WASHINGTON, March 19 -- Sen. Patrick Leahy, D-Vermont, vice chairman of the Senate Appropriations Committee, issued the following statement on March 18 regarding the Senate passage of the Families First Coronavirus Response Act: Today the Senate took a crucial first step to meet the American people where they are in this crisis by ensuring emergency, paid sick leave, enhancing unemployment insurance, and providing new funds to support nutrition programs, which will come under increasing strain   more

WASHINGTON, March 20 -- Sen. Patrick Leahy, D-Vermont, vice chairman of the Senate Appropriations Committee, issued the following news release: Earlier this week I made clear that Senate Republicans' plan to proceed with a "Republican Consensus" proposal without bipartisan input from Democrats would be a waste of time and only delay aid from reaching the American people. It is extremely disappointing that my words fell on deaf ears. If ever there were a time to work directly across the aisle fo  more

WASHINGTON, March 16 -- Rep. Peter Welch, D-Vermont, issued the following news release: Rep. Peter Welch voted early Saturday morning for emergency legislation (H.R. 6201) to help slow the spread of the coronavirus (COVID-19) disease and help affected Americans. This bill is the second emergency coronavirus package to pass the House with an overwhelming bipartisan vote (363-40) in the past eight days. Last week, the House passed an $8.3 billion emergency funding bill to primarily help states an  more

WASHINGTON, March 17 -- Sen. Patrick J. Leahy, D-Vermont, issued the following news release on March 16: House Oversight and Reform Committee Chairwoman Carolyn B. Maloney (D-NY), Senate Appropriations Committee Vice Chairman Patrick Leahy (D-VT), Senate Finance Committee Chairman Chuck E. Grassley (R-IA), Senate Judiciary Committee Ranking Member Dianne Feinstein (D-CA), and Senator John Cornyn (R-TX), released the findings of a Government Accountability Office (GAO) report entitled "Freedom o  more

WASHINGTON, March 21 -- Sen. Patrick J. Leahy, D-Vermont, issued the following news release: COVID-19 has upended our normal way of life, and it is imperative that all Vermonters, and all Americans, do everything possible to protect themselves, their families, and their communities from this extremely contagious and dangerous virus. The State Department has issued a warning against all travel overseas, and I urge Vermonters to heed that warning. Vermonters who are currently in other countries  more

WASHINGTON, March 19 -- Sen. Patrick J. Leahy, D-Vermont, issued the following news release on March 18: The Senate took a crucial first step to meet the American people where they are in this crisis by ensuring emergency, paid sick leave, enhancing unemployment insurance, and providing new funds to support nutrition programs, which will come under increasing strain during this crisis. Importantly, the bill also guarantees affordable testing, which is a necessary step to finally understanding t  more

WASHINGTON, March 20 -- Sen. Patrick J. Leahy, D-Vermont, issued the text of the following statement: Earlier this week I made clear that Senate Republicans' plan to proceed with a "Republican Consensus" proposal without bipartisan input from Democrats would be a waste of time and only delay aid from reaching the American people. It is extremely disappointing that my words fell on deaf ears. If ever there were a time to work directly across the aisle for the good of the nation, this is it. Whi  more

WASHINGTON, March 18 -- Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vermont, issued the following statement: First and foremost, as we face a national emergency, I want all Vermonters to know that my office is here to help. Please do not hesitate to be in touch if we can be of assistance on our website or by phone: 1-802-862-0697. Please know that our call volume may be higher than normal and you may have to leave a message during business hours. My staff will be checking messages regularly and will call you back a  more

WASHINGTON, March 21 -- Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vermont, issued the following news release: Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), Rep. Ayanna Pressley (D-Mass.), Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), and Rep. Danny K. Davis (D-Ill.) led 165 lawmakers in calling on House and Senate leadership to dramatically increase long-term funding for community health centers (CHCs) in the third coronavirus legislative package being drafted by Congress to address the immediate economic and public-health emergency needs   more

WASHINGTON, March 16 -- Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vermont, issued the following news release: During the coronavirus emergency, Sen. Sanders' Washington D.C. and Vermont offices are open via phone and e-mail and responsive to constituents' needs. Please do not hesitate to contact us. Information regarding coronavirus, state and local updates, and travel advisories are available on the following websites: * General Information - Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) * Status in Vermo  more

WASHINGTON, March 17 -- Sen. Patrick Leahy, D-Vermont, vice chairman of the Senate Appropriations Committee, issued the following statement on March 16 on the consideration of the Families First Coronavirus Response Act: Families across the country are facing an unprecedented challenge, and we must act, and act now, on solutions that put families and the American people first. The Families First Coronavirus Response Act takes a substantial step toward providing the relief and assurance communit  more