Sen. Coons applauds passage of funding bill to fight the opioid epidemic, invest in education

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Chris Coons (D-Del.), a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, applauded the passage of the Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies Appropriations bill. This annual spending bill for the country’s labor, health, and education programs contains critical provisions that will help fight the opioid epidemic, invest in elementary and secondary education, and improve college affordability and completion. The bill passed both chambers of Congress and today was signed into law by President Trump.

“One of the most tragic things about the opioid epidemic is that it is both preventable and treatable with the right programs and resources. Ensuring that prevention programs and resources are available and properly funded for everyone who needs them is a top priority for me, and I’m proud that we were able to include $3.78 billion in funding to fight this epidemic,” said Senator Coons. “I’m also pleased that this appropriations bill includes investments in our nation’s teachers and students. I’m committed to improving access to and affordability of education for all Americans, and this legislation is an important step in the right direction.”  

The funding bill includes $3.78 billion, an increase of $2.7 billion over 2017, for prevention and research to address the opioid crisis. The legislation also includes $350 million for opioid overdose surveillance and prevention at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, as well as enhancement of State Prescription Drug Monitoring Programs; $495 million to improve access to opioid and substance use disorder treatment in rural and underserved areas; and $100 million to address the needs of children who are affected by parental substance use. 

Senator Coons continues to fight for education and advancement for our country’s teachers and students. He’s pleased that this funding bill includes $15.9 billion, an increase of $100 million over fiscal year 2018 and $400 million more than the President’s Budget, for Title I-A grants to local educational agencies, money that assists high-poverty schools. The funding bill also increases the Pell Grant maximum award by $100, to $6,195, for roughly 8 million students from low- and middle-income families. The legislation also provides $1.060 billion, an increase of $50 million more than fiscal year 2018, for TRIO, which includes programs like Upward Bound, Student Support Services and Talent Search, which assist low-income, first-generation college students, and students with disabilities to progress academically from middle school through college graduation.

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Defense funding bill becomes law, includes support for New Castle’s C-130H aircraft, Sen. Coons’ provision to ensure families of fallen servicemembers receive death benefits

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Chris Coons (D-Del.), the first Delaware Senator in more than four decades to serve on the critical Appropriations Committee, applauded the passage of the annual Fiscal Year (FY) 2019 Defense Appropriations bill. The bill passed both chambers of Congress and today was signed into law by President Trump. 

“There should never be any question of our commitment to honor our troops, particularly those who have made the ultimate sacrifice, and their families.  I am glad the Defense Appropriations bill includes a bipartisan provision, based on legislation that I introduced, to ensure that whether the government is open or not, we will meet our commitment to our fallen servicemembers and their loved ones,” said Senator Coons. “I’m also thrilled that this bill will support the National Guard’s C-130H aircraft and other programs that are vital to our state and broader U.S. national security, as well as support STEM education programs that benefit Delawareans.”

Families of U.S. servicemembers killed in action during the government shutdowns in 2013 and 2018 were initially denied military death benefits until the government reopened.  The longstanding purpose of the military death benefit payment is to assist families of deceased servicemembers in meeting their financial needs during the period immediately following a servicemember’s death and before other survivor benefits become available. The provision in the FY19 Defense Appropriations bill is based on S.2430, the Families of Fallen Servicemembers First Act, which Senator Coons introduced in February 2018. The provision allows the military to immediately provide a death gratuity of $100,000 during a government shutdown. 

The legislation also added $30 million for C-130H aircraft modernization, $74 million for C-130H engine enhancements, and $55 million for C-130H propeller upgrades. This funding will ensure that New Castle’s C-130H aircraft are able to fly far into the future and also increase the performance, efficiency, and reliability of the National Guard’s C-130H fleet. Senator Coons also helped to secure an additional $15 million for STARBASE, a Pentagon program that allows students in Delaware and throughout the country to participate in a hands-on Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) curriculum.  Students learn the importance of STEM skills in real world situations and develop fundamental math and science skills that are applicable to future education and employment opportunities. 

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Sen. Coons’ statement on today’s Judiciary Committee hearing

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Chris Coons (D-Del.), a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, released the following statement after today’s hearing with Judge Brett Kavanaugh and Dr. Christine Blasey Ford. 

“Today’s hearing was a difficult day for Dr. Ford, for Judge Kavanaugh, for the Senate Judiciary Committee, and for the country.

“Today’s hearing was not what Dr. Ford, Judge Kavanaugh, or the American people deserved. These serious allegations against Judge Kavanaugh should have been investigated by the FBI promptly and thoroughly, today’s testimony should have included experts on sexual assault, and additional witnesses – including Mark Judge – should have testified under oath.

“Dr. Ford provided compelling testimony today, and all of us were reminded this morning that she came forward with nothing to gain and quite a bit to lose.  I’m grateful Dr. Ford had a chance to be heard today, as I believe that 27 years after the hearings into Prof. Anita Hill’s allegations, we must show that at the highest levels of power women are respected when they bring forward allegations of sexual assault. 

“I believe before the Judiciary Committee moves to a final vote, we should pause for a week to seek further investigation and insight into the allegations against Judge Kavanaugh.”

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VIDEO: Senator Coons to Dr. Ford: “I’m grateful you came forward and I’m thankful for your courage”

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Chris Coons (D-Del.), member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, today spoke with Dr. Christine Blasey Ford about her allegations of sexual assault against Judge Brett Kavanaugh. Full audio and video are available here. 

“There was a wide range of responses to your coming forward. Some thousands of survivors have been motivated and inspired by your courage, others have been critical,” Sen. Coons said to Dr. Ford. “As I’ve reviewed the wide range of reactions, I’ve been really troubled by the excuse offered by too many that this was a high school incident and ‘boys will be boys.’ To me, that’s just far too low a standard for the conduct of boys and men in our country.”

The full exchange can be found below:

Sen. Coons: Dr. Ford, I want to begin by thanking you for coming to testify in front of us today. You came forward with very serious and relevant information about a nominee for a lifetime position on our Supreme Court. You didn’t have to, and I know you’ve done it at great personal cost. This is a public service and I want you to know that I’m grateful to have the opportunity to hear from you directly today. I’d like to just first follow up on that line of questioning Ms. Mitchell was following because I think a lot of people don’t realize that you chose to come forward with your concerns about Judge Kavanaugh before he was nominated to the Supreme Court. Do I understand correctly that when you first reached out to Congresswoman Eshoo and to the Washington Post tip line that was when he was on the short list but before he was nominated to the Supreme Court. Is that correct?

Dr. Ford: Correct. 

Sen. Coons: And if I understood your testimony earlier, it’s that you were motivated by a sense of civic duty and frankly a hope that some other highly qualified nominee might be picked, not out of a motivation at a late stage to have an impact on the final decision?

Dr. Ford: Correct. I felt it was very important to get the information to you but I didn’t know how to do it while there was still a short-list of candidates.

Sen. Coons: Thank you, Dr. According to Justice Department data, about two-thirds of sexual assault survivors don’t report their assaults. Based on your experience, I’d be interested in hearing from you about this because you bore this alone. You bore this alone for a very long time. And it would be helpful for us to better understand the ways that that’s impacted your whole life. 

Dr. Ford: It’s impacted me at different stages of the development of my life. So the immediate impact was probably the worst, so the first four years. I think I described earlier a fairy disastrous first two years of undergraduate studies at the University of North Carolina, where I was finally able to pull myself together and then, once coping with the immediate impacts, the short-term impacts, I experienced longer term impacts of anxiety and relationship challenges.

Sen. Coons: Thank you for sharing that. And yet you went on to get a PhD from USC, is that correct? 

Dr. Ford: Correct. 

Sen. Coons: As you predicted, there was a wide range of responses to your coming forward. Some thousands of survivors have been motivated and inspired by your courage, others have been critical.

And as I’ve reviewed the wide range of reactions, I’ve been really troubled by the excuse offered by too many that this was a high school incident and ‘boys will be boys.’ To me that’s just far too low a standard for the conduct of boys and men in our country. If you would, I’d appreciate your reaction to the excuse that ‘boys will be boys.’

Dr. Ford: I can only speak for how it has impacted me greatly for the last 36 years even though I was 15 years old at the time. And I think you know the younger you are when these things happen it could possibly have worse impact than when you’re a full — when your brain is fully developed and you have better coping skills that you’ve developed.

Sen. Coons: Experts have written about how it’s common for sexual assault survivors to remember some facts about the experience very sharply and very clearly, but not others,  and that has to do with the survival mode that we go into in experiencing trauma. Is that your experience and is that something you could help the lay person understand? 

Dr. Ford: Yes. I was definitely experiencing the fight or flight mode. Is that what you’re referring to? Yes. So I was definitely experiencing the surge of adrenaline and cortisol and norepinephrine and credit that a little bit for my ability to get out of the situation, but also some other lucky events that occurred that allowed me to get out of the event. 

Sen. Coons: Dr. Ford, we are grateful that you came through it and that you shared your account with us and the American people, and I think you’ve provided important information. I’d like to thank you for meeting your civic duty. I wish we could have provided for you a more thorough hearing today. I think asking for the FBI to investigate this matter thoroughly was not asking too much. I think asking to have the other individual involved in your assault, Mark Judge, appear before us today was not asking too much. I’m grateful you came forward and I’m thankful for your courage which set an important example. Thank you Dr. Ford. 

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ICYMI–Sen. Coons, Former Federal Prosecutors: “The Kavanaugh hearing needs expert testimony and an FBI investigation”

WASHINGTON – In case you missed it, U.S. Senator Chris Coons (D-Del.), a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, and Shan Wu and Julie Grohovsky, former federal prosecutors in Washington, D.C., recently published an op-ed highlighting the need for expert testimony and an FBI investigation in the Senate Judiciary Committee hearing on the nomination of Judge Brett Kavanaugh. 

“Incorporating the use of expert testimony is critical to the integrity of the Kavanaugh hearings,” they wrote. “With the use of a modern and well-accepted process and the completion of a federal investigation, the committee could hold hearings that would set forth an accurate understanding of sexual assault, so senators and the American people would be better equipped to make an informed assessment of the facts. The Senate and our country would be the better for it.” 

The Hill: The Kavanaugh hearing needs expert testimony and an FBI investigation

By Chris Coons, Shan Wu and Julie Grohovsky 

The unnecessary rush to have Christine Blasey Ford testify in the Senate Judiciary Committee’s hearings on the Supreme Court nomination of Brett Kavanaugh is unfortunate, because it detracts from what should be the committee’s important goal: a credible, informed process that would educate senators and the American people alike about these allegations. 

This matters now and for how Congress and this country handle sexual assault allegations in the future. As a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee and former federal prosecutors, we believe the stakes are simply too high to handle this process badly, not only for Ford, but for sexual assault victims across the country. 

There are a number of things the Senate Judiciary Committee and the president can do better. 

First, the Judiciary Committee is refusing to gather all the facts. Ford, through her attorney, has requested an FBI investigation of her allegations, which has so far been denied. The context here is important: the FBI regularly investigates allegations brought against judicial nominees. Twenty-seven years ago, the FBI completed an investigation into professor Anita Hill’s allegations against then-nominee Clarence Thomas in a matter of days. 

Second, we should also be informed by the testimony of other witnesses, such as Mark Judge, who was allegedly in the room during the assault. Professional investigators could easily identify other witnesses who knew Judge Kavanaugh and Ford at the time. The assessment of such witness testimony should be paired with expert testimony about sexual assault trauma and its effects on survivors. 

The effect of trauma upon survivors of sexual abuse is complex and can seem counter-intuitive. Take for example the widespread phenomenon of delayed reporting and disclosure after a sexual assault. Uninformed reactions to a delay in reporting or even initial denials of an assault having taken place typically conclude the survivor is lying. But widely accepted research demonstrates that delayed reporting is common among survivors of sexual assault and that it is particularly common in younger victims. This last point is especially relevant to the current case since Ford was only 15 years old at the time of the alleged assault by the 17-year-old future Judge Kavanaugh. Law enforcement also recognizes the validity of this scientific research and has begun to commonly adopt trauma-informed victim interviewing in sexual assault investigations.

The use of expert testimony in both civil and criminal proceedings is commonplace and used when a judge determines that an expert is needed to aid the public’s understanding of the topic. As a prosecutor, one of the co-authors pioneered the use of expert testimony in a domestic violence case where the expert explained to the jury common behavior among survivors of domestic abuse, such as staying in a relationship or returning over and over to an abuser. Such behavior appears counterintuitive but happens every day. The judge in that case agreed that expert testimony was necessary to counter the wrongly held notion that if a survivor of domestic violence remains in an abusive relationship, then the survivor must be lying about the abuse. Similarly, the Senate Judiciary Committee often benefits from the testimony of experts. The committee could use expert testimony to guard against the uniformed and wrong-headed assumption that an adolescent girl who delays disclosing an alleged sexual assault must be lying. 

The committee should hear from experts with scientific training in the effects of trauma on sexual assault survivors, as well as experts with first-hand experience advocating for and counseling survivors. The testimony of such experts would provide an informed context in which the committee could ask more meaningful questions and make more informed decisions about credibility.

Incorporating the use of expert testimony is critical to the integrity of the Kavanaugh hearings.  Without it, Senate Judiciary Committee members run the risk of asking questions and making ill-informed arguments that will not only be insensitive and demeaning to Ford, but accomplish little with respect to fairly assessing the witness’s credibility. With the use of a modern and well-accepted process and the completion of a federal investigation, the committee could hold hearings that would set forth an accurate understanding of sexual assault, so senators and the American people would be better equipped to make an informed assessment of the facts. The Senate and our country would be the better for it.

Coons is a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee. Wu and Grohovsky are former federal prosecutors who secured the first life-without-parole sentence for a rapist in Washington, D.C. 

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ICYMI: Sen. Coons op-ed: “Celebrating 25 Years of the Cape Gazette”

WILMINGTON, Del. – In case you missed it, U.S. Senator Chris Coons (D-Del.), recently published an op-ed in Delaware’s Cape Gazette, celebrating the 25^th anniversary of the Cape Gazette.

“Today, as newspapers have evolved, and as more coverage has shifted from the pages delivered to our front doors each morning to online and video content, the critical role journalism plays in our nation remains, and is more important than ever.  The free and independent press is, and has always been, an essential pillar of our democracy,” said Senator Coons.  “It is our watchdog – holding our leaders accountable, guarding against government overreach, and striving always for truth and accuracy.  Local papers like the Cape Gazette are also the heartbeats of our communities. They keep us connected, informed and aware.” 

Cape Gazette: Celebrating 25 years of the Cape Gazette

By United States Senator Chris Coons

From my earliest memories, newspapers have been part of my daily life. Ever present on my family’s kitchen table growing up, those black-and-white pages provided a window to the community and the world around me, exposing me to new ideas and viewpoints, and offering a greater understanding of the world.

Today, as newspapers have evolved, and as more coverage has shifted from the pages delivered to our front doors each morning to online and video content, the critical role journalism plays in our nation remains, and is more important than ever.  The free and independent press is, and has always been, an essential pillar of our democracy.

It is our watchdog – holding our leaders accountable, guarding against government overreach, and striving always for truth and accuracy.

Local papers like the Cape Gazette are also the heartbeats of our communities. They keep us connected, informed and aware.

Indeed, for the past 25 years, the Cape Gazette has done that and more for Sussex County. Led since its founding by Publisher Dennis Forney and Editor Trish Vernon, the paper has earned a well-deserved reputation as a reliable source of news, sports, and information for and about the region.

As Dennis wrote in the inaugural issue on May 28, 1993, the paper is designed “to celebrate the lives and times of the people who live and own property in what many people consider one of the most beautiful and unique areas along the eastern seaboard.”

For the past quarter-century, the team at the Cape Gazette has covered community festivals and town council meetings; they’ve kept a watchful eye on our coastline, our most precious natural resource, and reported on issues that impact our families, including education, infrastructure, and health care.

From the beaches of Rehoboth, Dewey and Bethany, to the agricultural communities of Georgetown, Harbeson and Millsboro, this paper and its team of dedicated journalists work hard to connect us, no matter where we live.

Things have changed a bit for Dennis, Trish and their team since the first edition of the Cape Gazette was published in 1993. For starters, the newsgathering operation is more robust, now boasting 11 full-time editors and reporters on staff. A second mid-week edition was added to the paper in 2004, and circulation now reaches 23,000.

But a constant remains: the paper’s commitment to the people it serves and to its role as a crucial pillar of our democracy. As the Cape Gazette’s slogan reads: “The price of liberty is eternal vigilance.” That idea is woven into the fabric of our nation. At the time of its founding, Thomas Jefferson said, “Our liberty depends on freedom of the press, and that cannot be limited without being lost.” 

At a time when journalism is under attack, we should remember these words, and stand up for and celebrate journalism. We should stand up for journalism when the president is attempting to brand mainstream, credible news outlets as “fake news” and “the enemy of the people” when they disagree with him.

We should stand up for journalism when reporters are being targeted for violence as they were in Annapolis this summer, when a gunman opened fire on a newsroom and left five dead, and we should stand up for journalism when journalists continue to be jailed around the world for doing their jobs.

Today, more than ever, we must stand up for and celebrate journalism, and uphold the United States’ role as a defender of a free press, as our founders intended.  So on the 25th anniversary of the Cape Gazette, I want to thank Trish and Dennis and their team for working hard to tell the stories that matter, and striving always to perform the paper’s crucial function to our democracy.

We support you and stand with you. I wish you 25 more years of success.

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Bipartisan group of Senators urge Secretary Ross to grant South Africa exemption from steel, aluminum tariffs

WASHINGTON – Last week, U.S. Senators Chris Coons (D-Del.), Johnny Isakson (R-Ga.), and Roger Wicker (R-Miss.) sent a letter urging Secretary of Commerce Wilbur Ross to grant South Africa an exemption from President Trump’s Section 232 tariffs on steel and aluminum. In the letter, the Senators warn Secretary Ross of the impacts of the tariffs on U.S. poultry producers and their access to the South African market.

“The poultry industry contributes billions of dollars to the U.S. economy.  Poultry producers in our states are benefiting from new, duty-free access to the South African market, which is now at risk,” the Senators wrote. “In August, the South African Poultry Association (SAPA) filed a lawsuit seeking to reimpose tariffs on U.S. poultry.  SAPA’s lawsuit is directly in response to the steel and aluminum tariffs, which they claim represent a suspension of South Africa’s AGOA benefits.” 

The letter is copied below and is available here. 

September 21, 2018

The Honorable Wilbur Ross

Secretary of Commerce

U.S. Department of Commerce 

600 17^th St., NW

Washington, D.C. 20006

Dear Secretary Ross:  

We write to urge you to grant South Africa an exemption from President Trump’s Section 232 tariffs on steel and aluminum.  As members of the United States Senate, we have worked to facilitate strong trade and closer ties between the United States and South Africa, a dynamic country with a promising economy and a shared commitment to democratic values.  Unfortunately, tariffs against South Africa threaten to unravel our years of effort alongside U.S. poultry producers and trade officials to open the South African market to U.S. poultry.   

In 2000, the United States enacted the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA), which helps stimulate economic growth in Sub-Saharan Africa by significantly enhancing market access to the United States.  As part of the renewal of AGOA in 2015, our countries reached an agreement to eliminate longstanding barriers to U.S. poultry imports.  After more than 15 years of South Africa blocking imports of U.S. poultry, the government agreed to allow the United States to export up to 65,000 tons of bone-in chicken portions to South Africa duty-free.

The poultry industry contributes billions of dollars to the U.S. economy.  Poultry producers in our states are benefiting from new, duty-free access to the South African market, which is now at risk.  In August, the South African Poultry Association (SAPA) filed a lawsuit seeking to reimpose tariffs on U.S. poultry.  SAPA’s lawsuit is directly in response to the steel and aluminum tariffs, which they claim represent a suspension of South Africa’s AGOA benefits.  

South African Minister of Trade and Industry, Dr. Rob Davies, reiterated during his trip to Washington, D.C., in July that South Africa’s exports of steel and aluminum do not threaten U.S. national security.  In fact, they account for less than one percent of U.S. steel imports and less than two percent of U.S. aluminum imports.  South Africa complies with U.S. inspections of their products, ensuring that Chinese transshipments of steel and aluminum are not a part of their value chains. 

We are encouraged by your commitment to the United States’ economic relationship with Africa

and your dialogue with African leaders at the 2017 and 2018 AGOA Forums.  We urge you to continue advancing our trade relationships on the continent by exempting South Africa from the Section 232 tariffs, which will in turn preserve our AGOA agreement with South Africa and support the U.S. poultry industry.  

Sincerely,

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[AUDIO] Sen. Coons: “What’s at stake here is a lifetime appointment to the Supreme Court…It’s not unreasonable to expect the FBI to do its job here.”

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Chris Coons (D-Del.), a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, today joined NPR Morning Edition to discuss the status of the Kavanaugh nomination.

“It’s important to keep reminding your listeners that this is what happens in every federal nomination to a lifetime appointment to the judiciary. First,” said Senator Coons. “Second, that is what happened in the case now several decades ago where Professor Hill came forward with allegations. The White House directed the FBI to conduct an investigation. They did so in a matter of several days and, ultimately, that hearing at 20 witnesses.  It’s not unreasonable to expect the FBI to do its job here.”

Audio and video available here.  

Excerpts from the interview are below:

Sen. Coons on the second allegation against Judge Kavanaugh: I am now joining Senator Feinstein and other Democrats in the Committee in calling on Chairman Grassley, again, to have the FBI conduct an appropriate background investigation on both of these alarming allegations from Deborah Ramirez about Judge Kavanaugh’s alleged misdeeds at a party at Yale College and Christine Blasey Ford for her allegations of sexual assault at a high school party. 

More on Ramirez: That’s exactly why I think professionals who do background investigations, who interview witnesses, who assess evidence for every federal court nominee should be the folks doing the fact finding initially and then present their conclusions to the Judiciary Committee before we hear from both witnesses. It is my hope that Deborah Ramirez would also come forward to the Judiciary Committee and testify, but it’s important for us to remember, this is not a criminal trial. Dr. Ford and Ms. Ramirez are not on trial. What’s at stake here is a lifetime appointment to the Supreme Court and I think it’s important that the Senators on the Judiciary Committee and all of the Senators who are charged with advising and consenting to any nomination take our time, take this seriously, and show the American people that we can treat credibly and respectfully allegations of sexual assault.

More on the FBI investigation: They may not want it to happen, but I think it’s important to keep reminding your listeners that this is what happens in every federal nomination to a lifetime appointment to the judiciary. First. Second, that is what happened in the case now several decades ago where Professor Hill came forward with allegations. The White House directed the FBI to conduct an investigation. They did so in a matter of several days and, ultimately, that hearing at 20 witnesses.  It’s not unreasonable to expect the FBI to do its job here.

Sen. Coons on whether his vote could change: I publicly said I will vote against Judge Kavanaugh based on his extreme views as a judge about presidential power. These additional allegations are gravely concerning, but after his confirmation hearing I concluded I could not support him for the Supreme Court.

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Sen. Coons: “Everyone – the accusers, Judge Kavanaugh, and the American people – would benefit from a professional, impartial, federal investigation.”

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Chris Coons (D-Del.), a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, released the following statement after additional allegations against Judge Kavanaugh were made public.

“These new allegations are deeply concerning and reinforce the need for the FBI to investigate claims against Judge Kavanaugh. Everyone – the accusers, Judge Kavanaugh, and the American people – would benefit from a professional, impartial, federal investigation,” said Senator Coons.  “I agree with Ranking Member Feinstein’s call for an immediate postponement of this week’s hearing and investigations into these claims.”

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Sen. Coons’ statement on Dr. Ford’s testimony

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Chris Coons (D-Del.), a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, released the following statement.

“We should be respectfully working with Dr. Ford so that she can provide her testimony to the Judiciary Committee and the American people.  Instead, Senate Republicans are refusing to have the FBI conduct a standard investigation, negotiating the terms of her testimony through the media, and using hardball tactics. This is an important moment, and the Committee must be better than this. The country is watching.”

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