 Thank you all for being here before I start, and this will embarrass him, but standing behind you is Chris Saunders, who last night, as we were closing up shop in the U.S. Senate, the Senate unanimously confirmed him for the Northern Region. He'll be leaving our office and doing that, and I think it's very, very helpful to those of us in the Northern States. And also along with it, and we're doing this, of course, to make sure that Chris has some money to spend, Congress passed a bipartisan, which is rare in the Senate, omnivorous spending bill. A lot of investments for the country, particularly in Vermont. Now, as chair of the Appropriations Committee, I could bring back congressionally affected spending, which allows us to, as some say, and local authorities like mayors governors can have some say in how the money is spent. And so as he wrote the Appropriations Bill, I had that seat in the table, but I was I had a double whammy because I had Senator Saunders, chair of the Budget Committee, who was working on this and Congressman Welch, who had his own things in the House bill and was tracking every single thing we do. We received something like 300 requests from Vermont for areas of helping. I looked at the projects that helped Vermont families, Vermont communities, Vermont's economy in the years to come. And with the results of those requests, I got from Vermonters announced we have 167 million dollars to be invested to projects that we've realized downtown, train workers, lastly infrastructure, but also looking after the most vulnerable among us. And right here at the Vermont Airport, we're investing in projects to improve the passenger experience for the traveling public, expand the workforce, but also make Vermont easier and more accessible. But we also provided young people the opportunity to study aviation and high tech manufacturing, something that's going to prepare them for the jobs that they're going to want to have as they get older. We have money to help recruit nurses. And I have a special fondness for for nurses have been married to him for 60 years. But we're also have projects will help add also entering the workforce. It's we need more skilled workers. But then we got to make sure they're there. I want those be Vermonters and we'll train each of each of them. And these are worthy projects. We go through all of them. But I'd like to yield to to you can yield the floor to me unanimous concern. What we're joking about is I was presiding yesterday afternoon. And I was so distracted by somebody. They said, Well, they're about to recess and they majority leader stands up and I said, Okay, he goes like this. Oh, I said the center from Vermont is recognized. And so the center from Vermont was recognized. Thank you for recognizing me again. Let me just begin by saying that being chairman of the Senate Appropriations Committee, especially in these very partisan times is not an easy job. And I want to congratulate Senator Leahy chair of that committee and his staff for working really, really hard in passing a strong 1.5 trillion dollar federal budget. Not an easy task. Congratulations. One of the distinctive initiatives in this budget, as the senator mentioned, was the reemergence of earmarks now referred to as congressionally directed spending. Now over the years, there has been a lot of criticisms of these earmarks, but I disagree. Congressionally directed funds are part of a very democratic process. And what it means is that I and my staff and Senator Leahy and Congressman Welch and their staff can go out around the state, talk to people from one end of Vermont to other get a sense of what their needs are and do our best to fund those needs. And obviously, we have our office is I'm sure Senator Leahy and Congressman Welch as well received hundreds and hundreds of very strong requests. Clearly, we could not fund all of them, but I'm proud of what we were able to do. As I think many people know over the years, we have made some really good progress in our state in responding to the crisis of dental care. The truth is that dental care is far too expensive and many working families and their kids are unable to go to the dentist when they need to. In this earmark process, we have provided over $3 million to community health centers and other entities to expand access to affordable dental care, which is what community health centers provide. We have also put a special emphasis on bringing dental care into the schools. We started a project here in Burlington a number of years ago, enormously successful. We're spreading that all over the state. So we're going to bring dental chairs into schools. I don't have to tell any working class parent in Vermont that childcare is outrageously expensive on average, of course, about $15,000. I'm proud that in this process, we have funded new childcare slots throughout Vermont. Obviously, we have a long, long way to go. This is a national crisis. I hope at the federal level, we can do something about it. I think we're making some progress here in the state. Once again, another crisis issue in Vermont and in America is the need for affordable housing. And as a result of this process, I'm proud that we have brought millions of dollars into the state for more affordable housing and to improve our existing housing stock. In the midst of climate change, it goes without saying that we want Vermont to be a leader in transforming our energy system away from fossil fuel into energy efficiency and sustainable energy part of what we brought into the state will provide funding for 20 public entities, 10 schools, 10 public buildings to move from fossil fuel to solar energy. As a longtime member of the Veterans Committee, I wanted to make sure that we're able to support our military community of working with Senator Leah and Congressman Welch, we were able to bring forth substantial sums of funding for a new family center at Camp Johnson. And this is something that our National Guard has been wanted. And I'm proud to have worked with the Senator and Congressman Welch to make that happen. Last but not least, I wanted to mention a program that we have fought for that may be unique in this country. We waste taxpayer money when people who are released from prison fail on the outside and once again become incarcerated. The rate of recidivism in this state and in this country is just too high. And one of the reasons for that is the many of the people in prison simply don't have the education and the skills to succeed on the outside. I'm proud that working with Vermont Community Colleges, we will be funding educational programs in every prison in the state from a radial reading to college education. But we have done something unique here, which I think does not exist around the rest of the country. We know, and many of you know, that our corrections officers have been under incredible pressure in the last couple of years because of COVID. They're understaffed to overwork. And what we have said to them is that we are going to help them get the free higher education that they need through Community College as well. So in this proposal, not only provides educational opportunities for people in the correction institutions, but also for the correction officers as well. So about a sum of what we have done, I want to thank Senator Leahy again for his leadership on this issue. As we wrote, we all work together on this because we may be the second smallest state in the country. We won't just have the biggest problem. Go ahead, Peter. Well, speaking of big clout, Chairman of the Appropriations Committee right here, we've been blessed in Vermont, Chairman of the Budget Committee right here. Patrick and Bernie, it's really, really wonderful to be here. You know, I want to say a couple of things. Number one, with all the ranker in Washington, there's in fact things that are actually getting done into some extent on a bipartisan basis. We haven't had a budget in how many years. And Patrick, you working with Senator Shelby managed to get a budget. And that is good in every way possible, because it gives clarity to all our governmental agencies about what they can expect, what they can count on, they can plan and they can manage. And it is not in the minds of everyday people that that's a big deal, because they do it with their checkbook every month. But in Congress, it is a big deal. And Senator Leahy, I want to congratulate you. And Senator Sanders for the role you played as chair of the Budget Committee and getting that done because it really does make a difference for planning and execution. The second thing is I want to say something about earmarks which Bernie started talking about. You know, this appropriation process in the Constitution belongs to Congress. And Congress, each of us is elected by the people when we're subject to their vote. And the appropriations process in the Constitution starts in the Congress. And congressionally directed spending is a judgment by members of Congress who are accountable to our voters about how to spend taxpayer dollars. And in these congressionally directed spending, all of these have to be for a public purpose. Everything has to be totally transparent. And we have to sign our name next to anything that we're advocating for. And Patrick has been extraordinary with his seniority and his role as the chair of the Appropriations Committee, the same with Bernie. And I had the opportunity in the House likewise to sign my name and advocate on behalf of Vermont for specific projects. And I'm just going to name a couple because they're small, but they're emblematic of what I think is so essential. We have been hammered by COVID. It has been exhausting for everybody. And we've done a great job, especially in Vermont, where folks have gotten vaccinated, they've gotten their booster, where people cooperate because they want to be healthy, not just for their own well being because we know in Vermont, we have an obligation to our neighbor as well. But with all of the money that came to help us individuals, money for the vaccine, money for the payroll protection plan to help our businesses, there was another goal here. And the goal was to try to help our communities and our local institutions survive COVID along with individuals. And I'm just going to mention two of the proposals that were included that were among the ones that I advocated for because they're emblematic of how hard Vermonters work and how I think each of us feels very privileged to be able to help Vermonters who are helping their own communities. One is only $200,000 you know, in congressional terms, that's a small amount. But if you live in East Calis, Vermont, that is a lot of money. And the folks there with their housing trust got together to save the local general store. And those general stores are mainstays of our local communities all around rural Vermont. And by getting together, they were able with privately raised funds, and the appropriation to save that store. And also on the upstairs of the store to convert it into three housing units, that matters in a small community like East Calis, Vermont. Another one is in Derby, Vermont, right up on the Canadian border. It's tough up there, especially with the closure of the border. That's been an added challenge for those folks. You know what they want? They want a park. They want a park. And Mayor, you understand this, that's really important people in a local community. And they raise money, they have high property taxes. But they were able also through this budget to get $517,000 to help build a new park. And you know what that is? What's so exciting to me about that? It's like people who live there and who love Derby are now able to improve Derby for the neighbors and for their children. And that's what government should be about helping folks who have the energy to help themselves helping folks who deeply, deeply care about their own communities, deeply, deeply care about the things that people in their community need. So it was just tremendous working with Patrick and Bernie. And it's so good that we're able, I think, to play a small role in helping folks who are working an awful lot harder than anyone else to build a town park, to keep that general store going, to create three affordable housing units. And that's what government should be about helping people who are trying to help themselves and help their communities. Thank you. Mayor? Well, good afternoon, everyone. It is really exciting to be here with Vermont's incredible federal delegation kind of representing Vermont localities in a sense. Let me start by saying, and I feel confident saying that Vermont's mayors and local officials are pro earmarks as well. We are we are a fork and gradually directed spending. And but let me be you know, let me say why I hard for me to believe I've been in this office, almost 10 years now. And for the first eight years, we really had very few of these conversations about local government, the federal government can work together to improve the lives of Berlin Tonians. They're just there with these, this form of funding had gone away. And there are very few other ways that federal government could directly help local governments in meeting our biggest challenges. We are exactly two years from when that changed almost overnight with the arrival of COVID in this country. I'll never forget the early days of the pandemic sitting in the emergency operation center at the police department. We had the television on we had we were watching you guys on the Senate floor and the House floor as you pass these historic pieces of legislation that directly brought assistance. We knew help was coming as we dealt with the early stages of the pandemic that continued. Of course, later with additional with additional COVID relief bills and then the ARPA bill, it continued with the federal infrastructure bill that is directly helping us one of one of our major challenges as a as a city with aging infrastructure. And with this bill, the omnibus spending bill, I'm hopeful this indication that that this error isn't isn't ending just as it was COVID comes to an end that this direct relationship between local governments and the and the federal government is going to continue. And really with this bill, we're able to take on some of our biggest challenges. And let me just talk about three of the ways in which Burlington is directly benefiting from this this bill and the announcements announcements today. One is with our economic challenges. The airport and the tertiary marketplace are two of the largest city owned economic engines in this region. And part of the reason that we are having this event at the airport is the airport is going to get $7 million of federal funding as a result of our federal delegation and and Sarah Leah has had a particular interest in the airport for many years and we're very grateful for that focus. And five of that seven seven million, I'm happy to say is going to help build the new airport infrastructure necessary for beta to build a manufacturing facility for electric airplanes here in at the airport. And so this could end up being a very important piece of the region's economic future. Another million dollars is going to the rebuilding the tertiary marketplace. Anyone who's been down there recently knows that after 40 years of incredible success, there are elements of the marketplace that are getting a bit worn out the bricks themselves in places need replacement. This is going to help us refresh the marketplace and keep that a vibrant part of Burlington's economic future. We people who have been following local events know that one of our highest priorities right now is dealing with our acute housing challenge. And there are many aspects of that challenge. One of them is that we are we have made a commitment to do everything we can to end homelessness over the next three years, we are created a new position and special assistant to end homelessness who's really starting shortly. And we are opening as has been in the news this new shelter pod community that is co located with a community resource center, a place we're somewhere most vulnerable. Burlingtonians will be able to access resources and help and have a whole array of opportunities presented there. In this bill is $400,000 to help us build that community resource center in the coming months. And then finally, I want to point out one of Burlington's biggest priorities for many years now, during my time has been to be moved towards becoming a net zero energy city to essentially cut our dependence on and use of fossil fuels over the next decade. The biggest single thing that we can do to achieve that goal. This and I want to be clear about this is largest like single intervention. The biggest thing we can do is all to move towards electrification is everyone to get electric vehicles and and move towards electric heat. But the single biggest action will be if we can claim the waste heat from the McNeil generating facility and use it to heat UVM and the University of Vermont Medical Center, this is something the city has been working, I believe going all the way back to the time when you were mayor, Senator, it's been something it's been kind of a Gordian knot that we've had great difficulty cutting. There's $5 million in this bill to help us finally achieve that goal as well and take a huge step towards becoming a net zero city. So I hope I hope those examples, I'm sure those are, you know, I don't know the budgets of all 250 municipalities and exactly how every community is being helped. But I hope and believe those are illustrative of the direct ways in which what our federal delegation has done and led here is going to provide direct assistance to municipalities and local communities on some of their biggest challenges. Thanks for the chance to be here with the three year. Thank you everybody for Thank you. chiming in because it does involve all of us. And just as a note, I started meetings yesterday with the key Republicans and Democrats on the Senate Appropriations Committee, and we're going to start very soon within a matter of met. We're going to start very soon. And actually, the matter of weeks, the key Republicans, key Democrats will sit down together. We're going to start putting together next year's budgets have to be passed by September and this September. And I intend to do it. So I'm also encouraging and I know Senator Sanders and Council votes are encouraging groups in Vermont. Let us know the areas you need. But let us know areas that will make life better for Vermonters and will help in all the different ways. So that I'll hush up and anybody asked question a bit of the four of us up here. Go ahead. How do Vermont do per capita? We're one of the two or three highest per capita in the country. Amazing coincidence. This question, I've had a few, a few senators from much larger states point that out. I said, Yeah, but we're a better state. Yes. This question for the entire delegation. You've probably seen the reporting from CBS News in the Washington Post about text between Mark Meadows, Chief of Staff and the life of Justice Thomas. I was just wondering if any of you would wish that Justice Thomas had recused himself from any cases about the 2020 election and whether you think he should resign for this position is a justice on the board. I have so many thoughts on this as a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee. I would just remind some of these senators who are hypocritical in their attacks. Judge Jackson this week, hypocritical attacks that were racist, misogynist, and unprecedented. And yet you will not hear a single one of them. Suggest the Clarence Thomas to anything wrong. They've got to realize, there should not be double standards. Something like Ted Cruz condemns the nomination of one of the most qualified, one of the most qualified people I've seen in 48 years. He said, but this sends a terrible message to qualified white men to have this black woman. It is probably the worst. It's so just so genetic. Racist thing I've heard. And I've heard some over the years. And that's why I normally don't. But in the hearings, when he was going on, I remind him that he may be wanting to get some sound bites on TV. I said, I remind the junior senator from Texas, that we have rules here. Everybody's expected to follow them. And he wasn't. I'll leave it at that. Senator Leahy along those lines with Judge Jackson. How important was today's announcement by Senator Manchin that he is supporting her nomination to the Supreme Court? That was important. But I've also talked to a number of Republicans who know that she's missing qualified. Anybody who listened to her, anybody who looked at her record, anybody who's seen what she's done. She has been the best of the best at every single step. It should be automatic. I voted on 21 Supreme Court Justice. The first one was John Paul Stevens. She is a conservative Republican nominated by a conservative Republican president. His hearing debate took about three days. And he was voted out unanimously. I voted for him. I never regretted that vote. Others have. It is I've argued that we want to turn the nomination process into a heightened partisan debate, especially one with racial overtones. And anti women overtones like this one, that is going to so damage all our court system. Peter and I have argued a lot of cases for trial courts and appellate courts. I don't think we ever went to courts with, yeah, but this judge is Republican or Democrat. We always say, well, we've got good judges that are going to make up their mind based on the case. I'll either win or I'll lose. Based on the case. People need that faith in their courts. And the kind of things we saw this past week, just damages that it'll take a long time to put it back. Let me just add a word. I had the opportunity a couple of weeks ago to meet with Judge Jackson. And she is a very, impressive person. And I think the behavior of some of our right wing Republican colleagues in attacking her was absolutely disgraceful. I think it was racist. And I think it was sexist. And I think it sends a very, very bad message throughout this country. But I am confident that we will have the support. I think I virtually all Democrats and I think we'll have some Republicans. And I think that she will soon become the next justice of the United States Supreme Court. Senators, the other big issue, obviously, that everybody is watching is Ukraine. And I'm curious if you would support a no fly zone. And if not, what options do you support for further helping the Ukrainians? Just say word on that. Obviously, I think all of us are shocked. And I think it's hard to describe my feelings. I dream about this stuff literally. The horror that's going on in the Ukraine right now, Putin's totally unjustified war, bombing buildings, killing innocent civilians. It is it is outrageous beyond words. I do not support a no fly zone. I think what President President Biden is trying to do is walk a very tight line. And it's very difficult. And I know it's easy to criticize. But it's very difficult. Does anybody in their right mind want to see World War three? Does anybody in their right mind want to see a nuclear war? We don't. So our job now is to do everything that we can to defend Ukrainian people to get them all of the military and humanitarian resources that they need to deal with one of the other tragedies of what's going on. They have millions and millions of people have been driven from their homes, going to Poland, going to other countries. People have been displaced within their country, something like one quarter, including millions of children having to force to leave their homes. So we got to do everything we can to defend the Ukrainian people. We got to do everything we can to isolate Russia. We got to do everything we can to defeat this oligarchy of Putin and his friends. But I think I speak virtually everybody and saying we don't want another world war, we don't want a nuclear war. And I think the President is handling this as effectively as it can by uniting all of our allies around the world to protect Ukraine and isolate Russia. I think there's a very distinguished Republican Senator who about the time I was poor. So the politics should stop at the, at the work at the edge of where the oceans begin and where our land ends. And, you know, I see some of the people who take it to the floor criticizing Joe Biden and they voted against the money for Ukraine. What I hypocritical stands, we should be, just as the Ukrainians are uniting, we should be united in our support with them. I applaud the President and all the work he's done, much of which has not been reported, but the hours upon hours upon hours of meetings by zoom by phone in person with our leaders in NATO, bringing them together in a way we have not seen in decades. Germany, I'm putting in their budget, Switzerland, joining Finland, Japan, all of these. I don't think Putin expected that, but didn't stop Putin from being really a war criminal. And some of the people in there who are bombing hospitals, children's playgrounds, shooting families in the street, shooting them dead in the street. This is these are war crimes. I've walked down the streets of Keith. I've seen families bringing their children to a playground, kids laughing and having such a good time. And it's similar to what we've done with our children and our grandchildren here in Vermont and elsewhere. And then I see what's happening there. It's war crime. I'm glad the President's in Poland. I'm having a meeting in Brussels and another month with our NATO allies, see where we are at that point. I'm anxious to hear what the President has to say when he comes back. I'm being very careful not to say anything that would let any daylight between this case, the President put temporary after all I am third in line the presidency. I'm not and I get the same briefings he does. I'm not going to say anything that's gonna put me at odds with the President. I don't think anybody else could have brought our NATO allies together with such force. I think that totally surprised Putin. After all, Putin was used to dealing with Donald Trump, who called him a genius. Even after he started the murders, things he was doing. Do we know how many Biden administration says 100,000 Ukrainians will be coming into the United States accepting that? Do we have any idea if any will be coming to Vermont? I expect some will come to the question was do we have any of the Ukrainians come to the US? Some will come to Vermont? I would not be surprised. Vermont has been on a per capita basis, probably more receptive to refugees in any state in this country. Certainly the mayor knows that in his own city. Look at the number of languages you hear going through the stores and the schools. But I also suspect it's going to be more than 100,000. What I would like to do and I'm sure the Ukrainians like to see stability and peace, so they can go back to whatever's left of their homes. I'll just say, certainly, senators, Congressmen, Burlington would be happy to play a role in doing more. You read these stories in Moldova, one of the poorest countries in Europe, 90% of the refugees there have been housed in people's homes. I think there are many communities here in America that would like to do more. I agree with that. Okay, we settle all the problems of the world. You realize I just go down there and do whatever Bernie and Peter tell me to.