SARATOGA, New York, June 17 -- Rep. Elise Stefanik, R-New York, issued the following news release: Congresswoman Elise Stefanik announced that the University of Vermont Health Network - Champlain Valley Physicians Hospital received a new $13.6 million disbursement from the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). This is part of a $10 billion allocation of Provider Relief Funds for safety net hospitals that serve vulnerable populations. "I have worked diligently to deliver increased fund  more

WASHINGTON, June 18 -- Sen. Patrick Leahy, D-Vermont, vice chairman of the Senate Appropriations Committee, issued the following statement in reaction to delay of fiscal 2021 markups: "Senate Democrats are committed to producing bipartisan bills. "There is bipartisan agreement that we need to address the COVID pandemic. "And if we want to truly address the issues of racial injustice that George Floyd's tragic death has brought to the surface, we need more than symbolism, we need to appropria  more

WASHINGTON, June 19 -- Sen. Patrick J. Leahy, D-Vermont, issued the following news release: After more than a month of inaction since the U.S. House of Representatives passed major legislation to address the ongoing health and economic crisis caused by the coronavirus, Oregon's U.S. Senator Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.) Wednesday led a group of 19 senators, including Senator Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.), in urging Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell to bring the Health and Economic Recovery Omnibus Emergen  more

WASHINGTON, June 19 -- Sen. Patrick J. Leahy, D-Vermont, issued the following news release: In a victory for both the dignity and rights of our nation's Dreamers and the rule of law, the Supreme Court this morning ruled that President Trump's zeal to dismantle President Obama's DACA program was arbitrary, capricious, and plainly illegal. The Court reaffirmed that nearly 800,000 Dreamers - who arrived in the United States as children, through no fault of their own - have a protected place in o  more

WASHINGTON, June 18 -- Sen. Patrick J. Leahy, D-Vermont, issued the following news release: Senate Democrats are committed to producing bipartisan bills. There is bipartisan agreement that we need to address the COVID pandemic. And if we want to truly address the issues of racial injustice that George Floyd's tragic death has brought to the surface, we need more than symbolism, we need to appropriate money for programs that advance these issues. Offering and considering amendments related  more

WASHINGTON, June 17 -- Sen. Patrick J. Leahy, D-Vermont, issued the following news release: Senator Bob Menendez (D-N.J.), Ranking Member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, and Senators Marco Rubio (R-Fla.), Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.), Chris Coons (D-De.), and Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.) released the following statements after the Senate unanimously approved S.712, the Robert Levinson Hostage Recovery and Hostage-Taking Accountability Act. Named in honor of former FBI agent Robert Levinson, who  more

WASHINGTON, June 18 -- Sen. Patrick J. Leahy, D-Vermont, issued the following statement on June 17: This morning the Senate narrowly invoked cloture on the nomination of Justin Walker to the D.C. Circuit. Within a week the Senate is expected to confirm by the thinnest of margins both Judge Walker and a separate nominee, Cory Wilson to the Fifth Circuit, filling the final two available seats on our circuit courts. This will complete Leader McConnell's rush to pack our appellate courts with Presi  more

WASHINGTON, June 18 -- Sen. Patrick J. Leahy, D-Vermont, issued the following statement on June 17: This nation faces an uncertain future. Gripped by a pandemic, economic disruption, and racial injustice, the American people are yearning for bold, forward-thinking leadership. Now is the time for elected leaders to stand up and make the investments necessary to secure a better world for our children and grandchildren. The Great American Outdoors Act, which I am proud to cosponsor, does that. Whi  more

WASHINGTON, June 17 -- Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vermont, issued the following news release on June 15: Senator Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.), Senator Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), and Representative Peter Welch (D-Vt.) Monday announced $4.1 million in renewal grants for three Head Start programs-- these grants represent the initial funds of a five year federal grant. The delegation also announced an additional $1.2 million in emergency federal funding from the federal stimulus bill known as the CARES Act, to s  more

WASHINGTON, June 18 -- Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vermont, issued the following news release: Senator Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) and Senator Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) Wednesday welcomed the Senate passage of the Great American Outdoors Act (GAOA) to fully and permanently fund the Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF) and address long overdue maintenance backlogs on our public lands and waters. The bill now heads to the U.S. House of Representatives for passage before becoming law. Since its passage in 1  more

WASHINGTON, June 18 -- Sen. Patrick J. Leahy, D-Vermont, issued the following news release: Senator Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) and Senator Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) Wednesday welcomed the Senate passage of the Great American Outdoors Act (GAOA) to fully and permanently fund the Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF) and address long overdue maintenance backlogs on our public lands and waters. The bill now heads to the U.S. House of Representatives for passage before becoming law. Since its passage in  more

WASHINGTON, June 18 -- Sen. Patrick J. Leahy, D-Vermont, issued the following news release: Senator Patrick Leahy (D), Senator Bernie Sanders (I), and Representative Peter Welch (D) announced Wednesday that two Vermont-based entities, the Abbey Group and Willing Hands, have secured extended contracts through the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to continue the delivery of food boxes throughout this summer through the end of August. These two contracts will bring an additional $8.5 million   more

WASHINGTON, June 15 -- Sen. Patrick J. Leahy, D-Vermont, issued the following news release: U.S. Senator Marco Rubio (R-FL), along with Senators Ron Wyden (D-OR), Dan Sullivan (R-AK), Chris Murphy (D-CT), Roger Wicker (R-MS), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Ben Sasse (R-NE), Ed Markey (D-MA), Thom Tillis (R-NC), Patrick Leahy (D-VT), Pat Toomey (R-PA), and Jeff Merkley (D-OR) demanded information from Zoom's CEO after the company admitted it deactivated the accounts of U.S-based, pro-democracy Chine  more

WASHINGTON, June 16 -- Sen. Patrick J. Leahy, D-Vermont, issued the text of the following statement: Senators Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.), Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.), and Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) released the following joint statement regarding the conviction in the Philippines of journalist Maria Ressa. Ressa, founder of the news platform Rappler, and Reynaldo Santos Jr., former researcher-writer, were found guilty of "cyber libel" and may be imprisoned for up to six years. In an apparent effort to sile  more

WASHINGTON, June 16 -- Sen. Edward J. Markey, D-Massachusetts, issued the following joint statement with Sens. Patrick Leahy, D-Vermont and Dick Durbin, D-Illinois, on June 15 regarding the conviction in the Philippines of journalist Maria Ressa: Ressa, founder of the news platform Rappler, and Reynaldo Santos Jr., former researcher-writer, were found guilty of "cyber libel" and may be imprisoned for up to six years. In an apparent effort to silence her, Ressa has been arrested multiple times a  more