WASHINGTON, June 27 -- Rep. Chellie Pingree, D-Maine, issued the following news release: Congresswoman Chellie Pingree (D-Maine) voted for H.R. 51, the Washington, D.C. Admission Act, which would make the District of Columbia America's 51st state and ensure the city's more than 702,000 residents are finally fully represented in the U.S. Congress. "Washington, D.C. has more residents than the states of Vermont and Wyoming, who pay more federal taxes than the residents of 22 individual states.   more

WASHINGTON, June 26 -- Rep. Peter Welch, D-Vermont, issued the following news release: Rep. Peter Welch and Vermont racial equity advocates on Thursday gathered in front of the Vermont State House to highlight the expected passage of the Justice in Policing Act by the U.S. House of Representatives Thursday evening. Welch was joined by Xusana Davis, Vermont director of racial equity; Skyler Nash, of the Vermont Racial Equity Alliance; Christel Tonoki, former Champlain Valley Union (CVU) student   more

BURLINGTON, Vermont, June 23 -- Rep. Peter Welch, D-Vermont, issued the following news release: Rep. Peter Welch held a press conference Monday afternoon on Church Street with local restaurant owners to unveil bipartisan legislation that he recently introduced in Congress to create a $120 billion grant program specifically to help local restaurants survive during and after the coronavirus pandemic. Welch has held numerous e-meetings with restaurant owners throughout Vermont since the start of t  more

WASHINGTON, June 25 -- Rep. Peter Welch, D-Vermont, issued the following news release on June 24: Representatives Peter Welch (D-Vt.) and David McKinley (R-W.Va.), and Senators Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.) and Chris Coons (D-Del.) introduced bipartisan, bicameral legislation to help save energy efficiency jobs during and after the coronavirus pandemic. The bill also includes rebates to help homeowners retrofit their homes to cut their monthly energy costs, stimulate the ene  more

WASHINGTON, June 25 -- Sen. Patrick J. Leahy, D-Vermont, issued the following news release on June 24: U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Antitrust, Competition Policy and Consumer Rights, sent a letter to Judiciary Chairman Lindsey Graham (R-SC) and Chairman of the Judiciary Subcommittee on Antitrust, Competition Policy and Consumer Rights Mike Lee (R-UT) to request that the Senate Antitrust Subcommittee convene a hearing to examine whethe  more

WASHINGTON, June 27 -- Sen. Patrick Leahy, D-Vermont, vice chairman of the Senate Appropriations Committee, issued the following statement on the 9th Circuit ruling halting transfer of military funds for the border wall: "In a decisive victory for the Constitution and the American people, the Ninth Circuit wisely ruled that President's Trump effort to raid congressionally appropriated funds for our military troops and their families to build his wall was plainly illegal. "In upholding the low  more

WASHINGTON, June 24 -- Sen. Patrick J. Leahy, D-Vermont, issued the following news release: U.S. Sen. Mark R. Warner (D-VA) led all Democrats on the Senate Rules Committee in calling for the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ), the National Association of State Election Directors, and the National Association of Secretaries of State to work proactively to counter any attempts to suppress vulnerable and historically-disenfranchised voters during the COVID-19 crisis. In letters to Assistant Attorne  more

WASHINGTON, June 27 -- Sen. Patrick J. Leahy, D-Vermont, issued the following news release: U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) praised the unanimous passage of his resolution encouraging U.S. engagement with the international community on the COVID-19 response to research, develop, and distribute vaccines and therapeutics. The resolution, led by Durbin and supported by 39 of his Senate colleagues, noted the historic international effort to eradicate smallpox as an example of why con  more

WASHINGTON, June 27 -- Sen. Patrick J. Leahy, D-Vermont, issued the text of the following statement: "In a decisive victory for the Constitution and the American people, the Ninth Circuit wisely ruled that President's Trump effort to raid congressionally appropriated funds for our military troops and their families to build his wall was plainly illegal. "In upholding the lower court's decision to halt the transfer of military funds to President Trump's wall - a wall that Congress refused to fu  more

WASHINGTON, June 27 -- Sen. Patrick J. Leahy, D-Vermont, issued the text of the following statement: Mr. LEAHY. According to press reports, the Trump Administration plans to nominate Mauricio Claver-Carone to be the next President of the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB). It is also my understanding that a number of Latin American governments have already expressed support for his nomination. As someone who has supported the IDB for decades, including at times when amendments were proposed  more

WASHINGTON, June 26 -- Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vermont, issued the following news release on June 25: Ahead of the Senate's consideration of a proposed $740.5 billion military budget authorization, Senator Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) took to the Senate floor to call for a 10% cut in annual Pentagon spending to invest in education, health care and poverty reduction in America's most marginalized communities. Sanders' amendment to the National Defense Authorization Act, cosponsored by Sen. Ed Markey (  more

WASHINGTON, June 25 -- Sen. Patrick J. Leahy, D-Vermont, issued the following news release: United States Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) and 35 Senate Democrats introduced standalone legislation requiring the Pentagon to remove all names, symbols, displays, monuments, and paraphernalia that honor or commemorate the Confederate States of America and anyone who voluntarily served it from all military bases and other assets of the Department of Defense. The Pentagon must rename the assets with  more

WASHINGTON, June 24 -- Sen. Patrick J. Leahy, D-Vermont, issued the following news release: U.S. Senators Susan Collins (R-ME) and Patrick Leahy (D-VT) sent a letter urging the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to finalize the National Organic Program 'Origin of Livestock' Rule, which would close a loophole that has put small organic dairy producers at a disadvantage and discredited the organic label. Senators Collins and Leahy worked to secure language in the fiscal year (FY) 2020 Agricul  more

WASHINGTON, June 24 -- Sen. Patrick J. Leahy, D-Vermont, issued the following news release: Senator Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.) was joined by Senator Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) and others Tuesday in introducing the Frontline At-Risk Manual (FARM) Laborers Protection Act, groundbreaking legislation that establishes critical protections, including 10 days of paid leave and hazard pay, for America's agricultural workers. The bill is also cosponsored by Senators Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), Richard Blumenthal (D-C  more