Patrick Leahy

House Passes OPEN Government Bill, Sending Long-Awaited FOIA Reforms To White House

WASHINGTON (Tuesday, Dec. 18, 2007) – Legislation to implement the first reforms to the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) in more than a decade will head to the President’s desk for signature after the House of Representatives today passed important legislation to increase government transparency and bring more openness to the federal government.    » read more »

"I strongly oppose the blanket grant of retroactive immunity in the Intelligence Committee bill to amend the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act. This Administration violated FISA by conducting warrantless surveillance of Americans for more than five years. They got caught, or they would probably still be doing it. When the public found out about the President’s illegal surveillance of Americans, the Administration and the telephone companies were sued by citizens who believe their privacy and their rights were violated.    » read more »

December 18, 2007 -- Washington, DC – U.S. Senators Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) and Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) today announced that the Fiscal Year 2008 Omnibus Appropriations Bill includes a measure they sponsored to restrict the sale or transfer of cluster bombs.

The measure requires that no military funds will be used for the sale or transfer or cluster bombs, unless:

* the cluster bombs have a failure rate of 1 percent or less;    » read more »

House Monday Joins Senate In Approving Compact, President Expected To Sign

WASHINGTON (Monday, Dec. 17, 2007) – Legislation to approve an international compact allowing first responders to cross the U.S.-Canada border and provide mutual assistance more effectively in times of emergency or national disaster crossed the final hurdle on its way to the President’s desk for signature Monday when the U.S. House of Representatives unanimously agreed to pass the measure.    » read more »

December 17, 2007 -- "The Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act – FISA – is intended to protect both our national security and the privacy and civil liberties of Americans. We are considering amendments to that important Act that will provide new flexibility to our Intelligence Community. I think we all support surveillance authority and we have joined together to update FISA dozens of times since its historic passage after the intelligence abuses of earlier decades.    » read more »

Leahy, Cornyn, Kyl Call On House To Swiftly Pass FOIA Reform Legislation

WASHINGTON -- Dec. 14, 2007 – The Senate Friday unanimously passed revised legislation to improve and strengthen the Freedom of Information Act – the law that protects the public’s right to know what their government is doing. The Openness Promotes Effectiveness in our National (OPEN) Government Act was reintroduced by Sens. Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.), John Cornyn (R-Texas), and Jon Kyl (R-Ariz.) and passed by the Senate.    » read more »

WASHINGTON (Friday, Dec. 14) -- The U.S. Senate Friday passed a five-year Farm Bill that advances key Vermont agriculture, anti-hunger and environmental priorities, championed by Sen. Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.). The bill’s Vermont-related features include renewal and improvement of the MILC safety net program for dairy farmers; greater Vermont access to farmland conservation programs that have become integral to the cleanup of Lake Champlain; more support for food banks; and more funding to help farmers make the transition to the booming organic sector.    » read more »

Give Guard A Voice In Key Decisions On Equipment, Missions And Manpower; Leahy Also Wins Repeal Of Year-Old Law That Made It Easier For President To Take Over Guard And Declare Martial Law

WASHINGTON (Friday, Dec. 14) – The U.S. Senate Friday passed and sent to the President’s desk a defense policy bill that includes key victories for the National Guard, including giving the Guard more bureaucratic muscle at the Pentagon in decision making about the Guard’s missions, equipment and staffing.    » read more »

December 11, 2007 -- "Today we consider our treatment of detainees at Guantanamo Bay and how best to secure our nation while holding on to those rights and values that make us American. I thank Senator Feinstein for holding this important hearing.    » read more »

Guard Empowerment, Repeal Of ‘Insurrection Act Rider’ Are High Priorities For Guard Community And Nation’s Governors

WASHINGTON (Tuesday, Dec. 11, 2007) -- Senate National Guard Caucus Co-Chairs Sens. Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) and Kit Bond (R-Mo.) Tuesday announced key victories for the National Guard in the National Defense Authorization Act, which the Senate is poised to pass later this week.    » read more »

Washington, D.C. -- December 11, 2007 -- Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) and Ranking Member Arlen Specter (R-Pa.) Monday sent a letter to Attorney General Michael B. Mukasey asking a series of questions about the Justice Department’s knowledge of and involvement in the Central Intelligence Agency’s possession and subsequent destruction of videotapes showing interrogations of detainees. The Department of Justice has launched an initial investigation into the matter.    » read more »

Urge Senate And House To Swiftly Pass FOIA Improvement Bill To Increase Government Transparency

WASHINGTON (Tuesday, Dec. 4, 2007) – Senators Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) and John Cornyn (R-Texas) Tuesday introduced bipartisan, revised legislation to increase government transparency and provide the first major reforms to the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) in more than a decade.    » read more »

WASHINGTON, December 4 – As Vermont dug out from the season’s first major winter snow storm and temperatures plunged below freezing, emergency legislation to provide $1 billion for home heating assistance was introduced today in the Senate by Senators Bernie Sanders and Patrick Leahy and in the House of Representatives by Congressman Peter Welch.    » read more »

WASHINGTON -- Dec. 4, 2007 – Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) Tuesday exposed the White House for stalling key nominations for vacancies in the Department of Justice. The Administration Nov. 15 announced it intended to send nominations to Capitol Hill for the Deputy Attorney General, the Associate Attorney General, and the Assistant Attorney General for the Civil Division. Almost three weeks later, the Senate has not received the nominations.

Statement of Senator Patrick Leahy,

Chairman, Senate Judiciary Committee    » read more »

November 15, 2007 -- "The Senate Judiciary Committee has passed a better, stronger and more balanced bill to amend the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act, including reducing the sunset provision from six to four years, to make it easier to make further improvements in the years to come. I am proud of the contribution the Judiciary Committee has made to the process of setting down clear laws to govern the wiretapping of Americans.    » read more »