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Patrick Leahy is a former United States Senator from Vermont, serving from 1975 until 2023. A member of the Democratic Party, he was the longest-serving senator in Vermont's history and held significant leadership roles, including President pro tempore of the Senate. Throughout his tenure, Leahy was known for his work on issues such as civil liberties, health care, and environmental protection. He played a key role in various legislative efforts, including the Violence Against Women Act and initiatives to reform the criminal justice system.
before I begin, I would note my long friendship with the Presiding Officer. I was delighted to see him come back to the Senate. I wish him well now as he leaves the Senate. He is always welcome, by both Democrats and Republicans, when he…
I commend my two friends, the Senator from Missouri and the Senator from Minnesota, for what they have done. I am going to speak briefly about S.J. Res. 54. It would remove U.S. Armed Forces from hostilities either in or affecting the…
I know I was supposed to speak next, but I know the distinguished Senator from Missouri has a unanimous consent request, so I yield to him.
without losing my right to the floor, I yield to the distinguished Senator from Minnesota for remarks on the matter we just moved.
it occurs to me that if Americans had any doubt that President Trump is fixated on wasting billions of tax dollars to wall off our 2,000-mile southern border, all they had to do was watch his jaw-dropping press conference yesterday in…
after months of hard fought and oftentimes contentious negotiations, the Senate passed the conference report on the 2018 farm bill, titled the Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018, by a vote of 87 to 13. This conference bill tracks closely…
I have long supported juvenile justice programs, and I have long supported runaway and homeless youth programs. During the 20 years I served as the top Democrat on the Judiciary Committee and in my current role as the vice chairman of the…
this evening the Senate unanimously passed the Reciprocal Access to Tibet Act of 2018. I was one of the earliest cosponsors of this bill, and I strongly support it. For far too long, the Chinese Government has tightly restricted access to…
in 1948, in the wake of two World Wars that caused death, destruction and atrocities on a massive and unprecedented scale, the world came together at the nascent United Nations to establish the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. These…
of course, the senior Senator from Florida can speak from experience because he has been there--something no other Senator currently serving has ever done. I believe they are bringing a chair over. If not, I will go get it. On Friday…
I hope the Saudi royal family was paying attention to yesterday's debate in the U.S. Senate. The bipartisan vote on S.J. Res. 54, of which I am a cosponsor, was significant for multiple reasons, but most of all for what it says about the…
I would like to take a moment to pay tribute to Luigi Telara, who passed away earlier this year on April 1. An Italian sculptor who hailed from the marble quarries of Carrara, Italy, Luigi's life was one of hard work, dedication, and…
first, I am going to commend the senior Senator from Florida for what he said. Throughout my career, I have been so impressed and so grateful for his strong voice on the environment. He is the only Member of this body who has seen Earth…
as we all know, we have a constitutional obligation as U.S. Senators to provide advice and consent to a President's nominee. That is not advice and rubberstamp; it is advice and informed consent. I do my best to scrutinize each nominee on…
I ask unanimous consent that the time of further quorum calls be equally divided between the two leaders. The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
I ask unanimous consent that my remarks begin at this point and not a minute or so ago. The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered. Nomination of Thomas Farr
this Friday, November 30, at noon, Vermonters will be gathering to see a large crane carefully hoist a 14\1/2\-foot carved statue of Ceres, the goddess of agriculture, atop the newly gilded dome of the statehouse in Montpelier. I was born…
it is with great appreciation and a touch of sadness that I note the upcoming retirement of Sarah Carpenter. Her retirement culminates 20 years of dedicated service as the executive director of the Vermont Housing Finance Agency, VHFA…
I thank the distinguished Senator from Hawaii for her comments. She has had a strong voice of reason and conscience throughout this whole debate. This is not a normal confirmation vote. I have now served in the Senate for 19 Supreme Court…
it is extraordinary where we find ourselves today. We are on the verge of a cloture vote and possibly a confirmation vote for Judge Kavanaugh to join the Supreme Court. At the same time, we have credible allegations of sexual assault…
Americans are taking to the skies like never before. According to the Bureau of Transportation Statistics, a new high of 74.8 million domestic and international passengers flew in June of 2018, a 5.8-percent increase compared to last year…
I thank the distinguished senior Senator from Alabama. Before I start, I should note that we have votes scheduled for 12 noon, and I may go a little bit over that, so I ask unanimous consent that I be allowed to finish my whole statement…
I ask for the yeas and nays. The PRESIDING OFFICER. Is there a sufficient second? There appears to be a sufficient second. The clerk will call the roll. The senior assistant legislative clerk called the roll. The result was announced--yeas…
the Senator from Alabama and I have been friends for decades. Our wives have been friends, as the Presiding Officer knows. We have different political philosophies, but we join together in wanting to make the Senate work the way it should…
Politicians like Patrick Leahy
