Carper, Coons urge Labor Department to speed up unemployment disbursements and address system shortfalls

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Sens. Tom Carper and Chris Coons (both D-Del.) joined their colleagues yesterday urging the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) to speed up Unemployment Insurance (UI) disbursements and to work to address system shortfalls that have contributed to the delays in workers getting their benefits.

In a letter sent to DOL Secretary Eugene Scalia, senators expressed serious concern regarding the significant delays in the processing of UI claims that are preventing workers from receiving their benefits in a timely manner. While some states are now distributing benefits under three major UI programs authorized by the CARES Act – Federal Pandemic Unemployment Compensation (FPUC), Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA), and Pandemic Emergency Unemployment Compensation (PEUC) – it took most states several weeks to get these programs up and running, and some states are still weeks away from beginning to distribute these benefits. 

“We recognize the unprecedented number of claims and the unique nature of the current economic crisis, but it is unacceptable that UI systems across the country have been so ineffective at providing workers with this critical safety net in a timely manner. Even in the states that have started paying out CARES Act benefits, claimants must overcome challenges of poorly functioning websites, long waits on help hotlines, and, in the worst cases, inaccurate denials of benefits. These delays are devastating for thousands of workers across the country who have lost income as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic and have gone weeks, sometimes months, without receiving unemployment compensation. Laid off workers should not bear the brunt of years of neglect of UI programs at the state and federal level,” the senators wrote.

In order to help Congress devise the most effective policies to respond to these inadequacies, the senators are also urging DOL to undertake a comprehensive but quick survey of existing UI systems. The information from this survey will inform Congress’ efforts to devise policy solutions to respond to deficiencies, and help ensure the Administration allocates resources, technical assistance, and oversight effectively. 

The senators are also calling for a nationwide overhaul of UI systems’ technology capabilities, which is necessary to prevent this unfair delay in benefits from persisting during this economic downturn and from occurring in the future.

In addition to Carper and Coons, the letter was signed by Sens. Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio), Ron Wyden (D-Ore.), Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.), Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), Michael Bennet (D-Colo.), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.), Bob Menendez (D-N.J.), Bob Casey (D-Pa.), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.), Jack Reed (D-R.I.), Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.), Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), Mazie Hirono (D-Hawaii), Kamala Harris (D-Calif.), Patty Murray (D-Wash.), Gary Peters (D-Mich.), Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), Ben Cardin (D-Md.), Debbie Stabenow (D-Mich.) and Jackie Rosen (D-Nev.).

A copy of the letter can be read here and below. 

Dear Secretary Scalia:

We write to express our serious concern with the significant delays in the processing of Unemployment Insurance (UI) claims that are preventing workers from receiving their benefits in a timely manner. States’ outdated technology is one of the most commonly cited reasons for the delays; after years of neglect, the technology is difficult to update to meet new requirements. We urge you to complete a comprehensive assessment of state UI systems and to make policy recommendations to Congress to address state systems’ shortfalls. We also urge you to use all of your authority and resources to provide states with the assistance they need to expedite the disbursement of benefits.  

We recognize the unprecedented number of claims and the unique nature of the current economic crisis, but it is unacceptable that UI systems across the country have been so ineffective at providing workers with this critical safety net in a timely manner. Even in the states that have started paying out CARES Act benefits, claimants must overcome challenges of poorly functioning websites, long waits on help hotlines, and, in the worst cases, inaccurate denials of benefits. These delays are devastating for thousands of workers across the country who have lost income as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic and have gone weeks, sometimes months, without receiving unemployment compensation. Laid off workers should not bear the brunt of years of neglect of UI programs at the state and federal level.

The Department of Labor (DOL) Inspector General (IG) highlighted many of these issues in a report released April 21, 2020, and we urge you to use the IG’s findings on state UI systems as a basis for a comprehensive assessment of UI programs in all 50 states. Specifically, the IG report identified states’ lagging efforts to modernize unemployment systems which “has resulted in processing delays and inaccurate unemployment compensation payments.” The 2009 Recovery Act provided funding to help states modernize the software and technology essential for states to efficiently process claims, but many states did not take advantage of that funding. As a result, the IG stated that the “state of legacy systems,” in addition to other factors, “will continue to impede the management and oversight of UI benefits.”

A nationwide overhaul of UI systems’ technology capabilities is necessary to prevent this unfair delay in benefits from persisting during this economic downturn and occurring in the future.  To help Congress devise the most effective policies to respond to these inadequacies, we urge DOL to undertake a comprehensive but quick assessment of existing UI systems. Information from this survey will ensure the Administration allocates resources, technical assistance, and oversight effectively. It will also inform Congress’ efforts to devise policy solutions to respond to these deficiencies. We ask you to complete this survey within 60 days and to include answers to the following questions: 

1)      Information on State UI Systems (to be answered for each state)

a.       When was the last time the state’s UI system, including the software, was fully updated? 

b.       Is the state’s technology equipped to handle a high volume of claims?

c.       Is the state’s UI online claims process accessible 24 hours a day, 7 days a week?  If not, why not?

d.       Is it possible to file a claim on a mobile device, tablet, or desktop computer?

e.       Are users able to reset passwords online? If a user requests a password reset via phone, can staff reset it, or will a new password be mailed via USPS to the claimant?

f.        Is the state’s online claims system accessible for users with limited English proficiency and individuals with disabilities?

g.       Does the state’s UI system allow employers to provide the state information for its laid off employees to speed up the claims process? If not, has the state asked for DOL guidance on ways to allow employers to submit laid off employees’ UI claims information?

h.       What are the state’s highest priorities for upgrading system capabilities? 

2)      State UI Systems and CARES Act Implementation (to be answered for each state)

a.       Was the state able to modify its existing system to accept PUA claims?

b.       Did the state hire outside consultants to update the UI system to administer CARES Act programs? If so, what was the name of the consultant?  Was that consultant used by other states? 

c.       In updating the state UI system to administer CARES Act programs, did the state make other upgrades to the system that will be beneficial in the long term?

d.       If upgrades were made to the state’s UI system, did the state test the updated system with potential users before making it available to claimants?

e.       Does the state require paper UI or PUA claims for any group?

f.        Is the state’s system properly guiding individuals who do not qualify for regular UI to apply for PUA to prevent erroneous denials?

3)      General Trends

a.       On average, how long did it take states to begin disbursing FPUC, PUA, and PEUC benefits after the passage of the CARES Act?

b.       What is the primary reason cited by states for delays in disbursing CARES Act benefits?

c.       What is the average length of time it takes states to process a regular UI claim and pay the benefit?  What is the average length of time it takes for states to process a PUA claim and pay the benefit?

d.       Were CARES Act programs implemented more quickly in states with the most modern UI systems and most accessible UI claims processes?  Are there any common features of states systems that facilitated quick implementation of CARES Act programs?

e.       Which states have sought technical assistance from DOL in making necessary changes to its UI system?  What assistance did DOL provide?

f.        Has DOL facilitated the sharing of best practices and information across states? How can DOL facilitate such interstate cooperation going forward?

In addition to conducting the above survey and submitting the results to Congress, we urge you to provide policy recommendations to Congress to address insufficient technology capabilities to reduce disbursement delays in benefits. We ask you to identify the estimated funding levels necessary to fully upgrade technology systems in all states and to suggest policies to ensure that funding is most effectively used, such as creating incentives for states to share technology or software. Finally, we ask you to identify the ways in which DOL is currently monitoring, conducting oversight, and providing technical assistance to help states efficiently process claims and disburse benefits.

The economic downturn caused by the COVID-19 pandemic has exposed pervasive inadequacies in state unemployment programs, which are hampered by outdated technology. To properly respond to these deficiencies, DOL should conduct a comprehensive assessment of states’ capacities and identify the policy solutions necessary to mitigate the current delays and prevent them in the future. DOL should also use all of its existing authority to help states expedite the processing of UI claims. We must do everything we can to ensure laid off workers are able to apply for and receive their unemployment compensation in a timely manner.

We look forward to continuing to work with you to ensure unemployment programs efficiently and effectively serve American workers.

Sincerely,

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Carper, Coons, colleagues introduce legislation to help Delaware nonprofits hire workers and provide critical services during pandemic

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senators Tom Carper and Chris Coons (both-Del.) joined their colleagues Senators Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii), Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) and Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio), to introduce legislation to help nonprofit organizations meet an increase in demand for their services due to the coronavirus pandemic while also helping newly unemployed Americans get back to work. The Work Opportunities and Resources to Keep Nonprofit Organizations Well (WORK NOW) Act will create a major new grant program to help nonprofit organizations retain their employees, scale their service delivery, and provide unemployed men and women with new jobs serving their communities.

In addition to Senators Carper, Coons, Klobuchar, Schatz, Wyden, and Brown, the legislation is cosponsored by Senators Ed Markey (D-Mass.), Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.), and Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.).

“Delawareans and Americans across the country find themselves in dire straits through no fault of their own. Too many families are struggling to pay their rent and bills and are worried about how they are going to put food on the table. And just this week, our nation’s unemployment rate reached nearly 15 percent — the highest since the Great Depression. Now, more than ever, we must do everything we can to support our nation’s food banks, shelters and other charitable groups that are serving as a critical lifeline to so many families during this pandemic,”said Senator Carper. “That’s why I am proud to join my colleagues to introduce the WORK NOW Act, a bill that will help get people back to work while also ensuring that our nation’s nonprofit organizations have the workforce and resources necessary to continue providing critical services to our communities.”

“Delaware nonprofit organizations are absolutely critical pillars of our community, and they’re doubly important during this COVID-19 crisis,” said Senator Coons. “For many Delawareans, food pantries and shelters are literal lifelines right now, and that’s why I’m working with Senator Carper to help ensure that Delaware nonprofit organizations are able to keep their employees on payroll and continue serving our must vulnerable neighbors.”

“Delaware nonprofits appreciate Senator Carper and Senator Coons’ strong support of the charitable community, as evidenced by their co-sponsorship of the WORK NOW Act introduced today,” said the Delaware Alliance for Nonprofit Advancement (DANA) President and CEO, Sheila Bravo. “This bill offers immediate support to the organizations best suited to help put Delawareans to work addressing the most critical needs in our communities.”

The legislation is endorsed by the following groups: National Council of Nonprofits; United Way; Boys and Girls Clubs of America; Goodwill Industries; YMCA, Habitat for Humanity; Jewish Federations of North America; Mentor, Orthodox Union; Lutheran Services in America; Catholic Charities of St. Paul and Minneapolis; Minnesota Council of Nonprofits; Lutheran Social Services Minnesota; Aspire Minnesota; St. David’s Center for Child & Family Development; Lutheran Social Service of Minnesota; and Hawai’i Alliance of Nonprofit Organizations.

At the same time that the need for many nonprofit services is soaring, charitable giving and other revenue streams have declined precipitously as a result of the coronavirus pandemic, forcing many nonprofits to lay off workers and cut back on services. This legislation will provide a major mobilization of resources so American men and women recently separated from the workforce can get back to work helping our nonprofit organizations meet the massive needs of this moment.

The program will be administered by the Treasury Department and allocations will be made to states and local governments—with all funding channeled to eligible nonprofits meeting needs that have increased as a result of the pandemic and the attendant economic crisis. National nonprofit organizations will be invited to apply directly to the Treasury Department on behalf of themselves and their local chapters across the nation. The majority of federal funding must be used for employee compensation—paying the wages, salaries and benefits of either existing employees or new employees. Some funding may also be used to help nonprofits innovate in delivering services in new ways to meet the challenges imposed by the pandemic.

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Carper, Coons highlight Senate passage of wins for first responders battling COVID-19

WILMINGTON, Del. – U.S. Senators Tom Carper and Chris Coons (both D-Del.) highlight the passage of two bills in the Senate to help first responders amid the COVID-19 pandemic. The Safeguarding America’s First Responders Actand the Law Enforcement Suicide Data Collection Act passed the Senate by unanimous consent on Thursday. Senator Carper is chair of the Congressional Fire Services Caucus. Senator Coons, Co-Chair of the Senate Law Enforcement Caucus and member of the Congressional Fire Services Caucus, was an original cosponsor of both bills.

“Every day, Delaware firefighters, emergency medical responders, and law enforcement officers work to keep us safe. Today, those same first responders are stepping up in extraordinary ways and saving lives as we face an unprecedented public health crisis. We cannot overcome this challenge without them. It’s on us to ensure they have the resources and tools they need to do their jobs safely and effectively,” said Senator Carper. “That’s why today, I was proud to support the Safeguarding America’s First Responders Act and the Law Enforcement Suicide Data Collection Act, two bipartisan bills that will help ensure they do. I want to thank Senator Coons for his continued leadership on this issue and for his work to advance these bills that will help deliver critical support to the men and women on the front lines of this pandemic.”

“Amid the COVID-19 pandemic, one of my top priorities is delivering support for first responders who are bravely serving their communities,” said Senator Coons. “I helped introduce both the Safeguarding America’s First Responders Act and the Law Enforcement Suicide Data Collection Act, and I’m glad that these bills have advanced through the Senate with bipartisan support. I hope both bills soon become law and deliver this support to first responders”

The Safeguarding America’s First Responders Act would make first responders who pass away from COVID-19 presumptively eligible for Public Safety Officers’ Benefits Program death benefits from the federal government. Determining where and when someone contracts COVID-19 would likely prove impossible for most first responders.  This bill overcomes that challenge by establishing a temporary presumption that COVID-19 infections will be considered to have been contracted while on duty if a first responder is diagnosed within 45 days of the officer’s last shift.  The legislation ensures that families of officers and first responders lost while fighting the pandemic don’t face unnecessary barriers to the benefits they deserve.

The Law Enforcement Suicide Data Collection Act would require the FBI Director to collect data about and issue a report on suicide rates within federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies.  Currently, the FBI tracks line of duty deaths, but it does not compile statistics on law enforcement suicides. Understanding this data will help medical professionals and policymakers develop more effective mental health resources for first responders going forward.

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Sens. Coons, Braun lead roundtable with national business leaders to discuss climate solutions in light of COVID-19

WASHINGTON — Yesterday, U.S. Senators Chris Coons (D-Del.) and Mike Braun (R-Ind.), co-chairs of the bipartisan Senate Climate Solutions Caucus, hosted a virtual roundtable discussion with national business leaders on ways to address our changing climate in light of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The roundtable was organized by Ceres and joined by industry leaders who are interested in promoting sustainability and climate action in their operations. Participating leaders included Donna Carpenter, CEO of Burton; Kit Crawford and Gary Erickson, Owners and Co-CEOs of Clif Bar; Hugh Welsh, President and General Counsel of DSM North America; David Perry, CEO and Director of Indigo Agriculture; Jamie Gentoso, CEO of U.S. Cement for LafargeHolcim; and Steve Fechheimer, CEO of New Belgium Brewing.

“We need clarity that sustainable climate solutions will be bipartisan and that there’s a strong business case for action,” said Senator Coons. “Conversations like this help unite lawmakers and the private sector around a common shared goal like fighting climate change.  Keep at us – it’s important to believe we can do big and bold things.”

“Innovation doesn’t come from government, but rather from the entrepreneurs and enterprisers who move the gears of the American economy,” said Senator Mike Braun. “Actionable progress on climate solutions will come from partnerships with American business leaders like those assembled at this roundtable discussion.”  

Senators Coons and Braun are leading bipartisan voices within Congress on this important issue.  In 2019, they co-founded the bipartisan Senate Climate Solutions Caucus. The caucus promotes bipartisan discussion about climate policy and advocates for Congress to play a central role in addressing the challenge.

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Sen. Coons encourages flexibility for Paycheck Protection Program borrowers

WASHINGTON — U.S. Senator Chris Coons (D-Del.), member of the Small Business Committee, is encouraging more flexibility for borrowers of the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP). Today, he released the following statement:

“I’ve spoken with dozens of struggling small business owners and nonprofit leaders across Delaware. Many are glad to have received a PPP loan but feel trapped by its forgiveness rules, including the requirement to spend funds in an 8-week period, while others were unfortunately left out of the program,” said Senator Coons. “I applaud the House for proposing much-needed increased eligibility and flexibility for PPP borrowers in the HEROES Act, including the ability of PPP borrowers to spend funds over 24 weeks. Let’s get this done.”

The PPP is a COVID-19 relief program funded in the CARES Act that provides forgivable loans to eligible small businesses and nonprofits based on employee retention. The PPP currently requires borrowers to use all funding within an 8-week period following the date of disbursement in order to qualify for full forgiveness. The HEROES Act includes a range of changes, including the extension of the program to larger nonprofits. 

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ICYMI: Dozens of bipartisan mayors from across the U.S. ask Congress to expand national service programs to aid COVID-19 response and recovery

WASHINGTON — More than 50 mayors from across the country have called on Congress to provide federal funding for a comprehensive, locally focused, national service strategy to help communities respond to and recover from the COVID-19 pandemic. U.S. Sen. Chris Coons (D-Del.) is leading a bicameral, bipartisan proposal that would double the number of national service positions available this year to help meet the need for hundreds of thousands of new workers to help with contact tracing, testing, virtual learning, and more.

In two letters – one from the mayors of California’s largest cities and the other from more than 40 mayors representing urban and rural localities across the U.S. – they urge the U.S. Senate and House leadership to include the Pandemic Response and Opportunity Through National Service Act (S.3624 and H.R.6702) in the next COVID-19 relief package.

“As our own cities and the country as a whole, contemplate the future, we know that the challenges to recovery – for our grieving families, shuttered schools and churches, and halted economy – are manifold,” the mayors wrote. “And as you know, the road to normalcy will require more than economic stimulus, even historic levels of it. We should call on Americans across the country to step up and contribute through service.”

“As we face the triple threat of a health, economic, and educational crisis, we should lean into the robust and flexible national service infrastructure offered by AmeriCorps and Senior Corps to meet the acute needs mounting in our communities,” the mayors continued.

The Pandemic Response and Opportunity Through National Service Act would fund 750,000 national service positions over a three-year response and recovery period, in part to meet the projected need for as many as 300,000 public health workers. 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. The bill is supported by more than one hundred organizations.

This is one of three proposals developed by a working group of senators to address the urgent need to expand the public health and response workforce during and in the wake of the COVID-19 outbreak.

“The limited federal funding currently available has allowed AmeriCorps to deploy 75,000 national service members to help address core weaknesses in education, the economy and public health exposed by this pandemic,” said AnnMaura Connolly, President of Voices for National Service, which works to ensure Americans of all ages and backgrounds have the opportunity to serve and volunteer in their community. “But by leaning into the robust national service infrastructure that supports AmeriCorps through the Pandemic Response and Opportunity Through National Service Act, the country could deploy around a quarter of a million civilian national service members annually to help us respond to and recover from this pandemic.”

The mayors’ letters are available here and here.

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Sens. Coons, Warren, Blumenthal unveil Coronavirus Oversight and Recovery Ethics (CORE) Act

WASHINGTON — Today, U.S. Senators Chris Coons (D-Del.), Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), and Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) and Representatives Pramila Jayapal (D-Wash.) and John Sarbanes (D-Md.) introduced draft legislation to ensure stronger oversight, accountability, and transparency in the federal government’s response to COVID-19 crisis. 

Along with critical aid for hospitals, small businesses, families, unemployed Americans, the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES Act) established a $500 billion industry stabilization fund for large and midsize businesses and the Paycheck Protection Program for small businesses. Both of these programs, while vital to sustaining well-paying jobs, are also vulnerable to exploitation for personal, financial, and political gain and could be misused by the Trump Administration and reward political allies and punish foes, at the expense of workers and consumers. 

The CARES Act imposed some basic oversight of these programs, but President Trump immediately began undermining these provisions by reassigning and promising to muzzle independent inspectors general charged with pandemic relief oversight. In the next relief package, Congress must pass stronger oversight, accountability, transparency, ethics, and anti-corruption provisions. The provisions must be core to any relief bill to ensure taxpayer dollars serve the interests of the American people.  

“Every single penny of taxpayer money allocated by Congress for COVID-19 relief should go to families, communities and businesses in need, period,” said Senator Coons. “We have to ensure that aid is going to workers and businesses who need it most, not just the businesses with the most political connections. This important legislation will ensure that inspectors general can do their jobs and provide real accountability for the trillions in taxpayer dollars we’re investing to keep our economy afloat. Congress must include real oversight in the next COVID-19 relief package.”

“We must hold the Trump administration accountable as they hand out trillions of dollars in response to the COVID-19 crisis. We’ve seen giant public companies scoop up relief meant for small businesses, an inspector general fired, promises made to muzzle independent oversight, companies with political connections cutting in line to access to relief funds, and President Donald Trump putting himself and his buddies first every step of the way,” said Senator Warren. “We’re proposing legislation to empower inspectors general, prohibit conflicts of interest, and strengthen oversight and enforcement, and to stop any government-sanctioned profiteering and corruption. Congress must include our bill in the next COVID-19 relief package.”

“In the days since we first proposed these oversight measures, President Trump removed an Acting IG who blew the whistle on testing shortages, while his son-in-law oversaw an opaque project potentially fast-tracking supplies to his political allies. Real accountability demands a watchdog, not a lapdog, to stop the waste, fraud and favoritism pervading this administration. Getting relief to those who need it – small businesses, struggling families, the working poor and middle class – means keeping an eye on the corporate fat cats who are trying to cut them in line. The only people threatened by oversight are the ones trying to game the system, or hide something,” said Senator Blumenthal.

“As families and small businesses struggle to stay afloat during a historic mass unemployment crisis that has seen more than 33 million workers file for unemployment, President Trump and his administration have continued to do what they do best-spread corruption, enrich giant corporations, muzzle the truth and reward their megadonor allies,” said Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal. “I’m proud that our CORE Act boldly responds to this corrupt behavior by ensuring the public knows which businesses are getting COVID-19 relief, shining a light on big-money corporate lobbying for these funds and allowing whistleblowers who see illegal, dangerous or wasteful behavior by corporations and the government to speak out without fear.”

“COVID-19 relief must go to those who need it most. American families, small businesses, health care providers and state and local governments are hurting and we must do all we can to block special interests and corporate insiders from gaming the system,” said Congressman Sarbanes. “The CORE Act will establish robust oversight and anti-corruption standards to prevent just that and ensure the Trump Administration does not waste taxpayer dollars with giveaways to their wealthy and well-connected political donors.”

The CORE Act is endorsed by Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW), Open the Government, the Project On Government Oversight (POGO), and Public Citizen, and Transparency International U.S. Office.

The Coronavirus Oversight and Recovery Ethics Act (CORE Act) would:

• Prohibit Conflicts of Interest: The bill addresses and eliminates conflicts arising in the selection or hiring of contractors or advisors and the distribution of relief grants and loans, similar to the conflicts provisions in the Troubled Asset Relief Program (TARP). The bill further requires Federal ethics officials to impose revolving door restrictions on officials involved in the administration of relief; requires White House task force members who work on pandemic response to file public reports detailing their financial interests; and expands the scope of CARES Act conflicts prohibitions on industry assistance going to certain companies affiliated with senior government officials to include small business aid and additional senior officials. The bill provides an additional $25 million to the Office of Government Ethics to administer these rules. 
• Empowers & Protects Inspectors General: The bill requires that inspectors general (IGs) only be fired for good cause and requires the President to inform Congress when any IG, including an acting IG, is removed from their post. The bill further requires that IG vacancies be filled automatically by the first assistant to the last IG, and that acting IGs enjoy civil service protections, ensuring that they have some recourse if they face retaliation. Any member of the staff of an unlawfully fired IG would be allowed to file suit to challenge the firing, as would any member of the public harmed as the result of such action. The President’s decision to fire or otherwise discipline an IG or acting IG would trigger an automatic, public review by the Council of the Inspectors General on Integrity and Efficiency Integrity. 
• Strengthen the Congressional Oversight Commission: The bill grants Congressional Oversight Commission, which was established in the CARES Act and sits beyond the President’s reach, with subpoena authority for testimony and documents and expands its jurisdiction to include all COVID-19 relief funding, including the Small Business Administration’s Paycheck Protection Program.
• Strengthen CARES Act Executive Branch Accountability & Oversight Entities: The bill requires the Treasury Secretary to submit a weekly list of any instances in which the Special Inspector General for Pandemic Relief (SIGPR) or the Pandemic Relief Accountability Committee (PRAC)-both established in the CARES Act-believe the executive branch has unreasonably denied them information in the course of their oversight. If the Treasury Secretary omits or misrepresents instances of wrongdoing to Congress, he would be liable for perjury. If the Treasury Secretary fails to provide a required filing, the bill prevents the Secretary and any other senior political appointee in the Treasury Department from being paid.
• Protect Whistleblowers: The bill establishes strong whistleblower protections for government employees, government contractors, and private sector workers (including essential workers) who may witness waste, fraud, or abuse or be victims of misconduct. These provisions, modeled after the protections Congress included in the 2009 Recovery Act, would protect Americans who call out wrongdoing, protect against all retaliation, and establish a safe, secure, and anonymous process for whistleblowers’ claims to be investigated by IGs. The bill also establishes a direct channel for whistleblowers to submit complaints directly to the SIGPR, PRAC, and the Congressional Oversight Commission. 
• Restrict and Disclose Lobbying & Political Spending: The bill requires lobbyists to make monthly disclosures regarding all lobbying related to COVID-19 relief spending or lending. The bill also codifies the Obama Administration’s restrictions on Recovery Act lobbying activity, which would restrict all COVID-19 relief lobbying activity to public, written submissions and prohibit closed door meetings and phone calls between government officials and companies seeking relief. Monthly disclosures would include any documents provided by those companies to government officials, including White House staff. Additionally, any company that receives a direct grant or loan from Treasury, after enactment of the bill, would be prohibited from engaging in political spending or lobbying expenditures for a least a year after any loan is fully repaid. Finally, the bill bolsters the ability of the Justice Department to enforce lobbying violations under this section.
• Improve Transparency & Disclosure around Industry Stabilization Funds: The bill dramatically improves transparency about where industry stabilization funds are going. It requires any recipient of emergency funding or support, including contractors and grantees, to provide regular, public reporting about how that money is being used. The bill codifies the Federal Reserve Board’s announcement that it will disclose the names and amounts borrowed for each participant in their lending facilities backstopped with CARES Act money and requires recipients to provide a detailed description of how the assistance was used. The bill requires recipients to disclose compensation and workforce data, including the mean, median, and minimum wages of all non-executive employees; the number of workers before and after the receipt of assistance; and the salaries of executives, including bonuses and capital distributions. The bill further requires certain corporations that receive financial assistance to disclose whether they have been charged with violations of federal law and the nature of those alleged violations. It also ensures more transparency for the Paycheck Protection Program by requiring the Small Business Administration to publicly disclose on its website, on a weekly basis, basic information about lenders and recipients, including loan amounts. Finally, the bill automatically discloses the text of contracts held by companies involved in the administration of relief.
• Strengthen Enforcement: The bill allows any individual harmed by a company’s misuse of industry stabilization funds to seek recourse through the courts to ensure that harmed parties, like workers fired after a company committed to not fire anyone after receiving funds, have the ability to bring private lawsuits against aid recipients who do not adhere to the terms and seek damages. The bill also holds senior executives of companies that violate assistance terms personally liable to taxpayers, including by having their executive compensation seized. 

A bill summary is available here. A discussion draft bill text is available here.

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ICYMI: Sens. Coons, Cassidy op-ed: Let’s build on US history of citizen-led service to recover from COVID-19

WILMINGTON, Del. – In case you missed it, U.S. Sens. Chris Coons (D-Del.) and Bill Cassidy (R-La.) today published an op-ed with CNN calling for a dramatic expansion of national service programs like AmeriCorps to help our country safely reopen and recover from the COVID-19 pandemic.

Senator Coons is leading a bicameral, bipartisan proposal that would double the number of national service positions available this year to help meet the need for hundreds of thousands of new workers to help with meal delivery, contact tracing, testing, virtual learning, and more.

CNN: To recover from Covid-19, let’s build on US history of citizen-led service

By Chris Coons and Bill Cassidy

Throughout the Covid-19 pandemic, the American people have been reminded of just how much we rely on health care professionals, first responders, and many others who help keep us safe and healthy. These men and women have rightly been called heroes, but the scale of this public health and economic crisis has made one thing plainly clear: We need more of them.

To safely reopen our country and our economy, public health leaders estimate we will need as many as 300,000 new workers to test millions of Americans and rapidly trace the contacts of those who are or may be infected. The question is: Where will these people come from, and who will recruit them, train them, and supervise them? We believe the answer is to rapidly expand our existing national service programs like AmeriCorps and build on our country’s proud history of citizen-led response to times of national crisis.

The full column is available here. 

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Carper, Coons urge Senate leadership to support Historically Black Colleges and Universities and Minority Serving Institutions in next stimulus package

WILMINGTON, Del. – U.S. Senators Tom Carper and Chris Coons (both-D-Del.) joined Senator Cory Booker (D-N.J.), Kamala Harris (D-Calif.), Doug Jones (D-Ala.) and more than a dozen of their colleagues in urging Senate leadership and appropriators to support historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs) – like Delaware State – and minority serving institutions (MSIs) in the next coronavirus stimulus package.

“As MSIs enroll a high number of low-income, first-generation college students and are consistently under-resourced due to smaller endowments and lower levels of federal and state investment, they need additional support to continue to respond and recover from the COVID-19 pandemic,” the lawmakers wrote in a letter sent to Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY), Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY), and the Chair and Ranking Member of the Senate Appropriations Committee.

The group called for the following measures to be included in the next relief package to help HBCUs and MSIs weather the economic fallout from COVID-19:

• An increase in the maximum Pell Grant amount (HBCUs serve a high percentage of Pell Grant recipients and today’s Pell Grant covers only around 30 percent of the average costs of tuition, fees, room, and board at public four-year colleges, far below the 79 percent it covered over 40 years ago).
• Substantial new investments in need-based financial aid, such as the Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant (SEOG).
• $1 billion in additional emergency funding for MSIs.
• Greater protection against state budget cuts by lengthening the “maintenance of effort” (MOE) provisions of the CARES Act through FY 2020 and narrowing any waiver authority granted to states.
• $6.5B in new research and development funding specifically allocated for MSIs in federal agencies and institutes, such as the National Institute of Minority Health Disparities housed within the National Institutes of Health, and the Department of Health and Human Services Title VII health professions training programs, which help produce diverse health professionals. Minority Serving Institutions have consistently been awarded fewer federal research dollars than their peer institutions. These funds are needed to increase opportunities on these campuses and boost their R&D resources in light of budget shortfalls caused by the pandemic.
• A waiver of the allowable uses in the Minority Science Engineering and Improvement Program.
• A technology fund to help MSIs aid their students in accessing high-speed internet (key to remote learning).

In addition to Carper, Coons, Booker, Jones and Harris, the letter was signed by Senators Gillibrand (D-N.Y.), Brown (D-Ohio), Warren (D-Mass.), Rosen (D-Nev.), Van Hollen (D-Md.), Kaine (D-Va.), Klobuchar (D-Minn.), Cortez Masto (D-Nev.), Casey (D-Pa.), Warner (D-Va.), Hirono (D-Hawaii), Cardin (D-Md.), Sanders (I-Vt.), and Durbin (D-Ill.).

Full text of the letter is available here.

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Carper, Coons, Blunt Rochester announce CARES Act funding now available for communities facing economic challenges

WILMINGTON, Del. – Today, U.S. Senators Tom Carper, Chris Coons and Congresswoman Lisa Blunt Rochester (all D-Del.) announced the U.S. Department of Commerce Economic Development Administration (EDA) is accepting applications from eligible Delaware organizations for Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES Act) supplemental funds. EDA CARES Act Recovery Assistance is intended to help economically distressed communities prevent, prepare for and respond to coronavirus. 

EDA CARES Act Recovery Assistance investments will support a wide range of non-construction and construction activities, including Revolving Loan Funds, in regions across the country experiencing severe economic dislocations brought about by the coronavirus pandemic.

“This recovery assistance funding will help to ease the financial strain on some of Delaware’s most distressed communities,” said Sen. Carper, who serves as the top Democrat on the Environment and Public Works Committee, which oversees the EDA. “In recent years, I’ve had the opportunity to see firsthand how EDA investments have fostered economic growth in Delaware, enabling new research and development initiatives that create good-paying jobs. Now, as we work to recover from the financial impacts of this pandemic, the EDA is providing new funding that will support economic growth and job creation in our state.”

“EDA CARES Act Recovery funding can provide much needed support to Delaware’s towns and cities, and they can also be used to help our small businesses recover from COVID-19.  From municipal governments to local organizations to the colleges and universities in our state, all eligible institutions should apply for this program that Congress funded in the CARES Act,” said Senator Coons, a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee. “I will continue to work with my colleagues to advance funding that reaches the people and communities most in need during this health and economic crisis.”

“As Delaware continues our efforts to recover economically from the impacts of the coronavirus, this EDA funding, authorized through the CARES Act, will be crucial for our communities,” said Representative Blunt Rochester. “The entire delegation will continue our work in Congress to ensure that federal funding makes its way to those areas of our communities and economy that have been hardest hit by this pandemic.”

Examples of projects that EDA may fund through its CARES Act Recovery Assistance include economic recovery planning and preparing technical assistance strategies to address economic dislocations caused by the coronavirus pandemic, preparing or updating resiliency plans to respond to future pandemics, implementing entrepreneurial support programs to diversify economies, and constructing public works and facilities that will support economic recovery, including the deployment of broadband for purposes including supporting telehealth and remote learning for job skills.

Eligible applicants include a(n):

·         District Organization;

·         Indian Tribe or a consortium of Indian Tribes;

·         State, county, city, or other political subdivision of a State, including a special purpose unit of a State or local government engaged in economic or infrastructure development activities, or a consortium of political subdivisions; 

·         Institution of higher education or a consortium of institutions of higher education; or

·         Public or private non-profit organization or association acting in cooperation with officials of a political subdivision of a State.

For more information, please visit the EDA CARES Act Recovery Assistance page.

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