Senators Coons, Ricketts to introduce bill to modernize and strengthen U.S. development assistance

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Chris Coons (D-Del.) and Pete Ricketts (R-Neb.) released the following statement today regarding their plans to soon introduce legislation to modernize and strengthen U.S. development assistance: 

“The United States needs a better, more modern approach to global development that can address the challenges we face today and better promote U.S. security and stability abroad. In the coming weeks, we will introduce bipartisan legislation to reform and modernize the way the U.S. Agency for International Development coordinates and implements its development assistance. These reforms will prioritize effectiveness, foster long-term and sustainable economic growth, integrate innovation, and leverage private-sector partnerships to promote catalytic investment for development. They will transform the way development assistance is delivered to ensure long-term, sustainable development results that promote stability and better meet today’s complex challenges. We owe this to U.S. taxpayers and our partners around the world.”

Specifically, the bill would: 

1. Transform how the United States partners with countries and communities globally by creating joint country- and community-led funds and compacts that enable co-investments between the United States and its partners. This will improve the effectiveness and long-term sustainability of U.S. investments.
2. Make innovation a centerpiece of the U.S. development strategy by scaling funding for innovations that are already proven to work, increasing the use of innovative financial tools like advanced market commitments to stimulate outside R&D for global challenges – especially in fields like drug discovery – and target investments in critical 21st-century sectors such as digital infrastructure.
3. Increase the focus on results by creating new ways for the United States to blend finance and co-invest in pay-for-outcomes funds with philanthropy, impact investors, the private sector, development finance institutions, and other bilateral, multilateral, and allied partners.

Senators Coons and Ricketts plan to introduce the forthcoming legislation in the November Senate work period. Senator Coons is Chair of the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on State and Foreign Operations and a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. Senator Ricketts is a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.

Senator Coons statement on the passing of former Senator Tim Johnson

WILMINGTON, Del. – U.S. Senator Chris Coons (D-Del.) issued the following statement in response to the announcement that former U.S. Senator Tim Johnson (D-S.D.), a former member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, passed away yesterday:

“Annie and I send our prayers and heartfelt condolences to Tim’s family – to Barb, his wife; to his three children, Brooks, Brendan, and Kelsey; and to his many grandchildren. Tim served the people of South Dakota for nearly 30 years with integrity and humility. His bipartisanship and hard work on behalf of his state and our nation made a lasting difference.”

Senator Coons statement on anniversary of October 7 attacks

WILMINGTON, Del. – U.S. Senator Chris Coons (D-Del.) issued the following statement on the first anniversary of the October 7 attacks:

“One year ago today, Hamas carried out a devastating surprise attack on Israel that took more than 1,200 innocent lives from many nations and subjected hundreds more to a year of captivity as hostages. Today, Annie and I pause to grieve all those whose lives were lost on October 7, in the year of fighting that has followed, and in the regional conflicts started by Iran and its proxies: Hezbollah, the Houthis, and the Shia militias. Hamas has been willing to draw Israel into a war on its terms, which has tragically resulted in tens of thousands of Palestinian civilian deaths. Israel has a right to exist in peace and to defend itself from attack, and the Palestinian people deserve a path to self-governance and to peace, as well. I still have hope that all sides can reach an agreement bringing an end to the fighting and securing the release of all the hostages still held within Gaza. Hamas struck a year ago today to prevent both Israel and the Palestinians from achieving regional peace and a resolution of their decades-old conflict, and we cannot let them win.”

Senators Coons, Hickenlooper, Graham, Young introduce bipartisan bill to advance domestic processing of critical materials

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Chris Coons (D-Del.), John Hickenlooper (D-Colo.), Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), and Todd Young (R-Ind.) introduced the bipartisan Critical Materials Future Act to establish a pilot program for the U.S. Department of Energy to financially support domestic critical mineral processing projects.

“I’ve been hearing for years from national security and private-sector leaders about the need for more capacity to process and recycle critical minerals here at home,” said Senator Coons. “The Biden-Harris administration and the newly formed Office of Manufacturing and Energy Supply Chains is already implementing ambitious programs to strengthen our energy security, and this additional funding and new authorities will support more of this urgent work.”

“China is rivaling American dominance by controlling the critical minerals market,” said Senator Hickenlooper. “Boosting our domestic processing is how we’ll maintain American leadership in the world.”

“China maintains dominant control over critical mineral processing, which poses significant risks to our national security,” said Senator Graham. “It’s important for us to work with our allies to build better and more resilient processing capabilities.”

“Our reliance on global supply chains for critical materials poses a significant national security threat, especially as the Chinese Communist Party continues to manipulate this market,” said Senator Young. “Our bill will take innovative steps to identify opportunities for American leadership and investment in critical material projects, strengthening domestic supply chains and boosting our economic and global competitiveness.”

Critical minerals are used in many technologies, including smartphones, electric vehicle batteries, solar panels, wind turbines, and more. The U.S. critical minerals list contains 50 minerals – including graphite, nickel, and cobalt – that are essential to our economy, infrastructure, and military capability.

China currently controls 90% of the global processing capacity for rare earth elements and over 80% of the processing for other critical minerals like cobalt, gallium, and graphite. Experts have become increasingly concerned about U.S. dependence on China for critical materials, arguing it poses a significant risk to national security. In August 2023, China announced export controls on gallium and germanium, critical minerals used in semiconductor manufacturing. In October 2023, China introduced export license requirements for graphite, essential for battery anodes. And in June 2023, a cobalt mine in Idaho was forced to shutter its operations before it opened and lay off hundreds of workers as China flooded the market with cheap cobalt.

Specifically, the Critical Materials Future Act grants the Secretary of Energy the authority and funding to deploy innovative financial mechanisms, such as contracts for differences and advanced market commitments, to support critical material processing projects in the United States. The bill also requires the Secretary of Energy to conduct a comprehensive study on the impact of these financial tools on market dynamics and processing projects within the critical materials sector and provide recommendations for expanding their use to strengthen America’s processing capabilities.

The Critical Materials Future Act is supported by BPC Action, American Critical Minerals Association, Colorado Schools of Mines, and Employ America. For their statements of support, click here.

Senator Coons recently joined a group of his Senate colleagues to introduce the bipartisan Global Strategy for Securing Critical Minerals Act, which works to ensure that the United States, its allies, and global partners can count on a diverse and secure end-to-end supply of critical minerals.

The full text of the bill is available here.

A one-pager of the bill is available here.

Carper, Coons, Blunt Rochester announce nearly $40 million in new funding for substance use disorder and mental health services

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Tom Carper and Chris Coons and Congresswoman Lisa Blunt Rochester (all D-Del.) announced that Delaware’s Division of Substance Abuse and Mental Health will receive $38.8 million in new funding to help combat the opioid crisis. The Biden-Harris administration is awarding the money through the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, which helps states, tribal lands, and territories address opioid addiction – a top priority under President Biden’s Unity Agenda.

“The opioid epidemic is one of the worst in American history, and Delaware has not been immune to this heartbreaking crisis,” said Senator Carper. “Today’s announcement of $38.8 million for Delaware through the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration is welcome news, as this funding will support prevention, harm reduction, treatment, recovery supports, and medications for opioid use disorder to address the overdose crisis.”

“The devastating opioid epidemic is taking lives and destroying families in every state in the country, including Delaware,” said Senator Coons. “I’m glad that funding for prevention and recovery programs is a top priority for the Biden-Harris administration, and this new investment of nearly $40 million in the First State is proof of that. I’ll keep working with the rest of Delaware delegation to combat this crisis and help families on the road to recovery.”

“Combatting the opioid epidemic impacting communities in Delaware and across the country continues to be a top priority of mine,” said Congresswoman Blunt Rochester, member of the Bipartisan Addiction and Mental Health Task Force in Congress. “The decrease in overdose deaths in Delaware demonstrates that our opioid response programs are making a difference. The federal funding we’re announcing today, which I helped secure alongside Senator Carper and Senator Coons, will help expand our state’s prevention, treatment, harm reduction, and recovery efforts significantly. I’ll continue my work at the federal level to ensure that Delaware has the resources and support needed to save lives.” 

Recent preliminary federal data have shown that the Biden-Harris administration’s efforts are leading to a decline in drug overdose deaths across the country. From April 2023 to April 2024, overdose deaths decreased by roughly 10%. This decline coincides with the administration’s increased efforts to address the addiction and overdose epidemic. Overdose deaths fell for the first time in a decade in Delaware, according to data from the Delaware Division of Forensic Science. Still, the 527 accidental drug overdose deaths reported in Delaware in 2023 highlight the critical need for this continued federal investment in substance use prevention and recovery services.

Funds directed to Delaware’s Division of Substance Abuse and Mental Health will go toward prevention, harm reduction, treatment, and recovery support services. They will also boost resources to help individuals, families, and communities combat opioid and stimulant misuse.

ICYMI: Senator Coons joins FOX News Sunday, emphasizes importance of continued support for Ukraine

WILMINGTON, Del. – In case you missed it, U.S. Senator Chris Coons (D-Del.) joined FOX News Sunday with Shannon Bream this weekend to discuss escalating tensions in the Middle East as well as the importance of continuing to ensure Ukraine has what it needs to win the war against Russia, emphasizing President Biden and Vice President Harris’ strong leadership to unite partners from around the world to support Ukraine. They also discussed the possibility of the bipartisan border deal passing in the next Congress. 

Senator Coons: Well, let’s be clear, Shannon. Vice President Harris put out a forceful statement, as did President Biden, that I join in saying that Hassan Nasrallah, the leader of Hezbollah, is a murderous terrorist who had American blood on his hands from the attack on the American Marine barracks back in the 1980s. [And] he’s killed thousands of innocent civilians: Lebanese, Syrian, as well as Israeli; and as you said in your question, they have been raining rockets and missiles onto northern Israel since October 7. So, I think Israel is justified in their strikes against Hezbollah. The call for a cease-fire is really because of a concern that a ground invasion of southern Lebanon by the IDF [Israel Defense Forces] might well turn into a long and grinding war of attrition, and concerns that Iran may well now retaliate, but President Biden and Vice President Harris are clear that we will stand by our ally, Israel, and defend them against attacks by Iranian proxies or direct attacks by Iran.

… 

Shannon Bream: Were you encouraged by the meeting between President Trump and President [Volodymyr] Zelenskyy? Because they came out of it and seemed that they had, met, you know, had some kind of meeting of the minds; that they heard each other. President Trump said, you know, it hasn’t changed where he is overall on trying to get this thing ended. But even President Zelenskyy – and he talked with our Griff Jenkins, too – sounded like he felt like it was a good meeting.

Senator Coons: I’m glad they met. It’s important that there be conversations between President Zelenskyy and both Republican and Democratic leaders of our nation, and candidates to be the next president of our nation – but in the clip that you’re showing right now, President Trump said, ‘I’m a very good friend of Putin’s.’ And you could see Zelenskyy sort of stiffen up and go, ‘Well, I hope you’re a better friend of Ukraine than you are a friend of Russia under Putin.’ So, it was a strikingly awkward moment. Putin is a war criminal. Putin has carried out horrific attacks in Ukraine. We should not have a president of the United States saying that he is seeking to be a better friend of Vladimir Putin.

The full interview can be watched here. 

Senators Coons, Capito, Peters introduce resolution to mark National Chemistry Week

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Chris Coons (D-Del.), Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.), and Gary Peters (D-Mich.), Co-Chairs of the Congressional Chemistry Caucus, introduced a resolution recognizing October 20-26 as National Chemistry Week to celebrate chemistry’s important role in addressing critical challenges around the world. 

National Chemistry Week aims to motivate young people, especially women and members of underrepresented groups, to study science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) and pursue science-related careers. Senator Coons introduced the National Chemistry Week resolution in previous years.

“As a proud chemistry graduate and Co-Chair of the Chemistry Caucus, I always look forward to celebrating National Chemistry Week,” said Senator Coons. “Chemistry is all around us, including in the processes involved in developing a photograph – which is why I’m thrilled this year’s theme is ‘Picture Perfect Chemistry.’ This resolution reminds us that encouraging kids’ interest in careers in science is more important than ever to spur innovation and economic growth in Delaware and across the nation.”

“Chemistry and other STEM fields are critical for future of our state and the next generation of West Virginians,” said Senator Capito. “I’m proud to join my colleagues in designating this year’s National Chemistry Week to celebrate the remarkable achievements that chemical innovation has brought to our communities, as well as the tremendous potential chemistry offers to West Virginia and our students.”

“Each year, National Chemistry Week gives us an opportunity to celebrate the extraordinary achievements in chemistry innovation that improve our everyday lives and support good-paying jobs in Michigan,” said Senator Peters. “I’m honored to join my colleagues in leading this bipartisan resolution to recognize chemistry professionals and encourage students to pursue a career in STEM fields.”

National Chemistry Week is a community-based program of the American Chemical Society that unites students, professional communities, businesses, schools, and individuals in communicating the importance of chemistry to our quality of life. This year’s National Chemistry Week theme is “Picture Perfect Chemistry.”

Additional information about National Chemistry Week is available here.

The text of the resolution is available here.

ICYMI: Wall Street Journal publishes Senator Coons op-ed about easing financial burdens for Americans held hostage or wrongfully detained abroad

WASHINGTON – In case you missed it, U.S. Senator Chris Coons (D-Del.), a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, today published an op-ed in The Wall Street Journal calling on Congress to pass legislation to reduce the financial burdens confronted by American hostages, wrongful detainees, and their families.

Senator Coons recently met with Vladimir Kara-Murza, Evan Gershkovich, and Paul Whelan, who were among the 24 detainees released as part of the August prisoner swap with Russia. They told Senator Coons that upon returning home, some of their financial obligations had turned into significant burdens, including tax penalties, lowered credit scores, and decreased Social Security benefits.

Senator Coons has introduced his bipartisan Stop Tax Penalties on American Hostages Act with Senator Mike Rounds (R-S.D.), which would stop the IRS from charging fines and late fees to hostages and wrongful detainees for failing to pay their federal taxes while being held unjustly abroad. The IRS has made clear that even though it is aware that these Americans are held hostage or wrongfully detained, legislation is required in order to change this practice. Senator Coons’ bill has cleared the Senate but faces an uncertain path forward in the House of Representatives.

Senator Coons has also introduced the Fair Credit for American Hostages Act with Senator Thom Tillis (R-N.C.), which would empower former hostages and detainees to restore credit scores that may have been negatively impacted during their detention. His Retirement Security for American Hostages Act with Senator Bill Cassidy, M.D. (R-La.) would ensure that hostages and wrongful detainees aren’t penalized in the calculation of their Social Security benefits. He is also working on legislation to deter the practice of hostage diplomacy.

WSJ: Welcome Home, Hostages, and Pay Up

…

I’ve met with Mr. Kara-Murza, as well as Evan Gershkovich and Paul Whelan, two of the more than 70 unjustly held Americans whom the Biden administration has brought home. They told me about the surprises waiting for them on their release: tax penalties, lowered credit scores and decreased Social Security benefits. That’s why I’m taking bipartisan action to ensure that wrongfully detained Americans are better supported when they return home.

Washington Post reporter Jason Rezaian was held by Iran for 544 days in 2014-16. When he was freed, the Internal Revenue Service expected him to pay back taxes with interest and levied late penalties totaling thousands of dollars, despite knowing he was unjustly detained overseas. IRS agents said they didn’t have the legal authority to remove the charges.

Americans held hostage or wrongfully detained shouldn’t be treated like tax cheats. That’s why in March I introduced the Stop Tax Penalties on American Hostages Act with Republican Sen. Mike Rounds of South Dakota. The bill would prevent the IRS from imposing late penalties on former hostages and wrongful detainees.

Senators Coons, Kennedy introduce National Wildlife Refuge Week resolution celebrating wildlife refuges’ value to local communities

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Chris Coons (D-Del.) and John Kennedy (R-La.) introduced a resolution yesterday designating the week of October 13-19 2024, as National Wildlife Refuge Week. 

The resolution celebrates the diversity of ecosystems and wildlife found in our national wildlife refuges and the many recreational activities that they support, including hunting, fishing, and wildlife observation. Since President Theodore Roosevelt created the first U.S. national wildlife refuge in 1903, the National Wildlife Refuge System has served a critical role in wildlife conservation. The national wildlife refuges have been strong drivers of economic growth for local communities across the country, generating billions of dollars each year. 

“For more than 100 years, the National Wildlife Refuge System has protected our wildlife and ecosystems in Delaware and across the nation while strengthening local economies,” said Senator Coons. “Wildlife refuges like Bombay Hook and Prime Hook, which collectively cover more than 10,000 acres, maintain a healthy ecosystem, local aesthetics, and recreational opportunities in the First State. I am proud to lead the bipartisan National Wildlife Refuge Week resolution alongside Senator Kennedy as we continue to support and conserve biodiversity.”

“Louisiana is home to more than 23 refuges that help protect our state’s unique species and make us the sportsman’s paradise,” said Senator Kennedy. “This Wildlife Refuge Week, I am grateful for the opportunity to promote America’s natural environment as we preserve these ecosystems for future generations to revel in and enjoy.”

With more than 572 refuges, 38 wetland management districts, and five marine national monuments – located in every state and territory of the United States – the National Wildlife Refuge System contributes more than $3.2 billion to local economies annually and supports more than 41,000 jobs.

In addition to Senators Coons and Kennedy, the resolution is cosponsored by Senators Tom Carper (D-Del.), Bill Cassidy (R-La.), Mazie Hirono (D-Hawaii), Susan Collins (R-Maine), Jack Reed (D-R.I.), Roger Wicker (R-Miss.), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.), Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), Peter Welch (D-Vt.), Joe Manchin (I-W.Va.), and Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.).

The text of the resolution is available here.  

Senator Coons statement on Senate passage of continuing resolution

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Chris Coons (D-Del.) released the following statement after the Senate voted to avoid a government shutdown by continuing existing funding levels through December 20, 2024:

“This bipartisan continuing resolution prevents a catastrophic government shutdown for our country at a time when the eyes of the world are already firmly upon us. A shutdown isn’t just some federal offices closing for a few days. Service members, law enforcement officers, and federal employees work without compensation. Small businesses depending on government contracts don’t get paid. Many critical services that our government provides simply stop.

“That’s why I’m glad we were able to reach a bipartisan agreement to keep the lights on and stop playing fast and loose with the American people’s livelihoods.

“At a moment of increased threats and tension, I am glad to see that the agreement – in addition to maintaining current funding levels – provides an additional $231 million to the U.S. Secret Service to better protect presidential candidates. Candidates for office should be able to freely campaign without the fear of violence, and the Secret Service must have all the resources it needs to keep them safe. I am also pleased that this agreement provides critical resources to facilitate the presidential transition process, a bedrock principle of our democracy.

“While I am currently attending meetings alongside the U.N. General Assembly and was unable to return to Washington for this evening’s vote, I would have proudly supported this legislation on the Senate floor. Going forward, I am eager to finish the fiscal year 2025 appropriations process and fully fund our government.”

Senator Coons is a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee and Chair of the Appropriations Subcommittee on State and Foreign Operations (SFOPS).