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More than 50 employers now confirmed for Senator Coons’ job fair on Monday

WILMINGTON, Del. – More than 50 ready-to-hire employers will attend Monday’s job fair, Senator Chris Coons (D-Del.) announced today.

“There are real signs that our economy is recovering and one of those is the number of businesses who are calling us now to say that they are ready to hire,” Senator Coons said. “We’ve now got more than 50 employers confirmed for Monday’s job fair and I expect that number to keep rising. I hope Delawareans looking to get back to work will come to this job fair with resumes in-hand.”

The job fair will be held next Monday, April 11 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Chase Center on the Riverfront in Wilmington. In addition to employers’ booths, the job fair will offer attendees three free seminars. At 10 a.m., Priscilla Turgon of Professional Staffing Associates, Inc. will host a workshop on building a resume, writing a cover letter and interviewing for a job. “Applying for Federal Jobs” will be hosted by the U.S. Office of Personnel Management at 11 a.m. and “New Strategies for Changing Times: Transform Your Mind and Embrace Change,” hosted by career coach Joyce Dungee Proctor, will be at 1 p.m.

Doors open at 9:00 a.m. Senator Coons is slated to address the attendees at 9:30 a.m.

Confirmed employers now include: 99.5 WJBR, Aerotek, AFLAC, American Registry of Pathology, Americorps VISTA, Amtrak, Apple One Employment Services, Barclay Card, Brandywine Technology, BW Tek Inc., Citi Cards, Comcast, Contemporary Staffing Solutions, Delaware Department of Labor, Delaware Department of Vocational Rehabilitation, Delaware State University, Delaware Tech and Community College, Diamond State Youth, Discover Bank, Dupont Company, Governor’s Commission on Community and Volunteer Services, High Rider Inc., Integrity Staffing, Interim Healthcare, Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigations, JP Morgan Chase, Kelly Services, Liberty Mutual Insurance, New Castle County Police, New Castle County Vocational Tech Adult Education, Philadelphia Passport Agency, Port Contractors Inc., Power Home Remodeling, Sallie Mae, Staffmark, State of Delaware, Synerfac Technical Staffing, TD Bank, University of Delaware, UPS, U.S. Attorney’s Office, U.S. Census Bureau, U.S. Department of Agriculture, U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration, U.S. Office of Personnel Management, U.S. Secret Service, U.S. Small Business Administration, U.S. Social Security Administration, Westside Health, Wilmington Job Corps, Wilmington Senior Employment Services, and WSFS Bank.
 
For more information or to pre-register, Delawareans should call Senator Coons’ office at 302-573-6345, or email workshop@coons.senate.gov.

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Statement of Senator Coons on nominations for ambassadors to Kenya, Botswana

I am pleased to call to order the first Africa Subcommittee nomination hearing, and will start by saying I am both humbled and honored to assume the chair.  Africa is a continent of tremendous strategic importance to the United States and the world, and I am extremely grateful to Senator Kerry and my colleagues on the Committee for entrusting me with the gavel.  

I look forward to working with my friend Senator Isakson to accomplish a shared vision and strategic goals, and hope to serve as a model for bipartisan cooperation on issues pertaining to Africa in the 112th Congress and beyond.

Before I begin, I would like to say a few words about my predecessor, Senator Feingold, who chaired this subcommittee for four years with great integrity, focus, and resolve.  I only hope to bring to the table the degree of substance, direction, and drive which made Russ Feingold such a well-respected Senator and Chairman of this subcommittee.

Today, I am honored to chair the confirmation hearing for Ms. Michelle Gavin, nominated to be ambassador to Botswana, and Major General Scott Gration, nominated to be ambassador to Kenya.  While different countries with divergent histories, accomplishments and challenges, the issues we will discuss today in the context of Botswana and Kenya – governance, democratic institutions, health initiatives, human rights, trade, counterterrorism, U.S. interests and a broader regional strategy – will serve as focal points for the Africa Subcommittee.        

Kenya has special meaning for me, as I developed a deep interest in Africa during my junior year of college when studying at the University of Nairobi and traveling through Kenya and Tanzania to immerse myself in African culture.  After college, I wrote about anti-apartheid divestiture strategies while serving as an analyst for a research center in Washington.  I subsequently returned to Africa on behalf of the South African Council of Churches, so my ties to both Kenya and Africa are both professional and personal.

Today’s nominees bring to their positions equally meaningful experiences.  Ms. Michelle Gavin knows this subcommittee extremely well, having served as the staff director under Senator Feingold, for whom she also served as Foreign Policy Advisor.  Following her tenure with Senator Feingold, Ms. Gavin was Legislative Director for Senator Salazar.  Most recently, Ms. Gavin served as Special Assistant to the President and Senior Director for Africa at the National Security Council.  Prior to joining the NSC, Ms. Gavin was an Adjunct Fellow for Africa and an International Affairs Fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations, where she focused on democracy and governance issues.  Perhaps most importantly, I am extremely proud that we are both Truman Scholars.

General Scott Gration most recently served as the President’s Special Envoy from March 2009 until just last week, when Ambassador Princeton Lyman was appointed to the post.  I recently met with Ambassador Lyman and look forward to working with him on priorities relating to Sudan, such as humanitarian conditions in Darfur and preparations for Southern Sudan’s impending independence, for which both General Gration and Ms. Gavin have played an instrumental role in their former capacities.  Today, I look forward to hearing from General Gration lessons he learned as Sudan Envoy that may apply to Kenya, with a particular focus on human rights and accountability.

General Gration served in the United States Air Force from 1974 to 2006, where he began his career as an F-5 and F-16 instructor pilot, including a two-year assignment with the Kenya Air Force. In 1995, General Gration took command of an Operations Group in Saudi Arabia during the Khobar Towers bombing.  The following year, he was transferred to Turkey to oversee Operation Northern Watch, enforcing a no-fly zone over Iraq.  Since then, he has served as Deputy Director for Operations in the Joint Staff; Director of Regional Affairs for the Deputy Undersecretary of the Air Force for International Affairs; and commander of the Joint Task Force-West during Operation Iraqi Freedom, among other roles. General Gration speaks Swahili and has served as the CEO of Millennium Villages, an organization dedicated to reducing extreme poverty, as well as Safe Water Network, an organization helping to provide safe water to vulnerable populations in India, Bangladesh, and Ghana.

I look forward to hearing from both of you about how we can advance U.S. interests in Botswana and Kenya – two strong allies which play distinct yet critical regional roles.  Since the 1960s, Botswana has moved on a path of outstanding governance and economic growth.  It is a model for stability in Southern Africa and a close partner of the United States, including in its extraordinary battle with HIV/AIDS.  I look forward to hearing from Ms. Gavin about how we can continue to deepen bilateral ties in a matter that furthers shared diplomatic, political, and economic goals in the region.

I look forward to hearing from General Gration about the role he will play during this critical period as Kenya implements a new constitution and prepares for elections, emerging from the dark experience of the 2007-2008 violence in a manner that holds those responsible to account at the International Criminal Court.  As President Obama has said, the United States “…stand[s] with the Kenyan people as they reach for a better future,” and I hope that brighter future is near, especially as it relates to democracy, accountability, and national reconciliation.      

I would now like to turn to the distinguished Ranking Member, with whom I am honored to serve, for his opening remarks.  Senator Isakson.

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More encouraging signs of economic recovery in March employment numbers

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Chris Coons (D-Del.) released the following statement on the March employment figures released Friday morning:

“With unemployment down to 8.8 percent – the lowest point in two years – and 230,000 private-sector jobs created in March, I’m encouraged by the progress of our economic recovery,” Senator Coons said. “We’ve now seen 13 straight months of private-sector job growth, but there is still much more work to do to rebuild our economy. Congress needs to stay focused on nurturing an economic climate that encourages American businesses to grow and create jobs, putting more of our neighbors back to work.”

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Senator Coons cosponsors bill to boost quality of education in charter schools

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Chris Coons (D-Del.) is a cosponsor of the Charter School Quality Act of 2011, which was introduced Wednesday to bring a critical focus to charter school authorizing standards and to improve the quality of education in American charter schools.

“I take very seriously the responsibility of ensuring that our children are provided with the resources they need to reach their highest educational potential,” Senator Coons said. “Charter schools are a growing part of the education landscape in Delaware and around the nation, but so far they have produced mixed results. As the number of charter schools grows, we must ensure that they are offering the highest quality of education.”

Delaware’s first charter school opened in 1996, but there are now 19 charter schools in operation around the state serving more than 8,500 students. Another four new charter schools are expected to open in Delaware this year.

The Charter School Quality Act of 2011 will modify the Public Charter Schools Program by giving grant priority to states that ensure their charter school authorizers follow research-based best practices, evaluate the effectiveness of their authorizers and publically report such evaluations. It will also require student academic achievement to be a primary factor in charter school approval, renewal, and revocation decisions.

The legislation – which carries no new cost – would also establish a new competitive grant program for high-quality charter schools, authorizers, and nonprofit charter-support organizations to disseminate best-in-class innovations to other schools, authorizers and states.

The bill was introduced by Senator Mary Landrieu (D-La.) and was cosponsored by Senators Michael Bennet (D-Colo.), Thomas Carper (D-Del.), Richard Durbin (D-Ill.), Kay Hagan (D-N.C.), and Joseph Lieberman (I-Conn.). It has been endorsed by the National Alliance for Public Charter Schools.

Earlier this month, Senator Coons joined with nine other moderate Democratic Senators in signing onto a set of education reform principles designed to improve the Elementary and Secondary Education Act. Those principles can be found in PDF form here: http://1.usa.gov/fCNIjW

Video of Senator Coons’ remarks at a press conference announcing those principles can be seen here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IZ-r0W6Z8Sw

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President’s energy security strategy is the right direction for our nation

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Chris Coons (D-Del.) – a member of the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources – today applauded President Obama’s announcement of new energy security strategy, which calls for a one-third reduction of America’s oil imports by 2025 and for the continued expansion of investments in innovative clean energy technology.

“Our nation needs to be moving aggressively toward an entrepreneurial energy future less dependent on foreign oil and more reliant on an array of clean, domestic energy technologies,” Senator Coons said. “Energy security shouldn’t merely be a measure of the stability of the nations that sell us oil, but of our ability to meet America’s energy needs with our own energy resources and in a way that contributes positively to our economy. I applaud the ambitious leadership being shown by the President today and look forward to working with him and my colleagues in Congress to implement a new energy security strategy.”

The strategy laid out by President Obama in remarks Wednesday morning included several elements that Senator Coons has strongly supported, including:

Increasing the number and diversity of domestic energy sources.

“It is critical that America’s energy portfolio not be tied up in fossil fuels,” Senator Coons said. “We need to diversify by investing in domestically produced clean energy sources like solar, biofuels, and offshore wind. Delaware has led the way in clean energy innovation and is poised to make a substantial contribution America’s clean energy future.”

Supporting American innovation in clean energy technology by investing in joint public/private research.

“The work being done by federal research programs like ARPA-E is imperative to driving innovation and keeping America globally competitive in the energy market,” Senator Coons said. “By leading and investing in critical research, the government does its part to stimulate technological innovation and encourage private-sector job creation.”

Expanding consumer markets for biofuels and commercializing new biofuel technologies.

“Instead of limiting our non-petroleum fuel focus to corn-based ethanol, we need to expand our cellulosic and advanced bio-based fuel options, which will create a tremendous economic opportunity for Delaware’s farmers and consumers,” Senator Coons said. “The rapidly growing clean-energy sector represents an opportunity to revitalize and sustain Delaware’s permanent base of manufacturing jobs.”

Focusing transportation investments in advanced vehicles and high-speed rail.

“Reducing fuel consumption by expanding the use of hybrid and electric vehicles, as well as high-speed rail and public transit is not only good for the environment, but good for the economy,” Senator Coons said. “I support the President’s plan to lead by example by make sure that by 2015, all new vehicles purchased by the federal government use alternative fuels, including hybrid and electric technology.”

Reducing electricity consumption by promoting energy-efficient homes and buildings.

“Energy efficiency and conservation continue to represent the least expensive, lowest risk, and most effective means of immediately reducing energy consumption and our dependence on fossil fuels,” Senator Coons said.

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Senator Coons releases second installment of “Correspondence from the Commute” videos

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Chris Coons (D-Del.) today released his second set of video responses to constituent questions as part of his “Correspondence from the Commute” series. Senator Coons recorded the videos last Thursday during his train commute from Wilmington to Washington.

“This month I heard from a lot of constituents concerned about the reckless cuts in the Republicans’ budget proposal,” Senator Coons said. “While Congress must tackle long-term deficit reduction that examines both expenditures and revenues, the House proposal would gut programs that are important to a lot of Delawareans, and they’re speaking up about it. I genuinely appreciate that feedback and hope Delawareans continue to advocate for the programs and projects that are most important to them.”

Videos released today include responses to:

For his “Correspondence from the Commute” series, Senator Coons is recording video responses to between five and 10 constituent questions or comments selected from among those received each month. The videos are posted publicly to Senator Coons’ website and to his official YouTube channel at http://youtube.com/senatorchriscoons. 

Watch as the Senator introduced the project in February: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5z0_UFtHcss

“It’s important to me that every Delawarean who writes to me or my office knows that his or her letter is being read and their concerns heard,” Senator Coons said. “I have great respect for the opinions of my fellow Delawareans and genuinely want to hear what they have to say. I wish we were able to respond to every letter with a personal video, but I hope this will inspire more folks to write in and engage with me on the issues most important to them.”

Delawareans are encouraged to express their opinions and submit questions for Senator Coonsonline at http://www.coons.senate.gov/contact/ or via mail to 383 Russell Senate Office Building, Washington, D.C. 20510.

Senator Coons praises progress on first commercial wind lease off Delaware’s shore

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Chris Coons (D-Del.) today issued the following statement Thursday after U.S. Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar announced that the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, Regulation and Enforcement was initiating the process to offer the first commercial wind lease under the “Smart from the Start” Atlantic Offshore Wind program. The announcement came after the Bureau concluded that there were was no competing interest for the area of the Atlantic Ocean that NRG Bluewater Wind Delaware, LLC, had proposed for its project.

“This is great news for Delaware and another sign that our state has the wind at its back in the development of clean, renewable energy. Delaware has been steadily charting a course for offshore wind development, and this announcement is another milestone in our progress towards a robust industry. I am very encouraged by the steps the Department of the Interior has taken today.  The Bluewater Wind Project has been a forerunner to the DOI’s Smart from the Start Initiative, by which we hope to harness the enormous potential offshore wind.  The NRG Bluewater Wind project is now on a clear path to move forward, and, as a member of the Senate Energy Committee, I will continue to do everything possible to help bring clean power and its job opportunities to our state.”

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Senator Coons marks one-year anniversary of landmark health care reform law

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Chris Coons (D-Del.) today marked the one-year anniversary of President Obama signing into law the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, which reformed the way Americans access insurance coverage for health care. Signed into law one year ago today, it expands health insurance access to millions of Americans, makes it illegal for insurance companies to discriminate based on pre-existing conditions, and aims to lower the cost of insurance for most Americans over the next several years.

“The Affordable Care Act was a major step in expanding access to affordable health care for all Americans,” Senator Coons said. “It is already helping individuals with pre-existing conditions in Delaware and across the country obtain health coverage, enabling parents to cover their college-age children and making it easier for employers to cover retirees not yet eligible for Medicare. Though not perfect, the Affordable Care Act will be remembered as a breakthrough in making affordable, quality health care more attainable for all Americans. I look forward to working with my colleagues to improve it and to continue to expand access to care.”                                                  

Today, 137,000 Delawareans who benefit from Medicare no longer have to pay out of pocket for preventative services like mammograms and colonoscopies. More than 13,900 small businesses in Delaware are eligible for the $40 billion in tax credits the Affordable Care Act created to help them offset the costs of purchasing insurance coverage for their employees.  The law also banned lifetime limits on health benefits, which protects the 532,000 Delawareans covered under private insurance plans.   

Additionally, a typo or simple mistake on an application will no longer enable insurance companies to drop consumers when they get sick and need health care the most. The law also provides increased funding for Delaware’s 13 Community Health Centers, creates a health insurance “exchange,” and allows for a crackdown against insurance companies that engage in unreasonable premium increases.

“It’s important to remember that the Affordable Care Act is estimated to create as many as 400,000 jobs a year,” Senator Coons said. “Health insurance reform is a central part of not only our economic recovery but of our long-term economic growth.” 

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Oil-market manipulation watchdogs imperiled by House Republicans’ budget

WASHINGTON – In a letter to Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell on Tuesday, U.S. Senator Chris Coons (D-Del.) and 47 other Senate Democrats warned about the risk to consumers posed by Republicans’ one-third cut to the Commodity Futures Trading Commission, which protects American consumers by monitoring markets for abuse and speculation. With gas prices in Delaware already up to an average of $3.51 per gallon, we cannot afford for oil-market manipulation to go unchecked.

“We urge you to abandon the reckless energy proposals in the House-passed Continuing Resolution that will condemn our country to continued reliance on foreign oil and allow market manipulation that drives up gas prices to go unchecked,” Monday’s letter said.

Click to hear from commodities experts about how excessive unchecked speculation in the oil market can impact gas prices: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d6Op796TSZg

“We stand ready to work with you to come to a responsible budget compromise that will not do anything to make our gas price problem worse, or undermine the progress we are making in developing the clean energy technologies we need to be ale to compete with countries like China,” the letter says. “Together we can craft a sensible fiscal policy that invests in what we need to grow and cuts what doesn’t, without undermining our mission to transition to a safe, clean and affordable energy future.”

The letter is pasted below.

The Honorable Mitch McConnell
Minority Leader
S-230 U.S. Capitol
Washington, D.C. 20510 

Dear Minority Leader McConnell: 

As we work toward a long-term budget compromise to keep the government running through this year, we urge you to abandon the reckless energy proposals in the House-passed Continuing Resolution (H.R 1) that will condemn our country to continued reliance on foreign oil and allow market manipulation that drives up gas prices to go unchecked. 

As you know, H.R. 1 would reduce funding for the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) by one-third.  The CFTC serves as an important “cop on the beat,” working to protect American consumers by cracking down on manipulation and other market abuses that can drive up oil prices.  Yet your spending plan would shrink the CFTC budget back to 2008 levels, when Americans were blindsided by both record high gas prices and a financial crisis that cost us millions of jobs. According to CFTC Chairman Gary Gensler, these cuts would cause “significant curtailment of staff and resources.”  At a time where gas prices are rising and squeezing American families, we have aresponsibility to provide our watchdogs the resources they need to fulfill their important oversight and regulatory responsibilities.

We find it equally troubling that your preferred budget would cut billions of dollars in investments in critical programs focused on developing new alternative fuels and clean energy technologies, undermining our competitiveness and increasing our trade deficit with oil producing nations.  We urge you to reverse these policies that will only set ournation backward, and put America’s independence from foreign oil even further out of reach.

We stand ready to work with you to come to a responsible budget compromise that will not do anything to make our gas price problem worse, or undermine the progress we are making in developing the clean energy technologies we need to be able to compete with countries like China. Together, we can craft a sensible fiscal policy that invests in what we need to grow and cuts what doesn’t, without undermining our mission to transition to a safe, clean and affordable energy future.

Sincerely,

Senator Harry Reid
Senator Dick Durbin
Senator Chuck Schumer
Senator Patty Murray     
Senator Debbie Stabenow   
Senator Kent Conrad                
Senator Maria Cantwell
Senator Bill Nelson                
Senator Max Baucus
Senator Barbara Mikulski
Senator Jeanne Shaheen
Senator Jeff Merkley
Senator Mark Begich
Senator Dianne Feinstein
Senator Mark Pryor
Senator Richard Blumenthal
Senator Mark Udall
Senator Kay Hagan
Senator Ben Cardin
Senator Al Franken
Senator Barbara Boxer
Senator Frank Lautenberg
Senator Jack Reed
Senator Carl Levin
Senator Mark Warner
Senator Tom Carper
Senator Daniel Akaka
Senator Tom Harkin
Senator Bob Menendez
Senator Ron Wyden
Senator Claire McCaskill
Senator Chris Coons
Senator Michael Bennet
Senator Sherrod Brown
Senator Jon Tester
Senator Amy Klobuchar
Senator Sheldon Whitehouse
Senator Bob Casey
Senator John Kerry
Senator Jay Rockefeller
Senator Jeff Bingaman
Senator Daniel Inouye
Senator Joe Lieberman
Senator Bernie Sanders
Senator Patrick Leahy
Senator Herb Kohl
Senator Tim Johnson
Senator Tom Udall

CC: Speaker John Boehner

Senator Coons to host job fair in Wilmington

WILMINGTON, Del. – To help Delawareans looking for work during this difficult economic time, U.S. Senator Chris Coons (D-Del.) will host a job fair on Monday, April 11 from 9 am to 4 pm at the Chase Center on the Riverfront in Wilmington.

“It’s not enough for us to simply talk about the importance of getting more of our neighbors back to work,” Senator Coons said. “We need to come together as a community and connect those looking for jobs with employers who are ready to hire. More than 30 companies, organizations and governmentagencies have already signed up to talk to folks about their job openings. I hope Delawareans looking to get back to work will come to this job fair with resumes in-hand.”

The job fair will also include two free seminars for attendees: “Applying for Federal Jobs,” being hosted by the U.S. Office of Personnel Management at 11 am, and “New Strategies for Changing Times: Transform Your Mind and Embrace Change,” hosted by career coach Joyce Dungee Proctor at 1 pm. Attendees will also be able to get tips on resume-building, cover letters, and job interviews throughout the day from Priscilla Turgon of Professional Staffing Associates, Inc.

Confirmed employers include: Aerotek, AFLAC, Amtrak, Apple One Employment Services, Barclay Card, BW Tek Inc., Citi Cards, Comcast, High Rider Inc., Interim Healthcare, Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigations, Kelly Services, New Castle County, Philadelphia Passport Agency, Power Home Remodeling, Synerfac Technical Staffing, TD Bank, U.S. Department of Agriculture, U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, U.S. DrugEnforcement Agency, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration, U.S. Office of Personnel Management, U.S. Secret Service, U.S. Small Business Administration, U.S. Social Security Administration, Westside Health, Wilmington Job Corps, and WSFS Bank.

“There’s still room at the job fair for other employers in the region looking to hire capable, energetic Delawareans,” Senator Coons said. “Businesses that have openings and would like to participate in the job fair should contact my office to reserve a spot.”

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