[VIDEO] Sen. Coons questions Biden’s attorney general nominee Merrick Garland on misinformation, policing reform, 9/11-style commission

WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Senator Chris Coons (D-Del.), a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, questioned President Biden’s nominee for attorney general, Judge Merrick Garland.

Senator Coons, co-chair of the Senate Law Enforcement Caucus, emphasized the importance of “protecting our citizens from gun violence, but also developing an environment where law enforcement is more transparent and accountable.” He used Delaware as an example of a state seeking law enforcement reform to ensure community trust, and asked Judge Garland about his views on body-worn cameras as a measure to promote trust between communities and law enforcement. Judge Garland stated that body-worn cameras are an “important tool for accountability.”

Regarding the role of the Department of Justice in examining misinformation and domestic terrorism through online platforms, Senator Coons asked, “Do you think the DOJ has a role to play in examining the role of misinformation and incitement online to contributing to violence, and that the DOJ has a role in working to help us develop reasonable solutions to this challenge?” Judge Garland responded, “I do think that an important part of the investigation of violent extremist groups is following their activities online and getting an idea of what kind of information, misinformation, is being put out. I look forward to talking more about this with you.”

In closing, Senator Coons asked whether a 9/11-style independent commission for the January 6^th Capitol riots would help complement the Justice Department’s work and help improve understanding of the event. Judge Garland responded, “I do think the 9/11 Commission was very useful and very helpful in understanding what happened then and, of course, the Congress has full authority to conduct this kind of oversight investigation or to set up an independent commission. The only thing that I would ask, if I were confirmed, is that care be taken that it not – that commission’s investigation not interfere with our ability to prosecute individuals and entities that caused the storming of the Capitol. As you well know, this is a very sensitive issue about disclosing operations which are still in progress, disclosing our sources and methods and allowing people to testify in a way that then makes it impossible to prosecute them.”

Full audio and video available here. A transcript is provided below.

Sen. Coons: Thank you, Chairman Durbin, Ranking Member Grassley. Judge Garland, welcome. Congratulations on your nomination and please convey my thanks to Lynn, to Jake, to Becky, to your family for supporting what has been a decades-long career at the bench and Bar as someone dedicated to public service, to law enforcement and to upholding the balance between justice and liberty. I cannot think of a more urgent task before us than restoring the people’s faith in our institutions and in the rule of law. Your opening statement – which, in part, was dedicated to clarifying your view that the attorney general represents the public interest – and your enthusiasm for ensuring that the 115,000 career employees of the Department of Justice are appropriately sheltered from partisan or political influence is very encouraging to me after what I think were some harrowing moments in the last few years. As I am sure you know, there are quite a few admirers of yours who work here in this committee – some former clerks of yours who work closely with me, and many who have reassured me not just of your professional skill and great insights, but also of your personal decency, kindness, and thoughtfulness. I was struck in reading through your background that you’ve spent 20 years, quietly, as a tutor at an elementary school here in the District of Columbia, something I think not enough elected or appointed officials on either the bench or in Congress do, so thank you for your willingness to continue your service. I am from a small town in Delaware, which, like many other cities in America, was torn apart by concerns about racial justice and inequality; a city that has also struggled with long-standing challenges with gun violence, with insecurity and instability in our community. Our Mayor Mike Purzycki, our Governor John Carney, are doing a great job and working hard to try and address this, striking the right balance between protecting our citizens from gun violence, but also developing an environment where law enforcement is more transparent and accountable is going to be one of the core challenges, which you and the Department of Justice will be involved in, in partnership with state and local law enforcement and with other elected officials. In Wilmington and Dover, Delaware, we are rolling out body-worn cameras for law enforcement officers. Our governor’s committed to having that available for all of our law enforcement officers by 2025, but it is very expensive. It’s something law enforcement has embraced, it’s something that advocates have embraced. I am an appropriator for the Department of Justice, as well as a member of this committee. Is that something you can agree to be an advocate for, the funding and deployment of body-worn cameras, to ensure both accountability and improve trust between law enforcement and local communities? 

Judge Garland: Well, Senator, I am again always happy to accept more resources for the Department of Justice. I do not know what that might take away from in other areas for the Department, but I personally think that body cams are a very important tool both to protect officers and to protect the citizens. And just as everyone – you were all on the inside, I was on the outside watching what happened on January 6th – and the fact that we were able to see exactly what was happening to the officers and the way in which they were carrying about their duties in the best way they could is only possible to capture because of the body cameras. I think it is an important tool for accountability, yes, I do. 

Sen. Coons: Thank you, Your Honor. If you might, I do think it is important we increase investment in a variety of programs. I long worked for the Victims of Child Abuse Act. COVID-19 has demonstrated a tragic rise in child abuse, and this is a critical tool that allows state and local law enforcement to effectively address child abuse. The Bulletproof Vest Partnership Program, which has helped save 3000 officers’ lives, these and other grant programs are things I look forward to working with you on. There is also much needed legislation that will move us forward in terms of criminal justice reform and protecting communities from violence. Senator Cornyn and I hope to soon reintroduce the NICS Denial Notification Act which just ensures that state and local law enforcement gets notified when a person prohibited lies and tries – they attempt to purchase a gun. That is something that has been discussed in previous Congresses. On this committee we haven’t made progress on it, I think we should. Senator Wicker and I are soon going to introduce, reintroduce, the bipartisan Driving for Opportunity Act, which incentivizes states to stop suspending driver’s licenses simply for unpaid fines and fees. It is a cruel, a counterproductive way to take away people’s ability to get to work and ensures people are trapped in modern-day debt prisons. It is something that has strong support from law enforcement and civil rights groups and I would just be interested in whether you will work with us here in Congress to move bipartisan bills like these?

Judge Garland: I am extremely interested, if I’m confirmed, in working with the members of Congress, and particularly on bipartisan legislation. I do not know specifically about those, but each of them has the ring of something that is very important and quite reasonable.

Sen. Coons: Enactable, reasonable, “moving the ball forward” are the sorts of things I hope we get to work on. I will be serving as the Chair of the Subcommittee on Privacy, Technology, and the Law in this Congress and I look forward to working with Senator Sasse, who will serve as ranking member. One of the core things we will be looking at is how online misinformation is contributing to domestic terrorism, to division here. You’ve discussed your own experience with domestic terrorism cases and your plan to prioritize this issue. It is something the FBI director has said is one of our most pressing threats. Do you think the DOJ has a role to play in examining the role of misinformation and incitement online to contributing to violence, and that the DOJ has a role in working to help us develop reasonable solutions to this challenge? 

Judge Garland: Well again, Senator, I think that every opportunity the Justice Department has to work with members of the Senate, think about how to solve problems and craft legislation, is one that we should take. I don’t have in mind particular legislation in this area. I do think that an important part of the investigation of violent extremist groups is following their activities online and getting an idea of what kind of information, misinformation, is being put out. I look forward to talking more about this with you. 

Sen. Coons: Well, there is increasing regulatory schemes both in Europe and in California, and other states being considered, and I look forward to working with you on striking that appropriate balance between protecting data privacy, protecting individual liberty, but also protecting the competitiveness of the United States and globally making sure that we are pushing back on digital authoritarianism. Last, I am glad to see the Department is prosecuting – I think there’s 235 charges brought so far against rioters who invaded the Capitol and attacked our democracy on January 6th. I have supported calls for a 9/11-style independent commission to investigate the bigger picture of what caused this and what we might learn from it. Do you think an independent commission of that style would help complement the Department’s work and help the American people better understand the root causes of that riot, that incident, and then better help us both protect the Capitol and those of us who serve here, but more importantly, protect the underpinnings of our democracy? 

Judge Garland: Well, Senator, I do think the 9/11 Commission was very useful and very helpful in understanding what happened then and, of course, the Congress has full authority to conduct this kind of oversight investigation or to set up an independent commission. The only thing that I would ask, if I were confirmed, is that care be taken that it not – that commission’s investigation not interfere with our ability to prosecute individuals and entities that caused the storming of the Capitol. As you well know, this is a very sensitive issue about disclosing operations which are still in progress, disclosing our sources and methods and allowing people to testify in a way that then makes it impossible to prosecute them. So, with those caveats, I certainly could not object to anything that Congress would want to do in this regard. 

Sen. Coons: Thank you. I am encouraged by the broad bipartisan support you have already garnered from this committee and publicly and look forward to supporting your confirmation.

Judge Garland: Thank you very much, Senator. I appreciate it.

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Carper, Coons seek answers on continued mails delays, press Postmaster General to restore on-time delivery and stop harmful changes

WILMINGTON, Del. – U.S. Senators Tom Carper and Chris Coons (both D-Del.) joined Senator Gary Peters (D-Mich.), Chairman of the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, and 31 of their Senate colleagues in pressing Postmaster General Louis DeJoy on persistent mail delays and what action he is taking to restore on-time mail delivery.

“Our constituents have experienced missed paychecks and court notices, delayed critical prescriptions, an inability to reach small business customers and suppliers, lost rent payments and delayed credit card payments resulting in late fees, breakdowns in service to their communities, late personal mail such as holiday packages, and more. Reportedly, mail delivery has not yet recovered after the peak season, with constituents continuing to experience delays despite the tireless efforts of postal workers,” wrote the senators.

The senators continued: “It is your duty, first and foremost, to protect service and ensure timely mail delivery for every person in this nation. We demand that you not make additional changes that will harm service for the American people. In addition, we urge you to be fully transparent with the public about Postal Service operations and the reasons they are still facing delays.”

Recent reports have also suggested DeJoy intends to implement a strategic plan that would further slow down the mail and unacceptably decrease service for millions of Americans who rely on the Postal Service.

In addition to Senators Carper, Coons and Peters, the letter was signed by U.S. Senators Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio), Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.), Catherine Cortez-Masto (D-Nev.), Angus King (I-Maine), Debbie Stabenow (D-Mich.), Mark Warner (D-Va.), Ben Cardin (D-Md,), Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.), Tim Kaine (D-Va.), Jack Reed (D-R.I.), Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.), Diane Feinstein (D-Calif.), Patty Murray (D-Wash.), Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.), Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii), Mark Kelly (D-Ariz.), Kyrsten Sinema (D-Ariz.), Maggie Hassan (D-N.H.), Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), Chris Murphy (D-Conn.), Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), Mazie Hirono (D-Hawaii), Bob Casey (D-Pa.), Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.),  Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) and Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.).

The full text of the letter is available here and below.

Dear Mr. DeJoy: 

We write to seek answers about continued mail delays under your leadership that are adversely affecting our constituents across the country.

In 2020, you made changes to operations at the U.S. Postal Service that slowed down mail and compromised service for veterans, seniors, and others who depend on the mail for prescription medications, package deliveries for small businesses, and other critical needs. An October 2020 report from the nonpartisan USPS Office of Inspector General confirmed that the July 2020 changes you initiated, along with cost reduction strategies by operations executives, resulted in widespread delays. The Postal Service did not analyze the service impacts of these changes prior to making them. We appreciate that the Postal Service fulfilled its duties during the 2020 general election and executed extraordinary measures to prioritize timely delivery of election mail. However, we remain concerned about timely delivery of all mail, from packages to newspapers to letter mail and more.

In recent weeks our constituents have again faced unacceptable delays. On-time delivery plummeted during the holiday “peak season.” For example, the week of December 26, 2020, nationwide on-time delivery was 64% for First-Class Mail and 45% for periodicals. Delays were even worse in many areas of the country. Our constituents have experienced missed paychecks and court notices, delayed critical prescriptions, an inability to reach small business customers and suppliers, lost rent payments and delayed credit card payments resulting in late fees, breakdowns in service to their communities, late personal mail such as holiday packages, and more. Reportedly, mail delivery has not yet recovered after the peak season, with constituents continuing to experience delays despite the tireless efforts of postal workers.

USPS has attributed recent delays to the historically high volume of packages during peak season, a shortage of airlift and trucking capacity, and employee shortages with postal workers on necessary leave due to COVID-19. While these are credible explanations, the fact remains that USPS leadership had a responsibility to prepare for these expected challenges. We question whether management made adequate preparations including sufficient temporary hiring and logistical planning.

We also question whether your decisions and directives continue to hinder mail delivery. Our constituents, including postal workers and Postal Service business partners, have reported concerning practices in at least some areas of the country, including management rejecting most overtime requests, limiting transportation, and renewing orders to reduce office time and leave mail behind. In addition, your hiring freeze on managers, implemented as part of a reorganization plan, has reportedly left many local postal manager positions vacant. Finally, you have announced that additional changes to the Postal Service will be forthcoming under a strategic plan that you and the Board of Governors will release in the coming weeks. This plan will reportedly include changes to service standards, slowing down the mail even further.

It is your duty, first and foremost, to protect service and ensure timely mail delivery for every person in this nation. We demand that you not make additional changes that will harm service for the American people. In addition, we urge you to be fully transparent with the public about Postal Service operations and the reasons they are still facing delays. To that end, we ask that you answer the following by February 26, 2021:

1.                   Please describe the specific steps you have taken to identify each cause of mail delays, including measuring the impacts of management actions.

2.                   Please describe in detail the steps you took to prepare for expected high package volumes and employee shortages during the peak season. Please explain why you were unable to complete necessary steps to prevent delays, such as hiring sufficient temporary workers.

3.                   Please list steps you have taken to respond to customers who have been harmed by these mail delays.

4.                   Have any nationwide or regional operational changes, other than those listed in previous USPS statements, exacerbated mail delays during and since the peak season? Please describe.

5.                   Please explain any nationwide and regional operational directives you or other Postal Service executives have made since November 2020.

6.                   Will you commit to not reducing service standards, and to not enacting other changes that will reduce the level of service to our constituents, as part of your strategic plan? 

Thank you for your attention. We look forward to working with the Postal Service during the 117^thCongress to ensure it remains a vibrant, sustainable institution for generations to come.

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Sens. Coons, Warnock, Ossoff lead colleagues in push to secure additional emergency relief for HBCUs

WILMINGTON, Del. – U.S. Senators Chris Coons (D-Del.), Raphael Warnock (D-Ga.), and Jon Ossoff (D-Ga.) led a letter with 14 of their Senate colleagues urging Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) to allocate additional emergency relief for both public and private Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) in the COVID-19 relief proposal. Additionally, the lawmakers pushed the Senate leaders to ensure that HBCUs, Tribal Colleges and Universities (TCUs), and Minority-Serving Institutions (MSIs) have equitable access to additional federal relief funds.  

“HBCUs have historically experienced challenges in gaining access to the resources necessary to consistently provide quality academic programing to their students, maintain adequate infrastructure, hire and retain leading experts in various fields of study, and honor necessary financial obligations,” the lawmakers wrote. “Despite these challenges, HBCUs have been remarkably successful at educating our Nation’s political and economic leaders, including members of both chambers of Congress and the current Vice President of the United States.”

The letter seeks to build on the $1.7 billion in federal investments HBCUs, TCUs, and MSIs received in the relief bill passed in December 2020, noting that this funding has been critical during the ongoing pandemic for institutions that educate a disproportionately high percentage of the nation’s underserved students. In the letter, the lawmakers also pressed Senate leadership to make sure that HBCUs, TCUs, and MSIs receive at least the same proportion of federal funding they received in previous relief packages.

“President Biden, in his America’s Rescue Plan, proposed that Congress expand the Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund to ensure colleges have critical resources to implement public health protocols, execute distance learning plans, and provide emergency grants to students in need. The President also proposed that Congress provide at least $35 billion in funding to the Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund, including funding to public and private HBCUs, MSIs, and TCUs. It is critical that Congress, at minimum, enact President Biden’s proposal and ensure that HBCUs, MSIs, and TCUs have equitable access to this fund,” the lawmakers added.

Along with Senators Coons, Warnock and Ossoff, the letter was also signed by U.S. Senators Cory Booker (D-N.J.), Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), Tina Smith (D-Minn.), Michael Bennet (D-Colo.), Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.), Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio), Jacky Rosen (D-Nev.), Bernard Sanders (I-Vt.), Tim Kaine (D-Va.), Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.) and Robert Menendez (D-N.J.). 

The full text of the letter is available here and below.

Dear Majority Leader Schumer and Minority Leader McConnell:

As you work to craft another recovery package to help Americans cope with the consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic, we urge you to provide as much funding as possible for Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) and to ensure these institutions’ equitable access to urgent and necessary relief funds. We further request that HBCUs receive at least the same proportion of the Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund as they have received in last year’s COVID relief packages.^[1]

The Nation’s 101 accredited HBCUs are vital to the success of low-income, first-generation college students of color and contribute markedly to our Nation’s economy.^[2] Since the founding of the nation’s first HBCU in 1837, these institutions have survived racial and systemic discrimination not only within higher education, but also in other venues such as the labor market, financial market and the socio-political systems of the respective states in which they are located. Due to these factors, HBCUs have historically experienced challenges in gaining access to the resources necessary to consistently provide quality academic programing to their students, maintain adequate infrastructure, hire and retain leading experts in various fields of study, and honor necessary financial obligations. Despite these challenges, HBCUs have been remarkably successful at educating our Nation’s political and economic leaders, including members of both chambers of Congress and the current Vice President of the United States.

In the December 2020 Fiscal Year 2021 Consolidated Appropriations Act, which included emergency, short-term COVID relief, HBCUs, Tribal Colleges and Universities (TCUs) and Minority-Serving Institutions (MSIs) received $1.7 billion of the $22.7 billion Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund. This funding was critical, as HBCUs, TCUs, and some MSIs educate a disproportionately high percentage of the nation’s underserved students. For example, Black students at HBCUs have been overwhelmingly highly impacted by coronavirus via health and economic circumstances such as higher unemployment.^[3] Students, faculty, and staff of color and Indian Country have also experienced acute suffering from higher rates of infection and mortality from COVID-19, which is why it is so important that all TCUs (as defined in Section 316(b)(3) of the Higher Education Act (20 USC 1059c)). As such, there is a critical need for additional emergency financial support to help these institutions through this historic economic and public health crisis.

President Biden’s America’s Rescue Plan proposes at least $35 billion for the Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund to ensure colleges have critical resources to implement public health protocols, execute distance learning plans, and provide emergency financial aid grants to students. It is critical that Congress, at minimum, enact President Biden’s proposal and ensure that HBCUs, MSIs, and TCUs have equitable access to this fund.

Specifically, we ask that the HBCU community, as well as TCUs and MSIs, receive as much of this fund as possible, and no less than the same portion of funding they received in the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2021. We also request that the emergency funds not prematurely sunset while underresourced institutions are experiencing the consequences of the pandemic. We further request that Congress maintain a strong maintenance of effort provision to prevent states from cutting back their investments in higher education.

Finally, we ask for continued flexibility for HBCUs, TCUs, and MSIs to use their Higher Education Act Title III and VII grant dollars in ways which are most helpful to each respective institution as they attempt to adjust to the circumstances brought about by this crisis, and that HBCUs continue to be eligible for any additional allocated to the Fund for Improvement of Postsecondary Education for institutions facing significant unmet needs due to COVID-19.

Thank you for your consideration of our request, and we look forward to working with you to support these important programs in this time of crisis. 

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Senator Coons to chair Judiciary subcommittee on privacy and technology

WILMINGTON, Del. – Today, U.S. Senator Chris Coons (D-Del.) was named chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee’s Subcommittee on Privacy, Technology, and the Law. The subcommittee has jurisdiction over legal issues pertaining to technology and social media platforms, as well as other legal issues relating to Americans’ privacy and emerging technologies. 

“I am honored to serve as the next chair of the Subcommittee on Privacy, Technology, and the Law, which was created to address cutting-edge legal issues posed by modern technology that affect the lives of countless Americans. I am deeply grateful to Chairman Durbin for this opportunity, and I look forward to working with Senator Ben Sasse (R-Neb.) as ranking member,” Senator Coons said.

“This is a critical moment for the United States to lead not only the development of technologies of the future, but the legal frameworks that will guide their use. We have much work to do to protect Americans’ privacy online, combat misinformation, and ensure the free flow of information, and I look forward to working with my colleagues on these important priorities.” 

Sen. Coons previously served as ranking member of the subcommittee from 2018-2019. He has also served as an active member of the Senate Judiciary Committee’s Tech Taskforce. During the previous Congress, he introduced the Algorithmic Fairness Act, a bill to enhance transparency in the use of algorithms by tech companies, and the Facial Recognition Warrant Technology Act, a bill he co-led with Senator Mike Lee (R-Utah) that would require federal law enforcement officials to obtain a warrant before using facial recognition technology to engage in ongoing surveillance. He also led a letter with 14 of his colleagues to Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg about the issues of hate speech, violence incitement, and anti-Muslim bias on the platform. 

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Senator Coons’ statement on his vote to convict former President Donald Trump

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Chris Coons (D-Del.) released the following statement on the conclusion of the second impeachment trial of former President Donald Trump.

“Over the course of the last week, the House impeachment managers presented a concise, compelling, and powerful case about how former President Trump summoned and incited a violent mob, directed them at our Capitol, and encouraged them to wreak havoc on our democratic process, putting all who serve in and work at the Capitol building – including his own Vice President – in grave danger. If inciting a deadly mob to overturn a free and fair election is not grounds for the impeachment of an American president, I don’t know what is, which is why this was the most bipartisan impeachment vote in American history.

“We must be clear-eyed about the challenges we face moving forward. The divisions stirred up by Donald Trump still exist across this country, and if we do not come together to reject misinformation, to stand against violence and extremism, and to move forward with an honest agreement on the facts, there is a real risk the politically motivated violence we saw on January 6 at our Capitol will happen again. I call on my colleagues — Republican and Democrat — to join me in ensuring that is not our future. We must show the American people that democracy can work and can deliver real results to address our most pressing challenges – from the COVID-19 pandemic and recession to the pandemic of distrust and division.”

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Sen. Coons to Chair Appropriations Subcommittee that Funds State Department and Foreign Operations

WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Senator Chris Coons (D-Del.) was named Chairman of the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on State and Foreign Operations (SFOPS). Senator Coons is the first Delaware Senator in over 40 years to serve on the powerful Appropriations Committee, and he has been a member of the SFOPS Subcommittee since 2013. Senator Coons also sits on the Senate Foreign Relations, Judiciary, Small Business, and Ethics Committees.

“I am honored to serve as the next Chair of the State and Foreign Operations Subcommittee, which has a budget of over $55 billion to fund U.S. diplomacy, national security, global health, and life-saving humanitarian and international development efforts around the world. I am deeply grateful to Appropriations Committee Chairman Patrick Leahy for his decades-long leadership and stewardship of this subcommittee since 1989. I look forward to continuing to work closely on these issues with Chairman Leahy and his skilled and talented staff.

“This is a critical moment for the United States to reestablish global leadership, repair our relationships with partners and allies, and tackle the many pressing geopolitical challenges facing the United States and the international community. As Chairman of the SFOPS Subcommittee, I am committed to working with Republicans and Democrats in Congress and with President Biden and his administration to advance American interests and values. Foreign assistance is not charity, but a vital component of U.S. foreign policy that can address global challenges while keeping the American people safe, growing our economy, and saving lives.

“Among my top priorities will be working with my colleagues to combat the COVID-19 pandemic and promote the safe and equitable distribution of vaccines with the help of international partners. The American people will not be safe from this pandemic as long as the virus is spreading and mutating in other parts of the world, and it is in our national interest to invest in addressing the health, economic, and social consequences of the pandemic.

“To take on these challenges, the United States will need strong diplomatic institutions powered by a national security workforce that represents the diversity of America. I look forward to supporting the Biden administration’s efforts to revitalize the State Department, the U.S. Agency for International Development, and other critical international agencies so we may build a foreign policy rooted in the values of the American people.”

Senator Coons served as Chairman of the African Affairs and Global Health Subcommittee of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee from 2011 to 2015. He is also Co-Chair of the Senate Human Rights Caucus, the International Conservation Caucus, the Bipartisan Climate Solutions Caucus, and the Malaria and Neglected Tropical Disease Caucus. Senator Coons has led the passage of major foreign policy legislation that has shaped U.S. foreign assistance during his tenure in the Senate, including the BUILD Act, the Global Fragility Act, the Nita M. Lowey Middle East Partnership Fund for Peace Act, the Global Child Thrive Act, the End Wildlife Trafficking Act, the Electrify Africa Act, the UNITE for our Oceans Act, the Global Food Security Act, and the African Growth and Opportunity Act Extension and Enhancement Act.

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Senate unanimously passes legislation awarding Congressional Gold Medal to USCP Officer Eugene Goodman

WASHINGTON – Today, the Senate unanimously passed bipartisan legislation to award U.S. Capitol Police Officer Eugene Goodman the Congressional Gold Medal. The legislation was introduced in January by U.S. Senators Chris Coons (D-Del.), Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio), Thom Tillis (R-N.C.), and Ben Cardin (D-Md.). Officer Goodman confronted rioters in the Capitol on January 6, 2021, delaying their access to the Senate chamber and protecting the lives of those inside.

“Today, the Senate voted unanimously to award Congress’ highest honor to Officer Eugene Goodman. The Congressional Gold Medal is a fitting recognition of Officer Goodman’s bravery and quick thinking, which protected not only my colleagues and me, but our democratic process,” said Senator Coons. “At a time of turmoil and division, Officer Goodman’s selfless actions solidified his place as a national hero, and this honor represents a small token of our gratitude and respect.”

“By redirecting violent rioters away from the Senate chamber on January 6^th, Officer Goodman defended our democracy and saved the lives of senators and staff. He is wholly deserving of the highest civilian honor bestowed by Congress, and I’m glad the Senate acted quickly on our legislation to recognize the quick thinking and bravery of this great Marylander with a Congressional Gold Medal. I urge my colleagues in the House to quickly follow suit,” said Senator Van Hollen.

“We all watched footage of Officer Eugene Goodman putting his own life at risk to save ours,” said Senator Brown. “What was already a tragic day could have been worse if he had not bravely led the violent mob away from the Senate chamber. Bestowing Officer Goodman with a Congressional Gold Medal to honor his commitment and courage on January 6th is one important way we can thank him for his service on that day and every day.”

“Officer Eugene Goodman’s heroic actions on January 6 prevented a potential catastrophe and his bravery deserves recognition,” said Senator Tillis. “When faced by a violent mob, Officer Goodman did not back down and instead, led the rioters away from the Senate floor. I am grateful for Officer Goodman and am proud this bipartisan legislation to award him the Congressional Gold Medal passed the Senate.”

“This high honor for Officer Eugene Goodman is well earned. His bravery and quick thinking on January 6 saved lives and saved democracy from what could have been an even darker tragedy,” said Senator Cardin. “All of Maryland is proud of Officer Goodman’s courage and service to our nation.”

The senators’ legislation was also cosponsored by Senators Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.), Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), John Boozman (R-Ark.), Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.), Bob Casey (D-Pa.), Mike Crapo (R-Idaho), Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), Jerry Moran (R-Kan.), Gary Peters (D-Mich.), James Risch (R-Idaho), Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.), Mitt Romney (R-Utah), Tom Carper (D-Del.), Tim Scott (R-S.C.), Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), Cory Booker (D-N.J.), Todd Young (R-Ind.), Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.), Deb Fischer (R-Neb.), Jon Tester (D-Mont.), James Lankford (R-Okla.), Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.), Kyrsten Sinema (D-Ariz.), Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.), Jacky Rosen (D-Nev.), Ron Wyden (D-Ore.), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.), Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.), Jack Reed (D-R.I.), Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), Mazie Hirono (D-Hawaii), Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.), Patty Murray (D-Wash.), Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), Tina Smith (D-Minn.), Steve Daines (R-Mont.), Richard Burr (R-N.C.), Ben Sasse (R-Neb.), Mike Rounds (R-S.D.), John Hoeven (R-N.D.), Jim Inhofe (R-Okla.), Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska), Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.), Tim Kaine (D-Va.), Michael Bennet (D-Colo.), Raphael Warnock (D-Ga.), Ed Markey (D-Mass.), Marco Rubio (R-Fla.), Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.), Mark Warner (D-Va.), Alex Padilla (D-Calif.), Jon Ossoff (D-Ga.), Bob Menendez (D-N.J.), Chris Murphy (D-Conn.), Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii), Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.), Maggie Hassan (D-N.H.), Mark Kelly (D-Ariz.), Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.), Angus King (I-Maine), Mike Braun (R-Ind.), and Pat Toomey (R-Pa.).

Companion legislation was introduced in the House by Representatives Charlie Crist (D-Fla.), Emanuel Cleaver (D-Mo.), and Nancy Mace (R-S.C.).

The full text of the bill can be found here.

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Senator Coons, colleagues introduce bill providing $10B for small business lending

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Chris Coons (D-Del.), Debbie Stabenow (D-Mich.), and Gary Peters (D-Mich.) introduced legislation last week to support lending to small businesses that will help them grow despite the coronavirus pandemic. The Small Business Access to Capital Act of 2021 would reauthorize and provide $10 billion in federal funding to the State Small Business Credit Initiative, or SSBCI, helping small businesses grow and create jobs. Coons previously cosponsored this legislation in the last Congress.

“State economic development leaders in Delaware and across the country know their states’ economies, and so do local investors,” Senator Coons, a member of the Small Business & Entrepreneurship Committee, said. “I’m proud to cosponsor the Small Business Access to Capital Act, because state and local leaders in the public and private sector are well positioned to leverage federal dollars with private capital that can be lent to and invested in local businesses. As Main Streets across the country struggle under the COVID-19 pandemic, rebooting the successful State Small Business Credit Initiative will provide an important tool for the difficult recovery ahead.”

“Since the onset of this pandemic, small businesses in Michigan and across the country have gone above and beyond to support their local communities during this critical time. We must ensure small businesses have the resources they need to get through this pandemic,” Sen. Peters said. “I have been proud to champion the State Small Business Credit Initiative because it is a proven success in our state, and proper investment in the program today could provide crucial support to small business owners across the nation. I’m pleased to help reintroduce this bill, and I look forward to working in a bipartisan manner to ensure that our small business owners receive the help they have earned.”

“The COVID-19 crisis has taken an incredible toll on small businesses in our state and across the country, and made us appreciate even more their importance to our communities and our economy,” Senator Stabenow said. “Given the stress of this pandemic on so many small businesses, access to capital is more important than ever. I look forward to working with Senator Peters to pass this legislation.”

The Small Business Access to Capital Act of 2021 would revive a 2010 program used by the Obama Administration to help the small business sector recover from the 2009 financial crisis. Under that program, Delaware used $13.2 million in federal funding to support 110 small business loans, which generated $59 million in total financing. The median business supported was three years old and had three full-time employees. In total, 1,463 jobs were supported or retained.

The current legislation builds on the 2010 program’s success by offering an additional $5 billion in formula funds to all states. The present bill would also create a new, competitive $5 billion pool of funding for states that have already capitalized on the financing from the 2010 program, equaling $10 billion in funding for the program in total.

Statement from Senator Coons on creation of special enrollment period for Health Insurance Marketplace

WASHINGTON – U.S. Sen. Chris Coons (D-Del.) issued the following statement on President Joe Biden’s executive order that created a three-month special enrollment period to give Americans greater access to health insurance, including those who lost jobs or coverage due to the pandemic.

“I commend the Biden Administration for re-opening the federal online Health Insurance Marketplace, which will allow Delawareans, particularly those impacted by COVID-19, another opportunity to sign-up for the health insurance coverage that best meets their needs. Ensuring that Delawareans have access to quality, affordable health care is critical, even more so during a pandemic. I urge all Delawareans who need health coverage to assess their options during this three-month special enrollment period.”

Delawareans looking for affordable health insurance can sign up for coverage – including tax credits for eligible enrollees that help to reduce monthly premiums significantly – from Feb. 15 to May 15 on HealthCare.gov, the federal online Health Insurance Marketplace created by the Affordable Care Act.

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Carney, Carper, Coons, Blunt Rochester applaud U.S. Dept. of Commerce investment of $1.5M in revolving loan funds for Delaware small businesses

WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Senators Tom Carper, Chris Coons and Congresswoman Lisa Blunt Rochester (all D-Del.), along with Gov. John Carney, announced the U.S. Department of Commerce Economic Development Administration has awarded a $1.5 million CARES Act Recovery Assistance grant to the Delaware Division of Small Business. This grant will establish and administer a Revolving Loan Fund that will provide critical gap financing to businesses adversely affected by the coronavirus pandemic across Delaware. It is expected to help create 1,500 jobs and retain 500 jobs.

“Small businesses are the backbone of our economy in Delaware, and, due to the pandemic, too many small business owners and workers have found themselves in dire circumstances through no fault of their own,” said Sen. Carper, chairman of the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee, which oversees the Economic Development Administration. “I was proud to fight for funding in the CARES Act to provide much-needed relief for the small businesses on which so many of us rely every day. I’m pleased to see that this EDA grant will be put to good use right here in the First State to keep businesses afloat and workers on payroll until this pandemic is finally in our rearview mirror.”

“The Delaware Division of Small Business has worked hard to make sure federal dollars reach small businesses that need financial support due to the pandemic,” Senator Coons said. “The division has acted tirelessly, especially in the last year, to afford flexibility with how small companies can maximize the available capital. This federal investment by the Economic Development Administration of $1.5 million, made possible under the CARES Act, will help create and save jobs and continue support for diverse businesses across the First State.”

“In the midst of the COVID-19 crisis, providing small businesses, especially those who are unbanked or underbanked, with relief is a critical priority,” said Rep. Blunt Rochester. “I’m pleased that the Economic Development Administration has chosen to invest $1.5 million in Delaware to create a revolving loan fund that can help support our small businesses who need it most. I want to thank the EDA, the Delaware Division of Small Business, and all the partners who made this grant possible as we continue to battle to defeat the coronavirus and build back a better and more equitable economy.” 

“EDA is committed to helping communities across the nation fight economic hardships brought on by COVID-19,” said Dennis Alvord, Acting Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Economic Development. “This new Revolving Loan Fund will provide critical gap financing to help Delaware’s small businesses recover from the coronavirus pandemic.”

“We remain focused on supporting the Delaware small businesses, workers and families most affected by this COVID-19 crisis,” said Governor Carney. “This new program will help us get additional support to more Delaware small businesses, an important step in rebuilding our economy.”  

This project will provide access to capital across all three Delaware counties, emphasizing the small businesses that were forced to close to protect human health and safety. The RLF will be a crucial resource to help the state’s communities recover and build back stronger. 

This project is funded under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act (Public Law 116-136), which provided EDA with $1.5 billion for economic assistance programs to help communities prevent, prepare for, and respond to coronavirus. EDA CARES Act Recovery Assistance, which is being administered under the authority of the bureau‘s flexible Economic Adjustment Assistance (EAA) program, provides a wide-range of financial assistance to eligible communities and regions as they respond to and recover from the impacts of the coronavirus pandemic. 

About the U.S. Economic Development Administration (www.eda.gov)

The mission of the U.S. Economic Development Administration (EDA) is to lead the federal economic development agenda by promoting competitiveness and preparing the nation’s regions for growth and success in the worldwide economy. An agency within the U.S. Department of Commerce, EDA makes investments in economically distressed communities in order to create jobs for U.S. workers, promote American innovation, and accelerate long-term sustainable economic growth.

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