[VIDEO] Sen. Coons: ‘[C]reate an opportunity for servant leadership’ to respond to COVID-19

WILMINGTON, Del. — Tuesday, U.S. Senator Chris Coons (D-Del.) joined the Christian Broadcasting Network’s Faith Nation to discuss his legislation to double the size of AmeriCorps in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

“[T]oday there’s 75,000 Americans who have engaged in national service. Thousands of them have changed the focus of their programs to do response to this COVID-19 pandemic, so they’re helping with food banks, they’re helping with schools and distance learning, they’re helping with contact tracing and testing, said Senator Coons.“[T]he bill that I’ve introduced along with more than 90 members of the House and Senate would double it in size and give a new generation of Americans the opportunity to give back to their country, to earn an education opportunity, and to put their skills and strengths to work at a time when we’ve got more than 33 million unemployed Americans and millions of younger people who had plans for college or were halfway through their college studies and have had those plans disrupted.”

The Pandemic Response and Opportunity Through National Service Act would fund 150,000 national service positions this year to meet the need for hundreds of thousands of people to help with public health efforts like screening and testing, as well as food assistance, education support, and more. The bill would also expand partnerships between AmeriCorps and federal health agencies and increase the AmeriCorps living allowance to ensure all Americans can step up to serve regardless of their financial circumstances.

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

Q: Well Senator Coons, let’s start off with 100,000 deaths from COVID-19 this week. Your thoughts on where things stand as we balance public health against restarting the economy? Especially after seeing images of crowded beaches, boardwalks, and waterways for Memorial Day weekend, people clearly are eager to get back to normal.

Sen. Coons: Well, John, that’s right. There are folks all over the country who are a little stir-crazy with cabin fever who are eager to get back out and to enjoy the outdoors and are straining at the restrictions of some of the state shutdown orders. But frankly I’m concerned that if we reopen too quickly, if we see folks not respecting social distancing, not wearing masks as we did this past weekend that we may see a resurgence of the pandemic as has happened in other countries. We’re in a better place than we were two months ago, we’ve got better hospital capacity, more ventilators, more PPE, or personal protective equipment, available and there is a new therapeutic remdesivir that’s being distributed throughout the country that should shorten hospital stays. But frankly if we have a resurgence, that may lead to another clampdown which would frankly just push our economy further back into a recession, so my hope is that as states reopen, that employers and folks will follow the CDC guidelines and recommendations and respect social distancing so we don’t end up right back where we were.

Q: Senator Coons, you have a bill that would double the size of AmeriCorps. Can you explain how that will help combat the crisis and how much support does it have in a divided Washington?

Sen. Coons: AmeriCorps is a long-standing national service program that is flexible and local. It’s directed by state commissions for national and community service appointed by governors all over our country, and today there’s 75,000 Americans who have engaged in national service. Thousands of them have changed the focus of their programs to do response to this COVID-19 pandemic, so they’re helping with food banks, they’re helping with schools and distance learning, they’re helping with contact tracing and testing. And the bill that I’ve introduced along with more than 90 members of the House and Senate would double it in size and give a new generation of Americans the opportunity to give back to their country, to earn an education opportunity, and to put their skills and strengths to work at a time when we’ve got more than 33 million unemployed Americans and millions of younger people who had plans for college or were halfway through their college studies and have had those plans disrupted. I think this is a perfect opportunity for us to call on a new generation to step forward and serve our country. We’ve got some great co-sponsors in the House that include senior Republicans like Tom Cole of Oklahoma and Hal Rogers of Kentucky who’ve partnered with David Price of North Carolina as well as other members of the House and Senate so I’m optimistic that we will see this bill pass and that it will create an opportunity for servant leadership, for service to our country by a new generation of Americans.

Q: Containing the virus and developing a vaccine is only part of the conversation. You and Senator Lindsey Graham are cosponsors of a measure that aims to prevent another outbreak from happening again by effectively shutting down wet markets like the one in Wuhan, China. How would your bill do that?

Sen. Coons: Well, that’s right, John. Senator Lindsey Graham and I have traveled together. We’ve legislated together on issues in the developing world. And as I think may be well-known to your viewers, there are these practices around the world of so-called wet markets. These are wildlife trafficking markets where hungry people take advantage of a nearby forest or jungle and they traffic in often rare species or animals both live and recently slaughtered that don’t typically come together. So, there was a wet market in Wuhan, China where it’s believed this zoonotic disease, COVID-19, that’s a fancy word for a disease that jumps from animals to people, may have made the transition from bats or some more exotic animals like pangolins into humans. And so, we have to be on the lookout for the next pandemic. Scientists have been warning us for decades that we were overdue for a global pandemic like the one in 1918 that killed tens of millions of people worldwide, and this pandemic is just a warning to us that there may be more in the future.

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Carper, Coons join bipartisan push to increase funding for programs protecting survivors of domestic violence & pets in next COVID-19 relief bill

WILMINGTON, Del. – U.S. Senators Tom Carper and Chris Coons (both D-Del.) joined Senators Gary Peters (D-Mich.) and Martha McSally (R-Ariz.) in calling for increased funding for programs that support domestic violence survivors and their pets that were established under the Pet and Women Safety (PAWS) Act. In a letter to Senate leaders and the Chairman and Ranking Member of the Committee on Appropriations, 32 senators highlighted how reports of domestic violence have risen during this pandemic, and that domestic violence shelters that harbor pets – or those looking to do so – need increased support under the next phase of Coronavirus relief legislation. The PAWS Act was introduced by Peters and signed into law in 2018 as part of larger agricultural legislation.

“Reports of domestic violence have risen dramatically across the country in recent weeks as stay-at-home orders subject many victims of family abuse to prolonged periods of isolation with their abuser,” the senators wrote. “Yet despite the prevalence of this problem, most shelters in the United States do not admit companion animals, and this lack of capacity often forces victims to remain in abusive situations out of fear of leaving their companion animals behind.”

“Recognizing the importance of addressing this problem, Congress incorporated the PAWS Act into the 2018 Farm Bill, creating a grant program to help domestic violence shelters accommodate survivors with pets. While the Department of Justice’s Office for Victims of Crime is currently working to get FY20 funding into the hands of shelters, that initial allocation did not anticipate the substantial increase in demand for these services,” the senators continued. “We in turn urge no less than $4 million in additional investment for these ETPSHA grants as we look to the next phase in our efforts to support vulnerable populations while addressing and recovering from this crisis.”

“With the Covid-19 crisis isolating victims with abusive partners, also fearing for a pet’s safety must not be a barrier to finding safe shelter for all family members,” said Sara Amundson, President, Humane Society Legislative Fund. “As many domestic violence shelters are currently unable to accept pets, we thank Senators Peters and McSally for mobilizing about a third of the Senate to jointly seek additional funds for emergency shelter options for domestic violence survivors and their pets. We cannot let the voices of domestic violence victims and their pets go unheard – now is the time step up to ensure they can find the shelter they need to survive.”

“Domestic abusers use every tool, means, and opportunity they can find to exert power and control over their victims, including survivors’ love for their pets,” said Ruth M. Glenn, President & CEO of the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence. “Along with threatening to harm or kill family members or friends, abusers often threaten to hurt or kill beloved pets. Many survivors may remain in abusive relationships in order to protect the companion animals who love and trust them unconditionally. Domestic violence programs are increasingly seeking to accommodate survivors with pets, but many do not have the resources to house pets on- or offsite, pay for veterinary services, and otherwise provide sanctuary for pets along with their owners. Funding for PAWS Act grants are critical to allowing programs to provide the services that survivors with pets need in order to escape abusive relationships.”

In addition to the Humane Society Legislative Fund and the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence, the letter is supported by the Animal Legal Defense Fund, Animal Welfare Institute, ASPCA, Association of Prosecuting Attorneys, National Animal Care and Control Association, and the Urban Resource Institute.

The PAWS Act expanded existing federal domestic violence protections to include threats or acts of violence against a survivor’s pet, and provides grant funding to programs that offer shelter and housing assistance for domestic violence survivors with pets. Under the bipartisan bill, the full amount of the survivor’s losses for purposes of restitution in domestic violence and stalking offenses must include any costs incurred for veterinary services relating to physical care for the survivor’s pet.

In addition to Carper, Coons, Peters, and McSally, the letter was joined by Senators Cory Booker (D-N.J.), Krysten Sinema (D-Ariz.), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.), Ed Markey (D-Mass.), Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), Robert Menendez (D-N.J.), Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), Tom Udall (N.M.), Bob Casey (D-Pa.), Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii), Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.), Tina Smith (D-Minn.), Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.), Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass,), Kamala Harris (D-Calif.), Jacky Rosen (D-Nev.), Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.), Ron Wyden (D-Ore.), Susan Collins (R-Maine), Tim Kaine (D-Va.), Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.), Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.), Jack Reed (D-R.I.), Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio), Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), and Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.).

The full letter can be found below, or by clicking here.

Leader McConnell, Leader Schumer, Chairman Shelby, and Ranking Member Leahy:

We write today to urge you to provide additional funding to support shelter and transitional housing services for survivors of domestic violence and sexual assault as you work to develop a CARES 2.0 package. We request this funding include an additional $4 million for the Department of Justice Emergency and Transitional Pet Shelter and Housing Assistance (ETPSHA) grant program authorized by the Pet and Women Safety (PAWS) Act.

Reports of domestic violence have risen dramatically across the country in recent weeks as stay-at-home orders subject many victims of family abuse to prolonged periods of isolation with their abuser. The presence of new stressors, such as COVID-19-related job losses, have increased the likelihood of domestic violence incidents. Research has also shown that the challenge of leaving an abusive relationship is compounded by the presence of a family pet. Abusers frequently threaten or harm pets as a means to exert power and control. Approximately 50 percent of domestic violence survivors cite the fear of leaving their pets behind with their abuser as a reason for why they remain in abusive situations. Yet despite the prevalence of this problem, most shelters in the United States do not admit companion animals, and this lack of capacity often forces victims to remain in abusive situations out of fear of leaving their companion animals behind.

Recognizing the importance of addressing this problem, Congress incorporated the PAWS Act into the 2018 Farm Bill, creating a grant program to help domestic violence shelters accommodate survivors with pets. While the Department of Justice’s Office for Victims of Crime is currently working to get FY20 funding into the hands of shelters, that initial allocation did not anticipate the substantial increase in demand for these services. We in turn urge no less than $4 million in additional investment for these ETPSHA grants as we look to the next phase in our efforts to support vulnerable populations while addressing and recovering from this crisis.

Thank you for your consideration and we look forward to working with you to provide for the immediate, increased needs of domestic violence survivors in CARES 2.0.

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Coons, 125+ Members of Congress call on administration to ensure National Guard receives benefits earned on COVID-19 front lines

WILMINGTON, Del. — U.S. Senator Chris Coons (D-Del.) joined U.S. Senators Michael Bennet (D-Colo.) and Cory Gardner (R-Colo.) and U.S. Representatives Jason Crow (D-Colo.) and Doug Lamborn (R-Colo.) and a bipartisan group of 125 Members of Congress in a letter to President Donald Trump, Secretary of Defense Mark Esper, and Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Administrator Peter Gaynor calling on the administration to ensure National Guard personnel who are serving on the front lines of the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) response efforts across the nation receive the federal benefits they have earned.

“Thousands of National Guard servicemembers have been providing invaluable support for testing civilians and Guard personnel, logistics and warehouse distribution, planning for Emergency Operations Centers, homelessness outreach, and much more,” wrote the lawmakers. “…National Guard servicemembers have been supporting state efforts in high threat and high-risk areas, namely, medical support to prisons; frontline testing at hot spots and critical infrastructure locations; supporting tracing operations; and providing direct care to COVID-19 positive citizens, including at care facilities like Veterans Living Centers and homeless populations.”

In the letter, the lawmakers proposed recommendations for addressing concerns related to the National Guard’s federal status, leave, health care, and GI Bill and retirement benefits. Addressing reports that National Guard personnel service may be stopped at 89 days preventing them from receiving full benefits, the members “encourage [the administration] to be inclusive of pandemic response affiliated military service to ensure that National Guard personnel are not being inappropriately prevented from accessing the benefits earned by their service.”

They continued, “…it is critical to ensure that all National Guard personnel are taken care of during this crisis and after, recognizing that the threat of COVID-19 will not immediately go away and the National Guard is likely to be called on again in the future… We are proud of [their] incredible contributions.”

“National Guard soldiers and airmen on the COVID-19 front lines nationwide greatly appreciate the support led by Sens. Gardner and Bennet and Reps. Crow and Lamborn,” said retired Brigadier General J. Roy Robinson, the president of the National Guard Association of the United States. “This pandemic is far from over. These brave men and women want to stay in the fight until their missions are complete, not to some arbitrary date on the calendar. To do that, they need the support of their leaders in Washington, including medical coverage that should follow their return home to their families.“

In addition to Coons, Bennet, and Gardner, the letter was also signed by U.S. Senators Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), Bob Casey (D-Pa.), Kyrsten Sinema (D-Ariz.), Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii), Gary Peters (D-Mich.), Ron Wyden (D-Ore.), Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.), Thom Tillis (R-N.C.), Richard Burr (R-N.C.), Mark Warner (D-Va.), Tim Kaine (D-Va.), Doug Jones (D-Ala.), Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.), Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.), Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.), Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.), Steve Daines (R-Mont.), Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), Mike Crapo (R-Idaho), John Hoeven (R-N.D.), Ted Cruz (R-Texas), Tina Smith (D-Minn.), Jacky Rosen (D-Nev.), Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.), Roger Wicker (R-Miss.), Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-Miss.), Susan Collins (R-Maine), Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), and Marco Rubio (R-Fla.).

In addition to Crow and Lamborn, the letter was also signed by U.S. Representatives Terri A. Sewell (D-Ala.), Brian Fitzpatrick (R-Pa.), Gilbert R. Cisneros, Jr. (D-Calif.), Austin Scott (R-Ga.), James P. McGovern (D-Mass.), Cheri Bustos (D-Ill.), Ed Perlmutter (D-Colo.), Ed Case (D-Hawaii), Jimmy Panetta (D-Calif.), Deb Haaland (D-N.M.), Cindy Axne (D-Iowa), Filemon Vela (D-Texas), Tulsi Gabbard (D-Hawaii), Brian Higgins (D-N.Y.), Scott DesJarlais, M.D. (R-Tenn.), Ruben Gallego (D-Ariz.), Andy Kim (D-N.J.), Elissa Slotkin (D-Mich.), Chrissy Houlahan (D-Pa.), Lori Trahan (D-Mass.), Richard E. Neal (D-Mass.), Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-D.C.), Anthony G. Brown (D-Md.), Jim Cooper (D-Tenn.), Michael Waltz (R-Fla.), Jared Golden (D-Maine), Seth Moulton (D-Mass.), Donald S. Beyer, Jr. (D-Va.), Val Demings (D-Fla.), Conor Lamb (D-Pa.), Sheila Jackson Lee (D-Texas), Dwight Evans (D-Pa.), Joe Courtney (D-Conn.), Alcee L. Hastings (D-Fla.), Joe Morelle (D-N.Y.), A. Donald McEachin (D-Va.), Jim Himes (D-Conn.), Grace Napolitano (D-Calif.), Susan Wild (D-Pa.), Alma S. Adams Ph.D. (D-N.C.), Tim Ryan (D-Ohio), Joe Neguse (D-Colo.), Marcy Kaptur (D-Ohio), Wm. Lacy Clay (D-Mo.), Carolyn B. Maloney (D-N.Y.), Bill Pascrell, Jr. (D-N.J.), Gerald E. Connolly (D-Va.), Stephen F. Lynch (D-Mass.), Tom O’Halleran (D-Ariz.), Frank Pallone (D-N.J.), Peter DeFazio (D-Ore.), Lizzie Fletcher (D-Texas), G.K. Butterfield (D-N.C.), Chris Pappas (D-N.H.), Max Rose (D-N.Y.), Darren Soto (D-Fla.), Jim Banks (R-Ind.), Paul Tonko (D-N.Y.), Abigail D. Spanberger (D-Va.), Angie Craig (D-Minn.), David Trone (D-Md.), William Timmons (R-S.C.), Joe Wilson (R-S.C.), Norma J. Torres (D-Calif.), J. Luis Correa (D-Calif.), Jeff Duncan (R-S.C.), Peter T. King (R-N.Y.), Kurt Schrader (D-Ore.), Nanette Diaz Barragán (D-Calif.), Jamie Raskin (D-Md.), Jim Langevin (D-R.I.), Anthony Gonzalez (R-Ohio), Ann McLane Kuster (D-N.H.), C.A. Dutch Ruppersberger (D-Md.), Joaquin Castro (D-Texas), Steve Womack (R-Ark.), Anthony Brindisi (D-N.Y.), Vicente Gonzalez (D-Texas), Don Bacon (R-Neb.), Marcia L. Fudge (D-Ohio), Jack Bergman (R-Mich.), Dean Phillips (D-Minn.), Robert J. Wittman (R-Va.), Cedric L. Richmond (D-La.), Tom Cole (R-Okla.), Anna G. Eshoo (D-Calif.), Diana DeGette (D-Colo.), and Vicky Hartzler (R-Mo.).

The text of the letter is available HERE and below.

Dear Mr. President, Secretary Esper, and Administrator Gaynor:

We write today to raise a number of issues impacting the National Guard personnel deployed in support of the fight against Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19).

The National Guard has been critical in executing the nation’s pandemic response efforts. Thousands of National Guard servicemembers have been providing invaluable support for testing civilians and Guard personnel, logistics and warehouse distribution, planning for Emergency Operations Centers, homelessness outreach, and much more. We also recognize that National Guard servicemembers have been supporting state efforts in high threat and high risk areas, namely, medical support to prisons; frontline testing at hot spots and critical infrastructure locations; supporting tracing operations; and providing direct care to COVID-19 positive citizens, including at care facilities like Veterans Living Centers and homeless populations.

Our national success in flattening the curve will not be possible without the contributions of the National Guard. We believe it is critical to ensure that all National Guard personnel are taken care of during this crisis and after, recognizing that the threat of COVID-19 will not immediately go away and the National Guard is likely to be called on again in the future.

Therefore, we urge you to consider our recommendations for addressing the following concerns immediately.

Federal Status: We ask that you consider keeping all National Guard servicemembers supporting the COVID-19 mission on 502(f)(2) status rather than transitioning to State Active Duty (SAD) orders regardless of future FEMA reimbursement. This will ensure healthcare commensurate with the work they are performing is available. This will also ensure they are able to continue support to the nation’s effort without uncertainty of status. If orders are to be extended on a month-to-month basis, we ask that all orders are 31 days or longer in duration and that the announcement of extensions be made early in the month in order to allow for preparation by each state’s leadership teams.
Leave: We are encouraged by the recent change that will allow National Guard members to sell back unused leave without penalty or roll over accrued leave to another activated status. We ask that you continue to provide National Guard members with flexibility in how they may utilize leave accrued during the COVID-19 response, and ensure necessary federal funding to support the different leave usage options.
Healthcare: We ask that you ensure the National Guard members activated in support of COVID-19 are provided Transition Assistance Management Program (TAMP) benefits for 180 days after coming off orders, similar to their Reserve counterparts.
GI Bill and Retirement Benefits: We believe that the service of National Guard members during this unprecedented emergency is deserving of the recognition intended by educational and retirement benefit programs in the spirit in which they were created. We encourage you to be inclusive of pandemic response affiliated military service to ensure that National Guard personnel are not being inappropriately prevented from accessing the benefits earned by their service.

We are proud of the incredible contributions of the National Guard. They have been a critical team member in the nation’s fight against COVID-19. We welcome your support in ensuring they are kept safe, healthy, and receive the benefits they deserve.

Sincerely,

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Sen. Coons’ small business COVID-19 relief program has already provided $1B in aid to struggling small businesses

WILMINGTON, Del. – U.S. Senator Chris Coons (D-Del.), who serves as ranking member of the Financial Services and General Government Appropriations Subcommittee and sits on the Small Business and Entrepreneurship Committee, released the following statement on the success of the small business loan relief program that originated from his legislation, the Small Business Debt Relief Act.

The program, created as part of the CARES Act, provided $17 billion that the Small Business Administration (SBA) is required to use to pay the principal and interest on each of the 320,000 pre-existing SBA-backed loans in the United States, as well as all conventional SBA loans made in the next six months. According to the SBA, 263,192 small businesses were enrolled in the program in April, and at least $1.032 billion in aid has been delivered in the form of loan relief. Thousands of other businesses have reportedly received relief from their lenders, who are expected to begin receiving reimbursement from the SBA this month.

“We need to do everything we can to ensure small businesses can reopen their doors after the COVID-19 pandemic. The Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) has delivered critical assistance, but there are hundreds of thousands of vulnerable small businesses across the United States that need more help than the PPP can provide. That’s why I worked to secure a provision in the CARES Act to relieve small businesses of the significant financial burden of their pre-existing SBA-backed loans. The good news is that this program is working. This program is successfully targeting the businesses that are bearing the brunt of this pandemic—minority- and women-owned businesses and locally owned restaurants, hotels, and daycares—that need help from the federal government the most. I’m proud that this program is delivering for business owners up and down the First State and across the U.S.”

Senator Coons’ Small Business Debt Relief Act, which passed as part of the CARES Act, assists borrowers in three major SBA lending programs:

· The 7(a) Loan Guarantee Program consists of $95 billion of outstanding loans. The two industries with the largest share of that volume are restaurants and hotels, which are among the hardest-hit by COVID-19. Childcare centers, dental practices, and medical practices also rely heavily on the program.

· The 504 Certified Development Company loan guarantee program provides long-term fixed rate financing for major fixed assets, such as land, buildings, equipment, and machinery and microloan programs. The total of outstanding 504 loans is $26 billion.

· The Microloan program provides loans of up to $50,000 to small businesses and nonprofit childcare centers, via nonprofit intermediary lenders. The total of outstanding microloans is more than $560 million.

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Carper, Coons to Senate Leaders: Children’s hospitals and health providers need urgent help to survive pandemic

WILMINGTON, Del. — U.S. Senators Tom Carper and Chris Coons (both D-Del.) told Senate leaders that hospitals serving children cannot continue to sustain the expected $10 billion in losses in the next several months and they pressed Senate leaders to include relief specifically for children’s hospitals and pediatric health care providers in the next COVID-19 relief package.

Starting in January, children’s hospitals sustained deep revenue losses when they paused non-urgent and elective surgeries to help free up capacity for COVID-19 cases. At the same time, their costs for additional personal protective equipment (PPE), testing and other supplies rose sharply. Parents and patients also suffered when they were forced to wait months for the specialized diagnostic or therapeutic treatments they could only receive at children’s hospitals.

“We continue to learn more about the effect of COVID-19 on children, and are deeply troubled by reports of a new inflammatory disease in children that may be linked to the coronavirus outbreak. As this outbreak continues, we are worried about the pandemic’s negative impact on the national network of pediatric health care providers, our best experts in caring for our country’s young people,” wrote the senators. “Children’s hospitals treat chronically and acutely ill infants and children; provide care to children with disabilities and complex medical conditions; and also serve as hubs for specialized pediatric training and research discovery. Our nation’s children’s hospitals impact the health and wellbeing of every child in the U.S. and serve as the safety-net provider for millions of children.”

The senators—in their letter to Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) and Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.)—pointed out that most of “the federal funding dedicated by Congress to provide relief for health care providers thus far has been directed through Medicare, which is not a significant program for children’s hospitals and pediatric health care providers. The first allocation of funding for hospitals from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) used Medicare revenues as the measure for assistance—virtually disqualifying children’s hospitals from receiving any aid, since the vast majority of children’s hospitals are not-for-profit, community-benefit organizations—and Medicaid, not Medicare, is the payer for more than 50% of all patient volumes. While HHS released additional funding that is not tied to Medicare, this only covered a small portion of the losses of children’s hospitals. As the safety net for children, especially those with complex medical conditions like cerebral palsy or leukemia, Congress must step up to provide dedicated funding to our children’s hospitals to address their unique situation during this time.”

In addition to Senators Carper and Coons, the letter was also signed by Senators Tina Smith (D-Minn.), Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), Michael Bennet (D-Colo.), Chris Murphy (D-Conn.), Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.), Cory Booker (D-N.J.), Jacky Rosen (D-Nev.), Kamala Harris (D-Calif.), Ed Markey (D-Mass.), Jack Reed (D-R.I.), Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), Doug Jones (D-Ala.), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.), Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio), Cory Gardner (R-Colo.), Mazie Hirono (D-Hawaii) and Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.).

You can access a copy of the letter here or below:

Dear Leader McConnell and Leader Schumer,

As Congress considers additional legislation to address the COVID-19 crisis, we strongly urge the inclusion of relief specifically dedicated for children’s hospitals and pediatric health care providers.

We continue to learn more about the effect of COVID-19 on children, and are deeply troubled by reports of a new inflammatory disease in children that may be linked to the coronavirus outbreak. As this outbreak continues, we are worried about the pandemic’s negative impact on the national network of pediatric health care providers, our best experts in caring for our country’s young people. Children’s hospitals treat chronically and acutely ill infants and children; provide care to children with disabilities and complex medical conditions; and also serve as hubs for specialized pediatric training and research discovery. Our nation’s children’s hospitals impact the health and wellbeing of every child in the U.S. and serve as the safety-net provider for millions of children.

Following the first U.S. cases of COVID-19 in January, the Surgeon General and many state governors requested that all hospitals cancel or reschedule non-urgent or elective surgical procedures to create capacity to accommodate the growing volume of COVID-19 cases, preserve necessary supplies, and ensure the safety of patients and hospital staff. Children’s hospitals joined the national effort to support the public health crisis, but these deferred volumes have resulted in significant revenue losses and the delay in care has been distressing to parents and patients who have often waited months for an important diagnostic or therapeutic treatment. Additionally, children’s hospitals are facing new financial challenges due to an increased need for personal protective equipment (PPE), testing and other supplies to safely continue nonelective treatment. This care for many of these patients cannot be delayed due to the COVID-19 response; their care must move forward on schedule in order to receive the necessary treatment for their pediatric cancer or be able to avoid facing a lifelong disability.

Unfortunately, the COVID-19 relief efforts enacted to date have only provided minor assistance for children’s hospitals and providers—leaving the safety net providers for our nation’s children with a significant burden. Collectively, these losses for our nation’s children’s hospitals over the next several months may total over $10 billion. Much of the federal funding dedicated by Congress to provide relief for health care providers thus far has been directed through Medicare, which is not a significant program for children’s hospitals and pediatric health care providers. The first allocation of funding for hospitals from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) used Medicare revenues as the measure for assistance—virtually disqualifying children’s hospitals from receiving any aid, since the vast majority of children’s hospitals are not-for-profit, community-benefit organizations—and Medicaid, not Medicare, is the payer for more than 50% of all patient volumes. While HHS released additional funding that is not tied to Medicare, this only covered a small portion of the losses of children’s hospitals. As the safety net for children, especially those with complex medical conditions like cerebral palsy or leukemia, Congress must step up to provide dedicated funding to our children’shospitals to address their unique situation during this time.

The needs of children, and those who provide their care, must be given special consideration as we continue to address this public health crisis. Children’s hospitals cannot sustain financial losses of this magnitude without some form of federal relief funding exclusively directed towards children’s hospitals.

We stand ready to support our country’s pediatric hospitals and providers to ensure they get the help they need. We urge you to include federal funding for our children’s hospitals as they continue to play a vital role in our nation’s fight against COVID-19 and provide the necessary care to our health system’s most vulnerable children.

We look forward to working together to protect and serve Americans of all ages during this crisis.

Sincerely,

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Sen. Coons applauds $9M award to Newark-based vaccine manufacturing institute

WILMINGTON, Del. — The Department of Commerce announced last week its plan to award $9 million in COVID-19 response funding to the National Institute for Innovation in Manufacturing Biopharmaceuticals, or NIIMBL, which is headquartered in Newark, Delaware. U.S. Senator Chris Coons (D-Del.), who has frequently organized his Congressional colleagues in support of such awards, commended the agency for this decision and congratulated NIIMBL on its successful application. This additional funding will help Delaware-based scientists and engineers expand testing and diagnostic capabilities, address supply chain vulnerabilities, and improve vaccine manufacturing capacity.

“The scary truth is that the United States is currently not ready to mass produce a vaccine for COVID-19, even once we’ve developed one, and that’s a problem we need to fix right away,” said Senator Coons. “We need to expand our vaccine manufacturing capacity here in the United States dramatically, and we need to do it now. I’m thrilled that Delaware scientists and engineers at NIIMBL will be leading that effort.”

“Never in our lifetime have we experienced a global crisis of this magnitude. It presents a massive challenge but also an opportunity — one that I deeply believe we are positioned to help meet,” said NIIMBL Director and Manufacturing USA Directors Council Chair Kelvin Lee. “Manufacturing USA institutes and their member organizations, and indeed all U.S. manufacturers, are extraordinarily capable and eager. We have the ingenuity, grit and expertise to find new ways to produce what we need to regain America’s health, build the critical manufacturing supply chain, and strengthen our ability to respond swiftly and effectively to future challenges. These awards from NIST are a step in the right direction for us to do just that.”

In addition to leading multiple letters supporting awards like the one announced last week, Sen. Coons helped secure $3.5 billion in the CARES Act for the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA). This funding will be used in part for the development of cutting-edge manufacturing technologies to ensure a robust, agile, U.S.-based supply chain of vaccines, therapeutics, and active pharmaceutical ingredients.

Sen. Coons is continuing to work to scale up biopharmaceutical manufacturing capacity in the fourth coronavirus relief package, including by building infrastructure for fast, aggressive development of new technology.

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Delaware Division of Public Health awarded $67 million grant

DOVER, Del. – The Division of Public Health (DPH) was awarded a $67 million Epidemiology Laboratory Capacity (ELC) grant from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to implement expanded testing capacity for COVID-19, and support the establishment of a modernized public health epidemiologic surveillance system.

DPH typically receives $1.5 million in ELC grant funds annually but due to the need to support COVID-19 activities, all states received a greatly enhanced amount, and a timeframe of 30 months to implement funding.

The funding will be used for hiring staff for enhanced laboratory, surveillance, informatics, and other workforce capacity, strengthening laboratory testing, implement?ing new and advanced technologies for electronic data exchange at the public health lab and improving our surveillance and reporting of electronic health data.

“We know that the key to safely reopening our economy is expanded testing capabilities. That has been the focus of our congressional delegation and Governor Carney, and I’m glad that the First State is receiving this significant federal grant,” said U.S. Senator Tom Carper. “This funding, made possible by the CARES Act that Congress passed in March, will help Delaware track and trace this virus so we can keep moving in the right direction to get through this pandemic.”

“This critical grant from the CDC will help expand our state’s capacity to address the COVID-19 pandemic with more staff support, better testing capabilities, and new technologies,” said U.S. Senator Chris Coons, a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee. “As an appropriator, I will continue to voice the needs of our state’s and other states’ public health departments to ensure the federal government delivers the resources health officials need during this crisis.”

“Since the beginning of this pandemic, one of my top priorities has been expanding testing capacity both at a state and federal level. This grant from the CDC will help Delaware expand our capacity and consequently be better able to track and trace the virus,” said U.S. Representative Lisa Blunt-Rochester, a member of the House Energy & Commerce Health Subcommittee. “We know that testing and tracing is the best way to stop the spread of the virus so that we can safely and more confidently reopen our economy. I want to thank the Delaware Department of Health and Social Services and the Division of Public Health for their continued efforts in the fight against COVID-19.”

“The enhanced funding from the CDC will allow us to expand community testing in Delaware and to rapidly build our contact tracing program, especially among vulnerable populations,” said Department of Health and Social Services (DHSS) Secretary Dr. Kara Odom Walker, a practicing family physician. “As we test more widely, we will find more positive cases in our state and those individuals will need to be isolated. To slow the transmission of this highly contagious disease – one person infected with the virus can infect two to three more people – we need to move quickly to alert people who may have been exposed to someone who tested positive, and to advise them of their need to self-quarantine.”

“We are so grateful for the support from CDC and excited about how this funding will expand and support in particular, enhancing our data and surveillance systems,” said Dr. Karyl Rattay, Director of the Division of Public Health. “We had begun working to enhance our platforms that support our data and surveillance systems when COVID-19 hit, and as we have navigated this event, we were building systems on the fly. This will greatly accelerate our efforts to be where we want to be in our data analysis and use.”

“Widespread community testing for COVID-19 and contact tracing are keys to reopening Delaware’s economy safely while protecting our most vulnerable neighbors. These additional federal resources will be a real help in that effort,” said Governor Carney. “Delawareans should stay vigilant. Keep your distance from others. Wear a face covering in public settings, including on the boardwalk. Wash or sanitize your hands frequently. We need to get this right and personal behavior matters. Now’s not the time to let up.”

In addition to supporting expanded statewide testing and analysis, the grant will assist Delaware in creating a COVID-19 surveillance network to test symptomatic and asymptomatic individuals, with additional testing for vulnerable populations.

DPH plans to use the funding to:

Hire staff for enhanced laboratory, surveillance, informatics, and other workforce capacity?.
Purchase testing and laboratory supplies such as specimen collection kits, lab reagents, and test kits for molecular and serology testing.
Implement new and advanced technologies for robust implementation of electronic laboratory and surveillance data exchange to and from the public health lab. This includes the purchase of hardware, software and systems like GIS mapping tools.
Implement new and advanced technologies to improve our surveillance and reporting of electronic health data.
Use laboratory data to enhance investigation, response, and prevention through contact tracing, surveillance/mapping, outbreak response, community testing events, and public dissemination of data. DPH and other states who have received this funding must accelerate efforts to conduct robust contact tracing and then identify and isolate new cases of COVID-19.
Coordinate and engage with partners through training, outreach, workshops, communication technologies, and community testing events?.

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As COVID-19 death toll approaches 100,000 in US, Coons, colleagues call for national moment of silence to honor the lives lost

WASHINGTON – As more Americans tragically lose their fight to the COVID-19 pandemic, U.S. Senators Chris Coons (D-Del.), Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii), Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.), and Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) introduced legislation to pay tribute to the victims of COVID-19 with a moment of silence at 12 noon on Monday, June 1, 2020.

“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.

“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.”

The Schatz-Blackburn-Coons-Murkowski bill is also cosponsored by U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.), Michael Bennet (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.) and Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.).

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[VIDEO] Sen. Coons on Fox: Expand national service ‘to address hunger and help food banks’ amid COVID-19 pandemic

WASHINGTON — U.S. Senator Chris Coons (D-Del.) joined Fox News’ The Story with Martha MacCallum to highlight his legislation to expand national service amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

“[I]n the midst of this pandemic, there are hundreds of thousands, perhaps millions of Americans looking for an opportunity to serve, whether it’s to address hunger and help food banks or it’s to help shut-in seniors, or it’s to help with contact tracing and testing and, God willing, vaccination,” said Senator Coons. “We have an existing nationwide program locally run by state commissions appointed by governors. It’s known as AmeriCorps, and I am working with a number of partners. It’s a bipartisan bill in the House. I am negotiating with Republican senators about the idea of expanding national service to give a new generation of Americans a chance to come together and to support our country.”

The Pandemic Response and Opportunity Through National Service Act would fund 750,000 national service positions over a three-year response and recovery period to meet the need for hundreds of thousands of people to help with public health efforts like screening and testing, as well as food assistance, education support, and more. Under the bill, the number of AmeriCorps and national service positions could expand from 75,000 to 150,000 the first year and double to 300,000 in years two and three. The bill would also expand partnerships between AmeriCorps and federal health agencies and increase the AmeriCorps living allowance to ensure all Americans can step up to serve regardless of their financial circumstances.

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

Q: I want to ask you about something totally different, and it does go directly to the COVID-19 economic disaster that is upon the country right now. You want to see a revival; you think there’s a way to put young people to work in service in order to help improve what’s going on in the country economically. Can you tell me quickly about that before I let you go, Senator?

Sen. Coons: Sure. That’s right, Martha. You’ve written about how a younger generation confronted with fascism and imperialism went to war to stand up for our nation. The 9/11 generation went to war to defend our nation. I think in the midst of this pandemic, there are hundreds of thousands, perhaps millions of younger Americans looking for an opportunity to serve, whether it’s to address hunger and help food banks or it’s to help shut-in seniors, or it’s to help with contact tracing and testing and, God willing, vaccination. We have an existing nationwide program locally run by state commissions appointed by governors. It’s known as AmeriCorps, and I am working with a number of partners. It’s a bipartisan bill in the House. I am negotiating with Republican senators about the idea of expanding national service to give a new generation of Americans a chance to come together and to support our country.

Q: I think it’s a great idea. Especially that there’s a lot of students who are going to be working from their laptop remotely as they head back to school in the fall and not able to get a job this summer, so I think it’s an enormous opportunity with AmeriCorps, and I look forward to being kept posted on that. Thank you for being here, Senator. Always good to have you here.

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[VIDEO] Mayor Garcetti and Sen. Coons call to expand ‘locally led and driven’ response to COVID-19

Mayor Garcetti: ‘So for a few billion dollars, we could unleash a trillion dollars of economic activity sooner’ with national service expansion

Mayors around the country have called for an expansion to national service to aid COVID-19 recovery with food assistance, contact tracing, and more

WASHINGTON — Today, Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti and U.S. Senator Chris Coons (D-Del.) joined MSNBC’s Andrea Mitchell Reports to discuss Sen. Coons’ legislation to expand national service to respond to COVID-19.

“We have got millions of people out of work and hundreds of thousands of jobs we need filled. The quicker we can get them doing contact tracing, helping individuals and businesses with benefits from the federal government, maybe even doing things like cleaning up cities and investing in infrastructure, the quicker we can get this economy back going. So for a few billion dollars, we could unleash a trillion dollars of economic activity sooner,” said Mayor Garcetti.

“This would be locally led and driven by commissions that already exist all over our country, appointed by governors, that include nonprofit leaders, state and local government leaders, civic leaders and they would approve specifically targeted programs,” said Senator Coons. “In some states and cities they might do contact tracing or testing. In others they might help with combating hunger by supporting food banks. In others they might work to support education, to provide needed enrichment and connectivity over the summer and into the fall. There are lots of different ways that a new generation of Americans can step forward and serve our nation.”

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

Q: With states reopening despite warnings of a possible second wave of COVID-19 infections, there’s still no unified federal plan to test, contact trace and ensure vital services are not interrupted. But now there is growing support for planning and funding programs like AmeriCorps to do exactly that. Joining me now are Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti and Delaware Democratic Senator Chris Coons, who are both supporting these initiatives. Senator Coons, we have talked to you before about the legislation which is bipartisan. How would this work?
Sen. Coons: Well, Andrea, thanks for a chance to be on, and great to be on with my friend Mayor Garcetti, who’s helped lead this initiative in Los Angeles and cities across the country. We have more than 80 co-sponsors in the House and the Senate of a bipartisan bill that would expand the existing national service program best known as AmeriCorps. It would increase the pay modestly. It would increase the education award earned by members, but it would double this year the number of opportunity slots. So that would make it possible for 150,000 Americans who are currently unemployed or who are looking for an opportunity to serve to be engaged in response. This would be locally led and driven by commissions that already exist all over our country, appointed by governors, that include nonprofit leaders, state and local government leaders, civic leaders…and they would approve specifically targeted programs. In some states and cities they might do contact tracing or testing. In others they might help with combating hunger by supporting food banks. In others they might work to support education, to provide needed enrichment and connectivity over the summer and into the fall. There are lots of different ways that a new generation of Americans can step forward and serve our nation. I’m grateful Mayor Garcetti has led a letter that has more than 50 bipartisan mayors supporting this bill around the country.

Q: And Mayor Garcetti, you’ve been a leader out in California. You’ve already started expanding contact tracing. How would this work in cities such as yours, as you have one of the largest cities in the country, obviously?

Mayor Garcetti: Well I want to thank Senator Coons for his extraordinary leadership. I’m proud to be alongside him and all of my fellow brother and sister mayors from both parties and across this country. Look. Simply put, we have got millions of people out of work and hundreds of thousands of jobs we need filled. The quicker we can get them doing contact tracing, helping individuals and businesses with benefits from the federal government, maybe even doing things like cleaning up cities and investing in infrastructure, the quicker we can get this economy back going. So for a few billion dollars, we could unleash a trillion dollars of economic activity sooner. Our state says we need a certain number of contact tracers. We’re quickly trying to get that, but we have got out-of-work people and we’ve got this need, and this is a beautiful way of coming together just as we did during the depression with the Civilian Conservation Corps, the Cold War with the Peace Corps, during the war on poverty with the Teacher Corps. It’s time for this generation to have its C.A.R.E.S. Corps that can step up, stand up and do this for America.

Q: Let me ask you both of you also; the president is now leaving for Michigan. He’s going into a state that requires wearing a face covering. He hasn’t said yet, as far as I know, whether or not he is going to wear a mask. He has not been seen wearing one and he’s also, as you know, done things that go against CDC guidelines and against FDA warnings in taking a risky medication. Mayor Garcetti, what should the president do in terms of the way he models behavior for the rest of the country?

Mayor Garcetti: Simply put, he’s our Commander in Chief. I say real men wear face masks. When they’re going to be with other people in public, it’s our gateway to increasing freedom and more economic activity and greater opening up. I think modeling that is something so important for all of our leaders, and any men who don’t want to wear face masks, we’ve got to get over ourselves and just do it.

Q: Senator Coons, your view on all of this?

Sen. Coons: Andrea, I just took my mask off for the beginning of this interview and will be putting it back on as soon as I’m off camera. Scientific studies have shown if folks simply wear face masks regularly, we can cut transmission by 80%. Our president is a role model for many in our country. As we heard on your last segment, when he started talking about hydroxychloroquine as a possible preventive, the numbers of folks trying to get on this medication, taking this medication went up dramatically in the United States. I was once decades ago on hydroxychloroquine but for an appropriate prescribed purpose, preventing malaria when I was a student in Africa decades ago. There is no demonstrated positive benefit from this. So when President Trump refuses to take simple steps to follow science, to follow our public health leaders like Dr. Fauci and the recommendations that we’ve heard from organizations and entities around the country that are responsible for leadership on this, he is not just setting a bad example but in some ways actively misleading the American people in a way that has prolonged this tragedy. Sometime in the next few days we will pass the mark of 100,000 Americans who will have died from this pandemic in every state, in every territory. We need leadership that helps us show the way forward out of this.

Q: Senator Coons, thank you so very much. Mayor Garcetti, as always, it’s great to have you with us as well. Thanks and be safe.

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