Sen. Coons applauds $1B to strengthen, expand national service in reconciliation bill on COVID relief

WASHINGTON — Today, U.S. Senator Chris Coons (D-Del.) released the following statement on the House Education & Labor Committee’s portion of the budget reconciliation bill, which would enact core elements of President Biden’s American Rescue Plan as part of a broader package. The resolution includes $1 billion to expand national service programs to aid COVID-19 response and recovery, strengthen programs’ efforts on diversity and equity, and increase members’ living allowances.

“Across the country, AmeriCorps members are already on the front lines of COVID relief – staffing food banks and delivering meals, supporting logistics at vaccine and testing sites, and tutoring students who have fallen behind after months of distance learning. Their impact is enormous, but the need remains great. By taking steps to expand national service programs, we can empower tens of thousands of Americans who want to serve their communities and their country while meeting a host of urgent needs. Importantly, this legislation provides funding to raise the living allowance for corps members so that anyone who wants to serve is able to do so, all while gaining valuable skills for the future.

“This investment represents a down payment on our recovery that will tap into the American spirit, bind us more closely to our communities and fellow Americans, and help us emerge from this crisis stronger than ever. I look forward to passing it into law.”

Senator Coons has built the largest bipartisan coalition in a decade for a bold expansion of AmeriCorps. He and Senator Roger Wicker (R-Miss.) introduced the Cultivating Opportunity and Response to the Pandemic through Service (CORPS) Act to significantly expand national service programs in response to COVID-19. Last year, the bill gained the support of 18 bipartisan senators and more than 160 organizations. For more information, please click here.

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In honor of Black History Month, Sen. Coons and Rep. Clyburn reintroduce bill to commemorate multi-state Brown v. Board of Education sites

WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Senator Chris Coons (D-Del.) and House Majority Whip Jim Clyburn (D-S.C.) reintroduced legislation to honor and commemorate the historic sites that contributed to the 1954 landmark Supreme Court decision, Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka. The purpose of this legislation is to expand the Brown v. Board of Education National Historic Site to include historic sites in South Carolina and designate National Park Service (NPS) Affiliated Areas in other states. It would recognize the importance of the additional sites that catalyzed litigation in Delaware, South Carolina, Kansas, Virginia, and the District of Columbia, and expand the Brown v. Board of Education National Historic Site in Topeka, Kansas. The legislation was crafted in partnership with the National Trust for Historic Preservation. In the Senate, the bill is cosponsored by U.S. Senators Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), Mark Warner (D-Va.), Tim Scott (R-S.C.), Tom Carper (D-Del.), Jerry Moran (R-Kan.), and Tim Kaine (D-Va.). 

“The preservation of historic sites connected to the Supreme Court case, Brown v. Board of Education, is an important step in remembering the painful but significant impact the ‘separate but equal’ doctrine had on our nation,” said Senator Coons. “I was raised just a few hundred yards away from the historic Hockessin Colored School – one of the segregated schools that played a role in the Brown v. Board of Education case. Despite this, it was not until law school that I first learned that two cases successfully challenging Delaware’s segregated school system eventually made their way to the Supreme Court and became part of the Brown decision. These Delaware cases are an example of what our nation can accomplish when we face the future by confronting the impact of our past. That’s why this Black History Month, I’m working with Whip Clyburn to honor and commemorate the sites in Delaware and across the country that shaped the history of this landmark decision.”

“Black History Month is acknowledged in February, but we must remember and memorialize the history of black people throughout the year,” said Whip Clyburn. “I am pleased to reintroduce legislation that recognizes all Brown v. Board of Educationsites for their contributions to ending segregation in our nation’s schools. This legislative initiative is very personal for me as the case that eventually ended the practice of legal segregation, Briggs v. Elliot, originated in Summerton, South Carolina. I was honored to know many of the plaintiffs who spearheaded this fight for equality and remain committed to telling their stories to ensure a promising future for generations to come.”

“South Carolina played a prominent role in one of the most consequential Supreme Court decisions in the history of our nation,” said Senator Graham.  “It is important we protect and preserve these historical sites so future generations can learn from them.  I look forward to working with my colleagues in the House and Senate to advance this important legislation.”

“Nearly 70 years ago, 16-year-old Barbara Johns led a walkout with all 450 of her fellow Black classmates at the Robert Russa Moton High School in Farmville, Virginia, to protest school segregation. Ms. Johns’ student-led demonstration spearheaded one of the five cases that would head to the Supreme Court under the Brown v. Board of Education lawsuit,” said Senator Warner. “As we honor Barbara Johns’ legacy in the halls of Congress with her statue, I’m pleased to join in this effort to commemorate the Brown v. Board of Education National Historic Site and recognize the vital role played by the Moton School in Farmville in ending school segregation.”

“Those involved in the five cases that formed Brown v. Board of Education altered the future of countless Americans, leading the way for contemporary Civil Rights activism,” said Senator Tim Scott. “I am so proud to participate in bipartisan legislation that commemorates the struggle for education equality, particularly as the bill includes two locations significant to the Briggs v. Elliot case in Summerton, South Carolina. Our bill will ensure that the history behind the Brown decision will not be forgotten.”

“The landmark ruling in Brown v. Board of Education, that put an end to the inherently unequal ‘separate but equal’ doctrine, stands as one of the most consequential Supreme Court decisions, and in fact, a number of Delawareans played a critical role in this historic case. That’s why this Black History Month, I’m proud to be joining my colleagues in introducing a bill that would allow us to preserve and share Delaware’s contributions to ending school segregation so we never forget our nation’s fight for justice,” said Senator Carper. “The Hockessin Colored School, Claymont Community Center and Howard High School are not just buildings; they are community centers, places of learning and gathering spaces that are still used today to help our communities make social progress and their histories should be shared with generations to come. I believe by remembering our nation’s long fight for equality, we can truly understand just how far we have come and why it is ever more important to continue to keep pushing to build a ‘more perfect Union’ for all Americans.” 

“Kansan Linda Brown and her parents took their case all the way to the Supreme Court in Brown v. Board of Education, leading to the overturn of the ‘separate but equal’ doctrine that discriminated against school children because of their skin color,” said Senator Moran. “This legislation will expand and preserve the historic sites in Kansas and around the country connected to this case. Kansas has played a key role in the civil rights movement, and we must seek to preserve this legacy which calls on all Americans to uphold the self-evident truth that all men and women are created equal.”

“Brown v. Board of Education was a watershed moment in America’s fight for equality. This Black History Month, I’m pleased to join this bipartisan effort to honor the historic sites connected to the case,” said Senator Kaine. “I’m especially proud this effort includes the Moton Museum, former home of the Moton School, where 16-year-old Barbara Johns led a protest over the intolerable conditions for Black students in Farmville, Virginia. It’s critical we protect these sites so that future generations can better understand and appreciate all those who worked to propel our nation towards our founding principal of equality for all.” 

“Passage of this legislation will help us tell the full story of Brown v. Board of Education by elevating and protecting these powerful historic places and the inspiring stories of people who have not previously had their story told on a national stage,” said Katherine Malone-France, the Chief Preservation Officer for the National Trust for Historic Preservation. 

The 1954 Supreme Court decision in Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka was described by constitutional scholar Louis H. Pollak as “probably the most important American government act of any kind since the Emancipation Proclamation.” The Brown decision transformed the United States, striking down the separate-but-equal doctrine established by Plessy v. Ferguson in 1896. The Plessy decision was the linchpin that condoned and entrenched legalized segregation across the South, despite protections clearly stated in the U.S. Constitution and underscored by the 14^th and 15^th Amendments. 

These laws stayed in placed for nearly 100 years after Reconstruction, but pioneering civil rights lawyers like Charles Hamilton Houston, Thurgood Marshall, William Hastie, Constance Baker Motley, Louis Lorenzo Redding, and others challenged the constitutionality of segregation and won. The Brown decision ended the practice of legalized segregation in educational facilities and was a major catalyst of the Civil Rights Movement of the 1950s and 60s. 

The history of Brown v. Board of Education is represented in our national consciousness by a single building, Monroe School, which is a National Historic Site located in Topeka, Kansas. This limited geographic scope condenses public memory of these events and inadvertently fails to recognize the contributions of the other communities in Claymont, Delaware; Hockessin, Delaware; Wilmington, Delaware; Summerton, South Carolina; Farmville, Virginia; and the District of Columbia that were also important to the fight for equality and that saw their cases consolidated with the Brown case. The geographic dispersion of these locations demonstrates that Brown v. Board of Education is truly a story of a national struggle with national significance.

“Recognizing Hockessin Colored School #107 as an affiliated area of the National Park System is a fitting tribute to Delaware’s unique role in the Brown decision,” said the Honorable Collins J. Seitz, Jr., Chief Justice of the Delaware Supreme Court. “Of the five cases appealed in Brown, the Delaware decision in Belton v. Gebhart – requiring the immediate admission of African American students to schools attended by white children – was the only appeal affirmed by the Supreme Court.” 

“The family of Louis L. Redding commends the preservation of these historic schools as reminders of the hard-won rights of African Americans to equal access in education,” said JB Redding, on behalf of the family of Louis L. Redding, Delaware’s first Black attorney and the lawyer who argued the Delaware school desegregation cases. “Further, their existence serves as a reminder that the struggle for full implementation of these rights continues.”

“With the path to the infamous Brown v. Board of Education beginning its genesis in Summerton, South Carolina, with the Briggs v. Elliott case, the Clarendon School District One’s Board of Trustees and residents of the local community are humbled and honored to have two historic facilities entrusted to the National Park Service,”said Clarendon Superintendent Barbara Champagne. “The designation of the Summerton School and the Scott’s Branch School is steeped in the authentic American story of the journey for equality and equity. The voices of those courageous men and women who were given the vision for better opportunities and for equitable resources will not remain silent or forgotten. Instead, their voices will echo through the annals of history as a reminder of what can be achieved through determination, perseverance, and faith.”

“The Robert R. Moton Museum is excited to join with communities involved in the historic Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka decision. In seeking to become an affiliated area of the National Park Service, we know this affiliation will allow us the opportunity to better collaborate with other communities involved in the historicBrown decision as we work to ensure that countless individuals have the opportunity to know of the courage and sacrifice that citizens made towards equality in education,” said Cameron D. Patterson, Executive Director of the Robert R. Moton Museum. “The Moton Museum Board of Trustees, Moton Museum Community Council, and our partner institution Longwood University in offering their support towards this effort, recognize that the resources and benefits offered from this affiliation with the National Park Service will only strengthen our ability to fulfill our mission as a museum.”

The creation of NPS Affiliated Areas in Delaware, Virginia, and the District of Columbia for sites associated with the Brown v. Board of Education case and an expansion of the Brown v. Board of Education National Historic Site to include the related sites in South Carolina provides an opportunity for these sites to tell their own uplifting, under-recognized stories of students, parents, and their allies who helped shape American society. 

Enactment of this legislation has the potential to appropriately recognize the sites associated with the other four court cases and help them to combine current uses with preservation and public education.  In collaboration with local partners and other stakeholders, the National Trust will continue their collective work to bring recognition to communities that fought for school integration, helping these sites to tell their own history of the Brown v. Board of Education case and make connections to other communities engaged in the fight for educational equity, past and present. 

The bill text is available here. 

About the National Trust for Historic Preservation

The National Trust for Historic Preservation is a privately funded nonprofit organization that works to save America’s historic places. Visithttp://www.savingplaces.org

About the African American Cultural Heritage Action Fund

The African American Cultural Heritage Action Fund is a multi-year initiative led by the National Trust for Historic Preservation in partnership with the Ford Foundation, the JPB Foundation, the Open Society Foundations and other partners, working to make an important and lasting contribution to our cultural landscape by elevating the stories and places of African American achievement and activism. Visit http://www.savingplaces.org/actionfund

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Statement from Senator Coons on the passing of retired Police Chief Eugene C. Petty

WASHINGTON – U.S. Sen. Chris Coons (D-Del.), co-chair of the Senate Law Enforcement Caucus, issued the following statement on the passing of retired Chief Eugene C. Petty of the New Castle City Police Department.

“Chief Eugene C. Petty, a devoted patriot who served his country during World War II, was a respected community leader, advocate, and 25-year veteran of the New Castle City Police. I got to know Chief Petty when I was county executive, working with him on projects like the Buttonwood Colored School Community Center and Museum. As one of the first Black police chiefs in Delaware, he faced adversity and bias during his career and persevered by devoting himself to mentorship and the imperative work of bridging racial divides. For his service to his city, community, and country, we owe him a debt of gratitude. As we observe Black History Month, we must remember Chief Petty not only now but forever in our hearts as he embodied what it truly means to be an American.” 

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Sen. Coons joins push to ensure stimulus payments reach Americans experiencing homelessness

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Chris Coons (D-Del.) joined Senator Tina Smith (D-Minn.) and 27 of their Senate colleagues in calling on the Department of the Treasury to ensure Americans receive the relief they are entitled to, including those who are experiencing homelessness.
The bipartisan COVID-19 relief package enacted into law on December 27 of last year provided a round of direct payments worth up to $600 per adult, and efforts are currently underway to provide additional direct payments in future relief legislation. Senators Coons, Smith and their colleagues want to make sure the Treasury Department and the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) commit to conducting outreach to all populations to make sure Americans are aware of their potential eligibility and can sign up for and receive the payments.

Senator Coons is renewing this effort after he joined his colleagues in a similar letter to the Trump administration last spring urging the administration to take the necessary steps to ensure people experiencing homelessness received the stimulus payments provided under the CARES Act. Unfortunately, as the IRS reported in September, approximately 9 million non-filers had yet to claim their direct payments nearly six months after the CARES Act was enacted into law.

“People experiencing homelessness have been disproportionately impacted by the negative health effects of COVID-19 and the unprecedented economic crisis that has followed,” the senators wrote. “Overcrowding in shelters, the lack of basic hygiene and sanitation in outdoor encampments, and barriers to accessing health care and economic opportunities are added challenges that people experiencing homelessness have faced over the past nine months.  While it is clear that we all must do more to provide safe, stable housing for these individuals, we also must ensure that these communities are not left behind as the Treasury Department distributes economic relief payments.”
In addition, the senators are urging the Treasury Department to take the following steps:

1. Publish specific procedures for how those without a permanent address, government issued identification, or bank account can access their payment;
2. Expand guidance for non-filers and provide additional options for people to claim their payments. As many people experiencing homelessness have limited or no access to internet, a website where non-filers can register is insufficient; and
3. Work with the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) to conduct outreach to local Continuums of Care and social service organizations.

In addition to Senators Coons and Smith, the letter was signed by Senators Ron Wyden (D-Ore.), Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.), Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.), Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio), Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.), Richard J. Durbin (D-Ill.), Mazie K. Hirono (D-Hawaii), Patty Murray (D-Wash.), Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), Jack Reed (D-R.I.), Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), Cory A. Booker (D-N.J.) Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.), Robert Menendez (D-N.J.), Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.), Angus S. King, Jr. (I-Maine), Michael F. Bennet (D-Colo.), Bernard Sanders (I-Vt.), Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii), Jon Ossoff (D-Ga.), Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.), Kyrsten Sinema (D-Ariz.), Raphael Warnock (D-Ga.) and Mark Kelly (D-Ariz.).

The full text of the letter is available below.

Dear Secretary Yellen,

We write to urge you to ensure that the direct assistance provided by Congress reaches people experiencing homelessness.  The bipartisan relief package enacted into law on December 27, 2020, provided a round of direct payments worth up to $600 per adult, and there are currently efforts underway to provide additional direct payments in future COVID-19-related legislation.  The COVID-19 public health emergency has placed an ongoing financial burden on millions of Americans, and we are optimistic that this assistance will help cover necessary expenses resulting from the pandemic.  These efforts only succeed, however, if the Treasury Department and Internal Revenue Service (IRS) commit to conducting outreach to all populations to make sure they are aware of their potential eligibility and can sign up for and receive the payment.  We recognize President Biden’s interest in addressing this and encourage you to take into account the following information as you work on this important issue.

People experiencing homelessness have been disproportionately impacted by the negative health effects of COVID-19 and the unprecedented economic crisis that has followed.  Overcrowding in shelters, the lack of basic hygiene and sanitation in outdoor encampments, and barriers to accessing health care and economic opportunities are added challenges that people experiencing homelessness have faced over the past nine months.  While it is clear that we all must do more to provide safe, stable housing for these individuals, we also must ensure that these communities are not left behind as the Treasury Department distributes economic relief payments.

Since the passage of the CARES Act, far too many Americans have been unable to access the relief they are entitled to under the law.  Despite Section 2201(e) of the CARES Act requiring the Secretary of the Treasury to conduct a public awareness campaign on the availability of these direct payments for people who have not filed tax returns in recent years, the IRS reported that approximately 9 million non-filers had yet to claim their direct payments nearly six months after the CARES Act was enacted into law.^[1]  It is clear that additional outreach and accommodations for non-filers are necessary.

We urge you to, at a minimum, take the following steps to ensure that people experiencing homelessness or housing insecurity receive the direct assistance payments they are entitled to under the law.  First, the Treasury Department should publish specific procedures for how those without a permanent address, government issued identification, or bank account can access their payment.  Second, we urge you to expand on your guidance for non-filers and provide additional options for people to claim their payments.  Simply offering a website where non-filers can register for their payments is not adequate, as many people experiencing homelessness have limited or no access to the internet.  Third, we urge you to work with the Department of Housing and Urban Development to conduct outreach to local Continuums of Care and social service organizations.  All across the country, these organizations have come up with innovative ways to spread awareness about eligibility for relief payments.  Non-profits have provided internet-accessible phones or computers so people can use the non-filers tool created by the IRS last year, helped individuals collect personal identification information, and even offered to receive checks at the organization on behalf of those without a permanent address.^[2]

We are pleased that President Biden has already made it a priority to complete the distribution of unclaimed stimulus checks through his recent executive order,^[3]and that the Treasury Department has responded by promising to expand efforts to reach people without internet access and analyze other barriers that currently unserved households may be facing.^[4]  However, due to the urgency of the current economic crisis and the assistance that these checks could provide to people experiencing homelessness, we ask that you provide us with regular updates on your efforts.  We also ask that the Treasury Department publish a detailed report of all outreach conducted to local Continuums of Care and social service organizations, and an analysis of how many people experiencing homelessness have yet to claim their stimulus payments from the most recent COVID-19 relief bill.  We are confident that by taking these steps, the Treasury Department will be well-equipped to distribute the current round of stimulus payments and any future relief that may be provided by Congress. 

Thank you for your work on these important issues, which will benefit millions of Americans struggling with housing insecurity during this unprecedented public health and economic crisis. 

Sincerely, 

—

[1] “IRS to mail special letter to estimated 9 million non-filers, urging them to claim Economic Impact Payment by Oct.15 at IRS.gov,” Internal Revenue Service, accessed February 2, 2021, https://www.irs.gov/newsroom/irs-to-mail-special-letter-to-estimated-9-million-non-filers-urging-them-to-claim-economic-impact-payment-by-oct-15-at-irsgov.

[2] “Guidance for Helping People Experiencing Homelessness Access Their Economic Impact Payments,” National Low Income Housing Coalition, accessed February 1, 2021, https://nlihc.org/sites/default/files/Guidance_Accessing-EIPs.pdf. 

[3] Jim Tankersley and Alan Rappeport, “Biden Signs Orders to Expand Food Stamps and Raise Wages, but Says Economy Needs More Help,” New York Times, January 22, 2021, https://www.nytimes.com/2021/01/22/business/biden-food-stamps-stimulus-checks.html.

[4] “FACT SHEET: Treasury to Work to Ensure Families Get Access to Economic Impact Payments,” U.S. Department of the Treasury, accessed January 22, 2021, https://home.treasury.gov/news/featured-stories/fact-sheet-treasury-to-work-to-ensure-families-get-access-to-economic-impact-payments.

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Sens. Coons, Scott and Reps. Suozzi, Moolenaar co-chair the 69th National Prayer Breakfast

WASHINGTON – This morning, U.S. Senators Chris Coons (D-Del.) and Tim Scott (R-S.C.) and U.S. Representatives Tom Suozzi (D-N.Y.) and John Moolenaar (R-Mich.) co-chaired the 69^th annual National Prayer Breakfast. The event was virtual this year due to the COVID-19 pandemic. 

“For the last 69 years, the National Prayer Breakfast has brought together religious, political, and cultural leaders from all over the world in a celebration of spirituality and prayer,” said Senator Coons. “After a very divisive time in our nation’s history, it’s my hope that this year’s breakfast offers Americans of all faiths and backgrounds the strength and courage to unite as a nation and tackle the challenges we face together. I’m honored to co-chair this event with Senator Scott and Congressmen Suozzi and Moolenaar.”

“It’s an honor to co-chair this year’s National Prayer Breakfast with my friend, Senator Chris Coons, and Congressmen Suozzi and Moolenaar,” said Senator Scott. “While this year’s event may look a little different, we are still united in our shared belief that we are a stronger and more resilient nation because of our faith in God. And as scripture tells us, where two or three are gathered, the Lord is near. My prayer is that even in the midst of chaos and uncertainty, we can trust in the promise that better days are ahead.”

“During this time of division in our nation, the Prayer Breakfast reminds us to both love our neighbors and even the more challenging love our enemies,” said Representative Suozzi. “We need to come together and promote programs and policies that will advance the common good.”

“My hope is that this morning’s National Prayer Breakfast was a time of encouragement and friendship as we continued an annual tradition that began in 1952,” said Representative Moolenaar. “We are all created in the image of God and with mutual respect for one another we can work together to improve the lives of those we serve.”

Each year, more than 3,000 people attend the event, and every president since President Dwight Eisenhower in 1952 has participated. Ambassador Andrew Young was the keynote speaker at today’s event. Past speakers include Mother Theresa (1994), Bono (2006), Tony Blair (2009), Dr. Ben Carson (2013), Senate Chaplain Barry Black (2017), and Arthur Brooks (2020).

You can read more about the 2021 National Prayer Breakfast here: https://2021nationalprayerbreakfast.org

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Senators call for broader strategy against Prigozhin’s mercenary Wagner Group

WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Senators Chris Coons (D-Del.), Marco Rubio (R-Fla.), Jeanne Shaheen, (D-N.H.), and Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) introduced a resolution condemning the activities of Russian national Yevgeniy Prigozhin and the Wagner Group, a Russian private military contractor. The resolution calls for broad cooperation between Congress and the Biden administration to formulate a strategy to counter the malign activities of these Russian proxies. 

Prigozhin, the Wagner Group, and several other entities closely linked to Russian President Vladimir Putin and the Russian government continue to pose a threat to the national interests and security of the United States.  Their subversive activities continue unabated in multiple countries, including the Central African Republic, Libya, Madagascar, Mozambique, Sudan, and others. 

“The recent sweeping hacking operation of the U.S. government is only the latest example of Vladimir Putin’s efforts to subvert international security,” said Senator Coons. “For years, Yevgeniy Prigozhin, the Wagner group, and others have meddled in foreign elections and sent mercenaries to fight in proxy wars overseas. I look forward to working with partners in Congress and the Biden administration to develop and execute a comprehensive strategy to counter these malign activities and prevent Prigozhin and Wagner from destabilizing other countries.”

“Holding Vladimir Putin and his cronies accountable for their malign activities against the U.S. and around the world is fundamental to our national security. We know Yevgeniy Prigozhin and the Russian security firm Wagner Group are bad actors who, with the support of the Kremlin, destabilize democracies, exacerbate conflict settings, actively seek to undermine democratic processes and continue to pose a threat to the interests of the United States and its allies. That is why Congress and the President must act,” said Senator Shaheen. “We must use all of the tools at our disposal – in coordination with our friends and allies – to counter this aggression.  With a new administration that will finally stand up to Putin rather than stand by him, we have important opportunities ahead to finally hold the Kremlin to account.”

“Russian national Yevgeniy Prigozhin and the Wagner Group must be held accountable for their actions in meddling in U.S. elections, the illegal annexation of Crimea, and their overall threat to our nation and global security,” Senator Durbin said. “I look forward to working with my colleagues and the Biden administration to address the destabilizing activity of Prigozhin and the Wagner Group.”

The full text of the resolution is available here.

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Senators condemn malign actions of the Putin regime, call for release of Alexei Navalny

WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Senators Chris Coons (D-Del.), Marco Rubio (R-Fla.), Ben Cardin (D-Md.), Mitt Romney (R-Utah), Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), and Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) introduced the bipartisan Holding Russia Accountable for Malign Activities Act of 2021, a targeted bill that would impose sanctions on Russian officials complicit in brazen violations of international law including the poisoning and imprisonment of opposition leader and anti-corruption activist Alexei Navalny. The bill directs the administration to determine if the Kremlin has violated U.S. laws prohibiting the use of chemical and biological weapons. The bill also requires a report on the assassination of Russian opposition politician Boris Nemtsov, and on the personal wealth amassed by the corrupt practices of Vladimir Putin and his inner circle.

“Putin’s government has a long and sordid history of using murder and attempted murder to silence Russian citizens at home and abroad who have called attention to the regime’s corrupt and abusive practices,” said Senator Coons. “The Russian people are now demonstrating against the imprisonment of Alexei Navalny through peaceful protests across their country. Instead of listening to their real grievances, Putin’s security forces have responded with unbridled brutality and arrested thousands. This bipartisan bill seeks to hold Putin and his inner circle accountable, while sending a clear message that the Russian government should immediately release Navalny and halt its repressive actions.”

“Following yesterday’s outrageous sentencing of Russian opposition leader Alexey Navalny, I’m proud to join Senator Coons in standing with the Russian people,” said Senator Rubio. “The Holding Russia Accountable for Malign Activities Act will impose a cost on Putin, and his thugs, for their corruption and targeting of opponents.”

“Russia will continue to use the tools of government to violently repress the opposition until the United States and the world say enough is enough. Poisoning or otherwise attempting to kill your critics and putting them in prison are not acceptable behaviors in any country,” said Senator Cardin, author of the Global Magnitsky Human Rights Accountability Act. “One of the ways Putin has maintained his ironclad grip on Russia is through corruption, which is why the United States must defend anti-corruption activists like Alexei Navalny in their pursuit of justice and rule of law. I’m proud to join my colleagues in introducing this legislation that would hold Russia accountable for its violations of international law.”

“Strong leaders do not have to jail their adversaries to maintain power,” said Senator Romney. “Putin and his cronies first poisoned Alexei Navalny and when they were unsuccessful at that, they set up a sham trial and sentenced him to several years in prison. We must hold the Putin regime accountable for these acts, which are a shameless attempt to silence the voice of the Russian people fighting against corruption and for freedom and truth.”

“Putin’s imprisonment and attempted murder of Alexei Navalny cannot go unanswered. The United States and the international community must hold him accountable for his efforts to squash movement toward democracy and freedom. I urge my colleagues to immediately pass this bipartisan bill, and I look forward to working with the Biden Administration to implement this measure,” said Senator Van Hollen.

“Alexei Navalny’s only crime is that he represents a strong democratic opposition to President Putin. He should be allowed to call attention to the regime’s corrupt practices and run for office without being jailed or poisoned,” Senator Durbin said. “I’m proud to introduce this bill with my colleagues to help hold Putin accountable and ensure that the Russian people can enjoy basic democratic freedoms.”

The full text of the bill is available here. 

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Amidst a frigid winter & raging pandemic, Carper, Coons seek to deliver lifesaving LIHEAP utility assistance

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Tom Carper and Chris Coons (both D-Del.) joined Senator Jack Reed (D-R.I.) and 41 of their Senate colleagues on a letter urging Congressional leaders to boost funding for the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) in the next pandemic relief package. LIHEAP is a federally funded program that helps low-income households with their home energy bills by providing payment and energy crisis assistance. With temperatures dropping, gas and electricity bills mounting, and continued high rates of COVID-19, the senators say it is critical to keep people safe, stop the spread of COVID-19, and prevent vulnerable Americans from having their utilities shutoff and accumulating debts they cannot afford to pay.  

“The LIHEAP program is well-positioned to quickly respond to, and support the needs of, millions of American households affected by the COVID-19 pandemic who are struggling to heat their homes this winter and cool their homes next summer,” the senators wrote. “State energy officials have reported that they are ready to move additional LIHEAP funds quickly and have identified a need for an additional $10 billion to serve 11 million families, including newly-eligible households.”

LIHEAP has bipartisan support and a proven track record of effectively administering federal funds to qualified households.  The senators are urging additional LIHEAP funding be included as part of a comprehensive federal COVID-19 response that protects vulnerable American households across the country.

The letter notes: “Across the nation, utilities are reporting significant increases in the number of families falling behind on their utility bills.  The National Energy Assistance Directors’ Association estimates that 15 to 20 percent of residential customers are at least 60 days behind on their electric and natural gas bills.”

“LIHEAP assistance is an indispensable lifeline, helping to ensure that recipients do not have to choose between paying their energy bills and affording other necessities like food and medicine.  Yet the annual funding for LIHEAP is only able to provide benefits to approximately one in six eligible households.  We appreciate the $900 million included in the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act for LIHEAP, but those funds are now fully obligated and additional funding is necessary to help the newly unemployed with their growing bills,” the senators wrote.

In addition to Senators Carper, Coons, and Reed, the letter was signed by Senators Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.), Cory Booker (D-N.J.), Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), Tim Kaine (D-Va.), Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.),  Bob Casey (D-Pa.), Debbie Stabenow (D-Mich.), Kyrsten Sinema (D-Ariz.), Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.), Chris Murphy (D-Conn.), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.), Michael Bennett (D-Colo.), Jon Ossoff (D-Ga.), Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.), Jacky Rosen (D-Nev.), Mark Kelly (D-Ariz.), Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), Raphael Warnock (D-Ga.), Bob Menendez (D-N.J.), Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), Tina Smith (D-Minn.), Maggie Hassan (D-N.H.), Mark Warner (D-Va.), Mazie K. Hirono (D-Hawaii), Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii), Ed Markey (D-Mass.), Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.), Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), Benjamin Cardin (D-Md.), Alex Padilla (D-Calif.), Gary Peters (D-Mich.), Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio), Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), Ron Wyden (D-Ore.), Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.), Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.), Angus King (I-Maine), and Joe Manchin (D-W.Va).

In addition to the $900 million in LIHEAP funds through the CARES Act, Congress also worked together on a bipartisan basis to provide $3.7 billion for LIHEAP in 2020.

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 urgently request that you provide robust supplemental funding that reflects the increased need for the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP).  The LIHEAP program is well-positioned to quickly respond to, and support the needs of, millions of American households affected by the COVID-19 pandemic who are struggling to heat their homes this winter and cool their homes next summer.

State energy officials have reported that they are ready to move additional LIHEAP funds quickly and have identified a need for an additional $10 billion to serve 11 million families, including newly-eligible households.  Across the nation, utilities are reporting significant increases in the number of families falling behind on their utility bills.  The National Energy Assistance Directors’ Association estimates that 15 to 20 percent of residential customers are at least 60 days behind on their electric and natural gas bills.

LIHEAP assistance is an indispensable lifeline, helping to ensure that recipients do not have to choose between paying their energy bills and affording other necessities like food and medicine.  Yet the annual funding for LIHEAP is only able to provide benefits to approximately one in six eligible households.  We appreciate the $900 million included in the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act for LIHEAP, but those funds are now fully obligated and additional funding is necessary to help the newly unemployed with their growing bills.

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.

Sincerely,

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Sen. Coons, colleagues seek $130B funding boost for local school infrastructure

WILMINGTON, Del. — U.S. Senator Chris Coons (D-Del.) joined Senator Jack Reed (D-R.I.) and 24 of their colleagues in introducing the Reopen and Rebuild America’s Schools Act last week. Outdated school buildings in poor condition are barriers to a good education. With school districts facing increased costs, aging school infrastructure, and an urgent need to alleviate crowded classrooms and ensure adequate fresh air ventilation to help reduce COVID-19 transmission, the bill would invest $130 billion in modernizing classrooms across the country and would help schools upgrade their physical and digital infrastructure. 

“As we continue to grapple with the COVID-19 crisis, it is critical that we invest in the safe and sustainable reopening of our schools,” said Senator Coons. “This bill prioritizes the needs of our students and educators, the safety of our school buildings, and jobs in communities throughout Delaware and the country – creating opportunity while helping our schools overcome the challenges of the pandemic.”

Crumbling, outdated school infrastructure makes it tougher for students, teachers, and staff to safely return to school for in-person instruction. Comprehensive school modernization planning is a critical component of helping post-pandemic K-12 schools become stronger and more sustainable than before the COVID-19 crisis.

The Reopen and Rebuild America’s Schools Act will provide $100 billion in formula funds to states for local competitive grants for school repair, renovation, and construction. States will focus assistance on communities with the greatest financial need, encourage green construction practices, and expand access to high-speed broadband to ensure that all students have access to digital learning. 

The bill would also provide $30 billion for qualified school infrastructure bonds (QSIBs), $10 billion each year from fiscal years 2022 through 2024, and restore the Qualified Zone Academy Bonds (QZABS) that were eliminated in the Republican Tax Cuts and Jobs Act. The legislation eases the matching requirements and expands the authority and eligible purposes of QZABS to allow local education agencies to construct, rehabilitate, retrofit, or repair school facilities. 

The Reopen and Rebuild America’s Schools Act also supports American workers by ensuring that projects use American-made iron, steel, and manufactured products and meet labor standards. 

In the Senate, the bill is also cosponsored by U.S. Senators Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio), Cory Booker (D-N.J.), Ben Cardin (D-Md.), Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.), Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), Mazie Hirono (D-Hawaii), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.), Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), Jacky Rosen (D-Nev.), Tina Smith (D-Minn.), Chris Murphy (D-Conn.), Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.), Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.), Bob Casey (D-Pa.), Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), Maggie Hassan (D-N.H.), Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.), Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.), Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.), and Debbie Stabenow (D-Mich.).

A summary of the Reopen and Rebuild America’s Schools Act is provided below.

•           Investment of $100 billion in grants and $30 billion in bond authority targeted at public schools with high need and facilities that pose health and safety risks to students and staff;

•           Creation of over 2 million jobs based on an Economic Policy Institute analysis that each $1 billion spent on construction creates 17,785 jobs;

•           Allocation of 2022 program dollars on an emergency basis to aid in safely reopening public schools in line with Centers for Disease Control (CDC) public health guidelines—such as for heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) systems;

•           Requiring states to develop comprehensive state-wide public databases on the condition of public-school facilities; most states do not track school facility conditions and would provide much-needed insight into the condition of our public schools; and

•           Expanding access to high-speed broadband to ensure that public schools have the reliable and high-speed Internet access they need for digital learning.

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Sen. Coons, colleagues reintroduce tax credit to encourage revitalization of distressed homes

WILMINGTON, Del. — This week, U.S. Senators Chris Coons (D-Del.), Ben Cardin (D-Md.) and Rob Portman (R-Ohio) introduced bipartisan legislation to revitalize housing in distressed neighborhoods. Cosponsors include Senators Todd Young (R-Ind.), Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio) and Tim Scott (R-S.C.). Currently, private development lacks in some urban and rural areas in Delaware and across the country because the cost of purchasing and renovating homes is greater than the value of the sale price of homes. The Neighborhood Homes Investment Act (NHIA) would create a federal tax credit that covers the cost between building or renovating a home in these areas and the price at which they can be sold. The NHIA would also help existing homeowners in these neighborhoods to renovate and stay in their homes. 

In Delaware, neighborhoods in and around Wilmington, Newark, Wilton, Bear, Duncan Woods, Dover, Harrington, Georgetown, Laurel, Bridgeville, Ellendale, and Bethel would qualify for this federal tax credit. 

“Homeownership offers a way to build wealth and security in America, yet even before the pandemic it has been out of reach for many families in Delaware and across the country,” said Senator Coons. “This new tax credit will attract private investment for building and rehabilitating homes in distressed communities and open new homeownership opportunities for thousands of low-income families. I look forward to advancing the Neighborhood Homes Investment Act with my colleagues to take an important step toward a more equitable economic recovery from COVID-19.”

“Everyone deserves a safe and affordable place to call home and an opportunity to build equity and wealth for their family. Our bipartisan tax credit will drive investment and revitalize neighborhoods in Baltimore and across Maryland while keeping them affordable for low- and moderate-income families,” said Senator Cardin. “By building on the success of the Low-Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC) and New Markets Tax Credit (NMTC), we can attract investment in communities that need it most. President Biden’s campaign supported the Neighborhood Homes Investment Act, a strong sign of the growing support and need for this program now.”  

“The Neighborhood Homes Investment Act provides a tax credit to rehabilitate blighted homes and help revitalize neighborhoods across America and Ohio,” said Senator Portman. “As we continue to battle the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, this tax credit will encourage opportunity and investment in neighborhoods that are often home to vulnerable populations and marked by stagnant housing markets, foreclosures, and blighted or vacant homes. I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting this new incentive which will work in tandem with the New Markets Tax Credit, Opportunity Zones, and the Low-Income Housing Tax Credit to help Ohioans by providing desirable housing and generating new opportunities for their residents.”

“The Neighborhood Homes Investment Act will help address the housing affordability crisis, create jobs, and encourage economic development during these tough times. By providing a tax credit to remove and redevelop abandoned buildings, we can incentivize more affordable housing to be constructed in areas that are in need of rehabilitation. This legislation will benefit many struggling communities in Indiana seeking to revitalize amid this pandemic,” said Senator Young.

“Although the Fair Housing Act made housing discrimination illegal more than 50 years ago, too many of our communities – particularly Black and brown communities – still reflect historic patterns of segregation and racial disparities in wealth and homeownership,” said Senator Brown. “The Neighborhood Homes Investment Act will help overcome historic patterns of disinvestment in low-wealth neighborhoods and give families a chance to build wealth through homeownership in the communities they love.”

“Homeownership is an important part of the American Dream, and for far too long too many people have had to face an uphill climb to owning their own property,” said Senator Tim Scott. “The Neighborhood Homes Investment Act will help first time homebuyers across the United States further their dreams of being homeowners. I am proud to re-introduce this bill to help more Americans make wise investments and grow our economy.”

The NHIA could lead to the revitalization of 500,000 homes and create $100 billion in development revenue over the next 10 years. About 22% of metro areas nationwide and 25% of non-metro areas qualify for NHIA investments. NHIA targets neighborhoods that have poverty rates that are 130% or greater than the metro or state rate; have incomes that are 80% or less that area median income; and have home values that are below the metro or state median value. 

The full text of the bill can be found here.

Investors, not the government, bear the risk – credits would be received only after rehabilitation is completed and the property is occupied by an eligible homeowner. The Treasury Department is required to provide an annual report on the performance of the program.

NHIA will require that homes constructed or revitalized under the program must be sold to homeowners making less than 140 percent of the area median income. This ensures that improved housing directly benefits members of the communities targeted by the new tax credit. In addition, these credits are only eligible for houses constructed or revitalized in census tracts that meet certain minimum metrics related to median gross income, poverty rates, and home sale prices.

The credits would only be available after the homes have been completed and sold to a homeowner. NHIA targets neighborhoods that have poverty rates that are 130 percent or greater than the metro or state rate; have incomes that are 80 percent or less than area median income; and have home values that are below the metro or state median value.

The maximum credit amount is the lesser of 35% of total development costs (property acquisition plus construction and/or rehabilitation cost) or 80% of the national median home sale price. NHIA tax credits are awarded to project sponsors—developers, lenders, or local governments—through a competitive statewide application process administered by each state’s housing finance agency. Sponsors would use the credits to raise investment capital for their projects, and the investors could claim the credits against their federal income tax when the homes are sold and occupied by eligible homebuyers. State agencies would have annual allocation of either $6 per capita or $8 million, whichever is higher. 

The Neighborhood Homes Investment Act (NHIA) is supported by the following organizations: Center for Community Progress, Enterprise Community Partners, Habitat for Humanity International, Home by Hand, Housing Assistance Council, Housing Partnership Network, Local Initiatives Support Corporation, Low Income Investment Fund, Mortgage Bankers Association, National Association of Affordable Housing Lenders, National Alliance of Community Economic Development Associations, National Association of Hispanic Real Estate Professionals, National Association of Realtors, National Association of Real Estate Brokers, National Association of State and Local Equity Funds, National Association of the Remodeling Industry, National Council of State Housing Agencies, National Community Stabilization Trust, National Fair Housing Alliance, National Housing Conference, National NeighborWorks Association, Prosperity Now, Quicken Loans, Structured Finance Association, and Up for Growth Action.

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