- Patrick Leahy
Infobox Senator
name = Patrick Leahy
nationality = American
jr/sr = Senior Senator
state =Vermont
party = Democratic
term_start =January 14 ,1975
alongside =Bernie Sanders
preceded =George Aiken
succeeded =
order2 = Chairman of the Senate Committee on the Judiciary
term_start2 =January 4 ,2007
term_end2 =
preceded2 =Arlen Specter
succeeded2 =
term_start3 =June 6 ,2001
term_end3 =January 3 ,2003
preceded3 =Orrin Hatch
succeeded3 =Orrin Hatch
term_start4 =January 3
term_end4 =January 20 ,2001
preceded4 =Orrin Hatch
succeeded4 =Orrin Hatch
order5 = Chairman of the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry
term_start5 =January 4 ,1987
term_end5 =January 3 ,1995
preceded5 =Jesse Helms
succeeded5 =Dick Lugar
date of birth = birth date and age|1940|03|31
place of birth =Montpelier, Vermont
dead = alive
occupation = attorney
residence =Burlington, Vermont
spouse = Marcelle Pomerleau
alma_mater =Georgetown University
religion =Roman Catholic
website = [http://leahy.senate.gov/ Senator Patrick Leahy]Patrick Joseph Leahy (born
March 31 ,1940 ) is the senior United States Senator fromVermont . He is a member of the Democratic Party, and is the current chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee.Early life, private career and family
Leahy was born in
Montpelier, Vermont , the son of Alba (née Zambon) and Howard Francis Leahy, a printer. His father wasIrish-American and his motherItalian-American . His family roots are traced back to Irish immigrants inMontreal, Quebec and his wife's family is fromQuebec . He has a brother, John, and a sister, Mary.Leahy graduated from
Saint Michael's College in 1961 and received his J.D. degree fromGeorgetown University Law School in 1964. He practiced as a lawyer until he was elected for four terms asState's Attorney ofChittenden County from 1966 to 1974. Leahy was elected to the United States Senate for the first time in 1974 (at 34, he was the youngest U.S. Senator ever to be elected by Vermont), and has been re-elected five times. Leahy was the first Democrat elected to Congress from Vermont since the Civil War, and remains the only Democrat to have been elected Senator from Vermont, althoughBernie Sanders , I-Vermont, received the endorsement of the Vermont Democratic Party when he ran as an independent in 2006.Leahy married Marcelle Pomerleau in 1962. They reside in a farmhouse in
Middlesex, Vermont that they moved to from Burlington, and have three children. Leahy is legallyblind in one eye.U.S. Senator
Reflecting Vermont's former reputation as a Republican stronghold, Leahy is the only Democrat to be elected to the Senate by Vermont, and one of only three non-Republicans to represent Vermont at the federal level since the end of the Civil War. (
Jim Jeffords was elected as a Republican before he switched to become an Independent, whileBernie Sanders was elected as an Independent; he won and then refused the Democratic Party nomination.)Leahy was re-elected in 1980, 1986, 1992, 1998, and 2004. He was chairman of the Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry Committee from 1987 until the Democrats lost control of the Senate in 1995 and was then chairman of the Judiciary Committee from 2001 until the Democrats lost control again in 2003. He is now the chairman of that committee, and is one of the key Democratic leaders in the Senate fight over the rules for filling federal judgeships via
advise and consent . Leahy also serves as third-highest Democrat on the Appropriations Committee and as Chairman of the Appropriations Subcommittee on State, Foreign Operations and Related Programs. In his position as the second-highest Democrat on the Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry Committee Leahy serves as Chairman of the Agriculture Subcommittee on Research, Nutrition and General Legislation. He is one of the longest-tenured Senators, as of 2008, and thus has a high ranking in the order of precedence in protocol.1998 election and later Senate events
The 1998 election was noteworthy in that Leahy had the endorsement of his Republican opponent,
Fred Tuttle . Tuttle was the lead actor in the movie "Man With A Plan", shot in Vermont, in which a farmer decides to run for the House. Tuttle told voters to vote for Leahy because he didn't want to move toWashington D.C. Leahy was touched by this gesture; he once said that Tuttle was the "distilled essence of Vermonthood".Leahy was one of two Senators targeted in the
2001 anthrax attacks . Theanthrax letter meant for him was intercepted before it reached his office. In 2004, Leahy was awarded theElectronic Privacy Information Center 's Champion of Freedom Award for efforts in information privacy andopen government . Leahy is regarded as one of the leading privacy advocates in Congress. Leahy is also heard often on the issue ofland mine s.Also in 2001, Senator Leahy sent at least two letters to the Committee on the Judiciary and the United States Senate, noting his opposition to efforts to toughen laws against the leaking of classified information. [ [http://www.fas.org/sgp/news/2001/09/conyersbarr.html House Judiciary Committee Asserts Jurisdiction Over "Anti-Leak" Provision ] ] [ [http://www.fas.org/sgp/news/2000/10/leahy.html Sens. Leahy, Grassley, and Schumer Urge Deferral of New Leak Statute ] ]
On
June 22 ,2004 , Leahy and Vice PresidentDick Cheney participated in the US Senate class photo. After the vote, Cheney was only talking to Republicans. When Leahy asked him to come over and talk to the Democrats, Cheney upbraided Leahy for the Senator's recent excoriations ofHalliburton 's activities inIraq . At the end of the exchange, Cheney told Leahy, "Fuck yourself." [ [http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/19976707/ 'Countdown with Keith Olbermann' for July 25 - Countdown with Keith Olbermann - MSNBC.com ] ] [ [http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A3699-2004Jun24.html Cheney Dismisses Critic With Obscenity (washingtonpost.com) ] ] Leahy joked about the incident in 2007 when he escortedBernie Sanders , Vermont's newly-elected senator, to the well of the Senate where he was sworn in by Cheney: "When it comes to the vice president, it's always better to be sworn in than to be sworn at". [ [http://www.timesargus.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20061210/NEWS01/612100381/1002/NEWS01 Leahy relishing rise to power: Times Argus Online ] ] For a time, liberals made sport of the exchange with the expression "Go Cheney yourself!"In March 2004, Leahy and
Orrin Hatch introduced thePirate Act backed by theRIAA . In July 2004, Leahy and Hatch introduced theINDUCE Act . Both were aimed at combatingcopyright infringement . [ [http://www.wired.com/news/politics/0,1283,64315,00.html Techies Blast Induce Act ] ]On
November 2 ,2004 , Leahy easily defeated his opponent, businessman Jack McMullen, with 70.6 percent of the vote. OnJanuary 5 ,2005 , Leahy was sworn in for his sixth term in the Senate by Cheney.On
September 21 ,2005 , Leahy announced his support forJohn Roberts to be Chief Justice of theU.S. Supreme Court . However, onJanuary 19 ,2006 , Leahy announced that he would vote against JudgeSamuel Alito to be a justice on the Supreme Court. He has a mixed record ongun control , being one of the few Senate Democrats to vote against theBrady Bill . He voted for theNorth American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) and is in favor of phasing outfarm subsidies that are supported by the populist wing of the Democratic Party. However, he recently voted against theCentral America Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA). Leahy voted for theDefense of Marriage Act and was one of the few in his party to support the ban onintact dilation and extraction procedures.On
March 2 ,2006 , Leahy was one of 10 senators who voted against the USA PATRIOT Improvement and Reauthorization Act, a bill to extend theUSA PATRIOT Act . The Reauthorization Act changed the appointment process for interim United States attorneys, allowing theAttorney General to make interim appointments withoutterm limit , and without Senatorial confirmation. This was an aspect of hearings in thedismissal of U.S. attorneys controversy . Both houses voted to overturn the interim appointment provision in March 2007.On
January 18 ,2007 , Leahy received widespread coverage for his cross-examination of Attorney GeneralAlberto Gonzales about theMaher Arar affair and the extraordinary rendition of Arar toSyria . [ [http://www.cbc.ca/canada/story/2007/01/18/arar-us.html U.S. 'knew damn well' Arar would be tortured: senator ] ]Leahy endorsed
Barack Obama in the2008 presidential election , and recorded a radio advertisement for the Obama campaign to be aired in Vermont. [http://obama.3cdn.net/105d7d7f25854179d0_jpm6vafyv.mp3]Political positions
Leahy has held progressive political positions that are in line with a state that is generally liberal but independent minded. He has generally supported abortion rights, rejecting proposals to limit minors or those stationed on military bases from having the procedure performed. However, he has voted against the legalization of partial birth abortions. He has been strongly supported by the
NAACP and is outspoken in his support for affirmative action. Leahy has also been one of the most gay rights-friendly members of Congress. He has supported the legalization of gay marriage and reducing discrimination against this group. Leahy has also called for the domestic partners of federal employees to receive the same benefits as straight couples [http://www.ontheissues.org/Senate/Patrick_Leahy.htm] .The senator spoke strongly against a proposed constitutional ban on flag burning and on its implications for freedom of speech and expression. He rejects school-prayer initiatives and plans for abstinance-only public education. Leahy has called for a moratorium on the death penalty and more
DNA testing for death row inmates. He supports rehabilitation as the goal of prisons and providing treatment instead of punishment for first time offenders. Leahy has generally supported gun control, including requiring background checks at gun shows and allowing for lawsuits against firearms manufacturers. However, he voted in favor of prohibiting US foreign aid that inhibits gun ownership [http://www.ontheissues.org/Senate/Patrick_Leahy.htm] .Leahy sees the expansion of public healthcare as vital, and he has stated the importance of increasing its prevelance during times of economic downturn. He voted to increase Medicare benefits and to allow this organization to negotiate lower-priced, bulk prescriptions from pharmaceutical manufacturers. The senator sees the nursing shortage as leading to a decline in healthcare. He has broken with Democratic leadership in supporting allowing states to make bulk drug purchases on their own, an idea he sees as an important short term solution until Congress can agree on a similar proposal. Leahy has consitantly voted to uphold
Social Security and has opposed school vouchers [http://www.ontheissues.org/Senate/Patrick_Leahy.htm] .Senator Leahy has been a strong supporter of environmental policy. He has supported bills that would increase hydrogen car production, uphold
CAFE standards, set a goal of reducing oil consumption by 40% in 2025, and increase solar and wind power funding. He wants to establish greenhouse gas tradeable allowances and has spoken out against the effectiveness of ethanol as a solution to rising gasoline prices [http://www.ontheissues.org/Senate/Patrick_Leahy.htm] .On taxation, Leahy has consistantly supported instituting progressive rates. He has rejected proposals to remove the Estate Tax and Alternative Minimum Tax, and he has spoken out strongly against cutting taxes for the wealthy. Leahy has strongly supported the rights of employees, and has voted to increase the minimum wage and allow for more union organization. He has voted against the most controversial of free trade proposals, such as CAFTA and NAFTA, but supported normalizing trade relations with China [http://www.ontheissues.org/Senate/Patrick_Leahy.htm] .
Leahy has been a long-time critic of US activities in Iraq. He has spoken in favor of timetables for troop withdrawal and has stated that the country needs well trained foreign service and civilian workers to help fix the damage in Iraq. He has also been highly critical of the
PATRIOT Act [http://www.ontheissues.org/Senate/Patrick_Leahy.htm] .Personal life
Leahy is a fan of the
Grateful Dead . He has not only attended concerts, but has taped them, and has a collection of the band's tapes in his Senate Offices.Jerry Garcia visited him at his Senate offices, and Leahy gave a tie designed by Garcia to SenatorOrrin Hatch (who responded by giving Leahy aRush Limbaugh tie). Surviving band membersBob Weir andMickey Hart have participated in fundraisers for Leahy and hisPolitical Action Committee , the Green Mountain Victory Fund. Leahy also appeared in a videotaped tribute to the Dead when they received a lifetime achievement award at the 2002Jammys . His Senate website notes this response to a question from seventh grade students from Vermont'sThetford Academy who asked Leahy which Dead song was his favorite, he replied: "... my favorite is "Black Muddy River" but we always play "Truckin' " on election night at my headquarters."In a 1994 interview on
ABC News , Leahy claimed that, while attending Georgetown Law School, he obtained tickets to seeThe Beatles ' first full U.S. concert, at theWashington Coliseum , inviting a classmate, who declined, saying that the Beatles were a fad. Leahy declined to identify the classmate, but added, "He hasn't gone on to become a very good lawyer, either."Also a fan of
U2 , Leahy has a picture mounted on the wall of his office of himself, his wife, PresidentBill Clinton andBono . On it, Bono has drawn an arrow pointed to himself, with the caption, "Would you trust this man with your children?"Leahy is quoted on
Loung Ung 's website: "In this gripping narrative Loung Ung describes the unfathomableevil that engulfedCambodia during her childhood, the courage that enabled her family to survive, and the determination that has made her an eloquent voice for peace and justice in Cambodia. It is a tour de force that strengthens our resolve to prevent and punish crimes against humanities." The book he is referring to is "Lucky Child ".Leahy is a published photographer. [ [http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0807/5219_Page2.html Leahy attacks Bush, Roberts - Roger Simon - Politico.com ] ]
A big fan of the
Batman comics, Leahy lent his voice in of "" as a Governor in a western tale involvingRa's al Ghul andJonah Hex . He also appeared as a cameo in "Batman and Robin", and has another cameo in the 2008 film "The Dark Knight". [ [http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2007/08/14/senator-patrick-leahy-d-gotham/ CNN Political Ticker: All politics, all the time Blog Archive - Senator Patrick Leahy (D-Gotham) « - Blogs from CNN.com ] ] Leahy's character, a guest at a fund raiser for Harvey Dent, is grabbed byThe Joker , who tells Leahy's character that he reminds him of his father.Leahy wrote the introduction to the collected edition of "Green Arrow : the Archer's Quest" and the foreword to the first volume of "The Dark Knight Archives", a hardcover reprinting of the first four issues of the "Batman" comic book.Electoral history
*1974 election for U.S. Senate
**Patrick Leahy (D), 49.5%
**Richard W. Mallary (R), 46.4%*1980 election for U.S. Senate
**Patrick Leahy (D) (inc.), 49.8%
**Stewart M. Ledbetter (R), 48.5%*1986 election for U.S. Senate
**Patrick Leahy (D) (inc.), 63.7%
**Richard A. Snelling (R), 34.7%*1992 election for U.S. Senate
**Patrick Leahy (D) (inc.), 54.2%
**Jim Douglas (R), 43.3%*1998 election for U.S. Senate
**Patrick Leahy (D) (inc.), 72%
**Fred Tuttle (R), 23%*2004 election for U.S. Senate
**Patrick Leahy (D) (inc.), 71%
**Jack McMullen (R) 25%
**Craig Hill (G) 1%
**Keith Stern (I) 1%
**Ben Mitchell (LU) 0%References
External links
* [http://leahy.senate.gov/ United States Senator Patrick Leahy] , Senate site
* [http://topics.nytimes.com/top/reference/timestopics/people/l/patrick_j_leahy/index.html New York Times — Patrick J. Leahy News] collected news and commentary
* [http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Patrick_Leahy SourceWatch Congresspedia — Patrick Leahy] profile
* [http://meteors.blog85.fc2.com/blog-entry-77.html Videos of Patrick Leahy] , via MeteorPersondata
NAME= Leahy, Patrick Joseph
ALTERNATIVE NAMES=
SHORT DESCRIPTION=senior United States Senator fromVermont
DATE OF BIRTH=March 31 ,1940
PLACE OF BIRTH=Montpelier, Vermont
DATE OF DEATH=
PLACE OF DEATH=
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