MONTPELIER, Vt. (AP) - Vermont U.S. Sen. Patrick Leahy has joined an even more exclusive club than the United States Senate: He’s now one of six senators in history to have cast more than 15,000 votes.
Leahy passed the milestone on Tuesday, as the Senate took several votes on amendments to a cybersecurity bill.
The 75-year-old Leahy has served in the Senate since 1975, and is still the only Democrat ever elected to the Senate from Vermont.
His 15,000th vote was greeted by speeches praising him from the Senate’s majority and minority leaders, from his Judiciary Committee colleague Sen. Chuck Grassley of Iowa and from his Vermont colleague Bernie Sanders.
Leahy said he’s most proud of votes supporting dairy and organic farmers, on civil liberties measures, and on anti-domestic violence legislation.
Please read our comment policy before commenting.