Patrick Leahy of Middlesex was elected to the United States Senate in 1974 and remains the only Democrat elected to this office from Vermont. At 34, he was the youngest U.S. Senator ever to be elected from the Green Mountain State. Leahy was born in Montpelier and grew up across from the Statehouse. A graduate of Saint Michael's College in Colchester (1961), he received his Juris Doctor from Georgetown University Law Center (1964). He served for eight years as State's Attorney in Chittenden County. He gained a national reputation for his law enforcement activities and was selected (1974) as one of three outstanding prosecutors in the United States. Leahy is the Chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee and is a senior member of the Agriculture and Appropriations Committees. He ranks seventh in seniority in the Senate.

Blog Entries by Sen. Patrick Leahy

Support a Public Option

389 Comments | Posted June 22, 2009 | 05:00 PM (EST)


Nearly 50 million Americans -- one-in-six of our fellow citizens -- lack health insurance. And even those families lucky enough to have health insurance have seen their premiums triple in the past decade, now paying an average of $16,000 per year and rising rapidly.

In short, America's health care system...

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On the Nomination of Sonia Sotomayor

208 Comments | Posted May 26, 2009 | 10:38 AM (EST)


While visiting with our troops in Afghanistan today, President Obama called to inform me that he will nominate Judge Sonia Sotomayor to be the next Justice of the U.S. Supreme Court. Judge Sotomayor has a long and distinguished career on the federal bench. She has been nominated by both Democratic...

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Time to Support the President and Close the Facility at Guantanamo Bay

164 Comments | Posted May 21, 2009 | 03:05 PM (EST)


President Obama said in his campaign and he has repeated since the first days of his presidency that we must keep our nation safe and secure, but we must do it in ways consistent with our values. Now that is a sentiment I share, and one that I voiced in...

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Video: Why we need a Truth Commission

70 Comments | Posted May 6, 2009 | 04:10 PM (EST)


Since I last blogged here about establishing a truth commission, my proposal has picked up considerable attention and support.

The release of new Bush-Cheney era torture memos by the Justice Department reveal just how far the past administration strayed from the law and our fundamental principles. But...

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A Truth Commission to Investigate Bush-Cheney Administration Abuses

Posted February 12, 2009 | 02:38 PM (EST)


We have just emerged from a time when White House officials often acted as if they were above the law. That was wrong and must be fully exposed so it never happens again.

The Huffington Post community and the netroots played a vital role pursuing, demanding, and exposing the Bush-Cheney...

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