Senator Coons, Rep. Blunt Rochester unveil new engine from Piedmont Airlines for Polytech’s aviation maintenance program

DOVER, Del. – U.S. Senator Chris Coons and Congresswoman Lisa Blunt Rochester (both D-Del.) helped unveil a retired DeHavilland Dash-8 engine donation from Piedmont Airlines to the Polytech School of Aviation Maintenance,one of Polytech’s adult education programs, at an event today in Dover. They were joined for the announcement by Eric Morgan, CEO of Piedmont Airlines;Kurt Yorgey, Director of Aircraft Maintenance at Piedmont Airlines; and Jeremy McEntire, Assistant Director of Adult Education at Polytech.

“Delaware has a first-class workforce because our schools have a great history of working closely with businesses to anticipate their labor needs,” said Senator Tom Carper (D-Del.). “This new partnership between Polytech’s aviation maintenance program and Piedmont Airlines will help ensure our students are learning the skills to make them ready for the job.”

“Connecting students with access to cutting-edge technology is an essential part of building a well-prepared workforce,” said Senator Coons. “Thanks to Piedmont Airlines, this new turbo propeller engine will provide students at Polytech’saviationmaintenanceprogram a critical educational advantage, and help ensure the next generation of aviation experts are able to meet the challenges of tomorrow right here in Delaware.”  

“Like many industries across our economy, the aviation industry continues to feel the impact of workforce shortages of skilled workers. In this case, it’s a shortage of qualified pilots, mechanics, and technicians,” said Congresswoman Blunt Rochester. “What the Polytech School of Aviation Maintenance is able to offer its students is a pathway to gaining the skills, tools, and resources they need to take on in-demand jobs in aviation technologies – helping us address the shortage while investing in our workforce, our economy, and our nation. I thank Piedmont Airlines for their investment in Polytech through this turbo propeller engine, and I look forward to seeing how it will help support Polytech’s role in strengthening aviation through innovation.” 

The new engine provides additional opportunities for Polytech to offer its students hands-on access to the kinds of technology on which they’re training to build a career. The turboprop engine will complement the jet turbine engine the school already owns, and will allow Polytech’s next class of seven enrolled students a chance to work with an engine on which they will be tested before receiving their certifications from theFederal Aviation Administration (FAA).

Polytech and Piedmont are some of the partners working to connect Delawareans to careers in the aviation sector, which currently has high demand for more workers at high salaries. 

“The Polytech School of Aviation Maintenance is very grateful to Piedmont Airlines for the donation of a turboprop engine,” said Jeremy McEntire, Assistant Director of Adult Education at Polytech. “This is a critical piece of equipment that we were missing. Our students are required to know about these engines and will be tested on them for their FAA exams. Until now, the best we could offer was to tell them about turboprops and show them photos online. That is good, but not the same. The engine from Piedmont is a game changer for our students and our program.”

“At Piedmont, we firmly believe in the power of workforce development opportunities that provide hands-on experiences in helping to shape the future of aviation,” said Eric Morgan, CEO of Piedmont Airlines. “Today, we take great pride in donating an engine tothePolytech School of AviationMaintenance, knowing that it will serve as more than just a piece of equipment. It symbolizes our commitment to excellence and our desire to invest in career training in the communities in which we live and work. By providing these students with the opportunity to gain practical experience, we are not only shaping skilled professionals,but also creating a pipeline of talent for the future.” 

Carper, Coons statement on Jennifer Hall’s nomination for U.S. District Court judgeship

WILMINGTON, Del. – Today, the White House announced that Jennifer L. Hall, who was recommended by U.S. Senators Tom Carper and Chris Coons (both D-Del.) for a judgeship on the U.S. District Court for the District of Delaware, will be nominated for the bench.

“Jennifer Hall will be an outstanding District Court judge for Delaware,” said the Senators. “She has impeccable credentials for this post, given her experience as both a Magistrate Judge and as an Assistant U.S. Attorney in Delaware, as well as her background in biochemistry and extensive work in patent law – the latter especially important for a state as innovation-driven as ours. We applaud President Biden for appointing someone so well-suited to handle the District of Delaware’s significant and complex docket.

“Judge Hall is respected immensely by her colleagues and peers on the court, and we know she will ably fill the post to be vacated by Judge Andrews. The people of Delaware and our nation will be well-served with this nomination, and we look forward to a swift hearing and confirmation.”

Judge Hall will be nominated for the judicial vacancy to be created when Judge Richard G. Andrews takes senior status at the end of this year. Judge Hall is currently a Magistrate Judge on the U.S. District of Delaware, having served in that capacity since 2019. Previously, Judge Hall served as an Assistant U.S. Attorney in the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Delaware from 2011 to 2019, including as Chief of the office’s Civil Division from 2015 to 2019; prior to that, she was a patent lawyer in the Wilmington office of Fish & Richardson P.C. Judge Hall clerked for the Court of Appeals for both the Federal and Third Circuits.

Judge Hall received her J.D. from the University of Pennsylvania Law School, an M.Phil. and Ph.D. in Molecular Biophysics and Biochemistry from Yale University, and a B.S. in Biochemistry from the University of Minnesota.

Senators Coons, Shaheen introduce legislation to ensure access to capital for small businesses

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Chris Coons (D-Del.) and Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.) introduced legislation to ensure that American small businesses have continuous access to the Small Business Administration’s (SBA) 504 loan program, which provides low-cost, fixed-rate, long-term loans for small businesses. The 504 Loan Availability Act will prevent the 504 loan program from becoming temporarily unavailable near the end of the fiscal year, ensuring that small businesses can invest in themselves and grow all year round. 

“Delaware’s small businesses drive the First State’s economy, and when they have reliable access to capital to grow their operations, they create good-paying jobs and expand production and manufacturing in America,” said Senator Coons. “I’m proud to partner with Senator Shaheen to ensure that there are no further interruptions to the 504 program. Business owners nationwide deserve confidence in this reliable source of affordable financing and the opportunity to leverage these loans to grow and succeed.”

“The 504 loan program is one of the premier tools available for small businesses to access capital to invest in and expand operations,” said Senator Shaheen. “I’ve long fought for increased flexibility for this program, including allowing borrowers to refinance existing 504 loans. This simple fix will prevent disruptions in these loans to help ensure these critical programs remain available to small businesses for years to come, under all market conditions.”

The 504 Loan Availability Act combines the authorization of regular 504 loans and 504 refinancing loans under a single authorization cap. Combining these authorizations will help prevent either program from hitting its cap partway through the fiscal year and becoming temporarily unavailable until the new fiscal year begins, even without raising the program’s overall authorization levels.

The SBA 504 Loan program provides long-term, fixed-rate financing for small businesses investing in major assets that promote business growth and job creation. 504 loans are available through Certified Development Companies (CDCs), the SBA’s community-based partners dedicated to promoting economic development in their communities. Loan amounts are generally capped at $5.5 million, and may be repaid over 10-, 20-, or 25-year maturity terms.

“Senators Coons and Shaheen have consistently been forward-thinking leaders for small businesses and ensuring they have access to low-cost capital through programs like the SBA’s 504 loan program. The program’s value is easily seen both in its over $100 billion in financings and how it supports local economies with job creation and retention. The 504 Loan Availability Act safeguards the availability of the SBA’s premier economic development program and creates certainty for access by the nation’s small business community now and in the future,” said Rhonda Pointon, President and CEO of the National Association of Development Companies. 

“The 504 Loan Availability Act supports and strengthens the SBA’s preeminent economic development product, the SBA 504 Program. With weakening economic conditions, higher cost of capital and inflationary pressures, it is more important than ever to bolster this program to support America’s small businesses. The 504 Program encourages banks to lend, unlocks capital for growing small businesses, and creates jobs in our communities. We at Pursuit enthusiastically support the 504 Loan Availability Act, and we thank Senator Coons and Senator Shaheen for their leadership on this issue,” said Jim Conroy, President of Pursuit CDC.

“The 504 Loan Availability Act will have a tremendous impact on small businesses in New Hampshire and across the country. It will provide access to capital,which in turn will enable small business to expand and create new jobs. We all want to thank Senator Shaheen and Senator Coons for their diligent work supporting small businesses,” said Steve Aldrich, PresidentandCEO of Granite State Development Corporation.

Senator Coons is a member of the Senate Small Business and Entrepreneurship Committee.

Senators Coons, Wicker to introduce legislation to increase reimbursement during HPAI disease outbreaks

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Chris Coons (D-Del.) and Roger Wicker (R-Miss.) announced the Healthy Poultry Assistance and Indemnification (HPAI) Act alongside 11 of their Senate colleagues. This bipartisan bill would expand the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) compensation program to all poultry growers and layer operations within a highly pathogenic avian influenza control area, rather than only those whose flocks are infected.

“Delaware has the largest per capita chicken industry in the country, and Delaware’s independent family farmers and poultry growers are all too aware of the harm avian flu can cause after last year’s outbreak,” said Senator Coons. “This bipartisan bill would ensure that every farmer who does their part to contain an outbreak is fairly compensated for their financial harm, and it simplifies the compensation process so farmers can get back on their feet quickly after losing their flock. As Co-Chair of the Senate Chicken Caucus, I urge my colleagues to support this bill that will ensure a robust poultry supply chain, keep food costs low, and assist our hardworking farmers.”

“As every farmer knows, unexpected events can take a heavy toll,” said Senator Wicker.“Recent avian flu outbreaks hurt poultry growers and layers, and control areas made it harder for them to recover. This legislation would compensate workers in affected zones so they can get back to producing quickly.”

Under current APHIS policies, all poultry farms located within 10-kilometer radius of a HPAI case are disallowed from placing flocks until the virus is contained. Afterward, all growers who have positive tests in their flocks receive compensation from the USDA, but not those within the 10-kilometer control area whose flocks don’t contract HPAI. As a result, while these growers undergo many of the same financial struggles as those whose flocks contract the virus, they aren’t compensated for their compliance with efforts to help contain HPAI. This bill would rectify that so all growers in the control area are duly compensated. 

Last year, the American poultry industry was hit with its worst-ever HPAI outbreak. The outbreak affected 47 states and caused hundreds of millions of dollars in losses to poultry growers and layer operations, driving food inflation even higher for Americans’ most cost-effective animal protein sources. 

In addition to Senators Coons and Wicker, this legislation is cosponsored by Senators Ben Cardin (D-Md.), Bob Casey (D-Pa.), Tom Cotton (R-Ark.), John Fetterman (D-Pa.), Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), Jon Ossoff (D-Ga.), Pete Ricketts (R-Neb.), Tina Smith (D-Minn.), Thom Tillis (R-N.C.), Tommy Tuberville (R-Ala.), and Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.).

Specifically, the HPAI Act would:

1. Expand USDA-APHIS compensation to all poultry farmers in an HPAI control area. The program currently only compensates farmers whose flocks test positive, not those in the control area who are disallowed from placing flocks until the virus is contained, which sometimes takes months. 
2. Simplify the calculation of indemnity. The payments to farmers will be calculated based on the average income they earned from the last five flocks. This method is more transparent and ensures that farmers will not face a cash shortfall in the face of an HPAI outbreak in their area.

This bill has been endorsed by the American Farm Bureau Federation, National Chicken Council, United Egg Producers, Delmarva Chicken Association, Delaware Department of Agriculture, Delta Council, Delaware Farm Bureau, Mississippi Farm Bureau, Maryland Farm Bureau, South Carolina Farm Bureau, Iowa Farm Bureau, Louisiana Farm Bureau, Michigan Farm Bureau, Georgia Farm Bureau, Pennsylvania Farm Bureau, Nebraska Farm Bureau, Oklahoma Farm Bureau, Virginia Farm Bureau, Minnesota Farm Bureau, North Carolina Farm Bureau, Missouri Farm Bureau, Tennessee Farm Bureau, Alabama Farm Bureau, Indiana Farm Bureau.

A one-pager is available here. A complete list of endorsements is available here. Bill text is available here.

Senator Coons and Senator Wicker are the Co-Chairs of the Senate Chicken Caucus.

Senator Coons introduces resolution to promote nearshoring and strengthen economic relations with Latin America, Caribbean

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Chris Coons (D-Del.), Bob Menendez (D-N.J.), Todd Young (R-Ind.), Tim Kaine (D-Va.), and Bill Hagerty (R-Tenn.) introduced a resolution today calling for greater support for nearshoring and reshoring initiatives to relocate global supply chains to the United States and partner countries in the Western Hemisphere.

“Strengthening economic ties between the United States and our partners in Latin America and the Caribbean promotes regional strength, security and prosperity,” said Senator Coons. “This resolution reflects a bipartisan commitment to these partnerships and a shared belief in the importance of increasing investment throughout the Western Hemisphere.”

The resolution recognizes the opportunity for the United States to work alongside its neighbors to increase supply chain resiliency and security and contribute to the post-pandemic economic recovery of Latin America and the Caribbean. The resolution also expresses support for U.S. coordination with the Inter-American Development Bank, regional governments, and the private sector to attract foreign direct investment to the Western Hemisphere and facilitate regional economic integration. It also calls for efforts to address ongoing barriers to nearshoring in Latin America and the Caribbean, including underdeveloped physical and digital infrastructure, concerns about the rule of law in several countries, and the need for greater compliance with international labor and environmental standards. 

Senator Coons is Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee’s State and Foreign Operations Subcommittee and a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.

A copy of the resolution is available HERE.

Senators Coons, Tillis introduce Patent Eligibility Restoration Act to revitalize American innovation

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Chris Coons (D-Del.) and Thom Tillis (R-N.C.) introduced the Patent Eligibility Restoration Act today. This bipartisan bill restores patent eligibility to important inventions across many fields, while also resolving legitimate concerns over the patenting of mere ideas, the mere discovery of which already exists in nature, and social and cultural content that everyone agrees is beyond the scope of the patent system. This bill affirms the basic principle that the patent system is central to promoting technology-based innovation. The bill explicitly does not allow for the patenting of unmodified human genes.

“More than a decade after the Supreme Court waded into patent eligibility law, uncertainty remains about which areas of innovation are eligible for patent protection. Critical technologies like medical diagnostics and artificial intelligence can be protected with patents in Europe and China, but not in the United States,” said Senator Coons. “The Supreme Court has repeatedly failed to clarify the law, so Congress must act. I’m proud to join Senator Tillis’ bill that would reform patent eligibility law to bring vital clarity for inventors and innovators and ensure the United States maintains its competitive edge. I look forward to working with all stakeholders as we move this bill in Congress to restore confidence in our patent system.”

“I have long said that clear, strong, and predictable patent rights are imperative to enable investments in the broad array of innovative technologies that are critical to the economic and global competitiveness of the United States, and to its national security,” said Senator Tillis. “Unfortunately, our current Supreme Court’s patent eligibility jurisprudence is undermining American innovation and allowing foreign adversaries like China to overtake us in key technology innovations. This bipartisan legislation with Senator Coons maintains the existing statutory categories of eligible subject matter, which have worked well for over two centuries, and addresses concerns regarding inappropriate eligibility constraints by enumerating a specific but extensive list of excluded subject matter. I look forward to continuing to work with all interested stakeholders on this important matter. Passing patent eligibility reform remains one of my top legislative priorities during my second term.”

Background:

Due to a series of Supreme Court decisions, patent eligibility law in the United States has become confused, constricted, and unclear in recent years. This has led to inconsistent case decisions, uncertainty in innovation and investment communities, and unpredictable business outcomes.

As of 2021, all 12 judges of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit have lamented the state of the law. Witnesses and stakeholders from a wide array of industries, fields, interest groups, and academia have testified and submitted comments confirming the uncertainty and detailing the detrimental effects of patent eligibility confusion in the United States. There is now widespread bipartisan agreement in Congress and across all recent administrations that reforms are necessary to restore the United States to a position of global strength and leadership in key areas of technology and innovation, such as medical diagnostics, biotechnology, personalized medicine, artificial intelligence, 5G, and blockchain.

The Patent Eligibility Restoration Act achieves this critical goal by restoring patent eligibility to important inventions across many fields while also resolving legitimate concerns over the patenting of mere ideas, the purported discovery of which already exists in nature, and social and cultural content that everyone agrees is beyond the scope of the patent system. In short, this system is aimed at promoting technology-based innovation.

As a general approach, the Patent Eligibility Restoration Act maintains the existing statutory categories of eligible subject matter, which have worked well for over two centuries, and addresses concerns regarding inappropriate eligibility constraints by enumerating a specific but extensive list of excluded subject matter.

This bill has been endorsed by the Council for Innovation Promotion (C4IP) and the North Carolina Biosciences Organization (NCBIO).

“C4IP applauds Senators Tillis and Coons for introducing critically important legislation to correct patentable eligibility law,” said C4IP Co-Chairs and former USPTO Directors Andrei Iancu and David Kappos. “The Patent Eligibility Restoration Act of 2023 is much-needed legislation to foster the development of next-generation technologies across many innovative industries, including artificial intelligence, medical diagnostics, quantum computing, and telecommunications, to name a few. With products in these sectors currently categorically ineligible for patent protection, the United States is losing its standing as the world’s innovation leader. By introducing this legislation, Senators Tillis and Coons are standing up for American inventors and ingenuity, and are positioning the United States to continue its leadership in these technologies of the future.”

Read text of the legislation here. 

Senator Coons and Senator Tillis are the Chair and Ranking Member, respectively, of the Judiciary Committee’s Intellectual Property Subcommittee.

Senators Coons, Cornyn introduce bill to strengthen investment capacity of Development Finance Corporation

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Chris Coons (D-Del.) and John Cornyn (R-Texas) introduced the Enhancing American Competitiveness Act today to strengthen the U.S. International Development Finance Corporation (DFC) so that the DFC can promote U.S. interests and better compete with Chinese influence in the developing world. This legislation will bolster the DFC’s investment capacity so that it can use less resources to leverage higher investments and cooperate with like-minded partners on critical infrastructure and complex projects. It would also expand country eligibility to allow the DFC to operate in more countries in order to promote stability and offer an alternative to China in areas of geostrategic importance.  

“The U.S. International Development Finance Corporation’s ability to operate in more countries and provide better financing alternatives to China will improve our strategic posture around the world and promote stability in fragile states,” said Senator Coons. “The DFC plays a critical role in allowing the United States to help other nations meet their own challenges around the world, and we must give it the tools it needs to counter China’s Belt and Road Initiative. This legislation revises the BUILD Act to ensure the DFC can fulfill its mandate and advance U.S. national security interests.”

“The U.S. International Development Finance Corporation’s investments into the developing world are critical to maintaining our strategic competitiveness and effectively responding to the growing influence of China,” said Senator Cornyn. “This legislation strengthens the DFC by broadening their ability to operate in conflict-affected areas so we can foster stability and continue providing a reliable alternative to Chinese investment.”

In particular, this bill:

• Modifies DFC eligibility requirements to include fragile and conflict-affected states to better account for investment thresholds and allow the DFC to operate in more countries to promote stability.
• Allows the DFC to fully leverage the equity authority granted in the BUILD Act.
• Increases the DFC’s maximum contingent liability to allow for increased investment opportunities.
• Mandates a reporting requirement on how the DFC contributes to national security and how the DFC can be more competitive.

A one-pager is available here.

Bill text is available here.

Senator Coons is a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee’s State and Foreign Operations Subcommittee. He introduced the BUILD Act in 2018 alongside then-Senator Bob Corker (R-Tenn.) to promote sustainable growth in developing economies through U.S. business investment. Senator Coons also recently led a hearing with DFC CEO Scott Nathan to discuss how to strengthen and improve the DFC.

Senators Carper, Coons, colleagues introduce bill to protect the right of women to cross state lines to seek abortion care

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Tom Carper (D-Del.), Chris Coons (D-Del.), and Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.) introduced the Freedom to Travel for Health Care Act yesterday alongside 33 of their Senate colleagues. This bill would block states from limiting travel for abortion services and authorize the U.S. Attorney General and impacted individuals to bring civil action against those who restrict a woman’s right to cross state lines to receive legal reproductive care.

“The constitutional right to freely travel across state lines to access essential health care shouldn’t be up for debate,” said Senator Carper. “I will continue stand up to the repeated attempts to limit women’s access to health care because no one should be denied the care they need. The Freedom to Travel for Health Care Act will protect women’s access to health care, and I’m proud to support this legislation.”

“It has been a year since conservative activists on the Supreme Court destroyed the 50-year precedent of a woman’s constitutional right to control her own reproductive health,”said Senator Coons.“Having gutted Roe, anti-choice activists around the country aren’t just enacting state-level abortion bans; they’re attempting to roll back the constitutional right to interstate travel so they can stop women from accessing needed reproductive health care. We need the Freedom to Travel for Health Care Act to ensure that the health, autonomy, and constitutionally mandated rights of women seeking reproductive health care are protected.”

This April,Idahobecame the first state to criminalize assisting out-of-state travel for some seeking abortions. Anti-choice politicians in states likeTennessee, Texas, and Missouriare trying to punish women for leaving their state for reproductive care as well as the doctors and employers who help them. The Freedom to Travel for Health Care Act underscores the constitutional protections for interstate travel and provides redress for women whose rights are violated. The legislation would also protect health care providers in pro-choice states like Delaware from prosecution and lawsuits for serving individuals traveling from other states.

In addition to Senators Carper, Coons, and Cortez Masto, the legislation is also cosponsored by Senators Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.), Patty Murray (D-Wash.), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.), Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), Chris Murphy (D-Conn.), Ed Markey (D-Mass.), Debbie Stabenow (D-Mich.), Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), Alex Padilla (D-Calif.), Ron Wyden (D-Ore.), Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.), Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), Ben Cardin (D-Md.), Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.), Robert Menendez (D-N.J.), Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), Michael Bennet (D-Colo.), Tina Smith (D-Minn.), Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.), Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.), Mark Warner (D-Va.), Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), Reverend Raphael Warnock (D-Ga.), Mazie Hirono (D-Hawaii), Tim Kaine (D-Va.), Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.), Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio), John Hickenlooper (D-Colo.), Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), John Fetterman (D-Pa.), Peter Welch (D-Vt.), Jacky Rosen (D-Nev.), and Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.).

This legislation is endorsed by NARAL Pro-Choice America, Planned Parenthood Federation of America, the National Women’s Law Center, Center for Reproductive Rights, Physicians for Reproductive Health, National Partnership for Women & Families, Catholics for Choice, Power to Decide, National Council of Jewish Women, and the National Family Planning & Reproductive Health Association.

Senator Coons is a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee.

Senator Coons statement on EPA release of final Renewable Fuel Standard rule

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Chris Coons (D-Del.) released the following statement today after the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) released its final Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) rule:

“I am disappointed by the final RFS rule issued today by the EPA, which does not adequately address the challenges and high costs it will bring to small refineries like the Delaware City Refinery and the union workers employed there. While I appreciate the EPA’s goal to advance our energy security and utilize renewable fuels, the rule’s high blending requirements are significantly above our domestic consumption capacity and will endanger union refineries across the mid-Atlantic. That’s why I’m working with Senator Bob Casey (D-Pa.) on legislation that will contain the soaring compliance costs associated with the program and provide certainty to our nation’s independent refineries by stabilizing and reducing costs for renewable fuel credits.

“I look forward to working with the Biden administration, my congressional colleagues, and our state’s organized labor and farming communities to find a path forward on the RFS in a way that bolsters our energy independence, secures clean energy investments for Delaware, and protects union jobs.”

Under the RFS, refiners are obligated to either blend biofuels into their refined products or purchase Renewable Identification Numbers (RINs). RINs have reached historically high prices in recent years, creating difficulties for independent refineries – like the Delaware City Refinery – that must purchase RINs because of their limited capacity to blend biofuels into their products. Senator Coons has advocated for solutions to these challenges for years, including supporting investments in the production of sustainable fuels that will help reduce exposure to volatile RIN prices. 

Senator Coons statement on reported resolution of Hunter Biden investigation

WILMINGTON, Del. – U.S. Senator Chris Coons (D-Del.) released the following statement today after reports that Hunter Biden has reached an agreement with federal prosecutors:

“A five-year-long thorough investigation by a Trump-appointed U.S. Attorney has reportedly concluded with Hunter Biden pleading guilty to two misdemeanor tax charges and entering pretrial diversion on a gun-related charge. From press accounts, I am encouraged that Hunter is taking responsibility for his actions, paying the taxes that he owes, and preparing to move on with his life.”