Washington Examiner: [Sen. Coons] pushes Obama on Iran sanctions

WASHINGTON – In case you missed it, below is an article The Washington Examiner published today featuring U.S. Senator Chris Coons (D-Del.) discussing his stance on Iran sanctions in the wake of Iran’s recent ballistic missile tests. Senator Coons returned this weekend from a trip to Israel, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and Vienna where he met with heads of state and senior government officials about enforcing the Iran deal and new developments in the Middle East. 

The Washington Examiner: Senate Dem pushes Obama on Iran sanctions

By Susan Crabtree

A prominent Democratic member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee is urging the Obama administration to slap new sanctions on Iran over its recent ballistic missile tests.

After returning from a trip to the Middle East, Sen. Chris Coons, D-Del., told reporters Monday that Iran’s two most recent ballistic missile launches clearly violate United Nations security resolutions, and it’s critical that the U.S. act. 

“When it comes to taking additional actions to [sanction Iran] in response to the ballistic missile launches — absolutely, I think we should do so,” Coons said. “I don’t know why the administration has hesitated, but I am urging them publicly and privately to move ahead with those designations.”

Reacting to Tehran’s ballistic missile tests, the Obama administration in December told key members of Congress it planned to level sanctions on Iran for violating United Nations resolutions, but then reversed itself without explanation. The State Department has said “technical” issues have prevented sanctions, but has said sanctions could be imminent.

The nuclear agreement, known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, or JCPOA, will give Iran billions of dollars in sanctions relief as long as Tehran continues to comply with its requirements. The sanctions will be lifted on Implementation Day, a date that could come as early as later this month, according to Iranian officials.

Iran has argued that imposing new sanctions on areas that fall outside of the nuclear agreement would amount to an abrogation on the part of the U.S. and other world partners involved in negotiating it. But Coons dismissed that argument Monday. 

“There is no question that the U.S. clearly and fully communicated to our [negotiating partners] and to Iran during the negotiating process that we retained the right to continue to enforce sanctions for Iran’s bad behavior,” Coons said.

“I think it was very clearly communicated, and it played a role in my decision to support the JCPOA that we retained the legal authority and the right to impose further sanctions if Iran’s bad behavior … continued,” he said. “It has continued.” 

“We should take action, and I think that it’s critical to our demonstrating the determination to hold Iran accountable,” he said.

Over the past weeks, Coons visited Israel, Saudi Arabia and Turkey where he met with heads of state and senior government officials.

Coons, Isakson applaud South Africa’s decision to resume import of U.S. poultry

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Chris Coons (D-Del.) and Johnny Isakson (R-Ga.), co-chairs of the Senate Chicken Caucus, today applauded an announcement by the Obama Administration and the U.S. poultry industry that South Africa has finally agreed to eliminate longstanding barriers to U.S. poultry imports, enabling U.S. poultry to be imported into South Africa for the first time in 15 years.

Today’s announcement was the outcome of a June 2015 agreement that was reached in the long-running poultry dispute between the United States and South Africa. Ultimate success will only be achieved when U.S. poultry finally enters the South African market, which could occur within a month. 

“South Africa’s decision to finally fulfill the obligations of the settlement reached last summer means that after more than fifteen years of illegal anti-dumping duties and unfair trade policies, American poultry will finally be able to enter the South African market,” said Senators Coons and Isakson. “The success of this deal is the result of years of discussions led by our poultry sector and U.S. trade officials, and we are proud to have also played our part. South Africa is a critical market for the U.S. poultry industry, and will lead to tens of millions of dollars more in annual export sales. It is also a good deal for South Africa, as our poultry is healthy, affordable, and of the highest quality, and we are thrilled that it will finally reach the dinner tables of South Africans. The U.S. poultry industry is committed to investing in the South African poultry sector, and this deal will help build a strong partnership between our industries.”

Senators Coons and Isakson and have been pressuring the South African government for more than a year to end the anti-dumping duties and unfair food safety and health trade policies on U.S. poultry. The senators met on numerous occasions with South African President Jacob Zuma and other South African officials to discuss this issue over the last several years.

They also secured language in last year’s African Growth and Opportunity Act, reauthorization requiring an out-of-cycle review of South Africa’s benefits due to the persistence of these issues. The bipartisan amendment was introduced in the Senate Finance Committee by Isakson and co-sponsored by Sen. Tom Carper, D-Del., and Sen. Mark Warner, D-Va.

On June 8, 2015, a settlement was reached between the United States and South Africa after negotiations in Paris led by the United States Trade Representative (USTR), the Department of State, U.S. Ambassador to South Africa Patrick Gaspard and trade experts from industry. The agreement to drop anti-dumping duties and establish a quota was welcome news for the entire U.S. poultry industry, including the large poultry operations in the Senators’ home states – Georgia and Delaware.

Since the settlement was reached, South Africa has been slow to fulfill the obligations agreed to in Paris, including the commitment to resolve sanitary barriers to poultry hindering the successful implementation of the agreement.

In September, Senators Coons and Isakson called on President Zuma to act quickly to address the unresolved issues in the agreement, and in November, President Obama issued a 60-day notice of his intent to suspend AGOA benefits for South Africa’s agricultural products if South Africa continued to fail to eliminate trade barriers to U.S. poultry, beef, and pork. That notice expired on January 4, 2016.

Carper, Coons Join Amicus Brief to Protect Women’s Access to Constitutionally Protected Health Care

WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Senators Tom Carper and Chris Coons (both D-Del.) joined a group of 159 Democrats and two Independents in filing an amicus brief in the case of Whole Woman’s Health v. Cole, which is currently pending before the Supreme Court of the United States and represents the most comprehensive challenge to the Supreme Court’s historic ruling in Roe v. Wade in nearly a decade. In the brief, the cosigners call on the justices to uphold Roe v. Wade and reject efforts to undermine women’s constitutionally protected health care rights. 

“As a fundamental right guaranteed by the Constitution, and one that strikes at the heart of ordered liberty and individual autonomy—indeed, one recognized by 63% of our country—a woman’s right to decide whether to carry a pregnancy to term or to seek critical medical services, including abortion, should be insulated from the shifting political rhetoric and interest groups whose sole purpose is to erode the right to choose to bring a pregnancy to term afforded to women under Roe,” the Members of Congress wrote in the brief.

Whole Woman’s Health v. Cole addresses the impact of Texas’s 2013 extreme anti-abortion law, known as HB2. This law imposes requirements designed to make it more difficult for women to exercise their constitutionally protected reproductive rights. The lead petitioner in the case, Whole Woman’s Health, is the sole remaining abortion clinic in Texas’s vast Rio Grande Valley, and would be forced to close if HB2 were allowed to take effect. If the Supreme Court upholds HB2, the number of health care clinics providing abortions in Texas would drop by more than 75 percent to ten clinics statewide.

Fourteen states have laws in place that impose restrictions on doctors and clinics similar to those in Texas. More than half of states now have Targeted Regulation of Abortion Providers, also known as TRAP, laws and policies on the books that undermine women’s constitutionally protected rights under Roe. The amicus brief highlights how extreme state laws like HB2 have worked to erode women’s constitutionally protected health care rights, and urges the Supreme Court to continue to uphold women’s rights as affirmed under Roe v. Wade and protected under Planned Parenthood v. Casey. 

Senate cosigners also include Senators Baldwin (D-WI), Bennet (D-CO), Booker (D-NJ), Boxer (D-CA), Brown (D-OH), Cantwell (D-WA), Cardin (D-MD), Durbin (D-IL), Feinstein (D-CA), Franken (D-MN), Gillibrand (D-NY), Heinrich (D-NM), Hirono (D-HI), Kaine (D-WA), King (I-ME), Klobuchar (D-MN), Leahy (D-VT), Markey (D-MA), McCaskill (D-MO), Menendez (D-NJ), Merkley (D-OR), Mikulski (D-MD), Murphy (D-CT), Nelson (D-FL), Peters (D-MI), Reid (D-NV), Sanders (I-VT), Schatz (D-HI), Schumer (D-NY), Shaheen (D-NH), Stabenow (D-MI), Tester (D-MT), Warner (D-VA), Whitehouse (D-RI) and Wyden (D-OR).

Read the amicus brief here.

VIDEO: Senator Coons discusses war surtax to fund fight against ISIS on ‘Morning Joe’

WASHINGTON – This morning, U.S. Senator Chris Coons (D-Del.) joined MSNBC’s ‘Morning Joe’ to discuss an op-ed he wrote in Sunday’s Philadelphia Inquirer about the need to responsibly pay for the war against ISIS.

Watch video of the interview here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W-6ulPmCp_A&feature=youtu.be

Excerpts from the interview are below:

“As we look back at the conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan, the United States charged into war in Afghanistan against the Taliban and al Qaeda that had attacked the United States in 2001, and Iraq against Saddam Hussein, with no conversation, no serious thought given to how we would pay for those wars, both the very long term human costs of caring for and supporting our veterans who personally bear the scars and sacrifices of battle and with no thought of putting the cost of those two wars on America’s credit card and thus burdening children and grandchildren of the cost.”

“As a member of the Foreign Relations Committee and Appropriations Committee, I’m trying to raise my hand and saying we’re not doing our job in congress. President Obama sent us an AUMF, that’s Washington-speak for a request for a declaration of war against ISIS, all the way back in February, and we have not taken it up, debated it and passed it. We owe that to our veterans and to those serving in the conflict against ISIS but we also need to stand up and say: “How are we going to pay for it?”

“All the previous wars as you referenced, before Iraq and Afghanistan, had a dedicated war surtax, and I think that’s one way we could fairly pay for it, with a small surtax that exempted active duty military families and veterans, but there are other ways we could pay for it. We just can’t keep going without even discussing it.”

“There are a whole lot of outrageous statements being made, very aggressive, very bellicose statements being made by Republican Presidential candidates, and by my colleagues in the Senate about how much they would do, how aggressive they would be…I think if they also had to vote to fund the cost of the wars they’re threating to expand, it would create somewhat of a speed bump.  It would force us to debate not just the strategy of the war against ISIS, which we need to more seriously contemplate, but it would also force us to look at the cost – short term and long term – of the conflict we are already well into against ISIS.”

“If we’re going to have critics of President Obama’s strategy in Syria and Iraq, then we ought to do our job and debate strategy, and debate authorization, and do the role that the founders imagined for Congress.”

“We can’t have a country where Congress fails to do its Constitutional duty simply because we have an election…I do think if we bring this up in committee, enough responsible Senators will step up and make compromises, and we will end up with a meaningful authorization.  At the very least, I think we owe it to those we’ve sent into harm’s way, who are currently serving in Iraq and Syria, to know that we’ve got their back and that we authorize the actions that they’re taking.”

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Senator Coons’ statement on DuPont layoffs in Delaware

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Chris Coons (D-Del.) released the following statement after DuPont announced this morning that it would soon eliminate approximately 1,700 Delaware-based positions.

“This is a devastating day for the state of Delaware, and my prayers are with the thousands of families who received this incredibly difficult news today. These families are our neighbors and our friends, and this news is nothing short of heartbreaking.

“As everyone in Delaware knows, DuPont has been a central part of our state’s identity for generations.  DuPont has been more than just a source of jobs.  It has also been a source of pride and a symbol of Delaware’s unique history of innovation and public service. 

“Many Delawareans, including me, have feared that a day like this would come, and now, more than ever, we need to work together to ensure the families impacted by this decision have our support and that we’re doing everything we can to put Delawareans back to work.

“As a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, I plan to scrutinize the proposed merger between DuPont and Dow extremely closely.  I am committed to doing everything possible to help the families impacted by this decision, fight for DuPont pensioners, and ensure that Delaware is in the best possible position to remain the home of DuPont and Dow jobs for years to come. My office is already engaged in these efforts, and is available to assist those in need.  I know that despite this news, Delaware has a world-class workforce, whose skills and education rival any in our country, and I know that we can overcome these difficult new challenges.”

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Senator Coons secures Delaware priorities in bipartisan spending deal that avoids a government shutdown

WASHINGTON – Today, the Senate passed the federal government’s annual spending bill for Fiscal Year 2016, which includes funding for several key programs secured by U.S. Senator Chris Coons (D-Del.), who is the first Delaware Senator in more than four decades to serve on the critical Appropriations Committee, which authors the annual spending bills to fund federal programs.  The annual spending package, known as the ‘omnibus’ because it combines all twelve separate annual spending bills, was also passed by the House of Representatives today.  It now heads to the White House, where President Obama is expected to sign it into law.

“When I was first elected to represent Delaware in the Senate, I made it a priority to gain a seat on the important Appropriations Committee for days like today, when I can make sure Delaware’s needs and priorities are addressed in our federal spending bills,” said Senator Coons.  “From supporting law enforcement with federal funds and bullet-proof vests to funding research and development that Delaware manufacturers need to compete, this bill contains dozens of important ‘wins’ for our state.  I’m proud to fight for Delaware every day in the Senate, but this bill represents one of the best opportunities I have to deliver for our state, and I’m very pleased with what we’ve achieved.” 

A list of Senator Coons’ priorities that were included in the annual spending bill are below:

Support for Amtrak:
Senator Coons fought for $1.4 billion to support Amtrak, including $19 million in grants specifically set aside to address infrastructure needs on the Northeast Corridor. While this funding, which is level with FY 2015, doesn’t go far enough to truly address Amtrak’s crippling infrastructure needs, it is a victory that negotiators were able to reject the House of Representative’s dangerous proposed funding of $1.1 billion. Many of the Northeast Corridor’s bridges and tunnels are now over a century old, and the average age of Amtrak’s equipment fleet is the oldest in the company’s history. As a frequent passenger on Amtrak between Wilmington and Washington, Senator Coons has been a leading voice in the Senate for ensuring Amtrak and passenger rail service have the federal resources and policies they need to operate safely and efficiently. 

Support for law enforcement:
Senator Coons fought for $22.5 million for the federal bulletproof vest program, which provides critical funding to local and state governments for the purchase of vests that protect and save the lives of our heroic law enforcement officers. While this figure represents an increase of $250,000 from FY 2015, it fails to go far enough in supporting this crucial program. As a member of both the Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies Appropriations Subcommittee, and the Judiciary Committee, Senator Coons will continue to fight to ensure that law enforcement have the funds they need to purchase resources that protect and save lives.

Senator Coons also fought for $476 million for the Byrne Justice Assistance Program, which provides communities across the United States with grants to enhance all facets of their law enforcement needs, ranging from anti-drug initiatives to efforts to combat domestic violence. 

Support for Delaware manufacturers:
Senator Coons fought for $130 million for the Manufacturing Extension Partnership, the only public-private partnership dedicated to providing technical support and services to small and medium-sized manufacturers. According to data from the National Institute of Standards and Technology, every dollar invested in MEP facilitates $19 in new sales growth and $21 in new client investment. Delaware’s MEP operates through Delaware Technical Community College in partnership with the U.S. Department of Commerce, National Institute of Standards and Technology, the Delaware Office of Economic Development, and the Delaware State and local Chambers of Commerce. 

Senator Coons leads the Manufacturing Jobs for America campaign in the Senate to rally bipartisan support for legislation that would help manufacturers grow and create jobs. The MJA campaign began last Congress, when Senator Coons led a coalition of 27 Senators to introduce 36 manufacturing bills, nearly half of which were strongly bipartisan.  Provisions from eight of those 36 bills were enacted into law, a startling success rate given Congress’ gridlock and bitter partisanship.

Support for Delaware agriculture, poultry farmers:
Senator Coons fought for $55.34 million for avian health programs, which support partnerships with state departments of agriculture, universities, and the poultry industry to monitor poultry flocks and prevent and control the spread of diseases, including avian influenza (AI), which devastated the poultry industry in the west and midwest earlier this year. This funding level represents an increase of $3 million over FY 2015 that will enable the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and its partners to continue important biosecurity and preparedness work to prevent another AI outbreak from occurring, and control and eradicate the disease if it does reappear.

Support for victims of child abuse:
Senator Coons fought for $20 million to implement the Victims of Child Abuse Act authorizing Child Advocacy Centers, which serve child abuse victims and help law enforcement hold perpetrators accountable. Senator Coons led the bipartisan effort to reauthorize this crucial program on numerous occasions over the past five years.

Support for housing:
Senator Coons advocated for $950 million for the Home Investment Partnerships (HOME) program, which serves as the only federal block grant program for state and local governments designed exclusively to produce affordable housing for low-income families.  Since 1992, the HOME program has created more than one million affordable homes.  In Delaware alone, over 2,000 homes have been built or preserved and over $70 million in HOME funds have been invested in Delaware affordable housing projects.  Senator Coons was a leading advocate for HOME during the appropriations process.  The Senate Appropriations Committee passed legislation funding HOME at a shockingly low $66 million.  Senator Coons worked with his colleagues in the Appropriations Committee to ensure that the final bill funded the HOME program at $950 million, which is a $50 million increase from 2015.

Senator Coons also fought for $900 million for the Rural Housing Insurance Fund/Section 502 direct loans, a USDA program that helps low-income applicants obtain affordable housing in rural areas by providing payment assistance to increase applicants’ repayment ability.

Support for conservation programs:
Senator Coons fought for a three-year reauthorization of the Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF), which expired on October 1st due to partisan gridlock. This foundational conservation program protects critical federal public lands and state parks and recreation facilities in Delaware and across the nation. The omnibus also includes Senator Coons’ bill, S.722, which directs additional funding to the North American Wetlands Conservation Act (NAWCA) program with no added cost to taxpayers. This provision also expired on October 1st, and its renewal will ensure that up to $23 million per year in additional funding will support NAWCA, which leverages non-federal funding to protect, restore, and manage wetlands and habitats for migratory birds and other wildlife in Delaware and across the nation.

Senator Coons’ statement on Senate passage of bipartisan reforms to the Toxic Substances Control Act

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Chris Coons (D-Del.) released the following statement after the Senate unanimously voted to pass sweeping legislation to reform the broken Toxic Substances Control Act of 1976 (TSCA). Written by Senators Tom Udall (D-N.M.) and David Vitter (R-La.) and co-sponsored by Senators Coons and Tom Carper (D-Del.), the Frank R. Lautenberg Chemical Safety for the 21st Century Act overhauls the 39-year-old law to better protect the public while still protecting American business and innovation. 

“I’m excited that the Senate has come together to approve critical reforms to the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA),” said Sen. Coons. “In the nearly 40 years since the original law was signed, not only has technology and science evolved — but our understanding of how these substances affect us, and what we can do to protect ourselves, has also changed dramatically.

“Keeping the American people safe is not just about fighting terror and protecting our borders — it’s also about making sure that the products we use, the water we drink, the food we eat, and the air we breathe are safe. Since being elected to the Senate in 2010, I have heard from countless Delawareans — researchers, nurses, parents, business owners — about how ineffective the original law is, and how we can and must do better. Delaware is home to some of America’s leading chemical manufacturers, so my constituents and I see firsthand the detrimental impact of this outdated law on both communities and businesses. 

“The Frank R. Lautenberg Chemical Safety for the 21st Century Act gives critical authority to the Environmental Protection Agency to police dangerous chemicals, while providing regulatory certainty for the businesses whose innovations we depend on every day. I’m particularly pleased that the bill includes a section that reflects my Sustainable Chemistry R&D Act, which will encourage the development and commercialization of new chemicals, materials, and processes that are better for the environment.

“It’s a tribute to the late Senator Frank Lautenberg of New Jersey, who spent years working on this legislation, that not only did this bill pass in a flurry of year-end Senate activity, but that it came together thanks to leadership from both Republicans and Democrats. I’m glad that the end of the year brings passage of this bill, and with it, good news for consumers and companies alike. You don’t have a great reaction without a great catalyst — and Senator Lautenberg was that catalyst. I’m committed to working with my colleagues to honor his legacy and see this legislation across the finish line.”

Senate Unanimously Passes Electrify Africa Bill

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Chris Coons (D-Del.), Bob Corker (R-Tenn.), Ben Cardin (D-Md.) and Marco Rubio (R-Fla.), all members of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, today praised Senate passage of the Electrify Africa Act of 2015 (S.2152), legislation thatwill leverage private sector resources through loan guarantees to help 50 million Africans access electricity for the first-time and add 20,000 megawatts of electricity to the grid by 2020. Providing access to electricity will stimulate economic growth while also improving access to education and public health. The bill also was cosponsored by Senators Ed Markey (D-Mass.), Jeff Flake (R-Ariz.), Johnny Isakson (R-Ga.), and Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska). 

“I am pleased that the Senate has come together in a strong, bipartisan way to help the people of sub-Saharan Africa gain greater access to reliable, affordable, and sustainable power to reduce poverty and drive economic growth,” said Senator Coons.  “I have seen some of these Power Africa projects firsthand, from solar farms in Rwanda to off-the-grid power solutions in Ethiopia.  These projects are unlocking opportunities in medicine and education and removing a binding constraint to economic development and growth in Africa. I’d like to thank my fellow members of the committee, especially Chairman Corker and Ranking Member Cardin, for their work on this bill.” 

“With limited foreign aid resources, we need to focus on innovative ways to tackle big challenges that can be self-sustaining and have a transformative impact on millions of lives,” said Senator Corker. “Leveraging private investment to bring reliable, affordable electricity to millions of people in Africa for the first time will be a real game changer in development throughout the region. By establishing an-all-of-the-above approach for expanding power generation in Africa through private capital, we can help reduce poverty and fuel economic growth.”

“Access to electricity remains one of the fundamental development challenges in Africa, with direct impacts on public health, education, and economic growth,” said Senator Cardin. “That’s why this bipartisan legislation passed today draws upon American leadership and ingenuity to provide first-time access to clean, affordable, sustainable energy, and consultation with local African communities.  By working with African governments to attract private sector investment and partnering with American firms that are on the cutting edge of the power solutions Africa seeks, we can make great strides in addressing African energy poverty and promote inclusive economic growth for communities in Africa and at home.”

“U.S. foreign assistance works best when it is targeted toward the most pressing needs and can be leveraged to help recipients further develop their economies,” said Senator Rubio. “The Electrify Africa Act will enhance our current assistance programs in Africa and help expand access to electricity, which is essential to support poverty reduction and promote economic development.”

The legislation requires the president to create a comprehensive strategy for United States’ engagement with sub-Saharan Africa in developing a broad mix of power solutions to increase electricity access and reliability. It encourages the Overseas Private Investment Corporation (OPIC), USAID, the U.S. Department of Treasury, U.S. Trade and Development Agency, World Bank, and African Development Bank to prioritize loans, grants, and technical support that promote private investment in projects designed to increase electricity access and reliability.

Senator Coons, 20 Colleagues Express Profound Concern over Second Iranian Ballistic Missile Test in Letter to President Obama

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Ben Cardin (D-MD), Ranking Member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, along with Senators Chuck Schumer (D-NY), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Chris Coons (D-DE), Gary Peters (D-MI), Michael Bennet (D-CO), Ron Wyden (D-OR), Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), Debbie Stabenow (D-MI), Heidi Heitkamp (D-ND), Tim Kaine (D-VA),  Bill Nelson (D-FL), Ed Markey (D-MA), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), Bob Casey (D-PA), Mark Warner (D-VA), Cory Booker (D-NJ), Maria Cantwell (D-WA), Martin Heinrich (D-NM), Barbara Mikulski (D-MD), and Jeff Merkley (D-OR) expressed profound concern in a letter to President Obama regarding a second ballistic missile test conducted by Iran on November 21^st.  

In the letter, the Senators write: “We are deeply concerned by Iran’s continued violations of UN Security Council Resolution (UNSCR) 1929 by testing a second ballistic missile on November 21, 2015…If there are no consequences for this violation, Iran’s leaders will certainly also question the willingness of the international community to respond to violations of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) and UN Security Council Resolution 2231.” 

The letter sent to President Obama today by the 21 U.S. Senators appears below.

Dear Mr. President:

We are deeply concerned by Iran’s continued violations of UN Security Council Resolution (UNSCR) 1929 by testing a second ballistic missile on November 21, 2015.  Once again, the international community has an opportunity to demonstrate its resolve in the face of Iranian violations of its international obligations.

On December 15, a panel of expert monitors working on behalf of the United Nations Security Council reported that, “On the basis of its analysis and findings the Panel concludes that the Emad launch on October 10^th is a violation by Iran of paragraph 9 of Security Council Resolution 1929.”  Unfortunately, some members of the UN Security Council failed to condemn this violation and failed to take steps collectively to enforce Resolution 1929.  If there are no consequences for this violation, Iran’s leaders will certainly also question the willingness of the international community to respond to violations of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) and UN Security Council Resolution 2231. 

The November test is Iran’s second recent violation of UNSCR 1929, which clearly states “Iran shall not undertake any activity related to ballistic missiles capable of delivering nuclear weapons, including launches using ballistic missile technology.”  Clearly, the Security Council should take appropriate enforcement action against Iran in the face of this violation. On this matter, we recognize and appreciate United Nations Ambassador Samantha Power’s ongoing efforts to build support to enforce consequences for the October 10 ballistic missile test by referring the issue to the Iran Sanctions Committee and advocating for a forceful response by the UN Security Council. However, in the time it took the Panel of Experts to make a determination on the first violation, Iran tested another ballistic missile.

In the absence of a UN Security Council commitment to enforcing UNSCR 1929, we request that you take action unilaterally, or in coordination with our European allies.  Such action is essential to make clear to Iran’s leaders that there will be consequences for future violations of UN Security Council Resolutions and that the United States reserves the right under the JCPOA to take unilateral action in response to this and other significant actions by Iran in the areas of ballistic missile development, terrorism and human rights.

Sincerely,

Senator Benjamin L. Cardin

Senator Charles E. Schumer

Senator Richard Blumenthal

Senator Christopher Coons

Senator Gary Peters

Senator Michael F. Bennet

Senator Ron Wyden

Senator Jeanne Shaheen

Senator Debbie Stabenow

Senator Heidi Heitkamp

Senator Tim Kaine

Senator Bill Nelson

Senator Edward J. Markey

Senator Kirsten E. Gillibrand

Senator Robert P. Casey, Jr.

Senator Mark R. Warner

Senator Cory A. Booker

Senator Maria Cantwell

Senator Martin Heinrich

Senator Barbara A. Mikulski

Senator Jeff Merkley 

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Senator Coons’ R&D provisions included in year-end tax extenders bill

WASHINGTON – The year-end tax extenders bill released last night includes three important provisions previously introduced by U.S. Senator Chris Coons (D-Del.) that will allow businesses to grow and create jobs, especially in the manufacturing industry.  The bill will permanently extend the R&D tax credit, help startup companies access the credit, and allow small and medium-sized businesses to use the credit against Alternative Minimum Tax (AMT) liability.

Senator Coons’ first piece of legislation in the Senate called for a permanent extension of the R&D credit. This is one of the most important credits to American businesses and until today, Congress has failed to permanently extend it. In fact, the R&D tax credit was initially enacted in 1981 and has been temporarily extended 16 times.

The extenders bill also includes two provisions introduced by Senators Coons and Pat Roberts (R-Kan.) in the Innovators Job Creation Act. The first provision will help startup companies access the R&D credit. Under current law, the R&D credit is non-refundable, so only firms with income tax liability can benefit from the credit.  Since many new companies invest heavily in research and development in their first few years and don’t have income tax liability, they are unable to claim the R&D credit.  To solve this problem, this provision would allow a startup that cannot access the R&D credit because it does not have an income tax liability to instead claim the credit against the taxes it pays on employee wages.  This simple tweak would allow thousands of innovative startups to access the R&D credit.

The second provision would allow the R&D credit to be claimed against the AMT.  Right now, even if a company is entitled to the R&D credit, many pass-through entities cannot claim it because the R&D credit cannot be used against the AMT.  Eight out of 10 businesses that would otherwise benefit from taking the R&D credit will receive little to no benefit because of the AMT.

“Research and development are the lifeblood of great American companies, turning ideas into innovations that grow businesses and create jobs,” said Senator Coons. “Helping companies in Delaware and across the country, particularly the startups that are creating the majority of our country’s jobs, invest in the R&D they need to grow their business has been a top priority since my first day in the Senate. I’m thrilled to see two provisions from my very first bill that will make it easier for startups to access the same R&D tax credit currently accessible to larger companies become law. Our tax code will finally encourage job-creating R&D for companies of all sizes.”

“Senator Coons has been a tireless advocate for permanently extending the R&D tax credit and making sure startups and small businesses across the country can more easily access R&D tax credits in order to innovate and create jobs. I welcome his hard work and smart ideas for strengthening our tax code,” said Senator Ron Wyden (D-Ore.), Ranking Member of the Senate Committee on Finance.

“These important R&D tax credits will support start-ups and small businesses working on innovative technologies in Delaware,” said Kelvin H. Lee, Ph.D., Director of the Delaware Biotechnology Institute. “The Startup Innovation Credit recognizes the important role that innovative science plays in supporting our economy and will lead to a stronger economy.”

“We applaud Senator Coons’ leadership on this important issue,” said Stephen S. Tang, Ph.D, M.B.A., President and CEO of the University City Science Center, a dynamic hub for innovation and entrepreneurship headquartered in Philadelphia.  “These proposals will enable earlier-stage startups to access the benefits of the R&D tax credit, therefore spurring greater technology commercialization and economic growth.”

Senators Coons is the co-Chair of the Senate Competitiveness Caucus, a forum to bring together Democrats and Republicans to address the most pressing issues facing the economy. Coons is also the co-head of the Manufacturing Jobs for America campaign, launched last Congress to rally bipartisan support for legislation that would help manufacturers grow and create jobs.