Press Releases
REMARKS AS PREPARED: Sen. Coons on Iran/Russia sanctions: “The House should pass it and President Trump should sign it into law immediately.”
WASHINGTON - Today, Wednesday, July 12, 2017, U.S. Senator Chris Coons (D-Del.), a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, will deliver the keynote address at a conference at the Middle East Institute on "Challenges in U.S.-Iran Policy." Senator Coons' opening remarks, as prepared for delivery, are included in full below. Click here to view video of the event. Excerpts from the prepared remarks: "The Iranian government has taken advantage of the travel ban to accelerate its efforts t… Continue Reading
07.12.17
[VIDEO] Sen. Coons: Christopher Wray “is going to have to be willing and able to stand up to an overreaching president”
Sen. Coons re Donald Trump Jr. emails: "It's important that we take a deep breath, continue our investigations, make sure we get the facts straight, and understand this in the broader legal context." Sen. Coons on Christopher Wray: "At a time when the most recent FBI director was abruptly fired and the Judiciary Committee is beginning an obstruction of justice investigation over how and why the past FBI director was fired, we're going to have some critical questions for Chris Wray." WASHINGTON… Continue Reading
07.11.17
ICYMI: Sen. Coons op-ed in The Hill: “R&D is essential for boosting the American economy”
WASHINGTON - In case you missed it, U.S. Senator Chris Coons (D-Del.) published an op-ed in The Hill based on remarks he delivered an event with Duke University last month at which he discussed the importance of maintaining U.S. investments in scientific R&D. The Hill: R&D is essential for boosting the American economy By Chris Coons At campuses across the United States, it's graduation season, a time when the next generation of engineers, researchers, and scientists are making caree… Continue Reading
07.11.17
Bipartisan members of Congress work to help Americans plan for debilitating illness or condition
70% of Americans have thought about their preferences if they face a debilitating illness or condition, but only one-third have completed an advance directive Legislation is the first of its kind to be endorsed by the Right to Life Committee Republicans, Democrats work together to encourage Americans to complete 'advance directives,' plans for life-sustaining health decision. WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Chris Coons (D-Del.), Bill Cassidy, MD (R-Louis.), John Barrasso (R-Wyo.), and Michael Be… Continue Reading
07.10.17
[VIDEO] Sen. Coons on Trump-Putin meeting: “Donald Trump stepped up to the plate and whiffed”
Sen. Coons on Donald Trump, Jr.: "For a group of folks that have nothing to hide about their interactions with Russia, they certainly seem to have been hiding a lot." Sen. Coons: "Donald Trump's policy of America first is increasingly turning out to mean America alone" Sen. Coons: "Vladimir Putin and his Russian intelligence agencies fully intend to interfere in our next election in 2018 and 2020" Sen. Coons on cybersecurity commission with Russia: "That's like tweeting out that he'd like to … Continue Reading
07.07.17
Senators Coons, Grassley question USPTO participation in Commerce’s “Enterprise Services” initiative
WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Senators Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) and Chris Coons (D-Del.) sent a letter to Secretary of Commerce Wilbur Ross questioning the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office's participation in the Department of Commerce's initiative to develop shared services for all of the Department's bureaus, called "Enterprise Services." The senators are requesting further information from Secretary Ross to ensure that the USPTO is not paying more into setting up these services than it will get in r… Continue Reading
07.05.17
ICYMI: Sen. Coons op-ed in The News Journal: “Republican proposal is not about health or care”
WASHINGTON - In case you missed it, U.S. Senator Chris Coons (D-Del.) published an op-ed in The News Journal on the Senate Republicans' health care bill. The News Journal: Republican proposal is not about health or care By Chris Coons There was a lot of talk in Washington this week about the Senate Trumpcare bill. Thousands of Delawareans made your voices heard by calling and writing my office, with 20 times more callers opposed to the bill than supportive of it. It was because of your effo… Continue Reading
07.05.17
ICYMI: Sen. Coons, Brennan Center op-ed in TIME: “The Threat to American Elections You Don’t Know About But Should”
WASHINGTON - In case you missed it, U.S. Senator Chris Coons (D-Del.), a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, and Nicole Austin-Hillery, Director and Counsel at the Brennan Center for Justice, published a joint op-ed in TIME on the importance of fighting voter suppression and protecting access to the ballot box. TIME: The Threat to American Elections You Don't Know About But Should By Chris Coons and Nicole Austin-Hillery Over the past several months, we've heard a lot about the Russian… Continue Reading
06.29.17
ICYMI: Sen. Coons celebrates Pride month in Lambda Legal keynote: “The remarkable progress we’ve made so far must give us hope... to face the obstacles ahead.”
WASHINGTON - In case you missed it, earlier this month, U.S. Senator Chris Coons (D-Del.) gave the keynote speech at a reception celebrating the opening of the Washington, D.C. office of Lambda Legal, the national organization fighting for full recognition of the civil rights of LGBT individuals and those with HIV. In his remarks, Senator Coons also honors U.S. Senator Cory Booker (D-N.J.), the recipient of Lambda Legal's first "Courage in Action" Award. The complete text of Sen. Coons' remark… Continue Reading
06.28.17
[VIDEO] Sen. Coons commends Army Corps of Engineers on Delaware River deepening project & funds for Port of Wilmington
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Chris Coons (D-Del.), a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, today delivered remarks at the Energy and Water Development Subcommittee hearing on President Trump's funding request and the budget justification for the Corps of Engineers and the Department of Interior's Bureau of Reclamation. Following his opening remarks, Senator Coons questioned Lieutenant General Todd Semonite, Commanding General and Chief of Engineers, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and Mr. Dou… Continue Reading
06.28.17
[VIDEO] Sen. Coons on Trumpcare: “This fight is not over”
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Chris Coons (D-Del.) delivered remarks on the Senate floor about the Senate Republicans' health care bill. "I urge everyone watching and listening to remember: this fight is not over. The Senate will be back next month, and Republicans will be doing everything they can to make tweaks or shaves or changes or amendments to the bill to get it passed this body," said Senator Coons. "We need the engagement, persistence, and even the resistance of Delawareans and Americans a… Continue Reading
06.28.17
[VIDEO] Sen. Coons: “We're forgetting about the very people whose lives are at stake, whose health is at stake, as we're fighting over this health care law”
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Chris Coons (D-Del.), a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, yesterday joined Wolf Blitzer on CNN to discuss the Senate Republicans' health care bill and recent developments in Syria. "I think the same thing was happening in Republican Senate offices that was happening in my office this week: I got thousands of phone calls from Delawareans concerned that proposed deep cuts to Medicaid over a long period of time would leave them or their loved ones behind … Continue Reading
06.27.17
[VIDEO] Sen. Coons’ “Brave Idea” at Aspen Ideas Festival: “Progressive values aren’t just secular values”
Sen. Coons on weekly Senate Prayer Breakfast: "It's when two-dozen senators -- conservative and Evangelical, Mormon and Protestant, Jewish and even Buddhist -- gather together for an hour. We do two things that don't exist in the rest of our weeks: we trust each other, and we listen." Sen. Coons: "Let me briefly share -- as a progressive, Christian, and Democrat -- that I think both parties, and mine in particular, need to realize that progressive values aren't just secular values." Sen. Co… Continue Reading
06.27.17
[VIDEO]: Sen. Coons: “Who do we value? What do we value? That’s what’s on the floor this week.”
Sen. Coons: "It's hard to look this right in the face and not be angry at my Republican colleagues." WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Chris Coons (D-Del.), a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, today joined Morning Joe to discuss recent developments in the Middle East and the Senate Republicans' health care bill. "The hundreds of thousands of Delawareans who get their health insurance through their employer might face the loss of the consumer protections, the essential health benefits t… Continue Reading
06.26.17
ICYMI: Sen. Coons discusses GOP health care bill at Aspen Ideas Festival
Sen. Coons: "This is no way to pass a bill that will affect a sixth of our economy, that will change access to health care for tens of millions of Americans, that will affect the quality of health care for more than a hundred million Americans, and that will change the trajectory of Medicaid." Sen. Coons: "In my view, it will make health care harder to access, harder to afford, and harder to deliver for millions of Americans; in particular, those with disabilities, those who have addiction cha… Continue Reading
06.22.17
Senators Coons, Ernst, Grassley, and Reed introduce bipartisan bill to expand and support teacher leadership opportunities
WASHINGTON- U.S. Senators Chris Coons (D-DE), Joni Ernst (R-IA), Chuck Grassley (R-IA), and Jack Reed (D-RI) today introduced the Teachers Are Leaders Act, which would create partnerships between colleges and high-need schools to develop and support innovative teacher leader roles. Teachers are one of the most important factors in student achievement. Unfortunately, high teacher attrition rates, which have neared 8 percent in recent years, mean that quality teachers are leaving the classroom ev… Continue Reading
06.22.17
Senators Coons, Capito introduce bipartisan bill to expand Made in America
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Chris Coons (D-DE) and Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV) today introduced the Made in America Deduction Enhancement (MADE) Act, which will expand domestic production by providing a tax break for manufacturers that use "Made in America" component parts in their production process. The manufacturing sector is critical to the economy, supporting nearly 40 million direct and indirect jobs in the United States, which represents over one-third of the U.S. workforce-more than any … Continue Reading
06.21.17
Senators Coons, Cotton, Durbin, Hirono introduce bipartisan bill to protect US patent holders, inventors
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Chris Coons (D-Del.), Tom Cotton (R- Ark.), Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), and Mazie Hirono (D-Haw.) today introduced the STRONGER Patents Act to protect and support inventors and innovators and ensure that our patent system protects this essential property right. The STRONGER (Support Technology & Research for Our Nation's Growth and Economic Resilience) Act is an improvement on the STRONG Patents Act, which Senator Coons introduced during the last Congress. The STRONGER … Continue Reading
06.20.17
Sens. Coons co-sponsors Gigabit Opportunity Act to accelerate high-speed internet in low-income urban, rural communities
WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Senator Chris Coons announced that he will co-sponsor the Gigabit Opportunity Act or GO Act. The tech neutral, bipartisan legislation sponsored by Senator Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV) would accelerate the development of high-speed internet in low-income urban and rural communities. "Access to fast, reliable, and affordable high-speed internet is essential to the success of our students, families, and businesses, especially in low-income and rural communities. I frequently… Continue Reading
06.20.17
[VIDEO] Sen. Coons: “The idea that this big and important bill would be rolled out in a last minute secret reveal is more reminiscent of a Trump reality TV show than a regular order.”
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Chris Coons (D-Del.), a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, today joined Andrea Mitchell on MSNBC to discuss recent news regarding North Korea and the Senate Republicans' health care bill. "The idea that this big and important bill would be rolled out in a last minute secret reveal is more reminiscent of a Trump reality TV show than a regular order. And it doesn't have to be this way. When the Affordable Care Act was passed, there were weeks of hearings a… Continue Reading
