WASHINGTON D.C. — The League of Conservation Voters (LCV) Action Fund, which works to elect candidates who support and work for sound environmental policies, today announced its endorsement of Patrick Leahy for reelection to the U.S. Senate from Vermont. Senator Leahy is a lifelong advocate for protecting our environment, combating climate change and safeguarding Vermont’s natural landscapes. 

“For forty years, Senator Leahy has been a critical leader in our fight to protect our environment and to provide our children with safe air to breathe, clean water to drink, and natural landscapes to enjoy,” said LCV Action Fund President Gene Karpinski. “He is a passionate voice for action on climate change and has consistently stood up to Big Polluters, fighting hard to end fossil fuel subsidies and invest in a clean energy economy.”  

“Senator Leahy has dedicated his career to growing Vermont’s economy, safeguarding our forests and natural areas, and restoring and protecting Lake Champlain,” said Vermont Conservation Voters Political Director Lauren Hierl. “He continues to fight every day for the well-being of our communities and our families by working to protect the air we breathe, the water we drink and our treasured open spaces.” 

“Vermonters appreciate the importance of conservation and environmental stewardship in protecting the quality of life, the bounteous land and water, and the unrivaled natural settings that we value and enjoy in our special state,” said Leahy. “There are always powerful forces arrayed to carelessly exploit and harm our natural resources and our special places.  I will always consider it to be one of my highest callings to be a voice and a champion for protecting Vermonters’ and all Americans’ rights to clean air and water and to responsible and respectful stewardship of the natural world that is part of every Vermonter’s legacy.”

Leahy is a staunch advocate and powerful voice in the Senate for our environment. He understands that we have an obligation to combat climate change, which is why he is an outspoken proponent of the Environmental Protection Agency’s Clean Power Plan. He has been a vocal advocate for raising fuel economy standards for cars and trucks and setting tough energy efficiency standards for appliances. He has been the Senate’s leader in pressing for strong standards to limit mercury pollution.

Leahy has consistently made conservation a top priority. As a leading member of the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Interior, Environment and Related Agencies, he has fought for full funding for the Land and Water Conservation Fund and the Forest Legacy Program, which was created under earlier Leahy legislation. Leahy is also a lead cosponsor of legislation to prohibit all new federal leases for oil, gas or coal extraction on public lands and waters. In Vermont, he played a key role in the creation of the Marsh Billings Rockefeller National Historical Park, the only national park in the state. He also helped establish the 26,000-acre Nulhegan unit of the Conte National Wildlife Refuge and was instrumental in adding 400,000 acres to the Green Mountain National Forest. He forged enduring partnerships between farmers and conservation and environmental goals, beginning when he chaired the Agriculture Committee and wrote key conservation initiatives that he included in Farm Bills.  Leahy is a tireless champion of Lake Champlain and has made restoring and safeguarding the Lake one of his highest priorities, bringing back to Vermont more than $110 million in federal funds for the cleanup and protection of the Lake. He is the “father” of the national organic standards and labeling program that has contributed to several environmental and ecological goals.  

In leading the Appropriations Committee’s Subcommittee on the State Department and Foreign Operations, it has been primarily through Leahy’s leadership that U.S. support has been provided to help conserve threatened rainforests and to help poor countries move toward meeting clean energy and climate change goals.

Leahy has earned an impressive 93 percent lifetime score on LCV’s National Environmental Scorecard. The non-partisan Scorecard is the nationally accepted yardstick used to rate members of Congress on environmental and clean energy issues. Based on key environmental votes in the House and Senate, it is often used by the media to quickly describe a Member’s record. For more information, visit https://scorecard.lcv.org.

Leahy is featured on LCV Action Fund’s GiveGreen website, the only bundling website devoted exclusively to raising money for environmental champions for federal office.

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Paid for by the League of Conservation Voters Action Fund and authorized by Leahy for U.S. Senator Committee.