[VIDEO] Senator Coons, Russian dissident discuss Putin crackdown on civil society

WASHINGTON – In case you missed it, U.S. Senator Chris Coons (D-Del.), a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, today questioned Vladimir Kara-Murza, a twice-poisoned Russian dissident, at a State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs Appropriations subcommittee hearing about Vladimir Putin’s efforts to suppress dissent throughout Russia. 

“Vladimir Putin won his first presidential election March 26, 2000, and just this week coinciding with the 17^th anniversary of that, tens of thousands of Russians took to the streets—including Alexei Navalny and activists who defied bans on peaceful protests—for some of the fiercest anti-Kremlin, anti-corruption protests in five years,” said Senator Coons. “All of us in elected leadership in the United States and other Western democracies should be clear in our response: condemning the detention of peaceful protesters, advocating for the core value of free speech, and insisting that the Russian people deserve a government free of corruption and accountable under the rule of law.”

“Mr. Kara-Murza, you said in your introduction that you were poisoned by an undefined toxin. I appreciate your clarifying for us,” said Senator Coons. “Your defining the toxin with which Western democracy is currently being poisoned, which is a combination of corruption, disinformation, sustained hybrid warfare. Thank you for both your service and sacrifice, and for making all of us stronger in the face of this toxin.”

Full video and audio available here.

###

Senators Form Bipartisan Alliance to Address Marine Debris Crisis

WASHINGTON – Senators Chris Coons (D-Del), Dan Sullivan (R-AK), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) and Cory Booker (D-NJ) today introduced S. 756, the bipartisan Save our Seas (SOS) Act to help address the marine debris epidemic affecting America’s ocean shorelines and inland waterways, as well as other coasts across the globe. Senators Jim Inhofe (R-OK), Lisa Murkowski (R-AK), Gary Peters (D-MI) and Thom Tillis (R-NC) have also co-sponsored the bill.

“I am proud to join my colleagues in supporting NOAA’s Marine Debris Program and other actions to reduce marine debris,” said Senator Coons. “Marine debris harms our ocean and coastal ecosystems, threatens fisheries and marine life and reduces the quality of life for millions around the world. I am especially glad that this bill encourages a greater focus on international engagement to address this global problem, and research into more sustainable materials that could reduce marine debris by designing for degradability.”

BACKGROUND:
Intact marine debris from foreign countries travel great distances and pose problems for nations who are not responsible for the mismanagement of the source country’s solid waste.

This is particularly true in the United States and Alaska whose shorelines require the constant cleanup of foreign-sourced marine debris. It is estimated that there is more than 250,000 tons of debris floating on the oceans’ surface and 11,000 tons of debris enter the Great Lakes every year. A recent study published by the Marine Pollution Bulletin revealed that cleanup workers in Alaska collected 11 tons of debris on 50 total miles of beaches.

The Save our Seas (SOS) Act works to address three critical areas:

• Allow the NOAA Administrator to declare severe marine debris events and authorize funds to assist with cleanup and response. The Governor of the affected state may request the NOAA Administrator to make this declaration.
• The bill would reauthorize NOAA’s Marine Debris Program through FY2022. Its mission is to conduct research on the source of marine debris and take action to prevent and clean up marine debris.
• Encourages the Executive Branch – led by the U.S. State Department – to engage with the leaders of nations responsible for the majority of marine debris, examining the causes of ocean debris, effective prevention and mitigation strategies, and the economic benefits for treaty nations in addressing the crisis.

###

Senator Coons’ statement on President Trump’s ‘Energy Independence’ Executive Order

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Chris Coons (D-Del.) released the following statement in response to President Trump’s ‘Energy Independence’ Executive Order.

“I am deeply concerned by this latest action by the Trump administration to reverse our efforts to protect our national security, our environment, and our economy by working to address and reverse the impacts of climate change.  The United States has long been a global leader in the effort to fight climate change, and U.S. leadership made it possible to bring 195 countries, including China, together on an international climate agreement to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in 2015. While the White House has not signaled whether it intends for the U.S. to remain in the Paris Agreement, the Trump administration’s actions today are yet another step backwards undermining our commitments to address climate change and embrace a clean energy future.

“In the past, President Trump has rejected scientific consensus on climate change. Recently, the President said he’d revisit the fuel economy standards, which have made American cars cleaner and more fuel-efficient, and today, the administration issued an Executive Order that seeks to dismantle the Clean Power Plan. I am also very concerned about the administration’s actions on issues like methane emissions and the social cost of carbon accounting for federal projects. These shortsighted actions are a clear departure from the commitments the United States has made to its own citizens and the world, and it is a signal that this administration intends to cede our global position on climate change leadership. I have no doubt that it will be increasingly difficult to bring American innovation to emerging clean energy markets around the world when we do not strive for a clean energy future at home. The Trump administration clearly isn’t concerned with evidence-based policymaking, but the evidence here is overwhelming: ignoring the threat of climate change is bad for our economy, harmful to our environment, and dangerous for our national security.”

Senators Announce Creation of New Chemistry Caucus

WASHINGTON – Senators Chris Coons (D-DE), Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV), Steve Daines (R-MT) and Gary Peters (D-MI) announced today that they will serve as co-chairs of the newly formed Senate Chemistry Caucus. In addition to the new chairs, Senators John Boozman (R-AR), Joe Donnelly (D-IN), John Neely Kennedy (R-LA) and Joe Manchin (D-WV) have agreed to join the Caucus.

The Senate Chemistry Caucus will provide a bipartisan forum for Senators to work together on issues dealing with the science of chemistry, the nation’s chemical business sector and their importance to our economy and the central role they play in the creation of innovative products vital to everyday life. The group will work with their colleagues in the Senate to underscore the importance of employing sound science to create effective public policy and to promote initiatives that encourage the development of chemical manufacturing and a new generation of chemists in the U.S. through world-class education and research programs.

Caucus Chairs Look Forward to New Roles

The leadership of the new Senate Chemistry Caucus brings a diverse array of political, technical and business expertise to their new roles. The Senators also represent states with exceptional research and development programs and significant chemical production.

“I was a Chemistry major in college and today I’m proud to be a Senator from the state of Delaware, where chemistry is an important part of our history and where innovative companies continue to advance the field of chemistry,” said Senator Coons. “The Senate Chemistry Caucus will provide an invaluable forum for members of the Senate to promote science in policymaking and encourage businesses to take the scientific advancements chemistry yields and bring them to the marketplace.”

“The chemical industry has long provided thousands of West Virginia families with good paying jobs,” said Senator Capito. “With our abundant energy reserves, we have the prospect of growing this sector in West Virginia and across the country. I look forward to working with my colleagues to support the infrastructure and pro-growth policies that are necessary to continue to strengthen this vital American industry.”

“As the only chemical engineer in Congress, I’m thrilled to be leading the Senate Chemistry Caucus,” said Senator Daines. “As a chemical engineer, we are trained to solve problems and I look forward to doing that along Senators Capito, Peters and Coons.”

“Chemistry plays a vital role in creating the jobs of the 21st century, including nearly 30,000 jobs in Michigan,” said Senator Peters. “We can’t predict what the next big thing will be, but every day the field of chemistry is making groundbreaking discoveries that can grow our economy and improve our daily lives. I’m proud to help launch the bipartisan Senate Chemistry Caucus to encourage scientific research, spur new innovation and promote safety in the chemical industry.”

Support for the Congressional Chemistry Caucus

The leadership of the American Chemical Society, the American Chemistry Council and the National Association of Chemical Distributors welcome the formation of the new Senate Chemistry Caucus and the growing interest in Congress to better understand the intersection of chemistry and public policy.

“The American Chemical Society applauds the bipartisan expansion of the Congressional Chemistry Caucus to the U.S. Senate. Establishment of this bicameral caucus will serve as an important forum for pro-innovation, pro-chemistry lawmakers to advance the chemistry enterprise. Never have policies and legislation focused on investments in research and development, job creation, economic growth, and U.S. global competitiveness been more crucial to the success of the country.”

— Thomas Connelly Jr., American Chemical Society Executive Director and CEO, Ph.D.

“The creation of the House and Senate caucuses come at a very pivotal moment for the chemical industry and manufacturing in the United States. Reversing a long trend, our industry is experiencing historic growth here in the U.S. that is having a very positive effect on domestic investment and adding jobs to our economy. The Senate and House Chemistry Caucuses can play an instrumental role to make sure that Congress appreciates the essential nature of chemistry and does its part to foster this resurgence of U.S. manufacturing and to promote research and development.”

— Calvin M. Dooley, President and CEO of the American Chemistry Council

“As companies that process, formulate, blend, re-package, warehouse, transport, and market chemical products for more than 750,000 customers, chemical distributors play an important role in the life cycle of goods and provide good-paying jobs to tens of thousands of Americans. Our industry depends on Washington to put forth smart legislation and regulation that invests in our future workforce while also spurring economic growth and job creation to ensure our vital role in the economy continues for many years to come. The launch of the Senate Chemistry Caucus, much like the House Chemistry Caucus launched last year, will serve as the vehicle to bring policymakers together to make meaningful decisions about these issues.”

— Eric Byer, President of the National Association of Chemical Distributors

Last year, Congressmen John Moolenaar (R-MI) and Daniel Lipinski (D-IL) teamed up to form the Congressional Chemistry Caucus, which has attracted more than 35 members.

For its first event, the Senate Caucus is joining with the House Chemistry Caucus to host a reception and briefing to highlight the positive impact that chemistry has on the economy. The event will take place at the Capitol Visitor Center on March 29^th from 5-7pm and will feature remarks from special guest speaker Dr. A.N. Sreeram, Senior Vice President and Chief Technology Officer, The Dow Chemical Company.

Coons, Capito urge GAO to study US economic adjustment programs for workers, firms, and communities

WASHINGTON, D.C. —U.S. Senators Chris Coons (D-Del.) and Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.VA.) today sent a letter to the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) requesting that GAO review the major federal government economic adjustment programs and identify options for a more comprehensive policy response.

“Over the last half century, the United States has established economic adjustment programs to respond to the needs of workers, companies, and communities impacted by specific external forces such as trade agreements, defense policy changes, or energy policy changes,” said Senators Coons and Capito. “These targeted programs have widely varying eligibility, benefits, funding levels, and approaches to solve the specific problems identified…Most importantly, their narrow targeting excludes millions of Americans impacted by powerful economic forces such as emerging technologies and materials, disruptive business models, or globalization. The result is a patchwork system of fragmented programs and resources that do not adequately meet the needs of our rapidly and consistently changing economy.  We are interested in a comprehensive review of these programs….” 

In order to better understand the current situation, the Senators requested that GAO: identify lessons learned from existing programs; understand program effectiveness across the different programs; define options for more comprehensive coverage; and identify effective collaboration practices and incentives, gaps in services, and other policy improvements. 

Read the full text of the letter below:

March 28, 2017

The Honorable Gene Dodaro

Comptroller General

Government Accountability Office

441 G Street, NW

Washington, DC 20548

Dear Comptroller General Dodaro,

We write to request that GAO review the major federal government economic adjustment programs and identify options for a more comprehensive policy response.

Over the last half century, the United States has established economic adjustment programs to respond to the needs of workers, companies, and communities impacted by specific external forces such as trade agreements (Trade Adjustment Assistance); defense policy changes (Defense Industry Adjustment); or energy policy changes (the POWER Initiative for the coal industry). These targeted programs have widely varying eligibility, benefits, funding levels, and approaches to solve the specific problems identified. Consequently, policy and program responsibility falls across multiple federal agencies and multiple congressional committees. For the most part, these programs provide benefits available after the effects of economic disruption are felt (e.g., plant closings or spikes in unemployment), when options available for mitigating the effects are more limited.

Most importantly, their narrow targeting excludes millions of Americans impacted by powerful economic forces such as emerging technologies and materials (e.g., robotics, composites, 3-D printing), disruptive business models (autonomous vehicles), or globalization. The result is a patchwork system of fragmented programs and resources that do not adequately meet the needs of our rapidly and consistently changing economy.

We are interested in a comprehensive review of these programs that will assist policymakers in several ways: identify lessons learned from existing programs; understand program effectiveness across the different programs; define options for more comprehensive coverage; and identify effective collaboration practices and incentives, gaps in services, and other policy improvements.

To achieve those goals, we suggest that the review start with key questions such as:

• What are the principal federally-funded programs that currently support economic adjustment, and how do they compare in terms of eligibility, benefits, services, focus (workers, companies, or communities), and numbers served?
• What are the application processes for these programs, and how long does it take from application to certification of eligibility and then delivery of services?
• To what extent are these programs authorized to proactively serve the eligible targets once deemed to be  “at risk” of economic disruption or dislocation? Is there evidence demonstrating what strategies are most effective, such as layoff aversion, direct management assistance for employers, or retraining? Are there circumstances under which some strategies work better than others? 
• What types of workers, companies, and communities are not eligible or well-served by the identified programs, such as those impacted by changes in new technologies, business models, or globalization more generally? From the review, does GAO have insights about options for designing a more comprehensive program?

We look forward to your inquiry to inform this essential discussion.

Sincerely,

Christopher Coons, U.S. Senator

Shelley Moore Capito, U.S. Senator

[VIDEO] Senator Coons: “We’ve got a lot of Senators concerned about where we’re headed”

WASHINGTON – In case you missed it, U.S. Senator Chris Coons (D-Del.), a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, today joined MSNBC’s Morning Joe to discuss the nomination of Judge Neil Gorsuch and the failed Republican attempt to repeal the Affordable Care Act.

“Gorsuch got what Garland didn’t, which is a fair hearing. He got a full four days of hearings last week. I questioned him vigorously, some would say aggressively,” said Senator Coons. “And he is a charming man, he has a good resume, he has strong qualifications in terms of his education, service on the court, but he would be, by some measures, the most conservative Justice on the Supreme Court.”

“In talking to friends on both sides of the aisle, we’ve got a lot of Senators concerned about where we’re headed. There are Republicans still very mad at us over the 2013 change to the filibuster rule,” said Senator Coons. “We’re mad at them for shutting down the government. We’re mad at them about Gorsuch. We are not headed in the right direction. I’m very concerned about where we’re headed.”

Full video and audio available here.

Excerpts from the interview:

Senator Coons on whether Vice President Biden could have won the presidential election: “He would have brought people together. I think Joe Biden could have spoken to the middle class anxiety that I think drove a lot of the primaries in both parties and I think he would be a terrific president. So I share that regret. One of the ways that I think Joe is going to make an enormous difference in our country is fighting cancer, as we’ve been talking about, cancer is a scourge that affects so many families. There’s a lot of important work left to be done. In the last days of the lame duck, one of the things that we did was pass some significant funding that was named after Beau Biden, after his remarkable son, who passed too early.”

Senator Coons on Judge Gorsuch: “Gorsuch got what Garland didn’t, which is a fair hearing. He got a full four days of hearings last week. I questioned him vigorously, some would say aggressively. And he is a charming man, he has a good resume, he has strong qualifications in terms of his education, service on the court but he would be, by some measures, the most conservative Justice on the Supreme Court.”

Senator Coons on whether Gorsuch deserves an up or down vote in the Senate: “He will get an up or down vote. Senator Schumer, our minority leader, has said it’s going to be a 60-vote margin. I doubt he’s going to get 60 votes. The question then becomes what do we do? There’s a lot of finger pointing; a lot of Democrats justifiably still very mad about the treatment of Merrick Garland.”

Senator Coons on whether he thinks Gorsuch will get 60 votes: “I don’t think he’s going to get 60 votes.”

Senator Coons on whether Republicans are going to pass Gorsuch using the ‘nuclear option:’ “Almost certainly. I think this is tragic. In talking to friends on both sides of the aisle, we’ve got a lot of Senators concerned about where we’re headed. There are Republicans still very mad at us over the 2013 change to the filibuster rule. We’re mad at them for shutting down the government. We’re mad at them about Gorsuch. We are not headed in the right direction. I’m very concerned about where we’re headed.”

Senator Coons on tax reform: “I think tax reform is going to be very hard. And, one of the things I’m finding is that we are more and more driven apart, there is less trust between the parties in Congress than there’s ever been. Even in the Senate. We are different; we are structured in a different way. We have longer terms. We represent entire states. We’re more insulated from the partisanship. But, we’re going to have to work very hard to pull back together after the fights of the last couple of years. This is one of the areas we should be able to do it. As you point out, there’s a lot of reasons why it’s going to be extremely difficult. It hasn’t happened since 1986 for a good reason.” 

Senator Coons on working with Republicans: “We are different in that Democrats want government to work. You heard Senator Schumer saying, and I would agree, if they’ll put repeal off the table and sit down and talk about repairing and improving the Affordable Care Act, a lot of Democrats are eager to work on that. In fact, 15 of us sent a letter to Majority Leader Mitch McConnell back in January saying we’re ready to work together to find ways to improve affordable health care, to improve access, quality, and affordability. I introduced bills in the last Congress to expand tax credits for small business owners. We recognize Obamacare isn’t perfect. It wasn’t written by gods; it was written by people. We took a long time to write it, but it was far from perfect.”

Senator Coons on a tax reform package that could unite both parties: “Yes. If we have a move towards tax reform that could strengthen manufacturing, strengthen exports, and provide tax relief to the middle class, not overwhelmingly to the wealthiest. There’s a menu for us to start talking about, but tax reform generally is very difficult. If you want a border adjustment tax, everybody who is importing component parts is upset. Everybody who is exporting is happy. You get very different sectors engaged and supportive or opposing depending what the pieces are of the plan. There’s a lot of work and first what we have to do is to restore trust.”

Carper, Coons, Blunt Rochester host Rehoboth job fair with 40-plus companies looking to hire

REHOBOTH BEACH, Del. – On Thursday, April 13, Sens. Carper, Coons and Congresswoman Blunt Rochester will host a job fair at the Atlantic Sands Resort & Convention Hall from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m. More than 40 organizations and employers ranging from public and private sectors, non-profits and others will be on hand accepting resumes, meeting and greeting prospective employees and in some cases, conducting on-the-spot interviews for both full and part-time positions. Applicants should come with resumes in hand and dressed to impress.

Confirmed attendees for the job fair include ARTC, University of Delaware, Atlantic Sands, Avon, Bath and Body Works, Delaware State Parks, Veterans Conservation Corps, Delaware State Police, New Castle County Police, Delaware Department of Corrections, Edgewell Personal Care, First Class Heating & Plumbing, Food Lion, Fossil, Griswold Home Care, HandyTube Corporation, Helly Hansen, Interim Healthcare of Delaware, Kate Spade, Lacoste, Lowe’s Home Improvement, Maxim Healthcare Services, New York Life, People’s Place, Polo Ralph Lauren, Primerica, Samsonite, Stage Stores, Peebles, Symmetry Financial Group, Telamon Corporation Wawa, Weis, and more.

The delegation is still accepting additional companies for this job fair. If you are interested in participating in the upcoming job fair, interested employers should contact Senator Coons’ office at 302-573-6345 or via email at workshop@coons.senate.gov.

Delegation seeking applicants for annual Congressional Youth Conference this spring

DOVER, DE – Senators Tom Carper and Chris Coons and Congresswoman Lisa Blunt Rochester (all D-Del.) will host their annual Congressional Youth Conference for more than 100 Delaware high school juniors on Monday, May 22 at Delaware State University. The delegation is currently seeking civic-minded high school juniors to apply for the conference. Interested students should contact their school’s administration or guidance office for application details. The late U.S. Senator Bill Roth organized the first Youth Leadership Conference in 1969, hosting it annually until 2000.

Students will have an opportunity to interact with their congressional delegation in an open forum setting, during which the students will discuss issues and concerns important to them. After their discussion with the delegation, students break into sessions where they will spend time with a member of the delegation in a more personalized setting discussing topics such as “The Future of our Environment – The Role of Post-Millennials in a Warming World,” “Liberty and Justice For All – How the Post Millennial Generation Matters In the Fight for Equality and “Breaking the Glass Ceiling – Do Post Millennials See Gender and Ethnicity as an Obstacle or an Advantage?”

“For more than 40 years, students attending the Congressional Youth Conference have been benefiting from Senator Roth’s vision,” Senator Coons said. “This tradition provides an opportunity for aspiring leaders from across Delaware to come together, to share ideas, and to gain insight into real world challenges and opportunities. I thoroughly enjoyed talking with the students about their futures, and I look forward to hearing from them down the road when they are the next U.S. senator, a scientist, journalist or educator.”

School administrators or guidance counselors who are interested in registering students should contact Shavonne Bailey at Shavonne_bailey@coons.senate.gov or workshop@coons.senate.gov.  

Sens. Carper, Coons join 41 Senators in warning Speaker Ryan about threats to eroding healthcare coverage

Wilmington, DE – As the House of Representatives prepares to vote on legislation to repeal the Affordable Care Act (ACA), U.S. Senators Tom Carper and Chris Coons (both D-DE) were joined today by 41 of their Senate colleagues in sending a letter to House Speaker Paul Ryan warning that he will not have their support for further repeal legislation as outlined in the Speaker’s “three phase” plan. As part of their campaign to secure votes for passage in the House, Speaker Paul Ryan and President Trump have assured certain Republican House members that legislation will be passed, either in the current bill or at a later date, that will eliminate essential health benefit requirements for insurance coverage and undermine other critical consumer protections. The senators’ letter throws cold water on this promise saying, “We are writing today to inform you that our caucus will not support any efforts that jeopardize the consumer protections our constituents rely upon when they purchase insurance.”

This letter clearly shows that there are enough votes to sustain a point of order on repealing essential health benefits if this provision is included in the House reconciliation bill, and to block a vote if this is considered as separate legislation.

Essential health benefits under the ACA include coverage for maternity care, emergency services, prescription drugs, substance misuse and mental health treatment. “We will oppose any efforts to lessen our constituent’s access to basic preventative and primary care … Undermining the value of insurance and requiring that insurance plans cover rudimentary health care services is simply shifting more costs onto patients and taxpayers,” the letter continues. 

“We have always supported sensible improvements to the ACA and believe in working together to improve our health care system for the good of the patients it serves. Instead of supporting a fatally-flawed, incomplete, partisan bill, we hope you will take us up on our sincere offer to improve health care for all Americans.”

The senators who have signed onto the letter are:

Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH)
Tammy Baldwin (D-WI)
Michael Bennet (D-CO)
Richard Blumenthal (D-CT)
Cory Booker (D-NJ)
Sherrod Brown (D-OH)
Maria Cantwell (D-WA)
Ben Cardin (D-MD)
Thomas Carper (D-DE)
Robert Casey (D-PA)
Chris Coons (D-DE)
Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV)
Tammy Duckworth (D-IL)
Richard Durbin (D-IL)
Dianne Feinstein (D-CA)
Al Franken (D-MN)
Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY)
Kamala Harris (D-CA)
Maggie Hassan (D-NH)
Martin Heinrich (D-NM)
Mazie Hirono (D-HI)
Tim Kaine (D-VA)
Angus King (I-ME)
Amy Klobuchar (D-MN)
Patrick Leahy (D-VT)
Edward Markey (D-MA)
Robert Menendez (D-NJ)
Jeff Merkley (D-OR)
Chris Murphy (D-CT)
Patty Murray (D-WA)
Bill Nelson (D-FL)
Gary Peters (D-MI)
Jack Reed (D-RI)
Bernie Sanders (I-VT)
Brian Schatz (D-HI)
Debbie Stabenow (D-MI)
Tom Udall (D-NM)
Chris Van Hollen (D-MD)
Mark Warner (D-VA)
Elizabeth Warren (D-MA)
Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI)
Ron Wyden (D-OR)

The letter, in full, is included below.

March 22, 2017
The Honorable Paul Ryan
Speaker
U.S. House of Representatives
Washington, DC

Dear Speaker Ryan,

As a vote nears in the House of Representatives to repeal the Affordable Care Act (ACA), you have repeatedly stated that consideration of the American Health Care Act (AHCA) is only the first phase in your plan to replace the landmark law that has resulted in the lowest uninsured rate in our country’s history. More specifically, you have promised consideration of several legislative proposals you falsely argue will help alleviate the devastating impact of the AHCA.

As we understand your plan, you will seek to enact these proposals after Congress uses expedited procedures to consider the AHCA, a bill the Congressional Budget Office estimated would cause 24 million Americans to lose their insurance coverage. Given your plans to pass subsequent legislation through regular order in Congress, we want to correct any misimpression you may have that we will support proposals you have cited as key to your effort. Simply put, these subsequent bills will worsen the damage the AHCA will cause.

Any assurances to your colleagues that future legislation to further scale back insurance coverage will pass through regular order if the AHCA is enacted are based on the flawed assumption that the Senate Democratic Caucus will vote to further erode the health care system and strip our constituents of coverage.  We are writing today to inform you that our caucus will not support any efforts that jeopardize the consumer protections our constituents rely upon when they purchase insurance.

For example, we will oppose efforts to eliminate the ACA’s essential health benefits that ensure insurance companies cover maternity care, emergency services, substance misuse and mental health treatment, prescription drugs‎, pediatric dental and vision care and other vital services. We will also oppose any efforts to lessen our constituents’ access to basic preventative and primary care. Americans reasonably expect that the premiums they pay cover such basic needs, but before the ACA, consumers were often surprised to find their insurance did not. Undermining the value of insurance and requiring that insurance plans cover rudimentary health care services is simply shifting more costs onto patients and taxpayers. Eliminating the ACA’s essential health benefits would merely force the same Americans to pay more out of pocket rather than actually reducing their costs and should not be the “solution” to the premium increases the ACHA will create.

Before you move forward with floor consideration of the AHCA, we urge you to choose another path.  For many years, we have acknowledged that despite its successes, the Affordable Care Act is not perfect and it needs improvement. We have always supported sensible improvements to the ACA and believe in working together to improve our health care system for the good of the patients it serves.

Instead of supporting a fatally-flawed, incomplete, partisan bill, we hope you will take us up on our sincere offer to improve health care for all Americans.

###

Sens. Coons and Kaine call on POTUS to reconsider management of federal workforce

Wilmington, DE – In response to a January memorandum from President Donald J. Trump, Sens. Coons (D-DE) and Kaine (D-VA), along with 16 of their colleagues, called on President Trump to reconsider his decision of halting all hiring in key government agencies. The memo, which placed a wide-ranging hiring freeze on the civil federal workforce, is currently impacting dozens of federal agencies and their abilities to serve the American people.  The budget blueprint released by the administration last week also proposes cuts that will, if enacted, extend and exacerbate these impacts.

“This hiring freeze is a short-sighted and ineffective attempt to address the size of the federal workforce,” said Sen. Coons. “This is not a nuanced, thoughtful policy but a haphazard attack on a workforce that has remained the same size for 50 years, even as our population has grown by over 50 percent. This mismanagement hurts agencies and programs that affect our constituents, including veterans, seniors, and small business owners. These effects put people at risk, delay economic advancement, and impact our leadership at home and abroad.”

“The Trump Administration’s continued attacks on federal employees, including 170,000 in Virginia, discredits the hard work of our public servants and leaves them without the necessary resources to do their jobs,” Kaine said. “This hiring freeze exacerbates labor shortages across our government, delays care for our veterans at VA facilities, and risk the economic stability of Virginians trying to file for Social Security benefits or secure paperwork for their small businesses. This delay in hiring and the proposed drastic cuts to the federal workforce could have a detrimental impact on the function of our government for years to come.”

The freeze is currently having severe impacts across the country including inability to hire civilian workers, such as childcare providers, on military bases; and a disproportionate impact on veterans, who receive preference in hiring for federal positions.

Other federal agencies adversely impacted include the Patent and Trademark Office, the Social Security Administration, the Food and Drug Administration, the National Institute of Standards and Technology and the federal prison system.

Previous hiring freezes had significant costs and were ineffective in changing the size of the federal workforce.  Hiring freezes also hurt employee morale and damage efforts to recruit new talent, keeping the next generation of employees with diverse backgrounds and expertise out of the civil service.

The letter was also signed by Senators Baldwin (D-WI), Merkley (D-OR), Warren (D-MA), Durbin (D-IL), Gillibrand (D-NY), Blumenthal (D-CT), Cardin (D-MD), Brown (D-OH), Van Hollen (D-MD), Feinstein (D-CA), Warner (D-VA), Carper (D-DE), Franken (D-MN), Hirono (D-HI), Wyden (D-OR) and Shaheen (D-NH).  It is included in full below.

March 21, 2017

The Honorable Donald Trump

President of the United States of America

The White House

1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW

Washington, DC 20500

Mr. President:

Your memorandum of January 23, 2017, placed a freeze on all federal civilian hiring, with limited exceptions.  This appears to be in response to misconceptions about the size of the federal workforce and the misguided notion that this will save taxpayers money.  While the memorandum provides exemptions for “national security or public safety,” additional guidance given in M-17-18 on January 31 makes clear that agencies must conduct additional consultation for these exemptions.  It is unacceptable for an agency to be required to jump through hoops when filling critical positions for highly trained individuals such as medical professionals, food safety inspectors, or air traffic controllers.  We are also troubled by the administration’s proposed budget cuts, which would reduce the federal workforce by historic levels and slash funding for vital domestic programs.  There are many federal missions outside the scope of “national security or public safety” that impact public welfare and provide important services to our constituents.  Sweeping cuts to the federal workforce will negatively impact these missions and a lack of agency personnel and resources may interfere with statutory requirements to carry out programs that have been mandated by Congress.

The civilian federal workforce has remained relatively consistent in size over the last 50 years and has been essentially flat over the past 8 years.^[1],[2]  This is in contrast to the size of the U.S. population, which has increased from just under 200 million in 1967 to 325 million today.^[3]  The most recent across-the-board freezes, which were instituted by Presidents Carter and Reagan between 1977 and 1981, had significant costs and were ineffective at controlling federal employment.  According to a 1982 GAO report, these freezes ignored individual agency missions, led to increased overtime, and resulted in fewer debt and revenue collections.^[4]  Hiring freezes and indiscriminate budget cuts also damage recruiting efforts, inhibiting the entrance of younger employees with diverse backgrounds and expertise into the civil service and eventually leading to loss of skills as older employees retire without a younger generation to take their place.

In addition to the potential costs, we are deeply concerned about the negative impacts the hiring freeze and budget cuts may impose on our constituents, both directly and indirectly.  You assert the freeze is part of your commitment to “clean up the corruption and special interest collusion in Washington, D.C.,” yet you ignore the fact that 85% of the federal workforce lives and works outside of the DC Metro area,^[5] providing important services for our constituents where they live.  As noted in the previous paragraph, the federal workforce has not increased in the past 50 years, yet the U.S. population has increased by over 50 percent.  Federal employment is now less than 2 percent of the total U.S. workforce^[6] and federal employees have been asked to do more with fewer resources for years.  These continued cuts hurt programs and impact our citizens, their jobs and communities, and the economy as a whole. 

Some examples of our concerns include:

• Longer wait times and reduced service at the Social Security Administration, which staffs over 1,200 offices in all 50 states and around the world to assist American seniors and people with disabilities with accessing the retirement and health benefits that they have earned.
• Reduced staff at local USDA Rural Development offices, which connect USDA resources for housing, utilities, businesses, and community facilities with the rural areas they serve.  Without sufficient personnel, these connections cannot be made and our rural communities suffer.
• A disproportionate impact on veterans, who receive hiring preference when it comes to federal jobs and make up over 30 percent of the federal workforce.^[7]  Additionally, we are concerned about the impact on the Department of Labor’s Veterans’ Employment and Training Service (VETS) Program, which serves America’s veterans by preparing them for meaningful careers, providing employment resources and expertise, and protecting their employment rights.
• Harm to small and large businesses alike from delays in securing patent protection for their intellectual property if the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) cannot hire enough patent examiners to continue to reduce the backlog of patent applications, to the detriment of America’s innovation economy.  Given that the USPTO collects fees for its services, imposing a freeze on this agency is particularly questionable because it does not allow the agency to calibrate the number of employees with the demand for services.
• Impacts on enforcement of critical federal laws by the Department of Justice (DOJ), including criminal laws, civil laws, and regulatory reviews.  Some divisions within DOJ are statutorily required to investigate certain complaints, and some generate revenue for the government, again highlighting the potential cost of this freeze. 
• Safety threats to officers in federal prisons and communities nearby when the number of inmates in these prisons increases but the Federal Bureau of Prisons cannot hire additional officers to maintain a proper and safe correctional officer-to-inmate ratio. 
• Administration of federal grants to conduct basic scientific research and hiring of scientists and engineers at government laboratories.  Laboratories such as the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) and the Department of Energy National Labs maintain world-class research facilities and conduct research critical for our economy and our national security.  More broadly, government-funded research not only improves our national defense, health, energy, and agriculture; but also strengthens our understanding of basic questions of our physical world that may lead to new discoveries and technologies in the future.
• Delayed approval of critical new drugs and medical devices from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA).  The 21^st Century Cures Act was recently enacted into law and is intended to spur innovation and speed up the review and approval of promising medical therapies and treatments, partially by giving the FDA the tools and resources they need to recruit talented employees.  A broad hiring freeze will directly conflict with the goals of the 21^st Century Cures Act and will slow down the scientific review and approval of cutting edge advancements in medicine.
• A disruption to the entrance of new Foreign Service officers and specialists, who play a critical role in advancing America’s interests and national security.  This hiring freeze will weaken U.S. diplomacy and delay the recruitment of dedicated, qualified applicants.

As you can see from the sample of programs listed above, which is only a fraction of the important work carried out by the federal government, there are many key services that help protect public health and welfare, drive our economy, and help us maintain our leadership at home and abroad.  While we agree that it is important to use federal resources efficiently and effectively, the freeze and the across-the-board cuts proposed in the budget are blunt instruments that negatively impact federal workforce morale, our communities and our country.  We therefore ask that you immediately end the hiring freeze, and we look forward to seeing a more thoughtful analysis of where efficiencies can be achieved in the federal workforce.