Mobile Nav Open
Open Search
Close Search

Related Issues

See All Issues

Related Issues

See All Issues

Chris leads effort to reassure LGBT youth that “It Gets Better”

Senator Coons today unveiled a video featuring 12 of his colleagues urging lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgendered youth not to give up hope, because they’re working hard in the Senate to fulfill the promise of equality for all.

The video is part of the It Gets Better Project, which was founded last year after a series of tragic suicides by LGBT youth who were bullied because of their sexual orientation or gender identity. The inspiring It Gets Better Project is determined to help LGBT youth see a positive future beyond what is often a difficult adolescence.

A 2009 study by GLSEN found that three-fifths of LGBT students report feeling unsafe at school because of harassment over their sexual orientation.

More than 20,000 LGBT adults have produced videos around the “it gets better” message — a collection that has formed the heart of a global movement of support. President Barack Obama, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, the San Francisco Giants and Chicago Cubs, as well as the employees of a host of major companies including Apple, Facebook, and Google, have contributed heartfelt videos to the project.

In addition to Senator Coons, featured in the new video is Mark Udall (D-Col.), Ron Wyden (D-Ore.), Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio), Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.), Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), Al Franken (D-Minn.), Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.), Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.), Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.), and Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.). All are co-sponsors of the Respect for Marriage Act, which was introduced in March to repeal the Defense of Marriage Act and allow the federal government to recognize same-sex marriages performed in states where it is already legal.

The video was assembled from individual messages recorded by each Senator over the last four weeks. It is being released to coincide with the end of National LGBT Pride Month, and comes just days after the New York State Legislature made legalized marriage for same-sex couples there.

To learn more about the Senators’ It Gets Better video, click here

To learn more about the It Gets Better Project, click here

To learn more about Chris’ civil rights efforts, click here

Senator Coons applauds White House’s new manufacturing initiative

Today in Pittsburgh, President Obama introduced the new Advanced Manufacturing Partnership (AMP) initiative to spur American manufacturing, drawing praise from Senator Coons and others in Congress who have been pushing for measures to increase our competitiveness and strengthen our manufacturing base.

This initiative will encourage private industries, universities, and the federal government to work together to invest in emerging technologies that will create high-quality manufacturing jobs and enhance our global competitiveness.

“Americans must work together across all sectors to ensure that our country remains the leader in innovation,” Chris said.  “The federal government has a long history of partnering with industry and academia to invest in the research and development of innovative technologies.  I applaud the President’s leadership and look forward to seeing the AMP in action.” 

The President’s plan, which leverages existing programs and proposals, will invest more than $500 million to jumpstart this effort.  Investments will be made in several areas, including national security industries, next-generation robotics, increasing the energy efficiency of manufacturing processes, and developing technologies that will dramatically reduce the time required to design, build, and test manufactured goods.

Delaware is emerging as a regional center for advanced manufacturing, and initiatives like AMP have the potential to benefit innovative businesses throughout the state and, in turn, lead to job creation for Delawareans. 

Chris strongly supports the AMP’s goal for developing infrastructure and establishing shared facilities that will allow small and mid-sized manufactures to innovate and compete.  Since being sworn-in, Chris has been a strong advocate for emerging and innovative companies, which were the focus of his first piece of legislation, the Job Creation Through Innovation Act. 

Among the manufacturers included in AMP are Honeywell and Procter and Gamble, and it will be led in part by Andrew Liveris, the Chairman, President, and CEO of Dow Chemical, which operates an electronic chip production plant in Newark, Delaware, that employs over 600 people.

Click here for more information about the Advanced Manufacturing Partnership.

The Senator’s week ahead schedule: June 27 to July 3

The Week Ahead

Monday, June 27 at 4:00 p.m. – The Senator will preside over the Senate. Washington, DC – Open to press who wish to sit in the Senate gallery.

Monday, June 27 at 5:00 p.m. – The Senator will attend the Kalmar Nyckel and Biotechnology Industry Organization welcome reception. The Kalmar Nyckel, a ship that normally resides in Wilmington, will be setting sail on the Potomac River for the first time in over five years. The Delaware Economic Development Office, DEDO, is hosting a reception on the Kalmar Nyckel during the 2011 Bio International Convention. Capitol Yacht Club, 100 Water Street SW, Washington, DC – Open to press.   

Tuesday, June 28 at 10:00 a.m. – The Senator will attend the Senate Foreign Relations Committee hearing on Libya and the War Powers Act. 419 Dirksen Senate Office Building, Washington, DC – Open to press.  

Wednesday, June 29 at 10:30 a.m. – The Senator will host a press conference on LGBT equality. S. 115, Washington, DC – Open to the press.

Thursday, June 30 at 1:30 p.m. — The Senator will meet with 19 school nurses from Delaware. 123 Russell Senate Office Building, Washington, DC –Closed to press.

Thursday, June 30 at 12:00 p.m. — The Senator will attend the Senate Bible Study. United States Capitol, Washington, DC –Closed to press.

Friday, July 1 at 8:00 a.m. – The Senator will tour Verizon Communications. Verizon Delaware HQ, 901 Tatnall Street, Wilmington, DE – Closed to press.

Note: Schedule is subject to change.

Why preserving the Delaware River watershed bolsters our local economy

Picture of the Delaware River

Senator Coons joined Senator Tom Carper (D-Del.) in introducing an important piece of legislation for Delaware’s ecosystem this week — the Delaware River Basin Conservation Act of 2011 — alongside Frank Lautenberg and Robert Menendez (both D-N.J.), Chuck Schumer and Kirsten Gillibrand (both D-N.Y.), and Robert Casey (D-Penn.).

This bill will protect and enhance the Delaware River watershed by establishing the Delaware River Basin Restoration Program at the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

“The Delaware River Basin is a precious asset that provides critical resources to Delawareans as well as habitat for a diverse array of wildlife,” Chris said. “The Basin is an incredible economic engine for the region, supporting jobs in the tourism, fishing, and maritime industries, which bolster revenue in the broader regional economy. This legislation will ensure that we take a comprehensive, long-term approach to managing the Basin. It is our responsibility to preserve the Delaware River Basin’s vibrant ecosystem for future generations.”

The legislation would strengthen not only the environmental health of the watershed, but also the economic impact the Delaware River watershed has on the area. It is estimated that the Delaware River watershed contributes over $10 billion in annual economic activity to the tri-state region of Delaware, New Jersey and Pennsylvania.

The Delaware River is directly responsible for over 200,000 jobs and $4.3 billion in annual wages and indirectly responsible for an additional 230,000 jobs and $3.4 billion in annual wages. Overall, there are 2,900,000 jobs contained within the watershed and $149 billion in annual wages. 

Additionally, the Delaware River is home to the largest freshwater port in the U.S., the Delaware River Port Complex, which generates over $19 billion in annual economic activity.

To learn more about the Delaware River Basin Conservation Act, click here. To learn more about Chris’ ideas for environmental protection, click here.

Encouraging civics in Delaware schools through the Democracy Project

On Wednesday, Senator Coons met with a group of social studies teachers from across Delaware to discuss civics education.  The teachers were here in the Capitol as part of the University of Delaware’s Democracy Project Institute for Teachers.  Chris was joined by Senator Carper and Congressman Carney as well, and the three fielded questions from the teachers about the Delaware delegation’s work in Congress and addressed the challenges that Delaware’s teachers, students and parents must work together to solve.

Drawing on his own high school experiences, Chris discussed how bullying and discrimination in our schools is not a new phenomenon.  He acknowledged that combating bullying would not be easy and would have to be accompanied by a change in culture in many communities.  Singling out an individual or group due to physical appearance, gender, race, religion, or sexual orientation should not be acceptable in society and has no place in any of Delaware’s schools.  New technology, such as instant messaging, social media, and text messaging has created another forum where bullying and discrimination can take place often undetected.  Limiting abuses of these new technologies and combating the old forms of bullying requires hard work from teachers and parents to teach respect and tolerance – both in the classroom and at home.         

Every student in Delaware, in public and private schools alike, has the ability to succeed, Chris told the group.  He spoke about our responsibility to create an environment that allows all children to achieve their potential.  Closing the achievement gap between the sexes, for minorities, and for those with learning disabilities is a goal shared by teachers, administrators, and policy makers alike.  Chris plans to work with Senator Carper and Secretary of Education Arne Duncan to promote substantial education reform, providing students and educators with the critical resources they need to help students succeed in an increasingly competitive workforce.

The Democracy Project is a teacher development program co-sponsored by the University of Delaware and the Delaware Department of State with the goal of improving the teaching of civics and social studies in Delaware schools.  Over the past decade, its summer institute for teachers has brought 150 teachers to Washington to hear from elected officials and discuss ways to improve civics education and inspire active youth citizenship on the K-12 grade levels.  

For more information about the Democracy Project, visit:  http://www.ipa.udel.edu/democracy/institute/.  To read more about Chris’ ideas for education reform, click here. 

Senator Coons congratulates Padua Academy on outstanding service award

Senator Coons with Jefferson Award recipients in Washignton, DC

Today, Senator Coons met with the Delaware recipients of the Jefferson Award for outstanding service by a high school.  The Jefferson Award, a national recognition honoring community and public service, went to Wilmington’s Padua Academy, a Catholic school for girls, this year.  Chris met with students, their families, and faculty of Padua Academy today to celebrate this honor.

Between April 2010 and March 2011, students at Padua Academy have performed more than 30,000 hours of community service projects.  Padua’s faculty and staff have additionally volunteered more than 15,000 hours.  According to Jefferson Award calculations, this contribution of time for community service is worth more than one million dollars to local, national, and international humanitarian agencies and schools.

The Jefferson Awards for Public Service were created to inspire volunteerism and community service across America by Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, Senator Robert Taft, Jr., and Sam Beard.  The awards are presented on two levels, nationally and locally.  In 2006, the Jefferson Awards launched a national youth leadership program.  This program is active in more than 325 high schools in communities across the United States and stresses building life-long habits of service, leadership, and ethics while encouraging youth volunteerism.

Partnering federal, state, and local law enforcement to make Delaware communities safer

WILMINGTON — Senator Coons chaired a field hearing of the Senate Judiciary Committee at the Carvel State Building today, focusing on collaboration between federal, state, and local law enforcement. Since the attacks of September 11, 2001, information-sharing between federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies has been increasing to meet our new security challenges and to help make local communities safer from crime.  The hearing explored both federal funding for state and local law enforcement as well as information-sharing and operational coordination.  

Testifying before the committee were five witnesses representing all three levels of law enforcement: Richard McFeely, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Baltimore Division; James Burch, Principle Deputy Director of the U.S. Department of Justice’s Bureau of Justice Assistance; Col. Robert Coupe, Superintendent of the Delaware State Police; James Hosfelt, Chief of the Dover Police Department; and Drewry Fennell, Executive Director of the Delaware Criminal Justice Council. 

Chris took the opportunity to question them about the challenges to coordination and how best law enforcement agencies can overcome obstacles and work more closely to share information, resources, and best practices.  In his opening statement, Chris spoke about why Delaware was a logical choice of location to hold this hearing, saying: 

“Being a small state, Delaware’s police face unique opportunities and challenges. Delaware’s size lends itself naturally to a closely-knit, adaptable law enforcement community. At the same time, many of our police departments are small and, as a result, lack the resources to develop specialized techniques or units that might be needed to deal with organized crime or other relatively rare crimes that have serious consequences. Meeting these challenges requires collaboration with our federal partners.”

Over the past decade, the FBI and local law enforcement agencies have made it a priority to work closely.  In Delaware, the center of federal-state-local information-sharing is the Delaware Information Analysis Center (DIAC), which is led by the State Police and is staffed with four civilian employees and two analysts from the Delaware National Guard.  At DIAC, information about threats and potential hazards are collected and distributed, and DIAC closely coordinates local agencies activities with those of the Joint Terrorism Task Force, FBI, ATF, ICE, Delaware National Guard, Coast Guard, Dover Air Force Base, U.S. Attorney’s Office, and Department of Homeland Security.  It is just one of several similar centers operating nationwide to ensure that critical law enforcement data reaches those who need it. 

Specifically, the hearing explored five federal grant programs that assist law enforcement in Delaware, including: the Bulletproof Vest Program, which provides direct funding for bulletproof vests for law enforcement officers; the Justice Assistance Grant Program, which provides states, tribes and local governments with critical funding to support a range of program areas including prevention and education, drug treatment and enforcement, and crime victim and witness initiatives; the Justice Reinvestment Initiative, which aims to reduce the cost of corrections and related criminal justice spending and reinvest savings in strategies designed to increase public safety; the Justice Information Sharing Program, which supports grants designed to promote innovative and cost-effective implementation of state, local and tribal justice information systems; and the Nationwide Suspicious Activity Reporting Initiative, which is working to establish a national capacity for gathering, documenting, processing, analyzing, and sharing suspicious activity reporting.

Joining Chris this morning was Judiciary Committee Chairman Patrick Leahy of Vermont, who attested to the importance of federal, state, and local law enforcement working closely together.  He said:

“Interagency coordination and information sharing is more important than ever. We must continue to ensure that we are able to effectively piece together the information our government agencies – federal, state and local – collect on terrorist and criminal threats.  Ensuring adequate information sharing among law enforcement has been one of my highest priorities as Chairman of the Judiciary Committee, and Senator Coons has become a partner in this effort.  I was delighted when he approached me about holding this important hearing in Delaware, to hear from people on the front lines in this partnership about the challenges state and local law enforcement face today.”

To learn more about Chris’ work on the Senate Judiciary Committee, click here.