Carper, Coons join Senate Democrats and mark moment of silence in U.S. Capitol to honor the lives of George Floyd, Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor and too many others

WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Senators Tom Carper and Chris Coons (both-Del.) gathered with members of the Senate Democratic Caucus in Emancipation Hall at the U.S. Capitol to observe a moment of silence to honor the lives of George Floyd, Ahmaud Arbery and Breonna Taylor and stand in solidarity with peaceful protestors gathering in Delaware and across the country who are calling for fundamental changes to our justice systems and institutions.

“Delawareans and Americans across the country watched a tragedy unfold last week that remains all too common in our country – the murder of yet another unarmed black man, George Floyd, at the hands of law enforcement. Once again, systemic injustices in our country took the very last breath of an innocent father, brother and son. Sadly, his tragic death followed the deaths of Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery and too many others,” said Senator Carper. “We are a nation in crisis. We have reached an inflection point. We are seeing Americans rise up, from coast to coast, to demand equal treatment and equal justice for all Americans, regardless of the color of their skin. Citizens from all walks of life are rightly calling for fundamental changes to our systems and institutions. And, as elected officials, we have a sacred responsibility to act with a sense of purpose and urgency. Dr. King said, ‘the arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends toward justice.’ I believe that to be true, but we have a lot of work to do. Now, it is time for action.”

“Today, we marked a moment of silence to remember George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery, and so many other African Americans whose lives have been senselessly and unjustly taken,” said Senator Coons.  “While today we remembered, reflected, and prayed, our job now is to act and change our laws to make real the promise of liberty and justice for all Americans.”

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[VIDEO] Rosenstein: ‘I am not’ aware of any evidence re Pres. Trump’s ‘Obamagate’ conspiracy theory

Sen. Coons: ‘I too am questioning the scope and the reach of the dedication of time of this committee to reinvestigate what I think Inspector General Horowitz has thoroughly investigated’

Sen. Coons: ‘We are in the middle of three simultaneous national crises. […] There are many other pressing issues that I hope [the Judiciary] committee will soon turn to’

WASHINGTON — Today, U.S. Senator Chris Coons (D-Del.) questioned former Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein in a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing titled “Oversight of the Crossfire Hurricane Investigation: Day 1.” This is the first day of hearings to investigate Crossfire Hurricane, an FBI-authorized investigation into links between Trump associates and Russian officials.

In December 2019, the Office of the Inspector General at the Department of Justice completed an exhaustive investigation into whether the Crossfire Hurricane investigation had an adequate factual and legal predicate. During Senator Coons’ questioning, Rosenstein agreed with Inspector General Michael Horowitz’s finding that the FBI had an authorized purpose when it opened Crossfire Hurricane which was grounded in protecting national security by investigating federal crimes. “I agree with Inspector Horowitz’s conclusion,” said Rosenstein.

The Crossfire Hurricane and later investigations ultimately resulted in multiple convictions. Senator Coons noted that “the President’s campaign manager, deputy campaign manager, national security adviser, foreign policy advisor, personal attorney, and longtime political strategist were all either convicted of crimes or pled guilty in federal court.” Rosenstein, in his role as acting Attorney General noted, “I was not aware of any reason to question the appropriateness [of the investigation and prosecution of Michael Flynn] at that time.”

The hearing comes weeks after pressure from President Trump for Senate Republicans to investigate “Obamagate.” Senator Coons stated, “repeated efforts by members of this committee, by journalists to get any clarity or definition about what Obamagate is have come up without any clarity.” When asked if he was aware of any evidence that former President Obama has committed any federal crime, Rosenstein said, “I am not.”

In light of these events, Senator Coons again questioned the ongoing influence of the President over the Department of Justice. Today, Senator Coons asked, “Do you think a president should publicly criticize, question, or attack ongoing Department of Justice investigations?” Rosenstein responded, “I’m not going to comment on the President.”

Senator Coons concluded by noting that this investigation was a poor use of committee time amid three ongoing national crises. Senator Coons said, “I too am questioning the scope and the reach of the dedication of time of this committee to reinvestigate what I think Inspector General Horwitz has thoroughly investigated. We are in the middle of three simultaneous national crises: a public health epidemic, an economic sharp, short downturn, and understandable nationwide protests inflamed by anger at the brutal and public killing of George Floyd at the hands of Minneapolis police. There are many other pressing issues that I hope this committee will soon turn to.”

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

Sen. Coons: Mr. Rosenstein, thank you for your testimony and for your service and for your appearance before us today. President Trump has called the Russia investigation a ‘witch-hunt’ which is in sharp contrast with Inspector General Horowitz who concluded that the FBI had an authorized purpose when it opened Crossfire Hurricane which was grounded in protecting our national security in investigating federal crimes. Do you agree with that conclusion? 

Mr. Rosenstein: I agree with Inspector Horowitz’s conclusion. Yes, sir.

Sen. Coons: In your oversight role over Special Counsel Mueller’s investigation, did you ever raise a concern about the appropriateness of the investigation and prosecution of Michael Flynn? 

Mr. Rosenstein: I was not aware of any reason to question the appropriateness at that time. 

Sen. Coons: You were the acting Attorney General for that investigation. Did you approve of his guilty plea? 

Mr. Rosenstein: Yes, sir, based on my understanding that the evidence demonstrated his guilt, and he and his attorneys admitted his guilt. 

Sen. Coons: Did you ever raise any concerns about whether Flynn’s false statements were material to the FBI’s national security investigation? 

Mr. Rosenstein: I was not aware of any issue. 

Sen. Coons: And are you aware of any precedent for the Department of Justice moving to dismiss a case after a defendant pled guilty to lying to the FBI?

Mr. Rosenstein: I don’t know the answer to that, Senator. There may be. I’m not personally aware, but the department certainly has moved to dismiss cases in the past. 

Sen. Coons: You authorized filing the indictment in the Roger Stone case as well, correct?

Mr. Rosenstein: Correct. 

Sen. Coons: And a jury convicted Roger Stone– 

Mr. Rosenstein: If I could just clarify. I believe that — I don’t believe I was acting Attorney General at the time the Stone case was filed, so I was certainly aware of it, but I don’t know that I, as a legal matter, I don’t know that I authorized it. 

Sen. Coons: In any event, a jury ultimately convicted Roger Stone of seven felony accounts in the indictment. Do you think Roger Stone committed those crimes of which he was convicted? 

Mr. Rosenstein: Based upon the jury’s verdict, yes. 

Sen. Coons: And in the Roger Stone case, career prosecutors filed a sentencing motion and the political leadership of the department filed a different motion within a day. The career attorneys then withdrew from the case and one went further and resigned from the department.  Are you aware of any other recent case where political appointees filed a sentencing recommendation that is so markedly different from what career prosecutors had filed? 

Mr. Rosenstein: I understand your question, Senator. The only issue I would take with it is that technically, every pleading we file contains the name of the U.S. Attorney. You’re focusing on whose signature appears on the document, but all those documents are filed in the name of the U.S. Attorney, and I consider U.S. Attorneys responsible for them. 

Sen. Coons: Do you think a president should publicly criticize, question, or attack ongoing Department of Justice investigations? 

Mr. Rosenstein: I’m not going to comment on the President, Senator, as I think I made clear. I understood the President’s frustration, and I don’t think it is my job to comment on how he articulates that. 

Sen. Coons: Well the President has recently referred repeatedly to something he calls Obamagate, which he has repeatedly said is worse than Watergate, and repeated efforts by members of this committee, by journalists to get any clarity or definition about what Obamagate is have come up without any clarity. Are you aware of any evidence that former President Obama has committed any federal crime? 

Mr. Rosenstein: I am not. 

Sen. Coons: There’s been a lot of discussion in this hearing; in particular, about the Carter Page FISA warrant and the findings in the Inspector General’s report that I think are worthy of concern and focus. Carter Page, though, was not indicted in the Mueller investigation, correct? 

Mr. Rosenstein: Correct. Not indicted and presumed innocent. I think it is unfortunate that that FISA information was leaked. 

Sen. Coons: In fact, by the end of it, the President’s campaign manager, deputy campaign manager, national security adviser, foreign policy advisor, personal attorney, and longtime political strategist were all either convicted of crimes or pled guilty in federal court. You approved of the significant investigative steps in those cases and approved the filing of those charge. Is that correct? 

Mr. Rosenstein: As I said, I don’t know that I was there for the last one, but I believe all the charges that were filed were legitimate. 

Sen. Coons: And in January 2020, you were quoted in the Washington Post saying, ‘certainly in retrospect, there are things I might have done differently, but I think we got all the big issues right.’ Do you still think you got the big issues right? 

Mr. Rosenstein: Yes, sir. And I wasn’t referring just to Russia. There were a lot of big issues, obviously, and I believe we did. ‘We’ being the team we had in place in the department, that I believe we got the big issues right. 

Sen. Coons: Well, I’ll just close by saying, you know, I too am questioning the scope and the reach of the dedication of time of this committee to reinvestigate what I think Inspector General Horowitz has thoroughly investigated. We are in the middle of three simultaneous national crises: a public health epidemic, an economic sharp, short downturn, and understandable nationwide protests inflamed by anger at the brutal and public killing of George Floyd at the hands of Minneapolis police. There are many other pressing issues that I hope this committee will soon turn to, and I appreciate your testimony before us today.

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[VIDEO] Sen. Coons presses Administration amid COVID-19 outbreaks within prison system and among ICE detainees

WASHINGTON — Today, U.S. Senator Chris Coons (D-Del.) questioned officials about the ongoing effort by the Federal Bureau of Prisons (B.O.P.) and Immigrations and Customs Enforcement (I.C.E.) to limit the populations detained or incarcerated in facilities amid the COVID-19 crisis and outbreaks within the federal prison system. In today’s Senate Judiciary Committee hearing on “Examining Best Practices for Incarceration and Detention During COVID-19,” senators questioned Michael Carvajal, Director of B.O.P; Dr. Jeffrey Allen, Medical Director at B.O.P.; and Henry Lucero, Executive Associate Director of Enforcement and Removal Operations at I.C.E.

B.O.P. has reported roughly 5,000 inmates and 600 staff testing positive and 70 inmate deaths (with no staff deaths), out of roughly 165,000 inmates and 36,000 staff. The high rates of infection and the significant public health risks for detention facilities has prompted public concern and Congressional oversight.  Senator Coons recognized that the death of George Floyd is reflective of persistent structural racism and that racism is an important aspect of the issues discussed at this hearing as well.

Senator Coons pressed Director Carvajal on why B.O.P. isn’t giving transparency on the number of inmates tested by facility, recognizing that such information—beyond case counts—is critical to knowing whether there has been adequate testing and whether a facility may be subject to an outbreak. “Will you disclose this information for B.O.P.: how many tests have been conducted at each facility?” asked Senator Coons. Carvajal did not provide a direct response and then handed it off to the Medical Director, Dr. Allen, who said, “From my perspective, there is no reason for us not to do that.”

Senator Coons then underscored that ICE should do the same, by facility, so local communities can know what to make of the case numbers that are coming out. To Mr. Lucero, Senator Coons added, “I urge you to continue full compliance. I will join with my colleague from Illinois in saying that deporting individuals to central America in particular without testing them risks the same sort of public health challenges that Dr. Allen said that B.O.P. is responsibly responding to. So given the resources now available, I urge you to test anyone before they are deported to another nation.”

Earlier, in an opening statement, Senator Coons highlighted the disproportionate impact of harmful policing practices and incarceration on communities of color amid ongoing protests across the United States.

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

Sen. Coons: Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Thank you for calling this hearing and for agreeing to hold a hearing on excessive force by police and police community relations. Like so many Americans, I’m filled with grief and concern over both the killing of George Floyd and the persistent structural racism that his death reflects and that racism is an important aspect of the challenges and issues that we’re discussing in this hearing today. No American should receive a death threat for passing a fake $20 bill or selling a cigarette on the street, and that’s frankly what unsafe conditions in our prisons and immigration detention facilities threaten to do right now which is to impose a death sentence because of the pandemic in circumstances when that’s not reasonable. I appreciate that prison and immigration officials face very complex challenges at this time and I appreciate your testimony, but I think we have to improve our response. Director Carvajal, knowing there are few COVID-19 cases at a prison, while helpful, doesn’t really provide full information without knowing the number of inmates tested. Why doesn’t the Bureau of Prisons disclose – as I.C.E. does ­– how many tests have been conducted and at each facility? 

Director Carvajal: Thank you, Senator. As you’re well aware, early on testing was hard to get. We now have 130 Avid I.D. Rapid test machines and we have increased our testing kits. We currently have about 40,000 kits. We are getting about 10,000 kits per week. So we are strategizing now and the things we’ve learned since the start of COVID, we’ve been able to implement that ­–

Sen. Coons:  Director, will you disclose this information for B.O.P.: How many tests have been conducted at each facility? I think you’ve been transparent on a wide range of factors, but I think that would help significantly. How many tests at each facility? 

Director Carvajal:  Sir, I don’t have the information in front of me, Senator. I will tell you I appreciate the acknowledgment of transparency. We have a very good public website that we update daily. I will defer to Dr. Allen as if whether or not he knows our testing strategy or why we are not posting the testing results. 

Sen. Coons:  If you could briefly, doctor, why not regularly disclose this information? How many tests are being done at each facility?

Dr. Allen: From my perspective, there is no reason for us not to do that. As you point out, we’re hoping and trying to be very transparent. We have tested approximately 15,000 inmates to date. Mostly at facilities that have known COVID infections. Our infection rate in those situations is approximately 30%; so that 5,000 figure that’s been mentioned today. But that is in areas where we went looking for it and expected to find it. If we apply that data across the board, it shows that we have an infection rate of about 4%. 

Sen. Coons:  Well as you can understand for all of you, there are concerned family members and community waiting for and anxious about those who are detained or who are inmates. So Mr. Lucero, I.C.E. does public aggregate testing totals every day but not by facility. I would like to urge – now that you’ve got testing that is up and running and scale ­­– that you be as transparent as possible across those issues. Director Carvajal, the A.G.’s April 3 memo directed you to review all inmates who have COVID-19 risk factors for home confinement, but some inmates report being told they are not eligible based on unrelated factors like whether they’ve served half of their sentence. Would you remove those barriers so all COVID-19 vulnerable inmates get a proper review? 

Director Carvajal:  Senator, we were, as you stated, reviewing and prioritizing inmates who had served at least 50% of their sentence or 25% of their sentence and had 18 months or less remaining. There was quite a number, and as I stated earlier, the same staff that are making these assessments are also the ones working these facilities during this pandemic. And it’s a huge undertaking, so we have to have a way to triage it so to speak, and we did that. We are reviewing all eligible cases. I assure you that we review them if they are eligible and they meet the criteria, then we do what we can to transfer them to home confinement. 

Sen. Coons:  But exactly my question was about those criteria by which you decide who’s eligible for review, which is not just are they vulnerable to COVID-19, but some other screening criteria unrelated to their vulnerability. Frankly, it was the release of Paul Manafort that I think heightened the public focus on someone being released who hadn’t gotten to half of their sentence whereas there were other cases where inmates were told they wouldn’t be reviewed for home custody because they hadn’t hit half. I’m out of my time. I’m going to ask one last question if I might, Mr. Lucero. There are 4500 asylum-seekers in your custody who USCIS has established have a credible fear of persecution or torture. It is heartbreaking that people who escape persecution, made it to the United States, are now enduring a pandemic in detention. Under longstanding I.C.E. policy, reaffirmed by this administration, they should generally be paroled absent specific risk factors. Is I.C.E. complying with this policy? And could you just say yes or no?

Mr. Lucero: Yes. 

Sen. Coons:  I urge you to continue full compliance. I will join with my colleague from Illinois in saying that deporting individuals to central America in particular without testing them risks the same sort of public health challenges that Dr. Allen said that B.O.P. is responsibly responding to. So given the resources now available, I urge you to test anyone before they are deported to another nation. Thank you for this hearing, Mr. Chairman. 

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TODAY, 5 PM: Sen. Coons, colleagues host conference call on helping nonprofits cope with COVID-19

Senators highlight Universal Charitable Deduction to incentivize giving to nonprofits amid COVID-19 response

Nonprofits, press invited to listen in on call highlighting legislation to help nonprofits cope with COVID-19

WASHINGTON — U.S. Senators Chris Coons (D-Del.), Mike Lee (R-Utah), Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), James Lankford (R-Okla.), Tim Scott (R-S.C.), and Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.) will speak on a conference call at 5 PM ET on Tuesday, June 2, hosted by a coalition of national nonprofits to discuss how Congress can help the nonprofit community during the Coronavirus crisis with a Universal Charitable Deduction.

“Our nation is in the midst of two national crises. It’s hard to think of a time we were more in need of healing and repair as a country. Americans need the nonprofit sector to serve, comfort, and heal our communities more than ever before,” said Senator Coons. “A federal response I am proud to support is giving every American taxpayer access to the charitable deduction. This simple, straightforward change to the tax code would mobilize the goodwill of all Americans as we collectively strive to overcome this pandemic.”

“The Coronavirus continues to disrupt all of our lives, but it also presents three unique challenges to our nation’s charitable organizations,” Sen. Lee said. “First, charitable organizations that help our most vulnerable communities are seeing increased demand for their services. Second, the virus has disrupted how many of these organizations deliver their services. And third, most charities have suffered a decline in donations as Americans have felt the financial pain of less work and unemployment. Congress can help by allowing all taxpayers to claim the full charitable deduction for the tax year 2020. This would help more Americans donate to charitable organizations.”

The following organizations are sponsoring the call: American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network, American Red Cross, Americans for the Arts, Catholic Charities USA, Council for Advancement and Support of Education, Easterseals, Faith and Giving Coalition, Girl Scouts of the USA, Jewish Federations of North America, National Council of Nonprofits, Salvation Army USA, Union of Orthodox Jewish Congregations of America, United Way Worldwide, Volunteers of America, and YMCA of the USA.

Journalists looking to listen in on the call can register for the event here:

https://www.councilofnonprofits.org/civicrm/event/register?reset=1&id=187

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[VIDEO] Sen. Coons: ‘There are too many names that we know. It’s not just George Floyd’s name. It’s Eric Garner’s and Freddie Gray’s and it’s dozens of others’

WASHINGTON — Today, U.S. Senator Chris Coons (D-Del.) gave the following opening statement during a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing on “Examining Best Practices for Incarceration and Detention During COVID-19.” Senator Coons highlighted the disproportionate impact of harmful policing practices and incarceration on communities of color amid ongoing protests across the United States.

“We are in the middle as a nation of three different crises: a public health pandemic in the COVID-19 pandemic that has differentially impacted communities of color; an economic crisis, a deep recession that has impacted communities of color; and now, nationwide protests because of the brutal killing of George Floyd, nationally televised, that is getting this response because policing practices and incarceration have impacted communities of color,” said Senator Coons. “This requires not just a hearing, not just listening, but actually engaging the voices of those all over our country who are protesting because they are fed up at the lack of progress.”

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

Sen. Coons: “Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Thank you, Ranking Member Feinstein. Thank you to my colleague from Illinois for a sweeping and focused opening. I will briefly, if I could, add my voice to it. 

“We are in the middle as a nation of three different crises: a public health pandemic in the COVID-19 pandemic that has differentially impacted communities of color; an economic crisis, a deep recession that has impacted communities of color; and now, nationwide protests because of the brutal killing of George Floyd, nationally televised, that is getting this response because policing practices and incarceration have impacted communities of color. 

“So, Mr. Chairman, I’m grateful we are having a timely hearing today on detention and incarceration practices during this pandemic. There are too many names that we know. It’s not just George Floyd’s name. It’s Eric Garner’s and Freddie Gray’s and it’s dozens of others over many years that have raised the concern of all of us about what we are doing as a nation. This requires not just a hearing, not just listening, but actually engaging the voices of those all over our country who are protesting because they are fed up at the lack of progress. 

“So thank you, Mr. Chairman, for agreeing to the hearing on June 16th. Thank you for this hearing today. But I very much look forward to continuing to hear from and to convey the voices of the people of my home state who have been protesting all weekend a lack of progress in criminal justice reform, a lack of humaneness in how we are conducting imprisonment and detention. I look forward to this hearing today.”

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Carper, Coons call for investigation into racially discriminatory and violent policing at the Minneapolis Police Department

WILMINGTON, Del. – U.S. Senators Tom Carper and Chris Coons (both D-Del.) joined Senators Amy Klobuchar and Tina Smith (both D-Minn.) and 24 of their colleagues in calling on the Civil Rights Division of the Department of Justice (DOJ) to conduct an investigation into the patterns and practices of racially discriminatory and violent policing in the Minneapolis Police Department (MPD).

Carper, Coons, Klobuchar, and Smith were joined by Senators Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.), Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.), Ed Markey (D-Mass.), Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), Mazie K. Hirono (D-Hawaii), Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio), Jack Reed (D-R.I.), Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), Ben Cardin (D-Md.), Jon Tester (D-Mont.), Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.), Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.), Bob Casey (D-Pa.), Jacky Rosen (D-Nev.), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.), Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.), Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.), Debbie Stabenow (D-Mich.), Michael Bennet (D-Colo.), Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.), Gary Peters (D-Mich.), and Chris Murphy (D-Conn.). 

“Given the repeated instances of police violence that have resulted in the deaths of several citizens—a disproportionate share of whom have been black men—we ask that the Civil Rights Division of the Justice Department conduct an investigation into the patterns and practices of racially discriminatory and violent policing in the MPD. The Department should also be prepared to use the strongest tools available—including the use of court-supervised consent decrees—to ensure oversight, enforcement, and accountability on an ongoing basis,” the lawmakers wrote.

“Those responsible must be held accountable to the fullest extent of the law in order to serve justice for George Floyd and his loved ones. And we must work toward justice for the community, which means ensuring that the MPD accounts for and eliminates any unconstitutional police practices. It is imperative that the Department of Justice do its part toward that end.”

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

Dear Attorney General Barr:

We write to request that the Department of Justice work with state and local officials to investigate the death of George Floyd and to immediately open an investigation to evaluate unconstitutional patterns and practices of violent policing targeting communities of color in the Minneapolis Police Department that contributed to Mr. Floyd’s tragic and unjust death on May 25, 2020.

Video taken by several witnesses shows that George Floyd—who is black and was unarmed—was handcuffed and pinned to the ground by a police officer who held his knee against Mr. Floyd’s neck as he pleaded for his life. Mr. Floyd was on the ground repeatedly telling the officer that he could not breathe, and despite that fact that bystanders are heard on video begging the officer to relent, he did not remove his knee from Mr. Floyd’s neck until after an ambulance arrived. Eventually Mr. Floyd loses consciousness; he was pronounced dead after being transported to a local hospital.

The City of Minneapolis has fired the officers involved and has requested that the Federal Bureau of Investigation review the incident along with local authorities. But that is not enough. Given the repeated instances of police violence that have resulted in the deaths of several citizens—a disproportionate share of whom have been black men—we ask that the Civil Rights Division of the Justice Department conduct an investigation into the patterns and practices of racially discriminatory and violent policing in the MPD. The Department should also be prepared to use the strongest tools available—including the use of court-supervised consent decrees—to ensure oversight, enforcement, and accountability on an ongoing basis.  

Those responsible must be held accountable to the fullest extent of the law in order to serve justice for George Floyd and his loved ones. And we must work toward justice for the community, which means ensuring that the MPD accounts for and eliminates any unconstitutional police practices. It is imperative that the Department of Justice do its part toward that end.

Sincerely, 

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[VIDEO] Sen. Coons on George Floyd: ‘the Judiciary Committee ought to be convening an oversight hearing where we look into the whole string of tragic killings’

WILMINGTON, Del. — Today, U.S. Senator Chris Coons (D-Del.), a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, joined Fox News’ America’s Newsroom to discuss the death of George Floyd. 

“I think in the wake of the tragic murder of George Floyd in Minneapolis, the Judiciary Committee ought to be convening an oversight hearing where we look into the whole string of tragic killings, of incidents that are deeply wounding to our country, of police violence and then of response by communities,” said Senator Coons.“There needs to be a prompt and thorough investigation and by all accounts the U.S. Attorney and the county attorney are conducting that investigation. My hope is that that will reach a conclusion promptly, so that the community has some confidence that this won’t be an endless investigation without a resolution […] I think this needs to be addressed forcefully and swiftly.”

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

[Clip: Sen. Lindsey Graham] If you are a circuit judge, in your mid-60s, late 60s, you can take senior status. Now would be a good time to do that if you want to make sure the judiciary is right of center; this is a good time to do it. 

Q: That is the chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee Lindsey Graham looking to reshape the nation’s courts; urging older judges to step aside by election day so they can be replaced by younger conservative judges. Joining us now with the reaction is Democratic Senator Chris Coons of Delaware. He serves on the Judiciary Committee as well. So when the chairman made that proposal, Senator, what did you think? 

Sen. Coons: Well, John, I think in the wake of the tragic murder of George Floyd in Minneapolis, the Judiciary Committee ought to be convening an oversight hearing where we look into the whole string of tragic killings, of incidents that are deeply wounding to our country, of police violence and then of response by communities. But when Chairman Lindsey Graham says something like that, it is a reminder that this has become a very politicized Judiciary Committee and judicial confirmation process. President Trump has nominated and the Republican majority Senate has confirmed more than 200 judges, so Chairman Graham is continuing to advance that agenda. There are other things I wish we would focus on that we should focus on. The pandemic response and recovery and the ways that’s impacted federal law enforcement, federal prisons and a lot of other issues that are under the purview of his committee or this tragic recent killing in Minneapolis. 

Q: We will talk about that killing in just a moment, but staying on the Senator Graham proposal for a moment, I mean there is nothing illegal about it. It might be unsavory if you are in the Democratic minority in the Senate right now. You might not like it, but that’s kind of the way the pendulum swings, isn’t it? 

Sen. Coons: I agree, there’s nothing illegal about it. Senator Graham is entitled to his own opinion, and he often shares it in very memorable quotes and quips. He has been a very active Judiciary Committee Chairman. He and I have managed to work well together on a number of issues and areas, and we strongly disagree on others. He and I recently introduced a bill together that would combat so-called wet markets, the wildlife trafficking markets that many would argue led to the emergence of the pandemic in China. But on judiciary nominations, I have strenuously and forcefully disagreed with him both on the substance of many of the circuit court nominees and the process he has followed to get them confirmed. That is how the process works. Our two parties disagree sharply about the judicial confirmation process.

Q: So let’s talk now about Minneapolis and the situation there. The police officers most directly involved in this terrible incident caught on video have been fired.  What else in your view should transpire? 

Sen. Coons: Well first, the family of George Floyd has been calling for peaceful demonstrations, for a calm and respect for his memory. There needs to be a prompt and thorough investigation and by all accounts the U.S. Attorney and the county attorney are conducting that investigation. My hope is that that will reach a conclusion promptly, so that the community has some confidence that this won’t be an endless investigation without a resolution. Certainly from the video evidence that’s been seen over and over by millions of Americans and around the world, the police officer who is responsible for the killing of George Floyd was engaging in a brutal and unrelenting effort to snuff out his life, and this has reawakened and torn open the wounds of dozens of similar incidents in recent years. I think this needs to be addressed forcefully and swiftly. 

Q: Well, that’s the question, people are saying look, the video evidence is right there, why are charges not being filed yesterday? 

Sen. Coons: My expectation and hope would be that charges will be filed very soon. It has been three days. I think that’s plenty of time for quick interviews, for reviews of the tape of the evidence. If there are other unknown to the public complicating factors, I think they haven’t yet surfaced. So there is a great question given that the mayor is calling for the arrest of a member of his own police department. It is a real question, why is this taking so long? 
Q: Senator Chris Coons, Democrat of Delaware. Busy times, and we appreciate you taking some time out of your day to talk with us this morning. Thank you, sir.

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Sen. Coons defends Planned Parenthood from Trump Administration targeting during COVID-19

Senators express deep concern with media reports that SBA is pressuring Planned Parenthood affiliates to return PPP money

Senators demand Trump Administration follow intent of bipartisan CARES Act and treat all nonprofits with less than 500 employees equally regarding eligibility for relief

WILMINGTON, Del. — In a letter to Small Business Administration (SBA) Administrator Jovita Carranza and Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin, Senator Chris Coons (D-Del.), member of the Senate Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship, joined Senators Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.), Ben Cardin (D-Md.), Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.), and 37 of their Senate colleagues in calling on SBA to implement the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) provision of the bipartisan-passed CARES Act as Congress intended and to stop targeting critical, safety-net health care providers like Planned Parenthood based on political ideology.

“We write to address confusion that has arisen in recent reporting regarding the eligibility of Planned Parenthood health centers for participation in the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) and express our deep concern that the Small Business Administration (SBA) appears to be engaged in targeted, ideologically-based attacks against critical safety-net health care providers,” the senators wrote.

The senators request SBA stop ideologically-driven actions against Planned Parenthood organizations and apply the PPP’s affiliation rule equally, calling on the administration to stop its attacks so essential services can continue.

The senators concluded, “It is critical that the SBA implement the PPP as Congress directed, without ideological efforts to treat certain nonprofit organizations differently from others. The SBA must administer the PPP program in a manner that is uniform and that does not target any entity or subset of entities for exclusion, especially if doing so is based on a political ideology, the services provided by that entity, or any other factor unrelated to the criteria established by law in the CARES Act.”

The full letter is available here and below. 

Dear Administrator Carranza and Secretary Mnuchin:

We write to address confusion that has arisen in recent reporting regarding the eligibility of Planned Parenthood health centers for participation in the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) and express our deep concern that the Small Business Administration (SBA) appears to be engaged in targeted, ideologically-based attacks against critical safety-net health care providers.

As established under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act, the PPP was created specifically to ensure all 501(c)(3) nonprofits who meet the qualifications under the terms and conditions of the law would be eligible to receive these loans. Any terms or conditions applied, including the affiliation rule, were not aimed at targeting or excluding any specific entity or category of entities. 

The PPP was created to respond directly to the ongoing severe consequences of the COVID- 19 pandemic by providing “a direct incentive for small businesses to keep their workers on the payroll.” The intent of the program is to provide cash flow assistance through 100 percent federally guaranteed loans to qualifying employers who maintain their payroll during this emergency. The law was drafted to provide eligibility for both for-profit and nonprofit organizations, as both types of organizations face severe economic challenges at this moment. The decision to fund PPP was based on a mutual and bipartisan consensus that it was important for this program to assist the broad universe of nonprofit organizations in this country, many of whom provide food assistance, health care services, child care, charitable services, and other essential functions that constitute a critical component of our social safety net. As such, independent Planned Parenthood 501(c)(3) organizations that have less than 500 employees and are compliant with the affiliation rule are eligible for PPP under the CARES Act.

On May 19, conservative media outlets began to report that the SBA is “reaching out to each involved Planned Parenthood affiliate” which has received PPP funding in an effort to pressure them into returning funds. The reporting, combined with the previous comments from a “senior Administration official” and this administration’s longstanding campaign against reproductive health generally and Planned Parenthood specifically, strongly suggests that Planned Parenthood is being arbitrarily singled out amongst over 4.3 million loans that have been issued under this program.

It is critical that the SBA implement the PPP as Congress directed, without ideological efforts to treat certain nonprofit organizations differently from others. The SBA must administer the PPP program in a manner that is uniform and that does not target any entity or subset of entities for exclusion, especially if doing so is based on a political ideology, the services provided by that entity, or any other factor unrelated to the criteria established by law in the CARES Act.

In light of these developments, we ask that the SBA stop ideologically-driven action against Planned Parenthood organizations through the unequal application of the affiliation rule in order to score political points for this administration by attacking nonprofit health care providers.

Sincerely,

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Senators call for national moment of silence on Monday as COVID-19 death toll reaches 100,000 in US

WILMINGTON, Del. — After the U.S. COVID-19 pandemic death toll passed 100,000 yesterday, U.S. Senators Chris Coons (D-Del.), Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii), Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.), and Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) renewed their calls to pay tribute to the victims of COVID-19 with a moment of silence at 12 noon on Monday, June 1, 2020. Last week, the senators introduced legislation calling for a moment of silence.

“Our country is experiencing a collective trauma of historic proportions, and we should come together as a nation for a moment of silence, prayer, and reflection to mourn the friends, neighbors, and loved ones we’ve lost to this pandemic,” said Senator Coons. “Just as we’re working together to provide health care and economic relief, we also need to provide each other emotional and spiritual support, and this moment of silence is one way for our nation to begin that important process.”

“The nation must mark this dark moment with unity and clarity,” said Senator Schatz. “At this time of almost unimaginable pain, it is essential that we pause to honor every life lost, and that we grieve together.”

“Over the past few months, more than 300 Tennesseans have lost their lives to COVID-19. For the families and friends of the victims, nothing can replace their loved ones whose time was cut short by this virus. We are praying for them and for those that continue to battle COVID-19 during this difficult time for our country,” said Senator Blackburn.

“The COVID-19 pandemic has devastated our nation. Far too many families have seen their loved ones suffer. Due to strict isolation measures, most who have lost someone to the disease have been robbed of their final farewell at the hospital. Many have also been unable to have proper memorials to honor the people they have lost,” said Senator Murkowski. “These impacts cannot be undone, but my heart is with each person, family, and community that is mourning. As a nation, together, we grieve the lives that have been taken by this dreadful disease.”

“Sadly, the United States will soon have lost 100,000 American lives to COVID-19. We cannot forget that behind these numbers are families mourning the loss of a parent, a child, a spouse, a friend,” said Senator Durbin. “On June 1, we should all take a moment to remember the lives lost to this global pandemic and stand with their families in honoring their memory.”

“We all mourn for the lives taken by COVID-19.  As we reach this sad milestone, we ought to join in recognizing our health workers, transit workers, sanitation workers, mail couriers, delivery drivers, grocery store clerks, military, law enforcement, and others on the front lines of the crisis, who put their health at risk to keep us safe and provide for our communities.  Their dignity and compassion in the face of tragedy gives us hope,” said Senator Whitehouse. “We should also recognize the loved ones of those lost, who often grieve in solitude without funerals or even a proper bedside goodbye.”

The Coons-Schatz-Blackburn-Murkowski bill is also cosponsored by U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.), Michael Bennet (D-Colo.), Tina Smith (D-Minn.), Tammy Duckworth (Ill.), Tim Kaine (D-Va.), Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.), Patty Murray (D-Wash.), Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), Jon Tester (D-Mont.), Ed Markey (D-Mass.), Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.), Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio), and Cory Booker (D-N.J.).

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Sen. Coons releases statement on George Floyd’s death

WILMINGTON, Del. — Today, U.S. Senator Chris Coons (D-Del.) released the following statement:

“As our nation confronts the tragic loss of George Floyd, another African-American man to die in police custody, we need answers and accountability. We must demand a thorough and independent investigation. We must reaffirm the right in this country to peacefully protest injustice.”

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