Carper, Coons, Carney wrap 25th job fair with over 300 job seekers

STANTON, Del. – U.S. Senators Tom Carper and Chris Coons and U.S. Representative John Carney (all D-Del.) hosted their 25^th job fair since the beginning of 2011. More than 300 job seekers interviewed and networked their way with more than 60 companies looking to fill hundreds of jobs for both full and part-time positions.

The Delegation will wrap the spring job fair season on Monday, May 4 at the Rehoboth Beach Convention Center (229 Rehoboth Ave, Rehoboth Beach, DE 19971) from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

In addition to networking and interviewing with companies, job seekers attended a guest lecture from Joyce Dungee-Proctor, who spoke about the importance of face-to-face networking and job hunting and received complimentary resume evaluations.

Since 2011, the Congressional Delegation has hosted 25 job fairs in Delaware, including five specifically for veterans. For more information on how to participate as an employer or job seeker, please call Senator Coons’ office at 302-573-6345, or email workshop@coons.senate.gov. Preregistration for job seekers is not required.

There is still time for companies that have jobs to fill and are looking to hire at the upcoming Rehoboth Beach job fair to register. Interested employers should contact Senator Coons’ office at 302-573-6345 or via email at workshop@coons.senate.gov. Only employers with positions to fill are permitted to attend.

Carper, Coons, Carney host New Castle County job fair with 50-plus companies looking to hire

WILMINGTON, Del. – On Friday, April 10, Sens. Carper, Coons and Congressman Carney will host their 25^th job fair since the beginning of 2011. Delaware Technical Community College will be the site of the job fair, and will run from 12 p.m. to 4 p.m. Nearly 60 organizations, ranging from public and private sectors, non-profits and others will be on hand accepting resumes, meeting and greeting prospective employees and in some cases, conducting on-the-spot interviews for both full and part-time positions. The Delegation will wrap the spring job fair season on Monday, May 4 at the Rehoboth Beach Convention Center from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Confirmed attendees for Friday’s job fair include: AAA Mid-Atlantic, Aflac, Alternative Routes to Teacher Certification, Avon, Batta Environmental Associates, Bayada Home Health Care, Boys & Girls Club Delaware, Brandywine Counseling, Capital One, Christiana Care, Clarifi, Delaware Air National Guard, Delaware Department of Labor/Employment Training, DelDOT, DTCC, DART, Delmarva Distributing, Division of Vocational Rehabilitation, Employer Support of the Guard & Reserve, Energizer Personal Care, Epic Health Services, Greater Wilmington Radio Association, Griswold Home Care, Home Instead Senior Care, HomeWatch, Inspiration Space at Delaware Libraries, Interim HealthCare, J & J Staffing Resources, , Kelly Services, Lowe’s Home Improvement, Metro Merchant Services, Mid-Atlantic Troops to Teachers, Mountaire Farms of Delaware, Navient, New Castle County, New Castle County Police Department, New York Life, Pennsylvania State Police, People’s Place, Pepco Holdings, Primerica, Prominent Insurance Services, Robert Half Office Team, Royal Farms, ShopRite, State of Delaware, Sunglass Hut, Synerfac Technical Staffing, University of Delaware (Professional and Continuing Studies) Waddell & Reed, Inc., Westside Family Health Care, Wilmington Police Department, Wilmington University and WSFS Bank.

In addition to hosting organizations looking to hire, job seekers will also be treated to guest speakers and resume and job skills workshops. Speaking this Friday will be Joyce Dungee-Proctor, who will be lecturing on the importance of face to face networking.

The Congressional delegation is still accepting more companies that have jobs to fill and are looking to hire. Interested employers should contact Senator Coons’ office at 302-573-6345 or via email at workshop@coons.senate.gov. Only employers with positions to fill are permitted to attend.

Senators Coons, Blumenthal, Whitehouse, and Hirono file amicus brief urging court to uphold President Obama’s immigration executive actions

Washington – Today, U.S. Senators Chris Coons (D-Del.), Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.), and Mazie Hirono (D-Hawaii) filed an amicus, or “friend of the court,” brief with the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals in the case of Texas v. United States, urging the court to overturn the lower court’s injunction blocking implementation of a Department of Homeland Security (DHS) initiative that offered relief from deportation to roughly 5 million undocumented immigrants who are parents of U.S. citizens or legal permanent residents, or who came to the United States as children. The Senators who signed the brief are either past chairs or current ranking members of the Senate Judiciary Committee subcommittee with jurisdiction over administrative law.

“President Obama’s executive action on immigration was well within his legal authority and was a step towards reforming our broken immigration system,” said the Senators. “The Senate has an interest in ensuring that when Congress gives the Executive Branch the authority and responsibility to execute America’s immigration laws in a humane and thoughtful manner, the federal courts respect Congress’s decision. The brief we have filed today makes that clear.

“If Judge Hanen’s decision is upheld, it will be a disaster not just for immigration law but for federal governance generally. If a judge can stop the Secretary of Homeland Security from providing commonsense guidance on immigration officials’ exercise of prosecutorial discretion, not only will it be impossible to have a reasoned immigration policy in this country, it will be impossible for other federal agencies to operate in a manner that is consistent and rational.”

“The Senators who have stepped forward as amici curiae are all past or present Chairmen and Ranking Members of the Administrative Law Subcommittee of the Senate Committee on the Judiciary,” commented counsel of record Stephen B. Kinnaird, co-chair of the appellate practice of Paul Hastings LLP. “Core principles of administrative law hang in the balance. The Senators have urged the Fifth Circuit to vindicate those principles and preserve the powers of agency heads to give structured guidance to their subordinates in exercising enforcement discretion.”

In November 2014, the Obama Administration released guidance for two initiatives – Deferred Action for Parents of Americans and Lawful Permanent Residents (DAPA) and an expansion of Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA). In February, a district court judge ordered that implementation of the guidance be stopped because the Department of Homeland Security had not complied with the notice and comment requirements of the Administrative Procedures Act when releasing the November guidance. The Senators’ brief supports the Obama Administration’s appeal of that injunction. It demonstrates that Congress has delegated to the Executive Branch the authority to exercise prosecutorial discretion with respect to immigration enforcement and that the Executive Branch can provide guidance on the use of such discretion without going through the long, burdensome notice and comment process. The brief was written, pro bono, by Paul Hastings LLP.

Full text of the brief can be viewed here.

Senator Coons statement on nuclear negotiations with Iran

WILMINGTON, Del. – U.S. Senator Chris Coons (D-Del.), a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, released the following statement after negotiators from the P5+1 and Iran released a framework agreement today:

“I am eager to examine the details of the preliminary agreement announced today between Iran and the P5+1, but I am also concerned that there is much more difficult work still to be done to reach a final, long-term nuclear agreement that is verifiable, fully enforceable, and effectively prevents Iran from developing nuclear weapons.

“A nuclear Iran would pose a profound threat to our national security, the security of Israel, and many of our allies, and would also cause a destabilizing nuclear arms race throughout the Middle East. Simply put, a nuclear armed Iran is and must remain unacceptable.

“As a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, I have urged Administration officials to not make any concessions on breakout timeline and capacity, centrifuge research and development, or the duration of any deal. While I support the Administration’s efforts to seek a negotiated path towards ending Iran’s illicit nuclear program, I have also been clear that no deal is better than a bad deal.

“I look forward to working with my colleagues to ensure that Congress’ voice is heard in this process, and as negotiations proceed, I will continue urging the Administration to push for the strongest possible deal that protects the United States, Israel, and the international community.”

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Senator Coons statement on Nigeria’s presidential election results

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Chris Coons (D-Del.) issued the following statement after Muhammadu Buhari was elected as the next President of Nigeria.

“Nigeria’s presidential and National Assembly elections are an important step for the nation’s democracy and future. I congratulate President-elect Buhari on his victory and urge both him and President Jonathan to affirm the results and move forward for the good of Nigeria.

“Nigeria still faces considerable challenges, so it is critical that all parties commit to a peaceful transition of power and recognize the importance of a government with broad democratic legitimacy. It is also essential that state-level elections are held as scheduled on April 11, and that those elections similarly reflect the will of the Nigerian people.

“As a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, I look forward to working with my colleagues and the Obama Administration to help President-elect Buhari combat Boko Haram and build a more secure and prosperous country for all Nigerians. There are significant challenges still ahead, and they will require a united Nigeria to meet them.”

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Thirteen U.S. senators voice concern over lack of progress in South African poultry negotiations

WASHINGTON – Thirteen United States senators wrote to the South African government on Monday to express their concern about the lack of progress being made in negotiations over antidumping duties that have effectively blocked the import of American chicken for the last 15 years. The senators noted the importance of an agreement being reached by the nations’ respective trade groups before the Senate considers reauthorization this spring of the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA), of which South Africa is the largest beneficiary.

“We are concerned that little progress has been made to reach a solution and that formal negotiations have yet to take place,” the senators wrote. “This work needs to be done urgently, before the African Growth and Opportunity Act is reauthorized. Our support for beneficiary countries’ inclusion in AGOA is, in large part, based on the degree to which they meet their international trade obligations.

“We are concerned that news reports from South African media in recent weeks suggest that SAPA is drawing a hard line on its most recent offer to the U.S. industry and may not be willing to continue negotiations in good faith.”

Joining U.S. Senators Johnny Isakson (R-Ga.) and Chris Coons (D-Del.) on the bipartisan letter were John Boozman (R-Ark.), Bob Casey (D-Pa.), David Perdue (R-Ga.), Tom Carper (D-Del.), Dan Coats (R-Ind.), Mark Warner (D-Va.), John Cornyn (R-Texas), Ben Cardin (D-Md.), Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa), Barbara Mikulski (D-Md.), and Tim Kaine (D-Va.).

South Africa represents the largest potential market for U.S. poultry in Africa, but in 2000, it began imposing antidumping duties on U.S. poultry products, effectively slamming the door shut on American chicken imports. The duties are based on a pricing system that values all parts of the chicken the same, which is neither accurate nor commonly accepted.

The African Growth and Opportunity Act has been the cornerstone of the U.S. commercial relationship with Africa since its enactment in 2000, successfully expanding U.S. trade with African countries that show a commitment to good governance and democratic principles. It has improved the trade environment both for U.S. and African businesses, and has spurred significant economic growth.

The text of the letter, which can be downloaded as a PDF here, follows below:

March 30, 2015

Dr. Rob Davies
Minister, Department of Trade and Industry
Pretoria, South Africa 0001

Ambassador Faizel Ismail
Special Envoy for AGOA, Department of Trade and Industry
Pretoria, South Africa 0001

Dear Minister Davies and Ambassador Ismail,

As you know, the antidumping duties that South Africa has levied on American-raised poultry have been in place for 15 years, effectively blocking our companies from accessing your market and putting a strain on our nations’ economic relationship. It is unfortunate that conversations over the years about removing that barrier have failed to produce a fair result. We were pleased when the South African Poultry Association (SAPA) returned to the negotiating table in January, and that preliminary offers were made between the two industries. However, we are concerned that little progress has been made to reach a solution and that formal negotiations have yet to take place. This work needs to be done urgently, before the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) is reauthorized. Our support for beneficiary countries’ inclusion in AGOA is, in large part, based on the degree to which they meet their international trade obligations.

We are concerned that news reports from South African media in recent weeks suggest that SAPA is drawing a hard line on its most recent offer to the U.S. industry and may not be willing to continue negotiations in good faith. This message appears to be in sharp and disappointing contrast with the South African government’s approach, which has been earnest, open, and responsible.

We urge you to continue to work with SAPA and encourage its leaders to not shut the door on negotiations. We also urge you to convey to SAPA the importance of its meeting formally with the U.S.A. Poultry and Egg Export Council (USAPEEC) in the coming weeks to continue to work on negotiations in real time. We will convey the same message to USAPEEC.

As you know, AGOA must be reauthorized before its expiration in September. Textiles manufacturers receive orders months ahead of time for production-planning purposes, so the earliest renewal possible is critical. It is likely that AGOA will come before the Senate Finance Committee in the next month, and we hope our respective industries can reach a fair compromise before that time comes.

We look forward to continuing to work with you on this important matter and appreciate your willingness, as well as that of others in your government, to reconcile this matter in good faith. We share your optimism that a fair agreement can be reached.

Sincerely,

Johnny Isakson
Chris Coons
John Boozman
Bob Casey
David Perdue
Tom Carper
Dan Coats
Mark Warner
John Cornyn
Ben Cardin
Chuck Grassley
Barbara Mikulski
Tim Kaine

Bipartisan Amendment to Support the Treatment and Prevention of Agriculture Virus Outbreaks Approved by Senate

WASHINGTON – An amendment (#882) offered by Sens. Tom Carper (D-Del.), John Boozman (R–Ark.), Chris Coons (D–Del.) and Tom Cotton (R–Ark.) to the Senate Budget Resolution (S.Con.Res. 11) to improve prevention and treatment measures that would mitigate the impact of virus outbreaks, such as the avian flu, on agriculture and the economy was approved this morning.

These outbreaks can affect our country’s food supply chain and the millions of people who work in the American agriculture industry. The bipartisan amendment would support vaccine development or research on migratory patterns, including surveillance of infected migratory birds and modeling to predict the path of the virus.

“Agriculture is a vital industry in Delaware that supports thousands of jobs in our state and feeds millions in this country and around the world,” Sen. Carper said. “Viruses, like the avian flu, can pose a huge threat to the agricultural sector and specifically the poultry industry in the First State. An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure and this amendment would help ensure we’re doing everything we can to prevent an outbreak, which could have economic consequences.”

“Poultry is vital to Arkansas’s agriculture industry and a major contributor to our state’s economy,” Sen. Boozman said. “Arkansas is the second largest producer of broiler chickens in the country. This deficit neutral amendment aims to ensure the health of Arkansas’s poultry industry by focusing on disease prevention, vaccine development and research.”

“Even a single case of avian flu can have a devastating impact on America’s poultry industry and local chicken growers,” Sen. Coons said. “As the first cases of avian flu were found in the northwestern United States in December, and since it moved to the Midwest and central U.S., nearly a dozen countries, including China, one of our biggest export markets, have banned the import of all American poultry from anywhere in the nation. Ensuring that future outbreaks can’t have similar impacts on our economy should be an important priority for the federal government.”

“The poultry industry is vital to Arkansas, and any unchecked viral outbreak would cripple our state economy,” Sen. Cotton said. “In light of the recent H2N2 outbreak in Boone county, it’s prudent to ensure the USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service and the Arkansas Livestock and Poultry Commission have the resources they need to stop both this disease and any others that may occur.”

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Coons, Sanders propose temporary surtax to pay for war with ISIS

WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Senator Chris Coons (D-Del.) proposed a temporary surtax to pay for American military operations against ISIS. The proposal, offered as an amendment to the Fiscal Year 2016 federal budget currently under consideration by the Senate, is backed by Senator Bernie Sanders (D-Vt.), Ranking Member on the Senate Budget Committee. Under the Coons-Sanders proposal, the temporary surtax would be discontinued once relevant military operations have concluded.

The amendment will be voted on this afternoon.

“Through each of our nation’s armed conflicts, new revenue streams not only provided the resources our military needed, they reminded the American people that our country was at war and we all needed to contribute to the effort,” Senator Coons said on the Senate floor last night. “But after 14 years and two wars that have cost our nation trillions of dollars, I fear we have forgotten this important lesson from our history. We cannot write another blank check for a war.”

“The Republican Party has to end their hypocrisy with regard to deficits and the national debt,” said Senator Sanders. “They are going to have to be honest with the American people. Wars are enormously expensive, not only in terms of human life and suffering, but in terms of the budget. If the Republicans want another war in the Mideast, they are going to have to tell the American people how much it will cost them and how it will be paid for.”

Since last year, Senator Coons has led efforts to ensure the U.S. does not, once again, begin open-ended military operations that could stretch on for years without considering potential fiscal impacts. Earlier this month, Senator Coons pressed top military officials, including U.S. Secretary of Defense Ash Carter, on the Obama Administration’s position on paying for combat operations against ISIS.

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Sens. Carper, Boozman, Coons and Cotton File Amendment to Support the Treatment and Prevention of Agriculture Virus Outbreaks

WASHINGTON – Sens. Tom Carper (D-Del.), John Boozman (R–Ark.), Chris Coons (D–Del.) and Tom Cotton (R–Ark.) have filed an amendment (#822) to the Senate Budget Resolution (S.Con.Res. 11) to improve prevention and treatment measures that would mitigate the impact of virus outbreaks, such as the avian flu, on agriculture and the economy.

These outbreaks can affect our country’s food supply chain and the millions of people who work in the American agriculture industry. The bipartisan amendment filed Wednesday evening would support vaccine development or research on migratory patterns, including surveillance of infected migratory birds and modeling to predict the path of the virus.

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ICYMI: Senator Coons oped: “Manufacturing – something Delaware should invest in”

WASHINGTON – In case you missed it, below is an oped from today’s edition of The News Journal authored by U.S. Senator Chris Coons (D-Del):

Manufacturing – something Delaware should invest in

By Chris Coons

When today’s college students choose a major, they’re making an important choice about their careers.

As parents and policymakers, we need to do everything we can to ensure they have the skills to thrive in the global marketplace, and right now there’s much more we can do to train young Delawareans for the good, 21st century manufacturing jobs of both today and tomorrow.

That’s why last week I led a group of Republicans and Democrats in introducing a bipartisan manufacturing bill to help universities train students for the good jobs that manufacturers across our state are eager to fill. Here in the First State, schools like the University of Delaware and Delaware State University are forward-looking and already invest in their students’ futures, and my bill would help them take the next step in training Delaware’s 21st century workforce.

The bill is called the Manufacturing Universities Act of 2015, and what it does is simple. It would designate 25 “Manufacturing Universities” across the country and invest $5 million in federal funding into each school’s engineering program over four years. These investments would help them align their curricula and training with the skills that local manufacturers are looking for. In Delaware, it would help businesses fill and create good manufacturing jobs by ensuring our technical and engineering students have the skills they need to go seamlessly from the classroom to the workplace.

Now, one challenge we face is that there are a lot of myths about manufacturing jobs that need to be dispelled. For example, I often hear from parents in Delaware who worry that manufacturing jobs are only found on the dirty assembly line floors of decades past, or that their children won’t have the opportunity to apply what they’ve learned in college to a job in manufacturing.

This idea couldn’t be further from the truth. Delaware has more than 25,000 manufacturing jobs today, and they require higher skill levels than ever before. Whether you’re manufacturing chemicals at Ashland in Wilmington, fabricating metals at Miller Metal in Bridgeville, or even bottling beer at Dogfish Head in Milton, you need training in math and science as well as critical thinking and collaboration skills. These jobs demand workers who are adaptable and quick thinking, and have a good understanding of what it means to take discoveries from the lab and turn them into the products that fill our homes and can change our lives. Perhaps most importantly, these manufacturing jobs are rewarding and well paying.

I’ve also had the chance to work closely with our state’s universities to make sure this bill works for Delaware. Already, UD’s composites and chemical engineering work and Del. State’s optics and laser research make them national leaders. This bill would help them take their education and training to the next level. Last October, I visited Professor Jenni Buckley’s lab at UD and saw how she’s teaching engineering students to apply what they learn in the classroom to a manufacturing environment where they collaborate, innovate, and make things with a variety of tools and materials. My bill would help strengthen their work by building closer and stronger connections between their engineering training and the work that manufacturers do every day.

Another myth I hear is that while manufacturing jobs might have been great during America’s industrial past, they can no longer anchor America’s middle class and 21st century innovation economy. But though many manufacturing jobs did leave our shores as our economy became globalized, our manufacturers have actually created more than 800,000 jobs in the past five years. The truth is that American workers are well positioned to compete for the advanced manufacturing jobs that can propel our country forward. Believe me, reports of American manufacturing’s death have been greatly exaggerated.

The bottom line is that today’s manufacturing jobs are good jobs that kick start successful careers. More than any other sector, manufacturing jobs pay more in wages and benefits, contribute more to local economies, and are critical to our nation’s capacity to innovate. The issue is that these jobs demand higher skill levels than the manufacturing jobs of yesterday and manufacturers across the country are struggling to fill tens of thousands of good, well paying jobs.

Our workers have what it takes to thrive in those jobs and create thousands more in the process, but we need to do more to put aside outdated images of manufacturing and invest in the talents of Delaware’s young people. University students should know that they have many options after school, and that one is a promising career in manufacturing.

Chris Coons is Delaware’s junior U.S. Senator.

http://www.delawareonline.com/story/opinion/contributors/2015/03/24/manufacturing-something-delaware-invest/70385408/

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