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.
today, we commemorate World Refugee Day. It is a day we make clear that we stand with those who have survived the horrors of war, torture, and persecution. It is a day when we remember our common humanity and the moral imperative to love…
a few days after the mass shooting in Orlando, I received a very powerful letter from Ella Staats, a young Vermonter who, like Americans across our land, was sickened and horrified by this senseless act of hatred that we saw in Orlando…
for the past 3 years, David Medine has served as chairman of the Privacy and Civil Liberties Oversight Board, PCLOB--the first chairman finally to be confirmed after Congress reestablished the PCLOB as an independent agency and…
I understand that prior to the cloture vote, the Democratic side still had some time. I yield back that time. The PRESIDING OFFICER. All time is yielded back. Cloture Motion Pursuant to rule XXII, the Chair lays before the Senate the…
I am a proud cosponsor of the Comprehensive Addiction and Recovery Act, and I am glad that this important bill is now going to be moving to conference. I am glad that as the senior Democrat on the Judiciary Committee, I will be a conferee…
one of America's greatest strengths is our judicial system: a system based on the ideal of equal justice for all. The Senate has a critical role to play in protecting this judicial system. Perhaps most importantly, it is our responsibility…
Marcelle and I, along with all Vermonters, were devastated by the news of the attack in Orlando, and our hearts go out to the victims and their families. All Americans deserve to feel safe in their communities regardless of their race…
I know that Vermont has very few gun laws, but we at least restrict the number of rounds that one can put in a semiautomatic gun during deer season. I would like to see as much restriction and protection for the children who are walking…
if the Senator will yield for a question without losing his right to the floor, we know that a person can go to a gun show or go online and buy a gun without being subjected to a background or identification check. One of our local…
if the Senator will yield for another question without losing his right to the floor, the Senator knows that three years ago the Judiciary Committee reported out these commonsense measures. We actually had broad support for measures to…
without losing his right to the floor, I thank my distinguished neighbor in New England and ask through the Chair if he is aware that the Senate Judiciary Committee pushed for years to close the glaring loopholes in the background check…
I consider myself a responsible gun owner. I think common sense tells us that if we have assault weapons that are designed for the battlefield, they really have no place on our streets, in our schools, in our churches, or in our…
I again ask through the Chair if the Senator will yield further without losing the floor.
in recent months, the high cost of pharmaceutical products has been front and center in national news, sometimes with astonishing examples like the unconscionable price-hike by Turing Pharmaceuticals of their drug for patients with HIV…
today the Senate approved a Defense authorization bill of tremendous scope and containing a number of harmful provisions. I was against the decision by the majority leader to end debate on this bill after a period of consideration that…
the Freedom of Information Act, our Nation's premier transparency law, is on the eve of its 50th anniversary, July 4, 2016. It is fitting that FOIA shares its birthday with our Republic itself. Our democracy is built upon the principle…
if the Senator from Georgia would yield for me to make a unanimous consent request.
I see the distinguished senior Senator from Alaska on the floor, and I yield the floor. The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Alaska.
Senator McCain, the chairman of the Armed Services Committee, believes that $602 billion is not enough for the Department of Defense. Rather than reject unnecessary spending for weapons and other programs the Pentagon says it does not want…
I ask unanimous consent that I be recognized following the remarks of the Senator from Georgia. The PRESIDING OFFICER. Is there objection? Without objection, it is so ordered. The Senator from Georgia
I wanted to speak based on my experience over the years as a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee--as the ranking member, as the chairman--on something very public that has happened. Many Senators in both parties have appropriately…
I ask unanimous consent to speak as in morning business. The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered. Independence of Our Federal Judiciary
I thank the distinguished Presiding Officer. What is our parliamentary situation? The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senate is considering S. 2943.
Vermont athletes are no strangers to the U.S. Winter Olympic team. In 2009, the Hartland, VT, raised Kevin Pearce was readying himself to be a member of that team when tragedy struck. During a routine half-pipe training session for the…
Politicians like Patrick Leahy
