Welch, Peter

Peter Welch serves as the junior U.S. Senator from Vermont and holds two significant subcommittee ranking member positions. As Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on the Constitution, he leads the Democratic opposition on constitutional rights, civil liberties, and separation of powers issues. The Constitution Subcommittee examines threats to fundamental freedoms and holds the majority accountable on judicial nominations and executive overreach. Welch also serves as Ranking Member of the Senate Agriculture Subcommittee on Rural Development, Energy, and Credit, which oversees rural development programs, renewable energy, broadband expansion, and agricultural policy.

Welch brings decades of legal and legislative experience to these roles. He practiced law for several decades as a public defender and personal injury attorney before entering politics. He served in the Vermont State Senate from 1981 to 1989 and again from 2002 to 2007, becoming the first Democrat in Vermont history to serve as president pro tempore. He represented Vermont in the U.S. House of Representatives from 2007 to 2023, where he worked on energy efficiency, prescription drug costs, and rural broadband. Elected to the Senate in 2022 at age 75, he succeeded Patrick Leahy as only the second Democrat to represent Vermont in the chamber.

In his ranking member roles, Welch has actively shaped committee work and led Democratic opposition. On the Constitution Subcommittee, he has questioned judicial nominees on constitutional interpretation, challenged claims of a censorship conspiracy, and led efforts to investigate potential perjury by Trump administration nominees. He has also coordinated Democratic lawyers on the full Judiciary Committee to oppose what he characterizes as unconstitutional executive actions. On the Rural Development Subcommittee, he is positioned to play a key role in the 2025 Farm Bill and advance renewable energy and broadband initiatives important to rural Vermont communities.

Welch is known for bipartisan collaboration and independent thinking. He has worked across party lines on education endowment accountability and energy efficiency initiatives. His legislative priorities reflect his Vermont roots and progressive values, including student loan interest elimination, farm credit reform, and constitutional protections. At 78, he brings the perspective of a career legislator who has witnessed significant changes in Congress and remains focused on protecting democratic institutions and serving working families.