Contact Senator Coons using our new toll-free number

Today, our office introduced a new toll-free number that Delawareans can use to connect with Senator Coons on issues important to them and situations where they need his help. The new toll-free number is 877-668-3368.

“It’s important to me that Delawareans are able to connect with me and my office easily and conveniently,” Chris said. “Whether it’s to offer an opinion on the policy issues important to them or to get help with a specific personal issue involving a federal agency, I hope that having a toll-free number will invite more Delawareans to reach out.”

The toll-free number will route Delawareans to Chris’ Dover office, where they will speak directly with a member of his staff during normal business hours.

Our office’s additional non-toll-free numbers:

Washington Office: 202-224-5042

Wilmington Office: 302-573-6345

Dover Office: 302-736-5601

Senator Coons to announce formation of bipartisan Law Enforcement Caucus

U.S. Senator Chris Coons (D-Del.) and U.S. Senator Roy Blunt (R-Mo.) will host an event on Wednesday, October 12 in the Capitol Visitors Center to kick off the first ever Senate Law Enforcement Caucus. The bipartisan caucus will work to educate and inform senators and staff about the programs and initiatives that are keeping our communities safe, while advocating for the policies and resources law enforcement agencies need to carry out their mission.

Senator Coons and Senator Blunt will serve as co-chairs of the caucus.

The senators will be joined by Philadelphia Police Commissioner Charles Ramsey, U.S. DOJ’s Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Mary Lou Leary, and National Fraternal Order of Police President Chuck Canterbury, who will share their perspective on how federal, state, and local law enforcement can work more closely to protect the public.

The event is Tuesday at 3 pm in Room SVC-201 of the Capitol Visitors Center.

Latest batch of Correspondence from the Commute!

Senator Coons has recorded eight more videos replying to constituents’ letters as part of his Correspondence from the Commute series!

Started back in February, this is the fifth installment of our video series that includes recorded video replies to constituent questions or comments selected from among those received each month.  (Click to watch the first installment from February.) These videos were recorded on an Amtrak train from Wilmington to Washington late last month.

• Carrie from Clayton about middle class jobs 
• Jennifer at UD about STEM education
• Timothy from Wilmington on transportation enhancement programs
• Thomas from Seaford on outsourcing American jobs 
• Gail from Georgetown about mortgage lending
• Chuck at Appoquinimink School District about educator jobs
• Nancy in Newark on corporate tax reform
• Anthony from Wilmington about service programs

The Senator’s week ahead schedule: October 10 to October 16

Monday, October 10 at 11:45 a.m.  – The Senator will speak at the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at the University of Delaware. The Institute is an organization for adults 50 and over that provides opportunities for intellectual development, cultural stimulation, personal growth, and social interaction in an academic cooperative run by its members who volunteer their time and talents.  Senator Coons will discuss his personal experiences as a Senator and his work on some of the issues facing Delawareans with the more than 200 participants who are expected to attend.  2800 Pennsylvania Avenue, Wilmington, DE – Open to press.

Wednesday, October 12 at 3:00 p.m. – The Senator will co-host the Senate Law Enforcement Caucus kickoff event.  U.S. Senator Roy Blunt (R-Mo.) will join Senator Coons in hosting an event to announce the formation of the first ever Senate Law Enforcement Caucus. The bipartisan caucus will work to educate and inform senators and staff about the programs and initiatives that are keeping our communities safe, while advocating for the policies and resources law enforcement agencies need to carry out their mission. U.S. Capitol Visitors Center, SVC-201, Washington, DC – Open to press.

Wednesday, October 12 at 4:30 p.m. – The Senator will meet the astronauts of STS-135, the final flight of Space Shuttle Atlantis and the conclusion of NASA’s shuttle program. Washington, DC – Closed to press.

Thursday, October 13 at 10:00 a.m. – The Senator will attend the Senate Judiciary Committee’s executive business meeting. 226 Dirksen Senate Office Building, Washington, DC — Open to press.

Thursday, October 13 at 3:30 p.m. – The Senator will attend the Delaware Delegation meeting on poultry. This meeting will include a discussion of how members of the Delaware and Maryland delegations can work to keep the Delmarva poultry industry successful. U.S. Capitol, Washington, DC—Closed to press. 

Friday, October 14 at 10:00 a.m. – The Senator will attend an event announcing a partnership between JPMorgan Chase and the University of Delaware. The goal of the partnership is to increase the number of talented young people educated at the University of Delaware employed in Delaware’s financial sector upon completion of their studies. Purnell Hall, 42 Amstel Avenue, Newark, DE – Open to press.

Friday, October 14 at 12:00 p.m. – The Senator will attend the opening of the Job Center at Dover Library. Hosted by the Delaware Department of State, Senator Coons will join elected officials from around the state in celebrating the official opening of the Job Center at Dover Library. Additional Job Centers are located in the Dover, Seaford, Georgetown, and Wilmington Libraries. All are funded by the federal Broadband Technology Opportunities Grant, with matching funds provided by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. 45 South State Street, Dover, DE — Open to press.

Note: Schedule is subject to change.

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Chris honors National Wildlife Refuge Week with Senate resolution

On Thursday, October 6^th, the Senate unanimously passed a bipartisan resolution introduced by Senator Coons to designate October 9-15, 2011 as National Wildlife Refuge Week.  The resolution was cosponsored by Senators Sessions, Cardin, Alexander, Murray, Lieberman, Reed, Wyden, Bingaman, Whitehouse, Tom Udall, Scott Brown, Collins, Cochran, and Merkley.

Since 1903, when President Theodore Roosevelt established the first National Wildlife Refuge on Florida’s Pelican Island, the nation has demonstrated an ongoing commitment to preserving a legacy of conservation for hunters, fishermen, birders, and other recreationists. The National Wildlife Refuge System, administered by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, has grown to more than 150,000,000 acres, 553 national wildlife refuges, and 38 wetland management districts in every state and territory of the United States.

Chris got a head start on Refuge Week with a tour of Bombay Hook National Wildlife Refuge in Smyrna, Delaware on Friday, where he was joined by local conservationists, sportsmen, volunteers, and refuge staff.

Established in 1937 as a link in the chain of refuges extending from Canada to the Gulf of Mexico, Bombay Hook‘s 16,000 acre protected area contains 13,000 acres of tidal salt marsh, a particularly crucial wildlife habitat in Delaware. Bombay Hook is an important stop for migratory waterfowl, and was named one of America’s 100 Important Bird Areas by the American Bird Conservancy.  In addition to 278 species of birds, the refuge is home to over 90 other animal species, 21 of which are fish.

Also on Delaware’s coast is Prime Hook National Wildlife Refuge, which was established in 1963 and consists of 10,000 acres of tidal salt marsh, woodlands, grasslands, and scrublands that have proven to be an important habitat for the Delmarva fox squirrel, nesting bald eagles, migrating peregrine falcons, and scores of other migratory birds. The refuge is considered to have one of the best existing wetland habitat areas along the Atlantic Coast.

Nationwide, refuges host over 45 million visitors, generate approximately 27,000 jobs, and contribute nearly $1.7 million to local economies. Bombay Hook and Prime Hook in Delaware each attract roughly 100,000 visitors every year. These visitors help support local businesses and the regional economies in Kent and Sussex Counties.

The protected network of diverse habitats for wildlife created by the Refuge System has enabled hunting and fishing at hundreds of refuges. Roughly 9.6 million visitors frequent refuges for the purposes of hunting and fishing every year. In Delaware, hunting is allowed on Bombay Hook, while hunting and fishing are allowed on Prime Hook.

As a member of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, Chris remains actively engaged with conservation issues as a staunch advocate for protected lands and waters in Delaware and throughout the nation.   

Click here to learn more about Chris’ work on issues pertaining to natural resources and the environment.

In online chat, Chris says teachers deserve a seat at the table in discussion of education reform

Senator Coons teamed up with the Hope Street Group on Wednesday for a live online chat with educators from across Delaware to explore the next steps in education reform.

“While not a member of the Senate committee that specifically deals with amending the Elementary and Secondary Education Act, I’ve done my level best since being sworn in to be actively engaged in cosponsoring, introducing, and supporting pieces of legislation that help strengthen our teachers’ ability to properly educate our children,” Chris said during the chat. “It’s imperative that our teachers have a seat at the table, are respected, and are full participants in the development of the curricular standards and testing modalities that will be used to prepare our children to succeed in a global workforce.”

Wednesday was World Teachers’ Day, which is celebrated in more than 100 countries and commemorates the 1966 signing of the UNESCO/ILO Recommendation Concerning the Status of Teachers.

In the weeks leading up to the webinar, which was live-streamed from the Senator’s Washington office, Delaware educators were encouraged to submit and vote for questions about education reform they wanted Chris to answer. Teachers could submit additional questions in real-time online during the 45-minute-long conversation. Much of the discussion was centered on reforming the Elementary and Secondary Education Act, commonly known as No Child Left Behind.

“My hope is that we can work to fix the challenges No Child Left Behind has left behind for teachers to deal with every day,” Chris told participants.

A longtime advocate of aggressive education reform and college completion, Chris is a member of a group of moderate, reform-minded Democratic senators who have put forth an innovative vision for education that sets a high bar for all students, and attracts and supports the most talented teachers and leaders in our schools.  

Celebrating National Hispanic Heritage Month

As America honors National Hispanic Heritage Month, we wanted to take a moment to remind Delawareans of the important contribution Hispanic and Latino Americans have made to our nation’s rich history and culture.

The nation began observing Hispanic Heritage Week in 1968 under President Lyndon Johnson. It was expanded by President Ronald Reagan in 1988 to cover the 30-day period starting on September 15 and ending on October 15.

September 15 is significant because it is the anniversary of independence for Latin American countries Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras and Nicaragua. Mexico and Chile celebrate their independence days on September 16 and September 18, respectively. Also, Columbus Day or Día de la Raza, which is October 12, also falls within this 30-day period.

In 2002, the U.S. Hispanic population officially became the largest minority in the United States. According to the last census, more than 8 percent of Delaware’s residents consider themselves of Hispanic and Latino origin.

Here in our home state, Delawareans are joining together to celebrate National Hispanic Heritage Month.  One such celebration was held last week at the Lewis Dual Language Elementary School where students, teachers, and parents gathered for a day filled with activities to help educate children on Hispanic traditions. During the day, the students and their families participated in a parade, ate traditional dishes, and took part in educational lessons.

Click here to learn more about National Hispanic Heritage Month.

Click here to learn more about Delaware’s Latin American Community Center.

Fighting malaria should be a global effort

Senator Coons addressed a group of more than 50 at a briefing on Capitol Hill Tuesday to explore innovative techniques being used around the world to fight malaria, an infectious blood disease spread by mosquitoes and found most prevalently in the developing world.

In his remarks, Chris discussed America’s unwavering dedication to look out for the interests of developing nations, with particular attention on Africa, where 90 percent of malaria deaths occur.

“At a time when we have so many in this country focused inward on the challenges that face us, I think this conversation and this working group are a great opportunity for us to be reminded of the breath that our engagement and our service has provided in tackling malaria,” Chris said during the briefing.  “We must continue the vision that we are a nation that is great because of what it gives, not because of what it takes.”

Chris is the chair of the Senate Foreign Relations Subcommittee on African Affairs and co-chair of the Senate Working Group on Malaria.

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

Video: Senator Coons delivers keynote remarks at the Alliance to Save Energy’s Fall Conference

Addressing the Alliance to Save Energy’s annual policy summit Tuesday, Senator Coons described energy efficiency as a “bridge” that should draw steadfast bipartisan support in Congress.

During his speech, Chris reflected on the history of bipartisan energy policy by referencing the work of the late Senators Charles Percy (R-Ill.) and Hubert Humphrey (D-Minn.), who reached across the aisle 34 years ago and founded the Alliance to Save Energy. 

A member on the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, Chris has been a longtime advocate for clean, sustainable energy and called for a return to science-based, energy efficiency policy.  Furthermore he highlighted the energy efficiency legislation for which he is a cosponsored:

• S. 398, Implementation of National Consensus Appliance Agreements Act
• S. 963, Reducing Federal Energy Dollars Act
• S. 1000, Energy Savings and Industrial Competitiveness Act

These bills have the potential to save individuals and businesses energy and money, and – most importantly – create American jobs.  Other areas of great interest to Chris are saving the Department of Energy’s energy efficiency research funding, federal tax credits for energy efficiency, and modifying budget rules to allow energy service companies to reduce federal buildings’ energy consumption. 

Click here to learn more about Chris’ work on energy issues. 

An innovative power system for an innovative learning center

SMYRNA — Senator Coons joined Senator Carper and Congressman Carney at the Delaware AeroSpace Education Foundation’s (DASEF) Innovation Technology Exploration Center in Smyrna to announce a $50,000 USDA Rural Development grant to help fund a geothermal heating and cooling system.

The project will be comprised of eighty 400-foot deep wells that will provide heating and cooling to the 40,000 square-foot Exploration Center building.  The geothermal system will also serve as a learning tool for the thousands of children who visit the site each year to learn about science and technology.

Chris commended DASEF on its unwavering dedication to teaching the next generation about everything from space exploration to protecting the Earth, and from clean energy technology to reducing our dependence on foreign oil. 

“Educating our kids in science and technology is a critical part of keeping our state and nation competitive,” he said. “NASA may have launched its last space shuttle earlier this year, but we must not let that stand in the way of progress and discovery.  We must continue to guide our children toward career paths in science, technology, engineering and mathematics.  DASEF is committed to doing just that, and that is why we continue to support the organization’s mission.” 

The geothermal project carries a total price tag of $515,000.  DASEF also received $30,000 from DNREC’s Delaware Alternative Energy Rebate Program, and DASEF plans to cover the balance of the project while seeking additional public and private funding.