Press releases
Data license: MIT · Data source: dwillis/congress-press
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860 rows where state = "VT" and year = 2017 sorted by date descending
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| url | title | date ▲ | year | month | party | chamber | state | member_name | bioguide_id | domain | scraper | source | date_source | text | has_text | collected_at | updated_at |
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| https://www.sanders.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/sanders-statement-on-republican-tax-plan | Sanders Statement on Republican Tax Plan | 2017-12-27 | 2017 | 2017-12 | Independent | House | VT | Bernard Sanders | S000033 | www.sanders.senate.gov | legacy | Sanders Statement on Republican Tax Plan Wednesday, December 27, 2017 BURLINGTON, Vt., Dec. 27 U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) issued the following statement Wednesday regarding the Republican tax plan: "The Republicans are so desperate to spin their disastrous tax plan that they have resorted to taking comments I recently made completely out of context. Let me set the record straight. "The Trump-Republican tax plan is one of the worst pieces of legislation in the modern history of our country. At a time of massive income and wealth inequality, 83 percent of the tax benefits in that bill go to the top 1 percent at the end of 10 years and 60 percent of the benefits go to the top one-tenth of 1 percent. On the other hand, by the end of the decade, 92 million middle-class Americans will actually be paying more in taxes, including 8 million in the first year alone. Further, this legislation will result in 13 million people losing their health insurance while substantially raising premiums all across the country. It also raises the deficit by $1.4 trillion, laying the groundwork for House Speaker Paul Ryan and other Republicans to call for cuts to Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid and other important programs in the name of 'deficit reduction.' "Instead of this grossly obscene piece of legislation, let's pass tax reform that permanently benefits all middle-income and working-class families without giving tax breaks to the top 1 percent. Instead of providing huge tax breaks to the rich and large corporations that explode the deficit, which this bill does, millionaires, billionaires and large, profitable corporations must begin paying their fair share of taxes. Then, among other things, we can permanently double the standard deduction, expand the Earned Income Tax Credit, re-instate the personal exemptions and make the Child Tax Credit fully refundable without increasing the debt future generations will inherit." | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://www.sanders.senate.gov/newsroom/recent-business/sanders-statement-on-republican-tax-plan | Sanders Statement on Republican Tax Plan | 2017-12-27 | 2017 | 2017-12 | Independent | House | VT | Bernard Sanders | S000033 | www.sanders.senate.gov | legacy | Sanders Statement on Republican Tax Plan Wednesday, December 27, 2017 BURLINGTON, Vt., Dec. 27 U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) issued the following statement Wednesday regarding the Republican tax plan: "The Republicans are so desperate to spin their disastrous tax plan that they have resorted to taking comments I recently made completely out of context. Let me set the record straight. "The Trump-Republican tax plan is one of the worst pieces of legislation in the modern history of our country. At a time of massive income and wealth inequality, 83 percent of the tax benefits in that bill go to the top 1 percent at the end of 10 years and 60 percent of the benefits go to the top one-tenth of 1 percent. On the other hand, by the end of the decade, 92 million middle-class Americans will actually be paying more in taxes, including 8 million in the first year alone. Further, this legislation will result in 13 million people losing their health insurance while substantially raising premiums all across the country. It also raises the deficit by $1.4 trillion, laying the groundwork for House Speaker Paul Ryan and other Republicans to call for cuts to Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid and other important programs in the name of 'deficit reduction.' "Instead of this grossly obscene piece of legislation, let's pass tax reform that permanently benefits all middle-income and working-class families without giving tax breaks to the top 1 percent. Instead of providing huge tax breaks to the rich and large corporations that explode the deficit, which this bill does, millionaires, billionaires and large, profitable corporations must begin paying their fair share of taxes. Then, among other things, we can permanently double the standard deduction, expand the Earned Income Tax Credit, re-instate the personal exemptions and make the Child Tax Credit fully refundable without increasing the debt future generations will inherit." | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://www.leahy.senate.gov/press/leahy-congressional-record-statement-on-pandemic-preparedness | Leahy Congressional Record Statement On Pandemic Preparedness | 2017-12-22 | 2017 | 2017-12 | Democrat | House | VT | Patrick Leahy | L000174 | www.leahy.senate.gov | legacy | 12.22.17 Leahy Congressional Record Statement On Pandemic Preparedness Mr. President, 2018 marks the 100 year anniversary of the influenza pandemic that killed an estimated 50 million people, including 670,000 Americans. I suspect most people assume that given the remarkable advances in modern medicine since 1918 nothing so disastrous could happen again, but in fact it could and next time it could be even worse. The spread of infectious diseases and drug resistance, and the accompanying threats to global security, are on the rise and the international community is woefully underprepared to fight back. The several large-scale infectious disease outbreaks of the last two decades, including SARS, H1N1, and Ebola have revealed the extent to which individual countries and the international community at large need to dramatically improve their preparedness to respond to such potentially catastrophic health crises. The stark reality is that the threat is increasing. An ever-growing, increasingly-mobile global population will provide the breeding ground for the emergence and contagion of existing and new infectious diseases. The potential threats from infectious disease outbreaks include not only catastrophic loss of life, but severe economic harm and social and political instability. The 2014-15 Ebola outbreak, for example, which began with the death of a two-year-old boy in a remote Guinean village, ultimately killed more than 11,000 people across six countries, left thousands of children orphaned, caused an estimated economic loss to those countries of nearly $3 billion, and resulted in many people losing confidence in their countrys public health system. It is important to note that Ebola, which is spread through direct contact and terrified millions of people including in this country, is hardly the most infectious known disease. Several other disease agents, such as measles and influenza, can be spread through the air and can develop into epidemics or pandemics much more rapidly. That is one of t… | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://www.leahy.senate.gov/press/leahy-congressional-record-statement-on-threats-to-worldwide-press-freedom | Leahy Congressional Record Statement On Threats To Worldwide Press Freedom | 2017-12-22 | 2017 | 2017-12 | Democrat | House | VT | Patrick Leahy | L000174 | www.leahy.senate.gov | legacy | 12.22.17 Leahy Congressional Record Statement On Threats To Worldwide Press Freedom Mr. President, we are all too familiar with President Trumps fake news mantra, which he has repeatedly used to discredit unfavorable news reports and undermine the credibility of the media in our country. This mantra, and the accompanying threats to freedoms of speech and of the press, have now spread far beyond our borders. Autocrats and dictators around the world are enthusiastically using the concept of fake news, and the legitimacy granted to it by the President of the United States, to further undermine and restrict press freedom and fact-based reporting on corruption, human rights and other abuses in their own countries. For example, in response to an Amnesty International report on thousands of military prison deaths in Syria, President Bashar al-Assad remarked, You can forge anything these days, we are living in a fake news era. Similarly, in response to news reports on persecution of the Rohingya ethnic minority group in Myanmar, an officer in Myanmars Rakhine state security ministry stated, There is no such thing as Rohingya. It is fake news. The list goes on and includes comments from autocratic leaders in the Philippines, Venezuela, Russia, China, and Turkey, among others, who have used the fake news mantra to legitimize harassment, arrests, and prosecutions of journalists. Last week, the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) released its annual census of imprisoned journalists worldwide, which has hit an historical high of 262. The total does not include the many more journalists who were imprisoned for a period of time during the year before being released prior to the December 1st census. A CPJ statement published with the report noted that: Far from isolating repressive countries for their authoritarian behavior, the United States, in particular, has cozied up to strongmen such as Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdo?an and Chinese President Xi Jinping. At the same time, President Donald Trumps nat… | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://www.leahy.senate.gov/press/leahy-statement-on-the-situation-in-peru | Leahy Statement On The Situation In Peru | 2017-12-22 | 2017 | 2017-12 | Democrat | House | VT | Patrick Leahy | L000174 | www.leahy.senate.gov | legacy | 12.22.17 Leahy Statement On The Situation In Peru Mr. President, I want to speak briefly about the unfolding political crisis, which is also a crisis for justice, in Peru. Peru transitioned to democracy in 2000, after two decades of internal armed conflict and authoritarian rule. The country has made important strides in rebuilding its democratic institutions, consolidating the rule of law, and combatting impunity. But today, efforts by a majority in the Peruvian Congress to arbitrarily remove judges from the countrys highest court, the Constitutional Tribunal, and to oust the Attorney General for courageously doing his job, threaten to undermine those gains and reverse Perus democratic progress. As a former prosecutor and the senior Democrat on the Senate Judiciary Committee, I am especially concerned about the attempt by the majority in Perus Congress to impeach Attorney General Pablo Snchez in the midst of his offices investigation into allegations that the presidential campaign of Keiko Fujimori received illegal contributions in 2011. The effort to remove Attorney General Snchez strongly suggests a deliberate strategy to obstruct justice and to undermine the autonomy of the Attorney Generals Office. This would represent a grave setback for hard-fought gains to reestablish an independent judiciary and the rule of law in Peru. It would have serious ramifications for U.S.- Peruvian relations. Credible allegations of corruption must be thoroughly investigated, without prejudice to party or power, and with due process for the accused. I urge members of Perus Congress to support those who are acting on behalf of the Peruvian people in the pursuit of truth and justice. Key to this is respect for the autonomy of the Office of the Attorney General and of the Constitutional Tribunal, institutions that are guarantors of human rights and the rule of law. Press Contact David Carle: 202-224-3693 Next … | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://www.leahy.senate.gov/press/statement-of-senate-appropriations-committee-vice-chairman-patrick-leahy-d-vt-on-supporting-the-continuing-resolution | Statement of Senate Appropriations Committee Vice Chairman Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) On Supporting The Continuing Resolution | 2017-12-22 | 2017 | 2017-12 | Democrat | House | VT | Patrick Leahy | L000174 | www.leahy.senate.gov | legacy | 12.22.17 Statement of Senate Appropriations Committee Vice Chairman Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) On Supporting The Continuing Resolution Governing by crisis must come to an end. Since March, I have been calling for a bipartisan budget deal, based on parity, that would pave a path toward responsibly funding the government and averting this 11th hour Republican shutdown crisis. I have not lost faith that such a deal can still be reached. So, tonight I voted aye on the Continuing Resolution to keep the government open into January. A government shutdown helps no one. This will allow us one more month to reach a bipartisan budget deal based on parity and address the needs of our military and the needs of our communities. But this is not the only thing we must accomplish in the coming months. Our list of unfinished business is long. We need to pass the DREAM Act, and we need to do it soon.DREAMers are American in every way except on paper, having been brought here as children through no fault of their own. By definition, DREAMers are law-abiding strivers, serving our communities as doctors and teachers and defending our homeland as brave men and women in uniform. This must be our one of our top priorities. We need to reform Section 702 of the FISA Amendments Act to protect the privacy of all Americans. We need a permanent reauthorization for the Childrens Health Insurance Program, and Community Health Centers. And we need to consider a comprehensive disaster relief package that takes into consideration the unique needs of the people of Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. We have a lot to do, but it is time we take the work of the American people seriously and move beyond governing by crisis. 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-reax-to-the-presidents-threat-to-cut-support-to-the-un-and-to-countries-that-oppose-his-us-embassy/jerusalem-decision- | Leahy REAX To The Presidents Threat To Cut Support To The UN And To Countries That Oppose His U.S. Embassy/Jerusalem Decision | 2017-12-21 | 2017 | 2017-12 | Democrat | House | VT | Patrick Leahy | L000174 | www.leahy.senate.gov | legacy | 12.21.17 Leahy REAX To The Presidents Threat To Cut Support To The UN And To Countries That Oppose His U.S. Embassy/Jerusalem Decision [Sen. Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) is the Vice Chairman of the Senate Appropriations Committee and Ranking Member of its State Department and Foreign Operations Subcommittee.] The Presidents decision to ignore his national security advisors about moving our embassy at this fragile moment was cause enough for concern. Now he is compounding that error by threatening the United Nations itself, as well as other countries, many of which are close allies, with a cutoff of the support we provide that serves our own national interests and security. This further weakens our national interests, while further weakening our influence in the world. As has been aptly noted, this is not America first; this is America alone. Campaign promises may make good political fodder. But the words and actions of this White House over the past 12 months have made a solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict harder to achieve. That is harmful to our own security, harmful to Israels long-term security, and harmful to stability in that region and beyond. 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-statement-on-the-need-to-pass-the-dream-act | Leahy Statement On The Need To Pass The DREAM Act | 2017-12-21 | 2017 | 2017-12 | Democrat | House | VT | Patrick Leahy | L000174 | www.leahy.senate.gov | legacy | 12.21.17 Leahy Statement On The Need To Pass The DREAM Act We are a nation of immigrants. That should be an obvious point, but it bears repeating at a time when our president sees political advantage in trafficking in xenophobic scapegoating. Unless you are Native American, you come from a line of people who come from somewhere else. Indeed that simple fact is an integral part of the American story. We are also a Nation that believes that anything is possible. Our ancestors and relatives journeyed here because, in America, where you come from does not determine what you can accomplish. In this great country, as long as you work hard and play by the rules, you can achieve your dreams. That itself is the American Dream. No single group of people embodies these ideals more than our Nations DREAMers. DREAMers grew up in this country; they were brought here as children. They seek only the opportunity to contribute to our Nation and to be legally recognized as the Americans that they are. DREAMers are our neighbors, our teachers, and our first responders. Nearly a thousand DREAMers serve in our armed forces, risking their lives to defend the only country they have ever known as home. We cannot in good faith claim to care about the American Dream if we neglect to protect the very people who are living it. Take, for example, Dr. Juan Conde, a DACA recipient and a resident of Vermont. Dr. Conde was born in Mexico and brought to the United States as a child by his mother. In 2007, his mother was tragically taken by cancer. Showing remarkable courage and determination for a young man, this tragedy inspired Dr. Conde to find a way to help cancer patients like his mother. Yet he was unable to become an oncologist due to his immigration status. So instead he decided to obtain a Ph.D. in cancer research from the University of Texas. But Dr. Conde wanted to treat cancer patients, not just study the disease. After receiving DACA status in 2012, he was empowe… | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://www.leahy.senate.gov/press/sens-paul-wyden-lee-and-leahy-release-joint-statement-on-fisa-reform- | Sens. Paul, Wyden, Lee, and Leahy Release Joint Statement on FISA Reform | 2017-12-21 | 2017 | 2017-12 | Democrat | House | VT | Patrick Leahy | L000174 | www.leahy.senate.gov | legacy | 12.21.17 Sens. Paul, Wyden, Lee, and Leahy Release Joint Statement on FISA Reform Today, U.S. Senators Rand Paul (R-KY), Ron Wyden (D-OR), Mike Lee (R-UT), and Patrick Leahy (D-VT) released the following statement opposing any long-term extension of Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) without the serious and public debate the American people deserve and should expect from their elected representatives: Congress should not vote on any long-term reauthorization of Section 702 until both the House and Senate have fully debated meaningful reforms in 2018. ### Press Contact David Carle: 202-224-3693 Previous Article | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://www.sanders.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/sanders-votes-against-continuing-resolution | Sanders Votes Against Continuing Resolution | 2017-12-21 | 2017 | 2017-12 | Independent | House | VT | Bernard Sanders | S000033 | www.sanders.senate.gov | legacy | Sanders Votes Against Continuing Resolution Thursday, December 21, 2017 WASHINGTON, Dec. 21 Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) issued the following statement Thursday after voting against a temporary spending bill: "I voted no on the continuing resolution because it is unconscionable for Congress to go home for the holidays while leaving major crises unresolved. There are 800,000 Dreamers in this country who are on the verge of losing their legal status and who could soon be subject to deportation if we do not act. For three months, the Childrens Health Insurance Program and the community health center program have not been reauthorized or fully funded. Millions of children and families are wondering whether they will be able to continue to receive health care. Over 1.5 million older workers and retirees will soon see the pensions they were promised cut by up to 60 percent if Congress does not do its job. "It would simply be wrong to pass another continuing resolution. These problems must be addressed, and they must be addressed now." | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://www.sanders.senate.gov/newsroom/recent-business/sanders-votes-against-continuing-resolution | Sanders Votes Against Continuing Resolution | 2017-12-21 | 2017 | 2017-12 | Independent | House | VT | Bernard Sanders | S000033 | www.sanders.senate.gov | legacy | Sanders Votes Against Continuing Resolution Thursday, December 21, 2017 WASHINGTON, Dec. 21 Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) issued the following statement Thursday after voting against a temporary spending bill: "I voted no on the continuing resolution because it is unconscionable for Congress to go home for the holidays while leaving major crises unresolved. There are 800,000 Dreamers in this country who are on the verge of losing their legal status and who could soon be subject to deportation if we do not act. For three months, the Childrens Health Insurance Program and the community health center program have not been reauthorized or fully funded. Millions of children and families are wondering whether they will be able to continue to receive health care. Over 1.5 million older workers and retirees will soon see the pensions they were promised cut by up to 60 percent if Congress does not do its job. "It would simply be wrong to pass another continuing resolution.These problems must be addressed, and they must be addressed now." | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://www.leahy.senate.gov/press/leahy-statement-in-support-of-democracy-in-honduras | Leahy Statement In Support of Democracy in Honduras | 2017-12-20 | 2017 | 2017-12 | Democrat | House | VT | Patrick Leahy | L000174 | www.leahy.senate.gov | legacy | 12.20.17 Leahy Statement In Support of Democracy in Honduras Mr. President, on Monday the head of the Honduras Supreme Electoral Tribunal declared Juan Orlando Hernandez the next President of Honduras. Shortly thereafter, the Secretariat of the Organization of American States, one of the principal international observers, announced that it could not certify the election as free and fair and called for a new election. Yesterday, after his top advisors rebuked the OAS for infringing on Honduras sovereignty, President Hernandez, stating that the Honduran people have spoken, declared himself President-elect. On December 5, I spoke at length about the Honduran election, and I have made several statements since then. I will not repeat what I, and many others, have already said about the troubling process orchestrated by President Hernandez and his associates over the past several years to lay the groundwork for his reelection for an unprecedented second presidential term. Nor about the many irregularities that have caused masses of people to take to the streets in protest since the vote on November 26. As of today, at least 12 protesters, and perhaps as many as 20, have been killed and many more injured, mostly from military police firing live ammunition. I was disappointed that in his speech yesterday President Hernandez made no mention of those tragic deaths. As we await the Trump Administrations decision on whether to support the OASs call for a new election or accept President Hernandez claim to a second term, I want to make three points. First, if this flawed election had been held in a country not led by a president whose consolidation of power and reliance on the military and police have had the strong backing of the White House and the State Department, it is doubtful that it would be accepted as free and fair. Instead, the White House which has been willing to excuse the Hernandez governments corruption scandals and crackdown on the press and civil society would likely be calling for a recount… | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://www.sanders.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/sanders-demands-congress-protect-dreamers-fund-chcs-and-chip-before-going-home | Sanders Demands Congress Protect Dreamers, Fund CHCs CHIP Before Going Home | 2017-12-20 | 2017 | 2017-12 | Independent | House | VT | Bernard Sanders | S000033 | www.sanders.senate.gov | legacy | Sanders Demands Congress Protect Dreamers, Fund CHCs & CHIP Before Going Home Wednesday, December 20, 2017 WASHINGTON, Dec. 20 In a speech on the Senate floor Wednesday, Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) said it would be unacceptable for Congress to break for the holidays without protecting Dreamers, funding community health centers and the Childrens Health Insurance Program (CHIP) and addressing a number of other issues critical to working families. It really would be unconscionable to leave Washington after giving tax breaks to billionaires and large corporations, while we ignore the enormous problems facing the middle class and working families of our country, Sanders said. In his speech, he outlined the priorities that must be addressed before the end of the year. DACA:Any end of the year spending agreement must address the fear and uncertainty unnecessarily caused by the administrations reckless actions, and a clean DREAM Act must be signed into law. This is not just what Bernie Sanders wants.A Quinnipiac poll came out the other day in which 77 percent of the American people supported maintaining legal status for these young people and allowing them to move forward towards citizenship. Community Health Centers:If we do not act soon, 70 percent of community health center funding will be cut, and 2,800 health centers will close their doors.Further, 51,000 jobs will be lost, and 9 million patients will lose access to their health care. That would be unacceptable. Community Health Centers must funded at the levels contained in the bipartisan legislation introduced earlier this year by Senators Blunt and Stabenow. Childrens Health Insurance Program (CHIP):If CHIP is not reauthorized,9 millionchildren in working families will lose their health insurance. These children are covered by CHIP because their families earn too much to qualify for Medicaid but too little to afford private health insurance. Anything short of a full CHIP reauthorization will cause unnecessary confusion… | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://www.sanders.senate.gov/newsroom/video-audio/sharing-the-holidays-with-vermont-seniors | Sharing the Holidays with Vermont Seniors | 2017-12-20 | 2017 | 2017-12 | Independent | House | VT | Bernard Sanders | S000033 | www.sanders.senate.gov | legacy | 0 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | |||
| https://welch.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/house-floor-welch-rails-against-gop-tax-bill | On House Floor, Welch Rails Against GOP Tax Bill | 2017-12-19 | 2017 | 2017-12 | Democrat | House | VT | Peter Welch | W000800 | welch.house.gov | legacy | WASHINGTON Today on the floor of the House of Representatives, Rep. Peter Welch (D-VT) railed against the GOP tax bill as it was debated by Members of Congress. Welch voted against the bill which passed the House this afternoon by a vote of 227-203. Youre a Vermont familyif youre lucky, you might make a couple hundred bucks. But at what price? Once these benefits expire, 83 percent of the benefits of the individual tax break go to the top one percent of Americans. At what price? Two trillion dollars added to the deficit. And let me tell you this: Vermont families, working families, theyd like a tax cut, but not one that their children and grandchildren are going to have to pay. That is unconscionable. A full transcript of Rep. Welchs remarks can be found here. Click image to view video of Rep. Welchs full remarks. ### | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://www.leahy.senate.gov/press/sen-patrick-leahy-on-his-no-vote-as-senate-tues-night-nears-final-passage-of-republican-tax-plan- | Sen. Patrick Leahy, On His NO Vote, As Senate Tues. Night Nears Final Passage Of Republican TAX PLAN | 2017-12-19 | 2017 | 2017-12 | Democrat | House | VT | Patrick Leahy | L000174 | www.leahy.senate.gov | legacy | 12.19.17 Sen. Patrick Leahy, On His NO Vote, As Senate Tues. Night Nears Final Passage Of Republican TAX PLAN Little more than a month ago, the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act was unveiled in the Senate. Just a few short weeks later, we are on the verge of passing a colossal bill, publicly available for just four days, that makes sweeping changes to every aspect of our economy. We are moving so fast that the American people would be forgiven for thinking we were addressing a national emergency. And yet, fires are still blazing in California, power in Puerto Rico is still not fully restored, and victims around the Gulf of Hurricanes Harvey, Irma and Maria are still struggling to pick up the pieces and rebuild. There are indeed national emergencies we should be addressing, but instead of doing so, Republicans in Congress are focused first on passing tax cuts for corporations and billionaires tax cuts that will add an estimated $1.5 trillion to the deficit. The process that led to the bill we are voting on today has been fundamentally flawed from the outset. From the beginning, this bill has been written behind closed doors by Senate Republicans. No hearings were ever held on this bill, denying the American people an opportunity to add their voices to the debate. When the Senate voted on its version of this bill in the dead of night, Senators only received the text a few hours before the vote and even then, the text was hastily put together, with scribbles written into the margins. We discovered that lobbyists knew more about what was in it than those of us who had the responsibility to vote on it. No wonder that it was loaded with last-minute special interest giveaways. There is serious doubt this bill will benefit the middle class, as Republicans claim. What we do know is that it will result in millions of fewer insured Americans and higher health care premiums for millions more. At the same time, corporations will receive a windfall in permanent tax cuts that will bust our budget for decades to come. Even … | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://www.leahy.senate.gov/press/leahy-reaction-to-the-tses-declaration-of-juan-orlando-hernandez-as-the-winner-in-the-honduran-election | Leahy Reaction To The TSE's Declaration Of Juan Orlando Hernandez As The Winner In The Honduran Election | 2017-12-18 | 2017 | 2017-12 | Democrat | House | VT | Patrick Leahy | L000174 | www.leahy.senate.gov | legacy | 12.18.17 Leahy Reaction To The TSE's Declaration Of Juan Orlando Hernandez As The Winner In The Honduran Election "Unfortunately, the announcement by the Supreme Electoral Tribunal leaves too many questions unanswered. There were multiple opportunities for fraud in this election, and only a determination by impartial international observers that the vote tally was fair and transparent will provide the necessary credibility to the process. The Honduran people deserve no less. I urge the EU and the OAS to insist on whatever action - including a complete recount or a new election if necessary - to eliminate any reasonable suspicion of fraud that could have affected the result. I also urge the Honduran police to immediately cease the use of live ammunition against protesters. There is no justification for the tragic loss of life that has occurred." Press Contact David Carle: 202-224-3693 Previous Article | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://www.sanders.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/report-republican-tax-bill-hands-15-corporations-236-billion-tax-break | Report: Republican Tax Bill Hands 15 Corporations $236 Billion Tax Break | 2017-12-18 | 2017 | 2017-12 | Independent | House | VT | Bernard Sanders | S000033 | www.sanders.senate.gov | legacy | Report: Republican Tax Bill Hands 15 Corporations $236 Billion Tax Break Monday, December 18, 2017 WASHINGTON, Dec. 18 The Republican tax bill, which will be voted upon this week, will provide 15 of the largest and most profitable American corporations a $236 billion tax cut, according to a report prepared for Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) by the Senate Budget Committee Democratic staff. In the final legislation released Friday night, Republicans are offering corporations a nearly 20 percent tax cut to repatriate trillions of dollars stashed in offshore tax havens. The proposed 15.5 percent rate would be a boondoggle for profitable, multinational corporations. After making $59 billion in profits last year, Apple would be the biggest winner with a tax break as large as $47.97 billion on the $246 billion it has stashed in offshore tax havens. Pfizer, with $775 million in 2016 profits, would receive up to a $38.8 billion tax cut; Microsoft up to a $27.7 billion cut after last years profits topped $20 billion; and, with $10.2 billion profits last year,General Electric would receive a tax break of up to $15.99 billion. A repatriation tax holiday has not worked in the past and will not work now, according to the report. As part of the 2004 American Jobs Creation Act, corporations were allowed to repatriate funds at a 5.25 percent tax rate with the assumption that the money would be used to boost the economy and create jobs. Instead, corporations brought $312 billion to the US and spent it on executive pay raises and stock buy backs. - In 2004, Pfizer repatriated $35.5 billion, fired 11,748 workers and gave its executives a raise of $12.8 million. - In 2004, Johnson & Johnson repatriated $10.6 billion, fired 4,062 workers, and gave its executives a raise of more than $32.8 million. The companystands to gain a tax cut of up to $12.9 billion tax break as a result of the Republican tax bill. During the debate over tax reform, corporate leaders have acknowledged that they will us… | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://www.sanders.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/sanders-congress-must-not-break-until-it-deals-with-major-crises | Sanders: Congress Must Not Break Until it Deals With Major Crises | 2017-12-18 | 2017 | 2017-12 | Independent | House | VT | Bernard Sanders | S000033 | www.sanders.senate.gov | legacy | Sanders: Congress Must Not Break Until it Deals With Major Crises Monday, December 18, 2017 BURLINGTON, Vt., Dec. 18 U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) issued the following statement Monday regarding the end-of-year spending bill: "As I have stated many times, Congress must not break for recess unless it addresses some of the major crises facing this country. While Republicans believe that tax breaks for billionaires and large corporations is the nation's major priority, I strongly disagree. Here are some of the issues that Congress must deal with now. "We must act now to prevent 800,000 Dreamers, young people who were raised in this country and know no other home, from losing their legal status. Any end of the year spending agreement must address the fear and uncertainty unnecessarily caused by the administration's reckless actions, and a clean Dream Act must be signed into law. "We must not allow 9 million children to lose their health insurance because the Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP) has not been re-funded. As of December 6th, nine states have already exhausted their 2017 funding, and 16 more states will exhaust their funding by the end of next month. Full funding for CHIP must be reauthorized. "It has been more than two months since funding for the Community Health Center program has lapsed. If we do not act very soon, health care for the 27 million Americans who utilize community health centers will be threatened. Lives will be lost. Unnecessary suffer will occur. The community health center program must be fully funded. "If Congress does not act soon, the earned pension benefits of more than 1.5 million workers and retirees in multi-employer pension plans could be cut by up to 60 percent. When a worker is promised a pension benefit after a lifetime of hard work that promise must be kept. Congress needs to act before the end of the year to make sure that no American in a multi-employer pension plan will see their pension cut." Sanders and U.S. Sen. Eliza… | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://www.sanders.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/sanders-statement-on-final-gop-tax-bill | Sanders Statement on Final GOP Tax Bill | 2017-12-15 | 2017 | 2017-12 | Independent | House | VT | Bernard Sanders | S000033 | www.sanders.senate.gov | legacy | Sanders Statement on Final GOP Tax Bill Friday, December 15, 2017 BURLINGTON, Vt., Dec. 15 U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) issued the following statement Friday after Congressional Republicans released their final tax bill: "This tax bill is a moral and economic obscenity. It is a gift to wealthy Republican campaign contributors and an insult to the working families of our country. At a time of massive income and wealth inequality this bill would provide the majority of benefits to the top 1 percent and the largest corporations. Unbelievably, at the end of 10 years it would actually raise taxes on millions of middle-class families and, by creating a $1.4 trillion deficit, would pave the way for massive cuts to Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid and other important programs. No member of Congress should vote for this disastrous legislation." | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://www.sanders.senate.gov/newsroom/recent-business/sanders-statement-on-final-gop-tax-bill | Sanders Statement on Final GOP Tax Bill | 2017-12-15 | 2017 | 2017-12 | Independent | House | VT | Bernard Sanders | S000033 | www.sanders.senate.gov | legacy | Sanders Statement on Final GOP Tax Bill Friday, December 15, 2017 BURLINGTON, Vt., Dec. 15 U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) issued the following statement Friday after Congressional Republicans released their final tax bill: "This tax bill is a moral and economic obscenity. It is a gift to wealthy Republican campaign contributors and an insult to the working families of our country. At a time of massive income and wealth inequality this bill would provide the majority of benefits to the top 1 percent and the largest corporations. Unbelievably, at the end of 10 years it would actually raise taxes on millions of middle-class families and, by creating a $1.4 trillion deficit, would pave the way for massive cuts to Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid and other important programs. No member of Congress should vote for this disastrous legislation." | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://welch.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/welch-statement-fcc-net-neutrality-action-and-legislation-he-sponsoring | Welch Statement on FCC Net Neutrality Action, and Legislation He is Sponsoring to Overturn It | 2017-12-14 | 2017 | 2017-12 | Democrat | House | VT | Peter Welch | W000800 | welch.house.gov | legacy | Rep. Peter Welch (D-VT) issued the following statement in response to a vote by the Federal Communications Commission this afternoon to repeal net neutrality rules. In addition, he will soon join colleagues on the House Energy and Commerce Committee to introduce legislation to reverse this decision. “Today’s decision to gut net neutrality is a disaster for consumers and an early Christmas present to big broadband companies who can now pick and choose who gets access to the internet and at what speed. I will soon introduce legislation to reverse this horrible decision so that the internet remains open and accessible to all Americans.” ### | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://www.leahy.senate.gov/press/leahy-authored-farm-bill-provision-nets-millions-for-northeast-kingdom | Leahy-Authored Farm Bill Provision Nets Millions For Northeast Kingdom | 2017-12-14 | 2017 | 2017-12 | Democrat | House | VT | Patrick Leahy | L000174 | www.leahy.senate.gov | legacy | 12.14.17 Leahy-Authored Farm Bill Provision Nets Millions For Northeast Kingdom . . . Leahy-Led REAP Zone Designation Continues To Address NEK Needs, Now Topping $200 Million Since 2001 Senator Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) announced Thursday that U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) economic development investments in the Northeast Kingdom now total more than $9.1 million during 2017. NEK-area businesses, nonprofits and municipalities received 36 awards from the U.S. Department of Agriculture Office of Rural Development (USDA-RD) to assist with a diverse range of business assistance, infrastructure upgrades and energy efficiency improvement projects. More than $5.5 million of the awards during federal fiscal year 2017 were made possible through the Rural Area Economic Partnership (REAP) Zone, a special designation secured by Leahy in the last Farm Bill. Leahy is a leading member of the Senate Agriculture Committee, which oversees USDA and handles the Senate’s work in writing Farm Bills, and he also now is the Vice Chairman of the Senate Appropriations Committee, which annually appropriates funds for the USDA. Leahy said: “These USDA investments are empowering local organizations and businesses to make our Vermont communities stronger. The diverse nature of Rural Development’s programs mean that federal help can be pre-tailored to address distinct needs for each community. As Congress begins writing a new Farm Bill in 2018, I’ll be focused on making sure that USDA-RD continues to have resources like these to invest in Vermont.” USDA, through its Rural Development mission area, administers and manages housing, business and community infrastructure programs through a national network of state and local offices. These programs are designed to improve the economic stability of rural communities, businesses, residents, farmers and ranchers to improve the quality of life in rural areas. Since 2001 Leahy has consist… | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://www.leahy.senate.gov/press/leahy-sanders-join-markey-on-resolution-to-restore-fccs-net-neutrality-rules | Leahy, Sanders Join Markey On Resolution To Restore FCCs Net Neutrality Rules | 2017-12-14 | 2017 | 2017-12 | Democrat | House | VT | Patrick Leahy | L000174 | www.leahy.senate.gov | legacy | 12.14.17 Leahy, Sanders Join Markey On Resolution To Restore FCC’s Net Neutrality Rules . . . CRA resolution would reinstate robust net neutrality protections and the Open Internet Order Vermont’s two U.S. senators – Sen. Patrick Leahy (D) and Sen. Bernie Sanders (I) have joined Sen. Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.), a member of the Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee, and 13 other senators on Thursday in announcing their plan to introduce a Congressional Review Act (CRA) resolution that would undo Thursday’s action by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) and restore the 2015 net neutrality rules. The FCC Thursday afternoon approved an item that guts the 2015 Open Internet Order, which the D.C. Circuit Court upheld in 2016. The Open Internet Order prohibited internet service providers from setting up internet fast and slow lanes and ensured they could not block or slow down internet traffic. “Donald Trump’s FCC made an historic mistake today by overturning its net neutrality rules, and we cannot let it stand,” said Senator Markey. “Without strong net neutrality rules, entrepreneurs, inventors, small businesses, activists and all those who rely on a free and open internet will be at the mercy of big broadband companies that can block websites, slow down traffic and charge websites fees in order to increase their profits. “We will fight the FCC’s decisions in the courts, and we will fight it in the halls of Congress,” continued Senator Markey. “With this CRA, Congress can correct the Commission’s misguided and partisan decision and keep the internet in the hands of the people, not big corporations. Our Republicans colleagues have a choice - be on the right side of history and stand with the American people who support net neutrality, or hold hands with the big cable and broadband companies who only want to supercharge their profits at the expense of consumers and our economy.” A copy of the CRA can … | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://www.leahy.senate.gov/press/leahy-usda-economic-development-investments-in-vermont-this-year-now-top-222-million | Leahy: USDA Economic Development Investments In Vermont This Year Now Top $222 Million | 2017-12-14 | 2017 | 2017-12 | Democrat | House | VT | Patrick Leahy | L000174 | www.leahy.senate.gov | legacy | 12.14.17 Leahy: USDA Economic Development Investments In Vermont This Year Now Top $222 Million Senator Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) announced Thursday that U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) economic development investments in the Vermont now total more than $222 million during fiscal year 2017. Federal funds supported a broad range of activities in thirteen Vermont counties, including business development, housing construction and purchases, municipal investments in infrastructure and awards to academic institutions of higher education. The funds were made available through the U.S. Department of Agriculture Office of Rural Development (USDA-RD) an arm of USDA focused on helping rural communities thrive. Leahy is a leading member of the Senate Agriculture Committee, which oversees USDA and handles the Senate’s work in writing Farm Bills, and he now also is the Vice Chairman of the Senate Appropriations Committee, which annually appropriates funds for the USDA. Leahy said: “These USDA investments are empowering local organizations and businesses to make our Vermont communities stronger. The diverse nature of Rural Development’s programs mean that federal help can be pre-tailored to address distinct needs for each community. As Congress begins writing a new Farm Bill in 2018, I’ll be focused on making sure that USDA-RD continues to have resources like these to invest in Vermont.” USDA, through its Rural Development mission area, administers and manages housing, business and community infrastructure programs through a national network of state and local offices. These programs are designed to improve the economic stability of rural communities, businesses, residents, farmers and ranchers to improve the quality of life in rural areas. For 2017 USDA RD awarded more than $9 million in business loans and grants, assisted more than 400 Vermonters in purchasing homes, and invested $128 million in community facilities and infrastructure. 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-usda-economic-development-investments-in-washington-county-this-year-now-top-51-million | Leahy: USDA Economic Development Investments In Washington County This Year Now Top $5.1 Million | 2017-12-14 | 2017 | 2017-12 | Democrat | House | VT | Patrick Leahy | L000174 | www.leahy.senate.gov | legacy | 12.14.17 Leahy: USDA Economic Development Investments In Washington County This Year Now Top $5.1 Million Senator Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) announced Thursday that USDA economic development investments in Washington County now total more than $5.1 million during fiscal year 2017. Area businesses, nonprofits and economic development organizations received 12 awards from the U.S. Department of Agriculture Office of Rural Development (USDA-RD) to assist with a diverse range of projects that included business assistance, capital for startup businesses and energy efficiency improvements. Leahy is a leading member of the Senate Agriculture Committee, which oversees USDA and handles the Senate’s work in writing Farm Bills, and he now also is the Vice Chairman of the Senate Appropriations Committee, which annually appropriates funds for the USDA. Leahy said: “These USDA investments are empowering local organizations and businesses to make our Vermont communities stronger. The diverse nature of Rural Development’s programs mean that federal help can be pre-tailored to address distinct needs for each community. As Congress begins writing a new Farm Bill in 2018, I’ll be focused on making sure that USDA-RD continues to have resources like these to invest in Vermont.” USDA, through its Rural Development mission area, administers and manages housing, business and community infrastructure programs through a national network of state and local offices. These programs are designed to improve the economic stability of rural communities, businesses, residents, farmers and ranchers to improve the quality of life in rural areas. Grants Organization $34,380 Green Mountain Harvest $144,091 Central VT Solid Waste Management District $29,500 Center for Wholesome Communities $30,000 Barre Historical Society $45,116 Vermont Council on Rural Development $11,906 Bear Roots Farm LLC Loans $250,000 … | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://www.leahy.senate.gov/press/leahy-usda-economic-development-investments-in-windham-county-this-year-now-top-31-million | Leahy: USDA Economic Development Investments In Windham County This Year Now Top $3.1 Million | 2017-12-14 | 2017 | 2017-12 | Democrat | House | VT | Patrick Leahy | L000174 | www.leahy.senate.gov | legacy | 12.14.17 Leahy: USDA Economic Development Investments In Windham County This Year Now Top $3.1 Million Senator Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) announced Thursday that U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) economic development investments in Windham County now total more than $3.1 million during fiscal year 2017. Area businesses, nonprofits and municipalities received 16 awards from the U.S. Department of Agriculture Office of Rural Development (USDA-RD) to assist with a diverse range of projects that included business assistance, infrastructure upgrades and energy efficiency improvements. The USDA-RD investments leveraged an additional $7 million from other sources for a collective impact of $10.3 million. Leahy is a leading member of the Senate Agriculture Committee, which oversees USDA and handles the Senate’s work in writing Farm Bills, and he now also is the Vice Chairman of the Senate Appropriations Committee, which annually appropriates funds for the USDA. Leahy said: “These USDA investments are empowering local organizations and businesses to make our Vermont communities stronger. The diverse nature of Rural Development’s programs mean that federal help can be pre-tailored to address distinct needs for each community. As Congress begins writing a new Farm Bill in 2018, I’ll be focused on making sure that USDA-RD continues to have resources like these to invest in Vermont.” USDA, through its Rural Development mission area, administers and manages housing, business and community infrastructure programs through a national network of state and local offices. These programs are designed to improve the economic stability of rural communities, businesses, residents, farmers and ranchers to improve the quality of life in rural areas. Grant Organization $14,000 Post Oil Solutions $500,000 Brattleboro Development Credit Corporation $7,700 Holton Home $21,000 Sandglass Theater $503,000 Village of Saxtons River … | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://www.leahy.senate.gov/press/leahy-vermont-is-a-crucial-step-closer-to-improved-air-and-rail-travel-with-canada | Leahy: Vermont Is A Crucial Step Closer To Improved Air And Rail Travel With Canada | 2017-12-14 | 2017 | 2017-12 | Democrat | House | VT | Patrick Leahy | L000174 | www.leahy.senate.gov | legacy | 12.14.17 Leahy: Vermont Is A Crucial Step Closer To Improved Air And Rail Travel With Canada Senator Patrick Leahy hails action this week by the Canadian Parliament to pass new customs preclearance language into law that will make possible improved rail and air travel between Vermont – and other points in the United States -- and Canada. The Canadian Senate passed the legislation, known as C-23, last week, and the bill took its last step in the Canadian legislative process on Tuesday night, receiving Royal Assent. The bill is companion legislation to Leahy’s Promoting Travel, Commerce, and National Security Act, which became law in 2016. With the law’s adoption, streamlined customs procedures will be implemented for air travel – and eventually passenger rail service – between Burlington and Canadian cities, and between other U.S. and Canadian destinations. Following enactment of C-23, the Canadian government will work to adopt implementing regulations. Leahy said: “Passage of C-23 is a major milestone that brings Vermont another crucial step closer to smoother travel to Canada. I had a very positive call this week with the Canadian Ambassador to the United States, David MacNaughton, about the vital ways that expanded preclearance will help strengthen ties between Vermont and Canada. With this legislation now in place, Canada and the United States – and especially Vermont -- are poised to reap the rewards of improved border security and better economic growth. I look forward to continuing my work and partnership with the Canadian government to make expanded preclearance a reality.” The international agreement advances two of Leahy’s 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, writing the bill, forging the bipartisan and bicameral coalition, and guiding its passage through the Senate and into law. The United States cu… | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://www.leahy.senate.gov/press/reaction-of-senator-patrick-leahy-d-vt-to-the-fccs-vote-to-repeal-net-neutrality-protections | Reaction Of Senator Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) To The FCCs Vote To Repeal Net Neutrality Protections | 2017-12-14 | 2017 | 2017-12 | Democrat | House | VT | Patrick Leahy | L000174 | www.leahy.senate.gov | legacy | 12.14.17 Reaction Of Senator Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) To The FCC’s Vote To Repeal Net Neutrality Protections [Following is the statement of Senator Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) about the FCC’s action Thursday to dismantle the FCC’s earlier net neutrality rules. Leahy has long been a leading advocate of net neutrality and brought the Senate Judiciary Committee to Vermont to hear testimony from small Vermont businesses, libraries and ordinary Vermonters about the importance of keeping the internet unhindered by ‘toll lanes’ and other discriminatory practices.] “Today the FCC took a wrecking ball to the pillars of freedom and openness upon which the Internet was built. Without the protection of net neutrality rules, powerful telecommunication companies can decide which content gets preferential treatment and which gets throttled or even blocked. That will hurt consumers, small businesses and startups. The FCC is stifling innovation and competition. “This has been a rushed, cynical and slipshod process that has been fundamentally flawed. Chairman Pai and the FCC’s Republican majority have shown a shocking disregard for the overwhelming input from the public, choosing instead to listen only to those with the deepest pockets. They have made it clear that the voices of the American people do not matter to them and will be ignored in President Trump’s Washington. As a staunch supporter of net neutrality rules, I will keep fighting until these protections are restored.” 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-fcc-decision-to-repeal-net-neutrality | Sanders Statement on FCC Decision to Repeal Net Neutrality | 2017-12-14 | 2017 | 2017-12 | Independent | House | VT | Bernard Sanders | S000033 | www.sanders.senate.gov | legacy | Sanders Statement on FCC Decision to Repeal Net Neutrality Thursday, December 14, 2017 WASHINGTON, Dec. 14 – Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) issued the following statement Thursday after the Federal Communications Commission voted to repeal net neutrality protections: "Once again, the Trump administration has sided with big money and against the interests of the American people. The FCC’s vote to end net neutrality is an egregious attack on our democracy. With this decision the internet and its free exchange of information as we have come to know it will cease to exist. The end of net neutrality protections means that the internet will be for sale to the highest bidder, instead of everyone having the same access regardless of whether they are rich or poor, a big corporation or small business, a multimedia conglomerate or a small online publication. At a time when our democratic institutions are already in peril, we must do everything we can to stop this decision from taking effect." | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://www.sanders.senate.gov/newsroom/recent-business/-sanders-statement-on-fcc-decision-to-repeal-net-neutrality | Sanders Statement on FCC Decision to Repeal Net Neutrality | 2017-12-14 | 2017 | 2017-12 | Independent | House | VT | Bernard Sanders | S000033 | www.sanders.senate.gov | legacy | Sanders Statement on FCC Decision to Repeal Net Neutrality Thursday, December 14, 2017 WASHINGTON, Dec. 14 – Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) issued the following statement Thursday after the Federal Communications Commission voted to repeal net neutrality protections: "Once again, the Trump administration has sided with big money and against the interests of the American people. The FCC’s vote to end net neutrality is an egregious attack on our democracy. With this decision the internet and its free exchange of information as we have come to know it will cease to exist. The end of net neutrality protections means that the internet will be for sale to the highest bidder, instead of everyone having the same access regardless of whether they are rich or poor, a big corporation or small business, a multimedia conglomerate or a small online publication. At a time when our democratic institutions are already in peril, we must do everything we can to stop this decision from taking effect." | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://www.sanders.senate.gov/newsroom/video-audio/listening-to-vermont-students | Listening to Vermont Students | 2017-12-14 | 2017 | 2017-12 | Independent | House | VT | Bernard Sanders | S000033 | www.sanders.senate.gov | legacy | 0 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | |||
| https://www.sanders.senate.gov/newsroom/video-audio/listening-to-vermont-students_ | Listening to Vermont Students | 2017-12-14 | 2017 | 2017-12 | Independent | House | VT | Bernard Sanders | S000033 | www.sanders.senate.gov | legacy | 0 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | |||
| https://www.leahy.senate.gov/press/leahy-floor-statement-on-repeal-of-net-neutrality-rules | Leahy Floor Statement On Repeal Of Net Neutrality Rules | 2017-12-13 | 2017 | 2017-12 | Democrat | House | VT | Patrick Leahy | L000174 | www.leahy.senate.gov | legacy | 12.13.17 Leahy Floor Statement On Repeal Of Net Neutrality Rules This week, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) is preparing to give a giant, early Christmas present to a few, deep-pocketed telecom companies, as it prepares to repeal critical net neutrality protections. Net neutrality is the simple principle that the Internet should be kept free and open by preventing the corporations who control the connections to selectively throttle or block certain content. Repealing net neutrality rules will benefit just a few powerful corporations—and it will do so at the expense of small businesses, consumers, and hardworking Americans, whose persistent and passionate voices on this issue have been completely ignored by the FCC’s Republican majority. Despite calling for public hearings when the current net neutrality protections were developed, Chairman Pai has failed to heed his own advice now that he is in charge of the FCC. The only people he seems to have listened to are those with deep enough pockets to afford high-powered lobbyists. If you are a concerned citizen or small business owner, your voice does not matter to this FCC. As someone who held public hearings on this issue in 2014, I can tell you that there is widespread and overwhelming support for net neutrality just about everywhere except at the FCC itself. If Chairman Pai took the time to listen, as I did, he would hear from small business owners like Cabot Orton at the Vermont Country Store, who told me, “we’re not asking for special treatment, incentives or subsidies. All the small business community asks is simply to preserve and protect Internet commerce as it exists today, which has served all businesses remarkably well.” Just today, we have received a letter from businesses in northern New England, including Vermont’s own Ben and Jerry’s, Cabot Creamery Cooperative, and King Arthur Flour, discussing the “crippling effect” a repeal of net neutrality rules would have on rural businesses. I ask unanimous consent that a copy of … | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://www.leahy.senate.gov/press/why-budget-parity-matters-the-need-for-investing-equally-in-our-military-and-our-communities | Why Budget Parity Matters: The Need For Investing Equally In Our Military And Our Communities | 2017-12-13 | 2017 | 2017-12 | Democrat | House | VT | Patrick Leahy | L000174 | www.leahy.senate.gov | legacy | 12.13.17 Why Budget Parity Matters: The Need For Investing Equally In Our Military And Our Communities By Senator Patrick Leahy Democrats and Republicans agree that we must fully fund and support our military. But our military readiness is being hampered by artificial and unrealistically low caps on defense spending, as a result of the Budget Control Act (BCA) of 2011, and that law’s required spending cuts known as “sequestration.” In July, Defense Secretary Mattis testified before the Senate Appropriations Committee that “for all the heartache caused by the loss of our troops during these wars, no enemy in the field has done more to harm the readiness of our military than sequestration.” This is a made-in-Washington problem, and we can fix it. In July, I offered a plan that would have addressed the needs of our military by increasing defense spending by $54 billion in fiscal year 2018. But the devastating consequences of these artificial spending caps reach far beyond the Pentagon. Constraining spending on non-defense priorities like infrastructure, job training, education, public safety and meal programs have been equally devastating. As an example, the American Society of Civil Engineers gave our country’s infrastructure a D+ for 2016. This was the collective grade for the roads, bridges, dams, drinking water and wastewater, public parks and schools on which we all depend. We need real and effective investments to repair and improve our crumbling infrastructure across the country. This is why we cannot just provide relief for our defense spending needs. My plan would have raised the spending caps for both defense spending and non-defense spending by $54 billion, an equal increase commonly referred to as “parity.” Much of our national security is funded through non-defense programs, such as caring for our veterans, the Coast Guard, and the FBI. Parity is the principle that we can both strengthe… | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://www.sanders.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/tax-conference-committee-statement | Tax Conference Committee Statement | 2017-12-13 | 2017 | 2017-12 | Independent | House | VT | Bernard Sanders | S000033 | www.sanders.senate.gov | legacy | Tax Conference Committee Statement Wednesday, December 13, 2017 Sen. Bernie Sanders' prepared statement for the tax conference committee. Sanders is the ranking member of the Budget Committee. Mr. Chairman, as you well know, this is not a real conference committee. It is a sham. According to media reports, much of this legislation has already been written behind closed doors which is consistent with the entire process for this bill from day one. In legislation that will have a major impact on our economy there has not been one public hearing, no opportunity to hear from economists, governors, mayors or ordinary Americans who will be impacted by this legislation. This is legislation that was written for wealthy campaign contributors, for the billionaire class and by the billionaire class. In fact, it is my understanding that over 6,000 lobbyists have worked on this legislation behind closed doors. Mr. Chairman, every poll that I have seen shows that by overwhelming numbers the American people do not want this bill to be passed. They know that in the Senate bill, in the midst of massive wealth and income inequality, 62 percent of the tax benefits go to the top 1 percent and 42 percent of the benefits go to the top one-tenth of 1 percent. In America today, the very rich are becoming much richer while the middle class continues to shrink, and your solution is to provide 62 percent of the benefits to the top 1 percent. The American people also understand that at the end of 10 years, 83 million middle class Americans will see their taxes go up under the Senate bill. They know that, with 13 million Americans losing their health insurance, health care premiums on the individual market will increase by 10 percent. And they also know, that despite years of Republicans telling us how concerned they are about deficits and the national debt, this legislation will increase the deficit by $1.4 trillion over 10 years. And, furthermore, the American people are outraged by what Speak… | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://www.sanders.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/trumps-dod-unprepared-for-climate-adaptation-rejected-recommendations-for-improvement | Trump's DOD Unprepared for Climate Adaptation, Rejected Recommendations for Improvement | 2017-12-13 | 2017 | 2017-12 | Independent | House | VT | Bernard Sanders | S000033 | www.sanders.senate.gov | legacy | WASHINGTON, Dec. 13 – After reviewing mounting evidence from the Government Accountability Office that climate change has reduced military readiness, President Donald Trump's administration rejected the science attributing extreme weather events to climate change as well as recommendations to monitor the effects of climate change. The Pentagon’s rejection of established climate science comes in response to a new GAO report prepared for Sens. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), Jack Reed (D-R.I.), Ben Cardin (D-Md.), Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii), Tim Kaine (D-Va.) and Richard Durbin (D-Ill.). The study, reviewing the Pentagon’s efforts to plan for the impact of climate change on military bases in overseas locations, was requested in early 2016. DOD has publicly acknowledged since 2010 that climate change is a threat to national security, and has said in the past that climate change will have serious implications on the ability to maintain and sustain military infrastructure and ensure military readiness. However, the Pentagon does not track how much the impacts of climate change will cost the department and regularly exempts key national security sites from vulnerability assessments, making it harder for DOD to effectively manage and budget for climate-related risks, according to a new report GAO prepared. New installations are rarely designed to include climate change adaptation because DOD inconsistently includes the relevant information in training and design standards. In its review of overseas military installations, GAO found numerous examples of potential and observed impacts of climate change-related extreme weather on DOD infrastructure and operations, including flooding, facility damage, water shortages, power outages, increased maintenance and encroachment on training. Many of these events threaten the United States’ military preparedness. In response to GAO’s recommendation that DOD require installations to systematically and comprehensively track the costs associated with extreme weather and climate change, Presi… | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://www.sanders.senate.gov/newsroom/recent-business/trumps-dod-unprepared-for-climate-adaptation-rejected-recommendations-for-improvement | Trump's DOD Unprepared for Climate Adaptation, Rejected Recommendations for Improvement | 2017-12-13 | 2017 | 2017-12 | Independent | House | VT | Bernard Sanders | S000033 | www.sanders.senate.gov | legacy | WASHINGTON, Dec. 13 – After reviewing mounting evidence from the Government Accountability Office that climate change has reduced military readiness, President Donald Trump's administration rejected the science attributing extreme weather events to climate change as well as recommendations to monitor the effects of climate change. The Pentagon’s rejection of established climate science comes in response to a new GAO report prepared for Sens. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), Jack Reed (D-R.I.), Ben Cardin (D-Md.), Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii), Tim Kaine (D-Va.) and Richard Durbin (D-Ill.). The study, reviewing the Pentagon’s efforts to plan for the impact of climate change on military bases in overseas locations, was requested in early 2016. DOD has publicly acknowledged since 2010 that climate change is a threat to national security, and has said in the past that climate change will have serious implications on the ability to maintain and sustain military infrastructure and ensure military readiness. However, the Pentagon does not track how much the impacts of climate change will cost the department and regularly exempts key national security sites from vulnerability assessments, making it harder for DOD to effectively manage and budget for climate-related risks, according to a new report GAO prepared. New installations are rarely designed to include climate change adaptation because DOD inconsistently includes the relevant information in training and design standards. In its review of overseas military installations, GAO found numerous examples of potential and observed impacts of climate change-related extreme weather on DOD infrastructure and operations, including flooding, facility damage, water shortages, power outages, increased maintenance and encroachment on training. Many of these events threaten the United States’ military preparedness. In response to GAO’s recommendation that DOD require installations to systematically and comprehensively track the costs associated with extreme weather and climate change, Presi… | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://welch.house.gov/media-center/in-the-news/roll-call-trumps-jerusalem-decision-called-provocative-counterproductive | Roll Call: Trump's Jerusalem Decision Called 'Provocative,' Counterproductive | 2017-12-11 | 2017 | 2017-12 | Democrat | House | VT | Peter Welch | W000800 | welch.house.gov | legacy | President Donald Trump says his decision to buck the advice of America’s closest Muslim allies and recognize Jerusalem as Israel’s capital is part of a broader strategy shift needed to produce a Middle East peace pact. But some lawmakers and experts argue the president has unnecessarily undercut himself. Trump on Wednesday formally announced he will abide by a 1995 U.S. law and move the U.S. embassy in Israel to Jerusalem and recognize that city as the country’s official capital. He noted that for the last 22 years, his predecessors have — despite some campaign-trail pledges to the contrary — exercised a waiver in that law to keep the embassy in Tel Aviv. “Today, we finally acknowledge the obvious that Jerusalem is Israel’s capital,” the U.S. president said. “We cannot solve our problems by making the same failed assumptions,” he added in a not-that-veiled jab at Presidents Bill Clinton, George W. Bush and Barack Obama. That shot at the last three diplomats in chief was vintage Trump. So, too, were other parts of his Jerusalem address from the White House’s Diplomatic Reception Room, which was noticeably decked out for Christmas. He said those three chief executives signed the law’s waivers every six months “based on facts as they understood them at the time.” “Nevertheless, the record is in. We are no closer to the lasting peace agreement” than the day Congress sent Clinton the Jerusalem Embassy Act, Trump said. He contended it would be “folly to assume that” his administration should follow “the exact same formula” as the previous three U.S. administrations in search of an Israeli-Palestinian peace pact and expect “a better result.” The Jerusalem decision also carried the hallmarks of the 45th president in its basis in Israel’s right — as a “sovereign country,” as Trump put it — to select its own capital city. The comment was reminiscent of ones he made during his recent swing through Asia, when he defended his “America first” governing philosophy and urged Asian countries to make decisions on trade based on … | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://welch.house.gov/media-center/in-the-news/st-albans-messenger-welch-its-dangerous-situation | St. Albans Messenger: Welch: 'It's a Dangerous Situation' | 2017-12-11 | 2017 | 2017-12 | Democrat | House | VT | Peter Welch | W000800 | welch.house.gov | legacy | As the threat of another government shutdown loomed on Thursday, Rep. Peter Welch, D-Vt., was busy dealing with an array of fast-changing events that will have varying degrees of impact in Vermont. “It’s wild,” Welch said in a conversation with the St. Albans Messenger. As he was waiting for the Republicans to offer a plan to fund the government, he refelected on Jerusalem, impeachment and the House firearms vote, all of which had taken place the day before. On Wednesday, President Donald Trump announced the U.S. would consider Jerusalem the capital of Israel, drawing rebukes from around the world. Rep. Al Green, D-Texas, brought articles of impeachment to the House floor, and the House voted to override local gun laws and allow concealed carry of firearms in places that currently bar it. Then there was the government shutdown. “My guess is it will be averted,” Welch on Thursday. He was correct. The Republicans in both the House and Senate later that day passed a continuing resolution to keep the government operating until Dec. 22, with few Democratic votes. The resolution, he said, was entirely in Republican hands, and they didn’t want a distraction from their tax bill, he suggested. “Everything they’re doing is trying to get their tax bill through by Christmas,” Welch said. The debate over a continuing resolution and whether that resolution should keep the government running for two or three weeks was among three groups of Republican representatives and senators: the so-called Freedom Caucus, moderates and conservatives, Welch said — Democrats were excluded from the conversation. “My view, very strongly, is that we should keep the lights on,” he said. However, his position was that Democrats should oppose a continuing resolution unless it contains funding for fighting the opiate epidemic, the Department of Veterans Affairs and the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) as well as an agreement that any cuts to non-military programs will be matched by cuts to the Pentagon budget. The resolution as passed did … | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://www.sanders.senate.gov/newsroom/must-read/lives-at-risk-inside-a-senior-complex-in-puerto-rico-with-no-power | Lives at Risk Inside a Senior Complex in Puerto Rico With No Power | 2017-12-11 | 2017 | 2017-12 | Independent | House | VT | Bernard Sanders | S000033 | www.sanders.senate.gov | legacy | Lives at Risk Inside a Senior Complex in Puerto Rico With No Power Monday, December 11, 2017 SAN JUAN, P.R. — Altagracia Rodriguez de Jesus woke up on a recent morning and cranked open the aluminum shutters along one wall of her small, eighth-floor apartment overlooking the capital. She took a cold shower and kept the bathroom door open to let in the sunlight. Her cockatiel, Precious, sat in a cage on the toilet. Ms. Rodriguez de Jesus, 80, sang to the bird. She and other residents at the subsidized apartment tower where she lives could not switch on lights, cook on electric stoves, turn on bedroom air-conditioners or use washing machines. Hurricane Irma cut power to the San Juan neighborhood of Hill Brothers on Sept. 6. Then, two weeks later, Hurricane Maria devastated the entire island’s electrical grid. It was not until early December that part of the neighborhood had power again. Continue reading here. | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://www.sanders.senate.gov/newsroom/must-read/people-dont-take-their-pills-only-one-thing-seems-to-help | People Dont Take Their Pills. Only One Thing Seems to Help. | 2017-12-11 | 2017 | 2017-12 | Independent | House | VT | Bernard Sanders | S000033 | www.sanders.senate.gov | legacy | People Don’t Take Their Pills. Only One Thing Seems to Help. By: Austin Frakt Monday, December 11, 2017 For all that Americans spend on prescription drugs — $425 billion last year — you’d think we’d actually take our medicine. But one of the frustrating truths about American health care is that half or more of prescribed medication is never taken. It’s called medication nonadherence, and it’s a well-documented and longstanding problem, particularly for patients with chronic conditions. The drugs they’re prescribed are intended to prevent costly complications, reduce hospitalization, even keep them alive. But even when the stakes are high, many patients don’t take their meds. This seems like a problem we ought to be able to solve. It motivates high tech approaches, like digital pills that can automatically communicate to doctors that they’ve been taken. Continue reading here. | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://www.sanders.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/sanders-statement-on-government-spending-deadline | Sanders Statement on Government Spending Deadline | 2017-12-09 | 2017 | 2017-12 | Independent | House | VT | Bernard Sanders | S000033 | www.sanders.senate.gov | legacy | Sanders Statement on Government Spending Deadline Saturday, December 9, 2017 The Republicans, who control the U.S. Senate, the U.S. House and the White House, must not be allowed to shut the government down at the end of the year. Since the passage of the Budget Control Act in 2011, every budget agreement reached between Republicans and Democrats has maintained parity between defense and non-defense spending. That must not change. While the rich become much richer, many millions of middle class families are struggling to survive. The Republicans cannot ask for $54 billion more in military spending, and ignore the health care needs of our children and working families in the CHIP and Community Health Center programs. They cannot ignore millions of older workers who are about to lose the pensions they were promised, younger people burdened with outrageous levels of student debt or veterans unable to get the quality health care they were promised. They cannot ignore the reality that 800,000 Dreamers will start losing their legal status in a few months and that an opioid epidemic is sweeping the country. In short, the Republicans must work in a bi-partisan way to pass a budget which reflects the needs of all Americans, not just wealthy campaign contributors. | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://www.sanders.senate.gov/newsroom/recent-business/sanders-statement-on-government-spending-deadline | Sanders Statement on Government Spending Deadline | 2017-12-09 | 2017 | 2017-12 | Independent | House | VT | Bernard Sanders | S000033 | www.sanders.senate.gov | legacy | Sanders Statement on Government Spending Deadline Saturday, December 9, 2017 The Republicans, who control the U.S. Senate, the U.S. House and the White House, must not be allowed to shut the government down at the end of the year. Since the passage of the Budget Control Act in 2011, every budget agreement reached between Republicans and Democrats has maintained parity between defense and non-defense spending. That must not change. While the rich become much richer, many millions of middle class families are struggling to survive. The Republicans cannot ask for $54 billion more in military spending, and ignore the health care needs of our children and working families in the CHIP and Community Health Center programs. They cannot ignore millions of older workers who are about to lose the pensions they were promised, younger people burdened with outrageous levels of student debt or veterans unable to get the quality health care they were promised. They cannot ignore the reality that 800,000 Dreamers will start losing their legal status in a few months and that an opioid epidemic is sweeping the country. In short, the Republicans must work in a bi-partisan way to pass a budget which reflects the needs of all Americans, not just wealthy campaign contributors. | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://www.leahy.senate.gov/press/net-neutrality-showdown-leahy-and-other-senators-use-fcc-chairs-own-words-to-urge-him-to-delay-thursdays-vote-until-full-impact-can-be-considered | NET NEUTRALITY SHOWDOWN Leahy & Other Senators Use FCC Chair's Own Words To Urge Him To Delay Thursday's Vote, Until Full Impact Can Be Considered | 2017-12-08 | 2017 | 2017-12 | Democrat | House | VT | Patrick Leahy | L000174 | www.leahy.senate.gov | legacy | 12.08.17 NET NEUTRALITY SHOWDOWN Leahy & Other Senators Use FCC Chair's Own Words To Urge Him To Delay Thursday's Vote, Until Full Impact Can Be Considered As Next Week’s Threatened Repeal Of Net Neutrality Rules Looms, Leahy And Other Senators, In A Letter To FCC Chair Pai, Use Pai’s Own Words To Urge Delay Of The Net Neutrality Vote Until The Full Impact Of Repeal Can Be Faithfully Considered WASHINGTON (FRIDAY, Dec. 8, 2017) – Continuing the fight against next week’s threatened repeal of net neutrality rules, Senator Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) and other senators, led by Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), are urging Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Chairman Ajit Pai to delay the FCC’s December 14 vote on repealing net neutrality rules until the full impact of repeal can be faithfully considered, in accordance with Pai’s own earlier standards of rulemaking. Leahy for years has been a leader in pressing for net neutrality rules, and he brought the Senate Judiciary Committee to Vermont to hear directly from Vermont businesses, nonprofit organizations and citizens about the harm that would directly come from installing “toll booths” on the Internet. In a letter sent to Pai on Friday, Blumenthal and Leahy, joined by Sens. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), Edward Markey (D-Mass.) and Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio), quoted Pai’s statements from his dissent of the Notice of Proposed Rulemaking for the 2015 Open Internet Order, which established the rules – known as net neutrality – that protect the open internet. In his dissent, Pai reprimanded his FCC colleagues for their failure to “give the American people a full and fair opportunity to participate in this process,” and “ensure that [FCC’s] decisions are based on a robust record.” To meet these standards, Pai suggested commissioning a series of studies by ten economists that would fully evaluate the impact of net neutrality. “Accordingly,” wrote the senators, “we ask that you heed your own advice and delay your planned vote on this item until you have faithf… | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://welch.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/welch-displays-works-artist-candy-barr-vermont-office | Welch Displays Works by Artist Candy Barr in Vermont Office | 2017-12-07 | 2017 | 2017-12 | Democrat | House | VT | Peter Welch | W000800 | welch.house.gov | legacy | WASHINGTON - Rep. Peter Welch (D-Vt.) is currently presenting 10 paintings in his Burlington office by local artist Candy Barr. The exhibit is entitled “Vermont & Maine: Paintings on Location.” Barr graduated from Rhode Island School of Design with both a BFA in Painting and a MAT in Lithography, and also earned a MFA from Vermont College. Her work has been described as “moving" and as being "a true master of color." From Warren since 1976, with over 50 years of painting experience from models and working on locations in plein air, she brings a breadth of knowledge of art history, exquisite skill for color and a deep understanding of what makes paint come to life. “I’m pleased to be able to recognize talented Vermont artists like Candy by featuring their work in my Vermont office,” said Rep. Welch. “I hope Vermonters will take the opportunity to visit my office and enjoy these works of art.” "Making paintings brings me great pleasure while the unsettled world today contributes to my desire to seek comfort in nature,” said Barr. “I am most comfortable while intensely observing my environment and during the mindful processes of painting it." The exhibit will be on display through the end of April 2018. The public is invited to Barr’s work. Welch’s Vermont office is located at the Vermont Innovation Center at 128 Lakeside Avenue, Suite 235 in Burlington. Office hours are Monday through Friday from 9am to 5pm. For more information on Barr’s work, please visit http://candybarrartist.com. ### | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://www.leahy.senate.gov/press/appropriations-vice-chairman-leahys-statement-on-a-continuing-resolution-through-december-22 | Appropriations Vice Chairman Leahy's Statement On A Continuing Resolution Through December 22 | 2017-12-07 | 2017 | 2017-12 | Democrat | House | VT | Patrick Leahy | L000174 | www.leahy.senate.gov | legacy | 12.07.17 Appropriations Vice Chairman Leahy's Statement On A Continuing Resolution Through December 22 The current spending caps set in place by law will not responsibly fund the government or alleviate the consequences of sequestration on our domestic priorities or our military readiness. Since March, I have constantly repeated that we must reach a bipartisan budget deal that is based on parity, free of poison pill riders and not waste taxpayer dollars on President Trump’s useless border wall. But with the current continuing resolution expiring tomorrow, we are running out of time to reach an agreement. The continuing resolution before us today will allow us more time to reach a bipartisan agreement and keep the government’s lights on during negotiations. The key to a successful negotiation is parity. Sequestration has had devastating consequences on our country that will impact a generation, but we must raise the caps on both sides of the ledger—defense and non-defense. This is not an academic exercise. The decisions we make here today have real impacts on people’s lives. There is no question that sequestration has hurt our military readiness, but it has also hurt our Nation’s economy and led to a decline in critical government services on which millions of Americans depend. Our veterans have been short-changed. An average of 558,000 veterans fail to get a healthcare appointment within the 30-day standard. The average wait time for the VA to process a benefit appeal is over three years. Our infrastructure is crumbling. America now gets a D+ rating from the American Society of Civil Engineers. This means the roads, bridges, dams, drinking water, public parks and schools we all use and depend on have a near failing grade. Education programs have suffered. The purchasing power of the maximum Pell Grant now covers only 29 percent of the average price for college. Our elderly citizens are getting short-changed. More than 1 million Social Security benefits appeals are backlogged an … | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://www.sanders.senate.gov/bernies-podcast/-episode-12-our-budget-priorities-with-elizabeth-warren-120717 | Episode 12: Our Budget Priorities with Elizabeth Warren | 2017-12-07 | 2017 | 2017-12 | Independent | House | VT | Bernard Sanders | S000033 | www.sanders.senate.gov | legacy | While Republicans are busy trying to give enormous tax breaks to billionaires and corporations, Sen. Elizabeth Warren and I are here to talk about what we really should be prioritizing in our budget to invest in working families and put the middle class first. | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://www.sanders.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/sanders-statement-on-tax-reform-conference-committee | Sanders Statement on Tax Reform Conference Committee | 2017-12-07 | 2017 | 2017-12 | Independent | House | VT | Bernard Sanders | S000033 | www.sanders.senate.gov | legacy | Sanders Statement on Tax Reform Conference Committee Thursday, December 7, 2017 WASHINGTON, Dec. 7 – Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) issued the following statement Thursday after Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) named him to the conference committee on the Republican tax legislation: "I thank Leader Schumer for putting me on the so-called 'tax reform' conference committee. Let me be very clear: Both versions of the Senate and the House tax bills are morally grotesque and terrible economic policy. Both bills would provide massive tax breaks for millionaires and billionaires, increase taxes on millions of middle class Americans, raise the deficit by more than $1 trillion, and lead to savage cuts in Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid. And, by the way, both of these bills would provide major tax incentives to move American jobs and profits overseas. As a member of the conference committee, I will do everything I can to defeat these bills. We need to rebuild the disappearing middle class, not provide more tax breaks to billionaires. " | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://www.sanders.senate.gov/newsroom/recent-business/sanders-statement-on-tax-reform-conference-committee | Sanders Statement on Tax Reform Conference Committee | 2017-12-07 | 2017 | 2017-12 | Independent | House | VT | Bernard Sanders | S000033 | www.sanders.senate.gov | legacy | Sanders Statement on Tax Reform Conference Committee Thursday, December 7, 2017 WASHINGTON, Dec. 7 – Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) issued the following statement Thursday after Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) named him to the conference committee on the Republican tax legislation: "I thank Leader Schumer for putting me on the so-called 'tax reform' conference committee. Let me be very clear: Both versions of the Senate and the House tax bills are morally grotesque and terrible economic policy. Both bills would provide massive tax breaks for millionaires and billionaires, increase taxes on millions of middle class Americans, raise the deficit by more than $1 trillion, and lead to savage cuts in Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid. And, by the way, both of these bills would provide major tax incentives to move American jobs and profits overseas. As a member of the conference committee, I will do everything I can to defeat these bills. We need to rebuild the disappearing middle class, not provide more tax breaks to billionaires. " | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://www.leahy.senate.gov/peoples-academy-high-school | People's Academy High School | 2017-12-06 | 2017 | 2017-12 | Democrat | House | VT | Patrick Leahy | L000174 | www.leahy.senate.gov | legacy | 12.06.17 People's Academy High School On December 6, 2017, Senator Leahy had the opportunity to chat with students from Peoples Academy High School in Morrisville. Senator Leahy enjoyed answering questions from students who are studying genocide, human rights, international law and foreign policy as well as students studying Spanish. Senator Leahy was very impressed with the students’ thoughtful questions and enjoyed hearing their insights on human rights abuses and genocide and how the United States can be a global leader. He also appreciated the students’ dedication to helping Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands rebuild after the recent hurricanes. Press Contact David Carle: 202-224-3693 Previous Article | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://www.leahy.senate.gov/press/comment-of-senator-leahy-on-president-trumps-decision-on-the-us-embassy-in-israel | Comment Of Senator Leahy On President Trumps Decision On The U.S. Embassy In Israel | 2017-12-06 | 2017 | 2017-12 | Democrat | House | VT | Patrick Leahy | L000174 | www.leahy.senate.gov | legacy | 12.06.17 Comment Of Senator Leahy On President Trump’s Decision On The U.S. Embassy In Israel “Campaign promises to score political points, without careful consideration of U.S. national interests, rarely make good policy, and I fear this is a particularly dangerous example of that. It will make the already distant goal of peace in the Middle East that much harder to reach.” Press Contact David Carle: 202-224-3693 Previous Article | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://www.leahy.senate.gov/press/comment-of-senator-patrick-leahy-on-senator-al-franken | Comment of Senator Patrick Leahy On Senator Al Franken | 2017-12-06 | 2017 | 2017-12 | Democrat | House | VT | Patrick Leahy | L000174 | www.leahy.senate.gov | legacy | 12.06.17 Comment of Senator Patrick Leahy On Senator Al Franken I just learned of the latest, disturbing allegation against Senator Franken. While the facts from case to case can differ, and while there are sound reasons for weighing evidence in such cases in a deliberate and carefully considered process, Senator Franken’s situation has become untenable. I am concerned that even a prompt Ethics Committee investigation and recommendations will not come soon enough. He has to step aside. I hope as a nation that we are beginning to come to terms with the systemic problem of sexual harassment and assault, but we still have a long way to go. Press Contact David Carle: 202-224-3693 Previous Article | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://www.sanders.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/sanders-statement-on-franken | Sanders Statement on Franken | 2017-12-06 | 2017 | 2017-12 | Independent | House | VT | Bernard Sanders | S000033 | www.sanders.senate.gov | legacy | Sanders Statement on Franken Wednesday, December 6, 2017 WASHINGTON, Dec. 6 – Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) issued the following statement on Sen. Al Franken (D-Minn.): "Sen. Franken has said that he will be making an announcement about his political future tomorrow. The right thing is for him to resign. We are now at a crossroads in American culture. And it is an important one. The way we treat women in our country has been abysmal in almost every way. We are finally addressing the issue of sexual harassment, and we need to get it right. But the conversation we are having now is only the tip of the iceberg. It needs to be an ongoing movement of women and men that includes a national discussion about sexism, sexual harassment, objectification, inequality and abuse of power." | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://www.sanders.senate.gov/newsroom/recent-business/sanders-statement-on-franken | Sanders Statement on Franken | 2017-12-06 | 2017 | 2017-12 | Independent | House | VT | Bernard Sanders | S000033 | www.sanders.senate.gov | legacy | Sanders Statement on Franken Wednesday, December 6, 2017 WASHINGTON, Dec. 6 – Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) issued the following statement on Sen. Al Franken (D-Minn.): "Sen. Franken has said that he will be making an announcement about his political future tomorrow. The right thing is for him to resign. We are now at a crossroads in American culture. And it is an important one. The way we treat women in our country has been abysmal in almost every way. We are finally addressing the issue of sexual harassment, and we need to get it right. But the conversation we are having now is only the tip of the iceberg. It needs to be an ongoing movement of women and men that includes a national discussion about sexism, sexual harassment, objectification, inequality and abuse of power." | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://www.leahy.senate.gov/press/leahy-statement-at-appropriations-subcommittee-hearing-addressing-the-opioid-crisis-in-america | Leahy Statement At Appropriations Subcommittee Hearing "Addressing The Opioid Crisis In America" | 2017-12-05 | 2017 | 2017-12 | Democrat | House | VT | Patrick Leahy | L000174 | www.leahy.senate.gov | legacy | 12.05.17 Leahy Statement At Appropriations Subcommittee Hearing "Addressing The Opioid Crisis In America" Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Here’s a startling statistic: last year alone, drug overdoses claimed the lives of 64,000 people. This is the latest figure in a shocking rise in overdose deaths, driven by the opioid epidemic that has hit every corner of our country, and plagues every community. This is a public health crisis. We need to start treating it like one. We need to allocate every necessary resource to finally – and meaningfully – confront it. Vermont has made tremendous strides by leveraging Medicaid dollars through a “hub and spoke” model to confront opioid addiction as a healthcare crisis, not an incarceration problem. This is a system that provides patients with medication-assisted treatment and connects patients with a variety of resources from housing to peer support to counseling, not just once or twice, but through their recovery and beyond. In Vermont, this model is proving effective. But we must continue to invest in it. It is alarming and disappointing that, from the start of his administration, President Trump has refused to make the necessary investments to tackle the opioid epidemic. The President’s budget request seeks to eliminate programs, like the anti-heroin task force, that have proven to be effective. In fact, in his budget, President Trump called for reducing funding for the opioid epidemic by $104 million. And President Trump’s long awaited October declaration on the nationwide opioids crisis proved nothing more than symbolic talk. There is no action or new funding behind the President’s empty words to address this crisis. This is unacceptable. Even worse, in the middle of the night Saturday, Republicans here in the Senate voted to slash Medicaid by $1 trillion to pay for tax cuts for the wealthy. Medicaid is a critical lifeline to provide care for victims of opioid abuse and is the main funding source behind Vermont’s “hub and spoke” model. We canno… | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://www.leahy.senate.gov/press/leahy-statement-regarding-the-fccs-rollback-of-net-neutrality-protections | Leahy Statement Regarding the FCC's Rollback of Net Neutrality Protections | 2017-12-05 | 2017 | 2017-12 | Democrat | House | VT | Patrick Leahy | L000174 | www.leahy.senate.gov | legacy | 12.05.17 Leahy Statement Regarding the FCC's Rollback of Net Neutrality Protections Next week, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) will consider a proposed rule that, if approved, will end “net neutrality” as we know it and will threaten the foundation of a free and open Internet. Net neutrality is the simple proposition that Internet service providers should treat all Internet traffic the same; they should not be able to exploit their power to charge for preferred treatment, allowing big corporations to dominate the Internet. The Chairman of the FCC, Ajit Pai, wants the FCC to undo its protections for net neutrality. His proposed ruling is perversely styled as “Restoring Internet Freedom,” when in fact it would do the opposite. It would allow Internet service providers to decide which websites will be privileged and which will be throttled or even blocked. Make no mistake: This will mean that the big firms that can afford the “fast lane” will be protected, while harming consumers, start-ups, and potentially even freedom of speech online. Alarmingly, Chairman Pai has decided to ignore millions of comments submitted by individuals across the country, citing concerns that they are not “unique.” As a member of Congress accountable to my constituents, this is a particularly offensive posture. “Unique” or not, comments and concerns submitted to my office by Vermonters are treated with the same weight and value as any other. Until the FCC fully and meaningfully considers the more than 21.7 million comments it has received about this proposed rule, it should not proceed with this vote. A recent New York Times article by Farhad Manjoo, entitled, “The Internet Is Dying. Repealing Net Neutrality Hastens That Death,” lays out clearly why the FCC’s proposed repeal of net neutrality will bring the open Internet one giant leap closer to becoming a corporate playground. If, as expected, Chairman Pai jams through his proposed rule change next week, it will be clear that he has done so to the benef… | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://www.sanders.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/sanders-statement-on-trumps-plan-to-recognize-jerusalem-as-the-capital-of-israel | Sanders Statement on Trump's Plan to Recognize Jerusalem as the Capital of Israel | 2017-12-05 | 2017 | 2017-12 | Independent | House | VT | Bernard Sanders | S000033 | www.sanders.senate.gov | legacy | Sanders Statement on Trump's Plan to Recognize Jerusalem as the Capital of Israel Tuesday, December 5, 2017 WASHINGTON, Dec. 5 – Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) responded to reports Tuesday that President Donald Trump plans to recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel: "I’m extremely concerned by reports that President Trump plans to recognize Jerusalem as the capital of the state of Israel. There’s a reason why all past U.S. administrations have avoided making this move, and why leaders from all over the world, including a group of former Israeli ambassadors, have warned Trump against doing it: It would dramatically undermine the prospects for an Israeli-Palestinian peace agreement, and severely, perhaps irreparably, damage the United States’ ability to broker that peace. What the U.S. should be doing now is bringing adversaries in the Middle East together to seek common solutions, not exacerbating tensions in this highly volatile region." | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://www.sanders.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/sanders-to-trump-keep-your-promises-to-protect-social-security-and-medicare | Sanders to Trump: Keep Your Promises to Protect Social Security and Medicare | 2017-12-05 | 2017 | 2017-12 | Independent | House | VT | Bernard Sanders | S000033 | www.sanders.senate.gov | legacy | Sanders to Trump: Keep Your Promises to Protect Social Security and Medicare Tuesday, December 5, 2017 WASHINGTON, Dec. 5 – Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) challenged President Donald Trump to keep his repeated promise to protect Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid from Republican attempts to cut the programs. “Mr. President, on the campaign trail you said over and over again you would not cut Social Security or Medicare or Medicaid. And today, I am asking you nothing more than to keep your word. Don't lie to the American people. Millions of people voted for you because you said you would not cut Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid. Keep your word. Tell Senate Leader McConnell and tell House Speaker Paul Ryan that you will veto any legislation that cuts these programs,” Sanders said on the Senate floor Tuesday. Trump said repeatedly during the campaign that he would not cut Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid. In March 2016, then-candidate Trump said that unlike House Speaker Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) he would protect the programs. “You know, Paul [Ryan] wants to knock out Social Security, knock it down, way down. He wants to knock Medicare way down,” Trump told WROK radio in Wisconsin. “I’m not going to cut it, and I’m not going to raise ages, and I’m not going to do all of the things that they want to do. But they want to really cut it, and they want to cut it very substantially, the Republicans, and I’m not going to do that.” According to The New York Times, Republicans plan to focus on cuts to Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid following tax reform. “As the tax cut legislation passed by the Senate early Saturday hurtles toward final approval, Republicans are preparing to use the swelling deficits made worse by the package as a rationale to pursue their long-held vision: undoing the entitlements of the New Deal and Great Society, leaving government leaner and the safety net skimpier for millions of Americans,” the Times reported in a front-page story last weekend. L… | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://www.sanders.senate.gov/newsroom/recent-business/sanders-statement-on-trumps-plan-to-recognize-jerusalem-as-the-capital-of-israel | Sanders Statement on Trump's Plan to Recognize Jerusalem as the Capital of Israel | 2017-12-05 | 2017 | 2017-12 | Independent | House | VT | Bernard Sanders | S000033 | www.sanders.senate.gov | legacy | Sanders Statement on Trump's Plan to Recognize Jerusalem as the Capital of Israel Tuesday, December 5, 2017 WASHINGTON, Dec. 5 – Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) responded to reports Tuesday that President Donald Trump plans to recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel: "I’m extremely concerned by reports that President Trump plans to recognize Jerusalem as the capital of the state of Israel. There’s a reason why all past U.S. administrations have avoided making this move, and why leaders from all over the world, including a group of former Israeli ambassadors, have warned Trump against doing it: It would dramatically undermine the prospects for an Israeli-Palestinian peace agreement, and severely, perhaps irreparably, damage the United States’ ability to broker that peace. What the U.S. should be doing now is bringing adversaries in the Middle East together to seek common solutions, not exacerbating tensions in this highly volatile region." | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://www.sanders.senate.gov/newsroom/recent-business/sanders-to-trump-keep-your-promises-to-protect-social-security-and-medicare | Sanders to Trump: Keep Your Promises to Protect Social Security and Medicare | 2017-12-05 | 2017 | 2017-12 | Independent | House | VT | Bernard Sanders | S000033 | www.sanders.senate.gov | legacy | Sanders to Trump: Keep Your Promises to Protect Social Security and Medicare Tuesday, December 5, 2017 WASHINGTON, Dec. 5 – Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) challenged President Donald Trump to keep his repeated promise to protect Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid from Republican attempts to cut the programs. “Mr. President, on the campaign trail you said over and over again you would not cut Social Security or Medicare or Medicaid. And today, I am asking you nothing more than to keep your word. Don't lie to the American people. Millions of people voted for you because you said you would not cut Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid. Keep your word. Tell Senate Leader McConnell and tell House Speaker Paul Ryan that you will veto any legislation that cuts these programs,” Sanders said on the Senate floor Tuesday. Trump said repeatedly during the campaign that he would not cut Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid. In March 2016, then-candidate Trump said that unlike House Speaker Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) he would protect the programs. “You know, Paul [Ryan] wants to knock out Social Security, knock it down, way down. He wants to knock Medicare way down,” Trump told WROK radio in Wisconsin. “I’m not going to cut it, and I’m not going to raise ages, and I’m not going to do all of the things that they want to do. But they want to really cut it, and they want to cut it very substantially, the Republicans, and I’m not going to do that.” According to The New York Times, Republicans plan to focus on cuts to Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid following tax reform. “As the tax cut legislation passed by the Senate early Saturday hurtles toward final approval, Republicans are preparing to use the swelling deficits made worse by the package as a rationale to pursue their long-held vision: undoing the entitlements of the New Deal and Great Society, leaving government leaner and the safety net skimpier for millions of Americans,” the Times reported in a front-page story last weekend. L… | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://www.leahy.senate.gov/press/leahy-statement-on-the-election-in-honduras | Leahy Statement On The Election In Honduras | 2017-12-04 | 2017 | 2017-12 | Democrat | House | VT | Patrick Leahy | L000174 | www.leahy.senate.gov | legacy | 12.04.17 Leahy Statement On The Election In Honduras Those of us who care about Central America have watched the election for Honduras’ next president with increasing alarm. It has been more than a week since November 26, when the people of Honduras cast their votes. Since then, repeated delays and suspicious behavior – which suggests either incompetence or fraud – by the Supreme Electoral Tribunal (TSE) that has been tallying the ballots, has incited large public demonstrations. Late last week, the government of President Juan Orlando Hernandez suspended constitutional rights and imposed a ten-day, 6 p.m. to 6 a.m. curfew. Several protesters, including a 19-year-old girl, have reportedly been shot and killed by Honduran troops, and hundreds more have been arrested. Salvador Nasralla, the main opposition candidate, called for a new election and reportedly urged the Honduran police and military to disobey orders of their commanders to fire on demonstrators. Even before the Honduran people went to the polls the prospects for a free, fair and peaceful election faced many challenges. The most obvious point of contention is that President Hernandez is seeking a second term, since until recently the Honduran Constitution had been interpreted to limit presidents to a single four-year term. Ironically, in 2009 former President Manuel Zelaya was forced from power by a coalition of military officers, business owners, and conservative politicians including Hernandez, after Zelaya sought to extend his own rule by proposing a popular referendum on the issue of presidential re-election. Zelaya’s ouster was initially labeled a coup by the U.S. State Department, but it was not long before the United States accepted the result and resumed sending economic and military aid to the government of President Porfirio Lobo. During the next three years the influx of illicit drugs and the incidence of violence, including assassinations of journalists and other civil society leaders, increased dramatically, and H… | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://www.sanders.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/sanders-speaks-with-vermont-high-school-students_about-goals-after-graduation- | Sanders Speaks With Vermont High School Students About Goals After Graduation | 2017-12-04 | 2017 | 2017-12 | Independent | House | VT | Bernard Sanders | S000033 | www.sanders.senate.gov | legacy | MORRISVILLE, Vt., Dec. 4 – U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) visited Peoples Academy in Morrisville Monday morning to have an open conversation with students about their aspirations and goals after graduating high school. “It’s important that we understand how students see their options as they prepare to graduate high school,” said Sanders, who serves on the Senate education committee. “Do they have adequate information to determine the best college for them and how they can finance a higher education? If they are not going to college, do they know how to get training to secure the best jobs that are out there?” Sanders said. Sanders was joined by Vermont Agency of Education Secretary Rebecca Holcombe, Vermont Department of Labor Commissioner Lindsay Kurrle, local business owners, and other state and regional education and workforce development leaders. “The economic return to education is increasing. Students need to understand -- and need help leveraging -- the benefit of some post-secondary credential, whether it is an industry recognized credential in a trade or a college degree,” Holcombe said, adding, “And, particularly in some of our rural communities, wouldn’t it be great if some of our students grew up to be the doctors, skilled tradespeople and other professionals their communities desperately need to grow a more prosperous future? We need to work together to make this happen.” Sanders visited the Vermont high school to seek candid input from young Vermonters to help inform his work in the Senate. Philip Grant, principal of Peoples Academy, said high schools throughout Vermont have become “increasingly more collaborative and creative to help prepare students for their path beyond graduation.” “Increased and flexible opportunities, such as early college, dual enrollment, online learning, internships, and expanding tech centers are also greatly improving students’ focus and access to postsecondary aspirations. As a result, seniors are becoming more prepared for what they want to do in life,” Gran… | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://www.sanders.senate.gov/newsroom/recent-business/sanders-challenges-trump-to-reject-gop-plan-to-cut-social-security-medicare-medicaid | Sanders Challenges Trump to Reject GOP Plan to Cut Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid | 2017-12-04 | 2017 | 2017-12 | Independent | House | VT | Bernard Sanders | S000033 | www.sanders.senate.gov | legacy | Sanders Challenges Trump to Reject GOP Plan to Cut Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid Monday, December 4, 2017 READING, Penn., Dec. 3 – At a rally here Sunday against the Republican tax bill, U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) challenged President Donald Trump to keep his word to protect Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid. “Mr. President, you told the American people time and time again you were not going to cut Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid. Today, get on the phone. Tell Paul Ryan, tell Mitch McConnell that you will veto any bill that cuts Social Security, that cuts Medicare, that cuts Medicaid,” Sanders said. Trump said repeatedly during the campaign that he would not cut Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid. In March 2016, then-candidate Trump said that unlike House Speaker Paul Ryan (R-Wisc.) he would protect the programs. “You know, Paul [Ryan] wants to knock out Social Security, knock it down, way down. He wants to knock Medicare way down,” Trump told WROK radio in Wisconsin. “I’m not going to cut it, and I’m not going to raise ages, and I’m not going to do all of the things that they want to do. But they want to really cut it, and they want to cut it very substantially, the Republicans, and I’m not going to do that.” It is now becoming very clear that is exactly what Republicans intend to do. This week, a number of Republicans publicly said that they plan to cut “entitlement programs” after passing their tax bill. At a FOX News town hall this week, Ryan said, “There’s two things you got to do to get this debt under control. Cut spending – most importantly reform entitlement programs – and grow the economy.” “Many argue that you can’t cut taxes because it will drive up the deficit,” U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) told business leaders. “But we have to do two things. We have to generate economic growth, which generates revenue, while reducing spending. That will mean instituting structural changes to Social Security and Medicare for the future.” And i… | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://www.sanders.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/sanders-challenges-trump-to-reject-gop-plan-to-cut-social-security-medicare-medicaid | Sanders Challenges Trump to Reject GOP Plan to Cut Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid | 2017-12-03 | 2017 | 2017-12 | Independent | House | VT | Bernard Sanders | S000033 | www.sanders.senate.gov | legacy | Sanders Challenges Trump to Reject GOP Plan to Cut Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid Sunday, December 3, 2017 READING, Penn., Dec. 3 – At a rally here Sunday against the Republican tax bill, U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) challenged President Donald Trump to keep his word to protect Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid. “Mr. President, you told the American people time and time again you were not going to cut Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid. Today, get on the phone. Tell Paul Ryan, tell Mitch McConnell that you will veto any bill that cuts Social Security, that cuts Medicare, that cuts Medicaid,” Sanders said. Trump said repeatedly during the campaign that he would not cut Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid. In March 2016, then-candidate Trump said that unlike House Speaker Paul Ryan (R-Wisc.) he would protect the programs. “You know, Paul [Ryan] wants to knock out Social Security, knock it down, way down. He wants to knock Medicare way down,” Trump told WROK radio in Wisconsin. “I’m not going to cut it, and I’m not going to raise ages, and I’m not going to do all of the things that they want to do. But they want to really cut it, and they want to cut it very substantially, the Republicans, and I’m not going to do that.” It is now becoming very clear that is exactly what Republicans intend to do. This week, a number of Republicans publicly said that they plan to cut “entitlement programs” after passing their tax bill. At a FOX News town hall this week, Ryan said, “There’s two things you got to do to get this debt under control. Cut spending – most importantly reform entitlement programs – and grow the economy.” “Many argue that you can’t cut taxes because it will drive up the deficit,” U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) told business leaders. “But we have to do two things. We have to generate economic growth, which generates revenue, while reducing spending. That will mean instituting structural changes to Social Security and Medicare for the future.” And i… | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://welch.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/itc-provides-relief-illegal-chinese-imports-northeast-kingdom-s-columbia | ITC Provides Relief From Illegal Chinese Imports to Northeast Kingdom’s Columbia Forest Products | 2017-12-01 | 2017 | 2017-12 | Democrat | House | VT | Peter Welch | W000800 | welch.house.gov | legacy | Washington, DC - Following four years of advocacy by Rep. Peter Welch (D-VT), the U.S. International Trade Commission (ITC) today provided long overdue relief to a key employer in the Northeast Kingdom. Columbia Forest Products, which maintains a manufacturing facility in Newport, Vermont, has been struggling to compete with illegal Chinese imports. In a unanimous ruling, the ITC voted 4-0 to impose significant tariffs on dumped and subsidized imports of Chinese hardwood plywood. “Today’s decision is great news for the employees of Columbia Forest Products,” said Rep. Welch. “The company and its employees have been reeling from subsidized and illegal competition from China. This important decision will level the playing field for the company, preserve jobs, and ensure its continued contributions to the regional economy.” In 2012, the company, a hardwood veneer and plywood manufacturer, filed a petition with the ITC protesting the dumping of cheap and illegal Chinese hardwood and veneer products that undercut its business in Vermont and around the country. In 2013, Rep. Welch personally testified before the Commission on the company’s behalf. In addition, Welch helped lead two Congressional letters of support for the industry to the Commission, one in 2013 and one this year. ### | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://welch.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/welch-warren-introduce-legislation-boost-nih-and-fda-medical-research | Welch, Warren Introduce Legislation to Boost NIH and FDA Medical Research | 2017-12-01 | 2017 | 2017-12 | Democrat | House | VT | Peter Welch | W000800 | welch.house.gov | legacy | WASHINGTON - Rep. Peter Welch (D-Vt.) has joined Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) in introducing legislation that would boost funding for critical medical research. The bill would pay for the new research by requiring large pharmaceutical companies that break the law and settle their cases to reinvest a percentage of their profits into medical research conducted by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and Food and Drug Administration (FDA). “Too often, drug companies game the system to maximize corporate profits at the expense of consumers and taxpayers,” said Welch. “This commonsense legislation will hold them accountable, while funding vital medical research that will keep America on the cutting edge of innovation, medicine, and scientific progress.” Critical federal investments in medical research have remained nearly flat for over a decade. Today 9 out of 11 research proposals are left unfunded, threatening the pace of medical breakthroughs and undercutting America’s status as the world’s leader in medical innovation. The last decade has also seen a troublesome spike in the number of major drug companies settling with the government for breaking the law and defrauding taxpayers. The Medical Innovation Act (H.R. 4487) would reverse both trends by making it easier for drug companies to develop the next generation of cures, while making it harder for them to profit from breaking the law and defrauding taxpayers. Drug company payments, which would vary according to the severity of the settlement penalty, would only be required of companies that rely on federally-funded research to develop billion-dollar, “blockbuster” drugs and only when they subsequently break the law and enter into major settlement agreements with the federal government. In such cases, the settlements would go forward as they normally do, but the offending company would also be required to reinvest a relatively small portion of the profits it has generated as a result of taxpayer-supported research back into the NIH and FDA. These suppl… | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://www.sanders.senate.gov/newsroom/video-audio/testing-solar-in-vermont | Testing Solar in Vermont | 2017-12-01 | 2017 | 2017-12 | Independent | House | VT | Bernard Sanders | S000033 | www.sanders.senate.gov | legacy | 0 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | |||
| https://www.sanders.senate.gov/newsroom/video-audio/vermont-viewpoint-howard-sinnott | Vermont Viewpoint: Howard Sinnott | 2017-12-01 | 2017 | 2017-12 | Independent | House | VT | Bernard Sanders | S000033 | www.sanders.senate.gov | legacy | 0 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | |||
| https://www.leahy.senate.gov/press/leahy-statement-on-the-tax-cuts-and-jobs-act | Leahy Statement On The Tax Cuts And Jobs Act | 2017-11-30 | 2017 | 2017-11 | Democrat | House | VT | Patrick Leahy | L000174 | www.leahy.senate.gov | legacy | 11.30.17 Leahy Statement On The Tax Cuts And Jobs Act During Thanksgiving last week, families across the country came together to give thanks for the blessings of the past year. One group in particular – corporate CEOs – had a special reason to be thankful: the Republican tax bill we are considering today. Rather than engaging in a bipartisan process to develop and enact meaningful tax reform that will benefit working Americans and small businesses, Republicans in Congress have spent the last few weeks crafting tax cut legislation that will overwhelmingly favor large corporations and ultra-wealthy Americans. Just in time for the holiday season, this bill delivers everything on the Republican donor class’s wish list while providing the vast majority of working Americans with little more than a lump of coal. This tax bill would have harmful and far-reaching effects, in countless ways, for our economy, for the budget, for our healthcare system, for our environment, and for the pocketbooks of middle income Americans from coast to coast. Yet despite these enormous threats across the board, rarely, if ever, have I seen such a secretive and slapdash process, and such a shoddy result. Republican leaders purposely chose a partisan process, not a bipartisan process. This bill has one clear goal – provide corporations with permanent tax cuts at any and all costs. Unfortunately, the costs of providing these unnecessary cuts are high and fall disproportionately on lower and middle income Americans, who will only see temporary cuts that will expire in 2025. The true purpose and slant of this bill are belied by the fact that huge tax cuts for corporations would be permanent, while the meager adjustments for hardworking Americans are only temporary. Critical deductions relied upon by many Vermonters, including the State and Local Tax Deduction, are reduced or eliminated. These changes are likely to result in higher taxes for many working families. To add insult to injury, even after targeting the middle c… | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://www.leahy.senate.gov/press/senators-to-trump-administration_reject-calls-for-new-nuclear-weapons | Senators to Trump Administration: Reject Calls for New Nuclear Weapons | 2017-11-30 | 2017 | 2017-11 | Democrat | House | VT | Patrick Leahy | L000174 | www.leahy.senate.gov | legacy | 11.30.17 Senators to Trump Administration: Reject Calls for New Nuclear Weapons Senators also want rising costs of modernization effort addressed in next Nuclear Posture Review Senator Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) joined Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.), Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.) and 12 other Senators today to urge the Trump administration to reject calls for new nuclear weapons and to reevaluate the affordability of the current nuclear modernizations effort in the next Nuclear Posture Review. “Many of us oppose the development of new nuclear weapons and believe that the sole purpose of our nuclear arsenal is to deter a nuclear attack,” the senators wrote. “In light of the CBO report, it is now also clear that developing new nuclear weapons is unaffordable, and would force tradeoffs between needed investments in our conventional capabilities.” The full text of the letter follows: November 30, 2017 Dear Secretaries Tillerson, Mattis and Perry: As you finalize the administration’s Nuclear Posture Review (NPR), we strongly urge you to consider the Congressional Budget Office’s (CBO) recent analysis of the increasing cost of the existing nuclear modernization plan. In light of the CBO’s findings, we urge you to incorporate the CBO’s analysis into the NPR process so that the review’s recommendations are affordable, strictly necessary to maintain deterrence, and do not force the nation to choose between an increasingly costly nuclear modernization program and maintaining conventional superiority. The CBO makes clear that the administration’s current nuclear modernization plan is unaffordable and will reduce our ability to make necessary investments in our conventional capabilities. The CBO reported that the administration’s plan will cost up to $1.7 trillion, with inflation, over the next 30 years, with an annual cost of approximately $50 billion in the 2030s. The agency no… | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://www.leahy.senate.gov/press/leahy-announces-13-million-grant-to-help-the-vermont-state-police-combat-the-opioid-epidemic | Leahy Announces $1.3 Million Grant To Help The Vermont State Police Combat The Opioid Epidemic | 2017-11-29 | 2017 | 2017-11 | Democrat | House | VT | Patrick Leahy | L000174 | www.leahy.senate.gov | legacy | 11.29.17 Leahy Announces $1.3 Million Grant To Help The Vermont State Police Combat The Opioid Epidemic . . . Vermont Grant Is One Of Only 8 Nationwide Senate Appropriations Committee Vice Chairman Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) Wednesday announced a grant of more than $1.3 million for the Vermont State Police (VSP) to continue its aggressive work fighting the opioid epidemic in Vermont. This was the second-largest of only eight grants awarded nationwide through the highly competitive COPS Anti-Heroin Task Force (AHTF) grant program that Leahy created in the fiscal year 2015 Commerce, Justice, and Science (CJS) appropriations bill. In his new role as the Vice Chairman of the Senate Appropriations Committee, Leahy fought hard to fund the program at $10 million in the fiscal year 2017 enacted CJS appropriations act, despite the Department of Justice proposing to eliminate the program. The VSP will use the $1.3 million award to continue funding the five troopers and one analyst hired with the first grant of more than $1.4 million that it received in 2015 through the AHTF grant program. Leahy also is a leading champion of this and other COPS programs on the Judiciary Committee, which oversees the program. Leahy said: “I designed the Anti-Heroin Task Force grant program specifically with the Vermont State Police’s Drug Task Force in mind. The vital and highly successful investigative work that the Task Force does in Vermont is a key component of our fight against the scourge of addiction that touches communities and families across our state. The detectives and analysts dedicated to the anti-heroin task force, whose work is supported with these funds, work to get right at the heart of Vermont’s distribution networks, targeting those who profit from the misery of Vermonters and their families.” “We know that enforcement is only one element of the fight against opioid addiction, and I will continue to work to see that fu… | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://www.sanders.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/sanders-statement-on-motion-to-proceed-with-republican-tax-plan | Sanders Statement on Motion to Proceed with Republican Tax Plan | 2017-11-29 | 2017 | 2017-11 | Independent | House | VT | Bernard Sanders | S000033 | www.sanders.senate.gov | legacy | Sanders Statement on Motion to Proceed with Republican Tax Plan Wednesday, November 29, 2017 WASHINGTON, Nov. 29 – Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), ranking member of the Senate Budget Committee, issued the following statement Wednesday after Senate Republicans voted to move forward with their tax bill: "I am disappointed but not surprised that the Republicans voted unanimously to proceed with a disastrous tax bill. This bill will provide 62 percent of the benefits to the top 1 percent and at the end of 10 years increase taxes on 87 million middle class households – half of the families making $200,000 a year or less. Together the American people must rally to defeat the Republican tax bill." | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://www.sanders.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/sanders-statement-on-trumps-promotion-of-anti-muslim-videos | Sanders Statement on Trump's Promotion of Anti-Muslim Videos | 2017-11-29 | 2017 | 2017-11 | Independent | House | VT | Bernard Sanders | S000033 | www.sanders.senate.gov | legacy | Sanders Statement on Trump's Promotion of Anti-Muslim Videos Wednesday, November 29, 2017 WASHINGTON, Nov. 29 – Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) issued the following statement Wednesday: "I do not make it a habit to respond to every ugly or absurd tweet from President Trump. If I did that, I’d have little time for anything else. But even for Trump, today's retweet of a series of offensive videos from a British right-wing, anti-Muslim fringe group reaches a new low. The goal of these videos is clear: to promote fear and hatred of Muslims, and to incite hostility toward a minority group. I know that Trump is not much into history or the U.S. Constitution, but he ought to know that millions of men and women have struggled, fought and died to defend our democracy and the religious freedom that our Constitution guarantees. "This Friday I will be visiting Louisville, Kentucky, the city where Muhammad Ali, one of the most popular athletes of the 20th Century, who also happened to be an American Muslim, was born and raised. While there I plan on visiting the Muhammad Ali Center, a museum that focuses not only on Ali’s career as a boxer and athlete, but also on his legacy as an activist and spokesman for the Muslim faith." | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://www.sanders.senate.gov/newsroom/recent-business/sanders-statement-on-motion-to-proceed-with-republican-tax-plan | Sanders Statement on Motion to Proceed with Republican Tax Plan | 2017-11-29 | 2017 | 2017-11 | Independent | House | VT | Bernard Sanders | S000033 | www.sanders.senate.gov | legacy | Sanders Statement on Motion to Proceed with Republican Tax Plan Wednesday, November 29, 2017 WASHINGTON, Nov. 29 – Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), ranking member of the Senate Budget Committee, issued the following statement Wednesday after Senate Republicans voted to move forward with their tax bill: "I am disappointed but not surprised that the Republicans voted unanimously to proceed with a disastrous tax bill. This bill will provide 62 percent of the benefits to the top 1 percent and at the end of 10 years increase taxes on 87 million middle class households – half of the families making $200,000 a year or less. Together the American people must rally to defeat the Republican tax bill." | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://www.sanders.senate.gov/newsroom/video-audio/sanders-challenges-republicans-to-prove-him-wrong-about-tax-bill | Sanders Challenges Republicans to Prove Him Wrong About Tax Bill | 2017-11-29 | 2017 | 2017-11 | Independent | House | VT | Bernard Sanders | S000033 | www.sanders.senate.gov | legacy | Sanders Challenges Republicans to Prove Him Wrong About Tax Bill On the Senate floor Wednesday, Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) challenged Republicans to tell him he is “wrong” – that they will not cut Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid if the tax bill passes and creates a $1.4 trillion deficit. | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://www.sanders.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/sanders-colleagues-unveil-legislation-to-rebuild-puerto-rico-and-virgin-islands | Sanders, Colleagues Unveil Legislation to Rebuild Puerto Rico and Virgin Islands | 2017-11-28 | 2017 | 2017-11 | Independent | House | VT | Bernard Sanders | S000033 | www.sanders.senate.gov | legacy | WASHINGTON, Nov. 28 – Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), along with five cosponsors in the Senate, introduced a comprehensive plan Tuesday to address the immediate humanitarian needs in Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands and ensure that the islands not only recover, but are able to rebuild in a way that empowers them to thrive. The Puerto Rico and Virgin Islands Equitable Rebuild Act is cosponsored in the Senate by Sens. Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.), Kamala Harris (D-Calif.) Ed Markey (D-Mass.) and Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.). Reps. Stacy Plaskett (D-V.I.), Nydia M. Velázquez (D-N.Y.) and Darren Soto (D-Fla.) will introduce a companion bill in the House. The bill is endorsed by 75 organizations. More than two months after Hurricane Maria, much of Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands remain devastated. More than half of Puerto Rico is still without power. In both territories, clean drinking water is difficult if not impossible to find in many areas and thousands of people are still living in temporary shelters. The legislation introduced today would instruct the federal government to immediately address these humanitarian crises by mobilizing all necessary resources and assets to restore power, provide clean drinking water and food, safe shelter and access to health care. And, it would do so without forcing the territories to take on more debt. The Puerto Rico and Virgin Islands Equitable Rebuild Act emphasizes local control and sustainable rebuilding of the territories and instructs Congress to address Puerto Rico’s debt – a major impediment to a just and full recovery. And, it ensures that any federal disaster funding provided to the islands is protected from Wall Street vulture funds and acted upon with local input and local workers. San Juan Mayor Carmen Yulín Cruz offered her support for the bill: “The bill that Senator Sanders has introduced in the United States Congress is a comprehensive plan that provides the blueprint for the transformation of Puerto Rico. While dealing with… | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://www.sanders.senate.gov/newsroom/recent-business/sanders-colleagues-unveil-legislation-to-rebuild-puerto-rico-and-virgin-islands | Sanders, Colleagues Unveil Legislation to Rebuild Puerto Rico and Virgin Islands | 2017-11-28 | 2017 | 2017-11 | Independent | House | VT | Bernard Sanders | S000033 | www.sanders.senate.gov | legacy | WASHINGTON, Nov. 28 – Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), along with five cosponsors in the Senate, introduced a comprehensive plan Tuesday to address the immediate humanitarian needs in Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands and ensure that the islands not only recover, but are able to rebuild in a way that empowers them to thrive. The Puerto Rico and Virgin Islands Equitable Rebuild Act is cosponsored in the Senate by Sens. Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.), Kamala Harris (D-Calif.) Ed Markey (D-Mass.) and Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.). Reps. Stacy Plaskett (D-V.I.), Nydia M. Velázquez (D-N.Y.) and Darren Soto (D-Fla.) will introduce a companion bill in the House. The bill is endorsed by 75 organizations. More than two months after Hurricane Maria, much of Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands remain devastated. More than half of Puerto Rico is still without power. In both territories, clean drinking water is difficult if not impossible to find in many areas and thousands of people are still living in temporary shelters. The legislation introduced today would instruct the federal government to immediately address these humanitarian crises by mobilizing all necessary resources and assets to restore power, provide clean drinking water and food, safe shelter and access to health care. And, it would do so without forcing the territories to take on more debt. The Puerto Rico and Virgin Islands Equitable Rebuild Act emphasizes local control and sustainable rebuilding of the territories and instructs Congress to address Puerto Rico’s debt – a major impediment to a just and full recovery. And, it ensures that any federal disaster funding provided to the islands is protected from Wall Street vulture funds and acted upon with local input and local workers. San Juan Mayor Carmen Yulín Cruz offered her support for the bill: “The bill that Senator Sanders has introduced in the United States Congress is a comprehensive plan that provides the blueprint for the transformation of Puerto Rico. While dealing with… | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://www.sanders.senate.gov/vermont/what-i-learned-in-high-school-last-week | What I learned in High School Last Week | 2017-11-28 | 2017 | 2017-11 | Independent | House | VT | Bernard Sanders | S000033 | www.sanders.senate.gov | legacy | What I learned in High School… Last Week By: U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders Tuesday, November 28, 2017 Last year, more than 60,000 people died from opioid overdoses in the United States. That’s more Americans dying in one year than during the entire 19 years of the Vietnam War. In our small state, 112 Vermonters died from a drug overdose, which is three times as many as died in 2010. And what’s even more shocking than the sheer numbers of people dying is how hard this epidemic is hitting younger people. Drug overdose is now the leading cause of death for people younger than 50. In Vermont, the average age of death from overdose is just 40 years old. And in 2016, nearly 20 percent of the drug overdose deaths were in people under age 30. Solving the opioid epidemic will not be easy. We’re going to have to challenge the pharmaceutical industry, which made huge profits by putting drugs on the market that were far more addictive than they admitted. We’re going to have to deal with drug wholesalers, who are selling far more pills than anyone thinks is necessary for medical reasons. We’re going to have to make sure doctors and dentists – as Vermont providers have begun doing – take up safe prescribing practices so excess painkillers aren’t abused or misused and that states use tools to curb so-called “doctor shopping” and “pill-mills.” But, at the end of the day, if we’re going to solve this terrible crisis, we’re going to have to do a lot better job at prevention – keeping people from turning to drugs in the first place. And to do that, we must look to our young people. For that reason, on the Friday before the Thanksgiving break, I went to Burlington High School to talk to the entire student body. I was joined by T.J. Donovan, Vermont’s Attorney General; Dr. Heather Stein, an expert on opioid addiction; and Kelly Breeyear, a courageous woman who is living in recovery from addiction. I wanted to discuss the dangers of taking opioids, but I also wanted to hear from our stu… | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://welch.house.gov/media-center/in-the-news/vermont-business-magazine-gentleman-every-sense-word-mr-welch-goes | Vermont Business Magazine: A Gentleman in Every Sense of the Word: Mr. Welch Goes to Washington | 2017-11-27 | 2017 | 2017-11 | Democrat | House | VT | Peter Welch | W000800 | welch.house.gov | legacy | There are two great threats to American democracy today and neither one are named Trump, said Vermont’s lone-ranger congressman, Peter Francis Welch (D-VT). “One is (the US Supreme Court decision) Citizens United and the immense amount of money in politics that’s not accountable,” Welch said. “And the other is gerrymandering, where you get boutique districts designed for either the extreme right or the extreme left. Those two issues have gotten worse since I’ve been in Congress. Trump just upped the ante.” Vermonters elected Welch to the House of Representatives as their standard-bearing liberal/progressive, throwing him into the flaming fires of Washington politics in 2006, back when George W Bush was president. Liking what they saw, they have sent him back every two years since. If Vermonters thought Welch would have an easier time after Bush, when Democratic President Barack Obama came into office, then two words should correct that thinking: those words are Mitch and McConnell. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) is the man who vowed to stonewall every piece of Obama’s legislation that he could get his hands on. He remains Senate Majority Leader. And now there’s President Donald Trump. You have to wonder if Vermonters have a collective death wish for Welch. Welch, however, loves his job and refuses to talk about retiring. “Congress has been a tremendous opportunity for someone who believes we’ve all got to pitch in to do the best to maintain our democracy,” he said. “I just love serving in Congress. And my period in Congress has been extraordinary times for the country.” In person Welch looks like a buttoned-down lawyer, but he has an unexpected history of involvement in social justice issues that some might call radical. “It’s the culture I grew up in,” said Welch, who was born into a large Irish Catholic family in Springfield, Mass. “When I was a kid we took a trip down south to Florida. I think we were in Georgia when I saw the segregated water fountains and bathrooms. They were quite shocking… | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://www.sanders.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/sanders-to-republicans-how-much-will-you-cut-social-security-medicare-and-medicaid-to-pay-for-tax-cuts | Sanders to Republicans: How Much Will You Cut Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid to Pay for Tax Cuts? | 2017-11-27 | 2017 | 2017-11 | Independent | House | VT | Bernard Sanders | S000033 | www.sanders.senate.gov | legacy | Sanders to Republicans: How Much Will You Cut Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid to Pay for Tax Cuts? Monday, November 27, 2017 WASHINGTON, Nov. 27 – In a letter sent Monday to Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) and House Speaker Paul Ryan (R-Wisc.), Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) demanded honesty from the Republican leaders as to how they would pay for the $1.4 trillion deficit in their "tax reform" bills. "I am very concerned that if you succeed in passing tax legislation that significantly adds to our national debt, you will then move aggressively to balance the budget on the backs of working families, the elderly, the children, the sick and the poor. In other words, in order to pay for tax breaks for the rich and large corporations, you will make massive cuts to Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid, nutrition, environmental protection and every other program designed to protect the needs of the middle class and working families of our country," Sanders wrote in the letter. "The bottom line is that the American people have a right to know exactly how you plan to pay for a $1.4 trillion increase in the deficit before, not after, tax legislation is signed into law. In your response, please be as specific as you can." To read the letter, click here. | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://www.sanders.senate.gov/newsroom/recent-business/sanders-to-republicans-how-much-will-you-cut-social-security-medicare-and-medicaid-to-pay-for-tax-cuts | Sanders to Republicans: How Much Will You Cut Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid to Pay for Tax Cuts? | 2017-11-27 | 2017 | 2017-11 | Independent | House | VT | Bernard Sanders | S000033 | www.sanders.senate.gov | legacy | Sanders to Republicans: How Much Will You Cut Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid to Pay for Tax Cuts? Monday, November 27, 2017 WASHINGTON, Nov. 27 – In a letter sent Monday to Senate Majority Leader McConnell (R-Ky.) and House Speaker Ryan (R-Wisc.), Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) demanded honesty from the Republican leaders as to how they would pay for the $1.4 trillion deficit in their "tax reform" bills. "I am very concerned that if you succeed in passing tax legislation that significantly adds to our national debt, you will then move aggressively to balance the budget on the backs of working families, the elderly, the children, the sick and the poor. In other words, in order to pay for tax breaks for the rich and large corporations, you will make massive cuts to Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid, nutrition, environmental protection and every other program designed to protect the needs of the middle class and working families of our country," Sanders wrote in the letter. "The bottom line is that the American people have a right to know exactly how you plan to pay for a $1.4 trillion increase in the deficit before, not after, tax legislation is signed into law. In your response, please be as specific as you can." To read the letter, click here. | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://www.sanders.senate.gov/newsroom/video-audio/happy-thanksgiving | Happy Thanksgiving | 2017-11-23 | 2017 | 2017-11 | Independent | House | VT | Bernard Sanders | S000033 | www.sanders.senate.gov | legacy | Happy Thanksgiving On behalf of Jane, my four kids and seven grandchildren, I wish everyone a very happy Thanksgiving. This has been a tough year, but we can move forward as a country in a direction based on generosity and love. 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-statement-fcc-chairmans-proposal-repeal-net-neutrality-rules | Welch Statement on FCC Chairman's Proposal to Repeal Net Neutrality Rules | 2017-11-22 | 2017 | 2017-11 | Democrat | House | VT | Peter Welch | W000800 | welch.house.gov | legacy | Rep. Peter Welch (D-VT) issued the following statement in response to the Federal Communications Commission chairman’s proposal to repeal net neutrality rules. “A free and open internet is essential to the free flow of ideas, creativity, participatory democracy, and commerce. This proposal is a wholesale abandonment of the FCC's core responsibility to protect the interests of consumers and an early Christmas present to big telecom companies, who will be able to pick and choose who gets access to the internet and at what speed. I hope the courts overturn this misguided anti-consumer policy.” ### | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://www.leahy.senate.gov/press/-reaction-of-senator-patrick-leahy-d-vt-to-apples-response-to-the-letter-from-senator-cruz-and-senator-leahy- | Reaction of Senator Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) To Apples Response To The Letter From Senator Cruz And Senator Leahy | 2017-11-21 | 2017 | 2017-11 | Democrat | House | VT | Patrick Leahy | L000174 | www.leahy.senate.gov | legacy | 11.21.17 Reaction of Senator Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) To Apple’s Response To The Letter From Senator Cruz And Senator Leahy “American tech companies have become leading champions of free expression. But that commitment should not end at our borders. Global leaders in innovation, like Apple, have both an opportunity and a moral obligation to promote free expression and other basic human rights in countries that routinely deny these rights. Apple is clearly a force for good in China, but I also believe it and other tech companies must continue to push back on Chinese suppression of free expression.” LINK to Apple’s letter: https://www.leahy.senate.gov/download/apple-letter-on-china-to-leahy-and-cruz 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/appropriations-committee-vice-chairman-leahy-calls-on-congress-for-bipartisan-budget-deal | Appropriations Committee Vice Chairman Leahy Calls On Congress For Bipartisan Budget Deal | 2017-11-21 | 2017 | 2017-11 | Democrat | House | VT | Patrick Leahy | L000174 | www.leahy.senate.gov | legacy | 11.21.17 Appropriations Committee Vice Chairman Leahy Calls On Congress For Bipartisan Budget Deal Senate Appropriations Committee Vice Chairman Patrick Leahy Tuesday renewed his call for a bipartisan budget deal that would allow for real investments in the American people. Leahy said: “With just 17 days until the current continuing resolution expires and the threat of sequestration looming in January, our toughest path remains ahead. We must come together to reach a bipartisan budget deal that allows for an increase in both defense AND non-defense spending to alleviate the devastating consequences of sequestration on our domestic priorities and military readiness. I look forward to working with Chairman Cochran and leadership on both sides of the aisle in accomplishing that goal.” Under the Budget Control Act of 2011 (BCA), discretionary programs are recklessly slashed by $2 trillion under post-sequestration budget cuts. The resulting cuts have already taken their toll on everything from the readiness of U.S. armed forces, to millions of families not receiving heating assistance, and drastic cuts to federal investment in job training and employment programs. The consequences of these cuts will be felt for a generation or more. Unless a budget deal is reached, the BCA would demand another $5 billion in cuts from fiscal year 2017 funding levels -- $2 billion from defense and $3 billion from non-defense discretionary funding. The Chairman’s mark for defense appropriations released Tuesday exceeds the spending caps by $70 billion and if enacted will trigger across the board spending cuts of more than 13 percent for defense programs on January 15 unless a bipartisan budget agreement is reached. In July, Leahy offered a proposal that would increase defense spending in fiscal year 2018 by $54 billion above post-sequester spending caps, mandated by the Budget Control Act, and provide an equal increase in non-defense programs – a budget and policy approach known as “parity.” Committee Democrats … | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://www.leahy.senate.gov/press/appropriations-vice-chair-leahys-summary-of/reax-to-chairmans-mark-for-the-fy2018-homeland-security-appropriations-bill | Appropriations Vice Chair Leahys SUMMARY of/REAX To Chairmans Mark For The FY2018 Homeland Security Appropriations Bill | 2017-11-21 | 2017 | 2017-11 | Democrat | House | VT | Patrick Leahy | L000174 | www.leahy.senate.gov | legacy | 11.21.17 Appropriations Vice Chair Leahy’s SUMMARY of/REAX To Chairman’s Mark For The FY2018 Homeland Security Appropriations Bill The Senate Appropriations Committee Tuesday made public the Chairman’s Mark of the fiscal year 2018 Department of Homeland Security Appropriations bill. The bill provides a total discretionary appropriation of $51.565 billion. The net discretionary total is $44.050 billion after the following amounts are excluded: $559 million in emergency appropriations for disaster relief; cap adjustment funding of $6.793 billion for disaster relief; and $163 million for Overseas Contingency Operations. U.S. Senator Jon Tester (D-Mont.), Ranking Member of the Department of Homeland Security Subcommittee, said: “The annual Homeland Security Appropriations bill is critically important for our national security, cybersecurity, airport security, and our emergency responders. Unfortunately, this bill funds a costly and ineffective border wall that is wasting taxpayers’ money and blocking a bipartisan debate on this important legislation. We can’t spend billions of dollars on a wall at the expense of our firefighters, airports, ports, transit hubs, and local communities. We can secure our borders more effectively with better technology and more manpower without saddling our kids and grandkids with the debt a border wall will require. As the appropriations process moves forward, I hope we can reignite a spirit of compromise and working together.” U.S. Senator Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.), Vice Chairman of the Senate Appropriations Committee, said: “President Trump ran on a clear campaign promise – he was going to build a wall between the U.S. and Mexico, and Mexico would pay for it. He could not have been clearer. I have also been clear about how I feel about this misguided campaign promise. Building a wall along our southern border is a waste of taxpayer dollars and an insult to our neighbor to the South. To pay for Trump’s wall, vital programs have been slashed out of this bill, which… | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://www.leahy.senate.gov/press/durbin-leahy-statement-on-fy18-defense-appropriations-chairmans-mark | Durbin, Leahy Statement on FY18 Defense Appropriations Chairman's Mark | 2017-11-21 | 2017 | 2017-11 | Democrat | House | VT | Patrick Leahy | L000174 | www.leahy.senate.gov | legacy | 11.21.17 Durbin, Leahy Statement on FY18 Defense Appropriations Chairman's Mark U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), vice chairman of the Defense Appropriations Subcommittee, and U.S. Senator Patrick Leahy, vice chairman of the Appropriations Committee, released the following statement on the release of the Fiscal Year 2018 Defense Appropriations Act. The bill exceeds President Trump’s request by $15.3 billion, and exceeds the sequestration caps by $70 billion. This is a step forward, though we remain deeply concerned about the process. So before anyone cheers the major new investments in our national defense, we should pause and recognize that the lack of a budget deal means that all of these new investments will be automatically cut by 13% beginning on January 15th. The right way forward is to conclude a budget deal and then pass an omnibus as soon as possible that contains equal investments in both the military and America’s many critical domestic needs. That must include the bipartisan Dream Act to which the President has already committed. And while the lack of a budget deal to address these issues is extremely concerning, we would like to recognize Chairman Cochran’s work in the Defense Subcommittee to look out for America’s service members and the security of our country. We remain hopeful that a budget agreement can be reached soon to keep all of America strong. Press Contact David Carle: 202-224-3693 Previous Article | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://www.leahy.senate.gov/press/leahy-slams-border-wall-funding-as-bumper-sticker-budgeting | Leahy Slams Border Wall Funding As Bumper Sticker Budgeting | 2017-11-21 | 2017 | 2017-11 | Democrat | House | VT | Patrick Leahy | L000174 | www.leahy.senate.gov | legacy | 11.21.17 Leahy Slams Border Wall Funding As “Bumper Sticker Budgeting” Slamming the proposal as “bumper sticker budgeting,” Senate Appropriations Committee Vice Chairman Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) Tuesday focused on a provision in the Department of Homeland Security Appropriations bill that would provide $1.6 billion from American taxpayers for President Trump’s border wall with Mexico. Leahy said: “This is bumper sticker budgeting to save face for one of President Trump’s failed campaign promises. Instead of wasting billions of taxpayer dollars to fund this costly and ineffective proxy for real action on immigration reform, we should be directing our resources toward finding cures for cancer, building schools for our children, feeding the hungry, rebuilding our infrastructure and real security. We should be investing in what brings us together, not building walls that drive us apart.” Placed in strategic locations identified by the Department of Homeland Security as being in need of additional security to prevent illegal border crossings or other illicit activities, the United States already has 654 miles of pedestrian fencing or vehicle barriers along its southern border. The additional 74 miles of President Trump’s border wall proposed in the appropriations bill is estimated to impact 900 landowners and cost as much as $22 million per mile. With legal disputes still ongoing from border wall construction a decade ago in Texas, the legal costs of new construction are expected to be astronomical and drawn out over years. With illegal border crossings on the decline and apprehensions along the southern border reaching historic lows, Leahy argued that American tax dollars should be spent elsewhere and invested in the American people. If the bill had gone through markup in the full Senate Appropriations Committee, Leahy would have offered an amendment that would have blocked funding for the wall unless it was paid for by Mexico, as President Trump promised. Leahy said: “President Trump ran on a cl… | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://www.leahy.senate.gov/press/sen-leahy-sen-cardin-and-others-send-letter-to-mnuchin-on-sec-oil-gas-mining-transparency-rule | Sen. Leahy, Sen. Cardin And Others Send Letter To Mnuchin On SEC Oil, Gas, Mining Transparency Rule | 2017-11-21 | 2017 | 2017-11 | Democrat | House | VT | Patrick Leahy | L000174 | www.leahy.senate.gov | legacy | 11.21.17 Sen. Leahy, Sen. Cardin And Others Send Letter To Mnuchin On SEC Oil, Gas, Mining Transparency Rule . . . Senators criticize Treasury move to invalidate law, point to other country, company compliance as proof that transparency works U.S. Senator Ben Cardin (D-Md.), Ranking Member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, led 14 of his colleagues Tuesday, including Senator Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.), in a letter to Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin, urging him to withdraw the Department’s recent recommendation that a key extractive industry transparency provision be completely repealed by Congress. Earlier this year, Congressional Republicans halted the Securities and Exchange Commission’s implementation of the rule but left the underlying rulemaking instructions in place. Section 1504 of Dodd-Frank, also known as the bipartisan Cardin-Lugar Anti-Corruption provision, promotes transparency and accountability by requiring domestic and foreign oil, gas, and mineral companies traded on U.S. stock exchanges to publish the payments they make to foreign governments. Leahy also played a central role in its enactment. Joining Senator Cardin on the letter are U.S. Senators Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio), Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.), Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.), Ed Markey (D-Mass.), Tom Udall (D-N.M.), Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.), Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), Chris Coons (D-Del.), and Bob Menendez (D-N.J.). “The Treasury Department’s recommendation to repeal the statute would forfeit U.S. leadership on this critical issue, at a time when it is vital the U.S. reaffirm its commitment to combating corruption,” the Senators said. “Repeal would also undermine our energy security and our national security….undermine global transparency and anti-corruption efforts, and undercut our allies who followed U.S. leadership … | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://www.leahy.senate.gov/press/statement-of-senator-patrick-leahy-d-vt-on-federal-judges-nationwide-injunction-blocking-trump-executive-order-on-sanctuary-jurisdictions | Statement Of Senator Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) On Federal Judges Nationwide Injunction Blocking Trump Executive Order On Sanctuary Jurisdictions | 2017-11-21 | 2017 | 2017-11 | Democrat | House | VT | Patrick Leahy | L000174 | www.leahy.senate.gov | legacy | 11.21.17 Statement Of Senator Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) On Federal Judge’s Nationwide Injunction Blocking Trump Executive Order On “Sanctuary Jurisdictions” [Last week the U.S. Department of Justice notified 29 jurisdictions, including the State of Vermont and the City of Burlington, of its plans to withhold federal funding based on claims that their policing policies violated federal law with respect to immigration enforcement. Both Vermont jurisdictions have steadfastly denied the DOJ claims, which threatened more than $500,000 in Byrne JAG funding to Vermont law enforcement agencies. Following is Senator Patrick Leahy’s reaction to the court’s nationwide injunction:] On Monday night a federal judge saw the Trump Administration’s attempt to deny critical funding to so-called “sanctuary jurisdictions” for what it is: unconstitutional. Police chiefs, sheriffs and local leaders should decide what state and local policies are necessary to keep their communities safe -- not a President and an Attorney General who are attempting to extort immigration reform by cutting off vital public safety resources to those communities. This decision makes clear that it is an affront to our government’s fundamental separation of powers for the Trump Administration to retaliate against states and localities that refuse to bow to its xenophobic, anti-immigrant agenda. The Trump Administration’s efforts to villainize and scapegoat immigrants and harass states and communities are not just disgraceful, they are illegal. This decision casts doubt on the authority of the Attorney General to withhold funding from the 29 jurisdictions that were notified last week. 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/appropriations-vice-chair-leahys-summary-of-chairmans-mark-of-fy2018-financial-services-and-genl-govt-appropriations-bill | Appropriations Vice Chair Leahys Summary Of Chairmans Mark Of FY2018 Financial Services & Genl. Govt. Appropriations Bill | 2017-11-20 | 2017 | 2017-11 | Democrat | House | VT | Patrick Leahy | L000174 | www.leahy.senate.gov | legacy | 11.20.17 Appropriations Vice Chair Leahy’s Summary Of Chairman’s Mark Of FY2018 Financial Services & Gen’l. Govt. Appropriations Bill Today the Senate Appropriations Committee made public the Chairman’s Mark of the fiscal year 2018 Financial Services and General Government (FSGG) Appropriations bill. The bill provides a total of $21.035 billion, including $159 million in disaster funds. This funding level is $480 million less than the fiscal year 2017 enacted level and nearly $2 billion less than the fiscal year 2018 President’s request. U.S. Senator Chris Coons (D-Del.), Ranking Member of the Financial Services and General Government Subcommittee, said: “I thank Chair Capito for addressing a number of my priorities in this bill, in particular, the Community Development Financial Institutions (CDFI) Fund and the Small Business Administration. I commend her for addressing many agencies’ pressing needs by providing resources above the level the President requested, including for the Internal Revenue Service, the Office of National Drug Control Policy, and the Truman Scholarship Foundation. However, I am disappointed that the Senate bill includes two new riders that I don’t believe belong in this bill. First, the bill includes a provision that effectively negates the campaign finance spending limits imposed on coordinated spending by federal candidates and party committees. Second, the bill puts in jeopardy continued funding for the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. If the subcommittee had marked-up, I would have offered amendments to provide much-needed funding to states to protect their election systems from outside intrusions and to protect the personal data collected by the new Presidential Advisory Commission on Election Integrity. I am also disappointed that funding for some key regulatory agencies falls far below the necessary levels, jeopardizing the ability of these agencies to vigorously protect markets, investors, and consumers from unscrupulous practices. In addition, I’m… | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://www.leahy.senate.gov/press/appropriations-vice-chair-leahys-summary-of-chairmans-mark-of-the-fy2018-interior-environment-appropriations-bill | Appropriations Vice Chair Leahys Summary Of Chairmans Mark Of The FY2018 Interior, Environment Appropriations Bill | 2017-11-20 | 2017 | 2017-11 | Democrat | House | VT | Patrick Leahy | L000174 | www.leahy.senate.gov | legacy | 11.20.17 Appropriations Vice Chair Leahy’s Summary Of Chairman’s Mark Of The FY2018 Interior, Environment Appropriations Bill The Senate Appropriations Committee Monday made public the Chairman’s Mark for the Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies Fiscal Year 2018 Appropriations Bill. The Senate bill recommends $32.536 billion in discretionary funding for agencies funded by the Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies bill, which includes $32.030 billion in discretionary funds and $507 million in emergency funds to pay for wildland firefighting needs. Excluding emergency funding, the amount provided is $250 million below the fiscal year 2017 level and $4.831 billion above the President’s budget request. The bill makes troubling cuts to clean air and water programs and includes a number of policy riders that would weaken the nation’s core laws protecting public health and the environment. U.S. Senator Tom Udall (D-N.M.), Ranking Member of the Subcommittee on the Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies, said: “I deeply regret that we weren’t able to come together and produce a bipartisan bill, because this bill includes many priorities for New Mexico and the nation that I want to support. I especially appreciate that Senator Murkowski worked with me and other members on both sides of the aisle to reject the president’s disastrous proposal to eliminate the National Endowment for the Arts and National Endowment for the Humanities and maintain level funding for each of the endowments. But I can’t look past the deep and damaging cuts to the EPA budget in this bill that put public health at risk. And I can't ignore that it takes aim at the laws that protect our environment and our communities. It’s very disappointing that this bill continues to be the target for unacceptable poison pill policy riders that undercut bedrock environmental laws like the Endangered Species Act and the Clean Water Act. Had we marked up, I would have offered an amendment to restore the EPA's budget and signif… | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://www.leahy.senate.gov/press/federal-grants-totaling-nearly-600000-to-help-5-vt-communities-hire-new-officers-cops-grants | Federal Grants Totaling Nearly $600,000 To Help 5 VT Communities Hire New Officers (COPS Grants) | 2017-11-20 | 2017 | 2017-11 | Democrat | House | VT | Patrick Leahy | L000174 | www.leahy.senate.gov | legacy | 11.20.17 Federal Grants Totaling Nearly $600,000 To Help 5 VT Communities Hire New Officers (COPS Grants) Senator Patrick Leahy Monday announced that five rural Vermont law enforcement agencies will receive a total of nearly $600,000 to help hire new officers through the Department of Justice COPS Hiring Program. The program covers a large portion of the costs that communities face when adding officers to their ranks, thereby supporting the goals of community policing. “These funds are critical to small law enforcement agencies that would otherwise find it too costly to bring a new officer on board,” said Leahy, a longtime champion of the program who continues to support its funding through his role as Vice Chairman of the Senate Appropriations Committee. “With the increase in opioid abuse and its inherent problems, our law enforcement agencies and officers are stretched to their limits. This is the type of federal spending that just makes common sense.” The funding provides up to 75 percent of the entry-level salaries and benefits of full-time officers over a three-year period, with a required 25 percent local match. Each of the five Vermont grants will allow the respective departments to hire one new officer. The FY 2017 grants include: Essex County Sheriff’s Department - $113,169 Franklin County Sheriff’s Department - $93,583 Hardwick Police Department - $125,000 Orange County Sheriff’s Department - $125,000 Village of Winhall Police Department - $125,000 In the case of Franklin County, the new funding will help hire a School Resource Officer in Fairfax for grades K-12, according to Franklin County Sheriff Robert Norris. Leahy said he was pleased that this year’s grant awards would be helping some of the state’s most rural populations, noting, “Our small law enforcement agencies are being asked to do more every day to meet the needs of their communities. We know the challenges of illegal drug use hit our small towns just as they do our larger cities, and our law enforcement partners… | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://www.leahy.senate.gov/press/leahy-notches-key-victories-for-lake-champlain-and-vermont-in-appropriations-bill | Leahy Notches Key Victories For Lake Champlain And Vermont In Appropriations Bill | 2017-11-20 | 2017 | 2017-11 | Democrat | House | VT | Patrick Leahy | L000174 | www.leahy.senate.gov | legacy | 11.20.17 Leahy Notches Key Victories For Lake Champlain And Vermont In Appropriations Bill Senate Appropriations Committee Vice Chairman Patrick Leahy Monday announced several key victories for programs that support Lake Champlain, conservation initiatives, and historic downtowns across Vermont. The programs were funded through the Appropriations Committee bill on the Interior, Environment and Related Agencies, for Fiscal Year 2018, which was released on Monday afternoon. The bill will now be negotiated to reconcile differences between the Senate and House bills prior to being considered by the full Senate. Leahy said: “While I am deeply disappointed that the overall bill has bowed to the anti-science know-nothingism of President Trump by slashing environmental programs and denying the reality of climate change, I am glad we were able to secure funding for programs that are vitally important for Lake Champlain and conservation efforts across our state. As Vice Chairman, I will continue to fight against the Trump agenda and work to restore the cuts that are in this bill as we continue through the appropriations process.” The Senate bill contains: $4 million increase, for a total $8.4 million, for the Lake Champlain Program; $8 million increase, for a total $444 million, for the EPA Geographic Programs; $3 million increase for a new federal Historic Revitalization Grants program; $100,000 increase, for a total $489,000, to administer and implement the Lake Champlain Sea Lamprey Control Program; $35 million increase, for a total $106.5 million, for U.S. Forest Service Capital Improvements; and $1.8 million for Forest Service Acquisition of Rolston Rest. President Trump’s budget would have eliminated all of the EPA’s Geographic Programs, abandoning a significant portion of federal support for ongoing regional clean-up projects in areas like Lake Champlain, the Great Lakes and the Gulf of Mexico that partner with local programs to find solutions. In large complex ecosystems like Lake C… | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://www.leahy.senate.gov/press/appropriations-vice-chairman-leahys-reax-to-trump-adms-3rd-emergency-supplemental-request | Appropriations Vice Chairman Leahy's REAX To Trump Adm.'s 3rd Emergency Supplemental Request | 2017-11-17 | 2017 | 2017-11 | Democrat | House | VT | Patrick Leahy | L000174 | www.leahy.senate.gov | legacy | 11.17.17 Appropriations Vice Chairman Leahy's REAX To Trump Adm.'s 3rd Emergency Supplemental Request [Senate Appropriations Committee Vice Chairman Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) Friday issued the following statement on the Trump Administration’s emergency supplemental request, totaling $44 billion, to address recent natural disasters. Earlier this month, Leahy and Senator Schumer led a letter outlining what Senate Democrats believe should be contained in the supplemental request.] The Trump Administration’s request does not come close to meeting the needs of victims of recent natural disasters in Texas, Florida, California, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Earlier this month, Senator Schumer and I led Senate Democrats in calling on President Trump to put forward a comprehensive package to provide relief from the recent onslaught of natural disasters. This is not that package. This is wholly inadequate and downright insulting, especially for the people of Puerto Rico who, eight to ten weeks after Hurricanes Irma and Maria, are struggling to get the lights back on and are looking to Congress for help. As Vice Chairman of the Senate Appropriations Committee I have received requests for more than $180 billion in federal assistance from communities impacted by hurricanes Harvey, Irma, and Maria. This request doesn’t come even close to meeting those needs. This was a chance for the Trump Administration to show that they care about ALL Americans and that the federal government stands behind disaster-struck communities. They failed. It does not provide sufficient funds to rebuild homes, roads, bridges, schools, or Puerto Rico’s electrical grid. What’s more, the Administration wants to pay for this package by making cuts to other important programs that states, including Texas, Florida and others affected by the hurricanes, rely on. This is not how we have treated disasters in the past, and Texas, Florida, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands deserve no less than our full commitment to hel… | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://www.leahy.senate.gov/press/senate-unanimously-passes-grassley-leahy-bill-to-protect-whistleblowers-in-criminal-antitrust-cases | Senate Unanimously Passes Grassley-Leahy Bill to Protect Whistleblowers in Criminal Antitrust Cases | 2017-11-17 | 2017 | 2017-11 | Democrat | House | VT | Patrick Leahy | L000174 | www.leahy.senate.gov | legacy | 11.17.17 Senate Unanimously Passes Grassley-Leahy Bill to Protect Whistleblowers in Criminal Antitrust Cases The U.S. Senate Wednesday night unanimously passed the Criminal Antitrust Anti-Retaliation Act to extend whistleblower protection for employees who provide information to the Department of Justice related to criminal antitrust violations. Senators Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) and Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.), coauthors of the legislation, hailed the Senate’s quick action on their bipartisan measure. Approval of the bill comes just one month after the Judiciary Committee unanimously reported it to the full Senate. Grassley, current Judiciary Committee Chairman, and Leahy, a former chair of the panel, have worked on this legislation since a Government Accountability Office report recommended these changes in 2011. The measure has passed the Senate the past two Congresses but was not taken up by the House. “Whistleblowers who shed light on violations of our antitrust laws not only help to fight crime; they also help protect consumers from less choice and higher prices in the marketplace. Our bill encourages private sector employees to disclose such criminal behavior by protecting them from retaliation at work. Whistleblowers are critical to exposing fraud, waste and abuse in government, and it’s high time we empower whistleblowers in the private sector to do the same for consumers,” Grassley said. “I applaud the Senate for again acting to advance meaningful bipartisan legislation that will improve the detection and enforcement of antitrust laws. I will now work with Senator Grassley to advance this commonsense legislation in the House and finally get it to the President for signature. No one should be retaliated against for blowing the whistle on criminal activity. If enacted, this legislation will make it harder for bad actors to get away with illegal anticompetitive behavior. Most importantly, it will promote a free and open marketplace and will protect consumers,” Leahy said. The bill allows e… | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://www.leahy.senate.gov/press/senator-lee-and-senator-leahy-introduce-the-usa-liberty-act-in-the-senate | Senator Lee And Senator Leahy Introduce The USA Liberty Act In The Senate | 2017-11-17 | 2017 | 2017-11 | Democrat | House | VT | Patrick Leahy | L000174 | www.leahy.senate.gov | legacy | 11.17.17 Senator Lee And Senator Leahy Introduce The USA Liberty Act In The Senate . . . Key Privacy Improvements For FISA Senator Mike Lee (R-Utah) and Senator Patrick Leahy have jointly introduced the Uniting and Strengthening American Liberty Act (USA Liberty Act) of 2017 in the United States Senate. Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) Amendments Act will expire on December 31, 2017. This legislation would reauthorize Section 702 while making key privacy improvements. Section 702 allows the government to collect sweeping amounts of Internet and other communications, including content and metadata, by targeting communications of foreigners abroad. But in doing so, the government also acquires a vast amount of Americans’ communications and is able to search through such collection without a warrant or even a court order. The Lee-Leahy legislation would apply stricter limits on the government’s ability to search Section 702 collection for communications of Americans and persons inside the United States, to ensure this surveillance is consistent with the Fourth Amendment. The bill is modeled after legislation of the same name introduced in the House of Representatives by House Judiciary Chairman Bob Goodlatte (R-Va.) and Ranking Member John Conyers Jr. (D-Mich.). Last Congress, Senators Lee and Leahy partnered with the same House Judiciary leaders to pass the historic USA FREEDOM Act, which ended NSA bulk metadata collection and contained significant reforms to other surveillance authorities. Both the House bill, which earlier this month was reported out of the House Judiciary Committee in a strong bipartisan vote, and this Senate companion bill contain long-overdue reforms to this powerful surveillance authority. They codify an end to “about” collection, enhance accountability, and increase protections for queries of Section 702 metadata, among other important reforms. The Sen… | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://www.sanders.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/sanders-holds-student-meeting-on-opioids | Sanders Holds Student Meeting on Opioids | 2017-11-17 | 2017 | 2017-11 | Independent | House | VT | Bernard Sanders | S000033 | www.sanders.senate.gov | legacy | Sanders Holds Student Meeting on Opioids Friday, November 17, 2017 BURLINGTON, Vt., Nov. 17 – U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) held a student town meeting Friday with the entire student body of Burlington High School and the Burlington Technical Center to discuss the opioid crisis in Vermont and throughout the United States. “I need your help. Not only for Vermont, but for the entire country,” Sanders told the students. “It is critically important that we have an honest and open discussion about this crisis that claimed the lives of 112 Vermonters last year, and affected thousands more. If we do not have the courage to talk about this issue. We are never, ever going to solve it.” “None of us are immune to the effects of addiction. It doesn’t matter if you live in New York City or rural Vermont,” said Sanders, who serves on the U.S. Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions. Sanders was joined by a panel including: Kelly Breeyear, a Vermonter who shared her personal experience with addiction, Vermont Attorney General T.J. Donovan and Dr. Heather Stein, associate medical director at the Community Health Centers of Burlington. “You have a choice now. After you have it in your system, you may not have a choice ever again,” Breeyear said. “We need to start telling the truth. We need your help to find a solution. We need to stop this now.” Donovan said, “We have to speak out, lift people up and help members of the community with this disease. The opiate crisis doesn't discriminate -- it affects everyone. We all have to work together, from people in government to teachers, students and family members.” Stein runs Community Health Centers of Burlington’s program that helps patients who are struggling with substance abuse. “Your brain is going to be hooked on something faster than someone twice your age,” Stein told the students. “You’ll do things you can’t imagine now to get narcotics.” Following the panel discussion, students participated in a question-and-a… | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://www.sanders.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/sanders-statement-on-white-house-request-for-disaster-relief-funds | Sanders Statement on White House Request for Disaster Relief Funds | 2017-11-17 | 2017 | 2017-11 | Independent | House | VT | Bernard Sanders | S000033 | www.sanders.senate.gov | legacy | Sanders Statement on White House Request for Disaster Relief Funds Friday, November 17, 2017 BURLINGTON, Vt., Nov. 17 – U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) issued the following statement Friday after the White House asked Congress for $44 billion in additional disaster relief for areas ravaged by hurricanes Harvey, Irma and Maria: "The president’s request for supplemental appropriations for disaster relief is totally inadequate. While the president wants to provide the very richest people in this country hundreds of billions in tax relief, he is largely ignoring the needs of the communities that were devastated by the recent hurricanes. Two months after Hurricane Maria, the people of Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands are still suffering without electricity, clean water and other basic necessities. That is not acceptable. I will be releasing comprehensive legislation this month to address the short- and long-term needs of the people of Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. As a nation, we must stand with those communities that have been devastated by natural disasters." | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z |
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CREATE INDEX [idx_releases_year]
ON [releases] ([year]);
CREATE INDEX [idx_releases_party]
ON [releases] ([party]);
CREATE INDEX [idx_releases_chamber]
ON [releases] ([chamber]);
CREATE INDEX [idx_releases_state]
ON [releases] ([state]);
CREATE INDEX [idx_releases_bioguide_id]
ON [releases] ([bioguide_id]);
CREATE INDEX [idx_releases_has_text]
ON [releases] ([has_text]);