The current dean of the state 's congressional delegation , Leahy is Vermont 's longest-serving U.S. Senator , and as of 2018 is the only Democrat the state has ever elected to the Senate . He is the former chairman of the Agriculture and Judiciary Committees , and has served as the ranking member of the Appropriations Committee since 2017 . In 2001 , Leahy was one of the two U.S. Senators targeted by the anthrax attacks that killed five people
anthrax attacks
2001 anthrax attacks
Patrick Leahy