Sen. Coons on Iran strike: “Can we keep our diplomats and our armed forces safe…and do we have a strategy?”

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Chris Coons (D-Del.), a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, joined Fox News’ Martha MacCallum last night to discuss Iran’s strike on the Al Asad and Irbil air bases in Iraq.

“My key concern here is both can we keep our diplomats and our armed forces safe in the region, and do we have a strategy? Can President Trump deliver to us in Congress a strategy that we can support that will de-escalate this particular situation yet push back on Iran’s malign activity in the region,” said Senator Coons.

Video and audio available here.

Excerpts from the interview:

What is your reaction to what you’re seeing play out tonight?

First, my reaction is that I hope and pray that there haven’t been American casualties on that base in Iraq this evening, that we haven’t lost any American lives or the lives of our partners and allies in the region. As all of us wait for what the response will be, I am looking forward to getting a briefing from very senior administration officials tomorrow. All of us in the Senate will get a classified briefing tomorrow afternoon. Just an hour ago, I came from a classified briefing from the Homeland Security Department about the possibility of Iran using cyberattacks against the United States. It is important that we not only be prepared, both at our bases and facilities overseas where our armed forces and our diplomats are housed, but also here in the United States. And I think the most important part about being prepared is for the President to deliver a clear strategy to those of us in Congress who would ultimately be responsible for debating whether we think we should be de-escalating this conflict with Iran or escalating further.

Do you have any information about what kind of protections these bases have in terms of anti-missile defense?

Specifically this base, no. Broadly there are assets in the region that allow us to have anti-missile capability, but there are as you know thousands and thousands of U.S. armed forces and diplomats scattered throughout the region in dozens of facilities. I don’t believe that we’ve got anti-missile batteries for all of them and I think there are some real challenges here in terms of being able to defend all of our troops and facilities given Iran’s relatively sophisticated ballistic missile capabilities.

What concerns do you have about the potential for other attacks?

My concern frankly is that Iran may well take this one action tonight and then lay low for months, and then surprise us in another theater around the world or here at home. We’re going to have to have a clear strategy for how to engage our allies, how to put pressure on Iran, and how to deter future attacks, and that’s what I think is most important, is for the administration and Congress working together to come up with a stronger and clearer strategy for the region. It might have made news to strike Soleimani, certainly I don’t mourn his passing. He was a person responsible for the deaths of hundreds of American servicemen over the years. But this was a dramatically escalatory step and now I think we need to make sure there is a coherent strategy for how we’re going to move forward.

How much of your thinking on that hinges on what you learn about the intelligence? What would you have recommended the action be?

Well that’s what I look forward to hearing in the classified briefing tomorrow, is exactly what qualified as an imminent threat, but more broadly over many, many months there have been steady, increasing escalatory steps by Iran against our regional partners and allies and some responses by the United States, so frankly I think there should have been a strategy in place. I know the President was given, according to press reports, a range of options for what to do in response to the Shiite militia attack on an American facility that killed an American contractor and several others…

What do you think would have been an appropriate response?

The President had a range of options at his disposal and I know some of them would have included either a cyberattack or a lower-level military attack on Iranian capacities or assets. I’m just struck by the fact that the killing of Soleimani was a very significant escalation and I hope that there has been a thorough plan put together about what the next steps will be because a strong, forceful Iranian response throughout the region was, I think, entirely predictable.

Given the escalation that Iran had been producing over the last 18 months, do you think targeting Soleimani was fair game?

Let’s be clear, none of us should mourn the death of Qassem Soleimani. He is someone who is a designated individual terrorist, a very significant senior leader in Iran’s malign attempts throughout the region. In terms of the legitimacy of seeing him as someone who is an enemy of the United States and our interests, I agree strongly. What I am concerned about and look forward to asking senior administration officials about tomorrow is the planning and the consultation. The idea of potentially striking Soleimani has been put in front of American military leaders and decision-makers over a decade. Previous presidents, previous decision-makers have chosen not to. There were some reasons this might have been the right moment, but there is an obvious set of questions: Did we consult with our allies in the region who were joining with us in the fight against ISIS? Should we have given any notice to Iraq given that the other individual killed alongside him, also a leader of a Shiite militia that’s strongly influenced by Iran, but was himself a member of the Iraqi parliament, were there things we could have done…

Would the moment have been lost if there had been too much consultation?

That’s one of the things that has to be weighed by both military commanders in their advice to the President and the President. But this was not a unique opportunity to strike Soleimani, he’s someone who travels fairly publicly, fairly routinely.

But he was traveling with a small group of people, which makes it a different opportunity.

That’s correct, and that’s probably why he was presented to the President as one of the options. My key concern here is both can we keep our diplomats and our armed forces safe in the region, and do we have a strategy? Can President Trump deliver to us in Congress a strategy that we can support that will de-escalate this particular situation yet push back on Iran’s malign activity in the region?

Sen. Coons’ statement on U.S. airstrike in Iraq

WILMINGTON, Del. – U.S. Senator Chris Coons (D-Del.), a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, released the following statement after a U.S. airstrike killed Iranian Major General Qassim Soleimani, the leader of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and commander of the Quds Force, which is responsible for directing Iranian military proxies throughout the Middle East.

“General Qassim Soleimani was a dangerous terrorist responsible for killing thousands of innocent men, women, and children, including Americans, throughout the Middle East. I do not mourn his passing. This air strike, though, dramatically escalates tensions with Iran and places the tens of thousands of American military forces, diplomats, and embassy staff in the region in even more danger than before. The Administration’s stated goal for this strike was deterrence, but without a clear strategy and the support of our allies, this attack makes the risk of another large scale military conflict in the Middle East more likely at a time when the American people rightly want to bring more of our men and women in uniform home safely.

“The Trump Administration must present a strategy for not only protecting ourselves and our allies, but for working with our allies and partners to deter further escalation from Iran and its proxies. This is particularly critical after last week’s joint military exercises between Iran, China, and Russia. If the President wants to consider additional military action against Iran, he is obligated to seek authorization from Congress for a broader use of military force.

“The American people deserve a clear, comprehensive strategy for our country’s role in the Middle East from the Trump Administration. I will continue to demand they present that in the coming days.”

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Sen. Coons on North Korea and Iraq: “President Trump is seeing the limitations—or I’d say even the failures—of his personal approach to international diplomacy”

WILMINGTON, Del. – U.S. Senator Chris Coons (D-Del.), a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, joined MSNBC’s Andrea Mitchell to discuss the two foreign policy crises facing President Trump and our nation in North Korea and Iraq.

“I think what’s going on here is that President Trump is seeing the limitations – or I’d say even the failures – of his personal approach to international diplomacy. He thought he could charm Kim Jong Un in North Korea into giving up his nuclear weapons, and he thought he could isolate Iran. And in both cases, he abandoned traditional diplomacy,” said Senator Coons.

“We need a real strategy. President Trump needs a real strategy that relies on our allies and traditional diplomacy to find a way forward with Iran,” said Senator Coons.

Video and audio available here.

Excerpts from the interview:

How ominous is what happened in Baghdad and what are the U.S. options against Iran?

Happy New Year to you. And let’s hope that 2020 is better for all of us than 2019, but it certainly dawns with two foreign policy crises facing President Trump and our nation, in North Korea and in Iraq because of repeated attacks by Iranian-backed militias. Look, I do support the President taking action against Iranian militias following the death of an American contractor and the wounding of four American troops, and Secretary Esper, who was on earlier in your show, certainly has the responsibility to protect our thousands of troops that are scattered throughout the region. But I think what’s going on here is that President Trump is seeing the limitations – or I’d say even the failures – of his personal approach to international diplomacy. He thought he could charm Kim Jong Un in North Korea into giving up his nuclear weapons, and he thought he could isolate Iran. And in both cases, he abandoned traditional diplomacy. He abandoned the very broad deal that was reached by the Obama administration that brought in our European allies and China and Russia to get an inspections regime in place with Iran. He walked away from that and has instead launched a unilateral maximum pressure campaign that has produced some real difficulties, some real pressure on the Iranians, but they’ve been responding by shooting down a drone, by attacking Saudi Arabia, and now by taking these steps. We need a real strategy. President Trump needs a real strategy that relies on our allies and traditional diplomacy to find a way forward with Iran. Similarly, with North Korea, although President Trump took bold and unprecedented action in meeting with Kim Jong Un individually, that so far hasn’t produced any real positive outcomes. We haven’t even seen an inventory of North Korea’s nuclear facilities and weapons, and I think we’re now on the precipice of North Korea demonstrating, testing a new strategic weapon. This is going to be a very challenging period. And in both cases, I think re-engaging our allies and re-engaging with traditional diplomacy is the critical piece that’s missing in the Trump administration’s strategy.

Should the U.S. withdraw U.S. troops from Iraq under pressure from the Iraqi parliament because of growing anti-American sentiment?

I do think that engaging regularly with Prime Minister Mahdi and with our Iraqi partners is critical if our troops are going to be secure and if we’re going to sustain our work in the general area. The major reason that we had gone back into Iraq was to defeat ISIS. ISIS is not defeated. A recent report suggests that ISIS is regaining strength and regaining their footholds in eastern Syria and in central and northern Iraq. And frankly, that’s a result of President Trump’s abrupt and ill-considered decision to betray our Kurdish allies in Syria and pull our troops largely out of Syria. So, should we pull our troops out of Iraq? No, we should be doing the things that we need to do to strengthen our relationship with Iraq so that when we leave, what we can possibly leave behind is an independent country, not a country that is largely run by Iran and Iranian influence.

Should Secretary of State Pompeo still have gone to Ukraine for this promised, and many would say long overdue, meeting in Kiev tomorrow?

Yes. I think it is important to continue to show strong support for Ukraine. I’ll remind you, as you well know, that Ukraine is a country that the United States has supported in their long-running fight against Russian-backed separatists in the Donbass and in the face of Russia’s illegal annexation of Crimea. I think it’s important that we show our continued, strong support for Ukraine and for President Zelensky. The impeachment trial of our President that’s about to begin and is centrally about President Trump shaking down President Zelensky, withholding badly needed military aid in order to try and get Ukraine’s government to gin up dirt on his most prominent political opponent for 2020, former Vice President Joe Biden – that means the world is going to be focused on that series of incidents. If we want to make it clear that the United States continues to carry forward our foreign policy, regardless of what’s going on in Congress, then our Secretary of State should be in Ukraine.

Senator Coons announces support for NAFTA update

WILMINGTON, Del. – U.S. Senator Chris Coons (D-Del.) today announced his support for the final text of the United States Mexico Canada Agreement (USMCA), an update to the 25-year-old North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA).

“Both Canada and Mexico are major trading partners and allies. Any new trade deal must address some of the shortcomings of NAFTA by raising labor and environmental standards. I’m satisfied with the progress in updating the labor and environmental provisions, and I will work to advance the deal’s passage in Congress,” said Senator Coons. “Delaware clearly benefits from this NAFTA update. Our organized labor members, poultry farmers, and financial services workers will all see economic benefits as a result.”

Under the agreement, the U.S. will gain expanded access to Canada’s poultry market, and a barrier to trade in financial services, known as data localization, will be removed. The agreement also ensures robust enforcement mechanisms for environmental obligations, including the creation of a new interagency committee to coordinate U.S. monitoring and enforcement, new environmental attachés in Mexico, and a trigger for environmental reviews by an array of stakeholders.

“Two years ago, President Trump threatened to unilaterally withdraw from our trading relationship with our Canadian and Mexican allies, a move that would have jeopardized the security and economic prosperity of the United States,” said Senator Coons. “Only after persistent demands from organized labor and Democratic leaders did the Administration meaningfully change the President’s proposed agreement to strengthen our economic ties. I have reviewed the changes, and the result is clear: Democrats made this deal stronger for the American worker.”

The agreement text also includes labor-related changes that guard against forced labor, allow the U.S. to monitor Mexico’s labor obligations, and enable the U.S. to hold Mexico accountable for failing to meet its labor commitments. The agreement raises wage standards for autoworkers in Mexico, which benefits autoworkers in the U.S.

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Sens. Carper, Coons co-sponsor Safe Gun Storage Act

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Tom Carper and Chris Coons (both D-DE), along with nineteen other senators, introduced new legislation directing the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) to establish safety standards for firearm locks and firearm safes. U.S. Representatives Eliot Engel (D-NY) and Pramila Jayapal (D-WA) introduced companion legislation in the House of Representatives earlier this year.

An estimated 4.6 million American minors live in a household with a firearm. According to a 2018 Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health survey, more than half of all gun owners report storing their firearms in an unsafe manner. This bill is designed to stop these totally preventable gun injuries by improving the safety standards for how Americans store firearms in their homes.

“Today, I’m joining my colleagues to introduce a bill to better ensure that firearms are safely stored in the homes of gun owners and kept away from children who can harm themselves or others,” said Senator Carper. “Despite nearly 400 mass shootings in 2019 alone, Congress has failed to pass a single piece of common sense gun safety legislation, including universal background checks that are supported by 90 percent of Americans. We can and must do better for our children. We can use common sense to make our communities safer without infringing on the Second Amendments rights of law-abiding Americans. The Safe Gun Storage Act does just that.”

“We need to do everything we can to stop gun-related deaths in the United States, from big, bold reforms to smaller, targeted efforts like this one,” said Senator Coons. “While we work to get weapons of war off of our streets and keep guns out of the hands of criminals, we can also work to ensure that firearms in Americans’ homes are stored safely and away from children.”

The bill includes incentives for states to pass, and enforce compliance of, their own safe gun storage laws. The bill is named for Ethan Song, a teenager from Guilford, Connecticut who was tragically killed after accidentally shooting himself with a gun that had been stored at a friend’s home.

In addition to Carper and Coons, the Safe Gun Storage Act is co-sponsored by U.S. Senators Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Ron Wyden (D-OR), Dick Durbin (D-IL), Edward J. Markey (D-MA), Bob Menendez (D-NJ), Bob Casey (D-NJ), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), Cory Booker (D-NJ), Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), Sherrod Brown (D-OH), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Kamala Harris (D-CA), Tom Udall (D-NM), Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), Patty Murray (D-WA), Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), Jack Reed (D-RI), Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), and Chris Murphy (D-CT).

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Sen. Coons’ agriculture and environmental priorities included in 2020 spending bill

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Chris Coons (D-Del.), the first Delaware senator in more than 40 years to serve on the powerful Appropriations Committee, secured funding for agriculture and environmental priorities in the federal spending bill for Fiscal Year 2020, which passed Congress today.

“Delaware’s natural resources help drive our economy and make our state a great place to live and work,” said Senator Coons. “I’m pleased that we secured funding for conservation and recreation programs that will have a direct impact on our region. Delaware also plays a critical role in feeding America’s families, and I’m proud that we provided strong funding to support Delaware farmers and our poultry industry. This funding will help create a cleaner environment and a stronger local economy, and I’m glad my colleagues came to a bipartisan agreement on this bill so we can support Delawareans and Americans across the country.”

The federal spending bill includes funding for agriculture and environmental priorities that will directly benefit Delaware:

The bill increases funding for the Agricultural and Food Research Initiative to $425 million, supporting research at Delaware universities on agriculture, natural resources, clean energy production, rural development, and nutrition.

The bill provides $62.8 million for Avian Health programs, which fund critical monitoring and research to prevent and control the spread of poultry diseases in the commercial poultry industry.

Full funding is provided for key Department of Agriculture programs that help Delaware farmers protect water quality, preserve land, and improve soil health.

The bill increases funding to $87 million for the National Sea Grant College Program. The University of Delaware’s Lewes campus is a member of this program.

The bill provides an increase to $9.7 million for the Delaware River Basin Restoration Program, which funds conservation projects focusing on clean water, habitat, recreation, and flow management in the Delaware River watershed, benefitting Delaware, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and New York.

The bill increases funding for the Chesapeake Bay Program to $85 million, helping Delaware and other bay states protect and restore the health of the Chesapeake Bay watershed. $3 million is also provided for the Chesapeake Bay Gateways and Watertrails Network, which provides recreational opportunities throughout the region.

The bill increases funding for the National Estuary Program to $29.8 million. This includes $662,500 for each of Delaware’s two national estuaries, the Partnership for the Delaware Estuary and the Center for the Inland Bays.

The bill increases funding for the National Park Service’s Partnership Wild and Scenic Rivers program to $3.58 million. Senator Coons led the bill that added Delaware’s White Clay Creek to the program.

The bill increases funding for the North American Wetlands Conservation Fund to $46 million and for the Land and Water Conservation Fund to $495 million. Both help protect open space, wetlands, and wildlife habitat in Delaware and throughout the country.

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In 2020 spending bill, Sen. Coons secures funding for national security and international development priorities

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Chris Coons (D-Del.), the first Delaware senator in more than 40 years to serve on the powerful Appropriations Committee, secured funding in the Fiscal Year 2020 federal spending bill to ensure the United States remains a global leader by investing in programs to promote national security, cultivate international development, and provide lifesaving global health assistance around the world. Senator Coons worked on a bipartisan basis to reject the president’s proposal to slash funding for U.S. national security and development agencies by 30 percent for the third year in a row.

“As a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and the Appropriations subcommittee that funds foreign assistance, I am reminded every day of the importance of U.S. leadership in building peaceful societies, promoting economic development and opening markets for U.S. business abroad, and advocating for good governance and human rights,” said Senator Coons. “I am especially pleased to see the Global Fragility Act, a bipartisan bill that I introduced with Senator Lindsey Graham, included in this spending bill. The Global Fragility Act will save the United States trillions of dollars by enabling us to get ahead of the challenges and threats – including terrorism – that thrive in unstable environments.”

Senator Coons also secured the necessary resources to stand up the new U.S. International Development Finance Corporation authorized by the BUILD Act, which he co-authored and Congress passed in 2018.

The federal spending bill includes provisions that will ensure the United States remains globally engaged and continues to safeguard national interests and values around the world, including:

The Global Fragility Act, Senator Coons’ bipartisan legislation to improve U.S. government efforts to prevent terrorism from taking root in developing countries around the world.

$301 million to stand up the new Development Finance Corporation and implement the BUILD Act, Senator Coons’ bipartisan legislation to modernize U.S. development finance tools, double the U.S. lending capacity, and channel U.S. private sector investments to low-income countries around the world.

Record levels of funding for the Young African Leaders Initiative to cultivate the next generation of African leaders. This program supports a cohort of fellows at the University of Delaware every year.

Authorization for $50 million to facilitate and finance joint economic ventures between Palestinians, Israelis, and Americans.

Provisions to restore U.S. aid to the Palestinians and Northern Triangle countries of Central America.

Up to $35 million to facilitate debt relief for Somalia, a strategic security partner located beside key sea lanes that are vital to the global economy.

A provision to modernize U.S. election assistance tools to support young and aspiring democracies around the globe.

Funding to invest in development, health, and democracy programs in the Sahel countries of West Africa, where terrorism is on the rise.

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In 2020 spending bill, Sen. Coons secures funding for Delaware’s law enforcement, first responders, military and veterans

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Chris Coons (D-Del.), the first Delaware senator in more than 40 years to serve on the powerful Appropriations Committee, fought to secure funding for the men and women who keep Delawareans safe in the federal spending bill for Fiscal Year 2020, which passed Congress today. The bill includes critical funding that will support law enforcement, first responders, military, and veterans. Specifically, the bill includes $21 million for a new Army Reserve Center in Newark and adds $28 million above the president’s request for the Army’s Chinook Block II helicopter program that employs Delawareans across the Delaware Valley.

“The men and women of law enforcement and our first responders put their lives on the line every day to protect Delaware’s communities. I’m committed to doing everything I can to ensure they have all the resources and support they need to do their jobs and come home safely at the end of their shifts,” said Senator Coons. “Service members, veterans, and their families are part of the basic fabric of Delaware and make unmatched contributions to our country. I am proud to have secured funding for university and military projects that produce quality jobs for veterans and their families as well as newer, safer facilities for service members.”

The federal spending bill includes provisions that will directly benefit Delaware’s law enforcement, first responders, military, and veterans, including:

$28 million above the president’s request to upgrade the Army’s Chinook Block II helicopters. This program employs Delawareans across the Delaware Valley.

$310 million for additional V-22 aircrafts for the Marine Corps. The V-22 program is another important source of jobs for Delawareans.

$27 million for the Victims of Child Abuse Act, an increase of $4.5 million above the Fiscal Year 2019 level. This benefits Delaware’s three Child Advocacy Centers, which protect children and help law enforcement bring justice to criminals.

$710 million for Assistance to Firefighter and Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response Grants, a $10 million increase from Fiscal Year 2019 and $21 million above the president’s request. This will ensure Delaware firefighters have essential resources, training, and funds for staffing. Just last year, the Delaware State Fire School received over $358,000 from these grants.

$15 million for the Army National Guard’s Unspecified Minor Construction fund, which supports projects such as an expanded physical fitness center at the Bethany Beach Training Site.

$5 million for research of materials in extreme dynamic environments. The University of Delaware is one of four core universities undertaking this research, and the program will help create well-paid materials and manufacturing jobs.

$7.2 million in new funds for the Delaware River in the Coast Guard Aids to Navigation grant, which will provide support for the care and maintenance of maritime navigation aids.

$21 million for an Army Reserve Center in Newark, Delaware, which will replace Delaware’s aging facilities that do not meet current standards for protection of our service members.

$235 million for the COPS Hiring Program, which has placed officers in Delaware communities like Ocean View, Delmar, Laurel, Smyrna, Wilmington, New Castle, and Cheswold.

$27.5 million for the Bulletproof Vest Partnerships, an increase of $5 million above the Fiscal Year 2019 level. This program helped save the lives of two Delaware officers, who confronted an active shooter in 2013.

Language that reinforces Senator Coons’ 2018 Families of Fallen Servicemembers First Act that provides survivors of fallen Coast Guardsmen with death gratuities in the event of a government shutdown.

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In 2020 spending bill, Sen. Coons secures funding to fight the opioid epidemic, invest in public service, children’s development, and education

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Chris Coons (D-Del.), the first Delaware senator in more than 40 years to serve on the powerful Appropriations Committee, applauded the passage of the federal funding bill for Fiscal Year 2020, which passed Congress today, that includes funding to fight the opioid epidemic, improve college affordability and completion, and support public service in Delaware.

“There is no state in the country that has not been impacted by the devastating opioid epidemic. One of the most tragic things about this crisis is that it is both preventable and treatable. Strengthening our nation’s ability to combat this epidemic is a top priority for me. I’m proud that we were able to include $1.5 billion for opioid response grants to ensure that opioid addiction prevention programs and resources are available and properly funded,” said Senator Coons. “I’m also thrilled this appropriations bill includes investments to expand access to and improve the affordability of college, so that all Americans have the opportunity to pursue their higher education goals.”

The federal funding bill includes provisions that will support health, education, and public service in Delaware and across the country, and provides:

$1.5 billion for State Opioid Response Grants, which support prevention programs and bolster resources to help address the opioid crisis.

$5.826 billion for Child Care and Development Block Grants and $10.6 billion for Head Start to enhance access to high-quality childcare and school readiness programs for American children and families.

$41.5 billion for the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to support discovery and research that enhances national capacity for improving biomedical and public health.

$386.6 million, a $25 million increase, for the Institutional Development Award program at the National Institutes of Health, grants from which help to expand research capacities across the state, including at the University of Delaware and Delaware State University—the largest one in DSU’s history.

A $2 million increase for the National Diabetes Prevention Program, a partnership of public and private organizations that helps Americans prevent or delay type 2 diabetes by making it easier for those at risk to participate in evidence-based lifestyle change programs. More than 85,000 adults in Delaware have diabetes.

A $25 million increase to the Corporation for National and Community Service, which supports the efforts of more than 500 AmeriCorps and Senior Corps members in Delaware.

A $150 increase in the maximum Pell grant, to $6,345, ensuring that Delaware college students eligible for the grant have increased support for the coming school year.

$6 million in critical funding for pancreatic cancer research, to support discovery and innovation in treatments for a disease that was the second leading cause of cancer-related deaths among Delawareans in 2019.

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In the 2020 spending bill, Sen. Coons secures funding for Amtrak, other Delaware housing and transportation priorities

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Chris Coons (D-Del.), the first Delaware senator in more than 40 years to serve on the powerful Appropriations Committee, successfully secured funding for key Delaware housing and transportation infrastructure priorities in the federal spending bill for Fiscal Year 2020, which passed Congress today. The bill includes funding for Amtrak, the HOME Investment Partnerships Program, homeless assistance grants, and more.

“I’ve been working hard on the Appropriations Committee to ensure the final federal spending bill continues to include funding for critical Delaware priorities, like affordable housing and transportation infrastructure,” said Senator Coons. “I’m pleased that Republicans and Democrats were able to work together this year to fund programs that both sides of the aisle support and reject the President’s dangerous budget cuts. I’m looking forward to continue working with my colleagues to deliver for Delawareans up and down the state.”

The federal spending bill includes provisions that will directly benefit housing and transportation in Delaware:

The bill increases funding for Amtrak to $2 billion, of which $700 million is for the Northeast Corridor that runs through Wilmington, Delaware. The bill also rejects the president’s proposal to eliminate the Federal-State Partnership for State of Good Repair (SOGR) program, and instead includes $200 million to help address the maintenance backlog on the Northeast Corridor.

This bill rejects the president’s dangerous budget proposal to cut $11.96 billion in important Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) housing programs at a time when Americans are experiencing skyrocketing rents, wage stagnation, and a shortage of affordable housing. The bill includes $1.35 billion for the HOME Investment Partnerships Program, $3.425 billion for the Community Development Block Grant program, and $175 million for the HUD Choice Neighborhood grants, which benefit the Wilmington Housing Authority and REACH Riverside.

The bill includes $2.77 billion for homeless assistance grants and rejects the president’s proposal to eliminate funding for new vouchers under the Department of Housing and Urban Development Veterans Affairs Supportive Housing Program (HUD-VASH) program by including $40 million to support new rental vouchers for veterans experiencing homelessness. This funding directly benefits the New Castle County Housing Authority and Delaware State Housing Authority.

The bill provides $6.25 million in dedicated funding for the Physical Oceanographic Real-Time System (PORTS) program, which supports safe and efficient navigation along waterways around the country, including the Delaware River.

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