WASHINGTON — At the tender age of 75, Peter Welch is starting from scratch, in a way. Welch became one of the oldest freshmen to ever roam the Senate’s hallways after winning the seat vacated by one of the longest-serving senators ever, Patrick Leahy.
Welch’s 16 years in the House as Vermont’s lone representative means he won’t have to spend any time getting caught up on statewide issues while he learns his way around the Dirksen Senate Office Building. Welch is already focused on prescription drug prices, rural housing costs and all things dairy.
On a call with Heard on the Hill in early March, Welch chatted about cheese, moaned about milk and screamed for ice cream. But he found some time to talk about lactose-free things, too, like how Democrats would do well to pay more attention to agrarian concerns to connect with rural voters.
