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 thank my colleague from Vermont. He and I share so much affection for Phil and Joan Hoff, and I can tell hundreds of stories. He made a difference by enthusiastically bringing people together in our State, with the realization that we…
we come to the floor oftentimes to discuss issues of portent to the Nation, but the distinguished Senator from Vermont and I wish to speak about one of the most significant people Vermont has ever known. I wish to yield to my distinguished…
my distinguished colleague from Vermont is absolutely right. Vermont changed remarkably when Governor Phil Hoff was elected. Prior to that time, the governorship of Vermont was basically a part-time office--seen now and then when the…
I suggest the absence of a quorum. The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will call the roll. The assistant legislative clerk proceeded to call the roll. Celebrating Governor Phil Hoff's 90th Birthday
I was. And I recall, when Phil Hoff came out against the war in Vietnam--and he was in the minority on that--no member of the Vermont congressional delegation had voted against the war in Vietnam. They voted for all the increases in it. He…
yesterday the Senate passed commonsense legislation to help promote consumer choice and competition in the wireless phone marketplace. This legislation was a bipartisan effort to restore consumers' rights to unlock their cell phones so…
last month five conservative justices on the Supreme Court decided that a corporation's rights can trump a female employee's right to make her own health care decisions. This is just the latest of several rulings from a thin majority of…
over the years I have frequently spoken on the Senate floor about refugees. I have asked my fellow Senators to support our humanitarian refugee efforts in farflung corners of the world. In doing so, I cite America's role as a human rights…
there is no shortage of questions facing Congress today, and when Members and their staffs need additional information or detailed research on these complex topics, we often turn to the dedicated analysts at the Congressional Research…
on June 15, 2014, President Juan Manuel Santos was elected to a second term as Colombia's President. This is not only a tribute to President Santos, who had staked his presidency on a courageous and risky peace initiative with the FARC who…
18 years ago I wrote a law that has been repeated annually ever since and is now codified as section 620M of the Foreign Assistance Act. It has become widely known as the ``Leahy Law'' and it has two primary purposes. The first is to…
today, I reintroduce the Civilian Extraterritorial Jurisdiction Act, CEJA. The United States has huge numbers of Government employees and contractors working overseas, but the legal framework governing them is unclear and outdated. To…
When you have 8 or 9-year-old girl who's being raped by gangs that are sending them up here, are they being sent by their parents to escape that kind of violence, I'm not sure Americans all really feel we should immediately send them back.
I ask unanimous consent to proceed for 5 minutes as if in morning business. The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered. Preserving an Open Internet
last week I chaired a field hearing of the Senate Judiciary Committee in Burlington, VT, on an issue of critical importance: preserving an open Internet. Our committee heard testimony about the need for concrete, fundamental protections to…
it is always good to have someone in the media with a sense of history. Walter Pincus demonstrates that time and again. His June 19 column in The Washington Post is a prime example and I ask unanimous consent that the article be printed in…
Father O'Donovan is one of the dearest friends I have from my association with Georgetown past or present. Marcelle and I were privileged to help him celebrate his 80th birthday and join him for church the next day. His homily is truly…
what is the parliamentary situation? The PRESIDING OFFICER. The pending question is S. 2363, the sportsmen's bill.
Assuming that any long term solution to this exodus requires effectively addressing its root causes, why is less than 10 percent of the supplemental being requested for that purpose?
We strongly believe that in responding to this humanitarian crisis, we must not set aside our fundamental commitment as a nation.
I agreed with President Bush when he signed the 2008 law. I think it speaks to our moral values as a country.
We are not being overrun by these kids. We are a country of 300 million people.
We can't turn our backs on these kids. We can't hold ourselves up... as some paradigm of human rights protections.
Politicians like Patrick Leahy
