Senator Coons on President Obama’s support for marriage equality

This afternoon, President Obama made a historic statement. In an interview with ABC News, he said “I’ve just concluded that for me personally it is important for me to go ahead and affirm that I think same sex couples should be able to get married.”

Senator Coons believes this is an important moment on the journey to equality. Chris is a member of the Senate Judiciary, a cosponsor of the Respect for Marriage Act and a strong advocate for civil rights. Today, he noted that this is “the first time a sitting president has endorsed the idea that every American, regardless of their sexual orientation or gender identity, should be able to marry the person they love. Period.”

Chris recognized that for some Americans, the question of marriage equality is difficult to answer, saying “I respect that everyone comes to a position in their own way and in their own time.”

He complimented the President on his leadership on LGBT equality, which did not begin today. Previously President Obama ordered the federal government to extend key benefits to same-sex partners of federal employees, banned discrimination based on gender identity in federal workplaces, signed the Matthew Shepard and James Byrd Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act, clarified the Family and Medical Leave Act to ensure family leave for LGBT employees, endorsed the Respect for Marriage Act and declared the government would no longer defend the Defense of Marriage Act and repealed Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell so gay and lesbian members of the military can serve their country openly and proudly.

As Chris said this afternoon, “President Obama is doing the right thing. By coming out for marriage equality today, he is sending a clear message: LGBT rights are human rights, and the right to marry the person you love is intrinsic to what it means to be an American. President Obama may be taking a huge political risk, but some risks are worth taking. That’s what leaders do.”

Celebrating National Teacher Day

All of us can remember teachers who made a difference in our lives. Great teachers can encourage students to reach for their dreams and succeed in school. As we recognize National Teacher Day on May 8, we pause to thank the dedicated teachers in Delaware and across the nation who work tirelessly to educate their students.

Delaware is full of teachers who are working to ensure that the next generation of Delawareans have the resources they need to succeed. Senator Coons has made it a priority to visit a number of schools in Delaware. In particular, Chris had the pleasure of visiting Delaware Teacher of the Year Amber Augustus’ middle school class at John Bassett Moore (JBM) Intermediate School in Smyrna. Amber is a fifth grade math, science, and social studies teacher who is in her seventh year at JBM. During the visit, Chris toured the school and met with students, teacher, and administrators to discuss best practices.  

Chris has been an outspoken advocate for education reform. In March, he introduced legislation to help increase the number of low-income students able to access and complete a college education. The American Dream Accounts Act of 2012 encourages partnerships among schools, colleges, non-profits and businesses to develop secure, Web-based student accounts that contain information about academic preparedness, financial literacy and high-impact mentoring and would be tied to a college savings account.

Click here to learn more about National Teacher Day

Click here to learn more about Chris’ work to improve education in Delaware.

The Senator’s week ahead schedule: May 7 to May 13

Monday, May 7 at 4:00 p.m. — The Senator will preside over the Senate until 5:40 p.m.  Senate Chamber, U.S. Capitol, Washington, D.C. – Open to press who wish to sit in the Senate Gallery.

Tuesday, May 8 at 9:00 a.m. — The Senator will speak at the AIPAC New Leadership Network breakfast. Senator Coons will speak about the importance of economic, partnership to the U.S.-Israel relationship. Washington, D.C. – Closed to press.

Tuesday, May 8 at 10:00 a.m. — The Senator will preside over the Senate until 11:30 a.m.  Senate Chamber, U.S. Capitol, Washington, D.C. – Open to press who wish to sit in the Senate Gallery.

Tuesday, May 8 at 2:00 p.m. — The Senator will host a roundtable discussion with ambassadors from African nations on increasing U.S. trade with Africa. The discussion will focus on the African Growth and Opportunity Act and the Increasing American Jobs Through Greater Exports to Africa Act, looking for ways to strengthen economic ties between the U.S. and African countries. 385 Russell Senate Office Building, Washington, D.C. – Closed to press.

Wednesday, May 9 at 1:00 p.m. – The Senator will meet with the students of the Wilmington Friends School.  Senator Coons, Senator Carper and Congressman Carney will speak with the students of the Wilmington Friends School during their field trip to Washington, D.C. After meeting with the Delaware Delegation, the students will be treated to a tour of the U.S. Capitol. U.S. Capitol Building, Washington, D.C. – Open to press.

Thursday, May 10 at 9:30 a.m. – The Senator will speak at an event on global Internet freedom. The event is hosted by the Center for a New American Security and is entitled: “Global Internet Freedom: A Foreign Policy Imperative in a Digital Age.” As co-chair of the Senate Global Internet Freedom Caucus, Senator Coons will open the event with Congressman Chris Smith and take questions.  Formal remarks by the co-chairs will be followed by a panel discussion featuring Michael Posner, Assistant Secretary of State for Democracy, Human Rights and Labor; Daniel Calingaert, Deputy Director of Programs at Freedom House; Pablo Chavez, Director of Public Policy at Google; Rebecca MacKinnon of the New America Foundation; and Richard Fontaine, Senior Advisor at CNAS.  U.S. Capitol Building, 209/208 Senate Visitors Center, Washington, D.C. – Open to press.

Thursday, May 10 at 10:00 a.m. – The Senator will attend a Senate Judiciary Committee business meeting. 226 Dirksen Senate Office Building, Washington, D.C. – Open to press. Contact: Judiciary Committee’s Erica Chabot at 202-224-7703.

Thursday, May 10 at 12:30 p.m. – The Senator will deliver keynote remarks at PwC’s Annual Global R&D Symposium. The Symposium, which is entitled, “Fostering Innovation in the United States and around the World” will focus on emerging issues in innovation tax policy.  Renaissance Hotel, 1143 New Hampshire Ave NW, Washington, D.C. – Open to press.

Friday, May 11 at 9:30 a.m. — The Senator will preside over the Senate until 12:00 p.m.  Senate Chamber, U.S. Capitol, Washington, D.C. – Open to press who wish to sit in the Senate Gallery.

Note: Schedule is subject to change.

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Video: Senator Coons talks job numbers, China on MSNBC

Senator Chris Coons appeared on MSNBC’s “Daily Rundown with Chuck Todd” on Friday, May 4 to discuss the March jobs report and Chen Guangcheng.

Senator Coons teams up with students for Food Bank of Delaware

WILMINGTON — Senator Coons joined 25 students at Bancroft Elementary School on Friday as they learned about the importance of giving back through community service at a food-packing project to mark a $125,000 donation from the JPMorgan Chase Foundation to the Food Bank of Delaware.

The Foundation’s grant will allow the Food Bank of Delaware, in partnership with Children and Families First, and the Christina School District, to support three new food pantries at the Eastside Community School, serving Bancroft, Elbert-Palmer and Stubbs Elementary Schools. The funding will also provide hundreds of students with weekend food through the Food Bank’s Backpack Program. Chris feels strongly that partnerships like this truly have an impact and make a tremendous difference in the lives of our children and the community as a whole.

“Students can’t have a hunger for knowledge if they’re worrying about the hunger that comes from not having nutritious food on their plates,” Chris said. “Giving families access to the basic necessities that many of us take for granted, like food and hygiene products, will make a significant difference in their lives. JPMorgan Chase Foundation’s generous donation will give many local students the energy and nutrition they need to find success in school and to have positive interactions with friends and family.”

School officials will discretely identify 25 to 30 families who can select food from the pantry based on their household’s needs each week. In addition, the funding will also allow the Food Bank to provide 353 children with backpacks full of weekend food for an entire school year. The Backpack Program provides food to at-need children times when school is not in session and federal school meal programs are not available.

To learn more about both the School Pantry and Backpack programs, please contact the Food Bank of Delaware at 302-294-0185 or go to www.fbd.org.

Sen. Coons, DSU co-host Kent County Science Fair

DOVER – Senator Chris Coons and Delaware State University co-hosted the first-ever Kent County Science Fair in Dover on May 2, drawing 66 middle school and high school students who displayed creative and innovative science projects. The science fair was organized to encourage students to pursue an education rooted in science, technology, engineering and math.

Bloom Energy breaks ground in Newark

NEWARK — Senator Coons was on hand to commemorate the ground-breaking of Bloom Energy’s new manufacturing facility on the grounds of the old Chrysler plant in Newark Monday morning — an important moment for the Delaware’s economic future.

“When we think about the threads that will keep America competitive in the global economy for the next generation, we think of innovation, entrepreneurship, clean energy and manufacturing – and all of those are coming together today here in Delaware,” Senator Coons said. “In building its East Coast facility here in Newark, Bloom isn’t just investing in its own cutting-edge technology – Bloom is investing in Delaware’s communities, our families, and our future. This is a wonderful day for Delaware, and is a day made possible because of what Delaware brings to the table: a talented workforce, a welcoming business climate, and the tremendous leadership of folks like Governor Markell, Secretary O’Mara and DEDO Director Levin. I am proud to welcome Bloom Energy to Delaware today, and look forward to a long, fruitful relationship.”

Congressional delegation job fair in Rehoboth Beach

A job fair hosted by U.S. Senators Tom Carper and Chris Coons, and U.S. Representative John Carney connected 700 job seekers with more than 55 employers at the Rehoboth Beach Convention Center in Rehoboth Beach on April 30.  This was the fifth job fair hosted by the Congressional delegation in the past year, including one in Dover last week that drew 600 job seekers. 

Celebrating World IP Day

As we celebrate the 12th annual World Intellectual Property (IP) Day, we find ourselves reflecting on the progress that has been made in the past year in protecting American IP, as well as the barriers we still face in preventing theft of our ideas and innovation.

Senator Coons has been hard at work on the complex issue of protecting American intellectual property from theft by foreign criminals. As a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, Chris has supported various pieces of legislation addressing issues such as prevention of IP theft over the internet (Protect IP Act), theft by foreign entities (Economic Espionage Penalty Enhancement Act ) and the trafficking in counterfeit pharmaceuticals (Counterfeit Drug Penalty Enhancement Act).

Copyright infringement and the sale of counterfeit goods cost the U.S. economy billions of dollars and hundreds of thousands of jobs, in addition the billions of dollars in lost tax revenue for federal, state and local governments and the threat to the safety and wellbeing of consumers.

Every year on April 26, World Intellectual Property Day celebrates how IP fosters and encourages innovation and creativity. To increase understanding of what IP really means, the World Intellectual Property Organization chose April 26 – the day on which the WIPO Convention came into force in 1970 – as World IP Day. Since then, IP Day has provided an opportunity to highlight, discuss and demonstrate how the IP system contributes to music and the arts and to driving the technological innovation that helps shape our world. World IP Day 2012 focuses on Visionary Innovators – individuals whose ingenuity and artistry have broken molds, opened new horizons and made a lasting impact.

Click here to learn more about Chris’ work on the Judiciary Committee.

What We’re Reading: Building Delaware’s ecotourism industry

The News Journal reported Wednesday on a new study by the nonprofit Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership, which found that outdoor activities like hunting, fishing, camping, cycling and wildlife viewing contribute nearly $4 billion annually to the economy on the Delmarva Peninsula. While Delaware’s conservation areas are a draw for many tourists in the area, limited public access and infrastructure has kept the ecotourism industry from expanding to its full potential.

Here in Delaware, O’Mara said state and local officials need to do more to market what he describes as a “conservation economy.”

The state can help with things such as protecting more land, and providing access through boat ramps and bird-viewing platforms.

But entrepreneurs need to step up and provide guide services, food, lodging and equipment, he said. Even commercial fishermen could tap into the market by providing tours in their off-season.

Senator Chris Coons knows that ecotourism and environmental conservation go hand-in-hand. He has worked in collaboration with other members of the Delaware Congressional delegation and state government to oversee construction of a recreational trail for joggers, walkers, cyclists, and equestrians along the banks of the Chesapeake and Delaware (C&D) Canal. Once completed, this trail will allow easier access for Delawareans to enjoy the local environment.

Click here to read the full article on The News Journal’s website.

Click here to learn more about Chris’ work on protecting the environment.