Senator Patrick Leahy currently serves as the senior senator from Vermont. Leahy grew up across the street from the State House in Montpelier, Vermont and later attended Georgetown Law School. He spent eight years as the State’s Attorney for Chittenden County and received national praise for his work. In 1975, he beat Republican George Aiken to become the first – and only – Democrat ever sent to the Senate from Vermont. Leahy has remained in office since 1975 and is the most senior senator currently in office, having served for a little more than 45 years. Leahy’s lengthy career has provided ample opportunity to serve on numerous committees. He has served for more than 40 years on the Senate Appropriations Committee, and currently serves as its Vice Chair. He is also the most senior member of the Senate Judiciary Committee and previously served as its chair or ranking member between 2001 and 2016.
Leahy considers himself progressive on many issues, although he is more moderate than Bernie Sanders, the other senator from Vermont. GovTrack lists Leahy as the 23rd most liberal senator. In line with Vermont attitudes on the environment, Leahy has been a strong advocate for environmental protections and sponsored legislation to preserve hundreds of thousands of acres of Vermont forest. He advocates for the agriculture and dairy industries; he has supported legislation restructuring the Department of Agriculture and providing subsidies for Vermont farmers. Leahy is also a strong human rights advocate. He pushed Congress to pass anti-landmine legislation in the 1990s and helped create the USAID-funded Leahy War Victims Fund. The fund provides approximately $14 million each year to support landmine victims around the world.
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