Senator Coons votes to extend middle class tax cuts

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Chris Coons (D-Del.), a member of the Senate Budget Committee and a bipartisan working group to responsibly reduce our nation’s annual deficits and dangerous debt, released the following statement after the Senate voted, 51-48 in favor of a proposal that will help create fairness in our nation’s tax code by extending the so-called “Bush tax cuts” and other tax breaks for middle class and low-income families, while allowing income tax, dividend, and capital gains rates to rise on earnings greater than $250,000. The Senator also voted against an alternative plan introduced by Senator Orrin Hatch (R-Utah) that would have allowed these three tax breaks to expire, raising taxes on 25 million middle class families, while extending tax breaks for the wealthiest Americans at a cost of nearly $1 trillion.

“The Senate today faced a choice between two starkly different tax plans – one, authored by Democrats, which protects middle class tax cuts for over 100 million working families and another, authored by Republicans, which raises taxes on middle class families to fund special tax breaks for the very wealthiest Americans. I voted to invest in America’s middle class, and I’m glad the majority of my colleagues did, as well.

“As we consider the array of difficult choices about how to confront our nation’s staggering annual deficits and dangerous debt, a central test ought to be whether those choices promote fairness or add to the inequity in our economy. The American people are already sacrificing, and they’ll continue to sacrifice as we make tough cuts in the months and years to come. The least the Senate can do is find a way to compromise.

“This bill is not a substitute for the comprehensive tax reform our nation truly needs — tax reform that simplifies the code, closes many unsustainable and costly loopholes, lowers rates, and broadens the base. But the bill we passed today is the best chance we’ve got at retaining these important tax credits and opportunities for the working poor, while bringing some sanity to the rates at the highest end and asking those who have benefited the most to contribute to solving our problems.”

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Statement from Senators Coons and Blunt remembering fallen Capitol Police officers

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Chris Coons (D-Del.) and Roy Blunt (R-Mo.), co-chairs of the Senate Law Enforcement Caucus, issued the following statement Tuesday honoring U.S. Capitol Police Officer Jacob J. Chestnut and Detective John Gibson, who were killed 14 years ago today defending the Capitol against anarmed intruder.

“This country is blessed to have brave men and women who step up and protect the public’s safety, and like their brothers and sisters in law enforcement throughout the country, the men and women of the U.S. Capitol Police risk their lives each and every day to keep us safe. The Senate paused today to honor the memories of two officers who gave their lives in the line of duty on this day 14 years ago, Officer J.J. Chestnut and Detective John Gibson. The moment of silence was a gesture of the admiration and respect that every senator has for these brave officers, and of the enduring gratitude we have for the important work done by the men and women of the U.S. Capitol Police. Officer Chestnut, Detective Gibson, their families, and their colleagues are in our thoughts and prayers on this solemn day.”

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Statements of Senators Coons and Isakson on the death of President John Atta Mills of Ghana

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Chris Coons (D-Del.) and Johnny Isakson (R-Ga.), chair and ranking member of the Senate Foreign Relations Subcommittee on African Affairs, released the following statements on the death of President John Atta Mills of Ghana on Tuesday.

From Senator Coons:

“The people of Ghana, the region and the world have lost a great leader in President Mills. Dedicated to improving the lives of his people and his beloved country, President Mills worked to promote economic growth and strengthen democratic institutions. As an academic and a former law professor, he demonstrated a deep and passionate commitment to transparency, rule of law and human rights. The partnership between the United States and Ghana is strong and unwavering, due in part to the admirable leadership of President Mills. I join the people of Ghana in mourning his passing, and send my prayers to the Mills family.”

From Senator Isakson:

“I was saddened to learn of the death of President John Atta Mills. I had the good fortune of meeting with President Mills in Ghana last year and saw his great leadership firsthand.  His commitment to democracy, transparency and good governance not only contributed to the remarkable success and economic growth of Ghana, but also serves as an example to leaders throughout the developing world.  My thoughts and prayers are with President Mills’ family and the people of Ghana during this difficult time.”

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Two Delaware hospitals receive Health Care Innovation Awards

NEWARK, Del. – Today, U.S. Sens. Tom Carper, Chris Coons and Congressman John Carney (all D-Del.), announced Christiana Care Health System and Nemours/Alfred I. duPont Hospital for Children were recipients of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Health Care Innovation Awards, funded through the CMS Innovation Center that was created by the Affordable Care Act. The delegation was joined by Gov. Jack Markell, Dr. William S. Weintraub of Christiana Care Health System and Dr. Kevin Churchwell of Nemours/Alfred I. duPont Hospital for Children. Together, these hospitals received nearly $13.7 million for new programs.

Christiana Care Health System received $10 million for its program, Bridging the Divide. The funding will help Christiana Care Health System create and test a system that will use a “patient care hub” and case managers to improve care for post-myocardial infarction and revascularization patients, the majority of them Medicare or Medicaid beneficiaries. 

Nemours Alfred I. Dupont Hospital for Children received $3,697,300 for its Optimizing Health Outcomes for children with Asthma in Delaware project. Nemours is partnering with Delaware Health and Social Services, Division of Medicaid and Medical Assistance, and Division of Public Health, the South Wilmington Planning Network, Healthy Kids Collaboration in Kent County, Sussex County Health Promotion Coalition, United Way of Delaware, and University of Delaware will use the funding to enhance family-centered health homes by expanding services for children with asthma and developing a population health initiative in the neighborhoods surrounding targeted primary care practices. 

“Nemours/Alfred I. duPont Hospital for Children and Christiana Care Health System both have a long history of service and commitment to the health of Delawareans,” said Governor Markell. “This funding helps both programs maintain that focus while exploring innovative ways to improve our overall well-being.”

“Both of these award-winning Delaware programs aim to reduce the cost of health care through prevention,” said Sen. Carper.  “By preventing disease and illness from getting worse or starting in the first place, we can increase Delawareans’ quality of life and bring down the costs of care by reducing expensive emergency room visits and hospital procedures. Programs like these are at the very heart of the Affordable Care Act, working to improve health care outcomes while reducing health care costs.”

“Delawareans are fortunate to have access to top-notch hospitals like Christiana Care and Nemours/Alfred I. duPont Hospital for Children, and support from sources like the Health Innovation Awards from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services will help them to continue on a path of excellence,” Sen. Coons said. “This funding is about giving the health care workforce the tools they need to provide more thorough, accurate and efficient care to patients. I feel strongly that these programs are worth investing in because the payoff will be huge – they will not only save money for years to come, but they will also save lives.”  

“The current cost of health care is unsustainable and a burden on American businesses and families,” said Congressman Carney. “Washington doesn’t have all the answers to bring these costs down.  The resources announced today will be used to identify and develop best practices for improving patient care while reducing costs. Nemours and Christiana Care have developed innovative approaches to accomplishing this goal, and I look forward to their work being used as an example to promote quality, efficient health care nationwide.”

Christiana Care will integrate statewide health information exchange data with cardiac care registries from the American College of Cardiology and the Society of Thoracic Surgeons, enabling more effective care/case management through near real time visibility of patient care events, lab results, and testing. This will decrease emergency room visits and avoidable readmissions to hospitals and improve interventions and care transitions. The investments made by this grant are expected to generate cost savings beyond the three year grant period. 

“Our work through this grant will result in patients experiencing an improved quality of care and an improved quality of life,” said William S. Weintraub, M.D., FACC, Christiana Care’s John H. Ammon Chair of Cardiology and the director of the Christiana Care Center for Outcomes Research. “The advantage of our proposal is that it is designed to work with existing hospital and office information systems so we can zero in and customize our care of patients in the most efficient and effective manner.”

The project at Nemours will foster healthier neighborhoods through partnerships between Nemours and neighborhood leaders that focus on asthma trigger reduction in homes, schools, child care centers and other community settings. It will also increase coordination of services by integrating care with community support services and local government initiatives to provide healthier environments for children by deploying community health workers to serve as patient navigators and provide case management services to families with high needs. The goal of this model is to reduce asthma-related emergency room use and asthma-related hospitalization among pediatric Medicaid patients in Delaware by 50 percent by 2015 with incremental declines in 2013 and 2014.

“This award brings a wonderful opportunity for Nemours to continue our work of advancing the health of children and families in Delaware,” said Kevin B. Churchwell, MD, CEO Nemours/Alfred I. duPont Hospital for Children. “It will help us continue our long history of meeting the medical needs of children but it also helps us meet their non-medical needs both in the pediatrician’s office and in their neighborhoods. Our medical home work will not only benefit the children we see at Nemours but it will also benefit their neighborhoods and the surrounding population. Nemours is gratified by this award, which allows us to expand our work in communities and to promote the health of even more children in Delaware.”

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Delaware science leaders join Senator Coons in roundtable discussion on research funding

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Chris Coons (D-Del.) participated in a roundtable discussion in the Capitol on Thursday looking at the important relationship between federal research funding and innovation in scientific achievement in the biomedical sector. The meeting was hosted by the Senate Democratic Steering and Outreach Committee and featured nearly a dozen leaders in science industry, including Bob Dayton, president of Delaware Bio, and Kelvin Lee, director of the Delaware Biotechnology Institute at the University of Delaware.

“The federal government has historically played a key role in financing America’s groundbreaking discoveries, and if we want our nation to remain a global leader in innovation, we must continue investing in our researchers,” Senator Coons said. “Sadly, Republicans in Congress have fought to cut funding for research programs that improve our economy and create jobs. Thanks in large part to partnerships with the federal government, Delaware’s research community has led the way in innovation.  I was pleased to be joined Thursday by two leaders in our state’s biomedical industry for a discussion that I hope will help address critical issues in science research funding.”

The hour-long discussion focused on the important role federal funding plays in financing technological research that enables economic growth, and job creation in America. One of the topics Dr. Lee touched on during the meeting was the difficulty many researchers have with explaining the importance of their work. Another issue that Mr. Dayton raised was the need to provide better incentives for private sector investment. 

A member of the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources, Senator Coons understands the critical role federal funding plays in financing scientific research in Delaware and around the nation. One of the first pieces of legislation Senator Coons cosponsored was the America COMPETES Act, which focused on supporting innovation by increasing investments in research as well as science, technology, engineering, and mathematics education.

To download the pictures posted above, click here. 

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Statement from Senator Coons on updates to privacy protections in Lieberman-Collins cybersecurity bill

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Chris Coons (D-Del.), a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, released the following statement after the introduction of an updated version of cybersecurity legislation by Senators Joe Lieberman (I-Conn.) and Susan Collins (R-Maine).

“The enhanced protection of our digital infrastructure is an urgent national security priority, just as is the preservation of the very civil liberties that our security efforts are meant to protect. Privacy and security need not be mutually exclusive when it comes to our nation’s cybersecurity. I have always believed we can and should be able to protect Americans’ civil liberties without compromising the ability of private entities to protect themselves and their users.  We can give the private sector the tools to make our country safe and strong. 

“For months I have worked with several of my colleagues on language that strikes a better balance than what was proposed in earlier drafts of the legislation, which would have enabled greater information sharing, but at too significant a cost to personal privacy.  Senators Lieberman and Collins have worked with us with in earnest to find a better balance, and with the version introduced today, S.3414, I believe we have found it. 

“I applaud Senator Reid for making it possible for the Senate to take up this important legislation. If we do not act, we are leaving our country wide open to attack. That cannot be allowed.”

Senator Coons votes to improve privacy oversight protections in warrantless wiretap activities

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Chris Coons (D-Del.) voted in the Senate Judiciary Committee on Thursday for legislation that would have prohibited the U.S. government from using communications obtained through wiretaps and foreign intelligence operations to search for information on U.S. citizens without a warrant. The legislation, which failed by at 15-3 vote, was an amendment to S.3276, the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act Amendments Act Sunset Extension Act of 2012.

“The Fourth Amendment to the Constitution protects Americans’ right to privacy and is meant to prevent the government from searching or seizing private communications without a warrant,” Senator Coons said. “The FISA Amendments Act is an important and valuable law for our national security, but its use needs to be watched closely to prevent abuses like the ones we saw in 2008. Congress has a responsibility to scrutinize the implementation of sensitive laws like FISA and, especially when their sunsets come up, use what we’ve learned to make them better.”

The FISA Amendments Act was first passed in 2008 to limit the abuses in foreign intelligence collection during the Bush Administration’s warrantless wiretap program. The Act allows the U.S. intelligence community to conduct domestic surveillance transiting the United States and targeted at terrorists and foreign agents abroad. The original legislation is set to expire at the end of 2012, and the Sunset Extension Act would extend that until 2015 or 2017 (depending on the outcome of future votes) and require additional oversight by the Intelligence Community Inspector General needed due, in part, to reports of abuses under the FISA Amendments Act in 2008.

One amendment to the Sunset Extension Act considered by the Judiciary Committee on Thursday was introduced by Senator Mike Lee (R-Utah), and would have explicitly prohibited the government from searching data lawfully collected under the FISA Amendments Act for another purpose to obtain the communications of a specific U.S. citizen without a court order. Senator Coons joined Senator Lee and Senator Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) in voting for the amendment, citing the importance of protecting the constitutional rights of Americans to privacy, and against unlawful search and seizure.

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Senator Coons helps relaunch bipartisan Fuel Cell and Hydrogen Caucus in Senate

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Chris Coons (D-Del.), a member of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, joined Senators Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), Lindsay Graham (R-S.C.), and John Hoeven (R-N.D.) to host a Senate policy briefing to re-launch the bipartisan Senate Fuel Cell and Hydrogen Caucus. The caucus will promote the continued development and commercialization of hydrogen and fuel cell technologies in the United States. The senators hosted the briefing to educate the public about the value of these clean energy technologies, which have helped to create 11,000 jobs in the United States.  

“A truly secure energy future for the United States will depend largely on the diversity and availability of our energy sources,” Senator Coons said. “Fuel cells and hydrogen-based technologies have enormous potential and should be an important part of our energy mix. They are already having an impact in Delaware, where Bloom Energy just broke ground on a new manufacturing facility that could eventually employ 900 people. This caucus is an opportunity not only to advocate for public and private investments in hydrogen and fuel cell technology, but to educate businesses and consumers about the important role they can play in our energy future.”

The Senate Fuel Cell and Hydrogen Caucus existed previously in the Senate, but has been inactive since 2010. The new Senate Fuel Cell and Hydrogen Caucus will also include Senators Daniel Akaka (D-Hawaii), Ron Wyden (D-Ore.), Debbie Stabenow (D-Mich.), and John Tester (D-Mont.).

“Supporting and investing in fuel cell technologies in the United States is a no-brainer. This industry, led by Connecticut’s UTC Power and Fuel Cell Energy, supports nearly 3,000 clean energy jobs in Connecticut alone – and is growing by about 12 percent each year,” Senator Blumenthal said. “The industry also helps to reduce our reliance on foreign oil, and protect our environment with its zero-emissions technologies. I am proud to help lead the re-launch of this crucial bipartisan group, which will help to strengthen the fuel cell and hydrogen industry here at home.”

Fuel cell and hydrogen technologies create clean, efficient, “zero-emissions” energy and are currently utilized in commercial, residential, and governmental institutions throughout the United States. These technologies are powered by hydrogen and other resources readily available in the United States, which help to reduce the nation’s dependence on foreign oil. The United States is the world leader in fuel cell manufacturing, research, and development; however, fuel cell and hydrogen industries are becoming more popular abroad. The senators are rolling out the new bipartisan Senate Fuel Cell and Hydrogen Caucus to help demonstrate interest on Capitol Hill to maintain the United States’ leadership in this area, and to identify further policy and investment solutions to support these technologies, which have already created thousands of American jobs.

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Senator Coons, two Delaware business leaders participate in roundtable discussion in Capitol on job creation

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Chris Coons (D-Del.) participated in a roundtable discussion of ideas for ways of duplicating the success of innovative, job-creating American businesses in the Capitol on Wednesday. The meeting was hosted by the Senate Democratic Steering and Outreach Committee and featured more than 15 companies, including Patrick Owens, president of ILC Dover, and Marty Miller, CEO of Miller Metal in Bridgeville.

“As our nation lifts itself out of this recession, we should turn for guidance to companies that are strengthening our economy and creating jobs,” Senator Coons said. “These past few years have really taken its toll on Delaware’s economy with the closing of several key businesses around the state; however, there are several small companies in Delaware that have been successful. I was honored to invite Patrick Owens and Marty Miller to join today’s meeting and appreciate their input on how the federal government can help businesses grow. I look forward to keeping an open line of communication with them and other Delaware businesses leaders so we can work in partnership to strengthen our state’s economy and get more Delawareans back to work.”

The hour-long discussion focused on recent success stories from companies around the country and how they’ve benefited from working with the government. Mr. Miller said during the meeting that thanks to a Small Business Administration loan and assistance from the Manufacturing Extension Partnership (MEP), Miller Metal was able to purchase a laser cutter that was not only made in America, but helps his business increase their output while implementing lean manufacturing principles. The laser and the MEP have helped Miller Metal increase its workforce from 30 employees to 75. Mr. Owens encouraged the senators to help improve the ability of small and medium-sized businesses to commercialize new technology and take advantage of American-generated intellectual property before overseas partners did.

A member of the Budget Committee and Senate Manufacturing Caucus, Senator Coons has made job creation a top priority for his time in the Senate. Most recently, he joined on as an original cosponsored of the Bring Jobs Home Act — legislation currently being debated on the Senate floor — which would end taxpayer subsidies to companies that ship jobs overseas and incentivizes companies to bring jobs back to the United States.    

Senator Coons has worked with his colleagues on both sides of the aisle to help promote job creation. In May, he joined with U.S. Senators Marco Rubio (R-Fla.), Mark R. Warner (D-Va.), and Jerry Moran (R-Kan.) in introducing the Startup Act 2.0, which is designed to promote innovation and jumpstart the economy through the creation and growth of new businesses and jobs.

To download the pictures posted above, click here. 

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Senate begins consideration of bill to help U.S. companies “insource” jobs

WASHINGTON – The Senate on Tuesday began consideration of the Bring Jobs Home Act, legislation to end taxpayer subsidies to companies that ship jobs overseas and to incentivize companies to bring jobs back to the United States. U.S. Senator Chris Coons (D-Del.), a member of the Senate Budget Committee and the Senate Manufacturing Caucus, is an original cosponsor of the legislation, which is expected to receive a vote of the Senate on Thursday.

“It is unconscionable that in this economy, we would give tax breaks to companies that ship jobs overseas,” Senator Coons said. “The Bring Jobs Home Act not only aims to curb this trend, but make it easier for companies to bring those jobs home to the United States. This is a common-sense bill — hopefully the first in an effort to make our tax code more fair — that I hope my colleagues will join me in supporting this week.”

The Bring Jobs Home Act ends a tax deduction for companies that outsource jobs and business activity. Right now, the cost of moving personnel and components of a company to a new location is defined as a business expense that qualifies for a tax deduction. This legislation will keep this deduction in place for companies that bring jobs and business activity back home, but businesses would no longer be able to get this tax benefit for shipping jobs overseas.

The measure also creates a new tax cut to incentivize U.S. companies to move jobs and business activity from another country back to America. Specifically, the initiative will allow companies to qualify for a tax credit equal to 20% of the cost associated with bringing jobs and business activity back to the United States.

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