Carper, Coons join call from bipartisan senators: provide financial relief to postal service in next coronavirus bill

WILMINGTON, Del. — Senators Tom Carper and Chris Coons (both D-Del.) joined Senators Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.), Susan Collins (R-Maine) and a bipartisan group of senators to send a letter to Senate leadership urging that they include emergency funding for the U.S. Postal Service in any future coronavirus legislation.

 “The USPS has seen significant mail volume declines due to the coronavirus pandemic, and the agency projects it could soon run out of resources to pay employees and suppliers as early as September of this year.  Emergency funding, additional borrowing authority, and debt forgiveness are necessary to help shore up the agency’s finances and help it survive the current national crisis,” wrote the senators.

 “Postal employees continue to go to work each day, facing increased risk as they continue to serve.  It is critical that the next relief package also include adequate funding to ensure supplies of personal protective equipment, reimbursement for sick and family medical leave related to the coronavirus, and hazard pay for workers who face exposure to the virus on a daily basis.”

In addition to Senators Feinstein, Collins, Carper and Coons, the letter was also signed by Senators Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska), Jon Tester (D-Mont.), Steve Daines (R-Mont.), Doug Jones (D-Ala.), Dan Sullivan (R-Alaska), and Pat Roberts (R-Kan.).

Full text of the letter is available here and below.

May 7, 2020

Dear Leader McConnell, Leader Schumer, Chairman Shelby, and Vice Chairman Leahy:

 Throughout the course of the COVID-19 pandemic, our offices have received an outpouring of concern about the financial health of the United States Postal Service (USPS) and its ability to continue to serve the American public, as well as support for the agency’s 630,000 employees.  As you develop additional coronavirus response legislation, we ask that you include significant emergency appropriations to help the USPS survive this crisis, as well as a mechanism to pay down the agency’s current debt obligations. 

We also encourage you to include language that ensures the USPS is able to borrow funds to the full extent authorized by Congress, without restrictions or conditions that have not been approved by Congress.  Finally, we urge you to include additional protections to ensure the safety and wellbeing of the agency’s employees, who continue to work on the frontlines on behalf of and in service to the American people.

The USPS has seen significant mail volume declines due to the coronavirus pandemic, and the agency projects it could soon run out of resources to pay employees and suppliers as early as September of this year.  Emergency funding, additional borrowing authority, and debt forgiveness are necessary to help shore up the agency’s finances and help it survive the current national crisis.  Postmaster General Megan Brennan recently briefed the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee and the House Committee on Oversight and Reform that the USPS needs immediate financial support to keep the agency from collapsing due to mail volume loss and new costs associated with the pandemic. 

We are also concerned that access to borrowing authority previously provided to the Postal Service in the CARES Act has not yet been executed, and approval may be predicated on reforms that Congress has not approved.  Limitations on access to these funds could result in the elimination of universal service, closure of rural post offices, or even privatization.  We ask that you consider the importance of timely funding to benefit the USPS operations and ensure that any funds are accompanied by language prohibiting additional requirements that could slow the delivery of assistance provided by Congress. 

As you know, mail delivery has always been an essential service, and has become even more critical during the pandemic.  Postal employees continue to go to work each day, facing increased risk as they continue to serve.  It is critical that the next relief package also include adequate funding to ensure supplies of personal protective equipment, reimbursement for sick and family medical leave related to the coronavirus, and hazard pay for workers who face exposure to the virus on a daily basis.

The Postal Service plays a critical role in American society, and its services are needed now more than ever, especially in our rural communities where local access to grocery stores, pharmacies, and other vital services is often limited or nonexistent.  Without immediate relief, the USPS may have to limit or cease operations, which would cause significant harm to Americans who rely on the agency for delivery of medicines, distribution of safety-net benefits, and many other critical services.  At this important moment, we ask that you keep in mind the critical importance of the United States Postal Service and the wellbeing of millions of Americans who rely on it.  

We are grateful for the leadership each of you has demonstrated as our nation confronts unprecedented challenges associated with the coronavirus pandemic.  Thank you for your consideration of this matter.

Sincerely,

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Sen. Coons receives top honor from Delaware Trustees of The Nature Conservancy

Environmental group has awarded Sen. Coons their highest honor, the Conservation Leadership Award

Award recognizes Sen. Coons’ co-founding of the bipartisan Senate Climate Solutions Caucus and his leadership on conservation

WILMINGTON, Del. — On April 27, the Delaware Trustees of The Nature Conservancy awarded the Conservation Leadership Award, the environmental organization’s top honor, to U.S. Senator Chris Coons (D-Del.).  The award highlighted Sen. Coons’ work on critical legislation to promote conservation in Delaware and across the country as well as his role as co-founder of the bipartisan Senate Climate Solutions Caucus. The Nature Conservancy has 3,500 active members in Delaware and over one million nationwide.

• Senator Coons co-founded the bipartisan Senate Climate Solutions Caucus in 2019 with Senator Mike Braun (R-Ind.). The caucus promotes bipartisan discussion about climate policy and advocates for Congress to play a central role in addressing the challenge.
• Every year, Senator Coons fights to secure strong federal funding for important programs that help conserve and protect our nation’s rivers, wetlands, coasts and other valuable natural resources. These include the Delaware River Basin Restoration Program, the Chesapeake Bay Program, the National Estuary Program, the North American Wetlands Conservation Fund (NAWCA), the Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF), the National Coastal Resilience Fund, and conservation programs at the Department of Agriculture.
• In the Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018, Senator Coons fought to expand access to the Environmental Quality Incentives Program for beginning farmers and create additional opportunities for farmers on Delmarva through the Regional Conservation Partnership Program.

“I’m extremely honored to receive this recognition from the Delaware Trustees of The Nature Conservancy, who have been steadfast partners in the fight to protect our environment, improve water quality in Delaware, and promote stewardship nationwide,” Senator Coons said. “Through these efforts in Congress, we have already delivered key wins on conservation for our region and our country, but I’m looking ahead to further work to deliver bipartisan solutions on climate action; protecting land, water, and wildlife; and supporting our agricultural community.”

“We present this award in recognition of your tireless leadership and co-founding of the Senate Climate Solutions Caucus and your ardent support for conservation. We applaud your determination to drive forward bipartisan climate solutions,” said Marika Steele Schoolar, Chair of the Board of Trustees for The Nature Conservancy in Pennsylvania and Delaware. “Now is a critical moment for breaking through the gridlock and turning real solutions into law. Your pursuit of bipartisan strategies to tackle climate challenges and your continuous efforts to protect and enhance the Chesapeake Bay will ensure a more resilient, and more hopeful, future for the residents of Delaware and for our country.”

The full letter is provided here and below.

Dear Senator Coons,

During this time of great difficulty for the American people and for people around the world, it is important to look to the future for hope and reassurance. Leaders like you fuel that hope. And so, it is with great pleasure that The Nature Conservancy presents you with our highest honor, the Conservation Leadership Award. We present this award in recognition of your tireless leadership and co-founding of the Senate Climate Solutions Caucus and your ardent support for conservation. We applaud your determination to drive forward bipartisan climate solutions. Now is a critical moment for breaking through the gridlock and turning real solutions into law. Your pursuit of bipartisan strategies to tackle climate challenges and your continuous efforts to protect and enhance the Chesapeake Bay will ensure a more resilient, and more hopeful, future for the residents of Delaware and for our country. 

We deeply appreciate your sponsorship, and co-sponsorship, of several critical bills for the environment. Your work on the Chesapeake Bay Farm Bill Enhancements Act of 2017 doubled funding for the Regional Conservation Partnership Program and created more opportunities for the agricultural community to benefit from that program. Through this effort and similar policies, your work has secured significant funding and resources that have dramatically improved the Bay’s health and health and livelihoods of those who depend upon it.

Your contributions to land conservation, including your enthusiastic support for fully funding and permanently reauthorizing the Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF) and your co-sponsorship of the newly introduced Great American Outdoors Act (GAOA), has and will continue to directly provide ecological, social and economic benefits across Delaware and the country. We are deeply grateful for your ongoing commitment to this cause. Some of my favorite pastimes include hiking the trails of Brandywine Creek State Park and First State National Park and birding at Bombay Hook National Wildlife Refuge. The LWCF protects and preserves these beautiful and valuable places today and for future generations. Beyond recreational opportunities, these places are home to a vibrant array of native plants and animals, provide us with resilience to climate change, and help deliver clean water and air that underpin the region’s economy.

Lands conserved through LWCF also help safeguard our communities and infrastructure. Protected areas provide critical living laboratories, which demonstrate ways nature enhances human communities’ resilience. These laboratories teach us how to adapt to rising waters caused by climate change and how to prevent the worst impacts of flooding. Preserving these areas reduces safety and economic risks to our communities and infrastructure. 

Conserved lands also contribute billions to Delaware’s economy; the outdoor recreation industry alone is directly responsible for 29,000 jobs which generate $959 million is wages and salaries. This industry also produces $3.1 billion in annual consumer spending in Delaware and generates $145 million each year in state and local tax revenue.

Your leadership has been so essential to protect the lands and waters on which all life depends. We extend our sincerest thanks from all of our members, volunteer leaders and staff and we look forward to a continued partnership with you.

Sincerely,

Marika Steele Schoolar
Chair, Board of Trustees
The Nature Conservancy in Pennsylvania and Delaware 

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Sen. Coons highlights his charitable giving amendment, joins colleagues to urge leadership to consider nonprofits in next relief proposal

Senators press for direct help to charitable nonprofits as they respond to fallout from the coronavirus

Senators Coons, Lankford, King, colleagues back expanded charitable giving deduction in coronavirus aid bill

WILMINGTON, Del. — Today, U.S. Senator Chris Coons (D-Del.) joined Senators James Lankford (R-Okla.) and Angus King (I-Maine) on a bipartisan letter to Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) and Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) to advocate that they do not overlook nonprofits, charities, and houses of worship in the fourth-phase relief proposal for the coronavirus pandemic. The letter asks the leaders to consider expanding access to relief and support, increase unemployment insurance reimbursement for nonprofit employees, and strengthen charitable giving incentives to help ease the burdens facing nonprofit employers as well as other types of small businesses.

During the previous Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act discussion, Senators Coons and Lankford offered an amendment, which would have increased the bill’s $300 limit on the charitable giving deduction to one-third of the standard deduction ($4,000 for an individual filer and $8,000 for married joint filers) for the 2020 tax year—a move supported by more than 1,000 nonprofits across the nation. While the CARES Act also provided some nonprofits access to the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP), there are additional steps the Senate can take to ensure these critical entities are able to continue to serve where government cannot. 

“In the face of the COVID-19 pandemic, charities and nonprofits are facing extraordinary challenges. These organizations are being relied on to address needs in our communities like hunger, illness, and child care, with dwindling resources and a payroll to maintain,” said Senator Coons of his amendment with Senator Lankford. “A federal response I am proud to support is ensuring that every American taxpayer is encouraged to support our nation’s charities, by giving them access to the charitable deduction. This simple, straightforward change to the tax code would mobilize the goodwill of all Americans as we collectively strive to overcome this pandemic.” 

In addition to Coons, Lankford and King, the letter was joined by Senators Thom Tillis (R-N.C.), Martha McSally (R-Ariz.), John Hoeven (R-N.D.), Kevin Cramer (R-N.D.), John Boozman (R-Ark.), Kelly Loeffler (R-Ga.), Dan Sullivan (R-Alaska), Cory Gardner (R-Colo.), Tim Scott (R-S.C.), Mike Rounds (R-S.D.), Richard Burr (R-N.C.), Jerry Moran (R-Kan.), Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-Miss.), Steve Daines (R-Mont.), Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), Gary Peters (D-Mich.), Kamala Harris (D-Calif.), Tina Smith (D-Minn.), Kyrsten Sinema (D-Ariz.), Cory Booker (D-N.J.), Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), Tim Kaine (D-Va.), Tom Udall (D-N.M.), Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii), Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.), Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), and Jon Tester (D-Mont.).

The following nonprofits and charities have offered their support for the senators’ letter: Alliance for Strong Families and Communities, American Alliance of Museums, American Council on Education, American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, American Red Cross, Americans for the Arts, Apartment Life, Inc., Arthritis Foundation, Association of Art Museum Directors, Catholic Charities Archdiocese of Oklahoma City, Catholic Charities USA, CenterLink: The Community of LGBT Centers, Child Welfare League of America, Community Action Partnership, Council for Advancement and Support of Education, Council for Christian Colleges & Universities, Covenant House International, Ducks Unlimited, Extended Day Child Care Center, Inc., Faith & Giving Coalition, Girl Scouts of the USA, Girls Inc., Goodwill Industries International, Inc., Habitat for Humanity International, Independent Sector, Jewish Federations of North America, Land Trust Alliance, Leadership 18, League of American Orchestras, Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, Looking Glass Community Services, Lutheran Services in America, Mental Health America, National Alliance for Caregiving, National Association of Independent Colleges and Universities, National Council of Nonprofits, National Health Council, National Human Services Assembly, NatureBridge, San Diego Zoo Global, Solve ME/CFS Initiative, Southern Baptist Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission, Squash and Education Alliance, The Arc of the United States, The Nonprofit Trust, The Trevor Project, Union of Orthodox Jewish Congregations of America, United Cerebral Palsy- National, United Philanthropy Forum, United Way Worldwide, Volunteers of America, Welcoming America, World Wildlife Fund, YMCA of the USA, Youth Advocate Program, YWCA USA, and Boys and Girls Club of America.

The full text of the letter can be found here or below.

Dear Leader McConnell and Leader Schumer:

Charitable nonprofits are significant employers ready to serve. The 12 million people working for America’s charities are the backbone of our communities: the food banks, shelters, domestic violence services, houses of worship, early care and education centers, after-school facilities, and more that are being called on to feed, house and care for people whose lives have been disrupted by sickness, closures, and job loss. Cities and states are relying on nonprofits to help mitigate the impact of the pandemic. We will continue to rely on the experience, expertise and ingenuity of the sector during future recovery efforts. As we work to build on the CARES Act in the next relief package, we cannot overlook the needs of these community-based institutions and must ensure that charitable nonprofits are fully supported in their service on the front lines of responding to the COVID-19 crisis.

Specifically, we urge you to include the following clarifications and provisions in the next relief package:

1. Expand Nonprofit Access to Relief and Support: Expand the eligibility for nonprofits to participate in the Paycheck Protection Program by modifying the current 500-employee cap or by other means. Adjust Economic Stabilization Fund or other mechanisms to implement programs to support nonprofit employers with between 500 and 10,000 employees. Provide clear guidance and maximum flexibility to private lenders to prioritize processing the applications of charitable nonprofits.
2. Increase Unemployment Insurance Reimbursement: Treat self-funded nonprofits fairly by increasing the federal unemployment insurance reimbursement for self-funded nonprofits to 100% of costs. As currently written Section 2103 of the CARES Act will subject nonprofits throughout the country to crippling payments to their state unemployment systems later this year, while other employers will likely experience little or no additional costs resulting from mass COVID-19-related layoffs. The impacts will be real. States will be greatly challenged to distinguish among employers in an already overburdened system due to the unprecedented surge in new applicants. Many nonprofits will be hit with a bill for reimbursement to states at a time when they will be in the highest demand for providing services. This could actually inhibit nonprofits’ ability to perform.
3. Strengthen Charitable Giving Incentives: Encourage donations to the work of charitable organizations in their communities by enabling taxpayers making donations on and after March 13 (date of national emergency declaration) and before July 16 to claim the deductions on their 2019 tax filings. This retroactive application should apply to itemized and above-the-line deductions during this critical period to encourage an influx of donations when these nonprofits need them most. Also, enhance the Above-the-Line Deduction in the CARES Act by increasing the $300/person cap and extending the effective date of the incentive. 

On behalf of the nonprofit charities in each of our districts providing critical services to our constituents, we appreciate your attention to this request and believe that the inclusion of these provisions will directly help charitable nonprofits respond to the fallout from this pandemic and will continue to serve our communities in the aftermath. We appreciate your consideration and attention to this request.

Sincerely,  

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Coons, Udall, colleagues tell Trump Administration: Stop playing politics with U.S. Postal Service

WILMINGTON, Del. – U.S. Senator Chris Coons joined Senator Tom Udall (D-N.M.) and a group of 30 senators in a letter to Secretary of the Treasury Steven Mnuchin, urging him to reject politically motivated conditions on financial relief for the U.S. Postal Service (USPS), which is a critical lifeline for many Americans, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic. The senators also expressed their strong opposition to the use of coronavirus as a pretext to pursue privatization of USPS, which is widely unpopular with the American people. 

The senators’ letter comes as the Treasury Department considers a $10 billion loan to support the USPS, which continues to see mail traffic, and thus revenue, drop immensely during this COVID-19 pandemic, all the while becoming an even more important lifeline to Americans and businesses.  President Trump recently publicly threatened that he will not approve the loan unless the USPS raises package rates by an exorbitant amount, in what appears to be a thinly-veiled attempt at retaliation against the president’s perceived critics.

“Enshrined in the U.S. Constitution, the USPS has always provided an invaluable service —delivery to anyone with an address, regardless of living in an urban versus rural area, being rich or poor, or old or young,” wrote the senators. “Now, during the COVID-19 crisis, millions of people are receiving their much-needed relief checks through the mail. An affordable delivery service is needed more than ever in these times—to ensure everyone is able to get their essential medicine prescriptions, purchase items not available in their area, or to keep in touch with loved ones in a time of social distancing. U.S. businesses, especially small and medium-sized businesses that are suffering greatly because of lost revenue because of the coronavirus, also rely on receiving goods through the USPS’s affordable pricing structure.

“We are therefore very disturbed to hear President Trump’s public statements threatening approval of the $10 billion loan unless conditions are added such as hiking prices perhaps to even four or five-times as high as current levels. These threats appear to be thinly-veiled attempts to retaliate against what he sees as a vocal critic of his presidency, the Washington Post, and its owner Jeff Bezos. We are concerned about President Trump’s history of invoking another of Bezos’ assets, Amazon, in conjunction with calls to increase prices charged by the USPS, strongly suggesting personal and political motivations on this matter. It would be highly inappropriate and unacceptable for the Department of Treasury to act on such motivations when considering the USPS loan or other USPS relief.”

The senators further outlined their opposition to privatizing USPS. “We similarly oppose, in the strongest possible terms, using the coronavirus crisis as a way to push through a privatization of the USPS. The White House Office of Management and Budget in 2018 advocated for privatization of the Postal Service, an idea which has been around for a long time but is extremely unpopular with the American people.”

“Taking advantage of this pandemic by raising prices on shipping companies or pursuing privatization for political purposes will only mean one thing—increased prices for everyday consumers, as well as the huge numbers of businesses that depend on the mail service. These reported planned conditions President Trump seeks to impose on the $10 billion loan to the USPS stand in stark contrast with the relative lack of strings placed on monies made available to corporations in recent relief efforts, no matter how badly a company might have been managed prior to the COVID-19 pandemic,” the senators continued. “We urge you to reject these political and ideological calls to use this pandemic to further the President’s agenda while burdening everyday Americans and U.S. companies already struggling to make ends meet.”

In addition to Coons and Udall the letter was joined by U.S. Senators Doug Jones (D-Ala.), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.), Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), Ben Cardin (D-Md.), Bob Casey (D-Penn.), Ed Markey (D-Mass.), Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.), Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), Jack Reed (D-R.I.), Tim Kaine (D-Va.), Patty Murray (D-Wash.), Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio), Mazie Hirono (D-Hawaii), Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), Tammy Duckworth (D-Il.), Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.), Dick Durbin (D-Il.), Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.), Ron Wyden (D-Ore.), Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.), Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.), Cory Booker (D-N.J.), Tina Smith (D-Minn.), Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) Mark Warner (D-Va), and Kamala Harris (D-Calif).

The full text of the letter can be found here and below.

Dear Sec. Mnuchin:

We write to you to express our deep concern that the solvency of the U.S. Postal Service (USPS), which provides essential delivery services for 160 million American homes and businesses, is being jeopardized for political reasons. We urge you to reject imposing counterproductive or politically motivated conditions on the pledged $10 billion emergency loan to the USPS and any other relief that the USPS needs. 

Enshrined in the U.S. Constitution, the USPS has always provided an invaluable service —delivery to anyone with an address, regardless of living in an urban versus rural area, being rich or poor, or old or young. Now, during the COVID-19 crisis, millions of people are receiving their much-needed relief checks through the mail. An affordable delivery service is needed more than ever in these times—to ensure everyone is able to get their essential medicine prescriptions, purchase items not available in their area, or to keep in touch with loved ones in a time of social distancing. U.S. businesses, especially small and medium-sized businesses that are suffering greatly because of lost revenue because of the coronavirus, also rely on receiving goods through the USPS’s affordable pricing structure.

We are therefore very disturbed to hear President Trump’s public statements threatening approval of the $10 billion loan unless conditions are added such as hiking prices perhaps to even four or five-times as high as current levels. These threats appear to be thinly-veiled attempts to retaliate against what he sees as a vocal critic of his presidency, the Washington Post, and its owner Jeff Bezos. We are concerned about President Trump’s history of invoking another of Bezos’ assets, Amazon, in conjunction with calls to increase prices charged by the USPS, strongly suggesting personal and political motivations on this matter. It would be highly inappropriate and unacceptable for the Department of Treasury to act on such motivations when considering the USPS loan or other USPS relief.

We similarly oppose, in the strongest possible terms, using the coronavirus crisis as a way to push through a privatization of the USPS. The White House Office of Management and Budget in 2018 advocated for privatization of the Postal Service, an idea which has been around for a long time but is extremely unpopular with the American people. In addition to privatizing parts of the USPS, the Treasury Department’s Presidential Task Force on the Postal Service called for hiking prices charged by the USPS as well as cuts in services and decreased benefits for postal workers. Privatization efforts like these would lead to putting profits over people—meaning rural areas would suffer from service cuts and Americans would be left to the whims of corporations constantly seeking to maximize their bottom lines—and should be off limits during this crisis.

Taking advantage of this pandemic by raising prices on shipping companies or pursuing privatization for political purposes will only mean one thing—increased prices for everyday consumers, as well as the huge numbers of businesses that depend on the mail service. These reported planned conditions President Trump seeks to impose on the $10 billion loan to the USPS stand in stark contrast with the relative lack of strings placed on monies made available to corporations in recent relief efforts, no matter how badly a company might have been managed prior to the COVID-19 pandemic. We urge you to reject these political and ideological calls to use this pandemic to further the President’s agenda while burdening everyday Americans and U.S. companies already struggling to make ends meet.

In addition to being highly inappropriate, any attempt to retaliate against the USPS in this way would also be deeply unpopular with the American people. Recent opinion polling released by the Pew Research Center shows how important the USPS is to all Americans—across political party affiliation. Ninety one percent of survey respondents stated that they viewed the USPS in a positive light, reflecting almost identical majorities from both Republican and Democratic parties. And, our democracy may very well depend on the ability of immunocompromised and otherwise vulnerable people to vote-by-mail in a time where going to polls is risking their very lives.

Finally, these threats are an insult to the hardworking men and women of the USPS, who are on the front lines keeping our society and economy functioning during the COVID-19 pandemic. To provide these critical services to our nation, hundreds of thousands of postal workers are heroically facing the coronavirus every day so that their fellow Americans can more safely remain in their homes and not spread the virus. This is a heavy burden in addition to making sure that “snow nor rain nor heat nor gloom of night” keeps them from guaranteeing everyone with an address receives their mail. Tragically, 44 postal carriers have already lost their lives from COVID-19.

We urge you to do what is right not only for the postal workers bravely delivering our essential goods, but also for the American people and businesses who rely on affordable mail services. We strongly recommend that you reject any politically-motivated conditions that would force price increases, service or benefit cuts, or otherwise hinder the excellent work of the USPS when considering the pledged $10 billion emergency loan or any other relief for the USPS.

Sincerely,

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[VIDEO] Sen. Coons: ‘We’ve got a generation eager to serve our country’ amid COVID-19 crisis

WILMINGTON, Del. — Today, U.S. Senator Chris Coons (D-Del.) joined Andrea Mitchell Reports on MSNBC to discuss the bicameral effort to expand national service in response to the COVID-19 crisis.

“[W]e’ve got a generation eager to serve our country, just as the 9/11 generation stood up and served in the war against terror. We’ve got young people who have had their work or their service interrupted and would like to be a part of the solution. Our bill would double the size of AmeriCorps and give an opportunity to earn a college education through service to our communities by participating in locally-driven, locally-connected community-led pandemic response corps,” said Senator Coons.

On contact tracing, Senator Coons explained, “contact tracing is a hard thing to do. You’re calling someone to tell them they’ve been infected and ask them to share with you confidential information about where they live, where they work, where they’ve traveled, where they’ve shopped and then information about how to contact the people they’ve been around. This requires skill and it requires someone who is really connected to those communities that have been most heavily impacted by the pandemic, so that’s often communities of color and communities where bilingual skills will be necessary.”

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

Q: Public health experts all agree there is a desperate need for an army of workers across the nation to conduct contact tracing before companies can safely reopen. Senator Chris Coons believes that there are hundreds of thousands of service-minded people who could help do this. He’s introduced legislation to expand national service programs like AmeriCorps and tap into that group of people. Joining me now is Democratic Senator from Delaware Chris Coons. Great to see you, Senator. Thank you very much.
Sen. Coons: Great to see you.
Q: First, I want to ask you about what we just learned today that a military aide from the Navy, we believe, one of the Navy stewards who works in the White House and serves meals to the President, has tested positive. These are stewards who are not masked, and we know the President’s resistance to wearing a mask even in public when he went to Arizona. What does this say about a White House which has resisted CDC recommendations, downplayed the CDC throughout this, and has actually rejected the CDC health care recommendations for reopening and seems to be focusing on the economy and not on health care?
Sen. Coons: Well, Andrea, that reflects one of the concerns I had about our coming back here to the Senate this week. We are putting at risk the Capitol Police officers, the folks who work here in food service, who clean and maintain the buildings of the Senate, and I pray for and I hope for a positive outcome for this steward at the White House. The President needs to follow the directions of public health officials in terms of social distancing, and practices like handwashing and cleaning, but also, frankly, as he directs federal responses to this pandemic, he should be listening to public health experts, not trying to race to reopen parts of our economy before we have enough testing and tracing and personal protective equipment in place, so that folks can go back to work safely. 
Q: I know you and Bill Kristol have jointly written an Op-Ed in USA TODAY on the dangers precisely of reopening too quickly. What would you suggest doing? Is there a way to tap into AmeriCorps and these other groups of people who may be not engaged in their volunteerism right now to try to do the contact tracing?
Sen. Coons: Yes, Andrea. Earlier this week, 35 members of the House of Representatives, a bipartisan group, introduced a bill that I also helped lead and write and introduce here in the Senate with two dozen senators, and it essentially says we’ve got a generation eager to serve our country, just as the 9/11 generation stood up and served in the war against terror. We’ve got young people who have had their work or their service interrupted and would like to be a part of the solution. Our bill would double the size of AmeriCorps and give an opportunity to earn a college education through service to our communities by participating in locally-driven, locally-connected community-led pandemic response corps. If you wait and think about it for a second, Andrea, contact tracing is a hard thing to do. You’re calling someone to tell them they’ve been infected and ask them to share with you confidential information about where they live, where they work, where they’ve traveled, where they’ve shopped and then information about how to contact the people they’ve been around. This requires skill and it requires someone who is really connected to those communities that have been most heavily impacted by the pandemic, so that’s often communities of color and communities where bilingual skills will be necessary. What we know about AmeriCorps is right now there’s 75,000 AmeriCorps members, most of whom have had their service programs interrupted. There are 7,000 Peace Corps Volunteers who were made to return to our country halfway through their Peace Corps Service, and every year there’s five times as many young people who try to join a national service program like YouthBuild or City Year as there are funded slots. So we would make those slots available and fund them, and, in a flexible and locally-driven response, encourage governors, mayors and the state commissions that oversee AmeriCorps to devise quickly pandemic response plans and use AmeriCorps members as a key part of that response. 
Q: I was going to suggest the Peace Corps as well, but you just did, so it’s such a smart idea. Thank you.

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Sen. Coons leads bipartisan letter to activate American manufacturing to bolster COVID-19 supplies, economy

Amid COVID-19 pandemic, Coons, colleagues push to strengthen American supply chain for medical equipment, vaccine production

Letter encourages investment in Manufacturing USA, public-private partnership to support research and manufacturing

WASHINGTON — Today, U.S. Senator Chris Coons (D-Del.), a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, led three of his colleagues on a push to strengthen American manufacturing to address critical needs in the American supply chain—including vaccines, diagnostic products, personal protective equipment, and intensive care tools. Specifically the lawmakers hope to bolster the Manufacturing USA network, a program including 1,900 member organizations, including community colleges, major research universities, economic development entities, and private companies. The program’s collaborations have supported more than 475 major research and development projects and more than 200,000 workers, students, and educators.

The bipartisan letter was joined by Senators Cory Gardner (R-Colo.), Gary Peters (D-Mich.), and Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.). The letter was addressed to Senator Coons’ colleagues on the Appropriations Committee including Senators Jerry Moran (R-Kan.), Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.), Richard Shelby (R-Ala.), Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.), and Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.)

“The Manufacturing USA program brings leading private, public, nonprofit, and academic organizations together to develop and commercialize advanced manufacturing technologies. The innovations these partnerships produce help support a resilient domestic supply chain and a vibrant manufacturing economy,” wrote the senators. “In the short term, we urge Congress to enlist this network to address critical needs in the American supply chain—including vaccines, diagnostic products, personal protective equipment, and intensive care tools—by providing robust supplemental funding to the program in the next relief bill.”

“After the immediate crisis has passed, we call for bold expansion of the Manufacturing USA ecosystem to facilitate robust economic recovery while simultaneously fortifying the nation against future threats,” the senators concluded.

The full letter is available here. The text is provided below.

Dear Chairmen Moran, Shelby, and Alexander and Ranking Members Shaheen, Durbin, and Feinstein:

We write to express our strong support for further activating the Manufacturing USA network in response to the public health and economic crisis created by the COVID-19 pandemic.  The Manufacturing USA program has more than 1,900 member organizations, including community colleges, major research universities, economic development entities, and private companies.  The program’s collaborations have supported more than 475 major research and development projects and more than 200,000 workers, students, and educators. To date, the network has attracted over $2 billion in private sector support, exceeding federal investment by more than a factor of two. The 2020 National Defense Authorization Act expanded and solidified the program’s mandate, reflecting the broad consensus—bolstered by recent reports from the National Academies of Science, Engineering, and Medicine (NASEM) and Deloitte—that Manufacturing USA has proven its worth as a low-risk, high-return, strategic investment in America’s industrial future. 

This resource must be leveraged during the COVID-19 crisis.  We commend the Committee for the measures it has undertaken thus far, but we respectfully submit that further steps are warranted. The Manufacturing USA program brings leading private, public, nonprofit, and academic organizations together to develop and commercialize advanced manufacturing technologies. The innovations these partnerships produce help support a resilient domestic supply chain and a vibrant manufacturing economy.  In the short term, we urge Congress to enlist this network to address critical needs in the American supply chain—including vaccines, diagnostic products, personal protective equipment, and intensive care tools—by providing robust supplemental funding to the program in the next relief bill.  After the immediate crisis has passed, we call for bold expansion of the Manufacturing USA ecosystem to facilitate robust economic recovery while simultaneously fortifying the nation against future threats.

Thank you for considering this request.

Sincerely,

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ICYMI Sen. Coons, Bill Kristol: ‘Republicans should reject Trump’s divisive approach to pandemic’

WASHINGTON — In USA TODAY, U.S. Senator Chris Coons (D-Del.) and Bill Kristol, director of Defending Democracy Together, published an Op-Ed, “Republicans should reject Trump’s divisive approach to pandemic.”

“Too many members of Congress, following the lead of President Donald Trump, continue to engage in coronavirus denialism. They also rush to embrace short-sighted and counterproductive policies that are particularly dangerous in the midst of a global pandemic,” wrote Coons and Kristol. “Today, these lawmakers seem to believe that by simply wishing for the country to be ‘open for business,’ but without any real plans or safeguards, that all will go well. It won’t. We’ll lose tens of thousands of more Americans to the virus, and we won’t get the economy going again.”

The full op-ed is available in USA TODAY. Additional excerpts from the piece are below.

“In the last week, President Trump and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell have seemed to balk at providing financial assistance to states — though it is the states who have shown real leadership in fighting COVID-19, even as their revenues evaporate. It gets worse. McConnell, upon announcing the Senate’s return this month, said that giving businesses immunity from lawsuits would be his priority, perhaps a condition for the states to receive aid. At the same time, some Republican governors have said employees who are wary of returning to work once businesses reopen, fearing for their health and even their lives, will lose access to unemployment benefits. In short, the position of today’s Republican Party seems to be that employers should get a waiver of liability if their workplace turns out to be unsafe, but employees should lose unemployment benefits if they won’t return to that unsafe workplace.”

…

“And unfortunately, the list goes on. Republicans don’t want to provide funding to the postal service because Trump is obsessed with Jeff Bezos, the founder of Amazon (despite the fact that the Postal Service has profited significantly from Amazon’s business). And they do not want to provide funding for safe and secure elections because they fear (with no evidence) that making it easier to vote absentee or by mail will help the other party. Again, if you want to discredit the American democracy in the eyes of our fellow citizens, this is the way to do it.”

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[VIDEO] Sen. Coons to Justin Walker: ‘I’m left questioning why any litigant would trust you to be open-minded and fair’ on the Affordable Care Act

Judge Walker has been nominated to the D.C Circuit, a court that handles a large caseload on federal agency actions and regulations – like those safeguarding health care, workplace protections, and the environment.

Walker was deemed “not qualified” by the American Bar Association for his seat on a district court just six months ago, and he is already being elevated to the D.C. Circuit.

WASHINGTON — Today, U.S. Senator Chris Coons (D-Del.), a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, questioned Judge Justin Reed Walker, a nominee to the D.C. Circuit, during his confirmation hearing. In committee, Senator Coons voted against Walker’s nomination to be United States District Judge for the Western District of Kentucky last October. Senator Coons will vote against Walker’s confirmation to the D.C. Circuit.

“[I]n an article you wrote in 2018, you said the Supreme Court’s decision upholding the Affordable Care Act is ‘indefensible,’ the Taxing Clause rationale ‘weak’ and its acceptance ‘catastrophic.’ As we sit here today, the Trump Administration continues to argue that courts should strike down the Affordable Care Act. Do you stand by your description of the decision upholding that act as indefensible?” asked Senator Coons, noting Judge Walker’s criticism of the Supreme Court’s decision upholding the Affordable Care Act. “I’m left questioning why any litigant would trust you to be open–minded and fair in deciding a case about the ACA given your previous advocacy.”

Regarding a 2018 article by Walker, Senator Coons questioned: “[Y]ou wrote the FBI as an agency should not be independent and the director must think of himself, and I think I’m quoting, as ‘an agent of the President.’ In my view, that is an overly sweeping view of executive authority. Could a president in your view appropriately direct the FBI to investigate his political opponents?”

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

Sen. Coons: Mr. Chairman, if I could. We should – in the middle of a health care and economic crisis – not be having a hearing on a partisan judicial nominee for a vacancy that won’t even be available for 119 days. In the last 119 days a quarter of a million people have died around the world and America now has more deaths than any country in the world, 1.2 million cases and 70,000 deaths. Some of my colleagues have compared our service here today with the service of first responders responding to an emergency. This is not an emergency, but it’s clear it is the top priority of the Majority Leader to have this entire Judiciary Committee and all of the workers who were called back to this Capitol and all of our staff who were called back here, so that we could have this confirmation hearing which I frankly think should not be anywhere near our first priority in response to this national health pandemic.

Sen. Coons: If I could, Judge Walker, in an article you wrote in 2018, you said the Supreme Court’s decision upholding the Affordable Care Act is ‘indefensible,’ the Taxing Clause rationale ‘weak’ and its acceptance ‘catastrophic.’ As we sit here today, the Trump Administration continues to argue that courts should strike down the Affordable Care Act. Do you stand by your description of the decision upholding that act as indefensible?

Hon. Judge Walker: Senator, as I said earlier, the decision at issue there NFIB v. Sebelius is 100 percent binding law on me as a district judge –

Sen. Coons: That is clear, you have stated that. Will you stand by your public assertions, your advocacy that its decision is indefensible?

Hon. Judge Walker: And while I made statements as an academic and as a private citizen, I don’t think it’s appropriate now for me as a sitting judge to go beyond what I said in my role at the time. 

Sen. Coons: I’ll just say that you yourself said earlier a judge must approach every case with an open mind and in your exchange with Senator Durbin, I’m left questioning why any litigant would trust you to be open-minded and fair in deciding a case about the ACA given your previous advocacy.

Sen. Coons: In a 2018 article, you wrote the FBI as an agency should not be independent and the director must think of himself, and I think I’m quoting, as ‘an agent of the President.’ In my view, that is an overly sweeping view of executive authority. Could a president in your view appropriately direct the FBI to investigate his political opponents?

Hon. Judge Walker: Senator, the article in question is really a historical exploration of the FBI’s infringements on civil liberties and to the extent your question goes to the role of the relationship between the President and the FBI with regard to the liberties of political minorities, I argued in the article, before I was a judge, I argued in the article that it was the very lack of supervision by presidents during Director Hoover’s tenure of the FBI that allowed some of the worst civil liberty abuses…

Sen. Coons: And Judge, while I may agree with your characterization of the lack of appropriate oversight that tolerated or permitted Hoover’s overreach and the FBI’s inappropriate actions, I’ll just remind you that contemporaneously roughly in September of 2018 after John Dean testified at then-Judge Kavanaugh’s hearing, you called John Dean a ‘disgraced lawyer.’ This is on Fox News, I think. You said and I quote about John Dean, ‘This is the man who betrayed his country and then betrayed his friends. He’s not fit to touch Judge Kavanaugh’s shoes.’ Given the context, I consider John Dean a hero for telling the truth about Watergate and exposing the ways in which the Nixon Administration and President Nixon inappropriately used his power as president in ways that were historic in their overreach. So given this context where you’ve said that the FBI should consider itself as an agent of the President, and you’ve attacked John Dean as someone who betrayed his country and then betrayed his friends, please help me understand why you made that comment about John Dean and what that should tell me about your view of independence of the FBI and appropriate actions by a president.

Hon. Judge Walker: Senator, I absolutely love American history and I mean this sincerely. I know that there’s, you may not believe me –

Sen. Coons: I don’t think there’s a Senator here who will say they hate American history, where are we going with this?

Hon. Judge Walker: No, no I want you to know what I’m about to say is sincere. I would relish the opportunity to sit over lunch and talk American history with you and share your opinion and my opinion. I think part of what makes history so much fun is that people can have different opinions and different perspectives. Sitting here as a sitting district court judge, I don’t think it’s appropriate for me to comment on John Dean, but whether I’m lucky enough to be confirmed or not, I would love to talk Watergate history with you, and I’m quite sure I would learn a lot.

Sen. Coons: I’ll move to a last question if I can, Your Honor. The ABA found you were not qualified for the judgeship you currently hold due to a lack of trial experience. When I asked you written questions about motions, arguments, trials in federal court, you were clear that you had never performed these critical tasks, so I’m bluntly left wondering why you’re getting a promotion to one of the most important courts in our entire federal system. At your investiture you said, ‘Although we celebrate today, we cannot take for granted tomorrow or we will lose our courts and our country to critics who call us terrifying and describe us as deplorable.’ Who is ‘we’ in that statement you made at your investiture?   

Hon. Judge Walker: Senator, in that part of the investiture speech and others, I was talking about those who approach judging with the respect for the rule of law and the separation of powers and fidelity to text and the belief that a judge should say what the law is, and not what he or she thinks that the law should be. And with regard to the first part of your question about the ABA’s rating, I do think there is a reason that yesterday the ABA gave me their highest rating of ‘well qualified’ based on my experience, integrity, and temperament.

Sen. Coons: Well, my concern is that as a sitting judge you seem to have thought it was appropriate to talk about winning a battle for the courts and have conveyed yourself and your opinions across a number of different topics, texts, and times that does not create the sense of an unbiased approach to critical and key questions. I recognize I’ve exceeded my time and I will thank the Chairman for his patience, but you know I, frankly, at a time when we have lost more Americans than died in the Vietnam War in a national health pandemic, I don’t see the urgency of this confirmation hearing. Perhaps we will have that chance to debate American history, but I feel a sense of urgency about the application of principle to the future and respect for precedent. I’m gravely concerned about where you are headed on those trajectories. I’ll have more questions for the record.

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Carper, Coons join bipartisan group of senators to call for $26 billion in next coronavirus relief package to support research workforce

WASHINGTON — U.S. Senators Tom Carper and Chris Coons (both-Del.) joined Senators Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.), Thom Tillis (R-N.C.) and a group of their Senate colleagues in advocating for protections for the U.S. scientific research community during the coronavirus pandemic. Although coronavirus-related research is a current federal government priority, most other research has slowed or stopped due to closures of campuses and laboratories. The people who comprise the research workforce – graduate students, postdocs, principal investigators, and technical support staff – face financial and other hardships from the disruption of their research activities. The senators are calling for $26 billion in emergency relief funding for the research community in the next coronavirus relief package.

“Research universities, academic medical centers, and national labs are major employers in all 50 states, and protecting the research workforce is critical to state economies,” write the senators in their letter to Senate leadership. “Congress must act to preserve our current scientific workforce and ensure that the U.S. is prepared to continue our global scientific leadership once this crisis ends.”

A full copy of the letter can be found here.

In their letter, the senators specifically call for funding in the next relief package to:

·       Cover supplements for research grants and contracts caused by the pandemic, including additional salary support and/or research related ramp-up costs;

·       Provide emergency relief to sustain research support personnel and base operating costs for core research facilities and user-funded research services until such time as facilities reopen and research activities return to pre-pandemic activity levels; and

·       Fund additional graduate student and postdoc fellowships, traineeships, and research assistantships for up to two years. Graduate students who could not complete their degrees due to the pandemic should be given priority for graduate fellowships and other forms of support so they can complete their research and degrees.

Other senators signing the letter include Senators Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio), Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), Jack Reed (D-R.I.), Kamala Harris (D-Calif.), Jacky Rosen (D-Nev.), Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.), Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.), Robert P. Casey, Jr. (D-Penn.), Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), Ben Cardin (D-Md.), Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.), Tina Smith (D-Minn.), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.), Ron Wyden (D-Ore.), Tammy Baldwin (D-Wisc.), Gary Peters (D-Mich.), Tom Udall (D-N.M.), Michael Bennet (D-Colo.), Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.), Kyrsten Sinema (D-Ariz.), Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.), Debbie Stabenow (D-Mich.), Tim Kaine (D-Va.), Cory Booker (D-N.J.), and Angus King (I-Maine).

This effort has been endorsed by the Association of American Universities (AAU), American Council on Education (ACE), Association of Public and Land-grant Universities (APLU), Association of American Medical Colleges, Union of Concerned Scientists, ACT for NIH, Alzheimer’s Association, American Association for Cancer Research, American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network (ACS CAN), American Geophysical Union, American Lung Association, American Mathematical Society, American Meteorological Society, American Chemical Society, American Physical Society, American Physiological Society, American Society for Cell Biology, American Society for Microbiology, Association of Independent Research Institutes, Autism Speaks, Coalition for the Life Sciences, EveryLife Foundation for Rare Diseases, Friends of Cancer Research, Geological Society of America , JDRF, Research!America, Society for Neuroscience, and dozens more.

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As Senate returns, support builds for Sen. Coons’ legislation to dramatically expand national service amid COVID-19

Bipartisan companion bill is introduced in the House as additional Senators join effort to expand programs like AmeriCorps

Legislation is supported by 100+ national service and public health organizations

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Support is building for an effort led by U.S. Sen. Chris Coons (D-Del.) and a working group of senators to significantly expand national service programs as the country works to respond and recover from COVID-19. Today, the Pandemic Response and Opportunity Through National Service Act was introduced in the Senate with seven additional cosponsors: Senators Angus King (I-Maine), Tina Smith (D-Minn.), Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.), Tom Udall (D-N.M.), Debbie Stabenow (D-Mich.), Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio), and Mazie Hirono (D-Hawaii). Reps. David Price (D-N.C.) and Doris Matsui (D-Calif.) introduced bipartisan companion legislation in the House. 

Also today, more than 100 national service and public health organizations voiced their support for the legislation, which was first announced last month by Sens. Coons, Jack Reed (D-R.I.), Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.), Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.), Ed Markey (D-Mass.), Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), and Dick Durbin (D-Ill.).

“We are grateful for the support of our colleagues and more than 100 organizations across the country who understand what we already know: our national service programs can and should play a transformative role in our response and recovery from COVID-19,” said Senator Coons. “I’m convinced that there are hundreds of thousands of people – especially young people – who are ready to roll up their sleeves and get to work to do the hard work of testing, contact tracing, educating, and re-building our communities. I look forward to working with my colleagues to advance this legislation in the next relief package.”

“During times of national crisis, Americans have never hesitated to step up and give back,” said Senator Shaheen. “The COVID-19 pandemic is no exception, and by expanding national service programs like AmeriCorps with America’s best and brightest, we can boost our immediate response to this public health emergency and support our recovery through the skills and experiences these young volunteers will gain. I’m proud to join my colleagues in cosponsoring this important bill and urge its inclusion in upcoming COVID-19 relief legislation.”

“At a time when roughly one and five American workers are out of a job, and more than a million new graduates are about to enter the workforce, investing in national service programs means investing in economic opportunity and providing critical assistance to communities in New Mexico and across the country that are deeply in need, particularly in rural communities and Indian Country,” said Senator Udall. “We know that Americans want to help the nation get through this crisis – we have the chance to mobilize that energy with the Pandemic Response and Opportunity Through National Service Act. This legislation puts Americans to work and will empower people of all ages and walks of life to help their neighbors and communities during this challenging moment.”

“The coronavirus pandemic has upended nearly every aspect of our society – but America has faced challenges before and come through the other side. That is why now more than ever, we need to empower Americans to serve their communities and their country,” said Senator King. “This proposal almost makes too much sense; by expanding national service and tapping into Americans’ instinct to pitch in, we can build a large-scale infrastructure to fight the spread of the coronavirus, and support American families impacted by the economic downturn in the process. In essence, this is a bet on the American people’s ability to respond to a crisis with dedication, compassion, and ingenuity – and there’s no group I have more faith in.”

“As we work to respond and recover from COVID-19, investing in programs that empower Americans to help their communities should be a top priority,” said Senator Smith. “In Minnesota, we’ve already seen so many people step up and make a difference. By expanding national service programs to help respond to this public health emergency, with activities like contact tracing, we will create opportunity for people in Minnesota and across the country to serve their communities and gain valuable skills along the way.”

“National service volunteers have always stepped in to fulfill the needs of our communities in times of crisis.  And while it may be years before the country fully recovers from the coronavirus pandemic, expanding national service will engage more people who are willing and ready to serve now, while strengthening our national service infrastructure for times of need,” said Senator Brown.

“In Hawaii, AmeriCorps and other national service programs support some of our most effective community projects within the health care, housing, education, and environmental sectors—including those that provide real assistance for working and middle class families,” Senator Hirono said. “The pandemic we face will require a bold response and recovery. By creating 750,000 national service positions over the next three years, this bill will help us meet the need and the challenge of both a public health crisis and an economic crisis.”

“This is an unprecedented pandemic and it will take a massive, national effort to help America get through it, recover, and revive our economy. Throughout our history, whenever the nation has been in trouble, Americans have always answered the call to national service. This bill will ramp up our existing service framework and infrastructure for that type of unified, national effort that will expand opportunities, improve communities, and strengthen America,” said Senator Reed.

“National service programs represent the best of our country. As we confront the coronavirus pandemic, we should be expanding these opportunities for Americans to serve their communities,” Senator Klobuchar said. “I am proud to cosponsor the Pandemic Response and Opportunity Through National Service Act, which will expand our national service programs and create major new opportunities for Americans to serve their country – including new digital tools to help Senior Corps members safely continue their service.”

“Just as picking up a rifle to defend our country is ‘American Service,’ so is helping out a food pantry for those at risk of hunger, assisting students with remote education and helping patients make critical health care decisions,” Senator Duckworth said. “We should be doing everything we can to make sure these vital service programs are accessible to all Americans who wish to serve during times of crisis like these. That’s why I’m proud to be working with Senator Coons and my colleagues to include this legislation—which builds on my 21st Century American Service Act—in the next relief package.”

“We all have a role to play in rebuilding thriving communities across our nation in the aftermath of this pandemic,” said Senator Heinrich. “As an AmeriCorps alum myself, I know how much value young people stepping up to national service opportunities can bring to the table. Investing in expanded national service programs will greatly aid in both our immediate response to this emergency and in our long-term recovery. The public health and economic challenges we are facing right now are like nothing Americans have experienced in nearly a century. We need to empower a new generation of leaders to become part of the solution.”

“Throughout our history, Americans have always risen to the challenge to serve their country in times of crisis and the coronavirus pandemic is no different,” said Senator Markey. “I’m pleased that this legislative effort incorporates key aspects of the UNITE Act, which I announced with Senator Van Hollen, through its robust commitment to the flagship AmeriCorps programs to aid our most vulnerable communities and its commitment to increase service opportunities for those left unemployed by the coronavirus emergency.”

“For decades, our national service organizations have provided invaluable assistance to communities across our country and across the globe. With expertise in everything from public health to supply chain logistics to food security programs, Peace Corps, AmeriCorps, and other national service volunteers are uniquely equipped to help our country battle the coronavirus. We should be doing everything in our power to enlist these men and women – and others who are eager to volunteer – in these efforts. That’s why Senator Markey and I first introduced the UNITE Act, and why I’m proud to build on that effort with this coalition and a comprehensive package,” said Senator Van Hollen.

“From the streets of communities across Connecticut to disaster relief zones in Puerto Rico, I have seen firsthand the invaluable impact of individuals who have answered the call for their country with fundamentally American acts of service,” said Senator Blumenthal. “Participating in service helps reinforce the value of community and fosters important skills that benefit young volunteers for the rest of their lives. This is especially true during a national crisis, when our communities’ need is greatest and the potential impact of volunteers at its highest. I’m proud to be joining my colleagues in efforts to develop a new class of young leaders ready to respond to a nation in need.”

“For decades, our national service programs have provided valuable assistance and services to communities that needed it the most. These programs have been pivotal in bringing people together who share a common spirit of giving back to the community,” Senator Durbin said. “In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, it will be more important than ever to marshal our community leaders and workers to address our health and economic needs.  That is why I am proud to cosponsor the Pandemic Response and Opportunity Through National Service Act with Senator Coons and my colleagues.” 

“AmeriCorps and Senior Corps programs across the country are stepping up to address the critical needs facing communities dealing with the crippling impact of COVID-19. From supporting public health needs such as testing and contract tracing to ensuring that homebound and medically vulnerable populations have food and life-saving medicine, to supporting students trying to keep up academically, America’s national service infrastructure is playing an essential role in the response and recovery efforts across the country,” said AnnMaura Connolly, President of Voices for National Service. “The more than 100 organizations who have signed on in support of The Pandemic Response and Opportunity through National Service Act are tremendously grateful to Senator Coons and his colleagues for working in a bipartisan way to get them the support they need to ramp up their service to meet increasing demand for support from states and cities nationwide.”

In addition to Voices for National Service, the bill has gained the support of more than 100 organizations, including America’s Service Commissions, City Year, the Consortium of Universities for Global Health, FoodCorps, Habitat for Humanity International, Hunger Free America, Jumpstart, National Health Corps, National Senior Corps Association, National Youth Leadership Council, Service Year Alliance, Teach for America, and YouthBuild. For a full list of supportive organizations, please click here.

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.

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.

For a one-pager on the bill, please click here. For the bill text, please click here.

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