Majority News Releases
Leahy Statement On The Defense, Labor, Health And Human Services, And Education Conference Report
For the second time in two weeks, we are considering a Fiscal Year 2019 appropriations conference report. The two bills in the package before us - the Defense bill, and the Labor, HHS, and Education bill - are the products of months of hard work and bipartisan cooperation, and I am pleased that we have been able to work out all of the differences between the House and Senate bills. These bills make important investments not only in our national security but also in the future of our country… Continue Reading
09.18.18
Under Leahy-Led Appropriations Legislation, Taxpayer-Funded Congressional Research Service Reports Are Publicly Available TODAY, For The First Time
WASHINGTON (TUESDAY, Sept. 18, 2018) - Widely hailed as a key victory for transparency and open access to information, Congressional Research Service (CRS) reports will be made freely available to the public for the first time beginning Tuesday. The change in policy was directed by appropriations provisions authored by Appropriations Committee Vice Chairman Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.). The Leahy legislation was signed into law in March. A legislative branch agency within the Library of Congress, … Continue Reading
09.13.18
Senate Appropriations Committee Vice Chairman Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) Releases Summary For Defense/LHHS “Minibus” Appropriations Package
WASHINGTON (THURSDAY, Sept. 13, 2018) - Senate Appropriations Committee Vice Chairman Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) released a summary compiled by the Senate Appropriations Committee Minority staff of the conference agreement for the Defense, Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies "minibus" appropriations package. Leahy said: "This agreement invests in the American people and ensures that the government remains open into December. Just as importantly, Congress, Republicans … Continue Reading
09.13.18
Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies
Washington, D.C. -The fiscal year 2019 Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education, and Related Agencies (LHHS) Appropriations bill provides a total of $179.973 billion in discretionary budget authority - $977 million more than the fiscal year 2018 level, $10.7 billion more than the President's budget request, and $971 million more than the House bill. The total funding includes $178.076 billion in discretionary funding as well as $1.897 billion in cap adjustment funding to p… Continue Reading
09.13.18
Defense Summary
Washington, D.C. - The Department of Defense Appropriations Act, 2019, provides $606.3 billion for the base budget of the Department of Defense, and $67.9 billion for Overseas Contingency Operations. U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), Vice Chairman of the Subcommittee on Defense, said: "The priority of this defense bill is supporting our troops and their families in the field and at home. At the same time, our bill is geared towards innovation, with record levels of funding for research and … Continue Reading
09.13.18
Vice Chairman Leahy Statement on Interior, FSGG, Agriculture, T-HUD Minibus
I am pleased to be here at the third appropriations conference of Fiscal Year 2019. We have made a lot of progress toward an agreement on the four bills before us - Interior, Financial Services, Agriculture, and Transportation-HUD - that will allow us to move this package forward, but we still have work to do and differences to resolve. Together these bills demonstrate the importance of the bipartisan budget agreement reached earlier this year. In these four bills, the priorities outlined in … Continue Reading
09.13.18
Vice Chairman Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) Statement on the Defense, Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education Conference Report
I am pleased to be here at the second appropriations conference of Fiscal Year 2019. The two bills before us-the Defense Appropriations bill, and the Labor, HHS, and Education bills-are the product of months of hard work and bipartisan cooperation, and I am pleased that we have been able to work out all of the differences between the House and Senate bills. These bills make important investments not only in our national security but also in the future of our country. Together they demons… Continue Reading
09.12.18
Vice Chairman Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) Statement On On Senate Passage Of The “Minibus I” Conference Report
Today, the Senate will consider final passage of the "Minibus #1" conference report. This package contains the Legislative Branch, Energy and Water Development, and Military Construction and Veterans Affairs and Related Agencies Appropriations Bills. When we first considered this package in June, we held our first real debate on the Senate floor on an appropriations bill in a very long time. We had eight roll call votes on amendments and adopted a managers' package containing 32 more - taking… Continue Reading
09.12.18
Statement Of Senate Appropriations Committee Vice Chairman Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) On Department of Homeland Security Reprogramming Of FEMA Funds
[Under the Homeland Security Act, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has the authority to transfer funds within the department. These transfers are subject to the approval of the Chairs of the House and Senate Appropriations Subcommittees on the Department of Homeland Security. On June 30, DHS notified Congress of its intention to transfer $200 million from various DHS agencies to Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), including $10 million from FEMA. This transfer was approved by … Continue Reading
09.10.18
Senate Appropriations Committee Vice Chairman Leahy (D-Vt.) Releases Conference Agreement Summary For “Minibus I”
WASHINGTON (MONDAY, Sept. 10, 2018) - Senate Appropriations Committee Vice Chairman Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) Monday released a summary compiled by the Senate Appropriations Committee Minority staff of the conference agreement for the Energy & Water Development, Military Construction and Veterans Affairs and Related Agencies, and Legislative Branch "minibus" appropriations bill. The package includes $146.57 billion in discretionary spending and must now be passed by Congress and signed into law… Continue Reading
09.10.18
Legislative Branch Conference Report
Washington, D.C. - The Legislative Branch Appropriations bill provides $4.836 billion to conduct oversight, accountability and transparency of federal spending and programs; improve copyright protections; and support the security, safety, and daily operations of the United States Congress and the Library of Congress. Total funding is $136 million more than the fiscal year 2018 enacted level, $46 million more than fiscal year 2019 Senate-passed bill, and $44 million less than the fiscal year 201… Continue Reading
09.10.18
Military Construction, Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies
Washington, D.C. - The conference agreement includes $98.058 billion in total discretionary budget authority for military construction, the Department of Veterans Affairs, and the Related Agencies, $5.3 billion more than the fiscal year 2018 enacted level and $1 billion more than the President's budget request. This includes, $10.332 billion in defense spending for military construction, $86.8 billion in non-defense funding, and $921.4 million for Overseas Contingency Operations. For defense s… Continue Reading
09.10.18
Energy and Water Conference Report
Washington, D.C. - The U.S. Senate Appropriations Energy and Water Development fiscal year 2019 funding legislation totals $44.6 billion in discretionary budget authority, $1.4 billion more than fiscal year 2018, $874 million more than the Senate bill, and $60 million less than the House bill. Bipartisan Budget Agreement - The bipartisan budget agreement resulted in a $6.9 billion increase compared to fiscal year 2017 levels, including $2.5 billion for defense programs and $4.4 billion in non-… Continue Reading
09.06.18
Statement Of Vice Chairman Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) On FY 2019 Appropriations Bills – A Path Forward
In the last few months, the Senate has achieved record progress in processing appropriations bills. As we return from the Labor Day weekend, the Senate has already passed 9 of the 12 Appropriations bills by overwhelming margins and the Appropriations Committee has reported the remaining 3 bills with bipartisan support. The end of the fiscal year is only few short weeks away, but, because of the record pace of our work, there is no reason that we cannot conference all of these bills with th… Continue Reading
09.05.18
Statement of Vice Chairman Leahy (D-Vt.) On The Conference Meeting For The "Minibus I" Appropriations Bill
I am pleased to be here for the first conference of the FY 2019 Appropriations season. The "minibus" before us contains three important appropriations bills. This minibus provides important resources for the support and care of our Nation's veterans, and it makes critical investments in our country's water infrastructure and energy programs. It also provides support to numerous agencies under the umbrella of the Legislative Branch. We have made a lot of progress toward an agreement that wil… Continue Reading
08.28.18
Statement Of Senate Appropriations Committee Vice Chairman Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) On The Decision Not To Submit A Second Rescission Package
"This is a welcome decision. In the Senate, we are moving forward on appropriations bills that have bipartisan support, that are at spending levels agreed to in the bipartisan budget deal, and that reject poison pill riders and controversial authorizing language. This is a process that requires trust, a trust that would have been damaged by such a proposal. Rescinding funds that had been agreed to by Congress and signed into law by the President, in the waning days of the fiscal year, would h… Continue Reading
08.23.18
Senate Passes Defense, LHHS “Minibus” Appropriations Bill
WASHINGTON (THURSDAY, Aug. 23, 2018) - The Senate Thursday passed the Defense, Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education and Related Programs "Minibus" appropriations bill, accounting for 65 percent of all discretionary spending, notching the latest bipartisan achievement in returning the appropriations process to regular order and fulfilling core goals of the bipartisan budget deal signed into law in February. The bill passed with broad bipartisan support by a vote of 85 to 7. Senate A… Continue Reading
08.23.18
Vice Chairman Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) Statement On Senate Passage Of The Defense, LHHS “Minibus” Appropriations Bill
The Senate, and Congress as a whole, best serves the American people when we reach real, bipartisan solutions. Today, the Senate will pass its third bipartisan appropriations package, completing Senate consideration of nine of the 12 appropriations bills reported by the Senate Appropriations Committee and accounting for 87 percent of all discretionary spending. We are proving that when we put partisan politics aside, we can do the work of the American people. This progress would not have bee… Continue Reading
08.20.18
Statement Of Senate Appropriations Committee Vice Chairman Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) On Senate Consideration Of The Defense & Labor, Health And Human Services, Education, And Related Agencies “Minibus” Appropriations Bill
Today the Senate begins consideration of the Defense and Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related agencies "Minibus" appropriations bill. This will be the third appropriations package brought to the Senate floor this year, and once we complete action, the Senate will have passed nine out of the 12 committee-reported appropriations bills for Fiscal Year 2019. I want to thank Chairman Shelby for his commitment to a bipartisan process, and his friendship, that have made this prog… Continue Reading
08.01.18
Appropriations Vice Chairman Leahy (D-Vt.) Statement On Senate Passage Of The Interior, THUD, FSGG & Agriculture “Minibus” Appropriations Bill
Today, we are voting on final passage of the second "minibus" package of appropriations bills, and I urge an "aye" vote. This bill contains the Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration and Related Agencies bill, the Financial Services and General Government and Related Agencies bill, the Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies bill, and the Transportation, Housing and Urban Development and Related Agencies bill. Each of these were reported by the Appropriations Committ… Continue Reading