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 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 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 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 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 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 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 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 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 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 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 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 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 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 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 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 https://welch.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/house-panel-advances-major-initiative-lower-prescription-drug-prices,House Panel Advances Major Initiative to Lower Prescription Drug Prices,2019-10-18,2019,2019-10,Democrat,House,VT,Peter Welch,W000800,welch.house.gov,,,legacy,"WASHINGTON Last night, the House Energy and Commerce Committee approved a major drug pricing reform bill that includes a price negotiation initiative long championed by Rep. Peter Welch. The Lower Drug Costs Now Act of 2019 (H.R. 3) was approved by the House Energy and Commerce Committee by a vote of 30-22.The Congressional Budget Office estimates the bill will save at least $345 billion. It is expected to be considered by the full House in the near future. We are absolutely unique in this country where the federal government is prohibited from pushing back against the unlimited pricing power of the pharmaceutical industry, said Welch.This bill provides price relief to consumers by breaking the iron grip Big Pharma has over the price of lifesaving medicines. Current law prohibits the federal government from using its bulk purchasing power to negotiate with pharmaceutical companies.The bill requires the Secretary of Health and Human Services to negotiate prices on the most expensive and most utilized drugs covered by Medicare. Savings achieved through these negotiations would be 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. H.R. 3 will be renamed to honor Rep. Elijah Cummings who died unexpectedly yesterday. Cummings was Welch's partner in the House on price negotiation legislation. They met with President Trump at the White House in March 2017 to urge his support for their bill. Welch first introduced a price negotiation bill in 2010. He is the lead cosponsor of Rep. Cummings's price negotiation bill. He is a senior member of the House Energy and Commerce Committee and a leading advocate in Congress for lowering prescription drug prices. To view remarks made by Rep. Welch during committee debate on the bill, click here: https://youtu.be/pSRFoTCBgWQ ###",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://welch.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/leahy-sanders-welch-urge-fda-swiftly-resolve-critical-drug-recall,"Leahy, Sanders, Welch Urge FDA to Swiftly Resolve Critical Drug Recall",2019-10-18,2019,2019-10,Democrat,House,VT,Peter Welch,W000800,welch.house.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 therecallof Natpara, 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 on Natpara to 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 get Natpara, and we fear that as more patients run out of Natpara, the number of avoidable hospitalizations or worse may increase, the letter said. Natpara is 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 on Natpara to 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 of Natpara will resume and what measures patients can take while they wait. To read the letter, click here. ###",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.leahy.senate.gov/press/leahy-on-sat-hosts-23rd-annual-vt-womens-economic-opportunity-conf-at-vtc-in-randolph,"Leahy On Sat. Hosts 23rd Annual VT Women’s Economic Opportunity Conf., At VTC In Randolph",2019-10-18,2019,2019-10,Democrat,House,VT,Patrick Leahy,L000174,www.leahy.senate.gov,,,legacy,"10.18.19 Leahy On Sat. Hosts 23rd Annual VT Women's Economic Opportunity Conf., At VTC In Randolph This Saturday (Oct. 19) is the annual Vermont Women's Economic Opportunity Conference. Senator Patrick Leahy launched the yearly conference 23 years ago, and he partners with several agencies and organizations to organize the workshops. This year's keynote speaker is Jen Kimmich, CEO of Alchemist Brewery. Under Kimmich's leadership, the Stowe business has become one of Vermont's most popular tourist destinations and is famous for its Heady Topper brew. Leahy will introduce Jen Kimmich and make marks at 8:45 a.m. The conference is in Judd Hall, at Vermont Technical College in Randolph. # # # # # 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-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,Democrat,House,VT,Patrick Leahy,L000174,www.leahy.senate.gov,,,legacy,"10.18.19 Leahy, Sanders, Welch Urge FDA To Swiftly Resolve Critical Drug Recall 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 therecallof Natpara, 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 on Natpara to 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 get Natpara, and we fear that as more patients run out of Natpara, the number of avoidable hospitalizations or worse may increase, the letter said. Natpara is 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 on Natpara to 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 of Natpara will resume and what measures patients can take while they wait. To read the letter, click here. Press Contact Leahy Contact:David_Carle@leahy.senate.gov Sanders Contact:Keane_Bhatt@sanders.senate.gov Welch Contact:Lincoln.Peek@mail.house.gov Previous Article",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.leahy.senate.gov/press/judicial-travel-accountability-act-unveiled-in-congress,Judicial Travel Accountability Act Unveiled In Congress,2019-10-17,2019,2019-10,Democrat,House,VT,Patrick Leahy,L000174,www.leahy.senate.gov,,,legacy,"10.17.19 Judicial Travel Accountability Act Unveiled In Congress Bill closes loopholes allowing Supreme Court justices and federal judges to keep secret who funds their travel and hospitality perks WASHINGTON (THURSDAY, Oct. 17, 2019) Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) and Congressman David Cicilline (D-RI) Thursday led a bipartisan group in Congress to introduce the Judicial Travel Accountability Act, a bill to close loopholes that allow Supreme Court justices and federal judges to avoid disclosing travel and hospitality perks they enjoy as prominent public figures. Given the life tenure and extraordinary power to shape American law that comes with a federal court seat, there is a strong public interest in better understanding the nature of judicial travel and hospitality especially who pays for it. The members' legislation would help to bolster the non-partisan credibility of the Supreme Court, which has been eroding in the eyes of the public. Supreme Court justices and federal judges enjoy lifetime appointments and tremendous power to shape Americans' lives. With that power comes invitations from outside groups and individuals, many of whom are active litigants before federal courts, said Whitehouse. To avoid conflicts of interest, the American people ought to know what hospitality, travel, and other emoluments justices and judges receive. With a persistent, decades-long effort by big corporate and partisan donors to control the courts, it's more important than ever to require transparency in our judiciary. Full transparency is critical for ensuring public confidence in our system of justice. Supreme Court justices and federal judges should always be held to the highest ethical standards, said Cicilline. As Republicans like Mitch McConnell continue working with wealth special interests to change the face of the federal judiciary, it's absolutely crucial that we pass this bill now. Senators Patrick Leahy (D-VT), Dick Durbin (D-IL), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Cory Booker (D-NJ), Sherrod Brown (D-OH), Ron Wyden (D-OR), and Edward J. Markey (D-MA), and Representatives Ben Cline (R-VA), Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC), and Sheila Jackson Lee (D-TX) joined Whitehouse and Cicilline in introducing the bill in both chambers of Congress. Current judicial travel and gift disclosure requirements are failing. The Ethics and Government Act requires that judges' financial disclosure reports include only the identity of the source and a brief description (including a travel itinerary, dates, and nature of expenses provided) of reimbursements over certain dollar threshold, currently set at $390. But judges and justices are not required to identify the dollar value of the reimbursement, and are exempted entirely from reporting any gifts in the form of food, lodging, or entertainment received as personal hospitality. The Judicial Travel Accountability Act would amend the Ethics and Government Act to require judicial officers' financial disclosure statements to include the dollar amount of transportation, lodging, and meal expense reimbursements and gifts, as well as a detailed description of any meetings and events attended. A 2015 report by the nonpartisan Center for Public Integrity revealed that in 2014, all nine Supreme Court justices received free trips, with six traveling overseas. According to an analysis from the Washington Post, the justices took over 365 trips paid for by outside groups from 2011-2014. Polling shows Americans are increasingly skeptical that the Supreme Court decides cases free of political bias. According to recent polling by Quinnipiac University, a clear majority of Americans believe it is mainly politics that motivates the Supreme Court. The findings also showed that majority has grown markedly. Full text of the bill is available 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/durbin-leahy-introduce-new-legislation-to-increase-number-of-green-cards-available-eliminating-the-backlog,"Durbin, Leahy Introduce New Legislation To Increase Number Of Green Cards Available, Eliminating The Backlog",2019-10-16,2019,2019-10,Democrat,House,VT,Patrick Leahy,L000174,www.leahy.senate.gov,,,legacy,"10.16.19 Durbin, Leahy Introduce New Legislation To Increase Number Of Green Cards Available, Eliminating The Backlog WASHINGTON (WEDNESDAY, Oct. 16, 2019) U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Immigration Subcommittee, and Senator Patrick Leahy (D-VT), former Chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, today introduced new legislation that would eliminate the family and employment green card backlog by increasing the number of green cards. Close to four million future Americans are on the State Department's immigrant visa waiting list, in addition to hundreds of thousands of immigrants in the U.S. who are also waiting for green cards. However, under current law only 226,000 family green cards and 140,000 employment green cards are available annually. Children and spouses of lawful permanent residents (LPRs) count against these numbers, further restricting the number of available green cards. One of the most serious problems in our broken immigration system is that there are not nearly enough green cards available each year. As a result, immigrants are stuck in crippling backlogs for many years, Durbin said. The solution to this backlog is clear: increase the number of green cards. I'm proud to introduce this commonsense legislation to finally eliminate the family and employment green card backlog. America at its core is a nation of immigrants, but too often our outdated immigration laws close doors to those who would make enormous contributions to our communities and economy. The mismatch between the supply and demand for green cards has left millions of immigrant families in legal limbo, stuck in a years-long backlog waiting for the chance to contribute to our nation, Leahy said. This commonsense legislation the crux of which was contained in comprehensive immigration reform, which overwhelmingly passed the Senate in 2013 would eliminate this backlog and is long overdue. Along with eliminating the family and employment green card backlog over five years, the Resolving Extended Limbo for Immigrant Employees and Families (RELIEF) Act would also help keep American families together by classifying spouses and children of LPRs as immediate relatives and exempting derivative beneficiaries of employment-based petitions from annual green card limits, protect aging out children who qualify for LPR status based on a parent's immigration petition, and lift country caps. The bill is endorsed by national organizations representing impacted communities, including: All of Us; American Hellenic Educational Progressive Association (Order of AHEPA); Ancient Order of Hibernians; Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, Inc. (IEEE)-USA; National Iranian American Council Action; South Asian Americans Leading Together; United Chinese Americans; United Macedonian Diaspora; and United We Dream. Specifically, the RELIEF Act will: Eliminate the family and employment green card backlog over five years in the order in which applications were filed; Keep American families together by classifying spouses and children of lawful permanent residents (LPRs) as immediate relatives and exempting derivative beneficiaries of employment-based petitions from annual green card limits; Protect aging out children who qualify for LPR status based on a parent's immigration petition; Lift country caps; and, Extend the hold harmless clause from H.R. 1044 that exempts immigrant visa petitions approved prior to enactment from the lifting of country caps to petitions approved for five years after enactment. # # # # # Press Contact David Carle (Leahy): 202-224-3693 Emily Hampsten (Durbin): 202-228-5643 Previous Article",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.leahy.senate.gov/press/reaction-to-president-trumps-veto-of-the-joint-resolution-of-disapproval-of-president-trumps-declaration-of-a-national-emergency,Reaction To President Trump’s Veto Of The Joint Resolution Of Disapproval Of President Trump’s Declaration Of A National Emergency,2019-10-16,2019,2019-10,Democrat,House,VT,Patrick Leahy,L000174,www.leahy.senate.gov,,,legacy,"10.16.19 Reaction To President Trump's Veto Of The Joint Resolution Of Disapproval Of President Trump's Declaration Of A National Emergency President Trump's veto once again confirms his willingness to sell out our armed forces by stealing $6.2 billion from our men and women in uniform. He is ignoring the explicit will of Congress in order to build his big, beautiful, and useless vanity border wall. This should alarm every member of Congress, and the Appropriations Committee will not forget this as we continue our work to complete the fiscal year 2020 appropriations process. Congress is a coequal branch of government that cannot be ignored by the tweets and tantrums of a President determined to fulfill a cynical campaign promise, which he promised that Mexico would pay for. For three years, President Trump has failed to convince Congress that his wall is a good idea, and he has failed to convince Congress that this is a real national emergency. I urge my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to overturn the President's veto. # # # # # 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-unveils-bipartisan-legislation-boost-international-visits-vermont,Welch Unveils Bipartisan Legislation to Boost International Visits to Vermont,2019-10-11,2019,2019-10,Democrat,House,VT,Peter Welch,W000800,welch.house.gov,,,legacy,"STOWE With the bustling Stowe Foliage Arts Festival as a backdrop, Rep. Peter Welch today unveiled legislation he is championing in Congress to boost international tourism to Vermont.Welch made the announcement at Top Notch during a roundtable discussion with leaders of Vermont's travel and tourism industry. Welch's legislation, co-authored by Rep. Gus Bilirakis (R-Fla.), would renew and fully fund the Brand USA program, a public-private partnership that promotes Vermont and other states to international tourists. The program is funded at no cost to taxpayers through a fee on international visitors. The travel and tourism industry is a key driver of Vermont's economy, said Welch. Promoting Vermont as a four-season destination to international visitors will create local jobs and boost the economy in every corner of our beautiful state.My legislation 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 tourism industry is the heartbeat of the Vermont brand, said Amy Spear, Vice President of Tourism for the Vermont Chamber of Commerce. The renewal of the Brand USA program will bolster our international tourism marketing efforts to ensure a thriving industry in an ever-increasing global market. The Travel Promotion, Enhancement, and Modernization Act of 2019 (H.R. 3851) would reauthorize Brand USA through 2027. In addition, it fixes a funding glitch that is threatening the successful program's existence. Specifically, a 2018 budget deal diverted its funding source to other programs. The Welch-Bilirakis bill creates a stable, long term funding source by increasing the international visitor user fee used to partially fund the program. Brand USA has a strong track record of attracting international visitors to the United States. In 2018 alone, its marketing program brought 1.13 million international visitors to the United States, generating an economic impact of $8.9 billion. According to the Vermont Department of Tourism and Marketing, more than 700,000 international visitors spend about $175 million in Vermont each year. Welch convened the Stowe roundtable to hear from Vermont's stakeholders in the travel and tourism industry about the opportunities and challenges they face. Participants included: Amy Spear, Vice President of Tourism, Vermont Chamber of Commerce Carrie Simmons, Executive Director, Stowe Area Association Heidi Scheuermann, State Representative Walter Frame, Trapp Family Lodge Jody Fried, Catamount Arts George Lewis, Brass Lantern Inn McKee MacDonald, Smith MacDonald Group, Coldwell Banker Carlson Real Estate Rachel Vandenberg, Sun & Ski Inn and Suites Josh Wolfgang, Pinnacle Ski & Sports and Inner Bootworks Heather Pelham, Commissioner, Vermont Department of Tourism and Marketing Nate Formalarie, Vermont Department of Tourism and Marketing Xusana Davis, Director of Racial Equality for the State of Vermont Chuck Ross, Director of UVM Extension, Vermont Tourism Research Center Erik Hansen, U.S. Travel ###",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.leahy.senate.gov/press/statement-on-tibetan-refugees-in-nepal,Statement On Tibetan Refugees in Nepal,2019-10-11,2019,2019-10,Democrat,House,VT,Patrick Leahy,L000174,www.leahy.senate.gov,,,legacy,"10.11.19 Statement On Tibetan Refugees in Nepal Today the number of refugees and displaced persons in the world is higher than at any time since World War II. Desperate people fleeing war, persecution, and natural disasters have shined a spotlight on the enormous challenges confronting the international community. We see it in Lebanon, where a quarter of the population is Syrian refugees. We see it in Bangladesh, where hundreds of thousands of Rohingya refugees have fled in order to shield themselves from ethnic cleansing perpetrated by the Burmese military. And now we hear that Nepal is considering signing an extradition agreement with China that could expose Tibetans to forced removal to China. This agreement reportedly could be signed in conjunction with the upcoming visit of Chinese President Xi to Kathmandu. I have been a strong supporter of Nepal's transition to democracy, and I have voted for hundreds of millions of dollars in U.S. assistance to help Nepal recover from the devastating earthquake in April 2015. A Vermont organization works to enable Nepalese suffering from glaucoma to regain their sight. Other Vermonters served in the Peace Corps in Nepal. It is a country that countless Americans have a deep affection for. The Government of Nepal deserves thanks for hosting Tibetan exiles and refugees over many decades, with the support of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees and the international community. By doing so, they have set an example that has saved many lives. But any refoulement of Tibetans to China would not only violate international law, it would cause significant damage to Nepal's reputation and it would have a negative impact on U.S. Nepalese relations. In addition to strongly urging against such an agreement with China, I also urge the Government of Nepal to promptly issue travel documents to Tibetans wishing to depart for India as it has done for years under the so-called Gentlemen's Agreement. And it should resume registration of Tibetan refugees living in Nepal, many of whom were born in Nepal. The safety of Tibetans is of great concern to the American people and to the Government of the United States. I, along with other Members of Congress, urge the Government of Nepal to reaffirm its long tradition of providing safe haven for Tibetans. The international community is watching, and stands ready to help Nepal fulfill this humanitarian responsibility. # # # # # 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/democratic-appropriations-leaders-urge-greater-discipline-transparency-from-trump-administration-regarding-ice-funds,"Democratic Appropriations Leaders Urge Greater Discipline, Transparency from Trump Administration Regarding ICE Funds",2019-10-10,2019,2019-10,Democrat,House,VT,Patrick Leahy,L000174,www.leahy.senate.gov,,,legacy,"10.10.19 Democratic Appropriations Leaders Urge Greater Discipline, Transparency from Trump Administration Regarding ICE Funds In letter, lawmakers warn OMB, DHS that exception apportionments for ICE enforcement and removal operations must be reserved for extraordinary circumstances and communicated immediately to Congress WASHINGTON (THURSDAY, Oct. 10, 2019) Leaders of the House and Senate Appropriations Committees and Subcommittees on Homeland Security Thursday wrote to the Trump administration urging increased discipline and transparency related to any exception to the automatic apportionment of funds for enforcement and removal operations (ERO) at U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). In a letter to Acting Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Director Russell Vought and Acting Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Director Kevin McAleenan, the lawmakers noted that while the Constitution grants Congress the power of the purse, For the past three years, exception apportionments have been used to increase funding for enforcement and removal operations above the level commensurate with the prior year appropriation, with little apparent justification or transparency. The letter was signed by House Appropriations Chairwoman Nita Lowey (D-NY-17), Senate Appropriations Committee Vice Chairman Patrick Leahy (D-VT), House Appropriations Subcommittee on Homeland Security Chairwoman Lucille Roybal-Allard (D-CA-40), and Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Homeland Security Ranking Member Jon Tester (D-MT). The lawmakers noted that under the terms and conditions of the continuing resolution that extended government funding through November 21, 2019, ICE is required to manage ERO in a way consistent with last fiscal year's spending levels. The lawmakers also noted that while there are limited exceptions to these restrictions, along with restrictions set forth in the Antideficiency Act (ADA), these exceptions are only permissible in extraordinary circumstances. Use of such authority must be reserved for extraordinary circumstances, such as those that are unforeseen or that involve extreme cases of imminent danger, consistent with the ADA, the lawmakers wrote.This high threshold for employing this authority is particularly important when Congress has considered but declined to include a specific anomaly providing for additional resources, as most recently was the case when the Administration requested, and Congress declined to provide in Public Law 11659, an anomaly that would have allowed ICE ERO to maintain a bed level well above what was provided for in Division A of the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2019. Further, any execution of that authority should be narrowly tailored to mitigate a clearly defined threat or danger. It should not be used to impinge on congressional funding prerogatives in a full year appropriations act, or otherwise advance a political agenda. The lawmakers expressed their expectation that the Trump administration immediately communicate to Congress any veritable extraordinary circumstances that could warrant an exception apportionment. The lawmakers also stated that they expect DHS to transmit any request for an exception apportionment to the House and Senate Committees on Appropriations, and that OMB transmit approval of any request that relies on discretionary appropriations. The full text of the letter is below. A PDF copy is available here. October 10, 2019 The Honorable Russell Vought Acting Director Office of Management and Budget 725 17th Street, NW Washington, DC 20503 Acting Director Vought: As the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) works with the Department of Homeland Security to execute funds under the Continuing Appropriations Act, 2020 (Division A of Public Law 11659, hereinafter CR), we strongly urge increased discipline and transparency with regard to any exception to the automatic apportionment of funds for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) for enforcement and removal operations (ERO). As you know, Article 1, section 9 of the Constitution provides Congressand Congress alonethe power of the purse. Legislative Branch authority over the government's spending priorities is central to a functioning system of checks and balances. For the past three years, exception apportionments have been used to increase funding for enforcement and removal operations above the level commensurate with the prior year appropriation, with little apparent justification or transparency. The terms and conditions of the CR, which provides funding through November 21, 2019, at the rate for operations included in the fiscal year 2019 appropriations Act; that authority requires ICE to manage ERO in a way that remains consistent with last year's levels and does not presuppose the outcome of a negotiated full-year funding bill. Relatedly, OMB is required under the Antideficiency Act (ADA) to apportion appropriations to prevent obligation or expenditure at a rate that would indicate a necessity for a deficiency or supplemental appropriation (31 U.S.C. 1512(a)). In addition, section 110 of the CR states that current funding levels shall be implemented so that only the most limited funding action of that permitted in the Act shall be taken in order to provide for continuation of projects and activities. There are long-standing but limited exceptions to these requirements to provide the Administration flexibilitysuch as through an exception apportionmentto address certain extenuating circumstances. One such exception is to ensure the safety of human life or the protection of property (31 U.S.C. 1342), an exception we understand this Administration used in the past to increase ERO funding above prior year levels during the period of a continuing resolution. Section 123.9 of OMB Circular A-11 stipulates that: Each request for an exception apportionment must be accompanied by a written justification that includes the legal basis for the request. OMB grants exception apportionment requests only in extraordinary circumstances. Use of such authority must be reserved for extraordinary circumstances, such as those that are unforeseen or that involve extreme cases of imminent danger, consistent with the ADA. This high threshold for employing this authority is particularly important when Congress has considered but declined to include a specific anomaly providing for additional resources, as most recently was the case when the Administration requested, and Congress declined to provide in Public Law 11659, an anomaly that would have allowed ICE ERO to maintain a bed level well above what was provided for in Division A of the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2019. Further, any execution of that authority should be narrowly tailored to mitigate a clearly defined threat or danger. It should not be used to impinge on congressional funding prerogatives in a full year appropriations act, or otherwise advance a political agenda. Specifically, exception apportionments should not be available to continue a level of immigration enforcement above what the prior year funding level for ICE Operations and Support could support. Even more to the point, exception apportionments must not be used to support an expansion of immigration enforcement during the period of the CR. Consistent with the law, any exception apportionment provided to the Department of Homeland Security must be limited to truly extraordinary circumstances permitted; fully justified; and narrowly tailored. Lastly, veritable extraordinary circumstances that justify such actions would be concerning to all involved and should be communicated immediately to the Congress so that any necessary legislative response could be considered. Consistent with that concern, the Committee expects that DHS will transmit any request for an exception apportionment under these terms to the House and Senate Committees on Appropriations. OMB should likewise transmit any approval of such a request, whether it be for ICE ERO or any other federal program that relies on discretionary appropriations. Thank you for your attention to this important matter. Rep. Nita M. Lowey, ChairwomanHouse Committee on Appropriations Sen. Patrick Leahy, Vice ChairmanSenate Committee on Appropriations Rep. Lucille Roybal-Allard, ChairwomanSubcommittee on Homeland Security,House Committee on Appropriations Sen. Jon Tester, Ranking MemberSubcommittee on Homeland Security,Senate Committee on Appropriations cc: The Honorable Kevin McAleenan, Acting Secretary Department of Homeland Security ### Press Contact David Carle: 202-224-3693",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.leahy.senate.gov/press/bristol-and-gilman-economic-development-efforts-will-receive-federal-boosts,Bristol And Gilman Economic Development Efforts Will Receive Federal Boosts,2019-10-09,2019,2019-10,Democrat,House,VT,Patrick Leahy,L000174,www.leahy.senate.gov,,,legacy,"10.09.19 Bristol And Gilman Economic Development Efforts Will Receive Federal Boosts MONTPELIER, Vt. (Wednesday, Oct. 9, 2019) -- Senator Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) on Wednesday announced that two economic development projects in Addison and Essex Counties are receiving significant infusions of federal funds. In the Fiscal Year 2019 Omnibus Appropriations Bill, Leahy the Vice Chairman of the Senate Appropriations Committee -- authored a unique partnership between the Northern Border Regional Commission and the U.S. Economic Development Administration that will result in the agencies awarding $500,000 to the Town of Bristol, and $390,130 to the Northeast Kingdom Development Corporation. The award to Bristol will help advance development plans for a commercial park as part of a public-private partnership between the Town and local developers Kevin Harper and David Blittersdorf who are partners in Stoney Hill Properties, LLC. Bristol has a solid track record of incubating successful business that ultimately choose to expand in other communities because of a lack of commercial space in town. The federal funds can support the construction of infrastructure such as a roadway, communication, and storm drainage. The award to the Northeast Kingdom Development Corporation will provide funding to build out electrical infrastructure and power distribution at the former Gillman Paper Mill site in Gillman, Vt.. The infrastructure will allow commercial entities to develop on the site, creating jobs regionally in Vermont and New Hampshire. Leahy said: Some development projects take years to come to fruition. This partnership between the NBRC and EDA leverages national and regional expertise to bring federal funds to bear for local Vermont communities. I'm pleased that with these funds Bristol and Gilman will be one step closer to achieving their respective economic visions. Harper said: The property that has come to be known as Stoney Hill was purchased from the State of Vermont by the town of Bristol some 20 years ago in the hopes of developing a business park there. The recent purchase of lands adjacent to that property brought new life to the original vision by providing viable access to the Stoney Hill site. With the NBRC/EDA grant funds, Stoney Hill Properties and the Town of Bristol can, at long last, build out the necessary infrastructure and site work so our successful startups can continue to grow in their home town and keep our jobs in the very village they live in. Valerie Capels, Bristol Town Manager said: This project is a great example of various public and private organizations working together to achieve the shared goal of incubating, growing, and retaining businesses and jobs in Bristol and Addison County. Despite its strong entrepreneurial environment, Bristol has lost such companies as Bee's Wrap, Vermont Coffee Company, Autumn Harp, and Aqua Vitea over the years due to the lack of adequate manufacturing space and related infrastructure and we are at risk of losing another. The ribbon-cutting for this new facility will be a long-awaited celebration. Richard Isabelle, President of the NEK Development Corporation NEK Development Corporation said: The project develops opportunity for tenancy of multiple businesses within the facilities and on additional acreage. It significantly lowers the barrier to entry and paves the way for bringing jobs back to Gilman, a village that was historically a major employment center. Federal Co-Chair of the Northern Border Regional Commission Harold Parker said: These projects are emblematic of the achievements possible when multiple public agencies work together to address economic development challenges along our Northern Border. Combining the resources and expertise of multiple agencies enhances the viability of each of these projects. Created in the 2008 Farm Bill, NBRC is a federal-state partnership with a mission to help alleviate economic distress and encourage private-sector job creation throughout the northern counties of Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont and New York. Since its inception, the Commission has granted more than $56 million, which has leveraged more than $100 million to support 248 grants across the four states. In Vermont, including this year's grantees, it has funded 74 projects totaling more than $16.3 million. Under the current draft appropriations bills marked up by the Senate Appropriations Committee, Leahy has secured $31 million for the NBRC. This includes a follow on partnership with the EDA and a partnership with the USDA. Once finalized by Congress, the NBRC will announce plans for future funding rounds. More information is available on NBRC's website, www.nbrc.gov, including announcements about future funding opportunities. # # # # # 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/comments-on-presidents-trumps-decision-to-suddenly-withdraw-us-forces-from-northeastern-syria,Comments On President’s Trump’s Decision To Suddenly Withdraw U.S. Forces From Northeastern Syria,2019-10-09,2019,2019-10,Democrat,House,VT,Patrick Leahy,L000174,www.leahy.senate.gov,,,legacy,"10.09.19 Comments On President's Trump's Decision To Suddenly Withdraw U.S. Forces From Northeastern Syria This precipitous decision, with minimal if any justification, consultation, or concern for the consequences, is immoral and unwise. Key Republicans and key Democrats in Congress have condemned this sudden action. By suddenly reversing course and abandoning those who have fought and died alongside our troops, we are signaling to the rest of the world that we cannot be trusted. It's been said that the President's sudden decision devalues the presidential handshake. Our allies, and the world, need to be able to trust the word and the soundness of the decisions of the United States of America. By creating a vacuum, it strengthens the hand of the Assad regime, of Russia, and of Iran and risks setting off a much larger conflict. Unfortunately there still is no U.S. strategy in Syria. President Trump's decision to withdraw U.S. forces and open the door for a Turkish invasion against the Syrian Democratic Forces, comprised mostly of Kurds, who have been our strongest allies against ISIS, is a stark reminder of that fact. His decision was not based on calculated risk, there were no consultations with Congress, and it was apparently made against the advice of top officials in the U.S. military, the State Department, and our intelligence agencies. # # # # # 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/comments-on-presidents-trumps-decision-to-suddenly-withdraw-us-forces-from-northeastern-syria2,Comments On President’s Trump’s Decision To Suddenly Withdraw U.S. Forces From Northeastern Syria,2019-10-09,2019,2019-10,Democrat,House,VT,Patrick Leahy,L000174,www.leahy.senate.gov,,,legacy,"10.09.19 Comments On President's Trump's Decision To Suddenly Withdraw U.S. Forces From Northeastern Syria While significant progress has been made against ISIS in Syria, it remains far from defeated and almost nothing else has turned out as people hoped. Much of the country is destroyed, roughly half a million Syrians have died, at least five million have fled to neighboring countries, and Bashir al-Assad, a ruthless dictator supported by Russia, is still in power. As was the case in the earliest days of the Syrian conflict, there are legitimate questions about the appropriate role of U.S. military forces in Syria, and about what our goal should be there. I opposed the Obama Administration's proposed authorization for the use of military force in Syria in 2013 because it was overly broad, and I opposed the manner in which President Trump twice attacked Syria without approval from Congress. Under the Constitution it is Congress's authority to declare war, and decisions about the use of the military should always be based on a well-defined strategy something I called for in Syria a year and a half ago. Unfortunately, there still is no U.S. strategy in Syria. President Trump's decision to withdraw U.S. forces and open the door for a Turkish invasion against the Syrian Democratic Forces, comprised mostly of Kurds, who have been our strongest allies against ISIS, is a stark reminder of that fact. His decision was not based on calculated risk, there were no consultations with Congress, and it was apparently made against the advice of top officials in the U.S. military, the State Department, and our intelligence agencies. Rather, his impulsive decision was based on a phone call he had with Turkey's President Erdogan, a wannabe strongman himself, who decided it was in Turkey's interest to wipe out our Kurdish allies in northeastern Syria. Predictably, Turkish forces, armed with U.S. weapons, have already begun moving into Syria, which the Kurds have vowed to resist. Many predict there will be a bloodbath. During the campaign, President Trump vowed to bring our troops home. We all want that. But this sudden, unplanned and precipitous decision, with minimal if any justification, consultation, or concern for the consequences, is immoral and unwise. Key Republicans and key Democrats in Congress have condemned this sudden action. By impulsively reversing course and abandoning those who have fought and died alongside our troops, we are signaling to the rest of the world that we cannot be trusted. It's been said that the President's sudden decision devalues the presidential handshake. Our allies, and the world, need to be able to trust the word and the soundness of the decisions by the government of the United States of America. By creating a vacuum, it strengthens the hand of the Assad regime, of Russia, and of Iran and risks setting off a much larger conflict. The biggest winner may be ISIS, which is hoping that Kurdish fighters who are currently guarding thousands of ISIS prisoners will have to abandon their posts to defend themselves against Turkey. The President's real goal may be to distract attention from the impeachment investigation, but it is likely to make a bad situation in Syria even worse for us and our allies in the future. That is why there has been bipartisan outrage over this decision. But for those who are for the first time speaking out about the manner in which President Trump is reversing U.S. policy on a whim, abandoning an ally, ignoring the experts, and disregarding the likely consequences of his actions, I have to wonder if this will be a wakeup call to the reckless and dangerous nature of President Trump's foreign policy more broadly. In Syria it risks a devastating outcome for our allies and our national interests in the region. This is not simply a matter of disagreement over how best to advance U.S. interests, it is a disagreement over the very definition of those interests and how to ensure that the Executive Branch is held accountable for protecting them. # # # # # 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-case-of-salman-al-awda,Statement On The Case of Salman al-Awda,2019-10-09,2019,2019-10,Democrat,House,VT,Patrick Leahy,L000174,www.leahy.senate.gov,,,legacy,"10.09.19 Statement On The Case of Salman al-Awda A year after the horrifying, premeditated murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi by agents of the Saudi Government, Salman al-Awda, a renowned Saudi reformist cleric, may be sentenced to prison or even death for acts of peaceful expression that are protected under international law and in every civilized nation. According to Human Rights Watch, Saudi authorities brought Mr. al-Awda, 61, before the Specialized Criminal Court, the country's terrorism tribunal, on September 3, 2018. It was the first time he was allowed contact with a lawyer since his arrest a year earlier, which itself is a flagrant violation of international law. At the hearing, prosecutors announced 37 charges and their intention to seek the death penalty. After reviewing the charges, Human Rights Watch determined that [t]he vast majority of the charges are connected to his alleged ties with the Muslim Brotherhood and Qatari government, and his public support for imprisoned dissidents. None refer to specific acts of violence or incitement to acts of violence. Concerns about Mr. al-Awda and similar cases in Saudi Arabia have been echoed by distinguished UN human rights experts, including the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights defenders; the Chair-Rapporteur of the Working Group on Arbitrary Detention; the Special Rapporteur on the right to freedom of opinion and expression; the Special Rapporteur on freedom of religion or belief; and the Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of human rights and fundamental freedoms while countering terrorism. They have deplored Saudi Arabia's misuse of counter-terrorism and security-related laws against religious figures, writers, journalists, academics and civic activists, who are being targeted, in what they describe as a worrying pattern of widespread and systematic arbitrary arrests and detention. In a joint statement in January 2018, they said: The rights to freedom of expression and peaceful assembly are severely restricted in Saudi Arabia. . . We are witnessing the persecution of human rights defenders for peacefully exercising their rights to freedom of expression, assembly, association and belief, as well as in retaliation for their work. The Government has ignored repeated calls by UN experts and others to halt these violations, rectify them, and prevent their recurrence. The UN experts appropriately asked for the Government's clarification about how these measures are compatible with Saudi Arabia's obligations under international human rights law, as well as with the voluntary pledges and commitments it made when seeking to join the Human Rights Council. They noted that [d]espite being elected as member of the Human Rights Council at the end of 2016, Saudi Arabia has continued its practice of silencing, arbitrarily arresting, detaining and persecuting human rights defenders and critics. It makes a mockery of the Saudi Government's farcical attempt to pass itself off as a credible defender of human rights. Finally, the UN Special Rapporteurs called for the release of Mr. al-Awda, who they described as a reformist and an influential religious figure who has urged greater respect for human rights withinSharia, as well as academic and writer Abdullah al-Maliki, entrepreneur Essam al-Zamel, and Abdulaziz Al Shubaily and Issa bin Hamid al-Hamid, founding members of the banned Saudi Civil and Political Rights Association. The case of Salman al-Awda and these other prisoners of conscience illustrates again the hypocrisy and ruthless policies of a government that purports to be reformist. Allowing women to drive, or to travel without the permission of a male family member, is hardly reformist in the 21st Century, especially if one simultaneously imprisons women's rights activists and a courageous cleric like Salman al-Awda. They are the true reformists, and the real crime, the real threat to public security, which should be universally condemned, is their arrest, imprisonment, and prosecution by the Saudi Royal Family. So far, not a shred of evidence has been produced that Mr. al-Awda or any of these other individuals committed a recognizable crime, as opposed to something made up by the Saudi Government and falsely labeled as a crime. Unless such evidence is immediately produced in a fair, public trial and Mr. al-Awda is afforded an opportunity to defend himself, as due process requires, he should be released and the Saudi authorities should apologize to him and his family for unjustly depriving him of his liberty. # # # # # Press Contact David Carle: 202-224-3693 Next Article Previous Article",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://welch.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/scanlon-boyle-welch-introduce-legislation-lower-healthcare-costs,"Scanlon, Boyle, Welch Introduce Legislation to Lower Healthcare Costs",2019-10-08,2019,2019-10,Democrat,House,VT,Peter Welch,W000800,welch.house.gov,,,legacy,"WASHINGTON, DC Today, Representatives Mary Gay Scanlon (PA-5), Brendan F. Boyle (PA-2), and Peter Welch (VT-At Large) introduced the Better Tools to Lower Costs Act of 2019 which would expand access to affordable prescription drugs for low-income Medicare beneficiaries by suspending a restrictive asset limit that prevents many in need from qualifying for relief. Under current guidelines, the Low-Income Subsidy (LIS) program, otherwise known as the Extra Help program, provides subsidies to low-income Medicare beneficiaries to help bring down the costs of their Medicare Part-D prescription drugs. This program helps lower the costs of premiums and deductibles, for some individuals covering them entirely, and sets a very low cap on the cost of each prescription drug. While the program does protect many of these most vulnerable people, a restrictive asset limit prevents many in need from qualifying for the program. In addition to being under a certain income threshold, LIS applicants must also have less than $9,230 for individuals or $14,600.00 for couples in qualifying assets. The list of assets that qualify includes cash, checking and savings accounts, and IRAs. This asset requirement restricts low-income individuals who may have a small amount of retirement savings or emergency cash stowed away from applying for the subsidies they desperately need. We must do all we can to remove the barriers to access of affordable healthcare, Scanlon said. No one should be punished for preparing for their future or be forced to jump through hoops to get needed help paying for prescription drugs. The Better Tools to Lower Costs Act of 2019 would suspend the asset requirement, making sure those most in need have access to these necessary resources. It's time we modernize theLISto support families that need our help the most, Boyle said. The cost of prescription drugs has skyrocketed for families across the nation. I'm proud to join my colleague in introducing this legislation to remove an arbitrary barrier that prevents some of our most vulnerable community members from being able to access affordable healthcare. With prescription drug prices skyrocketing, it's more important than ever for vulnerable Medicare recipients to have easy access to assistance, Welch said. This bill would make sure that seniors are not penalized for saving for their future or prevented from applying for subsidies by onerous paperwork. It is an important step towards making sure seniors can afford the drugs they need. A full copy of the Better Tools to Lower Costs Act of 2019 can be found here. ###",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.leahy.senate.gov/press/whitehouse-and-leahy-call-for-investigation-into-conduct-of-former-top-justice-department-official,Whitehouse And Leahy Call for Investigation into Conduct of Former Top Justice Department Official,2019-10-04,2019,2019-10,Democrat,House,VT,Patrick Leahy,L000174,www.leahy.senate.gov,,,legacy,"10.04.19 Whitehouse And Leahy Call for Investigation into Conduct of Former Top Justice Department Official . . . Former Civil Rights Division Head John Gore appears to have violated Department ethics rules, documents show . . . Gore's credibility is already under scrutiny for promoting a citizenship question on the 2020 Census (FRIDAY, Oct. 4, 2019) -- Senators Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) and Patrick Leahy (D-VT) on Friday released their request to the U.S. Department of Justice's Office of Professional Responsibility to investigate former Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General of the Civil Rights Division John Gore for possible ethics violations. Documents obtained by the senators through a watchdog group's Freedom of Information Act request 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. These documents contradict a declaration Gore submitted under penalty of perjury in federal court denying the official-capacity nature of his communications with the operative. Such behavior appears to 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 senators write that Gore's conduct remains at issue in at least two ongoing lawsuits, and the Department and its lawyers continue to rely on his testimony in these and other matters. . . . [D]ocuments within DOJ's possessionthough not produced by DOJ in relevant litigationcast significant doubt on Mr. Gore's truthfulness in these matters. This may implicate not only his professional conduct, but the conduct of other attorneys representing DOJ in matters involving Mr. Gore. Gore ghostwrote a December 2017 letter to the Census Bureau that formally requested a citizenship question on the 2020 Census. In the letter, Gore argued that the administration sought a citizenship question to protect racial minorities' voting rights, an 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. Full text of the senators' letter is below. A PDF copy with accompanying appendix is available here. October 4, 2019 Mr. Corey Amundson 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 Amundson: We write to request that your office review whether the conduct of John Gore, former Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General of the Civil Rights Division (CRT) of the Department of Justice (DOJ), described herein, violated OPR's ethics framework. Although Mr. Gore has reportedly left DOJ, his conduct remains at issue in at least two ongoing lawsuits, and the Department and its lawyers continue to rely on his testimony in these and other matters.[1] As discussed in greater detail below, other documents within DOJ's possessionthough not produced by DOJ in relevant litigationcast significant doubt on Mr. Gore's truthfulness in these matters. This may implicate not only his professional conduct, but the conduct of other attorneys representing DOJ in matters involving Mr. Gore. We have obtained documents that raise questions about Mr. Gore's compliance with federal records laws and about the truthfulness of testimony he gave in a sworn declaration in litigation. We believe these documents provide evidence that Mr. Gore either knowingly made misrepresentations in a court filing about the nature of his personal email communications with Republican Party election officials concerning voting issues, or that he acted in reckless disregard of his duty of candor to the court. Mr. Gore's statements could constitute professional misconduct under OPR's framework.[2] Moreover, to the extent other Department attorneys have relied in court on testimony they may have known to be untruthful, that raises separate and equally important legal ethical questions for your office to resolve. Mr. Gore's credibility is already under scrutiny in litigation regarding the addition of a question about citizenship to the Census. In that case, the government is now facing a sanctions motion based on questions about Mr. Gore's testimony on the origins of a letter from DOJ to the Department of Commerce requesting the addition of that question.[3] This new evidence suggests a pattern of possible misconduct that should be thoroughly and promptly investigated by OPR. To our knowledge, DOJ attorneys in these lawsuits have not identified the documents discussed in this letter that cast doubt on the veracity of Mr. Gore's testimony, or otherwise updated relevant court filings. This raises separate and ongoing legal ethical questions for OPR to investigate under its analytical framework. It therefore remains critical that OPR investigate the truthfulness of Mr. Gore's testimony, as well as the knowledge of other Department attorneys with respect to the truthfulness of that testimony. Background In August 2017, the Brennan Center for Justice and The Protect Democracy Project initiated FOIA litigation against DOJ in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York (S.D.N.Y.) to obtain documents related to President Trump's Presidential Advisory Commission on Election Interference (PACEI).[4] DOJ initially provided plaintiffs with records resulting from a search of official DOJ employee emails. This initial search identified two September 2017 email threads that had been forwarded to the official DOJ email account of then-Acting CRT AAG John Gore from Mr. Gore's personal email account[5]. These records included several emails from Mr. Gore's personal email account showing communications from May to September 2017 among Mr. Gore, Chicago Republican Party Chairman Chris Cleveland, and PACEI member Christy McCormick. The communications concerned Mr. Cleveland's complaints that Chicago allegedly had a 16,000-vote discrepancy in the 2016 election (i.e., that Chicago had reported more votes than voters).[6] In April 2019, in light of these emails, and because Mr. Gore had been delinquent in forwarding these emails to his official account as required by 44 U.S.C. 2911(a), the court granted plaintiffs' motion to search Mr. Gore's personal email records for any additional documents relevant to the plaintiffs' inquiry.[7] Mr. Gore's Declaration In May 2019, the government movedultimately unsuccessfullyfor a reconsideration of the court's order to search Mr. Gore's personal emails.[8] The government's motion relied on a May 28 declaration from Mr. Gore, signed under penalty of perjury, attesting that he had not used his personal email for agency business.[9] With respect to the previously disclosed emails from his personal account, Mr. Gore stated: In May 2017, an individual [Chris Cleveland] whom I knew from outside my work for the Division emailed my personal email account to ask if I had a relationship' with the PACEI. I informed this individual that I d[idn't] have any relationship with the task force.' I offered to help put the individual in contact with someone who does.' I later put this individual in contact with Christy McCormick, a member of the PACEI. I did not understand or interpret [Mr. Cleveland]'s inquiry to be asking about the work of the Division, or to constitute an official-capacity communication by me. Neither I, nor the Division, had any relationship with the PACEI. Therefore, I believed that my communications with [Mr. Cleveland] were in my personal capacity . . . [I]n my view, the communications were not official-capacity communications, nor were they sent or received in the course of my employment with the Department of Justice.[10] The same month Mr. Gore submitted this sworn declaration, the watchdog group American Oversight obtained, through a separate FOIA suit, additional email records sent to and from Mr. Gore's official DOJ account in March 2017.[11] These March 2017 emailscontradict Mr. Gore's declaration in two ways: (1) upon receiving information from Mr. Cleveland about the Chicago vote discrepancy, Mr. Gore acted on that issue in his official DOJ capacity; and (2) Mr. Gore was dishonest, or at least not wholly truthful, about the nature of his relationship with Mr. Cleveland. 1. Personal vs. official capacity Mr. Gore's declaration that his May-September 2017 personal email communications were in [his] personal capacity and were not official-capacity communications omits other communications that would show this to be untrue. In a March 24, 2017 emailtwo months earlierMr. Cleveland emailed Mr. Gore's superior, then-Acting CRT AAG Tom Wheeler, to request DOJ action on alleged vote discrepancies in Chicago, the same topic Mr. Cleveland and Mr. Gore subsequently discussed.[12] Mr. Wheeler acknowledged that Mr. Cleveland's complaint fell within CRT's purview and directed Mr. Gore to assist Mr. Cleveland in Mr. Gore's capacity as Deputy Assistant Attorney General (DAAG) of CRT. Specifically, Mr. Wheeler wrote to Mr. Cleveland that his complaint fall[s] within our voting section, and added that he was CC'ing John Gore, my DAAG who oversees voting to follow up.[13] Mr. Gore replied to both men by stating that the issue might be more appropriate for the DOJ's Public Integrity Division, but assured Mr. Cleveland that we'll chase it down and figure it out.[14] The email exchange suggests that on March 28, 2017, Mr. Gore spoke with Mr. Cleveland on the phone and then emailed White House staff on his behalf. Mr. Gore's email to the White House stated that he spoke with Mr. Cleveland this afternoon, that [Mr. Cleveland] would be reaching back out about the vote discrepancy issue, and also asked if anyone [at the White House] is interested in discussing this.[15] 2. Relationship with Mr. Cleveland Mr. Gore states in his declaration about the May through September emails that Mr. Cleveland was an individual he knew from outside [his] work for the [Civil Rights] Division. While that may be true, it is misleading. The March 24 to March 28, 2017 emails show that Mr. Gore and Mr. Cleveland interacted through Mr. Gore's official DOJ email account about this same topic. Mr. Gore's declaration to the federal court leaves the clear impression that he and Mr. Cleveland had not spoken about the alleged voting discrepancies in Chicago before May 2017. In fact, they had, and they had done so in Mr. Gore's official capacity, with Mr. Gore offering to chasedown and figureout which DOJ component should review the allegations, then elevating the issue to the White House. This likely explains Mr. Cleveland's May 11, 2017, email to Mr. Gore's personal account, where Mr. Cleveland opened by saying: [t]hanks for speaking with me a few weeks back about the discrepancies in Chicago's vote.[16] Request for OPR Investigation Mr. Gore may have violated at least three standards or obligations which applied to his professional conduct: (1) making a declaration under oath that he knew not to be true; [17] (2) mak[ing] a false statement of fact or law to a tribunal;[18] and (3) engag[ing] in conduct that seriously interferes with the administration of justice.[19] The facts at issue were entirely within Mr. Gore's knowledge and control, specifically the existence of emails and communications involving him during his employment at CRT. Mr. Gore failed to provide a full accounting of his prior relationship with Mr. Cleveland and related official actions to a federal court, focusing only on the relationship and actions reflected in emails that had been produced in discovery. That could have been calculated to limit further examination of his personal email. This came at a time when Mr. Gore's truthfulness about communications with individuals outside DOJ about official business was being questioned by yet another federal court, and is currently the subject of a sanctions motion against DOJ. These facts suggest conduct which falls below the standards for candor and integrity expected of a senior official at the Department of Justice. As noted above, Mr. Gore's conduct remains at issue in at least two ongoing lawsuits.[20] To our knowledge, DOJ attorneys in these lawsuits have not identified the documents disclosed to American Oversight, or otherwise updated relevant court filings. Even though Mr. Gore has left DOJ, his conduct raises separate and ongoing legal ethical questions for OPR to investigate under its analytical framework. ### [1] See State of New York v. U.S. Dep't of Commerce, No. 18-cv-02921 (S.D.N.Y.); Brennan Center for Justice v. U.S. Dep't of Justice, No. 17-cv-6335 (S.D.N.Y.). [3] See Motion for Sanctions, State of New York v. U.S. Dep't of Commerce, No. 18-cv-02921 (S.D.N.Y. July 16, 2019), ECF No. 635. [4] Complaint, Brennan Center for Justice v. U.S. Dep't of Justice, No. 17-cv-6335 (S.D.N.Y. Aug. 21, 2017), ECF No. 1. [7] Brennan Center for Justice v. U.S. Dep't of Justice, 377 F. Supp. 3d 428, 435 (S.D.N.Y. 2019) (The record is clear that Acting Assistant Attorney Gore sent and received emails relating to voter fraud... on [his] private email account[]. Moreover, Gore was substantially late in forwarding emails from his private account to official accounts, beyond the twenty-day period required by 44 U.S.C. 2911(a), for example, an email of July 5, 2017 that was not forwarded until September 27, 2017, eighty-four days later). [8] Brennan Center for Justice v. U.S. Dep't of Justice, No. 17-cv-6335 (S.D.N.Y. Jun. 28, 2019), ECF No. 111. [10] See Exhibit 2 at 7-9. [11] Letter from U.S. Dep't of Justice Civil Right Division's Freedom of Information/Privacy Acts Branch to American Oversight in response to October 2018 Freedom of Information Act Request (May 23, 2019) (on file with author). [17] See 18 U.S.C.A. 1621 (2019) (describing perjury generally). [18] Rules of Professional Conduct R. 3.3(a)(1) (D.C. Bar 2019) (Duty of Candor). [19] Rules of Professional Conduct R. 8.4 (D.C. Bar 2019) (Misconduct). [20] See State of New York v. U.S. Dep't of Commerce, No. 18-cv-02921 (S.D.N.Y.); Brennan Center for Justice v. U.S. Dep't of Justice, No. 17-cv-6335 (S.D.N.Y.). Press Contact David Carle: 202-224-3693",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.leahy.senate.gov/press/registration-deadline-nears-for-sen-leahys-23rd-annual-vt-womens-economic-opportunity-conference,Registration Deadline Nears For Sen. Leahy’s 23rd Annual VT Women’s Economic Opportunity Conference,2019-10-01,2019,2019-10,Democrat,House,VT,Patrick Leahy,L000174,www.leahy.senate.gov,,,legacy,"10.01.19 Registration Deadline Nears For Sen. Leahy's 23rd Annual VT Women's Economic Opportunity Conference (TUESDAY, Oct. 1, 2019) Vermont's 23rd Annual Women's Economic Opportunity Conference, presented by Senator Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.), will be held Saturday, Oct. 19, at Vermont Technical College in Randolph. The registration deadline is Oct. 10. The daylong conference will kick off with a keynote address by Jen Kimmich, co-founder and CEO of the Alchemist Brewery and board chair of the Alchemist Foundation, which works to expand opportunities for young Vermonters. Nearly two dozen workshops will cover a range of topics from basic money management to workplace harassment. Whether Vermonters are looking to start up a business, improve their social networking skills or navigate the challenges of self-employment, this conference is designed to guide them to valuable resources and opportunities. More information and registration details can be found on Senator Leahy's website at leahy.senate.gov. To help make this annual conference accessible to all Vermonters, the conference and lunch are free with pre-registration. For more information, call Senator Leahy's office at 802-229-0569. # # # # # 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-retirement-of-general-joseph-dunford-as-chairman-of-the-joint-chiefs-of-staff,Comment On The Retirement Of General Joseph Dunford As Chairman Of The Joint Chiefs Of Staff,2019-09-30,2019,2019-09,Democrat,House,VT,Patrick Leahy,L000174,www.leahy.senate.gov,,,legacy,"09.30.19 Comment On The Retirement Of General Joseph Dunford As Chairman Of The Joint Chiefs Of Staff Marine Four-Star General Joseph Dunford retired today as Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. He's an exceptional and visionary leader who I've known for years, especially from when he was the Commandant of the Marine Corps. As the father of a Marine I looked at Joe Dunford as the best the Corps could have. He is a good friend and I enjoyed the conversations we'd have, often over breakfast, but also when he came to give the commencement address at St. Michael's College in Vermont. Both of us are St. Mike's alums, and we both did our graduate work at Georgetown University. Marcelle and I were honored to travel with him then to Vermont, and all three of us are proud recipients also of honorary degrees from St. Mike's. He told the graduates, have the moral courage to do what's right, even when it's tough. Commit to serving something bigger than yourselves. General Dunford has led by example. Marcelle and I join a grateful nation in sending our best wishes to him and to Ellyn as they begin their next chapter. # # # # # 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-renames-national-historical-revitalization-grant-program-in-honor-of-the-late-vermonter-paul-bruhn,Leahy Renames National Historical Revitalization Grant Program In Honor Of The Late Vermonter Paul Bruhn,2019-09-27,2019,2019-09,Democrat,House,VT,Patrick Leahy,L000174,www.leahy.senate.gov,,,legacy,"09.27.19 Leahy Renames National Historical Revitalization Grant Program In Honor Of The Late Vermonter Paul Bruhn WASHINGTON (FRIDAY, Sept. 27, 2019) A national grant program dedicated to the rehabilitation of historic properties and preserving community resources is being renamed the Paul Bruhn Historic Revitalization Grants program in honor of the Vermonter who dedicated his life to preserving the legacy and historic icons of rural America. Senator Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.), the Vice Chairman of the Senate Appropriations Committee, was the driving force behind the name change and also led in creating the grant program itself. Leahy included the naming provision in the Interior, Environment and Related Agencies Appropriations Bill, the annual budget bill that funds the Interior Department and other agencies. The Senate Appropriations Committee on Thursday approved the bill, which goes next to the full Senate. Leahy said: Paul Bruhn was one of the finest Vermonters I ever worked with and one of the best friends Marcelle and I have ever had. He was a champion of historic preservation and leaves our state a legacy that is preserved in brick, mortar, stone and wood. Paul knew that historic preservation is not a cost for saving the past, but a wise investment in the future. Renaming this program is a fitting gesture of our appreciation for what Paul did for our state and our country. Bruhn was a longtime friend and advisor of Leahy's, serving as his campaign manager in 1974 and later as his first chief of staff in Washington. After leaving Washington in 1980, Bruhn co-founded the Preservation Trust of Vermont and served as its Executive Director until his passing last week at the age of 72. It was his work in Vermont that was a foundation for Leahy's creation of the Historic Revitalization grant program in 2018. Bruhn earlier had partnered with Leahy in organizing dozens of projects across Vermont to help revitalize town centers, while conserving Vermont's history and Vermonters' heritage. Bruhn and Leahy received an award for these efforts from the National Trust for Historic Preservation. The program is designed to support small projects in rural communities that often do not have the resources to access larger grant programs. Bruhn's leadershipand success in Vermont proved that these small communities can often accomplish big things when they are given access to the resources they need. The program receives its highest funding level ever in the Interior Appropriations Bill, with $7.5 million for the newly named Paul Bruhn Historic Revitalization Grants program, a $2.5 million increase over fiscal year 2019. Leahy's full statement from the Committee markup of the bill is available HERE: https://www.appropriations.senate.gov/news/minority/statement-of-vice-chairman-leahy-on-committee-consideration-of-five-fy-2020-appropriations-bills- # # # # # 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-and-mckinley-introduce-bipartisan-legislation-address-orphan-drug,Welch and McKinley Introduce Bipartisan Legislation to Address ‘Orphan Drug’ Loophole in the 340B Program,2019-09-26,2019,2019-09,Democrat,House,VT,Peter Welch,W000800,welch.house.gov,,,legacy,"WASHINGTON Rep. Peter Welch (D-Vt.) today introduced bipartisan legislation with Rep. David McKinley (R-W.Va.) that would address a loophole contributing to the rising cost of health care for consumers and threatening access to lifesaving medications. The introduction of this legislation is the latest in Welch's efforts to fix the broken prescription drug market that has led to unrestrained price increases for consumers and providers. Drug companies have been taking advantage of the orphan drug' loophole since 2014 at the expense of consumers, and rural hospitals and healthcare providers, Welch said. Hospitals rely on the 340B program to ensure they are able to continue to serve rural and vulnerable Americans with health care needs. We cannot allow big drug companies to use this loophole to cash in at the expense of these hospitals and those they serve. The 340B program was created to help hospitals who serve our rural communities with the skyrocketing cost of prescription drugs. Unfortunately, the pharmaceutical industry has been looking for loopholes in the program. McKinley said. Our bill would put a stop to this by making sure that the orphan drug exclusion is used as intended, so that patients continue to get the treatment they need. The 340B Drug Pricing Program requires drug manufacturers to provide outpatient drugs to eligible health care organizations at significantly reduced prices. This includes Federally Qualified Health Centers, Critical Access Hospitals, Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program grantees, and certain types of hospitals and specialized clinics with a high proportion of Medicare and Medicaid patients. Current law excludes so called orphan drugs, which are designated by the Department of Health and Human Services and treat rare diseases, from this program. Drug companies take advantage of this loophole to charge higher prices for these drugs even when they are not used for the rare condition or disease that they received orphan status for. The Closing Loopholes for Orphan Drugs Act would restore the original intent of Congress and close this loophole by limiting the orphan drug' exclusion to only apply in instances where the drug is used for the rare condition or disease for which it was designated. This will ensure the orphan drug' designation isn't exploited to prevent offering the 340B discount for non-orphan uses of the same drug. ###",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.leahy.senate.gov/press/2019-09-26-statement-on-climate-change,Statement On Climate Change,2019-09-26,2019,2019-09,Democrat,House,VT,Patrick Leahy,L000174,www.leahy.senate.gov,,,legacy,"09.26.19 Statement On Climate Change Mr. LEAHY. Mr. President, I am pleased that the fiscal year 2020 appropriations bill for the Department of State and foreign operations was reported unanimously by the Committee earlier today. There is a great deal in the bill that the American people can feel good about, as the summaries released by both the majority and minority indicate. However, as is always the case with bipartisan legislation, there are also things that I wish were not in the bill. And there are things missing from the bill that I wish had been included. I want to speak about one of those. I deeply regret that the bill does not even mention the words climate change. That is remarkable, or perhaps a better word is appalling, when one considers the existential threat that climate change poses for every living thing on Earth. If Democrats were in the majority, funding for programs to combat global warming and adapt to climate change would be a priority in the bill. Instead, it is completely missing. An example is the Green Climate Fund (GCF), which was created in 2010 with the active participation of the United States. Its mission is to respond to climate change by investing in low-emission and climate-resilient development. The GCF was established to limit or reduce greenhouse gas emissions in developing countries, and to help vulnerable societies adapt to the unavoidable impacts of climate change. The U.S. contributed a total of $1 billion in the first two years of operation of the GCF. Then President Trump was elected. Even though, according to press reports, the Trump Organization had previously cited climate change in its application for a permit to build a barrier to protect a Trump golf course from the rising sea level and increasingly powerful storms, he continues to publicly refuses to recognize climate change as a serious threat. Despite that hypocrisy, and overwhelming scientific recognition of the impact of burning fossil fuels on the Earth's climate, the Trump White House withdrew from the Paris Climate Agreement and opposed further U.S. funding for the GCF. Republican majorities in the Congress fell into line, and in the past two appropriations bills there has been no funding for a U.S. contribution to the GCF. The next replenishment for the GCF is scheduled for 2020. Since there are no funds in the bill just reported by the Appropriations Committee for a U.S. contribution to the GCF, absent an about face by the White House the U.S. will not make a replenishment pledge. It will be left to other countries to ensure that the GCF continues to operate. Once again, U.S. leadership to address what many believe to be the most ominous threat facing the world is nowhere to be seen. Despite that inexcusable failure by the White House and the Republican leadership in Congress, it is important to emphasize that overwhelmingly the American people recognize the threat that climate change poses and they want strong action to address it. They see what is happening here and around the world, as extreme climatic events hurricanes, tornadoes, flooding, droughts, and forest fires coupled with crop failures, displacement of people whose homes and livelihoods are destroyed, and unprecedented migration flows, become more and more frequent and destructive. They rightly fear that if we fail to act, not long from now these types of disasters will be exponentially worse, and they worry about the chaos this would cause for their children and grandchildren. I mention this because I am confident that as soon as we have a President who puts the lives of future generations above the profits and campaign contributions of the fossil fuel companies, the U.S. will once again become a leader against climate change and a leading contributor to the GCF. Other countries should understand this. Despite President Trump and his cheerleaders in Congress, the United States has not turned its back on the threat of climate change. Nor have we abandoned the GCF. Presidents come and go, and while U.S. support for diplomacy and programs to combat climate change is currently suspended, the American people, and especially the younger generation, will make sure that suspension is only temporary. # # # # # 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/remarks-on-the-one-year-anniversary-of-the-murder-of-jamal-khashoggi,Remarks on the One Year Anniversary of the Murder of Jamal Khashoggi,2019-09-26,2019,2019-09,Democrat,House,VT,Patrick Leahy,L000174,www.leahy.senate.gov,,,legacy,"09.26.19 Remarks on the One Year Anniversary of the Murder of Jamal Khashoggi Mr. LEAHY. Mr. President, today we remember, and remind the world, that nearly one year has passed since the premeditated murder of Jamal Khashoggi by the Saudi Government. That horrific crime carried out so brazenly as if it were just a routine job exposed the true character of the Saudi Government not only as it pertains to Mr. Khashoggi, but to the ruthless treatment of critics of the Saudi royal family more broadly. While the Crown Prince systematically orders the execution of his opponents, he has so far escaped punishment for the murder of Mr. Khashoggi and for the lies about that crime. Multiple Saudi officials, including the Foreign Minister, Minister of Interior, and others all members of the royal family flagrantly and shamelessly lied to the world, repeatedly changing their story. The Crown Prince called Khashoggi a dangerous jihadist.That too was a lie. The Saudis, who have refused to turn over Mr. Khashoggi's remains, insist that the men who were arrested are the only ones involved in the murder.No one who knows anything about the Saudi royal family, which is the Saudi Government, believes that. Despite all the incriminating evidence and all the lies, the White House continues to ignore its own intelligence experts and the UN Special Rapporteur, relying instead on the Saudi royal family to investigate itself.What a sham. This crime reminds us that journalists the world over who shine a spotlight on corrupt, repressive governments risk their lives and the safety of their families.They are threatened and killed for nothing more than doing their job. Today we are also concerned about the fate of hundreds of courageous pro-democracy activists who have recently been arrested for protesting against corruption and repression in Egypt.Journalists, members of opposition political parties, and civil society activists in Egypt are routinely persecuted, denied due process, and subjected to prolonged physical and psychological abuse. If the Saudi royal family can escape punishment for the premeditated murder of a Washington Post journalist, what does that say to journalists everywhere?What does it say about our own government, if we accept that? I want to remind the Saudi Government, the White House, and the State Department that we do not and we will not accept that.Jamal Khashoggi was murdered and there is no reasonable doubt about who is culpable.Justice will be done.No matter how long it takes. # # # # # 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/senate-republicans-reject-leahy/tester-amendments-to-invest-in-real-national-security-protect-funding-for-our-troops-and-constrain-president-trumps-cruel-and-ineffective-immigration-policies,"Senate Republicans Reject Leahy/Tester Amendments To Invest In Real National Security, Protect Funding For Our Troops, And Constrain President Trump’s Cruel And Ineffective Immigration Policies",2019-09-26,2019,2019-09,Democrat,House,VT,Patrick Leahy,L000174,www.leahy.senate.gov,,,legacy,"09.26.19 Senate Republicans Reject Leahy/Tester Amendments To Invest In Real National Security, Protect Funding For Our Troops, And Constrain President Trump's Cruel And Ineffective Immigration Policies WASHINGTON (THURSDAY, Sept. 26, 2019) Senate Appropriations Committee Republicans Thursday rejected a series of amendments offered by Senate Appropriations Committee Vice Chairman Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) and Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Homeland Security Ranking Member Jon Tester (D-Mont.) aimed at investing in real national security, protecting funding for our troops, and reining in President Trump's cruel and ineffective immigration policies. Leahy said: This administration has demonstrated repeatedly that it cannot be trusted as good stewards of taxpayer's hard earned dollars or to carry out the bipartisan will of Congress. It is disappointing that Republicans once again refused to rein in the abuses of this President, his cruel immigration policies, or his ineffective wall, which he promised Mexico would pay for. Tester said: This bill includes $5 billion to build an ineffective border wall at the expense of American taxpayers a wall that will do nothing to fix the current situation at the border and that comes at the expense of the critical programs that actually protect Americans from threats. We just saw the President ransack $6.1 billion from the military for his wallI'm putting my foot on the brakes today because another $5 billion end-run is a bridge too far. The first Tester/Leahy amendment reduces spending in the bill by $3.6 billion by striking $5 billion from the DHS appropriations bill Senate Republicans allocated for President Trump's ineffective border wall. Those funds would have been directed toward investments in real homeland security and middle class priorities across the non-defense appropriations bills like education, health care and infrastructure. The Amendment reallocated $1.375 billion of Trump's wall funding to make additional investments in border technology, TSA Screening, FEMA Flood Mapping grants, and a second Polar Security Coast Guard Cutter. Amendment text is available HERE. The second Tester/Leahy amendment prevented funds from being diverted from critical military construction projects to pay for President Trump's wall. Earlier this month, President Trump cancelled 127 military construction projects, ranging from building a new middle school in Kentucky to a child care development center, to raid $3.6 billion for his wall. The vote was the second time Committee Republicans refused to rein in the President's ability to steal funds meant for the military and their families. Amendment text is available HERE. The final Leahy amendment prevented the Department of Homeland Security from using transfer authority to increase the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) budget above what Congress provides and the President signs into law. Funding for ICE detention beds is often the most contentious issue in reaching an agreement on the DHS Appropriations bill and is carefully negotiated by Congress. For the last two years, the Trump Administration has ignored the will of Congress and these carefully negotiated agreements to pursue its cruel and ineffective immigration policies, incarcerating thousands of more immigrants than Congress ever contemplated or approved. To pay for this rampant overspending, the Trump administration drained millions of taxpayer dollars from critical accounts like FEMA and the Coast Guard. Amendment text is available HERE. and Leahy's full statement is available HERE. # # # # # CONTACT: Jay Tilton 202-224-2667 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/grassley-and-leahy-introduce-eb-5-reform-bill,Grassley and Leahy Introduce EB-5 Reform Bill,2019-09-25,2019,2019-09,Democrat,House,VT,Patrick Leahy,L000174,www.leahy.senate.gov,,,legacy,"09.25.19 Grassley and Leahy Introduce EB-5 Reform Bill Bill improves integrity in Investor Visa Program, adds security protections requested by USCIS WASHINGTON (Sept. 25, 2019) Senators Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) and Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.), leading members and former chairmen of the Senate Judiciary Committee, have introduced legislation to tackle fraud, abuse and national security threats in the EB-5 Investor Visa Program. The bipartisan EB-5 Reform and Integrity Act addresses concerns that the Department of Homeland Security has long expressed about ongoing abuse and exploitation of vulnerabilities in the program. For many years, I've expressed concerns about the rampant abuse and fraud in the EB-5 program. Both the Trump and Obama administrations understood the need to take decisive action through regulations to modernize EB-5 and restore its central purpose of promoting investment in rural and economically challenged regions. I'm pleased that the Trump administration published those regulations earlier this year. However, some of the most frightening weaknesses in the program, including national security vulnerabilities, require congressional action. This bill builds upon our previous efforts to restore integrity and security in EB-5, and it includes the reforms sought by DHS since the Obama administration. Given what we learned about the vulnerabilities in this program, we cannot afford to continue this program without addressing these critical issues, Grassley said. I have partnered with Senator Grassley for years to clean up the EB-5 program. We successfully worked with both the Obama and Trump administrations to take important administrative steps to promote integrity and end the abuse of investment incentives that have plagued the program. But the Department of Homeland Security cannot fix all of the EB-5 program's flaws on its own. We are hopeful that Congress will finally take decisive action to address the fraud and other vulnerabilities that have come to define this program. Our bill would do just that, Leahy said. The EB-5 Reform and Integrity Act reauthorizes the program through 2024. It expands DHS authorities to evaluate EB-5 applications and includes additional transparency and integrity measures to improve accountability of applicants, project managers and the projects themselves. More information about the EB-5 Reform and Integrity Act is available HERE. Bill text is available 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/leading-democrats-respond-to-trump-falsehoods-on-ukraine,Leading Democrats Respond to Trump Falsehoods on Ukraine,2019-09-25,2019,2019-09,Democrat,House,VT,Patrick Leahy,L000174,www.leahy.senate.gov,,,legacy,"09.25.19 Leading Democrats Respond to Trump Falsehoods on Ukraine WASHINGTONU.S. Senators Bob Menendez (D-N.J.), Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), and Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.)issued the following joint statement in response to President Trump's reference to a letter they sent to the General Prosecutor of Ukraine in 2018 raising their concerns that the Trump Administration could unduly pressure Ukraine into obstructing the Mueller investigation by withholding funding: President Trump is desperate to divert attention from his abuse of power. We wrote to the Ukrainian prosecutor general in 2018 regarding press reports that, in order to curry favor with President Trump, Ukraine was considering not cooperating with Special Counsel Mueller's investigation into Russian interference in U.S. elections. The Ukrainians were justifiably concerned that Trump would exact revenge by blocking security assistance if they did not act in his political favor. It turns out that was truer than any of us could have imagined. Yes, we were worried that the President of the United States would abuse his office and leverage U.S. security assistance for his own personal agenda back in 2018. It looks like we were right then and we are right now. The Senators' letter was written in response to a New York Times report that the Ukrainian Prosecutor General was considering not cooperating with the Mueller Probe out of concern that President Trump would cut off aid as punishment. The Senators' letter in no way calls for the conditioning of U.S. security assistance to Ukraine. ### Press Contact Juan Pachon (Menendez), 202-224-4651 Emily Hampsten (Durbin) 202-228-5643 David Carle (Leahy) 202-224-3693 Previous Article",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://welch.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/statement-rep-peter-welch-regarding-speaker-pelosi-s-announcement,Statement of Rep. Peter Welch Regarding Speaker Pelosi’s Announcement on Impeachment,2019-09-24,2019,2019-09,Democrat,House,VT,Peter Welch,W000800,welch.house.gov,,,legacy,"I applaud and strongly support the decision by Speaker Pelosi to commence impeachment proceedings against President Trump. By his own admission, the President pressured a foreign leader to take action that would directly benefit his reelection campaign. It appears he did so shortly after he directed his staff to suspend the pending release of a congressionally approved foreign aid package to that country. And his Justice Department has blocked Congress from receiving a whistleblower's complaint about his actions which violates a federal statute that unequivocally requires its submission to Congress. In taking these actions, President Trump willfully put his own political interests above the national security interests of the American people. Throughout his presidency, he has established a clear pattern of disregard for the rule of law and our constitutional system of checks and balances. And he has repeatedly violated his oath of office to preserve, protect and defend our Constitution. I continue to support his impeachment. Rep. Welch is a member of the House Intelligence Committee and the House Committee on Oversight and Reform. He announced his support for the impeachment of President Trump on July 18, 2019. ###",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.leahy.senate.gov/press/comment-in-opposition-to-the-nomination-of-daniel-jorjani-to-be-solicitor-at-the-department-of-the-interior,Comment In Opposition To The Nomination of Daniel Jorjani To Be Solicitor At The Department Of The Interior,2019-09-24,2019,2019-09,Democrat,House,VT,Patrick Leahy,L000174,www.leahy.senate.gov,,,legacy,"09.24.19 Comment In Opposition To The Nomination of Daniel Jorjani To Be Solicitor At The Department Of The Interior I opposed the nomination of Daniel Jorjani to serve as the Interior Department's Solicitor, in large part because he was a chief architect of the deeply harmful policy to inject political interference into the Department's Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) responses. This legally dubious policy and Mr. Jorjani's role in creating it has raised serious, bipartisan concerns, and is now under investigation by the Department's Inspector General. I also share the concerns that Mr. Jorjani may have misled the Senate, under oath, about his involvement in the Department's politicization of FOIA responses. Mr. Jorjani's willingness to put politics above the law should disqualify him from serving as the Interior Department's top lawyer. # # # # # Press Contact David Carle: 202-224-3693 Next Article Previous Article",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.leahy.senate.gov/press/statement-of-vice-chairman-leahy-on-the-joint-resolution-of-disapproval-of-president-trumps-declaration-of-a-national-emergency-,Statement of Vice Chairman Leahy On The Joint Resolution Of Disapproval Of President Trump's Declaration Of A National Emergency,2019-09-24,2019,2019-09,Democrat,House,VT,Patrick Leahy,L000174,www.leahy.senate.gov,,,legacy,"09.24.19 Statement of Vice Chairman Leahy On The Joint Resolution Of Disapproval Of President Trump's Declaration Of A National Emergency Sometimes casting a vote on the Senate floor is just a matter of course. It is something we do routinely, usually without considering the impact of that vote on the Senate as an institution, let alone on our constitutional republic as we know it. This week's vote on President Trump's national emergency declaration is different. It is a pivotal moment in this body's history. It is a stress test of the very notion of separation of powers. And it will be viewed for decades as the moment when Congress either asserted itself as a coequal branch of government or surrendered as a subordinate to the will of a President who now claims his powers are absolute. This is a President who has said out loud that the Constitution gives him the right to do whatever I want as President. This President is now attempting to ignore the explicit will of Congress by simply declaring a national emergency to fund his big, beautiful wall. A wall he promised Mexico would pay for. For three years, he failed to convince Congress that his wall was a good idea. Even when his own party controlled both chambers of Congress, his tweets and tantrums couldn't convince enough members that his cynical campaign promise was worthy of tens of billions in taxpayers dollars. So when Congress didn't comply, he directed his yes-men to tell him that he could fund his pet project nonetheless by declaring a national emergency out of thin air, and stealing funds from our troops and their families. He even admitted his national emergency declaration was a matter of political expediency rather than justified by facts when he declared from the Rose Garden that he didn't need to invoke a national emergency, he could build the wall over a longer period of time he just wanted do it faster. And, once, again the whims of this President trample over the constitution. President Trump's declaration of a national emergency to build his wall should offend all 100 Senators in this body. First and foremost, he is using it to steal $3.6 billion from critical military construction projects that would benefit our men and women in uniform and their families. One hundred twenty-seven military construction projects including a child development center, an elementary school, a fire-rescue station have now fallen victim to his fixation on a wall. We already ask our military families to sacrifice so much to keep our country safe. Now they must sacrifice yet again. And to what end? To keep this President's ego safe? Are my Republican friends really going to go home to their states and districts to defend President Trump's shameless plundering of resources from our troops? Furthermore, his national emergency declaration is a transparent end run around Congress's constitutional power of the purse. Article 1, Section 9 of the Constitution which I dare say President Trump hasn't bothered to read states that Congress, and Congress alone, decides how to spend Americans' hard earned tax dollars. That is one of the most critical checks and balances in our constitutional system. In our democracy, Presidents must respect and normally do the appropriations decisions of Congress. But not this President. When Congress said no to his wall, he crippled our government and threatened our economy with the longest government shutdown in American history. He eventually folded, but only to turn around and pull the national emergency lever when Congress held firm. Will we stand idly by while he tramples over the Constitution and ignores Congress? What kind of precedent is that? I was here when Congress enacted the National Emergencies Act of 1976. When we passed it then, we assumed that any President would have enough respect for the office to invoke the extraordinary powers granted under it judiciously. And only in times when there was, in fact, an emergency to be addressed. But not this President. Where the world sees women and children seeking refuge at our southern border, he sees criminals and terrorists invading our country. Where the world sees declining border crossings crossings have dropped steeply since June he sees an escalating border crisis that only his wall can fix. Facts may not matter to a President willing to invent a hurricane path with a sharpie marker. But they should matter to us. We must not allow this President to invoke such sweeping powers powers we granted to him for real emergencies simply to address some emergency he has concocted in his head. So this week, I hope that all Senators will think carefully about their vote on the President's national emergency declaration. I hope that each of us thinks long and hard about what it would mean for our role as a co-equal branch, for the separation of powers, for our Constitution if we fail to reject this naked power grab by President Trump. In March, twelve of my Republican friends joined Democrats in rejecting the President's emergency declaration, forcing him to override our vote with a veto. I hope even more Republicans join Democrats again this time in voting aye on the joint resolution of disapproval. We must send this President a veto-proof message that Congress will rise above party to protect what is most precious in our American democracy. ##### CONTACT: Jay Tilton 202-224-2667 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-environmental-defenders-in-the-philippines,Statement On Environmental Defenders In The Philippines,2019-09-24,2019,2019-09,Democrat,House,VT,Patrick Leahy,L000174,www.leahy.senate.gov,,,legacy,"09.24.19 Statement On Environmental Defenders In The Philippines Mr. LEAHY. Mr. President, killings of environmental defenders are shockingly common in Latin America, Africa, and Asia. The assassination of Berta Caceres in Honduras three years ago, orchestrated by top officials of a hydroelectric company and carried out by retired and active duty soldiers who had received training from the United States, was emblematic of the widespread use of harassment, threats, and murder to silence those who courageously call for changes in policies and practices to protect the environment. According to a report released today by Global Witness, the Philippines has the highest number of killings in Asia of people who oppose illegal logging, destructive mining, and corrupt agribusiness, with at least 30 cases documented in 2018. The total number is likely higher, as some investigations are ongoing. Many of the victims simply wanted a say in how their land and the country's natural resources are used. The perpetrators are almost never arrested or prosecuted. On July 25, 2016, the Philippines' newly elected President Rodrigo Duterte delivered his first State of the Nation address. He promised to safeguard the country's rural and indigenous communities, tackle corruption, and protect the environment. The results since then paint a very different and distressing picture. If President Duterte meant what he said, he has failed miserably. According to Global Witness, in the three years before Duterte took office at least 65 land and environmental defenders were murdered. That was appalling enough. But in the three years since he came to power that number rose to 113. At least 31 of those murders were reportedly committed by the Philippine armed forces, whose soldiers and officers act with near total impunity. The Philippines is a major recipient of U.S. military aid, and we are perceived by the families of the victims to be enablers of these crimes. In addition to increasing support for local environmental defenders, the Secretary of State and Administrator of the U.S. Agency for International Development should urge the Duterte government to ensure that the right to free, prior, and informed consent of those impacted by policies and practices that threaten their land and natural resources is respected. This is necessary not only to prevent the destruction of forests and farms, the pollution of watersheds, and the extinction of species, but to avoid confrontations and violence that result when extractive industries, supported by the armed forces and police, run roughshod over local communities. The Secretaries of State and Defense should also ensure that those in the Philippine armed forces who receive our aid respect the rights of civilians and are accountable to the rule of law. When abuses occur they should be thoroughly investigated and the individuals responsible brought to justice. The Leahy Laws require that, and it is the responsibility of U.S. officials to ensure that they are enforced. # # # # # [Senator Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) is the Vice Chairman of the Senate Appropriations Committee and the Ranking Member of the committee's Subcommittee on the State Department and Foreign Operations.] 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-burlington-international-airport-awarded-159-million-for-taxiway,Leahy: Burlington International Airport Awarded $15.9 Million For Taxiway,2019-09-23,2019,2019-09,Democrat,House,VT,Patrick Leahy,L000174,www.leahy.senate.gov,,,legacy,"09.23.19 Leahy: Burlington International Airport Awarded $15.9 Million For Taxiway (MONDAY, Sept. 23, 2019) -- Vermont Senator Patrick Leahy (D), Vice Chairman of the U.S. Senate Appropriations Committee, announced Monday that Burlington International Airport will receive $15.9 million in grant funding from the Federal Aviation Administration to continue its work on a parallel taxiway. The grant is the largest single award ever received by the airport. The funding will allow for the reconstruction of Taxiway G to the existing taxiway B/K intersection generating a full parallel taxiway with the main Runway 15/33; creating a more efficient operation and reducing noise levels for residents along Airport Drive. Leahy said: This award by the FAA continues the federal investment in safe flight operations at Burlington International. The airport is an essential economic driver for our state and region, and this type of infrastructure project will help keep it strong for years to come. In his role as Vice Chairman, Leahy has made airport improvements an ongoing budget priority, pushing for billions of dollars in investments to upgrade the nation's aging airport infrastructure, including $3.8 billion for the Airport Improvement Program (AIP) in the Fiscal Year 2020 Transportation Appropriations Bill that the committee approved last Thursday. Funds from the AIP support airport safety, terminal, and noise mitigation projects. Gene Richards, Director of Aviation at Burlington International Airport, said: We are very grateful for the opportunity provided by the congressional delegation and the FAA to finish BTV's first ever parallel taxiway to the main runway. The $15.9 million grant awarded to BTV for the completion of the parallel taxiway, Taxiway Golf, will allow the Airport to function at the highest level. The complete Taxiway G extension will create a single taxiway parallel to Runway 15-33 and linking to the current Taxiway K. Construction of the first phase, at current Taxiway K, started early November 2015 and was completed in July 2016. Construction of the second phase started in October 2016 and was completed in October 2018. The final phase of construction is scheduled to commence in 2020. # # # # # 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/comments-of-senator-patrick-leahy-on-the-passing-of-paul-bruhn,Comments Of Senator Patrick Leahy On The Passing Of Paul Bruhn,2019-09-20,2019,2019-09,Democrat,House,VT,Patrick Leahy,L000174,www.leahy.senate.gov,,,legacy,"09.20.19 Comments Of Senator Patrick Leahy On The Passing Of Paul Bruhn It hit hard when Marcelle and I learned of the sudden loss of our dear, dear friend, Paul Bruhn. Our hearts ache for Colleen and for all who knew and loved him. He is one of the finest Vermonters I ever worked with, and one of the dearest andbest friends we have both had, and we loved him. His work on historic preservation is equal to the work that anyone has ever done for the State of Vermont. Those countless success stories are preserved in brick, mortar, stone and wood across our state. I've known Paul since he was a young man in his 20s. He came with me to Washington and helped me set up my office, and he was my first chief of staff. I watched with pride when Paul received an award from the National Trust for Historic Preservation, and we both had the same message: Historic preservation is not a cost for saving the past, but a wise investment in the future. Paul felt to his core that we Vermonters have a rich legacy defined by our people, our history, our downtowns and village centers, as well as our iconic barns and covered bridges. Now he is part of Vermont's legacy. We'll never see another like Paul Bruhn. # # # # # 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/in-the-news/welch-bemoans-gridlock-urges-local-action,"Welch bemoans gridlock, urges local action",2019-09-19,2019,2019-09,Democrat,House,VT,Peter Welch,W000800,welch.house.gov,,,legacy,"MIDDLEBURY Vermont Congressman Peter Welch on Monday in Middlebury urged Vermonters to uphold the tenets of democracy and community service in face of a White House and U.S. Senate that he believes have collectively abandoned such values. Welch discussed congressional gridlock, the U.S. House agenda and his continued support for the impeachment of President Donald Trump during an Addison Independent-sponsored appearance at the Champlain Valley Unitarian Universalist Society. During his remarks and a Q&A session, Vermont's lone U.S. representative voiced frustration with legislative inaction, Trump's frequent tweets and a U.S. Senate that he said is more intent on confirming conservative judges and ensuring the president a second term, rather than processing bills aimed at improving the lives of Americans. We're in very serious times. What's going on in Washington now is very serious and very dire, he said. What is in contention is the guardrails of Democracy. Vermonters elected Peter Welch, a Windsor County Democrat, to the U.S. House of Representatives in 2006. He has been re-elected by massive margins in subsequent elections. Welch currently serves on the House Committees on Energy & Commerce, and Oversight & Reform. He's also a member of the Select Committee on Intelligence and the House Democratic Steering and Policy Committee. He said the tenor of debate in the nation's capital is unlike anything he's seen before. We had serious disagreements, but it was about issues that affected the livelihood and wellbeing of citizens, Welch said. With this new president, what's in doubt is our respect for the courts and their independence; what's in doubt is our bedrock commitment that people are equal and entitled to be treated with respect, regardless of their religion, regardless of their country of origin, regardless of their ethnicity. This pattern, according to Welch, was established during the Trump presidential campaign. And it's continued since then, he charged, with an assertion that journalism which is something that's absolutely critical for a lively democracy is all fake news. Where there's an assertion that judges who decided against the administration did so because they're pro-Mexican.' It is us completely ignoring the responsibility we have to try to create partnerships with other countries to work with us to assist in security issues and climate change. Welch reiterated his support for impeachment of a president whom he said leads by tweeting. The issue of impeachment is obviously a huge question in a democratic society because it's very risky and dangerous and there can be collateral consequences when there is a legislative removal of a person from office who's been elected by the people, he said. A bedrock principal in our government is to respect the outcome of an election. That said, Welch noted the framers of the U.S. Constitution did provide for the removal of a president or other elected officials for high crimes and misdemeanors. Welch called impeachment an action that should be made with great reservation, but not ruled out categorically when the Constitution says that's what should be done. Welch, a lawyer, said he had always been concerned about the obstruction of justice allegations against Trump that were part of the Mueller investigation. Welch said the report from the probe into alleged Trump campaign cooperation with Russian sources in an effort to turn the 2016 election to Trump's favor included at least 10 examples of obstruction on the part of the Trump administration, the president and his associates on trying to interfere with the Mueller investigation. Welch added he's become increasingly disturbed that Trump has exhibited no respect for the Constitutional doctrine of separation of powers in equal branches of government. What we've seen from the Trump administration in a way that's unprecedented is there's always been tension between the executive branch and the legislative branch on oversight. There's a complete and absolute rejection of any responsibility to provide Congress with the documents and witnesses it needs to do oversight. Also of concern to Welch has been what he called a doubling down of racist, white nationalist remarks. The president's comportment in that regard, according to Welch, has caused pain among Americans who he said feel vilified on the basis of how they worship, their race and ethnicity. He encouraged Americans to persevere in improving their lot at the local level at a time when gridlock is the norm in Washington, D.C. People are embracing the importance of doing what they can locally, he said. They know that they've got to build community from the ground up, from where they are. They are doing what they can to reinforce the absolute essential personal qualities of mutual respect, consideration and commitment, along with doing what they can with local institutions. The solid work that's being done right now is in local communities, our state Legislature. That good work, in my opinion, is going to get us through what is a really dark time in Washington. Meanwhile, the U.S. House will continue to work on bills designed to address everyday Americans' problems, according to Welch, who said he hopes that work will pay off after the 2020 elections. My view is that everything we can do legislatively in the House that addresses concerns of everyday people becomes a platform for us after the next election in hopes that we're then able to then move forward on it, he said. I think we've got to show people we are about legislating: The Violence Against Women Act. Bringing down the cost of prescription drugs. Climate issues. The Paris Accords. We've got to keep at it, Welch concluded. This is a tough time, but I value the opportunity to be your representative in Washington, trying to do what I can every day to bring Vermont values to Washington.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.leahy.senate.gov/press/senate-appropriations-committee-approves-leahy-led-250-m-in-critical-election-security-funding,Senate Appropriations Committee Approves Leahy-Led $250 M. In Critical Election Security Funding,2019-09-19,2019,2019-09,Democrat,House,VT,Patrick Leahy,L000174,www.leahy.senate.gov,,,legacy,"09.19.19 Senate Appropriations Committee Approves Leahy-Led $250 M. In Critical Election Security Funding . . . Ahead of 2020 Elections, Senate Appropriations Committee Approves Bipartisan Leahy/ Shelby/Coons Election Security Amendment WASHINGTON (Thursday, Sept. 19, 2019) The Senate Appropriations Committee Thursday approved $250 million in funds to support state and local governments' efforts to strengthen election security ahead of the 2020 elections. The funding was included in a bipartisan amendment to the Financial Services and General Government (FSGG) Appropriations bill and sponsored by Senate Appropriations Committee Vice Chairman Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.), Senate Appropriations Committee Chairman Richard Shelby (R-Ala.), and Senate Appropriations FSGG Subcommittee Ranking Member Chris Coons (D-Del.). The funding will allow states to upgrade election technology, improve cybersecurity, and help prevent future cyberattacks. Leahy said: We know that the Russian government interfered in the 2016 presidential election, targeted our election infrastructure, and did so, according to Mr. Mueller, in sweeping and systematic' fashion. This problem was not isolated to 2016 and we cannot be complacent now. These funds are critical to our national security and I look forward to working with Senator Coons and others to increase this funding further in Conference. Coons said: Our elections were attacked in 2016, and we have every reason to believe that they will be attacked again. Today, I'm pleased that, on a bipartisan basis, the Senate Appropriations Committee came to an agreement to provide $250 million in election security grants that will allow states to replace outdated election machinery and invest in cybersecurity. This is a responsible investment and I'm grateful to Senator Leahy for his leadership on this issue. The Senate Select Committee on Intelligence recently released a report outlining Russian efforts to interfere in the 2016 presidential election and target our nation's election infrastructure in all 50 states, conducting reconnaissance, probing and mapping systems, and looking for vulnerabilities to exploit. According to the report, the Russian government was able to gain access to election systems in two states, including successfully accessing and extracting up to 200,000 voter registration records in Illinois. Despite the urgent threat to our Democracy and the integrity of our elections, the FSGG Appropriations bill did not contain funding to address this critical national security threat and has not provided funding since fiscal year 2018, causing Leahy and Coons to sound the alarm and threaten earlier this week. Leahy was the leading advocate for securing funding in fiscal year 2019, which was ultimately blocked by Senate Republicans. The amendment is cosponsored by Senators Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.), Patty Murray (D-Wash.), Richard Durbin (D-Ill.), Jack Reed (D-R.I.), Roy Blunt (R-Mo.) Tom Udall (D-N.M.), Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.), Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), Tammy Baldwin (D-Wisc.), Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska), Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.,) Susan Collins (R-Maine), and Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.). Leahy's full statement is available HERE. Text of the amendment is available 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/air-force-answers-question-about-afterburner-use-for-f-35s-on-national-guard-bases,Air Force Answers Question About Afterburner Use For F-35s On National Guard Bases,2019-09-18,2019,2019-09,Democrat,House,VT,Patrick Leahy,L000174,www.leahy.senate.gov,,,legacy,"09.18.19 Air Force Answers Question About Afterburner Use For F-35s On National Guard Bases The following is a response provided to Senator Leahy by the Air Force to his inquiry about whether the Headquarters of the Air Force was directing Air National Guard units to plan for additional afterburner use. The Vermont Air National Guard (VTANG) has long said that VTANG does not intend to fly more than 5 percent of takeoffs with afterburners. An internal email from Air Combat Command shared with opponents of the F-35 in Vermont claimed a contractor had said noise studies for Joint Reserve Base Fort Worth should be conducted to consider the option for higher afterburner usage, but did not assert that there would be any changes for National Guard units. Senator Leahy inquired with the Air Force to ascertain if higher afterburner usage would be recommended for Air National Guard units, or if the reported email referred only to the Air Force Reserve unit basing study at Fort Worth. The Air Force confirmed that the Air National Guard would maintain afterburner usage of five percent or below, and any changes were only under consideration for Fort Worth and for the Air Force Reserve. The Air National Guard is a dual-mission force geographically bound to individual states and under the command of its governor, with both Federal and State responsibilities. Guard units tend to be largely made up of individuals from the local community, who serve for decades and sometimes their entire careers with their state. In contrast, the Air Force Reserve is a Federal force always reporting through the national chain of command, which draws individuals from around the country with specific skills. Click here to see the full response. Press Contact David Carle: 202-224-3693 Next Article Previous Article",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.leahy.senate.gov/press/leahy-vermont-tapped-to-receive-grant-to-create-a-dairy-business-innovation-initiative,Leahy: Vermont Tapped To Receive Grant To Create A Dairy Business Innovation Initiative,2019-09-18,2019,2019-09,Democrat,House,VT,Patrick Leahy,L000174,www.leahy.senate.gov,,,legacy,"09.18.19 Leahy: Vermont Tapped To Receive Grant To Create A Dairy Business Innovation Initiative . . . Vermont Will Host One of Only Three Initiatives Nationwide... Innovation is a key to value-added agriculture in Vermont, and diversification makes us more resilient' (WEDNESDAY, September 18, 2019) Vermont Senator Patrick Leahy (D), Vice Chairman of the U.S. Senate Appropriations Committee, Wednesday announced that the Vermont Agency of Agriculture, Food, and Markets (VAAFM) will soon receive funding from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to create regional a Dairy Business Innovation Initiative. Leahy, a leading member of the Agriculture Committee, helped lead the effort to authorize the new dairy innovation program in the 2018 Farm Bill. Through the appropriations process, he secured initial funding for the program in the fiscal year 2019 appropriations bill, which was signed into law earlier this year. The Farm Bill directed USDA to create at least three regionally located initiatives across the country. Vermont was selected to host one of the initiatives through a competitive grant-making process. The Senate Appropriations Committee on Thursday will consider the fiscal year 2020 appropriations bill to fund the USDA. Leahy has worked to secure an additional $20 million to support the three initiatives in that bill. If advanced by the Committee, it will need to be approved by the Senate, the House, and ultimately signed by the President. Once established, VAAFM will work in Vermont and support work in surrounding states to provide 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. Leahy said: I have made this a top priority on both the Agriculture and Appropriations Committees because this is a crucial time for dairy producers in Vermont and the region. Our state and our farmers are uniquely suited to lead the dairy sector toward a viable future. In recent years, Vermont has been significantly impacted by the downturn in the dairy economy, but our farmers demonstrate daily the opportunities for innovation and diversification. Innovation is a key to value-added agriculture in Vermont, and diversification makes us more resilient. I'm proud to have secured this funding through the appropriations process, and am delighted that Anson Tebbetts and his team at the Vermont Agency of Agriculture wrote a winning project proposal. As Congress negotiates the final spending bills for 2020, I will continue to make this a high priority. Governor Phil Scott (R) said: These dollars will help sustain and enhance Vermont's dairy farms and, most importantly, will help farm families innovate as the industry continues to evolve. I appreciate our congressional delegation's continued support of Vermont's dairy sector and farms. Our farmers are innovative by nature and with this funding we can work to strengthen Vermont dairy statewide. Having won the competitive bid, Vermont will now serve as the region's Dairy Business Innovation Initiative for the next three years. Leahy led Vermont's congressional delegation -- Senator Bernie Sanders (I) and Representative Peter Welch (D) -- in sending a letter to Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue in support of the state's proposal. # # # # # 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-of-vice-chairman-leahy-d-vt-opposing-the-motion-to-proceed-to-hr-2470-,Statement of Vice Chairman Leahy (D-Vt.) Opposing the Motion to Proceed to H.R. 2470,2019-09-18,2019,2019-09,Democrat,House,VT,Patrick Leahy,L000174,www.leahy.senate.gov,,,legacy,"09.18.19 Statement of Vice Chairman Leahy (D-Vt.) Opposing the Motion to Proceed to H.R. 2470 Today, we will vote on whether to invoke cloture on the motion to proceed to H.R. 2470, the House Defense, Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, Energy and Water, and the State and Foreign Operations Appropriations bills. I strongly urge Senators to vote no. The underlying House bills are good bills. If this were a vote to consider the House bills, it would be easy. But that is not what we are doing. Senator McConnell has made clear that H.R. 2470 is simply a vehicle for consideration of the Senate Defense Appropriations bill, a partisan bill that was reported out of Committee on party lines, which he will offer as a substitute once we proceed to the underlying House bills. Leader McConnell will also offer as part of the substitute the Energy & Water Appropriations bill, as well as the State, Foreign Operations, and Labor-HHS and Education bills. These last two bills have never even been considered by the Committee. They were pulled from the Committee markup last week, because Republicans were afraid to vote on amendments that would have received bipartisan support. Is that how we are operating now? Things get complicated and difficult so we just skip parts of the legislative process? This is no way to proceed. Not one Democrat on the Appropriations Committee voted for the Defense bill. Not one. Because, as written, it does nothing to prevent the President from stealing billions of dollars more from our troops to pay for the President's cynical campaign promise to build a gigantic wall across our southern border. The President has already raided $6.1 billion from Department of Defense (DOD) accounts in the fiscal year 2019 bills for his border wall all without congressional approval. First he diverted $2.5 billion from the Fiscal Year 2019 Defense Appropriations Act for the wall using standard transfer authority we provide the Department of Defense. We provide this authority to ensure that DOD has the flexibility it requires to meet the needs of the troops in an evolving threat environment. It is NOT intended to be used by the President as a piggy bank for his own pet projects that Congress has refused to support. Then he took $3.6 billion more from military construction projects for his southern border wall. Much of this 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 cannot let him do it again. I offered an amendment during Committee markup of the Defense Appropriations bill that would protect the money we appropriate for our troops, and prohibit the President from using it to build a border wall, but that amendment was defeated on a party line vote. Now the Republican leader accuses Democrats of not standing with the troops by voting against this bill, but it's exactly the opposite. We are the ones fighting to protect funds that should go to support the troops and their families. Letting the President take money from the troops for the wall is tantamount to telling military families that we care more about a failed campaign promise a wall in the middle of the desert that the President promised Mexico would pay for than we do about providing schools and day care for their children, or for weapons training, or for fire stations. I will not sign up for that. We must stand up for the Constitution. In order to raid defense dollars for the wall, the President has contorted the law beyond all recognition, and undone congressional funding decisions by fiat. To allow this to go unanswered would be to surrender Congress' Constitutional power of the purse. Last year we were able to move appropriations bills on the floor because the leaders agreed that only bills that had bipartisan support would move forward. That was the right way to proceed then and it is the right way to proceed now. This package of bills does not have such support. I was hopeful that once we secured a bipartisan budget agreement, we would be on a bipartisan path to consider Senate Appropriations bills. Unfortunately, the Republican leadership started out the process on a partisan note by refusing to rein in the ability of the President to raid defense dollars to build his wall, and by short-changing the Labor-HHS-Education appropriations bill so they could include $5 billion for his wall in the Homeland bill. How much of our taxpayer dollars are we going to spend on this boondoggle? In the bipartisan budget agreement, non-defense funding was given a $27 billion increase, a roughly 3 percent increase. If all things were equal, the Labor-HHS-Education 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 the Department of Homeland Security receives a 7 percent increase to pay for the wall. This is not right. The result is that the bill put forward by the Republicans today fails to cover even the annual costs of inflation in public health, Head Start, child care, special education, education for the disadvantaged, veterans' training grants, and dozens of other programs. Robbing from funds meant for education, child care and health care programs that have a real, positive impact on the lives of the American people to pay for President Trump's wall is just as unacceptable as robbing these funds from our military, and members on our side of the aisle will not support it. Last year, the President shut much of the government down for 35 days in a tantrum over his wall. This strategy of border wall above all else has already failed once, and it will fail again. As the Majority Leader has said, there is no education in the second kick of a mule. It is unfortunate that we find ourselves in this position again. We have already been down this road. It was the President's failed strategy that led to the longest government shutdown in the history of our country just nine months ago. It was the President's failed strategy to hold the government of the American people hostage to pay for a wall he promised Mexico would pay for. There is a bipartisan path forward. We have bipartisan bills that the Majority Leader can call up while we try to sort these other issues out. The Energy and Water Appropriations bill was reported out of Committee last week on a unanimous vote. Tomorrow the Appropriations Committee will consider the Agriculture Appropriations bill and the Transportation-Housing Urban Development appropriations bill. I expect both will be reported out on a wide bipartisan margin, and we could bring these bills to the floor. Instead, we are forced to vote today to invoke cloture on a partisan Defense appropriations bill, and on a partisan State, Foreign Operations bill and a partisan Labor-HHS-Education bill that were not even marked up in Committee. The State, Foreign Operations bill continues the President's discriminatory Mexico City policy, which prohibits funding for private organizations that support family planning and reproductive health, and it caps funding for family planning at an arbitrarily and unacceptably low level. Inexplicably, it eliminates all funding for the UN Population Fund, which provides life-saving assistance to women and girls in Yemen and dozens of other countries where USAID does not have programs. For the past 30 years, I have been either chairman or ranking member of the State, Foreign Operations Subcommittee. We have a long tradition on that Subcommittee of producing bipartisan bills. That was true when the Majority Leader, Senator McConnell was chairman, when former Senator Judd Gregg was chairman, while Senator Graham has been chairman, and when I have been chairman. We were ready to mark up that bill last week, but because one Senator wanted to offer an amendment related to family planning an amendment that had bipartisan support of a majority of members of the Committee the markup was cancelled. Rather than vote, the majority cancelled the markup. What kind of process is that? What kind of democracy is that? We are better than this. I urge members to vote no on cloture on the motion to proceed to H.R. 2470, this vote is nothing more than a political stunt. We have bipartisan bills that we could take up, and that is how we should proceed, not wasting time on show votes that do nothing to advance the appropriations process. I look forward to continuing to work with my good friend, Chairman Shelby, and the Majority Leader to find a way forward. # # # # # CONTACT: Jay Tilton 202-224-2667 Press Contact David Carle: 202-224-3693",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z