Patrick Leahy actually said...

If the States had the capacity to deal with this issue, that's the preferred route.

The Matthew Shepard Hate Crimes Prevention Act has been pending in the Senate for more than a decade.

I commend Senator Kennedy for his leadership in this effort over the years.

I would just say, therefore, that when we now carve out a different class of people that may also deserve that kind of protection, we need, ...