Friend,

This morning I did something I don't take lightly -- I tore up a copy of the Senate Judiciary Committee rules at the markup of the Graham-Trump administration immigration bill. I did this because that is exactly what Senate Republicans on the Judiciary Committee did today.

Just six months ago, every single one of my Republican colleagues on the Senate Judiciary Committee voted to uphold and abide by these committee rules. Today, Senator Lindsey Graham violated FOUR of these rules in order to allow President Trump to lock up immigrant children indefinitely.

None of my Republican colleagues stood in his way; instead they disregarded Senate Judiciary rules just to please Donald Trump.

Today, the Republicans chose to disregard their own rules to push a partisan bill that will allow the Trump administration to indefinitely lock up children at our border. It is inhumane. It is wrong. And we must take action.

Friend, with the Republican Party doubling down on their cruelty -- and abandoning of any semblance of checks and balances -- it's all the more important we take back the Senate in 2020.

We need to restore our constitutional system of checks and balances. We need responsible leadership in the Senate, and we need to gain three Democratic seats in order to get there.

Please contribute $10 or more, right now, to our effort to take back the Senate in 2020. Your contribution is necessary so that we can restore Democratic leadership and once again have a Senate that works for the American people.

Thank you.

Sincerely,

Patrick Leahy
U.S. Senator