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Patrick Leahy

Patrick Leahy Quotes

United States Senator

Patrick Leahy (born March 31, 1940) is an American politician who served as a United States Senator from Vermont from 1975 to 2023. A member of the Democratic Party, he was the longest-serving current senator and the last remaining senator from the Vietnam War era. Leahy chaired the Senate Judiciary Committee and served on the Appropriations Committee, championing civil rights, environmental protection, and judicial reform. He authored key legislation including the Leahy-Smith America Invents Act and the Leahy Act for wetland protection. Known for bipartisanship, he also gained attention as a photographer and comic book collector. Upon retirement, he left a legacy of legislative achievement and institutional stability.

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Famous Patrick Leahy Quotes

“Most Americans want a sense of privacy. A lot of us don't realize how much of our privacy we're exposing by the internet.”

Want Realizing Internet Privacy Exposing

Author:Patrick Leahy

“A lot of people in my state of Vermont are gun owners.”

People States Gun Owners Vermont Gun Owners

Author:Patrick Leahy

“Judiciary is where my passion is.”

Passion My Passion Judiciary

Author:Patrick Leahy

“The FBI wanted us to introduce the 1994 Digital Telephony bill today and I said absolutely not. They have to understand they have a Vermonter as the Chairman Of the Technology and Law committee and that we Vermonters respect our privacy.”

Said Today Wanted Law Technology Internet Bills Privacy Digital Introducing Free Speech Committees Chairman Fbi

Author:Patrick Leahy

“The part that frightens the hell out of me is the goverment deciding where technology goes.”

Technology Hell Internet Free Speech

Author:Patrick Leahy

“For the church to say that abortion is not acceptable for a Catholic is fine. To say directly or indirectly that on something that is a church teaching that you must also vote according to that - that's not acceptable in a country based on the First Amendment.”

Firsts Country Church Teaching Fine Vote Catholic Abortion Acceptable Amendments First Amendment

Author:Patrick Leahy

“We've won wars before and we've certainly retained our rights as Americans.”

Author:Patrick Leahy

“Press releases tell us when federal agencies do something right, but the Freedom of Information Act lets us know when they do not.”

Knows Information Presses Release Agency Press Release

Author:Patrick Leahy

“At first glance, there's a lot of sex on the Internet. Or not at first glance: nobody can find anything on the Internet at first glance.”

Firsts Sex Internet Glances

Author:Patrick Leahy

“Justice Sandra Day O'Connor serves as a model Supreme Court justice, widely recognized as a jurist with practical values, a sense of the consequences of the legal decisions being made by the Supreme Court.”

Made Values Justice Decision Models Consequence Court Supreme Practicals Supreme Court Supreme Court Justice Court Justice Jurists Sandra Day O Connor

Author:Patrick Leahy

“I regret that some on the extreme right have been so critical of Justice Sandra Day O'Connor and have adamantly opposed the naming of a successor who shares her judicial philosophy and qualities. And their criticism actually reflects poorly upon them.”

Has Beens Philosophy Justice Quality Share Regret Criticism Extremes Critical I Regret Judicial Successors Sandra Day O Connor

Author:Patrick Leahy

“[Sandra Day O'Connor] is a justice whose graciousness and sense of duty fuels her continued service, even agreeing to serve more than six months after her retirement date.”

Justice Duty Months Six Fuel Retirement Six Months Graciousness Sandra Day O Connor

Author:Patrick Leahy

“The court that serves America should reflect America.”

Should America Court

Author:Patrick Leahy

“I look forward to the time when the membership of the Supreme Court's more reflective of the country it serves.”

Looks Country Court Supreme Supreme Court Membership

Author:Patrick Leahy

“Justice [Sandra Day] O'Connor has been a guardian of the protections the Constitution provides the American people. She's come to provide balance and a check on government intrusion into our personal privacy and freedoms.”

People Has Beens Government Justice Balance Constitution Protection Checks Privacy Guardian Intrusion Sandra Day O Connor Personal Privacy Privacy And Freedom

Author:Patrick Leahy

“She [Justice sandra Day O'Connor] rejected the [George] Bush administration's claim that it could indefinitely detain a United States citizen. She upheld the fundamental principle of judicial review over the exercise of government power.”

States Government Justice United Principles United States Citizens Exercise Claims Fundamentals Administration Reviews Rejected Judicial Fundamental Principles Sandra Day O Connor Judicial Review

Author:Patrick Leahy

“She [Justice sandra Day O'Connor] wrote - and this is one we should all remember - she wrote that even war is not a blank check for the president when it comes to the rights of the nation's citizens. She held that even this president is not above the law.”

Should War Remember Law Nations President Justice Rights Citizens Checks Blank Above The Law Sandra Day O Connor Blank Check

Author:Patrick Leahy

“Of course no president, Democratic or Republican - no president - is above the law, as neither are you, nor I, nor anyone.”

Law Courses President Republican Democratic Above The Law

Author:Patrick Leahy

“Her [Jurdge Sandra Day O'Connor] judgment has also been critical in protecting our environmental rights. She joined in 5-4 majorities affirming reproductive freedom and religious freedom and the Voting Rights Act.”

Religious Rights Judgment Majority Environmental Critical Voting Our Environment Religious Freedom Right To Vote Affirming Voting Rights Act Sandra Day O Connor

Author:Patrick Leahy

“As the elected representatives of the American people, all the people, nearly 300 million people, that we in the Senate are charged with the responsibility to examine whether to entrust their precious rights and liberties to [Supreme Court] nominee.”

People Responsibility Liberty Millions Rights Court Supreme Senate Representatives Supreme Court

Author:Patrick Leahy

“The federal judiciary is unlike the other branches of government. And once confirmed, a federal judge serves for life. And there's no court above the Supreme Court.”

Government Judging Court Supreme Branches Supreme Court Judiciary Branches Of Government Federal Judges

Author:Patrick Leahy

“The American people deserve a Supreme Court justice who can demonstrate that he or she will not be beholden to the president, but only to the law.”

People Law President Justice Deserve Court Supreme Supreme Court Supreme Court Justice Court Justice

Author:Patrick Leahy

“This is a time when the protections of Americans' liberties are directly at risk, as are the checks and balances that have served to constrain abuses of power for more than 200 years. The Supreme Court is relied upon by all of to us protect our fundamental rights.”

Years Liberty Rights Risk Balance Protect Abuse Fundamentals Court Protection Supreme Checks Supreme Court Abuse Of Power Constrain Fundamental Rights

Author:Patrick Leahy

“The appointment of the next Supreme Court justice must be made in the people's interest and in the nation's interest, not in the interest of any partisan faction.”

People Made Next Nations Interest Justice Court Supreme Supreme Court Partisans Appointments Factions Supreme Court Justice Court Justice

Author:Patrick Leahy

“Senator Sessions has opposed protections for LGBT individuals. He's spoken out against Freedom Corps' marriage equality decision. He opposed the repeal of Don't Ask, Don't Tell. He opposed the nomination of Loretta Lynch, the nation's first African-American woman to serve as attorney general. These things worry me.”

Firsts Asks Individual Nations Decision Worry Protection African American Lgbt Senators Session Attorney Nominations American Woman African American Women Marriage Equality

Author:Patrick Leahy

“Remember the attorney general is not a member of the president's staff. He's the attorney general of the United States. He's there to represent all of us, and it means all the laws have to be enforced fairly. And you can't bring your individual prejudices in there.”

Mean States Remember Law Individual President United United States Members Prejudice Staff Attorney

Author:Patrick Leahy

“It's even more important for the integrity of the country if there are conflicts of interest in an administration, if there are things being done that they shouldn't do - and I hope there won't be, but if there were, you have to go and prosecute.”

Ifs Important Country Done Interest Integrity Conflict Administration Being Done Conflict Of Interest

Author:Patrick Leahy

“I don't want somebody as attorney general who thinks he has to rubberstamp whatever the president says.”

Thinking Want President Attorney

Author:Patrick Leahy

“I think that we should not delay for the sake of delay, but delay until questions are answered.”

Thinking Should Sake Delay

Author:Patrick Leahy

“We have a whole lot of the president-elect's nominees that have not filled out their ethics disclosures. I can never remember a time when anybody was voted on for a Cabinet position who hadn't completed their ethics report, and certainly nobody should be allowed to vote until that's done.”

Should I Can Done Whole Remember President Position Ethics Vote Filled Reports Cabinets Disclosure Filled Out

Author:Patrick Leahy

“The last thing our founding fathers wanted was to be ruled by king with absolute power, and the next to the last thing they wanted was to be ruled by a temporary king with absolute powers for four years.”

Father Temporary Our Founding Fathers Absolute Power

Author:Patrick Leahy

“Stealing is stealing. I don't care if it's on the Internet or you're breaking into a warehouse somewhere - it's theft.”

Ifs Care Internet Don't Care Stealing I Don't Care Theft Warehouse

Author:Patrick Leahy

“I'd like something that faces reality. We have 12 million people in this country that are undocumented - that's a reality. It's not going to be like they're all going to leave. One of the reasons I'm holding this hearing in the morning is to hear from somebody who actually understands what's involved here - Janet Napolitano - and I hope that from what she says and what we hear from her, we can start building some consensus.”

People Country Reason Reality Faces Morning Millions Building Involved Hearing Immigration Consensus Like Something Immigration Reform

Author:Patrick Leahy

“I intend to have protections for the L.G.B.T. community in there. I'm not going to make choices between that community and the non-L.G.B.T. community.”

Choices Community Protection Immigration Immigration Reform

Author:Patrick Leahy

“In my view it is time to pass a good bill, a fair bill, a comprehensive bill ... Too many have been waiting too long for fairness.”

Long Has Beens Waiting Views Fairs Bills Immigration Fairness Comprehensive Immigration Reform

Author:Patrick Leahy

“Relations between the United States and other countries, and our role as a global leader, are advanced by our willingness to help other countries in need. Foreign aid is essential to protecting U.S. interests around the world, and it is also a moral responsibility of the wealthiest, most powerful nation.”

“The American public is sick and tired of being lied to.”

Sick Tired Lied Being Lied

Author:Patrick Leahy

“The rights of copyright holders need to be protected, but some draconian remedies that have been suggested would create more problems than they would solve.”

Needs Has Beens Problem Rights Solve Protected Remedy Copyright Draconian

Author:Patrick Leahy

“You get fifteen democrats in a room, and you get twenty opinions.”

Funny Rooms Opinion Twenties Democrat Fifteen

Author:Patrick Leahy

“I'm addicted to the Internet. I admit it. It has transformed the way I work as a senator, communicate with my children, and keep tabs on news and cultural developments.... The Internet is a more direct communications link between legislators and their constituents....I constantly work at fusing my Senate work into my office home page to make it as useful, timely, and user-friendly as possible for Vermonters and others who may visit.....I look at my Web site, as my 24-hour virtual office, where visitors can send me an e-mail or search for the information they need anytime, day or night.”

“Why do the President and Vice-President constantly change the subject when asked to explain why things are going so badly in Iraq? The answer is simple. They have been consistently wrong about Iraq, and the results speak for themselves.”

Has Beens Speak President Change Simple Answers Results Subjects Iraq Vices Consistently Vice President

Author:Patrick Leahy

“We need to consider nominations as thoroughly and carefully as the American people deserve. No one is entitled to a free pass to a lifetime appointment to the Supreme Court.”

People Needs Deserve Court Lifetime Supreme Entitled Supreme Court Appointments Nominations

Author:Patrick Leahy

About the Author

Born: March 31, 1940
Known for: United States Senator
Quotes: 42

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