Patrick Leahy: “I am pleased to stand before the Senate today to tell my friends about Vermont's Northeast Kingdom--a place that is…”

“I am pleased to stand before the Senate today to tell my friends about Vermont's Northeast Kingdom--a place that is known as much for its natural beauty as the rural and industrious Vermonters who have settled there. This region, defined by the three northeastern-most counties of Vermont that sit between the headwaters of the Connecticut River and the U.S.-Canadian border, became one of America's first National Geographic geotourism destinations. The designation highlights the character and sense of place that has come to define the dozens of mountain valley communities that sit in Orleans, Essex, and Caledonia Counties. My wife Marcelle was born in the Northeast Kingdom, just south of the Canadian border in the city of Newport. Since then, like many Vermonters, we have often found ourselves heading to this part of Vermont to visit friends, go for a hike, or find a special place to have a meal. The people of the Northeast Kingdom have made this region of Vermont advance while carefully holding on to the key elements of their identity.”