Coons, Gardner introduce Cyber Deterrence and Response Act

Washington, DC – Last week, U.S. Senators Chris Coons (D-DE) and Cory Gardner (R-CO) 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. S.3378 is a companion to H.R.5576, which was introduced in the House by Representative Ted Yoho (R-FL). 

“State-sponsored cyberattacks are a clear and persistent threat to United States,” said Senator Coons.  “Rivals like Russia, China, and Iran are enhancing their cyber capabilities and targeting our electoral process, financial system, and critical infrastructure.  I’m proud to introduce the Cyber Deterrence and Response Act, which will expose and impose costs on states that try to use cyberattacks to undermine American security and prosperity.” 

“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”; and
• Provides an opportunity for the President to waive the imposition of sanctions and the publication of “critical cyber threat actors” on a case-by-case basis. 

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Sen. Coons supports proposal to rename Russell Senate Office Building after Senator John McCain

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Chris Coons (D-Del.) voiced his support of Senator Chuck Schumer’s (D-N.Y.) proposal to rename the Russell Senate Office Building in Washington, D.C., after the late Senator John McCain.

“Right now, my office in Washington is on the first floor of the Russell Senate Office Building, but I hope that very soon, I’ll be working in the McCain Senate Office Building. It would be an important and fitting tribute to one of the finest Senators we’ve ever seen,” said Senator Coons.

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Senator Coons’ statement on the passing of Senator John McCain

WILMINGTON – U.S. Senator Chris Coons (D-Del.) released the following statement on the passing of Senator John McCain (R-Ariz.). 

“I have rarely met someone who cared so deeply, sacrificed so much, and represented the best of the United States of America like John McCain.  From his service in the United States Navy to his nearly four decades in Congress, John literally lived a life of service to this country, and our nation is better for it. 

“Traveling with John to a dozen countries, including to a refugee camp in Jordan, a military base in Afghanistan and to the H?a Lò Prison in Hanoi, Vietnam, where he was held captive and tortured as a POW for more than five years, has taught me about America’s roles and responsibilities in the world.  I’ve seen John represent our country in ways few are able to – delivering tough, principled messages to foreign leaders who didn’t always want to hear them, commanding immediate respect at international gatherings, and even showing the grace to extend a hand of friendship in a country where he endured the unthinkable.  In every one of those instances, John not only spoke for the United States, he embodied the principles and traditions that make this country exceptional.

“John’s impact was no less significant in the Senate, where he has held a unique reputation among both Democrats and Republicans as someone who understood what this body can and should be.   When the most complicated, difficult issues were up for debate, from health care to immigration, from national security to campaign finance, we have all benefitted from John’s principled, independent leadership and the trust and respect he’s earned over decades.  I was particularly grateful for the opportunity earlier this year to partner with him on a compromise immigration reform bill that offered a way forward when the Senate was stuck.  In the years ahead, we will miss his ability to bring Senators together and remind us of what we can do when we check partisanship at the door and work together.

“Most of all, I will miss John as a friend and colleague.  I will miss his sage advice, unyielding determination, and famous way with words.  Annie and I will be praying for Cindy and all of John’s family in the coming days, and we will cherish our memories of John always.” 

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Sen. Coons’ statement on Paul Manafort and Michael Cohen, legislation to protect Special Counsel Mueller

WILMINGTON – U.S. Senator Chris Coons (D-Del.), a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee and co-author of the Special Counsel Independence and Integrity Act, released the following statement.

“Today, President Trump’s longtime personal lawyer, Michael Cohen, pled guilty to eight felony counts, and his former Campaign Chairman, Paul Manafort, was found guilty of eight felony charges. That is a striking level of criminality by individuals close to the President. Both prosecutions arose from the work of Special Counsel Robert Mueller, and President Trump continues to criticize Mueller and his team and to threaten their ongoing investigation,” said Senator Coons. “I introduced bipartisan legislation last year to ensure the Special Counsel is able to complete his important work without interference. That legislation passed the Judiciary Committee with strong bipartisan support earlier this year, and it is past time for the full Senate to vote on it.”

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ICYMI: Sens. urge President Trump to protect U.S. officials, private citizens from Russian indictment

WASHINGTON – In case you missed it, U.S. Senators Chris Coons (D-DE), Roger Wicker (R-MS), Mazie Hirono (D-HI), and Marco Rubio (R-FL) sent a letter to U.S. President Donald Trump requesting that he reject any new Russian demands to interrogate or indict U.S. diplomats, congressional staff, and private citizens and oppose the issuance of improper INTERPOL Red Notices that target Americans. In the letter, the Senators reiterate Congress’ determination to work with the Trump Administration to deter Russia from threatening Americans.

“Russia continues its efforts to exploit Western institutions to advance its own political objectives and erode the rule of law in democratic nations, including the United States,” said Senator Coons. “The Administration must take immediate action to protect current and former U.S. officials and private citizens from Russian harassment and to counter Russian attempts to politicize international organizations like Interpol.” 

The letter is copied below and available here.  

August 3, 2018

President Donald J. Trump

The White House

1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW

Washington, DC 20500

Dear President Trump:

We write to express our concerns over Russia’s efforts to harass current and former U.S. officials and politicize the publication of Interpol Red Notices.  We urge you to clearly and forcefully reject any new Russian demands to interrogate or indict U.S. diplomats, congressional staff, and private citizens and also oppose the issuance of improper Red Notices that target Americans.  We also respectfully request an explanation of your Administration’s strategy for protecting current and former U.S. officials and private citizens from Russian harassment and for countering additional Russian attempts to politicize Interpol. 

The Senate voted 98-0 on July 19 to urge you to reject President Vladi¬mir Putin’s proposal to allow Russia to interview 11 American officials and private citizens in exchange for making Russian intelligence agents available to U.S. authorities.  We remain concerned that Russia will continue to request access to these 11 Americans and may add new people to its list.  Additionally, Russia is likely to use other methods to harass and intimidate Americans.  Russia has long exploited Interpol Red Notices to pursue and threaten internal Russian political opponents, dissidents, and businessmen.  We believe Moscow will now expand this practice to target U.S. officials and private citizens. 

In recent years, Russia has systematically exploited Western institutions to advance its own political objectives and erode the rule of law in democratic nations, including the United States.  Interpol has issued Red Notices on the basis of dubious Russian legal evidence, which allows for an individual’s apprehension, detention, and potential extradition.  A Red Notice makes life extremely difficult for its subject.  Americans subject to a Red Notice will not automatically be notified of their status.  Therefore, even if the target is safe in their home country, they may be detained or extradited as soon as they cross an international border, especially in a state with underdeveloped rule of law or one that is subject to substantial Russian influence.  The target of a Red Notice may also be subject to travel bans and asset seizures.  As a result of these consequences, a Red Notice can severely inhibit the work an individual can perform on behalf of the U.S. government or an independent organization.  

If the United States does not stand up for its citizens, it will convey weakness to Vladimir Putin and other international rivals.  The Russian government is likely to continue searching for methods to target Americans, weaken international institutions, and undermine democratic processes around the world.  Therefore, we urge you to vigorously oppose any Russian attempt to issue Red Notices for current and former U.S. diplomats, congressional staff, and private citizens, and encourage you to rally our allies and partners to reject them as well.  We ask you to articulate a whole-of-government strategy to protect Americans from Russian harassment and to counter additional attempts to politicize Interpol.  Additionally, we hope you will see Congress as an ally in this important effort.  We stand ready to work with you to forge additional measures and reciprocal actions to deter Russia from politicizing Interpol and threatening Americans.

Sincerely,

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Coons, Rubio urge UN Secretary-General to investigate murder of Russian journalists in Central African Republic

Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senators Chris Coons (D-DE) and Marco Rubio (R-FL) today urged Secretary-General of the United Nations António Guterres to support a full and impartial investigation into the murders of Russian journalists Orkhan Dzhemal, Kirill Radchenko, and Alexander Rastorguyev, who were investigating the activities of Wagner, a Russian mercenary group, in the Central African Republic.              

The full text of the letter is below: 

Dear Mr. Secretary-General:

We write with great concern regarding three Russian journalists—Orkhan Dzhemal, Kirill Radchenko, and Alexander Rastorguyev—who were killed in an ambush by unknown assailants in the Central African Republic on July 31. They were reportedly in the country investigating the activities of Wagner, a private Russian mercenary group that has been deployed in Syria and Ukraine and that is reported to be linked to Yevgeny Prigozhin, a catering magnate close to Vladimir Putin.

The journalists were working on a documentary about Wagner for the Investigations Management Center, an independent media project supported by Mikhail Khodorkovsky, an exiled opponent of Putin. While the circumstances of the ambush are still unclear, Russian state media have been quick to blame the killings on a “robbery.”

The murders of journalists come amid increased Russian involvement in the Central African Republic. With UN approval, the Russian Federation has delivered arms and ammunition and provided instructors for the CAR military. According to a recent report by the UN Panel of Experts on the Central African Republic to the UN Security Council, Russian arms shipments have “led to waves of rearmament” by various factions in the country. Earlier this year, Russia’s Wagner group was deployed to the Central African Republic to provide a security detail for President Faustin-Archange Touadéra.

According to the editor-in-chief of the Investigations Management Center, Andrei Konyakhin, the journalists coordinated their movements with the United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in the Central African Republic (MINUSCA), and the UN Mission recommended their driver (who witnessed and survived the ambush).

We respectfully ask you to engage the relevant UN mechanisms to conduct a full and impartial investigation into the circumstances of the murder of Orkhan Dzhemal, Kirill Radchenko, and Alexander Rastorguyev, and to ensure full cooperation by the governments of the Central African Republic and the Russian Federation.

Sincerely,

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Sen. Coons’ statement on rushed Supreme Court confirmation hearings

WILMINGTON – U.S. Senator Chris Coons (D-Del.), a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, released the following statement after Chairman Grassley scheduled confirmation hearings for Judge Kavanaugh for the first week of September.

“I’m deeply disappointed that Chairman Grassley has decided to rush the Supreme Court confirmation hearings for Judge Kavanaugh without our having access to his full record.  Both parties used to believe in fully vetting nominees for life-tenured positions on the Supreme Court in a way that allowed for full transparency and for the Senate to do its job responsibly.

“Let’s be clear about what’s happening: the National Archives has millions of pages of records on the nominee, Judge Kavanaugh, and those records belong to the American people.  Even Chairman Grassley asked for 900,000 pages from the National Archives, but Republicans won’t even wait to get those records.  Instead, the Committee will only see documents that Judge Kavanaugh’s former deputy selects and releases to the Senate — and he has only given us two percent of the total records.  

“This is a disservice to the United States Senate and to the American people who are entitled to see these records and to have them inform our confirmation hearing of the President’s nominee for the Supreme Court.”

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Sen. Coons condemns post-election security crackdown in Zimbabwe

WILMINGTON – U.S. Senator Chris Coons (D-Del.), a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, released the following statement on reports of violent government-sponsored attacks in Zimbabwe since the elections on July 30. 

“I am watching the situation in Zimbabwe very closely, and I am concerned about reports of arbitrary arrests, detentions, and government-sponsored violence. These tactics have no place in a democracy, and the government must ensure they stop immediately. 

“Any disagreements over last month’s election should be dealt with through fair and open investigations, hearings, and legal processes. I am particularly alarmed to hear that members of the MDC alliance have been detained by government-backed security forces. Reports of the detention of Tendai Biti at the Zambian border are especially unnerving. The U.S. Senate will hold the government of Zimbabwe responsible for ensuring Mr. Biti and other detainees are not harmed in any way. I also call upon the Trump Administration, the U.S. State Department, the governments of Zimbabwe, Zambia and other regional actors to stand against politically motivated arrests and to support and promote the rule of law. 

“The people of Zimbabwe have suffered through such tactics of repression and intimidation for decades. Last month’s election was supposed to offer them something different. It is not too late for the leaders of Zimbabwe to restore the sense of hope and fairness that its people deserve.”

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Senators Coons, Isakson, Booker, statement on election in Zimbabwe

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Chris Coons (D-Del.), Johnny Isakson (R-Ga.), and Cory Booker (D-N.J.), all members of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee’s Subcommittee on African Affairs, released the following statement after the July 30 election in Zimbabwe.

“As members of the U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee’s Subcommittee on African Affairs, we strongly condemn yesterday’s violence in Harare, Zimbabwe, following elections on July 30.  We call upon leaders of all political parties, especially ZANU-PF and MDC, to refrain from violence and to urge their supporters to remain calm and peaceful as the election results become available.

“Just days ago, on July 30, millions of Zimbabweans cast their vote in a landmark election, the first since the fall of longtime dictator Robert Mugabe. Though the results of the election are not yet certified, we are encouraged by the level of citizen engagement.  This election represents progress for Zimbabwe’s democracy as an estimated 75 percent of Zimbabweans turned out to vote, and many waited hours in line to do so, demonstrating their strong desire to select their country’s leaders.  

“Despite this, we are appalled by yesterday’s attacks that have killed at least three people in downtown Harare.  Violence of this kind is unacceptable.  In addition, we are concerned that in the run up to the election the state-run media heavily favored the ZANU-PF party, and that traditional leaders in rural areas were reportedly intimidating voters and using state resources to gain an electoral advantage. 

“As the election results are announced, we hope Zimbabwe can maintain peace and preserve this opening for democracy in the weeks and months to come.  We call upon the political leaders of all parties, and all Zimbabweans, to promote national unity and refrain from inciting violence. We stand with the people of Zimbabwe in their democratic journey.  This election can be one important step along a path toward broader political and economic freedom if Zimbabweans refrain from further violence and respect the outcome of the polls.”

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Sens. Coons, Murkowski, Harris introduce bill 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 44 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 serves to commend these women for their contributions to NASA’s success during the Space Race and highlight 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. 

“I am proud to introduce this bill with my colleagues to honor Katherine Johnson, Dorothy Vaughan, Mary Jackson, and Dr. Christine Darden with Congressional Gold Medals,” said Senator Coons. “Each of these 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.”

This bill is endorsed by the Girl Scouts of the USA, Girl Scouts of Alaska, 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, Association for the Study of African American Life and History, 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, Alfred P. Sloan Foundation, American Chemical Society, and American Geophysical Union. Statements of support can be found here.

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