ICYMI: News Journal column applauds FAST Voting Act

The News Journal’s longtime columnist Harry Themal wrote a column Friday praising Senator Coons’ legislation to make voting faster and more accessible to all voters. The column argues that legislation like the Louis L. Redding Fair, Accurate, Secure and Timely Voting Act of 2012 (FAST Voting Act) sponsored by Senator Coons would improve voting access and overall voting efficiency.

Coons’ idea deserves serious consideration because by any measure, the election this month was a disaster in all too many states.

Coons cites an 18-year-old first-time voter still in line in Miami-Dade County, Fla., after nearly five hours, by which time President Obama already had been declared the winner. At least a dozen other states also must not have had enough polling places, voting machines and personnel to handle large turnouts forced to wait for up to seven or eight hours.

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The bill would zero in on reducing waiting times at the “persistently poorest polling places” by assuring polling locations match population distribution. FAST hopes to improve access to the ballot by providing for flexible registration, including on the same day as the election; assistance to voters who do not speak English or who have disabilities; formal training of election officers; and effective access for members of the armed forces.

Delaware should consider a grant to make provisions for voting in the event of a natural or other disaster. As Coons points out, Superstorm Sandy only had to make a slight turn and Delaware would have been dramatically impacted.

Click here to read the entire column on The News Journal’s website.

Video: Senator Coons’ interview with MSNBC on the conflict in Gaza & the FAST Voting Act

U.S. Senator Chris Coons was on MSNBC’s “Jansing and Co.” on November 20 talking about the unrest in Gaza and the FAST Voting Act, which he introduced the week prior to help states improve their elections.

Delaware Delegation welcomes the announcement of USS Delaware

The Delaware Congressional delegation welcomed the announcement of the naming of the Naval submarine, the USS Delaware, on Monday.

In May, Delaware’s Congressional Delegation sent a letter to Naval Secretary Ray Mabus to encourage him to name a submarine after the state of Delaware following a letter to the editor that appeared in the News Journal encouraging the delegation to take up the cause of getting this vessel named after the State of Delaware.

“This is an important day for Delaware as we welcome the USS Delaware to our proud family,” said Senator Carper, a 23-year veteran of the Navy. “It is a great source of joy to me that the vessel that will bear the name of Delaware will be one of the most state-of-the-art submarines in the world. If we want to continue to protect our military might and protect our shipping lanes so that we can conduct commerce around the world, we are going to need fast attack submarines like the USS Delaware. ” 

“Delaware’s rich naval tradition has played a significant role in our nation’s history and it is an honor to see it recognized with the naming of the USS Delaware,” said Senator Coons. “This submarine will not only serve as a state-of-the-art component of our national security, but as a symbol honoring all Delawareans who have served our country. Secretary Mabus has my thanks and the brave men who will one day serve on the Delaware have my deepest respect and gratitude.” 

“Today is a great day for Delaware, particularly for our veterans and those currently serving in the armed forces,” said Congressman Carney.  “Many Delawareans have proudly served in the United States Navy, and naming this state-of-the-art submarine the USS Delaware is a tribute to their dedication and sacrifice.  I’m very proud that this vessel, which will play an important role in maintaining the nation’s defense and strengthening the economy, will bear the name of our state.”

Senator Coons helps found Congressional Caucus to End Human Trafficking

Between his work leading the Senate Foreign Relations Subcommittee on African Affairs and on the Senate Judiciary Committee, human trafficking is an issue that crosses Senator Coons’ radar too often.

More human beings are being used as slaves right now than ever before, but what few people realize is just how pervasive an issue it is here in the United States.

The numbers of Americans who become victims of trafficking is staggering. Among the thousands of cases opened by the U.S. Department of Justice between 2008 and 2010, 83 percent of trafficking cases here in the United States were U.S. citizens. Additionally, according to the U.S. Department of State between 14,500 and 17,500 human beings are trafficked into the United States annually.

That’s why Senator Coons teamed up with Senators Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) and Rob Portman (R-Ohio) to launch the bipartisan Senate Caucus to End Human Trafficking on Wednesday. The Caucus will provide a forum for senators to come together to combat human trafficking by promoting awareness, removing demand, supporting prosecution efforts, and providing appropriate service systems for survivors. The caucus was announced at a press conference on Capitol Hill with two survivors of childhood commercial sexual exploitation and actress Jada Pinkett Smith, the founder of Don’t Sell Bodies.

“Slavery is an abomination and must be eradicated from this earth,” Senator Coons said. “The United States has been a global leader in the fight against slavery and human trafficking, and the fight continues today in Congress. The Bipartisan Caucus to End Human Tracking will help educate members of the Senate and provide a forum to build support for legislation to strengthen existing laws against sexual exploitation and trafficking. I’m proud to be a part of it.”

A key function of the caucus will be to educate staff members on substantive issues and raise awareness by hosting hearing-like events with experts from service groups, government agencies of jurisdiction, and child welfare entities. The caucus will initially focus on incidents of domestic commercial sexual exploitation of children and expand to include trafficking of both children and adults, domestically and abroad.

“I stand before you today free from slavery,” said trafficking survivor Withelma “T” Ortiz at Wednesday’s press conference. “We are here not to celebrate my success, but to fight for those who are currently being beaten, tortured and held captive. It’s important that we work across various sectors of the federal government to put an end to human trafficking.”

Human trafficking is defined by the U.S. State Department as the recruitment, transportation, harboring, or receiving of a person through threat, coercion, abduction, or deception and subjecting that person to involuntary servitude, such as forced sexual exploitation or debt bondage. According to reports from the U.S. State Department, human trafficking occurs in every state in the nation. Additionally, according to the National Center for Missing and Exploited children, 100 to 200 thousand of the sex workers across the United States are trafficked children.

Senator Coons has been an outspoken advocate to combat human trafficking. He is a cosponsor of the Trafficking Victims Protection Reauthorization Act, which provides tools to combat trafficking in persons both worldwide and domestically. The legislation was first passed in 2000 and was reauthorized in 2003 and 2008, but expired in 2011. The bill was approved by the Senate Judiciary Committee in October would exted its provisions until 2015 and currently waits a vote by the full Senate.

Senator Coons celebrates Diwali with Senate resolution

Senator Chris Coons joined two of his colleagues this week in introducing a bipartisan resolution to honor and celebrate the Indian festival of Diwali.

“In an uncertain time for our country and our world, the festival of Diwali is a welcome reminder of the power each of us has to bring light to our community,” Chris said. “As we reflect on the last year and look forward to another, Diwali is an opportunity for all of us — not only our Indian and South Asian neighbors — to come together to celebrate the power of good over evil, and warm in the triumph of light over the darkness. When a gunman opened fire on innocent Americans at a Sikh gurdwara in Wisconsin in August, so many around our nation, including here in Delaware, came together to show that their bond of faith and community is stronger than a single hideous act. Diwali reminds us that our light can always overcome the darkness, and I’m pleased to be able to join my Senate colleagues in proclaiming so in this resolution.”

U.S. Senators Mark Warner (D-Va.) and John Cornyn (R-TX), both co-chairs of the U.S. Senate’s bipartisan Indian Caucus, were the lead sponsors of the resolution.

The resolution is available here.

Senate unanimously passes resolution standing by Israel

Senator Coons expressed his strong support for legislation passed unanimously by the Senate Thursday night reiterating that the United States stands with Israel as it faces an onslaught of rocket fire from Gaza.The resolution also recognizes Israel’s right to self-defense in the face of terror.

“With rockets raining down on innocent Israelis, the Senate tonight stood united in condemning these acts of terror and insisting that Israel has the right to defend its citizens from acts of terrorism,” Chris said. “The United States remains unwavering in its ironclad commitment to Israel’s security, and reaffirms that Hamas and other Gaza-based terrorist organizations must end the barrage of rocket and missile attacks.”

Approximately 900 missiles have entered Israel from Gaza since the beginning of the year.

Chris was an early co-sponsor of the bipartisan legislation, which was introduced by Senators Kirsten Gillibrand (D-New York) and Mark Kirk (R-Ill.). It follows President Obama’s recent phone conversation with Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu, where he reiterated the United States’ strong support for Israel’s right to self-defense.  

Chris is a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.

Read the full text of the FAST Voting Act

Senator Coons introduced the Fair, Accurate, Secure, and Timely Voting Act of 2012 in the Senate on Thursday to try to speed up much-needed reforms to our nation’s elections. You can read the full text of the legislation below.

Senator Warner joins Senator Coons on FAST Voting Act

Senator Mark Warner of Virginia has signed on as a cosponsor of Senator Coons’ Fair, Accurate, Secure and Timely (FAST) Voting Act of 2012. Senator Warner went to the Senate floor Thursday afternoon to talk about the bill and why it’s important to our democracy. Watch below:

Senator Coons introduces legislation to help states improve their elections

Senator Chris Coons introduced legislation Thursday to make substantial improvements in the states’ administration of their elections to make voting faster and more accessible to all voters. The Louis L. Redding Fair, Accurate, Secure and Timely (FAST) Voting Act of 2012 would create a competitive grant program in the model of Race to the Top, encouraging states to aggressively pursue election reform. The states that demonstrate the most comprehensive and promising reform plans will earn a greater portion of the grant funding.

“Too many voters waited far too long to cast their ballots in this last election,” Chris said. “Long lines are a form of voter disenfranchisement, a polling place running out of ballots is a form of voter suppression, and making it harder for citizens to vote is a violation of voters’ civil rights. This is the United States of America and the right to vote is in our DNA: we have to get this right. The FAST Voting Act is a creative way to jumpstart states’ election reform efforts and ensure that what happened last week doesn’t happen again.”

The bill was introduced just over a week after an Election Day that saw extraordinarily long lines and a myriad of voting issues in more than a dozen states, including Florida, Pennsylvania, Colorado, Ohio, New York, Massachusetts, Wisconsin, Virginia, South Carolina, Montana, Tennessee, Hawaii, Arizona, Rhode Island and more.

This bill authorizes a federal program that would award grants based on how well applicant states are able to improve access to the polls in at least nine specified ways, including:

• Providing flexible registration opportunities, including same-day registration;
• Providing early voting, at a minimum of 9 of the 10 calendar days preceding an election;
• Providing absentee voting, including no-excuse absentee voting;
• Providing assistance to voters who do not speak English as a primary language;
• Providing assistance to voters with disabilities, including visual impairment;
• Providing effective access to voting for members of the armed services;
• Providing formal training of election officials, including State and county administrators and volunteers;
• Auditing and reducing waiting times at polling stations; and
• Creating contingency plans for voting in the event of a natural or other disaster.

The program also requires an assessment of steps the state has taken to eliminate statutory, regulatory, procedural and other barriers to expedited voting and accessible voter registration.

“Improving the mechanics of our elections is one thing, but we can’t afford for the laws and regulations that govern the administration of our elections to contribute to the widespread disenfranchisement and suppression of voters,” Chris said. “That’s why the FAST Voting Act would consider the legal climate fostered by a state when it applies for a grant in this program. States would need to show they are working to expand access, not limit it.”

The bill is named for Louis L. Redding, a prominent civil rights advocate who became the first African American to be admitted to theDelaware bar in 1929. He challenged school segregation in court and was part of the legal team that challenged Brown v. Board of Education before the U.S. Supreme Court.

Senator Coons applauds Senate progress on Sportsmen’s Act

Senator Coons applauded the Senate’s progress in advancing the Sportsmen’s Act, on Tuesday with a 92-5 vote to invoke cloture. The legislation includes 20 conservation, hunting and fishing bills, including the reauthorization of important domestic and international wildlife and habitat conservation programs, changes to conservation programs such as creating a mechanism to update the Duck Stamp and improvements to access for hunters and fisherman.

“Protecting Delaware’s pristine wildlife and natural resources is all of our responsibility,” Chris said. “The Sportsmen’s Act will help preserve these resources for hunting, fishing, camping, cycling and wildlife viewing – outdoor activities that contribute billions of dollars each year to our local economy. We must continue to protect these natural resources so they can be enjoyed by future generations of Delawareans.”

The North American Wetlands Conservation Reauthorization Act (NAWCA), one of two provisions that Chris co-sponsors, currently funds eight projects in Delaware that have conserved a total of 7,528 acres of wildlife habitat. NAWCA has awarded more than $4 million in funds that stimulated partner contributions of more than $7.5 million. Delaware also benefits from three multi-state NAWCA projects that have conserved 45,500 acres of wildlife habitat on the Chesapeake Bay.

“Ducks Unlimited commends Senator Coons for supporting the Sportsmen’s Act of 2012, which will reauthorize critical conservation programs such as the North American Wetlands Conservation Act and allow for an increase in the Federal Duck Stamp,” said Ducks Unlimited Delaware State Chairman Clif Bakhsh of Middletown.  “NAWCA and the federal Duck Stamp provide the financial resources that allow groups like DU to protect and restore waterfowl habitat across the country. DU is hopeful Senator Coons can help push this bipartisan legislation through the Senate so future generations of sportsmen and women can enjoy our wonderful natural resources.”

The Senate is expected to vote on final passage of the Sportsmen’s Act on Thursday.