Sen. Coons: ‘I do think it is possible for us to come to an agreement and, frankly, given the way the whole world is looking at us and at our country, we should find a way to meet this moment with bold reforms to policing’

Sen. Coons highlights proposed second round of Paycheck Protection Program for smallest businesses with the most need

WASHINGTON — Today, U.S. Senator Chris Coons (D-Del.), a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee and the Small Business and Entrepreneurship Committee, joined Fox Business’ Mornings with Maria Bartiromo to discuss Senate deliberations on police reform and Senator Coons’ legislation to offer a second round of Paycheck Protection Program loans-to-grants.

On the JUSTICE Act unveiled by Senator Scott and Senate Republicans yesterday, Senator Coons said, “It's an important start but I am concerned that it doesn't do enough to meet this moment. In the three weeks since George Floyd was murdered in Minneapolis, we've seen literally millions of Americans of all backgrounds in towns and cities large and small across our country take to the streets, mostly peacefully, asking for change. So I'm hopeful that we can come to an agreement between Republicans and Democrats on a list of amendments that we would debate on the floor that would significantly strengthen this bill.”

Senator Coons noted two areas where the JUSTICE Act could go further: “One is instead of encouraging, requiring a ban on chokeholds, for example, a ban on no-knock warrants and then more broadly, accountability; making it easier for federal prosecutors to investigate and prosecute exceptionally sort of way out of the usual civil rights violations by law enforcement officers. There is a federal civil rights statute that right now is used about 20 times a year in police investigations. That's because the legal standard is very, very high.”

On legislation to be introduced today with Senators Ben Cardin (D-Md.) and Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.), Senator Coons noted,“there is still $140 billion in the PPP program not yet spent. This would prioritize it. It would carve out 25 billion for those with fewer than 10 employees who have lost half of their revenue or more and give them a quick process for applying and getting a second PPP loan-to-grant, and the rest of it would be dedicated to those with fewer than 100, recognizing that the first round which got out $500 billion successfully and put a floor under our economy, it hasn't reached those very smallest businesses. I do think this can be bipartisan.”

Full audio and video available here. 

Q: Joining me right now is Delaware Senator, Senate Small Business and Entrepreneurship and Judiciary Committee member, Chris Coons. Senator, it’s good to have you this morning. What do you think of Tim Scott's plan? 

Sen. Coons: Well, I have respect for Senator Scott. We know each other well from the Senate Weekly Prayer Breakfast, and I'm looking over the details of his bill which was just introduced yesterday. It's an important start, but I am concerned that it doesn't do enough to meet this moment. In the three weeks since George Floyd was murdered in Minneapolis, we've seen literally millions of Americans of all backgrounds in towns and cities large and small across our country take to the streets, mostly peacefully, asking for change. So I'm hopeful that we can come to an agreement between Republicans and Democrats on a list of amendments that we would debate on the floor that would significantly strengthen this bill. 

Q: What do you think is most important in terms of the amendment? Tell me what doesn't go far enough in Senator Scott's bill.

Sen. Coons: Well, there's just two general buckets if I could. One is instead of encouraging, requiring a ban on chokeholds, for example, a ban on no-knock warrants and then more broadly, accountability; making it easier for federal prosecutors to investigate and prosecute exceptionally sort of way out of the usual civil rights violations by law enforcement officers. There is a federal civil rights statute that right now is used about 20 times a year in police investigations. That's because the legal standard is very, very high. I do think it is possible for us to come to an agreement and, frankly, given the way the whole world is looking at us and at our country, we should find a way to meet this moment with bold reforms to policing. 

Q: Senator, how worried are you that this is going to have also too much of a – going too far in one direction. You're seeing havoc across the country. You look in Seattle where protesters have taken over the streets. You look at the issue in Atlanta, and you know when you look at that video of Rayshard Brooks and how he did not – you know, he resisted the police and then took the taser gun, and then used the taser gun on the officer, forcing the officer to shoot. Now, the officer is getting charged with murder. He could actually get the death penalty. What's your reaction to this?

Sen. Coons: Maria, we had a great hearing on the Senate Judiciary Committee just this week. It went for seven hours, and we heard from a dozen witnesses, from law enforcement organizations, chiefs’ organizations, civil rights advocates, attorneys who represent families like that of Ahmaud Arbery, and there was I think very good testimony and a good conversation. Out of that should come this sort of balance that shows that our democracy is working. Around the world, there's a contest right now as folks look at this global pandemic, at the global recession and at our challenges with a long history of racism and inequality in our country. If we can find a way to come together and to legislate a bold response that meets this moment, I think it doesn't just strengthen us here at home, I think it strengthens us around the world.

Q: I agree with you. But we're not seeing that we're seeing police officers not feeling the support, so they're resigning. You're seeing people want to defund the police. Do you also want to defund the police right now? 

Sen. Coons: Well, as you've heard from a number of Democratic leaders, defund the police, if that's understood as eliminating police departments, is not something I support or they support. If what it means is we're asking the police to handle homelessness, mental health issues, substance abuse issues, and we should be providing more funding to respond to those, then frankly we're putting too many social problems on the backs of police and should instead be better funding an appropriate response from mental health professionals or housing counselors. Frankly, the law enforcement officers I've met with and heard from in Delaware as well as activists and community advocates, all agree that that would be a positive direction.

Q: I'm just trying to understand if you believe that it's going too far, particularly after Rayshard Brooks?

Sen. Coons: I think the fact that Rayshard Brooks was shot and killed while running away from law enforcement indicates there wasn't an appropriate use of deadly force in that case, but that's for the local courts and law enforcement leaders to resolve.

Q: Right. Understood. 

Sen. Coons: Frankly, we're in the middle of three different crises. One of them is a recession. What I'm hearing in Delaware from restaurant owners, hotel owners, and lots of others is that their Paycheck Protection Program loans, which on a bipartisan basis we got out through the SBA more than $500 billion of them, they're about to run out. We need to find a way to extend them and focus them on the smallest businesses.

Q: And you have a new bill, the Prioritized Paycheck Protection Program Act that would authorize new lending for small businesses with less than 100 employees. You're also part of a bipartisan effort to expand national service programs like AmeriCorps to help combat COVID-19. Senator, this is a very important piece of legislation, particularly given the fact that some of the SBA emergency loan program left behind many of America's neediest companies; this is the story in the Journal this morning. Tell me more about these efforts, and are you going to be able to hit those small mom and pop businesses that cannot make it out of this; that aren't even big enough to have banks; they don't have regular banking relationships?

Sen. Coons: That's right, Maria. One of the ways in which I've been working to respond to calls I get every day from constituents is to authorize a second round of PPP loans-to-grants. I'm introducing a bill today with several of my colleagues, Senators Cardin and Shaheen. We're working to get a Republican co-sponsor, and I'm optimistic about that. There is still $140 billion in the PPP program not yet spent. This would prioritize it. It would carve out $25 billion for those with fewer than 10 employees who have lost half of their revenue or more and give them a quick process for applying and getting a second PPP loan-to-grant, and the rest of it would be dedicated to those with fewer than 100, recognizing that the first round which got out $500 billion successfully and put a floor under our economy, it hasn't reached those very smallest businesses. I do think this can be bipartisan. The national service bill I am grateful for Senator Wicker, Senator Cornyn, Senator Rubio and others. We are working together to dramatically expand national service so that hundreds of thousands of young Americans can have the chance to go to work with local nonprofits helping our communities and country.

Q: Do you have a must ask question for the head of the SBA – she’s going to be joining me in about an hour – given your legislation?

Sen. Coons: The piece of the SBA program in the CARES Act that worked the least well was the EIDL grants. What are they doing to speed up the process and get those out to businesses? 

Q: All right. Senator, thanks very much for joining us. Good to see you, sir. Chris Coons. 

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