Majority News Releases
SUMMARY: Senate Subcommittee Approves FY2019 Energy & Water Development Appropriations Bill
Washington, D.C. - The U.S. Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Energy and Water Development approved fiscal year 2019 funding legislation that totals $43.8 billion in discretionary budget authority, which is $566 million more than the fiscal year 2018 level and $7.2 billion above the President's requested level. Non-defense activities see an increase of $474 million, emphasizing the importance of funding the nation's infrastructure, scientific research, and technology development priorities… Continue Reading
05.22.18
SUMMARY: Senate Subcommittee Approves FY2019 Agriculture Appropriations Bill
Washington, D.C. - The fiscal year 2019 Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies bill provides a total discretionary funding level of $23.235 billion, which is $225 million more than the fiscal year 2018 level and $6.13 billion more than the President's request. The bill does not contain poison pill riders. U.S. Senator Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), Ranking Member of the Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies Su… Continue Reading
05.16.18
Appropriations Committee Vice Chairman Leahy Statement On FY 19 Funding Request Hearing With EPA Administrator Pruitt
Thank you Chairman Murkowski and Ranking Member Udall. This is an important hearing to review the budget request for the Environmental Protection Agency. With this reckless and unrealistic budget, the Trump administration continues to show its clear contempt for bedrock environmental safeguards and for the work of the EPA to monitor, protect, and conserve our environment and the health of all Americans. Attacks on the core mission and role of the EPA are attacks on human health. The work of … Continue Reading
05.15.18
Senate Appropriations Committee Vice Chairman Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) Floor Statement On President Trump’s Rescission Proposal
Mr. President, three months ago, Republicans and Democrats came together and reached a bipartisan budget agreement. We reached an agreement to lift the budget caps, provide relief from sequestration and make responsible, new investments in the American people over the next two years. The President signed this agreement into law. Now the President proposed and House Republicans have drawn up a proposal to claw back vital funding for children's health care, rural communities, infrastructure pr… Continue Reading
05.10.18
Vice Chairman Patrick Leahy Statement On The FY 19 Funding Request For The U.S. Department Of The Interior
Thank you, Chairman Murkowski and Ranking Member Udall. Secretary Zinke, we expressed our concerns to you last year when the President proposed to eliminate or reduce critical programs in the FY18 budget. You reportedly said to your own staff that you were "not happy" about the budget proposed by the White House, which proposed a 12 percent overall cut to the Interior Department. Now, you are in charge and have requested a 19 percent reduction compared to the FY18 enacted level, taking an axe… Continue Reading
05.08.18
Appropriations Vice Chairman Patrick Leahy’s Statement On President Trump’s Rescissions Package
Earlier this year, Congress worked together to pass a bipartisan budget agreement to provide relief to the American people from sequestration and help us responsibly fund the federal government. We are now focused on moving forward on a bipartisan track to complete the fiscal year 2019 Appropriations bills based on that agreement. President Trump's effort to reduce spending on the backs of children, families, and the most vulnerable among us doesn't help us achieve these goals, especially in t… Continue Reading
05.08.18
Opening Statement of Vice Chairman Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) Department of Homeland Security Appropriations Subcommittee Hearing to “Review the Fiscal Year 2019 Funding Request and Budget Justification for the U.S. Department of Homeland Security”
Secretary Nielsen - you are here to defend the Department of Homeland Security's budget request. This budget request is a reflection of the Trump administration's priorities for your agency. And it is those priorities that I want to discuss with you today, and whether they are supported by the facts. Within days of taking office, the President attempted to make good on his Muslim ban pledge by ordering a travel ban on citizens of certain Muslim majority countries. He did this despite a consen… Continue Reading
04.10.18
Senate Appropriations Committee Vice Chairman Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.): Statement On New Appropriations Chairman Richard Shelby (R-Ala.)
I want to commend Senator Shelby as the new Chairman of the Senate Appropriations Committee. Senator Shelby and I have served side-by-side in the Senate since 1987. Marcelle and I count Dick and Annette as dear friends. I have enjoyed working with Senator Shelby on the Appropriations Committee for more than two decades. As a senator, he hews to the tested values that keep this chamber running, and he has always remained true to his word. These are qualities he shares with Senator Cochran, … Continue Reading
03.23.18
Comment Of Appropriations Committee Vice Chair Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) On The President’s Veto Threat For the Omnibus Appropriations Bill, Which Cleared Congress Early This Morning
"Now the President threatens to abandon $700 billion for the troops, and health care for 7 million veterans, for his misbegotten border wall that he said Mexico would pay for. That is NOT Making America Great Again. "I have this message for President Trump: Mr. President, you terminated protections for DACA recipients, you cynically held them hostage for your costly boondoggle of a wall, and you have undercut every bipartisan attempt to fix the mess you created. You can fix this. Or at th… Continue Reading
03.23.18
Statement Of Senate Appropriations Committee Vice Chairman Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) On The Passage Of The Fiscal Year 2018 Omnibus Appropriations Bill
[WASHINGTON (Friday, March 23, 2018) - Vice Chairman Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) early Friday morning released the following statement on passage of the fiscal year 2018 Omnibus Appropriations Bill, which passed the Senate by a vote of 65 to 32. Leahy earlier released a summary of the bill and paid tribute to Chairman Thad Cochran (R-Miss.) who is retiring in April. Leahy's full statement on the bill from the Senate Floor Thursday afternoon can be found here.] By lifting the spending caps set in pl… Continue Reading
03.22.18
Vice Chairman Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) Statement On The Fiscal Year 2018 Omnibus Appropriations Act
After months of intense negotiations, tough choices, and good-faith compromises, we have reached a bipartisan agreement to fund the government for this fiscal year, make renewed investments in the American people, and protect our national security. The Fiscal Year 2018 Omnibus Appropriations Bill provides $1.3 trillion in discretionary spending, including $700 billion for defense programs to support our men and women in uniform, and $600 billion for non-defense programs that will help us inves… Continue Reading
03.21.18
Senate Appropriations Committee Vice Chairman Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) Releases Fiscal Year 2018 Omnibus Appropriations Bill
WASHINGTON (Wednesday, 21, 2018) - Senate Appropriations Committee Vice Chairman Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) Wednesday released a summary of the fiscal year 2018 Omnibus Appropriations Bill that totals $1.3 trillion in discretionary spending in compliance with the 2018 Bipartisan Budget Agreement. The bill includes $700 billion in defense funding, including $71 billion in Overseas Contingency Operations (OCO) funding, and $600 billion in non-defense spending, including $12 billion in OCO. Leahy sai… Continue Reading
03.05.18
Statement Of Senate Appropriations Committee Vice Chairman Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) On The Retirement Of Chairman Thad Cochran (R-Miss.)
Marcelle and I count Thad among our dearest friends, and his leadership on the Appropriations Committee and in the Senate will be sorely missed. Despite being on opposite ends of the political spectrum, over the years Thad and I crossed the aisle to work hand-in-hand for the American people. Together, we championed the Farm-To-School Act. We worked together to pass the FY17 Omnibus, and he has been a steadfast partner as we moved through the FY18 appropriations process. Throughout all of thi… Continue Reading
02.12.18
Statement Of Senate Appropriations Committee Vice Chairman Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) On President Trump’s Budget Proposal And Infrastructure Plan
A budget is where we lay out our priorities as a nation. The priorities identified in this budget are not the priorities of the American people. By making drastic cuts to our domestic priorities, President Trump is abandoning the bipartisan budget deal reached by Congress and signed -- by the President -- last week. This is not a serious proposal; it is divorced from reality. And it would continue the Trump administration's full-on retreat from American global influence and leadership. Fu… Continue Reading
02.08.18
Senate Floor Statement Of Appropriations Committee Vice Chairman Leahy On The Bipartisan Budget Deal
The consequences of the Budget Control Act sequestration cuts since 2011 have been devastating and will last for generations. Its impact on military readiness led Defense Secretary Mattis to say that no enemy on the field has done more to harm our military than what we have done ourselves through sequestration. By not investing in our domestic priorities, we allowed our infrastructure to crumble, care to our veterans to be delayed, and investments in education to fall behind. The bipartisan b… Continue Reading
02.08.18
Highlights of the Third Emergency Supplemental
The third emergency supplemental provides more than $89.4 billion to help communities impacted by Hurricanes Harvey, Irma, and Maria, as well as communities devastated by wildfires in the west. The bill is $8.4 billion above the House bill, and provides twice the assistance compared with the Trump administration's request of $44 billion. The bill provides relief for Florida, Texas, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, California and other communities impacted by disaster, and it will help be… Continue Reading
02.07.18
Vice Chairman Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) REAX On The Bipartisan Budget Deal
The consequences of the Budget Control Act sequestration cuts since 2011 have been devastating and will last a generation. Its impact on military readiness led Defense Secretary Mattis to say that no enemy on the field has done more to harm our military than sequestration. By not investing in our domestic priorities, we allowed our infrastructure to crumble, care to our veterans to be delayed, and investments in education to fall behind. This bipartisan budget deal is the first step toward pr… Continue Reading
01.30.18
Statement Of Senate Appropriations Committee Vice Chairman Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) On The Need For A Bipartisan Agreement
The Fiscal Year began on October 1st of last year. Four months have passed-122 days-since the start of the Fiscal Year, and we still do not have a budget deal that will allow us to finish the FY 2018 Appropriations bills. Recently, President Trump has taken to Twitter accusing Democrats of holding up funding for our troops. The idea that Democrats are holding up defense spending does not pass the laugh test. Last July-nearly seven months ago-I called for bipartisan budget negotiations. I pu… Continue Reading
01.21.18
Leahy Statement On The Need For A Bipartisan Agreement
There is only one person who wanted a government shutdown, and he got exactly what he wanted. It was President Trump who said the country could "use a good shutdown." It was President Trump who said a shutdown would be "good" for him politically. It was President Trump who tweeted yesterday that the shutdown was a "nice present" to himself. This is shameful. People are suffering under the Trump Shutdown and the leader of the country is only thinking of himself. In fact, between rubbing shou… Continue Reading
01.20.18
Statement Of Senate Appropriations Vice Chairman Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) On The Trump Shutdown
Mr. President, months ago, President Donald Trump called for a government shutdown, and through his leadership of chaos and his inability to govern or keep his word, he got exactly what he wanted. Make no mistake, it is the Majority's responsibility to produce a bill to send to the President. If they cannot get 60 votes because they refuse to negotiate with Democrats, that is THEIR responsibility. All they needed was nine Democrats, and they could not get it done - in fact they lost four of … Continue Reading