Sen. Coons applauds new COVID-19 relief deal

WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Senator Chris Coons (D-Del.) applauded the $900 billion agreement reached by the Senate and House to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic and provide relief to the American people. The agreement includes unemployment aid, rental assistance, direct payments, support for schools, vaccine distribution, and more. It also extends the Paycheck Protection Program and includes legislation to support small businesses authored by Senator Coons.

“Congress has finally reached an agreement to provide desperately needed relief to people in Delaware and across the country,” Senator Coons said. “I am grateful to my colleagues – both Republicans and Democrats – who worked together for weeks to deliver compromise legislation after too many months of inaction. We cannot wait any longer. Families and small businesses in Delaware need this help now.” 

The bipartisan package supports small businesses with a range of grant and loan programs. It includes two proposals first introduced by Senator Coons: $284 billion for a second round of Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans-to-grants – prioritized for businesses hit hard by the pandemic – ­and a $3.5 billion extension of the Small Business Debt Relief Program, which has already delivered $8 billion in debt relief, automatically, to more than 320,000 credit-constrained small businesses nationwide and nearly 900 in Delaware. The package also supports Community Development Financial Institutions (CDFIs), which are private mission-driven financial lenders that deliver responsible, affordable lending to low-income, low-wealth, and other disadvantaged people and communities. Over 300 CDFIs have served as PPP lenders, helping to reach some of the hardest-hit minority-owned small businesses.

“Small business owners across Delaware and the country have been fighting to preserve jobs in their communities, without badly needed help for too long. Finally, Congress has the opportunity to enact a bipartisan bill with robust additional aid for Main Street. In particular, I applaud the bipartisan negotiators for including a second round of forgivable loans for hard-hit business, and for extending the successful SBA debt relief program,” said Senator Coons, a member of the Senate Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship.

The Prioritized Paycheck Protection Program will allow for a second PPP loan to any small business or nonprofit with 300 or fewer employees that experienced substantial revenue decline during one quarter of 2020. The relief package also makes program improvements to PPP, simplifying the forgiveness process and ensuring that no borrower loses any tax deductions as a result of participating in PPP.

The extension of the Small Business Debt Relief Program will provide additional payments of principal and interest for small businesses with an SBA-backed loan.

The broader $900 billion bipartisan deal also includes a $300 per week federal Unemployment Insurance supplement to weekly state benefits, $25 billion in rental assistance, $10 billion for child care assistance, $69 billion for direct pandemic response and health care systems, and $166 billion for stimulus checks of up to $600 per individual. A vote is expected in the Senate as early as Monday, December 21.

###

[VIDEO] Sen. Coons on COVID relief: ‘I’m committed…to not leave until we get this deal done’

WASHINGTON — Today, U.S. Senator Chris Coons (D-Del.) joined MSNBC to discuss negotiations on a COVID-19 relief package as Congress nears an agreement. 

On a pandemic relief deal: “We should have had this done months and months ago. Right now the very final text is being resolved and then that will go to congressional offices. It is always the case here that any one senator who has some concern can slow us down. I’m committed – many of us are committed – to not leave until we get this deal done. That could stretch out a few more days, but every signal is that we have finally addressed every last issue and we should finally be delivering this relief. I continue to hear day and night from Delawareans anxious to know whether there’s going to be relief for those facing eviction, relief for those relying on the food bank, relief for those who are unemployed, support and help for small businesses. This bill will do that, but it’s not everything we need to do. We will need to come back and do another relief bill early next year.”

On Trump’s absence from COVID relief negotiations: “I keep asking myself everyday: What is President Trump doing today? Is he helping by being a good role model – getting vaccinated and wearing a mask? No. Is he helping respond to this broadscale attack by Russia on all of our major government and military online databases and resources? No. In fact he’s suggesting it was China, not Russia. Is he helping with delivering this pandemic relief package? No. He’s frankly tweeting conspiracy theories that are baseless about an election he lost six weeks ago. I’ve always thought that President Trump was mostly a pretend president. Now he’s not even pretending.”

Full audio and video available here.  

###

Delaware delegation underscores confidence by taking COVID-19 vaccine

WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Senators Tom Carper and Chris Coons and U.S. Representative Lisa Blunt Rochester (all D-Del.) underscored their confidence in the remarkable work of scientists and public servants across the United States and around the world by taking the first of two doses of a COVID-19 vaccine.

In a video released by the Delaware Division of Public Health (DPH), the Delaware congressional delegation says, “It’s great news that we have multiple vaccines that are safe, effective, and critical to beating this pandemic. We are so grateful to the scientists and researchers around the globe who have made this day possible. And to all the health care heroes who have put their own lives at risk to care for others.”

“To reach the other side of this pandemic, we’re going to need everyone to learn the facts about the vaccine and get vaccinated too. It’s about protecting yourself, your loved ones, and everyone in our state. But don’t forget, even as vaccines begin to be distributed, we can’t let our guard down. Keep washing your hands, wearing a mask, maintaining social distance and limiting interactions with others. If we all do, we’ll all get to the other side safely together”

DPH is regularly updating their website with information about the COVID-19 vaccine at https://coronavirus.delaware.gov/vaccine/.

The representatives received the vaccination at the recommendation of the Capitol physician as part of continuity of government protocol.  

###

Sen. Coons introduces legislation to ensure consumers are treated fairly by algorithms

WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Senator Chris Coons (D-Del.), a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, introduced legislation that would ensure American consumers are not being unfairly discriminated against by black box algorithms. As companies are increasingly using complex algorithms to make decisions about opportunities for education, employment, housing, health care, and more, the Algorithmic Fairness Act would direct the Federal Trade Commission to prevent companies from acting on algorithmic eligibility determinations that are deemed unfair because they are biased or use incorrect data.  

“Artificial intelligence brings real benefits to society and opens exciting possibilities. However, it also comes with risks,” said Senator Coons. “Companies are increasingly using algorithms to make decisions about who gets a job or a promotion, who gets into a certain school, or who gets a loan. If these decisions are being made by artificial intelligence that is using unfair, biased, or incorrect data, it has an outsized impact on people’s lives. Existing civil rights laws may not be capturing these harms, and it is critical that Congress establish a framework to ensure that the United States’ transition into the digital economy is rooted in ethics and our values. I look forward to working with my colleagues on both sides of the aisle and other stakeholders going forward to tackle this complex and pressing problem.”

The Algorithmic Fairness Act would:

• Require the FTC to conduct a study about the ways companies are developing and implementing algorithmic eligibility determinations
• Direct the FTC to use its Section 5 authority to prevent companies from acting on algorithmic eligibility determinations that are deemed unfair under the FTC’s unfairness standard
• Require companies to create an audit trail for each algorithmic eligibility determination it makes about a consumer, preserving records about the data and methodology used to make the determination, how the algorithm was created and trained, and the ultimate decision rendered
• Require companies to notify consumers when they have been the subject of an algorithmic eligibility determination and provide the consumer with the information the company used to make such a determination and an opportunity to correct the data that the company used
• Establish research funding and a leadership program rewarding fair, accountable, and transparent examples of data analytics

Bill text is available here.

###

Readout of Sen. Coons’ meeting with Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield, nominee for U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations

WASHINGTON — U.S. Senator Chris Coons (D-Del.), a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and the Appropriations subcommittee that funds the State Department and foreign aid, released the following statement after meeting virtually with Linda Thomas-Greenfield, President-elect Biden’s nominee for U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations.

“I just completed a productive conversation with Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield, President-elect Biden’s nominee to serve as U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations, in which we discussed pressing geopolitical and humanitarian challenges facing the incoming Biden-Harris Administration. 

“In her 35 years of diplomatic experience and public service, Ambassador Thomas-Greenfield has tackled complex issues from finding ways to care for refugees and migrants to stopping the Ebola crisis in West Africa in 2014. Throughout these challenges, she has earned the respect of leaders and diplomats around the world, and I am confident that she will continue to represent the very best of America as our top official at the United Nations.

“As a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, I look forward to Ambassador Thomas-Greenfield’s nomination hearing and supporting her swift confirmation in the Senate. 

“From reestablishing U.S. leadership at the United Nations to putting our values back at the center of U.S. foreign policy, Ambassador Thomas-Greenfield will have important work to do, and I plan to do everything I can to support her efforts in the Senate.”  

###

Readout of Sen. Coons’ meeting with Tony Blinken, nominee for Secretary of State

WASHINGTON — U.S. Senator Chris Coons (D-Del.), a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and the Appropriations subcommittee that funds the State Department and foreign aid, released the following statement after meeting virtually with Tony Blinken, President-elect Biden’s nominee for Secretary of State.

“I just finished a productive conversation with Tony Blinken, President-elect Biden’s nominee for Secretary of State, about the difficult challenges and exciting opportunities that lie ahead for the United States and the Biden Administration.  I have known and worked with Tony for more than a decade, and I am confident that he will be a successful, effective diplomat for our country.

“As a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, I look forward to Tony’s confirmation hearings, and I plan to advocate for his quick confirmation with both my Democratic and Republican colleagues.

“From rebuilding confidence in American leadership to restoring our alliances around the world, Tony and the State Department have critical work to do, and I plan to do everything I can to support those efforts in the Senate.” 

###

Sens. Coons, Graham, Whitehouse, Sullivan introduce bipartisan legislation to combat ocean plastic pollution and marine litter

WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Senators Chris Coons (D-Del.), Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.), and Dan Sullivan (R-Alaska) introduced legislation that would bring the international community together to address the increasing amount of plastic and trash polluting our oceans and marine environments. The Unify Nations in Trash Elimination (UNITE) for our Oceans Act would direct the U.S. government to work with international partners to finance promising projects that promote the sustainable management of materials and reduce the amount of plastic and other waste polluting the world’s oceans.

“Each year, billions of pounds of trash – much of it plastic – makes its way into our oceans. This incredible amount of harmful material is having devastating effects not only on marine animals and ecosystems, but also on human health and economies around the world,” said Senator Coons. “We cannot address this problem alone. I am proud to lead this bill with my colleague, Senator Graham, to ensure the United States collaborates with the international community to address this critical issue.” 

“This is a major step forward for the United States. We’re going to lead the way with a global fund to aggressively deal with plastics in our oceans,” said Senator Graham. “This new initiative is an effort by America to put our money where our mouth is and will be used to leverage other nations to contribute so we have an all-hands-on-deck approach to dealing with the overwhelming problem presented by plastics in the ocean.”

“If we don’t find answers fast, we’ll have more tons of plastic waste in our oceans than living fish by the middle of the century.  Solving that problem requires work with other nations on new international solutions,” said Senator Whitehouse. “I’m excited that Senators Graham and Coons, and my ocean plastics partner Senator Sullivan, have joined together to introduce this bipartisan bill to combat a massive challenge facing our oceans.”

“The UNITE for our Oceans Act is set to build on the groundswell of bipartisan progress we’ve seen in Congress on tackling the global marine debris crisis,” said Senator Sullivan. “Complementing the important initiatives of my Save Our Seas Act and the recently-passed SOS 2.0, our legislation will establish a Marine Debris Trust Fund, increase the grants available around the world to prevent debris from entering the ocean, and encourage the reuse and recycling of plastics and the use of sustainable alternatives. I thank Senators Coons, Graham, and Whitehouse for their partnership on this global environmental challenge that not only tremendously impacts Alaska’s economy and environment, but the world’s.” 

“This bill demonstrates a clear bipartisan commitment to invest in a more sustainable future by tackling the plastics problem at the global level. WWF commends Senators Coons and Graham for prioritizing investments in global solutions to a global problem. We look forward to working with Congress and the Administration to make these and related concepts reality,” said Roberta Elias, Director of Policy for the World Wildlife Fund.

“Marine debris is a global issue that needs an international response. The Senate and House Oceans Caucus have prioritized this issue, resulting in a number of important legislative outcomes. Senator Graham’s and Senator Coons’ UNITE for our Oceans Act of 2020 is a giant step forward that displays the desperately needed U.S. leadership on this issue and will provide a mechanism to leverage other countries’ contributions for a truly unified approach to achieving a solution,” said David Barron, Chairman of the International Conservation Caucus Foundation Group’s Board of Directors.

“We congratulate Senators Coons and Graham for their leadership in proposing this ambitious legislation and continuing a tradition of bipartisan support on the issue. Beyond authorizing a substantial investment, the bill importantly recognizes that incineration is not a sustainable solution while also providing flexibility to direct resources at the local level where they are needed most. While we have a lot to do at home – from prioritizing the reduction or phasing out of single-use unnecessary plastics to improving our own recycling rates – this bill would provide much-needed assistance to the international community to prevent and reduce marine plastic pollution, and help keep our global ocean healthy,” said Chever Voltmer, Plastics Initiative Director at the Ocean Conservancy.

The Unify Nations in Trash Elimination (UNITE) for our Oceans Act would:

• Direct the Secretary of State to work with U.S. federal agencies, individual countries, and international organizations to establish a ‘Trust Fund for Marine Debris and Plastic Pollution’ (Trust Fund). The goal of the Trust Fund is to prevent and reduce marine debris and plastic pollution and facilitate the sustainable production and consumption of resources. The Trust Fund would be managed by a Board of Trustees, comprised of representatives of the countries that contribute.
• Specify that the Trust Fund will award grants to national and local governments, non-governmental organizations, and other entities to complete projects that would reduce marine debris and plastic pollution. These projects include efforts to reduce the amount of trash and plastics entering marine environments, encourage the use of sustainable materials, reduce the use and improper disposal of single-use plastics, and promote reduction, reuse, and recycling of materials that pollute marine environments.  
• Direct the Secretary of State and the Board of Trustees to appoint an Administrator to manage the Trust Fund, implement standards and procedures to monitor the use of funds, and establish criteria to determine how grants will be awarded.
• Establish an Advisory Board to the Trust Fund to provide guidance in the development and implementation of grant projects and in leveraging contributions to the fund.
• Require the Secretary of State to submit annual reports to Congress outlining the goals of the Trust Fund and the criteria that has been established to determine the programs and activities that it supports.
• Authorize $150 million to be appropriated for U.S. contributions to the Trust Fund each year for two years.

The bill text is available here, and a summary of the bill is here. 

###

Sens. Coons, Tillis condemn Iran’s human rights record

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Chris Coons (D-Del.) and Thom Tillis (R-N.C.), co-chairs of the Senate Human Rights Caucus, issued the following statement. 

“This week, the United States imposed sanctions on Iranian officials for the abduction and probable death of former FBI agent Robert Levinson, officially confirming the Iranian government’s responsibility for his disappearance.  As co-chairs of the Senate Human Rights Caucus, we are appalled by the Iranian government’s continued violations of the human rights of foreigners, dual nationals, and its own citizens.  

“In just the past few weeks, the Iranian government sent Iranian human rights lawyer Nasrin Sotoudeh back to prison despite her poor health and COVID-19, and executed journalist Ruhollah Zam, who played an important role in supporting anti-regime protests in Iran three years ago.  Additionally, Siamak Namazi, an American-Iranian businessman, has been arbitrarily detained in Iran for over five years, and his father, Baquer, is barred from leaving the country.  

“These names are just a few in a long list of brave individuals who have had their fundamental rights and freedoms repeatedly violated by the Iranian government.  In addition to addressing Iran’s nuclear program, its ballistic missile tests, and its support for violent militant groups across the Middle East, the United States must be clear in condemning Iran’s human rights abuses.”

###

Sens. Coons, Inhofe celebrate 40 years of the U.S. African Development Foundation

WASHINGTON — Today, U.S. Senators Chris Coons (D-Del.) and Jim Inhofe (R-Okla.) introduced a resolution to commemorate the 40th anniversary of the United States African Development Foundation (USADF), an independent U.S. government agency that supports community development in sub-Saharan Africa.

“The USADF and the people that support their work are dedicated, results-oriented champions of the U.S.-Africa relationship. As the only U.S. government agency focusing 100% on the continent – and largely with Indigenous peoples – USADF’s style of community development has contributed to four decades of improved relations and better livelihoods for people across Africa,” said Senator Coons. “Today, we celebrate 40 years of progress and look toward USADF’s continued role in a more peaceful and prosperous continent.”

“I am proud to introduce a resolution today with Senator Coons honoring the United States African Development Foundation’s 40th anniversary,” Senator Inhofe said. “USADF has for years given local entrepreneurs resources and opportunities to develop, grow and scale their businesses—improving their lives. Africa holds a special place in my heart and I look forward to continuing to support the USADF and the U.S.-Africa relationship for years to come.”

Founded on December 16, 1980, the USADF has invested in a pan-African network of local implementing partners to promote entrepreneurship, food security, and economic development in underserved and hard to reach communities. USADF is consistently ranked as one of the most efficient providers of U.S. foreign assistance by the Center for Global Development.

The full text of the resolution is available here.

###

[VIDEO] Sen. Coons on COVID relief: ‘We have to move forward on this $748 billion that we all agree on’

WILMINGTON, Del. — Today, U.S. Senator Chris Coons (D-Del.) joined CNN New Day to discuss the bipartisan legislation announced Monday that would provide $748 billion in relief to the American people.

On state and local aid, Senator Coons said, “As someone who was a county-level elected leader for a decade and is close to lots of state and local elected officials around the country who I know from my service at the local level, there are nurses and teachers, paramedics, police officers who are facing layoffs in municipalities, counties and states around the country. Roughly 1.3 million have already been laid off.”

On COVID-19 relief negotiations, Senator Coons said, “this group of eight bipartisan senators and two House members worked for weeks and crafted a substantial bipartisan framework for a $908 billion in relief for our country. It’s only because Mitch McConnell continues to insist on a broad and extreme version of liability relief to protect businesses, no matter how irresponsibly they behave, that we are having to walk away from that 160 [billion dollars for state and local governments]. I continue to believe that if our goal is to allow businesses to reopen safely and for employees and customers to go back to businesses safely, that we can find a compromise, but we have to move forward on this $748 billion that we all agree on. We should not go home without enacting significant relief for the American people who are so much in need right now as we go into the holidays.”

On the rollout of a COVID-19 vaccine, Senator Coons said, “I think it’s important for our most senior elected officials in this country and for senior community leaders – whether they are athletes or entertainers or business leaders – to strengthen the confidence of the American people in these vaccines. If we do not achieve a very high percentage of vaccination, we won’t see the other side of this pandemic, and frankly, John, we need to be also committed to delivering vaccines for the rest of the world because only when the world is vaccinated will this pandemic truly come to an end.

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

Q: Joining us now is Democratic Senator Chris Coons of Delaware, a close friend of the President-elect. Senator Coons, thanks so much for being with us. We haven’t heard Joe Biden, the President-elect, use that language before. He’s actually laughed off over the last six weeks some of the attacks that President Trump has made on democracy. So why was it important for the President-elect to use this more direct language last night? 

Sen. Coons: It’s really a moment here for our President-elect to say, look, this transition period of the last couple of weeks where there’s been tireless, relentless campaigning and filing of lawsuits to challenge the will of the people, it’s been exhausting. You’re right. He’s mostly laughed it off. He’s mostly moved forward and focused on a job that’s ahead of him, but last night after the Electoral College confirmed his election by the American people to be our next president, I think it was important he took a moment to just look clear in the eyes of the American people and say, this is a dangerous development. We should not have more than 100 members of the House of Representatives; we should not have this many state attorneys general signing off on a baseless lawsuit to try to overturn the election. We can’t just move on without looking at this for a moment. Even Vladimir Putin of Russia has congratulated Joe Biden as our next president and yet there are still colleagues of mine here who refuse to recognize that. We are making progress. There have been some direct conversations between the President-elect and senior Republicans, and I’m optimistic that we can move forward, but I think this was an important moment, John, for Joe Biden to make it clear that this was a dangerous precedent to set.

Q: You brought up Vladimir Putin. What does it tell you, that Vladimir Putin publicly acknowledged Biden’s election victory before Senator Mitch McConnell?

Sen. Coons: That’s a really striking development, frankly, John. It is a gravely concerning development that the Republican Party remains so enthralled by Donald Trump and President Trump’s endless refusal to accept the will of the people that it frankly puts our democracy at risk, both at home and our reputation abroad. 

Q: Has McConnell talked to Joe Biden yet as far as you know?

Sen. Coons: Not that I know of.

Q: One more question in terms of the Senate. There are House members who are agitating saying that on January 6th when the votes will be counted on the House floor before both houses of Congress that they will offer official objections to the electoral count. They would need to have a senator sign on to those objections to get a vote in each chamber. What do you think will happen with Republican senators? Do you expect that there will be Republican senators who sign on to those objections?

Sen. Coons: Well, there were no Republican senators who signed on to this lawsuit, this attempt that President-elect Biden was referring to, but Senator Ted Cruz offered to argue it in the Supreme Court. So there may be one, there may be two, but frankly this is a desperate last gasp measure. John, our larger challenge here as a nation is a trust deficit. We have a real lack of trust in our political institutions, in science, in this vaccine, the second of which may now be approved that will help get us out of this pandemic. Joe Biden as our next president also sent an important message last night of reaching out, of working across the aisle, and of trying to heal the divisions of this nation.

Q: So you have been working with other senators trying to put together some kind of proposal for economic relief, for economic stimulus. There is a bipartisan agreement among this group of senators now, has split the proposal in half a little bit. $748 billion which would provide enhanced unemployment benefit, small business loans, help with vaccine distribution, but it would not provide direct aid to state and local governments. It separates $160 billion. Ned Lamont, governor of Connecticut said he desperately wants that money. How much does it hurt to have to take that money and separate it from the $748 billion? How much of a compromise is that for you?

Sen. Coons: Well, John, that’s very difficult. As someone who was a county-level elected leader for a decade and is close to lots of state and local elected officials around the country who I know from my service at the local level, there are nurses and teachers, paramedics, police officers who are facing layoffs in municipalities, counties and states around the country. Roughly 1.3 million have already been laid off. The larger point that I’m going to choose to celebrate, though, is that this group of eight bipartisan senators and two House members worked for weeks and crafted a substantial bipartisan framework for a $908 billion in relief for our country. It’s only because Mitch McConnell continues to insist on a broad and extreme version of liability relief to protect businesses, no matter how irresponsibly they behave, that we are having to walk away from that 160. I continue to believe that if our goal is to allow businesses to reopen safely and for employees and customers to go back to businesses safely, that we can find a compromise, but we have to move forward on this $748 billion that we all agree on. We should not go home without enacting significant relief for the American people who are so much in need right now as we go into the holidays.

Q: Do you have any kind of promise or agreement from Mitch McConnell to even put the $160 billion on the floor for state and local governments?

Sen. Coons: No.

Q: No. Alright. So we will see what happens there. Senator Coons, we heard from Dr. Anthony Fauci moments ago who says he would like to see the President-elect Joe Biden and the Vice President-elect Kamala Harris receive the coronavirus vaccine now. He wants them to get the first dose now so they can get the second dose before Inauguration day on January 20th. What have you said to the President-elect on this subject?

Sen. Coons: Well, look, the President-Elect has followed the advice of public health leaders throughout his campaign. He has been a role model for how to conduct yourself in the middle of a pandemic even during weeks when there was sharp criticism of him for being not as engaged publicly as he otherwise could be. The outcome was clear. The White House tragically suffered from dozens and dozens of infections; the core team of the Biden campaign, none. I think you will see Joe Biden continue to follow the advice of public health experts. He’s asked Dr. Fauci to serve as one of the leaders of his COVID transition team. I expect he will follow his advice.

Q: Do you want him to get the shot?

Sen. Coons: I do. I think it’s important for our most senior elected officials in this country and for senior community leaders – whether they are athletes or entertainers or business leaders – to strengthen the confidence of the American people in these vaccines. If we do not achieve a very high percentage of vaccination, we won’t see the other side of this pandemic, and frankly, John, we need to be also committed to delivering vaccines for the rest of the world because only when the world is vaccinated will this pandemic truly come to an end.

Q: Senator Chris Coons of Delaware, thanks so much for being with us this morning. Happy holidays to you, sir.

###