Senator Coons applauds Supreme Court’s decision to protect Americans’ digital privacy

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Chris Coons (D-Del.), a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee and co-chair of the bipartisan Senate Law Enforcement Caucus, issued the following statement Wednesday on the Supreme Court’s unanimous decision in favor of Americans’ digital privacy in Riley v. California and United States v. Wurie.

“The Fourth Amendment protects Americans from unreasonable, warrantless searches of their ‘papers and effects,’ and today the Supreme Court made explicitly clear that Americans’ mobile phones enjoy those same protections. I strongly agree with the Supreme Court’s decision that law enforcement officers should need a warrant in order to access an American’s mobile phone or other personal digital device. Americans’ privacy rights don’t end when their information is on a screen instead of on a page. While the boundaries of digital privacy will certainly continue to be tested in the years to come, the Supreme Court today has drawn a bright red line that will serve as valuable guidance for law enforcement at every level and protect the liberty of citizens in the digital age.”

Last month, Senator Coons and U.S. Senator Rand Paul wrote an op-ed for POLITICO on the cases, arguing that the Fourth Amendment’s protections against warrantless searches of “papers and effects” should extent to modern-day mobile phones. That op-ed is available here: http://politi.co/1otKjPD

Senator Coons’ bipartisan bill to help at-risk kids get to college included in Higher Education Act reauthorization

WASHINGTON – Legislation introduced by U.S. Senators Chris Coons (D-Del.) and Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) to help low-income students afford and complete a college education has been included in the draft bill to reauthorize the Higher Education Act, released Wednesday by Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee Chairman Tom Harkin (D-Iowa). The Higher Education Affordability Act reauthorizes the federal government’s major student aid programs, the primary source of direct federal support to students pursuing postsecondary education. The Higher Education Act was last reauthorized in 2008 and the current authorization is set to expire in fall 2015.

The American Dream Accounts Act encourages partnerships among schools, colleges, non-profits and businesses to develop secure, Web-based student accounts that contain information about academic preparedness, financial literacy, and high-impact mentoring and would be tied to a college savings account. The bill would authorize the Department of Education to award three-year competitive grants to support these innovative and comprehensive partnerships.

“A college education sets students up for success and opens doors throughout their lives,” Senator Coons said. “Every American deserves the opportunity to get a college education, but too many students still lack the support and resources necessary to achieve this critical piece of the American dream. For low-income students, a college education is more critical than ever to break the cycle of poverty and reach the middle class. The American Dream Accounts Act would encourage innovative public-private partnerships that help low-income students begin preparing for college at an early age and overcome obstacles as they apply for school. I’m grateful to Chairman Harkin and the HELP Committee for recognizing the vast potential of this idea and including it in the Higher Education Act reauthorization.”

Early investment is the key to helping low-income students reach college. Sixty-eight percent of Delaware high school students graduate, and the rate drops dramatically in minority communities, with only 59 percent of Hispanic students and 59 percent of African American students earning a high school diploma. American Dream Accounts can help close that gap by giving students motivation and support early on.

By tying together academic preparation, financial literacy, and effective mentorship, the American Dream Accounts Act connects students, parents and teachers across silos, and takes a small but significant step toward helping more low-income students access, afford and complete a college education.

The American Dream Accounts Act would authorize the Department of Education to award three-year competitive grants to institutions and partnerships that:

• Create personal online accounts for low-income students that monitor higher education readiness and include a college savings account. These “American Dream Accounts” would stay with students from school to school and through college. Parents would grant vested stakeholders (which could include counselors, teachers, coaches, mentors, and others) access to the account to update student information, monitor progress, and provide college preparatory support.
• Support college readiness by securely monitoring students’ progress online. Academic and behavioral information, including grades and course selections, progress reports, and attendance and disciplinary records would be available for review in an ADA, which would also provide opportunities to gain financial literacy, prepare for college enrollment, and identify skills and career interests.
• Collect data about effective ways to assist low-income students in planning for college through a comprehensive monitoring and reporting system.

Senators Coons and Rubio first introduced the American Dream Accounts Act in March 2012. In addition to the Delaware PTA, Delaware State University, and the Rodel Foundation of Delaware, the bill has also been endorsed by the National Parent Teacher Association, the “I Have a Dream” Foundation, Opportunity Nation, the Corporation for Enterprise Development, and First Focus Campaign for Children. 

The proposed Higher Education Affordability Act is based on recommendations gathered during 10 hearings convened by the Senate HELP Committee over the past year. The HELP Committee has solicited feedback on the Chairman’s draft legislation and will begin reviewing comments from interested stakeholders following the August 29 submission deadline. 

Bill to expand access to electricity in Africa clears Senate Foreign Relations Committee

WASHINGTON – The Senate Foreign Relations Committee has approved legislation co-sponsored by U.S. Senator Chris Coons (D-Del.), chair of the Senate Foreign Relations Subcommittee on African Affairs, to facilitate first-time access to electricity for nearly 50 million people across sub-Saharan Africa. The Energize Africa Act of 2014, which will now head to the Senate floor, will promote public and private investment in projects designed to increase electricity access and reliability across the continent. The efforts — part of President Obama’s Power Africa initiative — will add up to 20,000 megawatts of electricity to the grid in the next six years.

“Access to reliable energy is critical to Africa’s growth and prosperity, and to increased economic partnerships with the United States,” Senator Coons said. “Africa’s future is more promising than ever before, but widespread energy poverty and a lack of access to distributed energy infrastructure is holding back too many countries across the continent. The Energize Africa bill brings the public and private sectors together to expand energy access, develop new power sources, promote renewables and distributed energy solutions, and support improved energy sector governance. Reliable energy is the foundation of vibrant economies, and I’m proud we’ve been able to come together in a bipartisan way to strengthen critical energy partnerships between the U.S. and Africa.”

Seventy percent of sub-Saharan Africans – and 85 percent of those living rural areas – are currently living without access to electricity. Pervasive energy poverty undermines economic growth and development goals in health, education, and institution-building and has been cited by businesses as one of the most significant impediments to business growth on the continent.

The Energize Africa Act will enhance and provide congressional authorization for Power Africa, a collaborative, interagency effort launched last year by President Obama with the goal of doubling access to power in sub-Saharan Africa by 2020. The House of Representatives approved similar legislation, the Electrify Africa Act, by an overwhelming margin in May.

The legislation includes the following components:

• Requires the President to create a comprehensive strategy for United States’ engagement with sub-Saharan Africa in developing a broad mix of power solutions to increase electricity access and reliability;
• Encourages the Overseas Private Investment Corporation (OPIC), USAID, the U.S. Department of Treasury, World Bank, U.S. Trade and Development Agency, and African Development Bank to prioritize loans, grants, and technical support that promote private investment in projects designed to increase electricity access and reliability;
• Authorizes OPIC to continue ongoing work through 2019 and provides limited additional authorities specifically for use on power projects in sub-Saharan Africa. These authorities for sub-Saharan Africa power projects include:
• Expedited procedures for small projects,
• Promoting partnerships between U.S. joint ventures and African partners to develop responsible electricity generation,
• Lending to encourage investments in the power sector in Africa by making certain U.S. investors eligible for loans of $50 million or less,
• Expands local currency guaranties for local branches of foreign banks, and
• Extends term of assistance possible for renewable energy projects;
• Creates a new inspector general for OPIC;
• Allows OPIC to hire a limited number of temporary employees; and
• Commissions OPIC’s new inspector general to provide a report on OPIC’s ability to support infrastructure and energy projects and evaluate if the ability to invest directly in projects would help or hurt support for such projects.

Senator Coons chaired a hearing in the African Affairs Subcommittee in March to examine the Power Africa initiative and inform consideration of the Senate bill. More on that hearing here: http://1.usa.gov/1dyFMYs

Senator Coons reintroduces bill to require increased transparency from super PACs

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Chris Coons (D-Del.), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.), and 48 of their Senate colleagues reintroduced legislation to address the worst of the problems caused by the Supreme Court’s decision in Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission. The DISCLOSE Act of 2014 would crack down on so-called “dark money” by requiring organizations that spend money to influence elections to disclose their spending, as well as their major sources of funding, in a timely manner.

“The integrity and the fairness of our elections is at the very heart of American democracy,” Senator Coons said. “Since the Citizens United decision, the basic right of every American to free and fair elections has been compromised by an influx of hundreds of millions of dollars from wealthy individuals, corporations, and shadowy national special interest groups. The Supreme Court opened the floodgates to unlimited secret campaign activities, threatening to overwhelm the fundamental trust of our constituents and the transparency so essential to our democracy. The DISCLOSE Act would make a little bit of progress in the right direction and restore some of the transparency that we’ve lost.”

The DISCLOSE Act requires any covered organization that spends $10,000 or more during an election cycle to file a report with the Federal Election Commission within 24 hours, detailing the amount and nature of each expenditure over $1,000 and the names of all of its donors who gave $10,000 or more.  Transfer provisions in the bill prevent donors from using shell organizations to hide their activities.

To make sure that organizations and individuals take responsibility for their negative or misleading political advertising, the legislation also includes “stand-by-your-ad” disclaimer requirements that require any organization that puts a political ad on TV or radio to list its top funders in the ads. The head of the organization also must appear in the ad and state that he or she approves the message, just as candidates must do now.

Senator Coons votes to protect women’s health care around the world

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Chris Coons (D-Del.) voted in the Appropriations Committee on Thursday to permanently repeal the “Global Gag Rule” – also referred to as the “Mexico City Policy” – in the State and Foreign Operations (SFOPS) appropriations bill. The Global Gag Rule prohibits health organizations funded by the United States from providing family-planning services to women around the world, even if these activities are supported solely with non-U.S. funds. The amendment, introduced by Senator Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.), cleared the committee by a vote of 19-11.

“The Global Gag Rule has hurt women’s health around the world, denying access to life-saving family-planning and reproductive health services,” Senator Coons said. “All women should have the right to affordable, accessible health care. For 30 years, on-again-off-again enforcement of the Global Gag Rule has confused and confounded the implementation of U.S.-funded medical assistance, unfairly forcing community health clinics that serve some the most vulnerable women around the world to choose between providing full women’s health services and accepting desperately needed U.S. assistance. The Global Gag Rule must be permanently repealed.” Senator Coons chairs the Senate Foreign Relations Subcommittee on African Affairs.

“Politicians should not come between a woman and her doctor, no matter where she lives,” Planned Parenthood Federation of America President Cecile Richards said. “The Shaheen amendment could mean ending the Global Gag Rule once and for all, 30 years after its inception. Imagine that: no more service interruptions, health center closures, or playing political football with women’s health and lives.”

The amendment would permanently repeal the Global Gag Rule, ending the restriction on foreign organizations from engaging in activities that are legal in their own countries and in the United States. The rule was first put into effect in 1984, and has been ignored or enforced by every president since then. The amendment is necessary to make sure that future Administrations cannot reinstate the policy, providing certainty to the organizations that are providing important family planning services overseas. 

The SFOPS appropriations bill now moves to consideration by the full Senate.

Efforts to repeal the Global Gag Rule are supported by a number of organizations, including: Advocates for Youth, American Association of University Women, American Civil Liberties Union, American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, Catholics for Choice, Center for Health & Gender Equity, Center for Reproductive Rights, Center for Women Policy Studies, Communications Consortium Media Center, EngenderHealth, Family Care International, Feminist Majority Foundation, Hadassah – The Women’s Zionist Organization of America, Inc., Human Rights Watch, International Center for Research on Women, International Women’s Health Coalition, Ipas, John Snow, Inc., Management Sciences for Health, Metropolitan Community Churches, MSI-US, NARAL Pro-Choice America, National Council of Jewish Women, National Partnership for Women & Families, National Organization for Women, Pathfinder International, Planned Parenthood Federation of America, Population Action International, Population Connection Action Fund, Population Council, Population Institute, Population Services International, Public Health Institute, Religious Institute, Sierra Club, The United Methodist Church, General Board of Church & Society. 

Senator Coons voted for a similar amendment in the Appropriations Committee in 2013, but the underlying bill was never considered by the full Senate.

Statement of Senator Coons on passing of Stephanie Kwolek

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Chris Coons (D-Del.), a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee and co-chair of the Senate Law Enforcement Caucus, issued the following statement on the passing of Stephanie Kwolek, who invented Kevlar in 1971 as a research chemist at DuPont. 

“Our world is a safer place because of Stephanie Kwolek’s incredible contributions to it. Ms. Kwolek was a legendary scientist and an important part of Delaware’s rich history of innovation. Kevlar body armor has saved countless lives in our communities and on our battlefields. Her legacy is an inspiration to women and girls interested in careers in science and technology, and her work will continue saving the lives of America’s bravest heroes.”

Menendez, Corker, Coons, Isakson, Markey, Johanns introduce Energize Africa bill

WASHINGTON – Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman Robert Menendez (D-NJ), Ranking Member Bob Corker (R-TN), along with Senators Chris Coons (D-DE), Johnny Isakson (R-GA), Edward J. Markey (D-MA), and Mike Johanns (R-NE) introduced the Energize Africa Act, a bill seeking to help contribute a meaningful role in providing nearly 600 million Africans with electricity.  The legislation will make it US policy to help 50 million Africans with first-time access to electricity and add 20,000 megawatts of electricity to the grid by 2020.

“U.S. leadership can help provide modern, clean, reliable, and affordable energy services to people lacking access to electricity, and this legislation will help jump start that effort,” said Menendez.  “We must develop power solutions for people across Africa based on a comprehensive plan to attract private investment. It does not simply mean building new power plants, it means working to build brighter futures. New off-grid technologies and working with utilities to attract private investment will help create American export jobs and stimulate economic growth in Africa.”    

“To be most effective with limited foreign aid resources, we should focus our efforts on things like electricity where we can ultimately reduce the need for U.S. support over time. Leveraging private capital can help bring financially viable electric power to millions of people for the first time, transforming lives and creating economic opportunities that would not exist otherwise,” said Senator Corker.

“Access to reliable energy is critical to Africa’s growth and prosperity, and increased economic partnerships with the United States,” Senator Coons said. “Africa’s future is more promising than ever before, yet widespread energy poverty and a lack of access to distributed energy infrastructure holds back too many countries across the continent. The Energize Africa bill brings together the public and private sectors to expand energy access, develop new power sources, promote renewables and distributed energy solutions, and support improved energy sector governance. Reliable energy is the foundation of vibrant economies, and I’m proud we’ve been able to come together in a bipartisan way to strengthen critical partnerships in the energy sector between Africa and the U.S.” Senator Coons chairs the Senate Foreign Relations Subcommittee on African Affairs.

“Seven out of 10 people living in Africa have no access to electricity,” said Senator Isakson. “Greater access to electricity will save lives, alleviate extreme poverty and accelerate growth.  I am proud to join my colleagues on the Energize Africa Act, which sets forth a coordinated strategy for the United States to work with Africa to achieve the important goal of improving access to energy on the continent.”

The legislation includes the following components:

• Requires the President to create a comprehensive strategy for United States’ engagement with sub-Saharan Africa in developing a broad mix of power solutions to increase electricity access and reliability;
• Encourages the Overseas Private Investment Corporation (OPIC), USAID, the U.S. Department of Treasury, World Bank, U.S. Trade and Development Agency, and African Development Bank to prioritize loans, grants, and technical support that promote private investment in projects designed to increase electricity access and reliability;
• Authorizes OPIC to continue ongoing work through 2019 and provides limited additional authorities specifically for use on power projects in sub-Saharan Africa.  These authorities for sub-Saharan Africa power projects include:
• Expedited procedures for small projects,
• Promoting partnerships between U.S. joint ventures and African partners to develop responsible electricity generation and,
• Lending to encourage investments in the power sector in Africa by making certain U.S. investors eligible for loans of $50 million or less,
• Expands local currency guaranties for local branches of foreign banks
• Extends term of assistance possible for renewable energy projects
• Creates a new inspector general for OPIC
• Allows OPIC to hire a limited number of temporary employees
• Commissions OPIC’s new inspector general to provide a report on OPIC’s ability to support infrastructure and energy projects and evaluate if the ability to invest directly in projects would help or hurt support for such projects

Statement of Senator Coons recognizing Juneteenth

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Chris Coons (D-Del.), a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, issued the following statement Thursday in recognition of Juneteenth Independence Day — the day that Union soldiers arrived in Galveston, Texas, to free the last of the nation’s slaves. June 19, 1865 is also known as Emancipation Day. 

“The end of the darkest period in our nation’s history was a cause for great celebration and pride, and its anniversary offers us an important opportunity to reflect on the meaning of equality in the United States. For as far as our nation has come in these last 149 years, we still have further to go. We should not be shy about admitting the challenges African Americans still face in this country, nor should we be timid about confronting them. We cannot stop working to make our country fairer and more just for all of its citizens, and about expanding access to the opportunities due every American. Efforts by some to restrict voting, dilute the voices of individual citizens, and limit access to a quality public education are an affront to the united nation born of President Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation and the values we cherish as Americans. We can and must do better to honor the sacrifices of those who have fought for equality, and to respect President Lincoln’s true ‘act of justice.’”

Earlier this month, Senator Coons cosponsored a resolution honoring Juneteenth Independence Day. It was approved unanimously last week. You can read the resolution here: http://1.usa.gov/1uGViUh

Bill to overturn Citizens United takes important step forward

WASHINGTON – The Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on the Constitution, Civil Rights and Human Rights has approved a resolution cosponsored by U.S. Senator Chris Coons (D-Del.) to overturn the Supreme Court’s ruling in Citizens United and restore Congress’ authority to regulate spending on campaigns. On Wednesday, the Committee approved S.J. Res. 19, a constitutional amendment crafted in response to Supreme Court rulings that have drastically expanded the role of money in politics, including Citizens United and, earlier this year, McCutcheon v. FEC. 

“Our Constitution guarantees every American political equality and the equal right to participate in elections,” Senator Coons said. “Today, that right is in jeopardy, as a bare majority on the Supreme Court has systematically expanded the political influence of the wealthiest Americans at the expense of average citizens. By dismantling decades-old, commonsense measures to limit the influence of money in politics, the Supreme Court has disregarded the principle of political equality on which our democracy was founded.”

Senator Coons continued, “I do not take lightly proposals to amend the United States Constitution. As legislators, we should generally try to live within the Constitution as interpreted by the Supreme Court, rather than attempt to change it. But today I support this constitutional amendment because the Supreme Court’s recent decisions have led us down an unsustainable path that has invited secret money to play an increasingly destructive role in our politics. These decisions, rather than strengthening speech, have actually weakened the free speech rights of millions of Americans who can’t afford to play in this new system. At a time of growing economic inequality, this amendment will protect the rights of all Americans to a representative democracy and an equal voice in government.”

Senator Coons spoke on the Senate floor in May about the growing influence of big spending on our political system. Watch and read his remarks here: http://1.usa.gov/1mj4dNc

Senator Coons files amendment aimed at helping Amtrak repair its infrastructure

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Chris Coons (D-Del.), a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, filed an amendment Wednesday to the Commerce-Justice-Science/Transportation-Housing and Urban Development/Agriculture “minibus” appropriations bill to help Amtrak make progress on its nearly $6 billion backlog of deferred improvements to its infrastructure.

“Amtrak is a fundamental part of America’s economic infrastructure, especially in the Northeast Corridor,” Senator Coons said. “Senator Murray deserves a lot of credit for her ensuring the Senate’s THUD appropriations bill invests solidly in capital improvement projects. I’m grateful to her for that. Amtrak needs nearly $6 billion in capital improvements. Whether it’s now or later, this infrastructure debt will need to be addressed. Amtrak is serving more customers and operating more efficiently than it ever has. It is on the right track. Now is when we should be investing in Amtrak’s growth.” 

The Transportation-Housing and Urban Development (THUD) spending bill adopted by the Appropriations Committee included a total of $1.39 billion for Amtrak, including $891 million for capital projects. Senator Coons’ amendment would add $230 million for capital projects, increasing total funding for Amtrak to $1.62 billion.

The amendment can be downloaded as a PDF here: http://1.usa.gov/1oHnLMn