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Senators Coons, Portman introduce bill to extend aid to families of fallen officers

WASHINGTON – As the nation marks National Police Week, U.S. Senator Chris Coons (D-Del.), a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee and co-chair of the Senate Law Enforcement Caucus, and Senator Rob Portman (R-Ohio) are introducing bipartisan legislation to close an unintended loophole in the Public Safety Officers’ Benefits (PSOB) program and ensure families of fallen officers receive the benefits they deserve. Families of law enforcement officers, firefighters, and other first responders killed in the line of duty are entitled to death and education benefits through PSOB, but these benefits are often denied or delayed for the loved ones of officers who die due to heat stroke or over-exertion in the course of duty. The Fairness for Fallen Officers Act of 2014 would specify that fatal climate-related injuries, including hypothermia and hyperthermia resulting from official duties or training in extreme weather conditions, are deserving of full recognition under the law.

“Our law enforcement officers risk their lives every day to keep us safe, and we should do everything we can to honor our obligations to fallen heroes and their families,” said Senator Coons. “Though nothing can make up for the loss of a loved one, the Public Safety Officers’ Benefits program has helped to ensure that the families of officers who tragically lose their lives in the line of duty receive the benefits they deserve. Unfortunately, a loophole in the law has left some deserving families in limbo, waiting indefinitely for these benefits, while other families never receive them. Our bill would close this unintended loophole, so no family will again be forced to grieve through a lengthy legal process.”

“Law enforcement officers make enormous sacrifices every day to ensure that our communities are safe and protected,” Senator Portman stated. “This bill will ensure that all families of law enforcement officers who have tragically fallen in the line of duty receive the benefits they have earned. As we recognize National Police Week, I believe this legislation is critically important and I’m proud to help ensure we’re taking care of America’s law enforcement families.” 

Due to an unintended loophole in the PSOB program, families of officers who die of climate-related injuries could potentially endure years of administrative and appeals processes in order to access death and education benefits. The Fairness for Fallen Officers Act of 2014, would address this shortcoming by adding fatal climate-related injuries to the list of injuries eligible for benefits under the PSOB program. This simple fix will save families the heartache and stress of spending years fighting for the benefits they deserve.

“As one of my last assignments as an employee of Concerns of Police Survivors, I can do nothing but implore those who would consider this bill to pass it,” said Suzie Sawyer, Executive Director Emeritus of Concerns of Police Survivors (C.O.P.S.). “Having seen gaps in the PSOB regulations before, and having worked with others to fill them, this gap for officers who die from over-exertion remains wide open. It would be a great service to the surviving families of the officers who have died in extreme training sessions to be able to secure this federal death benefit.”

On October 9, 2001, Officer Charles McDonald of the Forest Park Police in Ohio tragically died following SWAT training. A medical evaluation later determined that Officer McDonald’s death was the result of rhabdomyolosis, a condition caused by extreme overexertion where the skeletal muscles manufacture a toxin that destroys the kidneys. Officer McDonald’s family described the process of securing PSOB benefits as long, drawn out, and painful – a process that involved hiring an attorney, obtaining old childhood medical records, and waiting three years for a resolution. The Fairness for Fallen Officers Act of 2014 would guarantee this doesn’t happen again, by ensuring climate-related injuries receive full recognition under the PSOB.

The Fairness for Fallen Officers Act has been endorsed by Concerns of Police Survivors, the Federal Law Enforcement Officers Association, and the family of Officer Charles McDonald.

Tax extenders bill will help startup companies create jobs

WASHINGTON – The annual tax-credit extension bill set for consideration by the Senate this week includes a provision authored by U.S. Senator Chris Coons (D-Del.) and Mike Enzi (R-Wyo.) to allow innovative startup companies to access the successful Research and Development Tax Credit. The provision, originally introduced by Senators Coons and Enzi in the Startup Innovation Credit Act, would allow innovative startups to claim the R&D tax credit against their employment taxes. The Senate Finance Committee unanimously approved the legislation in April as an amendment to the tax extenders bill.

“Investments in research and development spur new innovations that create jobs and grow our economy,” Senator Coons said. “The successful Research and Development Tax Credit has helped tens of thousands of American companies invest in innovation, but many of our nation’s most promising startups don’t have access to this valuable tool. Firms under five years old have created the vast majority of new jobs in recent years by taking risks to turn their ideas into cutting-edge products. The Startup Innovation Credit would help more innovative startups access the capital they need to grow and create jobs during their critical early stages. After three years of work on this smart, bipartisan legislation, I am proud to lead its progress to the Senate floor and look forward to working with my colleagues to see it become law.”

To qualify for the Startup Innovation Credit, a company must be less than five years old and have less than $5 million in gross receipts. Since many young companies invest heavily in research and development in their first few years and don’t have an income tax liability, they are unable to claim a federal income tax credit, like the R&D Tax Credit. In fact, according to the Government Accountability Office, more than half of the credit claimed by companies each year goes to firms with $1 billion or more in receipts. With the Startup Innovation Credit, a new company that lacks an income tax liability would instead be able to claim the R&D credit in the following year by reducing its employment taxes by an equivalent amount up to $250,000.

The tax extenders package also includes a second provision – originally authored by Senators Coons and Pat Roberts (R-Kan.) in the Innovators Job Creation Act – designed to help small, innovative companies by allowing small business owners to claim the R&D tax credit against their Alternative Minimum Tax liability. The bill, first introduced in January 2014, is cosponsored by Senators Enzi and Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y).

In addition to Senators Coons and Enzi, the Startup Innovation Credit Act is cosponsored by Senators Schumer, Marco Rubio (R-Fla.), Roy Blunt (R-Mo.), Debbie Stabenow (D-Mich.), Jerry Moran (R-Kan.), and Tim Kaine (D-Va.). It was first introduced in August 2012. The full text of the original legislation can be downloaded here: http://www.coons.senate.gov/download/startup-innovation-credit

Language creating the Startup Innovation Credit was also included in the Startup Act 3.0 introduced by Senators Moran, Coons, Blunt and Mark Warner (D-Va.) in February 2013.

“The R&D tax credit is a critical tool that has helped America’s manufacturers and other innovative firms invest in fresh ideas and create good jobs,” Senator Coons said. “That benefit should also be available to the high-potential, small and early-stage businesses that need it most. Together, these two provisions strengthen the R&D credit so that it can have an even broader impact on our economy. I hope my colleagues will join me in supporting this simple change that will unleash new resources and provide new opportunity for innovators across the country.”

Statement from Senator Coons on Senate’s failure to advance bipartisan energy efficiency bill

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Chris Coons (D-Del.) voted Monday to advance The Energy Savings and Industrial Competitiveness Act, also known as “Shaheen-Portman,” legislation he cosponsored to spur the use of energy-efficient technologies in the residential, commercial, and industrial sectors of the economy. The measure was blocked by a Republican filibuster by a vote of 55-36.

“When we conserve energy, we reduce our reliance on foreign energy sources, save money, and help our environment. Everyone wins when it comes to energy efficiency, but tonight, for the second time in less than a year, Senate Republicans chose partisan politics over the American people. This bill, “Shaheen-Portman,” has brought so many diverse stakeholders together because it takes smart, meaningful steps to reduce our nation’s energy use and support thousands of American jobs. This is exactly the kind of commonsense legislation Americans expect their representatives to come together to support, and I am deeply disappointed in my colleagues for once again failing to live up to that basic expectation and fundamental responsibility. The longer Republicans delay passage of this legislation, the more money and energy will be needlessly wasted. I hope the Senate can soon move past this paralyzing gridlock and find a path forward for this strong, bipartisan bill.”

Senator Coons’ bipartisan intellectual property legislation to be focus of Tuesday hearing

WASHINGTON – The Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Crime and Terrorism will examine legislation introduced last month by U.S. Senator Chris Coons (D-Del.) and Orrin Hatch (R-Utah) at a hearing Tuesday on economic espionage and trade secret theft. The bipartisan Defend Trade Secrets Act would empower companies to protect their trade secrets in federal court by creating a federal private right-of-action, similar to protections that already exist for other forms of commercial intellectual property. Theft of corporate trade secrets leads to the loss of an estimated $160 billion to $480 billion each year in the United States and puts U.S. jobs and innovation at risk.

“The intellectual property that drives the U.S. economy has never been more valuable, or more vulnerable,” Senator Coons said. “American companies are losing jobs because of the theft of trade secrets every day. This bipartisan bill will empower American companies to protect their jobs by legally confronting those who steal their trade secrets. It will finally give trade secrets the same legal protections that other forms of critical intellectual property already enjoy. Congress should step in now to stop the hemorrhaging of jobs and revenue being lost to the theft of trade secrets by passing the Defend Trade Secrets Act.”

The hearing, entitled “Economic Espionage and Trade Secret Theft: Are Our Laws Adequate for Today’s Threats?” will include testimony from FBI Counterintelligence Division Assistant Director Randall Coleman, Pamela Passman of the Center for Responsible Enterprise And Trade, Peter Hoffman of The Boeing Company, Drew Greenblatt of Marlin Steel Wire Products, and Douglas Norman of Eli Lilly and Company.

Current federal criminal law has been insufficient to protect companies against trade secret theft. Although the Economic Espionage Act of 1996 made trade secret theft a crime, the Department of Justice brought only 25 trade secret theft cases last year. State-level civil trade secret laws alone have not been sufficient to stop interstate theft. Federal courts are better suited to working across state and national boundaries to facilitate discovery, serve defendants or witnesses, or prevent a party from leaving the country. Laws also vary state-to-state, making it difficult for U.S. companies to craft consistent policies.

The Defend Trade Secrets Act would:

  • Harmonize U.S. law by building on the Economic Espionage Act to create a uniform standard for trade secret misappropriation. Companies will be able to craft one set of nondisclosure policies secure in the knowledge that federal law will protect their trade secrets. 
  • Provide for injunctions and damages, to preserve evidence, prevent disclosure, and account for the economic harm to American companies whose trade secrets are stolen.
  • Be consistent with the approach taken to protecting other forms of intellectual property, such as patents, trademarks and copyrights — all of which are already covered by federal civil law.

Read more about the bill here: http://www.coons.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/senators-coons-hatch-introduce-bill-to-combat-theft-of-trade-secrets-and-protect-jobs

The full text of the bill can be downloaded as a PDF here: http://www.coons.senate.gov/download/defend-trade-secrets-act

Senator Coons applauds announcement of $2 billion goal for federal energy savings

WILMINGTON, Del. – U.S. Senator Chris Coons (D-Del.) applauded the President’s announcement Friday of an additional $2 billion goal for energy savings through the Administration’s Better Buildings Challenge. This successful initiative has used privately financed Energy Savings Performance Contracts (ESPCs) and Utility Energy Services Contracts (UESCs) to fund cost-saving efficiency upgrades to federal buildings at no cost to taxpayers. Today’s announcement builds on an initial $2 billion in savings goal, first launched in 2011, and sets a new goal of an additional $2 billion over the next three years. This will bring the total invested in federal energy-efficiency improvements to $4 billion by 2017.

“Upgrading federal buildings for energy efficiency is a commonsense way to lower our nation’s energy bills and support American jobs,” Senator Coons said. “Federal energy usage alone consumes billions in taxpayer dollars every year, and using existing technology to reduce those costs just makes sense. ESPCs and UESCs leverage private investment to make cost-saving efficiency upgrades without costing taxpayers a dime. This innovative model has already yielded billions in savings for the federal government and significantly reduced federal energy consumption. With the Senate once again hitting partisan gridlock trying to pass meaningful energy-efficiency legislation, I’m glad the Administration is continuing its commitment to energy efficiency by partnering with the private sector on this smart and effective initiative.”

In 2011, the President kicked off a two-year initiative to achieve $2 billion in energy savings in federal buildings. The 2011 executive order employed the use of ESPCs and UESCs to achieve energy savings in federal buildings. Under an ESPC or UESC, an energy services company or a utility negotiates a contract with a federal agency that specifies the amount of energy savings it will achieve through retrofits and other measures. The company or utility is then paid for its performance out of the savings it achieves rather than through appropriated funds.

Senator Coons introduced legislation in the Senate last July to push the federal government in the right direction by encouraging increased utilization of these contracts. The Energy Savings Through Public-Private Partnership Act would create a new goal for the federal government to enter into $1 billion a year in energy savings contracts over the next five years — for a total of $5 billion in savings. Senator Coons also introduced the legislation as an amendment to the Energy Savings and Industrial Competitiveness Act, known as “Shaheen-Portman,” during consideration by the Senate last September.

In November, Senator Coons wrote a letter signed by a bipartisan group of 28 senators urging President Obama to extend the initiative. The Senate letter complemented a similar House letter that had 118 bipartisan supporters. President Obama responded in early December, announcing plans to extend the program through 2016.

Senators Carper and Coons introduce bill to preserve and improve Delaware River Watershed

WASHINGTON – Today, Senators Tom Carper and Chris Coons (both D-Del.) and five of their Senate colleagues introduced legislation that would improve and preserve the overall wellness of the Delaware River watershed. The Delaware River Basin Conservation Act of 2014, co–sponsored by Senators Cory Booker and Robert Menendez (both D-N.J.), Chuck Schumer and Kirsten Gillibrand (both D-N.Y.), and Robert Casey (D-Penn.), strengthens the environmental health of the watershed while also spurring the Delaware River watershed region’s economy.

The Delaware River is not just a key resource for important habitat and recreational activity, but a vital generator of economic activity for the region. The Delaware River is directly responsible for an estimated $4.3 billion in annual wages, with $149 billion in annual wages contained within the watershed. According to a 2011 comprehensive study of the region, more than 200,000 jobs are estimated to be directly tied to the Delaware River, with nearly 3 million jobs contained within the watershed. The Delaware River also houses the nation’s largest fresh water port, the Delaware River Port Complex. The complex is estimated to generate more than $19 billion in economic activity annually.

Despite the impact on so many people, the Delaware River lacks a federal program dedicated to its conservation unlike what other nationally-significant watersheds, including the Chesapeake Bay and the Long Island Sound, have. 

The Delaware River Basin Conservation Act of 2014 would establish the Delaware River Basin Restoration Program within the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. The program would implement a coordinated approach, requiring the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service director to adopt a basin-wide plan that sustains and enhances the Delaware River basin restoration and protection efforts. The program would support projects from federal, state, and local governments and stakeholders, ensuring that existing successful restoration plans are leveraged.

In addition to the creation of the Delaware River Basin Restoration Program, the bill would establish $5 million in annual competitive grant funding that assists voluntary, non-regulatory, on-the-ground restoration projects across the four-state region, with a maximum federal share of 50 percent.

“By investing in our watershed, we are investing in a resource that not only powers our environment and our local communities, but also fuels our economy,” Sen. Carper said. “The Delaware River watershed supports jobs at ports and in marine transportation, jobs in agriculture, hunting and fishing, jobs in recreation and parks and tourism, and jobs for folks who work every day to safeguard our water quality and water supply. This partnership supports our local economy by keeping our air, water and land clean, and protecting the overall health of this vital resource.” 

“The Delaware River Basin is a precious asset that provides critical resources to Delawareans as well as habitat for a diverse array of wildlife,” Sen. Coons said. “The Basin is an incredible economic engine for the region, supporting jobs in the tourism, fishing, and maritime industries, which bolster revenue in the broader regional economy. This legislation will ensure that we take a comprehensive, long-term approach to managing the Basin. It is our responsibility to preserve the Delaware River Basin’s vibrant ecosystem for future generations.” 

“This legislation will enhance the environmental health of the watershed while safeguarding thousands of jobs in the region,” Sen. Menendez said. “I am delighted to join my colleagues in introducing this proposal aimed at improving conservation efforts, promoting economic growth, and ensuring our states have a constant source of clean water.”

“I am pleased to join my colleagues in support of The Delaware River Basin Conservation Act of 2014 – a bill that is vital to the environmental and economic health of the Delaware River watershed,” Sen. Booker said. “From providing drinking water to supporting recreational activities, the Basin plays an important role in the lives of millions of New Jersey families. This Conservation Act will help restore and protect the watershed and the many benefits it provides to our region for generations to come.”

“The Delaware River is an important part of the heritage and economy of Upstate, as well as a source of clean drinking water for millions,”  Sen. Schumer said. “Creating a partnership to coordinate conservation efforts will allow New York and other states to build on their successes and enhance water quality and the environment throughout the Delaware River watershed.”  

“Investing in our water ways is critical for our environment and our communities,” Sen. Gillibrand said. “The Delaware River Basin is a natural treasure – it helps make the Southern Tier and Hudson Valley ideal communities to work, vacation, and raise a family. It fuels our economy, inspires our artists and provides New Yorkers with quality drinking water. I am pleased with this funding and will always work to preserve the beauty and tradition the Delaware River Basin provides.”

“The Delaware River Basin provides 15 million people in Pennsylvania and surrounding states with water for drinking, agricultural and recreational use,” Sen. Casey said. “This legislation would provide assistance for habitat improvement, water quality enhancement and flood control to protect the watershed and the Pennsylvanians who rely on it.”

About the Delaware River Watershed

The Delaware River watershed stretches more than 300 miles from the Catskill Mountains in New York to the mouth of the Delaware Bay in Delaware. The land area of the watershed is 13,600 square miles, including nearly 1,000 miles in Delaware, and is home to more than eight million people. More than 16 million people depend on the Delaware River as a source of drinking water, including the populations of the first and fifth most populous cities in the U.S., New York and Philadelphia. The Delaware River watershed comprises 50 percent of the land area and 72 percent of the population of Delaware (and 26 percent of the land area and 20 percent of the population in New Jersey, and 7 percent of the land area and 30 percent of the population in Pennsylvania), and includes the tributaries of the Brandywine and Christina rivers, the C&D Canal, and the Delaware Bay. 

 

Carper, Coons, Carney announce over 70 employers seeking to fill hundreds of positions at Sussex County Job Fair

Rehoboth Beach, Del. – Committed to continuing to help out-of-work Delawareans find employment, U.S. Senators Tom Carper and Chris Coons and U.S. Representative John Carney (all D-Del) will welcome more than 70 employers seeking to hire for more than 800 jobs to Rehoboth Beach Convention Center (229 Rehoboth Ave, Rehoboth Beach, DE 19971) for their third delegation job fair of the year. The job fair will take place on Monday, May 19 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

The list of potential employees reflects Sussex County and the Delmarva region’s diverse array of industries including tourism, healthcare, education, law enforcement and banking. Due to high demand, vendor space is filled to capacity. Interested companies who would like to be added to a waitlist can contact Senator Coons’ office at 302-573-6345 or via email at workshop@coons.senate.gov.

Participating companies, agencies, and organizations include: Beebe Healthcare, Delaware Army National Guard, Resort Quest, Five Guys Burgers & Fries, WJBR, Delaware Libraries Job Center, Delaware Department of Labor, MTC Wilmington Job Corps Center, GameStop, Delaware Technical Community College, WSFS Bank, Metro Merchant Services, Prominent Insurance, Walgreens, Delaware Department of Labor, Delaware Department of Corrections, American Registry of Pathology, Wilmington University, Alternate Routes to Teaching Certification, Vocational Rehabilitation, Griswold Home Care, Quality Staffing Services, Dr. Energy Saver, Primerica, Delaware Department of Transportation, Beach Babies Child Care Inc., AFLAC, County Bank, Jocley International, Kate Spade NY, Brandywine Women’s Health Association, Levi Strauss & Co., Avon Products Inc., DELMARVA Distributing, Mid-Atlantic Troops to Teachers (Veterans), Cole Haan, Talbots, State of Delaware, Mountaire Farms, Nanticoke Health Services, Trinity Logistics, VF Outlet, i.g. Burton, Sunglass Hut, Royal Farms, Rehoboth Boys and Girls Club, Coldwater Creek, WGMD FM, Telamon Corporation, Delaware Transit Corp., New York and Company, Delaware State Police, Home Instead Senior Care, USDA, NRCS, JCREW, Peninsula Home Care, Atlantic Sands Hotel Convention Center, Mountaire Farms, Michael Kors, Hanesbrands, A Plus Cuts & Salons, Food Lion, New Castle County Government, JSD Management, Inc., Interim Healthcare, Food Bank of Delaware, Allen Harim Foods, Wawa, Inc., and Safeway.

Many businesses will be conducting on-the-spot interviews of potential new employees. Delawareans are encouraged to come dressed for success with resumes in hand.

Since 2011, the Congressional delegation has hosted 18 job fairs in Delaware, including four 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. Pre-registration is not required.

Senator Coons releases nine new Correspondence from the Commute videos

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Chris Coons (D-Del.) released a new installment of his “Correspondence from the Commute” video series on Wednesday, responding to Delawareans who’ve written to him on a variety of issues, including unemployment insurance, manufacturing jobs, and campaign finance. Senator Coons recorded nine new personalized video messages in April on an Amtrak train from Wilmington to Washington. This is the tenth installment of the video series since its launch in February 2011.

“Listening and responding to the concerns of Delawareans is my most important job as a U.S. Senator,” Senator Coons said. “Each week, my office receives thousands of calls and letters from Delawareans sharing their thoughts about the issues that matter to them. The ideas and opinions of Delawareans play an important role in every decision I make here in the Senate, and I’m deeply grateful for their engagement. I hope they’ll continue to contact me so we can keep up this thoughtful and productive exchange.”

Videos released today include replies to:

You can watch a full playlist here: http://bit.ly/1s3mwmH

Delawareans are encouraged to express their opinions and submit questions for Senator Coons online at http://www.coons.senate.gov/contact/ or via mail to 127A Russell Senate Office Building, Washington, D.C. 20510.

Statement from Senator Coons on third U.S. National Climate Assessment

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Chris Coons (D-Del.) released the following statement on Tuesday on the findings of the third U.S. National Climate Assessment. The assessment is the most comprehensive scientific study ever generated to examine the impacts of climate change on individual U.S. regions and major sectors of the economy. 

“While scientists have warned for decades about the growing threat of climate change, its effects on our communities are becoming increasingly tangible. The third U.S. National Climate Assessment confirms what we have already begun to see in Delaware, that sea level rise, storm surge, and extreme precipitation events linked to climate change have real and devastating consequences for our communities. From diminished crop yields to inundated roads and railways, climate impacts touch every aspect of our daily lives and livelihoods. By breaking these impacts down by region and sector, this new assessment will help communities and businesses across the country identify precise threats, pinpoint vulnerabilities, and better plan for the challenges ahead. 

“In Delaware, we have already begun taking important steps to prepare for and mitigate the effects of climate change. Under the leadership of Governor Markell and Secretary O’Mara, our state conducted its own climate impact assessment this year, using its findings to inform new strategies for adaptation and preparedness at the state and local level. Delaware is also a participant in the Northeast’s Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative, a cooperative effort that has already reduced our region’s carbon footprint. Data generated by the third National Climate Assessment will help our region continue to collaborate on efforts to lessen the shared burdens of climate change, and I hope it will prompt other communities across the country to do the same.”

A team of more than 300 experts guided by a 60-member Federal Advisory Committee produced the National Climate Assessment, which was extensively reviewed by experts from federal agencies and a panel of the National Academy of Sciences. The report, developed over four years, represents the most authoritative and comprehensive knowledge available on the impacts of climate change in the U.S. You can read the full report here: http://www.globalchange.gov/

Senator Coons files weatherization amendment to strengthen energy efficiency bill

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Chris Coons (D-Del.), a cosponsor of the bipartisan Energy Savings and Industrial Competitiveness Act, also known as “Shaheen-Portman,” filed an amendment to the bill Tuesday to strengthen and reauthorize the Weatherization Assistance Program (WAP) and State Energy Program (SEP), two of the federal government’s most successful and long-standing energy efficiency initiatives. The amendment will mirror legislation reintroduced by Senator Coons in February with Senators Susan Collins (R-Maine), Jack Reed (D-R.I.), and Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H). The underlying Energy Savings and Industrial Competitiveness Act cleared a procedural hurdle in the Senate on Tuesday by a vote of 79-20.

“Making our nation more energy efficient is an investment that will pay dividends for generations to come,” Senator Coons said. “For decades, support from WAP and SEP has helped communities across the nation steadily reduce their energy usage and realize tremendous cost-savings as a result. These programs work on the ground in our communities, helping low-income families save on their energy bills so they don’t have to choose between heating their homes and putting food on the table. They help states implement innovative programs to promote energy efficiency and foster job-creating renewable energy development. WAP and SEP are both essential pieces of our nation’s energy efficiency strategy, and I hope my colleagues will join me in supporting their reauthorization as the Senate takes up Shaheen-Portman.”

The Weatherization Enhancement, and Local Energy Efficiency Investment and Accountability Act would strengthen and reauthorize the heart of the federal government’s energy efficiency strategy — the Weatherization Assistance Program — as well as the vital work of the State Energy Program. For nearly four decades, these programs have assisted millions of low-income families with cost-saving energy efficiency upgrades and encouraged state and local initiatives that improve energy efficiency and develop alternative energy sources. The amendment would reauthorize both programs for five more years. 

In February, energy officials from three states testifying at a hearing of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Energy Subcommittee endorsed the legislation and stressed the important role WAP and SEP have played in helping their states reduce energy costs and expand renewable energy development.  More than 25 additional groups support the legislation. A complete list is available at http://www.coons.senate.gov/weatherization.

Click here to download a copy of the amendment text.