Carper, Coons encourage Republicans to make commonsense improvements to Obamacare, not repeal altogether

Senators: “We….have been ready and willing to work with anyone to improve the existing law for our constituents”

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Tom Carper and Chris Coons (both D-Del.) joined a group of moderate Senate Democrats urging Republican Congressional leadership to discuss meaningful improvements to the Affordable Care Act (ACA) before rushing to fast-track a repeal of the landmark health care law that would strip 30 million Americans of health care insurance. In a letter sent to Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, Health Education Labor & Pensions (HELP) Committee Chairman Lamar Alexander, and Finance Committee Chairman Orrin Hatch, the senators cited their prior support of bipartisan reforms to the ACA and their willingness to work together in order to avoid an outright repeal of the law that would increase health care costs, hurt middle class families, and cause irreparable damage to the American health care system.

“We know there is more to do to improve the health care system in our country and agree that there are serious challenges that must be addressed,” the Senators wrote. “We have supported commonsense changes and improvements to the Affordable Care Act to ensure affordability and access for more Americans and have been ready and willing to work with anyone to improve the existing law for our constituents.”

“We remain committed to improving the ACA, and we urge you to work with us now—to increase affordability for families, protect communities, help small businesses, and continue important protections for the most vulnerable,” the Senators continued.  “But by pushing an immediate repeal through a partisan reconciliation process, we won’t have the opportunity to work together and build on common ground. By moving forward with no plan in place for the future of our health care system, those who support repeal assume the responsibility of mitigating the unnecessary and avoidable chaos this will create.”

Joining Carper and Coons on today’s letter were Senators Tim Kaine, Michael Bennet, Joe Donnelly, Maggie Hassan, Heidi Heitkamp, Angus King, Amy Klobuchar, Claire McCaskill, Gary Peters, Jeanne Shaheen and Mark Warner.

Full text of the letter can be found here and below:

The Honorable Mitch McConnell

The Honorable Lamar Alexander

The Honorable Orrin Hatch

Dear Leader McConnell, Chairman Alexander, and Chairman Hatch:

We write to express our concerns with the plans to use a fast-track budget process to repeal the Affordable Care Act in the coming weeks.  Repealing this law will have immediate negative impacts on the people we represent and the economy as a whole. While we believe improvements are needed to ensure high-quality health care is affordable for all Americans, we cannot afford to make a mistake that will lead to the loss of health care for our constituents. 

We know there is more to do to improve the health care system in our country and agree that there are serious challenges that must be addressed. We have supported commonsense changes and improvements to the Affordable Care Act to ensure affordability and access for more Americans and have been ready and willing to work with anyone to improve the existing law for our constituents.  The American people deserve a constructive bipartisan conversation about improvements we know need to be made to our health care system, and that will require time for the two sides to work together. Any proposed changes must protect the parts of law that have helped our constituents access critically needed health care.

Unfortunately, outright repeal means that an estimated 30 million people would lose their health coverage, doubling the rate of uninsured, endangering our constituents’ access to needed health care services, and exposing them and their families to new financial risks if they become ill. The vast majority—eighty-two percent—of those who would become uninsured are in working families.

The negative impacts would be felt across the health care system by consumers, states, and health care providers even if there is a delay and repeal does not fully take effect for several years. States would very likely see their individual insurance markets begin to unravel quickly due to uncertainty that would drive insurers to either leave the market or raise premiums significantly.  The Urban Institute estimates that 4.3 million people are at risk for losing insurance right away, and this cycle would only accelerate once the marketplace subsidies are repealed, making coverage much less affordable for people with modest incomes.  According to the American Academy of Actuaries, “Repealing major provisions of the ACA would raise immediate concerns that individual market enrollment would decline, causing the risk pools to deteriorate and premiums to become less affordable. Even if the effective date of a repeal is delayed, the threat of a deterioration of the risk pool could lead additional insurers to reconsider their participation in the individual market.”

As individuals lose health coverage, we would also expect to see a return to high uncompensated care costs, which would burden state and local governments and health care providers. Constituents in rural and underserved urban communities would be particularly hard hit given the economic importance of hospitals, federally qualified health centers, and clinics in many small towns. People who have pre-existing conditions, such as cancer, diabetes, and heart disease, could face new challenges in obtaining coverage and affording their care, as repeal would endanger the popular protections now provided to them in the insurance market. And repeal would hamper our ability to combat the opioid epidemic by taking away access to substance abuse treatment from millions of Americans.

We are also concerned about the impact of repeal on Medicare beneficiaries. The ACA included provisions to improve Medicare benefits by providing free coverage for some preventive benefits, such as screenings for breast and colorectal cancer, cardiovascular disease, and diabetes, and closing the coverage gap in the Part D drug benefit by 2020.

In addition to taking away coverage for seniors and families, undermining the health care system through outright repeal would hurt our economy. Health care makes up one sixth of the nation’s GDP; a hasty repeal vote with no clear plan for replacing the law will inject tremendous uncertainty into the American economy. Creating that degree of uncertainty is bad for both the health care system and the economy and is likely to have negative consequences. Congress should be trying to reduce economic uncertainty, not multiply it.

We remain committed to improving the ACA, and we urge you to work with us now—to increase affordability for families, protect communities, help small businesses, and continue important protections for the most vulnerable.  But by pushing an immediate repeal through a partisan reconciliation process, we won’t have the opportunity to work together and build on common ground. By moving forward with no plan in place for the future of our health care system, those who support repeal assume the responsibility of mitigating the unnecessary and avoidable chaos this will create.

U.S. Senator Tim Kaine

U.S. Senator Michael Bennet

U.S. Senator Tom Carper

U.S. Senator Chris Coons

U.S. Senator Joe Donnelly

U.S. Senator Maggie Hassan

U.S. Senator Heidi Heitkamp

U.S. Senator Angus King

U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar

U.S. Senator Claire McCaskill

U.S. Senator Gary Peters

U.S. Senator Jeanne Shaheen

U.S. Senator Mark Warner

Senator Coons’ statement on U.S. Sanctions against Russia

WILMINGTON, Del. – U.S. Senator Chris Coons (D-Del.), a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, issued this statement after the White House announced sanctions against Russian officials, intelligence agencies, and institutions: 

“I support today’s actions by President Obama to hold Russia accountable for its cyberattacks that were designed to undermine and influence our 2016 presidential election.  An attack on our democracy is an attack on all Americans, so I am glad to hear many of my Republican and Democratic colleagues call for hearings, legislation and continued action to ensure a strong, united response.”

Senator Coons’ statement on U.N. Resolution targeting Israel

WILMINGTON, Del. – U.S. Senator Chris Coons (D-Del.), a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, issued the following statement on the United Nations Security Council Resolution targeting Israel:

“Earlier this week, Egypt called for a vote on a United Nations Security Council Resolution targeting Israel that would undermine prospects for direct negotiations between Israelis and Palestinians to achieve a two state solution. I am encouraged that the vote has been delayed, and I call on the Egyptians to withdraw this unconstructive resolution.

“Should this come before a vote at the UN, I urge the President to veto the resolution because it does nothing to advance peace or hope for a two state solution.”

Senator Coons statement on the Democratic Republic of the Congo

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Chris Coons (D-Del.), a member of the Foreign Relations and Appropriations Committees, released the following statement regarding the situation in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. 

“I am extremely disappointed that President Joseph Kabila has decided to remain in office past his constitutional term limit.  I urge President Kabila, former Prime Minister Etienne Tshisekedi, and other opposition and civil society leaders to reach an agreement that establishes a credible plan to hold free and fair elections in 2017, as well as a clear commitment from President Kabila not to further prolong his time in office or amend the constitution. 

“The National Episcopal Conference of Congo deserves immense praise for its efforts to mediate an inclusive agreement.  The Vatican and Angolan President José Eduardo dos Santos also deserve recognition for their support of these negotiations.

“Three months ago, state security forces killed at least 48 people during two days of political demonstrations in Kinshasa.  While I join Mr. Tshisekedi in urging demonstrators to remain peaceful, we have already seen reports that at least 26 demonstrators were killed by security forces on Tuesday.  I strongly condemn the use of excessive force against demonstrators and call on security forces to respect the freedom of assembly. 

“I also call on the U.S. government to launch an investigation into allegations of money laundering linked to members of the Kabila family.  The lack of transparency regarding the Kabila family’s business interests undermines democratic accountability in the DRC and heightens political tensions. 

“As a member of the Senate Committee on Appropriations, I intend to review our bilateral security assistance to the DRC.  The United States has made significant investments in the stability and economic prosperity of the DRC, and I have concerns that must be addressed in order for me to continue supporting this assistance.”

Four bipartisan bills from Senator Coons to become law

WASHINGTON – After passing both the House of Representatives and the Senate, President Obama will soon sign into law the American Innovation and Competitiveness Act, which includes four bipartisan pieces of legislation authored by U.S. Senator Chris Coons (D-Del.) focused on supporting science, manufacturing, and small business.

“I’m thrilled Congress came together in a bipartisan way to pass this critical legislation to jumpstart America’s innovation economy and sharpen our country’s competitive edge,” said Senator Coons. “I’m pleased many of the priorities I’ve been fighting for in the Senate were included in this bill, such as my proposal to help the government utilize crowdsourcing and citizen science in tackling a range of challenges facing our country. This bipartisan bill also includes my legislation to strengthen and expand two key federal programs that support manufacturing companies and train scientists and engineers to start new businesses.” 

A list of Senator Coons’ priorities that were included in the American Innovation and Competitiveness Act are below:

Promoting open science, innovation in government
Senator Coons secured his proposal to encourage and increase the use of crowdsourcing and citizen science within the federal government to advance and accelerate scientific research, literacy, and diplomacy. This is the first ever legislation, co-sponsored by Senator Steve Daines (R-Mont.), to grant explicit authority to the government to use these methods. Specifically, it provides clarification and guidelines for government agencies to utilize crowdsourcing and citizen science methods, harnessing the resourcefulness and innovation of the public to solve problems without requiring any new funding or authorizations. Delaware Nature Society, The Nature Conservancy, Stroud Water, and the National Park Service are all using open science to monitor and improve water quality in Delaware and learn more about Delaware’s environment. Congressmen Paul Tonko (D-NY-20), David McKinley (D-WV-01) and Derek Kilmer (D-WA-06) championed a companion bill in the House.

Improving the Manufacturing Extension Partnership (MEP) program
Senator Coons secured his proposal, co-sponsored by Senators Kelly Ayotte (R-N.H.), Gary Peters (D-Mich.), Susan Collins (R-Maine), and Angus King (I-Maine), to expand and improve the Manufacturing Extension Partnership (MEP) program to better serve small and medium-sized manufacturing companies. The MEP program is the premier federal program addressing critical needs of small and medium-sized manufacturers. MEP centers offer resources that enable manufacturers to compete globally, support greater supply chain integration, and provide access to information, training, and technologies that improve efficiency, productivity, and profitability. Built on a nationwide network of centers located in all 50 states and Puerto Rico, the MEP program is a partnership between the federal government and a variety of private sector entities that serve as trusted business advisors and technical experts to thousands of small and medium-sized manufacturers. For years, the Delaware MEP has helped Delaware manufacturers train employees and implement process improvements that allow these important businesses to grow and create jobs.

Strengthening the National Science Foundation’s (NSF) I-Corps program
Senator Coons secured his proposal, co-sponsored by Senator Deb Fischer (R-Neb.), to expand and improve the National Science Foundation’s (NSF) highly successful Innovation Corps (I-Corps) program that trains scientists and engineers with the skills needed to start new businesses and create new jobs. I-Corps connects scientists and engineers with the technological, entrepreneurial, and business communities necessary to move discoveries from the laboratory to the market.  This bill builds on NSF’s recent success with I-Corps to help create regional networks for innovation by providing researchers, students, and universities with the training and resources they need to develop products and services that benefit the economy and society. University of Delaware’s Horn Program and many students hoping to create their own companies have benefited from I-Corps. 

Bolstering the field of sustainable chemistry
Senator Coons secured part of his proposal, co-sponsored by Senator Susan Collins (R-Maine), to support research in the field of sustainable chemistry.  Sustainable chemistry is an innovative field that creates jobs and spurs economic development in the private sector, and includes goals such as reducing chemical risk to human health and the environment, increasing efficient use of resources, and designing products and processes with consideration of the entire lifecycle.  The legislation makes clear the importance and benefits of sustainable chemistry, and reaffirms the importance of the NSF’s Sustainable Chemistry Basic Research Program.  Delaware is home to a number of chemical companies like Croda and White Dog Labs that are seen as leaders in sustainable chemistry. 

Delaware Delegation applauds Commerce Department’s $70 million investment in a University of Delaware-led manufacturing institute

NEWARK, Del. – U.S. Senators Chris Coons and Tom Carper (both D-Del.), and Congressman John Carney (D-Del.), today applauded the Department of Commerce’s selection of the University of Delaware to lead the country’s first manufacturing innovation institute focused on biopharmaceutical manufacturing. As part of the announcement, the Department will invest $70 million in a new UD-led manufacturing institute over five years, which will be matched by private and public funds, resulting in a nearly $200 million investment in the new institute. This significant financial commitment will accelerate innovation in biopharmaceutical manufacturing and help train a world-class manufacturing workforce.

“I’m thrilled to mark this tremendous victory for the University of Delaware and all the partners in this new institute,” said Senator Coons. “This announcement makes official what I’ve long known: the University of Delaware is a true hub of manufacturing innovation. This new institute brings together leading academic, non-profit and private sector organizations from across the country to accelerate innovation that ensures the United States remains the world leader in biopharmaceutical manufacturing.”

“Here in Delaware, we have a vibrant research community, thanks to the University and its commitment to partnering with the public and private sectors to push innovation further,” said Senator Carper. “Working together is something we are very good at in Delaware, and this consortium of public and private universities, major manufacturers, government, trade organizations and nonprofits from across the country will be housed right here in Newark. I’m so excited to see how we can leverage the power of these partners to advance the biomanufacturing industry, which already contributes hundreds of billions of dollars to our country’s economy.”  

“The investment in this new institute represents a significant victory for innovation, for the University of Delaware, students here in Newark and the people of our state,” said Congressman Carney. “It’s also an example of what we can achieve by working with partners across the public and private sectors, including the major universities, research institutions and pharmaceutical industry leaders who are bringing resources to this effort.”

Biopharma is one of the most important sectors in the U.S. economy. Biopharmaceuticals treat and prevent some of the most common and debilitating diseases, including cancer, diabetes, autoimmune disorders, and viral infections. The industry relies heavily on complex advanced manufacturing processes to produce these medicines with great precision at a large scale.

The new institute, the National Institute for Innovation in Manufacturing Biopharmaceuticals (NIIMBL), is comprised of more the 150 public and private partners. This is the eleventh institute in the Manufacturing USA network, and first one sponsored by the Department of Commerce. NIIMBL will be headquartered in Newark, Delaware. 

Just weeks ago, legislation based on Senator Coons’ Manufacturing Universities bill passed the Senate and will be signed into law.

Senator Coons welcomes United States Attorney General Loretta Lynch to Delaware

WILMINGTON, Del. – U.S. Senator Chris Coons announced today that United States Attorney General Loretta Lynch, the nation’s highest ranking law enforcement official, will visit Delaware on Monday, December 19. Sen. Coons, co-chair of the bipartisan Senate Law Enforcement Caucus and a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, along with Attorney General Lynch, will visit the Wilmington Police Department during a roll call, tour New Castle County’s Children’s Advocacy Center, and host a community discussion at the Delaware Historical Society focused on juvenile justice.

“Providing resources to our cities, protecting our children, and understanding the challenges that face our youth in America’s judicial system are important topics that we will discuss with United States Attorney General Loretta Lynch,” said Sen. Coons. “I am honored to host her first visit to Delaware to see in person federal investments in the Wilmington Police Department, to help combat violent crime, and Children’s Advocacy Centers in Delaware, which address abuse impacting our most vulnerable citizens, our children.”

The day will begin with Sen. Coons and Attorney General Lynch joined by public officials, as well as faith and community leaders, for a discussion on juvenile justice in Delaware and across the country. The event will begin at 10:30 a.m. and is open to the press.

Shortly after, Sen. Coons and Attorney General Lynch will visit the Wilmington Police Department headquarters for a tour highlighting technology and training made possible by the Violence Reduction Network and a roll call with rank and file officers of the WPD.

Wilmington was among just five cities originally selected to participate in the elite network bringing all of the expertise and experience of the federal government — led by former local police leaders who have reduced crime in their communities — to help cities make their streets safer. Through VRN homicide investigation assistance and resources, the WPD improved the homicide case clearance rate from 10 percent to 50 percent.

The Attorney General’s time in Delaware will conclude with a visit to the Children’s Advocacy Center, located at the AI DuPont/Nemours Children’s Hospital. Attorney General Lynch and Sen. Coons will be joined by Children’s Advocacy Centers of Delaware Executive Director Randy Williams. Sen. Coons has fought fiercely to increase funding for the CACs nationwide, and the visit will emphasize the important work of the centers in forensics and post-trauma care.

Sen. Coons has advocated for federal funding for children advocacy centers for the last three years, and he successfully secured $21 million to fund these centers’ important work protecting Delaware’s children in Fiscal Year 2017.

“I’m honored that Attorney General Lynch has chosen to visit Delaware and to listen to constituents’ concerns about juvenile justice, public safety, and the protection of our children,” Sen. Coons said. “Throughout her tenue, Attorney General Lynch has proven to be an excellent leader of the Justice Department. She understands the importance of tackling violence in our cities; the need to faithfully safeguard our Constitution while protecting us from threats; and the responsibility we have to address the unjust impacts and unsustainable costs of our criminal justice system.”

About Attorney General Loretta Lynch

Loretta E. Lynch was sworn in as the 83rd Attorney General of the United States by Vice President Joe Biden on April 27, 2015. President Barack Obama announced his intention to nominate Ms. Lynch on November 8, 2014.

Ms. Lynch received her A.B., cum laude, from Harvard College in 1981, and her J.D. from Harvard Law School in 1984. In 1990, after a period in private practice, Ms. Lynch joined the United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York, located in Brooklyn, New York—the city she considers her adopted home. There, she forged an impressive career prosecuting cases involving narcotics, violent crimes, public corruption, and civil rights. In 1999, President Clinton appointed her to lead the office as United States Attorney—a post she held until 2001. In 2010, Ms. Lynch resumed her leadership of the United States Attorney’s Office in Brooklyn.

AGENDA FOR MONDAY, DECEMBER 19, 2017

Community Discussion on Juvenile Justice
10:30 a.m. 
Delaware Historical Society
505 North Market Street, Wilmington, DE 19801

WPD Tour to Demonstrate Impact of Violence Reduction Network
1 p.m.
Wilmington Police Department
300 North Walnut Street, Wilmington, DE 19801

Tour of the Children’s Advocacy Center 
3 p.m.                   
Nemours/AI DuPont Hospital for Children
1600 Rockland Road, Wilmington, DE 19803

Senate Democrats to Introduce Bill to Require President and Vice President to Fully Divest Personal Financial Conflicts of Interest

Washington, DC – On the day President-elect Donald Trump was supposed to inform the American people about his future with the Trump Organization, a group of Democratic U.S. senators announced they will introduce a bill in January that would require the President and Vice President to disclose and divest any potential financial conflicts of interest. It also would require presidential appointees to recuse themselves from any specific matters involving the President’s financial conflicts of interest that come before their agencies.

The co-sponsors of this legislation include Senators Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), Ben Cardin (D-Md.), Chris Coons (D-Del.), Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), and Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.).

The senators have consistently asked for more transparency and accountability from President-elect Trump. In November, the lawmakers filed a Resolution stating the Senate’s expectation that President-elect Trump needs to decisively and transparently divest all of his business interests and holdings and completely sever his affiliation with the Trump Organization to avoid any actual or perceived conflicts with the Emoluments Clause of the Constitution, which prohibits the President from accepting gifts or benefits from foreign governmental actors.

“Our President-elect has significantly greater risk of business and financial conflicts of interest than any other president, yet has so far refused to follow the precedent set by previous presidents.  To this day, President-elect Trump has refused to address his conflicts of interest,” said Senator Coons. “His continued delay in taking such steps is deeply troubling and calls into question his commitment to two fundamental responsibilities: running an open, transparent White House and fully severing his business ties before taking office. That’s why Congress must act promptly to pass this legislation that will require the President to divest their financial interests and place the proceeds in a blind trust. The presidency is a full-time job with only one client: the American people.”

“The American people deserve to know that the President of the United States is working to do what’s best for the country – not using his office to do what’s best for himself and his businesses,” said Senator Warren. “The only way for President-elect Trump to truly eliminate conflicts-of-interest is to divest his financial interests and place them in a blind trust. This has been the standard for previous presidents, and our bill makes clear the continuing expectation that President-elect Trump do the same.”

“President-elect Trump’s financial entanglements are unprecedented in American history, and the American people are still waiting to hear what steps he will take before January 20th to guard against conflicts of interest and corruption in his Administration. Just this week, the President-elect cancelled a scheduled announcement about severing his business ties, taking time instead to meet with Kanye West,” said Senator Durbin.“The American people deserve to know that their President is putting the United States’ interests before his own, his family’s, or that of any foreign government.”

“It’s simple. There’s only one way for Donald Trump to end his conflicts of interest and reassure the American people that he is working for them and not for himself: Divest. Sell off the businesses and put the proceeds in a true blind trust,” said Senator Merkley.

“The American people do not want the President encumbered by conflicts of interest that put him in violation of the Constitution or US law,” said Senator Cardin. “He shouldn’t want such conflicts either. Through legislation, resolutions, and advocacy we will continue to uphold the Constitution and current law and require the President-elect to take serious steps to give the American people the transparency they deserve.”

A fact sheet about the bill is available here. The legislation will be introduced when the Senate returns to session in January.

Senator Coons’ statement on President-elect Trump’s nomination of Rex Tillerson for Secretary of State

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Chris Coons, a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, released the following statement after President-elect Trump announced his intent to nominate Exxon Mobil CEO Rex Tillerson to serve as Secretary of State: 

“Rex Tillerson has decades of experience doing business internationally.  Business experience, though valuable, is different from fighting for the interests of the United States, which must include fighting for democracy, for human rights, and a free press.

“Given Mr. Tillerson’s long friendship with Vladimir Putin and the President-elect’s flippant dismissal of clear evidence that Russia sought to influence our presidential election, this nomination further calls into question the President-elect’s foreign policy principles.  Russia is not a business partner — it is an adversary of the United States working hard to undermine democratic values around the world.

“The Senate Foreign Relations Committee owes it to the American people to conduct thorough, detailed confirmation hearings on Mr. Tillerson’s nomination.” 

Sen. Coons’ statement on reports that Rex Tillerson is President-elect Trump’s selection for Secretary of State

WILMINGTON – U.S. Senator Chris Coons (D-Del.), a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, released the following statement after reports that President-elect Donald Trump has selected Exxon Mobil CEO Rex Tillerson as his nominee for Secretary of State. 

“I am committed to giving any nominee from the President-elect thorough and fair consideration, and Mr. Tillerson would bring decades of international business experience to his service.  Still, I am deeply concerned that Mr. Tillerson’s long and close ties to Russia and Russian President Vladimir Putin could unduly influence his decision making at a time when we need to be direct and tough with Russia, given recent credible reports of Russian efforts to interfere in our democracy, and events in Syria and Ukraine.

“As a member of the Foreign Relations Committee, I am eager to learn more about Mr. Tillerson’s approach to Russia, North Korea, ISIS, China and many other critical issues that our next Secretary of State will have to face.”