The Public Record
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.
on June 20, yesterday, we commemorated World Refugee Day. It is an important reminder that we have to rededicate ourselves to a cornerstone of our Nation's founding: providing refuge to the persecuted and oppressed. Since the days of the…
I understand there is a bill at the desk that is due for a second reading. The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will read the bill by title for the second time. The legislative clerk read as follows: A bill (S. 4431) to eliminate…
I have another matter to speak of, and before I do, I wish to commend my colleague and neighbor from New England, the distinguished Presiding Officer. As President pro tempore, I am always delighted to see somebody step into that position…
the passage of the Sergeant First Class Heath Robinson Honoring Our Promise to Address Comprehensive Toxics Act of 2022, or PACT Act, is an example of what can happen when the Congress puts aside partisanship and comes together for the…
first, let me say that I am glad to see the successful discharge of Steven Dettelbach's nomination. I have known him since he was a detailee for the Department of Justice to the Judiciary Committee. I found him one of the hardest working…
it is hard really to know where to start. I am here on the Senate floor to talk about guns. In a world in chaos, we cannot forget about the chaos right here at home. Gun violence is killing our children: 19 students and two of their…
I will speak more on this subject later this week, but I spent much of last week, both Marcelle and I did, in Vermont. It is a very peaceful State. We walk across the fields at our home, walk down the dirt road where we live, and then go…
I am proud to recognize the Ohavi Zedek community and former Vermont Governor and U.S. Ambassador to Switzerland Madeleine Kunin for their efforts to preserve and restore the Shul Mural. Painted in 1910 by Ben Zion Black, the mural was…
I have long told the story of my love for Batman comics dating back to my younger years growing up in Montpelier, VT. When I was 4 years old, I would race to the Kellogg Hubbard Library in Montpelier with my latest Batman comic. As a…
a person wandering up Church Street or jogging down on the shores of Lake Champlain on a crisp, snowy day in Burlington, VT, this past winter could have glanced up at the sky and seen an angular, white aircraft gliding through the air. It…
many hoped that President Giammattei would reject the corruption and impunity that his predecessors institutionalized. The reappointment of Attorney General Porras, who according to the State Department has ``repeatedly obstructed and…
Gun violence is an epidemic. It can't be ignored, it can't be overstated, it can't be hidden behind the guise of an unassailable Second Amendment argument.
How many more people will die before this country says, enough is enough? I will say it today. It is enough.
I am angry that today too many in Congress are just willing to accept these mass shootings as another breaking news story.
If we can't clearly and unequivocally condemn the actions of white supremacists, or simply acknowledge the January 6, 2021, attack on our Capitol for what it was, an insurrection, we fan the flames of hatred and violence.
in reserving the right to object--and I will--I think back over the years to some of the debates. I remember, during the Reagan administration, when we heard so many speeches from President Reagan and his supporters on how they had to…
one of the ways you try to save money is, again, not with rhetoric but with reality. I would urge everybody to join with us on both sides of the aisle who are working to get our appropriations bills together so we can reflect the actual…
The COVID-19 pandemic has had a devastating effect on opioid usage across the Nation.
in reserving the right to object, if the Senator from Florida's bill were to pass, it would make routine domestic spending bills nearly impossible to be passed in the U.S. Senate, freezing spending at current levels. I worry that the…
I want to thank you and the administration for once again including $20 million in funding in the President's budget to support the EPA's Geographic Program for Lake Champlain.
I ask unanimous consent that I be allowed to finish my statement prior to the vote. The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered. H.R. 7691
For many years, and through many budget reviews, I have asked and received enthusiastic answers about the Adaptive Engine Transition Program.
If I might say, the Senator was absolutely right. He was central in putting that together. Unfortunately, it passed here; would have passed the House. They had enough votes--enough votes, Republicans and Democrats. But the then- Speaker…
the horrors we have witnessed in the weeks and months following Vladimir Putin's unprovoked attack on Ukraine are an abomination and an affront to all civilized people--entire communities wiped from the face of the earth; countless lives…
Politicians like Patrick Leahy
