WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Chris Coons (D-Del.) will join the Select Committee on Ethics and the Small Business and Entrepreneurship Committee when the 114th Congress begins next month. He will retain his current seats on the Appropriations, Judiciary, and Foreign Relations Committees.
Senator Coons, who earned a master’s degree in ethics from Yale Divinity School, will be one of only six members of the Select Committee on Ethics, whose composition is equally divided between Republicans and Democrats. The Committee is authorized to receive and investigate allegations of improper conduct, violations of law, and violations of Senate rules; recommend disciplinary action; recommend additional Senate rules or regulations to ensure proper standards of conduct; and report violations of law to the proper federal and state authorities.
“I am humbled by this demonstration that my colleagues have confidence in my ability to contribute to the hard work of ensuring that senators and their staff conduct themselves ethically and appropriately,” Senator Coons said Friday. “It is an honor and a responsibility to help protect and defend the integrity of the Senate as an institution.”
The Small Business and Entrepreneurship Committee works on an array of issues facing America’s small businesses, including access to capital, innovation and research, taxes, trade, health care, and support for entrepreneurs.
“Joining this committee is an exciting opportunity to continue to advocate for Delaware’s small businesses and the vibrancy of American entrepreneurship,” Senator Coons said. “While I am disappointed that I will no longer serve on the Senate Budget Committee, I am grateful to have had the opportunity to learn the intricacies of the federal budget process. I remain committed to the principles of fiscal responsibility and the smart, strategic investment of federal resources, and will continue to work with my colleagues to reduce our nation’s dangerous annual deficits and debt.”