Ahead of confirmation vote on Amy Coney Barrett, Senators Carper, Coons join patients and providers to highlight #WhatsAtStake for Delawareans if Affordable Care Act is overturned

WILMINGTON, Del. – Today, just hours before the U.S. Senate is scheduled to vote on Judge Amy Coney Barrett’s nomination to the Supreme Court, U.S. Senators Tom Carper and Chris Coons (both D-Del.) joined Delawareans who are benefitting from the Affordable Care Act (ACA) to highlight what’s at stake if the landmark health care law is overturned. Judge Amy Coney Barrett’s nomination to serve on the Supreme Court threatens the health care protections that millions of Americans currently have under the ACA, including protections for the nearly 400,000 Delawareans living with preexisting conditions. 

Today, at Westside Family Healthcare in Wilmington, Senators Carper and Coons were joined by Delawareans who have directly benefitted from the protections under the ACA, including the ban on annual and lifetime limits for essential health benefits. “It’s hard enough to fight the cancer. We shouldn’t also have to fight to live,” said Jan White, a small business owner from Newark who has been battling Stage 4 Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma for four years. “We need the ACA protections.”

“The ACA is not just benefiting me but thousands of Delawareans and millions of Americans all across this country,” said Carrie Dennis-Mayer, a small business owner from Middletown. “What is interesting is that most people do not know the need for the Affordable Care Act until they really need it. And if you fall between the cracks of healthcare insecurity and healthcare uncertainty, then trust me, you’re grateful that ACA is there to help you.”

“Having failed nearly 100 times to repeal or chip away at the Affordable Care Act in Congress, Donald Trump and many of our Republican colleagues are now counting on the Supreme Court to do their work for them. And, with Amy Coney Barrett’s nomination, they are within one vote on the Supreme Court of achieving their goal,” said Senator Carper. “This isn’t a hypothetical. This nomination – and a subsequent ruling on the Republican lawsuit to strike down the ACA in its entirety – could have all too real and devastating consequences for Delawareans like Jan and our entire health care system, all in the midst of a deadly and unprecedented pandemic. It is shameful, and Senator Coons and I won’t stop fighting to make sure Americans know just how much is at stake here.”

“It is amazing to me, galling to me, angering to me, that in the middle of a pandemic – a global health pandemic that has killed more than 225,000 Americans and infected more than 8,500,000 Americans – that the Trump administration is seeking to take away the protections of the Affordable Care Act from a majority of Americans,” said Senator Coons, a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee. “Don’t take my word for it; there’s a filing in the U.S. Supreme Court in a case that will be argued one week from the election. So, we are one week from an election and two weeks from an argument in the Supreme Court where the ACA is at risk.”

Even in the midst of a pandemic that has taken over 225,000 American lives, President Trump has repeatedly vowed to repeal the ACA and even urged the Supreme Court to strike down the health care law. Just last night, in an interview with 60 Minutes, President Trump plainly stated that he hopes that Supreme Court ends the ACA. Unfortunately, if Judge Amy Coney Barrett is confirmed by the U.S. Senate, she could cast the deciding vote to overturn the ACA. Just one week after the election – on November 10^th – the United States Supreme Court is set to hear arguments in a case brought by the Trump Administration and 18 Republican Attorneys General that would overturn the Affordable Care Act in its entirety. 

You can watch video of the event here.

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Democrats on the Senate Foreign Relations Subcommittee on Africa issue joint statement on police brutality in Nigeria

WASHINGTON — Today, U.S. Senators Chris Coons (D-Del.), Cory Booker (D-N.J.), Tim Kaine (D-Va.), and Chris Murphy (D-Conn.), Democratic members of the Senate Foreign Relations Subcommittee on Africa and Global Health Policy, issued a joint statement calling for an immediate end to the violent crackdown on peaceful protestors in Nigeria.

“As members of the Subcommittee on Africa, we have been watching the recent developments in Nigeria with great concern, and call for an immediate end to the violent crackdown on peaceful protestors.  The escalation of violence in Lagos is unacceptable.  That security forces have used live ammunition against peaceful protestors demonstrating against police brutality is especially alarming.  We urge security forces to act with restraint and for Nigerian authorities to de-escalate the situation and hold perpetrators of violence to account.

“Nigeria is the most populous country and largest economy in Africa and is an important strategic partner of the United States. It is, therefore, disheartening to see a valuable diplomatic and security partner resorting to violence against its own civilians. We urge the government of Nigeria to consider the negative impact that recurrent violations of human rights and violence against protesters will have on the U.S.-Nigeria security partnership.

“Our hearts go out to the families who have lost loved ones, and we stand with those who protest police brutality and government corruption.” 

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Carper, Coons, Democratic colleagues denounce Trump administration’s historically low refugee resettlement goal and push for increased admissions

WASHINGTON — Today, U.S. Senators Tom Carper and Chris Coons (both D-Del.) joined Senator Bob Menendez (D-N.J.) and 21 of their Senate Democratic colleagues in opposing the Trump administration’s proposal to cap refugee admissions at 15,000 for Fiscal Year 2021—the lowest ceiling in the history of the U.S. Refugee Admissions Program (USRAP)—and in urging the administration to increase refugee admissions.

“The United States has a long, bipartisan legacy of providing refugees protection through resettlement—prior to 2016 we resettled an average of more than 80,000 refugees per year,” the senators wrote in a letter to Secretaries Michael Pompeo and Alex Azar and Under Secretary Chad Wolf. “Yet, during this time of soaring global resettlement needs, this Administration has once again abdicated America’s global leadership role by further reducing the refugee admissions ceiling to its lowest level in the 40-year history of the program. We urge you to substantially increase the refugee admissions target for FY 2021, and end the current suspension of the refugee resettlement program.”

The senators highlighted the importance of a strong resettlement program, which serves as an essential lifeline for the most vulnerable among the 29.6 million refugees worldwide while also strengthening our communities and economy. In addition, the senators affirmed the importance of U.S. leadership on resettlement as a powerful tool to garner greater global support for refugees facing persecution.

“American leadership in refugee resettlement is critical in securing greater global support for this important lifeline, which is available to less than one percent of all refugees,” the senators added. “As this Administration has slashed its annual refugee admissions goals, other leading resettlement countries have followed suit and lowered their resettlement numbers as well.”

In addition to Senators Carper, Coons and Ranking Member Menendez, the letter was signed by Senators Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.), Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.), Diane Feinstein (D-Calif.), Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), Ron Wyden (D-Ore.), Tom Udall (D-N.M.), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.), Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.), Tina Smith (D-Minn.), Bob Casey (D-Pa.), Ben Cardin (D-Md.), Tim Kaine (D-Va.), Cory Booker (D-N.J.), Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.), Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), Mark Warner (D-Va.), Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio), Chris Murphy (D-Conn.), and Ed Markey (D-Mass.).

A copy of the letter may be found here and below.

Dear Secretaries Pompeo and, Azar, and Under Secretary Wolf:

We write to urgently express our concern regarding the President’s report to Congress on the Proposed Refugee Admissions for Fiscal Year 2021, which proposes a Presidential Determination of 15,000 refugees, a historical low since the U.S. Refugee Admissions Program (USRAP) was established in 1980.

The United States has a long, bipartisan legacy of providing refugees protection through resettlement—prior to 2016 we resettled an average of more than 80,000 refugees per year.

Yet, during this time of soaring global resettlement needs, this Administration has once again abdicated America’s global leadership role by further reducing the refugee admissions ceiling to its lowest level in the 40-year history of the program. We urge you to substantially increase the refugee admissions target for FY 2021, and end the current suspension of the refugee resettlement program.

As we face unprecedented levels of forced displacement around the world, with 29.6 million refugees worldwide, resettlement serves as a critical lifeline for those fleeing persecution because of race, religion, nationality, membership in a particular social group, or political opinion. Survivors of sexual violence and torture, unaccompanied children, families traumatized by the loss of loved ones in war, and other highly vulnerable refugees may need resettlement as the only solution to their plight.  Refugees resettled in the United States contribute greatly to the communities that take them in.  To that end, refugees have generated $63 billion in net revenue alone over a decade for the United States.

In addition to advancing U.S. humanitarian objectives and economic interests, resettlement serves as an important foreign policy tool to support people facing oppression and human rights abuses. The United States’ historical leadership on this issue has enhanced our global influence and demonstrated responsibility-sharing with refugee-hosting countries like Jordan, Uganda, and Bangladesh. Moreover, American leadership in refugee resettlement is critical in securing greater global support for this important lifeline, which is available to less than one percent of all refugees.  As this Administration has slashed its annual refugee admissions goals, other leading resettlement countries have followed suit and lowered their resettlement numbers as well. A robust refugee admissions goal is necessary to ensure those under threat of persecution, like Hong Kongers fleeing political persecution in Hong Kong and refugees fleeing religious persecution in Iran, Iraq, and Myanmar, have a pathway to live freely and without abuse.  For our allies in Iraq and Afghanistan, it means standing ready to help when under threat, just as they stood by our troops when we needed their help.

We urge you to substantially increase the refugee admissions ceiling for FY 2021.  The Administration should immediately end the suspension of the refugee resettlement program in order to ensure the world’s most vulnerable will no longer remain in harm’s way and separated from their families.

Thank you for your prompt attention to this matter.

Sincerely, 

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Sens. Coons, Portman introduce bill to combat wildlife trafficking

WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Senators Chris Coons (D-Del.) and Rob Portman (R-Ohio) introduced legislation to combat the crisis of wildlife poaching and trafficking and build on bipartisan efforts to address the practice. Wildlife trafficking is a major threat to conservation of threatened species and has also been linked to other transnational organized criminal activities, including trafficking in narcotics, weapons, and people. The Eliminate, Neutralize, and Disrupt (END) Wildlife Trafficking Reauthorization and Improvements Act of 2020 would permanently authorize and expand legislation led by Senator Coons that was signed into law in 2016.

Since passing in 2016, the END Wildlife Trafficking Act has aided in the arrest of members of wildlife trafficking networks and supported interagency efforts to tackle the practice globally through country-specific and regional initiatives. Certain provisions of the law are set to expire in 2021. The END Wildlife Reauthorization and Improvements Act permanently authorizes the duties of the Presidential Task Force on Wildlife Trafficking and related reports on major wildlife trafficking countries, and creates new focus areas such as the role of online platforms in facilitating trafficking activities.

“Wildlife trafficking is not just a critical conservation issue; it also threatens the security of the United States and our international partners,” said Senator Chris Coons. “The Presidential Task Force on Wildlife Trafficking has done outstanding work, but the threat of wildlife poaching and trafficking is constantly evolving. It is vital that the work of the Task Force continues without disruption, and I am proud to introduce this bipartisan bill with Senator Portman to build on successful efforts to address illegal wildlife trade.”

“As a co-chair of the International Conservation Caucus, I am pleased to join Senator Coons in introducing the END Wildlife Trafficking and Improvements Act of 2020 to help prevent the trafficking and poaching of the world’s most threatened species. Wildlife trafficking is not only a matter of conservation but also national security and international stability, as billions in profits from the illegal wildlife trade are used to finance other illicit and terrorist activity. Importantly, combatting wildlife trafficking can also help prevent zoonotic disease transmission, such as the coronavirus.  This legislation aims to combat trafficking in countries where it is most prevalent, while also recognizing wildlife trafficking that occurs using online platforms and the importance of using technology to combat the illegal wildlife trade. I urge my colleagues to join us in supporting this important bipartisan legislation,” said Senator Portman.

The END Wildlife Trafficking Reauthorization and Improvements Act of 2020 is supported by the African Wildlife Foundation, World Wildlife Fund, Wildlife Conservation Society, the Humane Society of the United States, the Humane Society Legislative Fund, the International Fund for Animal Welfare, the Natural Resources Defense Council, Conservation International, and Vulcan.

World Wildlife Fund President & CEO Carter Roberts said, “The END Wildlife Trafficking Act has helped stop illegal wildlife trade, disrupt criminal networks, and address one of the root causes of pandemics, like COVID-19. Reauthorizing and strengthening this law is vital, which is why there is such strong bipartisan leadership behind it. We thank Senators Coons and Portman for moving this issue forward. It is an essential one for the safety and security of our country and the world.”

“The Wildlife Conservation Society applauds Senators Coons and Portman for their leadership in introducing legislation in the U.S. Senate to renew the Eliminate, Neutralize, and Disrupt Wildlife Trafficking Reauthorization and Improvements Act of 2020,” said Kelly Keenan Aylward, Washington Director for the Wildlife Conservation Society. “Renewing and expanding the functions of the Combating Wildlife Trafficking Task Force is essential to build upon U.S. international anti-poaching, anti-trafficking, and consumer behavior change programs in light of the growing presence of criminal networks in wildlife trafficking, including online platforms.”

Didi Wamukoya, lead for Wildlife Law Enforcement at African Wildlife Foundation said, “The END Wildlife Trafficking Act has helped African Wildlife Foundation (AWF) to develop and field innovative programs to disrupt illegal wildlife trade, including deployment of conservation detection dogs at major trafficking hubs to sniff out illegal wildlife products. The support provided by this Act, and distributed by the Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement, has enabled AWF and its partners to push for a comprehensive review of wildlife laws in Kenya and Uganda, yielding punitive penalties for wildlife trafficking among other procedural improvements. It is imperative to protect and build on the gains achieved so far in combatting wildlife trafficking in Africa. That’s why support for the END Wildlife Trafficking Reauthorization and Improvements Act of 2020 is critical – to continue organized and coordinated efforts from the United States Government to protect and further these gains in combating IWT across the world.” 

“Since its original passage, the Eliminate, Neutralize, and Disrupt Wildlife Trafficking Act has led to real improvements in efforts to combat global poaching and wildlife trafficking. This reauthorization will both continue and enhance that essential work by effectively shutting down even more avenues of illicit trade,” said Kate Wall, Senior Legislative Manager at the International Fund for Animal Welfare.  “IFAW applauds Senator Coons and Senator Portman for their valuable leadership in stopping the illegal trade in wildlife, which profoundly threatens individual animals, biodiversity, communities, and even global stability.”

James Roth, Senior VP of Global Policy and Government Affairs at Conservation International said, “We commend Senator Coons and Senator Portman for taking a critical first step on pandemic prevention. Wildlife trafficking, deforestation, early detection, a One Health approach and better global cooperation are all necessary components of a comprehensive response to the COVID-19 pandemic. This bill takes bold, new steps for the wildlife trafficking component, such as permanently reauthorizing the Presidential Task Force and applying the latest technology to combat wildlife trafficking.”

Zak Smith, Director, International Wildlife Conservation at the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) said, “The nature crisis threatens a million species with extinction and undermines the natural systems we depend on to thrive.  To effectively address this, we have to tackle the direct exploitation of species.  It is one of the leading drivers of this decline. Reauthorizing this law—and focusing on the scourge of wildlife trafficking that jeopardizes species around the world—is a key part of that effort.”

Chuck Cooper, Managing Director of Government Affairs, Vulcan Inc, said, “The illegal wildlife trade threatens our planet’s biodiversity, promotes corruption, endangers global health, and undermines our national security. The Eliminate, Neutralize, and Disrupt Wildlife Trafficking Reauthorization and Improvements Act builds on the END Act by encouraging partnerships with the private sector and NGOs that leverage technology to combat wildlife crime and IUU fishing.”

“Wildlife trafficking is illegal for good reason because the trade in their parts also fuels corruption, terrorism and other illicit activity in range state nations while posing a public health risk of zoonotic disease transmission worldwide. The END Wildlife Trafficking reauthorization bill sets the stage for ramping up American investments in enforcement, strategies to reduce consumer demand, and expanded global cooperation to stop this dangerous, destructive and ecologically reckless trade that is driving a number of wild species throughout the world toward extinction,” said Sara Amundson, President of the Humane Society Legislative Fund. “We applaud the foresight of Sens. Coons and Portman in reauthorizing this important task force to ensure coordination across the whole of government against this pernicious, pervasive activity.”

Bill text is available here. 

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[VIDEO] Sen. Coons on Barrett’s nomination: ‘This is personal. It’s about long settled rights for millions and millions of Americans’

WASHINGTON — Today, U.S. Senator Chris Coons (D-Del.) spoke at a press conference alongside Senate Judiciary Committee Democrats, emphasizing what’s at stake with Amy Coney Barrett’s nomination.  

On health care, Sen. Coons said, “like all of us, I brought a picture of a real person for whom the consequences of what’s on the [Supreme Court] docket are very real. Just a week after the election, the Supreme Court will hear another constitutional challenge to the Affordable Care Act long settled eight years ago. In my case, Carrie from Middletown, with a pre-existing condition, a small business owner, someone who can’t get access to quality affordable health care if the Affordable Care Act is overturned.”

On the timing of this confirmation, Sen. Coons said, “in the middle of a pandemic, where 8 million Americans have been infected and more than 220,000 have lost their lives, we should instead be negotiating a robust package of pandemic relief.” Sen. Coons continued, “the Republicans have insisted on breaking the example they set just four years ago of refusing to move a qualified nominee in the midst of an election.”

On Judge Barrett’s record, Sen. Coons said, “her writings and her record show in Judge Barrett a judge willing to go farther to the right than even Justice Scalia, who she’s claimed as a mentor and a model, and to reach back, reconsider, and possibly overturn decisions that she and other conservative justices think were wrongly decided.”

Sen. Coons concluded, “so folks, they may be shrouded in mist right now but I hope I’ve helped make it clear as have all the Democrats standing behind me, we were not over in the Judiciary Committee markup this morning because we wanted to be clear what was on the agenda, what is on the docket. This is personal. It’s about long settled rights for millions and millions of Americans. In the middle of this pandemic, we should not be racing for the Republicans to confirm this partisan nominee who puts at risk hundreds of cases long settled. We should be delivering relief to the American people.”

Full video is available here. Sen. Coons’ remarks, as delivered, are provided below.

“Good morning. This morning, the Capitol and the Supreme Court are shrouded in mist and fog. It’s not clear so let us help clear it up because sometimes the talk of votes and committees of quorum and filibusters here in the Capitol, in the Senate, is a little hazy for the American people and sometimes tough to follow. But why we’re here on these steps and what this is all about is what is on the docket. On the agenda this morning, on the Senate Judiciary Committee, was moving the nomination of Judge Barrett to the floor of the Senate, and as my colleagues have said now several times, the only way the Republican majority was able to do this was by breaking the rules of the committee. We were not there and we were not part of that vote because after the confirmation hearings that have happened, it is abundantly clear that in the middle of a pandemic, where 8 million Americans have been infected and more than 220,000 have lost their lives, we should instead be negotiating a robust package of pandemic relief and the Republicans have insisted on breaking the example they set just four years ago of refusing to move a qualified nominee in the midst of an election. 

“Well folks, we’re in the midst of an election. Tens of millions of Americans are already voting and we participated in the hearings so that we could ask Judge Barrett, so we could get clear for the American people what’s on the docket. Like all of us, I brought a picture of a real person for whom the consequences of what’s on the docket are very real. Just a week after the election, the Supreme Court will hear another constitutional challenge to the Affordable Care Act long settled eight years ago. In my case, Carrie from Middletown, with a pre-existing condition, a small business owner, someone who can’t get access to quality affordable health care if the Affordable Care Act is overturned. And, in the confirmation process, I asked Judge Barrett, “will you recuse yourself if this rushed and partisan unprecedented process results in putting you in that Court just in time to decide cases that arise from this election?” Well, she hemmed and hawed. She would not commit to recusing herself from a decision that would hand the election to Donald Trump. 

“Why is this even an issue? Because of what Donald Trump, President Trump himself has said. Over and over, President Trump has said, I want her rushed through so that a judge can sit on the Court and overturn the ACA. I want her rushed through so she can decide the election. And every member of the Republican majority, in the Judiciary Committee and in this Capitol behind me, has over and over voted to overturn the Affordable Care Act. This isn’t about what Judge Barrett said in her confirmation hearings because she mostly wouldn’t answer. It’s about what we all know is on the agenda and is on the docket. 

“I asked Judge Barrett if she would simply confirm, as several conservative justices before her have, that the right to privacy first recognized in Griswold v. Connecticut decades ago in 1965 was settled, was safe, was secure, was the sort of right that Americans can know is not on the docket and is not up for reconsideration. And unlike justices both progressive and conservative before her, she would not say so. Why does that concern me? Because her writings and her record show in Judge Barrett a judge willing to go farther to the right than even Justice Scalia, who she’s claimed as a mentor and a model, and to reach back, reconsider, and possibly overturn decisions that she and other conservative justices think were wrongly decided. What does that mean might be on the docket? The whole line of cases that recognize privacy, the right to love, the right to marry, Obergefell decided just five years ago. And don’t listen to me. Justices Alito and Thomas just weeks ago raised their hand and said we should reach back and reconsider. 

“So folks, they may be shrouded in mist right now, but I hope I’ve helped make it clear as have all the Democrats standing behind me, we were not over in the Judiciary Committee markup this morning because we wanted to be clear what was on the agenda, what is on the docket. This is personal. It’s about long settled rights for millions and millions of Americans. In the middle of this pandemic, we should not be racing for the Republicans to confirm this partisan nominee who puts at risk hundreds of cases long settled. We should be delivering relief to the American people.”

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[VIDEO] Sen. Coons on stimulus: ‘Many of us in the Senate are ready to support a broad and significant bill’

WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Senator Chris Coons (D-Del.) joined John Berman on CNN to discuss the developments on a COVID-19 stimulus bill and the economic support it would give to people in need.

“We have more than 25 million Americans on unemployment right now, more than 8 million Americans infected, more than 220,000 Americans dead. This is a public health crisis of epic proportions and our economy is barely hanging on because of the unanimous support of the Senate six months ago for the CARES relief act. [Majority Leader] McConnell has been AWOL. He has been absent, a total nonparticipant, and is now actually being a critical speed bump in the last days as Speaker Pelosi is trying hard to work out a robust package of relief,” Senator Coons said. “We have 6 million Americans late on their mortgage or their rent. That should be in this bill. Every state is facing rising challenges, both in terms of their budgets and the pandemic response. Robust state and local government relief should be in this bill. And there should be another round of support for families. I hope we can get this done.”

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

Q: Joining me now is Democratic Senator Chris Coons. Senator, thanks so much for being with us. Let me read you a little bit of CNN’s reporting on what’s going on in the Senate in regards to this relief package. At a closed-door lunch on Tuesday, McConnell indicated that the deal was unlikely to get a vote in his chamber before election day, according to multiple sources. And he said he warned the White House against getting behind such a proposal before November 3rd that would badly divide Senate Republicans. So McConnell isn’t jumping up and down about this. What do you want this morning? 

Sen. Coons: John, I want us to make real progress towards delivering relief for the millions of Americans who are suffering through this pandemic, who are struggling through this recession, both of which have been made far worse than they ever should have been by President Trump’s bungled mishandling of this public health crisis. We have more than 25 million Americans on unemployment right now, more than 8 million Americans infected, more than 220,000 Americans dead. This is a public health crisis of epic proportions and our economy is barely hanging on because of the unanimous support of the Senate six months ago for the CARES relief act. McConnell has been AWOL. He has been absent, a total nonparticipant, and now is actually being a critical speed bump in the last days as Speaker Pelosi is trying hard to work out a robust package of relief. We have 6 million Americans late on their mortgage or their rent. That should be in this bill. Every state is facing rising challenges, both in terms of their budgets and the pandemic response. Robust state and local government relief should be in this bill. And there should be another round of support for families. I hope we can get this done. I have confidence in Speaker Pelosi and her negotiations. Many of us in the Senate are ready to support a broad and significant bill like this. But it’s striking that Republicans, in the midst of this public health crisis, are signaling they will not support any more funding for American families in the middle of this recession and pandemic. 

Q: Regardless of what Mitch McConnell will do with it – leave his opposition or reticence aside here – do you want Speaker Pelosi to make the deal? Make the deal? Maybe don’t make perfect the enemy of the good. Maybe even take the deal a little bit north of what the $1.8 trillion the White House last offered was. 

Sen. Coons: Look, let’s put this into broader perspective. $1.8 trillion is an enormous amount of money. It’s more than double the amount of the relief package, the Recovery Act that the Obama-Biden administration was able to get. I’ll remind you, in 2009, when the Obama-Biden administration came in, our economy was in free fall, because of the collapse in Wall Street and Republicans doggedly objected to moving forward with any relief, insisted on major tax cuts to get anything. This is about three times the size of the real stimulus that was in that bill. This is what Democrats care about. Providing support for American families who are struggling. 

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Sen. Coons, colleagues demand explanation of Justice Department’s sudden change to election non-interference policy

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Chris Coons (D-Del.), a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, joined Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.) and 11 other members of the Rules and Judiciary Committees on a letter to Corey R. Amundson, Chief of the Department of Justice’s Public Integrity Section, requesting an immediate explanation of the Department’s recent decision to weaken its longstanding policy of non-interference with elections, which ensures that election fraud investigations do not affect an upcoming election. The Department has long recognized that public investigations of alleged election fraud can “interject the investigation itself as an issue” in an ongoing election, creating “the obvious risk of chilling legitimate voting and campaign activities.”

This policy change coincides with repeated false claims by the President and Attorney General Barr that voting by mail will lead to rampant fraud, while the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is warning that Russia is amplifying these claims to undermine trust in the electoral process.

In addition to Senators Coons and Klobuchar, the letter was signed by Senators Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.), Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.), Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio), Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), Mazie Hirono (D-Hawaii), Tom Udall (D-N.M.), Angus King (I-Maine), Mark Warner (D-Va.), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.), and Cory Booker (D-N.J.).

“It is deeply troubling that the Department has chosen to weaken its non-interference policy weeks before Election Day and while millions of Americans have already voted, many of them by mail.” the senators said. 

“This policy change coincides with repeated false claims by the President and Attorney General Barr that voting by mail will lead to rampant fraud. The Department of Homeland Security has warned that Russia is amplifying these claims in an effort to undermine public trust in the electoral process.”

Full text of the letter can be found here and below.  

Dear Mr. Amundson:

We request an immediate explanation of the Department’s recent decision to weaken its longstanding policy of non-interference with elections, which ensures that election fraud investigations do not affect an upcoming election.

The Department has long recognized that public investigations of alleged election fraud can “interject[] the investigation itself as an issue” in an ongoing election, creating “the obvious risk of chilling legitimate voting and campaign activities.” Department policy thus prohibits overt investigative steps in such cases “until the election in question has been concluded, its results certified, and all recounts and election contests concluded.” [Federal Prosecution of Election Offenses, p. 84]

The Department has reportedly announced an exception to this policy that would allow election fraud allegations to be publicly announced before the 2020 election if “the integrity of any component of the federal government is implicated by election offenses.”  The exception appears to encompass allegations of mail voting fraud, which the Department could now publicly announce while voting is underway.

This policy change coincides with repeated false claims by the President and Attorney General Barr that voting by mail will lead to rampant fraud.  The Department of Homeland Security has warned that Russia is amplifying these claims in an effort to undermine public trust in the electoral process. 

It is deeply troubling that the Department has chosen to weaken its non-interference policy weeks before Election Day and while millions of Americans have already voted, many of them by mail. We therefore ask that you provide the following information no later than October 23:

1. What is the complete text of the new exception to the Department’s non-interference with elections policy?
2. Why did the Department create this exception at this time?
3. Who participated in the creation of the exception, including the decision to create it and the drafting process?
4. How will the Department ensure that actions taken pursuant to the exception do not “chill[] legitimate voting and campaign activities” or jeopardize “the Department’s reputation for fairness, neutrality, and non-partisanship”? 
5. How will the Department ensure that actions taken pursuant to the exception will not interfere with or disturb the delivery and counting of mail-in ballots? 

Thank you for your prompt attention to this request.

Sincerely,

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Sen. Coons, colleagues introduce COVID-19 relief bill to support small businesses

WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Senator Chris Coons (D-Del.), along with his colleagues on the U.S. Senate Committee on Small Business & Entrepreneurship, Senators Ben Cardin (D-Md.) and Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.), and Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) introduced the HEROES Small Business Lifeline Act — a comprehensive package of measures that would provide support to the hardest-hit, most vulnerable small businesses and industries, such as food services, hospitality, and live venues. The bill is nearly identical to the small business provisions of HEROES 2.0, which passed the House of Representatives on October 1.

The bill is cosponsored by U.S. Senators Jacky Rosen (D-Nev.), Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.), Mazie Hirono (D-Hawaii), Ed Markey (D-Mass.), Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.), Cory Booker (D-N.J.), Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.), Patty Murray (D-Wash.), Angus King (I-Maine), Jack Reed (D-R.I.), Bob Menendez (D-N.J.), Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.), Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.), Tim Kaine (D-Va.), Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio), Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), Ron Wyden (D-Ore.), Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.), Michael Bennet (D-Colo.), Debbie Stabenow (D-Mich.), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.), Tom Udall (D-N.M.), Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii), and Gary Peters (D-Mich.).

“Small businesses and nonprofits and their employees are working tirelessly to keep their workplaces going. The challenges facing restaurants, event venues, childcare providers, hotels, fitness centers, and so many other Main Street businesses in Delaware and across the country call for bold and sweeping assistance from the federal government,” Senator Coons said. “That’s why I’m proud to introduce the HEROES Small Business Lifeline Act. The bill not only offers a second round of PPP loans to hard-hit businesses, as we initially called for in June, but it also includes a vital extension of the SBA debt relief program, and new grant funding with a focus on restaurants, event venues, and the smallest, hardest-hit businesses across all sectors, as well as those owned by women and people of color. This is the bill we need to get Main Street through this pandemic.”

“More than 12 million Americans remain unemployed, hundreds of thousands are still being laid off weekly, and businesses are closing every day,” Senator Cardin said. “The HEROES Small Business Lifeline Act meets the scale of the need in our country—providing grants, affordable long-term capital, and small business debt relief to the most vulnerable and hardest-hit small businesses and sectors. COVID-19 cases are rising every day. Senate Republicans’ proposal to only reinstate eight weeks of PPP is not enough to get small businesses and their employees through the pandemic.”

“PPP and EIDL have been lifelines that have kept small businesses across the country from going under but many of these businesses are still struggling and need further help,” said Senator Shaheen. “Revenues are still at unsustainable lows and with infection rates increasing in many communities, for many businesses a second PPP loan or a new EIDL grant can’t come soon enough. This legislation prioritizes smaller businesses, particularly those in hardest hit industries, and puts in place protections to make sure this money goes to businesses that are truly hurting, not well-connected corporations. Every effort must be made to make sure federal relief reaches small businesses that need help the most and this legislation would be a big step toward that goal.”

“The strength of our economy and country’s small businesses depends on our ability to curb the coronavirus. That’s why Senate Democrats have proposed for months comprehensive legislation that includes money for testing and contact tracing, relief to Americans who’ve lost their jobs, aid to help small businesses stay afloat, financial resources so state and local governments can save hundreds of thousands of jobs, continue to offer essential services for their communities, and revive their local economies, and much more,” said Leader Schumer. “Unfortunately, Senate Republicans continue to push an inadequate bill that doesn’t do nearly enough to help workers and families, and that lacks the scale of assistance required to help the hardest-hit small businesses and industries, including those in underserved and underbanked communities. Senate Democrats are united behind the Heroes Small Business Lifeline Act, to provide over $370 billion in small business relief for a second round of PPP, expanded PPP eligibility for nonprofits, critical access hospitals and local news media, grants for our hardest-hit industries like restaurants, concert venues, and theaters and investment in communities of color that have too often been left behind. This significant support for the nation’s small businesses as part of a comprehensive relief bill is a must have to address the far-reaching impacts of the crisis we face.”

The HEROES Small Business Lifeline Act would: 

·         Extend and improve PPP to better serve small businesses. The bill extends PPP through March 2021, provides a second PPP for the hardest-hit small businesses and nonprofits, expands eligibility to ensure nonprofits and critical access hospitals can participate, simplifies the forgiveness process, repeals the requirement of deducting an EIDL advance from the PPP forgiveness amount, and removes limitations that unfairly restrict small businesses owned by formerly incarcerated individuals from securing a PPP loan.

·         Extend and expand the Debt Relief program. The bill extends payments of principal, interest, and fees on all preexisting and new 7(a), 504 and microloans for up to a year, with more relief targeted to existing borrowers in underserved markets and the hardest-hit sectors.

·         Support the smallest, most vulnerable businesses. The bill includes a new $40 billion Lifeline Grant program, of which half is set aside for undeserved businesses, that provides grants of up to $50,000 to vulnerable small businesses that have suffered a significant economic loss and creates a new $15 billion grant program for state and local governments to provide funds to vulnerable small businesses in their communities.

·         Deliver targeted assistance to small businesses in struggling industries. The bill includes the Save our Stages (SOS) Act and the RESTAURANTS Act, which provide dedicated assistance for industries that rely on large gatherings, including restaurants, concert venues, and theaters.

·         Invest in underserved communities. The bill invests in the mission- and community-based lenders that have a demonstrated history of getting capital to minorities, women, and other underserved communities. Specifically, it includes a dedicated $15 billion PPP set-aside for Community Development Financial Institutions (CDFIs) and Minority Depository Institutions (MDIs), $1 billion in support for CDFIs, and a $13 billion for a new Neighborhood Capital Investment Program to support CDFIs and MDIs.

·         Improve existing small business initiatives. The bill builds on the Small Business Administration‘s (SBA) core programs, including 7(a), Community Advantage, 504, and the Microloan program, by making them more affordable and useful to small businesses. It also strengthens the accountability and transparency of SBA’s Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) program and makes other commonsense improvements like removing the Trump administration’s arbitrary $150,000 cap on EIDL loans.

·         Help minority-owned businesses respond to COVID-19. HEROES 2.0 provides emergency grants to minority business enterprises through the Minority Business Development Agency (MBDA). The legislation also formally and permanently establishes MBDA and gives it the tools to carry out its mission to help minority entrepreneurs start and grow businesses.

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[VIDEO] Sen. Coons: ‘We need another round of stimulus’

WILMINGTON, Del. — Today, U.S. Senator Chris Coons (D-Del.) joined CNBC’s Squawk Box to call for another round of COVID-19 relief for the American people.

On Congress’ failure to pass another relief bill earlier, Sen. Coons said: “Speaker Pelosi has been working hard because she and the House Democrats, who are in the majority, passed a big and broad package four months ago, but Majority Leader McConnell has been completely absent from these negotiations.” Sen. Coons continued, “I think it’s appropriate Speaker Pelosi put a deadline on this. It’s been dragging on for months, and our key problem is the Republican majority in the Senate will not support the kind of broad bill that the White House is talking about and that the Speaker has already passed and sent to us months ago.” 

On the relief bill already passed by the House, Sen. Coons said: “The initial bill, the $3.5 trillion HEROES Act, if we had actually pushed that into law and delivered it, you would see a solid economic recovery right now…Instead, President Trump and Majority Leader McConnell have dithered and disagreed about the path.” 

Sen. Coons concluded: “The larger point is we have to get to a deal that meets the broad needs of the American people. That’s what Speaker Pelosi is advancing and by putting some deadline on it, she’s trying to get serious about getting this done before the election.” 

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

Q: Joining us right now is Senator Chris Coons. He serves on the Small Business Committee and, Senator, with a focus on the Small Business Committee, I can only assume that you must be desperate to get something done at this point because small businesses right now in this country need some help. What happens next? 

Sen. Coons: That’s right. That’s right, Becky. I hear every day, literally I just got a text while I was waiting to go on here, from small business owners in Delaware eager to hear about news that there may be some breakthrough. It’s been clear from Republicans I’ve talked to that President Trump would like to get a deal. Obviously, Speaker Pelosi has been working hard because she and the House Democrats who are in the majority passed a big and broad package four months ago, but Majority Leader McConnell has been completely absent from these negotiations. He’s only put out one bill in the last four months. It was a small bill that had some key provisions that prevented any Democrats from voting for it. And while he has told us we’ll have a vote this week on those issues, he hasn’t released any text yet, he hasn’t reached out to Democrats. As I have been talking in recent days to Republican colleagues, if we had a chance at amendments that would allow us to build a broader bill that would actually deal with the 6 million Americans who are late on their rent or mortgage, the record lines at food banks, the increase in hunger, and aid to state and local governments, we could get a deal done. But I think it’s appropriate Speaker Pelosi put a deadline on this. It’s been dragging on for months, and our key problem is the Republican majority in the Senate will not support the kind of broad bill that the White House is talking about and that the Speaker has already passed and sent to us months ago. 

Q: Senator, hold on just a second. Let’s put the Senate aside for now. Let’s put McConnell aside for this moment. 

Sen. Coons: That’s pretty hard to do. 

Q: But you can’t even get it past what Pelosi is talking about with Mnuchin at this point. And that’s what I find incredibly troubling. I don’t think that there’s an easy way to get McConnell on board for this, but we don’t even know that. What I don’t understand is why would you let the perfect be the enemy of the good in this situation, and if there’s a lot of common ground that the White House and the House could find, why not put that together and put the pressure on McConnell?

Sen. Coons: Great question. President Trump ran four years ago as a deal maker, someone who would put everyone in a room and sort it out. He literally hasn’t spoken to Speaker Pelosi in a year and frankly, if President Trump and Speaker Pelosi hammered out a deal, no one has more leverage on Mitch McConnell than President Trump. If those two works this out, I do think it’s possible to get the votes in the Senate. But as for where we are right now… 

Q: You don’t think Mnuchin is speaking on behalf of the president though. The Treasury Secretary, you don’t think has the full backing of the president in these talks? 

Sen. Coons: If you missed this point, just over a week ago, President Trump announced he was cancelling all further talks on any kind of a stimulus and then within 48 hours, reversed himself. 

Q: I saw that. He did it because it put him in a terrible position of saying, “we’re not going to pass this.” It was the wrong move, clearly. I don’t understand why Nancy Pelosi is now saying 48 hours or in this case, 24 hours, or we’re out.

Sen. Coons: Because she’s trying to get to a deal. She’s made it perfectly clear: she wants another round of stimulus. Democrats want to get this done because we’re getting calls every day from our constituents, those who have been unemployed, there’s 25 million Americans collecting unemployment. There were 900,000 new unemployment filings last week. That’s the entire population of my state in size. There are state and local governments laying people off and there are record lines at food banks. Obviously, we need another round of stimulus for small businesses, for nonprofits, for families, and for our communities. The differences that divide us should not be insurmountable, but there were two provisions in McConnell’s… the only bill McConnell has advanced in the last four months had two provisions that were designed to prevent any Democrat from supporting it. We should be able to close this gap. We just need to have him release his text and have them negotiate in good faith. 

Q: The two issues, I think, one has to be in terms of liability. I’m assuming that’s one. What’s the other?

Sen. Coons: Correct. Aid for state and local governments. More than a million and a half public employees have been laid off. 

Q: The aid for state and local governments ­– that is an issue that the administration has put on the table, maybe not to the full extent that Nancy Pelosi would like to see, but they have moved that number up. And the last I saw; it was much closer to what she had originally asked for on that. Again, why don’t you cut that deal with the administration and then put the pressure on McConnell? If this is where it gets held up – my question is at this point: if there’s not something before the election, when I heard an analysis that suggested, the next time might be December 11th, maybe when you have to go back and ask for additional funding for the government, maybe something could get cut into that. Short of that, you’re probably looking at February after the election, and after the inauguration day. It’s going to be February before any help gets out, and how do you knowingly and conscionably say we’re not going to offer any help to any of these people who need it until February? 

Sen. Coons: Becky, I’m one of the folks who helped write both the PPP bill and the next round, the Prioritized Paycheck Protection Program. That piece of this has been enduringly bipartisan in the work on the Small Business Committee. Our challenge really is the larger structure, is going from the $3.5 trillion bill that House Democrats passed four months ago and Majority Leader McConnell’s $500 billion. There has been steady progress. The Speaker has come down twice significantly. But as you heard, as we just discussed, the on again/off again nature of President Trump’s engagement – Meadows saying no, saying no, saying no, Mnuchin saying yes, Meadows saying no – has made this very difficult to get to yes. I do think if Pelosi and Mnuchin reach an agreement that actually covers all the issues that we know need to be covered, as Jay Powell the fed chairman just said – I think last week – we need another round of stimulus. If that deal happens, I think McConnell will ultimately give in, but right now, he cannot get a majority of Senate Republicans to vote for any significant stimulus package. That’s a real challenge. 

Q: Senator, I know that you are one of the people who has worked in a bipartisan effort. I know that you are focused on small business. Do you get frustrated, though, seeing this get caught in this position at this point?

Sen. Coons: Yes. Absolutely. 

Q: I don’t think McConnell could get this past Republican Senators at this point, but I wonder if Nancy Pelosi couldn’t get a deal she cut with the administration past some of her caucus too. 

Sen. Coons: I’m confident that Speaker Pelosi, if she goes back to her caucus and says this is a good and solid deal, that she has the votes in her caucus for it. She has demonstrated over and over again that she is both a master legislator and negotiator, and that the initial bill, the $3.5 trillion HEROES Act, if we had actually pushed that into law and delivered it, you would see a solid economic recovery right now. You’d see more kids back in schools, you’d see skilled nursing facilities have the resources they need, you’d see states having the testing they need to get fully open. We would be in a much better place. Instead, President Trump and Majority Leader McConnell have dithered and disagreed about the path. Now, we’re talking about a bill that’s somewhere between $1.8 and $2.2 trillion. You’re absolutely right. I cannot tell you how frustrated I am. I have had a number of conversations with the secretary, with the deputy secretary, with Republicans in the Senate and with Democrats in the Senate. The larger point is we have to get to a deal that meets the broad needs of the American people. That’s what Speaker Pelosi is advancing and by putting some deadline on it, she’s just trying to get serious about getting this done before the election. 

Q: Okay. A deadline that ends by tonight. If there’s not a deal, what are your odds – just give me quickly, we’re out of time – but what are your odds, do you think that something gets done between now and the middle of November?

Sen. Coons: I’d put it at 50/50 at best, frankly. And that is frustrating. 

Q: Senator, I want to thank you for your time. 

Sen. Coons: But nobody wants to see this move forward more than me. An open amendment process and a commitment to passing the Senate, whatever gets done, is what we should see. 

Q: Thanks, Senator.

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Sen. Coons applauds $630K in federal funding for police department’s body-worn camera program

WILMINGTON, Del. – Today, U.S. Sen. Chris Coons, Sen. Tom Carper, Rep. Lisa Blunt Rochester, and Attorney General Kathy Jennings applauded a $630,000 federal grant to fund the Wilmington Police Department’s body-worn camera program.

Earlier this year, members of the congressional delegation wrote letters to the U.S. Department of Justice’s Bureau of Justice Assistance, signaling their support of WPD‘s application for the Fiscal Year 2020 Body-Worn Camera Policy and Implementation Program to Support Law Enforcement Agencies.

“The Department of Justice‘s $630,000 award to help fund the Wilmington Police Department’s body-worn camera program is one of many deliberate investments essential to building mutual trust between law enforcement and more importantly, the communities that they serve,” said Sen. Coons, a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee and Senate Law Enforcement Caucus. “The residents of Wilmington and officers with WPD deserve enhancements to policing operations that strengthen accountability, trust, and transparency. Time after time, our nation has witnessed tragedies that have resulted in the unfortunate loss of lives, particularly in Black and Brown communities, and these body-worn cameras will serve as an invaluable tool for justice.”

“It’s clear that body-worn cameras help law enforcement gain the community’s trust through transparency in policing, and Delaware’s congressional delegation worked hard to get this funding from the U.S. Department of Justice to ensure every officer has this technology,” said Sen. Carper. “We heard from constituents loud and clear – this is a necessary tool in the toolbox for our law enforcement that will assist the Wilmington Police Department in advancing relations between law enforcement, our city’s residents, and the surrounding region.”

“As part of the social justice movement across the country, we’ve been forced to confront the way that we police our communities and neighborhoods. One of the most effective and widely accepted policy solutions to help improve policing is the use of body-worn cameras. We’ve already taken action at the federal level through the passage of the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act and have been working with our local partners,” said Rep. Blunt Rochester. “In working with the City, community members, and police agencies, everyone agreed that the use of body-worn cameras would help improve outcomes. I want to thank Mayor Purzycki and Chief Tracy for their leadership in establishing the program in Wilmington and am grateful that at a time when the City is facing revenue challenges, the federal government can help provide resources for this critical program. I look forward to continuing to work with the City and with police agencies across the State to further the use of body-worn cameras in Delaware.”

“This is a great day for Wilmington,” said Attorney General Jennings. “Body cameras will make a real difference in our City, and Chief Tracy, Mayor Purzycki, and our congressional delegation deserve enormous credit for securing this funding. The next step is clear: funding and deploying body-worn cameras on every officer across our State – and I am grateful for Wilmington’s leadership by example.”