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/123118bipartisandemlegstmt,Statement Of Appropriations Committee Vice Chairman Patrick Leahy On House Democrats Introducing Legislation To Reopen the Government,2018-12-31,2018,2018-12,Democrat,House,VT,Patrick Leahy,L000174,www.leahy.senate.gov,,,legacy,"12.31.18 Statement Of Appropriations Committee Vice Chairman Patrick Leahy On House Democrats Introducing Legislation To Reopen the Government There is one reason and one reason only that much of our federal government is shut down through the holidays and countless Americans are living with uncertainty and that reason is President Trump. For 10 days he has held the federal government hostage in an attempt to force us to pay for an ineffective and expensive wall on the southern border, a wall he promised that Mexico would pay for. It will not work. He does not have the votes. Today, House Democrats introduced a commonsense path forward to end the Trump Shutdown: six bipartisan appropriations bills and a continuing resolution for the Department of Homeland Security. Following this path, we can finish six of the seven appropriations bills this week and get the government back open and working for the American people. The six bills are the product of bipartisan compromise and provide billions of dollars in new resources to address critical needs of the American people and to protect U.S. national security. They provide much-needed funding to help combat our nation's opioid epidemic, and critical investments in infrastructure to help rebuild our nation's crumbling roads, bridges, and highways. They provide resources to protect the environment and help ensure that the water we drink and the air we breathe is safe and clean for this generation and the next. And they support key allies and national security programs that enable the United States to be a global leader. For 10 days this funding has been held hostage by the President. Which of this funding would he have cut to pay for his wall? The reality is, while the President has spent days hiding away in the White House and demanding via tweets billions from U.S. taxpayers to build his misguided wall, he has completely cut off funding for the very Department tasked with securing our border, as well as eight other federal departments and dozens of agencies. It's time this stopped. The path forward is now clear, and I strongly encourage Senate Republicans to support and pass this bipartisan compromise. Press Contact David Carle: 202-224-3693 Previous Article",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.sanders.senate.gov/newsroom/video-audio/senior-holiday-dinners,Senior Holiday Dinners,2018-12-24,2018,2018-12,Independent,House,VT,Bernard Sanders,S000033,www.sanders.senate.gov,,,legacy,"Senior Holiday Dinners I am so pleased that more than a thousand Vermont seniors attended six holiday dinners my office organized around the state. These meals are a great opportunity for seniors to come together, enjoy a holiday meal with friends and neighbors, and hear some beautiful music from local student choirs. And to all Vermonters, I wish you a happy holiday season!",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.leahy.senate.gov/press/122218trumpshutdown,Statement of Senate Appropriations Committee Vice Chairman Patrick Leahy On The Trump Shutdown,2018-12-22,2018,2018-12,Democrat,House,VT,Patrick Leahy,L000174,www.leahy.senate.gov,,,legacy,"12.22.18 Statement of Senate Appropriations Committee Vice Chairman Patrick LeahyOn The Trump Shutdown Today nine of our 15 federal departments, and several dozen agencies have shuttered their doors, denying vital services to millions of American citizens. Since midnight last night, and just a few days before Christmas, more than 800,000 public servants and their families have been told not to expect their next paycheck for the foreseeable future. There is one reason and one reason only that our federal government has shut down today and countless Americans are living with uncertainty and that reason is President Donald J. Trump. The President is holding the federal government hostage for $5 billion of American taxpayer dollars for his unnecessary, ineffective, and expensive wall on the southern bordera wall he repeatedly promised the American taxpayers Mexico would pay for. The President's irresponsible behavior is astounding. His job, like ours, is to keep the federal government operating for the hundreds of millions of Americans who depend on government services every day, from our national parks, to housing services for the elderly, disabled, and our veterans, and for assistance for our nation's farmers. Just two days ago, the President patted himself on the back for signing the Farm bill, and today he has precipitated a shutdown that shuttered the doors to USDA field offices that farmers rely on to understand this new law. The worst part of this situation is that it was completely avoidable. We have provided the President with several options to avoid this result. We offered to pass six full-year appropriations bills, and a Continuing Resolution for Homeland, or a Continuing Resolution for all the remaining bills. Either of these options would have kept the government open, and provided more than a billions dollars for border security, the very thing the President says he cares most about. After rejecting both of these offers, the Senate passed by voice vote a seven-week continuing resolution (CR) to give us more time to negotiate and avert this catastrophe, and the President had agreed to sign it. We had a path forward. But after 24 hours of Fox News and the right wing media criticizing him, the President's fragile ego was so bruised that he reversed course. And here we areexactly where the President wanted us to be, in the middle of a Trump Shutdown. For anyone doubting where responsibility lays, let's recall that the President has publicly called for a government shutdown no fewer than25 timesover the last year. Just last week, he declared he would be proud to shut down the government unless we capitulate to his demands. Proud? That is one of the most reckless statements I have ever heard uttered by a President of the United States. And now he has made good on his threat. The Trump Shutdown has begun. And how long will it last? Who knows? Yesterday, the President said it will last a long time, and then he said it would be a short shutdown. Even in this, his behavior is erratic. How did we get here? Is there a legitimate crisis precipitating this shutdown? Is the President playing games with the lives, and livelihoods of American citizens to solve some immediate problem that threatens our nation? No. Caving to the most extreme sliver of his base, President Trump is throwing a childish tantrum, because he wants money to fulfill a cynical promise he repeatedly made on the campaign trail more of a symbolic prize than a sensible policy solution. This wasteful wall which would do more to preserve the President's ego than it would to protect the American people is the natural result of the President's years-long demonization and vilification of immigrants. Years during which the President rallied his base with falsehoods and fantasies where vulnerable women and children are portrayed as hordes of gang members and terrorists invading our country. The sad reality is that many of these people coming to our country are fleeing desperate situations in their home countries looking for sanctuary they aren't coming here to perpetuate violence, they are running from it. Let me be clear. There is no crisis that requires us to build a 30-foot wall between us and our neighbors to the south. The President's hateful rhetoric about a crisis on our southern border does not reflect reality. At the end of 2017, arrests of people attempting to enter the U.S. illegally dropped to historic lows. Between 2000 and 2018, border apprehensions fell sharply from roughly 1.6 million in fiscal year2000 to approximately 400,000 in fiscal year 2018 that is a 75 percent drop. Not only do the facts on the ground not warrant spending billions of American taxpayer dollars on a big beautiful wall -- as the President likes to call it -- it is not who we are as a nation. We are country founded by immigrants, and walling ourselves off from our neighbors is not only an expensive waste of American taxpayer dollars, it is immoral, ineffective, and an affront to everything this country stands for. To build the wall the President wants to seize land from ranchers and farmers in Texas and other border states. We would need to construct walls through wildlife refuges and nature preserves. And we'd end up walling ourselves off from the Rio Grande in the process, essentially ceding the river to Mexico. And after all of that, and billions of wasted taxpayer dollars, what would it accomplish? Would it stop people from fleeing violence in their home countries and seeking sanctuary? No. Would it stop drug smugglers and human traffickers from engaging in illegal activity? Definitely no. As the expression goes, show me a 30-foot wall, and I will show you a 31-foot ladder or a tunnel. To address these complex issues, we need real solutions, not bumper sticker slogans and angry tweets. Everyone agrees that we need to keep our border safe and secure; but it must be smart border security, border security that worksnew technologies proven to work on the border and at our ports of entry, new air and marine assets, and additional personnel where needed. We do not need to build a 30-foot wall. And even if we did, what is the rush? Over the last two years, Congress has provided nearly $1.7 billion to build or replace fencing on the southern border, but the Administration has hardly spent any of that money, and the projects it has undertaken have ballooned in cost. So far, only six percent of those funds have been spent.Six. And we have recently learned that one project in the Rio Grande Valley that was supposed to cost $445 million, will now cost the American taxpayers nearly $787 million that's a 77 percent cost overrun, at a price tag of $31.5 million per mile. We can't trust this Administration to be responsible with the money we have already provided, let alone trust it to spend responsibly the additional money President Trump is demanding. We must put an end to this nonsense, once and for all. We could finish six of the seven appropriations bills right now while we continue to debate these other issues. These bills are the product of bipartisan compromise and provide billions of dollars in new resources to address critical needs of the American people and to protect U.S. national security. These six bills would provide much-needed funding to help combat our nation's opioid epidemic, and critical investments in infrastructure to help rebuild our nation's crumbling roads, bridges, and highways. They provide resources to protect the environment and help ensure that the water we drink and the air we breathe is safe and clean for this generation and the next. And they support key allies and national security programs that enable the United States to be a global leader a role that is being increasingly challenged by China and Russia. Is the President really going to hold the American people hostage over a wall that he repeatedly promised Mexico would pay for? Is he really going to force hundreds of thousands of federal employees including the very agents he depends upon to carry out his immigration enforcement policies to work without pay over the Christmas holiday? Is he really going to tell millions of Americans including his most ardent supporters that he could care less whether they are cut off from critical government services purely in service of his own vanity? The President has apparently decided that fighting a symbolic fight for his shiny object is more important than keeping our government running for the American people. It is the height of irresponsibility. Negotiations with Chairman Shelby and Leader McConnell continue in good faith, but can only succeed if President Trump decides to put the country first. He owes it to the American people. Press Contact David Carle: 202-224-3693",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.leahy.senate.gov/press/122118guatemalajusticeflrspch,Statement Of Senator Patrick Leahy On Another Setback For Justice In Guatemala,2018-12-21,2018,2018-12,Democrat,House,VT,Patrick Leahy,L000174,www.leahy.senate.gov,,,legacy,"12.21.18 Statement Of Senator Patrick Leahy On Another Setback For Justice In Guatemala Mr. President, like many Members of Congress who have long supported efforts to help build an independent judiciary and reduce public corruption and impunity in Guatemala, I have observed a pattern of alarming actions by President Morales' administration and his allies in Guatemala's Congress to thwart these efforts. In the latest development, earlier this week the Guatemalan Ministry of Foreign Affairs withdrew the diplomatic immunity of 11 investigators and other personnel of the International Commission against Impunity in Guatemala (CICIG), and ordered them to leave the country. This followed an announcement by the Minister of Interior of the removal of another 15 high-ranking police officials from their posts. Over the years, the United States has invested many tens of millions of dollars to support the National Police, the Attorney General's Office, and CICIG. These actions by the Morales' administration directly undermine those investments and indicate that it cannot be trusted to keep its word, and is not serious about upholding the rule of law. Working jointly with the Attorney General's Office, CICIG has investigated cases of public corruption and other serious crimes. It has helped to strengthen the investigative capabilities of the Attorney General's Office and the police, and promoted key criminal justice reforms. For this reason CICIG, its commissioner, and the former Attorney General have been the target of acts of intimidation and a smear campaign orchestrated by the Morales' administration and its allies in the military and the media. These actions by the government threaten CICIG's independence and its ability to function effectively. According to information I have received, the professionals whose diplomatic immunity and visas were revoked include investigators and lawyers involved in some of the most sensitive cases related to alleged corruption and illicit campaign financing by top government officials. Other actions by Guatemalan authorities are equally disturbing. Since assuming office in January 2018, Minister of Interior Enrique Degenhart has, on multiple occasions, removed or relocated senior National Police officers and detectives. Most of these officers had many years of experience in criminal investigations, counter-narcotics, and other specialized areas. Most were trained by the United States. Even worse, the Minister has reportedly appointed police officials with alleged links to the military and promoted officers without transparent, merit-based processes, undermining efforts to build a professional, transparent, and accountable police force. This threatens our ability to continue working with the police which has in the past been infiltrated by organized crime to combat narcotics trafficking, money laundering, and other transnational criminal activity. In 2009, working with key Guatemalan law enforcement agencies, CICIG helped establish a wiretapping unit within the Attorney General's Office. Prior to that, wiretaps were illegal. The unit, which has been supported by the United States, has been instrumental in helping the Attorney General investigate and dismantle complex criminal networks. Reportedly, among the officers recently removed by Minister Degenhart was the director of the wiretapping unit. Mr. President, if we have learned anything over many years of trying to assist the countries of Central America build the institutions of government necessary to effectively combat corruption and impunity, it is that without partners who care at least as much about these issues as we do it is a fruitless exercise and a waste of U.S. taxpayers' money. What is happening today in Guatemala is a repeat of what we have observed many times before. New government officials take office, they profess their commitment to democratic ideals, the rule of law, and judicial independence, and then, when their own misdeeds become the focus of criminal investigations, they show their true colors. They ignore rulings by the country's highest courts. They seek to replace magistrates who cannot be intimidated, with cronies who will shield them from the law. They expel international prosecutors on grounds of sovereignty. They threaten those whose job it is to apply the law. They try to intimidate their political opponents. It is the same sad story. I recently met Constitutional Court Magistrate Gloria Patria Porras Escobar, an experienced and internationally respected jurist and former prosecutor known for her independence and courage. She, like others who have honored their professions, is an example of what Guatemala needs. Yet she is being vilified by those who seek to subvert the institutions of justice. The people of Guatemala deserve better. They have demanded an end to corruption, an end to impunity, and an end to public officials who care more about enriching and protecting themselves than they do about addressing the needs of their people. The Guatemalan people overwhelming support the Attorney General's Office and CICIG, which have, for the first time in the country's history, shown that public officials who abuse their authority are not above the law. President Morales' administration has less than a year left in office. Let us hope that he quickly reverses course, because the path he is on will jeopardize further U.S. support for his government's participation in the Alliance for Prosperity. Otherwise, we will have no choice but to wait for a government in Guatemala that has the integrity to be a credible partner of the United States. Press Contact David Carle: 202-224-3693",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.leahy.senate.gov/press/122118secondchancesigning,"Portman, Leahy Hail President's Signing Of Their Second Chance Act Into Law As Part Of Historic Criminal Justice Reform Package",2018-12-21,2018,2018-12,Democrat,House,VT,Patrick Leahy,L000174,www.leahy.senate.gov,,,legacy,"12.21.18 Portman, Leahy Hail President's Signing Of Their Second Chance Act Into Law As Part Of Historic Criminal Justice Reform Package U.S. Senators Rob Portman (R-Ohio) and Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) announced that their bipartisan Second Chance Reauthorization Act was signed into law Friday by President Trump as part of the First Step Act, bipartisan legislation to reform America's criminal justice system The legislation passed the Senate earlier this week by a margin of 87 to 12. The Second Chance Reauthorization Act reauthorizes and strengthens the Second Chance Act, a bipartisan law that supports state and local reentry programs to reduce recidivism. Then-Congressman Portman originally authored the Second Chance Act with the late-Congresswoman Stephanie Tubbs Jones in 2005, and it was later signed into law in 2008.Since 2009, more than 850 Second Chance Act grant awards have been made to government agencies and nonprofit organizations from 49 states for reentry programs serving adults and juveniles. As of June 2018, more than 164,000 individuals have participated in these programs.In total, Ohio has received more than $39 million in Second Chance Act grants since 2009, which includes funds to assist Ohioans re-entering the community with services such as job training, drug rehabilitation, case management and mental health treatment. Portman said: Renewing and strengthening the Second Chance Act is critical to our efforts to stop the revolving door of incarceration and help former inmates live up to their God-given potential, and I'm pleased the president signed it into law today. The Second Chance Act helps people be able to create their own future rather than be held back by the mistakes of their past. It has already changed thousands of lives in Ohio and across the country by helping ex-offenders turn their life around and become a productive members of society. The president's action today will make our communities safer while also saving taxpayer dollars. Leahy said: This is a welcome glimmer of bipartisanship to advance long overdue reforms that are important to thousands of individuals, their families, and their communities. It is especially timely, coming amid the other contentious issues that are churning the Congress and the nation right now. The First Step Act, while it does not go as far as I would like, will achieve the most significant reforms to our criminal justice system in a decade. Including our Second Chance Reauthorization Act is an acknowledgement that criminal justice reform is not complete without a commitment to strengthening reentry services for ex-offenders. Almost every single offender in our justice system will one day be released. We owe it to them, their families, and the communities where they will live to help ensure that they can lead productive lives. NOTE: The Second Chance Reauthorization Act will strengthen state and local grant programs to promote successful prisoner reentry and improve public safety while reducing Bureau of Prison costs and saving taxpayer dollars. Specifically, the legislation will: Continue targeted funding through 2021 for reentry programs at the state and local level that have been proven to reduce recidivism, lead to better outcomes for those released from prison, and save prison costs. Provide separate planning and implementation grants to ensure that projects are well developed at each stage and informed by research and best practices. Add nonprofit organizations as allowable grantees for grants for programs promoting family-based substance abuse treatment and career training. Repeal several provisions calling for studies that have been completed and removes support for programs for which other funding sources have been identified. It also consolidates the reentry court program into the Adult and Juvenile Offender State and Local Demonstration projects. Require new rigorous evaluation and audits of grantees to ensure that federal dollars are spent wisely. This legislation has been endorsed by the National Criminal Justice Association, the International Community Corrections Association, the Council of State Governments Justice Center, FreedomWorks, the American Bar Association, the American Correctional Association, The Prison Fellowship, the American Probation and Parole Association, the Association of State Correctional Administrators, and The Sentencing Project. 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/122118sudanesediplomat,"Menendez, Leahy Call for Expulsion Of Top Sudanese Diplomat",2018-12-21,2018,2018-12,Democrat,House,VT,Patrick Leahy,L000174,www.leahy.senate.gov,,,legacy,"12.21.18 Menendez, Leahy Call for Expulsion Of Top Sudanese Diplomat Senator Bob Menendez (D-N.J.), Ranking Member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee,and Senator Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.), Vice Chairman of the Appropriations Committee, yesterday sent a letter to President Trump calling for the expulsion and potential sanctioning of the Charge D'Affaires at the Embassy of Sudan in Washington. Citing Mohamed Atta al-Moula's former role as the head of Sudan's National Intelligence and Security Services (NISS), the Senators refer to a well-documented pattern of gross human rights violations attributed to the NISS during Mr. Atta's tenure, including the killing of as many as 185 protesters in Khartoum in 2013. Allowing Mr. Atta to serve as a diplomat in the United States is an affront to our values and our national interests. We urge you to address this situation immediately, wrote the Senators. We urge you to immediately withdraw Mr. Atta's U.S. visa, require his departure from the United States, and make a determination as to whether Mr. Atta is subject to sanctions under the Global Magnitsky Human Rights Accountability Act. A copy of the letter can be found HERE. Dear Mr. President: We write to express our strong objection to your acceptance of Mr. Mohamed Atta al-Moula as Charge D'Affaires at the Embassy of Sudan in Washington in light of Mr. Atta's role as the head of Sudan's National Intelligence and Security Services (NISS). We urge you to immediately withdraw Mr. Atta's U.S. visa, require his departure from the United States, and make a determination as to whether Mr. Atta is subject to sanctions under the Global Magnitsky Human Rights Accountability Act (P.L. 114-328). A pattern of gross human rights violations attributed to the NISS is detailed in the State Department's annual Country Reports on Human Rights Practices and documented by human rights groups. For example, according to Amnesty International, police and NISS forces were responsible for killing as many as 185 protesters in Khartoum in September 2013. The reported torture of individuals detained by NISS in connection with the protests has been extensively documented by Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch. The most recent Country Report on Human Rights in Sudan states that as of September 2017, the government had not released any public report on the April 2016 killing by National Intelligence and Security Services (NISS) of Kordofan University student Abu Baker Hashim during student elections in El Obeid, North Kordofan, nor on the April 2016 killing of al-Ahlia Omdurman University student Mohammed al-Sadig in clashes between pro-government and opposition students on campus. Reports suggest that they could be victims of a gross violation of internationally recognized human rights, which includes flagrant denial of the right to life, liberty, or the security of person. Just as troubling is the relationship between Sudan's notorious Rapid Support Forces (RSF) and the NISS. According to Human Rights Watch, the RSF engaged in torture, extrajudicial killings and mass rapes against civilians during the course of military campaigns in South Darfur and North Darfur in 2014 and 2015. The RSF has also been implicated in extensive abuses against civilians in Southern Kordofan and Blue Nile. In addition, we note with concern that according to civil society and nongovernmental organizations, the NISS has been implicated in a range of violations of internationally recognized human rights abuses such as physical and psychological torture of detainees, including journalists, civil society activists, and members of the political opposition. The RSF was created and is administered by the NISS. As head of the NISS Mr. Atta is ultimately responsible for the actions of the RSF as well as NISS agents, and may well be more directly culpable for ordering and/or directing alleged crimes and gross violations of human rights, including those listed above. Allowing Mr. Atta to serve as a diplomat in the United States is an affront to our values and our national interests. We urge you to address this situation immediately. Thank you for your time and attention to this matter. ### Press Contact David Carle: 202-224-3693 Next Article Previous Article",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.sanders.senate.gov/newsroom/video-audio/trump-is-shutting-down-the-government,Trump Is Shutting Down the Government,2018-12-21,2018,2018-12,Independent,House,VT,Bernard Sanders,S000033,www.sanders.senate.gov,,,legacy,"Trump Is Shutting Down the Government Trump is shutting down the government and will leave 800,000 federal employees without paychecksdespite unanimous Republican support in the Senate and overwhelming Republican support in the House. Clearly, this president's erratic and impulsive behavior is a danger to our country and a major impediment in terms of addressing the crises we face.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.leahy.senate.gov/press/122018crpassagestmt,Statement of Senate Appropriations Vice Chairman Leahy On Passage Of The Third Continuing Resolution,2018-12-20,2018,2018-12,Democrat,House,VT,Patrick Leahy,L000174,www.leahy.senate.gov,,,legacy,"12.20.18 Statement of Senate Appropriations Vice Chairman Leahy On Passage Of The Third Continuing Resolution Today we will pass a third Continuing Resolution (CR) to keep the government operating through February 8th. I support this CR because a government shutdown is never good for our country - in fact it is a terrible idea - but this whole process has been a missed opportunity. For six of the seven appropriations bills covered under today's CR, we have a clear path forward. These bills Agriculture, Commerce-Justice-Science, Interior, Financial Services, Transportation-Housing and Urban Development, and the State-Foreign Operations bill could be done by close of business today if there was the will. They are largely finished, are the product of bipartisan compromise, and provide the funds necessary to address critical needs of the American people and to protect U.S. national security. Unfortunately, the President held them hostage for $5 billion to try to wall off our southern border a wall he promised American taxpayers that Mexico would pay for. What will be lost because of the President's intransigence? These six bills provide much-needed funding to help combat our nation's opioid epidemic, and critical investments in infrastructure to help rebuild our nation's crumbling roads, bridges, and highways. They provide resources to protect the environment and help ensure that the water we drink and the air we breathe is safe and clean for this generation and the next. They provide important assistance for our nation's farmers and rural communities who have been particularly hurt this year by the President's trade policies. And they support key allies and national security programs that are what enable the United States to be a global leader a role that is being increasingly challenged by China and Russia. Unfortunately, this much-needed assistance is put on hold because the President held out for $5 billion for his wall, at the exorbitant cost of $31 million per mile straight from the American taxpayer's pocket. We also should be passing a disaster package to help families and communities devastated by Hurricanes Maria, Florence, and Michael, the Hawaii volcanoes, California wildfires, and Alaska earthquakes. We should remember that no one in this chamber is immune from disaster. Seven years ago, Tropical Storm Irene devastated my home state of Vermont. Marcelle and I observed the wreckage from that storm in Vermont large parts of communities washed away, homes and farms demolished, local landmarks and bridges destroyed. Republicans and Democrats in the Senate, from across the country, stood by Vermont's side then to help us rebuild, because that is who we are as Americans. This year, the images of flattened homes, buckled pavement, and raging flames, have been matched in horror only by the devastated lives they have left in their wake. Florida, North Carolina, South Carolina, Alabama, Georgia, California, Hawaii, and Alaska, they all need our help, and it is indefensible that because of the President's obsession with one issue, his wall, we are punting this disaster funding until the New Year. These communities need to know their government stands behind them in times of crisis. Why didn't we get this done? Why can't we pass the six bills that are finished, and a disaster package to help those communities in need before we adjourn? There is one clear answer to that question President Donald J. Trump. He has held all of our good work by Democrats and Republicans hostage over $5 billion for his misguided wall along the southern border. It is a travesty. My opposition to his border wall, a wall he over and over pledged to the American people that Mexico would pay for, has been clear from the start. The United States is a country founded by immigrants, and walling ourselves off from our neighbors to the south is not only impossible and an expensive waste of American taxpayer dollars, it is immoral, ineffective, and an affront to everything this country stands for. Everyone agrees that we need to keep our border safe and secure, but there are better and smarter ways to accomplish that than building a 30-foot high concrete barrier between us and Mexico. Let's not be fooled by recent White House rhetoric that President Trump was backing down from his demands on the wall. The price demanded by the White House for letting the rest of these bills advance without $5 billion for the wall was a $1 billion slush fund to fuel the President's extreme, anti-immigrant agenda. Why should we give a blank check to a President who has shown, time and time again, that he is more interested in vilifying immigrants than he is in solving our immigration problems? His immigration policies have already caused immeasurable human suffering along our southern border and tarnished our reputation around the world. Providing his administration with an additional $1 billion slush fund to enact this agenda is a non-starter. The fact is the President's wall does not have the votes to get through the House or Senate, and he is in no position to practice horse-trading of one untenable, unpopular, wasteful policy for another. Nor will Congress stand by and watch the President take funds from our men and women in the military, or their families, in order to pay for the wall.This fight will continue into the next Congress, but I do not anticipate those basic facts will change. It is long past time for President Trump to recognize that we live in a democracy. We have three co-equal branches of government. Governing effectively is not about making threats and false promises. Campaign slogans are no substitute for practical, affordable solutions. I want to thank Chairman Shelby for his steadfast partnership this year as we tried to get the appropriations process back on track. I know that he shares my disappointment that we were not able to complete our work, but I am proud of what we have accomplished this year. By working together across party lines, we moved all 12 bills out of the Committee on strong bipartisan votes. We advanced nine of the 12 bills through the Senate, also with strong bipartisan votes. And we were able to enact five of the 12 appropriations bills on time for the first time in decades. I also thank Chairman Shelby's staff and my staff for their hard work, expertise, and their commitment to accomplishing our goals this year. I ask unanimous consent to place a list of the bipartisan Committee staff in the record. I look forward to working with him and his staff, and our colleagues in the House, in the next Congress to finish our work. Press Contact David Carle: 202-224-3693",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.leahy.senate.gov/press/122018mattisresignation,Reaction Of Senator Patrick Leahy To The Resignation Of Defense Secretary Mattis,2018-12-20,2018,2018-12,Democrat,House,VT,Patrick Leahy,L000174,www.leahy.senate.gov,,,legacy,"12.20.18 Reaction Of Senator Patrick Leahy To The Resignation Of Defense Secretary Mattis I am very disappointed and concernedthat the Department of Defense will lose the exceptional leadership of Secretary Mattis. He has been an outstanding leader thereat a time when his steady hand and decades of experience were sorely needed. He and I and most Americans share the belief that the United States is stronger when we work with our allies and partners to defend an international order that protects our security and upholds our commitment to peace and respect for human rights. I deeply regret that his advice has often summarily been rejected by the President, and that he therefore felt he had no choice but to resign. 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/122018snaprequirements,Reaction Of Senator Leahy To USDA's Proposed Rule On Work Requirements For SNAP Recipients,2018-12-20,2018,2018-12,Democrat,House,VT,Patrick Leahy,L000174,www.leahy.senate.gov,,,legacy,"12.20.18 Reaction Of Senator Leahy To USDA's Proposed Rule On Work Requirements For SNAP Recipients Today, on the very same day the President is signing a Farm Bill that was approved in both the House and the Senate with strong bipartisan support, USDA is proposing new rules that make an end-run around this brand new Farm Bill. This bad-faith rule change relates to work requirements in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), to make it harder for states to request waivers based on local job conditions. These rules will do nothing to restore the dignity of work,' and instead are a direct challenge to the decisions made by Congress in the bipartisan Farm Bill. Conferees to the 2018 Farm Bill considered changes like the one the administration now seeks through rulemaking and rejected them in favor of workforce training programs that actually help Americans get and keep employment. We should be looking for ways to better help Americans move out of poverty, instead of pulling the rug out from under them. 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/122018usafreedomletter,Senators Patrick Leahy And Mike Lee Press Intelligence And Justice Dept. Leaders On Surveillance PowersSenators Patrick Leahy And Mike Lee Press Intelligence And Justice Dept. Leaders On Surveillance Powers,2018-12-20,2018,2018-12,Democrat,House,VT,Patrick Leahy,L000174,www.leahy.senate.gov,,,legacy,"12.20.18 Senators Patrick Leahy And Mike Lee Press Intelligence And Justice Dept. Leaders On Surveillance PowersSenators Patrick Leahy And Mike Lee Press Intelligence And Justice Dept. Leaders On Surveillance Powers Senators Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) and Mike Lee (R-Utah) Thursday asked the Director of National Intelligence and the Acting Attorney General to report on the government's implementation of surveillance authorities granted in the USA FREEDOM Act of 2015, which was authored by the two senators. The USA FREEDOM Act imposed substantial reforms on the government's foreign intelligence surveillance powers, including to a controversial telephone metadata program that allowed for the bulk collection of Americans' personal information. A number of these authorities are currently scheduled to expire in exactly one year from now, in December 2019. In their letter, Leahy and Lee ask the government to explain how recent changes in Supreme Court caselaw, and the National Security Agency's (NSA) report of a massive compliance problem earlier this year, have affected implementation of these powerful surveillance authorities. The senators also asked the officials to report how certain key statutory terms were being defined, and whether the government had asked the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court to rule on any related novel legal issues. Leahy and Lee also asked the officials to provide certain information about the NSA's call detail record (CDR) program, which the government has not to date provided, despite a statutory obligation to do so. The senators wrote: As you know, the law requires a good faith estimate of' this information (emphasis added), which should be possible even with these technical limitations. Without this information, it is difficult for the American people, and Congress, to evaluate how broadly the CDR program may impact privacy and civil liberties. The full text of the senators' letter is below. A PDF copy 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.sanders.senate.gov/newsroom/video-audio/promises-made-promises-broken-for-ohio-gm-workers,"Promises Made, Promises Broken for Ohio GM Workers",2018-12-20,2018,2018-12,Independent,House,VT,Bernard Sanders,S000033,www.sanders.senate.gov,,,legacy,"Promises Made, Promises Broken for Ohio GM Workers We should not be rewarding companies like GM with tax breaks and government contracts when it lays off American workers and outsources work to Mexico where it can pay workers as little as $3 an hour.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.sanders.senate.gov/newsroom/video-audio/trump-administration-is-an-international-embarrassment-at-climate-summit,Trump Administration Is an International Embarrassment at Climate Summit,2018-12-20,2018,2018-12,Independent,House,VT,Bernard Sanders,S000033,www.sanders.senate.gov,,,legacy,"Trump Administration Is an International Embarrassment at Climate Summit It's an international embarrassment that at the United Nations' world conference on climate change, the Trump Administration is still pushing the use of fossil fuels.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.sanders.senate.gov/newsroom/video-audio/trump-official-laughed-at-for-promoting-fossil-fuels-at-climate-summit,Trump Official Laughed At for Promoting Fossil Fuels at Climate Summit,2018-12-20,2018,2018-12,Independent,House,VT,Bernard Sanders,S000033,www.sanders.senate.gov,,,legacy,"Trump Official Laughed At for Promoting Fossil Fuels at Climate Summit This Trump official promoted fossil fuels at the UN climate summit in Poland and then refused to answer questions about why Trump denies climate change. What a disgrace. We need immediate and bold action to transform our energy system.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.leahy.senate.gov/press/121918cubamlbagreement,Comment Of Senator Leahy On The Agreement Between Major League Baseball And The Cuban Baseball Federation,2018-12-19,2018,2018-12,Democrat,House,VT,Patrick Leahy,L000174,www.leahy.senate.gov,,,legacy,"12.19.18 Comment Of Senator Leahy On The Agreement Between Major League Baseball And The Cuban Baseball Federation Baseball has always been a bridge between our two nations, facilitating people-to-people connections and larger agreements that have brought our countries closer together. One of the first breakthroughs in U.S.-Cuba relations was a baseball game that I attended in Havana in 1999 between the Baltimore Orioles and the Cuban national team. I vividly remember the crowd's enthusiasm for both the American and Cuban players, an enthusiasm that was reciprocated by American fans when they played in Baltimore. I welcome Major League Baseball's work in reaching this agreement to safely and easily allow Cuban players to play for American teams. This agreement will end top players' reliance on human traffickers and offer them a legal path to fulfilling their dreams of playing baseball in America, the baseball capital of the world. This is a welcome development for players and fans, and like countless other Americans I look forward to seeing world-class Cuban players compete in the United States. 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/121918firststeppassage,"Leahy Hails Senate Passage Of Sentencing Reform Pkg.; Leahy, A Leading Cosponsor, Helped Build Strong Bipartisan Consensus",2018-12-19,2018,2018-12,Democrat,House,VT,Patrick Leahy,L000174,www.leahy.senate.gov,,,legacy,"12.19.18 Leahy Hails Senate Passage Of Sentencing Reform Pkg.; Leahy, A Leading Cosponsor, Helped Build Strong Bipartisan Consensus Leahy, A Leading Cosponsor, Helped Build Momentum And Consensus For The Rare And Commonsense' Reforms Senator Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) hails the Senate's strong bipartisan vote late Tuesday night on the First Step Act as a rare chance to reform the nation's prison and sentencing system to reduce recidivism, save tax dollars, and foster safe communities. The First Step Act is years in the making and Leahy, an original cosponsor of the bill, played a lead role in methodically forging over the past six years the bipartisan coalition that led to its passage. The bipartisan First Step Act uses evidence-based recidivism reduction programs to help inmates successfully return to society after serving their sentence. It also reduces for low-level, nonviolent offenders certain mandatory minimum sentences intended for drug kingpins and high-level managers. The bill is one of the last acts of this Congress, which ends its current session this week. It was approved by a vote of 87-12 and now goes to the House for a final vote. President Trump has indicated he will sign it. Leahy helped launch this effort six years ago, as chairman of the Judiciary Committee, when he convened hearings and then secured bipartisan committee approval of the core pieces of legislation that form the basis of the First Step Act. Leahy also is the co-author, with Senator Rob Portman (R-Ohio) of the Second Chance Reauthorization Act, which was included in the reform package. The Portman-Leahy legislation will reauthorize reentry services for ex-offenders. The package also includes another Leahy-cosponsored bill, the GRACE Act, that will improve the approval process for compassionate release of ailing or terminally ill inmates, which will also save taxpayer dollars. Leahy said: These reforms are modest but important steps to remedy some of the most troubling injustices within our sentencing laws and our prison system. It is my hope that this bill represents not just a single piece of legislation, but a turning point in how Congress views its role in advancing criminal justice. The First Step Act combines prison reform proposals that overwhelmingly passed in the House of Representatives earlier this year with sentencing reform provisions from the broadly bipartisan Sentencing Reform and Corrections Act, which was approved by the Senate Judiciary Committee in February. The comprehensive package aims to reduce crime by helping low-risk inmates prepare to successfully rejoin society through participation in proven recidivism reduction programs. It also improves fairness in prison sentences by recalibrating certain mandatory minimum sentences while expanding their application to new categories of violent felons. The bill grants greater discretion to judges in sentencing of low-level, nonviolent drug offenders who cooperate with law enforcement. It also clarifies congressional intent on sentencing enhancements for certain crimes involving firearms. The First Step Act preserves the maximum potential sentences for violent and career criminals. Finally, the legislation also allows petitions for retroactive application of theFair Sentencing Actto be considered on an individual basis to reduce sentence disparities between crack and powder cocaine offenses. Under these reforms, any savings they generate will be reinvested into law enforcement programs to further reduce crime and improve community safety. The First Step Act includes safeguards that prevent career and violent criminals from receiving earned time credits toward pre-release custody following completion of recidivism reduction programs. Under the bill, each inmate is evaluated using a data-driven risk and needs assessment tool to determine their likelihood of reoffending upon release. Only inmates found to be a low or minimum risk may benefit from earned time credits. Conviction for a number of serious offenses also disqualify inmates from earning time credits. The First Step Act is modeled after state-based reforms that have proven to reduce crime, prison populations, and taxpayer expenses. It is backed by several law enforcement groups, including the largest police organization, and by 172 former federal prosecutors, including two former Republican U.S. attorneys general, two former deputy attorneys general and a former director of the FBI, along withsheriffs from 34 states. The National Governor's Association has also praised the bill, as have the members of a broad coalition of conservative and progressive groups, business leaders, and faith-based organizations. 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/121918secondchancepassage,"Leahy And Portman Praise Senate Passage Of Their Second Chance Reauthorization Act, As Part Of Criminal Justice Reform Package",2018-12-19,2018,2018-12,Democrat,House,VT,Patrick Leahy,L000174,www.leahy.senate.gov,,,legacy,"12.19.18 Leahy And Portman Praise Senate Passage Of Their Second Chance Reauthorization Act, As Part Of Criminal Justice Reform Package U.S. Senators Rob Portman (R-Ohio) and Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) announced that their bipartisan Second Chance Reauthorization Act passed the Senate as part of the First Step Act, bipartisan legislation to reform America's criminal justice system. The reform package passed the Senate late Tuesday night in a strong bipartisan vote of 87 to 12. The House is expected to pass it by the end of this week, and President Trump is expected to sign it. The Second Chance Reauthorization Act reauthorizes and amends the Second Chance Act, a law that supports state and local reentry programs to reduce recidivism. Then-Congressman Portman originally authored the Second Chance Act with the late-Congresswoman Stephanie Tubbs Jones in 2005, and it was later signed into law in 2008. Since 2009, more than 850 Second Chance Act grant awards have been made to government agencies and nonprofit organizations from 49 states for reentry programs serving adults and juveniles. As of June 2018, more than 164,000 individuals have participated in these programs. Leahy said: This strong bipartisan vote on the First Step Act brings us one step closer to achieving the most significant reforms to our criminal justice system in a decade. Including our Second Chance Reauthorization Act is an acknowledgement that criminal justice reform is not complete without a commitment to strengthening reentry services for ex-offenders. Almost every single offender in our justice system will one day be released. We owe it to them, their families, and the communities where they will live to help ensure that they can lead productive lives. The Second Chance Reauthorization Act will strengthen state and local grant programs to promote successful prisoner reentry and improve public safety while reducing Bureau of Prison costs and saving taxpayer dollars. Specifically, the legislation will: Continue targeted funding through 2021 for reentry programs at the state and local level that have been proven to reduce recidivism, lead to better outcomes for those released from prison, and save prison costs. Provide separate planning and implementation grants to ensure that projects are well developed at each stage and informed by research and best practices. Add nonprofit organizations as allowable grantees for grants for programs promoting family-based substance abuse treatment and career training. Repeal several provisions calling for studies that have been completed and removes support for programs for which other funding sources have been identified. It also consolidates the reentry court program into the Adult and Juvenile Offender State and Local Demonstration projects. Require new rigorous evaluation and audits of grantees to ensure that federal dollars are spent wisely. This legislation has been endorsed by the National Criminal Justice Association, the International Community Corrections Association, the Council of State Governments Justice Center, FreedomWorks, the American Bar Association, the American Correctional Association, The Prison Fellowship, the American Probation and Parole Association, the Association of State Correctional Administrators, and The Sentencing Project. Press Contact David Carle: 202-224-3693 Previous Article",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.sanders.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/sanders-feinstein-oppose-inclusion-of-israel-anti-boycott-act-in-appropriations-bill,"Sanders, Feinstein Oppose Inclusion of Israel Anti-Boycott Act in Appropriations Bill",2018-12-19,2018,2018-12,Independent,House,VT,Bernard Sanders,S000033,www.sanders.senate.gov,,,legacy,"WASHINGTON, Dec. 19 As Congress considers a year-end appropriations bill, Sens. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) and Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) called on Senate leadership not to include S. 720, the Israel Anti-Boycott Act. We believe including this bill would violate the spirit of cooperation and commitment that Senate appropriators have made to oppose controversial riders on appropriations bills, the senators wrote in a letter to Republican Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) and Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.). While we do not support the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement, we remain resolved to our constitutional oath to defend the right of every American to express their views peacefully without fear of or actual punishment by the government, the senators continued. As the ACLU has repeatedly stated in its opposition to S. 720, this bill would violate Americans' First Amendment rights. Federal district courts in Kansas and Arizona have similarly considered state laws that target political boycotts of Israel and found them to violate the First Amendment At a time when the Netanyahu government is pursuing policies clearly aimed at foreclosing the two-state solution, it is deeply disappointing that Congress would consider choosing to penalize criticism of those policies. To read the letter,click here.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.sanders.senate.gov/newsroom/recent-business/sanders-feinstein-oppose-inclusion-of-israel-anti-boycott-act-in-appropriations-bill,"Sanders, Feinstein Oppose Inclusion of Israel Anti-Boycott Act in Appropriations Bill",2018-12-19,2018,2018-12,Independent,House,VT,Bernard Sanders,S000033,www.sanders.senate.gov,,,legacy,"WASHINGTON, Dec. 19 As Congress considers a year-end appropriations bill, Sens. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) and Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) called on Senate leadership not to include S. 720, the Israel Anti-Boycott Act. We believe including this bill would violate the spirit of cooperation and commitment that Senate appropriators have made to oppose controversial riders on appropriations bills, the senators wrote in a letter to Republican Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) and Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.). While we do not support the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement, we remain resolved to our constitutional oath to defend the right of every American to express their views peacefully without fear of or actual punishment by the government, the senators continued. As the ACLU has repeatedly stated in its opposition to S. 720, this bill would violate Americans' First Amendment rights. Federal district courts in Kansas and Arizona have similarly considered state laws that target political boycotts of Israel and found them to violate the First Amendment At a time when the Netanyahu government is pursuing policies clearly aimed at foreclosing the two-state solution, it is deeply disappointing that Congress would consider choosing to penalize criticism of those policies. To read the letter,click here.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.leahy.senate.gov/press/121818firststepfloorspeech,"Leahy On Senate Floor Urges Approval Of The First Step Act, As Senate Begins Debate On Historic Criminal Justice Reforms",2018-12-18,2018,2018-12,Democrat,House,VT,Patrick Leahy,L000174,www.leahy.senate.gov,,,legacy,"12.18.18 Leahy On Senate Floor Urges Approval Of The First Step Act, As Senate Begins Debate On Historic Criminal Justice Reforms Today the Senate is considering perhaps the most significant bill to reform our criminal justice system in nearly a decade. The First Step Act takes modest but important steps to remedy some of the most troubling injustices within our sentencing laws and our prison system. It is my hope that this bill represents not just a single piece of legislation, but a turning point in how Congress views its role in advancing criminal justice. I have been working to bring fairness to our criminal justice system for decades. For far too long, the legislative response to any and all public safety concerns was as simple as it was flawed: No matter the perceived ill, we turned to arbitrary and inflexible mandatory minimums to cure it. That knee-jerk response, I believe, is changing. The era of mandatory minimum sentencing is coming to an end. Today there is growing recognition that one-size-fits-all sentencing is neither just nor effective. It routinely results in low level offenders spending far longer in prison than either public safety or common sense requires. And it comes at a steep human cost, especially in communities of color. It also comes at a steep fiscal cost that leaves us less safe. The United States houses more prisoners and has higher incarceration rates than any other country in the world. The cost of housing federal offenders consumes nearly one-third of the Justice Department's budget. Because public safety dollars are finite, this strips critical resources away from law enforcement strategies that have been proven to make our communities safer. By taking steps to responsibly reduce our prison population, we can both save money and reduce crime. That is a lesson states across the country have already learned: Prison rates and crime rates can fall together. It is past time for the federal criminal justice system to catch up. Five years ago, as Chairman of the Judiciary Committee, and drawing on my own experiences as a prosecutor, I convened hearings and advanced the core pieces of legislation that now form the basis of the First Step Act. Despite strong bipartisan votes in Committee, at the time some doubted that we had the support needed to ensure passage on the Senate Floor. Each year since then, an expanding group of dedicated senators and advocates have methodically built support for these reforms. Today, that support is astounding. It is not just bipartisan; it is nearly nonpartisan. And with the efforts of Senator Durbin who has been championing these efforts as long as anyone along with Senators Grassley, Whitehouse, Lee, Booker, and others, we now stand poised to pass meaningful criminal justice reform for the first time in a decade. It is true this legislation does not go as far as I would like. Far from it. I support ending mandatory minimum sentencing. I would prefer we do more to fix racially disparate treatment. I would like to see the full elimination of the existing crack-powder cocaine disparity a glaring injustice we must eventually address. I would like to see a broader judicial safety valve and additional retroactivity. Any laws that we consider unjust today were just as unjust a day ago, a year ago, or even a decade ago. But this is the nature of a compromise. You do not get everything you want. And when I look at the scope of the reforms before us today including a modest expansion of the safety valve, retroactive application of the Fair Sentencing Act, a reduction of some of the most indefensible mandatory minimums on the books, as well as reforms to add evidence-based practices to our prison system and reentry efforts I believe this is an historic achievement. The First Step Act also includes my Second Chance Reauthorization Act with Senator Portman. Our bill both extends and improves federal grant programs providing reentry services to ex-offenders. That includes employment assistance, housing, substance abuse treatment, victim support, and more. Almost every single offender in our justice system will one day be released. We owe it to both them and to the communities they will live in to ensure they can lead productive lives. In many ways, the First Step Act represents the best of the Senate. It represents what this institution is capable of when senators listen to each other, and when they come together to solve complex and contentious issues, instead of exploiting them for momentary political gain. When senators are willing to be patient, to compromise, and to persist through inevitable setbacks, real progress is possible. For the remaining members of the Senate who are not yet ready to support this legislation, I hope you will reconsider. I hope you will review the breadth of bipartisan support, both here in Congress, in the White House, and in the broader stakeholder community. I hope you will consider why even important law enforcement voices like the Fraternal Order of Police and National District Attorneys Association support this bill. For the members who do support the First Step Act, I hope that you will continue to work to reform our criminal justice system in the years ahead. Many of our laws are based on decades-old, misguided assumptions and do not reflect evidence-based practices. There is still so much work to be done, and injustices and racial disparities to address. This week we are showing what is possible. By working together, we can continue to enact meaningful legislation in the years to come that will keep us safe, save money, and prove America is a nation of fairness and second chances. I urge all members to vote no on the amendments to this carefully negotiated compromise, and vote yes on final passage. Press Contact David Carle: 202-224-3693",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.sanders.senate.gov/newsroom/video-audio/15-year-old-climate-activist-calls-out-world-leaders-for-inaction,15-year-old Climate Activist Calls Out World Leaders for Inaction,2018-12-17,2018,2018-12,Independent,House,VT,Bernard Sanders,S000033,www.sanders.senate.gov,,,legacy,"15-year-old Climate Activist Calls Out World Leaders for Inaction ""You say you love your children above all else, yet you are stealing their futures right before their very eyes,"" - This 15-year-old activist just called out world leaders for their global inaction on climate change.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.sanders.senate.gov/newsroom/video-audio/banker-says-another-recession-would-be-good-for-business,Banker Says Another Recession Would Be Good for Business,2018-12-17,2018,2018-12,Independent,House,VT,Bernard Sanders,S000033,www.sanders.senate.gov,,,legacy,"Banker Says Another Recession Would Be Good for Business ""I don't look at a recession as a bad thing."" -Jamie Dimon, the CEO of JP Morgan Chase (one of the big banks that crashed the economy 10 years ago). See Video on YouTube Tweet Copy Link",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.sanders.senate.gov/newsroom/video-audio/bernie-asks-danish-politician-why-is-denmark-so-happy,Bernie Asks Danish Politician: Why Is Denmark So Happy?,2018-12-17,2018,2018-12,Independent,House,VT,Bernard Sanders,S000033,www.sanders.senate.gov,,,legacy,"Bernie Asks Danish Politician: Why Is Denmark So Happy? The people of Denmark are some of the happiest on earth. I met with Dan Jrgensen of Denmark's Socialdemokratiet Party to learn why. See Video on YouTube Tweet Copy Link",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.sanders.senate.gov/newsroom/video-audio/big-pharmas-greed-killed-her-son,Big Pharma's Greed Killed Her Son,2018-12-17,2018,2018-12,Independent,House,VT,Bernard Sanders,S000033,www.sanders.senate.gov,,,legacy,"Big Pharma's Greed Killed Her Son A mother should never have to bury her son because of the hideous greed of pharmaceutical companies. This has got to stop. See Video on YouTube Tweet Copy Link",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.sanders.senate.gov/newsroom/video-audio/costa-rica-goes-300-days-on-renewable-energy-sources,Costa Rica Goes 300 Days on Renewable Energy Sources,2018-12-17,2018,2018-12,Independent,House,VT,Bernard Sanders,S000033,www.sanders.senate.gov,,,legacy,"Costa Rica Goes 300 Days on Renewable Energy Sources While Trump continues to push for American reliance on fossil fuels, Costa Rica just went 300 days on renewable energy alone. We can't let the rest of the world pass us by. See Video on YouTube Tweet Copy Link",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.sanders.senate.gov/newsroom/video-audio/historic-victory-senate-passes-war-powers-resolution,HISTORIC VICTORY: Senate Passes War Powers Resolution,2018-12-17,2018,2018-12,Independent,House,VT,Bernard Sanders,S000033,www.sanders.senate.gov,,,legacy,"HISTORIC VICTORY: Senate Passes War Powers Resolution The Senate just passed my resolution to stop U.S. military support for the Saudi-led coalition fighting in Yemen. This is the first time ever that the Senate has voted to end an unauthorized war.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.sanders.senate.gov/newsroom/video-audio/paid-sick-leave,Paid Sick Leave,2018-12-17,2018,2018-12,Independent,House,VT,Bernard Sanders,S000033,www.sanders.senate.gov,,,legacy,"Paid Sick Leave When it comes to guaranteeing employees paid sick days, the United States lags behind every major country on Earth. When employees don't have paid sick leave and can't afford to take time off without pay, they are forced to go to work, potentially spreading illness. The most affected are single moms, who can't even stay home to care for a sick child. We must do better by our workers and our families. That's why I'm proud that Vermont along with nine other states and Washington D.C. now guarantees paid sick leave to almost all workers. [add following for US post, DW says] It's time for the United States to do the same.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.sanders.senate.gov/newsroom/video-audio/trump-proposes-heartless-immigration-rule,Trump Proposes Heartless Immigration Rule,2018-12-17,2018,2018-12,Independent,House,VT,Bernard Sanders,S000033,www.sanders.senate.gov,,,legacy,"Trump Proposes Heartless Immigration Rule The Trump administration's policies on immigration are heartless on every level. See Video on YouTube Tweet Copy Link",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.sanders.senate.gov/newsroom/video-audio/trump-wants-a-government-shutdown,Trump Wants a Government Shutdown,2018-12-17,2018,2018-12,Independent,House,VT,Bernard Sanders,S000033,www.sanders.senate.gov,,,legacy,"Trump Wants a Government Shutdown We have a president of the United States who wants to shut down the government. That's incomprehensible. See Video on YouTube Tweet Copy Link",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.sanders.senate.gov/newsroom/video-audio/xiuhtezcatl-martinez-its-risky-to-not-take-on-fossil-fuel-powers,Xiuhtezcatl Martinez: It's Risky to Not Take on Fossil Fuel Powers,2018-12-17,2018,2018-12,Independent,House,VT,Bernard Sanders,S000033,www.sanders.senate.gov,,,legacy,"Xiuhtezcatl Martinez: It's Risky to Not Take on Fossil Fuel Powers Listen to Xiuhtezcatl Martinez: it's politically risky NOT to stand up to the powerful fossil fuel industry. The future of the planet is at stake. See Video on YouTube Tweet Copy Link",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.leahy.senate.gov/press/121418asylumamicusrls,BREAKING: Leahy Leads Senators In Filing Amicus Brief As Part Of Litigation Against President Trump's Illegal Asylum Ban,2018-12-14,2018,2018-12,Democrat,House,VT,Patrick Leahy,L000174,www.leahy.senate.gov,,,legacy,"12.14.18 BREAKING: Leahy Leads Senators In Filing Amicus Brief As Part Of Litigation Against President Trump's Illegal Asylum Ban On Thursday night, Senator Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) led Senators Ron Wyden (D-Ore.), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.), Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), Cory Booker (D-N.J.), and Kamala D. Harris (D-Calif.) in filing an amicus brief as part of O.A. v. Trump, a lawsuit filed by six asylum seekers in the D.C. District Court challenging the legality of President Trump's Presidential Proclamation and rule effectively barring all asylum claims outside of ports of entry. The senators' core argument in their court filing is that President Trump's executive action contravenes unambiguously clear provisions in statute protecting the right of migrants to apply for asylum anywhere along U.S. borders. Leahy and the other senators describe how this was an unlawful attempt to override overwhelmingly bipartisan congressional intent reaffirmed repeatedly, over decades by executive fiat, and that it abandons the United States' historic role as a refuge for those fleeing violence and persecution in the face of humanitarian crises in the Northern Triangle of Central America. Senator Leahy said: President Trump's asylum ban is illegal on its face, plain and simple. President Trump cannot just undo clear provisions of the law with the stroke of his pen. That's not how our democracy works. Since the enactment of the Refugee Act of 1980 which I proudly voted for as a young senator Congress has repeatedly reaffirmed, in statute, its understanding that migrants have the right to apply for asylum anywhere along our borders. Preserving the right to file an application for asylum along our borders is a recognition of America's role indeed, America's identity as a haven for those fleeing the horrors of war, persecution, and gang violence. Our amicus brief is a clear and detailed reminder to President Trump that he cannot and will not erase our legacy and role as the humanitarian leader of the world. Senator Wyden said: My parents fled the horrors of Nazi Germany for the safety and promise of the United States. Providing refuge for huddled masses yearning to breathe free' is America's legacy, and Donald Trump's illegal asylum ban cannot wipe it away. Senator Whitehouse said: Congress put laws on the books to protect asylum-seekers, and the Founding Fathers put safeguards in the Constitution that ensure the president follows our laws. No matter how inconvenient for his cruel, un-American immigration agenda, Donald Trump doesn't have the authority to tear down asylum protections. Senator Blumenthal said: ""This policy is plainly illegal. Barring asylum seekers from receiving safety in the United States completely disregards our nation's values, national security, and laws. This needlessly cruel policy not only threatens the safety of refugees, it undermines our entire immigration system."" Senator Merkley said: The Trump Administration's efforts to deter asylum seekers from our borderby putting them in child or family prisons and blocking them from declaring asylumis un-American and inhumane. Many of these people are fleeing deadly violence in their home countries, and have the international right to seek asylum. Yet the president is making every effort to throw roadblocks in front of them. We cannot let this administration undermine our American values as a nation of freedom and hope. Senator Booker said: The law as it relates to asylum is incredibly clear migrants can apply for asylum regardless of whether they enter through a port of entry or not. President Trump can't change this by placing restrictions on who can claim asylum in the U.S. by executive fiat. That's the responsibility of the legislative branch. Congress writes the laws, not the President. Senator Harris said: This Administration's proclamation and rule cruelly targeting asylum seekers are a betrayal of well-established and unambiguous U.S. law. We should not punish those fleeing a threat of persecution. I'm proud to join with Senators Leahy, Wyden, Whitehouse, Blumenthal, Merkley, and Booker in filing this amicus brief to ask the District Court to respect the intent of Congress in establishing our asylum process for those seeking humanitarian protection within our country's borders. The full text of the senators' court filing 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.sanders.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/sanders-speaks-with-winooski-high-school-students-,Sanders Speaks With Winooski High School Students,2018-12-14,2018,2018-12,Independent,House,VT,Bernard Sanders,S000033,www.sanders.senate.gov,,,legacy,"Sanders Speaks With Winooski High School Students Friday, December 14, 2018 WINOOSKI, Vt., Dec. 14 U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) joined Winooski High School students for a school assembly Friday morning to discuss the importance of being involved in our democracy. I had a wonderful conversation with Winooski High School's students about their school and about some of the crucial issues facing the United States. I especially appreciated hearing directly from a panel of students about their thoughts and concerns, said Sanders, who serves on the Senate education committee. After a brief presentation, Sanders took questions from the audience on topics including the high cost of college education, access to health care, immigration policy, climate change, transgender rights, and more. Sanders stressed that in a healthy democracy, youth in Vermont and across the country can help address these and other challenges if they come together and make sure their voices are heard. What is important is not whether these kids agree with me on the issues, but rather, that they are thinking about the issues that are important to them, and understand that they have a say in what the government does or does not do about those issues, Sanders said. After all, on a very fundamental level, that is what democracy is about: having an informed citizenry that is engaged in the political process. Sanders' visit to Winooski High School is part of his ongoing efforts to encourage students to learn about the major issues facing the United States. On Thursday, Sanders held a video town meeting with students from Albany Community School, Crossett Brook Middle School, Putney Central School, Randolph Union Middle School and Twinfield Union School. Sanders also holds an annual State of the Union essay contest in which Vermont high school students write about what issues they would prioritize if they were president of the United States and organizes trips to the nonpartisan Edward M. Kennedy Institute for the United States Senate in Boston to help Vermont students learn about the legislative process.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://welch.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/house-passes-welch-legislation-closing-drug-company-loophole,House Passes Welch Legislation Closing Drug Company Loophole,2018-12-13,2018,2018-12,Democrat,House,VT,Peter Welch,W000800,welch.house.gov,,,legacy,"WASHINGTON, D.C. This week, the House passed legislation introduced by Rep. Peter Welch (D-Vt.) that closes a loophole in the federal Medicaid program exploited by drug companies to minimize drug discounts required for participation in the program. Earlier this year, Rep. Welch, joined by Rep. Kurt Schrader (D-Ore.), introduced theMedicaid Drug Rebate Accountability Actafter a report by the Inspector General for the Department of Health and Human Services revealed the loophole cost state and federal governments $1 billion between 2012-2016. For too long, drug companies have been ripping off the Medicaid program by misclassifying their products to limit required price discounts, said Welch. This commonsense legislation puts a stop to this unethical practice and ensures that all drugs covered by Medicaid are correctly classified. VIDEO: On House Floor, Welch Urges Colleagues to Close Billion Dollar Medicaid Loophole Under the Medicaid Drug Rebate Program, drug manufacturers seeking to have their drugs covered by Medicaid must pay drug rebates to federal and state governments. The required rebates are higher for brand name drugs and lower for generic drugs. According to the Inspector General, hundreds of brand drugs in the rebate program are being intentionally mischaracterized by drug companies as generic. Under the Welch-Schrader legislation, if a drug company knowingly misclassifies a brand drug as generic, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) is authorized to asses a fine equal to a doubling of rebate amount due on that drug. The legislation also beefs up CMS and congressional oversight of the Medicaid drug rebate program. Welch is a leading advocate in the House of Representatives for cutting the price of prescription drugs and reforming the drug pricing system. He is a senior member of the powerful House Energy and Commerce Committee which has jurisdiction over the Medicaid program and the Affordable Care Act. Sens. Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) and Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) have introduced companion legislation in the Senate (S. 3702). ###",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.leahy.senate.gov/press/121318displacedvenezuelans,"Menendez, Rubio, Durbin, Leahy Introduce Temporary Protected Status Legislation to Support Displaced Venezuelans",2018-12-13,2018,2018-12,Democrat,House,VT,Patrick Leahy,L000174,www.leahy.senate.gov,,,legacy,"12.13.18 Menendez, Rubio, Durbin, Leahy Introduce Temporary Protected Status Legislation to Support Displaced Venezuelans Today, Senator Bob Menendez (D-N.J.), Ranking Member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, was joined by Senators Marco Rubio (R-Fla.), Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), and Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) in introducing the Venezuela Temporary Protected Status and Asylum Assistance Act of 2018. The bipartisan legislation seeks to grant Temporary Protected Status for eligible Venezuelans fleeing the dire conditions in their home and to provide support for migration systems in the countries surrounding Venezuela. The extraordinary depth of Venezuela's political, economic, and humanitarian crisis has forced millions of Venezuelans to flee their country, creating upheaval that is now being felt throughout the region, Menendez said.Providing Temporary Protected Status for eligible individuals and supporting migration systems in the region to assist Venezuelans who are prevented from returning safely to their country is the humanitarian and morally responsible thing to do. As Venezuelans continue to face serious threats to their safety and livelihood at the hands of Maduro's narcoterrorist tyranny, it is clear in-country conditions warrant granting temporary protected status to Venezuelan nationals residing in the U.S., Rubio said. Granting this protection will provide a temporary solution to many Venezuelans who fear returning to their homeland due to the ongoing crisis and extraordinarily difficult conditions. When I traveled to Venezuela earlier this year, I found a country on the edge, facing overlapping economic, humanitarian, and political crises. The Venezuelan government under President Maduro has taken a series of repressive and undemocratic actions, including the cowardly jailing of National Assembly member Juan Requesens, that threatens its own people and has isolated it from the world,Durbin said. Venezuela faces a crisis, and the United States has a responsibility to respond in a manner that lives up to our American values. It is within our power to help keep innocent men, women, and children out of harm's way by passing theVenezuela Temporary Protected Status Act of 2018. The Venezuelan people are struggling to cope with an economy that has collapsed and a corrupt government that is overwhelmed and that relies on repression to hold onto power, Leahy said. Millions of Venezuelans have already fled to neighboring countries, which are unable to care for them without international aid. This humanitarian disaster shows no sign of diminishing. By granting TPS we can at least provide refuge to Venezuelans in this country until it is safe to return home. Established by the U.S. Congress through the Immigration Act of 1990, TPS is a temporary, renewable program that provides relief from deportation and access to a work permit for foreign nationals from certain countries who are unable to safely return to their home country due to natural disasters, armed conflicts, or other extraordinary conditions. The full text of the bill 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/121318jjrhyastatement,Leahy Statement On Passage Of The Juvenile Justice Reform Act And Short-Term Extension Of Runaway And Homeless Youth Programs,2018-12-13,2018,2018-12,Democrat,House,VT,Patrick Leahy,L000174,www.leahy.senate.gov,,,legacy,"12.13.18 Leahy Statement On Passage Of The Juvenile Justice Reform Act And Short-Term Extension Of Runaway And Homeless Youth Programs I have long supported Juvenile Justice programs, and I have long supported Runaway and Homeless Youth programs. During the 20 years I served as the top Democrat on the Judiciary Committee, and in my current role as the Vice Chairman of the Appropriations Committee, I have championed bipartisan reauthorizations and supported funding for these programs, overcoming the House of Representatives, which zeroes out Juvenile Justice programs in its appropriations bills year after year. These programs make a real and lasting difference in the lives of the children and teens they serve. The two programs are funded separately in separate appropriations subcommittees, and their reauthorizations have traditionally moved separately. I am pleased the Senate today passed the long-debated Juvenile Justice Reform Act. This legislation makes needed, comprehensive, and long overdue updates to the Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Act. It mandates research to study, identify and address disproportionate minority contact in the juvenile justice system, and separates young offenders from adult jails and prisons. It also reauthorizes funding for key juvenile justice programs. Funding for these vital programs is key to preventing youth from coming in contact with the juvenile justice system, and ensuring youth have the opportunity to get the help they need to avoid repeating the cycle. Reducing recidivism is not just the moral thing to do; it saves future state and federal dollars. The Grassley substitute amendment, which passed the Senate this evening, reauthorizes the Runaway and Homeless Youth Act at a lower level than I support, and a lower level than is supported by the providers and advocates in the field who know firsthand what the actual needs are to help these youths. It also fails to make important programmatic improvements that Senator Collins and I have been working on for years. These improvements include provisions to prevent and respond to human trafficking to which runaway and homeless youth are particularly vulnerable by requiring staff training to identify when a child entering their program has been a victim. Training program staff to identify young victims of trafficking helps ensure staff refers children and teenagers to appropriate services and takes steps to prevent their further traumatization. These young people have experienced major, unimaginable trauma, and we need to make sure they receive the right counseling and treatment to help them recover. Our reauthorization of the Runaway and Homeless Youth Act also includes important nondiscrimination language to ensure all youth who try to access programs can do so regardless of their faith, race, or sexual orientation. Unfortunately these improvements will have to wait. While we have much to celebrate with the passage of the Juvenile Justice Reform Act, I am disappointed that some members on the other side of the aisle demanded the inclusion of an extension of the Runaway and Homeless Youth Act, and lowering its authorization without the improvements contained in my legislation with Senator Collins. The House passed and the Democratic hotline cleared H.R.6964, a clean version of the Juvenile Justice Reform Act with no reference to the Runaway and Homeless Youth Act. Unfortunately, Senate Republicans on the Judiciary Committee refused to run the hotline on the Republican side. This in effect held hostage these important Juvenile Justice reforms to leverage authorization cuts to a completely unrelated program. These two pieces of legislation have not moved in the same reauthorization bill in 30 years. They are funded through different appropriations bills, administered by difference departments, and their authorizations serve different purposes. Senator Collins and I have worked for years on a comprehensive bipartisan reauthorization of the Runaway and Homeless Youth Act and expressed our concern with including a lower reauthorization with no improvements as part of Juvenile Justice Reform. Unfortunately, members on the other side were willing to hold up passage of Juvenile Justice Reform for yet another Congress, over an unrelated program. In the interest of ensuring programmatic improvements and reauthorization of Juvenile Justice programs, Senator Collins and I agreed to a two year reauthorization of Runaway and Homeless Youth programs at an eight percent reduction from its last authorized levels. Although I am disappointed that Runaway and Homeless Youth programs are reauthorized even in the short term without needed programmatic improvements, I look forward to working with members of the House and Senate to pass a bipartisan, comprehensive Runaway and Homeless Youth reauthorization in the 116th Congress. It is my understanding that the House Committee on Education and Workforce will prioritize a comprehensive reauthorization of Runaway and Homeless Youth next Congress, and I hope the Senate Judiciary Committee will do the same. If so, we have a chance to make a real difference in the lives of some of the most vulnerable children in our country. It's time we seize it. 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/121318secondchancerelease,"Portman-Leahy SECOND CHANCE ACT Now Included In Crim. Justice Reform Pkg., Set For Senate Debate And Votes NEXT WEEK",2018-12-13,2018,2018-12,Democrat,House,VT,Patrick Leahy,L000174,www.leahy.senate.gov,,,legacy,"12.13.18 Portman-Leahy SECOND CHANCE ACT Now Included In Crim. Justice Reform Pkg., Set For Senate Debate And Votes NEXT WEEK U.S. Senators Rob Portman (R-OH) and Patrick Leahy (D-VT) announced that their bipartisan Second Chance Reauthorization Act this week was incorporated into the First Step Act, bipartisan legislation to reform America's criminal justice system authored by Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley (R-IA), Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Senators Mike Lee (R-UT), Cory Booker (D-NJ), Lindsey Graham (R-SC) and Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI). The Second Chance Reauthorization Act reauthorizes and amends the Second Chance Act, a law that supports state and local reentry programs to reduce recidivism. Then-Congressman Portman originally authored the Second Chance Act with the late-Congresswoman Stephanie Tubbs Jones in 2005, and it was later signed into law in 2008.Since 2009, more than 850 Second Chance Act grant awards have been made to government agencies and nonprofit organizations from 49 states for reentry programs serving adults and juveniles. As of June 2018, more than 164,000 individuals have participated in these programs.In total, Ohio has received more than $23 million in Second Chance Act grants since 2009, which includes funds to assist Ohioans re-entering the community with services such as job training, drug rehabilitation, case management and mental health treatment. I'm pleased that my legislation to reauthorize and strengthen the Second Chance Act has been incorporated into the bipartisan criminal justice reform bill. This important law helps break the cycle of incarceration through drug treatment and job training programs, and it helps former inmates live up to their God-given potential. It also makes our communities safer and saves taxpayer dollars, Portman said. This law has changed thousands of lives in Ohio and across the country showing that the mistakes of our past should not define the potential for our future. I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting the First Step Act so we can renew and strengthen the Second Chance Act and help more ex-offenders become productive members of our society. The First Step Act is historic legislation representing years of bipartisan work to address some of the most egregious outcomes in our criminal justice system. The inclusion of our Second Chance Reauthorization Act is an acknowledgement that a justice system that doesn't offer ex-offenders a second chance is anything but just. America is a nation of fairness, opportunity, and second chances. I'm proud to continue partnering with Senator Portman to reauthorize these critical programs which will reduce recidivism and help ex-offenders reenter society and build productive lives, said Leahy. NOTE: The Second Chance Reauthorization Act will strengthen state and local grant programs to promote successful prisoner reentry and improve public safety while reducing Bureau of Prison costs and saving taxpayer dollars. Specifically, the legislation will: Continue targeted funding through 2021 for reentry programs at the state and local level that have been proven to reduce recidivism, lead to better outcomes for those released from prison, and save prison costs. Provide separate planning and implementation grants to ensure that projects are well developed at each stage and informed by research and best practices. Add nonprofit organizations as allowable grantees for grants for programs promoting family-based substance abuse treatment and career training. Repeal several provisions calling for studies that have been completed and removes support for programs for which other funding sources have been identified. It also consolidates the reentry court program into the Adult and Juvenile Offender State and Local Demonstration projects. Require new rigorous evaluation and audits of grantees to ensure that federal dollars are spent wisely. This legislation has been endorsed by the National Criminal Justice Association, the International Community Corrections Association, the Council of State Governments Justice Center, FreedomWorks, the American Bar Association, the American Correctional Association, The Prison Fellowship, the American Probation and Parole Association, the Association of State Correctional Administrators, and The Sentencing Project. 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/121318trumpshutdownfactcheck,From Appropriations Vice Chair Patrick Leahy: FACT CHECKING Pres. Trumps Manufactured Crisis Over Funding His Proposed Wall,2018-12-13,2018,2018-12,Democrat,House,VT,Patrick Leahy,L000174,www.leahy.senate.gov,,,legacy,"12.13.18 From Appropriations Vice Chair Patrick Leahy: FACT CHECKING Pres. Trump's Manufactured Crisis Over Funding His Proposed Wall Fact Checking President Trump's Manufactured Crisis With illegal border crossings declining for years, and no true crisis to point to, President Trump has spun a manufactured crisis to justify his ineffective and costly border wall. The President has relatedly made false allegations about the volume of border crossings and the threat posed by these migrants who in many cases are fleeing violence. Below are just a few examples from the last week: #FALSE: President Trump's repeated claim that we have a crisis-level surge of illegal immigration at our southern border. #FACT:At the end of 2017, arrests of people attempting to illegally enter the U.S. dropped to the lowest level since 1971. Between 2000 & 2018, border apprehensions fell sharply from roughly 1.6 million in fiscal year 2000 to approximately 400,000 in fiscal year 2018 that's a 75 percent drop. #FALSE: Pres. Trump's claim that we recently captured 10 terrorists at the southern border over a very short period of time. #FACT: Approximately 10 people with suspected terrorist ties are prevented from traveling to the U.S. every day by air, sea, or land. That does NOT mean they're entering the southern border. And a wall along our southern border does not stop a potential terrorist from flying into an airport. #FACT:A staunchly conservative organization that advocates for restricting immigration, the Center for Immigration Studies, issued a report concluding only 15 suspected terrorists have been apprehended at the U.S.-Mexico border SINCE 2001. #FALSE: President Trump's repeated claim that wall construction is under budget, and that additional funding for the wall is an urgent need. #FACT: Border fencing construction is not under budget. The largest stretch of fencing that Congress has funded, a 25 mile barrier in the Rio Grande Valley, has ballooned in cost, from $445 to $787 million a price tag of $31.5 million per mile for taxpayers. #FACT: The Trump Administration has only spent 6 percent SIX PERCENT of the $1.7 billion the Congress has appropriated over the last two years to build or replace fencing on the southern border. That does not sound like an urgent need for additional billions in funding. If there were an urgent need to construct a wall, President Trump would not have to rely on so many blatant falsehoods. His obsession with a wall is nothing more than a desperate attempt to please his base and protect his ego. Senate Appropriations Committee Vice Chairman Patrick Leahy's Full Statement 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/121318yemenstatement,Leahy Floor Speech On The Senate Joint Resolution On Yemen,2018-12-13,2018,2018-12,Democrat,House,VT,Patrick Leahy,L000174,www.leahy.senate.gov,,,legacy,"12.13.18 Leahy Floor Speech On The Senate Joint Resolution On Yemen Mr. President, today we will vote on Senate Joint Resolution 54, which would remove the U.S. armed forces from hostilities in or affecting the country of Yemen, except those forces engaged in operations directed at al Qaeda or associated forces, unless and until a declaration of war or specific authorization for such use of U.S. armed forces has been enacted. I want to commend my distinguished friend from Vermont, Senator Sanders, for the leadership and perseverance he has shown on this issue. He has rightly insisted that the Congress, which alone has the power to declare war, act in response to the humanitarian catastrophe in Yemen. A catastrophe, we must acknowledge, that the United States shares responsibility for causing as a result of our support for the Saudi military, which is by any objective measure guilty of war crimes. It is long past time for us to say: enough. International outrage over this issue has been building steadily as the number of civilian casualties in Yemen one of the world's poorest countries has swollen into the thousands as a result of Saudi Arabia's intervention and ongoing aerial bombardment. We have all seen the photographs of the dead and dying; of children who are nothing but skin and bones. Some 85,000 children have starved to death. Another 13 million Yemeni civilians are at risk of starvation, according to the United Nations. Of course, the Houthis and the Iranians who support them share the blame for the death and destruction in Yemen. But we are not supporting them. We are not sharing intelligence with them or providing targeting assistance. We are not selling them weapons. That is what we are doing for the Saudis. But this Joint Resolution is about more than that. As if the kidnapping of Lebanese Prime Minister Hariri, the blockade of Qatar, the imprisonment of Saudi women's rights activists, and the carnage in Yemen were not enough, the outrage towards Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Saman finally boiled over with the horrific, premeditated murder of Jamal Khashoggi, a respected journalist who had criticized the royal family. Mr. Khashoggi's murder by Saudi government agents at the Saudi consulate in Istanbul, and the blatant lies by top Saudi officials who tried to cover it up, exposed the depth of depravity of the Saudi royal family. I have spoken about that despicable crime multiple times already so I will not repeat what I have said. But there is every reason to believe that the Saudi royal family is still lying about who was involved. And we know that since long before murdering Mr. Khashoggi, the Saudi government has had a sordid history of abducting, imprisoning, and executing dissidents and others after sham trials in violation of international law. The vote today on Senate Joint Resolution 54 is the Senate's first response to the Saudi royal family, and to the Trump Administration. The disaster in Yemen is so appalling, and the murder of Jamal Khashoggi was so wicked, so repulsive, that no amount of money, no amount of oil, and no amount of lies can obscure it. The Trump Administration lobbied hard against this Resolution, warning that despite the Saudi royal family's many misdeeds the U.S. Saudi relationship is too important to risk. No one is seeking to sever relations with Saudi Arabia. But far more important is that the United States stands for the truth, for justice, for the laws of war, and that we don't stand by when a whole society of impoverished, innocent people is being destroyed, or when top officials of another government, whether ally or adversary, conspire to murder a journalist or dissident and lie about it. If the Saudi royal family hopes to salvage its tattered reputation and relations with the United States, it will need to take far more decisive action to end the war in Yemen and bring to justice all those responsible for murdering Jamal Khashoggi. Press Contact David Carle: 202-224-3693",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.sanders.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/sanders-holds-video-town-meeting-with-vermont-middle-school-students,Sanders Holds Video Town Meeting With Vermont Middle School Students,2018-12-13,2018,2018-12,Independent,House,VT,Bernard Sanders,S000033,www.sanders.senate.gov,,,legacy,"Sanders Holds Video Town Meeting With Vermont Middle School Students Thursday, December 13, 2018 WASHINGTON, Dec. 13 Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) held an interactive, video town meeting with five Vermont middle schools Thursday morning to speak with students about civic engagement and democracy, and to encourage them to consider the crucial challenges facing the United States. Our students need to understand from a young age that democracy is not a spectator sport. Democracy only works when ordinary people all across this country are informed and engaged on the major issues facing our nation, said Sanders, who serves on the Senate education committee. The Vermont middle schools that participated in the video town hall on Thursday were Albany Community School, Crossett Brook Middle School, Putney Central School, Randolph Union Middle School and Twinfield Union School. Sanders participated by video conference from his Senate office in Washington. After Sanders' introductory remarks, students asked questions on a wide range of issues from climate change, to universal health care, to how students can most effectively engage in our democracy. Sanders' video town meeting with middle school students is just the most recent effort to engage students on the role citizens play in creating a healthy democracy. Sanders also holds an annual State of the Union essay contest in which Vermont high school students write about what issues they would prioritize if they were president of the United States, and organizes trips to the nonpartisan Edward M. Kennedy Institute for the United States Senate in Boston to help Vermont students learn about the legislative process.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.sanders.senate.gov/newsroom/recent-business/sanders-statement-after-senate-passes-yemen-war-powers-resolution,Sanders Statement after Senate Passes Yemen War Powers Resolution,2018-12-13,2018,2018-12,Independent,House,VT,Bernard Sanders,S000033,www.sanders.senate.gov,,,legacy,"Sanders Statement after Senate Passes Yemen War Powers Resolution Thursday, December 13, 2018 WASHINGTON, Dec. 13 Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) spoke at a press conference Thursday after the Senate voted 56-41 to pass his resolution calling for an end to US military support to the Saudi-led coalition in the Yemen war. See below for a transcript of his remarks andclick herefor a link to video: ""Thank you all very much for being here. Let me begin by thanking Senator Lee and Senator Murphy for the great work they have done, not just in the last few months but over the last year. I want to stress the bipartisan nature of this legislation. We have brought Republicans and Democrats together in a very historic moment. And what that moment is about is that the Senate this afternoon stated that we will not continue participation in the Saudi-led intervention in Yemen, which has resulted in the worst humanitarian crisis on Earth. And that crisis is about 85,000 children starving to death; 10,000 new cases of cholera every single week; and the United Nations telling us that Yemen is on the verge of imminent famine, with the possibility of millions of people dying, all because of Saudi activities in that civil war. And today what the United States Senate said in a very loud way is that we will not continue to have our military posture dictated by a despotic, murderous regime in Saudi Arabia a regime which does not respect democracy, which does not respect human rights, a regime whose leader nobody doubts was involved in the horrific murder of a dissident journalist in the Saudi consulate in Turkey, Jamal Khashoggi. Today is a very important breakthrough both progressives and conservatives have made a profound statement that 45 years after the passage of the War Powers Act, 45 years later, finally the United States Senate has come together to use that authority for the first time and say that the responsibility for war, the constitutional responsibility for war rests with the United States Congress not the president, whether that president is a Democrat or a Republican. And I think the historic importance of today is not only moving the United States out of that horrific war, but is having the country see that their elected representatives are about to take back their constitutional responsibilities on the issues of war, one of the most important functions that the United States Congress has. So I want to thank my colleagues here and the many people at the grassroots level who have helped us pass this historic resolution.""",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.sanders.senate.gov/newsroom/video-audio/fox-news-explains-why-trump-is-in-real-trouble,Fox News Explains Why Trump Is in Real Trouble,2018-12-13,2018,2018-12,Independent,House,VT,Bernard Sanders,S000033,www.sanders.senate.gov,,,legacy,"Fox News Explains Why Trump Is in Real Trouble This Fox News judge does a great job explaining why President Trump is in real trouble. See Video on YouTube Tweet Copy Link",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.sanders.senate.gov/newsroom/video-audio/press-conference-after-senate-vote-on-yemen-war-powers-resolution,Press Conference After Senate Vote on Yemen War Powers Resolution,2018-12-13,2018,2018-12,Independent,House,VT,Bernard Sanders,S000033,www.sanders.senate.gov,,,legacy,,0,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.sanders.senate.gov/newsroom/video-audio/senate-passes-sanders-war-powers-resolution-on-yemen,Senate Passes Sanders' War Powers Resolution on Yemen,2018-12-13,2018,2018-12,Independent,House,VT,Bernard Sanders,S000033,www.sanders.senate.gov,,,legacy,"Senate Passes Sanders' War Powers Resolution on Yemen ""Thank you all very much for being here. Let me begin by thanking Senator Lee and Senator Murphy for the great work they have done, not just in the last few months but over the last year. I want to stress the bipartisan nature of this legislation. We have brought Republicans and Democrats together in a very historic moment. And what that moment is about is that the Senate this afternoon stated that we will not continue participation in the Saudi-led intervention in Yemen, which has resulted in the worst humanitarian crisis on Earth. And that crisis is about 85,000 children starving to death; 10,000 new cases of cholera every single week; and the United Nations telling us that Yemen is on the verge of imminent famine, with the possibility of millions of people dying, all because of Saudi activities in that civil war. And today what the United States Senate said in a very loud way is that we will not continue to have our military posture dictated by a despotic, murderous regime in Saudi Arabia a regime which does not respect democracy, which does not respect human rights, a regime whose leader nobody doubts was involved in the horrific murder of a dissident journalist in the Saudi consulate in Turkey, Jamal Khashoggi. Today is a very important breakthrough both progressives and conservatives have made a profound statement that 45 years after the passage of the War Powers Act, 45 years later, finally the United States Senate has come together to use that authority for the first time and say that the responsibility for war, the constitutional responsibility for war rests with the United States Congress not the president, whether that president is a Democrat or a Republican. And I think the historic importance of today is not only moving the United States out of that horrific war, but is having the country see that their elected representatives are about to take back their constitutional responsibilities on the issues of war, one of the most important functions that the United States Congress has. So I want to thank my colleagues here and the many people at the grassroots level who have helped us pass this historic resolution.""",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://welch.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/welch-vote-farm-bill-compromise-citing-benefits-vermont-agriculture-and,"Welch to Vote for Farm Bill Compromise, Citing Benefits to Vermont Agriculture and the Defeat of Draconian Cuts to Nutrition Programs",2018-12-12,2018,2018-12,Democrat,House,VT,Peter Welch,W000800,welch.house.gov,,,legacy,"WASHINGTON This afternoon, Rep. Peter Welch (D-Vt.) spoke on the House floor in support of a five-year compromise farm bill hammered out by House and Senate negotiators over the last several weeks. Welch touted the overall benefits of the bill for Vermont, including provisions that benefit the dairy, maple, organic and hemp industries. He also applauded the jettisoning of draconian cuts to nutrition programs for children and low income Vermonters. The agreement was overwhelmingly approved by the Senate yesterday on a vote of 87-13. The House is expected to pass the bill this afternoon and send it to President Trump for his expected signature. It's absolutely no secret that farming communities from Franklin and Addison County in Vermont to the plains of Kansas and Iowa are facing a crisis. This bill contains a number of positive changes that will help in Vermont. While no one got everything they wanted, and many of the urgent reforms that are needed on the commodity side are not part of this, this will be a positive contribution to Vermont agriculture. Click image to view video of Rep. Welch's full remarks. ###",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.leahy.senate.gov/harwood-union-middle-school,Harwood Union Middle School,2018-12-12,2018,2018-12,Democrat,House,VT,Patrick Leahy,L000174,www.leahy.senate.gov,,,legacy,"12.12.18 Harwood Union Middle School On December 12, 2018, Senator Leahy continued his series of online chats with Vermont students this time, with Harwood Union Middle School's 7th and 8th grade classes, taught by Mr. Nicolas Gordon and Ms. Sarah Ibson. He enjoyed answering the students' questions about gun safety, environmental and pollution issues, and other topics. Senator Leahy talked about some of his most memorable votes during his time in the Senate and the importance of voter participation. This chat was Senator Leahy's last chat of the 2018 calendar year, and he looks forward to continuing this tradition in 2019. 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/121218appropswallstatement,Statement Of Appropriations Vice Chair Patrick Leahy On The Fearmongering Falsehoods Fueling President Trump's Fixation On The Wall: A REALITY CHECK,2018-12-12,2018,2018-12,Democrat,House,VT,Patrick Leahy,L000174,www.leahy.senate.gov,,,legacy,"12.12.18 Statement Of Appropriations Vice Chair Patrick Leahy On The Fearmongering Falsehoods Fueling President Trump's Fixation On The Wall: A REALITY CHECK If Americans had any doubt that President Trump is fixated on wasting billions of dollars to wall off our 2,000 mile southern border, all they had to do was watch his jaw-dropping press conference yesterday, demanding another $5 billion of their hard earned tax dollars for his political pet project that he promised Mexico would pay for. Using words I never thought I would hear from a President, he boasted he would be, proud to shut down the government if Congress doesn't meet his funding demands. That is one of the most reckless statements I have ever heard uttered by a President of the United States. His job, like ours, is to keep the federal government operating for the hundreds of millions of Americans who depend on government services every day, from our national parks, to housing services for the elderly, disabled, and our veterans, and for assistance for our nation's farmers. Just yesterday, we passed the bipartisan Farm Bill. If the President shuts the government down, there will be nobody in local USDA offices to answer questions from farmers about what the law means for them just as farmers begin to make their plans for next year's planting season. When I first came to the Senate, the idea of threatening to shut down the federal government as a negotiating tactic was unheard of. Today, it seems that we go through this every year. Neither party is blameless. But before President Trump, no one bragged about it. No one seemed to relish it. No one was foolish enough to call it good for the country. No one treated shutting down the government as if it is a game, without the slightest concern for the consequences for the American people and hundreds of thousands of federal workers and their families over the holidays, or for the millions of dollars wasted as a result. President Trump's performance yesterday amounted to throwing a temper tantrum on live national television. He is either oblivious to or simply doesn't care about the real world consequences of a shutdown including hundreds of thousands of federal employees furloughed, or working without pay three days before Christmas, and millions of Americans cut off from critical government services. Instead the President eagerly offered to take the mantle for shutting down the government over his wall. What could be driving his fixation with a medieval wall along our southern border? Maybe he has actually begun to believe his own fearmongering and lies about migrants, asylees, and refugees. After years of demonizing and vilifying vulnerable migrants to rally his most ardent supporters, perhaps President Trump's own demagoguery has finally gotten to him. Only that a self-made, alternate reality where vulnerable women and children have miraculously transformed into hordes of gang members and terrorists could explain such an irrational obsession with a wasteful wall that would do next to nothing to stop actual threats to our nation's security. The President may not be able to tell fact from fiction, or he may purposefully be blurring the lines between them. But as Vice Chairman of the Senate Appropriations Committee, it is my duty to ensure that taxpayer dollars go toward solving problems we know to exist in fact. So let's talk about the facts. It's time for a reality check. President Trump, justifying a litany of anti-immigrant policies, has repeatedly claimed that there is a crisis at our southern border, with a drastic surge of undocumented migrants attempting to flood into our country. That is false. The truth is that illegal border crossings are at historic lows. At the end of 2017, arrests of people attempting to enter the U.S. illegally dropped to the lowest level since 1971. Between 2000 and 2018, border apprehensions fell sharply from roughly 1.6 million in FY 2000 to approximately 400,000 in FY 2018 that is a 75 percent drop. While everyone agrees that illegal immigration is a serious problem we need to address, saying that we are experiencing a crisis-level surge of illegal crossings at the border is pure fiction. Without a true crisis to point to, the President has manufactured one. Ever the reality TV showman, he opted to focus Americans' attention on images and videos of a caravan of migrants marching toward our southern border. In the run-up to the recent elections, pointing at these vulnerable migrants when they were still nearly a thousand miles from our border, President Trump immediately began warning of an imminent onslaught of invaders, an assault on our country, and a national emergency. Inconveniently for the President, thousands in the migrant caravan are defenseless women and children. Most Americans just don't think of the word invaders when they see barefoot toddlers being pushed in strollers by their mothers. The sad reality is that many of these people are fleeing desperate situations in their home countries looking for sanctuary they aren't coming here to perpetuate violence, they are running from it. When the pictures on TV began to defy the President's narrative, he changed course and began making the case that hidden amongst these families were stone cold criminals and unknown Middle Easterners, as if anyone from the Middle East is inherently a danger to us. His proof? He has none. Quoting the President's own words about the composition of the migrant caravan: There's no proof of anything. Just yesterday, President Trump even claimed that we need the wall because we recently captured 10 terrorists over a very short period of time. This statement had fact-checkers and his own administration officials scratching their heads, as its provenance was entirely unclear. A Homeland Security official claimed that President Trump was referring to a government statistic indicating that 10 people suspected of terrorist ties are prevented from entering the United States every day by air, sea, or land. But a wall along our southern border would do nothing to prevent a suspected terrorist from flying into the JFK airport. President Trump does not seem to know, or care, about the difference. The conservative Center for Immigration Studies issued a report last month concluding that only 15 suspected terrorists have been apprehended at the U.S.-Mexico border since 2001, and a suspected terrorist includes anyone coming from one of a handful of specific countries, like Syria. It does not mean they are in fact terrorists or have any connection whatsoever to terrorism. President Trump's unsubstantiated vitriol against immigrants is matched only by his flamboyance about the wall. Despite his claims yesterday that wall construction is under budget, the largest component of fencing that Congress has funded, a 25 mile barrier in the Rio Grande Valley, has ballooned in cost, from $445 million to $787 million a price tag of $31.5 million per mile for American taxpayers. And despite the President's claims that additional wall funding is an urgent need, the Trump Administration has only spent six percent of the $1.7 billion the Congress has appropriated over the last two years to build or replace fencing on the southern border. Facts matter, Mr. President. The $5 billion he is clamoring for would be better spent on real homeland security such as Coast Guard boats that can save lives, grants to nonprofit churches and synagogues to secure themselves against shootings like those in Pittsburgh and Sutherland Springs, and for more Customs personnel and technology to seize the fentanyl that is fueling our nation's opioid epidemic and killing our citizens. And let's remember, fentanyl is mostly coming through our legal points of entry and our mail facilities, not between the ports where the President wants to build his wall. Perhaps in President Trump's alternate reality where illegal crossings are at historic highs, migrant caravans of hardened criminals are invading our country, and terrorists are slipping past our border patrol agents every day the need for a giant, concrete wall seems like an urgent necessity. But if you live in the real world where facts and statistics mean something his obsession with building a wall is exposed for what it is: a desperate attempt to please his base and protect his ego. As stewards of American taxpayers' hard-earned money, we in Congress have a responsibility to not throw away billions of dollars on a project that is built on a foundation of fact-free fearmongering. That is not the way we appropriate money, and that is certainly not the way we fund and run the United States government. If the President wants to shut down the government because he cannot muster the votes to fund his shiny object, as he says he does, the American people will see that he cares more about his misguided campaign promises than he does about doing his job: making the government work for the American people. 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-statement-on-the-senates-passage-of-the-reciprocal-access-to-tibet-act,Leahy Statement On The Senate's Passage Of The Reciprocal Access To Tibet Act,2018-12-12,2018,2018-12,Democrat,House,VT,Patrick Leahy,L000174,www.leahy.senate.gov,,,legacy,"12.12.18 Leahy Statement On The Senate's Passage Of The Reciprocal Access To Tibet Act Mr. President, this evening the Senate unanimously passed the Reciprocal Access to Tibet Act of 2018. I was one of the earliest cosponsors of this bill, and I strongly support it. For far too long, the Chinese government has tightly restricted access to Tibet, preventing U.S. diplomats and journalists from reporting on the systematic human rights abuses and destruction of Tibetan culture perpetrated by the Chinese government, and arbitrarily preventing Tibetan-Americans from visiting their families. Passing this legislation today represents a strong, bipartisan step toward addressing that decades-long injustice. I would like to thank Senator Rubio and Congressman McGovern for their work on this legislation over several years. The Chinese government arbitrarily requires a special permit for a foreign diplomat, reporter, or tourist to visit Tibet a requirement China does not impose for travel to any other provincial-level jurisdiction, even Xinjiang. The Chinese government frequently denies requests for these permits to Tibet. And even when it does grant permits, it generally requires foreigners to be accompanied at all times by a government-designated guide. This arbitrary system not only makes it exceptionally difficult to report on the situation in Tibet, but it also gives the Chinese government significant leverage which it reportedly exploits in various ways over persons who hope to obtain a permit. In a 2015 white paper, the Chinese government claimed that, under Chinese rule, Tibet has been transformed from a poor and backward society to one that is advanced in both economy and culture. Setting aside that this statement would look perfectly at home among the discredited justifications for 19th Century colonialism, if it were true then one would expect China to welcome the world to witness its rule in Tibet. Yet in 2016, The Washington Post reported that Tibet is harder to visit as a journalist than North Korea. International media cannot even enter Tibet except on infrequent, tightly-controlled tours organized by the Chinese government. The situation is much the same for U.S. diplomats. And it's not just journalists and officials whose freedom of movement is restricted. Tibetan-Americans attempting to visit their homeland report undergoing a discriminatory Chinese visa process, different from what is typically required for American citizens, and often find their requests arbitrarily denied. I have heard about this problem directly from my Tibetan-American constituents in Vermont. I have spoken about it with the leader of the Tibetan government-in-exile. This issue has even touched a Tibetan-American member of my staff, Nima Binara. His 89 year-old grandmother, Kaedungkhangsar Yangchen Dolkar, was a naturalized American citizen who hoped to see her homeland and her relatives one last time before she passed away, a visit the Chinese government refused to grant. Denying a person's right to visit their homeland is a petty display of authoritarian control, and one that we should not tolerate in the 21st Century. I vividly remember visiting Tibet in 1988 and meeting its warmhearted people, appreciating its profound culture, and seeing its breathtaking landscape. With this legislation, we are now a step closer to the day when all American tourists, journalists, and diplomats can make such a trip without undue restrictions. This legislation will also make it more difficult for China to hide its atrocious human rights record in Tibet behind a cloak of isolation. It will make it easier for Tibetans inside Tibet to interact with the outside world, and more likely for the world to realize that Tibetans are a distinct people who deserve their right to self-determination. The House has already unanimously passed this bill. I urge the President to sign it into law without delay. 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/projected-impacts-of-a-trump-shutdown,PROJECTED IMPACTS OF A TRUMP SHUTDOWN,2018-12-12,2018,2018-12,Democrat,House,VT,Patrick Leahy,L000174,www.leahy.senate.gov,,,legacy,"12.12.18 PROJECTED IMPACTS OF A TRUMP SHUTDOWN Prepared By Vice Chairman Leahy's Senate Appropriations Committee Staff More Than 420,000 Will Be Working Without Pay Including: More than 41,000 Federal Law Enforcement and Correctional Officers, Including: 2,614 ATF agents; 16,742 Bureau of Prisons correctional officers; 13,709 FBI agents; 3,600 deputy U.S. Marshals; and 4,399 DEA agents. Up To 88 Percent Of Department of Homeland Security Employees, Including: 53,000 TSA Employees; 54,000 Customs and Border Protection agents and customs offers; 42,000 Coast Guard employees As many as 5,000 Forest Service Firefighters 3,600 Weather Service Forecasters More Than 380,000 Will Be Furloughed, Including: 86 Percent of Department of Commerce (Approximately 41,000 Staff), 96 Percent of NASA (Approximately 16,700 Staff) More than 80 Percent of the National Park Service (Approximately16,000 Staff) At least 80 Percent of the Forest Service (Approximately 28,800 Staff) More than 30 Percent of Dept. of Transportation (Approximately 18,300 Staff) 95 Percent of HUD (Approximately 7,100 Staff) Approximately 52,000 IRS Staff Nine Out Of 15 Federal Departments And Dozens Of Agencies Will Close The government will shutter the doors of nine federal departments and dozens of agencies during the Trump Shutdown, grinding services to the American people to a halt just three days before Christmas. The Trump Shutdown Is Bad For Business: Farmers. USDA would shutter every local and state farm service center across the U.S. With the current challenges facing farmers due to the dramatic drop in commodity prices brought on by retaliatory tariffs, many farmers have had to rely on UDSA as their lender of last resort to help pay bills and stay afloat through this winter. Many farmers are already preparing for the spring planting and banks are not willing to lend to them, leaving USDA as their only hope. Additionally, with passage of the 2018 Farm Bill, farmers and ranchers will seek information on how the law will affect their operations heading into the planting year. A shutdown will mean Farm Service Agency and Natural Resources Conservation Service staff will not be able to answer those questions or assist in signing up producers for new Farm Bill programs. This is the worst time for a shutdown when producers begin to make their plans for next year's planting season. Small Businesses. More than 30 million U.S. small businesses employing 59 million employees would no longer have access to federally-assisted loans and technical assistance, as Small Business Administration guarantees to back loans would freeze. Steel and Aluminum Industries. U.S. companies can petition to avoid tariffs if certain steel and aluminum products are not produced in sufficient quantities or of sufficient quality within the U.S. A shutdown would halt the already frightfully slow exemption process for these tariffs. Homeownership. The Federal Housing Administration (FHA) would see significant delays in loan processing and approvals. Thousands of people trying to buy a new home or refinance a FHA-insured mortgage would be put on standby. Community and Economic Development. Cities, counties, and states would not be able move forward with new Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) projects, preventing important local economic investment and job creation. Local Businesses near Public Lands. A shutdown will affect the economies of local communities that depend on national parks for tourism. The National Park System sees an estimated half a million visitors per day in winter months who spend $19 million per day in nearby park communities many of those dollars are spent in small businesses such as restaurants, shops, lodges and local outfitters. Energy Permitting. Lease sales and permits for oil, gas, coal and other minerals on Federal lands and waters will be suspended. Energy development from Federal lands generated nearly $9 billion in FY 2018 for the U.S., states and tribes. Justice Delayed. Civil litigation, payments to victims, and training for state and local law enforcement stop during a shutdown. The Trump Shutdown Is Bad For Your Health: Hungry Kids and Families. With the trade mitigation, USDA plans to distribute $1.2 billion in commodities through The Emergency Food Assistance Program (TEFAP), which provides supplemental food to soup kitchens, food banks, and pantries. Help is needed to mitigate this influx of commodities, but a shutdown would really hamper this program. The Food and Nutrition Service would not be able to purchase commodities or provide the funding for transportation, distribution, or storage. This could be especially harmful to food banks that receive these commodities at a time when more families rely on their services the winter and holiday months. Clean Drinking Water and Waste Disposal Infrastructure. Small, remote rural communities would be unable to obtain assistance to construct or expand clean water and sanitary waste disposal systems. Small rural communities often lack adequate clean drinking water, leading to health and safety issues for residents. Keeping Roofs over Families' Heads. Payments to roughly 3,000 public housing agencies, which help manage the country's HUD-assisted housing and supportive services programs for more than 3 million low-income households, would be delayed, reducing critical operations, and delaying routine capital maintenance and emergency repairs. Failure to maintain this critical affordable housing stock could leave thousands of veterans, elderly, disabled, and working poor Section 8 and public housing residents vulnerable to harmful living conditions, including exposure to lead-based paint hazards and mold. This would also slow the selection of any new tenants from the thousands of low-income families and individuals currently on Section 8 and public housing waitlists nationwide, many of whom are currently living on the streets or in temporary shelters. 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-and-house-lawmakers-release-updated-first-step-act,Senate & House Lawmakers Release Updated First Step Act,2018-12-12,2018,2018-12,Democrat,House,VT,Patrick Leahy,L000174,www.leahy.senate.gov,,,legacy,"12.12.18 Senate & House Lawmakers Release Updated First Step Act Majority Leader, House Speaker pledge to consider criminal justice reform package this year A bipartisan, bicameral group of lawmakers today released revised text of the First Step Act to continue building support for criminal justice reform. This update was brokered by the White House and a bipartisan group of lawmakers in both chambers of Congress. Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and Speaker Paul Ryan have pledged to take up the revised package before the end of the year. Over the last several years, we've expanded support for comprehensive criminal justice reform by listening to stakeholders and lawmakers to strike a balance that reduces crime and recidivism, and the associated taxpayer burden, while ensuring that dangerous and career criminals face steep consequences for their actions. Today's update represents the latest in our effort to achieve this goal. I appreciate the engagement from many of my colleagues to fine tune the most significant criminal justice reform in a generation, and I applaud President Trump and the White House for bringing everyone to the table to make this happen. Following these changes and the growing demonstration of support for this bill, Leader McConnell is keeping his word by pledging to hold a vote this year, Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley said. The bipartisan First Step Act is a once in a political lifetime aligning of the stars. Republicans, Democrats, President Trump, Fraternal Order of Police, and ACLU have all thrown their support behind our bill. This bipartisan compromise could be one of the most important things we do when it comes to criminal justice not only this year but for a long time. I commend my colleagues for their spirit of cooperation on this important piece of legislation and I look forward to getting this job done in the closing weeks of this session, Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin said. After listening to many of our colleagues, this updated First Step Act addresses each of the concerns we've heard from stakeholders across the country. It is solid common-sense reform that will make our families stronger and our communities safer and I look forward to debating it on the Senate floor, Senator Mike Lee said. Our broken criminal justice system is a cancer on the soul of our nation that's disproportionately preyed upon low-income Americans, the addicted, and people of color. This bill is a meaningful step in the right direction that will help correct the ills of the failedWar onDrugs. It will have a profound effect on thousands of families suffering under the burden of our broken system, Senator Cory Booker said. This bill does two important things: lowers the recidivism rate and reduces sentences for nonviolent offenders which allows us to direct resources towards truly dangerous criminals. For a nonviolent offender to be released early, the offender has to acquire a necessary skill-set to be more productive once released. The bill also gives more latitude to judges to make sure lengthy sentences are not mandated for multiple nonviolent offenses. This has produced a great burden on the system and has taken a lot of people out of the workforce that could be productive. Finally, I very much appreciate Jared Kushner's tenacity when it comes to making sure the criminal justice reform legislation becomes law. I also appreciate President Trump's bold and energetic leadership on this issue.It was also an honor working side by side with Senator Tim Scott on another important reform. Senator McConnell's announcement that the Senate will take up criminal justice reform was music to my ears. Now, let's pass it into law, said Senator Graham. We know the reforms in this bill can yield real improvement in our criminal justice system because they've worked in states like Rhode Island and Texas. Now, we are poised to pass those reforms into law across the federal system. I am proud of the bipartisan work that has led us to this moment, and grateful to all the people law enforcement, civil rights groups, former inmates, state and local officials, community leaders, and so many more who helped us get here, Senator Sheldon Whitehouse said. As an original co-sponsor of the First Step Act, I want to thank each and every person who has played an instrumental role in getting this once-in-a-generation bill to the Senate floor. This has been a team effort that has spanned the political spectrum; and for that, we should all celebrate. Meaningful criminal justice reform is just one step in ensuring that the scales of justice are balancedfor every American a core principle of our nation. I am thrilled that President Trump, Chairman Grassley, various Senators, and advocacy groups worked side by side to prove to the American public that Congress still works. I look forward to ushering the First Step Act through the finish line and to the President's desk, Senator Tim Scott said. The First Step Act represents years of bipartisan work to address some of the most egregious and unjust outcomes in our criminal justice system. While our work is not done, these reforms, and how senators came together to produce them, represent the best of the Senate, and it will make a real difference in the lives of so many. I am proud to cosponsor the First Step Act and believe now is the time to pass this historic legislation, Senator Patrick Leahy said. During my chairmanship of the House Judiciary Committee, I have made reform of our federal criminal justice system a top priority. It is clear that reforms are necessary to protect Americans from crime, to help ensure that offenders become productive members of society after they serve their time, and to adjust some sentences that are currently excessive. I am extremely pleased that we have reached a bipartisan, bicameral agreement on legislation to accomplish these goals, and I urge immediate consideration of this legislation so that we can send it to President Trump to sign into law, House Judiciary Committee Chairman Bob Goodlatte said. I am pleased to join with my colleagues in introducing the First Step Act, an important bill that will advance criminal justice reform. This bill includes critical changes to our sentencing laws that will reduce the impact of some mandatory minimum sentences, notably with retroactive application of the reduced crack cocaine sentences under the Fair Sentencing Act of 2010. The bill's reauthorization of the Second Chance Act is also a measure that is long overdue. We will continue to work in Congress to oversee the implementation of these reforms as well as the new system to allow some federal prisoners to earn early entry into pre-release custody. There is still more work to be done to ensure our criminal justice system is equally fair and just for every American; however, this bill is its namesake: a positive first step, House Judiciary Committee Ranking Member Jerry Nadler said. Seventeen months ago, the People's House partnered with the White House to improve public safety by lowering recidivism and prioritizing evidence-based rehabilitation, and we've continued moving forward with the Senate since the House passed this bill 360-59 last May. Lawmakers across both chambers and both parties agree that the time to act is now, and we agree on what that action looks like. Today, I stand with my colleagues in the House and Senate as we take strides that move the First Step Act closer to the president's desk,"" Congressman Doug Collins said. The First Step Act is a historic piece of legislation that strikes a forceful blow against the mass incarceration epidemic in America. This bill will meaningfully reform our broken criminal justice system, enact fairer sentencing laws, reduce recidivism and save taxpayer dollars. It is a significant step toward redemption for thousands of non-violent drug offenders harshly treated by unjust crack-cocaine laws. The FIRST STEP Act represents the beginning of the end of over-criminalization in America, Congressman Hakeem Jeffries said. Criminal justice reform has been a top priority of the House Judiciary Committee for the last three and a half years, and I'm glad to help move it forward. I'm also pleased that this comprehensive package includes my reauthorization of the Second Chance Act, which has been widely successful in helping former inmates transition back to society, Congressman Jim Sensenbrenner said. I am pleased that our diligent efforts in the House allowed a fruitful yield in the inclusion of sentencing reform to the First Step Act. I am also pleased that my amendment to create an Independent Review Committee that will oversee the implementation of the risk assessment tools and the bill generally, was also included in the final version of this bill. I look forward, in the next Congress, to expanding upon this preliminary progress, Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee said. This bill is a good first step to address the issue of mass incarceration. I am pleased to work with my colleagues in both chambers to include a provision that addresses the egregious practice of shackling women who are pregnant, especially during labor and delivery. I'm excited that Congress will be coming together in a bipartisan fashion on this important issue and I look forward to continuing to work on criminal justice reform in the upcoming Congress, Congresswoman Karen Bass said. The revised legislation further clarifies eligibility for earned time credits following successful completion of evidence-based recidivism reduction programs, and expands on the existing list of disqualifying offenses. The changes address points raised by some law enforcement groups and provides for additional transparency in the Bureau of Prisons' risk assessment framework. A summary of the update can be found HERE. Text is available HERE. The First Step Act is endorsed by President Trump and cosponsored by more than a third of the Senate, evenly balanced among Democrats and Republicans. The recent updates to the bill have garnered the support of additional senators in recent days, including Senators Thom Tillis, Ted Cruz, David Perdue and John Cornyn. Here's a complete list of current cosponsors: Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) Mike Lee (R-Utah) Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.) Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) Cory Booker (D-N.J.) Tim Scott (R-S.C.) Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) Joni Ernst (R-Iowa) Jerry Moran (R-Kan.) Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.) Chris Coons (D-Del.) Jeff Flake (R-Ariz.) Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) Pat Roberts (R-Kan.) Doug Jones (D-Ala.) Susan Collins (R-Maine) Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.) Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.) Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.) Rand Paul (R-Ky.) Mazie Hirono (D-Hawaii) Rob Portman (R-Ohio) Angus King (I-Maine) Todd Young (R-Ind.) Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii) Bill Cassidy (R-La.) Ben Cardin (D-Md.) Steve Daines (R-Mont.) Tina Smith (D-Minn.) Thom Tillis (R-N.C.) Michael Bennet (D-Colo.) Ted Cruz (R-Texas) Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) The First Step Act is backed by a number of law enforcement groups, including thenation's largest police group. It's alsosupported by 172 former federal prosecutorsincluding two former Republican U.S. attorneys general, two former deputy attorneys general and a former director of the FBI along withsheriffs from 34 statesacross the country. The National Governor's Association, which represents the governors of all 50 states,praised the bill. A broad coalition of conservative and progressive groups along with a host of business leaders and faith-based organizations also support theFirst Step Act. More information on the revised First Step Act 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-senate-passage-of-five-year-farm-bill,Leahy Hails Senate Passage Of Five-Year Farm Bill,2018-12-11,2018,2018-12,Democrat,House,VT,Patrick Leahy,L000174,www.leahy.senate.gov,,,legacy,"12.11.18 Leahy Hails Senate Passage Of Five-Year Farm Bill . . . Final Leahy-Negotiated Farm Bill Includes Significant Vermont Win The U.S. Senate late Tuesday passed a new five-year Farm Bill that includes significant wins for Vermont families, dairy, organic and hemp farms, and the state's rural communities. As a member of the conference committee that negotiated the bill, Senator Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) played a central role in shaping the final provisions that are vital to Vermont's economy, farmers, working landscape, the food and nutrition of Vermont's families, and the economic vitality of rural communities throughout the state. Leahy also is a former chairman of the Agriculture Committee and is the panel's most senior member. The Senate passed the bill in a strong bipartisan vote of 87 to 13, coming only a day after a final Farm Bill compromise was concluded, signed by Leahy and other conferees, and filed in the Senate and House. The 2018 Farm Bill, titled the Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018, closely mirrors the bipartisan Senate-passed bill and is the result of months of challenging negotiations. The conference agreement does not include the controversial provisions conditioning nutrition assistance on new work requirements and provisions changing SNAP eligibility that would have cut off benefits to millions. The bill next must be passed by the House and then signed by the President, who has signaled that he will sign it. Leahy said: After months of hard fought and often contentious negotiations, the Senate and House have come together and done what we rarely see in Washington these days. We've resolved our differences and reached a compromise. This is a Farm Bill that will provide certainty to the nation's struggling farmers; maintain food security for millions of American families; provide for cleaner waterways, better soils, protected open space, healthier forests, and the preservation of family farms; make our drinking water safer; and give communities across rural America a much needed economic boost. Leahy continued: I thank Chairman Roberts and Ranking Member Stabenow, and all of their staff, who have worked day and night on this bipartisan effort. I know from negotiating the 1990 Farm Bill as chairman that it is no easy task to balance the needs of various regions and commodities, and the sometimes conflicting priorities among senators as we are working within a fixed budget. A summary of Leahy-negotiated Vermont highlights in the final Farm Bill is BELOW: Vermont Highlights In The 2018 Farm Bill (The Agriculture Improvement Act Of 2018) Office Of Senator Patrick Leahy (Senator Leahy Is A Farm Bill Conferee) December 11, 2018 Dairy and Commodity Programs Dairy Risk Coverage In February 2018, Senator Leahy led improvements to the Margin Protection Program (MPP) that were included in the Bipartisan Budget Act of 2018. These improvements included an immediate reopening of the MPP signup to allow farmers to take advantage of the new and meaningful levels of risk protection at far more affordable rates. The initial improvements that Senator Leahy was able to make to the MPP earlier this year required the USDA to perform the program calculations and potential payments on a monthly basis, which improved accuracy and timeliness in support to farmers. Premium costs for Tier I enrollment were cut by nearly 70 percent and the Tier I threshold for lower premium costs now apply to the first 5 million pounds of production, up from the previous level of 4 million pounds, which better aligned the program with the median U.S. dairy farm size. As dairy farmers continued to face difficulties this year, Senator Leahy sought additional improvements to the dairy safety net and fought hard to ensure that the final 2018 Farm Bill includes further enhancements including: higher coverage level thresholds at $8.50, $9.00, and $9.50 margin, lower premium costs for a farm's first 5 million pounds of milk, and allowing overlap of the dairy margin protection and other USDA supported insurance programs. These improvements should make the newly named Dairy Margin Coverage program better and more affordable for Vermont's family farmers. In addition, after hearing concerns from Vermont dairy farmers, Senator Leahy fought to ensure that the Farm Bill will finally help those farmers who were initially blocked by USDA from enrolling in the improved MPP due to their participation in the Livestock Gross Margin Insurance for Dairy (LGM-Dairy). The bill allows them to retroactively sign up for MPP and take advantage of the critical benefits they were unfairly blocked from accessing this spring. The bill also provides an option for dairy farmers to receive a 75 percent credit or 50 percent refund of the net premiums they paid from 2015-2017 in MPP, when the program did not provide the much needed support that farmers had anticipated. As farmers continue to struggle with this current dairy crisis and while many are being paid less for their milk than it costs them to produce that milk, this refund and credit option will help farmers struggling to stay afloat. Dairy Product Donation Program A new program to incentivize milk donation is another change in the bill coming as a direct result of ideas that Senator Leahy heard from Vermont dairy farmers and their cooperatives. According to data from the Federal Milk Marketing Order, last year in just the Northeast Marketing Area over a million gallons of milk were dumped and in recent years over 40 million gallons worth of milk nationwide have been dumped in manure lagoons, fields, or into animal feed when cooperatives can't find a market for milk. The new Milk Donation Program will allow dairy processors and producers to partner with charitable organizations to donate milk to people in need and reduce food waste. Targeting Farm Safety Net Programs The final bill rejects the excessive loopholes that the House had initially included for the wealthiest agribusiness operations that would have allowed an exemption for partnerships, joint ventures, LLCs, and Subchapter S corporations from the adjusted gross income means-testing provision that makes any person or legal entity with an average adjusted gross income exceeding $900,000 (effectively $1.8 million for many couples) ineligible for commodity or conservation payments. The final bill also rejected the House's proposal that would have allowed most corporate farms to receive multiple payments, rather than being limited to a single payment under a single payment cap, which is currently the case. Dairy Business Innovation Initiatives Another dairy win in the Farm Bill is a new authorization to promote dairy business innovation activities and provide resources to help dairy farmers, cheesemakers, and other dairy businesses to get their start, develop new innovative products, and expand markets. Vermont's dairy farmers will benefit from the new markets and innovations this new program can help to develop. Fluid Milk Incentives Recognizing that milk is the number one source of nine essential nutrients in many young Americans' diets and provides many significant health benefits, the Farm Bill authorizes new Healthy Fluid Milk Incentives Projects. These incentives will help to increase fluid milk consumption and encourage Americans to gain nutrients essential to good health that many are missing in their diets. Conservation Environmental Quality Incentives Program The final Farm Bill includes several improvements to the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) led by Senator Leahy that will help the program better serve Vermont famers. EQIP helps farmers address nitrogen and phosphorus runoff, which has affected water quality in Lake Champlain. The program is extended through Fiscal Year 2023 and includes changes that will help improve EQIP practices, make it easier for organic farmers to participate, and provide better understanding for how those practices lead to quality conservation outcomes. Agricultural Lands Easement Program Senator Leahy led changes in the 2018 Farm Bill in the Senate and throughout conference to increase the flexibility and mandatory funding to the Agricultural Lands Easement (ALE) Program. The 2014 Farm Bill combined the Farmland Protection Program and the Grassland Reserve Program to create the ALE Program. ALE operates through state and local partners, including the Vermont Land Trust and the Vermont Housing and Conservation Board, to provide permanent protection for working agricultural lands and to promote agricultural viability for future generations because farmers are not just under threat from trade wars and extreme weather, but also loss of prime farmland to development. The changes made to ALE will improve the program and make it work better in Vermont and across the country to preserve family farms and help make farmland more affordable to beginning farmers. Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) Through Senator Leahy's work the Farm Bill addresses a problem that recently cropped up with the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) in Vermont. Due to a new interpretation of the program's authorization, the USDA was about to block states like Vermont, Minnesota, and those in the Chesapeake Bay watershed, from using the Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program (CREP) on farms that are required to implement stronger water quality measures and requirements. In Vermont's case USDA cited a conflict with the state's new Required Agricultural Practices (RAPs). Senator Leahy was able to address this problem in the final Farm Bill and ensure that the Vermont CREP, with its unique partnership between USDA and the Vermont Agency of Agriculture, can continue to protect and improve water quality in Vermont. Regional Equity The final Farm Bill maintains the Regional Equity Program which Senator Leahy first initiated in the 2002 Farm Bill. This program brings greater conservation resources to Vermont and other northeastern states. In the 2014 Farm Bill, changes engineered by Leahy were made to ensure that Vermont and other smaller states received a fair distribution of USDA conservation funds. The House had sought to eliminate this provision, but the final bill rejected that proposal and the Regional Equity Program was maintained in the 2018 Farm Bill. Conservation Compliance for Crop Insurance The final Farm Bill maintains important conservation compliance requirements for commodity producers who receive crop insurance. These requirements ensure that environmentally sensitive land such as highly erodible cropland, wetlands, and vulnerable land that has never been farmed, are protected. Most producers are already required to follow these compliance rules because of other USDA benefits they receive. In Vermont, dairy farmers receiving support have long complied with conservation programs, leading to improved water quality and a reduction in environmental damage. The final bill also rejects provisions in the House Farm Bill that would have weakened a host of environmental protections provided by the Endangered Species Act and Clean Water Act. Regional Conservation Partnership Program The final Farm Bill increases the mandatory funding for the Regional Conservation Partnership Program (RCPP) and makes critical reforms to focus on conservation outcomes, allow organizations to receive funding for outreach and technical assistance, and increase the allocation of funds going to state-level and local conservation projects. The final bill requires that 50 percent of all RCPP funds be used to support state and multistate projects that address national or state resource concerns. This program was first created in the 2014 Farm Bill and has offered important support to Vermont farmers and the Lake Champlain cleanup effort, with more than $18 million in grants to provide both financial and technical assistance to farmers and forest landowners for the development and implementation of water quality improvement projects in the Lake Champlain Basin. RCPP has also brought together traditional and nontraditional partners, from state and federal agencies to dairy cooperatives and lenders, which have collectively contributed more than $20 million in match to the Vermont RCPP project, enabling greater participation in the Lake Champlain, Connecticut River, and Lake Memphremagog clean-up efforts. Farm Viability A change that Senator Leahy requested to the Education and Risk Management Assistance provision will allow USDA's National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) to provide grants for educating and providing technical assistance to farmers and forest landowners on a full range of farm viability and risk management activities, including business planning, enterprise analysis, transfer and succession planning, management coaching, market assessment, cash flow analysis. Senator Leahy had heard firsthand from Vermonters about the importance of business advising for not only farmers, but also agriculturally-related businesses, forest products enterprises, and forest landowners, which is why he worked hard to expand an existing NIFA program to support these critical services and needs in Vermont and across the country. This expanded authorization will allow USDA to support ongoing work in Vermont where business advisors are matched to agricultural entrepreneurs in order to provide them with assistance with business management skills, feasibility studies, and marketing. Hunger Safety Net Supplemental Nutrition Assistance ProgramEven as the economy has improved, toomany Americans still struggle to put food on their tables. For these families, nutrition assistance such as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and emergency assistance programs are crucial. The Farm Bill conferees agreed to maintain strong support for critical nutrition programs such as SNAP (renamed 3SquaresVT in Vermont) and rejected the harmful cuts to benefits and eligibility in the partisan House Farm Bill draft, which would have cut millions of Americans off nutrition assistance. The final agreement also includes mandatory funding the Food Insecurity Nutrition Incentive (FINI) program, which helps improve access to fresh fruit and vegetables for SNAP participants. The conference agreement maintains a provision that was a priority for Senator Leahy to make it easier for farmer's markets to accept SNAP benefits. Finally, the bill builds upon successful workforce training programs particularly for those who are suffering from addiction, includes funding for The Emergency Food Assistance Program (TEFAP) that supports our local food banks, and includes a new grant program to help those with chronic health conditions related to diet access fresh fruit and vegetables. Organics and Local Food Organic ResearchThe final Farm Bill reauthorizes the Organic Agriculture Research and Extension Initiative and provides mandatory funding for the program that will gradually increase each year. By fiscal year 2023, the program will receive $50 million in mandatory funding which will continue for each year after. This vital change will guarantee baseline funding in future Farm Bill debates, ensuring an expansion of the important research being done to help organic producers increase their production and reduce costs. Organic Certification Cost-Share Program Senator Leahy is pleased that this Farm Bill renews funding for the National Organic Certification Cost Share Program after the House version of the bill had sought to eliminate the program completely. This program is critical in helping beginning organic farmers afford organic certification through USDA by providing producers with 75 percent, or up to $750, of the total certification cost. Organic food is one of the fastest growing sectors of the agricultural economy. This program will keep it that way, Leahy said. Protecting the Organic Label As the father' of the national organic standards and labeling program and author of the 1990 Organic Farm Bill, Senator Leahy continues to lead the way on making this burgeoning sector secure, trustworthy and economically viable. Senator Leahy led efforts to increase the authorization for the National Organic Program to $16.5 million in fiscal year 2019 with increases each year up to $24 million in fiscal year 2023. This Farm Bill includes improvements to ensuring the integrity of the USDA organic seal by adding a documentation and traceability enhancement measure to help prevent fraudulent organic imports.The Farm Bill also establishes the Organic Agricultural Product Imports Interagency Working Group which will allow USDA and the U.S. Customs and Border Protection to work together to inspect organic imports and prevent the import of fraudulent organic products. Organic Data Initiatives Program The final Farm Bill reauthorizes the Organic Production and Market Data Initiatives and provides $10 million in mandatory one-time funding. This critical funding will allow for continued organic data collection and distribution of organic market information, including data on production, handling, distribution, retail and consumer purchasing patterns that will benefit Vermont farmers and food entrepreneurs alike. Local Agriculture Market Program (LAMP) The final bill rejects the House proposal to eliminate the increasingly popular Value-added Producer Grants Program and the Farmers Market and Local Food Promotion Program, and instead the final bill merges the two programs into the new Local Agriculture Market Program (LAMP). Grants administered through this new program will support partnerships in planning and developing local and regional food systems that can make a big impact in Vermont. With the bill providing the new LAMP account with $50 million in Fiscal Year 2023, the Farm Bill strategically guarantees baseline funding in future Farm Bills for this important work. The new LAMP funding continues to build on the steady growth of consumer interest in local and regional foods that is transforming the farm to plate food system efforts into a serious economic driver. Senator Leahy fought hard to maintain these programs and ensure they had strong funding because he has seen firsthand in Vermont with the Farm to Plate' food system plan how increased production of local foods leads to more jobs for Vermonters and a stronger economy for our rural communities, while also improving access to healthy local food for all Vermonters. Specialty Crop Block Grants The Farm Bill reauthorizes the Specialty Crop Block Grants which enhance the competitiveness of specialty products by promoting local and regional farm and food system specialty crop development. These grants can be used to enhance state and regional marketing programs, direct to consumer and direct to store marketing, access to specialty crops for low-income consumers, food hubs and new farmer specialty crop development. Promoting Maple Syrup Research and MarketingThe ACER Access and Development Program which provides grant money to support the domestic maple syrup industry was established in the 2014 Farm Bill and is now extended to 2023 in the final Farm Bill. This program promotes research and education related to maple syrup production, natural resources sustainability in the maple syrup industry, market production of maple syrup and maple-sap products, and encourages private land owners to initiate or expand maple-sugaring. The House had sought to eliminate this important program supporting the maple industry of Vermont. Addressing Maple's Added-Sugar Concerns The bill also takes an important step to help the Vermont maple industry by exempting pure maple syrup from the Food and Drug Administration's Added Sugar Label Rule that has caused an uproar in Vermont. Maple producers feared that the labeling requirement would give a misleading impression for consumers on single ingredient maple and honey products as it would signal to consumers that these pure products may contain added sweeteners such as table sugar or high-fructose corn syrup, which is patently false. While Senator Leahy is very supportive of the FDA's work to ensure that nutrition labels remain scientifically valid and helpful to consumers, he was also very concerned by the confusion it could create if applied to pure maple syrup and honey. Rural Communities REAP Zones Senator Leahy championed creation of the Rural Economic Area Partnership (REAP) Zone program that has been so successful in Vermont's Northeast Kingdom, and he has ensured that the REAP Zone program would be renewed under the final Farm Bill. REAP Zones set up collaborative and citizen-led efforts to enhance economic development. This effort is a vibrant model for building a new rural economy that other rural areas are beginning to emulate. In 2016, the REAP Zone designation secured the Northeast Kingdom $6.7 million, which helped leverage an additional $12 million in general allocation funds, for a total of $18.7 million to promote business, community development, affordable housing and investments in infrastructure. In FY17, the REAP Zone secured $5.5 million in federal investment in the Northeast Kingdom. Reauthorization of the Northern Border Regional Commission The Northern Border Regional Commission (NBRC) was first created in the 2008 Farm Bill with the advocacy of Senator Leahy. Since 2010, Vermont organizations have received more than $7.8 million to spur economic development and job growth in Vermont's six northern-most counties and leveraged more than $10.5 million in matching funds for a total of $18 million in economic development and infrastructure projects. The Farm Bill reauthorizes the Commission for five more years and includes administrative changes that will promote efficiency and expands the NBRC's work in all fourteen counties in Vermont. The reauthorization also establishes a capacity building grant to help states better support business retention and expansion, encourage job creation and workforce development, expand access to high-speed broadband and encourage initiatives that drive investments in transportation and other infrastructure. In his role as Vice Chairman of the Senate Appropriations Committee, Senator Leahy has advocated for increased funding for the NBRC, including $20 million in the final Fiscal Year 2019 Energy & Water Appropriation bill. Under Secretary of Agriculture for Rural Development The final bill requires USDA to reestablish the position of Under Secretary for Rural Development that Secretary Perdue had abolished and replaced with an Assistant to the Secretary for Rural Development in his May 2017 reorganization. State Rural Development CouncilsSenator Leahy's amendment to continue the authorization for State Rural Development Councils (SRDCs) was included in the final Farm Bill, which will ensure that these councils will be able to continue their important work of strengthening rural communities in Vermont and across the country. The Vermont Council on Rural Development has a 26 year history of working with communities to identify unique challenges and craft innovative solutions to break down barriers to growth. This reauthorization will renew for five years the statutory authority, functions and authorization of appropriations for State Rural Development Councils. While SRDCs have not received funding in recent history, this Farm Bill authorizes $10 million in annual funding for that National Rural Development Partnership. Business and Innovation ServicesThe final Farm Bill ensures that theUSDA Community Facilities Program will be able to better support growing rural businesses in Vermont.Emerging rural businesses face unique challenges, which can be addressed by investing in business incubators, makerspaces, and job training centers that provide much neededresources for Vermont communities to support their entrepreneurs.It also improves the Rural Business Investment Program to promote investment funds that serve rural entrepreneurs and creates a new program, the Rural Innovation Stronger Economy Grant program, to invest in rural job accelerator initiatives like job training, mentorship and access to affordable financial capital.These new initiatives will help minimize barriers faced by Vermont's rural entrepreneurs and small and growing businesses. Investments to Strengthen Rural Water InfrastructureThe Senate bill will help Vermont families and businesses gain improved access to clean drinking water and the bill provides for targeted support to addresses harmful contaminantslike PFOA that has contaminated drinking water wells in Bennington and North Bennington, Vermont. National Oilheat Research Alliance After a great deal of contentious negotiations with the House, Senator Leahy's work with a bipartisan group of Senators and House members was able to secure a much needed ten year reauthorization of the National Oilheat Research Alliance (NORA). NORA supports oil heating companies and rural customers in Vermont by working with manufacturers to do research and development of efficient heating technology, educating technicians and communicating with the public about the benefits of oil heat. In a state like Vermont, where the winters are beautiful but cold, providing efficient, affordable heating options is critically important and NORA helps the more than 40 percent of Vermont homeowners who rely on oil to heat their homes. NORA also supports the Vermont Fuel Dealers Association with research, training and efficiency upgrades at locations across the state. In reauthorizing NORA, this Farm Bill helps Vermonters heat their homes in less expensive and more environmentally friendly ways. Other Hemp Farming The final Farm Bill improved upon the original Senate provisions that sought to fully clarify that hemp is an agricultural commodity and removing it from the federal list of controlled substances. The Farm Bill allows states to regulate industrial hemp and ensures that hemp growers can apply for grants from the USDA, they will be eligible for crop insurance, and agricultural and academic research relating to industrial hemp. Vermont had nearly 300 registered hemp producers this year, who planted nearly 2,000 acres of hemp. This Farm Bill will be very important to the many Vermont farmers hoping to diversify and remain viable, while removing the terrible uncertainty of federal prosecution that this crop has had for far too long. The final bill also addressed the concerns that had been raised about the initial Senate language on hemp that would have banned individuals with drug-related felony convictions on their records from participating in the hemp industry. Thankfully a compromise was been reached on that matter, which addresses the concerns raised by criminal justice advocates. Study for Land Grant Universities and Cooperative Extension --The Farm Bill directs the Secretary of Agriculture to complete a much needed study to determine how, through Cooperative Extension, to best to serve the changing needs in rural America. This will help support the University of Vermont a federal Land Grant college in providing adequate services for the growth and development of rural communities based on their changing demographics. The required report to Congress will focus on the need to carry out activities related to small and diverse farms, veteran farmers, value-added agriculture, direct-to-consumer sales, and specialty crops. Supports Agricultural Trade The Farm Bill consolidates the Market Access Program with a few other trade programs to create the new Priority Trade Promotion, Development, and Assistance Program in order to access, develop, maintain, and expand markets for U.S. agricultural goods. Vermont producers benefit greatly from more and improved export markets. McGovern-Dole The McGovernDole International Food for Education and Child Nutrition Program facilitates distribution of food commodities through schools in developing countries through partner organizations to improve food security, reduce hunger, and improve literacy in low income and food deficit countries. The program has projects all over the world and has fed more than 40 million children from some of the poorest countries. The Farm Bill reauthorizes this important program fighting hunger worldwide. Food for Peace The largest food aid program under the Agriculture Committee's jurisdiction, Food for Peace provides for emergency aid and non-emergency development projects. This notable program enables the U.S. to donate food overseas to promote food security, and the Farm Bill reauthorizes the program and makes important reforms that will improve the U.S. response to crises. Timber Innovation The final Farm Bill clarifies that the Forest Service can do research and offer technical assistance to assist with those hoping to use innovative wood products. A new wood innovation grant program is created to promote research and development of wood products, and improve the sustainability and environmental impact of using wood for construction. Community Wood Energy Program The Farm Bill reauthorizes the program and makes improvements to the competitive grant program that is designed to help state and local governments pay for the installation of high-efficiency, biomass-fueled energy systems, such as combined heat and power. The changes made to the program are designed to promote energy security, support rural economies, and help keep private forests intact at a time when Vermont forest landowners are under constant pressure to develop their forestlands. Protections for Pets and Domestic Violence Survivors Senator Leahy is a cosponsor of the Pet and Women Safety Act which would increase the punishments for domestic abusers who threaten or harm the pets of a domestic violence survivor. This bill was included in the final Farm Bill and will help to increase the peace of mind and security when survivors make the difficult decision to leave an abusive environment. # # # # # Press Contact David Carle: 202-224-3693",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.sanders.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/senate-will-vote-on-sanders-yemen-resolution-tomorrow,Senate Will Vote on Sanders' Yemen Resolution Tomorrow,2018-12-11,2018,2018-12,Independent,House,VT,Bernard Sanders,S000033,www.sanders.senate.gov,,,legacy,"Senate Will Vote on Sanders' Yemen Resolution Tomorrow Tuesday, December 11, 2018 WASHINGTON, Dec. 11 Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) issued the following statement announcing that the Senate will vote tomorrow on the resolution to end U.S. support for the Saudi-led war in Yemen: ""Tomorrow, I will move to proceed to S.J. Res. 54, the resolution I have offered with Senators Lee and Murphy to end U.S. involvement in the disastrous Saudi-led war in Yemen. I am optimistic that a bipartisan coalition of senators will vote to make clear that the United States will no longer support Saudi Arabia in its incredibly destructive war. The Saudi intervention in Yemen has created the worst humanitarian disaster in the world, with millions of people facing imminent starvation. The time is long overdue for the United States to stop following the lead of Saudi Arabia, a brutal regime that recently murdered a dissident journalist and has no respect for human rights. Further, and importantly, the Senate must reassert its constitutional authority and end our support of this unauthorized and unconstitutional war.""",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.sanders.senate.gov/newsroom/recent-business/senate-will-vote-on-sanders-yemen-resolution-tomorrow,Senate Will Vote on Sanders' Yemen Resolution Tomorrow,2018-12-11,2018,2018-12,Independent,House,VT,Bernard Sanders,S000033,www.sanders.senate.gov,,,legacy,"Senate Will Vote on Sanders' Yemen Resolution Tomorrow Tuesday, December 11, 2018 WASHINGTON, Dec. 11 Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) issued the following statement announcing that the Senate will vote tomorrow on the resolution to end U.S. support for the Saudi-led war in Yemen: ""Tomorrow, I will move to proceed to S.J. Res. 54, the resolution I have offered with Senators Lee and Murphy to end U.S. involvement in the disastrous Saudi-led war in Yemen. I am optimistic that a bipartisan coalition of senators will vote to make clear that the United States will no longer support Saudi Arabia in its incredibly destructive war. The Saudi intervention in Yemen has created the worst humanitarian disaster in the world, with millions of people facing imminent starvation. The time is long overdue for the United States to stop following the lead of Saudi Arabia, a brutal regime that recently murdered a dissident journalist and has no respect for human rights. Further, and importantly, the Senate must reassert its constitutional authority and end our support of this unauthorized and unconstitutional war.""",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.sanders.senate.gov/newsroom/video-audio/alexandria-ocasio-cortez-the-climate-fight-is-our-moonshot,Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez: The Climate Fight Is Our Moonshot,2018-12-11,2018,2018-12,Independent,House,VT,Bernard Sanders,S000033,www.sanders.senate.gov,,,legacy,"Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez: The Climate Fight Is Our Moonshot ""This is going to be the Great Society, the moonshot, the Civil Rights Movement of our generation. That is the scale that this movement is going to require."" Rep-Elect Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez Thank you to Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez for joining our groundbreaking town hall and for being a leader in the fight against climate change.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.sanders.senate.gov/newsroom/video-audio/chile-is-on-a-path-to-phase-out-coal,Chile Is on a Path to Phase Out Coal,2018-12-11,2018,2018-12,Independent,House,VT,Bernard Sanders,S000033,www.sanders.senate.gov,,,legacy,"Chile Is on a Path to Phase Out Coal Chile is on a path to phase out ALL of its coal power plants and transition to clean energy sources. There's no reason the US can't do the same. See Video on YouTube Tweet Copy Link",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.sanders.senate.gov/newsroom/video-audio/getting-insulin-on-the-black-market,"Getting Insulin on the ""Black Market""",2018-12-11,2018,2018-12,Independent,House,VT,Bernard Sanders,S000033,www.sanders.senate.gov,,,legacy,"Getting Insulin on the ""Black Market"" This is what happens when pharma's greed is allowed to go unchecked. See Video on YouTube Tweet Copy Link",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.sanders.senate.gov/newsroom/video-audio/rural-hospitals-are-closing-at-an-alarming-rate,Rural Hospitals Are Closing at an Alarming Rate,2018-12-11,2018,2018-12,Independent,House,VT,Bernard Sanders,S000033,www.sanders.senate.gov,,,legacy,"Rural Hospitals Are Closing at an Alarming Rate Rural hospitals are closing at an alarming rate acros the country, thanks to Republican policies against expanding Medicaid. See Video on YouTube Tweet Copy Link",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.sanders.senate.gov/newsroom/video-audio/sears-wants-to-pay-25m-in-bonuses-to-executives-after-layoffs,Sears Wants to Pay $25M in Bonuses to Executives After Layoffs,2018-12-11,2018,2018-12,Independent,House,VT,Bernard Sanders,S000033,www.sanders.senate.gov,,,legacy,"Sears Wants to Pay $25M in Bonuses to Executives After Layoffs Sears wants to give its executives $25 million in bonuses after closing over 100 stores and laying off thousands of employees. My friends, this is what a rigged economy is all about.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.sanders.senate.gov/newsroom/video-audio/walmarts-anti-union-message,Walmart's Anti-Union Message,2018-12-11,2018,2018-12,Independent,House,VT,Bernard Sanders,S000033,www.sanders.senate.gov,,,legacy,"Walmart's Anti-Union Message Workers have a right to form a union and negotiate for better wages and working conditions. But what we're seeing is profitable corporations like Walmart doing everything they can to prevent that. That's unacceptable.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.sanders.senate.gov/newsroom/video-audio/wisconsin-republicans-legislative-coup,Wisconsin Republicans' Legislative Coup,2018-12-11,2018,2018-12,Independent,House,VT,Bernard Sanders,S000033,www.sanders.senate.gov,,,legacy,"Wisconsin Republicans' Legislative Coup Republicans all over this country are going to unprecedented lengths to prevent incoming Democratic officials from exercising the powers of the offices they have won. It's happening in Wisconsin. It is happening in Michigan. And it will keep happening unless we stand up and fight back.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.sanders.senate.gov/newsroom/video-audio/keep-up-the-momentum-to-fight-climate-change,Keep Up the Momentum to Fight Climate Change,2018-12-10,2018,2018-12,Independent,House,VT,Bernard Sanders,S000033,www.sanders.senate.gov,,,legacy,"Keep Up the Momentum to Fight Climate Change Today was a huge day in the fight to combat climate change. Over 1,000 young people showed up on Capitol Hill to fight for a Green New Deal and a sustainable future. Let's keep up the momentum. What are your questions about how we can come together to address climate change?",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.leahy.senate.gov/press/12718sauditiesrls,"Following Washington Post Report, Leahy And Other Senators Reiterate Calls For Full Disclosure Of Trump-Saudi Business Ties",2018-12-07,2018,2018-12,Democrat,House,VT,Patrick Leahy,L000174,www.leahy.senate.gov,,,legacy,"12.07.18 Following Washington Post Report, Leahy And Other Senators Reiterate Calls For Full Disclosure Of Trump-Saudi Business Ties A group of 11 Democratic senators, including Senator Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.), Friday renewed their call for President Donald Trump and the Trump Organization to disclose any financial ties between the Trump Organization and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, following aWashington Post reportthat lobbyists representing the Saudi government paid for 500 rooms at the Trump D.C. hotel shortly after President Trump's election. Last month, after the Saudi-led killing of journalist Jamal Khashoggi,U.S. Senators Tom Udall (D-N.M.), Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.), Richard J. Durbin (D-Ill.), Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), Cory A. Booker (D-N.J.), Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.), Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.), Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.), Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), and Jeffrey A. Merkley (D-Ore.)wroteto President Donald Trump and to the Trump Organization seeking a full accounting of any financial ties between the Trump Organization and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, but the senators never received a response to their inquiry. The administration's refusal to hold the Saudi Kingdom accountable for its murder of Jamal Khashoggi is a stain on our values as a nation,the senators said on Friday. The latest report that the Saudi government spent hundreds of thousands of dollars at President Trump's hotel shortly after his election, duping veterans in the process may offer insight into why the Trump administration is going to such great lengths to protect the crown prince. We need a full accounting of President Trump and the Trump Organization's business ties to the Saudi government, and the administration must not continue to ignore congressional oversight. The American people need answers and they will get them, one way or another. The senators previously joined nearly 200 members of Congress infiling suit against President Trump for violations of the Foreign Emoluments Clause, which prohibits government officials, including the president, from accepting foreign government payments or benefits. The full text of the senators' October letters are availableHEREandHERE. Press Contact David Carle: 202-224-3693 Previous Article",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.sanders.senate.gov/newsroom/video-audio/vermont-high-school-students-what-are-your-priorities,"Vermont High School Students, What Are Your Priorities?",2018-12-07,2018,2018-12,Independent,House,VT,Bernard Sanders,S000033,www.sanders.senate.gov,,,legacy,"Vermont High School Students, What Are Your Priorities? In January, the president will give his State of the Union speech to Congress. And for the ninth year, I am inviting Vermont's high school students to submit short essays describing what they think are the most pressing issues facing our country, and what they would do to solve those issues. I am always very impressed with the thoughtful essays that are submitted on a variety of topics and from different viewpoints. I will invite the twenty finalists to join me for a lively roundtable discussion at the Vermont Statehouse, and will enter their essays into the Congressional Record the official archive of Congress. The deadline to submit an essay is January 9, 2019. I hope you consider writing an essay!",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://welch.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/stefanik-welch-announce-2018-congressional-app-challenge-winners,"Stefanik, Welch Announce 2018 Congressional App Challenge Winners",2018-12-06,2018,2018-12,Democrat,House,VT,Peter Welch,W000800,welch.house.gov,,,legacy,"Washington, D.C. Today, Representatives Elise Stefanik (R-NY-21) and Peter Welch (D-VT), announced that VT residents Seth Albertus and Dalton Benjamin students at Northeastern Clinton Central School in Champlain, NY have been named the winners of the 2018 Congressional App Challenge in NY-21. I am excited to announce that Seth and Dalton's hard work and innovation has earned them the honor of showcasing their winning app in the U.S. Capitol for visitors from around the world to see, said Congresswoman Stefanik, Co-Chair of the Congressional STEAM Caucus. Training in STEAM is essential for preparing students for the high-skilled careers of tomorrow, and this great achievement is proof of the valuable work being done by the teachers at Northeastern Clinton Central School. I am confident that Seth and Dalton's accomplishment will inspire other students to pursue education in computer science. I am so impressed with the talent and creativity of young people across Vermont, who are learning important skills to prepare them for tomorrow's economy, said Congressman Welch. Congratulations to Seth and Dalton, and I look forward to seeing their wonderful innovation in the Capitol. Seth and Dalton's application, My Augmented Life, uses augmented reality technology to bring 3-D objects to real-world environments. This application can be used by a variety of industries, such as interior design, which would utilize the application's augmented reality technology to place 3-D modeled furniture into various interiors. Their winning application will not only be displayed in the U.S. Capitol building but will also be featured on the Congressional App Challenge website. A video demonstration of their application can be viewed here ###",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.leahy.senate.gov/press/12061820mbenningtonrail,Leahy Helps Vermont Score A Major $20 Million Investment In Rail Infrastructure,2018-12-06,2018,2018-12,Democrat,House,VT,Patrick Leahy,L000174,www.leahy.senate.gov,,,legacy,"12.06.18 Leahy Helps Vermont Score A Major $20 Million Investment In Rail Infrastructure . . . Federal Grant Will Fund Replacement Of Rail Bridges Between Rutland And Bennington U.S. Senator Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) announced Thursday that the Vermont Agency of Transportation (VTrans) will receive a $20 million federal award from the U.S. Department of Transportation's Better Utilizing Investments to Leverage Development (BUILD) grant program. The funding will support the rehabilitation or replacement of 31 rail bridges along 53 miles of the Vermont Railway. The work will be done on the southern section of the state-owned rail line that runs in Vermont between Rutland and Bennington, continuing on to Hoosick, N.Y. Leahy hailed the award as significant for the impact it will have in bolstering the state's economic development and climate change goals. Leahy, the Vice Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, has made BUILD and other infrastructure investment programs high priorities in the annual Appropriations bills that fund the Department of Transportation. Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao called Leahy Thursday to inform him of the Vermont award. Leahy said: This investment in Vermont's rail infrastructure is a win-win for business and the environment. By increasing the capacity of the VT Railway, Vermont businesses will have better access to rail shipping, which in turn will lead to fewer trucks on our roads. As a country and a state we need to prioritize these types of infrastructure investments that will lessen the transportation sector's reliance on fossil fuels. It has been one of my priorities to ensure that rural states like Vermont have access to these programs, and I'm pleased that this project will be funded through that work. The federal funds address a top priority in the 2015 Vermont State Rail Plan, increasing the capacity of rail bridges to carry more freight. The work funded through the grant will increase the weight ratings for rail bridges to support the industry standard for freight car loads of 286,000 pounds. Most of the rail lines in Vermont can support weight loads of only 263,000 pounds. Because the rail line cannot currently accept heavier traffic, some shippers opt to use costlier, inefficient freight options that increase truck traffic on Vermont roads. Vermont Rail Systems, which operates the Vermont Railway, reports that the company is often forced to turn away traffic because railcars that would otherwise be shipped on the company's railroads have been loaded heavier than can be accommodated on state-owned rail lines. Increasing the bridge capacity to the industry carload standard will allow the railway to connect businesses in Vermont's most populous city of Burlington and towns all along the western side of Vermont, to the PanAm junction in Hoosick. This connection will open access to major Class I railroads in the northeastern United States and offer shipper savings to businesses in Vermont and New York. This project also will serve local businesses which require cost-effective shipping for bulk commodities and agricultural and natural resource products that are crucial to rural economies. As Vice Chairman of the Appropriations Committee, Leahy fought to include $1.5 billion in funding for the BUILD program in the FY18 Omnibus Appropriations Bill, an increase of $1 billion over the previous year. The Trump administration's budget requests for both FY18 and FY19 sought to eliminate the program. Particularly important for Vermont, Leahy included language in the bill ensuring that 30 percent of the funding for the BUILD Program would be prioritized for rural areas. 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/120618ngsmallbizrls,Shaheen & Leahy Bill To Support Small Businesses With National Guard And Military Reservists Passes Senate,2018-12-06,2018,2018-12,Democrat,House,VT,Patrick Leahy,L000174,www.leahy.senate.gov,,,legacy,"12.06.18 Shaheen & Leahy Bill To Support Small Businesses With National Guard And Military Reservists Passes Senate U.S. Senators Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.) and Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) issued the following statements after their legislation to support small businesses with National Guard and Military Reservists unanimously passed the Senate on Thursday. TheNational Guard and Reserve Entrepreneurship Act will assist small businesses when essential employees, including small business owners, are called up as part of National Guard or Reservist duties, by improving existing loan and deferral programs of the Small Business Administration (SBA) and making them more accessible. These programs include the Military Reservist Economic Injury Disaster Loan (MREIDL), a direct loan program that provides emergency working capital to small businesses to meet their obligations until operations return to normal after the essential employee is released from active duty military, and the Repayment Deferral for Active Duty Reservists (Repayment Deferral), which authorizes the SBA to work with private lenders to defer interest or loan repayment for small businesses facing similar situations. Leahy, Co-Chair of the Senate National Guard Caucus, said: The citizen-soldiers of the National Guard, and the small businesses that employ them, are vital to the close-knit communities that make Vermont such a special place. Our legislation will enable entrepreneurs and small businesses affected by deployments to better take advantage of every opportunity. With Vermont National Guard soldiers currently deployed, this bill is needed now more than ever. Shaheen said: The civilian men and women serving in our National Guard have committed to serve our country, and we need to have their backs. I'm very pleased that this legislation passed the Senate with bipartisan support, because it will provide much-needed assistance to entrepreneurs and small business employees who are deployed. I will continue to work across the aisle and with SBA to support these critical programs and I urge the House to pass this legislation to support our National Guard. Press Contact David Carle: 202-224-3693 Next Article Previous Article",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.sanders.senate.gov/newsroom/video-audio/antroinettes-daughter-died-from-insulin-rationing,Antroinette's Daughter Died from Insulin Rationing,2018-12-06,2018,2018-12,Independent,House,VT,Bernard Sanders,S000033,www.sanders.senate.gov,,,legacy,"Antroinette's Daughter Died from Insulin Rationing Antroinette's daughter died from rationing her insulin because it was too expensive. Pharma is literally killing people with their greed and it has to stop. See Video on YouTube Tweet Copy Link",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.sanders.senate.gov/newsroom/video-audio/featuring-climate-deniers-is-a-disgrace-for-major-networks,Featuring Climate Deniers Is a Disgrace for Major Networks,2018-12-06,2018,2018-12,Independent,House,VT,Bernard Sanders,S000033,www.sanders.senate.gov,,,legacy,"Featuring Climate Deniers Is a Disgrace for Major Networks It is really a disgrace that the major TV networks constantly ignore climate change or give climate deniers a platform. That is exactly why I brought together some of the greatest climate experts in the world to do what the mainstream media won't do.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.sanders.senate.gov/newsroom/video-audio/nurse-narrowly-escaped-the-california-wildfires,Nurse Narrowly Escaped the California Wildfires,2018-12-06,2018,2018-12,Independent,House,VT,Bernard Sanders,S000033,www.sanders.senate.gov,,,legacy,"Nurse Narrowly Escaped the California Wildfires What's it like fleeing a wildfire? Listen to this nurse describe how she and her team narrowly escaped California's recent climate change-fueled disasters. See Video on YouTube Tweet Copy Link",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.sanders.senate.gov/newsroom/video-audio/republican-mayor-leads-100-renewable-city,Republican Mayor Leads 100% Renewable City,2018-12-06,2018,2018-12,Independent,House,VT,Bernard Sanders,S000033,www.sanders.senate.gov,,,legacy,"Republican Mayor Leads 100% Renewable City This Republican mayor leads the first city in Texas powered by 100% renewable energy. Addressing climate change and creating millions of green jobs should not be a partisan issue. See Video on YouTube Tweet Copy Link",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.sanders.senate.gov/newsroom/video-audio/the-fossil-fuel-industry-is-killing-your-beer,The Fossil Fuel Industry Is Killing Your Beer,2018-12-06,2018,2018-12,Independent,House,VT,Bernard Sanders,S000033,www.sanders.senate.gov,,,legacy,"The Fossil Fuel Industry Is Killing Your Beer The fossil fuel industry is killing your beerand that is the least of the consequences we're already seeing due to climate change. See Video on YouTube Tweet Copy Link",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.sanders.senate.gov/newsroom/video-audio/saudi-arabias-war-in-yemen-has-killed-85000-kids-from-starvation-us-support-must-end-now,"Saudi Arabia's War in Yemen Has Killed 85,000 Kids From Starvation. U.S. Support Must End Now.",2018-12-05,2018,2018-12,Independent,House,VT,Bernard Sanders,S000033,www.sanders.senate.gov,,,legacy,"Saudi Arabia's War in Yemen Has Killed 85,000 Kids From Starvation. U.S. Support Must End Now. 12 million people in Yemen are suffering from severe hunger and 85,000 kids have already died from starvation as a result of the Saudi-led war. Right now in the U.S. Senate we are pushing to get a vote to end U.S. support for this disastrous war. We need your help.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.sanders.senate.gov/newsroom/video-audio/seeing-the-california-wildfire-effects-firsthand,Seeing the California Wildfire Effects Firsthand,2018-12-05,2018,2018-12,Independent,House,VT,Bernard Sanders,S000033,www.sanders.senate.gov,,,legacy,"Seeing the California Wildfire Effects Firsthand This Californian saw the effect of the disastrous wildfires firsthand. If we don't get our act together to boldly address climate change, this is going to be the new norm. See Video on YouTube Tweet Copy Link",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.leahy.senate.gov/press/12418whitakerdojconflicts,"Senators Press Justice Department on Whitaker, Benczkowski Conflicts of Interest",2018-12-04,2018,2018-12,Democrat,House,VT,Patrick Leahy,L000174,www.leahy.senate.gov,,,legacy,"12.04.18 Senators Press Justice Department on Whitaker, Benczkowski Conflicts of Interest Whitaker's $1.2 million in salary from dark money group and Benczkowski's close ties to Russian Alfa Bank are serious ethical red flags, senators write Washington, DC Senators Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), Dianne Feinstein (D-CA), Patrick Leahy (D-VT), Dick Durbin (D-IL), Ron Wyden (D-OR), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Chris Coons (D-DE), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Mazie Hirono (D-HI), Cory Booker (D-NJ), and Kamala Harris (D-CA) asked the Department of Justice today to detail its handling of the serious financial, professional, and political conflicts of interest of Acting Attorney General Matthew Whitaker and Assistant Attorney General for the Criminal Division, Brian Benczkowski. The two officials' activities before arriving at the Justice Department present ethical concerns that agency ethics officials have not yet fully resolved and memorialized. Despite repeated requests for ethics records by members of Congress, and growing concern with the influence Whitaker and Benczkowski have over highly sensitive Justice Department work like Special Counsel Robert Mueller's investigation, the Department has not been forthcoming. To maintain the public's trust in an impartial DOJ, we urge you to provide prompt, complete, and public responses to the issues we raise, the senators write to the Justice Department's Assistant Attorney General for Administration and Designated Agency Ethics Official and Professional Responsibility Advisory Office. The impartiality and credibility of DOJ's leadership are of national importance. According to financial disclosures, Whitaker has accepted over $1.2 million in compensation as executive director of the Foundation for Accountability and Civic Trust (FACT), an organization that filed at least 14 complaints in recent years against Democratic politicians, and has spent thousands of dollars on contracts with conservative political attack groups. FACT has received at least $2.45 million from the secretive DonorsTrust, which has been described as the dark-money ATM for the right. Whitaker also allegedly accepted campaign donations this year while serving as a senior Justice Department official to a campaign committee he used for a 2014 run for U.S. Senate. In response to complaints by Senator Whitehouse and others, the United States Office of Special Counsel has opened an independent investigation into whether this conduct violated the Hatch Act. Benczkowski, while serving in private legal practice, represented Alfa Bank, a Russian bank implicated in possible coordination between the Trump campaign and the Russian government during the 2016 presidential campaign. As head of the Criminal Division, Benczkowski is in position to learn details about numerous highly sensitive Justice Department investigations and prosecutions access that is particularly troubling given his political connections in the Trump administration. The Justice Department has written to senators that Benczkowski is recused from matters involving previous clients, but has not provided details of his recusals. In July, Whitehouse and Dick Durbin (D-IL) led 14 Democratic members of the Senate in asking the Justice Department to detail Benczkowski's ethical agreements. Among the senators' concerns was the potential for Benczkowski to access information on Special Counsel Robert Mueller's investigation. They also raised Benczkowski's commitment to recuse himself from matters related to Alfa Banka recusal that does not encompass the bank's parent company, Alfa Group Consortium. Full text of the senators' letter is below. A PDF copy is available here. December 4, 2018 Mr. Lee Lofthus Assistant Attorney General for Administration and Designated Agency Ethics Official U.S. Department of Justice 950 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW Washington, DC 20530-0001 Ms. Stacy Ludwig Director Professional Responsibility Advisory Office U.S. Department of Justice 950 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW Washington, DC 20530-0001 Dear Mr. Lofthus and Ms. Ludwig: We write to request an update on, and additional information about, how the Department of Justice (DOJ) is assessing potential conflicts of interestfinancial, professional, and political of Acting Attorney General Matthew Whitaker and Assistant Attorney General Brian Benczkowski. For background, some of these are renewed requests because DOJ has either failed to respond or has provided incomplete responses to prior requests from Congress. We appreciate the efforts your offices are making to ensure these individuals have been properly vetted. To maintain the public's trust in an impartial DOJ, we urge you to provide prompt, complete, and public responses to the issues we raise below. Matthew Whitaker Matthew Whitaker was appointed Acting Attorney General on November 7, 2018. Mr. Whitaker had previously been appointed to the position of Chief of Staff and Senior Counselor on October 4, 2017. On November 11, 2018, Democratic leaders from the House and Senate wrote to Mr. Lofthus asking, among other things, whether any ethics officials at the Justice Department have advised Mr. Whitaker to recuse from supervision of the Special Counsel investigation, the basis for that recommendation, [and] all ethics guidance the Department has provided to Mr. Whitaker to date. Compliance with the Ethics in Government Act would have required Mr. Whitaker to file financial disclosures with the Department's designated agency ethics officials on two separate occasions: when he joined the Department in 2017 and again by May 15, 2018. The Department is legally required to have these disclosures certified and made available to public requestors within 30 days of their filing.[1] When the Department finally released Mr. Whitaker's financial disclosures on November 20, 2018, it was revealed that DOJ did not certify these disclosures until after Mr. Whitaker had had the opportunity to revise them on five separate occasions (November 7, 8, 16, 19 and 20 of 2018)nearly six months after the deadline for submission, and only after he had been named as Acting Attorney General.[2] These delays only became apparent after Mr. Whitaker was appointed Acting Attorney General outside the line of succession established under 28 U.S.C. 508. Had that law been followed, Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein, who has been confirmed by the Senate and whose financial disclosures and confidential background information have already been fully vetted by it, would now be serving at the nation's chief law enforcement officer. Instead, that role, which is among the most sensitive and consequential in the federal government, is being filled by someone about whom the Senate, DOJ, and the general public know very little. To date, the Department has not produced prior versions of Mr. Whitaker's financial disclosures, any ethics agreements he entered into with the Department, or any other ethics-related counseling he has receivedall of which have been requested and should be made available. Information we have learned about Mr. Whitaker from DOJ and through media reports demonstrates why your offices must complete a prompt and thorough assessment of Mr. Whitaker's financial, professional, and political conflicts of interest, and make public that assessment, as well as any related recusals, waivers, and authorizations. Former Attorney General Alberto Gonzales has argued this is appropriate for Mr. Whitaker's potential involvement overseeing Special Counsel Robert Mueller's investigation, making the sensible observation that Mr. Whitaker's is not a normal appointment and that public assurances might ease concerns about the president's motives in choosing Whitaker for this important position at this particular moment.[3] Attorney General Gonzales's point is well taken with respect to any issue in Mr. Whitaker's background that may raise concerns under the Ethics in Government Act (5. U.S.C. app. 4 and 5 C.F.R. 2635.501-503), the Hatch Act (5 U.S.C. 1501 et seq.), DOJ rules requiring disqualification because of a prior personal or political relationship (28 C.F.R. 45.2), and applicable bar rules and standards of professional conduct (including Model Rules of Professional Conduct R. 1.11). For example: Since 2015, Mr. Whitaker has received more than $1.2 million in compensation from the Foundation for Accountability and Civic Trust (FACT), a 501(c)(3) organization promoting accountability from public officials.[4] Between 2014 and 2016, FACT received virtually all of its fundingapproximately $2.45 millionfrom a donor-advised fund called DonorsTrust.[5] DonorsTrust has been described as the dark-money ATM for the right, which allows wealthy contributors who want to donate millions to the most important causes on the right to do so anonymously, essentially scrubbing the identity of those underwriting conservative and libertarian organizations.[6] Given Mr. Whitaker's activities at FACT, discussed below, a necessary part of any conflict of interest review by your offices will be to determine the real parties that funded Mr. Whitaker's activities. The tax laws that limit transparency about dark money in IRS filings should not be treated as impediments to obtaining necessary ethics disclosures now that Mr. Whitaker is a public official. The information is not privileged. Mr. Whitaker served as FACT's executive director until joining the Justice Department in 2017. During and after his tenure at FACT, the organization has filed at least fourteen complaints and requests for investigations with the Department of Justice, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), and the Federal Election Commission (FEC) against Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, various Democratic members of Congress, Democratic Party leaders, and Democratic candidates. (See Appendix A for the complete list.) Many of these actions could be or are related to specific matters before DOJ or FBI, and as such raise serious conflict of interest and professional responsibility concerns. From 2015 to 2017, FACT paid America Rising LLC at least $500,000 for research.[7] America Rising describes itself as an opposition research and communications firm whose mission is to help its clients defeat Democrats.[8] FACT also paid $500,000 to Creative Response Concepts, a conservative public relations consulting firm. Creative Response Concepts is perhaps best known for orchestrating the swift boat ads against Democratic presidential nominee John Kerry in 2004.[9] Mr. Whitaker's relationship with these political attack organizations is damaging enough to DOJ's reputation. It also casts serious doubt in the mind of any reasonable person as to his fitness to be impartial overseeing any Criminal Division or Civil Rights Division investigations or prosecutions into voter fraud or suppression.[10] FACT's record of attacking Democratic politicians, its close ties with American Rising, and its funding relationship with DonorsTrust all suggest FACT may have been involved in partisan political activities that violate tax code rules on 501(c)(3) organizations.[11] This casts doubt on Mr. Whitaker's fitness to impartially oversee certain activities of DOJ's Tax Division. During Mr. Whitaker's tenure at FACT, Neil Corkery served on its board of directors. Until 2014, Mr. Corkery also served as the treasurer of the Judicial Crisis Network, a 501(c)(4) organization, and the Judicial Education Project, a 501(c)(3), which together have spent millions of dollars to prevent Chief Judge Merrick Garland from receiving a hearing on his nomination to the Supreme Court and on political campaigns in support of the nominations of Neil Gorsuch and Brett Kavanaugh.[12] Mr. Whitaker's relationship with Mr. Corkery is plainly relevant to determining whether Mr. Whitaker has a conflict of interest, or can be viewed as impartial in overseeing any of DOJ's work vetting and preparing President Trump's nominees to the federal bench. Pursuant to Ethics in Government Act regulations (5 C.F.R. 2635.501-503), an employee should seek advice from an ethics official before participating in any matter in which the employee's impartiality could be questioned, and if a conflict exists, a determination must be made as to whether the interest of the government in the employee's participation outweighs the concern a reasonable person may question the Department's integrity. This determination must be made in writing. We hope that Mr. Whitaker raised the above facts with ethics officials at DOJ and that DOJ has made determinations regarding conflicts of interest and impartiality when Mr. Whitaker was appointed to his former position. If it did not, there should be no greater priority in your offices than to conduct a thorough assessment that at a minimum addresses the facts above. Brian Benczkowski On July 24, 2018, fourteen Senators requested information concerning Mr. Benczkowski's ethics agreement with the Department, the scope of his recusals, any waivers he has been granted, and any other information relevant to the Department's review of Mr. Benczkowski's prior work as it relates to his compliance with the Ethics in Government Act, associated regulations, Department policy, and the Trump Ethics Pledge, Executive Order 13770.[13] On October 18, 2018, Assistant Attorney General Stephen Boyd provided a cover letter and three documents: a February 26, 2018, review of Mr. Benczkowski's financial disclosure report (which had already been made available to the Senate Judiciary Committee), a Certification of Ethics Agreement Compliance (which is available publicly through the Office of Government Ethics (OGE) website), and a signed copy of the Trump Ethics Pledge (also available through OGE). In response to that letter, staff from Senator Whitehouse's office requested two additional pieces of information: A post-confirmation recusal statement documenting Mr. Benczkowski's specific recusal obligations pursuant to 5 C.F.R. 2634.804. Such statements typically list and describe the specific matters or subjects to which the recusal applies, a statement of the method by which the agency will enforce the recusal, and a list of the positions of those agency employees involved in the enforcement. 5 C.F.R. 2634.804(b)(1). These statements are regularly disclosed by other federal agencies upon request. Further information about the notation in section 7(c) of the Certification of Ethics Agreement Compliance, which indicates Mr. Benczkowski received a 502(d) authorization for a former client on August 21, 2018. Section 502(d) authorizations are regularly made public by the White House,[14] though none have been made public since July 16, 2018. After repeated requests at a staff level, today DOJ provided heavily redacted information about Mr. Benczkowski's 502(d) authorization, and no further information about his recusals. As was noted in the Senators' July 24 correspondence with DOJ, the information we have requested does not address speculative or hypothetical concerns. In private practice, Mr. Benczkowski represented Alfa Bank, a member of the Alfa Group Consortium. Three individuals with ownership interests in Alfa Group ConsortiumMikhail Fridman, Pyotr Aven, and German Khanhave been identified to Congress by the United States Department of Treasury as among senior foreign officials and oligarchs in the Russian Federation, as determined by their closeness to the Russian regime and their net worth.[15] A son-in-law of Mr. Khan, Alex Van der Zwaan, pleaded guilty to lying to federal investigators.[16] Mr. Benczkowski's recusal from the Special Counsel investigation does not address his involvement in any of these matters. The impartiality and credibility of DOJ's leadership are of national importance. By conducting thorough and transparent reviews of Mr. Whitaker and Mr. Benczkowski, your offices play a critical role in ensuring compliance with the high standards DOJ officials historically have sought to maintain. To that end, we request the following: Prompt disclosure of all prior versions of Mr. Whitaker's financial disclosures, any ethics agreements he entered into with the Department, and any other ethics-related counseling he has received, including waivers and authorizations. Prompt disclosure of all written ethics instruments governing Mr. Whitaker during his tenure as Chief of Staff and Senior Counselor to the Attorney General. Prompt disclosure of the additional information about Mr. Benczkowski's conflicts of interest described above. Assurances that the issues raised in this letter about Mr. Whitaker's background will be fully examined by career ethics officials. A commitment that all determinations about Mr. Whitaker's conflicts of interest, including any waivers or authorizations he receives, will be made public. We respectfully request a response to this letter not later than December 11, 2018. cc: The Honorable Charles E. Grassley The Honorable Jerrold Nadler Assistant Attorney General Stephen E. Boyd Appendix A In February 2015, Mr. Whitaker, on behalf of FACT, filed a complaint with the FEC alleging a Democratic data firm made illegal contributions to the Democratic Party and various democratic committees.[17] In March 2015, Mr. Whitaker, on behalf of FACT, wrote a letter to Attorney General Holder requesting the Attorney General's office initiate an action to recover all of Secretary Clinton's email correspondence from her private account during the time she served as Secretary of State.[18] In April 2015, Mr. Whitaker, on behalf of FACT, wrote to Attorney General Holder requesting that he initiate an investigation into Sidney Blumenthal for failing to register under the Foreign Agents Registration Act.[19] In April 2015, Mr. Whitaker, on behalf of FACT, filed a complaint with the FEC against Secretary of State Clinton, alleging that she was conducting campaign activities before officially announcing her candidacy.[20] FACT filed a supplemental complaint in June 2015.[21] In May 2015, Mr. Whitaker, on behalf of FACT, filed complaints with the FEC against the NextGen Climate Action Committee and the Correct the Record PAC, alleging illegal contributions and improper coordination.[22] In October 2015, FACT filed a complaint with the Internal Revenue Service against the Clinton Foundation for payments it made to the 2008 Clinton campaign.[23] In December 2015 and January 2016, Mr. Whitaker, on behalf of FACT, filed a complaint with the Office of Government Ethics alleging that Secretary of State Hillary Clinton gave a private company improper access to the State Department based on her personal relationship with the company.[24] In January 2016, Mr. Whitaker called for a special counsel to investigate Secretary of State Hillary Clinton's emails.[25] In October 2016, Mr. Whitaker, on behalf of FACT, filed an FEC complaint against the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee alleging illegal contributions to the Clinton Campaign and to other Democratic congressional candidates.[26] In April 2017, Mr. Whitaker, on behalf of FACT, wrote a letter to Democratic Congressman Joaquin Castro, calling on him to recuse himself from the U.S. House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence Russian Active Measures investigation for comments made during a television interview.[27] In August 2017, Mr. Whitaker, on behalf of FACT, filed a complaint with the FEC alleging the Democratic National Committee solicited and accepted illegal contributions from the government of the Ukraine.[28] In April 2018, FACT filed a complaint with the Office of Government Ethics and the Office of the Inspector General of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) against then-CFPB Deputy Director Leandra English, alleging Ms. English misused government funds to bring a lawsuit against President Trump and purported CFPB acting Director Mick Mulvaney.[29] In September 2018, FACT asked DOJ to investigate three outside political groups for allegedly illegally running a crowdfunding website meant to bribe Senator Susan Collins (R-Maine) over her upcoming vote on the confirmation of United States Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh.[30] During and after Mr. Whitaker's tenure at FACT, FACT is on record stating it has filed numerous complaints with the FEC and congressional ethics committees regarding various Democratic Senators, members of Congress, federal candidates, and Democratic Party officials alleging campaign finance violations. [31] ### [1] 5 U.S.C. app. 105(b)(1). [2] Public Financial Disclosure Report for Matthew Whitaker, OGE Form 278e (Nov. 20, 2018). This delay echoes concerns with DOJ's ethics review process that have been raised previously, including as recently as in 2017, when the Office of Government Ethics' review of DOJ's ethics program found that, among other deficiencies, only 45 percent of public financial disclosure reports were being certified in a timely manner and specifically recommended that this be corrected. See Office of Government Ethics, Ethics Program Review: Department of Justice (Sept. 2017). [7] Robert O'Harrow Jr., supra note 4. [15] Report to Congress Pursuant to Section 241 of the Countering America's Adversaries Through Sanctions Act of 2017 Regarding Senior Foreign Political Figures and Oligarchs in the Russian Federation and Russian Parastatal Entities, January 29, 2018. [16] The Special Counsel referenced Mr. Khan in his sentencing memorandum for Mr. Van der Zwaan: Van der Zwaan is a person of ample financial meansboth personally and through his father-in-law, a prominent Russian oligarch, who has paid substantial sums to the defendant and his wife. He can pay any fine imposed. Government's Sentencing Memorandum, Crim. No. 18-31 (D.D.C) filed Mar. 27, 2018. [24] Letter from Matthew Whitaker, Executive Director, FACT, to Walter M. Schaub, Director, U.S. Office of Government Ethics (Dec. 11, 2015), available at https://docs.wixstatic.com/ugd/65db76_058c199460714689b1679e22d380b6b3.pdf; Letter from Matthew Whitaker, Executive Director, FACT, to Walter M. Schaub, Director, U.S. Office of Government Ethics (Jan. 8, 2016), available at https://docs.wixstatic.com/ugd/65db76_6bf1f2c904d24632b505bd676cbf0884.pdf. [31]E.g., Letter from Matthew Whitaker, Executive Director, FACT, to Federal Election Commission (May 31, 2016), available at https://docs.wixstatic.com/ugd/65db76_309348f96edf43aeabac981cfdad2eca.pdf; Press Release, FACT, FACT Files FEC Complaint Against Congressional Candidate Michael Eggman (July 27, 2016), available at https://www.factdc.org/single-post/2016/07/27/FACT-Files-FEC-Complaint-Against-Congressional-Candidate-Michael-Eggman; Press Release, FACT, FACT Files Complaint Against McCaskill After McCaskill Brags About Her Own Election Law Violation (Aug. 14, 2015), available at https://www.factdc.org/single-post/2015/08/14/FACT-Files-Complaint-Against-McCaskill-After-McCaskill-Brags-About-Her-Own-Election-Law-Violation; Press Release, FACT, FACT Calls for FEC Investigation into Katie McGinty's Campaign (Aug. 9, 2016), available at https://www.factdc.org/single-post/2016/08/09/FACT-Files-FEC-Complaint-Against-Senate-Candidate-Katie-McGinty; Letter and Complaint from Kendra Arnold, Executive Director, FACT, to Federal Election Commission (Oct. 16, 2017), available at https://docs.wixstatic.com/ugd/65db76_997c51a31dcf4ade93a0ce564f696008.pdf; Press Release, FACT, FACT Calls for Probe of Joe Manchin (Feb. 6, 2018), available at https://www.factdc.org/single-post/2018/02/06/FACT-Calls-for-Probe-of-Joe-Manchin. Press Contact David Carle: 202-224-3693",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.sanders.senate.gov/newsroom/video-audio/american-womans-medication-costs-10-of-us-price-in-spain,American Woman's Medication Costs 10% of US Price in Spain,2018-12-04,2018,2018-12,Independent,House,VT,Bernard Sanders,S000033,www.sanders.senate.gov,,,legacy,"American Woman's Medication Costs 10% of US Price in Spain This woman got her medication in Spain for just 10% of its cost in the U.S. It's time we pass meaningful legislation to stop letting pharma rip us off. See Video on YouTube Tweet Copy Link",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.sanders.senate.gov/newsroom/video-audio/fox-analyst-makes-the-case-for-holding-corporations-accountable,Fox Analyst Makes the Case For Holding Corporations Accountable,2018-12-04,2018,2018-12,Independent,House,VT,Bernard Sanders,S000033,www.sanders.senate.gov,,,legacy,"Fox Analyst Makes the Case For Holding Corporations Accountable Even this Fox News analyst understands that there is something wrong when large corporations like General Motors can fire thousands of American workers while making billions in profits.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.sanders.senate.gov/newsroom/video-audio/fox-news-anchor-tired-of-gop-lies-on-climate,Fox News Anchor Tired of GOP Lies on Climate,2018-12-04,2018,2018-12,Independent,House,VT,Bernard Sanders,S000033,www.sanders.senate.gov,,,legacy,"Fox News Anchor Tired of GOP Lies on Climate This Fox News anchor is sick and tired of Trump and Republicans lying about climate change. See Video on YouTube Tweet Copy Link",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.sanders.senate.gov/newsroom/video-audio/her-mother-died-of-a-self-induced-abortion,Her Mother Died of a Self Induced Abortion,2018-12-04,2018,2018-12,Independent,House,VT,Bernard Sanders,S000033,www.sanders.senate.gov,,,legacy,"Her Mother Died of a Self Induced Abortion This woman's mother died of a self-induced abortion in 1944, when abortions were strictly criminal. We are not going back to the days when women did not have a right to control their own bodies.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.sanders.senate.gov/newsroom/video-audio/international-solutions-to-climate-change,International Solutions to Climate Change,2018-12-04,2018,2018-12,Independent,House,VT,Bernard Sanders,S000033,www.sanders.senate.gov,,,legacy,,0,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.sanders.senate.gov/newsroom/video-audio/puerto-rico-is-dealing-with-the-impacts-of-climate-change,Puerto Rico Is Dealing with the Impacts of Climate Change,2018-12-04,2018,2018-12,Independent,House,VT,Bernard Sanders,S000033,www.sanders.senate.gov,,,legacy,,0,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.sanders.senate.gov/newsroom/video-audio/sea-level-rise-is-impacting-miami-residents,Sea Level Rise Is Impacting Miami Residents,2018-12-04,2018,2018-12,Independent,House,VT,Bernard Sanders,S000033,www.sanders.senate.gov,,,legacy,,0,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.sanders.senate.gov/newsroom/video-audio/solving-our-climate-crisis,Solving Our Climate Crisis,2018-12-04,2018,2018-12,Independent,House,VT,Bernard Sanders,S000033,www.sanders.senate.gov,,,legacy,,0,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.sanders.senate.gov/newsroom/video-audio/the-impact-of-oil-drilling-in-the-arctic,The Impact of Oil Drilling in the Arctic,2018-12-04,2018,2018-12,Independent,House,VT,Bernard Sanders,S000033,www.sanders.senate.gov,,,legacy,,0,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.sanders.senate.gov/newsroom/video-audio/trump-using-tear-gas-on-children-at-the-border,Trump Using Tear Gas on Children at the Border,2018-12-04,2018,2018-12,Independent,House,VT,Bernard Sanders,S000033,www.sanders.senate.gov,,,legacy,"Trump Using Tear Gas on Children at the Border The situation at the border right now is tragic. More than ever it is clear that we need to finally deal with immigration in a comprehensive way. Trump is on the wrong side of history. See Video on YouTube Tweet Copy Link",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.sanders.senate.gov/newsroom/video-audio/we-must-move-toward-comprehensive-immigration-reform,We Must Move Toward Comprehensive Immigration Reform,2018-12-04,2018,2018-12,Independent,House,VT,Bernard Sanders,S000033,www.sanders.senate.gov,,,legacy,"We Must Move Toward Comprehensive Immigration Reform We don't need a wall and we don't need barbed wire. We do not need to break families apart. What we need is immigration reform that takes 11 million undocumented people living in the United States out of the shadows and puts them on a path toward citizenship.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.sanders.senate.gov/newsroom/video-audio/climate-change-town-hall,Climate Change Town Hall,2018-12-03,2018,2018-12,Independent,House,VT,Bernard Sanders,S000033,www.sanders.senate.gov,,,legacy,"Climate Change Town Hall Sen. Bernie Sanders hosts a national town hall on the global threat of climate change and the solutions that can protect the planet from devastation and create tens of millions of good-paying jobs. Sanders will be joined by 350.org founder and author Bill McKibben; actress, activist and Our Revolution board member Shailene Woodley; CNN host and author Van Jones; Earth Guardians Youth Director Xiuhtezcatl Martinez; Congresswoman-Elect Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez; Union of Concerned Scientists Director of Climate Science Dr. Brenda Ekwurzel; Dr. Camilla Bausch, President of Ecologic Institute; and Dale Ross, mayor of Georgetown, Texas.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.sanders.senate.gov/newsroom/must-read/failure-of-loan-forgiveness-program-hurts-vermont-workers,Failure of loan forgiveness program hurts Vermont workers,2018-12-02,2018,2018-12,Independent,House,VT,Bernard Sanders,S000033,www.sanders.senate.gov,,,legacy,"Failure of loan forgiveness program hurts Vermont workers By: Lola Duffort Vt Digger Sunday, December 2, 2018 A dysfunctional federal loan forgiveness program is throwing a wrench in the long-term financial planning of workers in Vermont, where the government and nonprofit sectors together employ roughly a third of the state's workforce. In 2007, Congress created a program intended to wipe out the federal student debt of qualified public servants who made 10 years of on-time, monthly payments. But the program has been beset by administrative problems. More than 28,000 workers in the United States applied for the program. Just 96 people nationwide have had their loans actually wiped clean, according to the New York Times. The Public Service Loan Forgiveness program was created to address the rising cost of education and encourage graduates to take lower-paying jobs in government or nonprofits. A decade later, the first cohort of people who were eligible in theory at least to have their loans forgiven applied to do so. A subsequent Government Accountability Office report pinned the dismal forgiveness rate on administrative failings with the private loan servicers who process most federal students loans, and at the U.S. Department of Education, which the GAO said had never given clear guidance to loan servicers about the program's rules. The program is the subject of at least three lawsuits, including in Massachusetts, where Attorney General Maura Healey has sued FedLoan Servicing, which does the bulk of the servicing for PSLF-eligible loans, for deceptive practices. It's unknown how many in the Green Mountain State are enrolled in the program. A spokesperson for the U.S. Department of Education said no data was available. But tens of thousands of Vermonters work in eligible jobs. Nonprofits play an outsized role in Vermont's economy, and employ, by one estimate, one out of seven Vermont workers. And federal, state, and local government positions together represent one out of six jobs in the state, according to Department of Labor data. Sarah Kulig, an art therapist at Centerpoint Adolescent Treatment Services in South Burlington, has been making monthly payments through the Public Service Loan Forgiveness since at least 2014, she said. But FedLoan has told her that she is only qualified for about a year's worth of payments. A common problem reported by Public Service Loan Forgiveness participants is that borrowers can be penalized for making extra payments. An additional payment can put a borrower in paid-ahead status, which changes the way payments are recorded. Kulig has said that a series of her own payments were disqualified after she made an extra deposit, but that FedLoan, her servicer, has also told her that at least five months of payments she's certain she made didn't happen. She's asked FedLoan to review her account and send her an explanation. They've assured her they will, Kulig said but that was 11 months ago. In general, she said she'd found it extraordinarily difficult to get information about the status of her payments. You have a master's degree and you hold a job that's kind of complicated. Why is this so hard? she said. Grace Pazdan, a consumer-rights attorney working for Vermont Legal Aid, called her own experience with the Public Service Loan Forgiveness program Kafkaesque. She was told by FedLoan a series of payments weren't qualifying because she'd underpaid by one cent, despite the fact that the loan servicer had calculated her monthly payment. Rep. Peter Welch hears from Leahn Bass about student debt. Bass has about $20,000 in federal student loans. If you had told me to pay an extra cent I would have paid it! she said. And Laurie Smith, who works at Local Motion in Burlington, said she lost about a year's worth of qualifying payments after she sent in an income-verification form late while going through a divorce. And Smith said she'd found it nearly impossible to get straight answers about the status of her repayment plan. At some point the dishes need to get done. You can't invest that time banging your head against the wall trying to get answers. It gets exhausting, she said. Smith said she'd decided to get a second associate's degree specifically because of the Public Service Loan Forgiveness program. If her loans aren't forgiven, she said the results would be catastrophic financially, she said. Enough Vermonters have complained to the state's congressional delegation about the Public Service Loan Forgiveness program that Rep. Peter Welch, D-Vt., held a forum on the program this summer, before the federal government's reports on forgiveness rates came out. And Welch, along with Sens. Patrick Leahy, D-Vt., and Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., in October all signed onto a letter sent jointly by over 150 Democratic members of Congress to U.S. Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos about the program. The letter excoriated the Education Department for mishandling the program, reducing oversight of loan servicers, and ignoring mounting warning signs about dysfunction within the Public Service Loan Forgiveness program. It also asked the department to release detailed data about the program's implementation by Nov. 27. Spokesmen for Leahy and Sanders both said Thursday two days after the Nov. 27 deadline that the Senators had received no reply from DeVos. A Department spokesperson did not respond to questions sent by VTDigger. We're not getting from the Trump administration anything but resistance to making this thing work administratively. And it's clear that Betsy DeVos is hostile to this, Welch said in an interview earlier this month. The Vermont Student Assistance Corporation routinely gets calls about the Public Service Loan Forgiveness, according to CEO Scott Giles. VSAC provides student loans and financial counseling for Vermont students, but it no longer services federal loans. Even though VSAC is no longer a federal loan servicer, Giles said, the company will provide counseling to any Vermonter with a student loan question or problem. Given the complexity of the system as it was set up, and candidly the lack of priority that the Department of Education gave this it's unfortunately not surprising to me that people weren't being given the advice to successfully participate in this program, Giles said. VSAC stopped servicing federal Direct Loans in 2016 because of how the department structured its payments to servicers, Giles said. Complicated repayment programs like the Public Service Loan Forgiveness typically required 20 to 30 minute conversations with borrowers, since basic eligibility requirements are complicated. Borrowers need to have the right kind of employer, have consolidated their loans into the right kind of federal loan, and be enrolled in the right repayment plan. If student loan servicing is a problem in general, Giles said, it's in large part because the Department of Education's way of paying back servicers prioritizes quantity not quality. The compensation model they were providing to the servicers required you to get your average call time down well under 5 minutes, he said.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.leahy.senate.gov/press/comments-of-senator-patrick-leahy-d-vt-on-the-passing-of-former-president-george-hw-bush,Comments Of Senator Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) On The Passing Of Former President George H.W. Bush,2018-12-01,2018,2018-12,Democrat,House,VT,Patrick Leahy,L000174,www.leahy.senate.gov,,,legacy,"12.01.18 Comments Of Senator Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) On The Passing Of Former President George H.W. Bush He was the last President of the Greatest Generation, and he leaves a lasting legacy of true and meaningful public service. While we had our share of differences over policy, his decency, his civility and his humility have never been a more important example to the nation than they are today. He skillfully steered our country after the collapse of the Soviet Union. His legacy includes working with many of us in enacting the Americans With Disabilities Act, a far-reaching civil rights achievement that has and will enrich the lives of millions of Americans, and the nation. I worked with him on a breakthrough in U.S.-Vietnam relations that involved assisting landmine victims through the Leahy War Victims Fund. But I came to know him best years earlier. My clearest insights into his character and his personality including his sense of humor came from our many interactions when he was President of the Senate, as Vice President, as Marcelle and I enjoyed getting to know George and Barbara. Those are fond and lasting memories that will always be with us. We extend our heartfelt condolences to the Bush family. 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/113018cacerestrialverdict,Reaction Of Senator Patrick Leahy To The Verdicts In The First Berta Caceres Murder Trial,2018-11-30,2018,2018-11,Democrat,House,VT,Patrick Leahy,L000174,www.leahy.senate.gov,,,legacy,"11.30.18 Reaction Of Senator Patrick Leahy To The Verdicts In The First Berta Caceres Murder Trial Berta Caceres, a widely known and respected Honduran indigenous environmental activist, was disparaged, threatened, targeted, and ultimately murdered in her home by assassins more than two and a half years ago. Since then, we have witnessed an attempted cover-up by the Honduran police, an investigation fraught with irregularities, including reports of cell phone and ballistics evidence not analyzed, and a trial laden with delays involving eight defendants who almost certainly do not include the intellectual authors of this despicable crime. The murder of Berta Caceres was one of scores of killings of Honduran environmental and social activists and journalists in recent years. No one has been prosecuted or punished for any of those crimes or countless others in a country where corruption seems to permeate practically every crevice of society and government. These verdicts in the Caceres case, in which seven of the defendants were convicted and top officials of the hydroelectric company DESA were implicated, is one step, but only one step. Only when all those responsible are held to account those who conceived of the crime and gave the orders, those who paid the assassins, and those who participated in the cover-up will justice have been served for Berta Caceres. 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/113018mbsargentinainvestigation,Statement Of Senator Patrick Leahy On The Probe In Argentina Of Mohammed bin Salman,2018-11-30,2018,2018-11,Democrat,House,VT,Patrick Leahy,L000174,www.leahy.senate.gov,,,legacy,"11.30.18 Statement Of Senator Patrick Leahy On The Probe In Argentina Of Mohammed bin Salman The ongoing probe by Argentine authorities into the criminal responsibility of Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman for alleged war crimes in Yemen and the torture of Saudi citizens sends a powerful message to victims that justice is possible, and that those responsible for the gravest crimes may eventually be held accountable. On November 26th, Human Rights Watch filed a petition before an Argentine federal prosecutor with information on several cases of Saudi citizens tortured in government custody and violations of international humanitarian law in Yemen, including indiscriminate and disproportionate airstrikes that have killed thousands of civilians and maintaining a naval and air blockade that has contributed to the world's worst humanitarian crisis. An estimated 85,000 children have already starved to death or died in airstrikes, and according to the United Nations, millions of Yemenis face starvation. The petition also includes information on the horrific, premeditated murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi by Saudi agents at the Saudi consulate in Istanbul. Argentine judicial authorities have requested information from foreign governments on ongoing investigations elsewhere, and from Argentina's foreign ministry on Mohammed bin Salman's diplomatic status in Argentina. The White House should provide any relevant information. I hope the Argentine judicial authorities move forward expeditiously with their investigation, and that world leaders gathering in Buenos Aires today for the G-20 Summit discuss these serious issues, including the Crown Prince's alleged responsibility for these egregious crimes. Press Contact David Carle: 202-224-3693 Previous Article",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.sanders.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/sanders-statement-on-nafta-replacement,Sanders Statement on NAFTA Replacement,2018-11-30,2018,2018-11,Independent,House,VT,Bernard Sanders,S000033,www.sanders.senate.gov,,,legacy,"Sanders Statement on NAFTA Replacement Friday, November 30, 2018 BURLINGTON, Vt., Nov. 30 U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) released the following statement Friday after President Donald Trump signed a revised North American trade pact: ""As someone who not only voted against NAFTA, but walked on the picket lines against it, there is no question that this unfettered trade deal needs to be fundamentally rewritten. In my view, a re-negotiated NAFTA must stop the outsourcing of U.S. jobs, end the destructive race to the bottom, protect the environment, and lower the outrageously high price of prescription drugs. Clearly, Trump's NAFTA 2.0 does not meet these standards and I will strongly oppose it in its current form. Unless strong enforcement mechanisms are written into the text of this agreement, corporations will continue to ship U.S. jobs to Mexico where workers are paid as little as $2 an hour. ""Further, this deal includes some outrageous giveaways to the fossil fuel industry and big pharmaceutical companies that will harm the environment and increase prices for life-saving prescription drugs. Before this deal is sent to Congress for a vote it must include strong enforcement mechanisms to increase jobs and wages and all of the riders that benefit big fossil fuel polluters and pharmaceutical companies must be taken out of it. Trade is a good thing but it has got to be fair.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.sanders.senate.gov/newsroom/recent-business/sanders-statement-on-nafta-replacement-,Sanders Statement on NAFTA Replacement,2018-11-30,2018,2018-11,Independent,House,VT,Bernard Sanders,S000033,www.sanders.senate.gov,,,legacy,"Sanders Statement on NAFTA Replacement Friday, November 30, 2018 BURLINGTON, Vt., Nov. 30 U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) released the following statement Friday after President Donald Trump signed a revised North American trade pact: ""As someone who not only voted against NAFTA, but walked on the picket lines against it, there is no question that this unfettered trade deal needs to be fundamentally rewritten. In my view, a re-negotiated NAFTA must stop the outsourcing of U.S. jobs, end the destructive race to the bottom, protect the environment, and lower the outrageously high price of prescription drugs. Clearly, Trump's NAFTA 2.0 does not meet these standards and I will strongly oppose it in its current form. Unless strong enforcement mechanisms are written into the text of this agreement, corporations will continue to ship U.S. jobs to Mexico where workers are paid as little as $2 an hour. ""Further, this deal includes some outrageous giveaways to the fossil fuel industry and big pharmaceutical companies that will harm the environment and increase prices for life-saving prescription drugs. Before this deal is sent to Congress for a vote it must include strong enforcement mechanisms to increase jobs and wages and all of the riders that benefit big fossil fuel polluters and pharmaceutical companies must be taken out of it. Trade is a good thing but it has got to be fair.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://welch.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/welch-introduces-bipartisan-legislation-improve-recreational-trails,Welch Introduces Bipartisan Legislation to Improve the Recreational Trails Program,2018-11-29,2018,2018-11,Democrat,House,VT,Peter Welch,W000800,welch.house.gov,,,legacy,"WASHINGTON Rep. Peter Welch (D-Vt.) and Rep. Mike Simpson (R-Idaho) today introduced bipartisan legislation to improve the Recreational Trails Program (RTP) by increasing the transparency and ensuring the accountability of its funding program. Since 1991, the Recreational Trails Program has provided funding to states to develop and maintain outdoor recreational trails, allowing millions of Americans and their families to enjoy activities such as hiking, bicycling, cross-country skiing, snowmobiling and 4-wheel driving. The RTP Full Funding Actwhich is supported by recreational groups from snowmobilers to cyclists and hikers to off-highway power sport vehicle groupswill ensure that federal funds collected for this program are maximized to support more trail projects in the future. Vermont has unparalleled natural beauty that provides Vermonters and tourists year-round opportunities to enjoy the great outdoors by trail, said Welch. By prioritizing funding for the Recreational Trail Program, this bipartisan legislation will ensure that future generations of Vermonters can explore and appreciate the great outdoors for many years to come. The RTP Full Funding Act will increase the accuracy and transparency of RTP funding by: Requiring a study to determine the total amount of funds collected; Improving reporting on expenditures from the RTP to improve accountability and oversight; and Streamlining RTP funding distribution to the states by reducing unnecessary paperwork. The legislation was introduced in the Senate by Senators Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), James Risch (R-Idaho), Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.), and Richard Burr (R-N.C.). ###",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.leahy.senate.gov/press/112918defendingpressfreedom,"Senate Floor Address Of Sen. Patrick Leahy, On Threats To Journalists, And Defending Press Freedom",2018-11-29,2018,2018-11,Democrat,House,VT,Patrick Leahy,L000174,www.leahy.senate.gov,,,legacy,"11.29.18 Senate Floor Address Of Sen. Patrick Leahy, On Threats To Journalists, And Defending Press Freedom Mr. President, in the 44 years I have served in the United States Senate I have never been more concerned about the state of press freedom around the world including, I deeply regret to say, in our own country. The pre-meditated murder and dismemberment of Jamal Khashoggi by Saudi authorities, and their transparent attempt to cover it up, have shocked the consciences of people everywhere. Yesterday, by voting to discharge Senate Joint Resolution 54, the Senate showed that the Saudi royal family needs to hold accountable all those responsible for that horrific crime if it wants to salvage relations with the United States. Just a few days after Mr. Khashoggi's murder, the body of Bulgarian journalist Viktoria Marinova was discovered, and preliminary investigations suggest she was raped, beaten, and strangled. She had spent the past year reporting on corruption. At least 43 journalists have been killed for their work so far in 2018, according to the Committee to Protect Journalists. Fifteen other journalists have also been killed, although their deaths have not at least not yet been officially linked to their work. According to data compiled by Freedom House, the muzzling of journalists and independent news media is at its worst point in 13 years. Similarly, according to the Committee to Protect Journalists, the number of reporters jailed for their work is at a level not seen since the 1990s. Strongmen around the world are cracking down with impunity. Perhaps we should not be surprised. At home, President Trump regularly demonizes the news media as the enemy of the people, hoping that his acidic outbursts and threats will dissuade journalists from accurately reporting on his administration. With the eyes of the world upon him, he makes a mockery of the entire notion of an independent press, branding all who challenge him as liars or worse, while holding hands with those willing to sing his praises. He even went so far as to rescind the credentials of one reporter who persisted in asking questions the President didn't like something I don't recall ever witnessing before. A few days ago he publicly denigrated the decorated, retired U.S. admiral who led the raid that killed Osama bin Laden, and who had criticized the President's attacks against the press as a grave threat to our democracy, which it is. As Americans who cherish the First Amendment, and who rely on a free press for sustaining our democratic form of government, we should be appalled. The words of a President matter. They always have. This President's rhetoric gives comfort to autocrats the world over who are emboldened to clamp down on dissent, confident that they have a powerful defender in the White House. We have seen despots quote our President about this. We have seen countries pass laws outlawing so-called fake news, which their leaders use to justify dismissing and castigating reporting with which they disagree, and to persecute political opponents. We should fear the day when a free press is seen as unimportant, or a luxury as something no longer synonymous with this country and our values. We must, all of us, recommit ourselves to defending press freedom and elevating and celebrating our free press as one of the cornerstones of our democracy. In this challenging time for press freedom around the world, the Committee to Protect Journalists honored four exceptional journalists at the 2018 International Press Freedom Awards in New York City. I want to briefly share the accomplishments of each of these talented and courageous individuals. Amal Khalifa Idris Habbani is the co-founder of the Sudanese Journalists Network, which has covered protests and official wrongdoing in Sudan, whose leader President al-Bashir has been indicted by the International Criminal Court. Because of her reporting she has been harassed, detained, and physically abused by Sudanese authorities. Still, she continues to do her job at great personal peril. Anastasiya Stanko is an independent broadcast journalist who was taken hostage by an armed group while reporting on the conflict in eastern Ukraine. Since her release, she has continued to risk her safety by reporting on the war and on other human rights violations by Ukraine's Security Service in conflict-torn areas. Luz Mely Reyes is an investigative reporter who founded an independent news website to bring attention to the political situation in her country of Venezuela. In 2017, while covering protests against President Nicolas Maduro, members of her team were attacked and threatened. She continued her work unabated and has since emerged as one of Venezuela's most recognizable champions for independent journalism. Nguyen Ngoc Nhu Quynh, one of Vietnam's most prominent independent bloggers, has devotedher life to calling attention to human rights violations in Vietnam. In October 2016, she was sentenced to 10 years in prison on charges of propagandizing against the state. After her health began to deteriorate, she was released from prison but only on condition of exile. We often speak out about the abuses of repressive governments around the world. We must also speak out against the increasing attempts to demean and intimidate the press here at home. The lives of these four brave individuals should remind us of what is at stake, of the slippery slope we are on, and to stand up for what is right even when our President will not. Press Contact David Carle: 202-224-3693",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.leahy.senate.gov/press/112918sjres54,"Full Congressional Record Statement Thursday Of Sen. Patrick Leahy, On The Senate Resolution On Yemen And Saudi Arabia",2018-11-29,2018,2018-11,Democrat,House,VT,Patrick Leahy,L000174,www.leahy.senate.gov,,,legacy,"11.29.18 Full Congressional Record Statement Thursday Of Sen. Patrick Leahy, On The Senate Resolution On Yemen And Saudi Arabia Mr. President, I hope the Saudi royal family was paying attention to yesterday's debate in the United States Senate. The bipartisan vote on Senate Joint Resolution 54, introduced by Senators Bernie Sanders, Mike Lee, and Chris Murphy, of which I am a cosponsor, was significant for multiple reasons, but most of all for what it says about the potency of the outrage and disgust in this country and in the Congress about the conduct of Mohammed bin Salman, the Saudi Crown Prince. That outrage has been building over time, as the number of civilian casualties since Saudi Arabia's intervention and ongoing aerial bombardment of Yemen one of the world's poorest countries has swollen into the thousands. We have all seen the photographs of the dead and dying, and of children who are just skin and bones. It is said that 85,000 children already have starved to death. The United Nations warns that 13 million Yemeni civilians could starve to death by the end of this year, if the war does not end. Of course, the Houthis and their Iranian benefactors share much of the blame for the death and destruction in Yemen. But we are not supporting them. Rather, until recently we were providing aerial refueling for the Saudi warplanes, and we continue to provide the Saudis with intelligence and targeting assistance. As if the kidnapping of Lebanese Prime Minister Hariri, the blockade of Qatar, the imprisonment of women's rights activists, and the carnage in Yemen were not enough, the outrage toward the Crown Prince finally boiled over with the horrific, premeditated murder of Jamal Khashoggi, a respected journalist, Saudi citizen, and American resident, who had criticized the royal family. Mr. Khashoggi's murder and dismemberment by Saudi government agents at the Saudi consulate in Istanbul triggered an international outcry, and it exposed the depth of depravity of the Saudi royal family. That an ally of the United States would so brazenly commit such a crime, and then so blatantly attempt to cover it up, speaks volumes. After a string of lies by the Saudi authorities, it is only due to the Turkish government and independent investigative journalists that we know that Mr. Khashoggi was murdered a crime punishable by death in Saudi Arabia and many other countries. In fact, far lesser crimes even some nonviolent crimes are punishable by death in Saudi Arabia. While we owe thanks to the Turkish government for exposing the facts about Mr. Khashoggi's case, we cannot ignore that Turkey's President Erdogan is also responsible for widespread repression, including the arbitrary arrests and imprisonment of journalists, civil servants, and thousands of other critics who have been convicted and locked away after unfair trials. Torture is rampant in Turkey's jails, as it is in Saudi Arabia. We know that multiple Saudi officials, including the Foreign Minister, Minister of Interior, Ambassador to the United States, and others all members of the royal family lied to the world, including on international television, repeatedly changing their story about what happened to Mr. Khashoggi. Perhaps most revealing was how cavalierly and shamelessly they lied, clearly assuming that their lies would be accepted at face value. According to press reports the impulsive Crown Prince, while disclaiming any involvement in or knowledge of the crime, shortly after Mr. Khashoggi's disappearance referred to him as a dangerous jihadist, which was also false. The Saudis have yet to say what happened to Khashoggi's remains, except that they were turned over to a local collaborator. Who and where is that person? What more are they hiding? Reports indicate that the Saudis sent a team to Istanbul to destroy evidence of the crime, during the very period when the White House and State Department were insisting that the Saudi government deserved more time to determine the facts. Instead, the Saudis were trying to cover their tracks. There is every reason to believe that the Saudi royal family is still lying about who was involved. We also know that before murdering Mr. Khashoggi, the Saudi government has had a long history of abducting, imprisoning, and executing dissidents and others after sham trials in violation of international law. In the United States, the media's attention, for a time, was diverted by President Trump's racist rants about a so-called migrant invasion, his made up claims of voter fraud, his partisan lies about Democrats, his steady stream of vitriolic and divisive rhetoric that has incited others to violence here and abroad, pre-midterm election frenzy, and now its aftermath. I mention this because for the past few weeks, the murder of Mr. Khashoggi had been eclipsed by other headlines. No longer. The vote on Senate Joint Resolution 54 is the Senate's initial answer to the Saudi royal family, and to the Trump Administration. This crime, on top of everything else, was so wicked, so repulsive, that no amount of money, no amount of oil, and no amount of lies can obscure it. The Trump Administration lobbied hard against the Resolution, warning that despite the Saudi royal family's many transgressions the U.S.-Saudi relationship is too important to risk. No one is seeking to sever relations with Saudi Arabia. But far more important is that the United States stands for the truth, for justice, for the laws of war, and that we don't stand by when top officials of another government, whether ally or adversary, conspire to murder a journalist or dissident and lie about it. As of today, the Saudi authorities continue to ignore appeals to reveal what happened to Khashoggi's remains. And after so many lies, they insist that the 18 men under arrest are the only ones involved in Mr. Khashoggi's murder. No one who knows anything about the Saudi royal family, which controls the Saudi government with an iron fist, believes that. President Trump, who has been loath to say anything that might implicate the Saudi royal family, at one point said there would be very severe consequences if investigations conclude that the Saudis are responsible. Since then, even as it has become obvious that the Saudis including the Crown Prince are responsible, he has said nothing further about what those consequences would be. To the contrary, he said maybe he was, maybe he wasn't, but either way it doesn't matter to President Trump. Secretary Pompeo has said that Saudi Arabia has made a serious commitment to hold senior leaders and officials accountable for the murder of Mr. Khashoggi. Yet so far, no senior Saudi leader or official has been arrested, and the Saudis appear to have rejected the Turkish government's demand that the 18 individuals who have been arrested be turned over to face justice where the crime occurred. According to press reports, the conclusion of U.S. intelligence experts is that such a heinous, premeditated crime by Saudi agents inside the Saudi consulate could not have taken place without the Crown Prince's knowledge and support. Does anyone seriously believe otherwise? Yet yesterday, the CIA Director was barred by the White House from meeting with Senators to answer questions about this. Knowing what we do about this White House, the inescapable conclusion is that whatever she would have told us would have contradicted the President's defense of the Saudi government. Despite all the Saudis' phony denials, the President appears disposed to ignore his own intelligence experts and rely instead on the Saudi royal family to investigate itself. Why? To protect billions of dollars in contracts for U.S. weapons purchased by the Saudis for use in Yemen. The White House has apparently concluded that Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman will ride out this storm and remain in power for years to come. Journalists the world over face unprecedented dangers. Those who criticize corrupt, repressive governments do so at great risk to their own safety and the safety of their families. They are regularly the targets of harassment, threats, and assassination for nothing more than doing their job. 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 the United States, if we are willing to accept that? Yesterday, the vote on Senate Joint Resolution 54 showed that we do not and will not accept it. If the Saudi royal family hopes to salvage its tattered reputation and relations with the United States, it will need to take far more decisive action to end the mayhem in Yemen and bring to justice all those responsible for murdering Jamal Khashoggi. 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-statement-house-speaker-vote,Welch Statement on House Speaker Vote,2018-11-28,2018,2018-11,Democrat,House,VT,Peter Welch,W000800,welch.house.gov,,,legacy,"Rep. Peter Welch (D-Vt.) issued the following statement concerning his vote for Speaker of the House of Representatives for the 116th Congress: Earlier this month, the American people voted overwhelmingly to entrust Democrats with the responsibility of governing the House of Representatives. After eight years of Republican rule, the institution is broken, dysfunctional, and incapable of solving the many challenges facing our country. Under Republican leadership, major legislation from tax reform to health care was too often writtenby lobbyists behind closed doors in the Speaker's office.Committees were denied the right to hold public hearings, and members were given no time to read billslet alone amend them. Last year, in the Energy and Commerce Committee on which I serve, the majority's comprehensive health care reform bill would have drastically changed the way health care is delivered in this country had it become law.Yet it was written in secret and rammed through the committee during an all-night marathon meeting and with no public hearings. This hijacking and perversion of the legislative process cannot stand if we are to deliver real results for the American people. In my conversations with each of my colleagues seeking leadership positions within our Caucus, I have made clear that it matters more to me how we are led than who leads us. If we take seriously our commitment to cutting the cost of prescription drugs, investing in our infrastructure, and tackling climate change, our leaders must first commit to reforming the way Congress does business. This afternoon, I will vote for Nancy Pelosi to be our next speaker because she has personally committed to me that she will reform the legislative process, make it more transparent, and allow the diverse ideas of all members to be considered.Specifically, she shares my view that committees must be empowered to do the hard and important work of writing legislation in the light of day and ideally in a bipartisan fashion. Leader Pelosi is an extraordinary and historic leader whose legendary legislative skills are well-matched to these tumultuous times. I am confident that she will work with all of us to restore the effectiveness of this institution and deliver real results for the American people. ###",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.leahy.senate.gov/112819spaulding-high-school,Spaulding High School,2018-11-28,2018,2018-11,Democrat,House,VT,Patrick Leahy,L000174,www.leahy.senate.gov,,,legacy,"11.28.18 Spaulding High School On November 28, 2018, Senator Leahy continued his series of online chats with Vermont students this time, with Spaulding High School's 11th and 12th grade AP U.S. Government class, taught by Ms. Katie Saint Raymond. He enjoyed answering their questions about Vermont's priorities and communities and what he expects the Senate to do during the 116th Congress. Senator Leahy also discussed the important role that bipartisanship plays in the passage of pieces of legislations and appropriations bills, and about his experiences working with past President during his tenure in the Senate. Press Contact David Carle: 202-224-3693 Next Article Previous Article",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.leahy.senate.gov/press/statement-of-senator-patrick-leahy-on-the-confirmation-vote-of-thomas-alvin-farr-to-the-eastern-district-of-north-carolina-,Statement of Senator Patrick Leahy On the Confirmation Vote of Thomas Alvin Farr To the Eastern District of North Carolina,2018-11-28,2018,2018-11,Democrat,House,VT,Patrick Leahy,L000174,www.leahy.senate.gov,,,legacy,"11.28.18 Statement of Senator Patrick Leahy On the Confirmation Vote of Thomas Alvin Farr To the Eastern District of North Carolina Senate Floor Our constitutional obligation as Senators is to provide advice and informed consent to a President's nominees. I do my best to scrutinize each nominee on the merits, regardless of party, and decide whether they deserve a lifetime appointment to our esteemed federal bench. And during my 44 years in the Senate, I have voted for more Republican nominated judges than almost all Republican Senators in this body today. The simple fact is, given his track record of working to systematically dismantle the franchise for thousands of African American voters, Thomas Farr is one of the most controversial nominees I have ever encountered. Someone who has made a career out of attacking a sacred, constitutional right indeed, the right that gives democracy its name simply does not belong on the federal bench. Let's begin with his role on Jesse Helms' Senate campaign in 1990. The Department of Justice alleged that Senator Helms' campaign sent thousands of postcards to heavily African American precincts falsely telling voters that they were ineligible to vote and threatening prosecution against those who did. Mr. Farr served as a top lawyer to Senator Helms at the time, and he appears to have misled Congress about his role in this brazen voter suppression scheme. When Senate Judiciary Committee members asked Mr. Farr whether he knew about or had provided any counsel on the decision to send these postcards, Mr. Farr said he hadn't learned about their existence until after they were mailed out. But a former DOJ official has stated the Mr. Farr definitely knew about the postcards before they were sent out, and that his responses to Congress were contrary to the facts. Setting aside this outrageous attempt at voter suppression, each Senator in this chamber should care whether a President's nominee tells them the truth. If a nominee won't tell us the truth under oath, they are unfit to take the oath of judicial office. Mr. Farr's embrace of voter suppression appears only to have grown after his work on the Helms campaign. In 2013, he chose to defend North Carolina's racially restrictive voting law a law that the Fourth Circuit struck down because it target[ed] African Americans with almost surgical precision. Undeterred, between 2014 and 2017, Mr. Farr again defended the North Carolina legislature in numerous lawsuits alleging that it had racially gerrymandered its State House and Senate map. In each of these cases, higher courts found North Carolina's gerrymandering to be unconstitutional. There is a pattern here. And it is deeply troubling. Mr. Farr has dedicated his skills as a lawyer to suppressing the right to vote for minorities. His refusal to acknowledge under oath his involvement in disenfranchisement operations makes him doubly unqualified for the federal bench. I urge all Senators who care about the right to vote and who care about the right of this body to hear the whole truth from a President's nominees to vote no on Mr. Farr's nomination. Press Contact David Carle: 202-224-3693 Previous Article",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.sanders.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/sanders-office-to-hold-six-senior-holiday-dinners,Sanders Office to Hold Six Senior Holiday Dinners,2018-11-28,2018,2018-11,Independent,House,VT,Bernard Sanders,S000033,www.sanders.senate.gov,,,legacy,"Sanders' Office to Hold Six Senior Holiday Dinners Wednesday, November 28, 2018 BURLINGTON, Vt., Nov. 28 U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) announced on Wednesday that his office will again organize six senior holiday dinners in December. The free meals are an opportunity for seniors to come together, enjoy a holiday meal and hear holiday music performed by local students. There will also be brief town meeting updates on senior issues. The meals will be held in Barre, Bennington, Brattleboro, Burlington, Rutland and St. Johnsbury. Seating is limited and RSVPs are required. All meals start at noon except for Burlington's dinner, which will start at 1 p.m. St. Johnsbury Senior Holiday Dinner When: Friday, December 7 at 12:00 noon Where: St. Johnsbury House; 1207 Main Street; St. Johnsbury Details: RSVP by Tuesday, December 4 to Senator Sanders' Office at 800-339-9834 (toll-free) or 802-862-0697 Burlington Senior Holiday Dinner When: Sunday, December 9 at 1 p.m. Where: Hilton Hotel; 60 Battery Street; Burlington Details: RSVP by Wednesday, December 5 to Senator Sanders' Office at 800-339-9834 (toll-free) or 802-862-0697 Bennington Senior Holiday Dinner When: Friday, December 14 at 12:00 noon Where: St. Peter's Episcopal Church Parish Hall; 200 Pleasant Street; Bennington Details: RSVP by Friday, December 7 to Meals on Wheels of Bennington County at 802-442-8012 ext. 2 Barre Senior Holiday Dinner When: Monday, December 17 at 12:00 noon Where: Canadian Club; 414 East Montpelier Road; Barre Details: RSVP by Wednesday, December 12 to Senator Sanders' Office at 800-339-9834 (toll-free) or 802-862-0697 Rutland Senior Holiday Dinner When: Monday, December 17 at 12:00 noon Where: Godnick Adult Center; 1 Deer Street; Rutland Details: RSVP by Monday, December 10 to the Godnick Adult Center at 802-773-1853 Brattleboro Senior Holiday Dinner When: Thursday, December 20 at 12:00 noon Where: Gibson-Aiken Senior Center; 207 Main Street; Brattleboro Details: RSVP by Friday, December 14 to the Gibson-Aiken Senior Center at 802-257-7570 or 802-257-1236",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.sanders.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/sanders-statement-on-advancement-of-yemen-war-powers-resolution,Sanders Statement on Advancement of Yemen War Powers Resolution,2018-11-28,2018,2018-11,Independent,House,VT,Bernard Sanders,S000033,www.sanders.senate.gov,,,legacy,"WASHINGTON, Nov. 28 Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) issued the following statement after the Senate voted 63-37 to advance his resolution to end U.S. support for the Saudi-led war in Yemen: ""For the first time, the U.S. Senate voted to advance a resolutionwithdrawing U.S. Armed Forces from an unauthorized and unconstitutional war. The situation in Yemen now is the worst humanitarian disaster in the world. Eighty-five thousand children have already starved to death and millions more are on the brink of starvation. All of which was caused by Saudi intervention in the civil war in Yemen. The bottom line is the United States should not be supporting a catastrophic war led by a despotic regime with a dangerous and irresponsible military policy.Let us bring this catastrophic war in Yemen to an end, help bring peace to this tortured country and with the rest of the world help provide the humanitarian aid that is so desperately needed. Negotiations are ongoing to schedule a final vote.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.sanders.senate.gov/newsroom/recent-business/sanders-statement-on-advancement-of-yemen-war-powers-resolution,Sanders Statement on Advancement of Yemen War Powers Resolution,2018-11-28,2018,2018-11,Independent,House,VT,Bernard Sanders,S000033,www.sanders.senate.gov,,,legacy,"Sanders Statement on Advancement of Yemen War Powers Resolution Wednesday, November 28, 2018 WASHINGTON, Nov. 28 Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) issued the following statement after the Senate voted 63-37 to advance his resolution to end U.S. support for the Saudi-led war in Yemen: ""For the first time, the U.S. Senate voted to advance a resolutionwithdrawing U.S. Armed Forces from an unauthorized and unconstitutional war. The situation in Yemen now is the worst humanitarian disaster in the world. Eighty-five thousand children have already starved to death and millions more are on the brink of starvation. All of which was caused by Saudi intervention in the civil war in Yemen. The bottom line is the United States should not be supporting a catastrophic war led by a despotic regime with a dangerous and irresponsible military policy.Let us bring this catastrophic war in Yemen to an end, help bring peace to this tortured country and with the rest of the world help provide the humanitarian aid that is so desperately needed. Negotiations are ongoing to schedule a final vote.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z