Sen. Coons’ Statement on President Trump’s Executive Order

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Chris Coons (D-Del.) released the following statement on President Trump’s Executive Order.

“The American people deserve clarity about what has happened along our southern border in recent weeks.  President Trump created a humanitarian crisis by adopting a ‘zero-tolerance’ policy for people fleeing violence in their home countries.  That ‘zero-tolerance’ policy included cruelly separating young children and even babies from their parents at the border.   

“The President and his Administration have misled the American people and excused this cruel policy in a variety of conflicting ways, including claiming that they didn’t have this policy, that they were following a non-existent law, or that their policy was being used as a deterrent for people who are fleeing to the United States.  I have joined many colleagues in calling for hearings before the Judiciary Committee to expose the cruelty of this “zero tolerance” policy and explore more effective and humanitarian alternatives. 

“Over the last week, the American people spoke clearly and said that the President’s policy was an unacceptable, un-American tragedy that should not continue.  The President finally succumbed to pressure yesterday by issuing an Executive Order, but that order simply creates new problems. 

“Under this order, President Trump’s new policy is to indefinitely detain entire families in facilities that may include ill-equipped tent cities, and his order doesn’t clarify what will become of the more than 2,000 children already separated from their families. 

“We live in the most powerful, prosperous nation in world history, and our President is treating children and their indefinite detention or separation from their parents as a bargaining chip in a long running disagreement over how to fix our nation’s broken immigration system.  This Administration is blemishing the United States’ human rights record in lasting ways. We cannot tolerate this.” 

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[VIDEO] Sen. Coons: “Mr. President, if you’re watching: You can change this today. It doesn’t require legislation. You are not compelled to do this by law.”

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Chris Coons (D-Del.), a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, today joined CNN New Day to discuss the Trump administration’s separation of families at the Southern border. 

“What can be done is very simple: President Trump can reverse this policy decision that he’s made. He can stop misleading the American people by suggesting that this somehow is the responsibility of Democrats or it’s required by law,” said Senator Coons. “Neither of those are true. A dozen Republican Senators have now said that President Trump can change this policy today.  Mr. President, if you’re watching: You can change this today. It doesn’t require legislation. You are not compelled to do this by law. Faith leaders across every major faith have been denouncing this, most recently Pope Francis. This is inhumane and cruel to use children as pawns in our long-running disagreements about how to secure our borders and fix our broken immigration system.” 

Full audio and video available here. 

Excerpts from the interview are below:

Sen. Coons on what can be done: What can be done is very simple: President Trump can reverse this policy decision that he’s made. He can stop misleading the American people by suggesting that this somehow is the responsibility of Democrats or it’s required by law. Neither of those are true. A dozen Republican Senators have now said that President Trump can change this policy today.  Mr. President, if you’re watching: You can change this today. It doesn’t require legislation. You are not compelled to do this by law. Faith leaders across every major faith have been denouncing this, most recently Pope Francis. This is inhumane and cruel to use children as pawns in our long-running disagreements about how to secure our borders and fix our broken immigration system. 

More on immigration reform: Well, given the mess at the Republican Caucus meeting over on the House side last night with President Trump, given my own experience with trying to craft bipartisan legislation earlier this year, I’ll remind you that one of our biggest challenges is that President Trump and his real position, what legislation he’d be willing to sign or support, is a constantly moving point. As a candidate, from literally the day he entered the race for president, he has been the hardest of hardliners on immigration, describing folks who come to our country from Mexico in the most unflattering and negative terms possible. So, it’s pretty hard to know what we could possibly do to either address the problem he created by reversing the policy allowing DREAMers to stay in this country or with this new heartless and cruel new policy towards children. It’s hard to know what we can do when he’s a moving point.

More on what we can do: First, I believe that to be a mischaracterization of all the elements of that bill. And the Gang of Eight bill I think you’re referring to is the one from 2013 that passed the Senate while I was here. They are talking about a significantly different package that is far more to the right, is closer to the package that only got 39 votes here in the Senate. It was the one championed by Secretary Nielson of Homeland Security and President Trump. You may recall we had four different bills on the floor of the Senate for a vote. I was the co-sponsor of one of them with Senator McCain of Arizona. I worked hard with a bipartisan group led by Senator Susan Collins of Maine. That one got 54 votes. The only one that got 60 votes was the president’s. It got 60 “No” votes. And that was the farthest right. It did a whole series of changes to our immigration policy. Here’s what I resent, Alisyn: Is that this change in policy announced by this administration is being used to create a crisis and is being used for the president to try and get his border wall and some very far rightward moves in our immigration policy. I think it’s inhumane to use children as bargaining chips.

More on legislation: We already did that. The bill that I co-sponsored did that. It actually, in exchange for a pathway to citizenship for 1.4 million DREAMers, provided $25 billion in funding for border security, including a wall system. That was taken up and voted on the floor of the Senate. And we thought it was going to pass until that day, when President Trump and Secretary Nielson began aggressively, personally lobbying against it, and peeled off several of our Republican likely supporters. That’s what I’m speaking about. We thought we had a deal that would get administration support until it got to the floor. And frankly, it is hard to keep negotiating with folks who keep moving the goal posts farther and farther right and engaging in practices that are taking America and dragging us through the mud worldwide and destroying our reputation as a humane country in order to accomplish these goals.

More on legislation: So, I have continued, after that debacle on the floor, now several months ago, I have continued to meet with and attempt to negotiate with Republican colleagues. You know me. I’m someone who works tirelessly across the aisle, who tries to move bipartisan legislation. I’ve continued conversations about how we could make progress on addressing hundreds of thousands of folks under temporary protected status, for example, who are facing deportation. How to resolve the DREAMer issue, how to resolve some of these larger issues. But this newly created crisis, by changing the policy on separating families who cross our border – it is really hard to swallow the idea that somehow this is my responsibility, Democrats responsibility to come even farther President Trump’s way because of the cruel way children are being treated. The solutions being put forward by Republican senators this week would instead incarcerate, in pre-trial detention, whole families in facilities that are not yet built, with immigration judges that will take months if not years to fully hire, and in pursuit of a shortened asylum process, just two weeks, that as someone who handled a few asylum cases as a lawyer in private practice, I will tell you, it’s exceptionally hard to put on a successful, competent asylum case in just two weeks. The basic outlines of what Republicans are proposing would result in mass incarceration of children in pre-trial detention, something that has not been embraced by either party in a long time. 

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ICYMI: Sens. Coons, Rubio & Reps. McCaul, Ruppersberger: Dems and GOP must work together on foreign policy

WASHINGTON – In case you missed it, U.S. Senators Chris Coons (D-Del.) and Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) and U.S. Representatives Michael McCaul (R-Tex.) and Dutch Ruppersberger (D-Md.) published an editorial ahead of the second annual Capitol Hill National Security Forum on Thursday morning. 

FOX News: Dems and GOP must work together on foreign policy

By Sens. Coons, Rubio & Reps. McCaul, Ruppersberger

National security challenges facing the United States are growing ever more complex. Terrorists are plotting their next attack, adversarial nation states are strategizing their next move, and cybercriminals are targeting their next hack.

Russia, China, and Iran continue to threaten and intimidate their neighbors as they pursue regional dominance with their eye on global gains. Rogue states and non-state actors are in hot pursuit of the world’s most dangerous weapons, while man-made humanitarian disasters in Syria, Yemen and Venezuela only seem to get worse, serving as destabilizing factors in their respective regions. 

As our nation addresses these complex and interrelated challenges, it is imperative that Republicans and Democrats work together to provide leadership on the most pressing foreign policy and national security issues. 

If we are going to be successful in keeping our homeland safe from enemies that seek our destruction, we must put politics aside and advance policies that transcend partisan lines. The American people have placed their trust in their elected leaders to skillfully engage one another and our allies to resolve problems that have a direct impact on our national security and economic prosperity. 

Our nation has long understood that we are safest when we fiercely protect our democracy while also advancing the cause of democracy and universal values around the world. It is in America’s interest to have stable, peace-loving democracies that become strong allies and reliable partners.

America’s adversaries do not share one religion or one worldview, but they do share a desire to disrupt our way of life. They are willing to use whatever means necessary to cause the maximum amount of damage and inflict as much pain as possible, regardless of which party is in power. 

To demonstrate our commitment to bipartisanship in national security policy, we will convene the second annual Capitol Hill National Security Forum Thursday morning. This event will bring together a diverse set of speakers and panelists from current and past administrations and today’s congressional leaders to discuss America’s most pressing national security and foreign policy challenges.

This forum will be an opportunity to hear from Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen and senior government officials, such as Army Chief of Staff Gen. Mark Milley and intelligence community leaders Robert Cardillo, George Barnes, Stacey Dixon and Rob Joyce.

The forum will also feature a bipartisan mix of congressional leaders such as House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Ed Royce, R-Calif.; Sen. James Risch, R-Idaho; and Reps. Liz Cheney, R-Wyo.; Ted Deutch, D-Fla.; Will Hurd, R-Texas; Adam Kinzinger, R-Ill.; and Mike Gallagher, R-Wis. 

Other recognized national security experts scheduled to appear include former Ambassador Ryan Crocker; former Rep. Jane Harman, D-Calif.; Jake Sullivan, Kelly Magsamen and Jamie Fly.  

The forum will allow today’s policymakers and experts to exchange ideas and debate the international dimensions of homeland security; America’s engagement with China, North Korea, and our allies in the region; the next phase in the war on terror; technology’s role in the intelligence community; and the role of Congress in foreign policy.  

These issues are vital topics and will help refine the best ways to project American strength and promote universal values on the world stage.

This gathering will also give us a chance to discuss how the Trump administration can learn from administrations of the past and how different branches of government can work in unison to form a coherent national security strategy. 

This is an important bipartisan gathering. We can all be proud party members, but above all, we must work together to put the safety and security of American families first.

Thursday’s forum will allow us to build upon last year’s success, continue our conversation and achieve that goal. 

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Sens. McCain, Coons: Ronald Mortensen is the wrong choice to lead US refugee response

WASHINGTON – Ahead of World Refugee Day on June 20, U.S. Senators John McCain (R-Ariz.) and Chris Coons (D-Del.) urged the Trump administration to withdraw the nomination of Ronald Mortensen, a vocal opponent of immigration, to serve as Assistant Secretary of State for Population, Refugees, and Migration. In a letter to Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, the Senators cited Mortensen’s well-documented anti-immigrant views and urged the administration to nominate an individual who will uphold the United States’ legacy of promoting the human rights of displaced people. 

“While we appreciate your efforts to address the Department’s staffing needs and look forward to confirming a qualified nominee for this important position, we are deeply concerned about the possibility of a virulent opponent of immigration serving as the United States’ senior diplomat for migration and refugee policies,”McCain and Coons wrote. “As a fellow for the anti-immigrant Center for Immigration Studies, Mr. Mortensen has spread misinformation about immigrants and displayed a lack of empathy for innocent men, women, and children fleeing violence and oppression. 

“At a time when more than 65 million people are displaced worldwide, the nomination of Mr. Mortensen for this position sends a chilling message to all those around the world who look to the United States as a beacon of hope and security for persecuted peoples.” 

The full letter is here and below. 

June 19, 2018

The Honorable Mike Pompeo

Secretary

U.S. Department of State

2201 C St NW

Washington, DC 20520

Dear Secretary Pompeo:

We write to express our strong opposition to President Trump’s recent nomination of Ronald Mortensen to serve as Assistant Secretary of State for Population, Refugees, and Migration.  While we appreciate your efforts to address the Department’s staffing needs and look forward to confirming a qualified nominee for this important position, we are deeply concerned about the possibility of a virulent opponent of immigration serving as the United States’ senior diplomat for migration and refugee policies. 

As a fellow for the anti-immigrant Center for Immigration Studies, Mr. Mortensen has spread misinformation about immigrants and displayed a lack of empathy for innocent men, women, and children fleeing violence and oppression.  For example, Mr. Mortensen attacked American religious leaders for sheltering and assisting immigrants, accusing them of “turning their back on Americans” and focusing on “illegal aliens because they are willing to join their churches”[1].  He also referred to providing work authorizations for Dreamers as “elite-driven child abuse”[2].  This rhetoric is both unfitting for a potential diplomat and antithetical to America’s long history of welcoming immigrants.

The Assistant Secretary of State for Population, Refugees, and Migration oversees the U.S. Refugee Admissions Program and U.S. assistance for refugees, victims of conflict, and stateless people abroad.  At a time when more than 65 million people are displaced worldwide, the nomination of Mr. Mortensen for this position sends a chilling message to all those around the world who look to the United States as a beacon of hope and security for persecuted peoples.

We encourage the administration to withdraw Mr. Mortensen’s nomination to serve as Assistant Secretary of State for Population, Refugees, and Migration and to work with President Trump to nominate a qualified individual who is committed to the United States’ legacy of promoting the human rights of displaced people.  We look forward to working with you in advancing this goal. 

Sincerely,

Christopher A. Coons                                                             John McCain

United States Senator                                                            United States Senator 

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Senator Coons on US withdrawal from the Human Rights Council

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Chris Coons (D-Del.), a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and a co-Chair of the Senate Human Rights Caucus, released the following response to a report that the Trump administration plans to announce its withdrawal from the United Nations (UN) Human Rights Council.

“I strongly disagree with the Trump administration’s decision to leave the UN’s Human Rights Council,” said Senator Coons. “The UN Human Rights Council isn’t perfect, but withdrawing the United States from this important body sends a clear message that the Trump Administration does not intend to lead the world when it comes to human rights. It also makes it harder for the United States to prevent the Human Rights Council from taking positions we oppose.  If the United States wants to continue to lead at the UN, the G7, and other important international bodies we created, we need to show up, be constructive, and work with our allies to isolate bad actors.  This decision weakens the United States’ influence on the Council and makes it harder for us to advance our other foreign policy and national security goals.  This is a serious mistake by President Trump, and I will continue working with my colleagues in Congress to demonstrate the United States’ continued commitment to human rights.”

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VIDEO: Sen. Coons responds to AG Sessions citing scripture re: family separation at the border

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Chris Coons (D-Del.), a member of the Judiciary Committee and a graduate of Yale Divinity School, responded to the Trump administration’s separation of families at the Southern border. A video of his response is available here. 

“The specific thing I wanted to raise with you today was that Attorney General Sessions and then, later, Sarah Huckabee Sanders, spokesperson for the Trump Administration, cited Scripture, cited Paul’s epistle to the Romans, in particular, Romans Chapter 13, for the principle that we must all be subject to governing authority and follow the law.

“That brief passage in Romans 13, which does indeed say that we should be subject to the authorities and follow the law, ironically, was also cited by Tories who opposed the American Revolution, by slaveholders who opposed abolition in the run up to the Civil War in the United States, and by those who were the defenders of the Apartheid regime in South Africa. It is a cramped and narrow reading of Romans 13 that misses the context – verses just before and just after in Romans 12 and Romans 13 that call on people of faith to be humble, to associate themselves with folks in need, to show hospitality, kindness, and love.  And near the end of Romans 13, it says that it is love that is the fulfillment of the law, and that ‘Love thy neighbor’ is the greatest commandment of the law. 

“Let me simply say that as one Senator, one person trying to represent you here in Washington, I am concerned – I’m upset – that a decision has been made to use children as a weapon in a long running war about how best to secure our border – how best to fix our broken immigration system – and it’s my hope that the Trump Administration will choose to end this policy and instead work with us in Congress on a bipartisan basis to find a legislative solution to our badly broken immigration system.

“It seems to me that listening to each other, in humility, and with a kind and open heart, would truly be in the spirit of the Gospel.”

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Sen. Coons, colleagues call for hearing on President Trump’s family separation policy

WASHINGTON – On Monday, U.S. Senator Chris Coons (D-Del.) and all of the Senate Judiciary Committee Democrats sent a letter to Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa), calling on him to promptly hold a hearing on the Trump administration’s inhumane family separation policy. Since President Trump announced his “zero-tolerance” policy, nearly 2,500 children – some of them just infants – have been torn away from their families at the border. Leahy and Judiciary Committee Democrats wrote:

“The Senate Judiciary Committee has a storied history of discussing and debating the most pressing issues facing our nation. Today, there are few issues more pressing, more agonizing, and more discussed at kitchen tables across America than the Trump administration’s policy of family separation along the Southwest Border. …Each day, Americans wake up to the realization that a parent’s worst nightmare – not knowing where your child is, what food and shelter they are receiving, and when you will see them again – is a reality for thousands of immigrants and asylum seekers.”

The letter continues, “We cannot remain silent in the face of these horrifying stories. Therefore, we respectfully request an immediate oversight hearing to better understand the scope, nature, and impact of the Trump administration’s new ‘zero-tolerance’ policy on children and families. Our Committee, unlike any other in Congress, is uniquely situated to examine the Trump Administration’s ‘zero-tolerance’ policy. Further, our Committee has a moral obligation to examine whether this policy is consistent with our most basic American values. We strongly believe it is not.  We owe it to the American people to hold a hearing so that we can all, together, learn more about this policy being implemented in our name.” 

The full text of the letter can be found here.

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[VIDEO] Sen. Coons seeks assurance from Director Wray that the FBI will not interfere in Special Counsel Mueller’s investigation

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Chris Coons (D-Del.), a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, today questioned Michael Horowitz, Inspector General for the Department of Justice, and Christopher Wray, Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, at a hearing examining the DOJ Inspector General’s report on the FBI’s handling of the Hillary Clinton email investigation and various other issues. 

“Director Wray, I’ve expressed time and again that I am concerned that the Department of Justice is being pressured to release information to Congress that could compromise the Special Counsel’s ongoing investigation,” said Senator Coons. “I am all for oversight after the conclusion of an investigation, but I’d like to hear that you’re committed to ensuring that the Bureau will not risk interfering with the Special Counsel’s ongoing criminal investigations by providing midstream information to Congress that risks leaking to the very subjects to that investigation. Will you give that assurance?”

Director Wray responded: “Senator, while on the one hand, we are of course committed to cooperating with legitimate congressional oversight and that’s an important part of our responsibility, we are also committed and obligated to protect the integrity of ongoing criminal investigations, not just the one you mentioned, but others. We are also obligated to protect sources and methods. We are also obligated to do things like respect grand jury secrecy, which actually makes it illegal for us to share certain information. None of that is meant to suggest that we don’t want to do everything we can and in fact are doing everything we can to cooperate with the I think six different committees of Congress that are investigating different ways and related ways. We are providing mountains of information, briefings, interviews, reading room access, et cetera, and so we’re doing anything we can to be responsive while at the same time making sure that we don’t jeopardize ongoing criminal investigations, and that’s something I’m committed to.” 

Full audio and video available here.

Senator Coons’ Q&A, as delivered, is below: 

Sen. Coons: Thank you, Chairman Grassley, and thank you to our witnesses for your hard work and for what has been a long hearing. I want to begin by thanking you, Inspector General Horowitz, and your staff, the director of the FBI, Mr. Wray, and the thousands of agents and DOJ professionals who are doing difficult, sometimes dangerous jobs to investigate and prosecute crimes all over the country. The IG and the FBI have demonstrated something very important in this process — that our country’s most senior leaders, our most senior law enforcement leaders, are subject to scrutiny for their conduct. It bears repeating that for this review, senior IG staff conducted over 100 interviews and reviewed over 1.2 million documents, including with a former president, former Attorney General, former FBI Director. Frankly, that’s something that wouldn’t happen in many other countries, and it makes me proud to be an American and proud to continue to support the rule of law. In the United States, even the most senior officials who make mistakes are held to account. In its review, the IG office found that the former FBI director made serious errors in judgment in deviating from policies and releasing information about the Clinton investigation just before the 2016 election. It’s important that the American people understand that there are 37,000 hardworking FBI employees, and the report takes issue with a few discrete decisions by just a handful of those employees. Even then, it finds decisions in the Clinton investigation were not the result of bias. I am encouraged that the DOJ and FBI are prepared to learn lessons from this report. One conclusion stood out to me: the IG found that FBI policies “are most important to follow when the stakes are the highest, and when the pressures to divert from them…are the greatest.” Those include policies to avoid interference with ongoing investigations and even the appearance of political bias. Director Wray, I’ve expressed time and again that I am concerned that the Department of Justice is being pressured to release information to Congress that could compromise the Special Counsel’s ongoing investigation. I am all for oversight after the conclusion of an investigation, but I’d like to hear that you’re committed to ensuring that the Bureau will not risk interfering with the Special Counsel’s ongoing criminal investigations by providing midstream information to Congress that risks leaking to the very subjects to that investigation. Will you give that assurance? 

Dir. Wray: Senator, while on the one hand, we are of course committed to cooperating with legitimate congressional oversight and that’s an important part of our responsibility, we are also committed and obligated to protect the integrity of ongoing criminal investigations, not just the one you mentioned, but others. We are also obligated to protect sources and methods. We are also obligated to do things like respect grand jury secrecy, which actually makes it illegal for us to share certain information. None of that is meant to suggest that we don’t want to do everything we can and in fact are doing everything we can to cooperate with the I think six different committees of Congress that are investigating different ways and related ways. We are providing mountains of information, briefings, interviews, reading room access, et cetera, and so we’re doing anything we can to be responsive while at the same time making sure that we don’t jeopardize ongoing criminal investigations, and that’s something I’m committed to.  

Sen. Coons: Thank you. Our president has repeatedly described the FBI’s investigation into campaign activities in 2016, in fact, he did this earlier today, about 11:27 today, as a “witch hunt.” You and I both know that the Justice Department has uncovered ongoing interference with our 2016 elections, has already charged 20 individuals and 3 companies with crimes. Trump campaign and administration officials have admitted to acting as undisclosed foreign agents for a pro-Russian political party and lying about conversations with the Russian ambassador, not to mention bank fraud, money laundering, and tax crimes. I just want to ask you a conclusory question if I might, do you believe the investigation into Russia’s interference with our 2016 election is important and should be completed without any political interference?  

Dir. Wray: Senator, I believe that Special Counsel Mueller is conducting an important investigation. I believe that the question of Russian interference in our election is something that needs to be taken very seriously and the investigative work that’s being done on that regard needs to be completed. 

Sen. Coons: Mr. Horowitz, I think you would agree with me that even the appearance of political bias within an FBI investigation is problematic. So, that’s why your investigation found fault in the political text messages you identified that demonstrated some political bias. Is that right? 

Mr. Horowitz: Correct. 

Sen. Coons: So let me just point out, as I did, that our President routinely tweets about investigations in a way that criticizes them, critiques them, is an attempt to undermine them. In my view, these remarks are also inappropriate efforts to politicize an ongoing federal investigation. Director Wray, the president’s former campaign manager, Paul Manafort, is now in jail, he’s been charged with 25 felonies, laundering tens of millions of dollars, committing tax fraud, encouraging witnesses to lie. President Trump has called this very unfair. Should the American people have faith that the Manafort investigation is being handled fairly? 

Dir. Wray: Senator, I’m not going to speak for the special counsel’s office. What I would say is that I expect all of our employees to conduct themselves professionally and fairly. 

Sen. Coons: Does the FBI take the political opinions of FBI agents into account when choosing how to staff an investigation, and have political beliefs ever influenced either your work at the FBI or which agents are chosen for a particular investigation? 

Dir. Wray: I don’t use political litmus tests as a basis for choosing to work on investigations. I do think it is extremely important that all of our agents understand not just the importance of objectivity, but the appearance of objectivity. And to me that means that we need to be focused on making sure that we’re following our rules, following our processes, following what the Inspector General refers to as long-established norms. The safe place for us is in process and making sure we follow the process and that we do that independently and objectively, no matter who likes the result will be okay. But, the important thing is to make sure that our process is bulletproof.  

Sen. Coons: I couldn’t agree more. Mr. Horowitz, President Trump has claimed that FBI officials are biased against him and in favor of former Secretary Hillary Clinton. Let me just make sure I’ve understood this right, in your investigation, did you find that the FBI took any investigative step based on political bias against the current president?  

Mr. Horowitz: The one area where we were concerned about bias was in the October time period and the weighing of Agent Strzok between focusing on the Russia investigation versus focusing on the Weiner laptop and our concern about his decision given the text messages.  

Sen. Coons: But, did you conclude that we should have concern about either the initiation or the ongoing conduct of the special counsel’s investigation based on those texts? 

Mr. Horowitz: We didn’t look at the special counsel investigation as part of this review. 

Sen. Coons: Last question to you, Mr. Horowitz, this report seems to vindicate the wisdom of many long-established DOJ policies and practices, the chain of command, the need to strictly comply with recusal. The Department policies are in place for a reason and it was wrong to deviate from them and it would be wrong to deviate now. Do you agree that ad hoc deviations from an established policies and procedures should be avoided?

Mr. Horowitz: I do and I think that’s partly one of the most important takeaways of this report.  

Sen. Coons: Well, I appreciate the hard work you’ve both done and are continuing to do and the confidence you are working to restore in the American people that these well-established, long-observed policies and procedures will be followed going forward. Today’s hearing is a good reminder why federal law enforcement and respect for the rule of law have been and should be the envy of the free world. I know it can be frustrating that we don’t know what’s happening in the ongoing special counsel investigation, but today’s hearing reminds us that that’s exactly how sensitive, ongoing law enforcement investigations should work, and I’m grateful for your continued efforts to protect the integrity of the FBI, the Department of Justice, and their important work which makes us all safer. 

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Sens. Carper, Coons secure initiatives for Delaware National Guard, small manufacturers in annual defense policy bill

WASHINGTON – Today, the U.S. Senate passed the annual National Defense Authorization Act, which includes support for the National Guard and defense manufacturing championed by U.S. Senators Tom Carper and Chris Coons (both D-Del.). 

“The annual defense spending authorization bill is a crucial piece of legislation that funds our military and helps to enhance our national security.” said Senator Carper. “By working together with our colleagues on both sides of the aisle, we were able to pass a thoughtful piece of legislation that contains a number of Delaware priorities – including the largest military pay raise since 2010. As a 23-year veteran of the Navy, I know just how important this bill is for all the men and women who serve our country, and I’m pleased that we could come together in a bipartisan way to ensure its swift passage.”

“I’m very proud that this bill includes measures to support Delaware service members, their families, and our military,” said Senator Coons. “It will provide benefits that our Guardsmen and Reservists have earned, modernize New Castle’s C-130H aircraft, provide a well-deserved pay raise for our troops, and strengthen the cybersecurity of the defense industrial supply chain. These are big wins for Delaware, our military, and our country.” 

National Guard Benefits

Currently, members of the National Guard and Reserves mobilized under so-called “12304b authority” perform the same duties as their active duty counterparts, but they are not provided the same benefits.  The bill includes two provisions from the National Guard and Reserve Benefits Parity Act, which Senator Coons introduced with Senator Roger Wicker of Mississippi, to fix that discrepancy.  First, it would provide Guardsmen and Reservists with a monthly allowance if they are deployed for long-term or multiple deployments within a single year.  Second, the bill would protect federal civilian employees, who are members of the Guard and Reserve, from a reduction in pay when activated under “12304(b) authority.”  These provisions will ensure that Guardsmen and Reservists are fairly compensated for their service to our country. 

Troop Pay Raise

The bill authorizes a 2.6 percent across-the-board pay raise for members of the Armed Forces to help improve their quality of life, as we continue to ask them and their families to do more in response to rising security threats around the world. 

Continued C-130H Modernization and Upgrades

The bill continues modernization of and improvements to the National Guard’s C-130H aircraft.  The bill authorizes $22.1 million for C-130H modernization and an increase of $74 million for engine upgrades to the aircraft.  Funding for modernization will keep Delaware’s 166th Airlift Wing on pace to continue flying after stricter airspace regulations take effect in 2020.  Funding for engine upgrades will increase the performance, fuel efficiency, and reliability of the Delaware Guard’s C-130H fleet.

Support for Small Manufacturers 

Many Department of Defense suppliers are small manufacturers who do not have the resources or knowledge to comply with federal cybersecurity requirements aimed at protecting sensitive information.  The bill authorizes provisions from the Enhance Cybersecurity for Small Manufacturers Act, which Senator Coons introduced with Senators Graham and Gillibrand, to give the Department of Defense and NIST additional tools to help small manufacturers in the defense supply chain assess and eliminate cybersecurity risks.  The bill also authorizes a Cybersecurity for Manufacturing Hub that leverages the Manufacturing USA Network to increase the cyber resilience of small manufacturers through targeted outreach, testing, and training. 

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[VIDEO] Sen. Coons presses Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs nominee on how the U.S. can help advance democracy in Zimbabwe

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Chris Coons (D-Del.), a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, pressed Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs nominee Ambassador Tibor Nagy on U.S.-Zimbabwe relations and broader political and economic reforms as prospects for free, fair, and credible elections in Zimbabwe remain uncertain ahead of voters going to the polls on July 30, 2018. In early April, Senator Coons met with President Emmerson Mnangagwa of Zimbabwe as part of a bipartisan Senate delegation to Niger, South Africa, Zimbabwe, and Burkina Faso. 

“One of the core actions we could take would be to send an American ambassador. In your own experience, you were once recalled from retirement to serve as our ambassador in Nigeria,” said Senator Coons. “We have a nominee now from the administration who we might be able to get through this committee and the floor in a month, thus would arrive in Harare a week before a generationally significant election.”

Full audio and video available here. 

Excerpts from Sen. Coons’ Q&A are below:

Sen. Coons: Let me move to a country where we have an opportunity to advance democracy in a very real way and where they are watching very closely what is said and done here is Zimbabwe. I recently had a chance to lead a bipartisan CODEL. Senator Flake and Senator Booker were also with me where we visited with South Africa and Zimbabwe, both of which have relatively new presidents. And, as you know, on July 30, there will be an election in Zimbabwe. Prospects for democracy there are uncertain. In our lengthy one-on-one meeting with President Mnangagwa, he said all the right things and he has publicly continued to say and do good things, but there are significant unaddressed barriers to their restoration of full participation in the community of nations. Senator Flake and I introduced an amendment to ZDARA, the Zimbabwe Democracy and Recovery Act. Do you agree the United States should not relieve sanctions on Zimbabwe until the government takes concrete actions to demonstrate its respect for human rights, its commitment to free and fair elections, and to pursuing a genuine anti-corruption measures and a rules-based economy? 

Ambassador Nagy: Absolutely, Senator. Actions speak so much louder than words and we just have to wait to see what happens there. 

Senator Coons: One of the core actions we could take would be to send an American ambassador. In your own experience, you were once recalled from retirement to serve as our ambassador in Nigeria. We have a nominee now from the administration who we might be able to get through this committee and the floor in a month, thus would arrive in Harare a week before a generationally significant election. Would you recommend that the department look for a seasoned, experienced former ambassador to send as well as moving forward as fast as we can to confirm a new ambassadorial nominee? 

Ambassador Nagy: Senator, if confirmed, once I can look at all the details and information, I promise you, if I believe that would be a solution, I will move as quickly as possible for that, because in my own case, it really did help, to spend some time there in Nigeria. 

Senator Coons: Well, having someone with the length of service and range of experiences and relationships you have is going to be a terrific opportunity for us, but I am concerned about the press of time in a country that has a once-in-a-generation chance to get this right.  

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