WASHINGTON, Oct. 20 -- The Congressional Budget Office issued the following cost estimate for the Deerfield River Wild and Scenic River Study Act (S. 608): * * * S. 608 would direct the Department of the Interior (DOI) to study the Deerfield River in Massachusetts and Vermont for potential addition to the national wild and scenic rivers system. The study would encompass the entire river, including its major tributaries and the North, South, East, and West Branches. Under the bill, DOI would   more

WASHINGTON, Oct. 25 -- The Congressional Budget Office issued the following cost estimate on Oct. 24, 2023, for the Nulhegan River and Paul Stream Wild and Scenic River Study Act (S. 432): * * * S. 432 would instruct the Department of the Interior (DOI) to study segments of the Nulhegan River and Paul Stream in Vermont for potential addition to the national wild and scenic rivers system. Under the bill, DOI would be required to complete the study and report to the Congress on the results withi  more

WASHINGTON, Oct. 25 -- Rep. Becca Balint, D-Vermont, issued the following news release on Oct. 24, 2023: Today, Rep. Becca Balint introduced a resolution designating October 24 - 31, 2023 as "Bat Week." The resolution highlights the vital role that bats play in the sustainability of our ecosystems and human health as pollinators. Vermont farms rely on the pest control provided by bats to sustain their crops and keep forests and fields healthy. The resolution also calls for a robust response to   more

WASHINGTON, Oct. 27 -- Rep. Becca Balint, D-Vermont, issued the following news release on Oct. 26, 2023: Today, Rep. Becca Balint and Equality Caucus Chair Mark Pocan (WI-02) introduced the Intersex Awareness Day Resolution. The resolution recognizes October 26 as Intersex Awareness Day and affirms the dignity, and the universal human right to bodily autonomy of intersex people. Intersex Awareness Day is recognized on October 26 following the first public demonstration by intersex people in th  more

WASHINGTON, Oct. 28 -- Rep. Becca Balint, D-Vermont, issued the following news release: "An immediate humanitarian pause to the fighting in Gaza is needed to get all necessary supplies toPalestinians in desperate need. We must reduce human suffering and preserve the lives and safety of civilians in Gaza. During this humanitarian pause Hamas must immediately release all hostages. "I'm heartbroken by Hamas' brutal attack on civilians and support Israel's right to defend itself. Hamas still poses  more

WASHINGTON, Oct. 27 -- Rep. Becca Balint, D-Vermont, issued the following statement on Oct. 26, 2023: * * * Rep. Becca Balint released the following statement after noticing a privileged resolution censuring Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene for her record of antisemitic, anti-LGBTQ, xenophobic, and racist rhetoric and conspiracy theories. Today, Rep. Taylor Greene introduced a resolution to censure Rep. Rashida Tlaib. The resolution promotes hateful falsehoods about Rep. Tlaib: "If you want to tal  more

WASHINGTON, Oct. 24 -- Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vermont, issued the following news release on Oct. 23, 2023: Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), Chairman of the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee, today sent a letter to Christi Grimm, Inspector General of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), urging a thorough investigation into the National Institutes of Health (NIH) after the NIH proposed, in the Federal Register, granting an exclusive patent license to an  more

WASHINGTON, Oct. 25 -- Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vermont, issued the following statement on Oct. 24, 2023: * * * Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), Chairman of the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee, today released the following statement ahead of tomorrow's committee markup of Dr. Monica Bertagnolli's nomination to serve as Director of the National Institutes of Health (NIH): Our health care system is broken and dysfunctional. We spend almost twice as much per capita on he  more

WASHINGTON, Oct. 28 -- The Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee issued the following opening statement by Sen. Peter Welch, D-Vermont, at an Oct. 4, 2023, confirmation hearing for Michael G. Whitaker to be Federal Aviation Administrator: * * * Madam Chair, you gave an excellent presentation of Mr. Whitaker's experience, but you left out one very important fact: He's my neighbor, lives down the dirt road... It's wonderful to have Michael here, Mary, and Joe. You did outline his  more

WASHINGTON, Oct. 25 -- Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vermont, chair of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, issued the following statement on Oct. 24, 2023: * * * Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), Chairman of the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee, today released the following statement ahead of tomorrow's committee markup of Dr. Monica Bertagnolli's nomination to serve as Director of the National Institutes of Health (NIH): Our health care system is bro  more

WASHINGTON, Oct. 24 -- Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vermont, chair of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, issued the following news release on Oct. 23, 2023: Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), Chairman of the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee, today sent a letter to Christi Grimm, Inspector General of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), urging a thorough investigation into the National Institutes of Health (NIH) after the NIH proposed  more

WASHINGTON, Oct. 26 -- Sen. Peter Welch, D-Vermont, issued the following news release: Resolution Recognizes the Importance of the Refuge to Cultural History, Biodiversity, Fragile Ecosystems in Vermont WASHINGTON, D.C. - On October 26, Sen. Peter Welch (D-VT), Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT),and Representative Balint (D-VT) introduced a resolution commemorating the 80th anniversary of the establishment of the Missisquoi National Wildlife Refuge. The resolution recognizes the importance of this pr  more

WASHINGTON, Oct. 27 -- Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vermont, issued the following news release on Oct. 26, 2023: With winter around the corner and heating costs projected to increase this season, Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), Sen. Peter Welch (D-Vt.), and Rep. Becca Balint (D-Vt.) today announced that Vermont will receive more than $20.7 million in Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) funds. "As Vermonters prepare for colder months, we are proud to announce this critical funding for hom  more

WASHINGTON, Oct. 24 -- Sen. Peter Welch, D-Vermont, issued the following news release: WASHINGTON, D.C. -Senator Peter Welch (D-VT) applauded the confirmation of Michael Whitaker, of Vermont, to become Administrator of the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) today. Whitaker received strong bipartisan support in a 98-0 vote. Senator Welch recently called for his colleagues to support Mr. Whitaker's nomination, following his bipartisan advancement through the Senate Committee on Commerce, Scie  more

WASHINGTON, Oct. 27 -- Sen. Peter Welch, D-Vermont, issued the following news release: EAST CALAIS, VT - Today, Sen. Peter Welch (D-VT) celebrated the ribbon cutting for the East Calais General Store Building and Apartments with Governor Phil Scott and local leaders. The project was partially funded by a Community Project Funding grant championed by Senator Welch when he served in the House of Representatives. "An enduring commitment to community is one of the things that makes Vermont so spe  more

WASHINGTON, Oct. 27 -- Sen. Peter Welch, D-Vermont, issued the following news release: WASHINGTON, D.C.--Senator Peter Welch (D-VT) today joined Senators Chris Murphy (D-CT), Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii), and Jeff Merkley (D-OR) in leading 20 of their Senate colleagues in releasing the following statement: "We condemn Hamas' horrific terrorist attacks against Israel, for which Israel must hold Hamas accountable. In the course of that endeavor, every effort must be made to   more

WASHINGTON, Oct. 24 -- Sen. Peter Welch, D-Vermont, issued the following news release: WASHINGTON, D.C. - On October 24, Senator Peter Welch (D-VT) led 13 of his Senate colleagues, including Sens. Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), Michael Bennet (D-CO), Ted Budd (R-NC), Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV), Martin Heinrich (D-NM), John Hickenlooper (D-CO), Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-MS), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Ben Ray Lujan (D-NM), Gary Peters (D-MI), Bernie Sanders (I-VT), Kyrsten Sinema (I-AZ), and Roger Wicker (R-MS) in  more

WASHINGTON, Oct. 24 -- Sen. Peter Welch, D-Vermont, issued the following news release: WASHINGTON, D.C. - On October 24, Sen. Peter Welch (D-VT), Sen. Michael Braun (R-IN), and Representative Becca Balint (D-VT) introduced a resolution supporting the federal designation of 'Bat Week' for the week of October 24 to October 31, 2023, to emphasize the importance of conserving bat species and habitats to the environment, national economies, and public health. The resolution also calls on Congress t  more

WASHINGTON, Oct. 25 -- Sen. Peter Welch, D-Vermont, issued the following news release: WASHINGTON, D.C. - Sen. Peter Welch (D-VT) today released the following statement on the future of the United States-Honduras relationship, and the ongoing work to reform Honduras' justice system to strengthen democracy: "The United States and Honduras have long been partners, but that partnership frayed due to the rampant corruption, violence, impunity, and poverty that has forced so many Hondurans to aband  more

WASHINGTON, Oct. 23 -- Sen. Peter Welch, D-Vermont, issued the following news release: BURLINGTON, VT - Senator Peter Welch (D-VT) today released the following statement celebrating the authorization of the Tech Hubs program through the Department of Commerce's Economic Development Administration, which includes the University of Vermont's Advancing Gallium Nitride (GaN) Tech Hub: "I am thrilled to see Vermont's leadership in semiconductor manufacturing recognized by the Biden-Harris administ  more

WASHINGTON, Oct. 26 -- Sen. Peter Welch, D-Vermont, issued the following news release: WASHINGTON, D.C. - In a Senate Judiciary Committee Meeting today, Senator Peter Welch (D-VT) stressed the importance of bipartisan collaboration to ensure that the federal public defender budget remains adequately funded. "I have circulated a letter, that all of our Democratic colleagues have signed, trying to correct a mistake that was made in the budget that resulted in a significant cut to the public defe  more

WASHINGTON, Oct. 23 -- Sen. Peter Welch, D-Vermont, issued the following news release: WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Senator Peter Welch (D-VT) today released the following statement on the escalating violence in the Middle East following Hamas' attack on Israel earlier this month: "I have grave concerns about the wisdom and military efficacy of an Israeli ground invasion of Gaza. There is no doubt that an imminent ground invasion would be catastrophic for innocent Palestinians in Gaza and jeopardiz  more