Senator Coons in The Atlantic: “The Senate Must Rein In Trump”

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Chris Coons (D-Del.), a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, published an op-ed in The Atlantic following President Trump’s decision to withdraw U.S. troops from northern Syria. The op-ed is available here.

“What’s to stop Trump from pulling the United States out of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, offering up Taiwan to China’s President Xi, or handing over Estonia to Vladimir Putin? What about withdrawing our troops from South Korea to secure a nuclear deal with Kim Jong Un or abandoning the Baltics to secure peace in Ukraine? Those terrible ideas might strike Trump as bold strokes designed to bring our troops home, too,” said Senator Coons. “We can’t let any of those hypothetical situations come to fruition, because, as we have seen in Syria, the vacuum of American leadership is quickly filled by adversaries.”

Senator Coons’ op-ed is available here. 

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Coons, Rubio urge UN to investigate 2018 murders of Russian journalists in the Central African Republic

Washington, D.C. – On Thursday, U.S. Senators Chris Coons (D-DE) and Marco Rubio (R-FL) sent a letter to Secretary-General of the United Nations António Guterres encouraging increased UN engagement in the investigation into the 2018 murders of Russian journalists Orkhan Dzhemal, Kirill Radchenko, and Alexander Rastorguyev in the Central African Republic. This letter follows an August 2018 letter that the Senators wrote to Secretary-General Guterres on the murder.

“Given the inability or unwillingness of the authorities in the CAR and the Russian Federation to conduct a meaningful, transparent, and good-faith investigation into the murder of Orkhan Dzhemal, Alexander Rastorguyev, and Kirill Radchenko, we respectfully request that you consider authorizing MINUSCA, under the ‘Protection of Civilians’ clause in its Mandate, to conduct its own investigation into their deaths,” the Senators wrote.

The letter is copied below and available here.

October 17, 2019 

The Honorable António Guterres

Secretary-General of the United Nations

United Nations Headquarters

New York, NY 10017

Dear Secretary-General Guterres,

We are writing to follow up on our correspondence from August 15, 2018 regarding the murder of three Russian journalists – Orkhan Dzhemal, Alexander Rastorguyev, and Kirill Radchenko – who were killed in the Central African Republic (CAR) on July 31, 2018 while working on a documentary about the Wagner Group, a private Russian mercenary organization overseen by Kremlin-connected businessman Yevgeny Prigozhin. We believe that increased engagement from the relevant United Nations mechanisms, including the United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in the Central African Republic (MINUSCA), will help to ensure a transparent and credible investigation into the murder.

In your response to us on September 7, 2018, you wrote that “MINUSCA efforts are currently focused on supporting the investigative efforts of the competent authorities of the Central African Republic, […] to ensure that the national investigations are undertaken in accordance with international standards. Should any information otherwise come to the attention of MINUSCA which might assist these national investigations, such information will be provided to the competent authorities.” 

One year on, neither the CAR nor the Russian Federation are conducting credible and thorough investigations. Based on a detailed inquiry carried out by the London-based Dossier Center, media organizations including CNN and Novaya Gazeta have reported that, from the moment of their arrival in the CAR, the journalists were under surveillance by local officers who were in frequent communication with Russian citizens tied to the Wagner Group, including Alexander Sotov and Valery Zakharov.  The latter has served as a security advisor to CAR President Faustin-Archange Touadéra.  The Dossier Center’s investigation showed that companies overseen by Mr. Prigozhin have made regular payments to senior CAR officials, including the Police Chief and the Minister of National Security. 

Despite many indications linking the murder to Mr. Prigozhin’s operatives, the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation has refused to consider this possibility, to examine key evidence – including the journalists’ personal belongings that are still kept at the Russian Embassy in Bangui, or to question key persons of interest, including Mr. Sotov and Mr. Zakharov. Instead, the Russian government continues to insist that the journalists were killed in a robbery.  According to Mr. Dzhemal’s widow, Irina Gordienko, the Russian authorities are “sabotaging” the investigation.  Furthermore, the Dossier Center has found that “Yevgeny Prigozhin’s employees are exerting virtually unlimited influence over the preliminary investigation in [the] CAR and are also directly suborning officials.” 

On January 23, 2019, UN Special Procedures mandate-holders – the Special Rapporteur on extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions; the Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of the right to freedom of opinion and expression; the Independent Expert on the promotion of a democratic and equitable international order; and the Working Group on the use of mercenaries as a means of violating human rights and impeding the exercise of the right of peoples to self-determination – sent written communications with detailed questions pertaining to the investigation to the governments of the Russian Federation and the CAR. Specifically, they requested “information and/or comment(s) […] on the Wagner Group, including the legal and administrative framework governing its operations in the Central African Republic as well as on the company’s activities in the country.”  The Russian Government sent a pro forma response on April 12, 2019, leaving this and other key questions unanswered.  The CAR Government has not responded. 

Given the inability or unwillingness of the authorities in the CAR and the Russian Federation to conduct a meaningful, transparent, and good-faith investigation into the murder of Orkhan Dzhemal, Alexander Rastorguyev, and Kirill Radchenko, we respectfully request that you consider authorizing MINUSCA, under the “Protection of Civilians” clause in its Mandate, to conduct its own investigation into their deaths. 

Thank you for your continued attention to this matter.

Sincerely,

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Bill recognizing ‘Hidden Figures’ for contributions to U.S. during the Space Race headed to President Trump’s desk to become law

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Chris Coons (D-Del.), Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska), and Kamala Harris (D-Calif.), along with U.S. Representatives Eddie Bernice Johnson (D-Texas) and Frank Lucas (R- Okla.), applauded the congressional passage of a bipartisan bill they introduced, along with hundreds of their colleagues, to award Congressional Gold Medals to Katherine Johnson and Dr. Christine Darden and to posthumously award Congressional Gold Medals to Dorothy Vaughan and Mary Jackson. The bill would also award a fifth Congressional Gold Medal to honor all women who contributed to NASA during the Space Race. The bill commends these women for their contributions to NASA’s success and highlights their broader impact on society; paving the way for women, especially women of color, in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics.

The Congressional Gold Medal is the highest civilian award in the U.S. It is awarded to those who have performed an achievement that has had an impact on American history and culture that is likely to be recognized in the recipient’s field for years to come.

The Hidden Figures Congressional Gold Medal Act will honor:

• Katherine Johnson, who calculated trajectories for multiple NASA space missions including the first human spaceflight by an American, Alan Shepard’s Freedom 7 mission. She also calculated trajectories for John Glenn’s Friendship 7 mission to orbit the earth. During her time at NASA, she became the first woman recognized as an author of a report from the Flight Research Division. 
• Dorothy Vaughan, who led the West Area Computing unit for nine years, as the first African American supervisor at National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics (NACA), which later became NASA. She later became an expert programmer in FORTRAN as a part of NASA’s Analysis and Computation Division.
• Mary Jackson, who petitioned the City of Hampton to allow her to take graduate-level courses in math and physics at night at the all-white Hampton High School in order to become an engineer at NASA. She was the first female African-American engineer at the agency. Later in her career, she worked to improve the prospects of NASA’s female mathematicians, engineers, and scientists as Langley’s Federal Women’s Program Manager. 
• Dr. Christine Darden, who became an engineer at NASA 16 years after Mary Jackson. She worked to revolutionize aeronautic design, wrote over 50 articles on aeronautics design, and became the first African-American person of any gender to be promoted into the Senior Executive Service at Langley. 

The lives and careers of Katherine Johnson, Dorothy Vaughan, Mary Jackson, and Christine Darden were featured in the book Hidden Figures: The American Dream and the Untold Story of the Black Women Mathematicians Who Helped Win the Space Race, by Margot Lee Shetterly. That book was adapted into the 2016 film Hidden Figures. 

The bill will also honor the hundreds of other women who contributed to the success of NASA during the Space Race by serving as computers, mathematicians, and engineers.

“I am proud Congress passed this bipartisan bill to honor Katherine Johnson, Dorothy Vaughan, Mary Jackson, Dr. Christine Darden and all women who contributed to NASA during the Space Race with Congressional Gold Medals,” said Senator Coons. “Women played an integral role at NASA during the Space Race, but for many years their accomplishments remained hidden. With passage of this bill, we are recognizing these extraordinary women and bringing their accomplishments into the light so they can serve as an inspiration for generations of women scientists to come, particularly those of color.” 

“I’m encouraged by the growing support of the Hidden Figures Congressional Gold Medal Act. This Act will award one of the highest civilian honors given by Congress to Dorothy Vaughan, Katherine Johnson, Mary Jackson, and Dr. Christine Darden—four women who overcame significant hurdles to attain their educational and professional goals, serving as mathematicians, programmers, and engineers at NASA when the agency was emerging from segregation,” said Senator Murkowski. “I hope this bill will encourage young women across the nation to pursue study and careers in STEM.”

“Katherine Johnson, Dorothy Vaughan, Mary Jackson, and Dr. Christine Darden made monumental contributions to science and our nation,” said Senator Harris. “The groundbreaking accomplishments of these four women, and all of the women who contributed to the success of NASA, helped us win the space race but remained in the dark far too long. I am proud our bill to honor these remarkable women has passed Congress. These pioneers remain a beacon for Black women across the country, both young and old.”

“In the early days of the space program, women and their talents were critically important but often overlooked,” said Congresswoman Johnson, Chairwoman of the House Science, Space, and Technology Committee. “Women were typically not permitted to serve in any visible positions or recognized publicly for their contributions. Women of color faced the additional daily indignity of racial segregation.  In spite of these challenges, these women chose to apply their considerable talents to help achieve what was arguably one of the nation’s crowning technological achievements, landing the first humans on the moon. The success of the NASA space program was due in large part to their brilliance, hard work, and perseverance in the face of adversity.”

“During the Space Race, pioneering women like Katherine Johnson, Mary Jackson, Dorothy Vaughan, and Christine Darden were working in the background, making critical contributions as they overcame racial and gender barriers,” said Congressman Lucas. “Their achievements in computing, engineering, programming, and aeronautics are all the more impressive given the challenges they faced. Awarding them the Congressional Gold Medal honors their lives and work and ensures they will continue to inspire Americans for years to come. I’m proud our bill will become law and give these individuals, as well as their female colleagues during the Space Race, the recognition they have long deserved.”

The Hidden Figures Congressional Gold Medal Act is endorsed by the Girl Scouts of the USA, American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics, American Physical Society, Association for Women in Science, National Association for Equal Opportunity, Society of Women Engineers, Thurgood Marshall College Fund, United Negro College Fund, National Center for Women and Information Technology, Hampton Roads Association for the Study of African American Life and History, Association for Women in Math, American Mathematical Society, National Association of Mathematicians, Mathematical Association of America, National Congress of Black Women, AnitaB.org, American Chemical Society, and the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation. Statements of support can be found here. 

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Carper, Coons Join Bipartisan Group of Senators to Introduce Turkish Sanctions Legislation

WASHINGTON, D.C.  – Today, U.S. Senators Tom Carper and Chris Coons (both-Del.) joined Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) and Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) to introduce the Countering Turkish Aggression Act of 2019, which would levy immediate, serious sanctions against Turkey following their invasion of northeastern Syria and their slaughter of the Kurdish people.

The legislation would apply new sanctions to senior Turkish officials, including President Erdogan, key Turkish banks, military transactions, and their energy sector activities in support of the Turkish Armed Forces. It would require the U.S. Treasury to move forward with delayed sanctions under CAATSA over Turkey’s decision to obtain the S-400 Russian missile defense system. It also would prohibit U.S. military assistance to Turkey, bar President Erdogan and Turkish leadership from visiting the United States, and require reports on the net worth and assets of Mr. Erdogan amid concerns of corruption. Finally, in the wake of an ISIS resurgence in Syria, it demands a strategy from the Administration to defeat them and stabilize the region.  

The bill’s sanctions will remain in place until the Administration certifies to Congress that Turkey has halted attacks against the Syrian Kurdish community, has withdrawn from all locations that they didn’t occupy prior to the October 9, 2019 invasion, and is not hindering counterterrorism operations against ISIS.

“President Trump’s foolish decision to abruptly pull U.S. troops out of Syria and leave our Kurdish allies open to predictable invasion and slaughter by Turkey has resulted in a humanitarian crisis, paved the way for the reemergence of ISIS and emboldened our adversaries like Assad and Putin,” said Senator Carper. “The Trump Administration’s approach to Syria not only threatens security in the region, but here at home. I believe that sanctions on President Erdogan of Turkey are long overdue, but I want to be clear: sanctions alone will not reverse the self-inflicted atrocities we are watching unfold in Syria as a result of President Trump’s disastrous policy. Instead, the measures included in this bill are merely one necessary response to send President Erdogan a message: his behavior is unacceptable. Importantly, this bill would also reassert appropriate Congressional oversight of U.S. policy toward Turkey by requiring reimposition of sanctions if hostilities restart in the region, or in the event that the President’s hastily negotiated ‘cease-fire’ does not hold. I am encouraged by the bipartisan support for this bill and will continue working alongside my colleagues to push President Trump to reverse his harmful decision and fix the mess he has created.” 

“The President’s decision to abandon the Kurds who bravely fought ISIS on our behalf is a stain on America’s reputation around the world, but we also cannot ignore the actions of Turkey and President Erdogan to further de-stabilize Syria and the entire Middle East,” said Senator Coons.  “The President has shown his lack of understanding of the Middle East, and his policies swing back and forth with little logic or reasoning.  That’s why Republicans and Democrats in the Senate are stepping up to constrain the president’s recklessness and levy sanctions against Turkey to punish Erdogan for his abuses. Hopefully, this will make other dictators think twice before calling President Trump and asking him to do their bidding.”

 In addition to Senators Graham, Van Hollen, Carper and Coons, the bill is cosponsored by Senators Lamar Alexander (R-TN), Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), Rob Portman (R-OH), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Pat Toomey (R-PA), Chris Coons (D-DE), Marsha Blackburn (R-TN), Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), Joni Ernst (R-IA), Maggie Hassan (D-NH), Mitt Romney (R-UT), Tom Carper (D-DE), Susan Collins (R-ME), and Kyrsten Sinema (D-AZ).

To read a section-by-section summary, click here. To read the full bill text, click here.

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Senators introduce bipartisan resolution celebrating World Food Day

WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Senators Chris Coons (D-Del.), Jerry Moran (R-Kan.), Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.), and John Boozman (R-Ark.) introduced a resolution to designate October 16 as “World Food Day.”

In recent decades, eating habits and diets have changed dramatically due to globalized economies, urbanization, and rising incomes around the world. While the quality of food available to some has improved, the quantity is still lacking for over 820 million people who suffer from hunger. At the same time, over 670 million adults and 120 million girls and boys (5-19 years) are obese, and over 40 million children under 5 are overweight.

Each year, the United States joins 130 other countries and the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) in celebrating World Food Day to promote global awareness and action for all who sufferfrom malnutrition, both chronic hunger and overweight and obesity. World Food Day also commemorates the founding of FAO on October 16, 1945, in Hot Springs, Virginia. To learn more about what you can do topromote healthy diets for a zero-hunger world and celebrate World Food Day, please visit http://www.fao.org/world-food-day.

“World Food Day is an important reminder of why the United States should sustain our investments in food security both at home and abroad. I’m commemorating World Food Day this year by celebrating the millions of people around the world involved in getting food from our farms to our tables,” said Senator Coons, a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. “Food security is not just a humanitarian issue. Global food security is national security, as growing concentrations of poverty and hunger leave communities around the world vulnerable to instability, violence, and extremism. I’m pleased to work with my colleagues to both celebrate World Food Day and recognize the work that still needs to be done to ensure that all people have access to quality food.”

“The United States, and specifically my home state of Kansas, has a long tradition of demonstrating humanitarian concern for the hungry and malnourished people of the world,” said Senator Moran. “While much work remains to feed a hungry world, I am encouraged by the progress we’ve made in finding expedient, affordable and efficient ways to get food grown by Kansas farmers to those who need it most. Our country’s collective moral convictions make fighting hunger the right thing to do, and the benefits we receive as a nation from reducing global food insecurity make it the smart thing to do. In addition to helping farmers and ranchers, U.S. international food assistance programs strengthen our national security by promoting stability in areas of the world important to our national strategic interests. As we all work together to raise awareness and promote action on World Food Day, let us also recommit to finding new and innovative ways to bolster food security and end hunger.”

“Food security is fundamental to human life, and we have a moral obligation to lead the fight against hunger both here and abroad,” said Senator Leahy, vice chairman of the Appropriations Committee and a leading member of the Agriculture Committee. “The impact of climate change on our global food system only compounds the urgency of this work. I am proud to once again recognize World Food Day and reaffirm our commitment to reducing hunger and improving food access through critical international aid, nutrition, and local food access programs. To invest in food security is to invest in a more healthy, sustainable and secure world for us all.”

“World Food Day serves as both a call to action and an opportunity to recognize the many who have stepped up and been a champion on this issue on a global scale and in our individual communities,” said Senator Boozman. “While considerable progress has been made to alleviate global hunger, much work remains to be done both here at home and abroad. American leadership is vital to finding solutions to help those struggling with food insecurity and I offer my gratitude to all who have committed to improving nutrition and agriculture worldwide. As co-chair of the Senate Hunger Caucus, I am proud to lend my support to this resolution and pledge to continue working with my colleagues to build on American efforts to stamp out world hunger.”

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Senator Coons’ statement on Turkey’s military offensive in Syria

WILMINGTON – U.S. Senator Chris Coons (D-Del.) released the following statement after Turkey announced the launch of a military offensive targeting U.S.-allied Kurds in northern Syria.

“Turkey’s military offensive into northeastern Syria highlights my grave concerns about the U.S. withdrawal from the region. The Trump Administration is abandoning our Syrian Kurdish allies who, in the face of the Turkish military campaign, may be forced to turn to the Assad regime for protection. The U.S. withdrawal further emboldens Iranian proxies in the region and enables the escape of thousands of ISIS fighters who are currently held by Kurdish forces but remain determined to attack the West. Turkey’s decision to launch its military operation today is a direct result of President Trump’s failure to stand up for our partners and interests in the region – a move that calls into question the credibility and reliability of the United States.”

Sen. Coons, SFRC Dems call on Chairman Risch to convene Committee hearings on Trump-Ukraine scandal

WILMINGTON – U.S. Senator Chris Coons (D-Del.), a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, joined his Democratic colleagues on the Committee in sending a letter to Committee Chairman Jim Risch (R-Idaho) to request he immediately convene hearings on the Trump-Ukraine scandal. As the Senate committee of jurisdiction responsible for conducting oversight of the conduct of U.S. diplomacy and foreign policy, the Foreign Relations Committee Democrats requested prompt hearings with Secretary of State Mike Pompeo as well as key Department officials who were involved in Ukraine policy or had interactions with Ukrainian officials. 

“The Foreign Relations Committee has an obligation to examine the serious questions raised by these events,” wrote the Members, citing allegations regarding the President’s interactions with President Zelensky involving U.S. foreign assistance. “As the Committee charged with jurisdiction over U.S. foreign policy, it is incumbent on us to understand fully all the facts, including the circumstances surrounding the delay in U.S. security assistance to Ukraine, the early departure of the U.S. ambassador to Kyiv, the Department of State’s role in these matters, as well as the implications these events may have on U.S-Ukraine relations, and U.S foreign policy more broadly.”

Joining Coons in sending the letter were Senators Bob Menendez (D-N.J.), Ben Cardin (D-Md.), Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.), Tom Udall (D-N.M.), Chris Murphy (D-Conn.), Tim Kaine (D-Va.), Ed Markey (D-Mass.), Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), and Cory Booker (D-N.J.).

A copy of the Senators’ letter can be found HERE and below:

Chairman Risch:

We write regarding this Committee’s critical oversight role over matters of foreign policy. Over the last week, serious allegations have arisen regarding the President’s interactions with President Zelensky involving U.S. foreign assistance and a key bilateral relationship. As the American public continues to understand and examine the facts for themselves, we write to ensure that this Committee does the same.

The Foreign Relations Committee has an obligation to examine the serious questions raised by these events. As the Committee charged with jurisdiction over U.S. foreign policy, it is incumbent on us to understand fully all the facts, including the circumstances surrounding the delay in U.S. security assistance to Ukraine, the early departure of the U.S. ambassador to Kyiv, the Department of State’s role in these matters, as well as the implications these events may have on U.S-Ukraine relations, and U.S foreign policy more broadly. Recent revelations that the Secretary of State himself listened in on the President’s July 25 call with President Zelensky adds to questions about the Department’s role and only underscores the Committee’s need to conduct oversight. 

To that end, we call on you to promptly convene hearings and use all available Committee tools to fully examine these matters. At a minimum, this must include hearings with the Secretary of State as well as key Department officials who were involved in Ukraine policy or had interactions with or related to Ukrainian officials. 

We look forward to working with you on a bipartisan basis to fulfill this Committee’s oversight role, and to continued engagement on these issues.

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Sen. Coons leads bipartisan effort to urge Trump Administration to immediately discharge outstanding federal student loans for permanently disabled Americans

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Chris Coons (D-Del.), Rob Portman (R-Ohio), Angus King (I-Maine), Susan Collins (R-Maine), Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.), and Cory Gardner (R-Colo.), along with U.S. Representatives Ron Kind (D-Wis.), Brian Fitzpatrick (R-Pa.), Jim Langevin (D-R.I.), and Don Young (R-Alaska), continue to lead a bipartisan effort to urge the U.S. Secretary of Education, Betsy DeVos, the U.S. Secretary of Veterans Affairs, Robert Wilkie, and the Commissioner of Social Security, Andrew Saul, to immediately discharge outstanding federal student loans for totally and permanently disabled Americans.

Under the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, federal student loans that are discharged by the Department of Education due to the death or total and permanent disability of a borrower or the death of a borrower’s child are no longer required to be included in the gross income of the borrower. Since Congress has removed the potential tax consequence associated with this type of loan forgiveness, the Senators and Representatives have been urging the Department to automatically discharge outstanding federal student loans for totally and permanently disabled Americans, including veterans.

In response to these efforts and efforts of other members of Congress, on August 21, 2019 President Trump signed a Presidential Memorandum that directs the Secretary of Education and Secretary of Veterans Affairs to discharge federal student loan debt for totally and permanently disabled veterans. However, the memorandum does not apply to tens of thousands of totally and permanently disabled individuals, many of whom will continue to carry student loan debt which they are legally entitled to have forgiven.

“I am pleased that the Trump Administration is taking action to automatically discharge outstanding federal student loans for permanently disabled veterans,” said Senator Coons. “However, action is still needed. We continue to urge the Administration to act to ensure that all Americans who are totally or permanently disabled have their outstanding federal student loans immediately discharged.”

“Hundreds of thousands of disabled Americans are entitled to immediate student loan discharges under the law, but the Department of Education is not giving them relief, and in many cases is even seizing the disability benefits they depend on to survive.  We deeply appreciate this bipartisan effort to ensure that these men and women are not forgotten, and join in their call to the Department to act without further delay,” said Student Defense Senior Counsel Alex Elson.

The letter is copied below and is available here. 

October 9, 2019 

The Honorable Betsy DeVos

Secretary of Education

400 Maryland Ave, SW

Washington, D.C., 20202

The Honorable Robert Wilkie

Secretary of Veteran Affairs

810 Vermont Ave., NW

Washington, D.C. 20571

Mr. Andrew M. Saul 

Commissioner of Social Security

6401 Security Boulevard

Baltimore, MD 21235

Dear Secretary DeVos, Secretary Wilkie, and Commissioner Saul:

We write to follow up on our letter sent to your agencies on February 15, 2018, urging the U.S. Department of Education (ED) to automatically discharge outstanding federal student loans for borrowers who are totally and permanently disabled, including veterans.  On August 21, 2019 President Trump signed a Presidential Memorandum that directs the Secretary of Education and Secretary of Veterans Affairs to discharge federal student loan debt for totally and permanently disabled veterans. We are pleased that the Administration has decided to carry out our request for veteran-matched borrowers. However, the memorandum does not apply to the tens of thousands of totally and permanently disabled individuals matched through Social Security Administration (SSA) data, many of whom will continue to carry student loan debt which they are legally entitled to have forgiven. Therefore, we again urge ED to automatically provide federal student loan borrowers the relief they are entitled to receive.

Under the Higher Education Act of 1965, individuals who are totally and permanently disabled (TPD) are eligible to have their outstanding federal student loans forgiven. Under the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017, federal student loans that are discharged due to death or TPD are tax exempt. Despite the existing legal benefit, many borrowers, in applying for relief, face significant challenges that are both administratively burdensome and unnecessary. ED currently utilizes data provided through matching agreements with the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) and the SSA to identify TPD borrowers. Once notified, those borrowers must apply for discharge. As the President noted in his announcement, the process “has been overly complicated and difficult” and “has inflicted significant hardship and serious harm on these veterans.”

Considering ED’s authority to automatically discharge the loans of VA-matched borrowers, we urge ED also to collaborate with the SSA to grant automatic discharges—which should not be contingent upon any borrower administrative work at the point of discharge or any point thereafter—and to streamline the process for borrowers receiving Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) or Supplemental Security Income (SSI) benefits. According to data provided to our staff by ED, as of March 2019, only 40% of borrowers identified by the SSA match have had their loans discharged. If ED were to limit the scope of automatic discharges to only those identified in the VA match, many veterans would still be excluded from automatic forgiveness. This is because not all veterans have a service-connected disability that is 100% disabling or an individual un-employability rating.

ED has previously cited concerns about state or local taxes as a barrier to relief associated with an automatic federal discharge. However, 41 states, including D.C., conform to the new federal treatment of discharged loans based on death and disability.  Also, in carrying out the new automatic discharge for eligible veterans, ED stated it is going to provide the option for veterans to decline loan discharge within 60 days of notification of their eligibility. This makes clear that potential state tax liabilities can be eased with an opt-out and indicates that such an approach could be used for SSA-matched borrowers.

Additionally, by not extending the automatic discharge to borrowers matched through SSA data, the process will still inflict hardship on eligible borrowers who have missed out on a positive identification because of minor discrepancies in information in federal databases. 

Finally, we ask that you reply to staff requests for comprehensive data made on February 5, 2019 on the number of borrowers who have been matched through agreements with the SSA and VA. Access to this information is critical for us to find solutions for our constituents. 

On this issue, the bottom line is simple: Now that Congress has removed the tax consequence associated with loan forgiveness, ED should automatically discharge outstanding federal student loans for all totally and permanently disabled Americans. These Americans should no longer face costly delays or bureaucratic barriers to receiving a benefit that they are entitled to receive under the law. We appreciate your attention to this important matter and request a response by October 30, 2019. 

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Graham, Coons Request Briefing on US Withdrawal from northern Syria

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) and Chris Coons (D-Del.) today sent a letter to the Senate Majority and Minority Leaders requesting a Senators-only briefing from the Departments of Defense and State, and the intelligence community on the decision to withdraw U.S. troops from northern Syria.

“The President’s decision will have severe consequences for our strategic national interests and reduce American influence in the region while strengthening Turkey, Russia, and Iran,” wrote the Senators.  “The decision also dramatically increases the threat to our Kurdish allies, who helped destroy ISIS’s territorial caliphate, and will impair our ability to build strategic alliances in the future.”

“We are concerned that this was an abrupt decision taken in the face of reported opposition from military and diplomatic advisers, and that thousands of hardened ISIS fighters and thousands more ISIS supporters currently in detention may become free to fight again as their Kurdish captors turn to defending themselves against a Turkish incursion,” stated the Senators.

The letter can be read here and below. 

Dear Majority Leader McConnell and Minority Leader Schumer:

As you are both well aware, there has been significant bipartisan concern and pushback against President Trump’s October 6 decision to withdraw U.S. forces from portions of Syria.  This action will give Turkey a greenlight to go into northeastern Syria under the guise of dealing with the continued threat of ISIS.  Furthermore, the President’s decision will have severe consequences for our strategic national interests and reduce American influence in the region while strengthening Turkey, Russia, and Iran.  The decision also dramatically increases the threat to our Kurdish allies, who helped destroy ISIS’s territorial caliphate, and will impair our ability to build strategic alliances in the future.

We are concerned that this was an abrupt decision taken in the face of reported opposition from military and diplomatic advisers, and that thousands of hardened ISIS fighters and thousands more ISIS supporters currently in detention may become free to fight again as their Kurdish captors turn to defending themselves against a Turkish incursion.

In order to better understand the full consequences of this decision, we believe that it is imperative that the Department of Defense, State Department, and the Intelligence Community provide an all members classified briefing on this decision as soon as possible. 

Thank you for your consideration.

Senator Coons’ statement on President Trump urging foreign countries to interfere in the 2020 election

WILMINGTON – U.S. Senator Chris Coons (D-Del.), a member of the Senate Foreign Relations and Judiciary Committees, issued the following statement after President Trump encouraged China and Ukraine to investigate one of his political opponents.

“It’s unacceptable for our President to urge a foreign country to investigate one of his political opponents. It’s time for my colleagues who care about the Constitution and America’s role in the world to stand up to this brazen behavior by the President.”

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