Sen. Patrick Leahy lingered on a narrow balcony on the west side of the U.S. Capitol, soaking in a panoramic view of the National Mall, the Washington Monument and, beyond, the Lincoln Memorial.As Leahy closes out a Senate career that has spanned 48 years, the Vermont senator is saying goodbye to Washington with a mix of resignation and resolve, lamenting the hyperpartisanship that now grips Congress while expressing hope that the institution as he once knew it can someday return.
“Now, there are too many people who think, ‘What can I say that will get me on the evening news or give me a sound bite or get me on this Twitter account,’ or something else. They don’t care about the country. They care about their political ambitions.” With tearful colleagues gathered in the chamber, Leahy gave his final address to the Senate on Tuesday, exhorting his colleagues to carry on the work.
He helped establish what is now the nearly $60 billion organic food industry. He helped bring about the world’s first ban on the export of antipersonnel landmines, and he’s helped bring hundreds of jobs to Vermont and millions of dollars to help clean up his beloved Lake Champlain. Known as an accomplished photographer, Leahy has used his proximity to power to take his camera into areas where others couldn’t. He captured candid images of President George H.W. Bush in a goofy hat and Sen. Joe Biden and his wife, Jill, on a bench near the Eiffel Tower during a NATO meeting.
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