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.
I have listened to the recitation. Basically what the Senator is saying is that all the rules that were in place for nominees to the Department of Defense under Republican Presidents are being followed for Senator Hagel. But there are some…
Will the distinguished chairman of the Armed Services Committee yield for a question?
But make no mistake, the troops are going to feel this very directly in other ways.
Sequestration would represent an uncompromising, rigid, tone-deaf Government at its worst.
Funding for disaster and refugee aid would be cut by $156 million from the current levels.
Global health programs... would be cut by $468 million from the current level.
It is my goal, working with the leadership, to be able to find a way to vitiate the sequester.
There are consequences for the budget of the Department of State and foreign operations, which is about the national security of the United States.
Cuts in diplomatic security... would be reduced by $181 million from the current level.
I think it is a bad idea. I think it is bad policy. I think it is bad economic policy. I think it is bad governance policy.
Clearly, we need a policy that serves the national interest of the United States.
So we need to see, the American people need to see a real commitment, one that is truly so, to make the laws real and the policies real.
And I might say, if our friend Senator Kennedy was here, he would be able to say it without using a microphone.
I suggested that large flows of labor will pull down wages. He did not dispute it.
The legal, social, and moral imperatives of comprehensive immigration reform speak to our character as a Nation.
I think there is a growing consensus in both bodies that we need real immigration reform.
I have legislation, the Uniting American Families Act. It is legislation I have introduced every year for 10 years.
Deporting 11 million people is not just impractical and cost prohibitive; it runs counter to our values.
I have seen my share of immigration debates. I voted for the 1986 amnesty because I believed it was a one-time solution to our problem. I was wrong.
Politicians like Patrick Leahy
