Carper, Coons, Carney host job fair for more than 2,600 job seekers

WILMINGTON, Del. – A job fair hosted by U.S. Senators Tom Carper and Chris Coons, and U.S. Representative John Carney on Monday drew more than 2,600 job seekers who came to meet with 100 employers at the Chase Center on the Riverfront in Wilmington. Combined, the employers were hiring for more than 1,700 open positions.

“Recently, we have seen good signs that employers are gaining the confidence they need to accelerate hiring in the months ahead,” Senator Carper said. “That is encouraging, and today’s job fair was another step in getting Delawareans back to work.”

“The job fairs we’ve hosted up and down the state are about changing lives by helping get our neighbors back to work,” Senator Coons said. “Things are starting to get better in our state and our country, and I think the fact that 100 employers came out today to hire for more than 1,700 open positions is a sign of that. Our goal for this and for each of our job fairs has been to help Delawareans access these new opportunities and resources for getting a job, and I’m optimistic that today’s job fair did that. I can’t wait to hear from our neighbors who found a job today, and remain fiercely committed to helping the Delawareans who weren’t so fortunate.”

“Today’s job fair was about bringing together job seekers with employers who are looking to hire,” Congressman Carney said. “In today’s competitive job market, helping Delawareans connect with prospective employers can go a long way. I hope those who attended today left with opportunities and information they can use going forward, and I will continue working on ways to help Delawareans find employment and create jobs in our state.”

In 2012, the Congressional delegation hosted three jobs fairs across Delaware—one in each county—with a combined total of more than 4,000 job seekers attending. Last year’s job fairs—also held in each county—attracted more than 4,900 people looking for work.

Senator Coons talks maritime commerce with Delaware River and Bay Pilots in Lewes

LEWES, Del. – U.S. Senator Chris Coons met with the president of the Pilots’ Association for the Delaware River & Bay Captain Jim Roche on Friday afternoon to discuss shipping and commerce activities along the Delaware River. During the visit, the Senator and pilots discussed the impact that the dredging of the Delaware River would have on maritime traffic coming into and leaving the Port of Wilmington.

“Delaware River and Bay Pilots are a highly skilled group of American Maritime Officers who work diligently to ensure that the ships navigating our waterways are doing so safely and efficiently,” Senator Coons said. “I enjoyed meeting with the pilots today and hearing their ideas for improving traffic flow and increasing commerce in the Delaware River. Our state’s history is closely tied to our waterways, and I applaud the pilots continued work to improve one of the largest industries in Delaware.”

Senator Coons has been an outspoken advocate for the deepening of the Delaware River. Earlier this year, he joined several of his colleagues in introducing a bipartisan amendment for the FY2012 appropriation bill, which sought to increase funding for ongoing navigation projects. The final FY2012 appropriations bill included $74 million for the account, which was used to fund the Delaware River deepening, as well as other projects across the country.

Senator Coons also joined with some of his colleagues in sending letters to the Assistant Secretary of the Army-Civil Works Jo-Ellen Darcy and the Office of Management and Budget Director Jacob Lew in December asking for additional funding for the deepening project.

The Port of Wilmington generated more than 4,300 direct jobs and nearly 12,500 related jobs in 2011. By deepening the river by 45 feet, it is estimated to create up to 75,000 direct and indirect jobs for the Delaware River region.

The Pilots’ Association for the Delaware River & Bay has been in existence since 1896 and currently has nearly 80 pilots on staff who sail foreign ships, and non-Coast Guard certified American crews up the river. All foreign ships are required by law to stop outside of Lewes and take on a Delaware pilot who sails the ship up the river. If the ship has an American crew, that crew can sail up the river only if they have passed a Coast Guard exam.

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Senate approves bipartisan farm bill to protect Delaware agriculture jobs, reduce deficit

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Chris Coons (D-Del.) praised the United States Senate on Thursday’s passage of the Agriculture Reform, Food and Jobs Act of 2012 – known as the farm bill – by a broad bipartisan majority of 64-35. Senator Coons supported the bipartisan legislation, which will protect the 16 million American jobs supported by agriculture and reduce our deficit by $23 billion by eliminating unnecessary direct payment subsidies, consolidating programs to end duplication, and cracking down on food assistance abuse.

“The farm bill proves that when we work together across party lines, we can create and save jobs and responsibly reduce the deficit,” Senator Coons said. “I was proud to vote for legislation that protects the 30,000 agriculture jobs in Delaware and gives farmers the certainty they need to keep producing safe, healthy, delicious food for all of our families to eat.”

The final version of the farm bill approved by the Senate contained an amendment offered by Senator Coons and Senator Saxby Chambliss (R-Ga.). The bipartisan Coons-Chambliss amendment commissions a pair of studies on the feasibility of insurance programs to protect America’s poultry growers from catastrophic loss, such as disease outbreaks, and from bankruptcies of poultry integrators. It was added to the underlying bill by unanimous consent. Agriculture contributes $8 billion a year to Delaware’s economy.

“Poultry growers and integrators play an important role in our local, regional, and national economies,” Senator Coons said. “The studies we proposed in our amendment would explore whether insurance programs make sense as a tool for helping our poultry farmers and integrators continue to thrive during uncertain economic times. The number of factors that can have a catastrophic impact on our economy but are beyond the control of our local farmers and integrators is rising, and I’m glad our amendment was passed by the Senate so we can begin exploring solutions to this problem.”

This farm bill invests in several successful jobs programs, including:

Identifying export opportunities to help farmers find new global markets for their goods.
Helping family farmers to sell locally, increasing support for farmers’ markets and spurring the creation of food hubs to connect farmers to schools and other community-based organizations.
Providing training and access to capital to make it easier for new farmers to get off the ground.
Supporting initiatives to help American veterans start agriculture businesses.
Spurring growth in bio-based manufacturing and innovation in bio-energy production.

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Judiciary Committee advances Justice for All Reauthorization Act

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Chris Coons (D-Del.), a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee and co-chair of the Senate Law Enforcement Caucus, today applauded progress on legislation he cosponsored to protect the rights of crime victims, and help reduce the backlogs in the collection and processing of DNA casework by law enforcement, especially sexual assault cases.

“Our country’s judicial system was built on the principle of due process for all,” Senator Coons said. “It is important that we reauthorize the Justice for All Act and better protect the rights of crime victims by making improvements to our current laws and reauthorize critical programs that make our communities safer. In this day and age, when DNA casework has redefined the way we prosecute criminal cases, we must try to reign in the backlog that is holding back our state, local, and national law enforcement agencies. I applaud my colleagues’ work for coming together and passing this bill out of Committee, and I hope it will come to the full Senate for consideration soon.”

The final version of the bill that was voted out of the Senate Judiciary Committee on Thursday:

Enhances victims rights under the federal criminal code by ensuring that all victims have access to current information concerning all rights (including availability of free rape exams) and to the Office of Victims’ Rights Ombudsman in the Department of Justice.
Requires the Director of the National Institute of Justice to establish best practices for evidence retention and to assist state, local, and tribal governments in adopting and implementing such practices.
Authorizes appropriations for the Debbie Smith DNA Backlog Grant Program, the Paul Coverdell Forensic Sciences Improvement Grant Program, the Kirk Bloodsworth Post-Conviction DNA Testing Grant Program, and crime victims legal assistance grants. To acknowledge current fiscal realities, the legislation reduces authorizations by over 20 percent when compared to the 2004 Act.

Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) is the sponsor of the Justice for All Reauthorization Act, which he first championed in 2004.

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Delaware’s Congressional Delegation praises expansion of community health services

WILMINGTON, Del. — U.S. Senators Tom Carper and Chris Coons, and Congressman John Carney (all D-DE) praised the awarding of a 2-year, $1.2 million federal New Access Point (NAP) grant to Westside Family Healthcare to open a community health center in Middletown. The grant, funded by the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services, was announced at a press conference this morning at Westside’s Wilmington location.

The new Middletown community health center, scheduled to open in Fall 2012, will serve a target population of nearly 21,000 individuals in southern New Castle County and northern Kent County, 51% of whom have incomes below the Federal Poverty Level and 23% of whom lack health insurance.

Westside Family Healthcare’s Middletown location will implement its comprehensive patient-centered medical home model, including providing primary medical care for newborn to geriatric patients, perinatal care, women’s health, and behavioral health services. Through partnerships and contracts with local health providers and through referral to other Westside Family Healthcare locations, patients of the Middletown site will also have access to dental, podiatry, endocrinology, and ophthalmology services.

“In order to strengthen our health care system, we must keep people as healthy as possible and prevent them from becoming sick in the first place,” said Sen. Tom Carper. “Thanks to the Affordable Care Act, Westside Family Healthcare will greatly reduce the number of Delawareans suffering from common, costly – and often preventable – diseases which, in turn, will reduce our country’s health care costs. Over the years, I have seen first-hand the vital role that these Community Health Centers play in our nation’s health care delivery system by providing access to primary care and preventive health services for uninsured and under-insured Americans in Delaware and across the country. This is why I am so thrilled that Westside has received this new grant, which will allow more Delawareans in Middletown and surrounding areas to receive access to health care services.”

“All Delawareans deserve to have access to affordable basic health care no matter where they live in the state,” Senator Coons said. “Due to the changing demographics of Delaware, our health care facilities have to adapt to ensure they are properly serving our residents. Westside Family Healthcare has been a leader in our state’s Community Health Centers and this federal funding will help them to continue to treat those who are underserved in our health care system. Congratulations to Westside Family Healthcare for today’s announcement and I look forward to seeing its positive impact on our community.”

“I’m pleased that Delawareans in the Middletown area will now have access to the high quality services Westside Health offers,” said Congressman Carney. “Delaware’s federally qualified health centers provide critical services to the uninsured and underinsured throughout our state. Throughout my career, I have worked hard to help our FQHCs execute their mission across Delaware and Westside’s new office in Middletown will provide thousands of additional Delawareans with these critically needed services.”

Westside Family Healthcare’s President & CEO Lolita Lopez stated, “The greater Middletown community has grown rapidly over the past several years, yet access to affordable quality healthcare has not grown at the same rate as this diverse, high need community. The funding announced today will enable us to continue to fulfill our mission of providing equal access to quality healthcare to those most in need, bridging the gap in critical healthcare services for this community.”

The Health Resources and Services Administration, part of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, is the primary federal agency responsible for improving access to health care services people who are uninsured, isolated, or medically vulnerable. For more information on Health Resources and Services Administration’s community health center program, visit http://bphc.hrsa.gov/. To find a health center in the area, visit http://findahealthcenter.hrsa.gov.

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As State Dept. releases new report, Senator Coons calls for vote on Trafficking Victims Protection Reauthorization Act

WASHINGTON – Moments after Secretary of State Hillary Clinton unveiled the 2012 Trafficking in Persons report, U.S. Senator Chris Coons (D-Del.), a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, called for the Senate to take up the Trafficking Victims Protection Reauthorization Act of 2011, which was passed by the Judiciary Committee in October, but has yet to receive a vote on the floor. Senator Coons is a cosponsor of the measure.

The Trafficking in Persons report, which is available on the State Department’s website here, http://1.usa.gov/PmFm72, assesses governments around the world on their efforts to combat modern slavery. The 12th annual report, which is mandated by the Trafficking Victims Protection Act, includes narratives of 186 countries and territories.

“The United States has been a global leader in the fight against slavery and human trafficking, but is in danger of abdicating that role by failing to reauthorize this bill,” Senator Coons said. “The State Department’s report makes painfully clear that human trafficking is still a problem that needs to be confronted. Globally, as many as four million people are trafficked each year for sex exploitation, forced labor, or as child soldiers, making trafficking perhaps the biggest global human rights issue in our time. Trafficking generates an estimated $9.6 billion each year for criminal organizations and absolutely must be stopped. Vigilance against human trafficking is essential to our continual pursuit of justice. It is long since time that the Senate takes up and passes the reauthorization of the Trafficking Victims Protection Act.”

The Trafficking Victims Protection Reauthorization Act was first passed in 2000 and was reauthorized in 2003 and 2008, but expired at the end of 2011. The bill was approved by the Judiciary Committee in October would extend its provisions until 2015, and:

Amends the RICO Act to include labor contract fraud under its scope to help prosecute forced labor trafficking;
Criminalizes the knowing destruction, concealment, removal, confiscation, or possession of a person’s immigration documents;
Increases the statute of limitations to 10 years for those bringing civil actions for injuries caused by forced-labor or sexual criminal actions against minors;
Improves the immigration system created to assist victims of trafficking and their immediate family members, known as “T visas” and “U visas”;
Increases accountability of participating programs;
Strengthens and regionalizes global anti-trafficking efforts;
Establishes a fund to assist other countries with urgent needs related to trafficking; and
Improves access to information about human trafficking laws and protections for victims through immigration authorities and the Department of Health and Human Services.

The Trafficking Victims Protection Reauthorization Act of 2011 was introduced by Senator Pat Leahy (D-Vt.) and is cosponsored by 44 senators — 33 Democrats, nine Republicans and two independents. The bill now awaits consideration by the full Senate.

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Senate passes Coons-Chambliss amendment to commission studies on insurance programs for poultry growers

WASHINGTON – The Senate voted unanimously on Tuesday to adopt a farm bill amendment introduced by U.S. Senators Chris Coons (D-Del.) and Saxby Chambliss (R-Ga.) to commission a pair of studies on the feasibility of insurance programs to protect America’s poultry growers from catastrophic loss, such as disease outbreaks, and from bankruptcies of poultry integrators. The amendment is now part of the Agriculture Reform, Food and Jobs Act of 2012 (S. 3240), on which the Senate is expected to vote later this week.

“Poultry growers and integrators play an important role in our local, regional, and national economies,” Senator Coons said. “The studies we proposed in this amendment would explore whether insurance programs make sense as a tool for helping our poultry farmers and integrators continue to thrive during uncertain economic times. Between the recession and the volatile cost of chicken feed, the number of factors that can have a catastrophic impact on local economies but are beyond the control of our local farmers and integrators is rising. I’m grateful to my Senate colleagues for their support today, and look forward to supporting final passage of the farm bill.”

Delaware is currently home to 800 poultry growers running more than 2,500 houses. According to a University of Delaware report, the poultry industry has a $3.2 billion impact on the Delaware economy, supporting more than 13,000 jobs in Kent and Sussex counties.

“Farmers must have an adequate safety net to continue providing Americans with the highest quality food. This safety net is even more important to poultry producers, who risk losing their entire stock from an unexpected disease outbreak,” Senator Chambliss said. “These studies are necessary to ensure that insurance programs would benefit both the poultry farmer and the country, and I am grateful that the Senate passed this amendment today.”

The first study would focus on the impact of the growing number of bankruptcies of poultry integrators — companies that hire local farmers to raise their chickens, then process and sell the chicken products in the market. Because local poultry farmers are typically only contracted with one integrator, if that integrator goes bankrupt — as Seaford, Delaware-based Allen Family Foods did last year — the farmer would be financially exposed unless able to secure a contract with another integrator. The Coons-Chambliss amendment would require the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to study the feasibility of an insurance program that would provide a safety net for individual growers in the event that their integrator files for bankruptcy and they are unable to secure contracts with another integrator.

The second study would focus on the cascading economic impacts of catastrophic events, such as disease outbreaks within America’s poultry industry. While the poultry industry, state and federal entities have established the gold standard for poultry disease prevention, outbreaks are still possible, and can have significant impacts on integrators and local poultry farmers. Disease outbreaks can result in significant losses for both growers and integrators, including destruction of flocks, quarantined farms, and closure or restricted access to export markets. Often, a disease outbreak in one community can lead to prohibitions against imports from a much larger region, or the entire country. The Coons-Chambliss amendment would require USDA to study the feasibility of an insurance program that would provide support for growers and integrators in the event of a disease outbreak or other catastrophic event that results in significant losses.

The two studies would come at no additional cost to taxpayers.

The amendment was cosponsored by Senators Tom Carper (D-Del.), Barbara Mikulski (D-Md.), Ben Cardin (D-Md.), Kay Hagan (D-N.C.), and Amy Klobuchar (D–Minn.). .

The National Chicken Council and the National Turkey Federation support the legislation, the full text of which can be downloaded as a PDF here:

http://www.coons.senate.gov/download/poultry-studies-amendment-to-farm-bill

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Senate Foreign Relations Committee advances resolution condemning Joseph Kony, LRA

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Chris Coons (D-Del.), chair of the Senate Foreign Relations Subcommittee on African Affairs, today applauded progress on S.Res.402, a resolution he introduced in March condemning the crimes against humanity committed by Joseph Kony and the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA), supporting ongoing international efforts to remove Kony from the battlefield, and calling for the U.S. to continue to enhance its mobility, intelligence and logistical support of regional forces protecting civilians and pursuing the LRA.

“For two decades, Joseph Kony and the Lord’s Resistance Army have been terrorizing Uganda and its neighbors in central Africa – tearing families apart and demolishing whole villages,” Senator Coons said. “Joseph Kony represents the worst of mankind, and he and his commanders must be held accountable for their war crimes. Nearly half of my colleagues in the Senate have joined me in standing with the President and the international community to work towards bringing Joseph Kony and his top commanders to justice. I applaud the Committee’s work today in passing the resolution, and hope that this bill will see swift action on the floor.”

Hundreds of Americans have signed on to S.Res.402 as “citizen cosponsors” to show their support for stopping Joseph Kony.

“Prior to introducing the resolution, I heard from many Delawareans, including my own children, who wanted to know what I was doing to stop Joseph Kony,” Senator Coons said. “This resolution shows that members of Congress are listening. I am pleased that hundreds of Americans have joined as ‘citizen cosponsors,’ and their names will be immortalized in the Congressional record.”

In addition to condemning Kony and the LRA for crimes against humanity, the resolution, which was led by Senator Coons and Senator Jim Inhofe (R-Okla.), is cosponsored by 44 additional senators. It does the following:

Supports the efforts of Uganda, the Democratic Republic of Congo, the Republic of South Sudan, the Central African Republic, and other regional governments, as well as the African Union and United Nations, to end the threat posed by the LRA;
Supports continued efforts by the United States to strengthen the capabilities of regional military forces deployed to protect civilians and pursue commanders of the LRA; as well as to enhance cooperation and cross-border efforts to increase civilian protection and provide assistance to populations affected by the LRA;
Calls on the U.S. to utilize existing funds for ongoing programs to enhance mobility, intelligence, and logistical capabilities for partner forces engaged in efforts to protect civilians or remove Joseph Kony and his top commanders from the battlefield;
Calls on the President to keep Congress fully informed of U.S. efforts and to work closely with Congress to identify and address critical gaps in efforts to counter the LRA.

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Senator Coons releases 10 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 Thursday, responding to Delawareans who’ve written him on a variety of issues, including: health care, student loan rates, and deficit reduction. Senator Coons recorded 10 new personalized video messages in May on an Amtrak train from Wilmington to Washington. This is the seventh installment of the video series since its launch in February 2011.

“Delawareans continue to be highly engaged with my office, with letters, phone calls, emails, and social media,” Senator Coons said. “I’m grateful for the amount of input Delawareans provide because it helps me better represent them in the Senate. As these videos demonstrate, we receive ideas and opinions on a wide range of issues from people of all backgrounds. I look forward to continuing this two-way dialog on projects and programs that are important to Delawareans.”

Videos released today include replies to:

Bailey from Hockessin about Joseph Kony and the LRA – http://youtu.be/PUOyVpxyDhk
Dave from Newark about the farm bill – http://youtu.be/g_kec-QpdW0
Denise from Wilmington about active transportation programs – http://youtu.be/vyMkffCpLrQ
Elaine from Lewes about the Affordable Care Act – http://youtu.be/dlaXBoIcRWk
Jeffrey from Wilmington about bullying in schools – http://youtu.be/LmADklnXBUo
Jim from Fenwick Island about deficit reduction – http://youtu.be/Lrsi14IcThE
Kathleen from Wilmington about programs for the poor – http://youtu.be/YCAWYIHfKMg
Kele from Hockessin about student loan interest rates – http://youtu.be/MAAIVJixUfQ
Kevin from Newark about flood insurance – http://youtu.be/yNuCLgbi50A
Mary from Newark about marriage equality – http://youtu.be/dAeVGxmF3Ik

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.

Senator Coons introduces farm bill amendment to commission studies on insurance for poultry growers

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Chris Coons (D-Del.) and Saxby Chambliss (R-Ga.) introduced an amendment to the Food, Conservation, and Energy Act of 2012 — the “Farm Bill” — on Thursday to commission a pair of studies on the feasibility of insurance programs to protect America’s poultry growers from catastrophic loss, such as disease outbreaks, and from bankruptcies of poultry integrators.

“Poultry growers and integrators play an important role in our local, regional, and national economies,” Senator Coons said. “Between the recession and the volatile cost of chicken feed, the number of factors that can have a catastrophic impact on local economies but are beyond the control of our local farmers and integrators is rising. We saw this in Delaware when Allen Family Foods went bankrupt last year and 120 Delaware growers were put at risk. The studies we propose in this amendment would explore whether insurance programs make sense as a tool for helping our poultry farmers and integrators continue to thrive during an uncertain economic time.”

“As policy makers, we must insure that famers have an adequate safety net so that they may continue to provide Americans with the highest quality of food,” Senator Chambliss said. This is even more important when we are talking about poultry producers, who risk losing their entire stock from an unexpected disease outbreak,” said Senator Chambliss. “These studies are necessary to ensure that such insurance programs would benefit both the poultry farmer and the country.”