Patrick Leahy

I commend these important steps to restore confidence in our government and I believe that they will help reverse the troubling trend of excessive government secrecy that we witnessed during the last administration.

How critical is it for the Senate to confirm Dawn Johnsen as the Assistant Attorney General in charge of OLC?

During my 30-plus years in the Senate, I have always believed that the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) is a critical mechanism to ensure that our tradition of open government is preserved for future generations.

I think that this has been a very difficult time in the United States, but a lot of the issues have come before you, and I think you have done not just yourself and the President but the country great credit with the way you have handled…

But all the more reason why I think we should try again on some kind of an immigration bill.

I agreed with President Bush when he said he wanted a comprehensive bill.

There has got to be some ability to think it through.

I do not want to indicate by the nature of my question how I feel about it.

Let us work together on that because we will pass legislation. We are all hearing from our--most of us are hearing from our Governors, and we want to pass something that makes the situation better, not worse.

Congress is going to have to act, this is what would fix the problem.

I would like you to look at the H-2A rules and see how they might be changed.

I just do not want people whom we have sought to help continue to be barred from seeking asylum here, having helped us, and who face prospects of execution in their home states or their home countries.

But would you agree that if everybody looks at it and says, well, you know, this thing could be turned off at the end of 6 months and all, we ought to have something that makes it a little bit more concrete than what it is today?

I want to say that no one who is victimized by violence and repression or who stood with the United States in opposition to an oppressive foreign government will just be blithely labeled a 'terrorist' and denied our protection.

I commend your competent leadership during the current threat of a flu pandemic.

I commend your early attention to our interests in working closely with Mexico in its struggle against drug trafficking.

The one area of concern--which I know we all have for every service-member in Afghanistan--is protection when traveling in vehicles.

The National Guard will likely be soon tasked to help in the effort to counter the traffic in drugs from Mexico.

We have seen a higher incidence of roadside bomb attacks in Afghanistan, and the MRAP, which is a very heavy vehicle that is the best protection against that threat but needs to operate on paved roads, does not work well in Afghanistan.

I worry that we have spent billions in Afghanistan and we have yet to see the results that you or Secretary Gates or I would like to see.

Should we have additional funding in here for unanticipated health emergencies outside the United States, much of which could impact Americans?

The supplemental request includes $400 million for Pakistan to 'help address Pakistan's economic crisis and balance of payment deficit.'

Well, we have got a chance to do things that so many of us agree with, and I know this is an area where you have been a strong supporter.

I think what could help convince the Vermont Legislature to do something like that would be if the Federal matching dollars were also increased.

I hear their voices, and I think of them. I still have nightmares about some of the things I saw.