Patrick Leahy

You do not agree with us finding ways to cut readiness, do you?

This proposed budget would inflict human and political costs that far outweigh any potential budget savings.

National security is not solely the mission of the Department of Defense. The President says he prefers 'hard' power to 'soft' power, but the notion that 'soft' power is weak or wasteful is mindless.

I urge you to proactively raise the Columbia River Treaty at every opportunity with your Canadian counterparts.

Let's deal with reality, not ideology.

The fact is you and I can go to any country that will let us in, but there is only one country in the world we need permission from our own government to go to, and that's Cuba.

You don't think that the people who now have jobs in Cuba and actually have some economic stability, they don't think it's better?

But if you've got 600 people that are gone, they're obviously not going to be there to help.

Well, I know when Secretary Mattis talks about cutting our budget, your budget, that we should buy him more bullets.

You've sought to reassure our allies that the U.S. will remain a global leader. With this budget, cutting money for diplomacy and development by an average of 30 percent, China and Russia are expanding in those areas.

Pulling back from Georgia at a time when they're still under siege by the Russians is going to reward Russia and punish allies.

The billion dollars cut now affects the countries who are not going to be self-sufficient, and it's just penny-wise and pound-foolish.

Much of the world has looked to the United States for leadership. We're walking away from that leadership.

Confronting such challenges requires not just a military that's second to none, but also the resources for effective, empowered diplomats and aid workers.

I agree with Senator Graham. We've worked together on this subcommittee for a long time.

This budget would devastate rural communities with the elimination of vital programs that support rural economic opportunity and security across the country.

I consider the passage of the Organic Foods Production Act one of my greatest accomplishments in my Senate tenure.

The Anti-Heroin Task Force program is working. It is making a real difference in Vermont.

Our Nation's law enforcement is in dire need of additional resources to help fight this epidemic.

An administration that claims to support crime victims is asking for a permanent rescission of $1.3 billion from the Crime Victims Fund.

He owes them that courtesy because the President's budget request for the Justice Department is abysmal.

Attorneys General of the past did not shy away from this Committee's questions, regardless of the topic.

You are not the witness we were supposed to hear from today, and you are not the witness who should be sitting behind that table.

The President has agreed to take action on Canadian softwood lumber, a long-standing point of contention between our countries.

I expect you to be an independent and thoughtful counselor to the President.