commerce officials at the Burlington International Airport to mark the enactment of the Promoting Travel, Commerce, and National Security Act. The legislation, unanimously passed by the U.S. Senate in the last day of this year's session, was signed into law by President Obama on December 16th. Leahy penned the legislation earlier this year, which is needed to facilitate air travel and eventually, passenger rail service between Burlington and Canadian cities, and between other U.S. and Canadian destinations. The new law paves the way for expansion of preclearance facilities, operated by U.S. Customs and Border Protection, at land, rail, marine and air ports of departure in Canada, easing travel and commerce between the two countries. The event Thursday coincided with Porter Airlines first seasonal flight between Toronto City Airport and Burlington International. Toronto City Airport is a possible future preclearance site in Canada. The Leahy-led bill promotes two key national goals: enhancing U.S. national security, and increasing efficiency for travelers and commercial exchanges. Leahy has long advocated improving cross-border travel and was the driving force behind this effort, forging the bipartisan and bicameral coalition and guiding its passage through the Senate. Leahy said: Vermonters regularly talk to me about improving the travel experience between Canada and the United States. As we welcome … | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://www.sanders.senate.gov/vermont/u-32s-mccann-is-vt-teacher-of-the-year | U-32s McCann is Vt. Teacher of the Year | 2016-12-21 | 2016 | 2016-12 | Independent | House | VT | Bernard Sanders | S000033 | www.sanders.senate.gov | legacy | U-32’s McCann is Vt. Teacher of the Year By: Eric Blaisdell Times Argus Wednesday, December 21, 2016 EAST MONTPELIER — A mathematics teacher at U-32 Middle & High School has been named Vermont’s Teacher of the Year for 2017. Katherine McCann, who is in the middle of her 11th year at the school, was chosen for the honor by the Agency of Education. The alternate Teacher of the Year is Rachael Potts, a special education and transition specialist at Harwood Union High School in Duxbury, and a finalist was Corey Smith, a fourth-grade teacher at Proctor Elementary School. McCann is now Vermont’s candidate for the National Teacher of the Year award, which is sponsored by the Council of Chief State School Officers. She will travel this spring to the White House in Washington for a reception where she will meet President Donald Trump. McCann was told the news at a surprise assembly at the East Montpelier school Tuesday. She said in an interview that it was “very overwhelming” to be picked and she wasn’t sure what it entailed. “I hope that I can do a good job speaking for teachers throughout the state,” McCann said. Continue reading here | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://www.leahy.senate.gov/press/comment-of-senator-patrick-leahy-d-vt-on-potus-announcement-banning-drilling-in-parts-of-atlantic-and-arctic-oceans | Comment of Senator Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) On POTUS Announcement Banning Drilling in Parts of Atlantic and Arctic Oceans | 2016-12-20 | 2016 | 2016-12 | Democrat | House | VT | Patrick Leahy | L000174 | www.leahy.senate.gov | legacy | 12.20.16 Comment of Senator Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) On POTUS Announcement Banning Drilling in Parts of Atlantic and Arctic Oceans The President clearly listened to the countless voices of coastal residents who oppose the unnecessary risk that drilling poses to their way of life and to the coastal economies that depend on healthy oceans and pristine beaches. I agree with the President that these risks, as well as those posed to the wildlife and marine life that call these oceans home, should not be jeopardized to enable multi-billion dollar corporations to benefit from risky offshore drilling activities. I applaud President Obama for today's announcement, as well as that of the Canadian government. This important cross border work with Canada ensures that a joint withdrawal of the Arctic will prevent irreparable harm to the rare and fragile Arctic ecosystem. # # # # # 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.sanders.senate.gov/newsroom/must-read/social-security-checks-are-being-reduced-for-unpaid-student-debt | Social Security Checks Are Being Reduced for Unpaid Student Debt | 2016-12-20 | 2016 | 2016-12 | Independent | House | VT | Bernard Sanders | S000033 | www.sanders.senate.gov | legacy | Social Security Checks Are Being Reduced for Unpaid Student Debt By: Josh Mitchell Tuesday, December 20, 2016 The federal government is increasingly taking money out of recipients’ Social Security checks to recover millions in unpaid student debt, leaving thousands of retired and disabled Americans with below-poverty incomes, according to a report set to be released Tuesday. The government has collected about $1.1 billion since 2001 from Social Security recipients of all ages over unpaid student loans, the Government Accountability Office reported. That includes $171 million in Social Security benefits in fiscal 2015 alone. In the year through September 2015, about 114,000 Americans age 50 and older had their Social Security benefits reduced to offset defaulted student loans. That figure—which includes 38,000 people age 65 or older—has risen 440% since 2002. The report highlights the growing number of baby boomers who are entering retirement with student debt, many of them in default on loans from decades ago. About 4 in 10 borrowers whose Social Security checks were garnished have held the debt for at least 20 years, the report said. Most of the borrowers took out the loans to pay for their own educations, though a big share borrowed to help pay for their children’s schooling. Continue reading here. | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://www.sanders.senate.gov/newsroom/must-read/study-largest-us-banks-still-charge-high-overdraft-fees | Study: Largest U.S. banks still charge high overdraft fees | 2016-12-20 | 2016 | 2016-12 | Independent | House | VT | Bernard Sanders | S000033 | www.sanders.senate.gov | legacy | Study: Largest U.S. banks still charge high overdraft fees By: Kevin McCoy Tuesday, December 20, 2016 Most major U.S. banks continue to charge high fees when customers overdraft their accounts, according to a new report issued Tuesday. More than two out of five banks also rearrange their processing of account holders' transactions with a procedure that maximizes overdraft fees, said the report by The Pew Charitable Trusts, an independent, non-profit organization. A separate review of overdraft programs at a selection of smaller U.S. banks found many practices are largely comparable to those of larger banks, the report also concluded. Some of the findings echo previous studies of the issue, including a 2008 analysis by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp and a Consumer Financial Protection Bureau study in 2013. The new results show a need for banks to institute new policies that prevent their widely-offered "courtesy" overdraft programs "from being costly and unsustainable forms of short-term credit for many financially vulnerable consumers, said Nick Bourke, director of Pew's consumer finance project. Continue reading here. | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://www.sanders.senate.gov/vermont/as-vermonts-ag-donovan-to-focus-on-criminal-justice-reform | As Vermonts AG, Donovan to Focus on Criminal Justice Reform | 2016-12-20 | 2016 | 2016-12 | Independent | House | VT | Bernard Sanders | S000033 | www.sanders.senate.gov | legacy | As Vermont’s AG, Donovan to Focus on Criminal Justice Reform Tuesday, December 20, 2016 Last month, Vermonters elected T.J. Donovan, 42, to serve as Vermont’s next attorney general. He will replace Attorney General Bill Sorrell, who has held the office since 1997. Donovan has served as Chittenden County’s state’s attorney for the last decade and is planning an ambitious agenda as Vermont’s attorney general, including significant criminal justice reform on the state level. In an interview last week, Donovan outlined some of that agenda: QUESTION: What are your major goals as Vermont’s attorney general? DONOVAN: My biggest goal is to simply help Vermonters, wherever they are, whomever they are, and with whatever they need. The Attorney General’s Office has a broad portfolio that touches many different areas. But what I feel passionately about is just helping regular folks with issues that are preventing them from getting ahead or getting by. That could mean helping a small business figure out what the rules and regs are in order for compliance. It could mean making sure that we continue to reform our criminal justice system so we don’t keep people out of upward mobility. It could mean making sure that we’re protecting our environment so we have clean water and clean air. Just being engaged at a really local level -- at a grassroots level -- and helping Vermonters get ahead. What I believe in is in common sense. I believe in the goodness of people. I believe most people want to do the right thing. And I’m excited to be an Attorney General who, hopefully, responds in a way that helps regular folks get ahead. QUESTION: In Chittenden County, you developed the Rapid Intervention Community Court. Can you speak a little about that? Is that the model for a statewide approach to criminal justice reform? [Note: The Rapid Intervention Community Court is an award-winning pre-charge diversion program started by Donovan in 2010 for non-violent offenders whose crimes were driven … | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://www.leahy.senate.gov/press/patrick-and-marcelle-leahy-pay-respects-to-john-glenn-at-memorial-service-in-columbus | Patrick And Marcelle Leahy Pay Respects To John Glenn At Memorial Service In Columbus | 2016-12-17 | 2016 | 2016-12 | Democrat | House | VT | Patrick Leahy | L000174 | www.leahy.senate.gov | legacy | 12.17.16 Patrick And Marcelle Leahy Pay Respects To John Glenn At Memorial Service In Columbus COLUMBUS (SATURDAY, Dec. 17, 2016) Senator Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) and his wife Marcelle Leahy on Saturday attended the memorial service here for the late former Senator John Glenn (D-Ohio). The Leahys and Glenns enjoyed an especially close bond of friendship in the United States Senate. The Leahys traveled to Columbus with Vice President Biden and Jill Biden, aboard the Vice President's plane. We met when John and I came to the Senate. Our friendship crystalized in an instant, and it blossomed and endured for years, said Patrick Leahy. We worked side by side, we spent time together, and Marcelle and I traveled together with John and Annie on Senate delegations to such countries as China and Vietnam. Leahy continued: Of the 371 senators I have served with, John stands out, for his decency, for his courage, and for his optimism about our country. It also was a joy and a tonic to see and feel the deep and everlasting bond of love and affection that John and Annie lived, each and every day. He was at the cusp of a generation of leaders who sought to challenge and inspire us. Godspeed, John Glenn. Our prayers, our hearts and a grateful nation's admiration are with you and Annie. Leahy also released a gallery of photos of John and Annie Glenn that he has drawn from his archives. These PHOTOS (LINK, BELOW) are available for immediate use: # # # # # 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://welch.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/welch-leads-bipartisan-effort-stop-illegal-branding-fake-milk-real-milk | Welch Leads Bipartisan Effort to Stop the Illegal Branding of Fake Milk as Real Milk | 2016-12-16 | 2016 | 2016-12 | Democrat | House | VT | Peter Welch | W000800 | welch.house.gov | legacy | WASHINGTON Continuing his advocacy to protect Vermont's dairy farmers as well as the consumers' right to know, Rep. Peter Welch (D-VT), joined by Mike Simpson (R-ID) and 23 other members of Congress, today urged the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to exercise its legal authority to investigate and take action against the manufacturers of products they falsely claim to be milk. Dairy farmers continue to be buffeted by extreme financial hardships. Since 2014, milk prices have plunged 40 percent. During that same time, there has been a surge in the mislabeling of imitation milk products, including beverages produced from almond, soy, and rice. In a bipartisan letter to the FDA, Welch and his colleagues objected to the mislabeling of imitation plant-based products that do not have the unique attributes and nutritional value of milk, yet are marketed as milk. While consumers are entitled to choose imitation products, it is misleading and illegal for manufacturers of these items to profit from the milk name, said Welch and his colleagues. These products should be allowed on the market only when accurately labeled. We urge FDA to enforce this matter by requiring plant-based products to adopt a more appropriate name that does not include the word milk'. The letter can be read in its entirety below. Thanks to Congressman Welch for spearheading this effort to support our dairy sector, said Leon Berthiaume, CEO of the St. Albans Cooperative Creamery, Inc. Proper labeling of milk is of utmost importance to our industry and dairy farmers. Milk has its own unique, positive attributes that must be clearly communicated to consumers. While imitation may be the sincerest form of flattery; dairy imitators do not naturally provide the same level of nutrition to the people buying them as milk does, President and CEO of International Dairy Foods Association Michael Dykes said. Non-dairy beverages can mislead people into thinking that these products are comparable replacements for milk when in fact most are nutritionally infer… | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://www.leahy.senate.gov/press/comment-of-senator-patrick-leahy-d-vt_ranking-member-senate-judiciary-committee-on-the-appointment-of-debo-p-adegbile-to-serve-as-a-commissioner-on-the-us-commission-on-civil-rights | Comment Of Senator Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.), Ranking Member, Senate Judiciary Committee, On the Appointment of Debo P. Adegbile to Serve as a Commissioner On the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights | 2016-12-16 | 2016 | 2016-12 | Democrat | House | VT | Patrick Leahy | L000174 | www.leahy.senate.gov | legacy | 12.16.16 Comment Of Senator Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.), Ranking Member, Senate Judiciary Committee, On the Appointment of Debo P. Adegbile to Serve as a Commissioner On the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights I applaud President Obama's wise appointment today of Debo P. Adegbile to serve as a Commissioner on the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights. Debo brings a strong, independent and knowledgeable voice to the Commission. He has devoted much of his career to fighting for the civil rights of all Americans. Debo has also twice argued before the Supreme Court on the constitutionality of the Voting Rights Act. At a time when religious and racial minorities feel afraid and threatened, and when Americans' voting rights are in their greatest jeopardy since the passage of the Voting Rights Act, the Commission will play an important role in ensuring that the American people are informed about the current state of federal civil rights policy and the enforcement of those laws. Debo's much needed expertise will serve the Commission well. I congratulate Debo on his appointment. # # # # # 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/grassley-leahy-comment-on-us-copyright-office-report-examining-the-legal-framework-of-software-enabled-consumer-products | Grassley, Leahy Comment on U.S. Copyright Office Report Examining the Legal Framework of Software-Enabled Consumer Products | 2016-12-16 | 2016 | 2016-12 | Democrat | House | VT | Patrick Leahy | L000174 | www.leahy.senate.gov | legacy | 12.16.16 Grassley, Leahy Comment on U.S. Copyright Office Report Examining the Legal Framework of Software-Enabled Consumer Products WASHINGTON The U.S. Copyright Office released ananalysisof how copyright law applies to software-enabled consumer products, which are becoming increasingly prevalent in the lives of American consumers. The report was prompted by a 2015 requestfrom Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) and Ranking Member Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.). The senators issued the following statement: In everything from Fitbit to farm equipment, we've seen a sweeping expansion of smart technology in recent years and the emergence of the new internet of things. While this innovation presents new opportunities, it also poses important questions about privacy, consumer protection, public safety, cybersecurity, competition, and the development of the digital economy. To help us understand a critical component of these issues, we asked the Copyright Office for a study of how our copyright laws are implicated by the prevalence of software enabled devices. We greatly appreciate the Copyright Office's hard work in producing this timely study, which will prove invaluable to the Senate Judiciary Committee as we continue to work together to make informed policy choices that protect the interests of consumers, creators and innovators. -30- 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-bill-to-improve-criminal-justice-system_signed-into-law | Leahy Bill To Improve Criminal Justice System Signed Into Law | 2016-12-16 | 2016 | 2016-12 | Democrat | House | VT | Patrick Leahy | L000174 | www.leahy.senate.gov | legacy | 12.16.16 Leahy Bill To Improve Criminal Justice System Signed Into Law Bipartisan Justice for All Reauthorization Act Renews Leahy's Groundbreaking Innocence Protection Act & Aims to Reduce Rape Kit Backlog WASHINGTON (FRIDAY, December 16, 2016) Legislation authored by Senator Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) to help ensure that the criminal justice system functions fairly was signed into law on Friday by President Obama. The Justice for All Reauthorization Act aims to reduce the rape kit backlog by supporting grant programs that fund forensic testing. The bill, introduced by Leahy and Senator John Cornyn (R-Texas), also renews the Innocence Protection Act, a landmark Leahy law which includes the Kirk Bloodsworth Post-Conviction DNA Testing Grant Program. That program facilitates the use of post-conviction testing of DNA evidence that can exonerate the wrongly convicted and hold the guilty accountable. The Justice for All Reauthorization Act also requires the Justice Department to assist state and local governments to improve their indigent defense systems and ensures implementation of the Prison Rape Elimination Act. Although there is more to be done, the Justice for All Reauthorization Act takes important steps to even the scales of our justice system. This criminal justice reform law will improve our indigent defense system, ensure access to post-conviction DNA testing, and make sure that the rights of crime victims, including survivors of sexual assault, are protected, Senator Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) said. I will continue to fight alongside leaders like Kirk Bloodsworth, the first person exonerated by DNA evidence after being sentenced to die, and Debbie Smith, who fought for years to have her rape kit tested, to ensure our criminal justice system has integrity and inspires confidence. He added: When it is available and when it is used, DNA evidence can help convict the guilty, and exonerate the innocent. It can h… | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://www.sanders.senate.gov/newsroom/must-read/credit-card-rates-are-going-up-and-may-keep-rising | Credit-Card Rates Are Going Up and May Keep Rising | 2016-12-16 | 2016 | 2016-12 | Independent | House | VT | Bernard Sanders | S000033 | www.sanders.senate.gov | legacy | Credit-Card Rates Are Going Up and May Keep Rising By: By PETER RUDEGEAIR and ANNAMARIA ANDRIOTIS Friday, December 16, 2016 Credit-card companies have been spending huge sums to woo consumers with perks and rewards. Now, cardholders are about to be reminded that lenders can dish out higher costs, too. The annual percentage rates on millions of credit-card accounts are set to rise following the Federal Reserve’s decision on Wednesday toincrease its target short-term interest rate. Borrowers can expect the quarter-point rate increase to pass through to their card balances within the next two billing cycles, saidGreg McBride, chief financial analyst at Bankrate.com, a firm that tracks credit-card rates. Continue reading here. | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://www.sanders.senate.gov/newsroom/must-read/employers-nationwide-gave-raises-to-avoid-paying-overtime-now-theyre-taking-them-back | Employers nationwide gave raises to avoid paying overtime. Now they're taking them back. | 2016-12-16 | 2016 | 2016-12 | Independent | House | VT | Bernard Sanders | S000033 | www.sanders.senate.gov | legacy | Employers nationwide gave raises to avoid paying overtime. Now they're taking them back. By: Jack Smith IV Friday, December 16, 2016 Garrett Hutcheson, a supervisor at a catering supply company in the southwest, was told he was getting an enormous raise: a $7,000 bump to his salary of around $40,000. The extra cash meant he could move his youngfamily out of his girlfriend's parents' house. Instead, he'll be staying there, working long night shifts without overtime pay. "This would've gotten us on our feet," Hutcheson said. "I've still got hope, but I'm not optimistic." Pay increases like the one Hutcheson got, the result of a regulatory rule change by the Obama administration, were set to help more than 4 million workers. Just the expectation of the new rule triggered raises for workers across the country, including managers at Walmart, . Now, as a result of the ongoing tussle between the administration and federal courts regarding overtime pay that began in 2014, an injunction against the rule means a victory for big business interests — and rescinding of raises for Hutcheson and an unclear number of fellow workers. Continue reading here. | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://www.sanders.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/cummings-and-sanders-raise-concerns-about-assertions-to-congress-by-heritage-pharmaceuticals-while-company-engaged-in-alleged-price-fixing | Cummings and Sanders Raise Concerns about Assertions to Congress by Heritage Pharmaceuticals While Company Engaged in Alleged Price Fixing | 2016-12-16 | 2016 | 2016-12 | Independent | House | VT | Bernard Sanders | S000033 | www.sanders.senate.gov | legacy | Cummings and Sanders Raise Concerns about Assertions to Congress by Heritage Pharmaceuticals While Company Engaged in Alleged Price Fixing Friday, December 16, 2016 WASHINGTON, Dec. 16 — Today, Rep. Elijah E. Cummings, Ranking Member of the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, and Senator Bernie Sanders, Ranking Member of the Subcommittee on Primary Health and Aging, Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions, sent a letter to Heritage Pharmaceuticals requesting information about the company’s assertions to Congress in 2014 while the company was engaged in alleged price fixing of certain drugs, according to the Department of Justice and Attorneys General from 20 different states. Cummings and Sanders first began investigating Heritage’s pricing practices in 2014 when they sent a letter to the company’s former CEO, Jeffrey Glazer, raising concerns and requesting documents about the sales and pricing of doxycycline hyclate. In response, Heritage’s counsel sent a letter on October 23, 2014, asserting that “Heritage has not seen any significant price increases for its Doxycycline Hyclate DR product in the United States market.” Heritage declined to provide any of the documents or information the Members requested. The individual who signed the letter making these assertions is Gary Ruckelshaus, who served at the time at an outside firm, but now appears to have joined Heritage as Vice President and General Counsel. This week, the Department of Justice filed charges against Mr. Glazer and former Heritage President Jason Malek for engaging in price fixing with doxycycline hyclate and another drug. Attorneys General from 20 states followed with their own complaint yesterday. “In light of these new criminal allegations against Mr. Glazer and Mr. Malek, we are very concerned that your company made these assertions to Congress during the exact time period that your executives were engaged in a price fixing scheme to prevent competition from driving dow… | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://www.sanders.senate.gov/newsroom/recent-business/cummings-and-sanders-raise-concerns-about-assertions-to-congress-by-heritage-pharmaceuticals-while-company-engaged-in-alleged-price-fixing | Cummings and Sanders Raise Concerns about Assertions to Congress by Heritage Pharmaceuticals While Company Engaged in Alleged Price Fixing | 2016-12-16 | 2016 | 2016-12 | Independent | House | VT | Bernard Sanders | S000033 | www.sanders.senate.gov | legacy | Cummings and Sanders Raise Concerns about Assertions to Congress by Heritage Pharmaceuticals While Company Engaged in Alleged Price Fixing Friday, December 16, 2016 WASHINGTON, Dec. 16 — Today, Rep. Elijah E. Cummings, Ranking Member of the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, and Senator Bernie Sanders, Ranking Member of the Subcommittee on Primary Health and Aging, Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions, sent a letter to Heritage Pharmaceuticals requesting information about the company’s assertions to Congress in 2014 while the company was engaged in alleged price fixing of certain drugs, according to the Department of Justice and Attorneys General from 20 different states. Cummings and Sanders first began investigating Heritage’s pricing practices in 2014 when they sent a letter to the company’s former CEO, Jeffrey Glazer, raising concerns and requesting documents about the sales and pricing of doxycycline hyclate. In response, Heritage’s counsel sent a letter on October 23, 2014, asserting that “Heritage has not seen any significant price increases for its Doxycycline Hyclate DR product in the United States market.” Heritage declined to provide any of the documents or information the Members requested. The individual who signed the letter making these assertions is Gary Ruckelshaus, who served at the time at an outside firm, but now appears to have joined Heritage as Vice President and General Counsel. This week, the Department of Justice filed charges against Mr. Glazer and former Heritage President Jason Malek for engaging in price fixing with doxycycline hyclate and another drug. Attorneys General from 20 states followed with their own complaint yesterday. “In light of these new criminal allegations against Mr. Glazer and Mr. Malek, we are very concerned that your company made these assertions to Congress during the exact time period that your executives were engaged in a price fixing scheme to prevent competition from driving dow… | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://www.sanders.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/sanders-outpatient-procedure-is-successful | Sanders' Outpatient Procedure is Successful | 2016-12-15 | 2016 | 2016-12 | Independent | House | VT | Bernard Sanders | S000033 | www.sanders.senate.gov | legacy | Sanders' Outpatient Procedure is Successful Thursday, December 15, 2016 BETHESDA, Md., Dec. 15 – U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) had an outpatient procedure today to remove a small basal-cell carcinoma from his cheek. The procedure, which lasted about an hour, was completed successfully. Sanders returned to work after the procedure and, later, took a plane home to Vermont. | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://welch.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/welch-outlines-ethanol-reform-agenda-new-congress | Welch Outlines Ethanol Reform Agenda for New Congress | 2016-12-14 | 2016 | 2016-12 | Democrat | House | VT | Peter Welch | W000800 | welch.house.gov | legacy | BURLINGTON, Vt. With leaders of Vermont's environmental community at his side, Rep. Peter Welch (D-VT) renewed his commitment to reform the federal ethanol mandate in the new Congress that convenes in early January. Joining Welch were representatives of the Sierra Club, National Wildlife Federation (NWF), Lake Champlain International, and Vermont Natural Resources Council. Speakers highlighted the harm to the environment resulting from a federal corn-based ethanol mandate. Welch will reintroduce the bipartisan Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) Reform Act, which will reform the corn ethanol mandate while continuing to promote advanced biofuels, as well as the bipartisan Food and Fuel Consumer Protection Act, which would cap the maximum volume of ethanol blended into the transportation fuel supply at 9.7 percent. Despite its initial promise, the RFS has been a well-intended flop, Rep. Welch said. In addition to driving up the cost of feed for struggling dairy farmers, increasing the cost of food for working families, and ruining small engines, the Renewable Fuel Standard is wreaking havoc on our environment. I look forward to working with environmental leaders to build on our momentum and kick off the new Congress with a renewed sense of urgency to stop the environmental degradation caused by this misguided federal policy. Photos of today's event can be found here. The announcement comes as the National Wildlife Federation is expected to unveil a new study this week in Washington that will detail the harm inflicted on the environment by the RFS mandate, including the destruction of sensitive crops and habitats and the deterioration of water quality. Contrary to the claims of corn-based ethanol advocates, a recent report by the Government Accountability Office (GAO) concluded that the RFS mandate is unlikely to meet its statutory goals for the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions due its over-reliance on corn-based ethanol fuel blends instead of climate friendly advanced biofuels. Thank heaven leaders like Peter Wel… | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://welch.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/welch-sanders-call-reversal-fairpoint-layoffs | Welch, Sanders Call For Reversal of FairPoint Layoffs | 2016-12-14 | 2016 | 2016-12 | Democrat | House | VT | Peter Welch | W000800 | welch.house.gov | legacy | BURLINGTON, Vt., Dec. 14 U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., and U.S. Rep. Peter Welch, D-Vt., Tuesday called upon the CEOs of FairPoint Communications and the Illinois company that is set to purchase it, Consolidated Communications Holdings, to reverse the planned layoff of nearly 10 percent of FairPoint's workforce. It is particularly callous to destroy the livelihoods of loyal FairPoint workers just as the cold weather approaches and as families prepare to celebrate the holiday season, Sanders and Welch wrote to FairPoint CEO Paul Sunu. These workers helped build the company's value, yet they are being discarded as collateral damage of a sale designed to maximize profits for a tiny group of Wall Street hedge fund investors. In their letter to the CEO of Consolidated Communications, which is in the process of purchasing FairPoint, Sanders and Welch outlined FairPoint's checkered history in dealing with its Vermont workforce, stating FairPoint's relationship with its workforce was unnecessarily antagonist. The Charlotte, N.C.-based phone company purchased Verizon Communication's landline phone operations in Maine, New Hampshire and Vermont in 2007. Instead of negotiating a reasonable labor agreement, [FairPoint] pursued drastic cuts to pay and benefits that led to a four-month strike in 2014-15, Sanders and Welch wrote. Just three months after the strike ended, FairPoint closed its South Burlington call center and laid-off more than 70 unionized workers. Most recently, FairPoint announced last month that it was laying off nearly 10 percent of its remaining workforce, presumably to make the company more attractive for the sale to Consolidated. Sanders and Welch said reversing the layoffs would be a significant demonstration of good faith on Consolidated's part. We urge you to reverse FairPoint's decision and send the clear message that Consolidated values its workers and the communities in which the company operates. We know the CWA and IBEW welcome the opportunity to work with Consolidated to help make its New En… | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://www.sanders.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/democratic-senators-call-on-trump-education-secretary-nominee-devos-to-pay-53-million-in-unpaid-fines-for-election-violations | Democratic Senators Call on Trump Education Secretary Nominee DeVos to Pay $5.3 Million in Unpaid Fines for Election Violations | 2016-12-14 | 2016 | 2016-12 | Independent | House | VT | Bernard Sanders | S000033 | www.sanders.senate.gov | legacy | Democratic Senators Call on Trump Education Secretary Nominee DeVos to Pay $5.3 Million in Unpaid Fines for Election Violations Wednesday, December 14, 2016 WASHINGTON — Today, U.S. Senators Tom Udall (D-N.M.), Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio), Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.) and Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) announced that they are calling on President-elect Trump's nominee for Secretary of Education, Betsy DeVos, to ensure payment of the $5.3 million in fines and penalties owed by DeVos’ All Children Matter Political Action Committee (PAC) for campaign finance violations dating back to 2008. All Children Matter broke Ohio election law by illegally funneling $870,000 in contributions from its nationwide PAC to its Ohio affiliate – and accordingly, the state of Ohio levied a record fine of more than $5 million against DeVos’ group. Yet nearly a decade later, the PAC has not paid the debts for its illegal activities. In a letter to DeVos, the senators expressed their deep concern at the willingness of DeVos’ PAC to both brazenly disregard election law and blatantly refuse to take responsibility and pay its fines. The senators noted that, as Secretary of Education, DeVos would be responsible for seeing to the timely repayment of debt from student loan borrowers – even as the PAC she chaired refused to pay fines that are nearly a decade old. Roughly 44 million Americans owe nearly $1.3 trillion in federal student loans, creating a crushing debt burden for individuals struggling to make their payments. But when All Children Matter broke election law and was fined a record $5.3 million, DeVos’ group chose to simply cease operations and disband, rather than taking responsibility for its debts. "The blatant disregard for the law that your PAC demonstrated is deeply troubling. However, when the organization’s violations of law were punished by the Ohio Elections Commission, the PAC’s refusal to take responsibility and pay the fines is unconscionable,” the senators wrote. “If confir… | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://www.sanders.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/sanders-welch-call-for-reversal-of-fairpoint-layoffs- | Sanders, Welch Call For Reversal of FairPoint Layoffs | 2016-12-14 | 2016 | 2016-12 | Independent | House | VT | Bernard Sanders | S000033 | www.sanders.senate.gov | legacy | Sanders, Welch Call For Reversal of FairPoint Layoffs Wednesday, December 14, 2016 BURLINGTON, Vt., Dec. 14 – U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., and U.S. Rep. Peter Welch, D-Vt., Tuesday called upon the CEOs of FairPoint Communications and the Illinois company that is set to purchase it, Consolidated Communications Holdings, to reverse the planned layoff of nearly 10 percent of FairPoint’s workforce. “It is particularly callous to destroy the livelihoods of loyal FairPoint workers just as the cold weather approaches and as families prepare to celebrate the holiday season,” Sanders and Welch wrote to FairPoint CEO Paul Sunu. “These workers helped build the company’s value, yet they are being discarded as collateral damage of a sale designed to maximize profits for a tiny group of Wall Street hedge fund investors.” In their letter to the CEO of Consolidated Communications, which is in the process of purchasing FairPoint, Sanders and Welch outlined FairPoint’s checkered history in dealing with its Vermont workforce, stating “FairPoint’s relationship with its workforce was unnecessarily antagonist.” The Charlotte, N.C.-based phone company purchased Verizon Communication’s landline phone operations in Maine, New Hampshire and Vermont in 2007. “Instead of negotiating a reasonable labor agreement, [FairPoint] pursued drastic cuts to pay and benefits that led to a four-month strike in 2014-15,” Sanders and Welch wrote. “Just three months after the strike ended, FairPoint closed its South Burlington call center and laid-off more than 70 unionized workers. Most recently, FairPoint announced last month that it was laying off nearly 10 percent of its remaining workforce, presumably to make the company more attractive for the sale to Consolidated.” Sanders and Welch said reversing the layoffs would “be a significant demonstration of good faith” on Consolidated’s part. “We urge you to reverse FairPoint’s decision and send the clear message that Consolidated values its workers and the … | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://www.leahy.senate.gov/press/senators-call-for-national-intelligence-estimate-of-russian-tampering-in-us-election-request-confirmation-of-justice-dept-investigation | SENATORS CALL FOR NATIONAL INTELLIGENCE ESTIMATE OF RUSSIAN TAMPERING IN U.S. ELECTION, REQUEST CONFIRMATION OF JUSTICE DEPT. INVESTIGATION | 2016-12-13 | 2016 | 2016-12 | Democrat | House | VT | Patrick Leahy | L000174 | www.leahy.senate.gov | legacy | 12.13.16 SENATORS CALL FOR NATIONAL INTELLIGENCE ESTIMATE OF RUSSIAN TAMPERING IN U.S. ELECTION, REQUEST CONFIRMATION OF JUSTICE DEPT. INVESTIGATION In letters to Director James Clapper, Attorney General Lynch, Senators push Administration on Russian hacks WASHINGTON (TUESDAY, Dec. 13, 2016) U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL), Patrick Leahy (D-VT), Ben Cardin (D-MD), Al Franken (D-MN), Brian Schatz (D-HI), Gary Peters (D-MI), Bob Casey (D-PA), Tom Udall (D-NM), and Ed Markey (D-MA) today called for a National Intelligence Estimate (NIE) to determine the extent of Russian intervention in the 2016 United States presidential election, accompanied by an unclassified summary of its key judgments by January 20th, 2017. An NIE is the formal, authoritative assessment of the Director of National Intelligence related to a particular national security issue, which reflects the collective judgment of the nation's sixteen intelligence agencies. The senators also called on Attorney General Loretta Lynch to publicly confirm that nonpartisan career Justice Department officials are conducting a criminal investigation into the matter, and if not, to open one immediately. On Friday, the Washington Post reported that the CIA concluded in a secret assessment that Russia intervened in the election to assist Donald Trump. Direct and deliberate interference in our election is an unprecedented breach and threat to U.S. democracy and national securityit is absolutely critical that information about these matters be disclosed to the public and to Congress, the senators said. We strongly support calls for bipartisan investigations by Congressthis issue requires the full attention of the executive and legislative branches alike, and a conclusive, public national intelligence estimate will lay out the facts for the American people. The public also needs transparency and reassurance that federal law enforcement is actively investigating these … | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://www.leahy.senate.gov/press/statement-of-senator-patrick-leahy-ranking-member-us-senate-judiciary-committee-on-republican-staff-report-on-planned-parenthood-and-fetal-tissue-donation | Statement of Senator Patrick Leahy Ranking Member, U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee on Republican Staff Report on Planned Parenthood and Fetal Tissue Donation | 2016-12-13 | 2016 | 2016-12 | Democrat | House | VT | Patrick Leahy | L000174 | www.leahy.senate.gov | legacy | 12.13.16 Statement of Senator Patrick Leahy Ranking Member, U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee on Republican Staff Report on Planned Parenthood and Fetal Tissue Donation Over a year after Republicans began pouring taxpayer dollars into five separate congressional investigations, there has been no credible finding including in the Republican Staff Report issued today that Planned Parenthood broke the law. While we do not know the total cost to taxpayers for these five duplicative Republican-led investigations, we do know that just one of the House investigations alone has cost the American people more than $1.5 million. It is important to understand these wasteful and ideological inquiries for what they are: a relentless partisan effort to attack and defund a women's health provider that millions of women across this country depend on each year for basic medical services. To be clear, the Republican Staff Report issued today has never been voted on or adopted by the Senate Judiciary Committee as an official report. Republicans should abandon their attacks on Planned Parenthood and instead focus on efforts that truly protect women's health. ##### Press Contact David Carle: 202-224-3693 Next Article Previous Article | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://www.sanders.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/sanders-statement-on-trumps-secretary-of-state-nominee | Sanders Statement on Trump's Secretary of State Nominee | 2016-12-13 | 2016 | 2016-12 | Independent | House | VT | Bernard Sanders | S000033 | www.sanders.senate.gov | legacy | Sanders Statement on Trump's Secretary of State Nominee Tuesday, December 13, 2016 WASHINGTON, Dec. 13 – Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) issued the following statement after President-elect Donald Trump announced he will nominate Exxon Mobil CEO Rex Tillerson to be secretary of state: “Mr. Trump's nomination of Rex Tillerson for secretary of state is sending a very troubling message to the international community. Not only is Mr. Tillerson a pal of Russia's authoritarian leader, Vladimir Putin, but he is the head of one of the largest oil companies in the world. In this appointment, Mr. Trump is making it abundantly clear that the short-term profits of the fossil fuel industry are more important than climate change and the future of the planet. Very sad. Very dangerous. Mr. Tillerson must be opposed.” | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://www.sanders.senate.gov/newsroom/recent-business/sanders-statement-on-trumps-secretary-of-state-nominee | Sanders Statement on Trump's Secretary of State Nominee | 2016-12-13 | 2016 | 2016-12 | Independent | House | VT | Bernard Sanders | S000033 | www.sanders.senate.gov | legacy | Sanders Statement on Trump's Secretary of State Nominee Tuesday, December 13, 2016 WASHINGTON, Dec. 13 – Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) issued the following statement after President-elect Donald Trump announced he will nominate Exxon Mobil CEO Rex Tillerson to be secretary of state: “Mr. Trump's nomination of Rex Tillerson for secretary of state is sending a very troubling message to the international community. Not only is Mr. Tillerson a pal of Russia's authoritarian leader, Vladimir Putin, but he is the head of one of the largest oil companies in the world. In this appointment, Mr. Trump is making it abundantly clear that the short-term profits of the fossil fuel industry are more important than climate change and the future of the planet. Very sad. Very dangerous. Mr. Tillerson must be opposed.” Press Contact | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://www.leahy.senate.gov/press/senators-cardin-feinstein-leahy-call-for-independent-nonpartisan-commission-to-investigate-russian-interference-in-election | Senators Cardin, Feinstein, Leahy Call for Independent Nonpartisan Commission to Investigate Russian Interference in Election | 2016-12-12 | 2016 | 2016-12 | Democrat | House | VT | Patrick Leahy | L000174 | www.leahy.senate.gov | legacy | 12.12.16 Senators Cardin, Feinstein, Leahy Call for Independent Nonpartisan Commission to Investigate Russian Interference in Election WASHINGTON U.S. Senators Ben Cardin (D-Md.), Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.), and Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) called Monday for the creation of an independent, nonpartisan commission to comprehensively investigate alleged Russian interference in the 2016 election. The commission would fully investigate alleged Russian cyberattacks on U.S. political entities and election infrastructure, seek to identify those responsible, and recommend a response as well as actions the U.S. can take to defend itself in the future. Modeled on other independent commissions, this body would compile all available classified intelligence and open source information, conduct hearings and interviews, with subpoena power, and report its findings to Congress within 18 months from being formed. The membership of the commission would be individuals appointed by the bipartisan, bicameral Congressional leadership. After the White House announced it was conducting its own review into alleged Russian interference in the election late last week, reporting in The Washington Post raised serious further questions about this matter. And in October, the Director of National Intelligence confirmed that senior-level Russian officials were involved in the hacks of the emails of the Democratic National Committee and the Hillary Clinton presidential campaign. The Senators' announcement Monday complements the call by bipartisan leadership in the Senate for Congressional investigations as well as support in the House of Representatives for an independent commission. We've seen what Russia can do with a MiG, but they can be equally destructive with a mouse. The American people deserve a nonpartisan, transparent, public investigation into this insidious attack on our democratic institutions, said Senator Cardin, ranking member of the Foreign Relations Committee. Elections and the peaceful transfer of power are the founda… | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://www.leahy.senate.gov/press/statement-of-senator-patrick-leahy-d-vt-on-the-fy17-continuing-resolution | Statement of Senator Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.), On the FY17 Continuing Resolution | 2016-12-12 | 2016 | 2016-12 | Democrat | House | VT | Patrick Leahy | L000174 | www.leahy.senate.gov | legacy | 12.12.16 Statement of Senator Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.), On the FY17 Continuing Resolution Today, the Senate will vote to put the government on autopilot for the next four and a half months. Coupled with the continuing resolution we are currently under, that's seven months of Fiscal Year 2017 priorities funded or not under the terms of the Fiscal Year 2016 omnibus bill. Freezing in place an earlier year's priorities ignoring the many hearings, and the committee work, and the debates, and the oversight that the Appropriations Committees have invested in genuine, full-year funding bills for next year by definition means this stop-gap bill is chock-full of great mis-matches between our current priorities, and those set long ago for an earlier fiscal year. By definition it means wasted diversion of funds to past priorities, and giving short-shrift to changing circumstances, needs and priorities. What does that mean to Vermonters? It means cuts to food assistance needs. It means halted homeland security preparedness grants. It means uncertainty for affordable housing developers and transportation planners. It means we here in Congress didn't get our job done. What makes the vote on this continuing resolution all the more frustrating is the fact that we didn't need to be in this predicament today. The Senate Appropriations Committee carefully considered 12 individual appropriations bills. All but one were reported with broad if not unanimous support. Through September, October, and into November we negotiated in good faith and in a productive way with our counterparts in the House of Representatives. That is, UNTIL the order came to stand down. The word was that the President-elect didn't want us to pass a responsible, full-year budget. The word was that he wanted Congress once again to kick the can further down the road. Then, Democrats in both the Senate and House were shut out of the process. No consultation, and no negotiations. In the absence of what could have been an achievable omnibus appropriati… | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://www.sanders.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/sanders-trump-should-pledge-to-veto-social-security-medicare-medicaid-cuts | Sanders: Trump Should Pledge to Veto Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid Cuts | 2016-12-11 | 2016 | 2016-12 | Independent | House | VT | Bernard Sanders | S000033 | www.sanders.senate.gov | legacy | Sanders: Trump Should Pledge to Veto Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid Cuts Sunday, December 11, 2016 BURLINGTON, Vt., Dec. 11 – U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) challenged President-elect Donald Trump Sunday to keep the campaign promises he made not to cut Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid. Trump should pledge to veto legislation cutting those programs that Republicans in Congress plan to pass in the new session of Congress, Sanders said on the CBS News program Face the Nation. “I challenge Mr. Trump today: tell the American people you are going to keep your campaign promises. Tell the Republicans to back off. No cuts for Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid and go forward with your campaign promise to lower the cost of prescription drugs,” Sanders said. During the campaign, Trump said, “I am not going to cut Social Security like every other Republican. And I’m not going to cut Medicare or Medicaid. Every other Republican is going to cut [them].” On May 7, 2015, Trump sent out a tweet stating: "I was the first & only potential GOP candidate to state there will be no cuts to Social Security, Medicare & Medicaid." On another occasion speaking at the New Hampshire Republican Leadership Summit, Trump scolded Republicans for trying to cut Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid. But as president-elect, Trump has picked Rep. Tom Price (R-Ga.), who advocated steep cuts in Medicare and Social Security, to lead the Department of Health and Human Services. “All that Mr. Trump has got to do today is tell his Republican colleagues in the House and the Senate, ‘Back off. It ain't going to go anywhere. I will veto any legislation that will cut Social Security because I promised the American people that I would not do that.’” Sanders supports expanding Social Security benefits by lifting the cap on all income above $250,000 a year. “If we do that we can extend Social Security for 50 years. The top 1.5 percent of people in this country will pay more in taxes. That's the ri… | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://www.leahy.senate.gov/press/preclearance-bill-to-ease-vt-canada-rail-and-air-travel-clears-congress-saturday-morning | Leahy 'Preclearance' Bill To Ease Vt.-Canada Rail & Air Travel Clears Congress Saturday Morning | 2016-12-10 | 2016 | 2016-12 | Democrat | House | VT | Patrick Leahy | L000174 | www.leahy.senate.gov | legacy | 12.10.16 Leahy 'Preclearance' Bill To Ease Vt.-Canada Rail & Air Travel Clears Congress Saturday Morning Leahy-Authored Bill To Facilitate Preclearance Operations In Canada Passes Senate, Headed to President's Desk Legislation Needed To Facilitate Passenger Air And Rail Service Between Vermont And Canada, And Other Travel Destinations [BREAKING] WASHINGTON (SATURDAY, Dec. 10, 2016) The Senate Saturdayunanimously passed long-awaited legislation authored by Sen. Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) to facilitate travel and commerce between the United States and Canada, the largest U.S. trading partner. Passage of the bill Saturday morning was one of the last actions of the Senate of this congressional session. The legislation, which will now go to the President's desk to be signed into law, is needed to facilitate air travel and eventually, passenger rail service between Burlington and Canadian cities, and between other U.S. and Canadian destinations. In March, Leahy introduced the bipartisan and bicameral Promoting Travel, Commerce, and National Security Act. The bill paves the way for expansion of preclearance facilities, operated by U.S. Customs and Border Protection, at land, rail, marine and air ports of departure in Canada, easing travel and commerce between the two countries. The Leahy-led bill promotes two key national goals: enhancing U.S. national security, and increasing efficiency for travelers and commercial exchanges. Leahy has long advocated improving cross-border travel and was the driving force behind this effort, forging the bipartisan and bicameral coalition and guiding its passage through the Senate. Leahy said: This agreement has long been a priority for Vermonters. It would make it possible to restore Amtrak service between Vermont and Quebec in the future. It's a win for Vermont's economy, and for Canadians who visit Vermont to sightsee, ski, shop and dine. This process has been a true bipartisan effort, at every level of government in both the United States and Canada have been… | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://web.archive.org/web/20161209120704/http://www.sanders.senate.gov/newsroom/photos/the-fight-for-15 | The Fight For $15 | 2016-12-09 | 2016 | 2016-12 | Independent | House | VT | Bernard Sanders | S000033 | web.archive.org | legacy | Pursuant to Senate Policy, petitions, opinion polls and unsolicited mass electronic communications cannot be initiated by this office for the 60-day period immediately before the date of a primary or general election. Subscribers currently receiving electronic communications from this office who wish to unsubscribe may do so here. | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://www.leahy.senate.gov/press/statement-of-senator-patrick-leahy-on-us-policy-on-cuba | Statement of Senator Patrick Leahy On U.S. Policy On Cuba | 2016-12-09 | 2016 | 2016-12 | Democrat | House | VT | Patrick Leahy | L000174 | www.leahy.senate.gov | legacy | 12.09.16 Statement of Senator Patrick Leahy On U.S. Policy On Cuba The election of Donald Trump as our next President has ignited a rash of speculation about the future of U.S. policy toward Cuba. What we know is that President-elect Trump has said contradictory things about President Obama's decision to resume diplomatic relations with Cuba, as he has about some other issues. Among other things, he has tweeted that he plans to reverse the Obama administration's regulatory changes relaxing restrictions on U.S. engagement with Cuba unless the Cuban government agrees to a better deal. Despite that, we don't actually know what he will do. I hope before making a decision he listens to advocates on both sides of the issue, including Cuban Americans, a growing majority of whom support the resumption of diplomatic relations. As someone who has traveled to Cuba many times and seen firsthand the benefits of the policy of engagement for both the Cuban people and American people, I will do whatever I can to encourage the President-elect to continue that policy. The decision to resume diplomatic relations has been enthusiastically supported here and around the world. The number of Americans traveling to Cuba has risen dramatically. U.S. airline companies and cruise ships are carrying passengers there. Hotel deals have been signed. Yet the same five Members of Congress three in the Senate and two in the House have steadfastly opposed the new opening with Cuba. They continually say that the only Cubans who have benefited from the new opening are Raul Castro and the Cuban military. The Cuban government has benefited, that is unavoidable. It happens in any country with state-owned enterprises with which we have diplomatic and commercial relations, of which there are many. But it is false and misleading to say that they alone have benefited. In fact, the Cuban people, particularly Cuban entrepreneurs, have benefited and so have the American people. And they overwhelmingly want this opening to continue. Thes… | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://www.sanders.senate.gov/newsroom/video-audio/converting-methane-gas-to-electricity | Converting Methane Gas to Electricity | 2016-12-09 | 2016 | 2016-12 | Independent | House | VT | Bernard Sanders | S000033 | www.sanders.senate.gov | legacy | Converting Methane Gas to Electricity The Washington Electric Co-op is one of two Vermont electric utilities with a 100 percent renewable energy portfolio, thanks in large part to its 8-megawatt generator fired by waste methane on Vermont’s only operating landfill. Washington Electric’s Coventry landfill facility produces enough electricity from waste methane to power approximately 6,000 homes and generates more than half of Washington Electric’s electricity. | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://www.sanders.senate.gov/vermont/tapping-vermonts-largest-landfill-for-renewable-energy | Tapping Vermonts Largest Landfill for Renewable Energy | 2016-12-09 | 2016 | 2016-12 | Independent | House | VT | Bernard Sanders | S000033 | www.sanders.senate.gov | legacy | Tapping Vermont’s Largest Landfill for Renewable Energy Friday, December 9, 2016 COVENTRY, Vt.—The Washington Electric Co-op is one of two Vermont electric utilities with a 100 percent renewable energy portfolio, thanks in large part to its 8-megawatt generator fired by waste methane on Vermont’s only operating landfill. Washington Electric’s Coventry landfill facility produces enough electricity from waste methane to power approximately 6,000 homes and generates more than half of Washington Electric’s electricity. As organic landfill waste decomposes, it naturally produces methane. Unless captured and converted to energy, the powerful greenhouse gas either would be released into the atmosphere, or burned off by the landfill operators. “If no generator was here, the landfill would burn it off in a flare,” said Patricia Richards, general manager for Washington Electric, comparing it to “a great big candlestick literally burning the gas. No electricity is produced and it’s just wasted into the atmosphere.”“We’re a small cooperative, we’re not-for-profit. We have roughly 11,000 member-customers and the Coventry Landfill project is our anchor power supply resource that serves our membership,” said Richards. “The power plant serves over half of the energy needs of our membership.”The idea for this methane generator emerged when Washington Electric Co-op set out to replace the electricity it was buying from the Vermont Yankee nuclear power plant. “We said, ‘Hey, we want to do renewable power. What about a landfill? Could we build a power plant like this in Vermont and produce renewable power instead of taking power from a Vermont Yankee type resource?’ In 2002, the contract ended with Vermont Yankee and, in 2005, this project came online,” Richards said.Vermont Yankee, which was built in 1972, stopped producing electricity in December 2014. The Coventry generator first came on line with three engines in 2005. Since then, two more engines have been added.The $14.2 million landfil… | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://web.archive.org/web/20161209142425/http://www.sanders.senate.gov/newsroom/video-audio/holding-trump-accountable-on-medicare-and-social-security | Holding Trump Accountable on Medicare and Social Security | 2016-12-08 | 2016 | 2016-12 | Independent | House | VT | Bernard Sanders | S000033 | web.archive.org | legacy | Pursuant to Senate Policy, petitions, opinion polls and unsolicited mass electronic communications cannot be initiated by this office for the 60-day period immediately before the date of a primary or general election. Subscribers currently receiving electronic communications from this office who wish to unsubscribe may do so here. | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://www.leahy.senate.gov/press/comment-of-senators-chuck-grassley-r-iowa-and-patrick-leahy-d-vt-on-the-house-judiciary-proposal-to-reform-the-copyright-office | Comment Of Senators Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) and Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.), On The House Judiciary Proposal To Reform The Copyright Office | 2016-12-08 | 2016 | 2016-12 | Democrat | House | VT | Patrick Leahy | L000174 | www.leahy.senate.gov | legacy | 12.08.16 Comment Of Senators Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) and Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.), On The House Judiciary Proposal To Reform The Copyright Office We have been working together for the last year on a legislative proposal to modernize the U.S. Copyright Office in order to better fulfill its mission in a rapidly changing digital environment. Based on our extensive consultation with a broad range of stakeholders, we believe the Copyright Office should have more independence, accountability, and authority to make decisions in areas such as IT, budget, and staffing. Our draft Senate proposal would achieve these important goals. Now that our partners in the House have unveiled their policy proposal, we look forward to working with them next Congress on this important issue. # # # # # 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/statement-of-senator-patrick-leahy-d-vt-ranking-member-senate-judiciary-committee-floor-remarks-on-extending-the-eb-5-regional-center-program-without-reforms | Statement of Senator Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.), Ranking Member, Senate Judiciary Committee, Floor remarks on extending the EB-5 Regional Center program without reforms | 2016-12-08 | 2016 | 2016-12 | Democrat | House | VT | Patrick Leahy | L000174 | www.leahy.senate.gov | legacy | 12.08.16 Statement of Senator Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.), Ranking Member, Senate Judiciary Committee, Floor remarks on extending the EB-5 Regional Center program without reforms I once again come to the floor, joined by Senator Grassley, to share my frustration with the EB-5 Regional Center program. Senator Grassley and I have been working for years to improve this flawed program, which is set to expire tomorrow. But once again Republican congressional leadership has rejected our bipartisan reforms and the program will be extended in the continuing resolution. Time and again, Republican leadership has caved behind closed doors to narrow corporate interests. I believe this is a serious mistake. The EB-5 program I once championed seems like a distant memory. The program was designed to bring jobs to underserved rural and distressed urban communities. And for some time it did just that. Communities in Vermont, like Warren and Vergennes, once used EB-5 to create and save jobs during difficult economic times. But that is the EB-5 of yesterday. Today EB-5 is mired in fraud and abuse. It suffers from obvious and outrageous flaws. It is a magnet for fraud. Securities violations are rampant. And the incentives that Congress created to promote investment and create jobs in rural and high unemployment areasthe sole reason why I championed this programhave been rendered obsolete through economic gerrymandering. Only three percent of EB-5 investors now invest in rural areas. Three percent. Less than 10 percent invest in true high unemployment areas. Almost every other EB-5 project uses gerrymandering to qualify as distressed, despite many being located in the most affluent areas of the country. The fact that a luxury hotel in Beverly Hills can use gerrymandering to claim it is located in a distressed community is troubling. But the fact that this type of abuse now represents almost 90 percent of the entire EB-5 program is appalling. Anyone who maintains that today's EB-5 program is about creating jobs is either a l… | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://www.sanders.senate.gov/newsroom/must-read/-us-life-expectancy-declines-for-the-first-time-since-1993 | U.S. life expectancy declines for the first time since 1993 | 2016-12-08 | 2016 | 2016-12 | Independent | House | VT | Bernard Sanders | S000033 | www.sanders.senate.gov | legacy | U.S. life expectancy declines for the first time since 1993 By: By Lenny Bernstein Thursday, December 8, 2016 For the first time in more than two decades, life expectancy for Americans declined last year — a troubling development linked to a panoply of worsening health problems in the United States. Rising fatalities from heart disease and stroke, diabetes, drug overdoses, accidents and other conditions caused the lower life expectancy revealed in a report released Thursday by the National Center for Health Statistics. In all, death rates rose for eight of the top 10 leading causes of death. “I think we should be very concerned,” said Princeton economist Anne Case, who called for thorough research on the increase in deaths from heart disease, the No. 1 killer in the United States. “This is singular. This doesn’t happen.” A year ago, research by Case and Angus Deaton, also an economist at Princeton, brought worldwide attention to the unexpected jump in mortality rates among white middle-aged Americans. That trend was blamed on what are sometimes called diseases of despair: overdoses, alcoholism and suicide. The new report raises the possibility that major illnesses may be eroding prospects for an even wider group of Americans. Continue reading here. | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://web.archive.org/web/20161208070656/http://www.sanders.senate.gov/newsroom/video-audio/national-strike-for-15-rally-in-washington | National Strike for $15 Rally in Washington | 2016-12-07 | 2016 | 2016-12 | Independent | House | VT | Bernard Sanders | S000033 | web.archive.org | legacy | Pursuant to Senate Policy, petitions, opinion polls and unsolicited mass electronic communications cannot be initiated by this office for the 60-day period immediately before the date of a primary or general election. Subscribers currently receiving electronic communications from this office who wish to unsubscribe may do so here. | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://web.archive.org/web/20161209135021/http://www.sanders.senate.gov/newsroom/photos/hands-off-medicare | Hands Off Medicare | 2016-12-07 | 2016 | 2016-12 | Independent | House | VT | Bernard Sanders | S000033 | web.archive.org | legacy | Pursuant to Senate Policy, petitions, opinion polls and unsolicited mass electronic communications cannot be initiated by this office for the 60-day period immediately before the date of a primary or general election. Subscribers currently receiving electronic communications from this office who wish to unsubscribe may do so here. | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://welch.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/letter-president-elect-trump-welch-suggests-steps-stabilize-dairy | In Letter to President-Elect Trump, Welch Suggests Steps to Stabilize Dairy Industry | 2016-12-07 | 2016 | 2016-12 | Democrat | House | VT | Peter Welch | W000800 | welch.house.gov | legacy | WASHINGTONToday Rep. Peter Welch (D-VT) sent a letter to President-Elect Donald Trump outlining practical steps he can take to steady wildly fluctuating milk prices and restore stability to the dairy industry. Dairy farmers are imperiled by wildly fluctuating milk prices that threaten the very existence of many farms. Just in the last two years, producers have experienced a 40 percent drop in milk prices. Many dairy farms are selling milk below the cost of production and are on the brink of selling their herds. This boom and bust cycle has taken a substantial toll on Vermont farmers, Welch writes. The letter suggests the following steps for stabilization: Implement a supply management tool to help prevent volatility in milk prices; Reform the Margin Protection Program, which has failed to provide dairy farmers with sufficient support in the face of steep milk price declines; Increase demand for dairy products by opening new markets abroad and encouraging domestic consumption; and Ensure a reliable labor supply. ### | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://www.leahy.senate.gov/fleming-elementary-school | Fleming Elementary School | 2016-12-07 | 2016 | 2016-12 | Democrat | House | VT | Patrick Leahy | L000174 | www.leahy.senate.gov | legacy | 12.07.16 Fleming Elementary School On December 7, 2016, Senator Leahy conducted an online chat with the fifth graders of Fleming Elementary School. After having just finished their unit on government, Senator Leahy was quite impressed with the students' interest in the Constitution. He especially enjoyed answering their questions about the role of the three branches of government. 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-leahy-remarks-news-conference-with-cuban-entrepreneurs-russell-senate-office-building | Senator Patrick Leahy Remarks News Conference With Cuban Entrepreneurs Russell Senate Office Building | 2016-12-07 | 2016 | 2016-12 | Democrat | House | VT | Patrick Leahy | L000174 | www.leahy.senate.gov | legacy | 12.07.16 Senator Patrick Leahy Remarks News Conference With Cuban Entrepreneurs Russell Senate Office Building I want to thank the representatives of the Cuban private business community who are here. This is an all too rare opportunity for Members of Congress and the news media to hear directly from people like you, and we greatly appreciate you coming all this way. Since President Obama and President Raul Castro re-established diplomatic relations we have seen what many would describe as remarkable changes between the United States and Cuba. Critics of the new opening continually say that the only Cubans who have benefited are Raul Castro and the Cuban military. The Cuban government has benefited, that is unavoidable. It happens in any country with state-owned enterprises with which we have diplomatic and commercial relations, of which there are many. But it is false and misleading to say that they alone have benefited. In fact, the Cuban people, particularly Cuban entrepreneurs, have benefited and so have the American people. And they overwhelmingly want this opening to continue. Our governments have engaged in discussions on a wide range of topics, from resuming regular mail service to law enforcement cooperation to agricultural exports. United States cruise ships and regular airline service has resumed. Cultural and educational visits are increasing. Cuban private businesses, as we will hear today, are benefiting directly from the new opening with the United States. They will benefit even more when the U.S. embargo a failed, self-defeating, vindictive policy if there ever was one is finally ended. Those who continue to defend the embargo should listen to these people. I hope President-elect Trump will listen to them. We have a long way to go, but this is what the people of both countries want, and I am convinced that there is no going back. # # # # # 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-franken-and-leading-democratic-senators-again-call-on-wells-fargo-to-end-use-of-forced-arbitration-so-that-consumers-can-seek-justice-in-court | Leahy, Franken & Leading Democratic Senators Again Call On Wells Fargo To End Use Of Forced Arbitration So That Consumers Can Seek Justice In Court | 2016-12-07 | 2016 | 2016-12 | Democrat | House | VT | Patrick Leahy | L000174 | www.leahy.senate.gov | legacy | 12.07.16 Leahy, Franken & Leading Democratic Senators Again Call On Wells Fargo To End Use Of Forced Arbitration So That Consumers Can Seek Justice In Court WASHINGTON (Wednesday, December 7, 2016) Democratic Senators led by Judiciary Committee Ranking Member Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) and Banking Committee Ranking Member Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio) are again pressing Wells Fargo to end the use of forced arbitration clauses and allow customers whose names were used to open fraudulent accounts to seek justice in court. The Senators reiterated their call after Wells Fargo refused to commit to end its use of forced arbitration in customer service agreements in a letter sent to lawmakers last week. Wells Fargo has used these clauses to deny customers access to the court system to challenge the creation of sham accounts by the financial institution. In fact, Wells Fargo asked a federal court in Utah to move a number of new sham account allegations to arbitration. We are shocked and appalled by this latest attempt to stack the deck against the victims of the bank's fraudulent scheme and your continued unwillingness to allow victims of this scheme to fully exercise their rights, the Senators wrote in a letter to CEO Timothy Sloan. In addition to Leahy and Brown, the letter was signed by Senators Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), Al Franken (D-Minn.), Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), and Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.). They added: Wells Fargo's demand to deny defrauded customers their fundamental rights demonstrates your complete failure to understand the gravity of the company's actions and an utter unwillingness, despite promises to the contrary, to actually put your customers first. Forced arbitration denies Americans their constitutional right to seek justice in a court of law and shields companies from accountability both from the courts and the public eye. We will not simply trust you to get this right as long as your actions continue to belie your words. We will not forget that your company has harmed millions of American… | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://www.sanders.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/-sanders-says-protest-critical-in-trump-era | Sanders Says Protest Critical in Trump Era | 2016-12-07 | 2016 | 2016-12 | Independent | House | VT | Bernard Sanders | S000033 | www.sanders.senate.gov | legacy | Sanders Says Protest Critical in Trump Era Wednesday, December 7, 2016 WASHINGTON, Dec. 7 – Citing several recent victories, Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) thanked striking workers Wednesday for proving the power of protest to make progress under President-elect Donald Trump. “Five years ago, if anybody in America said that folks would be talking and cities would be passing a $15 an hour minimum wage, people would have said you’re crazy, it can’t be done,” Sanders said. “But you did it.” Marches led by workers played a critical role in minimum wage increases in Seattle, Los Angeles, San Francisco, New York City and Washington. Over the past four years, 19 million workers nationwide received a stunning $61.5 billion in pay – 12 times as much as the last time Congress increased the federal minimum wage in 2007. “Millions of workers have received significant pay increases because of your efforts. Thank you for what you’ve done. Today we tell the United States Congress that we have got to go further. We want every worker in this country to earn at least $15 an hour and have a union.” Recent direct action also halted construction of the Dakota Access Pipeline and protests stopped one of the biggest trade deals in history. “We’re telling Mr. Trump and anybody else that when millions of us stand together we are going to win. Nobody is going to stop us,” Sanders said. | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://www.sanders.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/-sanders-statement-on-trumps-epa-nominee | Sanders Statement on Trumps EPA Nominee | 2016-12-07 | 2016 | 2016-12 | Independent | House | VT | Bernard Sanders | S000033 | www.sanders.senate.gov | legacy | Sanders Statement on Trump’s EPA Nominee Wednesday, December 7, 2016 WASHINGTON, Dec. 7 – Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) issued the following statement Wednesday after President-elect Donald Trump selected Oklahoma Attorney General Scott Pruitt to run the Environmental Protection Agency: "At a time when climate change is the great environmental threat to the entire planet, it is sad and dangerous that Mr. Trump has nominated Scott Pruitt to lead the EPA. Mr. Pruitt’s record is not only that of being a climate change denier, but also someone who has worked closely with the fossil fuel industry to make this country more dependent, not less, on fossil fuels. The American people must demand leaders who are willing to transform our energy system away from fossil fuels. I will vigorously oppose this nomination." | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://www.sanders.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/sanders-tells-trump-to-keep-his-promise-to-protect-medicare-and-social-security | Sanders Tells Trump to Keep His Promise to Protect Medicare and Social Security | 2016-12-07 | 2016 | 2016-12 | Independent | House | VT | Bernard Sanders | S000033 | www.sanders.senate.gov | legacy | Sanders Tells Trump to Keep His Promise to Protect Medicare and Social Security Wednesday, December 7, 2016 WASHINGTON, Dec. 7 – Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), incoming Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) and House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) called Wednesday on President-elect Donald Trump to keep his promise to protect Medicare and Social Security. “Mr. Trump, we are going to hold you accountable,” Sanders said. “You told the seniors of this country and you told working people you were on their side. Millions of us are going to demand that you keep your promise. We’re going to tell the Republican leadership in the House and the Senate to forget about all their plans to 'voucherize' and privatize Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid.” During his campaign for president, Trump repeatedly promised to protect Medicare. But he nominated Rep. Tom Price (R-Ga.), who has a long history of supporting cuts to Medicare, to run the Department of Health and Human Services. In March, the president-elect said he would “do everything within my power not to touch Social Security, to leave it the way it is; to make this country rich again.” But the aides in charge of staffing Trump’s Social Security Administration expressed doubts about the viability of the program. Sanders was joined by grassroots organizations delivering a petition to Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) and Speaker Paul Ryan (R-Wis.). The petition, which calls on the Republican leaders to follow through on Trump’s campaign promises, garnered more than 1 million signatures. | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://www.sanders.senate.gov/newsroom/recent-business/sanders-statement-on-trumps-epa-nominee | Sanders Statement on Trumps EPA Nominee | 2016-12-07 | 2016 | 2016-12 | Independent | House | VT | Bernard Sanders | S000033 | www.sanders.senate.gov | legacy | Sanders Statement on Trump’s EPA Nominee Wednesday, December 7, 2016 Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) issued the following statement Wednesday after President-elect Donald Trump selected Oklahoma Attorney General Scott Pruitt to run the Environmental Protection Agency: "At a time when climate change is the great environmental threat to the entire planet, it is sad and dangerous that Mr. Trump has nominated Scott Pruitt to lead the EPA. Mr. Pruitt’s record is not only that of being a climate change denier, but also someone who has worked closely with the fossil fuel industry to make this country more dependent, not less, on fossil fuels. The American people must demand leaders who are willing to transform our energy system away from fossil fuels. I will vigorously oppose this nomination." | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://www.leahy.senate.gov/press/statement-of-senator-patrick-leahy-d-vt-ranking-member-senate-judiciary-committee-statement-following-final-passage-of-the-justice-for-all-reauthorization-act | Statement of Senator Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.), Ranking Member, Senate Judiciary Committee Statement Following Final Passage of the Justice for All Reauthorization Act | 2016-12-06 | 2016 | 2016-12 | Democrat | House | VT | Patrick Leahy | L000174 | www.leahy.senate.gov | legacy | 12.06.16 Statement of Senator Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.), Ranking Member, Senate Judiciary Committee Statement Following Final Passage of the Justice for All Reauthorization Act For more than six years, I have championed the reauthorization of the Justice for All Act to ensure our criminal justice system lives up to our national pledge of liberty and justice for all. As a former prosecutor, I am committed to ensuring our criminal justice system has integrity and the confidence of the public it serves. From my time on the front lines as a State's Attorney in Vermont, in Chittenden County, and through the past 15 years I have served as Chairman or Ranking member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, it has become clear to me that our system is deeply flawed. There is not always justice for all. I have met many innocent people who were wrongly convicted of crimes they did not commit. I have shared the story of Kirk Bloodsworth, one such man who was falsely convicted and sentenced to death for the rape and murder of a 9-year-old girl. He maintained his innocence, and in 1993 he became the first death row inmate to be exonerated by DNA. We know the system gets it wrong, and we have a responsibility to improve our criminal justice system. That is why I joined with Kirk years ago to introduce and enact the Post-Conviction DNA Testing Grant Program. This was originally part of the Innocence Protection Act enacted in 2000, and it gives defendants like Kirk a chance to prove their innocence. To ensure that our justice system gets it right from the beginning, this bill provides the means to improve the quality of indigent defense. Ensuring good representation for those accused of crimes will mean fewer innocent people behind bars. It is an outrage when an innocent person is wrongly punished, and this injustice is exacerbated when the true culprit remains on the street. The American people deserve a system that gets it right the first time. Many Senators in this chamber know the story of my friend Debbie Smith who has… | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://www.leahy.senate.gov/press/statement-of-senator-patrick-leahy-d-vt-ranking-member-senate-judiciary-committee-statement-on-voting-rights | Statement of Senator Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.), Ranking Member, Senate Judiciary Committee Statement On Voting Rights | 2016-12-06 | 2016 | 2016-12 | Democrat | House | VT | Patrick Leahy | L000174 | www.leahy.senate.gov | legacy | 12.06.16 Statement of Senator Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.), Ranking Member, Senate Judiciary Committee Statement On Voting Rights An editorial this morning in The New York Times is entitled, Why the Lies About Voting Fraud? That is a question that many of us who have been fighting for the right to vote have been asking for decades. Ten years ago this Congress reauthorized the Voting Rights Act. During the course of many Senate and House Judiciary Committee hearings we fought against the false narrative that in-person voting fraud was at all common in our country. The evidence clearly and irrefutably shows that it is not. But of course that evidence does not stop those partisans who are determined to make it harder for Americans to cast their votes.Right after five justices on the Supreme Court gutted the core protection of the Voting Rights Act, several states led by Republican majorities enacted voting restrictions that made it harder for many Americans to vote. It is most troubling that our President-elect has decided to himself make an unfounded charge of widespread voting fraud. I can imagine he is disappointed in the fact that he did not win the support of a majority of Americans who voted last month but we should all hope that when our next President is presented with unfavorable realities he will not resort to spreading information that has no basis in fact. That cannot be the standard of American leadership. In an article published in The Valley News of West Lebanon, N.H., and reprinted this morning in Vermont Digger, researchers at Dartmouth explored President-elect Trump's allegation of widespread voting fraud and they found nothing to support his claim, noting voter fraud concerns fomented and espoused by the Trump campaign are not grounded in any observable features of the 2016 presidential election." Many other analyses have also made this crystal clear. In a report to Congress, the Government Accountability Office concluded that no apparent cases of in-person voter impersonation [were] charg… | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://www.leahy.senate.gov/press/under-leahys-initiative-bipartisan-leaders-of-the-senate-judiciary-committee-urge-senators-to-address-rising-prescription-drug-prices | Under Leahys Initiative, Bipartisan Leaders Of The Senate Judiciary Committee Urge Senators To Address Rising Prescription Drug Prices | 2016-12-06 | 2016 | 2016-12 | Democrat | House | VT | Patrick Leahy | L000174 | www.leahy.senate.gov | legacy | 12.06.16 Under Leahy's Initiative, Bipartisan Leaders Of The Senate Judiciary Committee Urge Senators To Address Rising Prescription Drug Prices WASHINGTON (TUESDAY, Dec. 6, 2016) Senate Judiciary Committee members led by Ranking Member Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) are calling on all senators to support a bipartisan amendment to benefit consumers and deter pharmaceutical companies from blocking cheaper generic alternatives from entering the marketplace. Leahy, joined by other leading members of the panel, filed an updated version of their bipartisan Creating and Restoring Equal Access to Equivalent Samples (CREATES) Act as an amendment to the 21st Century Cures Act, which the Senate is debating this week. The CREATES Act targets anticompetitive practices used by some brand-name pharmaceutical and biologic companies to block entry of lower-cost generic drugs. The bill was introduced in June by Leahy, Chairman Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa), and Senators Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.) and Mike Lee (R-Utah), leaders of the Subcommittee on Antitrust, Competition Policy and Consumer Rights. The Judiciary Committee also held a hearing on the issue of prescription drug prices earlier this year. Pharmaceutical companies should be compensated for their important work developing life-saving treatments, but predatory practices at the expense of consumers are unacceptable, Leahy said. As the Senate considers legislation to support healthcare innovation, we should be prioritizing the millions of consumers who deserve access to affordable drugs. The CREATES Act combats abusive behavior that drives up prescription costs. All senators should support this common sense amendment. The rising price of prescription drugs is having a major impact on families and seniors everywhere. Some brand-name drug companies are engaging in anti-competitive tactics that delay entry of lower cost generic drugs into the market, and this tactic is becoming more common, Grassley said. We need to start taking steps to ensure that our laws are not frustrated… | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://www.sanders.senate.gov/newsroom/must-read/pentagon-buries-evidence-of-125-billion-in-bureaucratic-waste | Pentagon buries evidence of $125 billion in bureaucratic waste | 2016-12-06 | 2016 | 2016-12 | Independent | House | VT | Bernard Sanders | S000033 | www.sanders.senate.gov | legacy | Pentagon buries evidence of $125 billion in bureaucratic waste By: By Craig Whitlock and Bob Woodward Tuesday, December 6, 2016 The Pentagon has buried an internal study that exposed $125 billion in administrative waste in its business operations amid fears Congress would use the findings as an excuse to slash the defense budget, according to interviews and confidential memos obtained by The Washington Post. Pentagon leaders had requested the study to help make their enormous back-office bureaucracy more efficient and reinvest any savings in combat power. But after the project documented far more wasteful spending than expected, senior defense officials moved swiftly to kill it by discrediting and suppressing the results. The report, issued in January 2015, identified “a clear path” for the Defense Department to save $125 billion over five years. The plan would not have required layoffs of civil servants or reductions in military personnel. Instead, it would have streamlined the bureaucracy through attrition and early retirements, curtailed high-priced contractors and made better use of information technology. The study was produced last year by the Defense Business Board, a federal advisory panel of corporate executives, and consultants from McKinsey and Company. Based on reams of personnel and cost data, their report revealed for the first time that the Pentagon was spending almost a quarter of its $580 billion budget on overhead and core business operations such as accounting, human resources, logistics and property management. Continue reading here. | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://www.sanders.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/senate-republicans-block-trump-proposal-to-lower-prescription-drug-prices | Senate Republicans Block Trump Proposal to Lower Prescription Drug Prices | 2016-12-06 | 2016 | 2016-12 | Independent | House | VT | Bernard Sanders | S000033 | www.sanders.senate.gov | legacy | Senate Republicans Block Trump Proposal to Lower Prescription Drug Prices Tuesday, December 6, 2016 WASHINGTON, Dec. 6 – Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) proposed an amendment Tuesday to lower the cost of prescription drugs by letting Medicare negotiate drug prices and allowing for the importation from other countries of low-cost prescription drugs – both proposals advocated by President-elect Donald Trump. Republicans blocked the Sanders amendment. During his run for the White House, Trump called for requiring Medicare to negotiate with drug companies to lower prices. In a speech in New Hampshire last Feb. 7, Trump criticized current U.S. law that forbids Medicare from negotiating prices with pharmaceutical companies. Trump said: “We are not allowed to negotiate drug prices. Can you believe it? We pay about $300 billion more than we are supposed to, than if we negotiated the price. So there’s $300 billion on day one we solve.” Trump’s campaign platform also advocated making it legal to reimport cheaper drugs from other countries. Sanders offered an amendment to implement Trump’s campaign promises. “I am sure that all of my Republican colleagues will support an amendment in my hands that will do exactly what Mr. Trump said he would accomplish as president,” Sanders told Senate colleagues. But Sen. Roy Blunt (R-Mo.) objected to holding a vote on the amendment. Without those changes in a bill now before Congress, Sanders said he could not support the overall legislation because it caves to the demands of the pharmaceutical industry and cuts Medicare and Medicaid by $1 billion. “It is incomprehensible to me that we have a major bill dealing with prescription drugs and yet we are running from the most important issue and that is the greed of the pharmaceutical industry,” Sanders said. “The prescription drug industry, along with Wall Street, is the most powerful political force in America. I have been fighting the greed of the prescription drug industry for decades. And, as far as … | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://www.sanders.senate.gov/newsroom/recent-business/senate-republicans-block-trump-proposal-to-lower-prescription-drug-prices | Senate Republicans Block Trump Proposal to Lower Prescription Drug Prices | 2016-12-06 | 2016 | 2016-12 | Independent | House | VT | Bernard Sanders | S000033 | www.sanders.senate.gov | legacy | Senate Republicans Block Trump Proposal to Lower Prescription Drug Prices Tuesday, December 6, 2016 Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) proposed an amendment Tuesday to lower the cost of prescription drugs by letting Medicare negotiate drug prices and allowing for the importation from other countries of low-cost prescription drugs – both proposals advocated by President-elect Donald Trump. Republicans blocked the Sanders amendment. During his run for the White House, Trump called for requiring Medicare to negotiate with drug companies to lower prices. In a speech in New Hampshire last Feb. 7, Trump criticized current U.S. law that forbids Medicare from negotiating prices with pharmaceutical companies. Trump said: “We are not allowed to negotiate drug prices. Can you believe it? We pay about $300 billion more than we are supposed to, than if we negotiated the price. So there’s $300 billion on day one we solve.” Trump’s campaign platform also advocated making it legal to reimport cheaper drugs from other countries. Sanders offered an amendment to implement Trump’s campaign promises. “I am sure that all of my Republican colleagues will support an amendment in my hands that will do exactly what Mr. Trump said he would accomplish as president,” Sanders told Senate colleagues. But Sen. Roy Blunt (R-Mo.) objected to holding a vote on the amendment. Without those changes in a bill now before Congress, Sanders said he could not support the overall legislation because it caves to the demands of the pharmaceutical industry and cuts Medicare and Medicaid by $1 billion. “It is incomprehensible to me that we have a major bill dealing with prescription drugs and yet we are running from the most important issue and that is the greed of the pharmaceutical industry,” Sanders said. “The prescription drug industry, along with Wall Street, is the most powerful political force in America. I have been fighting the greed of the prescription drug industry for decades. And, as far as I can tell, the pre… | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://www.sanders.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/sanders-statement-on-dakota-access-pipeline-decision | Sanders Statement on Dakota Access Pipeline Decision | 2016-12-04 | 2016 | 2016-12 | Independent | House | VT | Bernard Sanders | S000033 | www.sanders.senate.gov | legacy | Sanders Statement on Dakota Access Pipeline Decision Sunday, December 4, 2016 BURLINGTON, Vt., Dec. 4 – U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) congratulated President Barack Obama Sunday after the Army Corps of Engineers announced it will deny a federal permit needed for the construction of the Dakota Access Pipeline. "I appreciate very much President Obama listening to the Native American people and millions of others who believe this pipeline should not be built. In the year 2016, we should not continue to trample on Native American sovereignty. We should not endanger the water supply of millions of people. We should not become more dependent on fossil fuel and accelerate the planetary crisis of climate change. Our job now is to transform our energy system away from fossil fuels, not to produce more greenhouse gas emissions." | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://www.leahy.senate.gov/press/leahy-bill-to-improve-criminal-justice-system_to-be-signed-into-law | Leahy Bill To Improve Criminal Justice System To Be Signed Into Law | 2016-12-02 | 2016 | 2016-12 | Democrat | House | VT | Patrick Leahy | L000174 | www.leahy.senate.gov | legacy | 12.02.16 Leahy Bill To Improve Criminal Justice System To Be Signed Into Law Bipartisan Justice for All Reauthorization Act Renews Leahy's Groundbreaking Innocence Protection Act & Aims to Reduce Rape Kit Backlog WASHINGTON (FRIDAY, Dec. 2, 2016) Legislation long championed by Senator Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) to help ensure that the criminal justice system functions fairly now goes to the White House for signature after the Senate overwhelmingly passed the bill late Thursday. The Justice for All Reauthorization Act aims to reduce the rape kit backlog by supporting grant programs that fund forensic testing. The bill, coauthored by Leahy and Senator John Cornyn (R-Texas), also renews the Innocence Protection Act, a landmark Leahy law which includes the Kirk Bloodsworth Post-Conviction DNA Testing Grant Program. That program facilitates the use of post-conviction testing of DNA evidence that can exonerate the wrongly convicted and hold the guilty accountable. The bill also requires the Justice Department to assist state and local governments to improve their indigent defense systems and ensures implementation of the Prison Rape Elimination Act. I have long championed the Justice for All Act to make our justice system more fair, said Leahy, a former prosecutor. Our bill will strengthen indigent defense and expand the rights of crime victims. It will improve the use of forensic evidence, including rape kits, to provide justice swiftly. It will help protect the innocent by increasing access to post-conviction DNA testing. Leahy has long worked to reduce the rape kit backlog and advance several bills in support of sexual assault survivors. In 2014, he led the successful effort to pass legislation renewing the Debbie Smith DNA Backlog Reduction Program. Leahy also included language in the Leahy-Crapo Violence Against Women Act, enacted in 2013, that significantly increased resources for survivors of sexual assault.… | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://welch.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/house-approves-new-funding-states-battling-nationwide-opioid-epidemic | House Approves New Funding for States Battling Nationwide Opioid Epidemic | 2016-12-01 | 2016 | 2016-12 | Democrat | House | VT | Peter Welch | W000800 | welch.house.gov | legacy | WASHINGTON Last night, the U.S. House of Representatives overwhelmingly approved bipartisan legislation that will provide much-needed new funding for Vermont and other states battling the opioid epidemic devastating families and communities across the country. Also included in the bill is new funding for the National Institutes of Health (NIH) for research on the treatment and cure of life threatening diseases. The legislation provides $1 billion in grants to states, localities, and service organizations working on the front lines of the epidemic. States experiencing a high incidence of opioid addiction will be given priority in the distribution of funds. The 21st Century Cures Act (H.R. 34) was developed by Rep. Peter Welch (D-VT) and his colleagues on the House Energy and Commerce Committee. In addition to funding for opioid abuse and medical research, the bill includes two Welch-authored provisions. The Tick-Borne Disease Research Accountability Act (H.R. 789) will ensure coordination among federal agencies to promote Lyme disease research. The Ensuring Access to Quality Medicaid Providers Act (H.R. 3716) will reduce fraud and abuse in the Medicaid program. The legislation passed the House by a vote of 392-26. It is expected to pass the Senate before Congress adjourns for the year and be signed into law by President Obama. Across Vermont, families and communities are reeling from the devastating impact of opioid addiction. Three years ago, Governor Peter Shumlin turned a bright light on the hidden crisis in Vermont which led to a nationwide acknowledgment of an epidemic ravaging rural America, Rep. Welch said. Congress is finally poised to provide long overdue resources to assist states battling this heartbreaking scourge on our communities. In addition, this legislation will jumpstart research to find treatments and cures for life threatening diseases, including cancer and Alzheimer's. The 21st Century Cures Act sets aside $6 billion to implement the following cutting-edge health initiatives. $1 bil… | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://www.leahy.senate.gov/press/statement-of-senator-patrick-leahy-d-vt-on-the-dakota-access-pipeline- | Statement of Senator Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) On The Dakota Access Pipeline | 2016-12-01 | 2016 | 2016-12 | Democrat | House | VT | Patrick Leahy | L000174 | www.leahy.senate.gov | legacy | 12.01.16 Statement of Senator Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) On The Dakota Access Pipeline I share the concerns of many of my fellow Vermonters for the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe, the Lakota Nation and their supporters who oppose the construction of the Dakota Access Pipeline. Marcelle and I also are troubled by the recent news reports of how they are being treated by some government officials and law enforcement agents. I firmly believe that the construction of this pipeline should be suspended indefinitely pending approval by the Standing Rock Tribal Leaders. We must also pay serious consideration to the long term environmental impacts of this pipeline. Climate change is real, and as such we should take this pipeline's potential to significantly contribute to global climate change very seriously. In October, I joined Senator Bernie Sanders in sending a letter to President Obama raising these concerns. You can read that letter here. # # # # # 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/statement-of-senator-patrick-leahy-d-vt-ranking-member-senate-judiciary-committee-urging-final-passage-of-the-justice-for-all-reauthorization-act | Statement of Senator Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.), Ranking Member, Senate Judiciary Committee, Urging Final Passage of the Justice for All Reauthorization Act | 2016-12-01 | 2016 | 2016-12 | Democrat | House | VT | Patrick Leahy | L000174 | www.leahy.senate.gov | legacy | 12.01.16 Statement of Senator Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.), Ranking Member, Senate Judiciary Committee, Urging Final Passage of the Justice for All Reauthorization Act Each morning in this chamber we pledge allegiance to our flag, and we end by declaring that we are one Nation under God with liberty and justice for all. It is not enough to say the words. It is our obligation to bring meaning to this promise. Today I hope the Congress will finally take an important step forward by passing the bipartisan Justice for All Reauthorization Act. I have long championed the Justice for All Act to make our justice system more fair. Our bill will strengthen indigent defense and expand the rights of crime victims. It will improve the use of forensic evidence, including rape kits, to provide justice swiftly. It will help protect the innocent by increasing access to post-conviction DNA testing. The Senate passed this bipartisan legislation in June, and the House approved a slightly modified version earlier this week. I am disappointed the House decreased authorizations for many programs I support. Still, the bill makes important changes and will improve the lives of many of our most vulnerable citizens. I urge my fellow Senators to consent to its immediate passage. As a former prosecutor, I am dedicated to ensuring that our criminal justice system has integrity and the confidence of the public it serves. I started out on the front lines as State's Attorney in Chittenden County, Vermont. And for the past 20 years I have served as Chairman or Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Committee. During that time it has become clear to me that our system is deeply flawed there is not always justice for all. I have met many innocent people who were wrongly convicted of crimes they did not commit. Kirk Bloodsworth was one such young man. He was just out of the Marines in 1984 when he was falsely convicted and sentenced to death for the rape and murder of a 9-year-old girl. He was nearly executed until DNA evidence proved he w… | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://www.sanders.senate.gov/newsroom/must-read/the-really-rich-got-richer-according-to-irss-top-400 | The Really Rich Got Richer, According to IRSs Top 400 | 2016-12-01 | 2016 | 2016-12 | Independent | House | VT | Bernard Sanders | S000033 | www.sanders.senate.gov | legacy | The Really Rich Got Richer, According to IRS’s Top 400 Total income reported on the top 400 individual tax returns rose 20% in 2014 By: Richard Rubin Thursday, December 1, 2016 The total income reported on the top 400 individual tax returns rose 20% in 2014, according to Internal Revenue Service data released Thursday. The figures reveal the concentration of earnings at the pinnacle of the income distribution, in a club that required $126.8 million of adjusted gross income to enter. That group, out of nearly 150 million tax returns in 2014, received 1.3% of income and 10% of capital gains that get preferential rates. The same 400 households also made 6.9% of all charitable contributions. Continue reading here. | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://www.sanders.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/sanders-carrier-just-showed-corporations-how-to-beat-donald-trump | Sanders: Carrier just showed corporations how to beat Donald Trump | 2016-12-01 | 2016 | 2016-12 | Independent | House | VT | Bernard Sanders | S000033 | www.sanders.senate.gov | legacy | Sanders: Carrier just showed corporations how to beat Donald Trump Thursday, December 1, 2016 The Washington Post: Carrier just showed corporations how to beat Donald Trump By Sen. Bernie Sanders Today, about 1,000 Carrier workers and their families should be rejoicing. But the rest of our nation’s workers should be very nervous. President-elect Donald Trump will reportedly announce a deal with United Technologies, the corporation that owns Carrier, that keeps less than 1,000 of the 2100 jobs in America that were previously scheduled to be transferred to Mexico. Let’s be clear: It is not good enough to save some of these jobs. Trump made a promise that he would save all of these jobs, and we cannot rest until an ironclad contract is signed to ensure that all of these workers are able to continue working in Indiana without having their pay or benefits slashed. In exchange for allowing United Technologies to continue to offshore more than 1,000 jobs, Trump will reportedly give the company tax and regulatory favors that the corporation has sought. Just a short few months ago, Trump was pledging to force United Technologies to “pay a damn tax.” He was insisting on very steep tariffs for companies like Carrier that left the United States and wanted to sell their foreign-made products back in the United States. Instead of a damn tax, the company will be rewarded with a damn tax cut. Wow! How’s that for standing up to corporate greed? How’s that for punishing corporations that shut down in the United States and move abroad? In essence, United Technologies took Trump hostage and won. And that should send a shock wave of fear through all workers across the country. Trump has endangered the jobs of workers who were previously safe in the United States. Why? Because he has signaled to every corporation in America that they can threaten to offshore jobs in exchange for business-friendly tax benefits and incentives. Even corporations that weren’t thinking of offshoring jobs will most p… | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://www.leahy.senate.gov/press/senate-floor-remarks-of-senator-patrick-leahy-d-vt-on-the-duplicity-of-the-double-standard | Senate Floor Remarks of Senator Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.), On the Duplicity of the Double Standard | 2016-11-30 | 2016 | 2016-11 | Democrat | House | VT | Patrick Leahy | L000174 | www.leahy.senate.gov | legacy | 11.30.16 Senate Floor Remarks of Senator Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.), On the Duplicity of the Double Standard For months no, for years in the lead up to the November 8th election, congressional Republicans spent countless taxpayer dollars to air their unsubstantiated concerns about corruption at the highest levels of our government. The Clinton Foundation must be dissolved, they said. Every action, every meeting, every activity of the Clinton Foundation should be revealed, they said. We cannot allow such a foundation to run so close to the Oval Office, they said. It is ironic sadly ironic, maddeningly ironic that since November 8th, I have heard neither shout nor whisper from congressional Republicans echoing the same concerns about our President-elect's personal and profitable business dealings. No outrage that the President-elect's family may charge the American taxpayer millions of dollars to rent space for the Secret Service at Trump Tower. No demand that the President-elect the Chairman and President of The Trump Organization dissolve his stake in the corporation he owns. Now, today, we hear that the President-elect will finally explain how he plans to address these conflicts of interest which he feels is a visual problem rather than an ethical one. Unless he does what I and others have called for divest his interest in, and sever his relationship to, the Trump Organization, and put the proceeds in a true blind trust it is nothing more than lip service. And until we know more about what role his family will have both in his business interests and the government's operation under a Trump administration, no one should consider this serious concern addressed. And here is the duplicity of congressional Republicans' double standard. After years of partisan witch hunts, and millions of wasted taxpayer dollars investigating bogus allegations against Hillary Clinton, and by extension, the Clinton Foundation, if Republicans fail to demand the same of Donald Trump that they demanded of her, they wil… | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://www.sanders.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/sanders-warren-joint-statement-on-trumps-treasury-nominee | Sanders, Warren Joint Statement on Trump's Treasury Nominee | 2016-11-30 | 2016 | 2016-11 | Independent | House | VT | Bernard Sanders | S000033 | www.sanders.senate.gov | legacy | Sanders, Warren Joint Statement on Trump's Treasury Nominee Wednesday, November 30, 2016 WASHINGTON, Nov. 30 – Sens. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) and Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) released the following statement Wednesday after it was reported that President-elect Donald Trump will nominate Steve Mnuchin to serve as Treasury secretary: "During the campaign, Donald Trump told the American people that he was going to change Washington by taking on Wall Street. Donald Trump’s choice for Treasury secretary, Steve Mnuchin, is just another Wall Street insider. That is not the type of change that Donald Trump promised to bring to Washington – that is hypocrisy at its worst. After his bank pocketed billions in taxpayer dollars from the bailout, Mnuchin moved on to make a fortune running another bank that aggressively foreclosed on families still reeling from the crisis. This pick makes clear that Donald Trump wants to cater to the same Wall Street executives that have hurt working families time and again." | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://www.leahy.senate.gov/press/house-approves-bill-championed-by-leahy-to-improve-criminal-justice-system | House Approves Bill Championed By Leahy To Improve Criminal Justice System | 2016-11-29 | 2016 | 2016-11 | Democrat | House | VT | Patrick Leahy | L000174 | www.leahy.senate.gov | legacy | 11.29.16 House Approves Bill Championed By Leahy To Improve Criminal Justice System . . . Renewal Of Leahy's Groundbreaking Innocence Protection Act Facilitates Post-Conviction Use Of DNA Evidence WASHINGTON (TUESDAY, November 29, 2016) The House on Tuesday overwhelmingly approved legislation long championed by Senator Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) to help ensure that the criminal justice system functions fairly. The Justice for All Reauthorization Act supports critical grant programs which provide funding for forensic testing, including rape kits. The House-passed measure closely mirrors legislation coauthored by Leahy and Senator John Cornyn (R-Texas), which passed the Senate in June. On Tuesday, Leahy called on the Senate to pass the slightly modified bill in order to get it to the President's desk and signed into law. The Justice for All Reauthorization Act provides tools to strengthen indigent defense, expand the rights of crime victims, improve the use of forensic evidence and test rape kits, and protect the innocent by increasing access to post-conviction DNA testing. Now that the House has finally passed this bipartisan legislation, the Senate should do the same this week, Leahy said. Leahy has long worked to reduce the rape kit backlog and advance several bills in support of sexual assault survivors. In 2014, he led the successful reauthorization of legislation to renew the Debbie Smith DNA Backlog Reduction Program. Leahy also included language in the Leahy-Crapo Violence Against Women Act, enacted in 2013, to increase the resources for survivors of sexual assault and to reduce the rape kit backlog. The Justice for All Reauthorization Act also renews the Innocence Protection Act, a landmark Leahy law which includes the Kirk Bloodsworth Post-Conviction DNA Testing Grant Program. That program facilitates the use of post-conviction testing of DNA evidence that can exonerate the wrongly convicted and hold accou… | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://www.leahy.senate.gov/press/statement-of-senator-patrick-leahy-d-vt-ranking-member-senate-committee-on-the-judiciary-on-senate-passage-of-s-2944-public-safety-officers-benefits-improvement-act-of-2016 | Statement of Senator Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.), Ranking Member, Senate Committee on the Judiciary On Senate Passage of S. 2944, Public Safety Officers Benefits Improvement Act of 2016 | 2016-11-29 | 2016 | 2016-11 | Democrat | House | VT | Patrick Leahy | L000174 | www.leahy.senate.gov | legacy | 11.29.16 Statement of Senator Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.), Ranking Member, Senate Committee on the Judiciary On Senate Passage of S. 2944, Public Safety Officers' Benefits Improvement Act of 2016 Today, the Senate reiterates its commitment to our nation's law enforcement officers, firefighters, and other first responders. Forty years ago, we created the Public Safety Officers' Benefits Program (PSOB) to support first responders who made the ultimate sacrifice. We have now passed legislation to make much needed improvements to the claims adjudication process, which for too long has been plagued by red tape and delays. Today's legislation builds upon my past efforts to improve the PSOB program. In 2003, I worked with a bipartisan group of senators to pass the Hometown Heroes Survivors Benefits Act, which recognized that law enforcement officers who suffer fatal heart attacks or strokes in the line of duty also deserve benefits. In 2009, I introduced the Dale Long Emergency Medical Service Providers Protection Act, which became law in 2012 and extended PSOB benefits to nonprofit Emergency Medical Service (EMS) providers. This change covered an estimated 1,200 EMS personnel in Vermont alone. Today's legislation will add transparency to the PSOB's decision-making process and should help expedite the review of applications for benefits. The legislation also includes an amendment I offered in the Judiciary Committee that improved this bill in three important ways. First, it ensured that children are not disqualified from receiving education benefits due to delays within the PSOB program, which can approach 10 years. At a Senate Judiciary hearing in April, the Honorable Karol Mason, Assistant Attorney General for the Office of Justice Programs, testified that this situation is unconscionable. I agree. My amendment ensures it will never happen again. Second, a fallen officer or first responder's family should not have their claim denied simply because their employer fails to provide necessary paperwork to the PSOB… | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://www.leahy.senate.gov/press/statement-of-senator-patrick-leahy_on--fiscal-year-2017-appropriations | Statement of Senator Patrick Leahy On Fiscal Year 2017 Appropriations | 2016-11-29 | 2016 | 2016-11 | Democrat | House | VT | Patrick Leahy | L000174 | www.leahy.senate.gov | legacy | 11.29.16 Statement of Senator Patrick Leahy On Fiscal Year 2017 Appropriations Mr. President, for the past two years the Republican Party has enjoyed solid majorities in both the House and Senate. They control the schedule and the process. They can decide which legislation to call up for debate, and frankly for all intents and purposes, they can decide whether anything gets done around here. A good example is the nomination of Merrick Garland to the Supreme Court. If he had been treated like other Supreme Court nominees throughout the entire history of this country, he would have received a hearing and a vote and he almost certainly would have been easily confirmed just as he was when he was nominated to the DC Court of Appeals. Instead, the Republican leadership did not even give Judge Garland a hearing, much less a vote. The Republican Senators refused to do their job. There are countless examples of this. It would behoove people in this country who complain about the do nothing Congress to remind themselves that the Republicans are in control. They can make it possible for work to get done, or they can make it impossible. Their track record for the past two years speaks for itself. Instead of a Congress that sets the standard for the world's democracies, we have been treated to a lesson of how not to get things done. The latest example is the fiscal year 2017 appropriations bills. I went back and reviewed the record. For months, the Republican leadership extolled the virtues of regular order. They spoke with great optimism and confidence about passing appropriations bills. Individual bills, not even an omnibus bill that has become the norm. They said over and over that they were going to do their job this year and pass these bills, the way we used to do. We on the Democratic side fully supported that goal. And we negotiated 12 individual appropriations bills that were reported, with one exception, with bipartisan majorities in most cases overwhelming majorities by the Appropriations Comm… | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://www.sanders.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/sanders-statement-on-the-21st-century-cures-act | Sanders Statement on the 21st Century Cures Act | 2016-11-29 | 2016 | 2016-11 | Independent | House | VT | Bernard Sanders | S000033 | www.sanders.senate.gov | legacy | Sanders Statement on the 21st Century Cures Act Tuesday, November 29, 2016 WASHINGTON, Nov. 29 – Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) issued the following statement Tuesday on the 21st Century Cures Act: "At a time when Americans pay, by far, the highest prices in the world for prescription drugs, this bill provides absolutely no relief for soaring drug prices. The greed of the pharmaceutical industry has no limit, and this bill includes numerous corporate giveaways that will make drug companies even richer. Further, this bill cuts Medicare and Medicaid by $1 billion, while not even guaranteeing funding for medical research or substance abuse treatment. "This is a bad bill which should not be passed in its current form. It's time for Congress to stand up to the world's biggest pharmaceutical companies, not give them more handouts." | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://www.sanders.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/sanders-statement-on-trumps-hhs-pick | Sanders Statement on Trump's HHS Pick | 2016-11-29 | 2016 | 2016-11 | Independent | House | VT | Bernard Sanders | S000033 | www.sanders.senate.gov | legacy | WASHINGTON, Nov. 29 – Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) issued the following statement Tuesday after it was reported that President-elect Donald Trump will name Rep. Tom Price (R-Ga.) to serve as secretary of health and human services: “Donald Trump asked workers and seniors to vote for him because he was the only Republican candidate who would not cut Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid – programs that are of life-and-death importance for millions of Americans. Now, he has nominated a person for secretary of Health and Human Services, Rep. Tom Price, who has a long history of wanting to do exactly the opposite of what Trump campaigned on. Rep. Price has a long history of wanting to cut Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid. What hypocrisy! Mr. Trump needs to tell the American people that what he said during the campaign were just lies, or else appoint an HHS secretary who will protect these programs and do what Trump said he would do.” | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://www.sanders.senate.gov/newsroom/video-audio/trump-vows-to-protect-social-security-medicare-and-medicaid | Trump Vows To Protect Social Security, Medicare Medicaid | 2016-11-29 | 2016 | 2016-11 | Independent | House | VT | Bernard Sanders | S000033 | www.sanders.senate.gov | legacy | Trump Vows To Protect Social Security, Medicare & Medicaid Speaking at the New Hampshire Republican Leadership Summit, Donald Trump scolded Republicans for trying to cut Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid. See Video on YouTube Tweet Copy Link | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://welch.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/welch-engage-vermonters-priorities-new-president-and-congress | Welch to Engage Vermonters on Priorities for New President and Congress | 2016-11-28 | 2016 | 2016-11 | Democrat | House | VT | Peter Welch | W000800 | welch.house.gov | legacy | WASHINGTONAs President-elect Trump and a new Congress prepare to take office in January, Rep. Peter Welch (D-VT) today announced that he will host a live, statewide telephone town hall meeting on Tuesday evening, November 29th at 7:15 p.m. EST. Welch will outline his agenda and listen to Vermonters' priorities, hopes, and concerns. Callers will be able to ask Welch questions on the call, which is expected to last one hour. WHO: Congressman Peter Welch WHAT: Statewide Telephone Town Hall Meeting WHEN: TOMORROW, Tuesday, November 29th at 7:15 p.m. EST TOPIC: Conversation with Vermonters about new Congress and President To connect Vermonters to the live call, Welch's office will use a technology that automatically calls all Vermont households in its data base. Alternatively, Vermonters and media can join the call directly by dialing 877-229-8493 at 7:15 p.m. and using 116275 as the passcode. ### | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://www.sanders.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/sanders-republicans-are-threatening-american-democracy | Sanders: Republicans Are Threatening American Democracy | 2016-11-28 | 2016 | 2016-11 | Independent | House | VT | Bernard Sanders | S000033 | www.sanders.senate.gov | legacy | Sanders: Republicans Are Threatening American Democracy Monday, November 28, 2016 BURLINGTON, Vt., Nov. 28 – U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) issued the following statement Monday after Donald Trump claimed "millions of people...voted illegally" and made unfounded allegations of "serious voter fraud in Virginia, New Hampshire and California": "The threat to American democracy under Republican control is two-fold. First, they will likely move to go beyond the disastrous Citizens United Supreme Court decision and end all campaign finance limitations. Right now, the Koch brothers and the billionaire class can spend as much as they want only on independent expenditures. The Republican leadership wants more. They want billionaires to be able to contribute directly to the candidate and, in essence, make the candidate a full-fledged employee of wealthy contributors. "Secondly, the Republicans will likely move aggressively to expand their current voter suppression efforts. When Trump talks his disgraceful and unfounded nonsense about millions of people voting illegally, he is sending a very clear signal that the Republicans will move to make it harder for people of color, the elderly, immigrants, young people and poor people to participate in elections. "Our job: State by state and at the federal level, resist all efforts at voter suppression. We must do everything we can to make it easier for people to participate in the political process, not harder. States like California, Vermont and others have already moved effectively in that direction. Others must follow. "For many Republicans leaders, 'democracy' means billionaires buying elections and poor and working people being disenfranchised. Too many Americans have fought and died to defend American democracy. The Republican anti-democratic vision is not a future we will allow to happen." | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://www.leahy.senate.gov/press/reaction-of-senator-patrick-leahy-to-the-death-of-fidel-castro | Reaction Of Senator Patrick Leahy To The Death Of Fidel Castro | 2016-11-26 | 2016 | 2016-11 | Democrat | House | VT | Patrick Leahy | L000174 | www.leahy.senate.gov | legacy | 11.26.16 Reaction Of Senator Patrick Leahy To The Death Of Fidel Castro Fidel Castro will be remembered as an ideologue who liberated the Cuban people from a corrupt dictatorship only to replace it with a family dynasty that maintained its grip on power through fear and repression. While the Cuban people for the first time enjoyed universal access to basic health care and literacy, Castro's failed economic policies, compounded by the U.S. embargo, left the country impoverished. For 55 years, the mere mention of Fidel Castro has incited fiercely emotional reactions from a deeply divided Cuban population, whether separated by the Florida straits or political ideology. Throughout those years, U.S. - Cuban relations were fraught with hostility, misunderstanding, and missed opportunities on both sides. The majority of Cubans alive today were born after the Revolution, and are chafing for a better life. Having visited Cuba many times, I have seen the benefits of the steps President Obama and President Raul Castro have taken to rebuild bridges between our countries. That process has only begun, and it is in the interests of both countries that it continue. 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.sanders.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/-sanders-statement-on-carrier-and-outsourcing | Sanders Statement on Carrier and Outsourcing | 2016-11-26 | 2016 | 2016-11 | Independent | House | VT | Bernard Sanders | S000033 | www.sanders.senate.gov | legacy | Sanders Statement on Carrier and Outsourcing Saturday, November 26, 2016 BURLINGTON, Vt., Nov. 26 – U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) issued the following statement Saturday: “During the campaign, Donald Trump made a 100 percent commitment to prevent United Technologies from shipping 2,100 jobs from Indiana to Mexico. All of us need to hold Mr. Trump accountable to make sure that he keeps this promise. “Let’s be clear: it is not good enough to save some of these jobs. We cannot rest until United Technologies signs a firm contract to keep all of these good-paying jobs in Indiana without slashing the salaries or benefits workers have earned. “United Technologies is not going broke. Last year, it made a profit of $7.6 billion and received over $6 billion in defense contracts. It has also received more than $50 million in corporate welfare from the Export-Import Bank and very generous tax breaks. “In 2014, United Technologies gave its former CEO Louis Chenevert a golden parachute worth over $172 million. Last year, the company’s five highest paid executives made over $50 million. The firm also spent $12 billion to inflate its stock price instead of using that money to invest in new plants and workers. “I call on Mr. Trump to make it clear to the CEO of United Technologies that if his firm wants to receive another defense contract from the taxpayers of this country, it must not move these plants to Mexico. “We need to send a very loud and very clear message to corporate America: the era of outsourcing is over. Instead of offshoring jobs, the time has come for you to start bringing good-paying jobs back to the United States of America. “If United Technologies or any other company wants to keep outsourcing decent-paying American jobs, those companies must pay an outsourcing tax equal to the amount of money it expects to save by moving factories to Mexico or other low-wage countries. They must pay back all of the tax breaks and other corporate welfare they have received from the … | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://www.sanders.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/sanders-slams-court-ruling-against-overtime-pay | Sanders Slams Court Ruling Against Overtime Pay | 2016-11-23 | 2016 | 2016-11 | Independent | House | VT | Bernard Sanders | S000033 | www.sanders.senate.gov | legacy | Sanders Slams Court Ruling Against Overtime Pay Wednesday, November 23, 2016 BURLINGTON, Vt., Nov. 23 – U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) on Wednesday criticized a federal court injunction against a new overtime rule that would have made millions of workers eligible for time-and-a-half pay. “The disastrous district court decision will unfairly harm millions of workers who are working longer hours for lower wages and have gone far too long without a raise. No employer should be allowed to deny overtime pay to Americans, many of whom are working 50 or 60 hours a week by labeling workers earning as little as $24,000-a-year as 'supervisors.' If we are serious about expanding the middle class, we must ensure that workers are paid fairly for all the work they do,” Sander said. “The Obama administration did the right thing by updating labor rules to make sure that anyone who makes less than $47,476 a year will receive time-and-a-half pay for working overtime. This is not without precedent. Since 1938, 10 different presidents – Democrats and Republicans – have exercised the authority their administrations have to update our nation’s overtime rules,” Sanders added. A preliminary injunction issued Tuesday blocks a new U.S. Labor Department rule, set to take effect next week, which would have required employers to pay overtime to workers earning less than $47,476 a year. The previous cutoff for workers to qualify for overtime pay, set in 2004, was $23,660. “Anyone who claims to be a champion of working families should be outraged by the misguided and irresponsible court decision. I urge the Obama administration and President-elect Trump to do everything they can to vigorously defend this rule,” Sanders said. “During this time of Thanksgiving we must fight to make sure that all Americans receive the pay they have earned and deserve.” Sanders this year led a push in the Senate to extend overtime pay. To read Sanders’ Feb. 29 letter, signed by 23 Senate colleagues, to Labor Se… | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://welch.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/welch-statement-vermont-air-national-guard-deployment | Welch Statement on Vermont Air National Guard Deployment | 2016-11-22 | 2016 | 2016-11 | Democrat | House | VT | Peter Welch | W000800 | welch.house.gov | legacy | WASHINGTON Rep. Peter Welch (D-VT) today released the below statement following the announcement of a Vermont Air National Guard deployment. The brave men and women of the Vermont Air Guard have my full support for a successful mission and a safe and speedy return home. This is a particularly tough time of year for Guard members to leave their families, jobs and communities. As we have in the past, I know that all Vermonters will join together to support those being deployed as well as the families they leave behind. The Vermont Air Guard truly represents the best of Vermont. I am humbled by their service and thankful for their sacrifice. ### | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://www.leahy.senate.gov/press/leahy-comment_on-the-upcoming-deployment-of-the-vermont-air-national-guard-- | Leahy Comment On The Upcoming Deployment Of The Vermont Air National Guard | 2016-11-22 | 2016 | 2016-11 | Democrat | House | VT | Patrick Leahy | L000174 | www.leahy.senate.gov | legacy | 11.22.16 Leahy Comment On The Upcoming Deployment Of The Vermont Air National Guard (TUESDAY, Nov. 22, 2016) -- Senator Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) issued the following statement related to the announced deployment of the 158th Fighter Wing to the Central Command Area of Operations. Leahy, co-chair of the Senate National Guard Caucus said: The brave men and women of the Vermont Air National Guard once again are answering the call. Our country knows that when you call in the Green Mountain Boys, you're calling in the best. Their outstanding reputation has been earned through skill and sacrifice. Our pride in them is matched by our gratitude to them, their families, their employers and their communities. Marcelle and I continue to be humbled by their tireless devotion to Vermont and the nation. We are so proud of all that the Air Guard does, and we are behind them throughout this process. Leahy continued: The stresses that deployments place on Guard families are many, and they are constant. It is important that we come together as a state to support not only our fellow Vermonters serving overseas, but everyone affected by their departure. The burden of separation falls on loved ones and employers, and it is so important that their sacrifices and contributions do not go unnoticed or unappreciated. Marcelle and I will have the men and women of the Vermont Air National Guard and their families in our thoughts and prayers throughout the coming months. # # # # # 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.sanders.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/sanders-statement-on-vermont-air-national-guard-deployment | Sanders Statement on Vermont Air National Guard Deployment | 2016-11-22 | 2016 | 2016-11 | Independent | House | VT | Bernard Sanders | S000033 | www.sanders.senate.gov | legacy | Sanders Statement on Vermont Air National Guard Deployment Tuesday, November 22, 2016 BURLINGTON, Vt., Nov. 22 – U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) released the following statement Tuesday after the Vermont Air National Guard announced it would be deploying overseas: "The Vermont Air Guard has been recognized for its high degree of training and readiness. As is the case with any deployment, my thoughts are with the service members being sent overseas and their families. In Vermont, I am confident that we will all do everything we can to support those families in their time of need, as we look forward to the safe and speedy return of the Guard members." | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://www.leahy.senate.gov/press/thanksgiving-a-time-for-reflection-and-renewed-commitment | Thanksgiving: A Time For Reflection And Renewed Commitment | 2016-11-21 | 2016 | 2016-11 | Democrat | House | VT | Patrick Leahy | L000174 | www.leahy.senate.gov | legacy | 11.21.16 Thanksgiving: A Time For Reflection And Renewed Commitment by Patrick Leahy In our family, as in homes across Vermont and the nation, this Thanksgiving will be a time of especially deep and emotional reflection. After a bitterly contested election that tested our civility and fanned the flames of intolerance, we now move into a period that may further test our national character and our institutions. We already are ending a year in which a majority of senators have broken not only with precedent, but with the sworn obligation to uphold our constitutional responsibilities, by refusing to even hold a hearing on a president's nominee to fill a vacancy on our highest court. I have heard from countless Vermonters about the pain felt right now by so many. This year has left us reeling, a feeling shared by all Vermonters, regardless of who we supported. It is real, it is deep, and it comes from a campaign marked by vitriol, intolerance and hate speech that should have no place in our public discourse. What happened in this election cannot be tolerated or normalized. All of us as citizens need to speak out against bigotry and intolerance whenever and wherever they appear. I am thankful to live in a nation that is both good and great -- the wealthiest, most powerful and most generous nation in the world, endowed with freedoms, rights, values and ideals, and quality of life that are the envy of the world. These trying times challenge us to find common ground and to remain engaged in our communities and beyond. We need to share of ourselves and express the respect and the empathy that we have for each other. We can help steady our communities, our nation and our loved ones by helping where there is need, listening where there is frustration, and acting where there is injustice. Vermonters know how to weather storms. When times are toughest, we always come together to focus on what's important: each other. I … | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://www.sanders.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/sanders-calls-on-trump-to-keep-his-promise-to-defend-social-security | Sanders Calls on Trump to Keep His Promise to Defend Social Security | 2016-11-21 | 2016 | 2016-11 | Independent | House | VT | Bernard Sanders | S000033 | www.sanders.senate.gov | legacy | Sanders Calls on Trump to Keep His Promise to Defend Social Security Monday, November 21, 2016 WASHINGTON, Nov. 21 – Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) issued the following statement Monday on President-elect Donald Trump’s promise to protect Social Security: “There are many seniors, disabled vets and people with disabilities who are very nervous about Republican proposals to cut Social Security. In my view we should be expanding Social Security, not cutting it. But, at the very least, now is the time for Mr. Trump to reassure the American people that he will keep the campaign promise he made when he said, ‘I was the first & only potential GOP candidate to state there will be no cuts to Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid.’ Mr. Trump, keep your promise.” | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://www.leahy.senate.gov/press/statement-of-senator-patrick-leahy-d-vt_ranking-member-senate-judiciary-committee--on-reports-of-senator-jeff-sessions-nomination-to-be-the-attorney-general-of-the-united-states- | Statement Of Senator Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.), Ranking Member, Senate Judiciary Committee, On Reports Of Senator Jeff Sessions Nomination To Be The Attorney General Of The United States | 2016-11-18 | 2016 | 2016-11 | Democrat | House | VT | Patrick Leahy | L000174 | www.leahy.senate.gov | legacy | 11.18.16 Statement Of Senator Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.), Ranking Member, Senate Judiciary Committee, On Reports Of Senator Jeff Sessions' Nomination To Be The Attorney General Of The United States The Attorney General serves as the chief law enforcement officer in the country. The Attorney General must be independent and fair. The Attorney General must be deeply committed to the rule of law and must ensure that all people are treated equally before the law. This means that he or she is also the chief protector of civil rights and civil liberties for everyone in our Nation. That has never been more important than in this moment, when hate crimes have spiked across the country, especially against Muslim and LGBTQ Americans. And when we have a President-elect who has proposed religious tests, a return to torture, and a deportation force that threatens to remove millions of immigrants. Senator Sessions and I have had significant disagreements over the years, particularly on civil rights, voting rights, immigration and criminal justice issues. But unlike Republicans' practice of unprecedented obstruction of President Obama's nominees, I believe nominees deserve a full and fair process before the Senate. The American people deserve to learn about Senator Sessions' record at the public Senate Judiciary Committee hearing. # # # # # 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.sanders.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/sanders-statement-on-trumps-reactionary-agenda | Sanders Statement on Trump's Reactionary Agenda | 2016-11-18 | 2016 | 2016-11 | Independent | House | VT | Bernard Sanders | S000033 | www.sanders.senate.gov | legacy | Sanders Statement on Trump's Reactionary Agenda Friday, November 18, 2016 WASHINGTON, Nov. 18 – Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) released the following statement Friday: “Here is the simple truth. Trump’s reactionary agenda will not be defeated in the halls of Congress. It will be defeated when millions of Americans, at the grassroots level, come together to oppose xenophobia and attacks on the immigrant community. It will be defeated when we stand together against racism, sexism, homophobia and Islamophobia. It will be defeated when working people throughout our country – black, white, Latino, Asian-American and Native American – demand a government and economy which works for all, and not just the one percent. Our political task now is to educate, organize and mobilize.” | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://www.sanders.senate.gov/newsroom/video-audio/vermont-viewpoint | Vermont Viewpoint | 2016-11-18 | 2016 | 2016-11 | Independent | House | VT | Bernard Sanders | S000033 | www.sanders.senate.gov | legacy | Vermont Viewpoint Torin Kearns, 22, of Lincoln, Vermont, said considering the cost of college is stressful. "When you get out of college -- having all this debt pile up and a job that might not necessarily make you back all that money in a decent amount of time -- it’s scary," he said. "If kids want education, they should be able to have it." | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://web.archive.org/web/20161208092713/http://www.sanders.senate.gov/newsroom/video-audio/the-peoples-rally-in-washington | The People's Rally in Washington | 2016-11-17 | 2016 | 2016-11 | Independent | House | VT | Bernard Sanders | S000033 | web.archive.org | legacy | Pursuant to Senate Policy, petitions, opinion polls and unsolicited mass electronic communications cannot be initiated by this office for the 60-day period immediately before the date of a primary or general election. Subscribers currently receiving electronic communications from this office who wish to unsubscribe may do so here. | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://welch.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/welch-urges-epa-review-three-chemical-clusters-potentially-harmful-first | Welch Urges EPA to Review Three Chemical Clusters Potentially Harmful to First Responders | 2016-11-17 | 2016 | 2016-11 | Democrat | House | VT | Peter Welch | W000800 | welch.house.gov | legacy | WASHINGTON Rep. Peter Welch (D-VT) today sent a bipartisan letter to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) urging the review for potential regulation of three chemical clusters that disproportionately affect first responders and emergency personnel. EPA's review of potentially toxic chemicals was directed by Congress in recently enacted toxic chemical safety legislation. Emergency response invariably involves a degree of risk, but we can help mitigate these inherent dangers by prioritizing chemicals that first responders disproportionately encounter. We commend EPA for its previous work assessing these chemical clusters and firmly believe they are strong candidates for further review, Welch's letter reads. The EPA review was authorized by the Frank R. Lautenberg Chemical Safety for the 21st Century Act which was signed into law by President Obama in June. The new law mandates the evaluation of potentially hazardous chemicals to determine if they pose an unreasonable risk to human health and the environment. EPA must select by the end of this year the first 10 chemicals that will be subject to this risk assessment. Welch and his colleagues are urging EPA to immediately review three classes of flame retardants, Chlorinated Phosphate Esters cluster, the Cyclic Aliphatic Bromides cluster, and the Tetrabromobisphenol A cluster. These chemicals are widely used in products such as household furniture, textiles, and electronic equipment, yet they can persist in the environment and potentially pose hazards to humans. First responders are often exposed to fumes containing these chemicals when responding to emergencies. Welch's bipartisan letter was signed by 26 House colleagues. ### | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://www.leahy.senate.gov/press/breaking-leahy-to-serve-as-vice-chairman-of-senate-appropriations-committee- | BREAKING: Leahy To Serve As Vice Chairman Of Senate Appropriations Committee | 2016-11-16 | 2016 | 2016-11 | Democrat | House | VT | Patrick Leahy | L000174 | www.leahy.senate.gov | legacy | 11.16.16 BREAKING: Leahy To Serve As Vice Chairman Of Senate Appropriations Committee The results of this election have reshaped the policymaking landscape in Washington and show the need for checks and balances, now that one party controls the White House as well as both houses of Congress. There are many challenges ahead. Against this new backdrop, I have decided that I will best be able to represent Vermonters' voices, and reflect Vermont values and ideals, as the ranking Democrat on the Senate Appropriations Committee. I do not come to this decision lightly. Both the Appropriations Committee and the Judiciary Committee are on the front lines of so many of today's pressing issues. These include the priorities we decide in funding the federal government in our annual appropriations bills, and the future of the Supreme Court. And as the senior Democrat on the Senate Judiciary Committee, I will continue to offer a strong and outspoken voice in defending our Constitution, protecting and promoting human and civil rights, defending Americans' privacy, and fighting for judicial independence. My ongoing efforts range from economic development in Vermont and rebuilding our country's infrastructure, to protecting Lake Champlain, fighting efforts to roll back protections of our air, water, and public lands, and pressing forward with action on climate change. My priorities also continue to include championing crime victims and addressing the opioid scourge, supporting research on cancer and infectious diseases, and advancing food security and human rights around the world. All of these issues are at the forefront of Vermonters' interests and concerns. I am committed to continue working as the steward of the trust Vermonters have again invested in me. I am determined to give Vermonters a front-and-center seat as budget and policy priorities are decided. Right now, at this unusual time, with these results, the best way for me to amplify Vermonters' voices is as the Ranking Member of the Appropriations Committ… | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://www.sanders.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/sanders-joins-senate-democratic-leadership- | Sanders Joins Senate Democratic Leadership | 2016-11-16 | 2016 | 2016-11 | Independent | House | VT | Bernard Sanders | S000033 | www.sanders.senate.gov | legacy | Sanders Joins Senate Democratic Leadership Wednesday, November 16, 2016 WASHINGTON, Nov. 16 – Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) released the following statement Wednesday after he was named chair of outreach for Senate Democrats and ranking member of the Senate Budget Committee: “Real change doesn’t take place on Capitol Hill. It takes place in grassroots America. It takes place when millions of working people, young people and senior citizens come together to demand that our government works for all of us and not just the 1 percent. When the people lead, the leaders follow. “Serving as ranking member of the Budget Committee is a heavy responsibility. It helps shape the priorities of the United States government, and I am going to do everything I can to make sure the budget that leaves the United States Congress is a budget that represents the needs of working families and a shrinking middle class, not billionaires.” | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://www.sanders.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/sanders-statement-on-steve-bannon | Sanders Statement on Steve Bannon | 2016-11-16 | 2016 | 2016-11 | Independent | House | VT | Bernard Sanders | S000033 | www.sanders.senate.gov | legacy | Sanders Statement on Steve Bannon Wednesday, November 16, 2016 WASHINGTON, Nov. 16 – Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) issued the following statement Wednesday on the appointment of Steve Bannon to serve as chief strategist and senior counsel in President-elect Donald Trump’s White House: “This country, since its inception, has struggled to overcome discrimination of all forms: racism, sexism, xenophobia and homophobia. Over the years we have made progress in becoming a less discriminatory and more tolerant society – and we are not going backward. The appointment by President-elect Trump of a racist individual like Mr. Bannon to a position of authority is totally unacceptable. In a democratic society we can disagree all we want over issues, but racism and bigotry cannot be part of any public policy. The appointment of Mr. Bannon by Mr. Trump must be rescinded." | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://welch.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/house-passes-welch-legislation-quantify-economic-benefits-outdoor | House Passes Welch Legislation to Quantify Economic Benefits of Outdoor Recreation | 2016-11-15 | 2016 | 2016-11 | Democrat | House | VT | Peter Welch | W000800 | welch.house.gov | legacy | WASHINGTON Last night, the U.S. House of Representatives unanimously approved bipartisan legislation authored by Rep. Peter Welch (D-VT) that would direct the Department of Commerce to assess and quantify the contributions to job creation and consumer spending of the outdoor and recreation industry. The Outdoor Recreation's Economic Contributions (REC) Act would ensure that outdoor recreation jobs are counted by the federal government and would be measured as part of the overall GDP, for the first time ever. Welch introduced the REC Act in March with Reps. Don Beyer (D-VA), Dave Reichert (R-WA), and Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-WA). Vermont has unparalleled natural beauty that provides Vermonters and tourists year-round opportunities to enjoy the great outdoors. The consumer spending that results from that outdoor recreation is an important boost to Vermont's bottom-line. This legislation will ensure we have reliable data to accurately quantify the benefits of this key driver of our economy. "Outdoor recreation is a critical cornerstone of our economy and brand identity and the Vermont ski industry is enormously grateful for Congressman Welch's leadership in championing this measure to support this vital sector of our economy," said Ski Vermont President Parker Riehle. Congressman Welch appreciates the multiple benefits that outdoor recreational activities bring to the economy. Our economy and the environment don't need to be at odds with each other, and this legislation will help to demonstrate that. At a time when it's never been more important to recognize the value of swimmable, drinkable, and fishable waters, this legislation couldn't come soon enough, said Executive Director of Lake Champlain International James Ehlers. "Tourism is a major part of Vermont's economy and spurring growth in this sector is important to our success. Vermont's outdoor recreation is one of the strongest attributes for living, working and building business in Vermont and having strong data is at the center of en… | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://welch.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/us-house-passes-welch-young-rural-call-quality-legislation | U.S. House Passes Welch, Young Rural Call Quality Legislation | 2016-11-14 | 2016 | 2016-11 | Democrat | House | VT | Peter Welch | W000800 | welch.house.gov | legacy | WASHINGTON, D.C. - Today the U.S. House of Representatives passed the Improving Rural Call Quality and Reliability Act (H.R. 2566), legislation introduced by Iowa Congressman David Young and Vermont Congressman Peter Welch to address call quality and reliability standards in rural areas. Whether an emergency call or a business order, Vermonters should have confidence that their calls are completed without disruption, Congressman Welch said. This bill addresses the epidemic of dropped calls in rural America and will ensure calls to emergency responders, businesses, customers, family and friends are reliably connected. Americans deserve consistent, quality phone service no matter where they choose to live, Congressman Young said. I appreciate the support this important legislation has received from members on both sides of the aisle, especially Congressman Welch, as we continue to move it forward and improve phone service for folks in Iowa communities and across rural America. The Improving Rural Call Quality and Reliability Act requires intermediary providers to register with the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) and to meet quality standards ensuring rural Americans can rely on phone service. It also prohibits providers from using any intermediary routing services not registered with the FCC. It was examined by the U.S. House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Communications and Technology, during a hearing entitled Rural Call Quality and Reliability on September 8, 2016. The legislation was subsequently marked up by the subcommittee on September 13, 2016, before it was sent to the full committee for consideration. It was considered and passed by the full U.S. House Energy and Commerce Committee on September 21, 2016. The legislation was originally passed by the U.S. House of Representatives as part of the Communications Act Update Act of 2016 (S. 253) on September 27, 2016, but was approved today as a standalone bill. The Improving Rural Call Quality and Reliability Act legislation heads to the U.S. Senat… | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://www.sanders.senate.gov/newsroom/video-audio/heating-our-cities-with-renewable-energy | Heating Our Cities With Renewable Energy | 2016-11-10 | 2016 | 2016-11 | Independent | House | VT | Bernard Sanders | S000033 | www.sanders.senate.gov | legacy | Heating Our Cities With Renewable Energy A wood-chip fired heating plant in Montpelier, Vermont, known as District Heat Montpelier, is part of Vermont’s effort to move its energy system from fossil fuels to renewable energy. Thanks to $8 million in federal stimulus funds in 2010, this renewable energy powered heat plant prevents 300,000 gallons of oil from being burned each year. | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://www.sanders.senate.gov/vermont/-heating-cities-with-renewables- | Heating Cities with Renewables | 2016-11-10 | 2016 | 2016-11 | Independent | House | VT | Bernard Sanders | S000033 | www.sanders.senate.gov | legacy | Heating Cities with Renewables Thursday, November 10, 2016 MONTPELIER, Vt. -- With a significant boost from federal stimulus funds, District Heat Montpelier is up and running, heating dozens of state, municipal and private buildings in Vermont’s capital city. Fueled by an innovative wood-chip fired boiler, the project is part of Vermont’s efforts to transform our energy system away from fossil fuels and toward sustainable sources of energy. “It’s been a tremendous success,” Montpelier Mayor John Hollar said. “The real launch of the program started when the city received an $8 million stimulus grant in 2010. At that point, the project really began in earnest. It was constructed in 2013, operational in the fall of 2014.” When the US Department of Energy originally announced the funds, Sen. Bernie Sanders praised the project, stating “this district energy project will make Vermont more energy independent, lower greenhouse gas emissions and create local jobs.” The district heating plant is doing just that, as the project replaces approximately 300,000 gallons of oil that would have been burned each year to heat 19 state-owned buildings including the Pavilion Office Building, the Supreme Court and the State House. The project also heats Montpelier’s city hall, police and fire stations, an elementary school, municipal library, a federal building, the county courthouse and sheriff’s office, two churches and several private buildings. Montpelier’s heating plant is helping Vermont take strides toward reaching its ambitious statewide renewable energy goals. “Our department keeps track of and sets goals for energy use in Vermont, including renewable energy. One of our responsibilities is to produce the state’s Comprehensive Energy Plan,” said Asa Hopkins, who serves as the director of the Vermont Department of Public Service’s Planning and Energy Resources Division. That plan, Hopkins said, builds on the state's goal of getting 25 percent of our energy from renewable sources by … | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://www.sanders.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/sanders-statement-on-trump | Sanders Statement on Trump | 2016-11-09 | 2016 | 2016-11 | Independent | House | VT | Bernard Sanders | S000033 | www.sanders.senate.gov | legacy | Sanders Statement on Trump Wednesday, November 9, 2016 BURLINGTON, Vt., Nov. 9 – U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) issued the following statement Wednesday after Donald Trump was elected president of the United States: “Donald Trump tapped into the anger of a declining middle class that is sick and tired of establishment economics, establishment politics and the establishment media. People are tired of working longer hours for lower wages, of seeing decent paying jobs go to China and other low-wage countries, of billionaires not paying any federal income taxes and of not being able to afford a college education for their kids - all while the very rich become much richer. “To the degree that Mr. Trump is serious about pursuing policies that improve the lives of working families in this country, I and other progressives are prepared to work with him. To the degree that he pursues racist, sexist, xenophobic and anti-environment policies, we will vigorously oppose him.” | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://www.sanders.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/sanders-cummings-request-doj-and-ftc-investigate-cost-of-diabetes-products | Sanders, Cummings Request DOJ and FTC Investigate Cost of Diabetes Products | 2016-11-04 | 2016 | 2016-11 | Independent | House | VT | Bernard Sanders | S000033 | www.sanders.senate.gov | legacy | Sanders, Cummings Request DOJ and FTC Investigate Cost of Diabetes Products Friday, November 4, 2016 WASHINGTON, Nov. 4 – Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) and Rep. Elijah Cummings (D-Md.) sent a letter Thursday asking the Justice Department and the Federal Trade Commission to investigate potential collusion among pharmaceutical companies that manufacture diabetes products. The prices of insulin medications, which are used by about 6 million Americans to treat diabetes, have skyrocketed in recent years. The cost of insulin more than tripled between 2002 and 2013, from $231 to $736 per year per patient. “Not only have these pharmaceutical companies raised insulin prices significantly – sometimes by double digits overnight – in many instances the prices have increased in tandem,” Sanders and Cummings wrote in the letter to Attorney General Loretta Lynch and Federal Trade Commission Chairwoman Edith Ramirez. “We are concerned that the potential coordination by these drug makers may not simply be a case of ‘shadow pricing’ but may indicate possible collusion.” Three diabetes drug makers have continuously raised their prices over the years, and in numerous instances the price increases have mirrored one another precisely. In May 2014, Sanofi and Novo Nordisk each raised their prices for a vial of diabetes medication by 16.1 percent within a day of each other. Six months later, the companies both raised the medication price by 11.9 percent. There have been 13 reported instances of such tandem price increases between those two companies since 2009. Eli Lilly has also on several occasions matched price increases of its insulin products with Novo Nordisk. Eli Lilly and other companies have previously been fined in Mexico for colluding on insulin pricing. “We believe this egregious behavior warrants a thorough investigation,” the members wrote. To read the letter, click here. | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://www.sanders.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/sanders-welcomes-obama-step-on-dakota-access-pipeline | Sanders Welcomes Obama Step on Dakota Access Pipeline | 2016-11-02 | 2016 | 2016-11 | Independent | House | VT | Bernard Sanders | S000033 | www.sanders.senate.gov | legacy | Sanders Welcomes Obama Step on Dakota Access Pipeline Wednesday, November 2, 2016 WASHINGTON, Nov. 2 – Sen. Bernie Sanders applauded President Barack Obama for saying Tuesday that the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is examining ways to reroute the Dakota Access Pipeline to avoid culturally sensitive lands of the Standing Rock Sioux tribe. “I am very grateful to President Obama for listening to the voices of Native Americans and their many allies who have been protesting the Dakota Access Pipeline,” Sanders said. Sanders sent a letter to the White House last week urging the president to halt the pipeline construction. Sanders again on Wednesday urged the president to suspend all federal permits for the Dakota Access Pipeline until the Corps of Engineers completes a full cultural and environmental review. “The protesters at Standing Rock have insisted all along that in addition to encroaching on their sacred lands, the Dakota Access Pipeline will also threaten our most important natural resource, water,” Sanders said. If completed, the pipeline would transport nearly 20 million gallons of crude oil every day, potentially threatening dozens of bodies of water, including the Missouri River, which provides drinking water for 10 states and 28 tribes. Moreover, Sanders again questioned whether it makes sense to build new oil pipelines at a time when we should be focusing on building a clean energy infrastructure. “We are already seeing the consequences of global climate change, including rising sea levels, drought, wildfires and extreme weather. We should be transforming our energy system away from fossil fuels and toward sustainable sources of energy. This pipeline, if completed, will do the exact opposite. It will lock us into burning more and more fossil fuels for generations to come,” Sanders said. Read Sanders’ letter to President Obama here. | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://www.sanders.senate.gov/newsroom/recent-business/sanders-welcomes-obama-step-on-dakota-access-pipeline | Sanders Welcomes Obama Step on Dakota Access Pipeline | 2016-11-02 | 2016 | 2016-11 | Independent | House | VT | Bernard Sanders | S000033 | www.sanders.senate.gov | legacy | Sanders Welcomes Obama Step on Dakota Access Pipeline Wednesday, November 2, 2016 Sen. Bernie Sanders applauded President Barack Obama for saying Tuesday that the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is examining ways to reroute the Dakota Access Pipeline to avoid culturally sensitive lands of the Standing Rock Sioux tribe. “I am very grateful to President Obama for listening to the voices of Native Americans and their many allies who have been protesting the Dakota Access Pipeline,” Sanders said. Sanders sent a letter to the White House last week urging the president to halt the pipeline construction. Sanders again on Wednesday urged the president to suspend all federal permits for the Dakota Access Pipeline until the Corps of Engineers completes a full cultural and environmental review. “The protesters at Standing Rock have insisted all along that in addition to encroaching on their sacred lands, the Dakota Access Pipeline will also threaten our most important natural resource, water,” Sanders said. If completed, the pipeline would transport nearly 20 million gallons of crude oil every day, potentially threatening dozens of bodies of water, including the Missouri River, which provides drinking water for 10 states and 28 tribes. Moreover, Sanders again questioned whether it makes sense to build new oil pipelines at a time when we should be focusing on building a clean energy infrastructure. “We are already seeing the consequences of global climate change, including rising sea levels, drought, wildfires and extreme weather. We should be transforming our energy system away from fossil fuels and toward sustainable sources of energy. This pipeline, if completed, will do the exact opposite. It will lock us into burning more and more fossil fuels for generations to come,” Sanders said. Read Sanders’ letter to President Obama here. | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://www.sanders.senate.gov/vermont/an-industry-in-crisis-regional-foresters-struggle-to-survive | An industry in crisis: Regional foresters struggle to survive | 2016-11-01 | 2016 | 2016-11 | Independent | House | VT | Bernard Sanders | S000033 | www.sanders.senate.gov | legacy | An industry in crisis: Regional foresters struggle to survive By: Robert Audette Brattleboro Reformer Tuesday, November 1, 2016 Brattleboro - Despite the importance of the forestry industry to Vermont's economy, fundamental shifts in the market for low-grade wood threaten the survival of many small businesses and the viability of the state's forests. "We manage our forests for all kinds of things including durable wood products," said Michael Snyder, Commissioner of Vermont Forests, Parks and Recreation. "We specialize in high-grade, high-value-added wood products. In fact, they are world renowned. But in order to grow that high-quality product, we need to manage the woods." And managing the woods entails - just like cultivating a garden - pulling the weeds, said Paul Frederick, Wood Utilization and Wood Energy Project Leader for the Vermont Department of Forests, Parks and Recreation. "We need to weed out the garden to let the healthier trees utilize the space. If we don't have the markets for the soft wood, that work is very difficult." According to the National Forest Service, there are 88 different tree and shrub species in Vermont, the most common of which are beech, birch, maple, ash, aspen, oak, fir, spruce, hemlock, brambles, raspberry hobblebush, viburnum, and spirea. Hemlock is the leading softwood species, often found growing with eastern white pine. Balsam fir and spruce are the primary species used in the manufacture of wood fiber. Of the hardwood species, sugar maple is the most prevalent, followed by American beech, red maple, yellow and paper birch, and white ash. "Forest products are an economic engine in Vermont and are responsible for $1.4 billion every year," said Snyder. To read the full article, click here | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z |
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