url,title,date,year,month,party,chamber,state,member_name,bioguide_id,domain,scraper,source,date_source,text,has_text,collected_at,updated_at https://www.leahy.senate.gov/press/comment-on-congressman-john-lewis,Comments on Congressman John Lewis,2019-12-30,2019,2019-12,Democrat,House,VT,Patrick Leahy,L000174,www.leahy.senate.gov,,,legacy,"12.30.19 Comments on Congressman John Lewis As are Americans everywhere, Marcelle and I are heartsick about the new challenge facing our dear friend John Lewis. John Lewis has been called our apostle of quiet strength, and the best of humanity. I have called him a hero for our time, of our time. Of the thousands of leaders I have served with, his contributions of conscience have been living examples to us all. He has certainly nourished mine. He spent an eventful day with us in Vermont late this year, forging memories and sowing insights that will always be with us. Most recently we stood together as several of us reintroduced the Voting Rights Advancement Act, which itself is a reflection of John Lewis's personal history, as well as of his conscience. We know that he is strong, and he knows that he has our prayers and our fervent hopes as he takes on this new battle. # # # # # [NOTE: Senator Leahy today posted several photos about John Lewis on his Instagram page.] 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-on-the-detention-of-senator-de-lima-by-the-government-of-the-philippines,Comment On The Detention Of Senator De Lima By The Government Of The Philippines,2019-12-28,2019,2019-12,Democrat,House,VT,Patrick Leahy,L000174,www.leahy.senate.gov,,,legacy,"12.28.19 Comment On The Detention Of Senator De Lima By The Government Of The Philippines ""The imprisonment of Senator De Lima, and the threats against renowned journalist Maria Ressa, have been criticized around the world, including by the U.S. Department of State and the United Nations. Rather than responding by irrationally threatening to deny visas to American citizens, the Duterte government should either release Senator De Lima immediately or provide her the fair, public trial she is entitled to. And rather than try to silence a journalist who has bravely dared to expose official corruption and abuse, it should recognize Maria Ressa as a courageous Filipino exercising her right of free expression."" Press Contact David Carle: 202-224-3693 Previous Article",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://welch.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/welch-bill-promoting-international-tourism-signed-law,Welch Bill Promoting International Tourism Signed Into Law,2019-12-23,2019,2019-12,Democrat,House,VT,Peter Welch,W000800,welch.house.gov,,,legacy,"WASHINGTON President Trump has signed into law a fiscal year 2020 spending bill that includes bipartisan legislation introduced by Rep. Peter Welch (D-Vt.) to promote Vermont and other states as a destination for international tourists. Welch's bill reauthorizes Brand USA, a successful public-private partnership funded at no cost to taxpayers through a user fee on international visitors. Welch's bill renews the program through 2027 and resolves a funding glitch that threatened its existence. The travel and tourism industry is a key driver of Vermont's economy, said Welch. Promoting Vermont as a four-season destination for international visitors will create local jobs and boost the economy in every corner of our beautiful state.This bipartisan win renews the successful Brand USA international marketing program and locks in a stable funding source that will advance Vermont's reputation as a world class tourism destination. The Vermont Chamber is thrilled that the Brand USA program has been renewed. Representative Welch continues to be a leader on this issue and clearly recognizes the importance of this industry to Vermont. With 13 million visitors a year and approximately $2 billion in annual spending, continuing to strengthen this industry is a successful economic strategy in Vermont, said Betsy Bishop, President of the Vermont Chamber of Commerce. Brand USA has a strong track record of attracting international visitors to the United States. In 2018 alone, it brought 1.13 million international visitors to the United States, generating an economic impact of $8.9 billion. In October, Welch unveiled his bill at a Stowe roundtable discussion with Vermont travel and tourism leaders. He is a senior member of the House Energy and Commerce Committee from which the bill originated. ###",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z http://www.sanders.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/citing-trump-administration-inaction-sanders-and-omar-pursue-oversight-effort-on-amazon-workplace-abuse-,"Citing Trump Administration Inaction, Sanders and Omar Pursue Oversight Effort on Amazon Workplace Abuse",2019-12-19,2019,2019-12,Independent,House,VT,Bernard Sanders,S000033,www.sanders.senate.gov,,,legacy,"Citing Trump Administration Inaction, Sanders and Omar Pursue Oversight Effort on Amazon Workplace Abuse Thursday, December 19, 2019 WASHINGTON, December 19 In the face of the Trump Administration's continued failure to hold Amazon accountable for endemic abuses at its warehouses, Senator Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) and Representative Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.) are demanding detailed information from the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) regarding injury reports at Amazon facilities over the past three years. Working conditions in the United States of America should be the best and safest in the world, write Sanders and Omar. Unfortunately, workers at Amazon facilities suffer from continued egregious safety lapses. The two lawmakers cite Amazon's own injury records, recently revealed in a Center for Investigative Reportingexpos, that demonstrate that the company's rate of serious injuries ismore than doublethe average of warehouses nationwide. Due to the company's pressure on warehouse employees during the holiday shopping season, the first two weeks of December are themost dangerous of the yearfor Amazon workers. In July, Sen. Sanders and Rep. Omar led a dozen lawmakers in calling for OSHA to launch a thorough and comprehensive investigation into the workplace conditions at all of Amazon's warehouses, and urged OSHA to prosecute any uncovered abuses to the fullest extent of the law. OSHA's response to the members of Congress did not commit to conducting any new investigations or to the enforcement of violations at Amazon. OSHA's inaction reflects a deliberate shift by the Trump Administration toward weaker workplace protections. OSHA'sown datareveal a notable decline in the number of inspectors and worksite inspections. Given your agency's lack of attention to this very serious matter, Sanders and Omar conclude, OSHA must now produce injury reports for all Amazon facilities.By law, this data must be visibly posted on the worksite and made available to employees, former employees, and representatives of employees. As the injury reports are stored in an easily shared data file, the two lawmakers estimate that it should take no more than a day for OSHA to comply with this request. Read the letterhere.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.leahy.senate.gov/press/leahys-bill-to-cut-billions-of-dollars-in-prescription-drug-costs-goes-to-presidents-desk,Leahy’s Bill To Cut Billions Of Dollars In Prescription Drug Costs Goes To President’s Desk,2019-12-19,2019,2019-12,Democrat,House,VT,Patrick Leahy,L000174,www.leahy.senate.gov,,,legacy,"12.19.19 Leahy's Bill To Cut Billions Of Dollars In Prescription Drug Costs Goes To President's Desk . . . Caps Three-Year Drive To Methodically Build Bipartisan Support WASHINGTON (THURSDAY, Dec. 19, 2019) The Senate Thursday passed legislation authored and sponsored by Senator Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) that will bring down prescription drug costs by removing obstacles to lower-cost generic medicines. Leahy said President Trump will sign it into law by this weekend. The Creating and Restoring Equal Access To Equivalent Samples (CREATES) Act is designed to deter pharmaceutical companies from blocking cheaper generic alternatives from entering the marketplace. The nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office estimates that the bill will result in a $3.7 billion net decrease in the federal deficit over 10 years. Savings to consumers and private insurers are expected to be far greater many billions of dollars more. Leahy said: It's taken years of work to get this across the finish line, and the savings it will mean for Vermonters and consumers across the country are well worth it. High prescription drug costs are a pocketbook issue in millions of households. These reforms are an obvious way to lighten that burden, saving consumers billions of dollars, and federal agencies billions more. Vermonters across our state have told me that soaring drug costs can make them have to choose between the medicines they need, or putting food on their families' tables. That's heartbreaking, that's appalling, and that's unnecessary. Leahy first introduced the bill in 2016 and since then has methodically built a bipartisan coalition of support for it. He enlisted Senator Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) as his chief Republican cosponsor, and year by year, the Leahy bill has had even numbers of Democratic and Republican cosponsors. The CREATES Act is an example of what can be accomplished when Congress works in a bipartisan way to get important things done, he said. Rep. Peter Welch (D-Vt.) is a cosponsor of the House counterpart bill, which was introduced by Rep. David Cicilline (D-R.I.) and Rep. Jim Sensenbrenner (R-Wis.). Leahy said that critical specialty medicines, such as biologics, which treat only a small number of patients, are nonetheless approaching half of all spending on prescription drugs. A few predatory name-brand drug makers have used anticompetitive strategies to delay entry of lower-cost generic drugs, and to prolong monopolies on key medicines and lifesaving drugs. When they use unfair practices to keep drug prices artificially high, patients suffer, he said. AARP and AARP of Vermont support the Leahy bill, which also has strong support from consumer and medical groups across the political spectrum. A coalition letter in support of the CREATES Act can be found here and a list of supporters here. # # # # # 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/statement-on-the-fy-2020-domestic-priorities-and-international-assistance-appropriations-minibus-bill-and-the-fy-2020-national-security-appropriations-minibus-bill,"Statement On The FY 2020 Domestic Priorities & International Assistance Appropriations ""Minibus"" Bill And The FY 2020 National Security Appropriations ""Minibus"" Bill",2019-12-19,2019,2019-12,Democrat,House,VT,Patrick Leahy,L000174,www.leahy.senate.gov,,,legacy,"12.19.19 Statement On The FY 2020 Domestic Priorities & International Assistance Appropriations ""Minibus"" Bill And The FY 2020 National Security Appropriations ""Minibus"" Bill . . . Senate Floor This week we reached a bipartisan, bicameral agreement to fund the federal government in fiscal year 2020. The agreement rejects the devastating and short-sighted cuts proposed by President Trump, and makes historic investments in the American people and working families. It fully implements the bipartisan budget agreement and allows us to invest an additional $27 billion in non-defense programs that will benefit our nation's children, improve our educational institutions, protect our environment, combat the opioid crisis, promote and grow our economy, invest in our infrastructure, and protect our elections. The 12 appropriations bills are packaged into 2 minibus appropriations bills. The first we refer to as the Domestic Minibus bill. It contains eight appropriations bills: Agriculture; Energy & Water; Interior; Labor, HHS, and Education; Legislative Branch; Military Construction and Veterans Affairs; State and Foreign Operations; and Transportation, Housing and Urban Development. The Domestic Minibus is a strong, bipartisan bill that makes real and historic investments in the American people and our communities. It rejects the anti-science know-nothingism of President Trump by making record-level investments in science and research programsincluding increases for the National Institutes of Health (NIH), National Science Foundation (NSF), and National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). Investments in cutting edge science and research are vital to ensure America leads the way in new technologies, new medical treatments, and breakthrough therapies. It invests in our children and in education by providing increases to programs with proven successHead Start, the Child Care Development Block grant, child nutrition programs, 21st Century Learning Grants, Pell Grants, and others. For the third year in a row, it continues the historic level of funding to combat opioids that we began in fiscal year 2018, funding that is critical for state and local governments who are at the front lines of this fight. The agreement provides over $5 billion more than the President requested to protect national parks and public lands and fund critical environmental protection and conservation programsincluding increases for the Environmental Protection Agency, the Land and Water Conservation Fund, and the Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy Program. And notwithstanding the President's denial that climate change exists, the agreement includes significant resources to combat this threat in the new fiscal year. We must take action, and we must take action now. This bill gets us on the right path. The agreement rejects the President's proposal to totally eliminate key federal affordable housing and economic development programs, including the Public Housing Capital Fund, HOME, Community Development Block Grants (CDBG), and Choice Neighborhoods. For the first time in decades, Congress will fund $25 million for gun violence research by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and the NIH. This funding is a significant step to combat the gun violence epidemic and rash of school shootings facing our nation. It has been a long time coming, and I am proud we were able to include this funding for the first time since 1996. This is a good bill that will improve the lives of Vermonters and millions of Americans, provide support for working families, and support and promote our economy. In a few moments we will vote on the motion to invoke cloture on the motion to concur. I urge an AYE vote. The second package of bills we refer to as the National Security Minibus bill. It contains four appropriations bills: Defense; Department of Homeland Security; Commerce, Justice, and Science; and Financial Services. This bill provides critical funding to support our troops, invest in our military, and protect our nation from threats, both foreign and domestic. Importantly, the agreement includes $425 million for Election Security grants, for which the President requested nothing. Funding election security grants is a matter of national security, preserving our democracy, and maintaining full faith in our elections. This funding will build upon funding provided in fiscal year 2018 to continue to help states upgrade election technology, improve cybersecurity, and help prevent future cyberattacks. We also fully fund the constitutionally-mandated 2020 Decennial Census. The Census not only determines congressional apportionment, but also is relied on to distribute $900 billion in federal funds. It is critical that we get a fair and accurate count, and the money provided in this bill will help us achieve that. The agreement makes significant investments to fight crime and terrorism, implement criminal justice reforms, combat violence against women, and keep communities safe from gun violence. We provide increases for the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), U.S. Marshals Service, and Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA). We provide critical support to state and local law enforcement agencies to help keep their communities safe, through increase in popular grant programs such as the Byrne-JAG program, and COPS hiring programs. This bill also provides dedicated new funding of $75 million, the fully authorized level, for implementation of the First Step Act - criminal justice reform legislation that was signed into law in December 2018. The agreement contains roughly $502 million, the highest funding level ever, for Violence Against Women Act grant programs. The Security Minibus also contains funding for the Department of Homeland Security. Unfortunately the DHS bill, which funds programs and agencies critical to protecting our homeland security, has become a lightning rod for both chambers since President Trump took office. Since that time we have struggled to draft a bill that could receive the required votes to pass. There is one reason and one reason only for thisPresident Trump's insistence that we waste taxpayer money on an ineffective and foolish wall on the southern border, and his insistence that we fund his cruel and ineffective immigration policies by increasing beyond reason the number of ICE detention beds we fund. Last year the President plunged us into a 35-day government shutdown, holding our government hostage when Congress refused to fund his anti-immigrant agenda. As in past years, the negotiation over this bill was the most contentious and the most difficult. But we had to reach a resolution. Under this bill the President will receive $1.375 billion for barriers on the Southern border, the same amount he would have received if DHS ended up operating under a continuing resolution for the year, far less than the $8.6 billion he requested, $5 billion of which would have come from the Department of Homeland Security. I would have preferred no funding for the wall. President Trump's wall will negatively impact communities in which it is built, rob people of their propertyin some cases ranches and farmland that have been in families for generationsand destroy critical habitat on the border. But the Republicans were clear: They would not support a bill that contained zero for the wall. They stood with the President on the wall, as they seem to do time after time. I am disappointed that we did not further restrict the President's ability to steal money from our troops to pay for the wall. If the President decides to once again steal money from our troops and their families for the wall, he will have to answer in court and to the American people. Our position on this is clearit is wrong. No one should interpret silence in this bill or the Domestic Minibus on this issue as condoning the President's actions, or as an agreement that what he has done is lawful. It simply reflects a sad political reality that the Republican Party refuses to stand up to this President and protect the Congress's exclusive power of the purse, and clarify the law. One court has already correctly concluded that the President's raid on military construction money was unlawful. That conclusion is based on a long-standing provision of appropriations law, Section 739 of the Financial Services bill, that prevents the Administration from increasing funds for a program or activity requested in the budget above and beyond what was provided in an appropriations act. This provision is included again in the underlying bill, and we believe it was correctly interpreted. We denied the President's request to increase the number of ICE detention beds to 54,000. This request was cruel and unjustified. Instead, we provided funding to support the same level of beds as fiscal year 2019. There is no need for a higher number. President Trump is misusing ICE detention facilities for the mass incarceration of asylum seekers and immigrants who have no criminal history and pose no threat to our communities. There are more effective, less expensive, and more humane ways to enforce our immigration laws while immigrants go through judicial proceedings. That is why I fought for and secured a significant increase in alternatives to detention, like the Family Case Management program. I also fought to include restrictions on the President's ability to increase the bed number by transferring money from other accounts. But again, Republicans stood with the President and refused to negotiate on this issue, and those critical reforms were not included. Not every part of the DHS bill is controversial, however. The bill provides critical funding for the Coast Guard to support their missions to keep our country safe. It provides an increase for the Transportation Security Administration, which ensures our safety and security at our nation's busy airports. And it provides increased funding for FEMA whose mission is critical for communities struggling to recover in the wake of natural disasters. While I do not agree with everything included in this bill, on balance the Security Minibus provides funding important to keep our nation safe, to support our troops, to improve election security, and ensure an accurate count for the census. Later today we will turn to this bill, and I urge an AYE vote. I want to thank Chairman Shelby for his hard work in negotiating these bills. The hours were long, and we did not always agree, but he worked in good faith to reach resolution on difficult matters, and he made compromises necessary to get us to a deal. I thank him for his leadership on the Appropriations Committee and his friendship. I thank the Appropriations Committee staff on both sides of the aisle, for their hard work and sleepless nights. We could not have accomplished this without them. I am impressed by their professionalism and dedication to the Senate. I want to thank my full committee staff - Charles Kieffer, Chanda Betourney, Jessica Berry, Jay Tilton, and Hannah Chauvin, for their work, as well as Shannon Hines, Jonathan Graffeo, and David Adkins on Senator Shelby's staff. And I thank all the subcommittee and non-designated staff. The list is long and impressive, and I ask unanimous consent that it be included in the record. ###### Press Contact David Carle: 202-224-3693",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z http://www.sanders.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/achieving-the-american-dream-is-harder-for-millennials-gao-finds,"Achieving the American Dream is Harder for Millennials, GAO Finds",2019-12-18,2019,2019-12,Independent,House,VT,Bernard Sanders,S000033,www.sanders.senate.gov,,,legacy,"WASHINGTON, December18 Millennials are financially worse off than previous generations, and may not have the chance to do better than their parents, according to anew studyby the Government Accountability Office (GAO).Commissioned bySenatorBernie Sanders(I-Vt.), the analysis paints a dire economic picture formillennial households: compared to previous generations' economic status at the same age, millennialsdespite higher levels of educational achievementhave lower median and average net worth, lower home ownership rates, higher student debt, and flat incomes.If we don't fundamentally transform our economy, we are facingfor the first time in the history of this countrythe possibility that our young people will suffer a worse future than their parents had.This report confirms my fears,saidSanders. TheGAO studyprovides a unique and comprehensive look at declining economic mobility across three generations: Millennials, identified as thosebornin the years spanning1982to2000,Generation Xers(born from1965to1981), and Baby Boomers (born from1946 to 1964).In 1970, a 30-year-old American had a 92-percent chance of earning more than their parents did at the same age, GAO found. A 30-year-old in 2010 only had a 50-percent chance of earning more than their parents. This dramatic decline in economic mobility over three generations is particularly stunning given that the economy produceddoublethe income per person over those 40 years. According to GAO, millennials had an estimated median net worth of $20,038 in 2016 dollars, $11,202 less than the average net worth of Generation Xers when they were 25 to 34 years olda 36-percent decline over 15 years.More millennials are likely to have student debt than previous generations and shoulder greater amounts of it. Forty-five percent of millennials aged 25 to 34 have student loans compared to 24 percent of GenerationXers and about 16 percent of Boomers at the same age. Millennials' loan-to-income ratio is more thandoublethat of previous generations, and they are far more likely than previous generations to have student debt that exceeds their entire annual income.Our young people did what they were told: they got an education and worked hard. But instead of being rewarded, millennials are now being punished with crushing student debt and low-paying jobs, said Sanders. It is about time we take a hard look at this research and standupfor our young people who dream of making it into the middle class. We must tell the economic elite who have hoarded income growth in America: No, you can no longer have it all.The economic outlook is particularly bleak for the bottom 25 percent of millennials: compared to the zero median net worth for the bottom 25 percent of Generation Xers and Baby Boomers at the same age, millennials were $19,470 in debt.Millennials are not building wealth through homeownership at similar rates as previous generations, either. About 43 percent of millennials own homes, compared to 51 percent of GenerationX households and 49 percent of Boomer households when they were the same age.GAO also found that the economic status of one's parents is a key determinant of a person's economic future: between one-third and two-thirds of an individual's income can be predicted simply by their parents' income. The findings offer further evidence that the United States, far from being exceptional in offering opportunity, is one of theleast economically mobilecountries in the developed world.GAO found that racial and geographic disparities also diminish economic mobility. Black familiesexperience lessupward economic mobility from one generation to the next than white families. A child's neighborhoodincluding associated poverty rates, racial segregation, school quality and other factorsinfluence future earnings.Growingupin an affluent neighborhood, for example, can have almost the same impact on future earnings as obtaining a bachelor's degree.In the richest country in the history of the world, we have an obligation to turn this around and make sure our kids live healthier and better lives than we do, concluded Sanders.Sanders is the author of wide-ranging legislation to reverse the America's trend of downward economic mobility and income stagnation. He recently introduced the College for All Act, which guarantees tuition-free public college, university and trade school to all Americans, while canceling all $1.6 trillion in student loan debt by taxing Wall Street speculation. Sanders' Raise the Wage Act boosts incomes for nearly 40 million workers by setting a $15-an-hour federal wage floor, and his Tax Excessive CEO Pay Act reduces the pay gap between CEOs and their workers.Read the reporthere.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z http://www.sanders.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/sanders-statement-on-house-vote-for-impeachment,Sanders Statement on House Vote for Impeachment,2019-12-18,2019,2019-12,Independent,House,VT,Bernard Sanders,S000033,www.sanders.senate.gov,,,legacy,"Pursuant to Senate Policy, petitions, opinion polls and unsolicited mass electronic communications cannot be initiated by this office for the 60-day period immediately before the date of a primary or general election. Subscribers currently receiving electronic communications from this office who wish to unsubscribe may do so here.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://welch.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/welch-remarks-during-house-debate-impeachment,Welch Remarks During House Debate on Impeachment,2019-12-18,2019,2019-12,Democrat,House,VT,Peter Welch,W000800,welch.house.gov,,,legacy,"WASHINGTON Representative Peter Welch spoke on the House floor early Wednesday evening ahead of the historic House vote on impeaching President Donald Trump. Welch will vote in favor of both articles of impeachment. Video of Welch's remarks is here. Welch is a member of the House Intelligence Committee and the Oversight and Reform Committee, both of which investigated the President's conduct in this matter. ###",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.leahy.senate.gov/press/comment-on-the-house-vote-to-impeach-president-donald-j-trump,Comment On The House Vote To Impeach President Donald J. Trump,2019-12-18,2019,2019-12,Democrat,House,VT,Patrick Leahy,L000174,www.leahy.senate.gov,,,legacy,"12.18.19 Comment On The House Vote To Impeach President Donald J. Trump This evening the U.S. House of Representatives exercised one of its most significant powers by impeaching President Donald J. Trump, making him just the third president in U.S. history to be impeached. The House did not make this historic decision lightly. After a deliberate, months-long investigation involving hundreds of hours of testimony from more than a dozen witnesses and multiple public hearings, the House concluded that President Trump abused the powers of his office for purely personal gain by corruptly trying to coerce a foreign ally facing Russian aggression to investigate his domestic political rival. The House also concluded that the President systematically obstructed Congress obstruction grounded in neither law nor precedent in its constitutionally authorized inquiry, in order to hide his misconduct. As the Speaker solemnly stated earlier today, the House believed that President Trump and the Constitution, which every House Member has sworn to uphold above all else left no choice but to impeach. Every senator has taken that same oath to the Constitution. And all 100 senators will take yet another oath to serve as impartial jurors during the Senate's trial to determine whether to convict and remove President Trump from office. Whether the Senate functions as a true court of impeachment as the Founders envisioned steadfastly pursuing the truth and upholding our oaths to pursue impartial justice or functions merely as President Trump's legal defense team will define us for decades to come. History will not look kindly upon those who place loyalty to this or any other president above our oaths to the Constitution. I have seen the Senate, at its best, rise to the occasion to be the conscience of the nation. If there ever were a time for the Senate to serve as the conscience of the nation, it is now. # # # # # 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-releases-summary-of-vermont-highlights-in-the-state-department-and-foreign-operations-appropriations-bill,Leahy Releases Summary Of Vermont Highlights In The State Department And Foreign Operations Appropriations Bill,2019-12-18,2019,2019-12,Democrat,House,VT,Patrick Leahy,L000174,www.leahy.senate.gov,,,legacy,"12.18.19 Leahy Releases Summary Of Vermont Highlights In The State Department And Foreign Operations Appropriations Bill WASHINGTON (WEDNESDAY, Dec. 18, 2019) -- As Vice Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, Senator Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) secured key wins for Vermont in each of the 12 annual Appropriations bills that fund the federal government. All 12 bills are included in the budget agreement that he and the other top Appropriations leaders negotiated, which groups the 12 bills into two omnibus packages of bills. The House passed them Tuesday, and the Senate is now debating them and will vote ahead of the Midnight Friday deadline, which will avert another government shutdown. Leahy co-wrote all of these bills and is a manager of the Senate's debate. Leahy also is the Ranking Member of the Appropriations subcommittee that writes the annual budget bills for the State Department and for U.S. foreign operations, the Subcommittee on the State Department And Foreign Operations (SFOPS). BELOW are summaries of several provisions that Leahy succeeded in including in the SFOPS portions of the agreement. Vermont Highlights In The State Department And Foreign Operations Appropriations Bill For Fiscal Year 2020 . . . . . . . At-A-Glance . . . . . . . Vermont Fisheries/Watersheds $9 million for sea lamprey control, water quality improvements, research, and fish restoration in the Lake Champlain Basin, an increase of $2 million. The President proposed to eliminate this funding. $500,000 for the protection and restoration of the habitat and associated species of the Lake Memphremagog fishery, double the amount provided last year. The President proposed to eliminate this funding. Additional funding for the multi-year, U.S.-Canadian study on the causes and impacts of, and mitigation options for, flooding in the Lake Champlain-Richelieu River watershed. The President's proposed budget underfunded the U.S. share for this study. International Exchange Programs $731 million, an increase compared to last year and roughly $400 million above the President's proposed budget. Organizations like School for International Training in Brattleboro, Vt., help implement these programs to promote cross-cultural understanding and American values, including: $5 million for a new Civil Society Exchange Program to provide civil society activists, particularly in underrepresented populations, with the tools, networks, and resources they need to address local challenges. Vietnam $90 million in economic and development assistance, which is $39 million above the President's proposal, to continue cooperation on the remediation of Agent Orange/dioxin contaminated sites; expand health/disability programs to assist persons with severe physical or cognitive disabilities in areas sprayed with Agent Orange or contaminated with dioxin; strengthen Vietnam's capacity to address other war legacies; and continue to support Fulbright University Vietnam. Senator Leahy has led the effort to make this a U.S. priority and to secure this funding for many years, which has resulted in significant improvements in U.S.-Vietnam relations. Accountability for War Crimes and other Human Rights Abuses, and Assistance for Victims War Victims. $7.5 million for the Marla Ruzicka Iraqi War Victims Fund, and $10 million each for the Afghan Civilian Assistance and Pakistan Civilian Assistance Programs, to help innocent civilians in those countries who are harmed as a result of U.S. military operations; and $13.5 million for the Leahy War Victims Fund to provide assistance to people with disabilities resulting from armed conflict. The President proposed to eliminate this funding. Leahy Law. $10 million for the implementation of the Leahy Law to ensure U.S. assistance is not provided to units of foreign security forces that have violated human rights, and to encourage accountability for such crimes, and new language to strengthen compliance with the Law by requiring that governments are informed of units that are ineligible for U.S. assistance when it is provided for government distribution. War Crimes. A new provision authorizing the use of funds to support investigations, apprehensions, and prosecutions of genocide, crimes against humanity, and war crimes by the International Criminal Court. Anti Kleptocracy and Human Rights. The expansion of a provision banning foreign officials who are involved in corruption or human rights abuses from entry to the United States. The Administration had been narrowly interpreting the provision to apply only to those directly involved in such acts. The law now also applies to those who are indirectly involved, closing a gap that was exposed after the murder of Jamal Khashoggi. Global Health Programs $9.1 billion for Global Health Programs, which is $255 million above the fiscal year 2019 level and $2.7 billion above the President's proposed budget, for lifesaving global health programs. HIV/AIDS. A total of $6.26 billion to combat HIV/AIDS, including $4.37 billion for Department of State programs in support of the President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR), which is equal to the fiscal year 2019 level and $1.02 billion above the President's proposed budget; $1.56 billion for a U.S. contribution to the Global Fund, which is $210 million above the fiscal year 2019 level and $602 million above the President's proposal; and $330 million for USAID's HIV/AIDS programs, which is equal to the fiscal year 2019 level and $330 million above the President's proposed budget. Polio. $61 million, which is $2 million above the fiscal year 2019 level and $38 million above the President's proposed budget, for polio prevention programs to build local capacity to identify and monitor outbreaks and plan for and implement immunization programs. Biodiversity Programs $315 million, which is $30 million above the fiscal year 2019 level and $234 million above the President's proposed budget, for USAID biodiversity conservation programs that protect forests, marine ecosystems, and endangered species; help reduce pollution and other negative environmental impacts; and increase renewable energy access and efficiency. Education Programs $875 million, which is $75 million above the fiscal year 2019 level and $576 million above the President's proposed budget, for basic education programs to improve the quality of and access to education; $235 million, which is equal to the fiscal year 2019 level and $128 million above the President's proposed budget, for higher education programs, including $15 million for partnerships between U.S. and foreign higher education institutions. # # # # # Press Contact David Carle: 202-224-3693 Previous Article",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://welch.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/house-approves-top-welch-priorities-government-funding-bill,House Approves Top Welch Priorities in Government Funding Bill,2019-12-17,2019,2019-12,Democrat,House,VT,Peter Welch,W000800,welch.house.gov,,,legacy,"WASHINGTON With funding for federal government operations set to expire at midnight Friday, the House of Representatives this afternoon approved two appropriations bills that reject draconian cuts proposed by President Trump and fund the federal government for the remainder of fiscal year 2020, which began on October 1, 2019. Both bills are expected to be approved by the Senate and signed into law before the Friday night deadline. H.R. 1158, which primarily funds federal domestic programs, includes key Vermont priorities championed in the House by Rep. Peter Welch during the fiscal year 2020 appropriations process, including: The reauthorization of Brand USA, a program that boosts international tourist visits to Vermont and other states.Welch unveiled the legislation at a Stowe travel and tourism roundtable in October. The CREATES Act, which combats anti-competitive practices by brand-name drug companies that slow federal approval of more affordable generic alternatives. Welch is a co-lead of the legislation in the House. An increase of $5 million for the Northern Border Regional Commission, for a total of $25 million. An increase of $50 million for the Low Income Heating Assistance Program, for a total of $3.7 billion. An increase of $100 million for the Better Utilizing Investments to Leverage Development Grants (formerly TIGER Grants), for a total of $1 billion. Also included is $14.2 million for Vermont highway and transit infrastructure programs and grants. An increase of $411 million for energy efficiency and renewable energy programs, for a total of $2.8 billion. An increase of $57 million for the Land and Water Conservation Fund for a total of $495 million, the highest funding level since fiscal year 2004. An increase of $2.6 billion for the National Institutes of Health for research on disease cures and treatments, for a total of $41.7 billion. $640 million to fund broadband deployment. $1.5 billion for State Opioid Response Grants. A mandate for the Department of Health and Human Services to develop a national strategy to combat tick-borne diseases and authorize grants for state health departments and universities. ###",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.leahy.senate.gov/press/leahy-secures-key-victories-for-vermont-in-appropriations-agreement,Leahy Secures Key Victories For Vermont In Appropriations Agreement,2019-12-17,2019,2019-12,Democrat,House,VT,Patrick Leahy,L000174,www.leahy.senate.gov,,,legacy,"12.17.19 Leahy Secures Key Victories For Vermont In Appropriations Agreement WASHHINGTON (TUESDAY, Dec. 17, 2019) -- Senator Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.), Vice Chairman of the Senate Appropriations Committee, Tuesday announced several key victories for Vermont in the fiscal year 2020 appropriations agreement reached late Monday. The $1.4 trillion bipartisan, bicameral agreement rejects the devastating and shortsighted cuts proposed by President Trump, and it makes historic investments in the American people and working families. The agreement took shape late last week when Chairman Shelby, Vice Chairman Leahy, House Chairwoman Lowey, and House Ranking Member Granger met in Leahy's Capitol office, mirroring the same successful negotiation earlier this year between the four that ended the longest partial government shutdown in American history. Leahy said: I'm gratified to be in a position to give Vermont a center seat as we set our national priorities in these annual funding bills. These investments in our Green Mountain State will support Vermont's dairy farmers, continue efforts to clean up our Great' Lake Champlain, and revitalize our historic downtowns. I look forward to Senate passage later this weekend and getting this bill signed into law. A summary of the agreement and national highlights can be found HERE: https://www.appropriations.senate.gov/news/minority/senate-appropriations-committee-vice-chairman-patrick-leahy-releases-fiscal-year-2020-funding-agreement At-A-Glance Vermont Highlights In The 2020 Appropriations Bill Lake Champlain -- $25.5 Million This is an increase $4.5 million over fiscal year 2019. This expanded funding will be used to improve water quality challenges in Lake Champlain, including phosphorous runoff, sea lamprey control, salmon and lake trout restoration, invasive species control, and other ecosystem work. President Trump's budget would have eliminated funding for Lake Champlain. Dairy -- $6 Million The agreement includes $20 million for a new regional Dairy Business Innovation Initiatives, including one for Vermont. This is an $18.5 million increase over fiscal year 2019. These funds will provide nearly $6 million to support Vermont dairy. The Vermont Agency of Agriculture was one of three regionally located initiatives in the U.S. that received a small grant earlier this year from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to create regional a Dairy Business Innovation Initiative. These funds will help Vermont farms by providing technical and financial assistance to help dairy producers diversify their products, demonstrate innovative on-farm production practices, and adapt to emerging market trends, with the overall goal of improving dairy farm viability. Northern Border Regional Commission (NBRC) -- $31 Million This is a $6 million increase over fiscal year 2019. Since Leahy became Vice Chairman of the Senate Appropriations Committee, he has championed a $20 million increase in funding for the NBRC. The NBRC supports development in economically distressed Northern Border counties, like those in Vermont's Northeast Kingdom. Since 2010, Vermont organizations have received more than $10.6 million to spur economic development and job growth in Vermont's 6 northern-most counties. In the 2018 Farm Bill, Leahy led a provision to ensure that ALL communities in Vermont are eligible for funding from the NBRC's grant programs. Paul Bruhn Historic Revitalization Grants program -- $7.5 Million This program was renamed in honor of the late Vermonter Paul Bruhn who dedicated his life to preserving the legacy of rural America. Leahy and Bruhn created the program in 2018. These grants support small historic preservation projects in rural communities that often do not have the resources to access larger grant programs, and support Vermont's small towns and villages efforts to revitalize town centers and conserve Vermont's history and heritage. Waterbury Dam -- $20 Million The agreement includes $20 million for the Army Corps of Engineers to begin a risk assessment study on the Waterbury Dam. This funding will help with dam safety modifications, construction recommendations, and major improvements, preventing the flooding of several towns in the Waterbury area by the Little River and Winooski River. U.S. Army Mountain Warfare School -- $30 Million Located in Jericho, Vt., the U.S. Army Mountain Warfare School provides instruction in mountaineering and maneuvering through difficult terrain to the Army and other military personnel through year-round climbing and training opportunities. Current facilities are in desperate need of critical upgrades to meet safety needs and demand, and the new facility will improve training to ensure our soldiers have all the skills needed to maneuver, regardless of the terrain. LIHEAP (Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program) -- $3.74 Billion This is a $50 million increase over fiscal year 2019. The President sought to eliminate all funding for LIHEAP. This bill will secure an estimated $20.7 million in LIHEAP funds for Vermont. No family should have to choose between heat or eat in Vermont or anywhere in America, Leahy said. Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) -- $502.5 Million This historic level of funding includes increases for Leahy-authored grants that help Vermont survivors of domestic violence and sexual assault, like Rural Domestic Violence Enforcement (+$1.5 million) and Transitional Housing Assistance (+$1 million). # # # # # 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-and-grassley-hail-inclusion-of-their-creates-act-in-the-year-end-spending-agreement,Leahy And Grassley Hail Inclusion Of Their CREATES Act In The Year-End Spending Agreement,2019-12-16,2019,2019-12,Democrat,House,VT,Patrick Leahy,L000174,www.leahy.senate.gov,,,legacy,"12.16.19 Leahy And Grassley Hail Inclusion Of Their CREATES Act In The Year-End Spending Agreement . . . Reforms Would Save Taxpayers $3.7 B., And Consumers Much More, By Removing Obstacles To Lower-Cost Prescription Drugs WASHINGTON (MONDAY, Dec. 16, 2019) Vice Chairman of the Senate Appropriations Committee Senator Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) and Finance Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) Monday hailed the inclusion of their legislation to combat anticompetitive practices used by some brand-name pharmaceutical and biologic companies to block entry of lower-cost generic drugs in the domestic appropriations package filed today in the House. The Creating and Restoring Equal Access To Equivalent Samples (CREATES) Act would deter pharmaceutical companies from blocking cheaper generic alternatives from entering the marketplace. The bill is sponsored by Leahy and cosponsored by Grassley who, like Leahy, is a former Chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee. Other leading cosponsors are Senators Mike Lee (R-Utah) and Amy Klobuchar, leaders of the Subcommittee on Antitrust, Competition Policy and Consumer Rights. A companion House bill was introduced by Representatives David Cicilline (D-R.I.) and Jim Sensenbrenner (R-Wisc.), the Chairman and Ranking Member, respectively, of the House Judiciary Subcommittee on Antitrust, Commercial, and Administrative Law, joined by House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jerrold Nadler (D-N.Y.), Ranking Member Doug Collins (R-Ga.) and Representatives Peter Welch (D-Vt.) and David McKinley (R-W.Va.). Leahy said: I hear from Vermonters every day that rising prescription drug prices are increasingly straining their tight budgets. For too long, a few predatory name brand drug companies have used anticompetitive strategies to delay entry of lower cost generic drugs and to prolong monopolies on key medicines and lifesaving drugs. When these companies use unfair practices to keep drug prices artificially high, patients suffer. Patients, families and government programs shouldn't have to cope with increased drug costs to pad name brand companies' bottom lines. Our bipartisan bill is precisely targeted to stop these abuses, and I'm hopeful that it will be signed into law by the end of this week. Grassley said: Patients are increasingly facing skyrocketing medication costs, and anti-competitive practices by some brand-name pharmaceutical companies are partially to blame. These companies block access to more affordable generic alternatives, hurting consumers and costing taxpayers billions. The bipartisan CREATES Act puts a stop to this abuse, and encourages greater competition and consumer choice, which lowers prices, while respecting intellectual property of drug makers. This bill saves taxpayers an estimated $3.7 billion on top of reducing sticker prices at the pharmacy counter. Passing the CREATES Act is an important step in a broader bipartisan effort to improve access to affordable medications through market-oriented reforms. The Congressional Budget Office has estimated that the bill would result in a $3.7 billion net decrease in the federal deficit over 10 years. Savings to consumers and private insurers likely would be far greater many billions of dollars more. The Leahy-Grassley CREATES Act passed out of the Senate Judiciary Committee in June of 2018 under Grassley's leadership. The legislation mirrors the proposal reported by the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) this year, and is strongly supported by a coalition of groups as diverse as AARP, American College of Physicians, FreedomWorks, Coalition for Affordable Prescription Drugs and many more. A coalition letter in support of the CREATES Act can be found here and a list of supporters here. In addition to Senators Leahy, Grassley, Klobuchar and Lee, the bill is cosponsored by Judiciary Committee Ranking Member Feinstein (D-Calif.) and Senators Baldwin (D-Wis.), Blumenthal (D-Conn.), Booker (D-N.J.), Braun (R-Ind.), Brown (D-Ohio), Capito (R-W.Va.), Collins (R-Maine), Cotton (R-Ark.), Cramer (R-N.D.), Cruz (R-Texas), Daines (R-Mont.), Durbin (D-Ill.), Ernst (R-Iowa), Fischer (R-Neb.), Gillibrand (D-N.Y.), Hassan (D-N.H.), Hoeven (R-N.D.), Kennedy (R-La.), King (I-Maine), Markey (D-Mass.), McSally (R-Ari.), Menendez (D-N.J.), Murkowski (R-Alaska), Paul (R-Ky.), Peters (D-Mich.), Reed (D-R.I.), Rosen (D-Nev.), Rounds (R-S.D.), Shaheen (D-N.H.), Smith (D-Minn.), Stabenow (D-Mich.), Tester (D-Mont.), Van Hollen (D-Md.), Whitehouse (D-R.I.) and Young (R-Ind.). # # # # # Press Contact David Carle: 202-224-3693",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.leahy.senate.gov/press/senate-appropriations-committee-vice-chairman-patrick-leahy-releases-fiscal-year-2020-funding-agreement,Senate Appropriations Committee Vice Chairman Patrick Leahy Releases Fiscal Year 2020 Funding Agreement,2019-12-16,2019,2019-12,Democrat,House,VT,Patrick Leahy,L000174,www.leahy.senate.gov,,,legacy,"12.16.19 Senate Appropriations Committee Vice Chairman Patrick Leahy Releases Fiscal Year 2020 Funding Agreement ...Congressional Democrats Reject Dangerous Cuts And Champion Historic Investments In The American People And Working Families WASHINGTON (MONDAY, Dec. 16, 2019) The House Monday evening released a $1.4 trillion bipartisan, bicameral agreement to fund the federal government through fiscal year 2020, rejecting the devastating and short sighted cuts proposed by President Trump, and making historic investments in the American people and working families. The agreement took shape late last week when Chairman Shelby, Vice Chairman Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.), Chairwoman Lowey, and Ranking Member Granger met in Leahy's Capitol office, mirroring the same successful negotiation between the four that ended the longest partial government shutdown in American history. Leahy said: Any successful compromise will leave both sides unhappy. But this is a strong, bipartisan bill that makes real and historic investments in the American people and communities. It rejects the anti-science know-nothingism of President Trump, continues funding to secure our elections ahead of the 2020, and for the first time in decades it makes a real investment in researching the causes of gun violence. I look forward to working with my dear friend Chairman Shelby, Chairwoman Lowey and Ranking Member Granger in urging our colleagues to pass this bill and send it to the President as soon as possible. The agreement flatly rejects the devastating cuts proposed by President Trump that would have completely eliminated several programs that the American people rely on like: Low Income Home Energy Assistance; Community Development Block Grants; HOME; After School And Teacher Training Programs; 37 Rural Development Grant Programs; Legal Services Corporation; The Anti- Heroin And Anti-Meth Task Forces; and Teen Pregnancy Prevention. On top of eliminating key programs, President Trump proposed devastating cuts to the National Institutes of Health, the National Science Foundation, and NASA Science among others to advance his administration's anti-science know-nothingism agenda. The President would have also crippled environmental protections by slashing the Environmental Protection Agency by $2.6 billion. Due to the efforts of Congressional Democrats, these short sighted cuts were rejected in favor of historic investments in programs the American people rely on. These historic investments include: Child Care and Development Block Grants -- $5.826 Billion; Head Start -- $10.6 Billion; National Institutes of Health -- $41.5 Billion; Education for the Disadvantaged -- $16.3 Billion; Pell Grants Record Maximum Award of $6,345; State Opioid Response Grants -- $1.5 Billion; Violence Against Women Act Grants -- $502.5 Million; and First Step Act -- $75 Million. For the first time in decades, the agreement ends the Republican enforced ban on funding gun violence research, providing the Center for Disease Control and the National Institutes of Health $25 million to research this epidemic. In 2017, gun violence killed nearly 40,000 people in the United States. Congressional Democrats rejected the president's request of $8.6 billion dollars to build his a vanity-wall along the southern border, providing only level funding of $1.375 billion from fiscal year 2019, the same amount he would receive under a continuing resolution. If the president chooses to once again steal funding from our troops and their families to pay for his wall, that is a decision that he and Congressional Republicans will have to justify to the women and men who serve and protect our country. And importantly, it continues funding to secure our elections by providing $425 million Election Security Grants. Leahy was the leading advocate to secure funding in fiscal year 2018, and championed the additional funding in fiscal year 2020. It is widely accepted in the intelligence community that Russia interfered in the 2016 Presidential Election and that the threat of election interference continues today. Bill text is available HERE: https://rules.house.gov/bill/116/hr-1158-sa https://rules.house.gov/bill/116/hr-1865-sa A summary outlining how Democrats delivered for the nation and the middle-class by investing in America is available HERE. A breakdown by Appropriations Subcommittee is available below: Agriculture Commerce, Justice, Science Defense Energy and Water Financial Services and General Government Homeland Security Interior and Environment Labor, Health and Human Services, Education and Related Programs Legislative Branch Military Construction and VA State, Foreign Operations and Related Agencies Transportation, Housing and Urban Development # # # # # Press Contact Jay Tilton 202-224-2667 Next Article Previous Article",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://welch.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/welch-introduces-bipartisan-legislation-help-vermonters-upgrade,Welch Introduces Bipartisan Legislation to Help Vermonters Upgrade Inefficient Wood Stoves,2019-12-11,2019,2019-12,Democrat,House,VT,Peter Welch,W000800,welch.house.gov,,,legacy,"WASHINGTON Today, Rep. Peter Welch (D-Vt.) and Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-Wash.) introduced legislation to create a new federal grant program that will assist Vermonters seeking to upgrade their old, inefficient wood stoves to more economical and energy efficient models. Many Vermonters rely on wood stoves to stay warm through our long winters, said Welch. This common sense, bipartisan bill will help interested homeowners upgrade to more efficient modern stoves. Doing so will lower heating bills and help the environment. The Wood Heaters Emissions Reduction Act (WHERA) of 2019 (H.R. 5391) authorizes $75 million annually for six years for a new grant program that provides incentives for households to upgrade old wood stoves for newer, more efficient and cleaner burning stoves. It would also encourage the recycling of old stoves replaced by the project. Companion legislation, S. 2274, has been introduced in the Senate by Senators Thomas Carper (D-Del.) and Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska). Welch has long been a leader in Congress on energy efficiency issues. He is a senior member of the powerful Energy and Commerce Committee, which will consider the legislation. ###",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z http://www.sanders.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/high-school-students-participate-in-vermont-day-at-the-kennedy-institute-for-the-us-senate,High School Students Participate in Vermont Day at the Kennedy Institute for the U.S. Senate,2019-12-10,2019,2019-12,Independent,House,VT,Bernard Sanders,S000033,www.sanders.senate.gov,,,legacy,"High School Students Participate in Vermont Day' at the Kennedy Institute for the U.S. Senate Tuesday, December 10, 2019 BURLINGTON, Vt., December 10 Students from Woodstock Union High School traveled to the Edward M. Kennedy Institute for the United States Senate in Boston on Monday, as part of Vermont Day organized by U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.). This marked the fifth time Vermont students have participated in the non-partisan Kennedy Institute's innovative programming on democracy, civics and the legislative process. Twice a year, my office organizes these trips to promote student engagement in the legislative process, said Sanders, who serves on the Senate education committee. Vermont Day is a wonderful opportunity for high school students to learn that democracy is not a spectator sport. When we work together and debate the big issues facing our nation, we can make meaningful change. On Tuesday, nearly 50 students from Woodstock Union High School took on the role of Senator-for-a-day in a full-scale replica of the U.S. Senate chamber. It is always a privilege to welcome participants from schools across the Green Mountain state to experience all that the Kennedy Institute has to offer, said Sarah Yezzi, Institute Director of Education, Family & Youth Programming. We are grateful to Senator Sanders and his staff for their support of the continued Vermont Day visits so even more students are able to understand civic engagement in an enjoyable and immersive venue. The immersive experience included researching, introducing and debating legislation to make college more affordable and to address comprehensive immigration reform. Sanders welcomed the Vermont students in recorded video remarks. The Kennedy Institute is helping young people better understand how our government works and how they can be involved in developing solutions to the problems we face, Sanders said.After all, representative democracy only works if we havean informed and engaged citizenry. Schools and students that are interested in the next Vermont Day during the spring semester can contact Katarina Lisaius at Sanders' Burlington office at 1-800-339-9834. To watch a video about last fall's visit to the Kennedy Institute,click here.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z http://www.sanders.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/sanders-statement-on-articles-of-impeachment,Sanders Statement on Articles of Impeachment,2019-12-10,2019,2019-12,Independent,House,VT,Bernard Sanders,S000033,www.sanders.senate.gov,,,legacy,"Pursuant to Senate Policy, petitions, opinion polls and unsolicited mass electronic communications cannot be initiated by this office for the 60-day period immediately before the date of a primary or general election. Subscribers currently receiving electronic communications from this office who wish to unsubscribe may do so here.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z http://www.sanders.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/sanders-and-ocasio-cortez-urge-administration-to-deny-gilead-monopoly-profits-on-hiv-drug-over-misconduct,Sanders and Ocasio-Cortez Urge Administration to Deny Gilead Monopoly Profits on HIV Drug Over Misconduct,2019-12-09,2019,2019-12,Independent,House,VT,Bernard Sanders,S000033,www.sanders.senate.gov,,,legacy,"WASHINGTON, December 9 Senator Bernie Sanders (I-Vt) and Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.)are demanding that the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) deny a patent extension requested by Gilead Sciences for a lifesaving HIV medicine, worth tens of billions of dollars, due to the pharmaceutical giant's deceitful and immoral behavior. The lawmakers urge the government to instead allow the drug Descovyused to both treat and prevent HIVto be manufactured generically.Sanders and Ocasio-Cortez are acting onexplosive allegationsthat Gilead delayed the market entry of Descovy in order to continue profiting off a separate drug, Truvada, which Gilead knew to be less safe, until that drug's patent term had been exhausted. In the process of applying for patent extension for the intentionally delayed drug,note Sanders and Ocasio-Cortez,Gilead withheld information on its true motives for halting Descovy's development.Gilead has made an obscene $36 billion off of Truvada since 2004, even though thousands of Americans could have been spared injury and even death had Descovy been used instead,wrote Sanders and Ocasio-Cortezin the December 6 letter to the USPTO.Corporate misconduct must not be rewarded by the U.S. government through extending a government-granted monopoly on this medicine.The members of Congress observe that the United States is dealing with a massive public health crisis. Thousands of people are unnecessarily dying from a preventable disease, as these drugs have been shown to be 99-percent effective at curbing the transmission of HIV, holding the promise of eradicating HIV/AIDS if widely and promptly adopted.Descovy, if manufactured generically,Sanders and Ocasio-Cortez maintain,could quickly and affordably reach hundreds of thousands of Americans. If the government extends Gilead's patent, however, the corporation could use this monopoly to charge several thousand times more for the same compound, putting it out of reach for untold numbers of Americans desperate for affordable HIV treatment and prevention.We call on the USPTO to deny Gilead's patent extension request and offer urgent relief to countless Americans confronting HIV who were denied this medicine for nearly a decade due to the greed of Gilead,conclude Sanders and Ocasio-Cortez.Should the USPTO disregard the lawmakers' appeal and award Gilead with this lucrative monopoly, the federal agency would set a very dangerous precedent for other wealthy and powerful corporations that will look to be rewarded for deception and misconduct,the members of Congress warn.Sanders' and Ocasio-Cortez's bicameral effort emerged out of months of engagement with PrEP4All Collaboration, a group of grassroots activists demanding universal access to these HIV drugs, medicine that was developed with significanttaxpayer investmentin research.Sanders is the author ofsweeping legislationto slash the price of prescription drugs, introduced earlier this year, including the Affordable and Safe Prescription Drug Importation Act, the Medicare Drug Price Negotiation Act, and thePrescription Drug Price Relief Act of 2019, which would break patents on expensive drugs and authorize cheap generics if pharmaceutical companies refuse to lower their prices to the median price found in other rich countries.Read the letterhere.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z http://www.sanders.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/sanders-khanna-condemn-pentagon-authorization-giveaway-urge-congress-to-vote-no,"Sanders, Khanna Condemn Pentagon Authorization Giveaway, Urge Congress to Vote No",2019-12-09,2019,2019-12,Independent,House,VT,Bernard Sanders,S000033,www.sanders.senate.gov,,,legacy,"WASHINGTON, December 9In response to the publication of the conference report for the National Defense Authorization Act, Fiscal Year 2020, Senator Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) and Representative Ro Khanna (D-Calif.) issued the following statement:Congress must vote against this disastrous Pentagon authorizationa bill of astonishing moral cowardice. Congress should have used this National Defense Authorization Act to stop our endless wars. Instead, this bill does nothing to rein in out-of-control military spending, prevent unconstitutional war against Iran, limit the poisoning of Americans' drinking water, or end the obscenity of innocent children in Yemen being killed by U.S. bombs.In 2018, a groundswell of Americans came out totheballot box to elect a Congress that would stand up to the brutal agenda of President Trump and the Republicans. The American people could not have imagined that this Congress would go on to craft legislation that adds tens of billions in new Pentagon spendingmore than enough to fund tuition-free public college across Americawhile placing hardly any limits on this lawless administration.Voters would be appalled to know that instead of seizing the opportunity to end illegal U.S. participation in the horrific Saudi-led bombings of Yemen, Congress will continue to fund Trump's unconstitutional war, which threatens to kill 24 million Yemenis facing starvation and disease. Americans will be furious to learn that Congress refused to protect Americans from being poisoned by toxic PFAS chemicals polluting their drinking water.Every member of Congress should vote against this measure. There is no pressing reason for Congress to shower Trump, his Saudi friends, and the Pentagon contractors of the military-industrial complex with this $738-billion taxpayer giveaway right now. We owe it to the American people to go back to the drawing board. Congress must say no.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z http://www.sanders.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/wyden-sanders-demand-more-accountability-following-pentagons-second-financial-audit,"Wyden, Sanders Demand More Accountability Following Pentagons Second Financial Audit",2019-12-09,2019,2019-12,Independent,House,VT,Bernard Sanders,S000033,www.sanders.senate.gov,,,legacy,"Wyden, Sanders Demand More Accountability Following Pentagon's Second Financial Audit Monday, December 9, 2019 Washington, D.C. U.S. Senators Ron Wyden, D-Ore., and Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., today released the following statement regardingthe completion of the Pentagon's second financial audit: The Pentagon has just completed its second full financial audit and the results look a lot like a Sergio Leone western: there's some good, some bad, and some ugly. The good news is that the Pentagon was able to complete an audit for the second year in a row. We give David Norquist credit for putting the Department of Defense (DOD) under audit as comptroller and for sustaining that effort after his promotion to deputy secretary.We also appreciate that the scope of this audit was broader and deeper than last year, meaning auditors are delving deeper into DOD's books. The bad news is that auditors identified 1,300 new Notices, Findings, and Recommendations (NFRs), or issues for the Department to address through corrective action plans. And if 1,300 sounds like a big number, that's in addition to the roughly 1,900 outstanding NFRs from the previous audit. About half of these NFRs relate to outdated financial IT and management systems, some from the 1960s and 70s. Which brings us to the ugly: the number of material weaknesses, or significant problemswhat we sometimes call show-stoppers'rose from 20 last year to 25. These material weakness have names like real property' and universe of transactions,' which are fancy ways to saying that the Pentagon doesn't know all the buildings it owns or where they're located and still can't tell the American people everything it buys with their money. We never expected the DOD to go from unauditable to clean audits in two years; it took the smaller Department of Homeland Security a decade. But that doesn't mean the Pentagon shouldn't be doing more. For starters, DOD isn't moving quickly enough in our estimation to consolidate and update legacy systems, which is a big drag on the overall audit effort. If DOD has a strategy for this, it's surely one of the best kept secrets in Washington. We also want to see the Department focus less on the low-hanging fruit and more on reducing the number of material weaknesses, which would have a greater impact on DOD's overall financial management. Wyden and Sanders have been urging the Pentagon to conduct audits for years, including cosponsoring the Audit the Pentagon Act of 2015. In 2017, the Pentagon announced the agency would begin to conduct yearly agency-wide financial audits beginning in 2018.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://welch.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/house-vote-imminent-prescription-drug-price-relief-bill,House Vote Imminent on Prescription Drug Price Relief Bill,2019-12-09,2019,2019-12,Democrat,House,VT,Peter Welch,W000800,welch.house.gov,,,legacy,"SOUTH BURLINGTON, VT At an airport press conference this morning before returning to Washington, Rep. Peter Welch outlined major drug price relief legislation that will be considered by the House on Thursday. The Elijah E. Cummings Lower Drug Costs Now Act of 2019 (H.R. 3) will empower the federal government to negotiate lower drug prices with the pharmaceutical industry, saving taxpayers and consumers an estimated $500 billion. Welch has long championed price negotiation legislation in Congress. He was joined at the press conference by Jericho's Lanie Kanat whose son is living with Fragile X Syndrome. Also participating were Kelly Stoddard Poor of Vermont AARP and Lisa Ventriss of Vermont Business Roundtable. This comprehensive bill will bring long overdue drug price relief to Vermont's consumers, including families like the Kanats who are struggling to afford lifesaving medicines, said Welch. It is a common sense solution that empowers the federal government to negotiate lower drug prices with Big Pharma. There is simply no reason why the federal government, the largest purchaser of drugs in the nation, should pay retail drug prices through the Medicare program. Lower drug prices will provide across-the-board relief to seniors, taxpayers, businesses and consumers. H.R 3 empowers the federal government to negotiate lower drug prices on the most expensive and utilized drugs covered by Medicare. Savings achieved from negotiations would be made available to commercial health insurance plans covering the same drugs. The refusal of any drug company to negotiate would result in a steep tax penalty. The Congressional Budget Office estimates the bill would save taxpayers and consumers approximately $500 billion. Savings would be invested in an expansion of Medicare benefits to cover dental, hearing and vision services; increased funding for research on disease cures and treatments; community health centers; and efforts to combat the opioid epidemic. The bill is named after the late Rep. Elijah Cummings, Welch's partner on drug price negotiation legislation. Welch and Cummings met with President Trump in March 2017 to urge his support for their bill. Welch is a leading advocate in Congress for lower drug prices. He first introduced a price negotiation bill in 2010 and is the lead cosponsor of Rep. Cummings's price negotiation bill. He is a senior member of the powerful House Energy and Commerce Committee from which the bill originated. A summary of the bill can be found here. ###",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.leahy.senate.gov/press/harris-leads-colleagues-in-demand-for-stephen-millers-removal-from-the-white-house,Harris Leads Colleagues in Demand For Stephen Miller’s Removal From The White House,2019-12-09,2019,2019-12,Democrat,House,VT,Patrick Leahy,L000174,www.leahy.senate.gov,,,legacy,"12.09.19 Harris Leads Colleagues in Demand For Stephen Miller's Removal From The White House . . . . 27 Senators Demand The Immediate Firing Of Stephen Miller Amid Multiple, Consistent Reports Of Miller's Alignment With White Supremacist Ideology And Far-Right Extremism WASHINGTON, D.C.U.S. Senator Kamala D. Harris (D-CA) on Monday led 26 of her colleagues in a letter to President Donald J. Trump, demanding the immediate removal ofStephenMillerfrom his position asaWhite House senior adviser. The letter follows recent reports detailing over 900 e-mails, sent from Mr.Millerto far-right Breitbart News between 2015 and 2016, which confirm that Mr.Millerworked to advance whitesupremacist, anti-immigrant ideologies. In the letter, the senators connect the e-mails to specific immigration policies Mr.Millerhas implemented in his current position. In addition to Harris, Senators Dianne Feinstein (D-CA), Patrick Leahy (D-VT), Dick Durbin (D-IL), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Chris Coons (D-DE), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Mazie K. Hirono (D-HI), Cory Booker (D-NJ), Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), Ron Wyden (D-OR), Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), Jacky Rosen (D-NV), Jack Reed (D-RI), Ed Markey (D-MA), Bob Casey (D-PA), Bernie Sanders (I-VT), Patty Murray (D-WA), Michael Bennet (D-CO), Debbie Stabenow (D-MI), Sherrod Brown (D-OH), Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), Gary Peters (D-MI), and Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV) signed the letter. Mr.Miller's demonstrable white nationalist ideology has directly translated into your administration's policies, which have been widely criticized for systematically targeting communities of color,wrote the senators.The Muslim ban targeted individuals of color and caused chaos at U.S. airports around the country, wreaking havoc on the lives of countless individuals and families.The family separation policy tore children from their families, resulting in widely reported mistreatment and human rights abuses of immigrants in detention facilities nationwide. The senators continued,When someone takes an oath to work in the White House and earn a taxpayer-funded salary, they work for the people, not a divisive, harmful, and hateful ideology. These e-mails clearly show what is driving Mr.Miller. It's not national security, it's white supremacysomething that has no place in our country, federal government, and especially not the White House. Mr.Miller's views go against everything we stand for as a country.They are unacceptable and unjust.Simply put, Mr.Milleris unfit to serve in any capacity at the White House, let alone as a senior policy adviser.We demand that you removeStephenMillerimmediately. The letter has the support of Southern Poverty Law Center, Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights, Bend The Arc, Immigration Hub, National Immigrant Justice Center, Center for American Progress, and Families Belong Together. The full text of the letter is available here and below: December 9, 2019 President Donald J. Trump The White House 1600 Pennsylvania Ave., NW Washington, D.C. 20500 Dear Mr. President: We write to demand the immediate removal ofStephenMilleras your advisor.Recent reports confirm that he advanced white nationalist, anti-immigrant ideologies.Continuing to employ him as the senior architect of your immigration policies ensures that those policies discriminate against individuals of color to advance white nationalist ideals.He must be removed. According to over 900 recently published e-mails datedMarch 4, 2015 to June 27, 2016, Mr.Miller, who was an aide to Senator Jeff Sessions at the time, actively pressured editors and writers at far-right website, Breitbart, to publish white nationalist articles.1He drew his source material from known far-right websites peddling conspiracy theories, including VDARE and Infowars.When Pope Francis called for the United States to welcome immigrants, Mr.Millerproposed a story on The Camp of the Saints, an overwhelmingly racist white genocide-themed novel detailing an immigrant invasion designed to wipe out the white race.The book dehumanizes immigrants by, among other things, painting them as physically grotesque.It is simply appalling that a senior advisor to the President advanced parallels between this book and contemporary events. Alarmingly, this was not an isolated incident.Rather, it is just one of myriad highly disturbing communications.After a white nationalist killed nine African-Americans during Bible studyat the Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church in Charleston, South Carolina, Mr.Millersought to protect Confederate iconography by targeting online shopping platforms that stopped selling Confederate flags.His e-mails regularly utilized verbiage commonly associated with the white nationalist movement, including the phrases great replacement and new America. Mr.Miller's demonstrable white nationalist ideology has been directly translated into your administration's policies, which have been widely criticized for systematically targeting communities of color.The Muslim ban targeted individuals of color and caused chaos at U.S. airports around the country, wreaking havoc on the lives of countless individuals and families.The family separation policy tore children from their families, resulting in widely reported mistreatment and human rights abuses of immigrants in detention facilities nationwide.The rescission of Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) has thrown the lives of hundreds of thousands of DREAMers into chaos and instability.Mr.Millerhas also reportedly advanced your administration's efforts to slash refugee admissions, limit asylum access for vulnerable populations, prevent extensions of Temporary Protected Status to those granted safety from humanitarian crises abroad, and disqualify immigrants who use public resources from receiving certain immigration benefits.Each and every one of these policies has a disproportionate adverse impact on communities of color and our country.Each and every one of them aligns with the white nationalist ideals espoused by Mr.Millerin his e-mails. Words matter.They can divide or bring people together and sow hope or hate. On August 3, 2019, a shooter opened fire at a Walmart in El Paso, Texas, killing 22 individuals in one of the deadliest hate crimes against Latinos in U.S. history.The shooter left behind a manifesto specifically citing anti-Hispanic and anti-immigrant sentiments as the reasons he opened fire that day. This was just one of an alarmingly high number of recent hate crimes throughout our country. When someone takes an oath to work in the White House and earns a taxpayer-funded salary, they work for the people, not to advance a divisive, harmful, and hateful ideology. These e-mails clearly show what is driving Mr.Miller. It's not national security, it's white supremacysomething that has no place in our country, federal government, and especially not the White House. Mr.Miller's views go against everything we stand for as a country.They are unacceptable and unjust.Simply put, Mr.Milleris unfit to serve in any capacity at the White House, let alone as a senior policy adviser.We demand that you removeStephenMillerimmediately. Sincerely, ### 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-hails-house-passage-of-hr-4-the-voting-rights-advancement-act,"Leahy Hails House Passage Of H.R. 4, The Voting Rights Advancement Act",2019-12-06,2019,2019-12,Democrat,House,VT,Patrick Leahy,L000174,www.leahy.senate.gov,,,legacy,"12.06.19 Leahy Hails House Passage Of H.R. 4, The Voting Rights Advancement Act . . . Leahy, Author Of Senate Companion Bill, Urges Majority Leader McConnell To Allow Vote On Landmark Legislation In Senate . . . this is a bulwark against voter suppression' (FRIDAY, Dec. 6, 2019) Senator Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.), Senate author and champion of the Voting Rights Advancement Act of 2019 (S.561), praised the U.S. House of Representatives for passing the House version of this landmark legislation (H.R.4) to remedy the Supreme Court's Shelby County decision that decimated the Voting Rights Act. Leahy urged Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) to let the Senate vote on the bill so that it can be sent to the President's desk. Leahy said the right to vote is foundational to our democracy and that the high court's decision opened the floodgates to systematic efforts in many states to disenfranchise minority voters. Our bill is a bulwark against voter suppression, he said. Leahy said: The House has done its part. Now the Senate must do our part. Fifty-four years after the passage of the Voting Rights Act, voter suppression should be left to the history books, yet it's alive and well today. Batons and police dogs may have been replaced by closing polling places and purging voter rolls, but the goal remains the same: state-sponsored, systematic disenfranchisement of minority voters. Our bill is a check on these suppression schemes, empowering all of our citizens to participate in their democracy. Leahy continued: It would be a travesty of justice, and a failure of democracy, to let this bill languish in Leader McConnell's legislative graveyard. I urge him now to follow the House's lead and allow a vote. The Voting Rights Act has always been a bipartisan achievement. Restoring and protecting the sacrosanct right to vote is not a partisan issue it's an American issue. History is watching. Let's show the world that we don't just preach democracy. We practice it. The full text of the Voting Rights Advancement Act of 2019 (S.561) can be foundhere. Senator Leahy's introduction statement can be foundhere. An outline of the Voting Rights Advancement Act of 2019 (S.561) can be foundhere. # # # # # Press Contact David Carle: 202-224-3693 Previous Article",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://welch.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/house-passes-legislation-crack-down-unwanted-and-predatory-robocalls,House Passes Legislation to Crack Down on Unwanted and Predatory Robocalls,2019-12-05,2019,2019-12,Democrat,House,VT,Peter Welch,W000800,welch.house.gov,,,legacy,"WASHINGTON Late yesterday afternoon, the House of Representatives overwhelmingly approved legislation to crack down on unwanted and predatory robocalls. The House vote was 417-3. The Senate is expected to approve the bill in the near future and send it to the desk of President Trump for his expected signature. Vermonters are fed up with intrusive robocalls that are annoying at best and predatory at worst, said Welch. These calls often originate from scam artists intent on ripping off unsuspecting consumers, particularly seniors. This bill gives the FCC the tools it needs to be the cop on the beat to go after these bad actors. Specifically, the TRACED Act will: Ensure the FCC has the authority to take decisive action to track down robocallers violating the law; Allow consumers to revoke prior consent to receive calls; Require carriers to offer call-authentication technology to consumers and small businessesin rural and urban Americaat no additional charge; Require opt-in or opt-out robocall blocking be offered at no additional charge to consumers; Require the FCC to work to stop one-ring scams; and Extend the statute of limitations from one to four years for robocallers violating the law. In May, Welch was joined at an airport press conference by Vermont Attorney General TJ Donovan and Shelburne senior Kathryn Ottinger to highlight legislation he cosponsored to tackle the problem. Mrs. Ottinger shared her experience of being bombarded at her home by daily robocalls. During House debate on the bill, Welch spoke about how the bill would benefit Mrs. Ottinger and other Vermonters. Here is video of his remarks. ###",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.leahy.senate.gov/press/statement-on-the-fiftieth-anniversary-of-the-inter-american-foundation,Statement On The Fiftieth Anniversary Of The Inter-American Foundation,2019-12-05,2019,2019-12,Democrat,House,VT,Patrick Leahy,L000174,www.leahy.senate.gov,,,legacy,"12.05.19 Statement On The Fiftieth Anniversary Of The Inter-American Foundation Mr. LEAHY. Mr. President, for fifty years the Inter-American Foundation (IAF) has partnered with grassroots organizations and underserved populations throughout Latin America and the Caribbean to advance U.S. interests by helping to improve the lives of the hemisphere's poorest people, supporting civil society, and strengthening democratic institutions. I want to take this opportunity today, on IAF's 50th anniversary, to comment briefly on the Foundation's accomplishments and on the unique value of small-grant, community-led development. In 1969, Congress established IAF as an independent development agency charged with identifying and investing in community-led development solutions. IAF awards small grants, averaging $280,000 over four years, directly to local organizations, eliminating costly intermediaries and ensuring programs are led and implemented locally. IAF also requires grantees to contribute or mobilize their own cash or in-kind resources, helping to ensure sustainability and local investment in project success. On average, such counterpart investments mobilize $1.31 for every $1 invested by IAF. According to IAF, in fiscal year 2019 alone, it awarded $18.5 million to 97 grassroots organizations in 24 countries and mobilized $20 million in grantee counterpart resources. IAF grantees created more than 2,500 partnerships with other organizations to share experiences and advance their missions, trained more than 200,000 people in new leadership and technical skills, and contributed to the creation of 11,000 new or improved jobs. IAF's development model illustrates that if modest resources and technical support are provided directly to communities and their grassroots organizations so they can define their own needs, design their own solutions, and invest in their own communities, then local ownership, self-reliance, and sustainable development are possible. IAF's small-grants model also enables it to be nimble and responsive to changing conditions on the ground, including natural and man-made disasters. In recent years, IAF has used its network of grantees in Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, and Peru to support thousands of displaced Venezuelans and the communities where they have relocated. After the signing of the Colombia Peace Accords in 2016, IAF launched the Colombian Peacebuilding Initiative and invested nearly $2 million in 23 local Colombian organizations to support community-level peacebuilding and reconciliation. In Central America, IAF has 98 projects addressing the causes of migration in areas likely to be targets of criminal gangs in order to help families and communities resist such violence. And since June 2019, IAF has awarded $650,000 in grants to civil society organizations across the Eastern Caribbean focused on strengthening community-led disaster mitigation and preparedness planning. IAF's successful approach to development is why we increased funding in the fiscal year 2020State and Foreign Operations Appropriations bill, which was reported unanimously by the Appropriations Committee in September. Increased funding would enable IAF to support a greater number of meritorious grant proposals, as the Foundation was able to fund only seven percent of the almost 800 proposals received in fiscal year 2019. Regrettably, this model of donors directly supporting small-scale, local initiatives to design, implement, and sustain their own development solutions is more the exception than the rule. I hope IAF's 50th anniversary serves not only as an opportunity to commemorate its many accomplishments, but also to reflect on the need to expand IAF's approach to development across the U.S. government. # # # # # 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/statement-on-the-the-trump-administration-continuing-to-withhold-aid-from-the-american-people-of-puerto-rico,Statement On The The Trump Administration Continuing To Withhold Aid From The American People Of Puerto Rico,2019-12-05,2019,2019-12,Democrat,House,VT,Patrick Leahy,L000174,www.leahy.senate.gov,,,legacy,"12.05.19 Statement On The The Trump Administration Continuing To Withhold Aid From The American People Of Puerto Rico It has been 810 days since Hurricane Maria destroyed the homes, businesses and lives of countless American citizens of Puerto Rico, and for 810 days President Trump and his administration have been dragging their feet on delivering aid that the island desperately needs. Implementing appropriations passed by Congress and signed into law is not optional. It is not left to the whims of a President who holds a petty political grudge against the American people of Puerto Rico. Today marks 90 days since President Trump and his administration broke the law by failing to comply with a deadline set by Congress to deliver on funds appropriated by Congress to help the island recover. This is not optional. This is not normal. And this is not acceptable. I stand with Chairwoman Lowey and Chairman Price in calling out the administration's egregious and petty treatment of the people of Puerto Rico at their press conference this morning, and I look forward to continuing to work with them to make sure this injustice is stopped. # # # # # 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/wyden-and-leahy-request-ethics-investigation-of-ag-barrs-approval-of-illegal-dea-mass-surveillance-program,Wyden And Leahy Request Ethics Investigation Of AG Barr’s Approval Of Illegal DEA Mass Surveillance Program,2019-12-05,2019,2019-12,Democrat,House,VT,Patrick Leahy,L000174,www.leahy.senate.gov,,,legacy,"12.05.19 Wyden And Leahy Request Ethics Investigation Of AG Barr's Approval Of Illegal DEA Mass Surveillance Program . . . Barr Rubber-Stamped The DEA Program, Which Scooped Up Billions Of Phone Records Without Warrants Or Any Legal Analysis WASHINGTON (THURSDAY, Dec. 5, 2019) U.S. Senators Ron Wyden, D-Ore., and Patrick Leahy, D-Vt., Thursday asked for an ethics investigation of Attorney General William Barr's decision to approve an illegal mass surveillance program by the Drug Enforcement Administration in a letter to the Justice Department's Office of Professional Responsibility. Barr approved the DEA program in 1992, during his first stint as attorney general, without conducting any analysis of whether it was legal, according to an Inspector General report released earlier this year. The vast surveillance program swept up billions of phone records over more than 20 years, using subpoenas that were never reviewed by a judge. Mr. Barr's authorization of this sweeping surveillance program without requiring, at minimum, an appropriate legal analysis, was not consistent with his oath to support and defend theConstitution andit likely amounted to professional misconduct, Wyden and Leahy wrote. Attorney General Barr knew, or should have known, that neither statutory law nor federal case law permitted the DEA to sweep up, in bulk, billions of records of Americans' telephone communications.We write to ask that you open an investigation into the authorization of this recently-disclosed illegal, bulk surveillance program that collected billions of records of Americans' telephone calls without conducting any legal analysis of the program. Read the full letter to the DOJ Office of Professional Responsibility here. Additionally, Wyden and Leahy asked Barr to explain whether current DEA surveillance programs have adequate protections to prevent unlawful spying on Americans, and what changes the agency has made in response to the Inspector General's report. Their full letter to Barr is available here. # # # # # Press Contact Keith Chu (Wyden) 202-224-3789 David Carle (Leahy) 202-224-3693 Next Article Previous Article",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z http://www.sanders.senate.gov/vermont/must-read-vermont-seniors-face-high,Must Read: Vermont seniors face high rates of financial insecurity,2019-11-29,2019,2019-11,Independent,House,VT,Bernard Sanders,S000033,www.sanders.senate.gov,,,legacy,"Must Read: Vermont seniors face high rates of financial insecurity By: Xander Landen; VT Digger Friday, November 29, 2019 Seniors in Vermont face one of the highest rates of financial insecurity in the nation, according to areport released by UMass Boston this month. According to the report, 31% of seniors over the age of 65 who live alone, and 43% of elderly couples, don't make enough income to meet the cost of basic needs, even though they are above the federal poverty line. The report, which analyzed federal data on the costs of housing, health care, transportation, food, and other goods in all 50 states found Vermont ranks first in the nation for the highest rate of economic insecurity for older couples, and third for singles. Elderly Vermont couples who rent need an annual income of $43,000 and singles who rent need about $30,000 a year to meet basic living expenses, according to the report. Additional datacouples in Vermont that own a home without a mortgage should have an annual income of about $41,000, which is 130% higher than the national average. Jan Mutchler, a professor of gerontology at UMass Boston and the author of the report, said the higher costs of health care and housing in Vermont are part of what makes it difficult for seniors to afford living in the state. On average, she found that with the cost of Medicare, supplemental health plans, co-payments, and drug costs, elderly Vermonters typically spend $586 a month on health care. The U.S. average is $395 per month. Angela Smith-Dieng, the director of the State Unit on Aging at the Vermont Department of Disabilities, Aging and Independent Living (DAIL), said she was struck by how the study highlighted the seniors who are above the poverty line but still in that gap where they're struggling to meet the cost of living in our state. Typically there's so much focus on reducing poverty and when we only look at poverty levels, we're missing a lot of folks who are living above that threshold but still struggling, Smith-Dieng said. Greg Marchildon, the state director of the Vermont AARP, said many Vermonters live on Social Security benefits, which haven't increased significantly at the federal level in several years, despite rising costs of living. Marchildon said that to address the problem, officials at the federal level should increase retirement benefits and help curb the rising costs of drug prices. At the state level, he says Vermont needs to invest more in affordable housing for seniors and should completely eliminate the tax on Social Security benefits. To read full article, click here.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z http://www.sanders.senate.gov/newsroom/video-audio/sanders-and-khanna-partner-to-end-yemen-war,Sanders and Khanna Partner to End Yemen War,2019-11-27,2019,2019-11,Independent,House,VT,Bernard Sanders,S000033,www.sanders.senate.gov,,,legacy,"Sanders and Khanna Partner to End Yemen War Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) and Rep. Ro Khanna (D-Calif.) made history in 2019 by passing the first-ever War Powers Resolution to end U.S. involvement in the Saudi-led assault on Yemen. In the wake of Trump's veto, they are partnering to prohibit all funding for that war in the 2020 Pentagon spending authorization.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z http://www.sanders.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/sanders-launches-tenth-annual-state-of-the-union-essay-contest,Sanders Launches Tenth Annual State of the Union Essay Contest,2019-11-26,2019,2019-11,Independent,House,VT,Bernard Sanders,S000033,www.sanders.senate.gov,,,legacy,"Sanders Launches Tenth Annual State of the Union Essay Contest Tuesday, November 26, 2019 BURLINGTON, Vt., Nov. 26 U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) has launched his tenth annual State of the Union essay contest. Each January, the President of the United States delivers the State of the Union speech to a joint session of Congress, which outlines priorities for the coming year. Because Senator Sanders knows that great ideas come from every corner of our country, he created the State of the Union Essay Contest for Vermont high school students to describe a major issue facing our country and propose what they would do to solve that problem. The 250-500 word essays can be on any issue of national importance. A volunteer panel of Vermont teachers will judge the essays on the students' ability to articulate an issue and propose a solution, without regard to the students' political views. Sanders will enter the essays of the ten finalists into the Congressional Record the official archive of the U.S. Congress. He will also invite the ten finalists to be interviewed about their essay topic, so their voices and perspectives can be included in his official videos and social media. I started this essay contest 10 years ago to help our students be actively engaged, no matter where they stand on the issues, said Sanders, who serves on the Senate education committee. We need our students to help find solutions for the problems that face our country as they are our future leaders. More than 4,000 students from high schools throughout Vermont have written essays in the past nine years about critically important issues, including climate change, access to mental health care, the rising cost of college, and much, much more. Last year, Firdaus Muhammad from Winooski High School was selected as the winner from 590 submissions for her essay on Islamophobia. The deadline for student essay submissions is Jan. 8, 2020. More information can be found on Sanders' Senate webpage athttp://www.sanders.senate.gov/stateoftheunion/or by calling (800) 339-9834.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z http://www.sanders.senate.gov/vermont/sanders-launches-tenth-annual-state-of-the-union-essay-contest,Sanders Launches Tenth Annual State of the Union Essay Contest,2019-11-26,2019,2019-11,Independent,House,VT,Bernard Sanders,S000033,www.sanders.senate.gov,,,legacy,"Sanders Launches Tenth Annual State of the Union Essay Contest Tuesday, November 26, 2019 BURLINGTON, Vt. U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) launched his tenth annual State of the Union essay contest on Friday. Each January, the President of the United States delivers the State of the Union speech to a joint session of Congress, which outlines priorities for the coming year. Because Senator Sanders knows that great ideas come from every corner of our country, he created the State of the Union Essay Contest for Vermont high school students to describe a major issue facing our country and propose what they would do to solve that problem. The 250-500 word essays can be on any issue of national importance. A volunteer panel of Vermont teachers will judge the essays on the students' ability to articulate an issue and propose a solution, without regard to the students' political views. Sanders will enter the essays of the ten finalists into the Congressional Record the official archive of the U.S. Congress. He will also invite the ten finalists to be interviewed about their essay topic, so their voices and perspectives can be included in his official videos and social media. I started this essay contest 10 years ago to help our students be actively engaged, no matter where they stand on the issues, said Sanders, who serves on the Senate education committee. We need our students to help find solutions for the problems that face our country as they are our future leaders. More than 4,000 students from high schools throughout Vermont have written essays in the past nine years about critically important issues, including climate change, access to mental health care, the rising cost of college, and much, much more. Last year, Firdaus Muhammad from Winooski High School was selected as the winner from 590 submissions for her essay on Islamophobia. The deadline for student essay submissions is Jan. 8, 2020. More information can be found on Sanders' Senate webpage athttp://www.sanders.senate.gov/stateoftheunion/ or by calling (800) 339-9834.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.leahy.senate.gov/press/leahy-whitehouse-query-doj-about-president-trumps-controversial-war-crimes-pardons,"Leahy, Whitehouse Query DOJ About President Trump’s Controversial War Crimes Pardons",2019-11-26,2019,2019-11,Democrat,House,VT,Patrick Leahy,L000174,www.leahy.senate.gov,,,legacy,"11.26.19 Leahy, Whitehouse Query DOJ About President Trump's Controversial War Crimes Pardons . . . Ask What Role The Office Of Pardon Attorney Played In Highly Irregular Decision (TUESDAY, Nov. 26, 2019) Senators Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) and Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.) are asking the Department of Justice's Office of Pardon Attorney what role it played in President Trump's extraordinarily controversial decision to pardon U.S. soldiers charged or convicted with serious war crimes. In light of U.S. military leaders' vocal opposition to President Trump's interventions in these cases, Leahy and Whitehouse are seeking answers about what advice the President received and from whom in making this decision to exercise his clemency powers. The senators wrote: We write to determine what role your office played in President Trump's recent decision to pardon military service members convicted or charged with war crimes. While the President possesses broad pardon powers, these pardons were issued in the face of strong opposition from senior military officials, who warned that such pardons would undermine the U.S. military justice system and shake faith in our military's commitment to abide by the laws of war. Given your office's institutional role and expertise for over 125 years in guiding presidents in the exercise of their pardon powers, we write to inquire whether, and to what extent, your office was involved in these matters. The letter continues: The President's pardon powers are virtually absolute. That is precisely why safeguards must be in place to ensure that they are wielded judiciously institutional safeguards like your office, which exists to ensure that the President's pardon powers are exercised fairly and in the interests of justice. Given our obligation to conduct oversight of the Justice Department, we request written answers to the following questions no later than December 13th. A signed copy of the letter can be found here. The full text of the letter is copied below. ##### November 26, 2019 Rosalind Sargent-Burns Acting Pardon Attorney U.S. Department of Justice Office of the Pardon Attorney 950 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW Washington, D.C. 20530 Dear Ms. Sargent-Burns, We write to determine what role your office played in President Trump's recent decision to pardon military service members convicted or charged with war crimes.[1] While the President possesses broad pardon powers, these pardons were issued in the face of strong opposition from senior military officials, who warned that such pardons would undermine the U.S. military justice system and shake faith in our military's commitment to abide by the laws of war.[2] Given your office's institutional role and expertise for over 125 years in guiding presidents in the exercise of their pardon powers, we write to inquire whether, and to what extent, your office was involved in these matters. President Trump intervened in the cases of three military service members either charged with or convicted of serious war crimes. He pardoned and freed Army First Lt. Clint Lorance, who was serving a 19-year sentence for ordering his subordinates to fatally fire on unarmed civilians.[3] He pardoned and stopped the trial of Army Green Beret Maj. Matt Golsteyn, who confessed to and was charged with executing an unarmed detainee and immolating his corpse.[4] And he restored the rank of Navy SEAL Eddie Gallagher, who was charged with shooting unarmed civilians and killing a captured teenage combatant with a knife, and ultimately convicted of posing in a photograph with a dead captive.[5] When President Trump's plan to intervene in these cases was first reported in early November, the Department of Defense was so alarmed that Secretary of Defense Esper and other senior military officials reportedly orchestrated a lobbying effort to dissuade the President from doing so.[6] The Pentagon's concerns about President Trump's pardons have been echoed by many respected U.S. military figures.[7] Retired General Martin Dempsey, former Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said the wholesale pardon of US service members accused of war crimes signals . . . that we don't take the Law of Armed Conflict seriously, and is an abdication of moral responsibility.[8] Retired General Charles Krulak, former Commandant of the Marine Corps, stated that these pardons could endanger our troops by alienating populations whose support the United States needsand providing a propaganda tool for extremists who wish to do us harm.[9] Most recently, in resigning his position as Secretary of the Navy over this issue, Richard Spencer wrote in a letter to the President that he no longer share[s] the same understanding with the Commander in Chief . . . in regards to the key principle of good order and discipline, and pointedly reminded the President that The rule of law is what sets us apart from our adversaries.[10] The U.S. military establishment's vocal opposition to the President's interventions in these cases raises serious questions about what advice President Trump received and from whom in deciding to exercise his clemency powers. Reports indicate that President Trump's views about these cases were shaped early on by a Fox News personality and advocates for the three soldiers.[11] Senior Pentagon officials, left out of White House discussions until recent weeks, believed the President was being provided misleading and even false information.[12] The White House reportedly reached out to your office about these cases once in May, but it is unclear whether there was any further contact between your office and the White House, or whether your office ultimately provided your recommendations to the President.[13] The President's pardon powers are virtually absolute. That is precisely why safeguards must be in place to ensure that they are wielded judiciously institutional safeguards like your office, which exists to ensure that the President's pardon powers are exercised fairly and in the interests of justice. Given our obligation to conduct oversight of the Justice Department, we request written answers to the following questions no later than December 13th: Did the White House reach out to your office on May 17, 2019, about the cases of Army First Lt. Clint Lorance, Army Green Beret Maj. Matt Golsteyn, and Navy SEAL Eddie Gallagher, as reporting indicates?[14] a. If so, was this the first time the White House reached out to your office about these three cases? b. If not, when was the first time the White House reached out to your office about these three cases, if at all? Did the White House ask for your recommendation about whether to issue pardons in these cases? Did the White House express the President's intent to issue pardons in these cases, regardless of your input and recommendations, as reporting indicates?[15] Did your office provide recommendations to the White House about whether the President should exercise his pardon powers in these three cases? a. If so, what were your recommendations? Please describe your recommendations in each of the three cases, and the rationale for each recommendation. To the extent possible, please provide copies of documents memorializing your recommendations in each of the three cases. b. If so, when were those recommendations conveyed to the White House? c. If so, did your office either meet or attempt to meet with the President or anyone else in the White House to explain or discuss your recommendations with respect to the three cases? d. If your office did not provide recommendations in these three cases, why not? Was anyone outside your office at the Justice Department involved in providing advice and recommendations to the White House regarding these three cases? If so, who, and what role did they play? Were there any attempts to channel communications between your office and the White House on these matters through another division or office in the Justice Department? If so, why? To what extent was your office communicating and coordinating with the Department of Defense with respect to these three cases? Were you soliciting information or other input and recommendations from the Defense Department about these three cases? If so, what information and recommendations did you request and receive from the Defense Department? Section 9-140.110 of the Department of Justice's Justice Manual states that your office receives and reviews all petitions for Executive Clemency (which includes pardon after completion of sentence, commutation of sentence, remission of fine or restitution and reprieve), initiates and directs the necessary investigations, and prepares a report and recommendation for submission to the President in every case.a. Was there a petition for Executive Clemency submitted to your office or the Justice Department in any of these three cases? b. Has the Office of the Pardon Attorney ever recommended a presidential pardon or commutation for a military service member convicted of war crimes? If so, please provide details about those cases and why the Office of the Pardon Attorney recommended a pardon or commutation. c. Has the Office of the Pardon Attorney ever recommended a presidential pardon when an individual has not yet been convicted and has charges pending? If so, please provide details about those cases and why the Office of the Pardon Attorney recommended a pardon. d. How many of the pardons or commutations issued by President Trump during his term thus far involved a petition for Executive Clemency to your office and followed the process described in Section 9-140.110? Thank you for your prompt attention to this matter. Sincerely, ___________________________ ___________________________ Patrick Leahy Sheldon Whitehouse United States Senator United States Senator [6] Gaouette, supra note 2. [7] Philipps, supra note 1. [14] Philipps, supra note 12. 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/whitehouse-leahy-share-new-information-implicating-justice-department-official-in-false-statements,"Whitehouse, Leahy Share New Information Implicating Justice Department Official In False Statements",2019-11-26,2019,2019-11,Democrat,House,VT,Patrick Leahy,L000174,www.leahy.senate.gov,,,legacy,"11.26.19 Whitehouse, Leahy Share New Information Implicating Justice Department Official In False Statements Documents Show Former Civil Rights Division Principal Deputy John Gore Appears To Have Violated Department Ethics Rules Gore Submitted An Inaccurate Statement That Forced DOJ To Issue A Correction In Federal Court, Department Acknowledges (TUESDAY, Nov. 26, 2019) -- Senators Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) and Patrick Leahy (D-VT) have shared with the U.S. Department of Justice's Office of Professional Responsibility a Justice Department letter correcting statements by John Gore, former Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General of the Civil Rights Division. The Justice Department letter confirms that Gore was not truthful in a sworn declaration in ongoing open records litigation between the Department and a watchdog group. The senators also shared with the Office of Professional Responsibility a memo from the House Committee on Oversight and Reform that details new evidence implicating Gore in efforts to create a pretextual justification for attempting to add a citizenship question to the 2020 Census. In October, Whitehouse and Leahy requested an ethics investigation of Gore after documents surfaced contradicting Gore's sworn declaration. The Department letter the senators shared with the Office of Professional Responsibility acknowledges that Mr. Gore's previous sworn statement describing the nature of his relationship with a Republican Party election official . . . was inaccurate, Whitehouse and Leahy write in a letter transmitting the new information. Documents obtained by the senators through a separate Freedom of Information Act request by the watchdog group American Oversight show Gore taking action as a Department official to pursue allegations of voting irregularities in Chicago brought to his attention by a Republican political operative. Gore went so far as to elevate the allegations to the Trump White House. The documents contradicted the declaration Gore submitted under penalty of perjury in federal court denying the official-capacity nature of his communications with the operative. Gore's lack of candor with the tribunal may run afoul of several rules of professional conduct for Department officials, and calls into question the Department's continued reliance on Mr. Gore's apparently untruthful testimony. To the extent the Department continues to rely in ongoing litigation on testimony it knows to be false, that raises separate, serious ethical questions for Department ethics officials to resolve. The Department's continued reliance on Mr. Gore's testimony is further complicated by the new report from the House Committee on Oversight and Reform. Documents included in that report contradict Gore's testimony that he, not a Department of Commerce official, originally drafted the December 2017 DOJ letter to the Census Bureau that formally requested a citizenship question on the 2020 Census. In the letter, DOJ argued that the administration sought a citizenship question to protect racial minorities' voting rightsan argument the Supreme Court has rejected for appearing contrived. Last year, Gore admitted that a citizenship question was not necessary to enforce the Voting Rights Act. House Oversight's new documents confirm that the administration's true motivation for adding the question was to aid Republican redistricting efforts by diminishing minority votes. Full text of the senators' letter sent Monday is below. A PDF copy of the senators' letter and attachments are available here. A PDF copy of the senators' October referral with accompanying appendix is available here. ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ November 25, 2019 Mr. Jeffrey Ragsdale Acting Director and Chief Counsel Office of Professional Responsibility U.S. Department of Justice 950 Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W., Suite 3266 Washington, DC 20530-0001 Dear Director Ragsdale: We write to follow up about two developments relevant to our October 4, 2019, request that your office review the conduct of John Gore, former Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General of the Civil Rights Division of the Department of Justice (DOJ, or the Department), as well as other attorneys representing DOJ in matters involving Mr. Gore. First, please find attached DOJ's November 18, 2019, submission filed in the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York, in the litigation underlying our October 4 referral, Brennan Center for Justice et al. v. U.S. Dep't of Justice et al., 17 Civ. 6335. See Exhibit A. After plaintiffs in that matter brought our October 4 referral to the court's attention, DOJ filed this letter indicating that it had recently learned additional information indicating that certain statements in Mr. Gore's declaration (and by extension, defendants' prior motion papers) require correction. The letter acknowledges that Mr. Gore's previous sworn statement describing the nature of his relationship with a Republican Party election official, described in our October 4 referral, was inaccurate. In the event that this development has not yet been brought to your attention, we thought it would be relevant to your review. Second, a November 12, 2019, memo from the House Committee on Oversight and Reform details new evidence implicating Mr. Gore's truthfulness in litigation regarding the origins of a letter requesting the addition of a question about citizenship to the Census. This evidence casts further doubt on Mr. Gore's credibility and raises concerns about DOJ's continued reliance on his testimony. Enclosed please find the House Committee on Oversight and Reform's November 12, 2019, oversight report (Exhibit B) and Plaintiffs' Motion for Leave to File Sur-reply in Support of Sanctions in State of New York, et al. v. U.S. Dep't of Commerce, et al., which, again, we believe should be relevant to your review (Exhibit C). Thank you for your prompt attention to this matter. ### Press Contact Rich Davidson (Whitehouse), 202-228-6291 David Carle (Leahy), 202-224-3693",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z http://www.sanders.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/statement-from-senator-sanders-on-the-passing-of-jake-burton-carpenter,Statement from Senator Sanders on the Passing of Jake Burton Carpenter,2019-11-22,2019,2019-11,Independent,House,VT,Bernard Sanders,S000033,www.sanders.senate.gov,,,legacy,"Statement from Senator Sanders on the Passing of Jake Burton Carpenter Friday, November 22, 2019 BURLINGTON, Nov. 22 Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) today issued following the statement: ""With the loss of Jake Burton, the state of Vermont has lost one its greatest entrepreneurs, the individual who created the entire international snowboard industry. Jake's initiatives have created many hundreds of jobs in Vermont, have brought tens of thousands of snowboarders to our mountains and brought joy and excitement to millions throughout the world. Jane and I and our children, some of whom worked for Burton Snowboards, extend our condolences to Donna and the entire family.""",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.leahy.senate.gov/press/senate-passes-leahy-bill-to-formalize-national-cybersecurity-preparedness-consortium-with-norwich-university-as-a-key-training-center,"Senate Passes Leahy Bill To Formalize National Cybersecurity Preparedness Consortium, With Norwich University As A Key Training Center",2019-11-22,2019,2019-11,Democrat,House,VT,Patrick Leahy,L000174,www.leahy.senate.gov,,,legacy,"11.22.19 Senate Passes Leahy Bill To Formalize National Cybersecurity Preparedness Consortium, With Norwich University As A Key Training Center (FRIDAY, Nov. 22, 2019) The U.S. Senate Thursday night passed legislation written and introduced by Senator Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) and Senator John Cornyn (R-Texas) to formally charter a National Cybersecurity Preparedness Consortium (NCPC), which includes Norwich University. Norwich University is a key player in NCPC, a cooperative effort of universities with expertise in cybersecurity that work with the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to develop and carry out training and other activities focused on preparedness among state and local governments and first responders for cyber emergencies. The consortium was privately organized to work annually with DHS to fulfill their mission, with Norwich as a founding member, and the new law will allow DHS and NCPC to work together to develop multi-year plans for improving cyber readiness. Leahy has played a central role for two decades in championing Norwich's emergence as a leader in cybersecurity training. In the wake of 9/11, Leahy, as chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, introduced and secured enactment of legislation that designated Norwich as a one of the National Centers for Counter-Terrorism and Cyber-Crime, with ongoing federal funding and support. That expertise was critical to establishing the NCPC. Leahy said: Norwich University has methodically built expertise and national recognition as a national center in the crucial field of cybersecurity training to counter these growing threats. Passage of our bill is a bipartisan victory in advancing these efforts to the next levels. I support the National Cybersecurity Preparedness Consortium because we know that cyber threats become more manageable when state and local responders have quality training. Norwich will continue to take a leading role in making that happen. In addition to Norwich, other universities in the consortium are the University of Texas at San Antonio, Texas A&M Engineering Extension Service, The University of Arkansas, and The University of Memphis. Under Leahy's bill with Cornyn (S.333), DHS will be authorized to work with the NCPC to: Provide training to state and local first responders and officials, develop curriculums, and provide technical assistance; Conduct cross-sector cybersecurity training and simulation exercises for state and local governments, critical infrastructure owners and operators, and private industry; Help states and communities develop cybersecurity information sharing programs; and Help incorporate cybersecurity risk and incident prevention and response into existing state and local emergency plans and continuity of operations plans. # # # # # 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-lofgren-harris-and-booker-lead-bicameral-refugee-protection-act-of-2019,"Leahy, Lofgren, Harris And Booker Lead Bicameral Refugee Protection Act of 2019",2019-11-21,2019,2019-11,Democrat,House,VT,Patrick Leahy,L000174,www.leahy.senate.gov,,,legacy,"11.21.19 Leahy, Lofgren, Harris And Booker Lead Bicameral Refugee Protection Act of 2019 WASHINGTON (THURSDAY, Nov. 21, 2019) Senator Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.), Representative Zoe Lofgren (D-CA 19), Senator Kamala Harris (D-Calif.), and Senator Cory Booker (D-N.J.) on Thursday led the bicameral introduction of the Refugee Protection Act of 2019. Building upon previous versions of the Refugee Protection Act introduced by Leahy and Lofgren, the Refugee Protection Act of 2019 is a comprehensive blueprint for restoring and reinvigorating U.S. refugee and asylum systems in response to the Trump administration's attempts to shut the nation's doors to refugees and asylum seekers. As the world faces the worst refugee crisis in recorded history, the United States should be embracing our role as the humanitarian leader of the world not retreating from it, as the Trump administration has shamefully done, Leahy said. In doing so, the Trump administration has abandoned decades of bipartisan support for our refugee admissions program as a bulwark of our national security and foreign policy interests. The Refugee Protection Act of 2019 lays out a vision for how America should be responding to this worldwide refugee crisis a vision that reflects who we are and have always been: a welcoming refuge for the persecuted and the oppressed. Today, there are more refugees, asylum-seekers, and internally-displaced persons than at any time since World War II, and ongoing conflicts in Syria, Venezuela and Burkina Faso, among others, keep adding to this growing crisis, said Rep. Lofgren. ""The United States has long been a global leader in offering safety and protection to victims of terror, abuse, and brutal regimes, and we must continue that American tradition. The Refugee Protection Act provides long-needed fixes to our nation's refugee and asylum programs and ensures America continues to lead by example in assisting the world's most vulnerable people. The United States must always be a place where refugees are welcomed and encouraged to contribute to society,said Harris.But, from day one, theTrump administration turned its back on refugees and abdicated our nation's moral responsibility to welcome children and families fleeing ongoing persecution. It's not enough to undo the harm that has already been donewe mustalsorevitalize our refugee and asylum system and expand protections for these individuals. That's why I'm proud to join Senator Leahy in introducing the Refugee Protection Act, which would guarantee that refugees and asylum-seekers are welcomed and supported in our country and that our immigration system respects the basic dignity of every human being. Located at the pedestal of the Statue of Liberty is a plaque that proudly states, Give me your tired, your poor, Your huddled masses yearning to be free.' For decades, the United States has tried to live up to those words admitting refugees from all over the world fleeing violence and terror in their home countries. Unfortunately, while the world is experiencing one of the worst refugee crises in history, the Trump Administration has turned its back on people fleeing horrible violence and atrocities. The Refugee Protection Act would reinvigorate our commitment to those solemn words and reestablish America's place as a beacon of hope for the rest of the world, Senator Booker said. The Senate bill is cosponsored by 16 Senators: Senators Leahy, Harris, Booker, Hirono, Markey, Shaheen, Gillibrand, Blumenthal, Cardin, Wyden, Murray, Sanders, Reed, Merkley, Warren, and Klobuchar. The House bill is cosponsored by 31 Members of the U.S. House of Representatives: Representatives Lofgren, Nadler, Jayapal, Neguse, Castro, Crow, Dean, DeLauro, DeSaulnier, Engel, Escobar, Espaillat, Garcia, Grijalva, Higgins, Johnson, Khanna, Lowenthal, McGovern, Napolitano, Norton, Pallone, Panetta, Quigley, Raskin, Sires, Smith, Swalwell, Watson Coleman, Welch, and Tlaib. The Refugee Protection Act of 2019 is endorsed by a wide range of refugee, asylum, immigration, and faith-based organizations. A short outline of the bill can be found here, and a sectional analysis can be found here. Text of the legislation can be found here. # # # # # Press Contact David Carle: 202-224-3693",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.leahy.senate.gov/press/statement-on-honduras,Statement On Honduras,2019-11-21,2019,2019-11,Democrat,House,VT,Patrick Leahy,L000174,www.leahy.senate.gov,,,legacy,"11.21.19 Statement On Honduras Congressional Record Mr. LEAHY. Mr. President, I have spoken previously about the alarming rates of corruption, violent crime, and impunity in Honduras. While Honduras is by no means unique in this regard, it is a serious concern given the challenges it poses not only for the people of Honduras but also for the United States. Every week, my office receives word of another assassination in Honduras of a social leader, environmental activist, indigenous rights activist, journalist, or trade unionist. Rarely does a week go by that we do not hear about threats against these individuals. Rarely does a week go by that we do not receive reports of arbitrary and prolonged imprisonment of critics of government policies or practices. While the murder of Berta Caceres on March 3, 2016, captured the world's attention, that outrageous crime was but one of many targeted killings of Hondurans who have dared to protest against corruption, infrastructure development that threatens their land, water, farms and communities, excessive force by the military and police, and the lack of access to justice. These types of crimes are nothing new in Honduras, in fact they are shockingly common. But they have noticeably increased in frequency since the conviction in a New York federal court on October 18 of Tony Hernandez, a notorious drug kingpin and the brother of President Juan Orlando Hernandez who was named as an unindicted co-conspirator. It begs credulity that President Hernandez was completely unaware of the actions of his brother, or of the reported use of profits from drug trafficking to finance his political campaign. Honduras, which was already among the most corrupt and dangerous countries in the world for those who have dared to challenge the dominance of a tiny elite who continue to wield unbridled control over the political and economic levers of the country, has become even more corrupt and dangerous. Ever since President Hernandez successfully orchestrated his re-election to an unprecedented second term, the country has become increasingly polarized. Social and political dissent, when the government's consistent response is to use force including lethal force and to misuse the judicial process to silence its critics, fuels instability and violence which are among the key drivers of migration. This is what we are seeing in Honduras, and the United States shares some of the blame as our Embassy and the Department of Defense continue to publicly portray their engagement with the Hernandez Government as business as usual. There is only one person who has the authority and responsibility to lead Honduras down a better path, a path toward real stability and a culture of lawfulness, and that is President Hernandez. The election of his successor is only two years away. In the time remaining, President Hernandez could use what credibility he has left and take decisive action to begin a process of reconciliation aimed at uniting the Honduran people in pursuit of the common goals of economic opportunity, personal security, and justice. Doing so would require a fundamental change of attitude and approach, including installing people in key positions of government who have unimpeachable integrity and who represent a wide spectrum of Honduran society. Absent such enlightened leadership, Honduras will likely remain a fractured society, plagued by instability, rampant poverty, violence, and impunity. Honduras' democratic institutions will continue to be corrupted and eroded. And Hondurans will continue to seek a better, safer life outside their country. # # # # # Press Contact David Carle: 202-224-3693 Next Article Previous Article",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.leahy.senate.gov/press/statement-on-israeli-settlements,Statement On Israeli Settlements,2019-11-21,2019,2019-11,Democrat,House,VT,Patrick Leahy,L000174,www.leahy.senate.gov,,,legacy,"11.21.19 Statement On Israeli Settlements Congressional Record Mr. LEAHY. Mr. President, I vividly recall the feeling of optimism that people in this country and around the world felt on that day in Washington in 1993 when Israeli Prime Minister Rabin and PLO Chairman Arafat signed the Oslo Accords. For those too young to remember, the Oslo process began as secret negotiations in Oslo, resulting in the recognition by the PLO of the State of Israel and the recognition by Israel of the PLO as the representative of the Palestinian people for the purpose of direct negotiations between the two parties. The Oslo Accords marked the formal start of that process, which aimed at achieving a peace treaty based on UN Security Council Resolutions 242 and 338, and at fulfilling the right of the Palestinian people to self-determination. The negotiations were to focus on resolving the key issues in dispute: Israeli settlements, the status of Jerusalem, Israel's military presence in and control over remaining territories after Israel's recognition of Palestinian autonomy, and the return of Palestinian refugees. It was hoped and believed that the signing of the Oslo Accords was the beginning of the end of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, and of a process that would culminate in a two-state solution with secure borders for both Israel and a new Palestinian state. Since then, virtually nothing has occurred as envisioned. Prime Minister Rabin, a visionary leader who I knew and greatly respected, was assassinated by a Jewish extremist. Over the years, time after time, the hopes and aspirations of Israelis and Palestinians have been dashed. Israelis have suffered countless deadly attacks by Hamas and by other Palestinian extremists. The Palestinians have suffered countless humiliations and assassinations. But despite the many setbacks, missed opportunities, and failures of leadership on both sides, I have never felt that the Oslo process was a lost cause. Until today. Today I feel a greater sense of sorrow and discouragement about that once hopeful vision than I ever have before. On Monday, Secretary of State Pompeo announced that the Administration no longer considers Israeli settlements to be contrary to international law, thereby reversing a longstanding U.S. position that Israeli settlements in the West Bank are illegal. That position was based on adherence to international law and UN Security Council resolutions, and was embraced by both Democratic and Republican administrations. Upon learning of this change of position, I could not help but feel that it signified the demise of the Oslo Accords. After so many similar reversals of U.S. positions by this White House on key issues that both sides had pledged would be resolved only through negotiations, it seems beyond dispute that President Trump never believed in a two-state solution. In fact, this White House has been consistently disingenuous about its intentions in the Middle East, all the time talking about wanting a political settlement but acting in ways that put it increasingly out of reach. It was just a matter of time before they abandoned any pretext of supporting the principle that territorial disputes should be resolved through dialogue. Every step of the way, Administration officials have insisted on the myth that they are improving the prospects for peace, but three years later Israelis and Palestinians are farther from that goal than at any time since 1993. The White House, with the support and encouragement of the U.S. Ambassador and the Secretary of State, has done whatever it could to ensure that the West Bank, home to nearly 3 million Palestinians, is occupied permanently or annexed by Israel. Without a change of leadership with the necessary vision and political courage in the United States and in Israel, the Palestinians will remain as second-class citizens, subjected to a lifetime of indignities and entitled to only limited rights. I cannot help but wonder what my friend Prime Minister Rabin would be thinking today, and how he would react to this announcement. I suspect he would be as disappointed as I am that his courageous act more than a quarter century ago, and the opportunity that act offered for lasting peace for both Israelis and Palestinians, has been so selfishly and recklessly squandered. # # # # # 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/statement-on-the-one-month-continuing-resolution,Statement On The One-Month Continuing Resolution,2019-11-21,2019,2019-11,Democrat,House,VT,Patrick Leahy,L000174,www.leahy.senate.gov,,,legacy,"11.21.19 Statement On The One-Month Continuing Resolution Today, we have before us a continuing resolution to fully fund the federal government through December 20. While I wish this step was not necessary, I urge all members to vote AYE. I am disappointed we have to pass a second continuing resolution. I wish we were further along with our work. It is not for a lack of trying. It is no secret what is holding up negotiationsthe President's demand for $8.6 billion more for his vanity wall along the southern border. Despite the fact that he already has $10 billion on hand for his wall, $6.3 billion of which he stole from our troops and their families, and despite the fact that the vast majority of that money has yet to be spent, he wants more. Absent this issue I am certain we would have completed our work. It is dj vu all over againthe President is once again putting his own personal interests ahead of the interests of our country. I want to remind this chamber what is at stake in the annual appropriations billseducation for our children, cutting-edge medical research, workforce development, investments in infrastructure, support for our nation's farmers, medical care for our veterans, addressing the opioid crisis and environmental programs to keep our air safe to breathe and our water safe to drink. All are being held up, all are being put on autopilot, because the President cares about his wall above all. So we find ourselves at a critical juncture. Pass another continuing resolution to allow us to continue to negotiate in good faith, which I am committed to doing, or shut the government down. That is really no choice at all. The continuing resolution before us is a good bill that will allow us to continue our bipartisan and bicameral negotiations on the Fiscal Year 2020 appropriations process, and I urge all Senators to support it. In addition to continuing to fund our government for four more weeks, this bill tackles some issues that must be addressed without delay. It provides the Commerce Department with the necessary funds to carry out the decennial census, provides funds for mobile centers to ensure the census reaches those in the hardest to reach areas, and fulfills our Constitutional obligation to make sure that every American is counted. This bill includes a provision that would block a looming $7.6 billion rescission of highway funding set to hit the states on July 1, 2020. Without this provision each of our states would have seen significant cuts to their highway fundingthe last thing we need given the dire state of infrastructure in America today. It includes a pay raise for the military set to go into effect in January. And it includes legislation to ensure that victims of state sponsored terrorism get the compensation they are entitled too. Most importantly, it ensures the government remains funded while we continue to work on full-year appropriations bills. With passage of this bill we have only four short weeks to complete our work. It can be done. And I am committed to staying here as long as it takes. But this cannot be a one-sided negotiation. And we cannot be expected to agree to divert billions more in taxpayer dollars to fulfill President Trump's cynical campaign promise as part of the final deal. It simply does not have the support in this Chamber, or among the American people, to carry the day. That being said, we have made some progress in the last few weeks, and I am hopeful that progress can continue. It must continue. I look forward to working with Chairman Shelby, Chairwoman Lowey, and Ranking Member Granger to get these bills across the finish line. We owe it to the American people. #### Press Contact Jay Tilton 202-224-2667 Previous Article",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.leahy.senate.gov/press/statement-on-the-passing-of-jake-burton-carpenter,Statement On The Passing Of Jake Burton Carpenter,2019-11-21,2019,2019-11,Democrat,House,VT,Patrick Leahy,L000174,www.leahy.senate.gov,,,legacy,"11.21.19 Statement On The Passing Of Jake Burton Carpenter Marcelle and I join all Vermonters in mourning the loss of Jake Burton Carpenter. Hanging in my office is one of the early, wooden Burton Boards that are now so iconic to the sport. Marcelle and I will keep it there as a reminder of Jake's generosity to his employees and his community, which was exemplified by the annual, open celebration he and Donna threw at their own home. It will stand as a reminder of his fierce dedication to address the emerging crisis of climate change and not only what it meant to the future of sport he held so dear, but to his children's futures. And it will stand as the reminder of his friendship and his enduring love for our state. Jake valued community, and I know that legacy will carry on in all those who called him a friend, a mentor, a husband and a father. He was a visionary, and Marcelle and I will miss him dearly. # # # # # 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-collins-yarmuth-bacon-and-others-reintroduce-bipartisan-and-bicameral-bill-to-help-runaway-and-homeless-youth,"Leahy, Collins, Yarmuth, Bacon And Others Reintroduce Bipartisan And Bicameral Bill To Help Runaway And Homeless Youth",2019-11-20,2019,2019-11,Democrat,House,VT,Patrick Leahy,L000174,www.leahy.senate.gov,,,legacy,"11.20.19 Leahy, Collins, Yarmuth, Bacon And Others Reintroduce Bipartisan And Bicameral Bill To Help Runaway And Homeless Youth WASHINGTON (WEDNESDAY, Nov. 20, 2019) Senators Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) and Susan Collins (R-Maine), and Representatives John Yarmuth (D-Ky.), Don Bacon (R-Neb.), Jahana Hayes (D-Conn.),and Pramila Jayapal (D-Wash.) Wendesday reintroduced the bipartisan Runaway and Homeless Youth and Trafficking Prevention Act. The legislation will reauthorize key federal grant programs to provide states with grants to help thousands of homeless young people nationwide. The landmark Runaway and Homeless Youth Act was first passed by Congress in 1974, providing nationwide support to address youth and young adult homelessness. This reauthorization would expand protections to youths who are particularly vulnerable to human trafficking, and it would authorize funding for state and local programs to help provide transitional housing, street outreach, and crisis intervention programs to address the needs of homeless and runaway youth. It would also raise the authorization of appropriations to $225 million and double the minimum grant allocation provided to small states, from $100,000, to $200,000. Leahy said:No child in America should have to call the street home. Our bill will offer service providers the training and tools they need to best serve young people, to help ensure that they don't fall victim to human trafficking, and to keep them safe. These are often lifesaving programs, rescuing young lives and giving them crucial lifelines. Our legislation will allow communities in Vermont and across the country to expand their enormously important work. An estimated 4.2 million young people experience homelessness at some point in a year. As the Chairman of the Housing Appropriations Subcommittee, I have made it my goal to address homelessness. We must make sure our nation's homeless youth have the same opportunity to succeed as other youth, said Senator Collins. The programs reauthorized by this bill are critical in helping homeless youth stay off the street, avoid abuse, and find stable housing. I look forward to working with Senator Leahy to move this bill through the Senate and House so that the President can sign it into law. Yarmuth said: Young people in America deserve the security and shelter of a roof over their head and a place to call home. I am proud to help lead this bipartisan, bicameral effort to protect vulnerable and at-risk youth, providing them with the services and resources they need to ensure their safety and future success in life. We must improve our nation's response to our runaway and homeless youth crisis, which makes it absolutely vital that Congress pass this legislation and reauthorize these important programs. Bacon said: Statistics show that youth lacking a high school education or who identify as LGBT are more likely to experience homelessness or end up as victims of human trafficking. We want to ensure access to services for all Americans who need it as well as empower all entities who are committed to helping vulnerable people. Our bill will provide solutions to address these problems and lack of supports. The Runaway and Homeless Youth Act would: Reauthorize and increase authorization levels for programs under the Runaway and Homeless Youth Act Increase annual competitive grants for rural youth demographics from $100,000 to $200,000 Require the Department of Health and Human Services to develop every three years a national estimate of the prevalence of homeless youth Allow extensions in length of stay in Basic Center Programs (BCP) from 21 days, to up to 30 days This bill is supported by youth advocacy organizations such as the National Network for Youth, which has supported the Runaway and Homeless Youth Act since it was first enacted in 1974. # # # # # Press Contact Leahy: David Carle: 202-224-3693 Collins: Annie Clark: 202-224-2523 Yarmuth: Christopher Schuler: 202-225-5401 Bacon: Danielle Jensen: 402-938-0293 Previous Article",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.leahy.senate.gov/press/statement-on-the-united-states-and-cuba,Statement On The United States And Cuba,2019-11-20,2019,2019-11,Democrat,House,VT,Patrick Leahy,L000174,www.leahy.senate.gov,,,legacy,"11.20.19 Statement On The United States And Cuba Congressional Record Mr. LEAHY. Mr. President, since the onset of the Trump presidency, the White House has issued a steady stream of executive orders to reverse the policy of engagement with Cuba begun by President Obama. Those decisions have largely curtailed travel by law abiding Americans to Cuba who seek to participate in people-to-people exchanges, patronize Cuban private businesses, and otherwise experience Cuban culture. Cuba is the only country in the world to which Americans cannot travel freely, other than North Korea, because President Trump apparently believes it is his sole prerogative to tell Americans where they can travel and spend their own money. I have spoken about the need for engagement with Cuba many times. It is in our national interest because our past policy of unilateral sanctions and isolation enforced for more than half a century failed to achieve any of its objectives, and because engagement with the people of other countries is the way we promote our values and protect our interests. This is especially true when the foreign government is one with which we have profound disagreements, like Russia, China, Egypt, Turkey it is a long list. But no one is proposing that we prevent Americans from traveling to those countries, and if they did it would be strongly opposed by Republicans and Democrats alike. Today, our Embassy in Havana is operating on a shoestring. Whereas there used to be more than 50 direct hire staff, today there are fewer than 18. The Cuban Embassy in Washington has also been reduced to a shell of what it used to be. As a result, the ability of both governments to process visas and conduct diplomacy is at a virtual standstill. Cubans who seek visas to travel to the U.S. today to participate in educational programs, cultural, entrepreneurial, or scientific exchanges have to travel to Trinidad, Mexico, or some other country to apply at our embassies there. The cost to do so far exceeds what the vast majority of Cubans can afford, so travel by Cubans to the U.S. has been reduced to a trickle compared to what it was before. The White House has curtailed most air and sea travel to Cuba, so travel by Americans has also plummeted. This has wreaked havoc on fledgling Cuban private businesses, which depend on American customers. The Administration seems utterly unconcerned, focused instead on punishing the Cuban Government for its support of Nicolas Maduro in Venezuela. This is nothing new to the Cuban authorities, and it empowers hardliners in the Cuban Government who opposed engagement with the United States in the first place and who are more comfortable building alliances with counterparts in Russia, China, and North Korea with whom they share a common ideology and disdain for the United States. I recognize that the Trump Administration has no reluctance to hold Cuba to a standard that it does not hold for other authoritarian regimes. In fact, if President Trump were consistent he would be praising his Cuban counterpart as a friend or great leader, the way he praises Kim Jung Un, Xi Jinping, Abdel Fattah al Sisi, Rodrigo Duterte, Vladimir Putin, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, and other autocrats. But despite this hypocrisy, why don't we at least increase the number of consular officers at our embassies so Americans and Cubans can visit each other's countries? I understand that we have yet to determine the cause of illnesses suffered by U.S. Embassy personnel in Cuba, for which there is no evidence implicating the Cuban Government despite kneejerk claims by some to the contrary. But the last such incident was more than a year ago, and there are certainly U.S. Foreign Service Officers who would welcome the opportunity to serve in Havana. Both governments should be working to create favorable conditions for re-staffing each other's consular services so they can better serve the people of our two countries. # # # # # Press Contact David Carle: 202-224-3693 Next Article Previous Article",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z http://www.sanders.senate.gov/vermont/sanders-to-hold-senior-holiday-dinners,Sanders to Hold Senior Holiday Dinners,2019-11-19,2019,2019-11,Independent,House,VT,Bernard Sanders,S000033,www.sanders.senate.gov,,,legacy,"Sanders to Hold Senior Holiday Dinners Tuesday, November 19, 2019 BURLINGTON, Vt. U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) announced on Tuesday that his office will again organize six senior holiday dinners throughout Vermont in December. The meals are an opportunity for seniors to come together, enjoy a holiday meal, and hear music from local student choirs. The meals will be held in Barre, Bennington, Brattleboro, Burlington, Rutland and St. Johnsbury. Seating is limited and RSVPs are required. St. Johnsbury Senior Holiday Dinner When: Friday, December 6 at 12:00 pm Where: St. Johnsbury House; 1207 Main Street; St. Johnsbury Details: RSVP by Wednesday, December 4 to Senator Sanders' Office at 800-339-9834 (toll-free) or 802-862-0697 Bennington Senior Holiday Dinner When: Friday, December 6 at 12:00 pm Where: St. Peter's Episcopal Church Parish Hall; 200 Pleasant Street; Bennington Details: RSVP by Wednesday, November 27 to Meals on Wheels of Bennington County at 802-442-8012 ext. 2 Burlington Senior Holiday Dinner When: Sunday, December 8 at 12:00 pm Where: Hilton Hotel; 60 Battery Street; Burlington Details: RSVP by Tuesday, December 3 to Senator Sanders' Office at 800-339-9834 (toll-free) or 802-862-0697 Rutland Senior Holiday Dinner When: Thursday, December 12 at 12:00 pm Where: Godnick Adult Center; 1 Deer Street; Rutland Details: RSVP by Monday, December 9 to the Godnick Adult Center at 802-773-1853 Barre Senior Holiday Dinner When: Friday, December 13 at 12:00 pm Where: Canadian Club; 414 East Montpelier Road; Barre Details: RSVP by Tuesday, December 10 to Senator Sanders' Office at 800-339-9834 (toll-free) or 802-862-0697 Brattleboro Senior Holiday Dinner When: Thursday, December 19 at 12:00 pm Where: Brattleboro Senior Center; 207 Main Street; Brattleboro Details: RSVP starting Friday, November 29 and ending on Friday, December 13 to the Brattleboro Senior Center at 802-257-7570 or 802-257-1236",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://welch.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/welch-joins-105-house-colleagues-demanding-major-league-baseball-back,"Welch Joins 105 House Colleagues in Demanding Major League Baseball Back Off Its Proposal That Could Shutter 42 Minor League Teams, Including Vermont Lake Monsters",2019-11-19,2019,2019-11,Democrat,House,VT,Peter Welch,W000800,welch.house.gov,,,legacy,"WASHINGTON Rep. Peter Welch today joined a bipartisan group of 105 House colleagues in sending a letter to the commissioner of Major League Baseball (MLB) demanding that he abandon a proposal that could lead to the elimination of 42 minor league baseball teams, including the Vermont Lake Monsters. The proposal surfaced in negotiations between MLB and Minor League Baseball over renewal of their contract that expires September 15, 2020. Minor league baseball teams like Vermont's beloved Lake Monsters are part of the fabric of communities across the country, said Welch. They provide affordable, family friendly entertainment and help drive local economies. It would be a grave mistake for MLB to follow through on this proposal. Doing so would deal a devastating blow to the livelihood of their supportive communities. I hope this is a negotiating ploy as both sides enter into negotiations over a new contract. Should the MLB follow through, I intend to work with House colleagues from across the country to take a close look at the statutory advantages afforded the league by Congress over the years, including its lucrative anti-trust exemption. In the letter sent today, the legislators wrote to the commissioner, You are the most important steward of the great game of baseball and tasked with ensuring the popularity and love of it across the world. Reducing the number of Minor League Baseball clubs and overhauling a century-old system that has been consistently safeguarded by Congress is not in the best interest of the overall game of baseball, especially when Major League Baseball's revenues are at all-time highs. According to an October 18, 2019 report in Baseball America, 25 percent of Minor League teams may lose their Player Development Contract (PDC) for the 2021 season and beyond. The following list of teams are being targeted for elimination by MLB: Lancaster JetHawks (CA), Grand Junction Rockies (CO), Rocky Mountain Vibes (CO), Connecticut Tigers (CT), Daytona Tortugas (FL), Florida Fire Frogs (FL), Idaho Falls Chukars (ID), Burlington Bees (IA), Clinton LumberKings (IA), Lexington Legends (KY), Frederick Keys (MD), Hagerstown Suns (MD), Lowell Spinners (MA), Great Falls Voyagers (MT), Missoula Osprey (MT), Billings Mustangs (MT), Burlington Royals (NC), Auburn Doubledays (NY), Batavia Muckdogs (NY), Binghamton Rumble Ponies (NY), Staten Island Yankees (NY), Mahoning Valley Scrappers (OH), Salem-Keizer Volcanoes (OR), Erie Seawolves (PA), State College Spikes (PA), Williamsport Crosscutters (PA), Chattanooga Lookouts (TN), Elizabethton Twins (TN), Greeneville Reds (TN), Jackson Generals (TN), Johnson City Cardinals (TN), Kingsport Mets (TN), Orem Owlz (UT), Ogden Raptors (UT), Vermont Lake Monsters (VT), Bluefield Blue Jays (VA), Bristol Pirates (VA), Danville Braves (VA), Tri-City Dust Devils (WA), Princeton Rays (WV), West Virginia Power (WV), and Beloit Snappers (WI). Click HERE to view the November 19th letter to the commissioner. ###",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.leahy.senate.gov/press/statement-of-senator-leahy-on-ocean-plastic-pollution,Statement Of Senator Leahy On Ocean Plastic Pollution,2019-11-19,2019,2019-11,Democrat,House,VT,Patrick Leahy,L000174,www.leahy.senate.gov,,,legacy,"11.19.19 Statement Of Senator Leahy On Ocean Plastic Pollution Mr. LEAHY. Mr. President, the world's oceans serve as a crucial carbon sink, a home to hundreds of thousands of known and countless unknown species of marine life, an essential source of protein for billions of people, and a facilitator of billions of dollars in tourism, fishing, shipping, and other economic activity. Today, the oceans, on which life on Earth depends, are under serious threat. Threats from climate change, habitat destruction, illegal, unreported, and unregulated fishing, and pollution plastic waste pollution in particular are accelerating and causing potentially irreparable harm to this planet. I spoke recently on the significant health, environmental, and economic impacts of the more than 300 billion pounds of plastic waste circulating in the oceans, and on funding in the Senate version of the fiscal year 2020 Department of State and Foreign Operations Appropriations bill to strengthen U.S. efforts to address this pollution. Today I will further discuss the scale of the problem and actions that governments, nongovernmental organizations (NGOs), private companies, and other stakeholders can take to address this challenge. I want to share a few findings and recommendations from a report recently published by Ocean Conservancy and the Trash Free Seas Alliance, a global group of companies and NGOs seeking to reduce and reinvent products and services that contribute to ocean pollution. Absent collective action, the report depicts a bleak future one involving more than 550 billion pounds of plastic waste in the oceans by 2025, clogging our rivers and waterways, threatening marine life and seabirds, endangering human health, contaminating the food supply, and triggering a significant decline in economic benefits. For perspective, the amount of plastic entering the oceans each year is equivalent to dumping a garbage truck full of plastic into the ocean every minute of every hour of every day. That is 1,440 truckloads of plastic per day, or more than half a million truckloads per year. And of course this does not include the immense amounts of chemical waste and other types of pollution that enter the oceans every day. As the report describes, rising ocean plastic pollution is a direct result of the increasing global production and use of plastic, which totals more than 750 billion pounds per year, an estimated 40 percent of which is single-use. Waste management systems, particularly in developing countries, are woefully incapable of managing the growing quantity of plastic waste. So the majority of plastic entering the oceans was never collected as part of a formal waste management system, and without increased resources for waste management programs and improvements to collection infrastructure, developing countries and the oceans will continue to be inundated with plastic waste. There is no single solution. Instead, the report outlines four priority areas on which to focus our collective efforts: financing the collection of plastic waste; reducing the production and use of single-use plastics; improving design standards to address non-recyclable or difficult to recycle plastics; and increasing the demand for post-consumer plastics. One option for increasing resources to finance the collection of plastic waste is by charging fees to companies based on the amount of non-recyclable materials used in their products. Such fees have the potential to generate up to 75 percent of the resources needed to support effective waste collection programs. And increasing the demand for recycled products one of the other priority lines of effort reportedly has the potential to reduce the resources needed for such programs by more than 30 percent. Other options for tackling plastic pollution include a ban on microplastics, incentive programs for recycling, preferential procurement policies, and the use of refillable packaging. All of this is to say that steps can, and must, be urgently taken. While ocean plastic pollution may be a devastating and growing challenge, it is not an insurmountable one. And as I've said before, while the United States should significantly increase our engagement and leadership on this issue, we cannot solve this problem alone. There is no greater unifier than the oceans. Their protection should be of the utmost importance to governments, companies, and individuals on every continent and in every country. # # # # # Press Contact David Carle: 202-224-3693",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-the-introduction-of-a-one-month-continuing-resolution,Statement of Senate Appropriations Committee Vice Chairman Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) On The Introduction Of A One-Month Continuing Resolution,2019-11-18,2019,2019-11,Democrat,House,VT,Patrick Leahy,L000174,www.leahy.senate.gov,,,legacy,"11.18.19 Statement of Senate Appropriations Committee Vice Chairman Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) On The Introduction Of A One-Month Continuing Resolution Today, Chairwoman Lowey introduced a continuing resolution to fully fund the federal government through December 20. This is a welcome development and will allow us to continue our bipartisan and bicameral negotiations on the Fiscal Year 2020 appropriations process. Importantly, this continuing resolution provides the Commerce Department with the necessary funds to carry out the decennial census, provides funds for mobile centers to ensure the census reaches those in the hardest to reach areas, and fulfills our Constitutional obligation to make sure that every American is counted. Specifically, it allows the Commerce Department to spend at a rate of operations that assumes $7.3 billion for the Decennial Census in Fiscal Year 2020, the same amount provided for in the Senate-passed Commerce, Justice, Science Appropriations bill. This is a necessary step forward. I strongly urge the Senate to take up and pass this bill as soon as possible. I look forward to continuing to work with Chairman Shelby, Chairwoman Lowey, and Ranking Member Granger on a path forward. # # # # # Press Contact David Carle: 202-224-3693 Previous Article",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z http://www.sanders.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/sanders-and-ocasio-cortez-announce-the-green-new-deal-for-public-housing-act,Sanders and Ocasio-Cortez Announce The Green New Deal for Public Housing Act,2019-11-14,2019,2019-11,Independent,House,VT,Bernard Sanders,S000033,www.sanders.senate.gov,,,legacy,"WASHINGTON, November 14 Today, at 3 p.m. outside the U.S. Capitol Building, Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) will announce the introduction of the Green New Deal for Public Housing Act in partnership with public housing residents, affordable housing advocates, and climate change activists. The sweeping legislation they will unveil aims to retrofit, rehabilitate, and decarbonize the entire nation's public housing stock.The Green New Deal for Public Housing Act invests up to $180 billion over ten years in sustainable retrofits that include all needed repairs, vastly improved health, safety and comfort, and eliminate carbon emissions in our federal public housing. The legislation also provides funding to electrify all buildings, add solar panels, and secure renewable energy sources for all public housing energy needs. The bill dramatically improves living conditions for nearly 2 million people living in roughly 1 million public homes.Faced with the global crisis of climate change, the United States must lead the world in transforming our energy system away from fossil fuel to sustainable energy, said Sanders. But let us be clear: as Congresswoman Ocasio-Cortez understands, the Green New Deal is not just about climate change. It is an economic plan to create millions of good-paying jobs, strengthen our infrastructure, and invest in our country's frontline and vulnerable communities. This bill shows that we can address our climate and affordable housing crises by making public housing a model of efficiency, sustainability and resiliency. Importantly, the working people who have been most impacted by decades of disinvestment in public housing will be empowered to lead this effort and share in the economic prosperity that it generates for our country.Climate change represents both a grave threat and a tremendous opportunity, said Ocasio-Cortez. The Green New Deal for Public Housing Act will train and mobilize the workforce to decarbonize the public housing stock and improve the quality of life for all residents. I am proud to begin the hard work of codifying the Green New Deal into law with my friend and colleague, Senator Bernie Sanders.About40 percentof total U.S. energy consumption is attributable to residential and commercial buildings. With its focus on transforming 1 million units of federally owned housing, the Green New Deal for Public Housing Act will spur economies of scale for weatherization, retrofitting, and renewable energy, making them more cost effective and attractive throughout the country. The legislation is expected to createnearly 250,000 good-paying, union jobsper year across the country while reducing carbon emissions on the scale of taking 1.2 million cars off the road over the next ten years. Public housing costs would also be reduced by $97 million per year, or 30 percent, and energy costs would be slashed by $613 million, or 70 percent.The legislation envisions a federal-state partnership, creating new grant programs to swiftly and efficiently transition public housing, tribal housing, and Native Hawaiian housing to zero-carbon, energy efficient housing. The bill creates sustainable communities for families by building new childcare and senior centers, expanding access to clean transit, and creating community gardens and other community amenities. Under the legislation, public housing will receive deep energy retrofits, build community-generated renewable electricity, and upgrade unsafe and unsanitary infrastructure, including buildings' water and electrical systems.The Green New Deal for Public Housing Act requires that the hundreds of thousands of jobs created by this investment be high-road, family-sustaining jobs by requiring strong labor standards, prevailing wages, and Buy America requirements. Public housing residents will lead the decision-making process for these investments and receive jobs training for the newly created jobs from this legislation.The bill is cosponsored in the Senate by Sen. Jeff Merkley (D-OR) and Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) and endorsed by more than 50organizations.Read the bill summaryhere.Read the legislative texthere.Read a section-by-section overviewhere.Read organizational statements of supporthere.Watch the press conference live at 3 p.m. EThere.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z http://www.sanders.senate.gov/newsroom/video-audio/sanders-and-ocasio-cortez-introduce-the-green-new-deal-for-public-housing,Sanders and Ocasio-Cortez Introduce the Green New Deal for Public Housing,2019-11-14,2019,2019-11,Independent,House,VT,Bernard Sanders,S000033,www.sanders.senate.gov,,,legacy,"Sanders and Ocasio-Cortez Introduce the Green New Deal for Public Housing Housing is a human right. If we transform our public housing to energy efficiency, we can begin to address the climate crisis and create thousands of good-paying jobs.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z http://www.sanders.senate.gov/newsroom/video-audio/senator-sanders-stands-with-dreamers,Senator Sanders Stands With Dreamers,2019-11-14,2019,2019-11,Independent,House,VT,Bernard Sanders,S000033,www.sanders.senate.gov,,,legacy,"Senator Sanders Stands With Dreamers We cannot kick these young people out of the only country they have ever known. 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/members-northern-new-england-congressional-delegations-call-customs-and,Members of Northern New England Congressional Delegations Call on Customs and Border Patrol to Disclose Criteria & Effectiveness of Highway Checkpoints,2019-11-14,2019,2019-11,Democrat,House,VT,Peter Welch,W000800,welch.house.gov,,,legacy,"(Washington, DC) Yesterday, Senators Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), Patrick Leahy (D-VT), Maggie Hassan (D-NH) and Bernie Sanders (I-VT) sent a letter to the Customs and Border Patrol (CBP) with Representatives Chris Pappas (D-NH1), Ann McLane Kuster (D-NH2), Peter Welch (D-VT At-Large) and Chellie Pingree (D-ME1), calling on the agency to provide information on the use of temporary highway checkpoints in northern New England over the past year. In the letter addressed to Acting CBP Commissioner Mark Morgan, the group questioned whether the lack of arrests stemming from the random stops of vehicles on local highways warranted the harmful economic impact and inconvenience to travelers in the region. The members cited an instance on I-93 near Woodstock, New Hampshire during Laconia Motorcycle Week, which did not result in any arrests but caused significant traffic delays in the region, as well as similar occurrences in Lebanon, New Hampshire and in South Hero, Vermont. Their letter states, Ensuring that we maintain effective security along our Northern border is a top priority, and we continue to work to secure needed investments in border security operations and technology. We also recognize the difficult job CBP personnel face in enforcing our nation's immigration laws, which are in desperate need of reform. Given our current challenges, our border protection resources must be used strategically and effectively. We have a number of questions regarding the agency's policies and processes for the implementation of these activities, with a particular focus on temporary highway checkpoints and the consideration of community and economic impact. The delegation closed their letter with a series of questions for CBP to respond to and detail justification for the checkpoints. The full text of the letter is available here. ###",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://welch.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/rep-welch-sen-udall-introduce-legislation-reform-renewable-fuel-standard,"Rep. Welch, Sen. Udall Introduce Legislation to Reform the Renewable Fuel Standard to Benefit the Environment",2019-11-14,2019,2019-11,Democrat,House,VT,Peter Welch,W000800,welch.house.gov,,,legacy,"WASHINGTON - Today, Rep. Peter Welch (D-Vt.) and Senator Tom Udall (D-N.M.) introduced companion bills in the U.S. House of Representatives and U.S. Senate to reform the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) by mitigating harmful environmental impacts of the corn ethanol mandate and advancing the next generation of biofuels that actually reduce greenhouse gas emissions. The GREENER Fuels Act (Growing Renewable Energy through Existing and New Environmentally Responsible Fuels Act) would: First, phase out the corn ethanol mandate and immediately reduce the amount of ethanol in fuel by as much as 1 billion gallons by capping the amount of ethanol that can be blended into conventional gasoline at 9.7 percent. After thirteen years of increasing mandates, corn ethanol is now a mature technology, but one that has contributed to habitat loss and greater water pollution from pesticides and fertilizers. Second, help farmers return cornfields to pasture and wildlife habitat through a 10 cents per RIN fee to fund a new Private Land Protection and Restoration Fund in the U.S. Treasury. The fund will help pay for Department of Interior programs that: -pay for easements on private lands to keep them out of agricultural production; -keep the lands in conservation uses like grass, forest, stream buffers, or pollinator habitat and; -help farmers transition land currently in crop production into other uses. Third, extend the cellulosic and advanced next generation biofuel mandate until 2 billion gallons of annual production is achieved or 2037, whichever is soonest, and improve the way the mandate is implemented to produce liquid transportation fuels that dramatically reduce greenhouse gas emissions. ""Despite its early promise, the RFS has been a well-intentioned flop that is harming our environment by contributing to the conversion of millions of acres of grasslands, wetlands and forests into crop production while failing to bring about the widespread use of truly sustainable fuels like cellulosic,"" said Welch. ""Our commonsense legislation reforms the mandate to dramatically reduce its environmental impact and to support the continued growth of advanced biofuels. For years, the Renewable Fuel Standard has been unable to deliver on the promise of reducing greenhouse gas emissions and instead has contributed to wildlife habitat destruction and more water pollution from fertilizers and pesticides,"" Udall said. ""Our bill makes the needed reforms to transition biofuels away from food-based crops to greener alternatives that truly are cleaner and more sustainable climate-friendly fuels. This is the type of legislation we need to help combat the urgent threat of climate change, protect shrinking wildlife habitat, and protect our planet for future generations. The original promise of Renewable Fuel Standard was that it would deliver a new wave of cleaner, more climate-friendly transportation fuels, said Henry Waxman, former chairman of the House Energy and Commerce Committee. More than a decade later, this promise rings hollow. Truly advanced, next-generation' biofuels have failed to come online in significant amounts. The first generation biofuels we are using, corn ethanol and soy biodiesel, have incentivized short-sighted farming practices and encouraged land conversion and forest destruction around the globe. Perhaps most disturbing, a decade of research shows that these biofuels are not meeting their modest climate emission reduction targets and in fact may be exacerbating the climate crisis. It's time our policies reflected our new understanding. The GREENER Fuels Act would help fix the broken status quo. I applaud Representative Welch and Senator Udall for this important step in addressing our country's role in the climate crisis. The Greener Fuels Act will protect at-risk wildlife, drinking water, and public health, while supporting farmers as our nation transitions towards cleaner, more sustainable liquid fuels and electric vehicles to achieve net-zero carbon emissions before 2050, said Collin O'Mara, president and CEO of the National Wildlife Federation. We thank Rep. Welch and Sen. Udall for their leadership to move America toward cleaner, more sustainable fuels. We urge the full House and Senate to take up and pass these bills. We also strongly encourage the EPA to use this legislation as a roadmap to reform U.S. biofuel policy to support cleaner, more sustainable fuelsand to reverse the vast environmental damage the corn ethanol mandate has caused. ""The Sierra Club applauds Senator Udall, Congressman Welch, and all the members of Congress who are putting common sense first rather than continuing to permit a dirty and destructive policy to remain intact,"" said Michael Brune, Executive Director of the Sierra Club. ""Instead of continuing to play political games with our environment and public health, these legislators are moving policies that will help undo the damage caused by the ethanol mandate. We urge Congress to pass this legislation immediately rather than continuing to push false theories about ethanol."" For a copy of the legislation, click here and here. ###",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.leahy.senate.gov/press/members-of-northern-new-england-congressional-delegations-call-on-customs-and-border-patrol-to-disclose-criteria-and-effectiveness-of-highway-checkpoints,Members Of Northern New England Congressional Delegations Call On Customs And Border Patrol To Disclose Criteria & Effectiveness Of Highway Checkpoints,2019-11-14,2019,2019-11,Democrat,House,VT,Patrick Leahy,L000174,www.leahy.senate.gov,,,legacy,"11.14.19 Members Of Northern New England Congressional Delegations Call On Customs And Border Patrol To Disclose Criteria & Effectiveness Of Highway Checkpoints (Washington, DC) Yesterday, Senators Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), Patrick Leahy (D-VT), Maggie Hassan (D-NH) and Bernie Sanders (I-VT) sent a letter to the Customs and Border Patrol (CBP) with Representatives Chris Pappas (D-NH1), Ann McLane Kuster (D-NH2), Peter Welch (D-VT At-Large) and Chellie Pingree (D-ME1), calling on the agency to provide information on the use of temporary highway checkpoints in northern New England over the past year. In the letter addressed to Acting CBP Commissioner Mark Morgan, the group questioned whether the lack of arrests stemming from the random stops of vehicles on local highways warranted the harmful economic impact and inconvenience to travelers in the region. The members cited an instance on I-93 near Woodstock, New Hampshire during Laconia Motorcycle Week, which did not result in any arrests but caused significant traffic delays in the region, as well as similar occurrences in Lebanon, New Hampshire and in South Hero, Vermont. Their letter states, Ensuring that we maintain effective security along our Northern border is a top priority, and we continue to work to secure needed investments in border security operations and technology. We also recognize the difficult job CBP personnel face in enforcing our nation's immigration laws, which are in desperate need of reform. Given our current challenges, our border protection resources must be used strategically and effectively. We have a number of questions regarding the agency's policies and processes for the implementation of these activities, with a particular focus on temporary highway checkpoints and the consideration of community and economic impact. The delegation closed their letter with a series of questions for CBP to respond to and detail justification for the checkpoints. The full text of the letter is available here. ### Press Contact David Carle: 202-224-3693 Joe Reid Deputy Press Secretary U.S. Senator Jeanne Shaheen Previous Article",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.leahy.senate.gov/press/statement-of-senator-patrick-leahy-on-reducing-pandemic-risk,Statement Of Senator Patrick Leahy On Reducing Pandemic Risk,2019-11-14,2019,2019-11,Democrat,House,VT,Patrick Leahy,L000174,www.leahy.senate.gov,,,legacy,"11.14.19 Statement Of Senator Patrick Leahy On Reducing Pandemic Risk Congressional Record Mr. LEAHY. Mr. President, we do not have to be reminded of the more than 50 million lives lost in the 1918 influenza pandemic, or the many thousands lost in the SARS, Ebola, MERS, and other recent infectious disease outbreaks to recognize that far more must be done to reduce the risk of catastrophic pandemics. Rather than waiting until disease outbreaks occur, then scrambling at great expense for two or three years or however long it takes to develop a vaccine while countless people die, we need to act proactively. It is worth noting that tens of millions of people have died and we still lack a vaccine against HIV. Viral threats will continue to emerge at a rapidly accelerating pace in response to expanding global populations in the least developed countries, international travel, and human encroachment into wildlife habitat. And we know that the vast majority of emerging viruses, like HIV, are zoonotic infectious diseases that can spread between animals and humans. In an effort to strengthen global capacity for detection and discovery of zoonotic viruses, the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) initiated the PREDICT project in 2009. Its goal was to identify new emerging viruses with pandemic potential and improve predictive modeling to better focus surveillance, data collection, and analytics to reduce the risk of animal viruses spilling over and spreading in human populations. Through the collection and analysis of wildlife samples in areas of the world most at risk for zoonotic disease, PREDICT was able to discover disease pathogens at their source, rather than waiting for human infection. Over the past decade and through its work in more than 30 countries, PREDICT has identified hundreds of viruses and has estimated that there are more than 1.6 million unknown viral disease species in mammalian and avian populations, of which an estimated 600,000 to 850,000 have the potential to infect humans. PREDICT has proven the feasibility of a global, systematic viral discovery program and paved the way for continued progress toward a more proactive approach to reducing pandemic risk. As the PREDICT project comes to an end next year, USAID is exploring ways to build on its successful analytical and modeling work and is in the process of designing the next phase of programming to continue this critical effort. It is my hope that others in the international community will use the lessons learned and techniques proven from PREDICT to inform their own efforts. Currently, the international community often targets global health investments on infrastructure, institutions, and human resources. While that approach works to strengthen public health systems and to tackle existing diseases, reducing the risk of future pandemics will require a substantially different approach. As the PREDICT project has shown, there are ways to use data, research, and technology to proactively identify viral threats. Using existing health science and technology to continue to fill the knowledge gap for unknown viruses will save precious lives and dollars in the future. Thanks to the work of USAID, we have a strong basis of knowledge on which to expand this critical research. While the large pool of viral threats lying dormant in animals has not changed, human interaction with wildlife has. And in this increasingly globalized and densely populated world, where it is easier than ever for zoonotic diseases to rapidly spread across regions and continents, it is essential that the international community focus on finding innovative ways to reduce pandemic risk. One approach is through a global viral discovery effort, in which countries share data on previously unknown viruses, which will transform the fight against pandemic threats from a reactive to a proactive undertaking. This is not a technological challenge; it is matter of political will and resources. It will require commitments from governments around the world to collect and share data on previously unknown viruses. And while I recognize that is easier said than done, better equipping humanity to protect itself against catastrophic pandemics is an investment we cannot afford not to make. # # # # # Press Contact David Carle: 202-224-3693 Previous Article",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z http://www.sanders.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/sanders-lee-and-tlaib-partner-to-combat-outrageous-ceo-pay,"Sanders, Lee, and Tlaib Partner to Combat Outrageous CEO Pay",2019-11-13,2019,2019-11,Independent,House,VT,Bernard Sanders,S000033,www.sanders.senate.gov,,,legacy,"Sanders, Lee, and Tlaib Partner to Combat Outrageous CEO Pay Wednesday, November 13, 2019 WASHINGTON, November 13 Sen. BernieSanders(I-Vt.), Rep. Barbara Lee (D-Calif.) and Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D-Mich.) introduced the Tax Excessive CEO Pay Act, which rewrites the federal tax code to tackle the inequality crisis created by corporate America's unrestrained greed. The typical restaurant employee at McDonald's would have to work for more than2,000years to earn what the company's CEO Chris Kempczinski received last year. A retail worker at Gap Inc. would have to work for more than3,000years to receive the annual compensation of Gap's former CEO Art Peck. Peck's pay was increased by33 percentin 2018, even after he presided overyearsof declines in sales and stock prices. The Tax Excessive CEO Pay Act wouldpressure corporations to curb these outrageous pay gaps that are the norm today, by imposing graduated taxes for companies that pay their CEO more than 50 times the pay of the median worker. The tax penalties would begin at 0.5 percentage points and rise to 5 percentage points for firms compensating their chief executives at more than 500 times the rate of their workers. A recentreportby the Institute for Policy Studies found that 80 percent of S&P 500 firms paid their CEOs more than 100 times the pay of their median worker. Many of the firms lavishing multi-million-dollar compensation packages on their top executives rely on taxpayer supportthrough public housing, nutrition assistance, and Medicaid, for exampleto assist full-time workers who struggle with poverty wages. In America today, ordinary workers at some of the richest corporations are making poverty wages. Meanwhile, we've got a class of corporate CEOs who make hundredssometimes thousandsof times more than their employees, saidSanders.The last time I checked, corporations got by just fine when CEOs made a million bucks a yearone-tenth of what they make now. All around the world today, large, successful businesses manage to be profitable while treating their workers with dignity and not handing out obscene pay packages to their CEOs. If America's corporate boards can't understand the absurdity of paying their CEO friendsin one yearmore than their workers will earn in a lifetime, then the Tax Excessive CEO Pay Act will help them figure it out. In the last four decades, inequality has ballooned in our nation and more and more wealth is going to those at the top while workers' wages, especially for workers of color, have remained stagnant, saidCongresswoman Barbara Lee.It is unjust and unacceptable that the CEOs of major corporations are making an average of 287 times more than their average worker with some CEOs making upwards of 1000 times more. The Tax Excessive CEO Pay Act will incentivize companies to reduce the CEO-worker pay gaps and pay their workers the wages they deserve. Because if companies can afford to pay their CEOs tens of millions of dollars, they can afford to raise wages for their employees. Corporate greed is a disease that has long inflicted this countryincome inequality and the pay gap between CEOs and their employees are just two of its symptoms that are harming everyday people, saidCongresswoman Rashida Tlaib. In 2018, for example, General Motors' CEO made nearly 300 times more than the median income of an employee there. We have had enough. The Tax Excessive CEO Pay Act will help ensure there is more fairness in the workplace when it comes to wages. It's common sense legislation on the path toward justice for all. In the 1970s, the average middle-class American worker could raise a family and save for retirement with their pay. CEOs of successful U.S. corporations in the 1970s received about $1 million annuallyroughly20 to 30 timesthe average pay of their company's middle-class workers. At present, a CEO at a Fortune 500 firm receives about $20 million per year200 to 300 times the average pay of a typical worker, according toresearchby the AFL-CIO. Americans across the political spectrum are outraged by the extreme gaps between CEO and worker pay. According toa nationwide survey, the typical American would limit CEO pay to no more than 6 times that of the average worker. About 62% of all Americans 52% of Republicans and 66% of Democrats favor capping CEO pay relative to worker pay. The Tax Excessive CEO Pay Act would raise roughly $150 billion over 10 years if current compensation trends continue. The bill alsorequires the Treasury Department to issue regulations to prevent tax avoidance, including against companies that increase the use of contractors rather than employees. Pay-ratio data for privately held corporations would also be made public, just as publicly held corporations are required to make public under current law. The Tax Excessive CEO Pay Act is endorsed by theAFL-CIO, Americans for Democratic Action, Campaign for America's Future, Center for Popular Democracy, Communications Workers of America, Coalition on Human Needs, EPI Policy Center, Franciscan Action Network, Institute for Policy Studies/Global Economy Project, International Brotherhood of Teamsters, International Federation of Professional & Technical Engineers, Jobs With Justice, National Council of Churches, National Federation of Federal Employees, National Health Care for the Homeless Council, NETWORK, Other98, Our Revolution, People's Action, People Demanding Action, Public Citizen, Restaurant Opportunities Centers United, Service Employees International Union (SEIU), Social Security Works, Strong Economy for All, Take on Wall Street, and the Working Families Party. The bill was cosponsored by RepresentativesSchakowsky (D-Ill.), Grijalva (D-Ariz.), Norton (D-D.C.), Huffman (D-Calif.), Jayapal (D-Wash.), Khanna (D-Calif.), Thompson (D-Miss.), DeLauro (D-Conn.), Haaland (D-N.M.), Espaillat (D-N.Y.), Pressley (D-Mass.), Garcia (D-Ill.), Omar (D-Minn.), Takano (D-Calif.), Watson Coleman (D-N.J.) and McGovern(D-Mass.). Read the bill summaryhere. Read the legislative texthere. Read an FAQhere. Read a support letter by 28 major economic justice organizationshere. Watch the bill's release video here.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z http://www.sanders.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/vermont-delegation-condemns-trumps-cuts-to-refugee-admissions,Vermont Delegation Condemns Trump's Cuts to Refugee Admissions,2019-11-13,2019,2019-11,Independent,House,VT,Bernard Sanders,S000033,www.sanders.senate.gov,,,legacy,"Vermont Delegation Condemns Trump's Cuts to Refugee Admissions Wednesday, November 13, 2019 WASHINGTON, November 13 In response to President Trump's recent cut in refugee admissions, Senator Bernie Sanders, Senator Patrick Leahy and Representative Peter Welch issued the following statement: ""President Trump's recent approval of a 18,000 limit on refugee admissions the lowest admissions ceiling in our country's history is a shameful abdication of our role in providing refuge to those fleeing extreme violence and poverty around the world. ""The timing could not be worse. According to the United Nations, more than 70 million people worldwide have been displaced from their homes due to persecution and conflict, including almost 30 million refugees. This is a global humanitarian crisis of an unprecedented scale, and the United States must do its part to address it. ""Welcoming refugees to this country and to Vermont is not only the right thing to do, but it also benefits our communities in many ways. For centuries, immigrants and refugees have made significant contributions to our culture and economy and helped us become the country and state we are today. And here in Vermont, refugees are essential to growing our workforce. At a time when our state's population is aging and declining, employers increasingly rely on the New American community to address labor shortages and help their businesses expand. ""We stand united in our support of the refugee resettlement program and call on the Trump Administration to significantly increase refugee admissions. Refugees come to the U.S. for the same things we all want: safety, freedom, and opportunity. If we turn our backs on refugees, we abandon the very identity of our country as a refuge for the persecuted and oppressed.""",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://welch.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/vermont-delegation-condemns-trumps-cuts-refugee-admissions,Vermont Delegation Condemns Trump's Cuts to Refugee Admissions,2019-11-13,2019,2019-11,Democrat,House,VT,Peter Welch,W000800,welch.house.gov,,,legacy,"WASHINGTON, November 13 In response to President Trump's recent cut in refugee admissions, Senator Bernie Sanders, Senator Patrick Leahy and Representative Peter Welch issued the following statement: ""President Trump's recent approval of a 18,000 limit on refugee admissions the lowest admissions ceiling in our country's history is a shameful abdication of our role in providing refuge to those fleeing extreme violence and poverty around the world. ""The timing could not be worse. According to the United Nations, more than 70 million people worldwide have been displaced from their homes due to persecution and conflict, including almost 30 million refugees. This is a global humanitarian crisis of an unprecedented scale, and the United States must do its part to address it. ""Welcoming refugees to this country and to Vermont is not only the right thing to do, but it also benefits our communities in many ways. For centuries, immigrants and refugees have made significant contributions to our culture and economy and helped us become the country and state we are today. And here in Vermont, refugees are essential to growing our workforce. At a time when our state's population is aging and declining, employers increasingly rely on the New American community to address labor shortages and help their businesses expand. ""We stand united in our support of the refugee resettlement program and call on the Trump Administration to significantly increase refugee admissions. Refugees come to the U.S. for the same things we all want: safety, freedom, and opportunity. If we turn our backs on refugees, we abandon the very identity of our country as a refuge for the persecuted and oppressed."" ###",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.leahy.senate.gov/press/leahy-feinstein-and-other-senators-introduce-house-passed-violence-against-women-act,"Leahy, Feinstein, And Other Senators Introduce House-Passed Violence Against Women Act",2019-11-13,2019,2019-11,Democrat,House,VT,Patrick Leahy,L000174,www.leahy.senate.gov,,,legacy,"11.13.19 Leahy, Feinstein, And Other Senators Introduce House-Passed Violence Against Women Act . . . They Call On Majority Leader McConnell To Rescue VAWA From His Legislative Graveyard' WASHINGTON (Wednesday, Nov. 13, 2019) Senator Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.), Judiciary Committee Ranking Member Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) and others on Wednesday led all 47 Democratic senators in introducing the Senate companion to the House-passed Violence Against Women Reauthorization Act. They called on Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) to bring VAWA renewal legislation to the Senate Floor. The bill, whose chief sponsor is Feinstein, would reauthorize VAWA through 2024, preserves advancements made in previous reauthorizations and includes a number of additional improvements to the current law. Leahy was the author and chief sponsor of the last VAWA reauthorization bill that he steered through the Judiciary Committee and the Senate in 2013, and which now has expired. He also led the successful effort to convince House Republican leaders to allow a vote on Leahy's stronger version, compared to a weaker Republican version. Leahy's 2013 law had strengthened VAWA and its grant programs by expanding protections for particularly vulnerable communities, as well as renewing the landmark legislation. The programs authorized under VAWA are used throughout Vermont in addressing domestic violence and other issues. In a news conference in the Capitol, Leahy recounted his experiences as a prosecutor in Vermont in encountering domestic violence and other crimes. Leahy said: Before the Senate came together six years ago to pass the Leahy-Crapo Violence Against Women Reauthorization Act, many skeptics had called for a watered down VAWA bill to make it easier to pass. We instead chose to stand by the survivors and victim services professionals who called for legislation that would protect all victims, regardless of their immigration status, their sexual orientation, or their membership in an Indian tribe. Leahy continued: Today those same victim advocates are calling for further improvements to VAWA. I'm proud to again stand with them, and to stand with my dear friend Senator Dianne Feinstein to introduce legislation that has already passed the House with a strong bipartisan vote and would make VAWA stronger than ever before. Key provisions in the bill: Protects Native American women by improving tribal access to federal crime information databases and reaffirming tribal criminal jurisdiction over non-Indian perpetrators of domestic violence, sexual assault, dating violence and stalking for all federally recognized Indian tribes and Alaskan Natives. Explicitly states that grant recipients are allowed to train staff and others on identifying and stopping discrimination against LGBT individuals. Service providers currently remain uncertain about whether they can use grants to train for this. Reauthorizes and updates the SMART Prevention Program to reduce dating violence, help children who have been exposed to violence and engage men in preventing violence. Expands grants under the Public Health Service Act to support implementation of training programs to improve the capacity of early childhood programs to address domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking among the families they serve. Provides services, protection and justice for young victims of violence, including extending the Rape Prevention and Education grant program, addressing bullying of young people, improving grants focused on prevention education for students and expanding relevant training for school-based and campus health centers. Preserves and expands housing protections for survivors. Provides economic security assistance for survivors by reauthorizing the National Resource Center on Workplace Responses. Protects employees from being fired because they are survivors of sexual assault or domestic violence and protects survivors' eligibility to receive unemployment insurance. Enhances judicial and law enforcement tools through reauthorization of the Justice Department's STOP Violence Against Women Formula Program, known as the STOP Program. Authorizes the use of STOP Program grants to expand the use of grant funding for programs focused on increasing survivor, law enforcement and community safety; increase legal assistance for dependent children in appropriate circumstances; and develop and enforce firearm surrender policies. Protects the Justice Department's Office on Violence Against Women from being merged or consolidated into any other Justice Department office. Helps prevent intimate partner homicides by including provisions expanding firearms laws to prohibit persons convicted of dating violence from possessing firearms, prohibiting persons convicted of misdemeanor stalking from possessing firearms and prohibiting individuals subject to ex parte protective orders from possessing firearms. # # # # # 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/statement-on-the-supreme-court-argument-to-decide-future-of-americas-dreamers,Statement On The Supreme Court Argument To Decide Future Of America's Dreamers,2019-11-12,2019,2019-11,Democrat,House,VT,Patrick Leahy,L000174,www.leahy.senate.gov,,,legacy,"11.12.19 Statement On The Supreme Court Argument To Decide Future Of America's Dreamers Congressional Record Today the Supreme Court heard arguments in one of the most consequential immigration cases in modern American history. The future of more than 700,000 DACA recipients our nation's Dreamers hangs in the balance. And their fate is inherently intertwined with the fate of the American Dream itself. Dreamers, by definition, are law-abiding immigrants brought to the United States as children through no choice of their own now simply seeking the chance to contribute to the only country they have ever known as home. Dreamers, by definition, do not pose any kind of public safety or national security threat. They are our neighbors, our first responders, our defenders, and our teachers. Nearly a thousand Dreamers serve in our armed forces, risking their lives to preserve the freedoms of millions of American citizens. Dreamers are Americans in every way, except on paper. Americans know this, and have roundly rejected the baseless, un-American vitriol spread by President Trump yet again this morning, just hours before the argument that some Dreamers are hardened criminals. So it is no wonder that the overwhelming majority of Americans support providing legal protections to our nation's Dreamers. And it is no surprise that leaders of industry in every major sector of our economy have called for providing legal status and a path to citizenship for Dreamers, recognizing their enormous contributions to our economy. The depth of opposition to President Trump's decision to heartlessly terminate DACA is matched only by the breadth of agreement among courts that the Trump administration is just plain wrong on the law. Five out of six federal courts that considered the Trump administration's effort to end DACA blocked President Trump from actually doing so. And they have rejected the Trump administration's laughable argument that its decision to end DACA is simply unreviewable by the courts. I am hopeful that the Supreme Court sides with the near unanimous consensus among lower courts. I am hopeful that it joins the united chorus of Americans who envision a legally protected place in our society for this group of immigrants that embodies the American Dream. Regardless of how the Supreme Court rules, Congress is by no means a bystander. Congress still has the authority and the responsibility to do what is right. Just a few months ago, the House passed a bipartisan bill, the American Dream and Promise Act, which would enact critical protections for Dreamers and provide temporary safe haven to targeted groups of immigrants whose home countries have been crippled by natural disasters or civil conflict. The Senate could easily take up this bill today. Or it could take up the bipartisan Senate bill, the Dream Act of 2019, authored by Senators Graham and Durbin, which would provide meaningful safeguards to our Dreamers. Either way, Senate inaction is simply not acceptable to the millions of Americans in both parties who see the prospect of mass deportations of Dreamers as antithetical to who we are as the United States of America. As we wait for our nation's highest court to rule on this case, it is essential for Americans to express their views about the future of Dreamers to their elected representatives. This case, after all, is not just about the specific Dreamers who would benefit from DACA's continued existence, and it not just about the Trump administration's anti-immigrant impulses and policies. This is about whether our proud past as a nation of immigrants and refugees a country that became one out of many has a bright future. That future should not be left solely to the courts. Nor should it be left to languish in Majority Leader McConnell's legislative graveyard. This future will be shaped, in part, by what we choose to do now, in the present. And it is beyond time for the Senate to come together and do what is right. # # # # # Press Contact David Carle: 202-224-3693 Previous Article",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z http://www.sanders.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/sanders-statement-on-veterans-day-2019,Sanders Statement on Veterans Day,2019-11-11,2019,2019-11,Independent,House,VT,Bernard Sanders,S000033,www.sanders.senate.gov,,,legacy,"Sanders Statement on Veterans Day Monday, November 11, 2019 On this Veterans Day we must renew our promise to our nation's veterans, not just through our words but through real action. Too many of our returning service members confront homelessness, mental health issues, and even deportations. We must work together to build a society where our veterans do not have to face these injustices. In my view, it is a disgrace that 38,000 veterans are homeless. If you can't afford to take care of your veterans, then you do not go to war. We must use this day to recommit to protecting our veterans' health care. Veterans overwhelmingly approve of the VAthat means we need to strengthen the VA, not dismantle or privatize it. This means that we preserve, protect and improve the VA with more resources and staff to ensure veterans and their families in Vermont and around the country receive every benefit they have earned and deserve.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z http://www.sanders.senate.gov/newsroom/video-audio/the-community-kitchen-academy-helps-vermonters,The Community Kitchen Academy Helps Vermonters,2019-11-07,2019,2019-11,Independent,House,VT,Bernard Sanders,S000033,www.sanders.senate.gov,,,legacy,"The Community Kitchen Academy Helps Vermonters A job is more than a ""job and it is more than just making an income. A job is, in an important sense, how we relate to the world in which we live. Contributing to the well-being of our neighbors and our community gives our lives meaning, dignity, and satisfaction. I am grateful for programs like the Community Kitchen Academy that offer underemployed Vermonters valuable job skills to improve their lives, while also providing free, nutritious meals to those in need.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.leahy.senate.gov/press/leahy-and-grassley-reintroduce-patents-for-humanity-act,Leahy And Grassley Reintroduce Patents For Humanity Act,2019-11-07,2019,2019-11,Democrat,House,VT,Patrick Leahy,L000174,www.leahy.senate.gov,,,legacy,"11.07.19 Leahy And Grassley Reintroduce Patents For Humanity Act . . . Bill Would Codify Program That Encourages And Rewards Use Of Patented Technology To Tackle Humanitarian Needs WASHINGTON (THURSDAY, Nov. 7, 2019) Senators Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) and Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) on Thursday reintroduced the Patents for Humanity Act of 2019. Their bipartisan bill encourages and rewards the use of patented technology to address humanitarian needs. Patents for Humanity is the United States Patent and Trademark Office's (USPTO) awards competition which recognizes innovators who use game-changing technology to meet global humanitarian challenges. Winners of the program receive a certificate to accelerate certain processes at the USPTO; for example, accelerated review of another application or reexamination request. This legislation would codify the program and allow winners to transfer these certificates to a third party, which the USPTO and small start-up companies have said will help this vital program grow and even attract small inventors who might not use the certificates themselves. The Patents for Humanity program has already made a critical difference across the world. Winners have worked to improve nutrition, provide clean drinking water, fix broken bones in remote hospitals that lack x-ray technology, bring solar-powered energy to villages that are off the power grid, and combat the problem of dangerous counterfeit drugs, among other achievements. Leahy and Grassley introduced similar legislation last Congress, and in the 114th Congress the bill passed the Senate unanimously. Leahy said: The Patents for Humanity Program illuminates our commitment to be the example for the world in intellectual property. This program incentivizes creators to address some of our most pressing global needs. This is a commonsense bipartisan bill, and I'm hopeful it will pass in this Congress. Grassley said: American innovators are not only a driving force behind our economy, their work product often helps to make the world a better place. By enhancing the Patent and Trademark Office's Patents for Humanity program, this bill rewards innovators for using their talents to help individuals and communities in need across the globe. Additional background on the USPTO Patents for Humanity Program is available online. Text of the Leahy-Grassley bill is also available online. Press Contact David Carle (w/Leahy), 202-224-3693 Taylor Foy (w/Grassley), 202-224-6708 Previous Article",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.leahy.senate.gov/press/remarks-on-opposing-steven-menashi-nominee-to-be-us-circuit-judge-for-the-second-circuit,Remarks on Opposing Steven Menashi Nominee to be U.S. Circuit Judge for the Second Circuit,2019-11-07,2019,2019-11,Democrat,House,VT,Patrick Leahy,L000174,www.leahy.senate.gov,,,legacy,"11.07.19 Remarks on Opposing Steven Menashi Nominee to be U.S. Circuit Judge for the Second Circuit Whether senators on this Committee agree that a nominee is extreme or within the mainstream, whether a nominee is well-qualified or woefully unprepared for a lifetime judgeship, I think we all agree that every nominee should be willing to answer our most basic questions. If a nominee refuses, and that nominee is nonetheless rewarded with confirmation, our constitutional role to provide advice and consent to is rendered meaningless. Steven Menashi failed this test. And he failed it repeatedly. Whether facing questions from Democrats or Republicans, Mr. Menashi declined to answer, over and over again. It got so bad that more than one Republican on this Committee expressed their frustration. And one Republican member, Senator Kennedy, even called for a second hearing so we could actually get our questions answered. After his hearing, Mr. Menashi then failed to answer basic questions about whether he was involved while working in the White House Counsel's Office in attempting to cover up President Trump's July 25th phone call with the President of Ukraine. He did not cite a privilege. He did not even provide the courtesy of responding. He just refused to answer. I have my own concerns about Mr. Menashi's record. Just last night, it was revealed that he devised an illegal Department of Education plan to deny debt relief to thousands of students scammed by a defunct for-profit university a plan that a judge found to violate the Privacy Act. And he still hasn't provided a sufficient explanation for an offensive argument he made in an article, that [QUOTE] ethnic diversity weakens social solidarity [UNQUOTE]. Those are his words. And I must say I find them in stark contrast to the words emblazoned on our Capitol's dome: E Pluribus Unum. Out of Many, One. At a minimum, I do not think any senator should vote for a nominee who repeatedly refuses to answer our questions. There is no nominations Fifth Amendment. No free pass to Senate confirmation. No nominee should get a seat on one of our nation's highest courts when they take neither our most fundamental questions, nor our constitutional obligations, seriously. I will vote no on Steven Menashi. # # # # # 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/sens-tillis-and-leahy-and-reps-roby-and-jeffries-introduce-bipartisan-bicameral-legislation-supporting-art-students,"Sens. Tillis And Leahy And Reps. Roby And Jeffries Introduce Bipartisan, Bicameral Legislation Supporting Art Students",2019-11-07,2019,2019-11,Democrat,House,VT,Patrick Leahy,L000174,www.leahy.senate.gov,,,legacy,"11.07.19 Sens. Tillis And Leahy And Reps. Roby And Jeffries Introduce Bipartisan, Bicameral Legislation Supporting Art Students WASHINGTON, D.C.Today, Senators Thom Tillis (R-NC) and Patrick Leahy (D-VT) and Representatives Martha Roby (R-AL-2) and Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY-8) introduced bipartisan, bicameral legislation that directs the Register of Copyrights to waive the copyright registration fee for winners of the Congressional Art Competition and the Congressional App Competition. Currently, the Register of Copyrights, Karen Temple, does not have the authority to waive the registration fee. Both of these competitions, sponsored and led by the House of Representatives, encourage talented students to engage in the arts and coding. These students are recognized by each district and for the winners of the Congressional Art Competition, their work is displayed in the tunnel between the House office buildings. Each year talented students are recognized through the Congressional Art Competition and the Congressional App Competition. These students are the future of America's creative economy and are the exact people we should be introducing to the benefits of copyright protection, said Senator Thom Tillis. Over the last few months I have had ongoing conversations with today's leaders in the copyright industry about what Congress needs to do to incentive copyright registration. Introducing these talented students to the benefits of copyright protection is an excellent place to start, and I look forward to seeing what these talented students come up with next. Every year students from across the country submit original artwork and apps for Congressional Competitions, said Senator Patrick Leahy.These students are the next generation of creators, and this bill eliminates the cost barrier that comes with protecting original work. Our country is full of brilliant, young creators who are the rising generation of America's creative industry, said Representative Martha Roby. The Artistic Recognition for Talented Students (ARTS) Act encourages young artists and creators to participate in the copyright system, and helps them to learn the benefits of copyrighting their works. This is a commonsense measure that will support artists, ignite creativity and encourage students to dream big, said Representative Hakeem Jeffries. My colleagues involved should be thanked for their leadership in this regard. ### Press Contact Daniel Keylin(Tillis) David Carle (Leahy) Caroline Franklin (Roby) Michael Hardaway (Jeffries) Previous Article",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z http://www.sanders.senate.gov/newsroom/video-audio/empowering-youth-and-helping-vermont-communities,Empowering Youth and Helping Vermont Communities,2019-11-06,2019,2019-11,Independent,House,VT,Bernard Sanders,S000033,www.sanders.senate.gov,,,legacy,"Empowering Youth and Helping Vermont Communities Through the YouthBuild program, ReSOURCE is helping young Vermonters gain education and employment credentials, while also empowering them to be active members in our communities. By learning construction trade job skills, these young people are realizing their full potential and leaving a lasting impact on the lives of Vermonters through restoring and building affordable housing. I applaud the work YouthBuild is doing throughout the country and can't wait to see what these young leaders do next.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.leahy.senate.gov/press/harris-and-leahy-lead-judiciary-democrats-urging-briefing-following-president-trumps-alarming-fy2020-refugee-presidential-determination,Harris And Leahy Lead Judiciary Democrats Urging Briefing Following President Trump’s Alarming FY2020 Refugee Presidential Determination,2019-11-06,2019,2019-11,Democrat,House,VT,Patrick Leahy,L000174,www.leahy.senate.gov,,,legacy,"11.06.19 Harris And Leahy Lead Judiciary Democrats Urging Briefing Following President Trump's Alarming FY2020 Refugee Presidential Determination . . . Senators Urge Further Consultation With Congress To Avoid Permanently Damaging U.S. Refugee Admissions Program WASHINGTON (WEDNESDAY, Nov. 6, 2019) Senator Kamala D. Harris (D-Calif.) and Senator Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) Wednesday led all Democrats on the Senate Judiciary Committee in a letter to Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and Acting Secretary of Homeland Security Kevin McAleenan, in which they urgently request a briefing to understand the potentially devastating consequences of President Trump's Presidential Determination on Refugee Admissions for Fiscal Year 2020 the lowest refugee admissions cap in the history of the United States Refugee Admissions Program. The Senators wrote: We write to urgently request a briefing about the Trump administration's recently announced Presidential Determination on Refugee Admissions for Fiscal Year 2020. In addition to establishing the lowest refugee admissions goal in the history of the United States Refugee Admissions Program (USRAP), the Trump administration is pursuing modifications to the refugee resettlement process that could effectivelyand perhaps intentionallydamage our long-term capacity to resettle refugees in the United States. Given vocal, bipartisan warnings about the dire consequences of the Trump administration's FY 2020 plans for USRAP, we, as members of the Senate committee of jurisdiction over refugee and immigration policy, request an in-person briefing to address our most serious concerns, outlined in this letter. The Senators continued: The Trump administration's sweeping, structural changes to our refugee admissions and resettlement process merit thorough deliberations between Congress and the Executive Branchmore than just a single meeting that checks the consultation box. Therefore, we request an in-person briefing to our Committee no later than November 21st, 2019, so that we can better understand the potential consequences of the Trump administration's decisions on a program that is so vital to our nation's interests and identity. The signed letter is available hereand the full text of the letter is below: November 6, 2019 The Honorable Michael R. Pompeo The Honorable Kevin McAleenan Secretary of State Acting Secretary U.S. Department of State U.S. Department of Homeland Security 2201 C Street NW 245 Murray Lane SW Washington, D.C. 20520 Washington, D.C. 20528 Dear Secretary Pompeo and Acting Secretary McAleenan: We write tourgently request a briefing about the Trump administration's recently announced Presidential Determination on Refugee Admissions for Fiscal Year 2020. In addition to establishing the lowest refugee admissions goal in the history of the United States Refugee Admissions Program (USRAP),the Trump administration is pursuing modifications to the refugee resettlement process that could effectivelyand perhaps intentionallydamage our long-term capacity to resettle refugees in the United States. Given vocal, bipartisan warnings about the dire consequences of the Trump administration's FY 2020 plans for USRAP,we, as members of the Senate committee of jurisdiction over refugee and immigration policy, request an in-person briefing to address our most serious concerns, outlined in this letter. First, the sheer decrease in overall admissions could effectively end USRAP. USRAP relies on the services of resettlement agencies, which provide critical on-the-ground services to welcome and settle arriving refugees. The Trump administration's efforts to hollow out our refugee admissions have already begun starving the infrastructure built by resettlement agencies to help refugees integrate into U.S. communities. Indeed, it was recently reported that a Church World Service resettlement office in Richmond, Virginiawhich has provided critical services to refugees for 57 yearswas forced to close.As of April 2019, approximately 100 offices operated by refugee resettlement agencies have closed or suspended their operations.With even more sudden and significant declines in the volume of refugee admissions, we face the grave reality that the Trump administration's short-term decisions could have debilitating long-term consequences on USRAP and our ability to resettle refugees in the United States. Second, the administration's allocation of refugee admissions among particular categories of individuals could render it impossible to meet even the depressed cap of 18,000 refugees. The administration has reserved 4,000 refugee slots for Iraqis who have supported the United States military, 1,500 for people from Central America, 5,000 for people persecuted on account of their religion, and 7,500 for other refugees.Refugee resettlement agencies have expressed that the allocations are likely untenable. For example, although the administration has proposed that 4,000 refugee admissions be reserved for Iraqis that assisted the U.S. military, it does not appear to have accounted for the lengthy security check process that has prevented otherwise qualifying individuals from securing the necessary approvals to enter the United States.In fact, only 153 Iraqi refugees whose applications were deemed high priority were admitted under USRAP during the previous fiscal year.Thousands moremany of whom risked their lives providing wartime assistance to our troopswait in dangerous limbo because of these processing delays. In addition, the administration's reservation of 7,500 refugee admissions for other categories of individuals, including those seeking family reunification, appears to largely exclude individuals referred by the United Nationsa measure that could have serious impacts on both USRAP and the refugee resettlement agencies' operations. Third, we are deeply troubled that the allocations appear to exclude significant vulnerable populations in need of resettlement, including unaccompanied refugee minors and populations previously admitted to USRAP under the Priority 2 (P2) category for groups of special humanitarian concern. P2 status protects specific groups identified by the Department of State as being in need of resettlement, generally because their ethnic, religious or national identity has led to persecution or oppression on a group-wide basis. For example, this priority status protects groups of ethnic minorities from Burma and Congolese refugees fleeing ethnic conflict. It is absolutely critical that the administration clarify whether its allocations effectively cut off entire vulnerable populations from USRAP. Finally, the administration's executive order stating that refugees may only be resettled in those jurisdictions in which both the State and local governments have consented to receive refugees presents serious risks to the continued operation of USRAP.This requirement will undoubtedly cause disruptions and disputes in the refugee resettlement processwhich, incidentally, already includes a consultation process with state and local officials. Moreover, permitting state and local jurisdictions to drive refugee policy subverts over a century of binding Supreme Court precedent. The Supreme Court has repeatedly recognized that immigration policy is intimately tied to foreign relations and is therefore uniquely within the purview of the federal governmentbecause of the [n]ation's need to speak with one voice' in immigration matters.Indeed, the Trump administration has invoked this bedrock principle to support its efforts to impose draconian immigration policies and nullify conflicting state efforts.As the Supreme Court has explained, where a state inserts itself into immigration enforcement, a single State can, at her pleasure, embroil us in disastrous quarrels with other nations.Notwithstanding the clearly established supremacy of federal over state law in this space, this executive order turns established precedent on its head in service of empowering what will amount to state and local refugee bans. We are facing the most significant displacement and refugee crisis in modern history.Reaffirming our historic role as the world's humanitarian leader in this moment is not just about promoting our values. It is about protecting our security interests. Dozens of military leaders have spoken out to identify the critical importance of a robust refugee resettlement program to our military, national security and foreign policy interests,in part explaining why USRAP has enjoyed widespread bipartisan support from Congress and the Executive Branch during the nearly 40 years of its existence. The Trump administration's sweeping, structural changes to our refugee admissions and resettlement process merit thorough deliberations between Congress and the Executive Branchmore than just a single meeting that checks the consultation box. Therefore, we request an in-person briefing to our Committee no later than November 21st, 2019, so that we can better understand the potential consequences of the Trump administration's decisions on a program that is so vital to our nation's interests and identity. Press Contact David Carle: 202-224-3693",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.leahy.senate.gov/press/statement-on-hearing-of-the-senate-judiciary-committee-on-reauthorizing-the-usa-freedom-act-of-2015,"Statement On Hearing Of The Senate Judiciary Committee On “Reauthorizing the USA FREEDOM Act of 2015""",2019-11-06,2019,2019-11,Democrat,House,VT,Patrick Leahy,L000174,www.leahy.senate.gov,,,legacy,"11.06.19 Statement On Hearing Of The Senate Judiciary Committee On Reauthorizing the USA FREEDOM Act of 2015"" This is an important hearingand I amgrateful that Chairman Graham agreed tomy andSenator Lee's request tohold it. I remain proud of our successful effortsin 2015to pass the USA FREEDOM Act. This lawwasthe first major overhaul of government surveillance powers in decades. It addedsignificant privacy protections for the American people.Now we have the opportunity to assess, learn from, and respond to what has happened over the past four years. So what have we learned? We know that thegovernment issued only 14 CDR program orders in 2018, and yet collected over 434 million records relating to over 19 million phone numbers. We know ofat least two incidents ofsignificant over-collection, resulting in the NSA purging allof their recordsand ultimately decommissioning the program. And we know that then-DNI Director Dan Coats acknowledged, even as he requested a permanent reauthorization of all of the authorities granted in USA FREEDOM, that theCDRprogram's relative intelligence valuewasnegligible. Given all that, what DON'T we know? Unfortunately,quite a bit. We are only a month away from these authorities expiring and we don't know what caused the massive over-collection, what companies were responsible, orwhy it was not feasible for theNSA to identify or isolate the improperly produced data. It is not as though Senator Lee and I have not tried to learn the answers to these questions.Almost a year ago, in December 2018, Senator Lee and I wrotealetter to the DNI and Justice Department asking these and other questions. After failing to receive a response, we wrote againin July. Unfortunately, we never received a substantive response toeither of theseletters. Despite this, the government is nowrequesting the permanent reauthorization ofallof the authorities granted in USA FREEDOM, including the CDR program, arguingthat it might eventually be useful and technology might evolve to the point they could collect metadata in compliance with the law. Let me be clear. Maybe someday it will be of some use and Hopefully we will develop technologies to not again violate the law are not appropriate justifications to reauthorizethesepowers. If, at some point in the future, the technology develops to allow for metadata collection that is appropriately limited, follows the rules, and is fair, Congress can revisit the question. Until that time, there is no reason to reauthorize the CDR program. We would be legislating in the dark. I want to again thank the Chairman for holding this hearing and I look forward to the witnesses' testimony. # # # # # Press Contact David Carle: 202-224-3693 Next Article Previous Article",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z http://www.sanders.senate.gov/newsroom/video-audio/its-time-for-universal-school-meals,It's time for Universal School Meals,2019-11-05,2019,2019-11,Independent,House,VT,Bernard Sanders,S000033,www.sanders.senate.gov,,,legacy,"It's time for Universal School Meals In the richest country in the history of the world, it is simply outrageous that 1 in 5 children will go hungry this year. The Universal School Meals Program Act I introduced with Rep. Omar will help provide free breakfast, lunch, and dinner to every student in America, regardless of income - and it will wipe out existing school lunch debt. We must do better for our kids to ensure they succeed.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://welch.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/bipartisan-legislation-introduced-protect-access-medical-ventilators,Bipartisan Legislation Introduced to Protect Access to Medical Ventilators,2019-11-04,2019,2019-11,Democrat,House,VT,Peter Welch,W000800,welch.house.gov,,,legacy,"Monday, November 4, 2019 U.S. Representatives Morgan Griffith (R-VA), Peter Welch (D-VT), Gus Bilirakis (R-FL), John Larson (D-CT), and Darren Soto (D-FL) have introduced the Safeguarding Medicare Access to Respiratory Therapy (SMART) Act of 2019. This legislation will delay the inclusion of medical ventilators from competitive acquisition programs under Medicare for a period of five years. Medical ventilators are life-sustaining devices. Patients depending on them can often remain in their homes, but only if providers are able to travel to them. This becomes more difficult in rural or isolated areas, such as parts of Virginia's Ninth Congressional District, and introducing competitive bidding would likely be an unsustainable burden to providers in these areas. The SMART Act would prevent such difficulties. I am pleased to stand with my colleagues from both sides of the aisle in support of our constituents who rely on ventilators, said Representative Griffith. Non-invasive ventilators improve patient outcomes and allow patients to be at home surrounded by family, said Representative Welch.Recent decisions by CMS threaten to make it harder for patients in rural and underserved areas to access this critical equipment. This bill would make sure that all patients can benefit from this technology, no matter where they live. This legislation is about making sure that bureaucratic changes don't jeopardize the health of medically fragile patients who rely on ventilators, such as many living with ALS. We want to be sure that these patients, who are already grappling with complex medical issues, don't experience delays accessing care, as lapses could prove fatal. I will continue to fight to ensure all Medicare patients receive access to the life-saving care they need, said Representative Bilirakis. This legislation is vital to ensuring patients, especially those with ALS, have access to ventilators and are able to maintain their quality of life. I'm proud to introduce this legislation with Congressman Griffith, said Representative Larson. Ventilators are a lifeline for those unable to breathe on their own, said Representative Soto. The CMS proposal fails to meet the needs of vulnerable patients while compromising cost and quality of care. I'm proud to support the bipartisan SMART Act of 2019 that delays these proposed changes and guarantees another five years of prolonged health. Including ventilators in a competitive bidding process for Medicare would likely place certain users of the equipment and providers at a disadvantage. Patients relying on ventilators often need intensive clinical support. Providers serving patients in rural, isolated, or otherwise difficult to serve areas would be likely be unable to offer the most competitive bid to the Centers for Medicare or Medicaid Services (CMS). Patients in those areas would then be unable to receive care in their homes, requiring them to travel to medical establishments for care. This would diminish their quality of life without saving taxpayer dollars. CMS has previously delayed including ventilators to competitive bidding. The SMART Act would establish in law a delay for five years. The SMART Act has been endorsed by 24 organizations consisting of patient advocates, clinicians, and health care providers. You can view their letter of support here. ###",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.leahy.senate.gov/press/isakson-blumenthal-leahy-introduce-bipartisan-resolution-recognizing-40th-anniversary-of-iran-hostage-crisis,"Isakson, Blumenthal, Leahy Introduce Bipartisan Resolution Recognizing 40th Anniversary of Iran Hostage Crisis",2019-11-04,2019,2019-11,Democrat,House,VT,Patrick Leahy,L000174,www.leahy.senate.gov,,,legacy,"11.04.19 Isakson, Blumenthal, Leahy Introduce Bipartisan Resolution Recognizing 40th Anniversary of Iran Hostage Crisis ATLANTA In advance of the 40th anniversary of the Iran hostage crisis, U.S. Senators Johnny Isakson, R-Ga., Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., and Patrick Leahy, D-Vt., introduced a bipartisan resolution recognizing today, Monday, Nov. 4, 2019, as a national day of remembrance. The victims of the Iran hostage crisis were treated brutally, and their suffering and sacrifice should be remembered, said Isakson. Similarly, this resolution and our continued efforts on behalf of the victims are an important statement that once an American serves our country, we will be there for you no matter how long it takes to secure justice. On the anniversary of their capture, we pay tribute to these brave Americans who were held hostage in Iran during service to the United States. For 444 days, victims of the Iran hostage crisis suffered unspeakable horror and fear as they waited to be freed. Then they fought for more than three decades after that to receive the restitution they deserve, said Blumenthal. This bipartisan resolution honors the bravery and tenacity this group showed, first in service to our country, and then in their relentless pursuit for justice. For many victims of the Iran hostage crisis and their families, 40 years has done little to ease the pain and trauma caused by those events, said Leahy. On this anniversary, we must remember the grave injustices these victims suffered as a result of serving our country, and recommit ourselves to providing them with some measure of justice. We also must not forget the plight of Americans who have been taken hostage and tortured by Iran since the Iran hostage crisis, all of whom deserve the unwavering support of the United States government. On Nov. 4, 1979, 66 United States diplomats, military personnel, and civilians were taken hostage from the U.S. Embassy in Tehran by the government of the Islamic Republic of Iran. By Nov. 20, 1979, 13 hostages were released, and an attempt to rescue the remaining hostages resulted in the death of eight U.S. service members on April 25, 1980. Another American hostage was released on July 11, 1980, after 250 days in captivity. On Jan. 20, 1981, the remaining 52 hostages were released after 444 days in captivity. However, their personal pain and anguish continued. Many of the hostages were terrorized and subjected to torture while held captive. In coordination with colleagues and after years of work on behalf of the victims, Isakson and Blumenthal provided an opportunity for many of the hostages to seek compensation for their time in captivity through the creation of the U.S. Victims of State Sponsored Terrorism Fund. Full text of the resolution, introduced in the Senate on Oct. 31, can be found here. ### Press Contact Isakson,Amanda Maddox, 202-224-7777 Blumenthal,Maria McElwain, 202-224-6452 Leahy, David Carle, 202-224-3693 Next Article Previous Article",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.leahy.senate.gov/press/statement-on-president-trumps-withdrawal-from-the-paris-climate-agreement,Statement On President Trump’s Withdrawal From The Paris Climate Agreement,2019-11-04,2019,2019-11,Democrat,House,VT,Patrick Leahy,L000174,www.leahy.senate.gov,,,legacy,"11.04.19 Statement On President Trump's Withdrawal From The Paris Climate Agreement Today, President Trump formally notified the United Nations that the United States is withdrawing from the Paris Agreement on climate change an agreement that the United States played an instrumental role in negotiating. This decision is nothing more than the fulfillment of a cynical and reckless campaign promise made for the sole purpose of currying favor with the fossil fuel industry. It comes in the wake of the latest National Climate Assessment, by our country's top scientists, which was unequivocal: Climate change already affects every sector and region of our country, threatening millions of Americans' health, homes and livelihoods. This July was the warmest month in history. The last five years were the warmest years ever recorded. The United States alone has reportedly experienced more than $400 billion in weather and climate disaster costs since 2014. Rising seas, increased storm surge, and tidal flooding threaten $1 trillion in coastal infrastructure and property. Let's not forget that in 2017, President Trump claimed that he would make a better climate deal. The truth is the opposite. The only thing he has done is roll back environmental protections put in place by his predecessors. The United States is on course to be the only country in the world that is not a party to the Paris Agreement. President Trump has long asserted, whether he actually believes it or not, that Paris is some nefarious globalist plot to harm American competitiveness and empower countries like China and India, which are parties to the Paris Agreement. In fact, leaving the agreement will harm the U.S. economy as our country retreats from a global technology market that is expected to value in the tens of trillions of dollars. This decision also empowers China, because the agreement is actually designed to hold it accountable for its commitments to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. History will remember this foolhardy and infamous decision. Valuable time to stop global warming will be lost, and future generations, and this generation as well, will pay a heavier price. It is up to the American people, the Congress, state and municipal governments to demand the kind of leadership on this vital issue that our nation and the world need. # # # # # 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/statement-on-international-day-to-end-impunity-for-crimes-against-journalists,Statement on International Day to End Impunity for Crimes Against Journalists,2019-11-02,2019,2019-11,Democrat,House,VT,Patrick Leahy,L000174,www.leahy.senate.gov,,,legacy,"11.02.19 Statement on International Day to End Impunity for Crimes Against Journalists Nearly one year ago, speaking about the dangers facing journalists who are harassed, threatened, and killed for simply doing their job, I said I was more concerned than ever before about the state of press freedom around the world, including in our own country. You can read that statement here. As we commemorate International Day to End Impunity for Crimes against Journalists on November 2nd, while reflecting on the hundreds of journalists who have been killed in retaliation for their work, I feel the same way today. In 2019 alone, the Committee to Protect Journalists has recorded 35 cases of journalists killed by crossfire, murdered for their reporting, or whose deaths very well may be, though have not yet been officially, linked to their work. Impunity for these murders, including high profile executions of journalists like Jamal Khashoggi by Saudi authorities last year, remains the status quo in most countries. Roughly nine of every ten killings of journalists go unpunished each year. As the son of parents who owned a weekly newspaper and a printing business, I have long believed that the protection and promotion of our First Amendment rights is one of our most fundamental responsibilities as Americans. But these are not just rights enshrined in our Constitution, they are universal rights, and freedom of expression, especially freedom of the press, is the cornerstone of any functioning democracy. So it is particularly troubling to witness the trend of democratically-elected leaders turned despots and wannabe strongmen playing a major role in the global assault on press freedom. Rodrigo Duterte, Fatah el-Sisi, Viktor Orban, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, and a growing list of others all demonstrate that the decline of democratic governance and the intimidation, coercion, and threats of violence against journalists and the media go hand-in-hand. Of course, our own President's daily onslaught against journalists emboldens these autocrats around the world to clamp down on dissent, and weakens our government's efforts to speak out against such abuses. We should be appalled by President Trump's continued effort to try to intimidate his critics into silence or into writing laudatory stories about him, which makes a mockery of an independent press. We all have a responsibility to stand up for press freedom and to combat impunity for crimes against journalists, in our own country and around the world. That is why I worked with Senator Graham to continue our efforts to defend press freedom in the Senate version of the fiscal year 2020 appropriations bill for the Department of State and foreign operations, which was reported unanimously by the Appropriations Committee on September 26, 2019. The bill includes not less than $23 million to support and protect journalists and civil society activists who have been threatened, harassed, or attacked; not less than $10 million to promote and defend freedom of expression and the independence of the media abroad, including by countering legal and other means to restrict access to public information; and $2.5 million for the staff needed to design and manage those programs. It is a good start, but much more needs to be done. I hope the House Appropriations Committee will work with us to ensure this funding is enacted into a law. I hope the Secretary of State and our ambassadors posted overseas will counter the President's vitriolic attacks against the press. And I urge everyone to strive toward ending this scourge of impunity for crimes against journalists in the coming year. # # # # # Press Contact David Carle: 202-224-3693 Previous Article",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://welch.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/rep-sewell-leads-bipartisan-legislation-strengthen-ambulance-services,Rep. Sewell Leads Bipartisan Legislation to Strengthen Ambulance Services,2019-11-01,2019,2019-11,Democrat,House,VT,Peter Welch,W000800,welch.house.gov,,,legacy,"Washington, D.C. Today, U.S. Reps. Terri Sewell (AL-07), Earl Blumenauer (OR-3), Markwayne Mullin (OK-02), Devin Nunes (CA-22) and Peter Welch (VT-AL) introduced the Medicare Ambulance Access, Fraud Prevention, and Reform Act to strengthen ambulance service providers and help ensure they are able to continue delivering critical first responder and health care services in communities across the country. Ambulance services are a vital component of our local and national health care and emergency response systems, especially in rural and underserved areas where they are often the sole provider of emergency medical services in their communities, Sewell said. The Medicare Ambulance Access, Fraud Prevention, and Reform Act of 2019 will implement critical reforms to help ensure Alabamians have access to lifesaving emergency care, no matter where they live. Emergency first responders are critical to the health and safety of our communities, Blumenauer said. Rather than continue to put a band-aid on this problem, we must find permanent solutions to our inadequate Medicare payments for ambulance services, especially for vulnerable communities and those in rural areas. Rural ambulance services save lives and provide needed care in underserved areas every day, Welch said. This bipartisan bill will ensure that patients and rural areas have access to critical ambulance services, and that these services receive fair, consistent reimbursement for their important work. It's time for Congress to permanently fix this glitch and give ambulance services the certainty they need to continue serving all Americans. Ambulance services are critically important to rural Americans who may live close to an hour away from the nearest emergency room, Mullin said. Providing this care literally means the difference between life and death for many people. As we continue to battle the closures of critical access hospitals across Oklahoma, ambulance services are more important now than ever before. We must ensure that rural Americans receive the care they need. I'm proud to join my colleagues in support of this bill which would enhance and increase resources for first responders in Oklahoma. Although ambulance providers provide critical emergency services to communities across the country, the Government Accountability Office has found that they are reimbursed below cost by Medicare, which has hampered the ability of ambulance service providers to hire new staff, update equipment, and provide life-saving around the-clock services in their communities, especially those in economically distressed areas. Without frequent add-on payments authorized by Congress, these providers must often operate at a loss. Included in the legislation are provisions to permanently increase the rate at which ambulance providers are reimbursed by Medicaid, allow ambulance services that serve low population areas to continue to receive additional rural Medicare funding and eliminate burdensome, duplicative paperwork requirements. ""The Medicare Ambulance Access, Fraud Prevention and Reform Act of 2019 would give organizations that provide vital emergency 9-1-1 and non-emergency ambulance services greater certainty as to the future of desperately-needed Medicare funding relief as identified by the Government Accountability Office. Most importantly, it would help ensure continued access by Medicare beneficiaries and all Americans in urban and, in particular, rural and extremely rural, areas to medical first response and mobile health care, said American Ambulance Association President Aarron Reinert. The American Ambulance Association greatly appreciates the leadership and hopeful outlook of Congresswoman Sewell and Congressman Nunes as well as Congressmen Welch, Blumenauer, and Mullin in addressing this critical issue."" The Medicare Ambulance Access, Fraud Prevention, and Reform Act of 2019 is available here. ###",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.leahy.senate.gov/press/senate-passes-leahy-collins-brown-and-perdue-national-farm-to-school-month-resolution,"Senate Passes Leahy, Collins, Brown, And Perdue ‘National Farm To School Month’ Resolution",2019-11-01,2019,2019-11,Democrat,House,VT,Patrick Leahy,L000174,www.leahy.senate.gov,,,legacy,"11.01.19 Senate Passes Leahy, Collins, Brown, And Perdue National Farm To School Month' Resolution WASHINGTON (FRIDAY, Nov. 1, 2019) The Senate Thursday night approved a resolution sponsored by Senator Leahy (D-Vt.) and cosponsored by Senator Susan Collins (R-Maine), Senator Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio) and Senator David Perdue (R-Ga.), to designate October as National Farm to School Month. Farm to School programs across the country increase access to local foods in schools, which helps enhance food education for children while also boosting economic opportunities for farmers. Led again by Leahy, in June the senators reintroduced the Farm to School Act, which will increase federal resources allocated to both serving healthy, nutritious meals in school cafeterias and supporting local farmers, ranchers, and fishermen. Leahy said: One of the best ways to help students make healthy choices is to teach them about their food and how it is grown. Farm to School programs have given children and schools across the country the tools to craft farm-fresh, healthy, and delicious meals that students enjoy. Our bipartisan resolution recognizes the important contributions of farm to school programs across the nation. Collins said: Since 2013, schools and non-profits throughout Maine have received funding through farm to school programs to help purchase local food and implement innovative food and wellness lessons for students. By designating October 2019 as National Farm to School Month,' this resolution raises awareness of the importance of providing students with access to local and healthy foods while supporting Maine farmers and our agricultural economy. It also helps build support for legislation to improve and expand these programs, such as the Farm to School Act of 2019 we introduced earlier this year. Brown said: Farm to School programs promote regional food economies, while increasing access to locally grown produce, said Brown. As we recognizeNational Farm to School Month, we must continue to support our farmers and policies that make it easier to fill our school lunchrooms with healthy food grown in Ohio. Perdue said: The Farm to School program connects schools with local farmers and provides hands-on opportunities for kids to learn where their food comes from. Studies have shown that when local food is served in schools, students consume 30% more fruits and vegetables. The Farm to School program is an important first step toward improving child nutrition, while also supporting our agriculture community and growing the economy. The Secretary of Agriculture has been a strong advocate for this program, and I applaud Senator Leahy for his bipartisan efforts to get this bill across the finish line. In addition to raising awareness of farm to school efforts, this resolution recognizes support for policy improvements to build upon the Leahy-authored 2010 Healthy and Hunger-Free Kids Act provision, which has helped farm to school programs around the country thrive. Grants have been awarded in all 50 states and the District of Columbia to support programs in more than 43,000 schools. This resolution also spotlights the economic and health benefits that come when schools support local farmers. For example, for every dollar spent on local food in schools through the Farm to School program, up to an additional $2, is circulated in that school's local economy. This resolution has the support of leading national advocacy groups such as the National Farm to School Network and the National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition. The full resolution can be read here. # # # # # Press Contact David Carle (w/Leahy), 202-224-3693 Annie Clark (w/Collins), 202-224-2523 Rachael Hartford/Matt Keyes (Brown), 202-224-3978 Casey Black (Perdue) , 202-224-1324 Next Article Previous Article",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.leahy.senate.gov/press/leahy-announces-88-million-in-federal-funding-to-support-victim-services-throughout-vermont,Leahy Announces $8.8 Million in Federal Funding To Support Victim Services Throughout Vermont,2019-10-31,2019,2019-10,Democrat,House,VT,Patrick Leahy,L000174,www.leahy.senate.gov,,,legacy,"10.31.19 Leahy Announces $8.8 Million in Federal Funding To Support Victim Services Throughout Vermont WASHINGTON (THURSDAY, Oct. 31, 2019) - U.S. Senator Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) announced Thursday that Vermont organizations will receive 10 grants totaling nearly $8.8 million from the U.S. Department of Justice to support crime victims and strengthen services for survivors of domestic and sexual violence. The announcement comes as National Domestic Violence Awareness Month draws to a close. Leahy worked to introduce a Senate resolution this week expressing the sense of the Senate that Congress should continue to support efforts to end domestic violence, provide safety for victims of domestic violence and their families, and hold perpetrators of domestic violence accountable. Too many times I saw firsthand the aftermath of domestic violence while serving as a prosecutor, Leahy said. Victims and survivors of domestic violence must never suffer in the shadows. I am honored to again join this resolution raising awareness of domestic violence. And next the Senate should come together, as it did in 2013, to further improve and reauthorize the Violence Against Women Act, which the House already passed with strong bipartisan support. (Read the full text of the resolution). Leahy, Vice Chairman of the Senate Appropriations Committee, is a longtime leader in efforts to protect funding for the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) and the Victims of Crime Act (VOCA), the two federal programs that provide direct support to victims. As a leading member of the Judiciary Committee, Leahy led in writing and enacting the VAWA reauthorization in 2013, and two years later he helped raise the cap on the Crime Victims Fund, allowing Vermont and other states to be eligible for more funding. FY 2019 U.S Department of Justice Grants to Vermont: Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) - Eight grants totaling $3.9 million: Vermont Center for Crime Victim Services (VCCVS), Waterbury: $394,929. The Sexual Assault Services Program grant provides states with formula funding to support rape crisis centers and other core services to victims of sexual assault throughout the state. Vermont Center for Crime Victim Services, Waterbury: $834,980. STOP program funding to encourage partnerships between law enforcement, prosecution, courts and victim service organizations to enhance victim safety and hold offenders accountable. Vermont Network Against Domestic and Sexual Violence, Montpelier: $242,217. In support of state coalition efforts to coordinate victim services statewide and advance the goals of VAWA. Vermont Department of State's Attorneys and Sheriffs, Montpelier: $749,519. Improving the Criminal Justice Responses Program in support of domestic violence investigations and prosecutions in Windham and Bennington Counties. Association of Africans Living in Vermont (AALV), Burlington: $285,500. Sexual Assault Services grant to create, maintain and expand services provided by culturally specific community-based organizations. Umbrella, Inc. and Community Partners, St. Johnsbury: $404,211. Transitional Housing Grant Assistance Program to provide 45 scattered site residences and supported services for survivors and their families through private landlord housing units. Project Against Violence Encounters and Community Partners, Bennington: $305,250. Rural Sexual Assault, Domestic Violence, Dating Violence and Stalking Program. Champlain Valley Office of Economic Opportunity, Voices Against Violence and Community Partners, $681,438. Rural Sexual Assault, Domestic Violence, Dating Violence and Stalking Program. Victims of Crime Act (VOCA): Two grants totaling $4.9 million: Vermont Center for Crime Victim Services, Waterbury: $4.71 million. Vermont allocation under the state victim assistance formula, funded through the federal Crime Victims Fund. Supported through federal fines and penalties rather than with taxpayer dollars, these funds enhance direct services to crime victims in Vermont and support victim advocates throughout Vermont. Vermont Center for Crime Victim Services: $181,000. Additional funding for direct compensation payments to eligible crime victims. # # # # # Press Contact David Carle: 202-224-3693",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.leahy.senate.gov/press/statement-opposing-the-motion-to-proceed-to-the-defense-lhhs-appropriations-bills-,"Statement Opposing the Motion to Proceed to the Defense, LHHS Appropriations Bills",2019-10-31,2019,2019-10,Democrat,House,VT,Patrick Leahy,L000174,www.leahy.senate.gov,,,legacy,"10.31.19 Statement Opposing the Motion to Proceed to the Defense, LHHS Appropriations Bills Today, the Senate will vote on whether to invoke cloture on the motion to proceed to a package of appropriations bills that will include the Senate Defense Appropriations bill and the Senate Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education (Labor-HHS) Appropriations bill. I strongly urge all Senators to vote no. I am disappointed that the Republican leadership by taking this step bowing to the demands of President Trump is continuing to delay funding for our troops. This delay is because they insist on including in this bill authority for President Trump to raid American tax dollars from our military money that is intended for specific military priorities to pay for his wall, which he promised that Mexico would pay for. And that is unacceptable. The President has already raided $6.2 billion from the Department of Defense (DOD) this year alone for his border wall all without congressional approval. First he diverted $2.6 billion from the Fiscal Year 2019 Defense Appropriations Act, and then he took $3.6 billion more from military construction projects for his southern border wall. Much of that money came from projects that would have improved the lives of our troops and their families: military schools, child care centers, and improved training facilities. We oppose this bill because we are fighting to protect funds that are meant for the women and men of our military and their families. We oppose this bill because we stand with those patriotic Americans, and we refuse to place the President's failed campaign promises on their backs. That alone should convince every member of this chamber to oppose this package. But, the Labor-HHS Appropriations bill tied to this Defense bill also short-changes the domestic priorities of the American people by stealing even more money to pay for President Trump's vanity wall. If all things were equal, the Labor-HHS Appropriations bill our largest domestic funding bill should receive a 3 percent increase in fiscal year 2020, but the Republican bill provides less than a 1 percent increase for Labor-HHS, while their Department of Homeland Security Appropriations bill receives a 7 percent increase to cover the cost of the President's demand for his wall. That does not add up to me. And nor does it add up to most Americans, who broadly oppose President Trump's wall. The result of this shortsighted cash grab directed by President Trump is a bill that fails to cover even the annual costs of inflation in public health, Head Start, child care, special education, veterans' training grants and dozens of other programs relied on by the American people. I am disappointed by the willful spread of misinformation regarding our opposition to this bill by President Trump and Republican leadership. They baselessly accuse Democrats of blocking a 3.1 percent pay raise for our troops by opposing this package. Regardless of the action we take in this chamber, the men and women of our military and their families will see a raise in January. This well-deserved raise is based on a statutory formula that does not need to be authorized by the legislation before us. In fact, neither the House nor the Senate Defense Appropriations bills contain any provision relating to a pay raise. Reaching a bipartisan, bicameral consensus on a $693 billion Defense Appropriations bill is hard enough without the willful and irresponsible spreading of misinformation. But this campaign of misinformation has not stopped there. Republican leadership has even accused Senate Democrats of holding up aid to Ukraine, a statement that would be laughable if not for the real world consequences we are seeing play out in Ukraine today. It is the Republicans who are holding both military funding and Ukraine aid hostage to President Trump's vanity wall. It is Republicans who refuse to bring a bill to the floor *unless* Congress enables President Trump to continue stealing funds from our troops, and our military families, to pay for his wall. Senate Democrats have long advocated for aid to Ukraine. We insisted it be included in the fiscal year 2020 appropriations bills, and we will continue to do so because it is the right thing to do. Since 2015, I have personally supported more than $3.3 billion in aid for Ukraine levels that far exceed the President's request. These baseless accusations are merely attempts to distract from why Senate Democrats are actually opposing this package. We will not stand idly by as President Trump continues to use military families as his personal piggy bank for a failed campaign promise. And we will not stand idly by as the domestic priorities of the American people are short changed to pay for some unnecessary monument to the President's ego along our Southern border. We have been down this road before. Just last month, Republican leadership failed to get the votes necessary to move these bills, but I think it is prudent to remind everyone that this entire strategy has been tried before, and it failed before. The strategy of the wall over everything. The strategy of the wall at all costs. The strategy of the wall over the American people. That same strategy drove the country into the longest government shutdown in American history earlier this year. That was when Republicans still controlled both chambers of Congress. If you honestly believe this failed Republican strategy will work on the second go round, I have a fence for you to paint back at my home in Vermont. Everyone here knows there is only one real path forward. And that is to reach agreement on bipartisan bills. I believe there is still time to reach that agreement, and I have tremendous respect for my good friend, Chairman Shelby. But the clock is ticking, and it is past time for us to get serious. # # # # # Press Contact David Carle: 202-224-3693 Jay Tilton: 202-224-2667",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z http://www.sanders.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/vermont-fire-departments-awarded-more-than-2-million-in-federal-grants,Vermont Fire Departments Awarded More Than $2 Million in Federal Grants,2019-10-30,2019,2019-10,Independent,House,VT,Bernard Sanders,S000033,www.sanders.senate.gov,,,legacy,"BURLINGTON, Vt., October 30 Vermont's congressional delegation announced Wednesday that the Vermont Fire Academy and fire departments throughout the state have received more than $2 million through 16 federal grants.The awards are part of the Federal Emergency Management Agency's Assistance to Firefighters Grant (AFG) program, which helps fire departments, fire academies, and EMS agencies obtain critically needed equipment and training to better protect the public and first responders. This year's AFG grants will help departments purchase equipment including air packs, vehicle extraction tools, and a fire truck, and it will also fund paramedic training.Vermont's first responders are some of the most dedicated public servants we have. They keep our communities safe, answering the call at all hours of the day and night, and they put their own safety on the line in doing so. We are pleased that these federal grants will help departments secure the updated equipment they need and deserve so that they can continue to provide these vital services, said Senator Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.), Senator Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) and Representative Peter Welch (D-Vt.).The federal grants were awarded to:Putney Fire Department, $181,510Burlington Fire Department, $162,273City of Rutland Fire Department, 47,317Williston Fire Department (in partnership with Essex Rescue and Colchester Rescue), $305,209Vermont Department of Public Safety, Division of Fire Safety, Vermont Fire Academy, $124,585Peru Fire Department, $62,039Bethel Volunteer Fire Department, $124,286Stamford Volunteer Fire Department, $9,524Springfield Fire Department, $95,595Newbury Volunteer Fire Department, $106,286Grafton Firefighters' Association, $65,238Essex Junction Fire Department, $141,071Thetford Volunteer Fire Department, $118,065Readsboro Fire Department, $85,714Poultney Fire Department, $136,333Rupert Volunteer Fire Department, $264,762The next AFG application period is expected to open in December. In preparation, FEMA's grant specialists will be hosting workshops in Vermont and online webinars this fall.Each workshop is approximately 2 hours long and provides information on the AFG programs, what is new for 2019, and tips to develop and submit a successful application.The following workshops are planned:Tuesday, November 5th, 6:00 p.m.Williston Fire Department645 Talcott Road, WillistonWednesday, November 6th, 6:00 p.m.Vermont Division of Fire Safety Central Office1311 U.S. Route 302 Suite 600, BarreThursday, November 7th, 6:00 p.m.Vermont Division of Fire Safety (Vermont Fire Academy)93 Davison Drive, PittsfordMonday, December 2nd,6:00 p.m.Pownal Rescue Squad22 Ladd Brook Road, PownalTuesday, December 3rd, 2:00 p.m.Online WebinarAudio: 800-320-4330; PIN: 174852#URL:https://fema.connectsolutions.com/r1_2019_afg/Wednesday, December 4th, 7:00 p.m.Online WebinarAudio: 800-320-4330; PIN: 174852#URL:https://fema.connectsolutions.com/r1_2019_afg/Thursday, December 5th, 10:00 a.m.Online WebinarAudio: 800-320-4330; PIN: 174852#URL:https://fema.connectsolutions.com/r1_2019_afg/For more information about AFG and to sign up for email updates, please visithttps://www.fema.gov/welcome-assistance-firefighters-grant-program.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z http://www.sanders.senate.gov/vermont/delegation-release-vermont-fire-departments-awarded-more-than-2-million-in-federal-grants,Delegation Release: Vermont Fire Departments Awarded More than $2 Million in Federal Grants,2019-10-30,2019,2019-10,Independent,House,VT,Bernard Sanders,S000033,www.sanders.senate.gov,,,legacy,"Delegation Release: Vermont Fire Departments Awarded More than $2 Million in Federal Grants Wednesday, October 30, 2019 BURLINGTON, Vt., October 30 Vermont's congressional delegation announced Wednesday that the Vermont Fire Academy and fire departments throughout the state have received more than $2 million through 16 federal grants. The awards are part of the Federal Emergency Management Agency's Assistance to Firefighters Grant (AFG) program, which helps fire departments, fire academies, and EMS agencies obtain critically needed equipment and training to better protect the public and first responders. This year's AFG grants will help departments purchase equipment including air packs, vehicle extraction tools, and a fire truck, and it will also fund paramedic training. Vermont's first responders are some of the most dedicated public servants we have. They keep our communities safe, answering the call at all hours of the day and night, and they put their own safety on the line in doing so. We are pleased that these federal grants will help departments secure the updated equipment they need and deserve so that they can continue to provide these vital services, said Senator Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.), Senator Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) and Representative Peter Welch (D-Vt.). The federal grants were awarded to: Putney Fire Department, $181,510 Burlington Fire Department, $162,273 City of Rutland Fire Department, 47,317 Williston Fire Department (in partnership with Essex Rescue and Colchester Rescue), $305,209 Vermont Department of Public Safety, Division of Fire Safety, Vermont Fire Academy, $124,585 Peru Fire Department, $62,039 Bethel Volunteer Fire Department, $124,286 Stamford Volunteer Fire Department, $9,524 Springfield Fire Department, $95,595 Newbury Volunteer Fire Department, $106,286 Grafton Firefighters' Association, $65,238 Essex Junction Fire Department, $141,071 Thetford Volunteer Fire Department, $118,065 Readsboro Fire Department, $85,714 Poultney Fire Department, $136,333 Rupert Volunteer Fire Department, $264,762 The next AFG application period is expected to open in December. In preparation, FEMA's grant specialists will be hosting workshops in Vermont and online webinars this fall.Each workshop is approximately 2 hours long and provides information on the AFG programs, what is new for 2019, and tips to develop and submit a successful application. The following workshops are planned: Tuesday, November 5th, 6:00 p.m. Williston Fire Department 645 Talcott Road, Williston Wednesday, November 6th, 6:00 p.m. Vermont Division of Fire Safety Central Office 1311 U.S. Route 302 Suite 600, Barre Thursday, November 7th, 6:00 p.m. Vermont Division of Fire Safety (Vermont Fire Academy) 93 Davison Drive, Pittsford Monday, December 2nd,6:00 p.m. Pownal Rescue Squad 22 Ladd Brook Road, Pownal Tuesday, December 3rd, 2:00 p.m. Online Webinar Audio: 800-320-4330; PIN: 174852# URL:https://fema.connectsolutions.com/r1_2019_afg/ Wednesday, December 4th, 7:00 p.m. Online Webinar Audio: 800-320-4330; PIN: 174852# URL:https://fema.connectsolutions.com/r1_2019_afg/ Thursday, December 5th, 10:00 a.m. Online Webinar Audio: 800-320-4330; PIN: 174852# URL:https://fema.connectsolutions.com/r1_2019_afg/ For more information about AFG and to sign up for email updates, please visithttps://www.fema.gov/welcome-assistance-firefighters-grant-program.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://welch.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/thompson-welch-johnson-and-schweikert-introduce-bipartisan-and-bicameral,"Thompson, Welch, Johnson and Schweikert Introduce Bipartisan and Bicameral Telehealth Package",2019-10-30,2019,2019-10,Democrat,House,VT,Peter Welch,W000800,welch.house.gov,,,legacy,"Washington Rep. Mike Thompson (CA-05), Co-Chair of the Congressional Telehealth Caucus, along with fellow Co-Chairs Rep. Peter Welch (VT-AL), Rep. Bill Johnson (OH-06) and Rep David Schweikert (AZ-06), announced the introduction of the Creating Opportunities Now for Necessary and Effective Care Technologies (CONNECT) for Health Act. This bipartisan and bicameral package will help expand access to important telehealth services that can lower health costs and make health care more efficient for patients. A Senate companion bill was introduced by Senators Schatz, Wicker, Cardin, Thune, Warner, and Hyde-Smith. Telehealth is a proven method of effectively and efficiently delivering health care to patients who need it, particularly in rural areas and regions with health care workforce shortages. I am proud to join my fellow Congressional Telehealth Caucus Co-Chairs to introduce the CONNECT Act, said Thompson. This bipartisan bill introduced in both the House and Senate will help bring access to telehealth to more areas across our nation by expanding use to services like mental health and emergency care, improving the implementation process, including new sites that can provide telehealth care like Federally-qualified health centers, and helping providers better monitor patients. Studies have consistently shown telehealth to be an effective and cost-efficient health care delivery method, particularly for rural areas and places where there is a provider shortage. It can also be a game changer for patients who have limited mobility or other limitations to accessing traditional health care. The CONNECT Act works to remove current restrictions that limit the ability of patients to access telehealth and build on telehealth strategies that have already been shown to be effective. Underserved areas in both rural and urban communities desperately need cost-effective solutions to address the gap in health services, said Welch. This bipartisan bill will address that gap by expanding telehealth to improve quality of care, increase access and reduce costs across America. This is a commonsense step to make sure that our policies keep pace with our technology. The CONNECT Act improves the effectiveness and use of telehealth by waiving certain requirements and restrictions to allow for expanded use of telehealth, allowing mental health services and emergency care to be delivered through telehealth, improving the process of adding telehealth to approved services lists, and adding rural health clinics and Federally-qualified health centers to the list of approved telehealth sites. Study after study demonstrates that the use of telehealth to furnish health care services is beneficial for quality of care, access to care, and reduced spending, said Johnson. However, to keep the ball rolling in the right direction, we've got to remove some of the barriers that limit the use of telehealth. This legislation does just that. Whether you are in a suburban, rural, or urban area of the United States, your health care access should not be limited. Ensuring Americans have access to innovative health care technologies, at an affordable cost, is of upmost importance in our discussion of how we are providing care. We are seeing a revolution in the cost and delivery of health care, and now government is taking the right step to remove harmful barriers we have in place. I am pleased to see the CONNECT for Health Act be introduced, and I look forward to working with my colleagues to advance this critical piece of legislation. said Schweikert This bipartisan bill also allows Native American health facilities to be used as originating sites for telehealth services, waives telehealth restrictions during national emergencies, allows telehealth to be used to recertify patients as eligible for hospice benefits, works to prevent telehealth fraud and abuse, creates reporting and analysis mechanisms, and helps to improve testing for future telehealth models. ###",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://welch.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/vermont-fire-departments-awarded-more-2-million-federal-grants,Vermont Fire Departments Awarded More Than $2 Million in Federal Grants,2019-10-30,2019,2019-10,Democrat,House,VT,Peter Welch,W000800,welch.house.gov,,,legacy,"BURLINGTON, Vt., October 30 Vermont's congressional delegation announced Wednesday that the Vermont Fire Academy and fire departments throughout the state have received more than $2 million through 16 federal grants. The awards are part of the Federal Emergency Management Agency's Assistance to Firefighters Grant (AFG) program, which helps fire departments, fire academies, and EMS agencies obtain critically needed equipment and training to better protect the public and first responders. This year's AFG grants will help departments purchase equipment including air packs, vehicle extraction tools, and a fire truck, and it will also fund paramedic training. Vermont's first responders are some of the most dedicated public servants we have. They keep our communities safe, answering the call at all hours of the day and night, and they put their own safety on the line in doing so. We are pleased that these federal grants will help departments secure the updated equipment they need and deserve so that they can continue to provide these vital services, said Senator Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.), Senator Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) and Representative Peter Welch (D-Vt.). The federal grants were awarded to: Putney Fire Department, $181,510 Burlington Fire Department, $162,273 City of Rutland Fire Department, 47,317 Williston Fire Department (in partnership with Essex Rescue and Colchester Rescue), $305,209 Vermont Department of Public Safety, Division of Fire Safety, Vermont Fire Academy, $124,585 Peru Fire Department, $62,039 Bethel Volunteer Fire Department, $124,286 Stamford Volunteer Fire Department, $9,524 Springfield Fire Department, $95,595 Newbury Volunteer Fire Department, $106,286 Grafton Firefighters' Association, $65,238 Essex Junction Fire Department, $141,071 Thetford Volunteer Fire Department, $118,065 Readsboro Fire Department, $85,714 Poultney Fire Department, $136,333 Rupert Volunteer Fire Department, $264,762 The next AFG application period is expected to open in December. In preparation, FEMA's grant specialists will be hosting workshops in Vermont and online webinars this fall.Each workshop is approximately 2 hours long and provides information on the AFG programs, what is new for 2019, and tips to develop and submit a successful application. The following workshops are planned: Tuesday, November 5th, 6:00 p.m. Williston Fire Department 645 Talcott Road, Williston Wednesday, November 6th, 6:00 p.m. Vermont Division of Fire Safety Central Office 1311 U.S. Route 302 Suite 600, Barre Thursday, November 7th, 6:00 p.m. Vermont Division of Fire Safety (Vermont Fire Academy) 93 Davison Drive, Pittsford Monday, December 2nd,6:00 p.m. Pownal Rescue Squad 22 Ladd Brook Road, Pownal Tuesday, December 3rd, 2:00 p.m. Online Webinar Audio: 800-320-4330; PIN: 174852# URL:https://fema.connectsolutions.com/r1_2019_afg/ Wednesday, December 4th, 7:00 p.m. Online Webinar Audio: 800-320-4330; PIN: 174852# URL:https://fema.connectsolutions.com/r1_2019_afg/ Thursday, December 5th, 10:00 a.m. Online Webinar Audio: 800-320-4330; PIN: 174852# URL:https://fema.connectsolutions.com/r1_2019_afg/ For more information about AFG and to sign up for email updates, please visithttps://www.fema.gov/welcome-assistance-firefighters-grant-program. ###",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z http://www.sanders.senate.gov/newsroom/video-audio/its-time-for-billionaires-to-pay-their-fair-share-in-taxes,It's Time for Billionaires to Pay Their Fair Share in Taxes,2019-10-28,2019,2019-10,Independent,House,VT,Bernard Sanders,S000033,www.sanders.senate.gov,,,legacy,"It's Time for Billionaires to Pay Their Fair Share in Taxes We are facing levels of inequality not seen since the Gilded Age of the robber barons, where the top one-tenth of one percent owns about as much wealth as the bottom 90 percent. The richest 400 billionaires pay lower taxes than everyone else. In my view, this obscene inequality in wealth and political power is not compatible with a democratic society. I am proud that Rep. Jimmy Gomez is leading three dozen members of the House in introducing the For The 99.8% Act to tax today's dynasty trusts and curb their power, while raising trillions of dollars for the essential programs we need as a country.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://welch.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/welch-courtney-lead-new-england-delegation-letter-defense-family-dairy,"Welch, Courtney Lead New England Delegation Letter in Defense of Family Dairy Farms",2019-10-25,2019,2019-10,Democrat,House,VT,Peter Welch,W000800,welch.house.gov,,,legacy,"WASHINGTON, D.C. Congressman Peter Welch and Joe Courtney (CT-02), co-chairs of the Congressional Dairy Farmers Caucus, have led a delegation consisting of all 21 Members of Congress from New England in writing to Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue, pushing back on comments he made earlier this month at the World Dairy Expo about the future of small dairy farms. In their letter, the members highlighted the importance of family dairy farming to the history, culture, and economy of New England. The members offered an open invitation for Secretary Perdue to visit New England to learn more about the dairy industry in the region. The volatility of the dairy market over the past decade has made us keenly aware of the importance for stability among New England dairies. From Farm Service Agency supports to the Rural Energy for America Program, the federal government has played a key role in helping our farms become more fiscally and environmentally efficient, the delegation wrote. However, what our farmers see in action from the USDA is not reflected in your sentiments about the future of small family dairy farming. Joining Welch and Courtney in sending the letter were Representatives John Larson (CT-01), Rosa DeLauro (CT-03), Jim Himes (CT-04), Jahana Hayes (CT-05), Richard Neal (MA-01), Jim McGovern (MA-02), Lori Trahan (MA-03), Joseph Kennedy (MA-04), Katherine Clark (MA-05), Seth Moulton (MA-06), Ayanna Pressley (MA-07), Stephen Lynch (MA-08), Bill Keating (MA-09), Chellie Pingree (ME-01), Jared Golden (ME-02), Chris Pappas (NH-01), Ann Kuster (NH-02), David Cicilline (RI-01), and Jim Langevin (RI-02). The members' full letter to Secretary is included below, and is available online. ###",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.leahy.senate.gov/press/bipartisan-trio-of-leahy-grassley-and-cornyn-tout-bipartisan-process-significantly-improving-interior-depts-foia-regulations,"Bipartisan Trio Of Leahy, Grassley And Cornyn Tout Bipartisan Process Significantly Improving Interior Dept.’s FOIA Regulations",2019-10-25,2019,2019-10,Democrat,House,VT,Patrick Leahy,L000174,www.leahy.senate.gov,,,legacy,"10.25.19 Bipartisan Trio Of Leahy, Grassley And Cornyn Tout Bipartisan Process Significantly Improving Interior Dept.'s FOIA Regulations . . . Grassley, Leahy, Cornyn Tout Bipartisan Process Significantly Improving Interior Dept.'s FOIA Regulations WASHINGTON (FRIDAY, Oct. 25, 2019) A bipartisan trio of key senators -- Senator Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa), Senator Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.), and Senator John Cornyn (R-Texas) Friday sent a letter to Secretary of the U.S. Department of the Interior (DOI) David Bernhardt expressing appreciation for the changes reflected in the agency's final rule, published today, updating its Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) policies. In March, the senators, alongside the late Chairman of the House Committee on Oversight and Reform, Representative Elijah Cummings, wrote to Secretary Bernhardt to express significant concerns with DOI's proposed FOIA rule, which appeared to restrict public access to records and unnecessarily delay the processing of FOIA requests. Their letter also highlights the constructive dialogue and responsiveness that DOI provided since the members' March letter. They wrote: The final rule appears to more faithfully align with FOIA's twin goals of transparency and openness. While our offices will remain vigilant in our oversight of all agencies' FOIA policies under any administration we sincerely appreciate the efforts your Department took to keep Congress informed of the final rule's development. Moreover, we were pleased that the Department heard our concerns with the proposed rule and issued a final rule that seeks to directly address those concerns. Text of the letter follows: October 25, 2019 The Honorable David Bernhardt Secretary U.S. Department of the Interior 1849 C Street, NW Washington, DC 20240 Dear Secretary Bernhardt, In March of this year, we sent your Department a bipartisan, bicameral letter to express significant concerns with the Department of Interior's proposed update to its Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) Act regulations.[1] We write today to express appreciation for the changes reflected in the Department's finalized rule,[2] as well as for the constructive dialogue that occurred between the Department and our offices since our initial letter. The final rule appears to more faithfully align with FOIA's twin goals of transparency and openness. While our offices will remain vigilant in our oversightof all agencies' FOIA policies under any administrationwe sincerely appreciate the efforts your Department took to keep Congress informed of the final rule's development. Moreover, we were pleased that the Department heard our concerns with the proposed rule and issued a final rule that seeks to directly address those concerns. Lastly, we note that our March letter, and the inter-branch dialogue that followed, was initiated by the late Chairman of the House Committee on Oversight and Reform, Representative Elijah Cummings, whose legacy in improving government transparency is widely respected. It's in his spirit and dedication to accountability that we hope other agencies, going forward, will provide the same level of dialogue and responsiveness as your Department has in this process. The American people, after all, are best served when Congress and the Executive Branch work together and across party lines to protect their interests. Respectfully, Charles E. Grassley United States Senator Patrick Leahy United States Senator John Cornyn United States Senator # # # # # [1] Department of the Interior, Freedom of Information Act Regulations, 83 Fed. Reg. 67175 (Dec. 28, 2018) (proposed rule) available at https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/FR-2018-12-28/pdf/2018-27561.pdf. [2] Department of the Interior, Freedom of Information Act Regulations, Docket No. DOI-2018-0017 (Oct. 24, 2019) (final rule) available at https://www.doi.gov/sites/doi.gov/files/uploads/signed-foia-finalrule102419.pdf. 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-and-others-press-trump-adm-for-answers-on-use-of-chemical-weapons-and-us-munitions-in-syria,Leahy And Others Press Trump Adm. For Answers On Use Of Chemical Weapons & U.S. Munitions In Syria,2019-10-25,2019,2019-10,Democrat,House,VT,Patrick Leahy,L000174,www.leahy.senate.gov,,,legacy,"10.25.19 Leahy And Others Press Trump Adm. For Answers On Use Of Chemical Weapons & U.S. Munitions In Syria Leahy, Van Hollen, Blackburn And Blumenthal Press Administration For Answers On Use Of Chemical Weapons And U.S. Munitions In Syria WASHINGTON (FRIDAY, Oct. 25, 2019) -- U.S. Senators Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.), Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.) and Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) Friday sent a letter to U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo pressing for information on reports of the use of chemical weapons against civilians in Syria. They are also seeking information regarding the use of U.S.-origin arms and equipment by Turkey in their fight against our allies, the Syrian Kurds. The senators request that Secretary Pompeo provide information by Nov. 1 on the credibility of reports of the use of white phosphorous against civilian populations and the use of U.S.-origin materiel. This letter follows the senators' introduction of legislation to levy strict sanctions on Turkey in response to their attack on the Syrian Kurds. The full text of the letter is available here and below. Dear Secretary Pompeo: We write with great concern regarding reports of the use of chemical weapons against civilian populations and the potential use of U.S.-origin defense articles by Turkish-backed forces in Syria. A report in Foreign Policy dated October 17, 2019 states that Turkish-backed forces appear to be using munitions loaded with white phosphorusa chemical that can maim and kill when it comes in contact with human fleshin their violent campaign against Kurdish fighters in northern Syria. The report cites photos showing children in the border town of Ras al-Ain with chemical burns on their chests and faces consistent with wounds from white phosphorus. The report also cites an aid organization official who stated that several people had been admitted into the National Hospital in Hasakah city coming from Ras al-Ain with severe burns' that appeared to have been caused by white phosphorus or napalm. These reports have been substantiated by numerous additional outlets, and the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons has stated that it is aware of the situation and is collecting information with regard to possible use of chemical weapons. A report from the Times of London found that blood and tissue samples from victims of the Turkish airstrikes have already been supplied to international chemical weapons experts for examinationand that initial analysis has pointed to [white phosphorus] as the cause. An official was quoted in the Times as saying Absolutely no doubt: it's white phosphorus. Regarding the use of U.S.-origin defense articles, the Department of State's annual reports on direct commercial sales required by Section 655 of the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 show $587.8 million in authorized sales and $106.7 million in actual items shipped to Turkey in FY17 and $604.3 million authorized and $136.5 million shipped in FY18. For the first three quarters of FY19, the Department reports $373.2 million in authorized sales. Among the largest categories of direct commercial sales to Turkey are launch vehicles, guided missiles, ballistic missiles, rockets, torpedoes, bombs, and mines (Category IV); and fire control, range finder, optical guidance, and control equipment (Category XII). The volume and nature of direct commercial sales to Turkey raise significant concerns that U.S.-origin defense articles may be in use in the Turkish offensive in northern Syria, potentially in connection with the use of chemical weapons and in violation of the applicable end-use agreements and U.S. and international law. To address these concerns, please respond to the following questions by November 1, 2019: 1. Are the allegations of the use of white phosphorus munitions by Turkish-backed forces in Syria credible? If not, why not? If the reports are credible: a. Does the Administration assess that the Turkish-backed forces alleged to have used white phosphorous munitions were acting on their own or at the direction of Turkish authorities, and how do you assess such forces acquired white phosphorous munitions? b. Does the use of white phosphorus munitions in this context constitute a violation of Turkey's international obligations under the Chemical Weapons Convention or any other provision of international law? If so, how does the Administration intend to respond? c. Does the use of white phosphorus munitions in this context constitute a gross violation of human rights as defined in section 502B(d)(1) of the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961)? If so: i. Has the Department of State determined the specific units involved in the reported use of white phosphorus munitions? If not, what concrete steps will the Department take to identify the units involved? ii. Has the Government of Turkey taken any steps or indicated an intent to bring those responsible to justice? iii. Does the Administration intend to suspend the responsible units from receiving future U.S. assistance or support pursuant to the Leahy Laws and/or as a matter of policy? If not, why not? iv. Does the Administration intend to take any other steps in response to the alleged use of white phosphorus munitions? 2. Have any U.S.-origin defense articles been used in connection with the Turkish offensive in Syria, including in connection with the use of chemical weapons? If so, was any such use in violation of the applicable end use agreements, and if so, how does the Administration intend to respond? Thank you for your attention to this matter. We look forward to your response. Sincerely, # # # # # Press Contact David Carle: 202-224-3693",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z http://www.sanders.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/sanders-pressley-warren-85-lawmakers-urge-congress-to-expand-community-health-centers-funding,"Sanders, Pressley, Warren, 85 Lawmakers Urge Congress to Expand Community Health Centers Funding",2019-10-24,2019,2019-10,Independent,House,VT,Bernard Sanders,S000033,www.sanders.senate.gov,,,legacy,"Sanders, Pressley, Warren, 85 Lawmakers Urge Congress to Expand Community Health Centers Funding Thursday, October 24, 2019 Washington, October 24 Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) co-led an effort with Representative Ayanna Pressley (D-Mass.), Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), and 85 other members of Congress, urging House and Senate leadership to increase funding to Community Health Centers (CHCs)a network of 1,400 facilities in all 50 states and U.S. territories that provide medical, dental, and mental health care, substance-abuse treatment, and low-cost prescription drugs for nearly 30 million people. Federal funding for CHCs is set to expire on November 21. The lawmakers ask for strong and long-term funding at the levels outlined in H.R. 1943/S. 962, the Community Health Center and Primary Care Workforce Expansion Act, legislation introduced by Sanders and Representative James Clyburn (D-N.C.), also a signatory to the letter. The Sanders-Clyburn bill increases resources for the National Health Service Corpsas well, which provides scholarships and loan repayment to 10,000 clinicians who work in underserved communities. Additionally, write the members of Congress, we urge you to provide strong funding levels for the Teaching Health Center Graduate Medical Education program, which supports over 700 medical residents in underserved areas around the country. CHCs are considered indispensable health providers in thousands of communitiesparticularly for communities of color, poor, underinsured, and rural populations, as well as children, veterans, and seniors. A spending authorization passed earlier this year by the Republican-controlled Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions would provide flat funding for community health centers over four years, effectively a cut to services that would likely push 3.4 million people out of primary care at CHCs by 2023. The Congressional letter, in contrast, advocates for funding levels specified by the Sanders-Clyburn legislation, which would expand resources to CHCs by 10 percent annually over five years. This would amount to $6.86 billion more than the flat funding proposed by Senate Republicans, and expand primary coverage to 10 million more Americans by 2024 in comparison.The House and Senate must still negotiate on federal levels of CHC funding. It is no exaggeration to call Community Health Centers a lifeline for millions of Americans, Sanders said. President Trump and the Republicans tried and failed to destroy the Affordable Care Act in Congress. Now they're in the courts still trying to kick millions off their health care. We are standing together to push back on this relentless assault on people's basic health. Congress must expandand not allow any cuts tothe comprehensive medical treatment that so many millions of people depend on through community health centers. The dozens of members of Congress also stress the economic impact of Community Health Centers, writing that CHCs employ more than 220,000 people across the country, produce nearly $55 billion in economic activity, and save our health care system more than $24 billion per year. CHCs also assist patients with healthy and affordable foods, housing support, and transportation assistance, and are working on the front lines of the opioid epidemic, they conclude. Sanders has been a longtime champion ofCHCs. In 2009, he secured $11 billion in the Affordable Care Act to expand primary health care to 25 million Americansthrough CHCs, including through 24 new health center sites in Vermont. More than one in four Vermonters rely on CHCs for their health care. Read the letterhere. Read a bill summary of S. 962, the Community Health Center and Primary Care Workforce Expansion Acthere.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.leahy.senate.gov/press/leahy-and-daines-reintroduce-legislation-to-protect-americans-privacy-at-the-border,Leahy And Daines Reintroduce Legislation To Protect Americans’ Privacy At The Border,2019-10-24,2019,2019-10,Democrat,House,VT,Patrick Leahy,L000174,www.leahy.senate.gov,,,legacy,"10.24.19 Leahy And Daines Reintroduce Legislation To Protect Americans' Privacy At The Border WASHINGTON (THURSDAY, Oct. 24, 2019) Senator Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) and Senator Steve Daines (R-Mont.) Thursday reintroduced their legislation requiring the government to have reasonable suspicion or probable cause to search or seize Americans' electronic devices at the border. Currently, under the so-called border search exception to the Fourth Amendment, U.S. government officials can seize or search Americans' laptops, cell phones and other devices without any showing of probable cause to believe the device may contain illicit content. This raises serious constitutional concerns. Government searches of electronic devise at border crossings have nearly quadrupled since 2015, rising to 33,295 last year. Just yesterday, for instance, it was reported that an American citizen was picking up gifts at the Buffalo Niagara International Airport customs office, ahead of his daughter's wedding, when he was detained and had his cell phone seized. In this case, the man was not even traveling but was simply picking up belongings at the airport that had been shipped to him. This bipartisan bill includes provisions requiring reasonable suspicion or probable cause to search or seize Americans' electronic devices at the border, and it would require the government to obtain a warrant before conducting forensic searches of such devices. It also requires the Department of Homeland Security to collect statistics on these searches and seizures and report them to Congress. Leahy said: This bill strikes a much needed balance between our Fourth Amendment rights and protecting our homeland. Much of the most personal details of our lives is now stored on our cell phones and other devices. Americans should not have to relinquish all of their fundamental privacy rights simply because they are coming home. Daines said: I will always fight to protect the privacy of Montanans. Regardless of where Montanans are, they should never have to give up their right to privacy including at the border. Leahy and Daines introduced similar legislation in the last Congress. # # # # # 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-and-other-senators-introduce-legislation-to-prohibit-export-of-crowd-control-equipment-to-hong-kong,Leahy And Other Senators Introduce Legislation To Prohibit Export Of Crowd Control Equipment To Hong Kong,2019-10-24,2019,2019-10,Democrat,House,VT,Patrick Leahy,L000174,www.leahy.senate.gov,,,legacy,"10.24.19 Leahy And Other Senators Introduce Legislation To Prohibit Export Of Crowd Control Equipment To Hong Kong Bipartisan Legislation Follows Documentation By Human Rights Groups That U.S.-made Police Equipment Has Been Used By Hong Kong Police To Violate The Human Rights Of Peaceful, Pro-Democracy Protesters WASHINGTON (THURSDAY, Oct. 24, 2019) Senator Patrick Leahy (D-VT) Thursday joined Senators Jeff Merkley (D-OR), John Cornyn (R-TX), Edward Markey (D-MA) and Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) in introducing new bipartisan legislation that would ban the U.S. export of crowd control equipment to the Hong Kong Police Force. The legislation follows documented reports by human rights groups that U.S.-made police equipment has been used by Hong Kong police to violate the human rights of peaceful protesters during Hong Kong's ongoing pro-democracy demonstrations. Words cannot adequately describe the bravery and determination of the citizens of Hong Kong who, day after day for months, have taken to the streets demanding democratic reforms and the protection of civil liberties, said Leahy. They have been met with increasing violence by the police, and the White House has said nothing. This bill would ensure that the United States is not associated with or facilitating the use of excessive force, by banning exports of the types of weapons that are being used to try to silence the protesters. The legislation is also cosponsored by Senators Rick Scott (R-FL), Chris Coons (D-DE), Roger F. Wicker (R-MS), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), James M. Inhofe (R-OK), Kirsten E. Gillibrand (D-NY), Benjamin Cardin (D-MD) and Ron Wyden (D-OR). Peaceful protesters are being subjected to state-sponsored oppression, violence, and human rights abuses for demonstrating in support of a democratic future for Hong Kong, said Merkley. The U.S. should never be complicit in police violence against pro-democracy protests. As we support the voices calling for democratic reforms in Hong Kong, it's time to ban the export of U.S.-made police equipment to Hong Kong. The United States must do what we can to prevent U.S. crowd-control equipment from making its way into the hands of repressive forces, said Markey. The authorities in Hong Kong have responded to popular action with police misconduct. I call on the Hong Kong police to cease their overreach and to provide timely access to lawyers, family members, and medical professionals for persons in custody. It is unacceptable that U.S. equipment is being used by Hong Kong police in the violent suppression of free speech, said Blackburn. Our belief in freedom of expression is paramount to who we are as a nation. As we express our solidarity with the people of Hong Kong in their pro-democracy protests, we must extend that sentiment to reach our commercial sector. The United States must continue to support the rights of peaceful protestors in Hong Kong, said Coons. This bill would underscore our insistence that the Hong Kong Police Force refrain from using violence or intimidation against those who are peacefully taking to the streets to demand a greater say over their daily lives. The growing brutality of police toward protesters in Hong Kong cannot be ignored, Wicker said. This legislation would ensure that the United States is not in the business of providing the tools the Chinese Communist Party uses to oppress citizens peacefully protesting and demanding basic human rights. Our bipartisan bill will prevent American-made equipment from being used in violent crackdowns on peaceful democratic protesters in Hong Kong, said Blumenthal. I stand with the people of Hong Kong, and support their right to democracy and self-determination. The United States of America should be a defender of democracy and human rights. We should in no way enable those who actively choose to violate the civil rights of their own people, said Cardin. Since June, residents of Hong Kong have been regularly staging public demonstrations in support of pro-democracy reforms. In recent months, the Hong Kong Police Force has cracked down on the protesters with increasing force. As the demonstrations have continued, Amnesty International has documented incidents in which Hong Kong police used U.S.-made equipment against protesters, including: Pepper spray; Batons; Rubber bullets; Remington Model 870 launchers; and Penn Arms GL-1 Compact 40mm single launchers. In light of these abuses, Amnesty International and other human rights organizations have called upon the U.S. government to suspend exports of crowd control products to Hong Kong. The senators' bipartisan legislation would meet this call, and would help ensure that American-made products are not being used to enable human rights violations abroad. # # # # # Press Contact David Carle: 202-224-3693 Next Article Previous Article",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.leahy.senate.gov/press/statement-on-polio-eradication,Statement on Polio Eradication,2019-10-24,2019,2019-10,Democrat,House,VT,Patrick Leahy,L000174,www.leahy.senate.gov,,,legacy,"10.24.19 Statement on Polio Eradication Mr. LEAHY. Mr. President, today is World Polio Day and I want to comment briefly about the funding to support global polio eradication efforts in the Senate version of the fiscal year 2020 Department of State and Foreign Operations appropriations bill, which was reported unanimously by the Appropriations Committee on September 26th. Polio is a highly infectious, crippling, and potentially fatal disease. While there is no cure, there are safe and effective vaccines. The global strategy to eradicate polio, therefore, focuses on preventing infection by immunizing every child until transmission stops and the world is polio-free. Through the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), the United States provides financial support and technical leadership around the world to support the eradication strategy. USAID focuses specifically on recognizing and raising the importance of identifying and reaching mobile populations, cross-border coordination, communications, and the need for more women vaccinators and community-based disease surveillance. Since global polio eradication efforts began 30 years ago, when cases numbered 350,000 annually, polio has been eliminated in more than 120 countries and remains endemic in only three Afghanistan, Nigeria, and Pakistan. But, while significant progress has been made, much work remains. Cases of polio persist in insecure areas and in countries with porous borders and large migratory populations, posing considerable obstacles to eradication. However, while there have been real setbacks, and the goal posts continue to change, complacency is not an option. To that end, the Appropriations Committee has recommended $61 million in fiscal year 2020, an increase of $2 million over last year, for USAID's polio eradication activities. Increased resources are necessary to get over the finish line in Afghanistan, Nigeria, and Pakistan, and to demonstrate the continued U.S. commitment to polio eradication. It is our hope that this increase will cause other donors to follow our example. I am not alone in my support for these activities. The State and Foreign Operations subcommittee heard from more than 20 members Republicans and Democrats requesting funding for global polio eradication efforts in fiscal year 2020. So while many Senators have advocated for this critical funding, I want to be sure that all 100 Senators are aware of these efforts which are essential to achieving a polio-free world. # # # # # 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/statement-on-the-united-states-and-cuba-today,Statement On The United States and Cuba Today,2019-10-24,2019,2019-10,Democrat,House,VT,Patrick Leahy,L000174,www.leahy.senate.gov,,,legacy,"10.24.19 Statement On The United States and Cuba Today Mr. LEAHY. Mr. President, the Travel Section of the New York Times on Sunday, October 6, 2019, included a lengthy article about the extraordinary music of Cuba, and the rich culture that has developed over many generations around the creation and performance of music in that country. The article is too long to insert into the Record, but I encourage all Senators to read it as it describes in colorful detail the unique creativity, ingenuity, and complexity of Cuban music that derives from the infinite variety of sounds, instruments, artistry, and talents of Cuban musicians drawing on their African, Haitian, and European heritage. I mention this because it is illustrative of the many aspects of Cuban society today that Americans should be able to experience for themselves. The Cuban people, who endure many hardships, are as resilient, ingenious, and hard working as any people I have met. Despite an economy broken by mismanagement that discourages private initiative, a one-party political system that punishes dissent, racial and gender inequality, and only dreams for a better future, they know how to enjoy life's pleasures and to make strangers feel welcome. Unfortunately, rather than encouraging Americans to travel to Cuba to experience Cuban society and build relations with the Cuban people, as we do with people living under other autocratic governments, President Trump has slammed the door. Egged on by a handful of Cuban-American hardliners in the White House, the State Department, and Congress few if any of whom have ever set foot in Cuba the President has adopted a bankrupt approach toward that country that is steeped in hypocrisy. These are the same people who for years have unreservedly supported spending hundreds of millions of dollars on TV and Radio Marti, despite abundant evidence that they were little more than anti-Cuba propaganda broadcasts masquerading as objective journalism. Finally, thanks to a recent investigation, the Office of Cuba Broadcasting has new leadership and reforms are underway. Those reforms should include relocating the Office to Washington, DC where it would be less vulnerable to the political interference and ideological influence that has plagued it in the past. Every few weeks or months, this White House devises a new way to ratchet up pressure on the Cuban Government, and, in doing so, cause greater hardship for the Cuban people on whose behalf the White House professes to act. The latest was announced last week, when the Commerce Department said it is revoking licenses for aircraft leases to Cuban airlines and will deny future applications for aircraft leases. It will also expand sanctions to cover more foreign goods containing as little as 10 percent U.S. content. Since this, like other sanctions against Cuba, will backfire, there is only one rational explanation: the White House, and their enablers in Congress, care little about the impact of these punitive policies on the Cuban people. They are motivated by personal and ideological animus. The White House has imposed onerous restrictions on travel by Americans who want, and have a right, to visit Cuba as they can to every other country except North Korea, and by Cubans who want to visit or resettle in the United States. Just to apply for a U.S. visa, Cubans must now travel to a third country at a cost of hundreds of dollars that very few can afford. Cuban entrepreneurs, whose fledgling small businesses depend on American customers, have seen their incomes plunge as visits to Cuba by Americans have fallen by 50 percent. For the first time that I can remember, Cubans with claims of being threatened and arrested for their political activism in Cuba and who have requested asylum in this country, have been locked up in U.S. jails and deported. The White House has severely limited remittances, on which many Cuban families depend. President Trump apparently believes it is his prerogative to dictate to Cuban-Americans how much or how little of their hard-earned income they can send to needy relatives. The State Department ordered the departure of U.S. Embassy personnel from Havana and Cuban Embassy personnel from Washington, which has brought diplomacy to a virtual halt. Discussions on a wide range of topics, from public health to climate change that began under President Obama have all but ceased, and our top diplomat, Secretary of State Pompeo, has nothing but praise for a failed policy that is completely at odds with the mission of his Department. Exhaustive investigations have not produced any evidence that illnesses suffered by U.S. Government personnel in Havana that triggered the ordered departure were caused by the Cuban Government, as some initially charged. Yet, three years later our Embassy is barely functioning with a skeleton staff, and the State Department has done nothing to try to mitigate the adverse impact this is having on our relations with Cuba. Under President Obama, negotiations began to seek a resolution of the thorny issue of expropriated property claims. The Trump White House summarily abandoned that process, and has instead encouraged lawsuits against American companies that want to do business in Cuba, if doing so involves property confiscated during the Cuban revolution 60 years ago. Airports, seaports, warehouses, hotels, homes, and restaurants, many of which were once owned by Cuban elites who profited off the spoils of the U.S. supported Batista dictatorship, are now off limits. This is a legitimate issue that needs to be addressed, but tying up U.S. courts for years and hurting American companies is not the way to do it. The White House has insisted that each of these and other punitive actions is designed to bring democracy to Cuba and human rights to the Cuban people. And I have little doubt that creative minds in the White House will conjure up additional sanctions in the coming months. None of them will achieve those goals or anything positive for Cuba or its people. Anyone who knows Cuba, and who knows the Cuban Government, understands the fallacy of the White House's approach. I wish it were otherwise, but human rights have not improved since President Trump announced his punitive policy three years ago. In fact the situation is worse, as the recent re-arrests of Jose Daniel Ferrer, Berta Soler, and other dissidents illustrates. As access to the Internet in Cuba has increased, so has persecution of critics of the government. With only a handful of staff at our Embassy in Havana there is no one to regularly interact with the Cuban dissident community or their families. Cuba is no closer to being a multi-party democracy than it was three years ago, nor is the Cuban Government any closer to withdrawing its support for Nicolas Maduro despite his corrupt, abusive, and disastrous reign in Venezuela. So yes, we have profound disagreements. But while the Administration continues to tighten the screws on Cuba, making the lives of the Cuban people even more difficult, President Trump sings the praises of other foreign dictators and pretends to be concerned about corruption in Ukraine. He called Egypt's President al-Sisi a great leader. He invited President Erdogan to the White House. He admires Vladimir Putin and Roberto Duterte. He has spoken endearingly of Kim Jung Un, and he has praised Xi Jinping and the Saudi Crown Prince. How can one possibly reconcile embracing these ruthless, corrupt strongmen while at the same time throwing the book at Cuba, a tiny, impoverished country that poses no threat to the United States and whose people want closer ties with the United States? This is what happens when national policy is subverted by local politics. When promises derived from campaign contributions take precedence over the national interest. When family grievances and the personal vindictiveness of a few with political influence trample on the aspirations of the majority of Americans. This Administration's policy toward Cuba is no different from past failed attempts to force the Cuban Government to transform itself into a democracy, or to incite the Cuban people to rise up and overthrow it. It has not worked and it won't work. And in the meantime, the Russians are eagerly filling the vacuum, only this time it is 90 miles from Florida, not 6,000 miles away in Syria. Russia's Prime Minister Medvedev visited Cuba just three weeks ago. No one is saying that we should provide aid, or sell weapons, to the Cuban Government the way this Administration does to despotic governments in Egypt, Saudi Arabia, and the Philippines. No one is saying that we should not criticize the Cuban Government for its repressive policies and its abuse of those who speak out for greater political, economic, and journalistic freedom. No one is saying that we should excuse Cuba's support for Maduro, or for the corrupt and repressive Ortega Government in Nicaragua. What we are saying is that pursuing a policy that has failed for more than half a century is nonsensical, indefensible, and wrong. It has achieved none of its objectives, while it is harming the Cuban people and infringing on the rights of the American people. And if we are serious about controlling the spread of deadly viruses; mitigating the effects of climate change; combatting organized crime, drug trafficking, and human trafficking; protecting fisheries and other marine resources; addressing the causes of migration; expanding export markets for American companies; and countering the influence of Russia and China in this hemisphere, we need to engage with every one of our neighbors whether we agree with their policies or not. I hope the new National Security Advisor will review this policy. I hope he will put it to the test of time and common sense. I hope he will assess whether it is achieving its objectives, and whether it is serving our national interests. I hope he will ensure that the right people, who will put the national interest first, are the architects of our policy toward Cuba. And I hope he will consult widely on ways to improve our policy, rather than rely on a handful of extreme voices that are not representative of the majority of the American people or the majority of Members of Congress. # # # # # 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-and-other-senators-announce-that-the-usda-inspector-general-has-opened-an-investigation-into-suppression-of-science-at-the-agency,Leahy And Other Senators Announce That The USDA Inspector General Has Opened An Investigation Into Suppression Of Science At The Agency,2019-10-23,2019,2019-10,Democrat,House,VT,Patrick Leahy,L000174,www.leahy.senate.gov,,,legacy,"10.23.19 Leahy And Other Senators Announce That The USDA Inspector General Has Opened An Investigation Into Suppression Of Science At The Agency WASHINGTON (WEDNESDAY, Oct. 23, 2019) -- Senator Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) has joined Senators Mazie Hirono (D-Hawaii), Debbie Stabenow (D-Mich.), and 17 other senators in announcing that the Inspector General of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has opened an investigation that they requested into potential suppression and alteration of scientific reports, documents, and communications by political appointees at USDA. The announcement followed a June request by the senators to initiate the investigation following widespread reports of politically motivated decision making at USDA that led to potential instances of suppression and alteration of scientific reports, documents or communications produced by USDA. Leahy, a leading member of the Senate Agriculture Committee, said: Reports that the USDA may be suppressing its own climate research are deeply troubling, and I'm glad the Inspector General has initiated this investigation. We can't allow politics to undermine scientific integrity. There is too much at stake for our children and grandchildren. A copy of Inspector General Fong's letter in response to the senators' request can be found here. Press Contact David Carle: 202-224-3693 Previous Article",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z http://www.sanders.senate.gov/newsroom/video-audio/americans-deserve-a-living-wage,Americans Deserve A Living Wage,2019-10-22,2019,2019-10,Independent,House,VT,Bernard Sanders,S000033,www.sanders.senate.gov,,,legacy,"Americans Deserve A Living Wage In one of the wealthiest countries in the history of the world, no one should be in poverty. The current $7.25 an hour federal minimum wage is a starvation wage and must be increased to a living wage of $15 an hour. Time for the Senate to do its job and take a vote.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.leahy.senate.gov/press/statement-on-ocean-plastic-pollution,Statement On Ocean Plastic Pollution,2019-10-21,2019,2019-10,Democrat,House,VT,Patrick Leahy,L000174,www.leahy.senate.gov,,,legacy,"10.21.19 Statement On Ocean Plastic Pollution Mr. LEAHY. Mr. President, oceans, lakes, and rivers across our planet are filled with debris that litters shorelines and threatens public health, navigation safety, wildlife, and the environment. This debris causes serious damage to the health of ocean ecosystems and marine life, and, due to ocean currents, often travels great distances and poses threats to nations that are not responsible for the mismanagement of such waste. One of the most common forms of marine debris is plastic, which is abundant in our everyday lives, often in the form of single-use packaging. Countless seabirds, sea turtles, seals, and other marine animals are killed each year after ingesting plastic or getting entangled in it. And most commonly used plastics never fully degrade, but rather break down into smaller and smaller pieces, known as microplastics, which pose unique problems of their own. The negative health, environmental, and economic impacts of marine pollution, both to countries that discharge waste and to those on whose shorelines such waste washes up, are steadily mounting. Billions of pounds of plastic and other debris can be found in our oceans and waterways. In the Senate version of the fiscal year 2020 Department of State and Foreign Operations appropriations bill, which was reported unanimously by the Appropriations Committee on September 26th, the Committee recommended funding to respond to this global threat. In the bill, the Committee directs the Department of State and the U.S. Agency for International Development to redouble their diplomatic and programmatic support for regional and global efforts to address this urgent problem, including through grants, technical assistance, and new multilateral mechanisms, and provides $10 million to support such efforts. While the funding provided is miniscule compared to what is needed, the Committee's intent is clear the United States must increase its leadership and visibility on this issue and become more engaged in efforts to prevent and mitigate the impacts of marine debris. The Committee recognizes that the United States cannot address this problem alone. Nothing connects countries of the world more than oceans and waterways, and strong international cooperation is necessary to guarantee their conservation for generations to come. It is imperative that the United States increases its engagement both bilaterally and multilaterally to tackle this challenge. It is not an understatement to say that what I am speaking about the protection of the oceans, lakes, and rivers of our planet is essential to our existence. I hope other Senators will join me, Senator Whitehouse, and others who have taken up this cause in calling for additional resources to address ocean plastic pollution. # # # # # Press Contact David Carle: 202-224-3693 Previous Article",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z http://www.sanders.senate.gov/newsroom/video-audio/climate-strikers-will-help-pass-a-green-new-deal,Climate Strikers Will Help Pass A Green New Deal,2019-10-20,2019,2019-10,Independent,House,VT,Bernard Sanders,S000033,www.sanders.senate.gov,,,legacy,"Climate Strikers Will Help Pass A Green New Deal Climate strikersled by young peopleare once again on the march for environmental justice. This movement is not going away. It is growing stronger. Together, we will transform this country and pass a Green New Deal.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z http://www.sanders.senate.gov/newsroom/video-audio/this-is-how-we-pay-for-college-for-all,This is How We Pay for College for All,2019-10-20,2019,2019-10,Independent,House,VT,Bernard Sanders,S000033,www.sanders.senate.gov,,,legacy,"This is How We Pay for College for All How can we afford it? It's a question critics ask anytime I propose a bold new program like College for All. The answer in this case is very simple: with a small fee on Wall Street we can pay for these programs, end harmful speculation, and curb bloat in the financial sector all at the same time. So let's do it.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z http://www.sanders.senate.gov/newsroom/video-audio/democracy-is-building-powerful-grassroots-movements,Democracy is Building Powerful Grassroots Movements,2019-10-19,2019,2019-10,Independent,House,VT,Bernard Sanders,S000033,www.sanders.senate.gov,,,legacy,"Democracy is Building Powerful Grassroots Movements I have long believed that democracy isn't just voting every four yearsit's about ordinary people creating community, engaging in the political process together, and building powerful grassroots movements to achieve progressive change. And that's exactly what we're doing.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z http://www.sanders.senate.gov/newsroom/video-audio/we-need-a-green-new-deal-for-our-health,We Need a Green New Deal for Our Health,2019-10-19,2019,2019-10,Independent,House,VT,Bernard Sanders,S000033,www.sanders.senate.gov,,,legacy,"We Need a Green New Deal for Our Health Today, millions of climate strikers, led by a global youth movement, showed politicians around the world that the demand for environmental justice will not go away. It is only growing stronger. We need a Green New Deal to transform our economy and protect the health and wellbeing of our communities.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z http://www.sanders.senate.gov/newsroom/video-audio/we-need-to-protect-the-us-postal-service-from-privatization,We Need To Protect the U.S. Postal Service From Privatization,2019-10-19,2019,2019-10,Independent,House,VT,Bernard Sanders,S000033,www.sanders.senate.gov,,,legacy,"We Need To Protect the U.S. Postal Service From Privatization Danny Glover's parents were able to buy a home with their savings from working for the U.S. Postal Service. We should modernize and expand our post offices and allow them to offer basic banking solutionsnot privatize and destroy them, as Donald Trump and his billionaire friends want to do.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z http://www.sanders.senate.gov/newsroom/video-audio/we-will-investigate-wall-street-corruption-for-the-people-of-puerto-rico,We Will Investigate Wall Street Corruption for the People of Puerto Rico,2019-10-19,2019,2019-10,Independent,House,VT,Bernard Sanders,S000033,www.sanders.senate.gov,,,legacy,"We Will Investigate Wall Street Corruption for the People of Puerto Rico A message to Wall Street: We will investigate your corruption. We will not let you cut the schools, hospitals and pensions that the Puerto Rican people need to live with dignity and recover from Hurricane Maria.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z http://www.sanders.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/leahy-sanders-welch-urge-fda-to-swiftly-resolve-critical-drug-recall,"Leahy, Sanders, Welch Urge FDA to Swiftly Resolve Critical Drug Recall",2019-10-18,2019,2019-10,Independent,House,VT,Bernard Sanders,S000033,www.sanders.senate.gov,,,legacy,"Washington, October 18 Today, Sens. Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) and Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) and Rep. Peter Welch (D-Vt.) urged the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to swiftly resolve therecallofNatpara, a lifesaving drug used to manage blood calcium levels for people with a rare condition called hypoparathyroidism.For the more than 2,000 patients in the United States who rely onNatparato manage their blood calcium levels, the shortage of available product has potentially dire health consequences. Untreated hypoparathyroidism can lead to heart failure and death. Patients across the country have already been hospitalized due to an inability to getNatpara, and we fear that as more patients run out ofNatpara, the number of avoidable hospitalizations or worse may increase, the letter said.Natparais manufactured solely by Takeda Pharmaceuticals and wasrecalled on September 5 due to a potential issue with rubber particulates from the injector pen contaminating the medicine.Despite therecallnow lasting over a month,FDAhas not shared any substantive information with patients about how long therecallmay last, what steps are being taken to develop short- and long-term solutions, or other patientguidance, wrote the members of Congress. [O]urconstituents have repeatedly contactedFDAand been left confused as to when the drug may become available again, as well as how they should proceed in the meantime. Given that these patients depend onNatparato prevent serious health complications, this is entirely unacceptable.Let us be clear we strongly supportFDA's critical mission to protect public's health and use itsrecallauthority to protect patients from potentially harmful products. However, we also believe thatFDA's responsibility to American patients includes a responsibility to be transparent when possible, a commitment that has not been fulfilled in this case, the members said.It's really scary, said Vermonter Ryan Pollyin an interviewwith NBC5 news about therecall. Without this medication, I could be sitting at work, and the next thing I know, I could be having a seizure or my heart could stop. And I have five kids; I want to be around for my kids.The members urgedFDAto work with Takeda as expeditiously as possible to resolve therecall, to use the agency's available drug shortage tools to potentially provide patients with other treatment options, and to ensure patients have full information about when the supply ofNatparawill resume and what measures patients can take while they wait.To read the letter, clickhere.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z http://www.sanders.senate.gov/newsroom/video-audio/hasan-minhaj-takes-on-congress-over-student-debt,Hasan Minhaj Takes on Congress Over Student Debt,2019-10-18,2019,2019-10,Independent,House,VT,Bernard Sanders,S000033,www.sanders.senate.gov,,,legacy,"Hasan Minhaj Takes on Congress Over Student Debt Hasan Minhaj is right. Instead of just worrying about Wall Street, maybe it's time we start worrying about the 45 million Americans with $1.6 trillion in student debt. We could start by cancelling that debt and making public colleges and universities tuition-freepaid for by a tax on Wall Street's greed.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z