Patrick Leahy
Encyclopedia
Patrick Joseph Leahy (ˈleɪhiː; born March 31, 1940) is the senior United States Senator
from Vermont
and member of the Democratic Party
. He is the first and only elected Democratic United States Senator in Vermont's history. He is the chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee
. Leahy is the second most senior U.S. Senator, and second longest-serving Democrat in the U.S. Senate having served since 1975.
, the son of Alba (née
Zambon) and Howard Francis Leahy, a printer. His grandparents came to Vermont from Ireland
and Italy
during the 19th century to work at quarries.
Leahy graduated from Saint Michael's College
in 1961 and received his J.D.
degree from Georgetown University Law Center
in 1964. He practiced as a lawyer until he was elected for four terms as State's Attorney
of Chittenden 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). Leahy was the first and remains the only Democrat elected to the Senate from Vermont. He was also the first non-Republican Senator from Vermont since 1856.
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 legally blind
in one eye.
's landslide victory. In 1986, he faced what was on paper an even stronger challenger in former governor Richard Snelling, but Leahy turned back this challenge fairly easily, taking 63 percent of the vote. In 1992, he faced another fairly credible opponent in then-Secretary of State
Jim Douglas
, winning by 11 points.
Leahy is the first Democrat to be elected to the Senate by Vermont, and is technically one of only three Democrats to represent Vermont in either house of Congress since the end of the Civil War
. However, his election inaugurated Vermont's trend towards the Democratic party, and since 2001, two other Vermont Senators have caucused with the Democrats. Jim Jeffords
was elected as a Republican before he switched to become an Independent, while Bernie Sanders
was elected as an Independent; he won and then refused the Democratic Party nomination.
During his tenure as Vice-Chairman of the United States Senate Select Committee on Intelligence
in 1987, Leahy showed an unclassified draft report on the Iran-Contra affair to a news reporter. At a press conference, Leahy stated, "Even though it was declassified, I was way too careless about it," and accepted blame. Disclosure of that information was against the Intelligence Committee rules, and Leahy said he hastened his already planned departure from the committee because he was so angry at himself.
He was chairman of the Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry Committee
from 1987 until 1995 and was then chairman of the Judiciary Committee from 2001 until 2003, and regained the chairmanship in 2007. He is one of the key Democratic leaders on Senate issues on rules for filling federal judgeships via advise and consent
. Leahy 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. Currently, he is the second-longest serving member of the Senate, behind only Daniel Inouye
. He thus has a high ranking in the order of precedence in protocol
. He is also the longest serving Senator in Vermont's history.
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 to Washington 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
. The anthrax
letter meant for him was intercepted before it reached his office. In 2004, Leahy was awarded the Electronic Privacy Information Center
's Champion of Freedom Award for efforts in information privacy and open government
. Leahy is regarded as one of the leading privacy advocates in Congress. Leahy is heard often on the issue of land mine
s.
In 2000, Senator Leahy cosigned a letter sent to Appropriations Committee conference members, requesting a delay in implementing Section 304 in H.R. 4392, the Intelligence Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2001 until it could be fully considered by the Senate Committee on the Judiciary. The amendment would introduce new felony crime laws concerning the unauthorized disclosure of information. Leahy and his colleagues indicated this would be in conflict with existing First Amendment
rights and Whistleblower Protection Act
s.
On June 22, 2004, Leahy and Vice President
Dick 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 of Halliburton
's activities in Iraq
. At the end of the exchange, Cheney told Leahy, "Go fuck yourself." Leahy joked about the incident in 2007 when he escorted Bernie 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."
In March 2004, Leahy and Orrin Hatch
introduced the Pirate Act
backed by the RIAA. In July 2004, Leahy and Hatch introduced the INDUCE Act. Both were aimed at combating copyright infringement
.
On November 2, 2004, Leahy easily defeated his opponent, businessman Jack McMullen, with 70.6 percent of the vote. On January 5, 2005, Leahy was sworn in for his sixth term in the Senate by Cheney.
On September 21, 2005, Leahy announced his support for John Roberts to be Chief Justice of the United States Supreme Court. On January 19, 2006, Leahy announced that he would vote against Judge Samuel Alito
to be a justice on the Supreme Court. He has a mixed record on gun control
, being one of the few Senate Democrats to vote against the Brady Bill. He voted for the North American Free Trade Agreement
(NAFTA) and is in favor of phasing out farm subsidies that are supported by the populist
wing of the Democratic Party. He voted against the Central America Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA). Leahy voted for the Defense of Marriage Act
and was one of the few in his party to support the ban on intact dilation and extraction
procedures.
In 2005, Project on Government Oversight, a government watchdog group, presented Leahy and Senator John Cornyn
with its first ever Bi-Partisan Leadership Award in honor of their cooperation on issues of government oversight and transparency, including their co-sponsorship of the OPEN Government Act of 2005, which prevented burying exemptions to the Freedom of Information Act in legislation.
On March 2, 2006, Leahy was one of 10 senators who voted against the USA PATRIOT Improvement and Reauthorization Act, a bill to extend the USA PATRIOT Act
. The Reauthorization Act changed the appointment process for interim United States attorneys, allowing the Attorney General of the United States to make interim appointments without term limit
, and without Senatorial confirmation. This was an aspect of hearings in the dismissal 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 General Alberto Gonzales
about the Maher Arar
affair and the extraordinary rendition of Arar to Syria
.
Leahy endorsed Barack Obama
in the 2008 presidential election
, and recorded a radio advertisement for the Obama campaign to be aired in Vermont.
On September 20, 2010, Leahy introduced the Combating Online Infringement and Counterfeits Act
, Senate Bill S.3804, which would allow the court to issue a restraining order or injunction against Internet domain name
s which infringe upon copyright
.
political positions that are generally in line with those of the state. He has generally supported abortion rights, rejecting proposals to limit minors or those stationed on military bases from having the procedure performed. He has been supported by the NAACP and is outspoken in his support for affirmative action
. Leahy has been one of the most gay rights-friendly members of Congress; he has supported the legalization of gay marriage and reducing discrimination against gay
s and lesbian
s. Leahy has called for the domestic partners
of federal employees to receive the same benefits as heterosexual couples.
Leahy 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 abstinence-only sex 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. He voted in favor of prohibiting US foreign aid that inhibits gun ownership.
Leahy has stated the importance of increasing the prevalence of public health care
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. Leahy has broken with Democratic leadership in supporting allowing states to make bulk drug purchases on their own, an idea he has characterized as an important short term solution until Congress can agree on a similar proposal. Leahy has consistently voted to uphold Social Security
and has opposed school vouchers.
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 percent in 2025, and increase solar
and wind power
funding. He has supported the establishment of greenhouse gas
tradeable allowance
s and has spoken out against the use of ethanol
as a solution to rising gasoline prices.
On taxation, Leahy has consistently supported 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
.
Leahy has been a long-time critic of the Iraq War. 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 been critical of the PATRIOT Act, even though he has voted to reauthorize altered versions of it.
. 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 Senator Orrin Hatch
(who responded by giving Leahy a Rush Limbaugh
tie). Surviving band members Bob Weir
and Mickey Hart
have participated in fundraisers for Leahy and his Political Action Committee
, the Green Mountain Victory Fund. Leahy appeared in a videotaped tribute to the Dead when they received a lifetime achievement award at the 2002 Jammys
. His Senate website notes this response to a question from seventh grade students from Vermont's Thetford 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 see The Beatles
' first full U.S. concert, at the Washington 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."
A fan of U2, Leahy has a picture mounted on the wall of his office of himself, his wife, President Bill Clinton
and Bono
. On it, Bono drew 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 unfathomable evil that engulfed Cambodia
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.
A big fan of Batman
comics, Leahy lent his voice in the Batman: The Animated Series
episode "Showdown". He appeared in a cameo
role in the 1997 film Batman and Robin, and in the 2008 film The Dark Knight
.
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.
United States Senate
The United States Senate is the upper house of the bicameral legislature of the United States, and together with the United States House of Representatives comprises the United States Congress. The composition and powers of the Senate are established in Article One of the U.S. Constitution. Each...
from Vermont
Vermont
Vermont is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. The state ranks 43rd in land area, , and 45th in total area. Its population according to the 2010 census, 630,337, is the second smallest in the country, larger only than Wyoming. It is the only New England...
and member of the Democratic Party
Democratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
. He is the first and only elected Democratic United States Senator in Vermont's history. He is the chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee
United States Senate Committee on the Judiciary
The United States Senate Committee on the Judiciary is a standing committee of the United States Senate, of the United States Congress. The Judiciary Committee, with 18 members, is charged with conducting hearings prior to the Senate votes on confirmation of federal judges nominated by the...
. Leahy is the second most senior U.S. Senator, and second longest-serving Democrat in the U.S. Senate having served since 1975.
Early life and family
Leahy was born in Montpelier, VermontMontpelier, Vermont
Montpelier is a city in the U.S. state of Vermont that serves as the state capital and the shire town of Washington County. As the capital of Vermont, Montpelier is the site of the Vermont State House, seat of the legislative branch of Vermont government. The population was 7,855 at the 2010...
, the son of Alba (née
Married and maiden names
A married name is the family name adopted by a person upon marriage. When a person assumes the family name of her spouse, the new name replaces the maiden name....
Zambon) and Howard Francis Leahy, a printer. His grandparents came to Vermont from Ireland
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
and Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
during the 19th century to work at quarries.
Leahy graduated from Saint Michael's College
Saint Michael's College
Saint Michael's College is a private, residential liberal arts Catholic college. The campus is located in Colchester, Vermont. It was founded in 1904 by the Society of Saint Edmund, a French order of Catholic priests.-History:...
in 1961 and received his J.D.
Juris Doctor
Juris Doctor is a professional doctorate and first professional graduate degree in law.The degree was first awarded by Harvard University in the United States in the late 19th century and was created as a modern version of the old European doctor of law degree Juris Doctor (see etymology and...
degree from Georgetown University Law Center
Georgetown University Law Center
Georgetown University Law Center is the law school of Georgetown University, located in Washington, D.C.. Established in 1870, the Law Center offers J.D., LL.M., and S.J.D. degrees in law...
in 1964. He practiced as a lawyer until he was elected for four terms as State's Attorney
State's Attorney
In the United States, the State's Attorney is, most commonly, an elected official who represents the State in criminal prosecutions and is often the chief law enforcement officer of their respective county, circuit...
of Chittenden County
Chittenden County, Vermont
Chittenden County is a county located in the U.S. state of Vermont. As of 2010, the population was 156,545. Its shire town is Burlington. Chittenden is the most populous county in the state, with more than twice as many residents as Vermont's second-most populous county, Rutland.Chittenden 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). Leahy was the first and remains the only Democrat elected to the Senate from Vermont. He was also the first non-Republican Senator from Vermont since 1856.
Leahy married Marcelle Pomerleau in 1962. They reside in a farmhouse in Middlesex, Vermont
Middlesex, Vermont
Middlesex is a town in Washington County, Vermont, United States. The population was 1,729 at the 2000 census.-Geography:According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 39.9 square miles , of which, 39.7 square miles of it is land and 0.2 square miles of...
that they moved to from Burlington, and have three children. Leahy is legally blind
Blindness
Blindness is the condition of lacking visual perception due to physiological or neurological factors.Various scales have been developed to describe the extent of vision loss and define blindness...
in one eye.
Committee assignments
- Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and ForestryUnited States Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and ForestryThe Committee of Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry is a committee of the United States Senate empowered with legislative oversight of all matters relating to the nation's agriculture industry, farming programs, forestry and logging, and legislation relating to nutrition and...
- Subcommittee on Rural Revitalization, Conservation, Forestry and Credit
- Subcommittee on Production, Income Protection and Price Support
- Subcommittee on Hunger, Nutrition and Family FarmsUnited States Senate Agriculture Subcommittee on Hunger, Nutrition and Family FarmsTheU.S. Senate Agriculture Subcommittee on Nutrition, Specialty Crops, Food and Agricultural Research is one of five subcommittees of the U.S. Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry.-Jurisdiction:...
- Committee on AppropriationsUnited States Senate Committee on AppropriationsThe United States Senate Committee on Appropriations is a standing committee of the United States Senate. It has jurisdiction over all discretionary spending legislation in the Senate....
- Subcommittee on Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies
- Subcommittee on DefenseUnited States Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on DefenseThe U.S. Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Defense is one of twelve subcommittees of the U.S. Senate Committee on Appropriations. Military defense spending is the largest individual component of federal discretionary spending, making the Defense Subcommittee one of the more powerful...
- Subcommittee on Homeland SecurityUnited States Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Homeland SecurityU.S. Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Homeland Security is one of twelve subcommittees of the U.S. Senate Committee on Appropriations. It was formally established in 2003 in response to the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001 to oversee national security programs and the newly created...
- Subcommittee on Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies
- Subcommittee on State, Foreign Operations, and Related ProgramsUnited States Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on State, Foreign Operations, and Related ProgramsUnited States Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs is one of twelve subcommittees of the United States Senate Committee on Appropriations.-Jurisdiction:...
(Chairman) - Subcommittee on Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, and Related Agencies
- Committee on the JudiciaryUnited States Senate Committee on the JudiciaryThe United States Senate Committee on the Judiciary is a standing committee of the United States Senate, of the United States Congress. The Judiciary Committee, with 18 members, is charged with conducting hearings prior to the Senate votes on confirmation of federal judges nominated by the...
(Chairman)- Subcommittee on Immigration, Refugees and Border SecurityUnited States Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Immigration, Refugees and Border SecurityThe Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Immigration, Refugees, and Border Security is one of seven subcommittees within the Senate Judiciary Committee.-Jurisdiction:...
- Subcommittee on Immigration, Refugees and Border Security
Early career (1974-1997)
Leahy was nearly defeated in 1980 by Republican Stewart Ledbetter, winning by only 2,700 votes amid Ronald ReaganRonald Reagan
Ronald Wilson Reagan was the 40th President of the United States , the 33rd Governor of California and, prior to that, a radio, film and television actor....
's landslide victory. In 1986, he faced what was on paper an even stronger challenger in former governor Richard Snelling, but Leahy turned back this challenge fairly easily, taking 63 percent of the vote. In 1992, he faced another fairly credible opponent in then-Secretary of State
Secretary of State of Vermont
The Office of the Secretary of State of Vermont is located at 128 State Street.The Secretary of State of Vermont is one of five cabinet-level constitutional officers in the U.S. state of Vermont which are elected every two years. The Office of the Secretary of State is located at 128 State St. in...
Jim Douglas
Jim Douglas
James H. Douglas is an American politician from the U.S. state of Vermont. A Republican, he was elected the 80th Governor of Vermont in 2002 and was reelected three times with a majority of the vote...
, winning by 11 points.
Leahy is the first Democrat to be elected to the Senate by Vermont, and is technically one of only three Democrats to represent Vermont in either house of Congress since the end of the Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
. However, his election inaugurated Vermont's trend towards the Democratic party, and since 2001, two other Vermont Senators have caucused with the Democrats. Jim Jeffords
Jim Jeffords
James Merrill "Jim" Jeffords is a former U.S. Senator from Vermont. He served as a Republican until 2001, when he left the party to become an independent. He retired from the Senate in 2006.-Background:...
was elected as a Republican before he switched to become an Independent, while Bernie Sanders
Bernie Sanders
Bernard "Bernie" Sanders is the junior United States Senator from Vermont. He previously represented Vermont's at-large district in the United States House of Representatives...
was elected as an Independent; he won and then refused the Democratic Party nomination.
During his tenure as Vice-Chairman of the United States Senate Select Committee on Intelligence
United States Senate Select Committee on Intelligence
The United States Senate Select Committee on Intelligence is dedicated to overseeing the United States Intelligence Community—the agencies and bureaus of the federal government of the United States who provide information and analysis for leaders of the executive and legislative branches. The...
in 1987, Leahy showed an unclassified draft report on the Iran-Contra affair to a news reporter. At a press conference, Leahy stated, "Even though it was declassified, I was way too careless about it," and accepted blame. Disclosure of that information was against the Intelligence Committee rules, and Leahy said he hastened his already planned departure from the committee because he was so angry at himself.
He was chairman of the Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry Committee
United States Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry
The Committee of Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry is a committee of the United States Senate empowered with legislative oversight of all matters relating to the nation's agriculture industry, farming programs, forestry and logging, and legislation relating to nutrition and...
from 1987 until 1995 and was then chairman of the Judiciary Committee from 2001 until 2003, and regained the chairmanship in 2007. He is one of the key Democratic leaders on Senate issues on rules for filling federal judgeships via advise and consent
Advise and Consent
Advise and Consent is a 1959 political novel by Allen Drury that explores the United States Senate confirmation of controversial Secretary of State nominee Robert Leffingwell who is a former member of the Communist Party...
. Leahy serves as third-highest Democrat on the Appropriations Committee
United States Senate Committee on Appropriations
The United States Senate Committee on Appropriations is a standing committee of the United States Senate. It has jurisdiction over all discretionary spending legislation in the Senate....
and as Chairman of the Appropriations Subcommittee on State, Foreign Operations and Related Programs
United States Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs
United States Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs is one of twelve subcommittees of the United States Senate Committee on Appropriations.-Jurisdiction:...
. 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. Currently, he is the second-longest serving member of the Senate, behind only Daniel Inouye
Daniel Inouye
Daniel Ken "Dan" Inouye is the senior United States Senator from Hawaii, a member of the Democratic Party, and the President pro tempore of the United States Senate making him the highest-ranking Asian American politician in American history. Inouye is the chairman of the United States Senate...
. He thus has a high ranking in the order of precedence in protocol
United States order of precedence
The United States order of precedence lists the ceremonial order for domestic and foreign government officials, military and civic leaders at diplomatic, ceremonial, and social events within the United States and abroad. Former Presidents, Vice Presidents, First Ladies, Secretaries of State and...
. He is also the longest serving Senator in Vermont's history.
Later career (1998-present)
The 1998 electionUnited States Senate election in Vermont, 1998
The 1998 United States Senate election n Vermont was held on November 3, 1998. Incumbent Democratic U.S. Senator Patrick Leahy won re-election to a fifth term..-Results:-Results:-Results:-Major:...
was noteworthy in that Leahy had the endorsement of his Republican
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
opponent, Fred Tuttle
Fred Tuttle
Frederick Herman "Fred" Tuttle was an American dairy farmer, film actor and one-time candidate for the U.S. Senate from the state of Vermont. He was born in Tunbridge, Vermont, and lived there all his life, except for his service in the United States Army during World War II.Tuttle left high...
. Tuttle was the lead actor in the movie Man with a Plan
Man with a Plan
Man With A Plan was an independently produced docudrama released in 1996, starring dairy farmer and actor Fred Tuttle. Since its release, it has remained a local cult classic in Vermont.- External links :* *...
, 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 to Washington 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
2001 anthrax attacks
The 2001 anthrax attacks in the United States, also known as Amerithrax from its Federal Bureau of Investigation case name, occurred over the course of several weeks beginning on Tuesday, September 18, 2001, one week after the September 11 attacks. Letters containing anthrax spores were mailed to...
. The anthrax
Anthrax
Anthrax is an acute disease caused by the bacterium Bacillus anthracis. Most forms of the disease are lethal, and it affects both humans and other animals...
letter meant for him was intercepted before it reached his office. In 2004, Leahy was awarded the Electronic Privacy Information Center
Electronic Privacy Information Center
Electronic Privacy Information Center is a public interest research group in Washington, D.C. It was established in 1994 to focus public attention on emerging civil liberties issues and to protect privacy, the First Amendment, and constitutional values in the information age...
's Champion of Freedom Award for efforts in information privacy and open government
Open government
Open government is the governing doctrine which holds that citizens have the right to access the documents and proceedings of the government to allow for effective public oversight. In its broadest construction it opposes reason of state and racist considerations, which have tended to legitimize...
. Leahy is regarded as one of the leading privacy advocates in Congress. Leahy is heard often on the issue of land mine
Land mine
A land mine is usually a weight-triggered explosive device which is intended to damage a target—either human or inanimate—by means of a blast and/or fragment impact....
s.
In 2000, Senator Leahy cosigned a letter sent to Appropriations Committee conference members, requesting a delay in implementing Section 304 in H.R. 4392, the Intelligence Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2001 until it could be fully considered by the Senate Committee on the Judiciary. The amendment would introduce new felony crime laws concerning the unauthorized disclosure of information. Leahy and his colleagues indicated this would be in conflict with existing First Amendment
First Amendment to the United States Constitution
The First Amendment to the United States Constitution is part of the Bill of Rights. The amendment prohibits the making of any law respecting an establishment of religion, impeding the free exercise of religion, abridging the freedom of speech, infringing on the freedom of the press, interfering...
rights and Whistleblower Protection Act
Whistleblower Protection Act
-Whistleblower Protection Act of 1989:The Whistleblower Protection Act of 1989 is a United States federal law that protects federal whistleblowers who work for the government and report agency misconduct...
s.
Vice President of the United States
The Vice President of the United States is the holder of a public office created by the United States Constitution. The Vice President, together with the President of the United States, is indirectly elected by the people, through the Electoral College, to a four-year term...
Dick Cheney
Dick Cheney
Richard Bruce "Dick" Cheney served as the 46th Vice President of the United States , under George W. Bush....
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 of Halliburton
Halliburton
Halliburton is the world's second largest oilfield services corporation with operations in more than 70 countries. It has hundreds of subsidiaries, affiliates, branches, brands and divisions worldwide and employs over 50,000 people....
's activities in Iraq
Iraq
Iraq ; officially the Republic of Iraq is a country in Western Asia spanning most of the northwestern end of the Zagros mountain range, the eastern part of the Syrian Desert and the northern part of the Arabian Desert....
. At the end of the exchange, Cheney told Leahy, "Go fuck yourself." Leahy joked about the incident in 2007 when he escorted Bernie Sanders
Bernie Sanders
Bernard "Bernie" Sanders is the junior United States Senator from Vermont. He previously represented Vermont's at-large district in the United States House of Representatives...
, 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."
In March 2004, Leahy and Orrin Hatch
Orrin Hatch
Orrin Grant Hatch is the senior United States Senator for Utah and is a member of the Republican Party. Hatch served as the chairman or ranking member of the Senate Judiciary Committee from 1993 to 2005...
introduced the Pirate Act
Pirate Act
The Protecting Intellectual Rights Against Theft and Expropriation Act of 2004, better known as the Pirate Act, was a bill in the United States Congress that would have let federal prosecutors file civil lawsuits against suspected copyright infringers...
backed by the RIAA. In July 2004, Leahy and Hatch introduced the INDUCE Act. Both were aimed at combating copyright infringement
Copyright infringement
Copyright infringement is the unauthorized or prohibited use of works under copyright, infringing the copyright holder's exclusive rights, such as the right to reproduce or perform the copyrighted work, or to make derivative works.- "Piracy" :...
.
On November 2, 2004, Leahy easily defeated his opponent, businessman Jack McMullen, with 70.6 percent of the vote. On January 5, 2005, Leahy was sworn in for his sixth term in the Senate by Cheney.
On September 21, 2005, Leahy announced his support for John Roberts to be Chief Justice of the United States Supreme Court. On January 19, 2006, Leahy announced that he would vote against Judge Samuel Alito
Samuel Alito
Samuel Anthony Alito, Jr. is an Associate Justice of the U.S. Supreme Court. He was nominated by President George W. Bush and has served on the court since January 31, 2006....
to be a justice on the Supreme Court. He has a mixed record on gun control
Gun control
Gun control is any law, policy, practice, or proposal designed to restrict or limit the possession, production, importation, shipment, sale, and/or use of guns or other firearms by private citizens...
, being one of the few Senate Democrats to vote against the Brady Bill. He voted for the North American Free Trade Agreement
North American Free Trade Agreement
The North American Free Trade Agreement or NAFTA is an agreement signed by the governments of Canada, Mexico, and the United States, creating a trilateral trade bloc in North America. The agreement came into force on January 1, 1994. It superseded the Canada – United States Free Trade Agreement...
(NAFTA) and is in favor of phasing out farm subsidies that are supported by the populist
Populism
Populism can be defined as an ideology, political philosophy, or type of discourse. Generally, a common theme compares "the people" against "the elite", and urges social and political system changes. It can also be defined as a rhetorical style employed by members of various political or social...
wing of the Democratic Party. He voted against the Central America Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA). Leahy voted for the Defense of Marriage Act
Defense of Marriage Act
The Defense of Marriage Act is a United States federal law whereby the federal government defines marriage as a legal union between one man and one woman. Under the law, no U.S. state may be required to recognize as a marriage a same-sex relationship considered a marriage in another state...
and was one of the few in his party to support the ban on intact dilation and extraction
Intact dilation and extraction
Intact dilation and extraction is a procedure done in late term abortion. It is also known as intact dilation and evacuation, dilation and extraction , intrauterine cranial decompression and, vernacularly in the United States, as partial birth abortion...
procedures.
In 2005, Project on Government Oversight, a government watchdog group, presented Leahy and Senator John Cornyn
John Cornyn
John Cornyn, III is the junior United States Senator for Texas, serving since 2003. He is a member of the Republican Party. He was elected Chairman of the National Republican Senatorial Committee for the 111th U.S. Congress....
with its first ever Bi-Partisan Leadership Award in honor of their cooperation on issues of government oversight and transparency, including their co-sponsorship of the OPEN Government Act of 2005, which prevented burying exemptions to the Freedom of Information Act in legislation.
On March 2, 2006, Leahy was one of 10 senators who voted against the USA PATRIOT Improvement and Reauthorization Act, a bill to extend the USA PATRIOT Act
USA PATRIOT Act
The USA PATRIOT Act is an Act of the U.S. Congress that was signed into law by President George W. Bush on October 26, 2001...
. The Reauthorization Act changed the appointment process for interim United States attorneys, allowing the Attorney General of the United States to make interim appointments without term limit
Term limit
A term limit is a legal restriction that limits the number of terms a person may serve in a particular elected office. When term limits are found in presidential and semi-presidential systems they act as a method to curb the potential for monopoly, where a leader effectively becomes "president for...
, and without Senatorial confirmation. This was an aspect of hearings in the dismissal of U.S. attorneys controversy
Dismissal of U.S. attorneys controversy
The dismissal of U.S. Attorneys controversy was initiated by the unprecedented midterm dismissal of seven United States Attorneys on December 7, 2006 by the George W. Bush administration's Department of Justice. Congressional investigations focused on whether the Department of Justice and the White...
. 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 General Alberto Gonzales
Alberto Gonzales
Alberto R. Gonzales was the 80th Attorney General of the United States. Gonzales was appointed to the post in February 2005 by President George W. Bush. Gonzales was the first Hispanic Attorney General in U.S. history and the highest-ranking Hispanic government official ever...
about the Maher Arar
Maher Arar
Maher Arar is a telecommunications engineer with dual Syrian and Canadian citizenship who resides in Canada. Arar's story is frequently referred to as "extraordinary rendition" but the U.S. government insisted it was a case of deportation.Arar was detained during a layover at John F...
affair and the extraordinary rendition of Arar to Syria
Syria
Syria , officially the Syrian Arab Republic , is a country in Western Asia, bordering Lebanon and the Mediterranean Sea to the West, Turkey to the north, Iraq to the east, Jordan to the south, and Israel to the southwest....
.
Leahy endorsed Barack Obama
Barack Obama
Barack Hussein Obama II is the 44th and current President of the United States. He is the first African American to hold the office. Obama previously served as a United States Senator from Illinois, from January 2005 until he resigned following his victory in the 2008 presidential election.Born in...
in the 2008 presidential election
United States presidential election, 2008
The United States presidential election of 2008 was the 56th quadrennial presidential election. It was held on November 4, 2008. Democrat Barack Obama, then the junior United States Senator from Illinois, defeated Republican John McCain, the senior U.S. Senator from Arizona. Obama received 365...
, and recorded a radio advertisement for the Obama campaign to be aired in Vermont.
On September 20, 2010, Leahy introduced the Combating Online Infringement and Counterfeits Act
Combating Online Infringement and Counterfeits Act
United States Senate Bill S.3804, known as the Combating Online Infringement and Counterfeits Act was a bill introduced by Senator Patrick Leahy on September 20, 2010...
, Senate Bill S.3804, which would allow the court to issue a restraining order or injunction against Internet domain name
Domain name
A domain name is an identification string that defines a realm of administrative autonomy, authority, or control in the Internet. Domain names are formed by the rules and procedures of the Domain Name System ....
s which infringe upon copyright
Copyright
Copyright is a legal concept, enacted by most governments, giving the creator of an original work exclusive rights to it, usually for a limited time...
.
Political positions
Leahy has held progressiveProgressivism
Progressivism is an umbrella term for a political ideology advocating or favoring social, political, and economic reform or changes. Progressivism is often viewed by some conservatives, constitutionalists, and libertarians to be in opposition to conservative or reactionary ideologies.The...
political positions that are generally in line with those of the state. He has generally supported abortion rights, rejecting proposals to limit minors or those stationed on military bases from having the procedure performed. He has been supported by the NAACP and is outspoken in his support for affirmative action
Affirmative action
Affirmative action refers to policies that take factors including "race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation or national origin" into consideration in order to benefit an underrepresented group, usually as a means to counter the effects of a history of discrimination.-Origins:The term...
. Leahy has been one of the most gay rights-friendly members of Congress; he has supported the legalization of gay marriage and reducing discrimination against gay
Gay
Gay is a word that refers to a homosexual person, especially a homosexual male. For homosexual women the specific term is "lesbian"....
s and lesbian
Lesbian
Lesbian is a term most widely used in the English language to describe sexual and romantic desire between females. The word may be used as a noun, to refer to women who identify themselves or who are characterized by others as having the primary attribute of female homosexuality, or as an...
s. Leahy has called for the domestic partners
Domestic partnership
A domestic partnership is a legal or personal relationship between two individuals who live together and share a common domestic life but are neither joined by marriage nor a civil union...
of federal employees to receive the same benefits as heterosexual couples.
Leahy spoke strongly against a proposed constitutional ban on flag burning and on its implications for freedom of speech
Freedom of speech
Freedom of speech is the freedom to speak freely without censorship. The term freedom of expression is sometimes used synonymously, but includes any act of seeking, receiving and imparting information or ideas, regardless of the medium used...
and expression. He rejects school prayer
School prayer
School prayer in its common usage refers to state-approved prayer by students in state schools. Depending on the country and the type of school, organized prayer may be required, permitted, or prohibited...
initiatives and plans for abstinence-only sex education. Leahy has called for a moratorium
Moratorium (law)
A moratorium is a delay or suspension of an activity or a law. In a legal context, it may refer to the temporary suspension of a law to allow a legal challenge to be carried out....
on the death penalty and more DNA
DNA
Deoxyribonucleic acid is a nucleic acid that contains the genetic instructions used in the development and functioning of all known living organisms . The DNA segments that carry this genetic information are called genes, but other DNA sequences have structural purposes, or are involved in...
testing for death row
Death row
Death row signifies the place, often a section of a prison, that houses individuals awaiting execution. The term is also used figuratively to describe the state of awaiting execution , even in places where no special facility or separate unit for condemned inmates exists.After individuals are found...
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
Gun control
Gun control is any law, policy, practice, or proposal designed to restrict or limit the possession, production, importation, shipment, sale, and/or use of guns or other firearms by private citizens...
, including requiring background checks at gun shows and allowing for lawsuits against firearms manufacturers. He voted in favor of prohibiting US foreign aid that inhibits gun ownership.
Leahy has stated the importance of increasing the prevalence of public health care
Health care
Health care is the diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of disease, illness, injury, and other physical and mental impairments in humans. Health care is delivered by practitioners in medicine, chiropractic, dentistry, nursing, pharmacy, allied health, and other care providers...
during times of economic downturn. He voted to increase Medicare
Medicare (United States)
Medicare is a social insurance program administered by the United States government, providing health insurance coverage to people who are aged 65 and over; to those who are under 65 and are permanently physically disabled or who have a congenital physical disability; or to those who meet other...
benefits and to allow this organization to negotiate lower-priced, bulk prescriptions from pharmaceutical manufacturers. Leahy has broken with Democratic leadership in supporting allowing states to make bulk drug purchases on their own, an idea he has characterized as an important short term solution until Congress can agree on a similar proposal. Leahy has consistently voted to uphold Social Security
Social Security (United States)
In the United States, Social Security refers to the federal Old-Age, Survivors, and Disability Insurance program.The original Social Security Act and the current version of the Act, as amended encompass several social welfare and social insurance programs...
and has opposed school vouchers.
Leahy has been a strong supporter of environmental policy. He has supported bills that would increase hydrogen car production, uphold CAFE
Café
A café , also spelled cafe, in most countries refers to an establishment which focuses on serving coffee, like an American coffeehouse. In the United States, it may refer to an informal restaurant, offering a range of hot meals and made-to-order sandwiches...
standards, set a goal of reducing oil consumption by 40 percent in 2025, and increase solar
Solar power
Solar energy, radiant light and heat from the sun, has been harnessed by humans since ancient times using a range of ever-evolving technologies. Solar radiation, along with secondary solar-powered resources such as wind and wave power, hydroelectricity and biomass, account for most of the available...
and wind power
Wind power
Wind power is the conversion of wind energy into a useful form of energy, such as using wind turbines to make electricity, windmills for mechanical power, windpumps for water pumping or drainage, or sails to propel ships....
funding. He has supported the establishment of greenhouse gas
Greenhouse gas
A greenhouse gas is a gas in an atmosphere that absorbs and emits radiation within the thermal infrared range. This process is the fundamental cause of the greenhouse effect. The primary greenhouse gases in the Earth's atmosphere are water vapor, carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, and ozone...
tradeable allowance
Emissions trading
Emissions trading is a market-based approach used to control pollution by providing economic incentives for achieving reductions in the emissions of pollutants....
s and has spoken out against the use of ethanol
Ethanol
Ethanol, also called ethyl alcohol, pure alcohol, grain alcohol, or drinking alcohol, is a volatile, flammable, colorless liquid. It is a psychoactive drug and one of the oldest recreational drugs. Best known as the type of alcohol found in alcoholic beverages, it is also used in thermometers, as a...
as a solution to rising gasoline prices.
On taxation, Leahy has consistently supported progressive rates. He has rejected proposals to remove the Estate Tax and Alternative Minimum Tax
Alternative Minimum Tax
The Alternative Minimum Tax is an income tax imposed by the United States federal government on individuals, corporations, estates, and trusts. AMT is imposed at a nearly flat rate on an adjusted amount of taxable income above a certain threshold . This exemption is substantially higher than the...
, 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
Free trade
Under a free trade policy, prices emerge from supply and demand, and are the sole determinant of resource allocation. 'Free' trade differs from other forms of trade policy where the allocation of goods and services among trading countries are determined by price strategies that may differ from...
proposals, such as CAFTA and NAFTA, but supported normalizing trade relations with China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
.
Leahy has been a long-time critic of the Iraq War. 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
Iraq
Iraq ; officially the Republic of Iraq is a country in Western Asia spanning most of the northwestern end of the Zagros mountain range, the eastern part of the Syrian Desert and the northern part of the Arabian Desert....
. He has been critical of the PATRIOT Act, even though he has voted to reauthorize altered versions of it.
Personal life
Leahy is a fan of the Grateful DeadGrateful Dead
The Grateful Dead was an American rock band formed in 1965 in the San Francisco Bay Area. The band was known for its unique and eclectic style, which fused elements of rock, folk, bluegrass, blues, reggae, country, improvisational jazz, psychedelia, and space rock, and for live performances of long...
. 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
Jerry Garcia
Jerome John "Jerry" Garcia was an American musician best known for his lead guitar work, singing and songwriting with the band the Grateful Dead...
visited him at his Senate offices, and Leahy gave a tie designed by Garcia to Senator Orrin Hatch
Orrin Hatch
Orrin Grant Hatch is the senior United States Senator for Utah and is a member of the Republican Party. Hatch served as the chairman or ranking member of the Senate Judiciary Committee from 1993 to 2005...
(who responded by giving Leahy a Rush Limbaugh
Rush Limbaugh
Rush Hudson Limbaugh III is an American radio talk show host, conservative political commentator, and an opinion leader in American conservatism. He hosts The Rush Limbaugh Show which is aired throughout the U.S. on Premiere Radio Networks and is the highest-rated talk-radio program in the United...
tie). Surviving band members Bob Weir
Bob Weir
Bob Weir is an American singer, songwriter, and guitarist, most recognized as a founding member of the Grateful Dead. After the Grateful Dead disbanded in 1995, Weir performed with The Other Ones, later known as The Dead, together with other former members of the Grateful Dead...
and Mickey Hart
Mickey Hart
Mickey Hart is an American percussionist and musicologist. He is best known as one of the two drummers of the rock band the Grateful Dead. He was a member of the Grateful Dead from September 1967 to February 1971, and from October 1974 to August 1995...
have participated in fundraisers for Leahy and his Political Action Committee
Political action committee
In the United States, a political action committee, or PAC, is the name commonly given to a private group, regardless of size, organized to elect political candidates or to advance the outcome of a political issue or legislation. Legally, what constitutes a "PAC" for purposes of regulation is a...
, the Green Mountain Victory Fund. Leahy appeared in a videotaped tribute to the Dead when they received a lifetime achievement award at the 2002 Jammys
Jammys
The Jammy Award are an awards show for bands typically called jam bands and other artists associated with live, improvisational music. The Jammys are sponsored by Relix magazine, Jambands.com, and promoter Peter Shapiro...
. His Senate website notes this response to a question from seventh grade students from Vermont's Thetford Academy
Thetford Academy
Thetford Academy is a historic independent school in Thetford, Vermont. It is the state's oldest secondary school.The co-educational school was founded in February 1819 by local citizens and was granted a charter by the legislature in October of the that same year...
who asked Leahy which Dead song was his favorite, he replied: "... my favorite is "Black Muddy River" but we always play "Truckin'
Truckin'
"Truckin'" is a song by the Grateful Dead, which first appeared on their 1970 album American Beauty. It was recognized by the United States Library of Congress in 1997 as a national treasure....
" on election night at my headquarters."
In a 1994 interview on ABC News
ABC News
ABC News is the news gathering and broadcasting division of American broadcast television network ABC, a subsidiary of The Walt Disney Company...
, Leahy claimed that, while attending Georgetown Law School, he obtained tickets to see The Beatles
The Beatles
The Beatles were an English rock band, active throughout the 1960s and one of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed acts in the history of popular music. Formed in Liverpool, by 1962 the group consisted of John Lennon , Paul McCartney , George Harrison and Ringo Starr...
' first full U.S. concert, at the Washington Coliseum
Washington Coliseum
The Washington Coliseum is an indoor arena in Washington, D.C. located at 1132, 1140, and 1146 3rd Street, Northeast, Washington, D.C. It is directly adjacent to the railroad tracks, just north of Union Station, and bounded by L and M Streets. It held 7,000 to 9,000 people for events...
, 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."
A fan of U2, Leahy has a picture mounted on the wall of his office of himself, his wife, President Bill Clinton
Bill Clinton
William Jefferson "Bill" Clinton is an American politician who served as the 42nd President of the United States from 1993 to 2001. Inaugurated at age 46, he was the third-youngest president. He took office at the end of the Cold War, and was the first president of the baby boomer generation...
and Bono
Bono
Paul David Hewson , most commonly known by his stage name Bono , is an Irish singer, musician, and humanitarian best known for being the main vocalist of the Dublin-based rock band U2. Bono was born and raised in Dublin, Ireland, and attended Mount Temple Comprehensive School where he met his...
. On it, Bono drew an arrow pointed to himself, with the caption, "Would you trust this man with your children?"
Leahy is quoted on Loung Ung
Loung Ung
Loung Ung is a Cambodian American human-rights activist, an internationally-recognized lecturer, and the national spokesperson for the Campaign for a Landmine-Free World...
's website: "In this gripping narrative Loung Ung describes the unfathomable evil that engulfed Cambodia
Cambodia
Cambodia , officially known as the Kingdom of Cambodia, is a country located in the southern portion of the Indochina Peninsula in Southeast Asia...
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
Lucky Child
Lucky Child is a memoir written by a Cambodian woman, Loung Ung. Her previous memoir was First They Killed My Father....
.
Leahy is a published photographer.
A big fan of Batman
Batman
Batman is a fictional character created by the artist Bob Kane and writer Bill Finger. A comic book superhero, Batman first appeared in Detective Comics #27 , and since then has appeared primarily in publications by DC Comics...
comics, Leahy lent his voice in the Batman: The Animated Series
Batman: The Animated Series
Batman: The Animated Series is an American animated series based on the DC Comics character Batman. The series featured an ensemble cast of many voice-actors including Kevin Conroy, Mark Hamill, Efrem Zimbalist, Jr., Arleen Sorkin, and Loren Lester. The series won four Emmy Awards and was nominated...
episode "Showdown". He appeared in a cameo
Cameo appearance
A cameo role or cameo appearance is a brief appearance of a known person in a work of the performing arts, such as plays, films, video games and television...
role in the 1997 film Batman and Robin, and in the 2008 film The Dark Knight
The Dark Knight (film)
The Dark Knight is a 2008 superhero film directed, produced and co-written by Christopher Nolan. Based on the DC Comics character Batman, the film is part of Nolan's Batman film series and a sequel to 2005's Batman Begins...
.
Leahy wrote the introduction to the collected edition of Green Arrow
Green Arrow
Green Arrow is a fictional superhero that appears in comic books published by DC Comics. Created by Mort Weisinger and George Papp, he first appeared in More Fun Comics #73 in November 1941. His secret identity is Oliver Queen, billionaire and former mayor of fictional Star City...
: 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
- United States Senate election in Vermont, 1974
- Patrick Leahy (D), 49.5%
- Richard W. MallaryRichard W. MallaryRichard Walker Mallary was a U.S. Representative from Vermont.Born in Springfield, Massachusetts, Mallary was educated at Bradford Academy, Bradford, Vermont, and attended Dartmouth College, receiving an A.B...
(R), 46.4%
- United States Senate election in Vermont, 1980
- Patrick Leahy (D) (inc.), 49.8%
- Stewart M. Ledbetter (R), 48.5%
- United States Senate election in Vermont, 1986United States Senate election in Vermont, 1986The 1986 United States Senate election in Vermont was held on November 4, 1986. Incumbent Democratic U.S. Senator Patrick Leahy won re-election to a third term.-Results:-Results:-Candidates:*Richard A. Snelling, Governor of Vermont*Anthony N...
- Patrick Leahy (D) (inc.), 63.7%
- Richard A. SnellingRichard A. SnellingRichard Arkwright Snelling was the 76th and 78th Governor of Vermont from 1977 to 1985 and from January 10, 1991 until his death from heart failure.He was the son of Walter O...
(R), 34.7%
- United States Senate election in Vermont, 1992United States Senate election in Vermont, 1992The 1992 United States Senate election in Vermont was held on November 3, 1992. Incumbent Democratic U.S. Senator Patrick Leahy won re-election to a fourth term.-Results:-Results:-Results:-Candidates:...
- Patrick Leahy (D) (inc.), 54.2%
- Jim DouglasJim DouglasJames H. Douglas is an American politician from the U.S. state of Vermont. A Republican, he was elected the 80th Governor of Vermont in 2002 and was reelected three times with a majority of the vote...
(R), 43.3%
- United States Senate election in Vermont, 1998United States Senate election in Vermont, 1998The 1998 United States Senate election n Vermont was held on November 3, 1998. Incumbent Democratic U.S. Senator Patrick Leahy won re-election to a fifth term..-Results:-Results:-Results:-Major:...
- Patrick Leahy (D) (inc.), 72%
- Fred TuttleFred TuttleFrederick Herman "Fred" Tuttle was an American dairy farmer, film actor and one-time candidate for the U.S. Senate from the state of Vermont. He was born in Tunbridge, Vermont, and lived there all his life, except for his service in the United States Army during World War II.Tuttle left high...
(R), 23%
- United States Senate election in Vermont, 2004
- Patrick Leahy (D) (inc.), 71%
- Jack McMullen (R) 25%
- Craig Hill (G) 1%
- Keith Stern (I) 1%
- Ben Mitchell (LU) 0%
- United States Senate election in Vermont, 2010United States Senate election in Vermont, 2010The 2010 United States Senate election in Vermont took place on November 2, 2010 alongside other elections to the United States Senate in other states as well as elections to the United States House of Representatives and various state and local elections. Incumbent Democratic U.S. Senator Patrick...
- Patrick Leahy (D) (inc.), 64.36%
- Len Britton (R) 30.93%
- Daniel Freilich (I) 1.51%
- Cris Ericson (Marijuana) 1.16%
- Stephen Cain (I) 1.00%
- Peter Diamondstone (Socialist) 0.61%
- Johenry Nunes (I) 0.43%
External links
- United States Senator Patrick Leahy official U.S. Senate site
- Leahy for Vermont official campaign site