Senator Coons votes to protect email privacy rights

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Chris Coons (D-Del.) voted in the Senate Judiciary Committee today for legislation to amend the outdated Electronic Communications Privacy Act (ECPA) to require government officials to obtain a search warrant in order to gain access to private email messages and other documents stored online. More than 100 million Americans use Google’s Gmail, Yahoo! Mail, or Microsoft’s Hotmail email services, and tens of millions use file-hosting services like Google Drive, Dropbox, and iCloud.

“In this age of electronic communication, Americans are entitled to the same right to privacy online as they are offline,” Senator Coons said. “The ECPA is embarrassingly outdated and hopelessly complex when applied to modern technology.  These important updates bring our law into the modern era of Web-based email and cloud computing and establish a simple and easy-to-follow rule: when the government seeks to access your content online, it must obtain a warrant to do so. By raising the legal protections of email to meet commonsense expectations of privacy, this legislation strengthens civil liberties at the same time as it provides clarity for law enforcement. It is my hope that the full Senate will move forward with our bill to stop this kind of invasion of privacy right away. There is more work to be done to protect online privacy rights, but this is an important step forward.”  

The ECPA was passed in 1986 – a time when emails had to be downloaded in order to be saved. Because of this outdated legislation, today’s web-based emails can often be accessed by law enforcement officials even if they do not have a search warrant. The legislation supported by Senator Coons, originally authored by Judiciary Committee Chairman Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) and passed by the Senate Judiciary Committee today, would require law enforcement to obtain a warrant before accessing electronic communications. It also requires that consumers be informed if a warrant has been issued and their electronic documents have been read.

After today’s approval by the Judiciary Committee, the legislation now awaits consideration on the Senate floor.

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Senator Coons votes to strengthen support for injured first responders

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Chris Coons (D-Del.), a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee and the co-chair of the Senate Law Enforcement Caucus, applauded passage on Wednesday evening of an amendment to the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) to strengthen and improve the Public Safety Officers’ Benefits (PSOB) Program. The PSOB provides death and education benefits to survivors of fallen law enforcement officers, firefighters, and other first responders, and disability benefits to officers catastrophically injured in the line of duty.  

The amendment, which extends these benefits to paramedics and emergency medical technicians, and makes other changes to strengthen and improve the program, passed by a vote of 85-11 and will become a part of the final NDAA to be voted on by the Senate.

“Our first responders are on the front lines of our community, keeping our families safe every day,” Senator Coons said. “While others try to avoid danger, they run straight for it, and tragically, sometimes that results in injury or loss of life. We owe it to our courageous first responders to ensure that if they are injured, they will receive the benefits they have earned, and if they are killed in the line of duty, their families will be well taken care of.”

The amendment is based on legislation authored by Senator Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) and co-sponsored by Senator Coons to address gaps in the existing PSOB program that have left some first responders without benefits when they are injured or killed in the line of duty. This amendment will fill in those gaps and make additional needed improvements to the administration of the program.

Senator Coons votes to protect U.S. military’s ability to utilize alternative fuels

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Chris Coons (D-Del.) on Wednesday applauded passage of an amendment to the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) he co-sponsored to protect the U.S. military’s ability to continue to invest in alternative fuels to reduce costs and protect the lives of service members. Oil dependence costs the Department of Defense $20 billion a year, along with the lives of thousands of troops and contractors who have been killed guarding fuel convoys in Iraq and Afghanistan. Though the Pentagon had made integration of alternative fuels a priority, some Senate Republicans attempted to prevent their utilization in the text of the NDAA legislation.

The amendment, which removed the language preventing the purchase of alternative fuels, passed by a vote of 62-37 and will become a part of the final NDAA to be voted on by the Senate.

“The Department of Defense has asked for and deserves the flexibility and freedom to invest in alternative sources of energy that will save the American people billions of dollars over the long term,” Senator Coons said. “Not only does it save money, it will save lives by reducing the need for reliance on fuel convoys. New fuel technologies developed by the military can also have transformative positive effects for the private sector and society at large. Some of our most important innovations have their roots in military research, and putting the brakes on the Defense Department’s alternative energy work would hold back progress for everyone.”

The amendment, authored by Senator Mark Udall (D-Colo.) and co-sponsored by Senator Coons, was written to override a previous amendment to the NDAA that would have severely restricted the military’s ability to improve combat capability and readiness by securing access to reliable, affordable energy sources. Senator Coons and his colleagues expressed their strong opposition to the previous amendment in a letter earlier this month. Click here to download that letter: http://bit.ly/V3ga5L.

As the single largest oil consumer in the world, it is vital for the U.S. military to diversify fuel sources to protect against supply disruptions and price increases. For every 25 cent increase in the cost of a gallon of oil, U.S. taxpayers pay an additional $1 billion in fuel costs to keep our military running.  

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Senator Coons publishes paper to brief Delawareans on scope of “fiscal cliff”

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Chris Coons (D-Del.), a member of the Senate Budget Committee, has published a white paper on the “fiscal cliff” to provide Delawareans with a more thorough explanation of the difficult economic choices facing our nation in the coming months. The four-page document will be emailed on Wednesday to constituents who have signed up to receive emails from the Senator’s office and is available now on the Senator’s website at http://www.coons.senate.gov/fiscalcliff.

“Over the coming months, Congress will confront what some have called the ‘fiscal cliff’ — more than $500 billion in automatic spending cuts, tax increases and other fiscal changes, all scheduled to take place at the beginning of next year,” Senator Coons writes. “Depending on the choices made, some of the impacts of these decisions could be felt right away, while others will be spread out over the next 10 years. Though a more apt description might be a ‘fiscal slope’ rather than a ‘fiscal cliff,’ it doesn’t change the fact that serious economic decisions will be made in the weeks and months ahead, and how we handle these choices will have real impact on our nation’s debt, deficits and economy.”

The paper looks at the four major elements of the so-called “fiscal cliff” — the expiration of the Bush-era tax cuts, the expiration of the payroll tax cut and a series of other tax measures, the impact of cuts mandated by the sequester, and the approaching decision on the nation’s debt ceiling. If all of the tax elements of the cliff kick in, the median Delaware household would see an average federal tax increase of just over $2,000 next year.

The Senator also explains how the fiscal cliff debate connects to efforts to reduce our federal deficit and stabilize our national debt.

“Congress should get a big, bipartisan deal to avert the very significant impacts of the fiscal cliff and reduce our deficit done now, and shouldn’t wait until next year,” Senator Coons writes. “It seems like an easy choice to simply avert the cliff and kick the can down the road again, but the reality is that our country will need to make an array of tough decisions about our competing economic priorities over the next few months – priorities like keeping taxes low, investing in critical services, reducing our unsustainable annual deficits, and stabilizing our debt. There is just no easy way out of this situation.”

Delawareans can access the white paper at http://www.coons.senate.gov/fiscalcliff.

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Senator Coons teams up with Dover police Sgt. David Spicer to support the federal Bulletproof Vest Partnership Grant Program

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Chris Coons (D-Del.), a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee and co-chair of the Senate Law Enforcement Caucus, stood with Dover police Sgt. David Spicer at an event in the Capitol on Tuesday to mark the purchase of the one-millionth bulletproof vest by a law enforcement officer under the federal Bulletproof Vest Partnership Grant Program. Senator Coons, who is an original cosponsor of the Bulletproof Vest Partnership Grant Act, called on his Senate colleagues who are blocking the program’s reauthorization to drop their holds and allow the important program to continue.

“Police officers look out for our communities and our families every day, risking their own safety to do so,” Senator Coons said. “We need to look out for them, too, and should be doing all we can to ensure they have the tools and resources to do their jobs safely. I saw firsthand as a county executive that the federal government can be a critical partner in protecting our police officers, especially for officers working in smaller communities where the purchase of modern body armor can be prohibitively expensive. The Bulletproof Vest Partnership has saved the lives of thousands of law enforcement officers and absolutely should be reauthorized.”

Senator Coons and Sgt. Spicer were joined at the event by Judiciary Committee Chairman Pat Leahy, Fraternal Order of Police President Chuck Canterbury, Chief Bernadette DiPino of the Sarasota, FL Police Department, and Deputy Assistant Attorney General James Burch.

“Today, an officer’s bulletproof vest is a piece of equipment as indispensable as a side arm and radio,” Senator Leahy said. “This program has helped to bring about the increase in the awareness and use of this lifesaving equipment.  Police work is hard work, and often it also is dangerous work.  These brave officers protect our communities, and these vests help protect them.  Today there are at least a million reasons for Americans to feel good about what they have done to help protect our law enforcers.  This is a milestone that speaks to the success of this program, and to the strength of the law enforcement partnership between the states and the federal government.”  

Since the Bulletproof Vest Partnership program’s first authorization in 1999, it has reimbursed grantees approximately $258 million for their purchases of 1 million vests (50% match).  In 2010, the BVP program provided local police departments in Delaware with $120,000 for assistance in purchasing 502 vests. In 2009, the BVP program provided Delaware police departments with $94,000 for 588 vests.

Photos from Tuesday’s press conference are available here:  http://bit.ly/xLeY66

MP3 audio of Senator Coons’ remarks is available here: http://1.usa.gov/10RfN4L.

MP3 audio of Sgt. Spicer’s remarks is available here: http://1.usa.gov/U1ukna.

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Senator Coons encourages Delawareans to shop locally on Small Business Saturday

WILMINGTON, Del. – U.S. Senator Chris Coons today encouraged Delawareans to shop at locally owned businesses tomorrow to mark Small Business Saturday. Recognized by the U.S. Small Business Administration, Small Business Saturday is a day to celebrate and support small businesses as the holiday shopping season gets underway.

“Delaware’s small businesses do more than sell us goods and services — they support and strengthen our communities. Two out of three new jobs created in this country are created by small businesses, and here in Delaware, we have more than 70,000 small businesses that create jobs in our communities and give many families a chance to attain the American Dream. Whether it’s the mom-and-pop shops on Main Street or the innovative technology startups around our universities, small businesses are the backbone of our economy.

“Though it’s important we make an effort to shop at locally owned businesses every day, with Americans rushing out to begin their holiday shopping this weekend, Small Business Saturday is a great opportunity to invest in our communities. An estimated 103 million Americans visited independently owned small businesses on last year’s Small Business Saturday, and I hope Delawareans will do their part for our state’s economy again this year by shopping at our wonderful small businesses on Saturday.” 

To learn more about Small Business Saturday, click here: http://www.sba.gov/saturday.

Statement from Senator Coons on the unrest in Eastern Congo

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Chris Coons (D-Del.), chair of the Senate Foreign Relations Subcommittee on African Affairs, issued the following statement on Wednesday expressing deep concern about developments in Eastern Congo, including the M23 takeover of the city of Goma.

“The unconscionable security and humanitarian crisis unfolding in Eastern Congo, including the M23’s takeover of Goma, is of deep concern to the U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Subcommittee on Africa. I join the U.N. Security Council in strongly condemning the M23 for their deplorable attacks on women, children, peacekeepers and humanitarian workers and in calling on the M23 to immediately stop all hostilities and withdraw from Goma. I also call on the M23 to allow for immediate humanitarian access and to facilitate the peaceful evacuation of civilians and humanitarian workers. The actions of the M23 represent a clear violation of international law and an affront to the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the Democratic Republic of Congo. 

“The resolution passed by the U.N. Security Council calling on the M23 to disarm, disband and return control of Goma to the Congolese government, as well as calling for additional sanctions on M23’s leaders, reflects the global understanding that the campaign of violence perpetrated by the M23 against the Congolese people must come to an immediate end.  It is now up to Council and U.N. member states to impose those sanctions swiftly and comprehensively in order to increase pressure on the M23 to restore government control of Goma and stabilize the region. It is my hope that regional and international leaders will engage in multilateral efforts to encourage a sustainable resolution to this crisis as soon as possible.”

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Carper, Coons, Carney welcome the announcement of USS Delaware

WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Sens. Tom Carper, Chris Coons and Congressman John Carney (all D-Del.) welcomed the announcement of the naming of the Naval submarine, the USS Delaware.

In May, Delaware’s Congressional Delegation sent a letter to Naval Secretary Ray Mabus to encourage him to name a submarine after the state of Delaware following a letter to the editor that appeared in the News Journal encouraging the delegation to take up the cause of getting this vessel named after the State of Delaware.

“This is an important day for Delaware as we welcome the USS Delaware to our proud family,” said Sen. Carper, a 23-year veteran of the Navy. “It is a great source of joy to me that the vessel that will bear the name of Delaware will be one of the most state-of-the-art submarines in the world. If we want to continue to protect our military might and protect our shipping lanes so that we can conduct commerce around the world, we are going to need fast attack submarines like the USS Delaware. ” 

“Delaware’s rich naval tradition has played a significant role in our nation’s history and it is an honor to see it recognized with the naming of the USS Delaware,” Senator Coons said. “This submarine will not only serve as a state-of-the-art component of our national security, but as a symbol honoring all Delawareans who have served our country. Secretary Mabus has my thanks and the brave men who will one day serve on the Delaware have my deepest respect and gratitude.” 

“Today is a great day for Delaware, particularly for our veterans and those currently serving in the armed forces,” said Congressman Carney.  “Many Delawareans have proudly served in the United States Navy, and naming this state-of-the-art submarine the USS Delaware is a tribute to their dedication and sacrifice.  I’m very proud that this vessel, which will play an important role in maintaining the nation’s defense and strengthening the economy, will bear the name of our state.”

A copy of the letter follows:

May 22, 2012

The Honorable Ray Mabus

Secretary of the Navy 

2000 Navy Pentagon

Washington, D.C. 20250-2000

Dear Secretary Mabus, 

We write today to encourage you to consider naming a submarine after the state of Delaware.

Long before 10,000 Delawareans built hundreds of ships along the bank of the Christiana River during WWII to help win that war, Delaware played an important role in maritime history, a role that the Navy would enrich today by naming a newly constructed submarine the USS Delaware. Before we became the first state to ratify the U.S. Constitution, Delaware served as the staging ground for the Continental Navy’s first maritime mission. In January of 1776, Esek Hopkins, the Continental Navy’s first and only Commander-in-Chief, ordered a convoy assembled in the Delaware Bay off of Lewes, Delaware. This flotilla sailed out of the Delaware Capes bound for Nassau, Bahamas, marking the first development of U.S. Navy forces in our country’s history. Similarly, one of the earliest naval encounters, if not the earliest, of the Revolutionary War took place off Lewes, Delaware, when the British warship HMS Roebuck was repelled by local pilots who kept the ship from advancing up the Delaware Bay.

During the War of 1812, Delaware and its citizens played key roles in our country’s naval battles, as well. Naval forces stationed at Lewes, Delaware protected critically important powder works on the Brandywine River near Wilmington, Delaware. In a famous naval encounter, Delaware-born Commodore Jacob Jones commanded the USS Wasp as it survived an ambush by the British ship HMS Frolic and responded by capturing the British warship. Commodore Jones received a Congressional Gold Medal for his leadership in this battle. Additionally, in 1814 Delaware-native Commodore Thomas McDonough earned this distinction as the “Hero of the Lake Champlain” for the successful defense of the strategically important Otter Creek shipyard from advancing British ships.

At the onset of World War I, the U.S. Navy established a presence at Cape Henlopen on the Delaware coast. This Naval Section Base and its forces were in charge of defending our coast lines from enemy ships conducting mine sweeping operations. After World War II, Cape Henlopen evolved its defensive operations to become the site of the U.S. Navy Sound Surveillance System Station, which was responsible for monitoring coastal naval threats, especially Soviet submarines during the Cold War. Among its commanders was Lieutenant Commander Margaret Fredrick, who was one of the first female commanding officers in the U.S. Navy.

Despite this history, Delaware has gone too long without a naval vessel bearing its name. The last ship, the USS Delaware (BB-28), was decommissioned nearly 90 years ago on November 10, 1923, after thirteen years of service. Since that time, 42 other states have had U.S. naval vessels named after them, according to the records in the Naval Vessel Registry. Fifteen of those states have had two of more vessels carry their state’s name since the USS Delaware‘s decommissioning. Of the eight states without ships named for them during this time, Delaware is one of only three states that do not currently have a ship named after them until very recently, the USS Portland and USS Salt Lake City; however, the last ship named for a Delaware city-the USS Wilmington-was decommissioned in 1945.

Finally, and perhaps most importantly, Delaware is currently home to 73,000 veterans, many of whom have served their country in the U.S. Navy. These veterans, as well as the thousands of Delawareans currently serving on active duty as members of the U.S. Armed Forces in Delaware, deserves to be honored for their service and sacrifice. One small thing we can do to pay tribute to the service of each of them is to name a future submarine after their home state.

We thank you in advance for your consideration of this request, and we look forward to working with you to achieve this most worthwhile goal. 

Sincerely, 

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Senator Coons celebrates Diwali with Senate resolution

WILMINGTON, Del.  – U.S. Senator Chris Coons (D-Del.) joined two of his colleagues this week in introducing a bipartisan resolution to honor and celebrate the Indian festival of Diwali.

“In an uncertain time for our country and our world, the festival of Diwali is a welcome reminder of the power each of us has to bring light to our community,” Senator Coons said. “As we reflect on the last year and look forward to another, Diwali is an opportunity for all of us — not only our Indian and South Asian neighbors — to come together to celebrate the power of good over evil, and warm in the triumph of light over the darkness. When a gunman opened fire on innocent Americans at a Sikh gurdwara in Wisconsin in August, so many around our nation, including here in Delaware, came together to show that their bond of faith and community is stronger than a single hideous act. Diwali reminds us that our light can always overcome the darkness, and I’m pleased to be able to join my Senate colleagues in proclaiming so in this resolution.”

U.S. Senators Mark Warner (D-Va.) and John Cornyn (R-TX), both co-chairs of the U.S. Senate’s bipartisan Indian Caucus, were the lead sponsors of the resolution.

The resolution is available here and the text follows:

Recognizing the religious and historical significance of the festival of Diwali.

Whereas Diwali, a festival of great significance to Indian Americans and South Asian Americans, is celebrated annually by Hindus, Sikhs, and Jains throughout India, the United States, and the world;

Whereas Diwali is a festival of lights that marks the beginning of the Hindu new year, during which celebrants light small oil lamps, place the lamps around the home, and pray for health, knowledge, peace, wealth, and prosperity in the new year;

Whereas the lights symbolize the light of knowledge within the individual that overwhelms the darkness of ignorance, empowering each celebrant to do good deeds and show compassion to others;

Whereas Diwali falls on the last day of the last month in the lunar calendar and is celebrated as a day of thanksgiving for the homecoming of the Lord Rama and worship of Lord Ganesha, the remover of obstacles and bestower of blessings, at the beginning of the new year for many Hindus;

Whereas, for Sikhs, Diwali is celebrated as Bandhi Chhor Diwas (The Celebration of Freedom), in honor of the release from prison of the sixth guru, Guru Hargobind; and

Whereas, for Jains, Diwali marks the anniversary of the attainment of moksha, or liberation, by Mahavira, the last of the Tirthankaras (the great teachers of Jain dharma), at the end of his life in 527 B.C.: Now, therefore, be it resolved, That the Senate

(1)    recognizes the religious and historical significance of the festival of Diwali; and

(2)    in observance of Diwali, the festival of lights, expresses its deepest respect for Indian Americans and South Asian Americans, as well as fellow countrymen and diaspora throughout the world on this significant occasion.

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Senator Coons’ FAST Voting Act is introduced in House; picks up Senate cosponsors

WASHINGTON – U.S. Representatives Gerry Connolly (D-VA-11) and Jim Langevin (D-RI-02) introduced the Fair, Accurate, Secure and Timely (FAST) Voting Act of 2012 in the House of Representatives Thursday evening, just hours after U.S. Senator Chris Coons (D-Del.) introduced the bill in the Senate with Senators Mark Warner (D-Va.) and Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.), who have joined the bill as cosponsors. The FAST Voting Act (S.3635 and H.R.6590) would create acompetitive grant program in the model of Race to the Top, encouraging states to aggressively pursue election reform. The states that demonstrate the most comprehensive and promising reform plans will earn a greater portion of the grant funding. 

“The irregularities and delays that plagued this year’s elections cannot be allowed to happen again,” Senator Coons said. “Long lines are a form of voter disenfranchisement, a polling place running out of ballots is a form of voter suppression, and making it harder for citizens to vote is a violation of voters’ civil rights. The FAST Voting Act is a creative way to jumpstart states’ election reform efforts and to ensure that what happened last week doesn’t happen again. I’m grateful to Senators Warner and Whitehouse for joining me in introducing this bill, and to Representatives Connolly and Langevin for introducing companion legislation in the House. Ilook forward to working with more of my colleagues in the coming weeks and months to ensure that we do not forget what happened last week, and do not miss the opportunity to prevent it from happening again.”

The legislation authorizes a federal program that would award grants based on how well applicant states are able to improve access to the polls in at least nine specified ways, including:

• Providing flexible registration opportunities, including same-day registration;
• Providing early voting, at a minimum of 9 of the 10 calendar days preceding an election;
• Providing absentee voting, including no-excuse absentee voting;
• Providing assistance to voters who do not speak English as a primary language;
• Providing assistance to voters with disabilities, including visual impairment;
• Providing effective access to voting for members of the armed services;
• Providing formal training of election officials, including State and county administrators and volunteers;
• Auditing and reducing waiting times at polling stations; and
• Creating contingency plans for voting in the event of a natural or other disaster.

The program also requires an assessment of steps the state has taken to eliminate statutory, regulatory, procedural and other barriers to expedited voting and accessible voter registration.

The bills were introduced just over a week after an Election Day that saw extraordinarily long lines and a myriad of voting issues in more than a dozen states, including Florida, Pennsylvania, Colorado, Ohio, New York, Massachusetts, Wisconsin, Virginia, South Carolina, Montana, Tennessee, Hawaii, Arizona, Rhode Island and more.

Senator Coons entered a statement on the bill into the Congressional Record on Thursday. Click here to read it: http://1.usa.gov/ZD26FY

Senator Warner spoke about the FAIR Voting Act on the Senate floor Thursday afternoon. Click here to watch his remarks: http://1.usa.gov/S0OPSV

Click here to download the full text of the bill: http://1.usa.gov/ZSl4aE