Senator Coons hosts roundtable on jobs for veterans

NEW CASTLE — Senator Coons hosted a roundtable discussion on jobs for veterans at the Delaware National Guard headquarters on Monday, with participants from the military, public, private, medical, and academic sectors.  They joined Chris to talk about the high unemployment rates for veterans nationally and what steps can be taken here in Delaware to provide resources to returning service members and help them find jobs. 

The first of three roundtables Chris is hosting on job creation, Monday’s meeting included 19 participants and focused on the unique challenges facing veterans as they return home from service in Iraq and Afghanistan.  The discussion, which lasted for an hour and a half, drew on the participants’ work and areas of expertise in creating opportunities to help ease veterans’ transition back to the civilian workforce. 

“For months I’ve been meeting with military leaders, veterans who are looking for work, business leaders, and government officials, and the message I’m hearing from everyone is the same – we need to do more to boost hiring rates of those who’ve served,” Chris said.  “To help returning veterans get into the workforce we need to do two things simultaneously.  First, we need to get our economy moving again in order to create jobs, and second, we need to help businesses recognize the value in the leadership and technical skills our veterans gained from their service.”

With the national unemployment rate for veterans under the age of 24 at 21.1%, Chris introduced the Hire America’s Heroes Act in May.  The bill would provide additional assistance to service members transitioning into the civilian workforce, but Chris believes this legislation must only be a first step.  Monday’s roundtable discussion convened stakeholders in an effort to produce new ideas for Chris to bring to Washington when the Senate returns for its September session. 

Chris will host another roundtable on August 25, focusing on Delaware’s high-tech and R&D sector, and he will host a third one on August 31 to discuss community-based small businesses.   

To learn more about what Chris is doing to help Delaware’s veterans, click here. 

The Senator’s week ahead schedule: August 22 to August 28

Monday, August 22 at 11:30 a.m. – The Senator will speak at the Delaware Mentoring Council’s Back-to-School Celebration.  Last year, the Delaware Mentoring Council (DMC) received $750,000 from the federal government to support mentoring in Delaware.  Since then, the DMC has provided Student Mentoring Program Grants to 45 schools and community organizations across the state. Also attending are Senator Tom Carper, former Rep. Mike Castle, and First Lady Carla Markell. Bancroft Elementary School, 700 North Lombard Street, Wilmington, DE – Open to press. 

Monday, August 22 at 12:30 p.m. – The Senator will visit the New Castle Senior Center to talk with constituents. New Castle, DE – Closed to press.

Monday, August 22 at 1:30 p.m. – The Senator will host a roundtable on jobs for Delaware’s veterans. The nationwide unemployment rate for young veterans just back from Iraq or Afghanistan is 22 percent and amongst all veterans, it is over 13 percent.  Senator Coons will host a roundtable to listen to an array of local experts on what Congress can do to help our nation’s heroes come home to job opportunities worthy of their sacrifice. Delaware National Guard Headquarters Building, Loeffel Room, 2600 Spruance Drive, New Castle, DE 19720 – Open to press.

Monday, August 22 at 3:15 p.m. – The Senator will visit Exceptional Care for Children, the first and only pediatric skilled nursing facility in Delaware. The Senator will see first-hand how ECC plans to expand to serve even more children and their families.  Newark, DE — Closed to press.

Tuesday, August 23 at 8:00 a.m. – The Senator will help kick off the new school year with welcoming remarks at the Smyrna School District Opening Day Breakfast Meeting.  Smyrna High School, 500 Duck Creek Parkway, Smyrna, DE – Open to press.

Tuesday, August 23 at 11:00 a.m. – The Senator will attend the “Sky-Breaking” of the Nemours/Alfred I. DuPont Hospital for Children Expansion project. 1600 Rockland Road, Wilmington, DE – Open to press.

Tuesday, August 23 at 2:30 p.m. – The Senator will preside over the Senate. Washington, DC – Open to press who wish to sit in the Senate gallery.

Wednesday, August 24 at 1:00 p.m. – The Senator will tour the Dow Chemical Company where chemical mechanical polishing products (CMPs) are manufactured.  CMPs are used in the making of every type of mechanical chip for computers. Newark, DE – Closed to press.

Wednesday, August 24 at 6:00 p.m. – The Senator will participate in a town hall meeting hosted by WDEL 1150 AM. WDEL’s Allan Loudell, Rick Jensen and Al Mascitti will moderate the discussion, which will be broadcast live on the radio and online. The event is open to the public.  Wilmington Campus of Delaware Technical & Community College, 333 Shipley Street, Wilmington, DE – Open to press.

Thursday, August 25 at 10:00 a.m. – The Senator will host a roundtable on jobs in Delaware’s high-tech and R&D sector.  Delaware’s most innovative emerging businesses have the opportunity to drive the next generation of our state’s manufacturing economy.  Senator Coons will host a roundtable to listen to an array of local experts on what Washington can do to help Delaware’s young high-tech firms grow and create jobs.  Delaware Technology Park, 15 Innovation Way, Newark, DE 19711 – Open to press.

Note: Schedule is subject to change.

Senator Coons to host roundtable on jobs for veterans on Monday

Senator Coons will host the first of three roundtable discussions on job creation on Monday afternoon at the headquarters of the Delaware National Guard in New Castle.  Focusing on finding ways to increase job opportunities for veterans — especially recently returned veterans of operations in Iraq and Afghanistan — this first roundtable will include participants from the military, civilian agencies, veterans groups, and Delaware businesses. 

“After working for years in the private sector and local government,” Chris said, “I know that the best ideas for creating jobs are going to come from the people on the front lines of the economic recovery.  I talk with out-of-work Delawareans and small business owners just about every day, but these roundtables will facilitate a more dynamic group discussion that I hope will generate new ideas that we can apply in Washington to help create jobs for Delawareans.”

Nationally, unemployment among veterans is 13.3%, and for those under the age of twenty-four returning from Iraq and Afghanistan the rate is a staggering 21.1%, according to the Department of Labor.  Chris joined in introducing the Hiring Heroes Act in May, which would provide additional assistance to service members transitioning into the civilian workforce, but he believes more can and must be done.  The goal of this roundtable discussion is to bring stakeholders together in order to generate new ideas that Chris can take back with him to Washington when Congress reconvenes in September. 

“After they fought for our freedom abroad, our veterans shouldn’t have to fight hard just to get a job here at home,” Chris said.  Those participating in this first roundtable will be:

• Christine F. Kubik, Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve, Delaware
• Daniel Young, Delaware Military Community Partners
• Jim Tribbitt, Delaware Department of Labor
• Harry Gravell, Helmets to Hardhats, National Building Trades
• Antonio “Tony” Davila, Delaware Veterans Commission
• Edward Scully, Summit Aviation
• Robert Fitzpatrick, Summit Aviation
• Wesley Schroeder, Summit Aviation
• Jeffery Brown, Tidewater Utilities
• Sheila Mittucci, Saint Francis Hospital
• Sarmite Tyus, Wilmington VA Medical Center
• Victor Santos, Delaware State University
• Wendelin Henry, Delaware State University
• Shannon Freeze-Flory, DuPont
• Patricia R. Edwards, Dover Air Force Base
• Laura Coseglia, Dover Air Force Base
• James S. Webb, Wilmington University
• David B. Rich, United States Department of Labor
• James M. Provo, Small Business Administration
• Tim Keefe, JPMorgan Chase

Working to create sustainable, profitable jobs in rural communities

Senator Chris Coons offered his support today for a series of initiatives unveiled by President Obama this week to grow the economy and create jobs in rural communities.

“Washington can and must do more to help America’s businesses create jobs,” Chris said in a statement to the press. “The initiatives the President unveiled this week to help rural businesses are consistent with what I’m hearing from Delaware’s small business owners, who need better access to capital to grow and expanded health care services in their communities to keep costs down.”

To help small businesses get better access to capital, President Obama this week proposed to double the Small Business Administration’s investment funds for rural small businesses over the next five years as part of its Startup America Initiative. The President is also launching a series of conferences nationwide to connect private equity and venture capital investors with rural start-ups.

To help out-of-work Americans find jobs, President Obama announced a partnership between the Department of Labor and the Department of Agriculture (USDA) to increase access to existing job search and job training opportunities by making them available at USDA’s 2,800 field offices nationwide.

This initiative by the White House coincides with this week’s announcement of more than $48,900 in U.S. Department of Agriculture funding to four agricultural producers and small businesses in Kent and Sussex counties. The grants are designed to encourage the integration of renewable energy sources and implementation of energy efficiency measures in their operations to reduce dependence of foreign oil, promote job creation, and spur the economic competitiveness of rural communities.

“By investing in clean energy technology, Delaware’s rural businesses are investing in a sustainable, profitable future that will help them compete on a global level,” Chris said in a statement to the press. “Encouraging farmers and small businesses to increase their energy efficiency can have a positive ripple effect for the entire country. I congratulate the winners of these grants and applaud the President for leading in this effort to strengthen our agricultural communities.”

To read Chris’ statement on the White House rural economy initiative, click HERE.

To read Chris’ statement on the USDA grant to Delaware farms and rural small businesses, click HERE.

To read more about Chris’ work for Delaware’s agricultural community, click HERE

To read more about President’s Obama’s rural tour, click HERE.

Follow Senator Coons on Facebook

Senator Coons is always looking for ways to make it easier for Delawareans to engage with him and our office. It’s important to his work in the Senate that he hears how constituents feel about the issues facing our state and our nation.

Thanks to social networking sites like Facebook, citizens can keep tabs on what their members of Congress are doing on a daily basis while engaging in real-time, right from their computers or mobile devices.

Earlier this month, the office launched a page on Facebook to make it easier for Delawareans to stay in touch. Our staff will share the latest news and answer questions from constituents, and Chris will stop by from time to time to engage directly.

Become a ‘fan’ of Senator Coons’ Facebook page by clicking here.

Senator Coons offers support to President’s plan for boosting biofuels industry

Senator Coons today praised President Obama’s announcement of a partnership between the U.S. Departments of Agriculture, Energy and Navy to invest up to $510 million over the next three years to produce advanced drop-in aviation and marine biofuels to power military and commercial transportation.

“If we’re going to shake our nation’s dependence on foreign oil, we’ve got to support emerging alternative energy sources like biofuels,” Senator Coons said. “We hear a lot about the enormous potential biofuels have not only for diversifying our energy consumption but for creating jobs across the country, so it’s important that our actions match our rhetoric and that our government leads the way. But it’s just as important that the private sector keep pace, which is why this creative plan is important.”

The plan, which you can download as a PDF here, calls for the Department of Energy to invest in the technology necessary for producing biofuels, while the Department of Agriculture takes steps to ensure that biofuel production doesn’t harm the food supply. The Navy will use the new biofuels in its fleet.

You can read more about the announcement here in Politico.

Chris visits PATS Aircraft in Georgetown

GEORGETOWN — Senator Coons visited with leadership and workers at PATS Aircraft Systems in Georgetown last week.  The Sussex company performs aircraft maintenance, modification and interior completion services.  

Customers include heads of state, business leaders, and VIPs from around the globe. PATS also provides auxiliary fuel systems and other integrated systems and components to several major aircraft companies and hundreds of individual customers. PATS has about 350 highly skilled employees who keep the company running.

“I’m impressed by the diversity of PATS’ skilled workforce. From manufacturing related jobs to those employees whose skills include machining, upholstering, woodworking and a deep knowledge of advanced avionics—everyone plays a key role in making PATS a viable business in Sussex County,” said Chris.

PATS’ facility has a very large footprint at the Georgetown airport that includes a 35,000 square foot manufacturing facility, four hangars that can house up to seven B737-sized aircrafts with a full back shop capability of over 42,000 square feet.

Senator Coons tours paint factory in Dover

DOVER — Senator Coons toured the Pittsburgh Plate Glass (PPG) paint factory in Dover this morning.  The visit began with a briefing by Mitch Magee, the plant manager, who told Chris about the various glass, chemical, paint and coatings that PPG makes around the world, and described the thousands of different types of paint made in Dover.

Chris also toured the part of the plant where the manufacturing takes place, talking with factory workers as he got an up-close look at the paint manufacturing and packaging processes. 

The company has been doing business in Delaware for several decades and has over 90 employees.  Chris was impressed to hear that 40 percent of the company’s workforce has been at the Dover facility for over 20 years.

“Small businesses like PPG play a major role in the economic recovery,” said Chris.  “I’m encouraged to hear that they are currently looking to hire skilled mechanics.”

PPG began as a plate glass company in 1883, and has since diversified into manufacturing fiberglass, paint, chemicals and coatings.  The Dover facility primarily makes interior and exterior paints—what PPG refers to as Architectural Coatings.  Lowe’s sells PPG paint under the Pittsburgh®, Olympic®, Porter®, and Lucite® labels.

New Correspondence from the Commute focuses on deficit reduction

While waiting for word on a deal to avert default last weekend, Senator Coons recorded a new installment of his Correspondence from the Commute series. This month’s videos all focused on constituent letters about spending cuts, the debt ceiling, and the deficit negotiations.

• Nancy from Wilmington: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wBwvtolOtDQ
• Henry from Hockessin: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AJ5m6o7z4us
• Darian from Georgetown: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DaXr62b_BmM
• Therese from Selbyville: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mQ0JTFzH9aA
• Theodore from Wilmington: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3n3-81jABiI
• Florence from Bethany Beach: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XOsSR1gHP2I
• Herbert from Seaford: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G7UZzYxZUd4
• Brendan from Bear: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PCN5NjIDbLA

Senators Coons and Kerry urge administration to expand licensing of aid providers in Somalia

Just days after chairing a hearing of the Senate Foreign Relations Subcommittee on African Affairs looking into the growing famine and drought crisis in the Horn of Africa, Senator Coons joined Senate Foreign Relations Chairman John Kerry today in calling for the administration to license additional humanitarian groups to distribute aid in Somalia.

“In the Horn of Africa today, over 12 million people are in desperate need of food and water amidst the worst drought in three generations,” the two senators said in a joint statement.  “In Somalia alone, approximately 3.2 million people are in need of immediate life-saving assistance, half a million children are acutely malnourished, and more than 29,000 children under the age of 5 have tragically died.  The drought has blasted an already hostile landscape, but the actions of the terrorist group al-Shabaab and the shortcomings of the Somali government have turned a natural disaster into a human catastrophe.”

Hundreds of thousands of Somalis, displaced by years of civil war, already live in difficult conditions in Ethiopia, Kenya, Djibouti, Uganda, and Eritrea, and they have been hard hit by the famine and drought.  For Somalis still living in areas controlled by al-Shabaab, limited access by international aid organization has made it extremely difficult both to measure the famine’s effects and provide assistance.  For years the United States has maintained tight restrictions on American organizations operating in areas under al-Shabaab control, due to the groups designation as a terrorist organization.  While praising the administration’s efforts, both senators believe more can be done to ease suffering while preventing aid from ending up in the hands of the al-Shabaab. 

“We encourage the administration to consider additional ways to ease and expedite the provision of aid. Specifically, it should explore expanding the pool of those licensed to provide assistance in southern Somalia to include U.S. humanitarian groups funded by private donors or other countries. While it is absolutely imperative to restrict the flow of resources to al-Shabaab, we must draw on all available resources as we balance security concerns with pressing humanitarian needs.”