Senator Coons talks entrepreneurship in Wilmington

Senator Coons spent Friday morning at the coIN Loft in Wilmington, having breakfast with some of the area’s most dynamic and innovative entrepreneurs. The coIN Loft was started by Steve Roettger and Wes Garnett just over a year ago, and it occupies about 2,200 square feet in downtown Wilmington. Set up as a co-working environment, where tenants pay an affordable fee to use their space and facilities, the coIN Loft gives start up business owners the opportunity to take advantage of meeting space, offices and most importantly, each other’s experience.

These innovative business leaders spoke with Chris about the importance of entrepreneurs to the economy and what can be done to strengthen the entrepreneurial environment in Delaware.

Chris discussed some of the legislative successes that came out of Congress last year and listened to feedback about the importance of continuing to encourage entrepreneurship throughout Delaware and the United States. Everyone at the table shared stories about opportunities they found in the private sector and how they dealt with the challenges that come with taking risks and pursuing one’s passion.

In addition to the founders Wes and Steve, Chris was joined by about 12 other entrepreneurs including Tim McIntosh of Fairbridge Venture  Partners, Lee Mikles of the Archer Group, Stefun Hawkins and Ron Berry  of MyFanCountry, and Zach Phillips of the Spoke Project. The conversation ranged from how to protect intellectual property to the group’s interest in Steve Case’s Startup America initiative.

Chris came away from the breakfast energized by the passion and excitement of Delaware’s young entrepreneurs. He was particularly impressed by stories of how working in an open environment like the coIN Loft helped start ups become more productive and successful. Chris encouraged the participants to continue building the diverse community of entrepreneurs in Delaware and offered a number of specific suggestions on ways he might be able to help.

Click here to read more about Chris’ efforts to support small businesses and create jobs.

New definition a victory for sexual assault survivors

Attorney General Eric Holder this morning announced a strong new definition of rape which will help ensure sexual assaults are more accurately reported.

The new definition includes any gender of victim and perpetrator, not just women being raped by men, in order to make reporting more comprehensive and send a message that perpetrators of sexual violence will be held accountable regardless of the nature of their crime. This marks a victory for survivors of rape and their advocates, and was crafted in close consultation with some of the nation’s leading law enforcement organizations.

“Today’s announcement is a positive step forward,” Senator Coons said. “In addition to protecting the civil rights of sexual assault survivors, no matter their gender or the circumstances of their attack, this new definition will be a powerful tool for our hardworking law enforcement officers in Delaware and around the country.”

The change in definition announced today will address the current problem of national rape statistics being both inaccurate and undercounted. Due to the more inclusive new definition, reported crimes of rape will increase, but it is important to remember this does not indicate more crimes are being committed, only that existing crimes will now be more accurately reported.

The new definition is supported by a variety of law enforcement agencies, including the National Sheriffs Association, National Association of Police Organizations, International Association of Chiefs of Police, Major City Chiefs, Major County Sheriffs, and the Police Executive Research Forum. Chris is a founder and co-chair of the U.S. Senate Law Enforcement Caucus.

The change in definition was due in part to the hard work of the Office of Violence Against Women, which was established in the landmark 1994 Violence Against Women Act, which must be reauthorized this year. Chris is a strong supporter of its reauthorization.

Click here to learn more about Chris’ work on the Violence Against Women Act.

Creating jobs in December

News this morning that our country had added 200,000 jobs in December is another welcome sign that America’s economy is recovering. These new jobs, driven by private sector hiring, pushed the nation’s unemployment rate down to its lowest level in nearly three years. At 8.5 percent, unemployment is still far too high, but signs of a positive trend are emerging, with the economy adding private sector jobs for 22 straight months, as illustrated by the chart below.

Although there is still much more work to be done, the trend lines are pointing in a positive direction, and that’s good for Delaware families and businesses.

Click here to learn more about Chris’ work to help create jobs in Delaware.

Opportunity: Africa

Whether your interest is humanitarian or commercial, the opportunities for Delawareans to engage in Africa have never been as plentiful or productive.

Six of the 10 fastest-growing economies in the world are in Africa, making the continent one of the most appealing emerging markets in the world for U.S. businesses. The continent is enormously complex, however, with significant health, justice, and development challenges to be navigated.

Since being named chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Subcommittee on African Affairs a year ago, I’ve talked with dozens of Delawareans with connections to Africa, many of whom are looking for assistance engaging in African countries or with U.S. organizations working on the ground in the region. Many of the advocates, entrepreneurs, and faith leaders I’ve met are not connected with other Delawareans who share their interest and engagement in the very same issues.

I’m hosting the Opportunity: Africa conference in Wilmington on January 18 to give Delawareans a seat at the table, the ability to make new connections with other advocates, and the chance to talk directly with experts on sustainable development, trade, humanitarian assistance, and global health. More information about the conference is below, and you can click here to RSVP.

I hope to see you there!

Wednesday, January 18, 2012 from 3 to 8 p.m.
University of Delaware – Wilmington Campus

Senator Coons’ inaugural Opportunity: Africa Conference will give Delawareans a seat at the table with some of the nation’s leading voices on sustainable development and trade with Africa. The half-day conference will look at how Delaware’s businesses, faith communities, and individuals can engage in Africa mindful of human rights challenges, sustainable development, food security, and global health.

CONFERENCE AGENDA

3:00 p.m.
Welcome from Senator Coons

3:15 p.m.
Opening Keynote:
Sustainable Economic Development and Trade with Africa
Millennium Challenge Corporation Chief Executive Officer Daniel Yohannes

4:00 p.m.
Workshop A:
Economic Opportunity: Introduction to Doing Business in Africa
World Trade Center Delaware, the Delaware Office of International Trade, U.S. Department of Commerce Foreign Commercial Services Office

Workshop B:
Connecting Communities: Opportunities for Diaspora Leaders
U.S. Department of State Global Partnership Initiative

5:30 p.m.
Break

5:45 p.m.
Keynote:
Africa’s Future – Moving from Aid to Prosperity
U.S. Agency for International Development Director Dr. Raj Shah

6:30 p.m.
Workshop A:
Human Rights Challenges: War and Reconciliation, Trafficking and Child Labor

Workshop B:
Sustainable Development and Food Security: Preventing the Next Famine

Workshop C:
Global Health and a Healthier Future for Africa

8:00 p.m.
Closing Remarks from Senator Coons

Brewing up local jobs

DOVER – Fordham Brewing Company in Dover had a lot on tap this week, including a visit by two U.S. Senators interested in learning what they can do to help the brewery grow and create local jobs.  Senators Coons and Carper were given a first-hand look at the brewing operations by CEO and President Jim Lutz and by Brew Master Walter Trifari.  Chris was intrigued by the complexity of the brewing process and was impressed by the skillset of those working at the brewery.  While there, Chris focused on what he can do to help small businesses like Fordham succeed, even in tough economic times.

“We must continue to focus on creating and maintaining jobs like the ones here at Fordham,” Chris said.  “This nation’s economic recovery is directly tied to the success of small businesses, and we need to continue to do whatever we can to support their growth.”

In 2007, Fordham merged with Old Dominion Brewing Company.  In 2009, the company moved Old Dominion from Virginia to Delaware.  The company is finding success in Kent County and plans to add two or three additional employees this year to its 28-person team—that’s up from 23 in 2010.  Last year, Fordham produced 24,000 barrels, with each barrel yielding two kegs.  Lutz said the company’s proximity to major cities like Philadelphia, Baltimore and Washington draws people from all over. 

Last year, in an effort to help small breweries, including Fordham and five others in Delaware, Chris co-sponsored the Brewer’s Employment and Excise Relief Act which redefines what it means to be a “small” brewery to one that produces up to six million barrels per year (up from two million barrels). It then reduces the federal excise tax on “small” brewers. For the first 60,000 barrels each year the tax is reduced from $7 per barrel to $3.50 per barrel and for barrels 60,001 through 2 million, the tax is reduced from $18 per barrel to $16 per barrel.

“The Brewer’s Employment and Excise Relief Act helps level the playing field for small breweries and makes it easier for them to grow at what is a critical stage in their development,” Chris said. 

This legislation was introduced early in 2011 by Senator John Kerry (D-Mass.). It was cosponsored by Senator Coons and a bipartisan array of 34 additional senators, including — locally — Senator Tom Carper (D-Del.), Senator Barbara Mikulski (D-Md.) and Senator Ben Cardin (D-Md.).

Click here to learn more about Chris’ work for Delaware businesses.

ILC Dover supporting national security

DOVER – Senator Coons on Tuesday helped celebrate the production of ILC Dover’s 100th Persistent Threat Detection System (PTDS).  Chris and Senator Carper got a first-hand look at how the lighter-than-air vehicles, called aerostats, are manufactured at the company’s Dover facility, which opened in the spring of 2010.

While in Afghanistan last February, Chris saw one of ILC Dover’s PTDS vehicles in action.  PTDS is a highly effective, combat-proven, aerostat-based intelligence system used for surveillance, reconnaissance and communications in support of force-protection and counter-IED (improvised explosive devices) missions.  Used by the U.S. Army since 2004, the systems provide around-the-clock coverage of broad geographic areas for weeks at a time with multi-mission sensors.  The height at which they fly and their construction make them difficult targets for ground-based attacks. 

ILC Dover is also designing and manufacturing the Resilient Tunnel Plug (RTP), which inflates to isolate sections of transit or rail tunnels in response to an event such as flooding, release of chemical or biological agents, or other threats. The multi-phase project has closely coordinated with the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority and the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey to develop plugs that meet their operational and technical requirements.

As ILC Dover employees and management gathered in front of the RTP, Chris took the opportunity to emphasize that the future of manufacturing is directly tied to quality STEM education.  He emphasized that the manufacturing industry plays a key role in the economic recovery of our nation.

As Chris told WHYY, “We’re doing everything we can to make sure that products like these that are invented in Delaware are manufactured in Delaware, and that our schools and our community continue to support high-quality, high-tech manufacturing businesses.”

Click here to learn more about Chris’ work for Delaware businesses.

What We’re Reading: Washington Post endorses Senate’s PROTECT IP Act

On Monday, The Washington Post published an editorial endorsing the Senate’s PROTECT IP Act, which targets foreign websites that steal American jobs by trafficking in pirated and counterfeit intellectual property. Senator Coons is an original cosponsor of the PROTECT IP Act.

Billions of dollars are lost each year to online piracy, which stifles the ability of writers, songwriters and others in the creative arts to earn the royalties they are due and drains profits from legitimate manufacturers. Consumers often find themselves saddled with shoddy products and no prospect of obtaining a refund.

A broad consortium of copyright and trademark holders — corporate behemoths and small enterprises alike — is pushing for legislation to help combat rogue Web sites. Many of them, based off shore and out of reach of U.S. law enforcement, leech off of the rightful owners’ goods and talents. This group is getting considerable pushback from the likes of Google and open-Internet advocates. The opponents fear that tinkering with the infrastructure of the Internet to crack down on scofflaws could do irreparable damage to the Internet’s freedom and independence.

…

The Senate’s Protect IP (Intellectual Property) Act is designed to target foreign Web sites that are “dedicated to” and have “no significant use” beyond copyright or trademark infringement. Defendant Web sites would have the right to contest the allegation and would be subject to further action only if a federal judge determines that the site meets the definition above. A Web site that sold a product that turned out to be counterfeit or unwittingly linked to or posted an item to which it did not have the rights would be shielded from legal action. Only the Justice Department would have the authority to seek a court order demanding that an Internet service provider block the site from U.S. consumers. Both Justice and private rights holders would be permitted to ask a judge to compel Internet advertising agencies and financial services firms to discontinue processing payments or providing services to the rogue site.

Even though Protect IP offers a more restrained approach, many open-Internet advocates worry that it still presents dangers to Internet openness and security. As lawmakers in the House and Senate work through their differences, they should continue their dialogue with stakeholders to ensure the creation of a narrowly tailored bill that preserves Internet freedom and protects legitimate businesses from being ripped off.

Click here to read the full editorial in The Washington Post.

Click here to read a previous blog post on the importance of the Protect IP Act.

The Senator’s week ahead schedule: January 2 to January 8

Tuesday, January 3 at 11:00 a.m. – The Senator will attend a briefing at ILC-Dover’s North Site at the Kent County Aeropark.  This will be Senator Coons’ first visit to the North Site, which opened in April of 2010 and is currently is celebrating the production of its 100th Persistent Threat Detection System and the recent completion of the design, fabrication and pressure-testing of the Resilient Tunnel Plug. ILC-Dover is the world’s largest producer of modern aerostat and airship envelopes and has been involved in the developing and manufacturing of the softgoods structures for airships, blimps, and other lighter-than-air vehicles since the early 1970’s. Senator Carper will also attend the briefing. ILC-Dover’s North Site, 60 Starlifter Avenue, Dover, DE 19901 – Open to Press.

Tuesday, January 3 at 2:00 p.m. – The Senator will tour the Fordham Brewing Company in Dover.  In 2007, Fordham Brewing Company moved from Maryland to Dover, Delaware to open a larger state-of-the-art brewery. Senator Carper will also tour the brewery. Fordham Brewing Company, 1284 McD Drive, Dover, DE 19901 – Open to Press.

Thursday, January 5 at 2:00 p.m. – The Senator will speak at the U.S. Cyber Foundations Fall Competition Award Winners Banquet. Gavy Aggarwal, a Charter School of Wilmington student, will be honored for ranking first among more than 2,000 participants from across the nation. Cyber Foundations is a nationwide online competition focusing on the most important foundational fields of cyber security: networking, operating systems, and system administration.  Cyber Foundations is a feeder program into other U.S. Cyber Challenge events, including the collegiate level camps, which were hosted in Delaware in 2010 and 2011.  Cab Calloway School of the Arts, 100 N. DuPont Road, Wilmington, DE 19807 – Open to Press.

Friday, January 6 at 8:00 a.m. – The Senator will visit the coIN Loft to meet with the growing community of start-up and seasoned entrepreneurs who have co-working space in the LOMA area of Wilmington. Senator Coons and the coIN Loft members will talk about ways to encourage startups and to grow entrepreneurship, as well as how places like the coIN Loft create synergy between businesses and young entrepreneurs in Delaware. Wilmington, DE – Closed to press.

Sunday, January 8 at 2:00 p.m. – The Senator will attend a change-of-command and retirement ceremony at the Delaware Air National Guard.  Brigadier General J. Wayne Merritt will retire after more than 42 years of service, relinquishing command to Brigadier General Carol A. Timmons. Delaware Air National Guard Main Hangar, 2600 Spruance Drive,New Castle, DE – Open to press.

Note: Schedule is subject to change.

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Advancing women’s participation to ensure peace and stability

Helping to create an environment where women not only have a seat at the table, but also play an equal role in maintaining peace and stability in their countries is critical to our national and global security. That’s the idea behind the first-ever U.S. National Action Plan on Women, Peace, and Security, which President Obama issued this week.

Senator Coons, chair of the Senate Foreign Relations Subcommittee on African Affairs and an ardent supporter of gender equality, praised the Obama Administration for launching the plan and advancing women’s participation in preventing conflict and keeping the peace. The Plan, which was signed by President Obama as an Executive Order, represents a fundamental change in how the U.S. will approach its diplomatic, military, and development-based support to women in areas of conflict, by ensuring that their perspectives and considerations of gender are woven into the fabric of how the United States approaches peace processes, conflict prevention, the protection of civilians, and humanitarian assistance.

The Plan contains commitments from the Departments of State, Defense, Justice, Treasury, and Homeland Security, the U.S. Mission to the United Nations, the U.S. Agency for International Development, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and the Office of the United States Trade Representative targeted at meeting explicit national objectives.

Click here to learn more about the White House’s U.S. National Action Plan on Women, Peace, and Security.

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

Click here to learn more about Chris’ work on social justice. 

Video: Chris talks with Olbermann about GOP obstruction of middle-class tax cut

Senator Coons appeared on Current TV’s Countdown with Keith Olbermann on Monday night to discuss the House Republicans’ sudden refusal to accept the deal negotiated by Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell on a continuation of the middle-class tax cut.