Bipartisan Senators Introduce Bill to Help Strengthen Intellectual Property Laws for Music Legends

WASHINGTON – A bipartisan group of senators led by U.S. Senators Chris Coons (D-Del.) and John Kennedy (R-Louis.) today introduced the Compensating Legacy Artists for their Songs, Service, & Important Contributions to Society Act, or CLASSICS Act, which would ensure that recording artists from the pre-1972 music eras are fairly compensated when their music is played digitally.

For historical reasons, sound recordings made before February 15, 1972 are governed by state, not federal, law. And, in recent years, this oddity has led to disputes as to the scope of state law rights when sound recordings are performed by digital music services. The CLASSICS Act would correct that oddity by bringing those pre-1972 sound recordings into the federal system, thus allowing the artists and ownersof such recordings to be fairly compensated when their music is digitally transmitted.  

In addition to Coons and Kennedy, the CLASSICS Act is co-sponsored by Thom Tillis (R-N.C.), Bob Corker (R-Tenn.), and Cory Booker (D-N.J.).

A one-pager on the CLASSICS Act is available here. 

“The music performed and recorded by artists before February 15, 1972 is an important part of our shared cultural heritage.  It’s the music many of us listened to growing up on records and cassettes, and it simply is not fair that when we listen to that music today on digital platforms, those legacy artists are not compensated even though their modern counterparts are,” said Senator Coons.  “I’m pleased to join my colleagues from both sides of the aisle to introduce the CLASSICS Act and fix this long-standing disparity, and I thank the many different segments of the music industry that have worked hard to achieve this consensus solution.”

“Artists who made music prior to 1972 are getting a raw financial deal because of an antiquated loophole in our legal system.  Our bill, the CLASSICS Act, will give the recognition and compensation these artists deserve,” said Senator Kennedy. “Louisiana is the birthplace of jazz.  Artists who contributed to that uniquely New Orleans sound are pioneers who deserve the same copyright protections as everyone else. I will add that, in my opinion, music made after 1972, with the exception of Meatloaf’s work, isn’t as good as the classics anyway.”

“Due to an outdated legal loophole, classical music recorded before 1972 does not enjoy the same copyright protections as today’s recordings,” said Senator Tillis. “The bipartisan CLASSICS Act is an overdue fix that modernizes how artists are compensated and gives our iconic artists the copyright protections and compensation they long deserve.”

“Tennessee is blessed with a vibrant music industry composed of talented songwriters, skilled musicians, and gifted recording artists,” said Senator Corker. “However, while the industry has been transformed with advances in technology, we have yet to modernize the way music creators are compensated for their work. It is nonsensical that today some of our legendary performers may not get paid for the hits they recorded before 1972, and this legislation will provide certainty for those artists.”

“For years, some of our most treasured recording artists have been unfairly denied payments due to loopholes in the federal copyright system that are senseless and arbitrary,” said Senator Booker.  “This common-sense bill will close those loopholes and more fairly compensate legacy artists for their timeless work.” 

The CLASSICS Act is supported by the American Association of Independent Music, the Recording Industry Association of America, Pandora, musicFIRST, the Internet Association, the Recording Academy, SoundExchange, Screen Actors Guild?American Federation of Television and Radio Artists, American Federation of Musicians, the Content Creators Coalition, the Future of Music Coalition, the Rhythm and Blues Foundation, and the Living Legends Foundation.  

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Sens. Coons, Booker statement on current political situation in Kenya

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senators Chris Coons (D-Del.) and Cory Booker (D-N.J.), members of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee’s subcommittee on Africa, released the following statement on the political situation in Kenya:

“We are deeply concerned about the continued deterioration of the political situation in Kenya.  Respect for the rule of law and fundamental freedoms are critical and necessary pillars of Kenya’s democracy.  Shutting down independent media and failing to comply with court orders threaten the hard-fought democratic progress of one of the United States’ closest allies in Africa. 

“We are very troubled by the recent actions of the Government of Kenya, which has restricted and sought to intimidate independent media voices. We are also following with concern the recent arrests of opposition figures.  We strongly urge the Government of Kenya to comply with court orders in a timely fashion and to restore all television broadcasts of the media outlets shut down last week.  Likewise, any arrests and prosecutions should be made in full accordance with the rule of law and due process.

“We call on all parties to refrain from the use of inflammatory rhetoric, which is fueling tensions and fears among communities, and we call on the opposition not to take provocative actions that may endanger its supporters.  Instead of stoking tensions and exacerbating divisions, we encourage both the Government of Kenya and opposition leaders to engage with one another and focus on unifying the country.  All parties should make a mutual commitment to demonstrate respect for Kenya’s Constitution and its independent judiciary.”

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[VIDEO] Sen. Coons: “I do think the McCain-Coons bill with some commitment to border funding would be an excellent base bill.”

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Chris Coons (D-Del.) joined CNN New Day this morning to discuss the bipartisan immigration bill that he introduced yesterday with Senator John McCain (R-Ariz.).

“It has 27 Republican co-sponsors in the House, 27 Democratic co-sponsors, 54 co-sponsors. It’s our hope it can be a promising base bill for further discussion in the Senate. As you referenced in your introduction of the bill, it calls for the Department of Homeland Security to present a detailed plan for how to achieve operational control of the border by 2020,” said Senator Coons. “As an appropriator, I would support the appropriations necessary to accomplish that, but I don’t support what President Trump is calling for, for us to simply hand over $25 billion without any ongoing oversight by the Congress.”

Full video and audio available here. 

Excerpts from the interview below: 

Sen. Coons on the McCain-Coons immigration bill: Well, I think once again we’re seeing the President isn’t particularly constructive as we try to get to a bipartisan deal here in the Senate. Part of why I was so honored to have Senator McCain reach out to me is that he has long represented a border state, Arizona. And the bill that we’ve introduced is already a bill in the House that was introduced by Congressman Hurd of Texas from the El Paso area and Congressman Aguilar from Southern California. It has 27 Republican co-sponsors in the House, 27 Democratic co-sponsors, 54 co-sponsors. It’s our hope it can be a promising base bill for further discussion in the Senate. As you referenced in your introduction of the bill, it calls for the Department of Homeland Security to present a detailed plan for how to achieve operational control of the border by 2020. As an appropriator, I would support the appropriations necessary to accomplish that, but I don’t support what President Trump is calling for, for us to simply hand over $25 billion without any ongoing oversight by the Congress. 

More on the bill: Absolutely. I think we should be investing in a smart wall or in wall systems. I don’t think an idea of a single concrete wall going from sea to shining sea makes any sense at all. 

More on the bill: Absolutely. I think we could and should support several billion in appropriations and come up with a pathway where a ten-year plan presented to us by DHS gets annual appropriations with some trigger. I’m working with a Common Sense Coalition, a group of about two dozen senators, Republicans and Democrats to come up with a consensus proposal that would allow us to embrace a robust investment in border security while still maintaining a critical oversight role for Congress. 

Sen. Coons on McConnell: I don’t know yet what he might bring forward. I do think the McCain-Coons bill with some commitment to border funding would be an excellent base bill. I think it does meet the two core issues that we all agree on. The President and others have tried to bring in lots of other issues. I think we should turn to those broader issues in phase two of comprehensive immigration reform, clear out the underbrush of all the key unresolved issues that have been held up for months now, appropriations for the Department of Defense and our domestic priorities, responding to disasters that we still haven’t funded, authorizing community health centers and take these two issues on, Dreamer status and border security, and move forward. I think this bill would be an excellent starting point for that debate on the Senate floor. 

Sen. Coons on the State of the Union: Let me be clear about this. I attended the State of the Union. I was respectful, I stood and applauded when appropriate. On many of the points that I thought were non-debatable, when the President was recognizing the service and sacrifice of soldiers, the North Korean who fled for his freedom, police officers and community leaders who have taken great steps, and I, of course, applauded things like economic progress and some of his proposals like paid family leave, some of his ideas around infrastructure. But, there were lots of places in his speech where the Republicans leapt to their feet to cheer, for example, by the things he’s done to harm the Affordable Care Act where I and many other Democrats chose not to applaud. The President once again is making a simple but scary mistake here. He is not the state. Cheering for our President is not the same as being a patriotic and loyal American. In fact, there’s this thing called the First Amendment in the Constitution that protects the right of all of us as citizens to either cheer and applaud the President when we agree with him or to not applaud when we have differing priorities. He simply doesn’t get that. He’s not above the law and he’s not the state and failure to cheer him when he thinks we should is not only not treasonous, some of us would argue it’s patriotic. 

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WaPo Ed Board backs McCain-Coons immigration compromise: “A broader deal is not within Congress’s ability for the foreseeable future. This one is.”

WASHINGTON – In case you missed it, The Washington Post Editorial Board today wrote in support of the bipartisan immigration bill that was introduced by U.S. Senators John McCain (R-Ariz.) and Chris Coons (D-Del.) yesterday.

Washington Post: Ed Board: The immigration bills in Congress aren’t perfect. That’s okay

02.05.2018 – Editorial Board

BY TRYING to solve every problem related to America’s immigration system, Congress has repeatedly failed to solve any of them. It’s time to end that legislative dysfunction, which has played on a loop on Capitol Hill for years. Why not sidestep the most incendiary disagreements and target the two main areas on which there is broad bipartisan acceptance: protecting “dreamers” brought to the United States as children and beefing up border security?

The contours of such a deal, if not the details, are within lawmakers’ reach. Similar bipartisan bills to that end now have been introduced in both houses of Congress — this month, by John McCain (R-Ariz.) and Christopher A. Coons (D-Del.) in the Senate and, last month, by Will Hurd (R-Tex.) and Pete Aguilar (D-Calif.) in the House. Each deserves a hearing and a vote. 

Congress is duty-bound to act not only because immigration has all but paralyzed Washington politics, entangled as it is with spending to keep the government running, but also because President Trump’s own approach is a nonstarter. 

Mr. Trump campaigned on building a border wall to enhance national security — fine, let him have his mandate. But the deal he has proposed and is insisting on goes much further than that. Yes, he has offered a path to citizenship for 1.8 million dreamers, but Democrats are highly unlikely to support his quid pro quos, which would not only crack down on illegal immigrants but also slash legal immigration to levels unseen in decades — a policy goal that was never part of Mr. Trump’s rhetoric as a candidate. 

The McCain-Coons legislation, like its counterpart in the House, tackles a problem that the president himself has said he wants to resolve: providing long-term security for dreamers, whose status and work permits under Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals were ordered revoked last fall by Mr. Trump and remain in limbo in the courts. The Senate bill would shield from deportation young immigrants who have lived in the United States since the end of 2013 — a somewhat bigger cohort than the one Mr. Trump would protect. That difference should be negotiable.

On border security, the senators don’t go as far as Mr. Trump would like — he wants $25 billion right off the bat to build his “beautiful” wall — but they would direct Homeland Security officials to formulate a plan that would achieve “operational control” of the border by 2020. That’s a term of art, though not a precise one, meaning much tighter security than currently exists along most of the border. It does not preclude building hundreds of miles of walls and barriers on the frontier with Mexico, if that is in line with recommendations from the Department of Homeland Security.

The House version of the bill has 52 co-sponsors in addition to Mr. Hurd and Mr. Aguilar, 26 from each side of the aisle. In the Senate, both Mr. McCain, who has long pressed for an immigration deal, and Mr. Coons are known for a willingness to reach across the aisle even as they remain true to core convictions. This bill offers a large majority the opportunity to do the same. A broader deal is not within Congress’s ability for the foreseeable future. This one is.

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Reps. Hurd, Aguilar Praise McCain-Coons Immigration Bill

WASHINGTON – Today, Rep. Will Hurd (R-TX) and Rep. Pete Aguilar (D-CA) praised Senators John McCain (R-AZ) and Chris Coons (D-DE) for introducing the bipartisan Uniting and Securing America (USA) Act in the Senate. Like the House version, the Senate companion provides a permanent, legislative fix for DACA recipients and calls for smart border security measures to gain operational control of our borders by 2020. It is also a vehicle that will allow Congress to finally vote on long-term appropriations for our military and Department of Homeland Security.

“Our plan offers a permanent legislative solution for children who came here of no fault of their own – while achieving operational control of the border by 2020 – two things we all can agree on. I am pleased that Senators McCain and Coons are working together to introduce this legislation in the Senate so we can solve this increasingly urgent issue.” said Rep. Hurd. “Americans are tired of partisan gridlock. They deserve solutions. This is about Congress doing our job and it proves that Republicans and Democrats in both Chambers of Congress are willing to work together to unite and secure America.” 

“Hundreds of thousands of young people are waiting for answers about their futures while Congress continues to talk rather than act. Now is the time to work across party lines to provide certainty to Dreamers,” said Rep. Aguilar. “The USA Act is a targeted approach that can pass the House and Senate today. I’m grateful to Senators McCain and Coons for their leadership on this issue and for introducing the Senate companion to the USA Act.”

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Sen. Coons, colleagues sound alarm over South Korea ambassador vacancy, warn of significant risk of preemptive strike against North Korea

WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Senator Chris Coons (D-Del.) joined 17 of his Senate colleagues, including Senate Foreign Relations Committee Benjamin Cardin (D-Md.) and Senate Armed Services Committee Ranking Member Jack Reed (D-R.I.), in expressing serious concern over the continued absence of a U.S. Ambassador to South Korea and asking for justification on the reported removal from consideration of a highly qualified candidate, Dr. Victor Cha, for that position.  The senators also warned against the potential consequences of a preemptive military strike on North Korea and the risks of miscalculation and retaliation.

In a letter to President Trump, the senators emphasized the urgent need for diplomatic leadership, stating “The challenge posed by North Korea’s nuclear and missile programs is perhaps the most significant foreign policy challenge our nation has faced in decades.  It is therefore shocking that the Administration – a full year into its term – has yet to formally nominate someone to be the ambassador, which is the highest-ranking U.S. government official in South Korea.  It is equally disturbing that the individual being considered for this position, Dr. Victor Cha, who has extensive qualifications and experience, has been removed from consideration after receiving Agrément from South Korea.”

The letter was signed by U.S. Senators Benjamin Cardin (D-Md.), Jack Reed (D-R.I.), Tim Kaine (D-Va.), Patty Murray (D-Wash.), Christopher Coons (D-Del.), Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), Edward Markey (D-Mass.), Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii), Jeffrey Merkley (D-Ore.), Bernard Sanders (I-Vt.), Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.), Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.), Kamala Harris (D-Calif.), Mazie Hirono (D-Hawaii), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.), Christopher Murphy (D-Conn.), Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.), and Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.). 

A copy of letter is available below.  

President Donald Trump

The White House

1600 Pennsylvania Avenue

Washington, D.C. 20500

Dear President Trump: 

We write to express our serious concerns regarding the continued absence of a U.S. Ambassador to South Korea and the reported removal from consideration of a highly qualified candidate, Dr. Victor Cha, for that position. We ask that you provide clear reasoning and justification for his removal from consideration.   

The challenge posed by North Korea’s nuclear and missile programs is perhaps the most significant foreign policy challenge our nation has faced in decades.  It is therefore shocking that the Administration – a full year into its term – has yet to formally nominate someone to be the ambassador, which is the highest-ranking U.S. government official in South Korea.  It is equally disturbing that the individual being considered for this position, Dr. Victor Cha, who has extensive qualifications and experience, has been removed from consideration after receiving Agrément from South Korea. 

We may or may not agree with Dr. Cha on every issue, and of course an administration is entitled to the nominees of its choosing, but it is our understanding that the White House conducted lengthy vetting, including security and financial background checks on Dr. Cha and that the Administration had formally notified Seoul of its intent to nominate Dr. Cha.  According to reports, South Korean officials quickly approved Dr. Cha through its formal process and South Koreans lauded his potential nomination.   

While we reserve our rights to provide advice and consent on ambassadorial nominations, it is our understanding that he is an eminently qualified individual to serve at a senior level in the U.S. Government. As you know, Dr. Cha previously served as director for Asian affairs on the National Security Council under the George W. Bush administration.  Dr. Cha also served as the Deputy Head of Delegation for the United States at the Six Party Talks in Beijing.  Currently, Dr. Cha is the Director of Asian Studies in the School of Foreign Service at Georgetown University and is also a Senior Adviser and Korea Chair at the Center for Strategic and International Studies.  

Despite Dr. Cha’s qualifications, it is being reported that Administration officials are asserting that the removal of Dr. Cha from consideration was based on a flag that was raised only after the lengthy background checks and other vetting that, typically, an individual under consideration for nomination undergoes prior to their name being submitted for the formal diplomatic process of Agrément.  As a result, we respectfully request that you provide the justification for his removal from consideration. 

According to some media reports, the real reason for Dr. Cha’s removal was his disagreement with a “bloody nose” strategy under consideration by the White House.  Like many, we are deeply concerned about the potential consequences of a preemptive military strike on North Korea and the risks of miscalculation and retaliation.  Ultimately, it is an enormous gamble to believe that a particular type of limited, preemptive strike will not be met with an escalatory response from Kim Jong Un and neither the United States nor our allies should take that step lightly.  In a Senate Armed Services Committee hearing on North Korea on January 30th, 2018, each of the expert witnesses believed that such a “bloody nose” strategy carried extreme risks.  Moreover, without congressional authorization a preventative or preemptive U.S. military strike would lack either a Constitutional basis or legal authority.

Tensions on the Korean Peninsula are as high as they have ever been, and the Olympics are fast approaching.  While we must always be ready to respond with decisive action to a North Korean provocation, it would be extremely irresponsible to instigate military conflict prior to exhausting every diplomatic option.

We request your immediate attention to ensure the United States has in place its highest-ranking diplomat to serve as Ambassador to South Korea.  We urge you to nominate a qualified individual for this critical position as soon as possible.

Sincerely,

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[VIDEO] Sen. Coons discusses McCain-Coons immigration compromise on Morning Joe

WASHINGTON –  U.S. Senator Chris Coons (D-Del.) today joined MSNBC’s Morning Joe to discuss the bipartisan immigration legislation that he is introducing today with U.S. Senator John McCain (R-Ariz.). Their legislation aims to fix DACA, invest in border security, and allow Congress to devote full attention to finalizing a budget deal that fully funds the military and domestic programs.

“I’m deeply honored that Senator McCain reached out to me, someone who has long been known as a very forceful advocate for full funding for the Department of Defense. He’s trying to join with me and get this immigration conversation restarted in a positive direction in the Senate,” said Senator Coons. “This is a copy of the bill that has been championed in the House by Republican Congressman Will Hurd who has 800 miles of Texas border in his district near El Paso and Pete Aguilar of Southern California. It has 27 Republican cosponsors and 27 Democratic cosponsors in the House. So, in an environment where it’s often said oh, this or that proposal can’t pass the House, it’s important to focus on the fact that this bill that we are introducing today that Senator McCain and I are introducing in the Senate already has a block of Republican cosponsors about the same size as the Freedom Caucus.”

Full audio and video available here.

Excerpts from the interview below:

Sen. Coons on the Nunes memo: Well, Joe, that sounds a lot like the Patriots in the Super Bowl last night. A lot was promised, but not enough was delivered. It’s a great morning to be in Philadelphia. And I’ll tell you, I have the same reaction to the memo by Devin Nunes that you do. I’ve got the memo right here. And frankly, if folks haven’t read it, they should. Because it doesn’t provide the vindication President Trump is claiming. It makes it clear, in fact, that the investigation was well underway before the Steele dossier was ever brought forward and it points to Papadopoulos, another Trump campaign aide who pled guilty and is cooperating as the source of the initial intelligence that began the investigation into the possibility of collusion between the Trump campaign and Russia. I am encouraged, Joe, that there are a few Republicans like Trey Gowdy saying on the Sunday shows and in public that this doesn’t have anything to do with trying to undermine or derail Robert Mueller’s investigation. My partner in immigration legislation, Senator John McCain, a general hero of the Vietnam War that you were just referencing, said the President is not doing enough to stand up to Russia, that the investigation being led by Robert Mueller should go on and that this memo shouldn’t be allowed to distract from it. I think we should be seeing a release of the Democratic memo once properly vetted by the DOJ and FBI. I think it will provide a thorough counterpoint and I think it is rooted in the intelligence that the Nunes memo wasn’t. Devin Nunes, the chairman of House intelligence, has made it clear he didn’t even read the underlying intelligence. Trey Gowdy did. And I think therein lies the difference between how the two of them are characterizing this brief and partisan and misleading memo. 

Sen. Coons on McCain-Coons immigration compromise: First, I’m deeply honored that Senator McCain reached out to me, someone who has long been known as a very forceful advocate for full funding for the Department of Defense. He’s trying to join with me and get this immigration conversation restarted in a positive direction in the Senate. This is a copy of the bill that has been championed in the House by Republican Congressman Will Hurd who has 800 miles of Texas border in his district near El Paso and Pete Aguilar of southern California. It has 27 Republican cosponsors and 27 Democratic cosponsors in the House. So, in an environment where it’s often said oh, this or that proposal can’t pass the House, it’s important to focus on the fact that this bill that we are introducing today that Senator McCain and I are introducing in the Senate already has a block of Republican cosponsors about the same size as the Freedom Caucus. You are right in your question, it needs more border investment. It lays out a plan, a pathway, towards securing control of the border by 2020. And I expect that in order for this to be embraced by Republicans as the solution that will get us moving forward towards fully funding domestic and defense spending, we will need to add some border funding to it.  

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Senators McCain, Coons introduce bipartisan immigration compromise

Senate bill is the companion to bipartisan House legislation from Reps. Hurd and Aguilar, which already has 27 Republican co-sponsors and 27 Democratic co-sponsors

McCain-Coons is a narrow approach that fixes DACA and bolsters border security. Passage would allow Congress to focus on other pressing matters, including a budget deal to fully fund the military and key domestic programs

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senators John McCain (R-Ariz.) and Chris Coons (D-Del.) will introduce legislation today to address two pressing issues (DACA and border security), providing a path to resolve these important immigration issues and allowing Congress to devote full attention to finalizing a budget deal that fully funds the military and domestic programs. 

The McCain-Coons legislation is a Senate companion bill to the Uniting and Securing America (USA) Act, bipartisan legislation introduced by Representatives Will Hurd (R-TX-23) and Pete Aguilar (D-CA-31) to protect Dreamers from deportation and provide a pathway to citizenship while implementing new border security measures.  The USA Act already has 54 co-sponsors in the House — an even split of 27 Republicans and 27 Democrats.

“For months, I have been calling on my colleagues to complete a bipartisan budget agreement to lift the caps on defense spending and fully fund the military. While reaching a deal cannot come soon enough for America’s service members, the current political reality demands bipartisan cooperation to address the impending expiration of the DACA program and secure the southern border,” said Senator McCain. “Our legislation, which already has broad support in the House of Representatives, would address the most urgent priorities of protecting Dreamers, strengthening border security, alleviating the backlog in immigration courts, and addressing the root causes of illegal immigration. I’m grateful to Senator Coons for his leadership and hope our colleagues will support this effort to resolve the immediate challenges before us. It’s time we end the gridlock so we can quickly move on to completing a long-term budget agreement that provides our men and women in uniform the support they deserve.”

“It’s no secret that Congress is gridlocked, and there is a growing list of unaddressed issues we simply have to fix, but I still believe that we agree on more than we disagree on,” said Senator Coons.  “The bill I’m introducing with Senator McCain today doesn’t solve every immigration issue, but it does address the two most pressing problems we face: protecting DACA recipients and securing the border.  I believe there is bipartisan support for both of those things and I believe that we can reach a budget deal that increases funding for our military and important domestic programs.  We need to find a way through this gridlock to get Congress working again, and this is a viable path forward.”

Senator Coons added: “I have been and remain very encouraged by the bipartisan negotiations toward an immigration compromise that Senators Collins and Manchin have hosted through the Common Sense Coalition, and I plan to continue working with that group to try and find a way forward.  The purpose of the legislation I’m introducing today with Senator McCain is to highlight this existing, bipartisan House bill and to add another viable, bipartisan option to the table.”

A one-pager on the bill is available here.

Sen. Coons joins Senators to urge President to prioritize rural broadband in infrastructure proposal

WILMINGTON, Del. – As the Administration prepares a broad infrastructure plan while around 23 million Americans living in rural areas across the country still lack access to high-speed broadband, U.S. Senator Chris Coons (D-DE) joined colleagues U. S. Senators Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Patrick Leahy (D-VT), Patty Murray (D-WA), Ron Wyden (D-OR), Debbie Stabenow (D-MI), Tom Udall (D-NM), Jeanne Shaheen (D-NM), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), Brian Schatz (D-HI), Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), Ed Markey (D-MA), Gary Peters (D-MI), Chris Van Hollen (D-MD) and Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV), in a letter to President Trump to urge him to include funding to support broadband deployment in unserved rural areas across the country.

“In an increasingly interconnected world and global economy, we must include in our discussion of infrastructure not just roads, bridges and waterways, but also high-speed internet access. While the vast majority of Americans have access to high-speed internet service, there is a stark disparity between urban and rural America,” wrote the Senators. “This digital divide puts many rural Americans at risk of being left out of critical technological advancements and economic gains. The longer we delay investing in quality telecommunications for rural residents, the more challenging it will become to bridge the digital divide. As you finalize your proposal to invest in our nation’s infrastructure, we urge you to include at least $40 billion in funding for broadband deployment to help reach unserved Americans in rural and remote areas.” 

According to a 2016 report from the Federal Communications Commission, nearly 30,000 Delawareans do not have access to high-speed internet, including 10% of Delaware’s rural population. 

Full letter below:

February 1, 2018
President Donald J. Trump
White House
1600 Pennsylvania Avenue
Washington, D.C. 20500

Dear President Trump:

As we enter 2018, there is broad agreement that investments in infrastructure are a critical component of strengthening our economy and promoting growth. Accordingly, we await the opportunity to review the Administration’s infrastructure plan and remain hopeful that there is common ground for us to work together to improve our nation’s crumbling infrastructure.

In an increasingly interconnected world and global economy, we must include in our discussion of infrastructure not just roads, bridges and waterways, but also high-speed internet access. While the vast majority of Americans have access to high-speed internet service, there is a stark disparity between urban and rural America. This digital divide puts many rural Americans at risk of being left out of critical technological advancements and economic gains. The longer we delay investing in quality telecommunications for rural residents, the more challenging it will become to bridge the digital divide. As you finalize your proposal to invest in our nation’s infrastructure, we urge you to include at least $40 billion in funding for broadband deployment to help reach unserved Americans in rural and remote areas.

According to the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) 2016 Broadband Progress Report, 10 percent of Americans lack access to high-speed internet in their homes. While that figure has been improving over time, it obscures a troubling statistic: the profound gap in access between Americans who live in rural and urban areas. While only 4 percent of urban Americans lack access to fixed broadband, 39 percent of Americans who live in rural areas—23 million people—lack access to high-speed broadband. For Americans living on rural tribal lands, the statistics are even bleaker, with 68 percent of people lacking access to broadband. If we intend to ensure that all Americans have access to broadband, we must make rural communities a priority for high-speed internet access.

The United States has always been at the forefront of technological innovation and the digital economy. But when almost 40 percent of our rural citizens lack broadband access and children grow up in households without access to the internet, we jeopardize the ability of our citizens to meaningfully participate in the civic and economic life of our country. As a nation we have long understood the importance of promoting access to advanced technologies, from electricity to telephone service to broadband, and we have long recognized the role that government plays in supporting the deployment of those critical services. We must continue working to ensure that no American is left without access to technology that has become integral to daily life.

As you prepare your infrastructure plan, we urge you to include funding to support broadband deployment to connect families, facilities and businesses in unserved rural areas across the country. We look forward to working with you to promote investments in quality telecommunications infrastructure for rural America.

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[VIDEO] Sen. Coons on Nunes memo: “This is part of an orchestrated effort…to create a narrative that undermines the investigation of Special Counsel Robert Mueller.”

Sen. Coons on Nunes memo: “It suggests that what they are more interested in is scoring a partisan objective of undermining the FBI and DOJ and Robert Mueller’s investigation rather than revealing some mistake by the FBI.”

Sen. Coons on report that Trump asked Rosenstein if he was on ‘his team’: “This is exactly the sort of thing that Special Counsel Robert Mueller would be looking for in an investigation into potential obstruction of justice.” 

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Chris Coons (D-Del.), a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, last night joined CNN’s Erin Burnett to discuss the Russia investigation.

Full video and audio available here. 

Excerpts from the interview:

Sen. Coons on if he has a problem with President Trump asking Rod Rosenstein if he’s on his team: Absolutely, this is just another example of President Trump failing to understand and failing to respect long standing norms. The Department of Justice is not on any President’s team. The Department of Justice is charged with defending the Constitution and enforcing the law. So, their role in our society is ensuring that no one is above the law and that means staying away from very complicated and politically fraught conversations like this; where the President inappropriately, immorally and in fact, perhaps illegally, pressed Rod Rosenstein whether he is on his team or not. This is exactly the sort of thing that Special Counsel Robert Mueller would be looking for in an investigation into potential obstruction of justice.

Sen. Coons on comparisons between Rod Rosenstein and Eric Holder: You raise a good point Erin, that those are expressions by the former Attorney General that suggests a closeness, a partnership but we’re in a very different context here now. Rod Rosenstein is supervising Special Counsel Robert Mueller who is leading a searching investigation into the 2016 election and whether or not there was collusion with the Russians and there’s been obstruction of justice since. In that context, given the previous conversation with fired FBI Director Jim Comey; where the President famously asked him for his loyalty, a conversation today, just last month with Rod Rosenstein in the White House, by the President; asking if he’s on his team, has perhaps a very different context and meaning than a voluntary public conversation by Attorney General Holder saying “I’m enjoying working with the President, I’m his wing man.” 

Sen. Coons on whether or not Rosenstein was asked to pledge loyalty or lied to the Committee: I believe the former, that Rod Rosenstein chose to say well that wasn’t a loyalty pledge and it may be that he understood the question from Congressman Hakeem Jeffries to be prior to being hired, since, remember, one of the things that’s been a problem here is suggestions that the President asks for example Andrew McCabe when he was interviewing him to be FBI Director for whom he had voted in 2016. So, I would give Rod Rosenstein the benefit of the doubt in this case.

Sen. Coons on whether or not the FBI doesn’t want the FISA memo released because of mistakes made: I mean that’s certainly possible. Part of vigorous oversight by Congress through our intelligence committees is to assume that it’s possible that law enforcement and the intelligence community can make mistakes, do make mistakes. That’s partly why we have a structure where the House and Senate Intelligence Committees have access to a very wide range of sensitive classified materials. But I’ll remind you what is so unprecedented here. There is another norm being violated here. In 40 years the obscure committee rule that allows for a partisan report like this Devin Nunes written report to be released over the objection of the FBI and the Department of Justice, this was done on a party line vote, this hasn’t happened in decades and it suggests that what they are more interested in is scoring a partisan objective of undermining the FBI and DOJ and Robert Mueller’s investigation rather than revealing some mistake by the FBI. 

Sen. Coons on how to tell the truth about the FISA warrant to the American People: We have a very well established and well-functioning process over decades where the House and Senate Intelligence Committees review and often criticize the actions of law enforcement and the intelligence committee. They don’t do it in a matter of a few days, taking that material and making it public to the whole country and by refusing to release balancing material that was crafted by the other side of the Committee. This is unprecedented and I’ll remind you; these two are connected because I think this is part of an orchestrated effort not just by Devin Nunes but by a number of other House Republicans to create a narrative that undermines the investigation of Special Counsel Robert Mueller. 

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