Patrick Leahy

I would urge this Committee to consider raising the VOCA cap to $705 million in the 2010 Federal budget.

Our bill will allow us to go after those people and put them in jail.

I look forward to 25 years of progress, but not 25 years more here in the Senate.

I hope we can raise the cap this coming year to devote more than $700 million to crime victims.

This past Sunday marked the start of National Crime Victims' Rights Week.

I think it is fortunate we have these programs. Certainly I wish there was no need for them.

I want to commend Senator Mikulski, who is the Chairwoman of the Commerce, Justice, and Science Appropriations Subcommittee.

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.

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.

We included nearly $4 billion for State and local law enforcement in the economic recovery and investment package enacted earlier this year.

I hope so, too. We passed her out of committee. She is on the floor.

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

I agree with the court. I have introduced the State Secrets Act, along with others.

It is a crucial bipartisan law, trying to improve the quality of justice for all Americans using DNA evidence.

How can we look into the eyes of the parents of these children and tell them the Department of Justice and the administration are prioritizing criminals while being overfunding of the Adam Walsh Act?

The very idea of taking money from victims and law enforcement officers to educate and comfort terrorists, pedophiles, and career criminals I think is an abomination.

I firmly believe that places like the Northeast Kingdom of Vermont...receive priority when it comes to distributing funding.

In order to restore our moral leadership, we must acknowledge what was done in our name.

I can assure you all three will have my support, both in the Committee and on the floor.

You are still going to have people worried about their own safety?

Let us hope. I think I am going to go back.

In some ways, the bad news is that it has been an evolutionary thing, and in some ways, that is the good news because in many areas it has improved.

Well, look at yourself. You came here sweeping floors for, what, $2 an hour and have your own business and look what you have done to help people in Vietnam.

Not offering condolence payments can quickly destroy trust and breed animosity amongst the people against the U.S. military in places like Iraq.

There is an enormous number of disabled people in Vietnam, and this program alone is not going to be able to help them all.