WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Chris Coons (D-Del.), a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, joined Wolf Blitzer yesterday to discuss President Trump’s speech at the UN, North Korea, Iran, and the ongoing Russia investigation.
“I have been working across the aisle in a way that’s designed to strengthen this process. Republican Senator Thom Tillis and I introduced a bill before we went out on recess in August that would make it more difficult for any president to fire a special counsel,” said Senator Coons.“This is about strengthening the independence of the Department of Justice and the process. And it’s my hope that we will see a strong bipartisan support for Special Counsel Mueller and for this investigation going forward. I think you’ll see further hearings in the Judiciary Committee this month.”
Senator Coons on latest North Korean sanctions: It’s the best hope that we have. Kim Jong-un and his father, who was previously the dictator of North Korea, have shown great resistance, resilience and willingness to continue to pursue a nuclear weapons program that could threaten the homeland even in the face of tough sanctions. President Trump has a tall order tomorrow at the United Nations. He needs to show that he can be a world leader and rise above name-calling on Twitter and blustering or threatening speeches and pull together the world community to confront the dangerous, reckless North Korea regime. One of the things he has going for him is the example of American leadership under the Obama administration in pulling together the world to impose tough sanctions on Iran, which ultimately brought them to the negotiating table. I think it would be a disastrous moment for the Trump administration to walk away from the Iran Agreement because of the consequences that would have for our allies’ and potential partners’ willingness to trust us that we would fully implement an anti-North Korea agreement.
Senator Coons on Haley’s comment: Well, I do think Ambassador Haley has overall done a strong job at the United Nations. That casual comment is a reminder there are military options. They’re not appealing, they’re not positive, they would lead to huge loss of life mostly among South Koreans, but it is reminder the amount of time we have left for a diplomatic solution is running short. I do think this is a moment when the Trump administration and Ambassador Haley need to redouble their efforts. As I’ve said on this show before, I was deeply puzzled by the Trump administration’s budget, which slashed our investment in diplomacy by a third. I’m puzzled by their choice to cut the number of folks we have representing us at the U.N. at exactly the moment when we need to strengthen our engagement and diplomacy around the world because the military options against North Korea are so unappealing.
Senator Coons on the Iran Deal: It’s unclear what direction he’s going. As a candidate, Donald Trump was repeatedly, forcefully, and vocally opposed to the Iran Deal saying it was a terrible deal. But as president, his Secretary of State Rex Tillerson has now certified, as you just said, that Iran is in compliance with the deal. The main criticism that President Trump has had of the deal is a legitimate one, which is that it didn’t deal with Iran’s human rights violations, its ballistic missile program, and support for terrorism in the region. I too had that criticism of the Iran Nuclear Deal, but it was intended to constrain Iran’s efforts at getting a weapon. It didn’t intend to address the other things. There were many who hoped that Iran would change its behavior. I think I was a farily clear-eyed critic of Iran’s likely future behavior through the process. More importantly, we have too many crises on the world stage for us to throw over an Iran agreement that so far has worked to contain Iran’s nuclear program.
More on Iran: No, I’ve never been comfortable with that. To be clear, Iran is one of the leading state sponsors of terrorism in the world. And they have not restrained in any way, in fact they have advanced their support for terrorist organizations in the region and arguably around the world. Their human rights record domestically remains dismal. Their support for organizations like Hezbollah remains appalling. And their ongoing ballistic missile development is alarming. None of those were goals of the Iran Nuclear Deal. It was hoped that they would restrain those, but they didn’t. I never thought that they would. And to be clear, the access to money that they got was not U.S. money given to Iran. It was money that was Iranian and frozen in accounts around the world during the period when tough sanctions were imposed on them. Also, to be clear, I’ve joined many other senators, both Republican and Democrat in cosponsoring a bill that imposes tough new sanctions on Iran, recently signed into law by President Trump for exactly the reasons you raise, their support for terrorism, their ballistic missile program, their terrible human rights record. I think it’s fully appropriate for us to continue to call them to account and to impose tougher sanctions on those non-nuclear areas of Iran misbehavior.
Senator Coons on the Cobb conversation: It’s my hope, it’s my expectation, that the White House will fully cooperate with Special Counsel Robert Mueller. I have no reason to believe that that’s not the case. This was a titillating story, suggested that you have pretty senior attorneys making the mistake of chatting loudly on a sidewalk cafe and we’ll see whether it amounts to anything. I have been working across the aisle in a way that’s designed to strengthen this process. Republican Senator Thom Tillis and I introduced a bill before we went out on recess in August that would make it more difficult for any president to fire a special counsel. This is about strengthening the independence of the Department of Justice and process. And it’s my hope that we will see a strong bipartisan support for Special Counsel Mueller and for this investigation going forward. I think you’ll see further hearings in the Judiciary Committee this month.
More on the Russia investigation: Well, I don’t speak for White House staff, but I would expect that knowing that there is an ongoing investigation by the Judiciary Committee into obstruction of justice, by the Intelligence Committee into the national security consequences of Russia’s interference in our 2016 election, and with Special Counsel Robert Mueller, very respected Republican, law enforcement leader, that he’s leading an investigation that is bearing down on members of the inner circle of the Trump campaign, that would make me exceptionally uncomfortable if I were on White House staff. So I would suspect this is a difficult time for that. That making sure that they are observing all the boundaries and processes that are required once you’ve got a federal investigation like this has got to be an added layer of stress for them.
More on the Cobb conversation: That would be a striking development if senior members of the White House team had begun to cooperate actively with Mueller’s investigation by gathering further evidence in that way, yes, that would be quite striking.
More on the Cobb conversation: Well, it’s certainly sloppy. It’s not the best of legal practice. And I’m sure they are having difficult conversations with their client. But I can’t speak to whether there would be disciplinary consequences from the D.C. bar or whatever bar they are admitted to. It certainly doesn’t reflect the highest standards of representation, particularly in such a sensitive matter as this ongoing investigation.
WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Tom Carper and Chris Coons (both D-Del.) secured initiatives to support the National Guard and defense manufacturing in the annual National Defense Authorization Act. The Senate passed the bill on September 18 by a vote of 89-8.
“The National Defense Authorization Act approved in the Senate today authorizes funding for key national security programs across the federal government and provides a well-earned pay raise for those answering the call of duty,” Senator Carper said. “By working together, we produced a bipartisan bill that will boost our cyber security, crack down on wasteful spending and help states like Delaware make the investments needed to create jobs and enhance our workforce.”
“I’m delighted this bill includes support for Delaware service members and military missions,” said Senator Coons. “It will continue modernization of New Castle’s C-130H aircraft, provide a well-deserved pay raise for our troops, bolster manufacturing in the industrial base, and enhance the role of the Guard in our nation’s cyber defense.”
Continued C-130H Modernization and Upgrades
The bill continues modernization of and improvements to the National Guard’s C-130H aircraft. The bill provides $96.11 million for C-130H modernization and $26.8 million for upgrades to the aircraft. Continued 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 upgrades will increase the performance, efficiency, and reliability of the Delaware Guard’s C-130H fleet.
Troop Pay Raise
The bill authorizes a 2.1 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 threats around the world.
Greater National Guard and Reserve Role in Cyber Security
The bill includes the Department of Defense Emergency Response Capabilities Database Enhancement Act, which Senator Coons introduced with Republican Senator Joni Ernst of Iowa. Senator Carper also co-sponsored this bill. The provision directs the Secretary of Defense to “establish and maintain” a database that can fully and quickly identify the cyber capabilities of every National Guard and Reserve unit that could be used to support civil authorities in a cyber emergency. This will help protect Delawareans and allow units like the Delaware National Guard’s 166th Network Warfare Squadron to defend the nation in event of a major cyberattack.
National Security Innovation and Entrepreneurial Education
The bill includes an amendment offered by Senator Coons and Senator Jerry Moran of Kansas that authorizes the Secretary of Defense to provide support to national security innovation and entrepreneurial education programs and expand exchanges and partnerships with Department of Defense science and technology activities. The amendment will build the foundation for a more accessible defense sector and provide opportunities for Delawareans to develop entrepreneurial skillsets to benefit the national security workforce.
Support for Manufacturing
The bill authorizes $20 million for the Manufacturing Engineering Education Program within the National Defense Education Program. It also includes $20 million for improving the productivity of the defense industrial base (MEPs), $15 million to support the partnership between MEPs and Manufacturing USA, and $20 million for a program to support Manufacturing USA institutes.
Protecting the Jobs of Delawareans
The bill supports jobs for Delawareans by authorizing continued investment in aircraft that people in the First State help to build and that are critical to the continued ability of the armed forces to carrying out missions, such as fighting extremism overseas and countering Russian aggression in Europe. The bill also includes Senator Carper’s amendment, which allows fuel cell technologies – like the kind produced by Bloom Energy – and battery technologies to be more competitive in the Department of Defense energy procurement process.
Cracking down on Misuse and Abuse of Government Purchase and Travel Cards
The bill includes the Saving Federal Dollars Through Better Use of Government Purchase and Travel Cards Act, introduced by Senator Carper and Senator Chuck Grassley of Iowa. The bill will help save taxpayer dollars and curb improper payments through enhanced efforts to prevent charge card misuse and abuse across the federal government. The bill builds off previous efforts championed by Senators Carper and Grassley after a DOD Inspector General report highlighted misuse of purchase cards and made recommendations that DOD should take to better monitor charge card spending.
WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Senator Chris Coons (D-DE), a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, called on President Trump to reiterate the United States’ commitment to the United Nations (UN) and its ongoing partnerships and alliances around the world when the President addresses the United Nations General Assembly tomorrow.
“President Trump’s first address to the United Nations tomorrow is an important moment for U.S. foreign policy, and President Trump must use this opportunity to strengthen our partnerships around the world, not tear them apart.
“President Trump should use his speech tomorrow to reassure the rest of the world that the United States will continue to advance the universal values espoused in the UN Charter. These fundamental freedoms are consistent with American values that have helped shape the world for the better since the UN’s founding over seventy years ago.
“The entire globe benefits from steady, consistent, American leadership, and we, in turn, benefit from partnerships in confronting many of the world’s most pressing challenges.
“When confronting North Korea’s nuclear program, we need cooperation from China. When confronting Iran, we need our P5+1 partners and UN agencies such as the International Atomic Energy Agency. When confronting Russian aggression, we need a united NATO and a strong EU. When fighting ISIS, we need a broad coalition.
“I hope to see President Trump reaffirm these ties and remind the rest of the world that values like respect for human rights and rule of law continue to guide our actions overseas.
“Finally, I hope that President Trump sees the value of international organizations like the United Nations in confronting global challenges like climate change, and that he reconsiders his position with regard to the Paris Climate agreement.”
Washington, DC – U.S. Senator Chris Coons (D-Del.), after hearing concerns from Delaware constituents that the Trump administration’s immigration policies were threatening the J-1 Visa Exchange Visitor Program, secured the inclusion of an amendment to protect the program from modifications in the Fiscal Year 2018 State and Foreign Operations Appropriations bill that passed the Senate Appropriations Committee unanimously on September 7.
Nearly 300,000 international visitors come to America through the J-1 Visa Exchange Visitor Program every year. They participate in research and training programs, work as camp counselors and au pairs, and spend summers working in seasonal and temporary jobs. Delaware welcomed more than 2,000 visitors as part of the program in 2016.
“The Visitor Exchange Program builds people-to-people connections and drives economic growth in Delaware by placing international visitors in temporary work and study positions that are critical to Delaware businesses,” said Senator Coons. “As a member of both the Senate Foreign Relations and Appropriations Committees, I will continue to fight for this program.”
Many of Delaware’s favorite tourist locations at the beach have come to rely on the Exchange Visitor Program to help them with their summer staffing challenges.
“Our members report that they cannot find enough workers,” said Carol Everhart, President and CEO of the Rehoboth Beach-Dewey Beach Chamber of Commerce. “There are simply more seasonal jobs than can be filled. The loss of J-1 students would only add to the labor shortage, forcing businesses to reduce hours of operation, or even close doors, which would not be good for the businesses or for the visiting tourists.”
This amendment makes it clear that there is bipartisan support for the Exchange Visitor Program in the Senate. The full Congress will consider the bill before December as it continues with the Fiscal Year 2018 budget cycle.
WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Chris Coons (D-DE) spoke on the Senate floor today about Sen. Rand Paul’s (R-KY) National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) amendment. The Paul Amendment called for the repeal of the 2001 Authorization for the Use of Military Force (AUMF) against al-Qaeda and the Taliban, and the 2002 AUMF against Saddam Hussein, six months after adoption of the FY18 NDAA budget. The six month window would have required Congress to debate, mark-up, and pass a new AUMF applicable to current conflicts and terrorist threats. Senator Coons voted in support of the amendment, but it did not pass.
Senator Coons’ full remarks, as delivered, are below:
Mr. President, I’d like to speak briefly about the amendment just voted upon by this chamber; an amendment brought forward by Senator Paul. As my colleagues know, the Paul Amendment would have repealed the 2011 Authorization for the Use of Military Force, or so-called AUMF, which authorized military operations against al-Qaeda and the Taliban. It would also repeal the 2002 AUMF which authorized operations against Saddam Hussein in Iraq. These appeals would take effect six months after the adoption of the 2018 National Defense Authorization Act. Mr. President, senators of both parties owe it to the men and women of our armed forces to debate in public the merits of continued conflict against ISIS, al-Qaeda and the Taliban in places like Afghanistan, Iraq and Syria.
The brave men and women who serve us and keep us safe are currently engaged in service to our nation and our security. I am very sympathetic to my colleagues’ concerns about the potential consequences about repealing the ’01 and ’02 authorizations. I don’t want our troops fighting overseas to see our debate over this amendment as a lack of support for their vital mission. I don’t want to see our enemies emboldened. I, however, chose to support the Paul Amendment, but my commitment to our troops and my commitment to defeating our enemies is as strong as ever. This body can and must immediately get to work to craft a legal authorization relevant to our current conflict. That’s why I supported the Paul Amendment, which would have provided a six month window to allow Congress to demonstrate oversight, vigorous review of the status of our military operations around the world, and to pass a new authorization relevant to our current national security threat- in other words, Mr. President, would have required Congress to do its job.
Although the Paul Amendment was tabled, I look forward to continuing to discuss this important and pressing issue with my colleagues on the Foreign Relations Committee, where should more appropriately be debated, and to bring it forward for a final vote in this chamber. If we are to do our job under the Constitution of the United States, we owe those who fight and serve and strive to keep us safe nothing less than clarity about Congress’ willingness to do its job under the Constitution and our willingness to consent to the actions that are essential to keeping us safe.
ACCRA, Ghana – In case you missed it, last week, U.S. Senator Chris Coons (D-Del.), a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, spoke at the Institute of Economic Affairs in Ghana on a recent congressional delegation to West Africa about the economic and political partnerships between Africa and the United States.
“We don’t yet know what the Trump Administration’s initiatives will be for Africa, but we do know, and I’m here to reassure you, that on a bipartisan basis, we in Congress will continue to sustain these tremendous initiatives that have been launched and built up by Presidents both Republican and Democrat,” said Senator Coons.
“We have shared goals to strengthen our democracies, to grow our economies, to have countries that are less corrupt, more efficient, more capable of delivering on the promises that we all care about together,” said Senator Coons.
Thank you for welcoming us all to your wonderful country. Let me not delay any further, I want to introduce to you Congressman Charlie Dent and his wonderful wife Pamela, would you please stand for one moment please. The rest of our delegation is in Cape Coast with Ambassador Jackson because of departing Congress, it was the hope and expectation that not only would they have some wonderful visits with traditional leaders and see some important historical sites, but that we would also be meeting with the President and ministers in Cape Coast today. He has changed his schedule and we will be meeting here not long after this address. Much of our delegation was so excited to see historical sites and meet with traditional leaders that they kept that part of the agenda, but Congressman Dent and I have been having a very full, very rich, and very important series of meetings here today, not least of which was beginning the day with Bridge. I have seen very few joint churches that are Anglican and Presbyterian and Methodist in my life. As a Presbyterian, I’ll tell you I think it is a good model, it’s something we might consider following.
Congressman Dent is a very senior and very influential member of the House of Representatives. He’s an appropriator, he has chaired the House Ethics Committee. He is from a district very close to mine, he represents Hershey’s, among many other interests that have close connections to Ghana. One of the things I treasure about traveling with Congressman and Mrs. Dent is that I happen to be a Democrat, he happens to be a Republican. Nonetheless, we are good friends. I trust him, I like him, he is engaging and positive. And President Kufuor, you honor us with your presence, but one of the things I noted in the time we had to visit beforehand, even those who at one point may have been on opposite sides of party, or of ideology, or of a trajectory of history, there’s something about the journey, there’s something about being with those with whom you’ve served, with whom you’ve explored and known the world, and with whom you’ve faced challenges, and Charlie, I’m so grateful that we get to travel together again this year.
It was just before our Presidential election that my wife and I joined Congressman Dent and his wife and traveled throughout Eastern Europe to a number of countries facing uncertainty about what our Presidential election would produce and whether the United States would keep its commitments to NATO and to our Eastern European allies. We had a number of very difficult conversations, and I’m grateful to have you with me again to have conversation across four countries around the continent. The rest of our delegation includes two other Senators, from Michigan and from Colorado, and members of the House of Representatives, from Delaware, and Florida, and from California. So we have a robust delegation, and we are very excited to become better informed about what is going on in the African continent, about our relationships, and about our trajectory together. I want to just briefly thank the Majority Leader, Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu, thank you for being with us today. Tane Okayja, great to meet you. Honorable X and Minister Asante, who shared with us some of your long service, and your wisdom. I’ll tell you briefly if I could, just to echo some of what Charles said about my first experiences in Kenya, I was an arrogant young man, an American college student, and I thought I knew a lot, and within a matter of days, families who whom I had the honor of staying with across Kenya humbly, quietly, helped teach me how little I really knew about a very wide range of things. It was my first attempt at milking a cow, it was very unsuccessful. My first attempt at working the ground with a hand hoe, and two girls, one eight years old and one ten years old, were much more productive than I was. A number of other experiences, but one that stays with my to this day, I was in a Presbyterian Church in East Africa, it began with song, and some reflection, and some prayer, and about an hour into it, there was a spontaneous parade, and we all got up, and we went out, and we walked all the way around the village, to welcome anyone who wasn’t up yet, and anyone who wasn’t at church yet was brought into church for the second and third hour. And as the sermon began, a woman sitting next to me turned to me and said, “Are you a missionary from your country?” And I said, “Me? No, no. You don’t need a missionary from where I’m from, where I’m from needs a missionary from here.” I’d never seen such excitement and passion for service, passion for making a difference, commitment to family, and to connectedness and to tradition.
So, if I might just start by that, I think one of the ways I which Ghana is a model, not just for Africa, but for the world, is in six decades of independence, repeated, multi-party, wide open elections, and peaceful transitions. And one of my own classmates from Amherst College was just reelected to the Presidency of Kenya, and it was an open question about whether or not this election would happen peacefully, and whether it would happen on time, and in continent, in a world, where democracy is under real pressure in so many places, in so many ways, I want to begin by thanking you, for being as a free nation, over six decades, an exemplar to the world of what repeated elections make possible, and that we together can continue this journey of democracy. Neither of our democracies is perfect, neither of them has yet fully lived up to the promise of the institutions of democracy, but we can learn a great deal from each other.
So let me just say, the overarching goals of our delegation, are first, to learn more from you, to ask your input and your advice, and to learn more about he challenges facing West Africa, and in particular, Ghana, and to ask what your good friends and partners, the American people, can do together. And we’ve had a number of meetings just earlier today, to look at some of the challenges, for example, of climate change, to look at some of the challenges of changes happening in our world some of the challenges of drug trafficking, for example, which afflicts both of our countries.
Second, we’re here to understand Africa’s potential and its opportunities. We’re here to listen and to find new ways to work together. One member of our delegation has literally never been to Africa before. One member has been to Ghana, Christy, I believe 11- 12 times, this is her twelfth visit- Congresswoman Barbara Lee. So we have members of our delegation that are new to the continent, and members who know if far better than I. One other thing I have to correct about my introduction, which was overly generous- nothing, nothing has happened in the Congress of the United States with regard to the US- Africa relationship without great partners, without Republicans and Democrats in the House and the Senate. Perhaps I am just more self-promoting than others, and you have the mistaken impression that I am the most effective; there are many who have done this work along with me. And as I say, we come from all over the country, there are many issues over which we disagree, there are other things that divide us in Washington, as you may have picked up in news reports, but we are, all seven of us, committed to a sustained, deep and constructive relationship between the United States and Africa. Congressman Dent and I recognize that around the world, many are questioning whether or not the United States will sustain its commitments, whether or not we will continue to meet the commitments that we’ve made, and whether we will still be the kind of country and the kind of leader that we have long been. My principle message to you today is to reaffirm our bipartisan commitment in Congress to a sustained and strong relationship between the United States and Ghana, and between the United States and Africa.
To clarify, the Legislative Branch is essential to America’s government; it is co-equal with the presidency. All seven of us were elected before the current President and hope or expect to serve beyond the current President, and we will remain committed to Africa, and encourage you to build and maintain partnerships with the Congress and with our Executive Branch as well. To give you just a few quick examples, our commitments don’t just transcend political parties, they transcend American Presidencies. That’s why successful initiatives designed to bring our countries together have endured. If you think about it, AGOA, HEPFAR, MCC, Power Africa, Feed the Future, YALI… these are just a few examples, but they are examples of continuity.
When we have a new President, a new Presidency, there is not a dramatic shift in American policy towards Africa. If anything, President after President have refined and built upon the connections built by their predecessors. It was President Bill Clinton who signed into law the African Growth and Opportunity Act. It was continued and sustained by Presidents Bush and Obama, but it was my friend and partner, Senator Johnny Isakson, who worked along with me in 2015 to extend it by ten more years, and it was President Obama who signed that extension into law.
Why is this important? Because it gives duty-free, quota-free access to the American market, and particularly for apparel in Ghana, but in many other areas, it has allowed for great growth in the US-Africa relationship. AGOA, non-energy exports from Africa to the United States under AGOA have grown from just under a billion in 2001 to over 4 billion last year, a fourfold increase in exports to the United States. But there is so much more that we can and should do to strengthen our trading relationships. By one study’s account, 300,000 jobs have been created by AGOA’s impact in one country alone. President George W. Bush led the creation of the President’s Emergency Program for AIDS Relief, or PEPFAR. PEPFAR since 2003 has achieved remarkable results in partnership with African leaders and African public health professionals. Today, investments by partners, the resilience of the African people, and the generosity of the United States have saved over 12 million lives, and nearly 2 million babies have now been born HIV free to infected mothers. President Bush also started the Millennium Challenge Corporation, an innovative approach to aid and development, which continues to reduce poverty through economic growth in countries across the continent. Ghana has benefitted from the MCC now twice. On my first visit here in 2011, I specifically went with Senator Isakson to see some of the positive first fruits of that first compact. That $547 million first compact was focused on transportation and agriculture and rural development. And the second, which began in 2014, is focused on electricity, it’s a roughly $500 million compact to improve access to electricity and it’s my hope that you will make significant progress in the steps that have to be taken for the utility sector to be able to take advantage of this significant partnership.
One of the things I most like about the MCC model is that it begins with what an African nation’s own development priorities are. We don’t show up and say, “These are our development priorities, would you like our money?” We show up and say, “What are your development priorities?” And in a long steady process, identify shared priorities and commit to a five year, in this case, nearly $500 million partnership. It’s my hope that political will will exist to make the hard choices in front of us, to make progress together in providing access to power.
President Obama continued this bipartisan legacy with the Power Africa Program, which is the primary focus of this second MCC compact, and many of us worked hard together to pass the statute, the Electrify Africa Act, that made that legally possible. Power Africa has the potential to deliver electricity to 50 million Africans. That makes a difference in terms of children studying at home, or cutting edge hospitals being able to deliver state of the art healthcare, or manufacturing. If you really want to have one manufacturing plant in every district, there has to be electricity to power those innovative new plants.
Feed the Future, another great initiative of President Obama’s, was designed to address the root causes of hunger and increase agricultural production, and as I mentioned, in my first visit, we got to see, we didn’t see, we tasted, the best pineapples I’ve ever had in my life; some remarkable agricultural advances in Ghana, I think we just had some more at lunch today. If we’ve got most of the arable land on Earth on the continent of Africa, and it is one of the highest employment sectors on the continent, and yet Africa is a net food import, then something isn’t right. And it is, to the United States, to transfer technology around hybrid seeds, around storage and production and transportation methods, and to work with you in partnership, to the extent that there are lessons to be learned from our agriculture sector, wonderful. And I think that’s essentially what Feed the Future is about.
Let me close with one other personal favor, the Young African Leaders Initiative. Last night, our ambassador hosted a reception for some of the YALI fellows, particularly some who have just returned from their fellowships this year. It is an annual program started by President Obama that brings 500 promising young Africans from a wide range of ages- young, they’re not 18, some of them are as old as 30- and I’ve gotten to speak and to meet with them at the University of Delaware, from my own state, is one of the host institutions. And a friend of mine, an entrepreneur from Zimbabwe, is starting a program to make it a mutual exchange, where young Americans coming out of college or graduate school come to Africa to learn about business and opportunity here for six months just as 500 young Africans are coming to the United States. And that’s a program I’m determined to work with President Obama, with partners in the Congress, to sustain for the long term, to make sure that it’s vibrant, to make sure that we expose the positive side and the real side of the United States to thousands of young African leaders.
We don’t yet know what the Trump Administration’s initiatives will be for Africa, but we do know, and I’m here to reassure you, that on a bipartisan basis, we in Congress will continue to sustain these tremendous initiatives that have been launched and built up by Presidents both Republican and Democrat.
We recognize that the fifty-four countries of the continent of Africa have unique histories, cultures, challenges and opportunities, and we are prepared to partner on a bilateral basis to help address them, to learn more about them, to make sure that we all have a stronger future together. We know that there are challenges that we face in common. As I mentioned, we visited at Burma Camp, the Naval Center, got to see some of what the United States Navy is doing in partnership with the Ghanaian Navy. There are folks who are brining illness and drugs to the coast lines of Ghana, just as they are doing all over the coast line of the United States. This is a scourge that affects all of our communities and people, and to the extent that we can share technology, and resources, and capability on the fight against drugs, we welcome the chance to do that.
We’re aware that some continue to exploit child labor in the cocoa industry and in fishing offshore, and great work has been done to address this challenge. I will also be visiting a cocoa farm in Côte d’Ivoire and meeting with the First Lady of Côte d’Ivoire. There’s more to be done on this- government efforts have been significant, but more needs to happen to hold perpetrators accountable and to improve our joint fight against trafficking in people.
We recognize also that too often, corruption has been a challenge, in my country, and in your country. You mentioned, just in passing, “local office.” I spent ten years in local office in the United States. Today, I’m the ranking Democrat on the Senate Ethics Committee, but I had a hard first decade in local office because I ran against a very powerful and entrenched local official who was successful in politics because he didn’t play by the rules. He broke some of our laws; he was ultimately investigated and indicted, and I was able to proceed with a cleanup of our police department, and of our local electoral system. But these processes only happen when there is an independent Judiciary and when there’s the courage to move forward with a Special Prosecutor, something I hope there will be the determination and conviction to do here, just as we are working in a bipartisan way to protect the Special Prosecutor currently at work in the United States Capitol on an investigation that is very important in our country. Neither country has a perfect democracy, but by traveling together, we can go farther, and we can go more assuredly.
We also know that there’s tremendous potential all across West Africa, not just as I mentioned before in your example as a multiparty democracy, but because of the things you’ve done in this region, and for the world. As we got to visit your military, both the Navy and the Army headquarters earlier today, we were reminded because of a monument to peacekeepers how much Ghana has contributed to peacekeeping, how much training you provide to other peacekeepers, and the more than ten UN Peacekeeping Missions to which the Ghanaian military have contributed their time, their effort, their skills, and in many cases, even their lives. Your leadership in ECOWAS, in the African Union, in the IAEA, is a reminder that Ghana has contributed to building peace, not just in this region, but literally, in the world. And there’s more that we can and should do together. We’ve had a number of visits to see, on a small level, how specific interventions can make a lasting difference, but I just wanted to point to these ways in which your contributions internationally have had a global and lasting impact. From agriculture to manufacturing, from technology to fashion design to film, we want to build partnerships between American businesses and West African innovators and entrepreneurs that build our nations. We’re determined to continue investing in programs like YALI that will train the next generation of leaders, whether to be journalists or entrepreneurs, faith leaders or civic leaders, we want to make sure that together, we create healthier and more prosperous world.
When I was first here in 2011 with my wife, we visited what was then Ridge Hospital. Earlier, we had a chance to visit Acrow Regional Hospital, and to see what a remarkable change there has already been in what is now a world class hospital for this entire region. So, we have shared goals. We have shared goals to strengthen our democracies, to grow our economies, to have countries that are less corrupt, more efficient, more capable of delivering on the promises that we all care about together. We have a great deal of work to do. I’ll remind you that when President Obama became the first sitting President to address the African Union in 2015, he told the gathered heads of state that the most urgent task facing Africa today, and for decades ahead, is to create opportunity for this next generation. I host an annual conference in my little state of Delaware whose title is “Opportunity Africa.” That is intentional, because every year, I have the opportunity to bring ambassadors, heads of state, business leaders, entrepreneurs, figures who are real leaders in Africa to help my constituents understand that Africa is not a continent of famine and disaster. Africa is a continent of immense potential. The twenty-first century will be an African century. If the United States can play its role in supporting and strengthening the democracies, economies, and futures of the people of Africa, it would be a great blessing for my people and my country. Thank you for the chance to be with you and I look forward to your questions.
WILMINGTON, Del. – U.S. Senator Chris Coons (D-Del.) released the following statement on the retirement of Congressman Charlie Dent:
“Charlie Dent of Allentown, PA, is a true public servant and exactly the type of conservative willing to work across the aisle that Congress needs to function again. I’ve had the opportunity to travel with him on two bipartisan delegations, to Eastern Europe last summer and just last week to West Africa. Never afraid to stand by his beliefs and principles both in public and in private, I think Republicans and Democrats can learn a lot from Charlie’s example. Charlie and his wife Pam are genuine and kind, and it’s been an honor serving with Charlie in Congress.”
Washington, DC – U.S. Senator Chris Coons (D-Del.), the first Delaware Senator in more than four decades to serve on the critical Appropriations Committee, joined his colleagues on the committee to approve the annual appropriations bill for important labor, health, education, and other social programs. This appropriations bill covers the Departments of Labor, Education, Health and Human Services and independent agencies like the Corporation for National and Community Service.
“While the President may submit a federal budget request, it’s Congress that appropriates the funding. President Trump’s suggested budget slashed billions of dollars in key health, education and service programs that would have decimated programs our educators, medical professionals, and local communities have come to rely on,” said Sen. Coons.
Senator Coons supports key programs that improve our nation’s health Under the umbrella of the Department of Health and Human Services, President Trump targeted an 18% cut to the National Institute of Health (NIH). Sen. Coons fought for and received a $2 billion increase in NIH funding, including a $414 million increase for Alzheimer’s research.
In addition to fending off cuts, the Appropriations Committee ensured that there were adequate funds for fighting the opioid epidemic. HHS will receive an $816 million – a 440% increase since fiscal year 2016 – for programs to combat opioid abuse at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, and the Health Resources and Services Administration.
Senator Coons fends off cuts to education budget Sen. Coons continues to fight for education and advancement for our country’s teachers and students, including maintaining funding for programs that were eliminated or cut in President Trump’s budget: 21st Century Community Learning Centers that provides critical afterschool and summer learning programming for children; Supporting Effective Instruction State Grants that strengthen teacher and school leadership effectiveness and improve student outcomes; Teacher Quality Partnership Grant that establishes new partnerships between universities and high-need schools to help recruit, train, and support teachers; Student Support and Academic Enrichment Grants that supports activities that provide students with a well-rounded education; and key college affordability programs like Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grants and Federal Work Study. Additionally, Pell grants received a 1.7% increase in the maximum Pell grant to $6,020 for the 2018-2019 academic year.
Senator Coons stops the elimination of national service programs, public broadcasting Also targeted in President Trump’s budget were national service programs like AmeriCorps, Senior Corps, VISTA and NCCC, which were all slated for elimination. More than 344,000 Americans participate in national service programs across 50,000 locations each year, improving the lives of their communities and engaging millions of additional volunteers.
Much was made about the proposed elimination of the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, which provides an important portion of funding to PBS, News Hour, Ken Burns documentaries, and NPR. While the Trump budget called for the complete removal of funding for CPB, Senate appropriations maintained funding for this important agency at $445 million.
Also targeted for elimination by the Trump budget was the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP), for low-income families that need help meeting their home energy costs. LIHEAP will maintain its funding level at $3.39 billion.
WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Chris Coons (D-Del.), a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, today joined Andrea Mitchell to discuss Donald Trump Jr. and the ongoing Senate Judiciary Committee investigation.
Senator Coons on Donald Trump Jr.’s statement about the Russian meeting in summer 2016: Well, Andrea, first, I very much look forward to a public hearing in front of the full Judiciary Committee where the questions that many members have could get answered. I heard Donald Trump Jr.’s prepared statement, but did not get to stay for the hours of questioning from staff that followed. Today on the Appropriations Committee, we move forward some critical bipartisan efforts to provide support for a lot of different crises America’s facing, whether it’s opioid and heroin abuse, or the response to Hurricane Harvey. There is, in fact, a vote right now on the Senate floor to support moving forward with a $15 billion appropriation to support emergency response. It’s going to take much more than that to deal with the fires all across the West and Hurricane Irma, that’s already ravaged the U.S. Virgin Islands and is about to hit Florida as well. There’s a lot of bipartisan work to do here. My hope is on a bipartisan basis, the Judiciary Committee will have a public hearing later this month where Donald Trump Jr. will answer all the questions that may not have been addressed in today’s staff interview.
More on Donald Trump Jr.: One of the questions I have that I hope to ask [Donald Trump Jr.] in an open session that I didn’t hear addressed while I was present was the e-mail transcript that suggests that his response to being told that Putin and Putin’s regime were trying to help his father win the election wasn’t surprise, wasn’t ‘I need to report this,’ but was instead, ‘Great, let’s go ahead with the meeting.’
Senator Coons on James Comey’s role in the 2016 Presidential election: Andrea, what was striking to me about the choice that former FBI Director Comey made was that he felt compelled to make a public statement just before the election about one investigation. As we now know, at that time, there were two investigations going on, one into possible collusion between the Trump campaign and the Russians, and the other into possible misuse of e-mails by Hillary Clinton and a failure to fully disclose. I think the FBI Director should have commented on both or neither, but for him to choose at that time to comment on only one of those two so close to the election was a choice I strongly disagree with.
Senator Coons on Hurricanes Harvey and Irma: But right here, right now, in the Senate, we’re working on a bipartisan basis to deliver relief for the folks in the Gulf Coast who’ve suffered from Hurricane Harvey. We’re praying for those who are bracing for the impact of Hurricane Irma in Florida and those who have already been hit in the U.S. Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico.
Senator Coons on Rand Paul’s proposed appropriations amendment: I’m against it because we’re at a moment of record of humanitarian need across the world. There are four different places where there are famine conditions. We have more refugees than at any point since the Second World War, and I support working in a bipartisan way to make our foreign assistance more effective, more transparent, but I don’t think this is the time for us to cut it by billions and billions of dollars. The President’s budget proposed eliminating the Food for Peace Program, which uses US commodities to feed millions of hungry people around the world. I recently led a bipartisan trip to a refugee camp in Northeastern Nigeria and I’ve seen what a great difference the World Food Program and the United States’ support for humanitarian efforts makes around the world. I’ll be voting against Rand Paul’s amendment.
WASHINGTON – U. S. Senator Chris Coons (D-Del.) applauded a bipartisan vote in the Appropriations Committee today that strongly rejected President’s Trump’s budget proposal, which would have slashed over 30 percent of the budget of the State Department and the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), among other serious cuts to foreign assistance, diplomacy, and security. Senator Coons is a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee and the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.
“Today’s vote was a bipartisan rejection of the Trump Administration’s short-sighted cuts to American diplomacy,” said Senator Coons. “As challenges from North Korea, Russia, Syria and ISIS continue to grow, it is more important than ever that we use all tools in the American foreign policy tool-kit to advance our interests and values around the world. I am very glad that Democrats and Republicans in the Senate came together to reject President Trump’s disastrous proposed cuts and to support American diplomacy and development initiatives.”
Today’s vote in the Senate Appropriations Committee unanimously approved $51.35 billion that funds the State Department, USAID, and programs that support national security and American values abroad.
Key differences between Trump budget proposal and the bipartisan bill passed today:
-This bill protects Americans overseas by providing nearly $1 billion more for embassy security than President Trump’s proposal.
-This bill provides $1 billion more than President Trump’s proposal for critical lifesaving humanitarian assistance to build international stability.
-The bill bolsters global health programs around the world by providing over $2 billion more than in global health funding President Trump’s proposal to fight the spread of diseases like HIV/AIDS, Malaria, and Polio, and strengthen health systems to prevent pandemics.
The bill also provides critical assistance to key allies, including Israel, Jordan, and Tunisia, and supports democracy, governance, and development abroad. Essential funding is also provided for members of the Foreign Service and other personnel serving overseas. The measure also provides life-saving humanitarian assistance to address the needs of refugees, internally displaced persons, victims of famine, and others suffering from manmade and natural disasters around the globe. It provides significant resources for global health programs to address the needs of the world’s poorest populations, and also promotes international religious freedom and protects persecuted religious minorities, particularly in the Middle East.
The bill also includes Senator Coons’ amendment to protect the J-1 Visa Exchange Visitor Program. This program builds people-to-people connections and drives economic growth in Delaware by placing international visitors in temporary work and study positions that are critical to Delaware businesses.
