BURLINGTON, Vermont, May 15 -- Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vermont, issued the following news release on May 14: In response to Trump administration officials' evasiveness under questioning by Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) at a Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) hearing earlier this week, Sanders sent a follow-up letter to Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar, demanding that an eventual vaccine developed for COVID-19 be made free of charge for everyone, regardles  more

WASHINGTON, May 15 -- Rep. Gerald "Gerry" Connolly, D-Virginia, issued the joint statement as the new government in Israel was sworn in: The statement was co-issued by Reps. Jan Schakowsky, D-Illinois, David Price, D-North Carolina, John Yarmuth, D-Kentucky, Andy Levin, D-Michigan, Peter Welch, D-Vermont, Alan Lowenthal, D-California, Barbara Lee, D-California, Earl Blumenauer, D-Oregon, Deb Haaland, D-New Mexico and Lloyd Doggett, D-Texas. "After a year of political deadlock Israel has now s  more

WASHINGTON, May 15 -- Rep. David Price, D-North Carolina, issued the following joint statement as the new government in Israel was sworn in: The statement was co-issued by Reps. Jan Schakowsky, D-Illinois; Gerald "Gerry" Connolly, D-Virginia; John Yarmuth, D-Kentucky; Andy Levin, D-Michigan; Peter Welch, D-Vermont; Alan Lowenthal, D-California; Barbara Lee, D-California; Earl Blumenauer, D-Oregon; Deb Haaland, D-New Mexico and Lloyd Doggett, D-Texas. "After a year of political deadlock Israel   more

WASHINGTON, May 15 -- Rep. Jan Schakowsky, D-Illinois, issued the following joint statement as the new government in Israel was sworn in: The statement was co-issued by Reps. David Price, D-North Carolina; Gerald "Gerry" Connolly, D-Virginia; John Yarmuth, D-Kentucky; Andy Levin, D-Michigan; Peter Welch, D-Vermont; Alan Lowenthal, D-California; Barbara Lee, D-California; Earl Blumenauer, D-Oregon; Deb Haaland, D-New Mexico and Lloyd Doggett, D-Texas. "After a year of political deadlock Israel   more

WASHINGTON, May 14 -- Rep. Peter Welch, D-Vermont, issued the following news release: Senator Patrick Leahy (D), Senator Bernie Sanders (I) and Representative Peter Welch (D), co-chair of the Congressional Dairy Farmer Caucus, on Wednesday led a letter to Secretary Sonny Perdue urging the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to do more to support dairy farmers facing an economic crisis due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. Leahy is Vice Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee and th  more

WASHINGTON, May 15 -- Rep. Ro Khanna, D-California, issued the following joint statement with Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vermont, regarding to the Trump administration fired Jennifer Santos, deputy assistant secretary of Defense for Industrial Policy and the point person at the Pentagon overseeing manufacturing under the Defense Production Act: "The dysfunction, incompetence and loyalty tests within this administration are disturbing, and have led to deadly consequences. "It has long been clear th  more

WASHINGTON, May 12 -- Sen. Patrick J. Leahy, D-Vermont, issued the following joint op-ed with Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah, published in the Washington Post: This week (debate and votes expected to begin WEDNESDAY), the Senate will vote on reforms to the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) proposed by Senator Leahy and Senator Mike Lee (R-Utah). By agreement, the Leahy-Lee Amendment is one of five amendments that will receive a vote. The current FISA surveillance authorities under the USA FRE  more

WASHINGTON, May 16 -- Sen. Patrick Leahy, D-Vermont, vice chairman of the Senate Appropriations Committee, issued the following statement on House passage of the Heroes Act: The coronavirus pandemic has claimed more than 86,000 lives in our country. More than 36 million people have filed for unemployment, and at 14.7 percent the unemployment rate is the highest it has been since the Great Depression. And yet, Leader McConnell claims there is no urgency to act. I strongly disagree. House Democ  more

WASHINGTON, May 12 -- Sen. Patrick J. Leahy, D-Vermont, issued the following news release on May 11: U.S. Senator Bob Casey (D-PA), led a bipartisan group of his colleagues in calling on the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to immediately work to ensure SNAP participants can receive home food delivery and curbside pickup during the COVID-19 pandemic. In March, Casey urged the USDA to address this problem after his office received a phone call from a constituent who cannot safely leave home  more

WASHINGTON, May 16 -- Sen. Patrick J. Leahy, D-Vermont, issued the following news release: The coronavirus pandemic has claimed more than 86,000 lives in our country. More than 36 million people have filed for unemployment, and at 14.7 percent the unemployment rate is the highest it has been since the Great Depression. And yet, Leader McConnell claims there is no urgency to act. I strongly disagree. House Democrats have put forward a strong proposal that provides assistance to struggling fami  more

WASHINGTON, May 13 -- Sen. Patrick J. Leahy, D-Vermont, issued the following news release: Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) and Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) led colleagues in writing to the federal courts' Committee on the Codes of Conduct in support of the Committee's draft guidance that would bar judges from membership in the Federalist Society and American Constitution Society--two ideological outside groups. Joined by Senators Patrick Leahy (D-VT), Dick Durbin (D-IL), Sher  more

WASHINGTON, May 14 -- Sen. Patrick J. Leahy, D-Vermont, issued the following news release: Senator Patrick Leahy (D), Senator Bernie Sanders (I) and Representative Peter Welch (D), co-chair of the Congressional Dairy Farmer Caucus, on Wednesday led a letter to Secretary Sonny Perdue urging the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to do more to support dairy farmers facing an economic crisis due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. Leahy is Vice Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee a  more

BURLINGTON, Vermont, May 15 -- Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vermont, issued the following statement regarding coronavirus relief legislation developed by the House: "Let me thank Speaker Pelosi for recognizing the enormity of the crisis we're facing and coming up with a number of proposals in the coronavirus bill she recently introduced to provide emergency relief to those who desperately need it. "Clearly, in these unprecedented times, we need to substantially increase funding for state and local g  more

WASHINGTON, May 14 -- Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vermont, issued the following news release: Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) and Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.) led more than 300 international lawmakers across two dozen countries in a letter to the leadership of the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund (IMF), calling on the international financial institutions to cancel low-incomecountries' debt in response to the global COVID-19 crisis and provide a major infusion of financial support to avert a g  more

WASHINGTON, May 14 -- Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vermont, issued the following news release: Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) and Rep. Nydia M. Velazquez (D-N.Y.) introduced the Equitable Nutrition Assistance for the Territories Act of 2020 to ensure that in the face of the economic, public-health, and food-security crises posed by the coronavirus pandemic, the people of Puerto Rico, the Northern Mariana Islands, and American Samoa receive equal access to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (S  more

WASHINGTON, May 14 -- Sen. Patrick J. Leahy, D-Vermont, issued the following news release: U.S. Senators Joe Manchin (D-WV), Mitt Romney (R-UT), Patrick Leahy (D-VT), Cory Gardner (R-CO), and Ron Wyden (D-OR) introduced the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) Deadline Extension Adjustment for Loans (DEAL) Act. The PPP DEAL Act will extend the loan forgiveness period from 8 to 16 weeks and amend the rehire date from June 30th to 16 weeks after the PPP loan is awarded. Additional information on the  more

WASHINGTON, May 16 -- Sen. Patrick J. Leahy, D-Vermont, issued the following news release: Senate Appropriations Committee Vice Chairman Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) and Agriculture, Rural Development, Food And Drug Administration, And Related Agencies Ranking Member Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.) Friday released a letter to United States Department of Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue calling on the Department to increase its efforts to speed funding for food aid appropriated by Congress out the door and to   more

WASHINGTON, May 16 -- Sen. Patrick Leahy, D-Vermont, vice chairman of the Senate Appropriations Committee, issued the following news release: Senate Appropriations Committee Vice Chairman Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) and Agriculture, Rural Development, Food And Drug Administration, And Related Agencies Ranking Member Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.) Friday released a letter to United States Department of Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue calling on the Department to increase its efforts to speed funding for foo  more

WASHINGTON, May 16 -- Sen. Patrick J. Leahy, D-Vermont, issued the following news release: Senator Patrick Leahy (D), Senator Bernie Sanders (I), Representative Peter Welch (D), and Governor Phil Scott (R) Friday announced that the State of Vermont will receive $55,078,471 from the federal government to support COVID-19 testing, including $3.9 million in funding specifically to support testing at community health centers throughout the state. The funds are a part of the $25 billion for COVID-1  more

WASHINGTON, May 12 -- Sen. Patrick J. Leahy, D-Vermont, issued the following news release: Senate Appropriations Committee Vice Chairman Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) and Senate Appropriations Subcommittee On Homeland Security Ranking Member Jon Tester (D-Mont.) Monday released a letter to Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Administrator Peter Gaynor urging the agency to increase its efforts to deliver food aid to those in need. The CARES Act and the Families First Coronavirus Response Act col  more

WASHINGTON, May 12 -- Sen. Patrick Leahy, D-Vermont, vice chairman of the Senate Appropriations Committee, issued the following news release: Senate Appropriations Committee Vice Chairman Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) and Senate Appropriations Subcommittee On Homeland Security Ranking Member Jon Tester (D-Mont.) Monday released a letter to Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Administrator Peter Gaynor urging the agency to increase its efforts to deliver food aid to those in need. The CARES Act   more

WASHINGTON, May 16 -- Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vermont, issued the following news release on May 15: Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) introduced the Health Care Emergency Guarantee Act to eliminate all out-of pocket health costs for every person in America during the COVID-19 crisis. Senators Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.), Edward Markey (D-Mass.), Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), Cory Booker (D-N.J.), Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), and Kamala Harris (D-Calif.) cosponsored the legislation. "During this public healt  more