Meeting with the Delaware Farm Bureau

Senator Chris Coons met with members of the Delaware Farm Bureau on Tuesday to discuss the past, present, and future of Delaware’s agricultural sector. Senator Tom Carper and Representative John Carney were also in attendance.

During the meeting, Chris highlighted some of his current work to advance Delaware’s agriculture, including his support for reauthorization of the farm bill. Chris is very supportive of conservation programs in the farm bill, including the Environmental Quality Incentives Program, and is working to protect funding for them. He is also a cosponsor of Senator Debbie Stabenow’s Grow it Here, Make it Here Biobased Manufacturing Act, which would help expand the advanced biofuels and bio-based manufacturing industries, using agricultural goods to make value-added products and create jobs.

Additionally, Chris discussed his recent visit to Cuba and Colombia in February with several other members of Congress where he promoted Delaware products, including poultry, soybeans, and soft red winter wheat.

The Farm Bureau meeting occurred on the same day as an announcement by the White House to sharpen efforts to protect the U.S. poultry industry and ensure fair trade policies with India. Chris was a leader in the Senate on this issue, leading a bipartisan group of 19 senators on a letter to United States Trade Representative Ron Kirk urging him to resolve India’s longstanding, non-scientifically based restrictions on American poultry.

Click here to learn more about Chris’ work for supporting and expanding Delaware agriculture.

What We’re Reading: Goal to improve access to safe drinking water reached

The Associated Press reported Tuesday on the achievement of a U.N. goal of cutting in half the proportion of people without access to safe drinking water five years ahead of the 2015 target.

A report issued by the U.N. children’s agency and the World Health Organization said over 2 billion people gained access to safe drinking water between 1990 and 2010.

That means 89 percent of the world’s population, or 6.1 billion people, had access to safe water sources at the end of 2010 — one percent more than the goal of 88 percent set by world leaders at the U.N. Millennium Summit in 2000, the report said.

But UNICEF and WHO said victory can’t be declared because 783 million people — 11 percent of the global population — still have no ready access to safe drinking water

Senator Chris Coons, chair of the Senate Foreign Relations Subcommittee on African Affairs, praised the milestone but remains vigilant about expanding access to safe drinking water in Africa, which has some of the lowest levels of access anywhere in the world.

Only 61 percent of people in sub-Saharan Africa have access to safe drinking water sources compared with 90 percent or more in Latin America and the Caribbean, northern Africa, and large parts of Asia, the report said.

Click here to read the full article on The Washington Post’s website.

Click here to learn more about Chris’ work on foreign policy.

Affordable Care Act protects 320,000 Delawareans from lifetime limits on care

Thanks to the Affordable Care Act, approximately 320,000 Delawareans will no longer face lifetime limits on their private health insurance, according to new data release by the White House on Monday. Nationally, 105 million Americans are protected.

This lifetime limit ban is just one of many new consumer protections created by the law that was passed by Congress on June 25, 2010. Annual dollar limits on coverage are being phased out, and 54 million Americans received new coverage of prevention without cost sharing in 2011.

Senator Coons is a firm believer that all Americans deserve accessible, affordable health care.

Click here to learn more about Senator Coons’ work on health care.

Click here to learn more about the state-by-state breakdown of the lifetime limits ban.  

Go behind-the-scenes with us on Instagram

They say a picture is worth a thousand words, which is why our office has put a lot of effort into telling the story of Senator Coons’ work for Delaware through photos. From the photo albums here on our website to our more robust account on Flickr, we’ve shared hundreds and hundreds of photos during his first year in office.

You can now find us on Instagram, too, at the username senatorchriscoons.

Instragram has emerged as one of the web’s most popular photo-sharing services, despite its only being available to iPhone users. It’s a social network, where you can follow the people from whom you want to see photos and ignore those from whom you don’t. Instagram’s camera software includes several built-in filters to give your photos added style. 

We’ll continue to post the majority of our photos from events, speeches, meetings and visits to our Flickr account, but to Instagram, we’ll try to post images you’re less likely to see elsewhere — shots from behind-the-scenes, shots of situations not usually open to the public, and shots from unlikely perspectives. 

Not on Instagram? Not to worry. When a new photo is posted to our Instagram account, we’ll automatically post a public link to our Twitter account. You can also see a gallery of all our Instagram photos here on Instagrid.

Senator Coons says marriage equality should be part of Democratic platform

Senator Coons last week voiced his support for the growing effort to make marriage equality a part of the official Democratic Party platform at this summer’s convention, telling the Washington Blade:

Of course marriage equality should be a part of the Democratic Party platform. It should be a part of the Republican Party platform, too. Whom you love should have no bearing on your access to the equal rights due every American citizen. It is time the law recognizes what the majority of Americans already recognize is a human right: marrying the person you love. Democrats have led the way in significant marriage equality victories in the states these last few years, so for the Democratic Party to not include marriage equality in our platform now would be to miss an important opportunity to reinforce and strengthen our continued national leadership on the issue.

Senator Coons is a cosponsor of the Respect for Marriage Act and an outspoken supporter of marriage equality.

The Senator’s week ahead schedule: March 5 to March 11

Monday, March 5 at 9:00 a.m. – The Senator will speak at the Delaware Sustainable Chemistry Alliance Summit. The second annual summit will showcase sustainable chemistry research, development and commercialization efforts at Delaware universities and companies. The emerging technology platforms identified at the 2011 workshop will be highlighted, including water purification and re-use, and products and processes employing renewable raw materials. 15 Innovation Way, Newark, DE – Open to press.

Monday, March 5 at 12:00 p.m. — The Senator will attend the Sussex County Science Fair. For the past two decades, the Sussex County Science Fair has provided an important venue for students to share how science, math and engineering can be exciting as well as fun, while also opening their eyes to career possibilities in these fields. Biden Center, Cape Henlopen State Park, DE – Open to press.

Monday, March 5 at 4:00 p.m. — The Senator will preside over the Senate until 6:00 p.m. Washington, D.C. – Open to press who wish to sit in the Senate Gallery.

Monday, March 5 at 7:00 p.m. — The Senator will attend the 2012 New Castle County Chamber of Commerce Annual Dinner.  The focus of this year’s dinner will be “a positive outlook for economic recovery.” During the dinner, there will be presentations for the Dr. Wallace M. Johnson Community Service Award, the Board Member of the Year Award, the Free Enterprise Award, and the William V. Roth, Jr., Citizenship Award. Doubletree Hotel, 700 King Street, Wilmington, DE – Open to press.

Tuesday, March 6 at 2:00 p.m. — The Senator will meet with members of the Delaware Farm Bureau visiting Washington. U.S. Capitol, Washington, D.C. — Closed to press.

Tuesday, March 6 at 4:45 p.m. — The Senator will appear live on WDEL with Allan Loudell. Press can listen live at 1150 AM or wdel.com.

Tuesday, March 6 at 5:00 p.m. – The Senator will speak at a reception held by the American Small Manufacturers Coalition. The American Small Manufacturers Coalition is a trade association of manufacturing extension agents who work to improve the innovation and productivity of America’s manufacturing community. Senator Coons is a member of the Senate Manufacturing Caucus and a strong believer that expanding America’s manufacturing sector will improve our economy and create high-quality middle-class jobs. HC-5, U.S. Capitol, Washington, D.C — Closed to press.

Wednesday, March 7 at 4:45 p.m. — The Senator will meet with two Delaware students participating in the U.S. Senate Youth Program. Established in 1962 by a U.S. Senate Resolution, the Senate Youth Program is a unique educational experience for outstanding high school students interested in pursuing careers in public service. The program provides student leaders from each state an opportunity to spend a week in Washington learning about the three branches of the federal government. 325 Russell Senate Office Building, Kennedy Caucus Room, Washington, D.C. – Open to press.

Thursday, March 8 at 8:30 a.m. – The Senator will speak at a Science Coalition breakfast in Washington. Attending as an honored guest of the University of Delaware, Senator Coons will talk with a group of university representatives about the importance of science and energy research and funding. The Monocle Restaurant, Washington, D.C. – Closed to press.  

Thursday, March 8 at 10:00 a.m. – The Senator will attend a Senate Judiciary Committee business meeting. The Committee will mark-up the SAFE DOSES Act during the meeting. Senator Coons is a cosponsor of the legislation, which will help stem the increasing rise in prescription drug theft. 226 Dirksen Senate Office Building, Washington, D.C. – Open to press.

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

Friday, March 9 at 12:30 p.m. – The Senator will speak at the Brookings Institute. The Senator’s remarks will explore the role of innovation and ingenuity in the future of American foreign policy and national security. Brookings Institute, 1775 Massachusetts Avenue, NW, Washington, D.C. – Closed to press.

Saturday, March 10 at 12:00 p.m. — The Senator will walk in the Wilmington St. Patrick’s Day Parade. The Coons family’s dog, Riley, will accompany the Senator.

Note: Schedule is subject to change 

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Resolution calls for free elections in Iran

Senator Coons this week cosponsored a bipartisan resolution condeming human rights violations and calling for free and fair elections in Iran. You can read the resolution below:

Combating violations of the Do Not Call Registry

Over the last six weeks, our office has heard from a number of constituents who are signed up for the national Do Not Call Registry, yet are still receiving solicitation calls at home. Many of the calls seem to come from one entity, “Cardholder Services,” which continues to contact Delawareans even if they are in the Do Not Call Registry.

We are taking action to address this problem as quickly as possible.

In the past, the Federal Trade Commission took action against a telemarketing scam where a solicitor identifies themselves as “Rachel from Cardholder Services.” It seems as if those behind the current calls have picked up the audio and dialing technology from that scam.

The FTC is working to shut down as many of these copycats as they can, but they have advised us that the best defense is a good offense. So, we want to spread the word among Delawareans: never share your credit card number, Social Security number, or any other personal information with unsolicited, unknown callers. Getting phone calls at home is annoying, but the consequences of identity fraud can be devastating.

Many of these “Cardholder Services” calls claim to be able to negotiate lower interest rates with your credit card companies, if you just pay them a fee first.  Don’t fall for it! It is illegal to take fees upfront before providing services, and the FTC says that the companies behind these calls can’t do anything for you that you can’t do for yourself – for free.

If you have received calls like these despite being on the Do Not Call Registry, you can file a complaint at www.donotcall.gov or by calling 1-888-382-1222. You should also feel free to contact Senator Coons’ Wilmington office at (302) 573-6345.

Commemorating Women’s History Month by recommitting to equality

Throughout the course of our nation’s history, women often had to struggle for equality on all fronts. March is Women’s History Month, and while we remember the heroic efforts of women who came before, we must also be mindful that there remains work to be done.

Thirty-nine years ago, the United States Supreme Court recognized a woman’s right to make her own decisions about starting a family and protecting her body. Some are still fighting, however, to roll back this right.

Instead of focusing on our economic recovery and creating jobs, some members of this Congress have chosen to prioritize legislation that would infringe on women’s access to health care services.

On Thursday, the first day of Women’s History Month, the Senate was forced to vote on an amendment introduced by Republican Senator Roy Blunt of Missouri which would have allowed employers to take away preventive health care coverage from millions of women.

This amendment failed to pass – by a slim margin of 51-48 – and working women’s ability to access vital health services such as mammograms, contraception and prenatal care remains intact.

This month, and every month, we have an opportunity to recognize the wide range of contributions American women have made to our country. As we strive to form a more perfect union, we must remain committed to the cause of equality, indifferent to race, income, sexual orientation, and indeed, sex.

Senator Coons to help introduce Clean Energy Standard Act

Senator Chris Coons, a member of the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources, will join several of his Senate colleagues and leaders in the energy field for a press conference on Thursday to roll out a bill that aims to set strategic, practical clean energy standards on the largest utilities.

The Clean Energy Standards Act of 2012, which comes with no cost to the federal government, has three major objectives:

• To promote a diverse set of sources of low- and zero carbon electricity generation in the U.S.
• To drive clean energy innovation and American ingenuity  
• To do so simply, transparently, predictably, and cost-effectively with a long-term market signal.

Senate Energy Chairman Jeff Bingaman (D-N.M.) is the lead sponsor of the bill. 

The press conference will occur a day after both senators delivered remarks supporting federal investments in the development of innovative clean energy at the third annual Department of Energy ARPA-E Energy Innovation Summit.

Video, audio, and photos of Chris’ remarks will be posted to the website after the press conference.

Click here to learn more about Chris’ work advocating for clean energy.