The Public Record
James M. Jeffords is a former U.S. Senator from Vermont, known for his independent stance after leaving the Republican Party in 2001. He served in the Senate from 2001 to 2007 and was previously a member of the U.S. House of Representatives from 1975 to 1989. Throughout his political career, Jeffords focused on environmental issues, education, and healthcare reform. He was instrumental in promoting legislation aimed at reducing pollution and addressing climate change, advocating for the establishment of uniform standards for industrial emissions.
when you live in Vermont, you must endure a long, hard winter. To keep spirits up, a Vermonter will look for signs of spring, sometimes in the most unlikely places. One leading indicator of brighter days ahead is a phenomenon known as the…
one of my first responsibilities when I arrived in the Senate was to recommend to the first President Bush a nominee for a district court seat. But while I was a relatively new Senator, this was in some respects a fairly easy task. My…
a Federal budget is about setting priorities, and the priorities contained in this budget are all wrong. About a year ago, Tom Friedman of the New York Times, described the President's budget as ``faith-based.'' Faith-based tax cuts were…
all of us are privileged to be living in an era of unprecedented scientific discovery in the biological sciences. Since 1953, when James Watson and Francis Crick first identified the structure of DNA or the double helix we have…
We are here today discussing the nomination of Judge Michael Chertoff to be the next Secretary of the United States Department of Homeland Security. Let me begin by thanking Secretary Ridge for all he did in leading the department through…
I am pleased to support S. 5, the Class Action Fairness Act of 2005. I believe there are problems with our current class action system that should be addressed through Congressional action. These problems include: Cases and controversies…
I take very seriously the United States Senate's responsibility to provide advice and consent for the President's nominees. Generally, I believe that the President of the United States should be allowed to have the people he chooses in his…
I am both sad and happy to re-introduce the Clean Power Act again with Senators Lieberman and Collins and the other 16 cosponsors of the legislation from the last Congress. I am happy that they are all still as committed as I am to the…
We are here today in this extraordinary session to discuss a challenge to Ohio's electors. It was gratifying to see the high level of interest in the election create such a large voter turnout. However, it was discouraging to hear of the…
As the 108th Congress comes to a close, the House and the Senate are considering a significant legislative initiative, the Individuals with Disabilities Education, UDEA, Improvement Act. The purpose of the IDEA Improvement Act is to…
the Economic Development Administration Reauthorization Act of 2004, S. 1134, contains important provisions relating to the redevelopment of brownfields. S. 1134 encourages EDA to promote the redevelopment of abandoned industrial…
on the morning of September 14, 2001, I toured the Pentagon with officials from the Federal Emergency Management Agency, FEMA. I was so impressed, that on the morning of September 11, in the hours following an unspeakable tragedy, first…