Statement from Senator Coons on vote to avert increase of student loan interest rates

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Chris Coons (D-Del.) released the following statement on his vote on the motion to proceed to S. 2343, the Stop the Student Loan Interest Rate Hike Act of 2012. The vote failed, 52-45.

“The staggering gap in the unemployment rate between Americans with college degrees and Americans without them makes it imperative that Congress act to make higher education more accessible. When it comes to higher education, affordability is accessibility for many students, and if we want American companies and American workers to compete and win in the global economy, we have to help our young people afford higher education. Getting the higher education necessary to get a good job in this economy simply should not leave our young people buried under a crushing mountain of debt. We can’t afford it. Today the total amount of student loan debt held in this country eclipsed $1 trillion, and with the interest rates on federal student loans set to double this summer, it is important that Congress begins to confront this problem. The vote we took today to proceed to the Student Loan Interest Rate Hike Act could have been a first step – the first of many – in a journey to make college more accessible and affordable. The cost of a college education is on an unsustainable track, and we must take steps to lower theamount of money students are forced to borrow to pay for their degree. ”

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Senator Coons, DSU announce winners of first-ever Kent County Science Fair

DOVER, Del. – U.S. Senator Chris Coons and Delaware State University co-hosted the first-ever Kent County Science Fair in Dover on Wednesday, drawing 66 middle school and high school students who displayed creative and innovative science projects. The science fair was organized to encourage students to pursue an education rooted in science, technology, engineering and math.

“The Kent County Science Fair, and events like it, play an important role in encouraging students to explore careers that require an education based in science, technology, engineering and math,” Senator Coons said.  “As a chemistry major in college, and after working for eight years at one of Delaware’s most innovative materials-based science companies, I was excited to see so many budding scientists at today’s science fair.  I know first-hand the value of a STEM-based education and it’s something I still put to use in my daily work in the Senate. ”

DSU President Harry L. Williams said that he was impressed with the middle school students’ projects and hopes to hold the Kent County Science Fair at DSU again in the future.

“In hosting the Kent County Science Fair, DSU has served in its natural role as a STEM advocate, to provide strong encouragement to these youths to continue to develop themselves in the STEM areas,” said Dr. Williams. “From the outstanding projects exhibited here today, there is a great possibility that among these students might be some future science leaders that will help propel this country beyond its current greatness.”

Students’ projects were judged in the areas of mathematical sciences, computer science, physics and engineering by a panel of experts from several Delaware companies.

High School Winners

Biology:  

• 1^st Place: “Smelling of the Sexes” – Dover High School – Brittany Whitmore, Yasmemin Simsek, Mika Heredia, Jada Little
• 2^nd Place: “5-3=2 Super Senses” – Dover High School – Melvin Ross, Damon Butler
• 3^rd Place: “Blondes versus Brunettes” – Dover High School – Tyauna Potts

Chemistry:

• 1^st Place: “Chemical Effects 0f Catalysts”  Smyrna High School – Dorothy Johnson, Aliyah Burton, Mary Arkoh, John Arkoh, Anthony Euren

Middle School Winners

Physics and Engineering:

• 1^st Place: “Batter Up” – William Henry Middle School – Alexxys Harris, Noah Lanouette, Dale Waite
• 2^nd Place: “No Yolk About It – How to Keep from Cracking Your Eggs” – Sunrize Academy – Lee Ferguson
• 3^rd Place (tie): “Rube Goldberg Machine” – William Henry Middle School – Hayley Scheir,
  Kathryn Suter
• 3^rd Place (tie): “Marble Loop” – Milford Middle School – Dalton Carter, Danny Zang

Chemistry:

• 1^st Place: “Biodiesel”- William Henry Middle School – Jacob Harrison
• 2^nd Place: “Chemical Reaction Crystals” – William Henry Middle School – Jing Rue Lin
• 3^rd Place: “ Soda…Rust Remover?” – Central Middle – Carolyn Lewis, Monica Elavarthi

Biology:

• 1^st Place: “How Caffeine Effects the Physiology of Goldfish” – Smyrna Middle School –Shawn Tazewell
• 2^nd Place: “The Effects of High Glycemic Foods have on Blood Sugar” – William Henry Middle School – Emily Cook
• 3^rd Place: “ The Effects of Nicotine on the Lungs”- Central Middle School – Anmol Gill

Other hosts included Optical Science Center for Applied Research at Delaware State University, Delaware Biotechnology Institute, The Boeing Company, The Dow Chemical Company, DuPont, and ILC Dover.

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Delaware’s Congressional delegation announces $1 million award to expand access to affordable, quality health care to Delawareans

WASHINGTON – Two years after the Affordable Care Act was signed into law, Sens. Tom Carper, Chris Coons and Rep. John Carney (all D-Del.) announced over $1 million in federal funding for Westside Family Health Center as part of the Affordable Care Act’s investment in federally-qualified community health centers to expand access to health care services while reducing costs. The award is part of more than $728 million in Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) funding to support 398 renovation and construction projects at health centers across the country – helping to build, expand and improve community health centers in Delaware and nationwide. This particular award will help Westside Family Healthcare expand its buildings and improve services to provide more primary and preventive health services to Delawareans. Overall, this funding from the Affordable Care Act will expand health care services to an additional 860,000 patients.

The federal funding will enable Westside Family Healthcare Center to add dental services to its Dover facility, as well as providing for additional space for pharmacy, clinician and support staff offices. The expansion will allow create about 10 new positions at Westside’s Dover location. Westside estimates that the new dental office will eventually provide care to over 2,000 patients in Dover. It is expected that the dental practice will grow rapidly due to current lack of access to dental services in Kent County.

“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. Carper. “Thanks to the Affordable Care Act, this investment in Westside Family Healthcare and other community health centers throughout the nation will greatly reduce the number of Delawareans and other Americans from suffering from common, costly – and often preventable – diseases which, in turn, will reduce our country’s health care costs. Everyone should have access to quality, affordable health care and this much-deserved and much-needed award will aid Westside in its commitment to the health and wellbeing of Delawareans, regardless of their income levels. I commend the Department of Health and Human Services for its work toward providing affordable, quality care to more patients in Delaware and throughout the nation.”

“A major factor for the quality of life in a community is how accessible and affordable healthcare is to the residents,” said Sen. Coons. “The medical field is constantly making groundbreaking discoveries and developing new technologies to save lives and it is imperative that our local community health centers continue to implement these best practices and improve existing services. This award by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services will allow Westside Family Healthcare to provide high-quality care to even more Delawareans of all economic levels.”

“Access to quality, affordable healthcare is essential to communities across Delaware,” said Congressman Carney. “Westside Family Healthcare provides critical services for the uninsured and underserved in our state. During my years in public service, I’ve seen firsthand how Westside’s dedicated team delivers essential healthcare to those who need it most. I’m pleased that Westside has received this grant, enabling it to expand its services to even more Delawareans. Moving forward, I will continue supporting the great work of all our community health centers.”

“The greater Kent County community has long been underserved in the area of oral health access, especially for those who are uninsured or underinsured,” said Lolita A. Lopez, FACHE,  President & Chief Executive Officer of Westside Family Healthcare. “We are excited at the opportunity to bring much needed oral health care services to this community as we continue to expand access to primary and preventative care in an effort to improve the health and well being of those in need.” 

The awards are part of a series of capital investments that are made available to community health centers under the Affordable Care Act which provides $9.5 billion to expand services over five years and $1.5 billion to support major construction and renovation projects at community health centers. 

The Department of Health and Human Services also released the results of a new report that found that the Affordable Care Act has already supported 190 construction and renovation projects at health centers and the creation of 67 new health center sites across the country, and will support more than 485 new health center construction and renovation projects and the creation of 245 new community health center sites over the next two years. Currently, community health centers are serving nearly 3 million additional patients and will serve an additional 1.3 million additional new patients in the next two years. Moreover, the report found that since the beginning of 2009, employment at community health centers nationwide has increased by 15 percent, in part due to the increased investment in community health centers through the Affordable Care Act.   

A list of awards by program and state can be found at http://www.hhs.gov/news/press/

Information on the Affordable Care Act is available at www.healthcare.gov.  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 your area, visit http://findahealthcenter.hrsa.gov.

The Health Resources and Services Administration is part of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.  HRSA is the primary Federal agency responsible for improving access to health care services for people who are uninsured, isolated, or medically vulnerable.  For more information about HRSA and its programs, visit www.hrsa.gov

Senator Coons talks small business jobs with new SBA district director for Delaware

WILMINGTON, Del. – U.S. Senator Chris Coons and Delaware’s new U.S. Small Business Administration district director, Antonio “Tony” Leta, talked today in the Senator’s Wilmington office about their ideas for supporting small businesses and creating jobs in Delaware.  Leta will oversee the delivery of SBA programs and services to small businesses throughout the district, succeeding Jayne Armstrong, who now leads SBA’s Virginia District office.

“The economy is certainly improving, but its continued growth depends on the success of small businesses and the jobs they create,” Senator Coons said. “Tony Leta is the kind of leader Delaware’s small business community needs—he brings to the table a working knowledge of SBA and its programs, and an extensive private-sector background in marketing, sales and general management. Jayne Armstrong nurtured SBA from its infancy into a successful support system for small businesses throughout the state, and I look forward to working with Tony and his talented team as they continue this down this road.” 

Leta will oversee eight employees who specialize in contracting, economic development, exporting, lending, minority-, women- and veteran-owned small businesses, and public affairs, government contracting programs and counseling and training through SBA resource partners. The SBA provides loan guarantees through private sector lenders, it offers counseling and training through its resource partners: the Small Business Technology and Development Center, SCORE, and the YWCA Delaware Center for Women’s Entrepreneurship. 

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Carper, Coons, Carney host job fair in Rehoboth Beach for 700 job seekers

REHOBOTH BEACH, Del. – A job fair hosted by U.S. Senators Tom Carper and Chris Coons, and U.S. Representative John Carney connected 700 job seekers with more than 55 employers at the Rehoboth Beach Convention Center in Rehoboth Beach on Monday.  This was the fifth job fair hosted by the Congressional delegation in the past year, including one in Dover last week that drew 600 job seekers. It was the second of three planned for this spring.

“Today, Sussex County employers had the chance to meet with prospective employees from Delaware’s first-class workforce,” said Senator Carper. “I’m encouraged at the response we had today at our job fair, and we will continue our efforts to help get our friends and neighbors back to work. We’ll continue to build on the success of this job fair with a New Castle County job fair in June and hopefully help more folks in need find good jobs.”

“These job fairs are about connecting people eager to work with employers who are eager to hire,” Senator Coons said.  “The economy is certainly improving, but that doesn’t mean we can become complacent when it comes to helping those who want to work find a job.  We are hearing success stories from folks up and down the state who have come to our job fairs, made connections, and landed good-paying jobs, and that’s motivation enough for me to keep plugging away at helping even more Delawareans overcome tough times.”

“Today’s job fair brought hundreds of job seekers together with employers who are ready to hire,” said Congressman Carney.  “In today’s competitive job market, helping Delawareans connect with prospective employers can make all the difference.  I hope the people who attended today left with opportunities and information they can use going forward.”

The delegation’s next job fair is set for Monday, June 25, from 10 to 3 at the Chase Center on the Riverfront in Wilmington.  For more information or to pre-register please call 302-573-6345 or e-mail workshop@coons.senate.gov.

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Senator Coons applauds Senate’s confirmation of Delawarean Michael Scuse for USDA post

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Chris Coons (D-Del.) applauded the Senate’s confirmation of Delawarean Michael Scuse to the post of Undersecretary of Agriculture for Farm and Foreign Agricultural Services, and to serve as a member of the Board of Directors of the Commodity Credit Corporation. A former Delaware Secretary of Agriculture, Scuse was confirmed by unanimous consent in the Senate on Thursday night.

“Michael Scuse is eminently qualified to serve as the Undersecretary of Agriculture for Farm and Foreign Agricultural Services, and I am delighted that the Senate confirmed him to the position last night,” Senator Coons said. “During his time as Delaware Secretary of Agriculture, I had the pleasure of working with Michael and witnessing firsthand his passion for agriculture and impeccable work ethic that helped bolster our state’s farming community. The USDA and our country’s agriculture industry will greatly benefit from Michael’s wisdom and experience. I congratulate Michael on his confirmation and look forward to seeing all the great things he will accomplish with his new positions.” 

In December, Senator Coons delivered an opening statement before the Senate Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry Committee in support of Scuse’s nomination. Watch and read it here: http://bit.ly/wi1dhj

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Senator Coons speaks to Delaware law enforcement officers about stopping hate crimes

DOVER, Del. – U.S. Senator Chris Coons, a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee and co-chair of the Senate Law Enforcement Caucus, spoke in Dover Friday morning at a federal training for Delaware law enforcement officers on the investigation and prosecution of hate crimes.

“When Congress passed and President Obama signed the Matthew Shepard and James Byrd, Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act, it did more than extend protections of hate crimes law to actual or perceived gender and sexual orientation,” Senator Coons said. “It made a statement that in the United States of America, we do not accept hate and bias against our friends and neighbors. The heartbreaking deaths of the men this law is named for remind us we can never let up. We can never, ever stop fighting for justice and equality in our communities.”

Matthew Shepard was 21 when he was tortured and murdered by two men in Laramie, Wyoming, because he was gay. His mother, Judy Shepard, has devoted her life since to preventing similar tragedies, and was scheduled to speak at the training in Dover on Friday.

The Senator also spoke about the Violence Against Women Act, which the Senate passed on Thursday. Among its provisions is a measure that would prevent recipients of VAWA grant funding from denying services to individuals who are lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender.

“Every single American should be able to count on the law to protect them from domestic violence and sexual assault, regardless of who they are, where they live or whom they love,” Senator Coons said. “That means giving law enforcement the tools they need to investigate and prosecute these crimes while investing in the kind of community-based approach we have here in Delaware.”

The Senator thanked the Department of Justice for hosting the training, and praised those who attended for their commitment to serving their communities.

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Senator Coons discusses emergency response services with Delaware Volunteer Firefighters

WASHINGTON – Prior to the Congressional Fire Services Annual Dinner in Washington Thursday, leaders of the Delaware Volunteer Firefighter’s Association (DVFA) met with U.S. Senator Chris Coons to discuss issues related to emergency-response services. DVFA was visiting Capitol Hill to meet with members of the Delaware Congressional delegation in the afternoon and attend their annual Congressional Fire Service dinner in the evening.

“When a disaster strikes, our brave firefighters are first on the scene to save lives, put out the flames and restore order,” Senator Coons said. “My meeting today with Delaware’s volunteer firefighters allowed for a constructive conversation on issues important to our state’s public safety, including new technology and appropriate funding levels. It is imperative that our first responders are equipped with the resources they need to respond to a wide range of emergencies. I pledge to continue to fight to ensure that all Delaware first responders can continue to protect our communities.”

In their meeting with Senator Coons today, DVFA members discussed the importance of the enactment of a law earlier this year that created a nationwide, interoperable broadband network for public safety officials. After nearly a decade of advocacy, this funding will allow for an extension of the D-block of electromagnetic spectrum to be set aside for improved communication between first responders.

The firefighters also talked about federal funding for help struggling fire departments remain open. The Assistance to Firefighters Grants and the Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Responders Grants have been the main sources of federal funding for volunteer fire departments.

The DVFA was founded in 1921 and currently has more than 6,000 volunteer firefighters serving in more than 60 Companies across the state. The mission of the DVFA is to serve, promote, advocate, coordinate, represent, and support the interests of the member Companies in the performance of providing community based Fire, Rescue, Emergency Medical, and other emergency response related services to the citizens of the state of Delaware.

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Senator Coons praises Senate reauthorization of Violence Against Women Act

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Chris Coons (D-Del.), a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, co-chair of the Senate Law Enforcement Caucus, and a strong supporter of the Violence Against Women Act, today praised the Senate’s passage of a reauthorization measure that strengthens the law by building on new data, best practices and lessons learned to provide law enforcement agencies, court personnel, and victim-service providers with tools to help prevent domestic violence.

“Every single American should be able to count on the law to protect them from domestic violence and sexual assault, regardless of who they are, where they live or whom they love,” Senator Coons said. “That means giving law enforcement the tools they need to investigate and prosecute these crimes while investing in a community-based approach, like we have in Delaware. In reauthorizing the Violence Against Women Act, the Senate today took an important step in the ongoing effort to rid domestic abuse from our communities and our nation.”

S.1925, of which Senator Coons is a cosponsor, would improve existing programs to address evolving needs in the fight against domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking. The legislation supports training for those on the front lines of efforts to eliminate domestic violence. It takes the important step of explicitly preventing grant recipients from discriminating against victims who are gay, lesbian, bisexual or transgender, and modifies the U Visa program to make it easier for law enforcement to gain the cooperation of victims in prosecuting dangerous perpetrators. The legislation also promotes accountability to ensure that federal funds are used for their intended purposes, and consolidates programs and reduces authorization levels to address fiscal concerns while focusing on the programs that have been the most successful.

“In drafting the Violence Against Women Act nearly 20 years ago, Joe Biden revolutionized the way law enforcement confronts domestic violence,” Senator Coons said. “This legislation has proven effective at diminishing the stigma associated with abuse by empowering more individuals to report cases to their local authorities. Law enforcement agencies across this country count on the critical resources provided under the Violence Against Women Act to support their work on behalf of victims and those at risk of becoming victims.”

On February 2, the Senate Judiciary Committee voted along party lines, 10-8, to advance the reauthorization out of committee. Senator Coons spoke on the Senate floor about that vote later that day (http://bit.ly/zIYpag). On February 21, he convened on the issue a roundtable in Delaware with representatives of state, county and local law enforcement agencies, advocacy, community and non-profit organizations, family court, and the Delaware Attorney General’s office (http://bit.ly/I7Qhw7). On March 13, Senator Coons wrote to Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) to urge a vote of the full Senate be taken (http://bit.ly/I7QzDf).

“While this bill, sadly, initially faced partisan opposition in the Senate, my colleagues joined together today to rise above party politics and do what is right for the safety of Americans,” Senator Coons said. “I encourage my colleagues in the House to move swiftly in passing this legislation, and I will continue to advocate on behalf of law enforcement personnel in Delaware and around the country to ensure they have the necessary tools to keep our neighborhoods free from abuse, fear and violence.”

Originally drafted by then-Senator Joe Biden, VAWA was signed into law by President Clinton in 1994, and has since been reauthorized twice: in 2000 and 2005. The law’s current authorization, however, expired in September 2011.  Programs supported by VAWA have provided victims with critical services such as transitional housing, legal assistance, and supervised visitation services. VAWA has also encouraged communities to coordinate their responses to domestic and sexual violence by bringing together victim advocates, law enforcement, the courts, health care professionals and leaders within faith communities.

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Congressional delegation to host another free job fair—this one in Sussex County on Monday

REHOBOTH BEACH, Del. – U.S. Senators Tom Carper and Chris Coons, and U.S. Representative John Carney will host a free job fair on Monday, April 30, 2012 from 10 am to 3 pm at Rehoboth Beach Convention Center in Rehoboth Beach.  More than 50 employers will be on hand looking to hire Delawareans who are ready to get back to work.  This will be the fifth job fair organized by the Congressional delegation in the past year, and the second of three planned this spring.  Last week’s job fair held in Kent County drew 600 job seekers.

“I encourage folks to come out to our job fair on Monday to meet employers and network with recruiters and fellow job seekers,” said Senator Carper. “Across Sussex County there are well-paying jobs available and we want to connect our world-class workforce with these businesses looking to hire.”

“The good news is that job seekers are landing jobs at the fairs we are hosting up and down the state, and we’ve got a wide array of businesses lined up and ready to hire even more enthusiastic Delawareans at Monday’s job fair in Rehoboth Beach,” Senator Coons said.  “Helping to find our neighbors jobs remains my top priority, so I’m encouraging folks looking for work to show up with resumes in-hand and ready to shine.”

“The job fairs have gotten a very positive response from both job seekers and employers,” said Congressman Carney.  “Employers have quality jobs to offer, and many Delawareans have been able to make connections that will help them begin the next phase in their careers.  I’m looking forward to building on this success with Monday’s job fair in Rehoboth, and giving Delawareans the opportunity and support they need to get back to work.”

In addition to networking with companies looking to hire, job seekers can also take advantage of the myriad workshops, career counseling and resume review opportunities, including:

• “How to Supercharge your Job Search,” with career coach Joyce Dungee Proctor
• “Prime for Life,” presented by Brandywine Counseling
• “The Art of Networking,” with career coach Yusuf Wilson

Confirmed Employers include:   AFLAC (Dover), American Registry of Pathology, Applebee’s (Rehoboth Beach), Bayada Home Health Care, Beebe Medical Center, Bayside Resort Golf Club, Delaware Air National Guard, Delaware Army National Guard, Delaware Hospice, Delaware Technical and Community College, Delaware Department of Correction, Delaware Department of Transportation, Delaware State Police, Delaware Transition to Teaching Partnership, Drug Enforcement Agency, Dr. Energy Saver, DryZone, Energizer Personal Care/Playtex, Food Lion, Girl Scouts of the Chesapeake Bay Council, Greater Milford Boys & Girls Club, Griswold Special Care, Goodwill Industries of Delaware & Delaware County, Hertrich Auto, Interim Healthcare, James, Stevens & Daniels, JPMorgan Chase & Co., JPMorgan Chase 100,000 Jobs Mission, Kent-Sussex Industries, Inc., Michael Kors, Mountaire Farms of Delmarva, New Castle County Police, Pennsylvania State Police, Pepco Holdings, Inc., Perdue, Rock Team, Safe Haven Animal Sanctuary of Sussex County, Starbucks Coffee Company, State of Delaware Office of Management and Budget, State of Delaware Office of Volunteerism, The Mortgage Market of Delaware, LLC., The Gap Outlet, Telamon Corporation-Delaware Department of Education, Thirty-One Gifts, Wawa Inc. (Lewes), Wawa Inc. (Rehoboth Beach), Wilmington VA Medical Center, University of Delaware, UPS, Inc., U.S. Department of Labor/OSHA, YWCA Delaware

Confirmed Exhibitors include:

Advancements through Pardons and Expungments – Delaware Economic Development Office

Division of Vocational Rehabilitation – Delaware Department of Labor

Employment and Training Administration – Delaware Department of Labor

Wilmington Job Corps

Job Center @ Delaware Libraries

Wilmington University

Brandywine Counseling

For more information or to pre-register, job seekers should call Senator Coons’ office at 302-573-6345, or email workshop@coons.senate.gov. 

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