Coons, Moran, Poe, Thompson bill will level the playing field for renewable energy

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Chris Coons (D-DE) and Jerry Moran (R-KS), and Representatives Ted Poe (R-TX-02) and Mike Thompson (D-CA-05) re-introduced bipartisan legislation to level the energy playing field by giving investors in renewable energy projects access to a decades-old corporate structure whose tax advantage is currently available only to investors in fossil fuel-based energy projects. The Master Limited Partnerships Parity Act is a straightforward, powerful modification of the federal tax code that could unleash significant private capital by helping additional energy-generation and renewable fuel companies form master limited partnerships, which combine the funding advantages of corporations and the tax advantages of partnerships. 

“Renewable energy technologies have made tremendous progress in the last several decades, and they deserve the same shot at success in the market as traditional energy projects,” Senator Coons said. “By updating the tax code, the bipartisan Master Limited Partnerships Parity Act levels the playing field for all domestic energy sources — renewable and non-renewable – to support the all-of-the-above energy strategy we need to power our country for generations to come. This practical, market-driven solution will unleash private capital and create jobs, and that’s why it has earned broad support from Republicans and Democrats in Congress as well as academics, outside experts, business leaders and investors.”

“In order to grow our economy and increase our energy security, sound economic tools like master limited partnerships should be expanded to include additional domestic energy sources,” Senator Moran said. “MLPs have a proven record of success through real growth in our country’s energy infrastructure. This legislation builds on a successful model, and I look forward to working with my Senate colleagues on policies that will drive innovation, create American jobs, and grow our economy.”

“It is time for the United States to make Middle Eastern turmoil irrelevant to our energy security,” said Representative Poe. “In order to do this we must pursue a comprehensive energy strategy that empowers all sources of domestically produced energy. This common-sense bill will help do just that. It is time for Washington to get out of the way and make it easier not harder to produce energy in this country.”

“We need to take an all-of-the-above approach to America’s energy future,” said Representative Thompson.  “This bipartisan bill will make it easier and more attractive for private capital to be invested in renewable energy. By leveling the playing field and treating renewable energy the same way we do oil and gas, we can create jobs, strengthen our national security, reduce our dependency on foreign oil and move closer to energy independence.”

A master limited partnership (MLP) is a business structure that is taxed as a partnership, but whose ownership interests are traded like corporate stock on a market. By statute, MLPs have only been available to investors in energy portfolios for oil, natural gas, coal extraction, and pipeline projects. 

These projects get access to capital at a lower cost and are more liquid than traditional financing approaches to energy projects, making them highly effective at attracting private investment. Investors in renewable energy projects, however, have been explicitly prevented from forming MLPs, starving a fast growing portion of America’s domestic energy sector of the capital it needs to build and grow.

Newly eligible power generation from renewables, renewable fuels and related energy activities: Solar (PV and CSP), Wind, Hydropower, Marine/Hydrokinetic, Fuel Cells, Electricity Storage, Combined Heat and Power, Biomass, Waste Heat to Power, Renewable Fuels, Biodiesel, Biorefineries, Energy Efficient Buildings, Carbon Capture and Storage.

In the Senate, The MLP Parity Act was also cosponsored by Senators Debbie Stabenow (D-MI), Lisa Murkowski (R-AK), Michael Bennet (D-CO), Susan Collins (R-ME), Angus King (I-ME) and Cory Gardner (R-CO). 

In the House, the MLP Parity Act was also cosponsored by Paul Gosar (R-AZ-04), Mark Amodei (R-NV-02), Peter Welch (D-VT-AL), Jerry McNerney (D-CA-09), Mike Coffman (R-CO-06) and Earl Blumenauer (D-OR-03).

The MLP Parity Act has been endorsed by the following organizations: States: National Association of State Energy Officials (NASEO); Businesses: Bloom Energy, Duke Energy, DuPont, First Solar, Gamesa, NRG Energy, Sempra Energy, Vestas, Virent, Williams; Trade Associations: Advanced Biofuels Association, Advanced Ethanol Coalition, Alliance to Save Energy, American Council on Renewable Energy, American Wind Energy Association, Biomass Power Association, Biotechnology Industry Organization, Combined Heat & Power Association, Energy Storage Association, Geothermal Energy Association, Fuel Cell and Hydrogen Energy Association, Growth Energy, Heat is Power Association, International District Energy Association, National Enhanced Oil Recovery Initiative, Real Estate Roundtable, Solar Energy Industries Association; Environmental Advocates: Clean Air Task Force, Union of Concerned Scientists; Think Tanks and Research Institutes: Clean Energy Trust, Third Way; Finance & Investment: CalCEF, CERES; Labor: Laborers’ International Union of North America 

A summary of the bill can be downloaded here: http://www.coons.senate.gov/download/mlp-parity-act-summary-

A section-by-section summary of the bill can be downloaded here: http://www.coons.senate.gov/download/mlp-parity-act-section-by-section

The legislation itself can be downloaded as a PDF here: http://www.coons.senate.gov/download/mlp-parity-act-114

Below are statements of support for the MLP Parity Act: 

Dan W. Reicher, Executive Director, Stanford University Steyer-Taylor Center for Energy Policy and Finance & Interim President and CEO, American Council on Renewable Energy (ACORE): “The MLP Parity Act is one of those rare birds on Capitol Hill: a bill with broad bipartisan support, a deep policy rationale, and serious potential for both economic and environmental benefits.”

Richard Kauffman, Chair of Energy and Finance, New York Governor Andrew M. Cuomo: “The MLP Parity Act helps clean energy compete on a level playing field with other industries that use stock and bond markets. Let’s evolve our financing to match our innovative energy economy.”

Phyllis Cuttino, Director, Clean Energy, The Pew Charitable Trusts: “The Master Limited Partnerships Parity Act would expand a tax incentive that is currently available only to oil and gas projects to include clean energy sources as well.  By opening up low-cost financing to a broader range of technologies, this legislation would help grow our domestic energy industry and increase the United States’ competitiveness.  Thank you to Senators Coons and Moran and Representatives Poe and Thompson for their leadership on this legislation.”

David Terry, Executive Director, National Association of State Energy Officials: “We thank Senator Coons for strongly supporting key options for financing renewable energy projects, including master limited partnerships.  This continues the trend of the Senator providing thoughtful leadership in the energy arena.”

Rhone Resch, President and CEO, SEIA: “Today, solar is the fastest-growing source of renewable energy in America, employing 174,000 workers at 8,000 U.S. companies.  Senator Coons’ MLP proposal would help to build on this tremendous success by leveling the playing field between clean, renewable energy and long-entrenched energy sources in America.  SEIA applauds Sen. Coons for putting forward an idea that has the potential to attract private sector investment for critically-important solar projects.”

Barry Granger, Vice President for Government Affairs, DuPont: “We appreciate Senator Coons thoughtful and supportive legislation to encourage investment in cellulosic ethanol and advanced biofuels by extending the tax-efficient Master Limited Partnership structure to investments in these forms of energy.  These tax policies have proven effective in encouraging investment in oil and gas infrastructure and can similarly provide a much needed incentive for further developing the domestic renewable fuels industry.”  

James C. Greenwood, President and CEO, BIO: “The MLP Parity Act will help level the playing field between renewable fuels and fossil fuels in tax policy that shapes private investment decisions. We are especially pleased that this legislation also covers renewable chemicals, for the first time establishing tax parity for this growing biotech sector. This will clear a path for increased industrial biotechnology innovation and commercialization activities that drives employment and economic growth and reduces dependence on foreign oil.”

Brooke Coleman, Executive Director, Advanced Ethanol Council: “The advanced and cellulosic ethanol industry strongly supports the efforts of Senators Coons and the other co-sponsors of Master Limited Partnership Parity Act to level the playing field for advanced technologies when it comes to MLPs. The MLP Parity Act would take a meaningful inequity out of the federal tax code, allow advanced technologies to compete for financing on a more level playing field, and put the country in a better position to create jobs and compete in the emerging $2 trillion global clean energy marketplace. Oil and gas producers are essentially using MLPs to access the retail investment market more quickly and efficiently, which in turn makes it easier to finance new oil and gas projects. It makes no sense for the federal government to continue to offer this financing vehicle to fossil fuels only. We commend this bipartisan group for tackling this issue.”

John Prunkl, President and CEO, Primary Energy Recycling Corporation and Chair, Heat is Power Association: “We own and operate one of the largest waste heat to power projects in the U.S. for the benefit of a large steel producer in the Midwest. The economic and environmental benefits of this project are undeniable and have helped position our customer as a low cost producer of steel in the region while helping them produce their product with a smaller environmental impact. The MLP Parity Act would lower the cost of capital for waste heat to power projects like ours, making these projects easier to finance and more attractive to a broader range of customers, while supporting jobs and the local economy. We applaud the sponsors’ efforts to level the playing field for energy generation resources like ours that improve the competitiveness of our nation’s industrial sector and generate power with no additional fuel, combustion or emissions.”

Kateri Callahan, President, Alliance to Save Energy: “We applaud Alliance Honorary First Vice-Chair Senator Chris Coons and Senator Jerry Moran, sponsors of the Master Limited Partnerships (MLP) Parity Act, for this common sense bill encouraging private investment in  energy efficiency projects.  Bringing parity between investors in clean energy and investors in oil, natural gas, coal extraction, and pipeline projects makes sense. The MLP Parity Act will help to bolster energy productivity, create jobs, and save consumers and businesses money.”

Kurt Waltzer, Managing Director, Clean Air Task Force: “The Clean Air Task Force strongly supports the MLP Parity Act. In order to address climate, we need to have several affordable low and zero carbon technology options. This bill is particularly important for Carbon Capture and Storage – a critical path technology for addressing climate change that is in the early stage of its deployment. Having MLP financing available for CCS would help reduce the financing costs of early-mover projects. Reducing financial barriers for early projects is a necessary step for getting more steel in the ground, and thereby driving down costs through learning and innovation.” 

Brad Crabtree and Patrick Falwell, Co-Directors, National Enhanced Oil Recovery Initiative: “On behalf of participating energy, industrial,  and technology companies, labor unions, environmental organizations, and state officials, the National Enhanced Oil Recovery Initiative applauds the MLP Act’s sponsors for expanding MLP eligibility to increase private investment in carbon capture and storage projects.  Capturing carbon dioxide from power plants and many other industrial facilities for use in enhanced oil recovery produces more American oil, creates good-paying jobs, generates net new revenue for the federal treasury, and reduces CO2 emissions.”

Mike McAdams, President, Advanced Biofuels Association: “We are grateful for Senator Coons’ leadership at a critical point for America’s domestic biofuels industry as we are moving from the beaker to the barrel, in record time. The legislation provides an innovative financial mechanism that could significantly reduce the cost of financing as companies are reaching a game-changing milestone. Substantial investments by private companies in research and development have been the catalyst for today’s success in bringing advanced biofuels to commercial markets, but stable and consistent public policies are crucial to encourage and allow additional investment dollars that will help get us across the finish line. By creating a new and more appealing option for investors, the bill helps level the playing field and ultimately promotes a more cost competitive advanced biofuel alternative to conventional fuel.” 

Matt Carr, Executive Director, Algae Biomass Organization: “The members of the Algae Biomass Organization applaud Senator Coons for his work to create a more level playing field for investment in renewable energy projects through the MLP Parity Act.  Algae-derived fuel producers are confident that when the tax code and other federal programs are applied blindly to renewable and traditional energy projects, renewable energy will see a significant increase in private investment, making renewable energy more cost competitive.  The increased competition will help drive down energy bills for all ratepayers.  Senator Coons’ MLP Bill is essential to creating fair competition in the energy market.”

Robert P. Thornton, President & CEO, International District Energy Association: “When Super Storm Sandy hit in 2012 and knocked out power to 8.1 million people in 21 states, the need for more robust and resilient energy infrastructure became alarmingly obvious and urgent for cities, communities, campuses, industry and healthcare.  Today, mayors and CEO’s alike are seeking public/private partnerships to accelerate capital investment in district energy and combined heat & power microgrids to deliver more efficient and sustainable local energy solutions.  The Master Limited Partnership Parity Act offers significant potential to catalyze growth of these community-scale clean energy resources.  By providing a new source of liquid private capital, the Act can play a vital role in strengthening the infrastructure of our nation’s cities, communities, institutions and military bases.” 

Steve Clemmer, Director, Energy Research and Analysis, Union of Concerned Scientists: “Giving renewable energy projects access to low-cost financing available from publicly-traded MLPs would help level the playing field with fossil fuels and give all Americans the opportunity to invest in the transition to a cleaner, low-carbon economy. This innovative financing tool would expand the investor base and lower the cost of financing renewables projects by roughly 40 percent, addressing an existing market barrier currently inhibiting development. Such a change means more clean energy projects being built and continued economic benefits in this growing sector.”

Joe Keefe, President & CEO, Pax World Mutual Funds: “We’re looking for exposure to clean energy opportunities throughout our $3.8 billion portfolio. The ability to invest in clean energy infrastructure is particularly interesting. However, like many investors, we invest through the capital markets and are thus not in a position to finance individual renewable energy and energy efficiency projects. Smart changes, like those proposed for Real Estate Investment Trusts and Master Limited Partnerships, could provide opportunities for investment by firms like Pax as well as individual investors.”

George Gay, CEO, First Affirmative Financial Network: “Investments like those possible through clean energy MLPs are exactly the type of investments our clients want to make. Like many Americans, they want to support projects that provide clean energy and create jobs domestically. Our typical client already has a large portion of their investment portfolio dedicated to energy projects through Master Limited Partnerships. They are investments we know and trust and their use for clean energy could be a great way to fund clean energy projects, spark job creation, catalyze economic growth, and provide investment opportunities for responsible investors.” 

Lowell Miller, Founder, President/CIO, Miller/Howard Investments Inc.: “There is no apparent logic to the current exclusion of renewable energy companies from the ability to form publicly traded partnerships. A large part of the intent in permitting energy companies to become MLPs was to encourage the development of domestic energy resources and infrastructure. Entity-level taxation was eliminated, and enabled a greater pass-through of revenues to shareholders, thus creating a “yield” vehicle and an additionally attractive feature of the entity’s equity. To fail to include renewable energy is, in effect, to say that the government and its tax system wants to implicitly encourage carbon-based energy development and to discourage—or not encourage—renewable energy development. It’s doubtful that a poll of citizens would agree with this standpoint.”

VIDEO: After massive OPM data breaches, Sen. Coons questions OPM Director, cybersecurity expert

WASHINGTON – Amid reports that recent cyberattacks may have impacted sensitive information of 18 million current, former, and prospective federal employees, U.S. Senator Chris Coons (D-Del.) questioned Office of Personnel Management (OPM) Director Katherine Archuleta about the data breaches involving the OPM. Senator Coons is the Ranking Member of the Financial Services and General Government Appropriations Subcommittee, which oversees the OPM’s budget.

Just yesterday, reports indicated that investigators now believe the number of affected current, former, and prospective federal employees is roughly 18 million. Assistant OPM Inspector General Michael Esser and former Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and Internal Revenue Service (IRS) Chief Information Officer Richard Spires also attended today’s hearing as witnesses.

Broadcast quality video/audio of Senator Coons’ opening remarks is available here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Ufft2Z6LmI&feature=youtu.be 

Excerpts from Senator Coons’ opening remarks:

“The fact these security breaches happened is, frankly, terrible. They force us to grapple with the reality that in our interconnected world, we are more vulnerable than ever, and we need to do more to protect our public employees’ vital, personal information from foreign attackers.  After we’ve investigated why these cyber attacks were able to break through, we need to be willing to do what’s necessary to ensure they don’t happen again.  These attacks don’t just compromise the information of millions of federal employees, but our nation’s security as well.” 

“I think we must prevent another round of sequestration. OPM’s FY16 budget request includes a $32 million dollar increase over last year’s enacted level, virtually all of which would address IT infrastructure improvements. Sequestration could critically threaten those investments and even the livelihoods of our employees.  While some of these cuts might be weathered in the short-term, they can have serious long-term impacts, and I think we need to work together to ensure our federal agencies are prepared as best they can be to protect against cyber threats.”

Senator Coons’ full opening remarks are below:

“I’d like to welcome our witnesses, OPM Director Katherine Archuleta, Assistant OPM Inspector General Michael Esser, and former DHS and IRS Chief Information Officer Richard Spires.

“We are here today, as the Chairman has laid out, to review information technology spending and data security at the Office of Personnel Management.  As part of that review, we need to discuss recent cybersecurity attacks that have put federal employee information and our national security at real risk.  We also need to address the late-breaking Inspector General audit that expresses concerns about OPM’s IT modernization project.

“But while we conduct this subcommittee oversight of OPM and its spending and response, I also urge us to put this in the context of larger cybersecurity challenges that face our government and our society as a whole, and progress, or lack thereof, by Congress in strengthening our nation’s cyber defenses and in providing needed funding for federal cybersecurity IT initiatives.

“Regarding the cyber incidents at OPM, one breach involved personnel data of roughly 4 million federal employees, stored on Interior Department networks. During the breach investigation, investigators found another intrusion where information from background investigations was allegedly stolen.  I understand OPM only recently became aware of the security clearance theft and that the investigation is still underway, so while we may be limited in exactly what we can discuss in this context, I’m very hopeful we can have a productive and ongoing discussion.

“The fact these security breaches happened is, frankly, terrible. They force us to grapple with the reality that in our interconnected world, we are more vulnerable than ever, and we need to do more to protect our public employees’ vital, personal information from foreign attackers.  After we’ve investigated why these cyber attacks were able to break through, we need to be willing to do what’s necessary to ensure they don’t happen again.  These attacks don’t just compromise the information of millions of federal employees, but our nation’s security as well.

“It is further troubling that the IG’s office has found that OPM has not fully complied with the Federal Information Security Management Act, which mandates information security requirements for all federal agencies.  While OPM has made recent improvements, we need to remain vigilant.

“Both Director Archuleta and the OPM CIO have only been on the job for roughly year and a half, and to their credit, they have made IT security a priority, but they need to clearly understand the job is not done.

“OPM has indicated to the Subcommittee most of its IT security systems are aged and at the end of their useful life.  For some, security patches are no longer provided by the original vendor.  In Fiscal Year 2014, OPM began a three-year IT system modernization, and is seeking a third installment of $21 million to complete that project this year.  We have to understand that without that funding, the investments of the past two years cannot be meaningful completed.  

“I was alarmed by the IG’s allegations about the mismanagement of the modernization projects to date and hope that OPM’s representatives will speak to these assertions directly here today.

“Last, I just wanted to emphasize, I think we must prevent another round of sequestration. OPM’s FY16 budget request includes a $32 million dollar increase over last year’s enacted level, virtually all of which would address IT infrastructure improvements.

“Sequestration could critically threaten those investments and even the livelihoods of our employees.  While some of these cuts might be weathered in the short-term, they can have serious long-term impacts, and I think we need to work together to ensure our federal agencies are prepared as best they can be to protect against cyber threats.

“The Federal Government is a constant target of cyber attacks. It successfully wards off millions of attempts attacks a year, and I think we need to work together to protect the nation’s economic and national security interests by coming together to deal with these vital cybersecurity issues.

“Chairman Boozman, thank you for holding this hearing, and I am eager to continue to work together as we consider the needs of our federal agencies in combatting these cyber threats.”

Senator Coons hosts head of U.S. Export – Import Bank in Delaware

New Castle, Del. – Today, U.S. Senator Chris Coons (D-Del.) hosted U.S. Export-Import Bank Chairman and President Fred Hochberg in Delaware to highlight the critical role the bank plays in supporting Delaware manufacturers exporting products to developing markets by filling gaps in private export financing. EXIM supported $317 million in exports from Delaware and is set to expire at the end of June.

Chairman Hochberg had the opportunity to tour New-Castle based company Voight & Schweitzer, a hot dip galvanizing company, and meet with business representatives of Acrow Bridge, a leading manufacturer and supplier of modular steel bridge systems. The EXIM Bank recently approved a $73 million commercial loan to facilitate the export of 144 Acrow steel bridges to the Republic of Zambia, which is expected to support thousands of manufacturing jobs in Delaware, Pennsylvania, New Jersey and Massachusetts. The steel galvanizing work for those bridges will be done in New Castle, Del. The bank also supports Acrow exports to Cameroon.

“The Export-Import Bank has helped ensure that Delaware businesses like V&S and Acrow can compete anywhere in the world at no cost to the taxpayer,” said Senator Coons. “If Congress fails to reauthorize EXIM before it expires, hundreds of thousands of American jobs will be put at risk. At a time when our economy is gaining steam, we need to continue to help American companies of all sizes compete in markets around the world, not make it harder. I urge my colleagues to act quickly and reauthorize the bank to help support American jobs, American manufacturing, and the American middle class.”

In fiscal year 2014, EXIM Bank approved $20.5 billion in total authorizations. These authorizations supported an estimated $27.5 billion in U.S. export sales, as well as approximately 164,000 American jobs across the country. It was created in 1945 and has been reauthorized multiple times.  It was last reauthorized at the end of 2014 and its authorization expires on June 30, 2015.

Senator Coons and Chairman Hochberg were joined today by Congressman John Carney, Rebecca Faber from the World Trade Center for Delaware and Andrea Tinianow from the Delaware Office of International Trade.

Senator Coons discusses impact of avian flu, other diseases on global agriculture at UD [Audio]

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Chris Coons (D-Del.), co-founder of the Senate Chicken Caucus and a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, spoke Friday to participants of University of Delaware’s (UD) Emergency Poultry Disease Response Program (EPDR) about the importance of preparing for global disease outbreaks, including avian flu that could affect global food systems.

Audio of the speech is available here: http://1.usa.gov/1RqR3HN

Excerpts from Senator Coons’ speech:

“I have been struck by the power of poultry to deliver protein to a hungry world, and its capacity as the way we move protein that is environmentally sustainable, that is economically producible and that can generate meaningful jobs from farm to plate in countries all over the world.”

“If we can fend off Avian Influenza and develop a better technology transfer and training, we can make an impressive and lasting difference for all the hungry people in the world who we are together hoping to feed.”

“As the world becomes more and more integrated, as people travel more and more freely…as millions of people travel across the world every day and as hundreds of millions of birds travel around the world every day, the very real threat of Avian Influenza gets more and more severe.” 

“It is our real hope that by applying the techniques you are hearing about today and the lessons you are hearing from folks that have been actively involved in managing this AI outbreak in the Midwest and West of the United States, that we will succeed in preventing it from becoming a global challenge.”

Senator Coons’ full remarks below:

“This is my second time speaking to the EPDR program, and it is exciting to me to take your questions and have a chance to talk about our shared interest and concerns about growing the poultry community and the poultry industry globally.

“As a very young man, I spent a semester at the University of Nairobi in Kenya, which really changed my life, and then worked in South Africa, for the South Africa Council of Churches for then-Bishop Desmond Tutu. So this was in ’84 and ’86 and ’87, and it began, for me, and interest in how the United States relates to the world, not just in agriculture, in trade, but in lots of other areas. I serve on the Foreign Relations Committee, and for the last four years, I chaired the Africa subcommittee. I also serve on Appropriations, which is the committee in the Senate that decides how we spend our money. I serve on three other Committees as well. 

“I trained as a Chemist as an undergraduate and I worked in private industry in Delaware for eight years before I went into the great adventure that was County government for ten years. I don’t know about your provincial or municipal or county governments, but there are very demanding, very difficult. Lots of work on sewers, on roads, on schools and libraries, the very guts of what makes communities work.

“Forgive the introduction, I am now going to try and work off of prepared text before I take your questions. Thank you, to Dr. Jack Gelb and Bob Alphin and Dr. Mark Rieger and in particular to the United States Department of Agriculture for their support. It’s USDA that makes this whole program possible. Without the partnership between our University of Delaware, Allen Lab and the particular leaders here, and our federal government, Department of Agriculture, this training would not be possible. So why don’t we give our United States Department of Agriculture a round of applause.

“Delaware is also a state where the poultry industry is very strong and has very strong interconnections. So this program has trained over 100 poultry professionals from around the world, and is I think an example of what we do best in Delaware, which is even though the companies and the growers compete with each other regularly, they also partner together, they work together, particularly when we face a challenge like Avian Influenza that is a fundamental challenge to the whole community. So I think what we do best, our politicians actually work together — in Delaware, not the United States, just in Delaware – our industry works together at all levels, and our university is a key component of a system that allows us to respond to challenges in a cooperative way. So the United States, a free market country, is also one where you can see an example of really good close coordination.

“As I’ve travelled around the world in my five years on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, I have been struck by the power of poultry to deliver protein to a hungry world, and its capacity as the way we move protein that is environmentally sustainable, that is economically producible and that can generate meaningful jobs from farm to plate in countries all over the world.

“I recently visited Tunisia, Chad, Djibouti, Kenya, Senegal and I’m about to go visit Senegal, Ethiopia and Rwanda and Gabon to participate in the Africa Growth and Opportunity Conference. I’ve been to 55 countries over all in my many years of travel, not just as a Senator, and I’m really impressed by the compounding, positive impact that poultry can have. I don’t mean to disrespect pork and beef as other sources of protein — I know a number of you are from countries that have a well developed cattle pork industries, but in terms of the environmental consequences, the number of jobs that can be created, and the ease with which it can be scaled up, if we can get the whole system supporting poultry right, if we can fend off Avian Influenza and develop a better technology transfer and training, we can make an impressive and lasting difference for all the hungry people in the world who we are together hoping to feed.

“I also believe deeply that the United States has an opportunity and an obligation to work in partnership with you and your countries to make sure that we are not just seeking market access. In the introduction, you were kind enough to reference my friend Senator Isakson, Republican Senator from Georgia – he and I chair the Chicken Caucus in the United States Senate. We represent a dozen states that have a strong poultry industry. And about 10 percent or more of all American grown poultry is exported. And I think that is a good opportunity for our farmers and for our community.

“But as I said, when I’ve had the chance to meet with ministers of agriculture and trade from other countries in Africa, India, Kenya, Nigeria and others, my goal is for us to work in partnership. For us to find pathways forward that create jobs and technology and capability in your country as well opportunities in mine. There are more than enough hungry people in the world, and there are more than enough opportunities forward for poultry in a rapidly growing world.

“So sometimes when you read articles in the American press congratulating Senator Isakson and me on forcing the South Africans to accept American poultry, or when you read the South African press accounts that say I’m a terrible person for trying to get poultry into South Africa, you have to recognize the three years of work that we’ve done has accomplished market-access for 65,000 metric ton out of a 2 million metric ton market – that is a very small amount that we are getting. My hope is that it will lead to a lasting partnership of exactly the type that this training shows, which is that we will share with each other experiences about the best feed, the best vaccinations, the best monitoring, testing techniques, the best design for poultry houses, the best ways for us to breed and to develop our flock. So when I met with President Boni Yayi last August, we had this exact conversation about how do we become not just export market opportunity in Benin for the United States, but partners where Beninois have the opportunity to grow opportunity and employment in Benin for the Beninois. And I think that is the approach all of us should have together, and I think that speaks to how Delaware approaches market opportunities for the United States as well.

“Look, right now avian influenza plays an absolutely vital role in our future together. As the world becomes more and more integrated, as people travel more and more freely – you all travelled here relatively quickly I suspect, and you will be going home – as millions of people travel across the world every day and as hundreds of millions of birds travel around the world every day, the very real threat of Avian Influenza gets more and more severe. And the possibility that it might that it might at some point mutate and become zoonotic and capable of affecting humans is something that we also have to take very seriously.

“So it’s my hope that in this training you have found some real friends and that you will stay in touch with each other as you return to your home countries, and that you have built real relationships with the staff and the leadership here in the university of Delaware and that you will help us to know how to be more effective, how to make programs such as this more successful and more sustained and more meaningful in the years ahead.

“There are current AI outbreaks in dozens of places around the world and in a few states in the Midwest and West, not here on the East Coast of the United States. It is our real hope that by applying the techniques you are hearing about today and the lessons you are hearing from folks that have been actively involved in managing this AI outbreak in the Midwest and West of the United States, that we will succeed in preventing it from becoming a global challenge.

“But only by working together will we succeed in helping each of you to develop your personal skills and strengths, in helping our countries together develop the resources that we need to feed literally another two billion people over the next 25 years. And those who are already living and not yet nutritiously fed, and then last to sustain a global economy that is based on exchange of each countries’ best gifts and best talents.

“So let me thank University of Delaware for allowing me to be with you for a few minutes this morning.”

Senators Coons, Cardin, Flake, and Isakson introduce legislation to increase the reach and impact of the Millennium Challenge Corporation

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Chris Coons (D-Del.), Ben Cardin (D-MD), Jeff Flake (R-AZ), Johnny Isakson (R-GA), members of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, have introduced the Millennium Compacts for Regional Economic Integration Act (The M-CORE Act), legislation that enables the Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) to address regional development challenges and enhance trans-border economic growth opportunities in the developing world. 

The bill, S.1605, allows for the establishment of concurrent compacts in eligible developing countries, providing MCC with the flexibility it needs to promote economic growth and cross-border engagement between and among nations. 

 “Granting this authority to the Millennium Challenge Corporation will kick start economic growth in Africa, Asia and Latin America,” said Senator Coons.  “In this interconnected world, economies are no longer isolated, and regional integration can overcome binding constraints to growth.  This bill recognizes that addressing trans-border economic issues like infrastructure is fundamental to getting growth right in the developing world.  I am excited to co-sponsor this bill, and I look forward to working with my colleagues to pass this into law.”

“Never before has United States faced such a complex set of global challenges – from global food insecurity and mounting humanitarian crises, pandemics to the rise of extremism, crippling poverty to the consequences of climate change. This legislation will strengthen MCC’s ability to build upon an already impressive track record of cost-effective, long-term economic solutions in developing countries,” Senator Cardin said. “Compacts that span borders, expand markets, and strengthen regional growth demand U.S. support and this bill best positions MCC to achieve this necessary goal while also promoting efficient and effective development assistance.”

“We should be doing everything we can do to help facilitate cross-border trade among the countries of sub-Saharan Africa,” said Senator Flake.

“The Millennium Challenge Corporation gives the United States the opportunity to make strategic investments in developing countries that are not only focused on growth, but are also focused on critical political and economic reforms,” said Senator Isakson. “Allowing Millennium Challenge to work regionally will strengthen the efforts these countries are making themselves, and will bolster regional growth, reduce threats to our national security and foster economic opportunity.” 

“In a global economy, people, goods and services move across borders. MCC’s investments should follow suit. This legislation will allow MCC to help countries collaborate to build and grow regional markets, capture more economies of scale and facilitate increased trade and investment. That’s good for the countries we work with and for U.S. companies doing business abroad,” MCC CEO Dana J. Hyde said. 

Over the last fifty years, economies around the world have experienced significant and sustained growth that has been fueled by support to regional infrastructure and integrated trade agreements. Developing nations, international organizations and regional economic bodies, have increasingly realized that key drivers to economic growth must involve greater cross-border collaboration and regional economic integration. Through greater regional economic collaboration countries can address deficiencies in communications, transport, and energy networks and have a targeted impact on infrastructure deficiencies, unemployment, and poverty reduction. 

The Millennium Challenge Corporation is an independent U.S. foreign aid agency leading the fight against global poverty and was established by the U.S. Congress in 2004. MCC forms partnerships with developing countries committed to good governance, economic freedom, and investments in their citizens.

Senator Coons’ speech on U.S. global leadership and “a radical definition of ‘who is our neighbor?’” (Video)

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Chris Coons (D-Del.), a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and the Subcommittee on African Affairs, spoke last night at the United States Global Leadership Coalition as part of their annual tribute dinner. Senator Coons was awarded the Outstanding Champion of America’s Leadership award for his work on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and the Subcommittee on African Affairs.  Sen. Bob Corker, (R-Ten.), Chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, was also recognized by USGLC. 

Video and audio of Senator Coons’ speech is available here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0gTOpi7Gosw 

Senator Coons’ colleagues also honored him with a tribute video that can be viewed here: http://youtu.be/GUFpZ11HCfo

Excerpts from Senator Coons’ speech:

“My own faith rests centrally on a simple but powerful teaching, that we should love our neighbors, married to a radical definition of “Who is our neighbor?” and how we should love them, that urges us, that demands of us, to care just as deeply, whether one is a child in the slums of Karachi, or a refugee in Burma… In my view, and I hope many of yours, those radical redefinitions of neighbor, and how we love them, are in some ways at the core of our enduring engagement with the world.”

“In a changing and increasingly multi-polar world, we can no longer indulge ourselves with the illusion that complex global problems have simple, unilateral, solely American solutions.”

“We all must continue to educate to engage, to explain, and to make clear to the American people that our national interest and our modern challenges demand American leadership.”

“Those of us who support foreign assistance, and all the tools of soft power, have to ask hard questions. We have to do the hard work of reshaping aid, and insisting that it’s delivered efficiently, so it saves the most lives, lifts up the poorest, costs the least dollar, goes the furthest.”

“American global leadership isn’t about aid, it’s about lasting partnerships. It’s about engaging not just today’s leaders but tomorrow’s as well. It’s about lifting the sights of young people around the world so the futures they envision and that become real become closer and closer to the futures we dream for our own children.”

Senator Coons’ full remarks below:

“Thank you Carl, thank you Carolyn, thank you to the USGLC for this honor and to everyone for your support for USGLC and for being here. And I recognize as a politician who spent a lot of time at the local level going to lots of Chamber of Commerce and volunteer dinners that being the only thing between you and dinner is not a great place to be, and I have a 45-minute prepared speech, so I’m going cut about 5 minutes out of it, and we’re going have a great time.

“Now as for the being fluent in Swahili [remarks in Swahili], which means, “I’ve forgotten everything because I’m an old man.” I cannot tell you what an honor it is to share this with Senator Bob Corker. Not just the Chairman of the Foreign Relations Committee, but a colleague and a friend and a hero. Bob and I first met on a CODEL in Pakistan and Afghanistan back in 2011, and I will never forget the seriousness with which he treated our trip – it was my first trip overseas as a Senator – his insistence on asking really tough questions of our military, our diplomats and in particular, memorably, our foreign leaders. His dedication to his work comes across in everything he does and his reasonableness is just such a breath of fresh air. We are so blessed to have his leadership in the Foreign Relations committee in this pivotal moment. So, please, a round of applause for Bob.

“I am especially proud to be partnering with him on the difficult issue of food aid reform and to have the opportunity, as he mentioned in his remarks, that if we get this right, we could not just save millions of taxpayer dollars, but also help feed millions more globally and if we do it right, promote long-term agricultural development and build long-term resilience for food insecure communities worldwide. What an enormous blessing to have a chance to work with such a good man, on such a challenging project, hopefully with all of your support, as this year unfolds.

“So, while so many of the debates we’ve had in the Senate in recent years seem to break down in partisan lines, Bob has been a leader in the best sense of the word. Building consensus, listening, taking risks, and then driving results. So, frankly I could not be more grateful to join him on the stage tonight. 

“You know, when we do it right, when we focus on the long term, as I, and Bob, and many others on the foreign relations committee do, we have positive, building, complimentary impacts, not just for our nation but for the world. That’s why I’m so grateful for USGLC and what you do—you bring together the private sector, the defense community, the diplomacy and the development communities, the faith and volunteerism and services communities, and recognize that our engagement in what’s so-called “soft power” of diplomacy and development and trade, is at least as important as sustaining the vital military components of so-called “hard power.” That is exactly the definition of smart power. It’s holding them all in a positive balance.

“So your advocacy is of enormous value to our country. It has an enduring impact. And if we’re going to remain a global leader in these difficult and challenging times, we have to sustain every lever of American foreign policy, and that’s going happen in no small part because of you. So thank you. Give yourselves a round of applause for being the USGLC. You know, we all come to this work from different perspectives. You heard in Senator Corker’s introduction that it was a mission trip to Haiti that first inspired his concern and engagement with the world, and my own passion for global issues began when I fell in love with Africa during a semester in Kenya and then months spent volunteering with the South African Council of Churches — it changed my heart, and my life, in profound and powerful ways. 

“My own faith rests centrally on a simple but powerful teaching, that we should love our neighbors, married to a radical definition of “Who is our neighbor?” and how we should love them, that urges us, that demands of us, to care just as deeply, whether one is a child in the slums of Karachi, or a refugee in Burma, or a woman, struggling, through living with HIV and AIDS in Kenya, or a boy growing up in America, in East St. Louis, or an American soldier returning home to his family in Milwaukee. In my view, and I hope many of yours, those radical redefinitions of neighbor, and how we love them, are in some ways at the core of our enduring engagement with the world.

“I am a firm believer in America’s leadership around the globe, but in a changing and increasingly multi-polar world, we can no longer indulge ourselves with the illusion that complex global problems have simple, unilateral, solely American solutions. The world still often looks to us to lead the international community and to offer strategies to solve the world’s most complex and pressing problems. Whether it be the threat posed by radical terrorism, or the challenges posed by pandemics or climate change, we play a critical role in helping the international community face up to, and overcome, the challenges of our time.

“Those of us who support foreign assistance, and all the tools of soft power, have to ask hard questions. We have to do the hard work of reshaping aid, and insisting that it’s delivered efficiently, so it saves the most lives, lifts up the poorest, costs the least dollar, goes the furthest. That means being transparent, monitoring and evaluating our programs against rigorous metrics, it means using aid to open up opportunities for trade and US exports and deeply partnering with the energy of the private sector.

“As USGLC’s broad coalition knows well, it means forming innovative public-private partnerships to ensure the best returns on our dollars and the best leadership with our values. At the end of the day we should never lose sight of our shared task as advocates for US leadership around the world. We need to make it clear to our American public – that this leadership, that what we do, is worth the investment.

“As leaders in many arenas, we all must continue to educate to engage, to explain, and to make clear to the American people that our national interest and our modern challenges demand American leadership. In exercising that leadership, it is crucial for us to continue — in the ways I suggested – to be transparent, hold ourselves accountable, insist on innovation and be humble about our answers as we collaborate and engage with local partners around the world.

“Americans – average Americans all over our country, whether in Tennessee, or in Delaware – are justifiably skeptical of the impacts that our leadership can have around the world. So we have to keep explaining every year, for twenty years and more, the impact our leadership can have. We must continue to explain what’s at stake and what’s possible – especially because you and I both know what American global leadership looks like and what it can do for other communities and for our own. I’ve seen American leadership at work, on the ground, in inspiring and sustaining ways, all over the world. And I just wish I could bring my constituents from Delaware to see the same things that I have seen and so many of you have seen. 

“American leadership looks like when a team of DuPont plant-scientists and researchers in Ethiopia work together with local farmers to make real the promise of the next stage of the green revolution.

“America leads when a commercial service officer in Ghana connects American businesses with new opportunities to invest in growing communities – building the capacities of Ghanaians and strengthening our own economy at the same time.

“America leads when our military and public health service work together with missionaries and volunteers to respond to a devastating pandemic like Ebola and then build on that commitment to stand up an Africa-wide center for disease control so that next time there is an outbreak countries across the continent are ready. 

“America leads when people from across our government and private sector work together – as you heard Carolyn reference – to make it possible for electricity to be provided to a remote village in Africa so a girl can do her homework at night after a long day of helping her family with chores and going to school. 

“Finally, America leads when a talented young woman from a leading American college chooses to join the Peace Corps and invests two years of her life building sanitation systems in rural Senegal. And when young African leaders come here and learn at our universities and work with us together and develop lifelong relationships with our own best and brightest.

“In the end, American global leadership isn’t about aid, it’s about lasting partnerships. It’s about engaging not just today’s leaders but tomorrow’s as well. It’s about lifting the sights of young people around the world so the futures they envision and that become real become closer and closer to the futures we dream for our own children.

“That leadership – the leadership you sustain – really can create a safer and more prosperous world for Americans and for our neighbors around the world. One that provides more opportunities for our businesses and our people, one that reflects our enduring values of freedom and justice. That’s why your work is so important, and it’s why I am so honored by your partnership, your great work, and your recognition tonight, the terrific work of Senator Corker and what small contributions I have been able to make during my short time in the Senate. 

“Thank you for all you have done and what we will do together.”

Senator Coons on trade negotiations with Bloomberg TV (VIDEO)

WASHINGTON – This morning, U.S. Senator Chris Coons (D-Del.) spoke with Bloomberg Television’s Peter Cook about ongoing trade negotiations in Congress.  Video/Audio link here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RHDB1iCyYLo&feature=youtu.be

“This is a very difficult and, at this point, unclear path forward,” said Senator Coons. “Many of us who supported TPA among the Democratic caucus in the Senate believe that we should also be moving forward Ex-m reauthorization, and customs, and TAA…What many Democrats want to see out of this trade bill is stronger enforcement and stronger support for those workers who might be negatively affected by trade. Without some guarantee, without some path forward for all of those to get done, it’s difficult for me to take another vote on TPA.”

Peter Cook then asked: “So you need assurances from John Boehner and Mitch McConnell not only that they’ll allow votes on these other issues but they will work actively to get the votes to pass them?”

Senator Coons responded: “That’s right, at least.”

Additional excerpts from Senator Coons’ interview are below:

Excerpt 1:

“This is a very difficult and, at this point, unclear path forward. It’s my understanding that the House is taking up and voting on TPA today. Many of us who supported TPA among the Democratic caucus in the Senate believe that we should also be moving forward Ex-m reauthorization, and customs, and TAA…What many Democrats want to see out of this trade bill is stronger enforcement and stronger support for those workers who might be negatively affected by trade. Without some guarantee, without some path forward for all of those to get done, it’s difficult for me to take another vote on TPA.”

Peter Cook: “So you need assurances from John Boehner and Mitch McConnell not only that they’ll allow votes on these other issues but they will work actively to get the votes to pass them?”

Senator Coons: “That’s right, at least.”

Peter Cook: “And you don’t have that yet?”

Senator Coons: “Not to my satisfaction, no.”

Excerpt 2:

Senator Coons: “I’d say the President was deeply frustrated, very surprised by the rejection of TAA in the House, and trying to come up with a strategy that can work and that can get support from displaced workers, stronger enforcement, and TPA which then would allow him to finalize negotiations on the Trans Pacific Partnership. It was a contentious and challenging meeting, a number of us advanced our concerns about Ex-Im, about AGOA, which would be the vehicle for sending TAA back to the House.  It’s a fast moving and complex situation, but I think there is still a possible path here for the President to get his objectives.”

Excerpt 3:

Senator Coons: “I think a lot of my Democratic colleagues have very understandable skepticism about the impact of globalization and trade, particularly on workers in manufacturing. What I’ve seen in my five years in the Senate around the world is that China is ascendant, China is re-writing the rules of trade in the 21st Century, and in ways that are not good for America’s interests, for labor, for the environment, for human rights, and TPP gives us the opportunity to rewrite those rules in our favor and in a direction that disadvantages China and advantages America’s priorities in the world.   Although it was a very close call, that’s ultimately why I voted with the President.

Peter Cook: “If the President gets TPA, no doubt in your mind that the Trans Pacific Partnership, this 12-nation deal, this moves forward?”

Senator Coons: “He will conclude the negotiations. It’s not clear to me whether or not it’ll get approval in the Senate. It makes that approval more likely.  My vote for TPA doesn’t guarantee my vote for TPP, I’ll still review that deal closely.”

###

Senator Coons introduces bipartisan bill to repair Delaware’s crumbling roads, bridges

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Chris Coons (D-Del.) joined a bipartisan coalition of eleven Senators in introducing legislation to establish a new infrastructure financing authority to help states and localities better leverage private funds to build and maintain the nation’s outdated infrastructure. The Building and Renewing Infrastructure for Development and Growth in Employment (BRIDGE) Act helps to address the nation’s alarming investment shortfall in maintaining and improving our transportation network, water and wastewater systems and energy infrastructure. The legislation would provide an additional financing tool for states and localities to create new jobs here at home while also increasing our nation’s economic competitiveness.

“Investing in our infrastructure will put people to work and keep our economy competitive,” Sen. Coons said. “We have seriously underinvested in our crumbling infrastructure for too long.  I ride Amtrak from Delaware every day over 100 year old bridges and through tunnels that are more than 140 years old.  We are a great nation, and we can no longer ignore our failing infrastructure. This bipartisan BRIDGE Act would provide critical help to struggling state and local governments to repair the infrastructure Americans depend on every day — from roads, bridges, and tunnels, to energy networks and water sewer systems. I look forward to working with my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to do what we should have done long ago and fix America’s infrastructure.”

The American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) estimates that we need to invest an additional $1.6 trillion in our nation’s infrastructure to bring it to a good state of repair.  For example, as of 2012, of the more than 600,000 bridges in the U.S., 24.9 percent were either functionally obsolete or structurally deficient.  Delaware has 864 bridges, of which 20% are functionally obsolete or structurally deficient (specifically, 56 are structurally deficient and 121 are functionally obsolete).  Nationally, our bridges are, on average, 42 years old, and need an estimated $76 billion to repair and replace. Similarly, the average age of the 84,000 dams in the country is 52 years old, and the Association of State Dam Safety Officials estimates that aging and high-hazard dams require an investment of $21 billion to repair. Delaware has 44 high-hazard dams.

Likewise, the Federal Highway Administration reported in 2012 that approximately one-fifth of our nation’s major highways – 182,872 miles’ worth of road – were in poor or mediocre condition and in need of repaving or even more substantive repairs. Driving on roads that are need of repair costs Delaware motorists an estimated $256 million a year in extra repairs and 21% of Delaware’s major roads are in poor condition. According to ASCE, 42 percent of our major urban highways are congested, which costs the economy an estimated $101 billion in wasted time and fuel annually. Currently, the Federal Highway Administration estimates that $170 billion in capital investment would be needed on an annual basis to significantly improve conditions and performance.

The BRIDGE Act is cosponsored by Senators Mark Warner (D-Va.), Roy Blunt (R-Mo.), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.), Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), Mark Kirk (R-Ill.), Claire McCaskill (D-Mo.), Roger Wicker (R-Miss.), Thom Tillis (R-N.C.) and Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.). The legislation has the support of a wide variety of stakeholders and industry groups, including the Transportation Construction Coalition, American Association of Port Authorities, American Trucking Association, American Society of Civil Engineers, and the Bipartisan Policy Center.

America currently spends only two percent of its GDP on infrastructure – about half what it did 50 years ago. By comparison, Europe spends around five percent, and China spends nine percent of GDP on infrastructure. According to the World Economic Forum’s Global Competitiveness Report, the United States currently ranks 12th among 144 developed countries in overall infrastructure compared to our global competitors. 

To help address this funding shortfall for our nation’s transportation, water and energy infrastructure, the BRIDGE Act will establish an independent, nonpartisan financing authority to complement existing U.S. infrastructure funding. The authority would provide loans and loan guarantees to help states and localities fund the most economically viable road, bridge, rail, port, water, sewer, and other significant infrastructure projects.  The authority would receive initial seed funding of up to $10 billion, which could incentivize private sector investment and make possible $300 billion or more in total project investment. The authority is structured in a way to make it self-sustaining over time without requiring additional federal appropriations 

KEY PROVISIONS

The BRIDGE Act establishes independent, non-partisan operations:

Having project finance experts in-house will help states and localities go toe-to-toe with private sector partners to ensure that taxpayers are getting good value for our investments through public-private partnerships. The Authority would operate independently of existing federal agencies, led by a Board of Directors with seven voting members and a CEO, all of whom would be required to demonstrate proven expertise in financial management and be confirmed by a vote of the Senate.

The BRIDGE Act addresses current gaps in infrastructure financing:

The infrastructure financing authority would finance no more than 49 percent of the total costs of the project in order to avoid crowding out private capital. It would offer low-interest loans and loan guarantees, subject to modest additional fees that would allow the Authority to quickly become self-sustaining over time.

The BRIDGE Act includes broad eligibility for funding:

All modes of transportation infrastructure would be eligible to apply for financing, as well as projects in the water/sewer and energy transmission sectors. Projects would have to be at least $50 million in size, and be of national or regional significance to qualify.

The BRIDGE Act would include strong rural protections: 

Five percent of the financing authority’s overall funding would be dedicated to projects in rural regions, and rural projects would only be required to be $10 million in size. In addition, this legislation would create an Office of Technical and Rural Assistance (OTRA) as well as regional infrastructure accelerator programs to help identify potential projects that could receive financing and build out a pipeline of viable projects. OTRA would also serve as a resource to localities seeking assistance in how to maximize public benefit of innovative financing tools. 

The BRIDGE Act would streamline the permitting process for approved projects:

The legislation would direct the President to establish and update a permitting timetable for projects receiving financing through the infrastructure financing authority, and to coordinate all relevant agencies to conduct permitting reviews in concurrent fashion, thereby accelerating the approval process.   

Senator Coons honored as Outstanding Champion of America’s Global Leadership

WASHINGTON, D.C. – This Wednesday, U.S. Senator Chris Coons (D-Del.), a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and the Subcommittee on African Affairs, will be recognized by the United States Global Leadership Coalition as part of their annual tribute dinner. Also being recognized is Sen. Bob Corker, (R-Ten.), Chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.  

The U.S. Global Leadership’s Annual Tribute Dinner comes as the USGLC celebrates its 20th anniversary of bringing together a “strange bedfellows” coalition of businesses, NGOs, faith leaders, academics, and national security experts on America’s international engagement.

This recognition comes shortly after Sen. Coons was featured in a Huffington Post article featuring three new foreign policy leaders in the democratic caucus, “The Democrats’ old leaders on foreign policy are gone or going. Meet the New Guard.”

“It is an incredible honor to be recognized by USGLC and to share an award with a leader like Senator Bob Corker,” said Senator Coons. “American global leadership isn’t about aid; it’s about lasting partnerships. It’s about engaging not just today’s leaders, but tomorrow’s too. It’s about lifting the sights of young people around the world so that the futures they envision resemble the same prospects we have for our own children. That leadership can create a safer, more prosperous world for Americans, one that provides more opportunities for our businesses, and one that reflects the enduring democratic values of liberty and freedom and justice.”

“When it comes to championing America’s engagement in the world to advance our nation’s interests, Senator Chris Coons is a rock star,” said Liz Schrayer, USGLC President and CEO. “His passion, knowledge, and commitment to combating global poverty, improving maternal and child health, and investing in Africa has been unmatched. We are honored to pay tribute Senator Coons for his outstanding leadership as we celebrate our 20th anniversary.”

The U.S. Global Leadership Coalition (www.usglc.org) is a broad-based influential network of 400 businesses and NGOs; national security and foreign policy experts; and business, faith-based, academic and community leaders in all 50 states who support a smart power approach of elevating development and diplomacy alongside defense in order to build a better, safer world.

About Unites States Global Leadership Council

The U.S. Global Leadership Coalition (USGLC) is a broad-based influential network of 400 businesses and NGOs; national security and foreign policy experts; and business, faith-based, academic and community leaders in all 50 states who support a smart power approach of elevating diplomacy and development alongside defense in order to build a better, safer world. 

The USGLC works in our nation’s capital and across the country to educate and inspire support from the American public and policymakers on the importance of America’s civilian-led tools of diplomacy and development.  By advocating for increases in the International Affairs Budget, the USGLC is working to make the smart power tools of diplomacy and development a keystone of America’s engagement with the world.

Senator Coons’ statement on legislation to reform military justice system

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Chris Coons (D-Del.) released the following statement in support of bipartisan legislation that establishes an unbiased military justice system to address the crisis of sexual assault in the U.S. military. This legislation is a version of the Military Improvement Act introduced by Senator Kirstin Gillibrand (D-N.Y.) and will be voted on as an amendment to the National Defense Authorization Act in the Senate later today.

The latest Pentagon survey found that 62 percent of women in the U.S. military who reported being sexually assaulted experienced some form of retaliation. The latest FY 2014 Sexual Assault Prevention and Response Office report by the Defense Department showed 75 percent of men and women in uniform who have been sexually assaulted lack the confidence in the military justice system to come forward and report the crimes committed against them.

“Too many sexual assault victims in the military remain silent because they do not trust the military justice system to hold their perpetrators accountable and protect them from retaliation,” Senator Coons said. “This unacceptable failing of our military to combat sexual assaults must be addressed immediately, which is why I’m proud to support this carefully crafted legislation. By putting people who are unbiased and trained in administering justice in charge of how accusations of sexual assault are handled in our armed forces, this legislation will help ensure victims have the confidence to come forward to report crimes. It’s time for Congress to make meaningful change to how sexual assault is handled in the military so that we can fulfill our sacred duty of protecting men and women in uniform as well as they protect us.”