Patrick Leahy

If we have an individual able to come up with $1.8 billion, shouldn't we be doing more than $32 million?

I'm worried that as important as the mission is we may not be doing as good a job as we should.

Trust me, we're not going to.

So how much is going to be budgeted for Vermont?

As important as the Department of the Interior is to the West, we have some interest in Vermont, in the East.

When will FWS bidding plan begin to honor your predecessor's commitment in 25 years of leadership by the Fish and Wildlife Service and put money in to eradicate sea lampreys in Lake Champlain, without sounding too parochial?

I was proud to vote for your confirmation. I think your diversity of experience is going to be very good for us.

Could you get it this week?

I think transparency and accountability are very important, especially for an issue as sensitive as this.

I have long argued that the Department should not practice secret law and should make all of the Office of Legal Counsel's opinions available to the public.

I do not understand why the expert redactors at the Department of Justice could not have just stripped out any of the national security information.

By amending our immigration laws to treat lesbian and gay families as our Nation treats other immigrant families, UAFA would ensure American citizens are not torn apart from their loved ones or forced into exile abroad.

None of you got everything you wanted, but you knew you each did a lot better than the present status quo.

We built 650 miles of fence along the border. DHS estimates that cost at $2.5 billion.

Employment verification actually supports strong border security.

I am disappointed the legislation has not treated all American families equally.

The bipartisan work reflected in this bill will strengthen security at our borders by funding the continued deployment of manpower, infrastructure, air cover and proven effective surveillance technologies along the highest traffic areas of…

I really have to question whether spending billions more on a fence between the United States and Mexico is really the best use of taxpayer dollars in a country that we are furloughing air traffic controllers because we cannot pay for them.

I think it is time to start talking about reforming the immigration system.

The way your department, local and State police, the FBI worked together is a model for the rest of the world.

This legislation will build on these gains, strengthening both our overall national security posture and our border security.

More fencing would not have done anything about the case in Boston.

What I am going to do is yield now to Senator Durbin, who will take the gavel for a bit, but I would note, as much as I enjoy being Chairman of Judiciary I just want to amend the U.S. Code. I am not trying to amend Genesis or any other…

It is very easy in the Senate to find reasons why we cannot do something.

We have got to come together to the middle of this thing, and we have got to keep the humanity of those involved very much in the front of our minds.