Sen. Coons, Gardner introduce Cyber Deterrence & Response Act

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Chris Coons (D-Del.) and Cory Gardner (R-Colo.) today introduced the Cyber Deterrence and Response Act. This legislation establishes a framework to deter and respond to state-sponsored malicious cyber activity against the United States. The bipartisan bill also requires the Administration to impose sanctions against all entities and persons responsible or complicit in malicious cyber activities aimed against the United States. This act is companion to legislation introduced in the House by Representative Ted Yoho (R-Fla.).

“Our bipartisan bill will help the Administration impose real costs on malicious actors involved in state-sponsored cyberattacks,” said Senator Coons. “This is extremely important as countries like Russia, China, Iran, and North Korea increasingly use their cyber capabilities to threaten the security and prosperity of the United States and our allies.”

“This bipartisan legislation is another step that Congress and the Administration can take to deter foreign actors from carrying out cyberattacks against the United States,” said Senator Gardner. “Our legislation will help provide additional tools for the Administration to impose significant costs against malicious cyber actors, including state-sponsored actors, around the world that aim to endanger U.S. national security and our economy.”

Cyber Deterrence and Response Act:

Establishes a framework to deter and respond to state-sponsored malicious cyber activity against the United States;
Requires the President to designate as a “critical cyber threat actor” each foreign person or each agency or instrumentality of a foreign state that the President determines to be responsible for or complicit in, or have engaged in, directly or indirectly, state-sponsored cyber activities that are reasonably likely to result in, or have contributed to, a significant threat to the national security, foreign policy, or economic health or financial stability of the United States;
Mandates the imposition of sanctions from a menu of options against any “critical cyber threat actor”;
Provides an opportunity for the President to waive the imposition of sanctions; and
Calls on the Administration to implement the cybersecurity provisions of the Asia Reassurance Initiative Act (ARIA).

[VIDEO] Sen. Coons: “We need to stop with the reality TV summits, and move towards real and serious diplomacy with North Korea.”

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Chris Coons (D-Del.), a member of the Senate Judiciary and Foreign Relations Committees, joined MSNBC’s Morning Joe.

“But, I was just at the Munich Security Conference, as you know, David, and I heard from a wide range of our allies that President Trump’s very abrupt decision to pull all of our troops out of Syria, even while our core allies were in combat against ISIS, without consulting them, has weakened our standing with our allies. I’m concerned that President Trump’s America First strategy may leave us a friendless nation when it comes to trying to rally the international community to impose meaningful sanctions on North Korea,” said Senator Coons.

Video and audio available here.

Excerpts from the interview below:

Sen. Coons on President Trump: Well, I’m grateful that the President didn’t take an unprecedented and dangerous step of giving away our military presence on the Korean peninsula in exchange for a weak deal. So, yes, I think it’s a good thing that he walked away rather than agreeing to something that was badly flawed. But, I do think he ended up walking away, in part, out of a lack of real preparation. I’m concerned by a report by NBC News that American negotiators had dropped a requirement that North Korea make a full and transparent accounting of its nuclear missiles, its nuclear research program, its nuclear enrichment facilities. President Trump famously criticized the nuclear deal with Iran that President Obama accomplished as being “terrible and weak.” One of the most important features of that deal was that we finally got a full and transparent accounting of all stages and steps of Iran’s nuclear program, and the opportunity to do searching inspections on all of it. That’s something we should not drop in negotiations with North Korea, and I’m concerned there doesn’t seem to be a follow-on or a next step to transition this to professional diplomacy between technical experts. We need to stop with the reality TV summits, and move towards real and serious diplomacy with North Korea.

More on North Korea: Well, they also have a very strong and lethal cyber-attack capability — but, I think so. I think it is naïve. And, don’t believe me, believe President Trump’s own Director of National Intelligence, Dan Coats, who recently testified to Congress that our intelligence community assesses that Kim Jong-un will never fully denuclearize. There are two very concerning parts to me about President Trump’s comments: first, he took dictator Kim Jong-un at his word, that he was unaware that American Otto Warmbier’s condition was so terrible that he died upon returning to the United States. And, second, he keeps talking about our special relationship, and his close and warm relationship with this terrible dictator, who has an awful human rights record. That kind of language is usually reserved for our closest allies like the United Kingdom, not for one of the worst abusers of his own citizens.

Sen. Coons on Cohen: Absolutely. We would hope that he would be exclusively focused on trying to accomplish a diplomatic breakthrough with a country that we know has nuclear weapons and intercontinental missiles, and, has threatened to attack us. And, clearly, the President was greatly distracted, as was the whole country, by the riveting testimony of Michael Cohen. Look, I’ll agree with President Trump that Michael Cohen is a liar and a criminal, who’s now going to jail. But the striking thing here, Mika, is that so is Roger Stone. So is Paul Manafort. So is Michael Flynn. Apparently, candidate Trump surrounded himself with criminals and liars, yet we’re supposed to believe that neither he, nor his campaign, did anything illegal. We have to remember what the important thing was that came out of Michael Cohen’s testimony yesterday: I’m sure President Trump isn’t the first president to have an affair, or to do improper things to cover it up, so no matter how distracting the sleazy aspects of a porn star hush payment might be, the important matter yesterday was that Michael Cohen testified that he was in the room as President Trump, then candidate Trump, heard from Roger Stone about their coordination of efforts to make sure that WikiLeaks disclosed the materials stolen by Russian intelligence from the DNC in order to influence the 2016 election. That really matters. I’m certain he is the first president to be credibly questioned over whether or not there was some role between his campaign and a hostile power.

More on North Korea: Well, here’s the bigger challenge. Our success in terms of containing Iran’s nuclear program came because of a very well-coordinated, several-year-long effort, with our closest allies, to put real pressure on Iran through sanctions. That’s the thing we need to be doing now — sustaining our sanctions against North Korea. And, again, I’ll commend the president for walking away rather than lifting all of our sanctions. But, I was just at the Munich Security Conference, as you know, David, and I heard from a wide range of our allies that President Trump’s very abrupt decision to pull all of our troops out of Syria, even while our core allies were in combat against ISIS, without consulting them, has weakened our standing with our allies. I’m concerned that President Trump’s America First strategy may leave us a friendless nation when it comes to trying to rally the international community to impose meaningful sanctions on North Korea. This is a critical moment for us to gather our allies and reapply tougher sanctions on North Korea.

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Sens. Coons, Lankford & Rep. Walker Re-introduce LIFT for Charities Act

WASHINGTON, DC – Senators Chris Coons (D-DE), James Lankford (R-OK), and Rep. Mark Walker (R-NC) today re-introduced bipartisan, bicameral legislation to protect churches, charities, and other nonprofit organizations from a provision in the tax law that would tax some employee benefits for the first time. The Lessening Impediments from Taxes (LIFT) for Charities Act, would repeal a section of the tax code that requires some tax-exempt organizations to pay federal taxes on employee benefits, like parking, meals, or transportation benefits.

“As co-chairs of both the National Prayer Breakfast and the Senate Prayer Breakfast, Senator Lankford and I believe that we have a moral obligation to support our neighbors most in need, and nonprofits play an essential role in doing just that,” said Coons. “Nonprofits are organized around a cause, mission, or community need, and employees of nonprofits often have the same access to parking and meals that others in the community have because the nonprofit serves the whole community. Requiring these organizations to pay a federal tax on these employee benefits, something they have never been required to do before, will cause them to not only face an increased operating cost, but also an administrative burden. I am proud to join Senator Lankford in addressing this unfair and burdensome tax, and I urge my colleagues to consider this important piece of legislation so that America’s charitable nonprofits and houses of worship are able to continue providing critical services to communities without undue burden.”

“Tax reform was designed to help simplify the tax code and reduce burdens on small businesses, not add burdens on nonprofits,” said Lankford. “Due to a provision in the tax reform bill, the law now requires some churches and some nonprofit organizations to pay new employee benefit taxes. Most nonprofits are not equipped to handle the additional compliance burden. Many, if not most, churches have never had to fill out IRS Form 990s. The legislation introduced today would eliminate this problem once and for all.”

“Churches and charities serve on the frontline of our battle against the generational cycles of poverty and the traps of government dependence,” said Walker. “Washington should ensure their work in our communities is not restricted by unnecessary taxes and strenuous compliance processes. The LIFT for Charities Act will maintain that non-profits and places of worship remain uninhibited by federal burdens.”

Tim Delaney, President and CEO of the National Council of Nonprofits, the largest network of charitable nonprofits in the US, said, “Taxing tax-exempts is the very definition of an oxymoron. But worse, this tax is also illogical, unworkable, and unfair. Almost everyone in Congress acknowledges it was a mistake, an error, and this legislation shows there is bipartisan support for its repeal. Hundreds of thousands of nonprofits, houses of worship, and foundations will be forced to divert money away from their missions to make tax payments soon, unless this tax is repealed – retroactively – in the coming weeks.”

“The Council supports the reintroduction of this bill, which would eliminate the tax imposed on nonprofits, foundations and charities for offering transportation benefits to their employees. We have heard from our members, whose mission is to serve the needs of their communities, about the burdens both financially and administratively that these provisions are now causing our members and their charitable grantees and will continue if not repealed. It is our hope that this bill is acted upon quickly to provide needed relief to the sector,” said Council on Foundations Interim President and CEO Gene Cochrane.

“If left unaddressed, the new tax on transportation fringe benefits will divert an average of $12,000 away from each nonprofit organization’s mission, hurting the individuals and communities who need help the most,” said Daniel J. Cardinali, President and CEO of Independent Sector. “The LIFT for Charities Act is a welcome recognition that this burden is unacceptable, and we urge Congress to act on it swiftly.”

In November 2018, Lankford and Coons sent a letter to the Secretary of the Treasury, Steven Mnuchin, expressing their concerns about the challenges faced by tax-exempt organizations, such as charitable nonprofits, houses of worship, and foundations, regarding compliance with new tax liabilities.

In November 2017, Lankford and Walker also introduced the Universal Charitable Giving Act in both the Senate and House, which would create a universal charitable deduction in addition to the standard deduction for individuals and married couples that do not itemize. Additionally, Lankford serves on the Senate Finance Committee.

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Sens. Coons, Lankford, Reps. Kind, Walorski, introduce bipartisan, bicameral Import Tax Relief Act

WASHINGTON – Senators Chris Coons (D-DE) and James Lankford (R-OK) today announced the bipartisan, bicameral Import Tax Relief Act, which would require the Executive Branch to create an exclusion process for List 3 (and any future list) of Chinese imports subject to Section 301 tariff imposition. Commensurate with the US Trade Representative’s (USTR) exclusion process for Lists 1 and 2, US companies would also be able to apply for a refund for duties paid on imported goods subject to these tariffs that are granted an exclusion.

The bill would also set the specific criteria by which product-wide exclusions must be granted. Specifically, the bill would exempt from tariff imposition those items for which there is no commercial access outside of China, items for which the tariff would increase the cost of living for low- and middle-income families in the US, and items that do not directly benefit from China’s non-market-based policies. In the House, a companion version of the Import Tax Relief Act has been introduced by Representatives Ron Kind (D-WI) and Jackie Walorski (R-IN).

“It is time for China’s unfair trade practices to come to an end,” said Sen. Coons. “It is vital, though, that the Administration not harm our own American companies in the course of pressuring China. That’s why I’m introducing the bipartisan Import Tariff Relief Act, to require that US companies be given the opportunity to apply for exclusions from tariffs on Chinese goods. If you manufacture a product here in America, you shouldn’t have your supply chain upended for this trade war.”

“US importers deserve a chance to petition their government for import tax relief, and this bill would set up a process to do just that,” said Sen. Lankford. “I have heard from many Oklahoma businesses that have expressed concern about the impact these tariffs will have on their ability to hire employees, give back to their communities, and expand their business operations. Already, American importers have paid the US government more than $12 billion in import taxes due to last year’s tariff action on Chinese imports, which has a direct impact on our economy since those costs are passed down to consumers in the form of price increases on food, clothing, and shelter, on which low-income families spend a disproportionate share of their incomes compared to wealthier families. Unfortunately, this has resulted in a reverse-redistribution of wealth, whereby Americans basically end up paying their government $12 billion. I am proud to partner with Senator Coons to introduce this bipartisan, bicameral legislation to help provide necessary financial relief for families and businesses across the US.”

The first two rounds of tariffs imposed under Section 301 of the Trade Act of 1974 included an exclusion process (the process by which US importers can request exemption from the tariffs), but the third round, imposed on $200 billion worth of Chinese goods, did not include such a process. The third tranche of tariffs was imposed on September 24, 2018, pursuant to Section 301 of the Trade Act of 1974.

According to the Congressional Research Service, as of February 21, US-based importers have paid $12.2 billion to the government as a result of tariffs imposed under Section 301 of the Trade Act of 1974, more than double the $5.8 billion collected in tariffs on steel and aluminum pursuant to Section 232 of the Trade Act of 1974.

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[VIDEO] Sen. Coons: “We need to stop with the reality TV summits, and move towards real and serious diplomacy with North Korea.”

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Chris Coons (D-Del.), a member of the Senate Judiciary and Foreign Relations Committees, joined MSNBC’s Morning Joe.

Video and audio available here.

Excerpts from the interview below:

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Sens. Coons, Murkowski, Harris introduce bill during Black History Month to recognize ‘Hidden Figures’ for contributions to U.S. leadership during the Space Race

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Chris Coons (D-Del.), Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska), and Kamala Harris (D-Calif.), along with 60 of their colleagues, introduced a bipartisan bill 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 5^th Congressional Gold Medal to honor all women who contributed to NASA during the Space Race. The bill, which unanimously passed the Senate last year, 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 to introduce this bill with my colleagues 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 important role at NASA during the Space Race, but for many years their accomplishments remained hidden. This bill will help recognize these extraordinary women and bring their accomplishments into the light so they can serve as an inspiration to younger generations of women in science, particularly those of color.”

“I’m encouraged to be joined by so many colleagues as we introduce the Hidden Figures Congressional Gold Medal Act. This Act will award Congress’s highest honor to Dorothy Vaughan, Katherine Johnson, Mary Jackson, and Dr. Christine Darden, four black women who served as mathematicians, programmers, and engineers at NASA at the infancy of the Space age when the agency was emerging from segregation,” said Senator Murkowski. “These impressive women overcame significant hurdles to attain their educational and professional goals, and they continue to serve as important role models, today. In introducing this bill, I hope we send a positive message encouraging young women across the nation to pursue study, scholarship, and careers in STEM.”

“These women were barrier breakers, and their immeasurable contributions to NASA and our nation have cemented their place in history,” said Senator Harris. “For too long, their extraordinary accomplishments remained in the shadows, with the world unaware of the critical role they placed in the Space Race. I’m proud to help recognize their achievements as they continue to serve as a beacon for Black women both young and old, across the country.”

A companion bill was introduced in the House of Representatives, led by U.S. Representatives Eddie Bernice Johnson (D-Tex.) and Frank Lucas (R-Okla.), chair and ranking member of the House Committee on Science, Space and Technology.

“I am happy to join my Senate colleagues in introducing this legislation,” said Chairwoman Eddie Bernice Johnson (D-TX) of the House Science, Space, and Technology Committee. “The achievements of Katherine Johnson, Dr. Christine Darden, Dorothy Vaughan, Mary Jackson, and the hundreds of other women working at NASA during this important period in our history are inspiring to us all and have, undoubtedly, inspired many young people to pursue careers in STEM. Congressional recognition of their contributions is long overdue.”

“Katherine Johnson, Dorothy Vaughan, Mary Jackson, and Dr. Christine Darden exemplify the incredible drive and dedication required for NASA’s unprecedented achievements during the space race. Their contributions to computing, engineering, programming, and aeronautics are all the more impressive given the barriers to success they faced. For too long, their work went unrecognized. It’s a privilege to sponsor this bill to award them, and the many other women who contributed to the space race, the Congressional Gold Medal. Their lives and careers will continue to inspire Americans for years to come,” said Representative Lucas.

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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Sens. Coons & Graham, Rep. Engel, bipartisan group of national security experts call for new approach to preventing extremism

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Chris Coons (D-Del.) and Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) and Representative Eliot Engel (D-N.Y.) today joined a bipartisan group of senior national security experts to make an urgent appeal for the adoption of a new approach to preventing the rise and spread of extremism in the Sahel, Horn of Africa and the Near East. This new approach is set out in the congressionally mandated final report and recommendations of the Task Force on Extremism in Fragile States, hosted by the United States Institute of Peace. The Task Force proposes a comprehensive preventive strategy to stop the spread of extremism that reorganizes U.S. efforts and pools international resources to support partners in fragile states in tackling the drivers of extremism.

To effectively implement this preventive strategy, the report calls for the adoption of a framework that recognizes extremism as an inherently political and ideological problem, and the creation of two new mechanisms: (1) a U.S. government-wide initiative to make prevention a priority and ensure coordination and collaboration across U.S. agencies; and (2) an international platform for donors to pool their resources and coordinate their activities in support of prevention.

“This is an approach to promoting stabilization, combatting fragility, and building peace that is genuinely bipartisan,” said Senator Coons, a member of the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations. “The United States has and deserves a reputation as the world leader in responding to humanitarian crises. I hope that, with this effort, we will earn a global reputation as the leader in helping to prevent fragile states from becoming failed states. This week in the Senate, we are introducing bipartisan legislation that will take the insights from this report and make them real. I look forward to working with my colleagues to enact a framework for a groundbreaking initiative that will promote the stabilization of fragile states.”

“Recognizing the need for a strategy to address this enduring threat to U.S. security interests, I authored and Congress passed legislation directing the United States Institute of Peace to stand up a bipartisan task force to develop a comprehensive plan to prevent the underlying causes of extremism in fragile states in the Sahel, Horn of Africa and the Near East,” said Senator Graham, chairman of the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on State, Foreign Operations and Related Programs. “Today’s release of that report is an important step in ensuring we take a whole of government approach to directing resources and assistance in a way that will increase our national security.”

“After nearly 20 years of war, the Task Force report underscores just how much we have learned about keeping terrorist networks from taking root. Now we need to ensure these lessons are implemented,” said Congressman Eliot Engel, chairman of the House Committee on Foreign Affairs. “I will be incorporating Task Force recommendations into my Global Fragility Act, which would establish an interagency initiative to improve America’s engagement in fragile states. As the Task Force found, our engagement is essential if we are going to prevent extremist groups from getting a foothold in the first place.”

“In 2004, the 9/11 Commission called for the United States to adopt a preventive strategy to reduce the continued growth of extremism in fragile states,” said Governor Thomas Kean, co-chair of the Task Force and former chair of the 9/11 Commission. “While we have successfully fulfilled the Commission’s recommendations to prevent attacks on American soil, the U.S. has not been effective in preventing the growth of extremist groups around the world. As long as extremism spreads around the globe, our nation will remain vulnerable to terrorist attacks and our competitors can exploit these conditions to weaken U.S. security and our global leadership.”

“A preventive approach is an efficient and effective means of keeping our homeland safe, but its implementation will require a high-level political commitment,” said Representative Lee Hamilton, co-chair of the Task Force and former vice-chair of the 9/11 Commission. “We are grateful to the administration and the many members of Congress who have supported our efforts so far and urge them to take up these recommendations.”

A full version of today’s report is viewable online here: https://www.usip.org/Task-Force-Final-Report

Sen. Coons co-sponsors comprehensive child care and early learning bill to ensure child care for all

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Chris Coons (D-Del.) co-sponsored the Child Care for Working Families Act, a comprehensive early learning and child care bill to ensure affordable, high-quality child care for working middle class families and those living paycheck to paycheck. Representative Bobby Scott (D-VA), chairman of the House Committee on Education and Labor, and Representative Gregorio Kilili Camacho Sablan, chair of the Subcommittee on Early Childhood, Elementary and Secondary Education introduced a companion bill in the House of Representatives with 98 cosponsors.

The Child Care for Working Families Act would address the current early learning and care crisis by ensuring that no family under 150 percent of state median income pays more than seven percent of their income on child care. Families would pay their fair share for care on a sliding scale, regardless of the number of children they have. Families under 75 percent of the state median income will not have to pay anything at all. The bill would also support universal access to high-quality preschool programs for all 3- and 4-year olds. Finally, the bill would significantly improve compensation and training for the child care workforce to ensure that our nation’s teachers and caregivers have the support they need, as well as the children they are caring for, to thrive.

The Child Care for Working Families Act would jumpstart our economy by creating 770,000 new child care jobs and allowing 1.6 million parents, primarily mothers, go back to work. It would also lift one million families out of poverty.

Bipartisan support for child care and early learning is already building in Congress. In March 2018, Congress agreed to the largest increase in child care funding ever, and continued the increased investments in child care while increasing funding for Head Start in the Fiscal Year 2019 bill.

The bill is also cosponsored by Senators Baldwin (D-WI), Blumenthal (D-CT), Booker (D-NJ), Brown (D-OH), Cantwell (D-WA), Cardin (D-MD), Casey (D-PA), Cortez Masto (D-NV), Duckworth (D-IL), Durbin (D-IL), Feinstein (D-CA), Gillibrand (D-NY), Harris (D-CA), Hassan (D-NH), Hirono (D-HI), Klobuchar (D-MN), Leahy (D-VT), Markey (D-MA), Menendez (D-NJ), Merkley (D-OR), Murphy (D-CT), Murry (D-WA), Peters (D-MI), Reed (D-RI), Rosen (D-NV), Sanders (I-VT), Schatz (D-HI), Schumer (D-NY), Smith (D-MN), Udall (D-NM), Van Hollen (D-MD), Warren (D-MA), Whitehouse (D-RI), and Wyden (D-OR).

Legislative text of the Child Care for Working Families Act can be found HERE.

Fact sheet on the Child Care for Working Families Act can be found HERE.

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Senators Coons, Wyden, Heinrich, Reed, Harris Reintroduce Bill Requiring Public Report on Khashoggi Murder by Saudi Arabia

Following Conflicting Statements by Trump and Silence from IC Leaders, Bill Requires Public Assessment of Killing of Washington Post Columnist

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Chris Coons (D-Del.), Ron Wyden (D-Ore.), Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.), Jack Reed (D-R.I.), and Kamala Harris, (D-Calif.), introduced legislation today requiring a public report on the killing of Washington Post journalist Jamal Khashoggi. The bill comes in response to the Trump administration’s repeated refusal to release a public assessment about Khashoggi’s murder at the hands of Saudi officials.

“The Saudi government brazenly murdered a Washington Post journalist, and this administration refuses to even tell the American people who is responsible for giving the order,” said Senator Wyden. “This bill says the Trump administration can’t get away with burying the facts about Jamal Khashoggi.”

“The Trump administration has been unwilling to acknowledge the abduction, torture, and killing of Jamal Khashoggi for what it was: a state-sponsored, cold blooded murder within a diplomatic consulate,” said Senator Heinrich. “The American people deserve nothing less than the truth and transparency about the Saudi government’s involvement in this shameful act. That starts with ensuring the public hears directly from the intelligence community identifying who carried out or ordered Mr. Khashoggi’s death.”

“The brutal murder of U.S. resident and Washington Post columnist Jamal Khashoggi and the brazen cover up by the Saudi government cannot be tolerated. The American people deserve to know the truth about what happened. We are once again calling for an unclassified and public assessment of who ordered his killing and why,” said Senator Reed, the Ranking Member of the Armed Services Committee and an ex officio member of the Intelligence Committee. “I urge the Trump administration to share what it knows about this heinous crime and hold all perpetrators accountable.”

“As a nation founded on freedom of speech and freedom of the press, the United States cannot turn a blind eye to egregious violations of those principles around the world,” said Senator Coons. “The American people deserve to know the facts about the brutal murder of Washington Post journalist and U.S. resident Jamal Khashoggi, and Congress should act to hold those responsible accountable.”

“The murder of Jamal Khashoggi was a tragedy and represented an attack on journalists everywhere,” said Senator Harris. “Unfortunately, the White House has not provided clear answers about what happened or who in the Saudi government might bear responsibility for the attack. We must always defend the rights of a free and independent press both at home and abroad, which is why I’m standing with my colleagues to demand a public report on this incident.”

The full bill text is available here.

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Sens. Coons, Isakson send letter to Ambassador Lighthizer urging poultry trade with China

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Chris Coons (D-Del.) and Johnny Isakson (R-Ga.), co-chairs of the Senate Chicken Caucus, today sent a letter to United States Trade Representative Robert E. Lighthizer, highlighting the opportunity to lift China’s ban on U.S. poultry while negotiating structural changes to the U.S.-China trade relationship.

“We believe that a trade agreement with China must provide for strong and lasting structural changes in order to end the unfair trade practices that have disproportionately hurt the U.S. economy and American workers,” the Senators wrote. “Agriculture is of particular importance to our states’ economies, and we urge you to use this opportunity to support America’s farmers by securing duty-free access for U.S. agricultural products and lifting the Chinese ban on U.S. poultry products.”

China was an important export market for U.S. poultry prior to 2015, when China imposed a ban on U.S. poultry due to an outbreak of avian influenza. Poultry exports to China peaked in 2008, with an export value of $722 million. Reopening this market to U.S. poultry would create new export opportunities for Delaware’s poultry farmers and support the thousands of workers employed by the poultry industry in Delaware.

Joining Senators Coons and Isakson in sending the letter were Senators Mark Warner (D-Va.), John Boozman (R-Ark.), Doug Jones (D-Ala.), Tom Cotton (R-Ark.), Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), Tom Carper (D-Del.), and Ben Cardin (D-Md.).

The full text of the letter is below.

February 22, 2019

The Honorable Robert E. Lighthizer

United States Trade Representative

600 17^th St., NW

Washington, D.C. 20006

Dear Ambassador Lighthizer:

We write regarding your current negotiations with China ahead of President Trump’s deadline to reach a new trade agreement before March 1. We believe that a trade agreement with China must provide for strong and lasting structural changes in order to end the unfair trade practices that have disproportionately hurt the U.S. economy and American workers. Without effective language addressing issues such as Chinese intellectual property theft, forced technology transfer, unfair subsidies for Chinese state-owned enterprises, and barriers to U.S. agriculture products, China will continue to take advantage of our free and open markets. Agriculture is of particular importance to our states’ economies, and we urge you to use this opportunity to support America’s farmers by securing duty-free access for U.S. agricultural products and lifting the Chinese ban on U.S. poultry products.

China is a critical export market for America’s farmers. In Fiscal Year (FY) 2017, China was the largest export market for U.S. agricultural products, with farm and food exports totaling $22 billion^[1]. Unfortunately, China’s retaliatory tariffs have resulted in reduced agricultural exports, and the U.S. Department of Agriculture projects that agricultural exports to China could decrease to $9 billion in FY 2019^[2].

For farmers in our states who depend on robust foreign trade, your negotiations with China represent an opportunity to reverse these market losses and reopen the Chinese market to U.S. poultry. In 2015, China imposed a ban on U.S. poultry products due to an outbreak of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) in the United States. While we were encouraged by China’s decision to remove anti-dumping and anti-subsidy duties on U.S. broiler chickens in February 2018, the market remains closed to U.S. poultry products because of the ban. Poultry exports to China peaked in 2008, with an export value of $722 million^[3]. Reopening this export market would strengthen the economies of our rural communities, supporting hundreds of thousands of workers who are employed by the poultry industry.

In his State of the Union address on February 5, 2019, President Trump committed to ensuring that a new trade agreement with China will “include real, structural change to end unfair trade practices.” We share this goal, and we are hopeful that you will also work to support our agricultural industries and secure open and enforceable access to the Chinese market for U.S. poultry.

Sincerely,

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Related Issues

Sen. Coons, Gardner introduce Cyber Deterrence & Response Act

[VIDEO] Sen. Coons: “We need to stop with the reality TV summits, and move towards real and serious diplomacy with North Korea.”

Sens. Coons, Lankford & Rep. Walker Re-introduce LIFT for Charities Act

Sens. Coons, Lankford, Reps. Kind, Walorski, introduce bipartisan, bicameral Import Tax Relief Act

[VIDEO] Sen. Coons: “We need to stop with the reality TV summits, and move towards real and serious diplomacy with North Korea.”

Sens. Coons, Murkowski, Harris introduce bill during Black History Month to recognize ‘Hidden Figures’ for contributions to U.S. leadership during the Space Race

Sens. Coons & Graham, Rep. Engel, bipartisan group of national security experts call for new approach to preventing extremism

Sen. Coons co-sponsors comprehensive child care and early learning bill to ensure child care for all

Senators Coons, Wyden, Heinrich, Reed, Harris Reintroduce Bill Requiring Public Report on Khashoggi Murder by Saudi Arabia

Sens. Coons, Isakson send letter to Ambassador Lighthizer urging poultry trade with China