Patrick Leahy

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

“If the United States is to be a beacon of hope around the world, our actions have to match our ideals.”

“A Grateful Dead concert is much more than the music: it's an experience, almost like being in a family of thousands of people.”

“Judiciary is where my passion is.”

“Everyone in Congress wants our country to lead, to build alliances, to help American companies compete, and to protect the interests and security of our citizens. You can't have it both ways. You can't expect others to follow if you can't lead, and you can't lead if you don't pay your way.”

“I remember George W. Bush, who spoke about bringing the country together. Here's a man who knew that he lost the popular vote but ended up with the Electoral College vote. He had lost that, and he spoke in a very inclusive way of bringing Republicans and Democrats together. It reflected what a president should do.”

“I relax more when I'm behind the camera than anything else. I love that.”

“Trump would either be the Scarecrow or the Joker.”

“About the only gun law we have in Vermont is during deer season. If you have a semi-automatic, you can't have more than six rounds in it.”

“Our alliances and our credibility are crucial elements of our working capital in advancing America's interests in the world, and they have been eroded over the last four years.”

“When I first came to the Senate, people in both parties went out of their way to have personal relationships.”

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

“That the Islamic State is guilty of horrific atrocities is common knowledge. But most Americans seem unaware of the human toll of our own actions, the consequences this has for our national security and our reputation, and that, too often, the civilian casualties we cause are the result of avoidable mistakes. This must change.”

“It is wrong for the federal government to deny benefits or privileges to couples who have lawfully wed.”

“If we harm civilians when it could reasonably have been avoided, and if we fail to fairly and promptly help the innocent victims, the local population will turn against us - and make the fight against violent extremists even more difficult.”

“A bedrock principle of our justice system is ensuring a fair day in court, something that is especially important for children who cannot advocate for themselves.”

“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.”

“The Supreme Court of the United States is too important to our democracy for it to be understaffed for partisan reasons.”

“I'm an old trial lawyer.”

“Our nation relies on immigrants.”