Let me ask the distinguished majority leader, is it not a fact that these public, spirited telephone company owners are threatening to turn off wiretaps, according to the press accounts, that have been legally ordered through search warrants because the U.S. Government has failed to pay them millions of dollars, and does not pay them the millions of dollars? I just wonder if any of the legislation we are talking about might be mandating our own Government to pay the bills for the wiretaps. I ask that only because it seems this public spiritedness goes one way if they want to be immunized or the administration wants to be immunized from anybody asking them questions, but it goes a different way if it comes down to the question of getting paid.
Patrick Leahy: “Let me ask the distinguished majority leader, is it not a fact that these public, spirited telephone company owners are…”
Editor's note · Context
Discussing the implications of wiretap funding and legal obligations during a Senate debate.
Share
More from Patrick Leahy
I rise today to celebrate the 90th anniversary of World Learning, a nonprofit organization based in Brattleboro, VT, that is dedicated to building stronger human connections through people-to-people exchanges, international education, and…
I have been a member of the Senate Agriculture Committee for 48 years, since I was elected in 1974. I have helped to write nine farm bills, and I have overseen the creation of programs that have helped farmers, food systems, and consumers…
I am worried that we are heading toward another unnecessary, manufactured crisis because our current government funding is set to expire in 8 days. So I want to take a moment and talk about how we got here, and the path forward. In fiscal…
on behalf of Vermonters, today I was proud to vote for the final passage of the Respect for Marriage Act. Today, we became a slightly more perfect union by recognizing the sanctity of marriage between two individuals, regardless of gender…





