Patrick Leahy talks with Vermont Edition about the four gun bills the Senate Judiciary Committee he chairs is working on.

More than a year after U.S. immigration authorities sought to split up a same-sex, bi-national couple living in Vermont, Sens. Patrick Leahy of Vermont and Susan Collins of Maine are pushing legislation to protect such couples.

Senator Patrick Leahy, chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, is overseeing a hearing on gun control Wednesday.

Leahy's photographs, Femi Kuti at Lyndon and painted sculptures at Positive Pie.

Senator Patrick Leahy says he's hopeful that Congress will pass a comprehensive package of gun control restrictions including ban the sale of semi automatic assault weapons, closing the gun show loophole for background checks and limiting the capacity of gun magazines.

One of the most surprising political events of 2012 was Vermont Senator Patrick Leahy's decision not to become chairman of the powerful Appropriations Committee. Leahy is the Senate's longest-serving member. In a system built on seniority, the Appropriations Committee chairmanship is usually considered the top prize.

Sen. Patrick Leahy is hailing Senate passage of legislation aimed at reducing the backlog of untested rape kits throughout the country.

Sen. Patrick Leahy says he'll support a renewal of a ban on the sale of semi-automatic assault weapons. He says he'll also back a plan to require background checks at all gun shows.

Sen. Patrick Leahy has decided not to become the chairman of the powerful Senate Appropriations Committee. Leahy is the longest serving member of the Senate. He says he decided to remain as chair of the Judiciary Committee, and maintain his seniority on Appropriations.

Shortly before noon Tuesday, Vermont Senator Patrick Leahy was sworn in the Senate President Pro Tempore.

Senator Patrick Leahy has now become the senior most member of that chamber and he's in line to become the chairman of the Senate Appropriations committee.

All three members of Vermont's congressional delegation may be ready to allow the so called "payroll tax holiday" to expire at the end of the year. That would boost tax burdens for middle income families.

One of Senator Patrick Leahy's top priorities in the current lame duck session of Congress is the reauthorization of the Violence Against Women Act.

Senator Patrick Leahy says he's working with a bipartisan group of senators to develop a compromise budget deficit plan that Congress can consider in the lame duck session after the November election.

Leading Vermont Democrats say they hope President Barack Obama improves his performance in the presidential debates.

Senator Patrick Leahy and his wife, Marcelle, celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary over the weekend.

Democratic Senator Patrick Leahy cast his 14,000th roll call vote Wednesday.

A Senate Judiciary committee heard testimony Tuesday to overturn the Supreme Court's Citizens United decision and to overhaul campaign finance reform.

U.S. Sen. Patrick Leahy says he was drawn to Batman's approach to crime-fighting because the Caped Crusader had no superpowers and used his intelligence.

Senator Patrick Leahy is renewing his fascination with the Caped Crusader by appearing in a scene in the next Batman movie. The movie "The Dark Knight Rises" will get its first public showing in Vermont.

Senator Patrick Leahy is optimistic that the new 5 year federal Farm Bill will include several provisions to help small dairy farmers stay in business. One provision will allow farmers to purchase insurance that will guarantee that they'll be able to recoup their production costs.

Sen. Patrick Leahy is leading the effort to reauthorize the Violence Against Women Act, backing an amendment that would focus on domestic violence and rates of violence against teens.

The viral video sweeping the Internet right now focuses on a Ugandan guerrilla leader named Joseph Kony who abducts African children and forces them to serve in his Lord's Resistance Army. Some Vermonters have been working behind the scenes for years to try to focus attention on this story.

Vermont's congressional delegation has been on the move lately, traveling to other parts of the world where America has interests. They say their travel helps them craft foreign policy back in Washington. 

Senator Patrick Leahy and Congressman Peter Welch have both been abroad recently studying the U.S. role in Cuba and Haiti, and in the Middle East.