Sen. Coons joins colleagues in introducing bill to reauthorize the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom

WASHINGTON — U.S. Senator Chris Coons (D-Del.), a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, joined his colleagues in introducing legislation to reauthorize the independent, bipartisan United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) through fiscal year 2024. In addition to Senator Coons, the legislation was introduced by Senators Marco Rubio (R-Fla.), Bob Menendez (D-N.J.), Jim Risch (R-Idaho), Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), and James Lankford (R-Okla.).

“I’m proud to support this legislation to reauthorize the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) and continue the vital work to monitor and prevent the persecution of religious minorities around the world,” said Senator Coons. “From Uyghur Muslims in China to diverse faiths across Nigeria to those who practice no religion at all, there is a clear, urgent need for this organization and continued U.S. leadership in championing human rights around the world. I’m glad to join a bipartisan group of my colleagues to introduce this reauthorization of USCIRF and reaffirm our commitment to international religious freedom.” 

“Freedom of religion is a God-given right afforded to all individuals. Our nation is blessed to have a constitution that protects this right and a proud tradition of defending this principle since its founding,” said Senator Rubio. “Tragically, many around the world are deprived of this fundamental protection. Christians in Nigeria, Nicaragua, and Cuba, Uyghur Muslims in Xinjiang, Buddhists in Tibet, and many more risk persecution and even death because of their beliefs. The United States Commission on International Religious Freedom plays a critical role in shining a light on religious freedom violations worldwide. I’m proud to lead my colleagues in this bipartisan effort so that men and women across the globe are free to safely and peacefully worship.” 

“As we bear witness to dangerous global trends toward authoritarianism and democratic backsliding, religious freedom, like other human rights, is increasingly imperiled worldwide,” said Senator Menendez. “From China’s genocide against the Uyghurs in Xinjiang and horrific abuses against Buddhists in Tibet, to Iran’s totalitarian restrictions and undeniable violence against religious minorities, the United States’ action to advance and support free religious expression is more crucial than ever. Today’s reauthorization of the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom reflects our enduring commitment to safeguard human rights, and I remain deeply committed to continue our work to build on and strengthen the ways the U.S. government elevates the voices and causes of marginalized religious communities everywhere.” 

“Religious freedom is increasingly under attack around the world,” said Senator Risch said. “The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom is working to advance and protect the right to practice one’s religion of choice in peace and without fear. This reauthorization will allow USCIRF to continue promoting religious freedom globally and investigate violations, such as the genocide of Uyghurs in China, attacks on Jehovah’s Witnesses in Russia, and the persecution of Yazidis, Baha’is, Christians, and others in the Middle East.”

“The United States has a long tradition of promoting religious freedom abroad, and this Commission is dedicated to advising Congress and the Executive Branch about how to successfully ensure religious freedom is protected and that religion is not exploited to justify human-rights abuses,” said Senator Durbin. “As the global refugee crisis worsens, the United States must do more to address the scourge of religious persecution, including holding perpetrators accountable and providing a safe haven to refugees. It’s heartening to see a bipartisan group of Senators come together on this pressing issue to ensure that the Commission can effectively fulfill its mission.” 

“The United States has the responsibility to call out religious persecution around the world. The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom conducts crucial research and provides vital information on the status of religious liberty worldwide so we can ensure that religious freedom is protected and promoted for people of faith around the world,” said Senator Lankford. “The right to practice any faith, change faiths, or have no faith is a fundamental human right of all people everywhere. It is vital that the U.S. stand up for religious freedom and unequivocally denounce violence, oppression, and genocide against people of faith worldwide. I’m grateful for the continued work of USCIRF. We need their work to continue to help shine a light on bad actors who do not protect the unalienable human right of religious freedom for all people.”

Background:

• The International Religious Freedom Act of 1998 (IRFA) created the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF). It is a bipartisan commission that monitors the right to freedom of religion internationally. The Commissioners of USCIRF are appointed by Congress and the President.
• USCIRF issues an annual report that assesses the U.S. government’s implementation of IRFA, highlights “Countries of Particular Concern” regarding severe religious freedom violations, documents the conditions of religious freedom in many countries, and provides policy recommendations.

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Senator Coons on passing on Madeleine Albright

WASHINGTON — U.S. Senator Chris Coons (D-Del.), a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, today issued the following statement after hearing about the passing of former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright:

“I am deeply saddened to hear of the passing of my friend and mentor, former U.S. Secretary of State Madeleine Albright, a giant of American diplomacy and a fierce advocate for democracy and human rights.

“I’ve been honored to know Secretary Albright for decades, and to have had the blessing of knowing her humor, brilliance, talent, and remarkable insights into world affairs. Through her role as a stateswoman, President of the Truman Scholars Foundation, Chair of the National Democratic Institute, and in so many other ways, she made a lifetime of difference. She used her experience as a refugee who fled communism to become one of the real giants of American foreign policy and drew on that service to mentor the next generation of leaders. Whether it was hearing about her experiences working in the Senate or on the National Security Council and leading the State Department, exchanging ideas with her about how best to advocate for American leadership on the world stage, or simply listening to her remarkable insights on the state of the world, I always counted on her for an engaging, lively conversation that would teach me something and challenge me to be a better leader. It pains me to know to that I’ll never have one of those conversations again, and my heart goes out to my friends, her daughter Alice Albright and grandson David Bowes, as well as the rest of her family. May her memory be a blessing.”

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[VIDEO] In Supreme Court confirmation hearing, Sen. Coons highlights support for Judge Jackson as ‘even-handed and impartial’

WASHINGTON — Today, U.S. Senator Chris Coons (D-Del.), a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, questioned Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson during her confirmation hearing to the U.S. Supreme Court. This was the second of four days of committee hearings on Judge Jackson’s nomination.

Senator Coons’ full 30-minute questioning regarding Judge Jackson’s service—as a federal judge, as a federal public defender, and as the Vice Chair of the U.S. Sentencing Commission—can be viewed here.

Following his meeting with Judge Jackson earlier this month, Senator Coons announced his support for her confirmation to the Supreme Court. Today, he cited the broad range of support for her confirmation to be an Associate Justice.

1. Senator Coons cited the support of prominent law enforcement groups for Judge Jackson’s confirmation: “Two of the largest, most substantial law enforcement advocacy organizations in our country—the National Fraternal Order of Police (FOP) and the International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP)—have spoken up in support of your qualifications and your capabilities. The FOP letter says there’s little doubt you have the temperament, intellect, legal experience, and family background to have earned this appointment.”

2. Senator Coons noted the broad range of conservative legal figures who have expressed support for Judge Jackson’s confirmation: “It’s no surprise to me that your legal mind, your experience, your temperament inspire strong support from some of the best and brightest of our legal community. It’s worth highlighting that among those, many who have written to us are included well-respected conservative and Republican lawyers and Republican-appointed judges who agree with my characterization that you’re an even-handed and impartial judge. We’ve received a letter from 24 conservative lawyers who held positions in Republican administrations, are well known for their conservative political or legal views, who wrote this committee to urge your speedy confirmation.”
3. Senator Coons concluded by noting the support that Senate Republicans and Democrats alike have had for Judge Jackson in previous confirmation hearings: “The American justice system—as many have said—is rooted in the impartiality, the independence, and the reliability of our federal judicial system. It is one of the most critical bulwarks of our system of ordered liberty. No wonder that when you came before this body to be confirmed for the district court then the circuit court, you earned and received bipartisan support.”

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[VIDEO] Sen. Coons: Judge Jackson will be ‘unique contributor to the Supreme Court’

WASHINGTON — Today, U.S. Senator Chris Coons (D-Del.), a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, delivered opening remarks on the nomination of Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson to the U.S. Supreme Court. This is the first of four days of committee hearings on Judge Jackson’s nomination.

To Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson, Senator Coons said, “Your rich, complex, and deep decisional record gives us the best possible evidence of what kind of Justice you will be, and I’ve concluded you are judicious and impartial—great qualities for a Justice.” 

Senator Coons concluded, “one of the most memorable sentences before this was in talking to your brother, Ketajh, who said, ‘Oh. I’m not surprised to be here at all. This was the sort of thing for which my sister was destined from the very start.’ Destined perhaps, but today you are beginning a process of walking through this door because of courage, humility, determination, and a commitment to excellence. Just as another person in American history, Ruby Bridges, walked through a critical door in our history, with her chin held high, her back held straight, and a fierce determination to make a difference, so you too today begin the process of walking through this next open door with the sort of sparkling wit, brilliant mind, and commitment to excellence that will make its mark in American history.”

Full audio and video available here. A transcript is provided below. 

Sen. Coons: Thank you, Chairman Durbin, Ranking Member Grassley. 

Judge Jackson, congratulations on your nomination. It is a joy and a blessing to welcome you and your family and your supporters here this morning. As both Senators Klobuchar and Cruz have laid out in great and forceful detail, the decisions of the United States Supreme Court have daily impact, regular bearing on the lived experience of Americans. That is, in part, why hearings for this important role are so contentious. 

I have been looking forward to this day since President Biden announced her nomination in February. And over the next several days, members of this committee will have the privilege of helping introduce you to the American people, so that they can gain the sense of confidence that I have in your values, your skills, your competence, and the necessity of confirming you to Supreme Court. We’ll be inviting you to speak directly to the American public and share the lived experiences, the strong qualifications, the judicial temperament, and the strength of character that made you not only an historic nominee to the Supreme Court, but an outstanding one as well.

I want to acknowledge upfront that President Biden selected you to fill the seat on the Court being vacated by Justice Breyer­—a Justice whom I admire and, in the work he’s done as a jurist over decades, has shown us a model of a Supreme Court Justice. In his 42 years on the federal bench, 30 years on the Supreme Court, he’s lived up to the highest ideals of American jurisprudence. He has served with wisdom, with fairness, and respect for the Constitution, the laws of our nation and its people. He has a keen legal mind and love of law that are obvious to anyone who has heard him ask questions or read his decisions, and certainly to someone who has clerked for him on the Supreme Court and who has the benefit of his mentorship over many, many years.

You’ve had broad experience in your stellar legal career that will make you a unique contributor to the Supreme Court. You’ve worked as a lawyer or as a judge in just about every level of our legal system—engaging in just about every area of federal law. Your experiences as a private practice attorney with large law firms, as a federal public defender, as vice chair of the U.S. Sentencing Commission in your near decade of service as a federal judge have giving you insights into the ways that our Constitution, our statutes, our sentencing guidelines, and judicial decisions all come together to directly impact individuals, families, and our community.

You’re able to perceive the full sweep of our law without losing sight of the human beings, the individuals, and families impacted by it caught up in it. And, it is critically important in my view that we have Justices on the Supreme Court with this practical and proximate view.

You began your legal career with the invaluable experience of clerking for judges at the federal district court, at the circuit court, and for Justice Breyer on the Supreme Court­­—judges appointed by presidents of both parties. You developed your career as a legal advocate in private practice, and in the Federal Public Defender Service. As part of this work, you took on complex cases involving challenging and unsettled areas of the law. You worked pro bono on behalf of clients without regard to their political views or the political consequences of those cases. And, you helped ensure bedrock constitutional guarantees in our legal system held strong, even in times of great stress and crisis. The work you did in these roles distinguished you as a talented appellate litigator with a formidable legal mind. 

You helped to craft policy as counsel to the U.S. Sentencing Commission, the independent agency within the judicial branch that establishes sentencing guidelines, followed by all federal judges and then years later, you served again on the commission as its vice chair. While on the U.S. Sentencing Commission, you partnered with colleagues whose perspective on the law span the ideological spectrum and together, you enacted meaningful reforms designed to reduce unjust disparities and increase fairness in sentencing.

In the days ahead, I expect to discuss your Sentencing Commission experience with you in some detail. Nearly all the decisions you were a part of while serving on the commission were unanimous, and they grew out of careful consideration of highly complex and numerous factors that involve commissioners working hard to achieve common ground. And in at least one notable instance, you ended up joining two conservative commissioners to oppose an amendment because you thought the law required a different result, and you followed the law. 

Something that often gets lost in our debates and discussions about the Supreme Court is that many and in some terms a majority of Supreme Court decisions are unanimous or decided by very broad majorities. These decisions are every bit as critical to the rule of law and the functioning and legitimacy of the court as the handful that are very continuous and widely discussed publicly. Your service on the Sentencing Commission and your time on the circuit court have prepared you to be a positive force for consensus among the justices in this challenging chapter in American history. 

I also think we will have some extended discussions this week about your record of service on the federal bench. You were confirmed to the Federal District Court for the District of Columbia in 2013 and have written more than 500 published opinions. You were confirmed to the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals last year. And in your near decade as a judge, you’ve authored opinions in cases spanning a myriad of complicated issues from administrative law to civil rights, from criminal and environmental matters to labor and employment law, national security and sovereign immunity, immigration law, and many more. 

Your rich, complex, and deep decisional record gives us the best possible evidence of what kind of Justice you will be, and I’ve concluded you are judicious and impartial—great qualities for a Justice. 

In every case, you methodically consider the parties’ arguments, the relevant facts, and the law—including, of course, the foundation of the Constitution, the text of applicable statues, and the precedents that apply. And ultimately, from what I’ve seen, you come to decision based on that methodology; not on any particular policy preferences or activism. 

This committee has also received a striking outpouring of support for your nomination from a very broad range of sources. I’m certain we’ll be hearing about some of the more enthusiastic statements and detail in the coming days. But in several of the letters I’ve had a chance to review personally, I’ve been struck. These were letters from lawyers that appointed positions in Republican administrations, letters from prominent law enforcement organizations, federal judges appointed by Republican presidents. They praise your qualifications, your character, your experience, and your commitment to even-handed and impartial judging and the role of law. 

This is the fourth Supreme Court nomination process in which I’m participated as a senator, and I know our role in confirming a justice to the highest court is among the most solemn obligations we have as senators. 

As we begin this week’s hearings, I remain hopeful that we can come together as a committee and engage in respectful, good faith, and bipartisan consideration of your nomination. I look forward to your testimony this week. I’m excited so many of my colleagues have had a chance to get to know you bit, to meet with you, to talk with you one-on-one, and get a sense of your character, your experiences, your background, and then we’ll have the opportunity to question you to bring that out in more detail.

I have every expectation that at the end of this week’s hearing it will be clear to all that you are impeccably qualified in the law, and I think it will be plain to any American watching, you have a demonstrated record of excellence, as a juror, you will decide cases as a Justice on the basis of facts and the law, and that you will be faithful to the constitution.

It is also my hope that folks will get to meet the family that shaped you. It was delightful to have a few moments to get to talk with your parents and your brother before we began today and to reflect on how having parents—graduates of HBCUs, public school teachers who then went on to great careers of accomplishments—Johnny Brown Esquire and Dr. Ellery Brown set a great standard.

But frankly to me, one of the most memorable sentences before this was in talking to your brother, Ketajh, who said, “Oh. I’m not surprised to be here at all. This was the sort of thing for which my sister was destined from the very start.” Destined perhaps, but today you are beginning a process of walking through this door because of courage, humility, determination, and a commitment to excellence. Just as another person in American history, Ruby Bridges, walked through a critical door in our history, with her chin held high, her back held straight, and a fierce determination to make a difference, so you too today begin the process of walking through this next open door with the sort of sparkling wit, brilliant mind, and commitment to excellence that will make its mark in American history. 

I look forward to your opening, and to this week. Thank you, your honor. 

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Senate celebrates AmeriCorps Week, salutes national service efforts in 40K American towns and cities

WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Senators Chris Coons (D-Del.) and Bill Cassidy, M.D. (R-La.), co-chairs of the National Service Congressional Caucus, celebrate AmeriCorps Week with the unanimous Senate adoption of a resolution honoring the invaluable contributions of AmeriCorps members and alumni. Every year, AmeriCorps enrolls more than 270,000 individuals to serve in communities across America, totaling more than one million alumni since the program’s founding in 1994. AmeriCorps members are engaged in 40,000 communities across the United States and serve veterans, students, seniors, and more. This week’s resolution celebrates the contributions of AmeriCorps members and alumni and AmeriCorps Seniors volunteers across the country.

“AmeriCorps members stepped up to meet urgent community needs during the pandemic, and as we continue to address challenges from education to conservation to hunger, I know that AmeriCorps stands ready to expand their members’ work in important ways,” said Senator Coons. “Benefitting 40,000 communities across all 50 states, it’s easy to see why AmeriCorps has broad bipartisan support in Congress. As we look to the future of AmeriCorps, I’m glad the Senate took a moment to celebrate the work of hardworking Americans to identify and overcome challenges in their own communities.”

“AmeriCorps members impact their communities and do everything from supporting veterans transitioning to civilian life to empowering students in the classroom,” said Dr. Cassidy.“This resolution honors their commitment to serve the most vulnerable around the country and here in Louisiana.”

“Across our nation, millions of Americans stepped up to serve their country through AmeriCorps and AmeriCorps Seniors. During AmeriCorps Week, we recognize their tireless effort to manage COVID-19 response, ensure students stay on track to graduate, combat hunger and homelessness, respond to natural disasters, fight the opioid epidemic, help seniors live independently, support veterans and military families, and much more,” said AmeriCorps CEO Michael D. Smith. “I thank the Congressional National Service Caucus co-chairs for introducing this important resolution to honor the invaluable contributions of AmeriCorps members and alumni. I look forward to continuing to work with Members of Congress to unite Americans from all walks of life through service to tackle our most pressing challenges.”

“For decades, AmeriCorps members have helped communities tackle their most pressing challenges, and service has never been more crucial than during COVID-19. Over the past two years, AmeriCorps members acted quickly and creatively to address gaps in services, and they will continue to be a critical resource as the nation begins to recover from the pandemic,” said AnnMaura Connolly, President of Voices for National Service. “Thank you to Senators Chris Coons and Bill Cassidy, and the bipartisan cosponsors for saluting these unsung service heroes and for elevating service. In the last year, Congress made historic investments in our national service programs that are helping to strengthen and expand AmeriCorps so more Americans of all ages and backgrounds have the opportunity to serve.”

Last year, Congress expanded the agency’s role and increased members’ living allowances, due in part to the outsized role of AmeriCorps members in communities’ pandemic response.

AmeriCorps, by the numbers:

• 270,000 members and volunteers in organizations dedicated to strengthening their community.
• 12,000 public, private, and charter schools supported by AmeriCorps tutors and mentors.
• 9,400 members and volunteers engaged in COVID-19 emergency response.
• 15.6 million pounds of food collected and distributed during the COVID-19 pandemic.
• 100,000 wellness checks conducted during the pandemic.
• Nearly 500,000 veterans and military families connected to education opportunities, jobs, and the benefits they have earned.
• 100,000 individuals assisted with job training and work placement programs annually.
• 365,000 elderly Americans provided with independent living services annually.

AmeriCorps in Delaware:

• $6.4 million in AmeriCorps investment, including more than $4.5 million in federal funding to support cost-effective community solutions, working hand in hand with local partners.
• 192 service locations and 1,327 members of all ages and backgrounds united to meet local needs, strengthen communities, and expand opportunity in Delaware.
• Approximately 4.9 million hours worked and more than $12.6 million in education awards earned by more than 3,400 Delaware residents since 1994.
• More than $5.3 million in education award payments to higher education institutions and other organizations in Delaware.

The full text of the resolution is available here.  

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Senator Coons statement on the death of Justice Randy Holland

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Chris Coons (D-Del.) today released the following statement after the death of former Delaware Supreme Court Justice Randy J. Holland:

“Justice Holland has left a legacy as a giant of the Delaware legal community, but those who knew him will also remember him for his thoughtful kindness and dedication to our state. No matter how busy he was or how often you talked to him, it was not uncommon to receive a handwritten note wishing you well, simply because that was who he was – a gracious man who took his role as a leader of our state seriously and served as a mentor to many. Annie and I will keep his wife Ilona and the rest of his family in our prayers tonight.”

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Carper, Coons, Blunt Rochester announce $8.9 million to help end homelessness

WASHINGTON — Today, U.S. Senators Tom Carper and Chris Coons, along with Representative Lisa Blunt Rochester (all D-Del.) announced the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) awarded $8,948,979 to 31 programs in Delaware that work to end homelessness and improve the lives of Delawareans.

This funding comes from the FY 2021 Continuum of Care (CoC) Competition Awards that aim to provide funding to communities to help individuals and families experiencing homelessness move into permanent housing with access to supportive services, with the overarching goal of long-term stability. The CoC program is the largest source of federal grant funding for homeless services and housing programs servicing people experiencing homelessness.

“Delaware has made great strides in its work to provide shelter and support to the homeless, but providing these folks with permanent housing continues to be a challenge,” said Senator Carper. “I am proud that the organizations receiving this funding will work together to help provide affordable permanent housing to so many Delawareans in need.”

“We need to dedicate resources to address the challenge of homelessness in our state,” said Senator Coons. “As the first Delaware senator on the Appropriations Committee in four decades, I’m proud to have helped deliver a broad array of resources to help ensure that all Delaware families have access to safe, sanitary, and affordable housing, and I’m glad to see some of this funding reaching dozens of amazing charitable organizations in Delaware who will use the money to provide housing and supportive services for our most vulnerable neighbors.”

“It’s of the utmost importance to me to ensure that Delawareans have access to safe, reliable, and affordable housing here in the First State,” said Representative Blunt Rochester. “I’m pleased that Delaware is receiving nearly $9 million in federal funding from HUD for 31 projects to do just that – help Delawareans experiencing homelessness secure permanent housing opportunities and homeless services through these projects.”

In Delaware, 31 projects were chosen and a full list can be found here. These projects aim to do the following:

• End homelessness for all persons experiencing homelessness;
• Use a Housing First approach;
• Reduce unsheltered homelessness and reduce the criminalization of homelessness;
• Improve system performance;
• Partner with housing and health agencies, including to leverage and coordinate American Rescue Plan resources;
• Advance racial equity and addressing racial disparities in homelessness; and
• Engage people with lived experience of homelessness in decision-making.

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Carper, Coons join colleagues in bipartisan, bicameral call for IRS to address taxpayer concerns

WASHINGTON — Today, U.S. Senators Tom Carper, senior member of the Senate Finance Committee that oversees the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), and Chris Coons (both D-Del.) joined Senators Bob Menendez (D-N.J.), Bill Cassidy, M.D. (R-La.) and a bipartisan, bicameral group of their colleagues in a letter that reiterates ongoing concerns and urges the IRS to provide much needed relief as the agency struggles to address customer service and processing issues. The IRS’s lack of action is causing unnecessary confusion, as the current tax filing season is underway.

“We remain concerned that the IRS does not have a comprehensive plan to remedy the numerous problems affecting taxpayers, despite the fact that this filing season is already well underway,” wrote the lawmakers to IRS Commissioner Charles Rettig. “For example, there is continued confusion about which notices may be unilaterally suspended by the IRS, beyond the notices the IRS has already suspended, among other issues.”

In the letter, the lawmakers requested the IRS to specifically address which notices are statutorily required to be issued within a specific time, and why there are still certain notices that have not yet been suspended.

Throughout the year, both Senators Carper and Coons have joined efforts to sound the alarm of ongoing issues at the IRS, including backlogs. In late January, Carper and Coons joined Menendez, Cassidy, and a group of their colleagues calling on the IRS to provide penalty relief for taxpayers – spurring the agency to temporarily halt some, but not all of the penalty notifications. In February, Carper and Coons once again joined Menendez, Cassidy, and colleagues urging the IRS to take immediate actions to reduce its massive backlog and improve its customer service for 2022 filing season.

This letter is supported by the Association of International Certified Professional Accountants (AICPA), Padgett Business Services, National Association of Enrolled Agents (NAEA), National Association of Tax Professionals (NATP), National Society of Accountants (NSA), National Conference of CPA Practitioners (NCCPAP), National Association of Black Accountants, Inc. (NABA), Latino Tax Pro, Diverse Organization of Firms Advocacy Committee , National Society of Black Certified Public Accountants (NSBCPA), Prosperity Now, and National Society of Tax Professionals (NSTP).

In addition to Sens. Carper, Coons, Menendez and Cassidy, the Senate version of the letter was signed by Sens. John Barrasso (R-Wyo.), Michael Bennet (D-Colo.), Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.), Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), Cory Booker (D-N.J.), John Boozman (R-Ark.), Mike Braun (R-Ind.), Richard Burr (R-N.C.), Shelly Moore Capito (R-W.Va.), Ben Cardin (D-Md.), Susan Collins (R-Maine), Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.), Mike Crapo (R-Idaho), Steve Daines (R-Mont.), Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.), Joni Ernst (R-Iowa), Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa), Tim Kaine (D-Va.), Mark Kelly (D-Ariz.), Angus King (I-Maine), Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), James Lankford (R-Okla.), Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.), Cynthia Lummis (R-Wyo.), Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.), Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska), Chris Murphy (D-Conn.), Rob Portman (R-Ohio), Jacky Rosen (D-Nev.), Tim Scott (R-S.C.), Tina Smith (D-Minn.), Debbie Stabenow (D-Mich.), John Thune (R-S.D.), Pat Toomey (R-Pa.), Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), Mark Warner (D-Va.), Raphael Warnock (D-Ga.), and Todd Young (R-Ind.).

The House of Representatives sent a similar letter, led by U.S. Representatives Jimmy Panetta (D-Calif.), Abigail Spanberger (D-Va.), Brian Higgins (D-N.Y.), Gus Bilirakis (R-Fla.), and Mike Kelly (R-Pa.).

The full text of the letter can be found here and below.

Dear Commissioner Rettig,

We appreciate the Internal Revenue Service (IRS)’s ongoing efforts to eliminate the unprecedented backlog at the IRS. We remain concerned that the IRS does not have a comprehensive plan to remedy the numerous problems affecting taxpayers, despite the fact that this filing season is already well underway. For example, there is continued confusion about which notices may be unilaterally suspended by the IRS, beyond the notices the IRS has already suspended, among other issues.

Given that the IRS has not provided us with any additional information since your last correspondence dated February 8, 2022, we ask for responses to the following questions, no later than the close of business on Monday, March 14, 2022:

1.     Which remaining unsuspended notices does the IRS have the authority to suspend? Please explain why the IRS has left these remaining notices unsuspended.

2.     Is the IRS in the process of working to suspend additional notices? If so, when will that work be completed?

3.     Which notices are statutorily required to be issued within a specific time? Would the IRS suspend these statutory notices if the IRS had the legal authority to do so?

4.     Explain why the IRS has not suspended notice CP2000, Notice of Underreported Income? 

5.     Notwithstanding the publication of Notice 2021-39, widespread controversy surrounding Schedules K-2 and K-3 remains, including recent additional instructions, the inability to electronically file, and lingering uncertainty surrounding many requirements. As such, is the IRS contemplating relief, such as delaying implementation to 2023?

6.     In early February, the IRS advised Congress that it was considering a systemic process to identify pending penalty abatement requests, and likewise evaluating penalty relief options. Has the IRS determined if it can provide penalty relief for taxpayers as previously offered by the IRS for the 2020 and 2021 tax year? If not, why not?

Thank you for your continued attention to this important matter. 

Sincerely,

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Congress votes to fund government, includes money for key Delaware projects

WASHINGTON — U.S. Senators Tom Carper (D-Del.) and Chris Coons (D-Del.), a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, voted last night to pass the Fiscal Year (FY) 2022 government spending package. The vote came a day after U.S. Representative Lisa Blunt Rochester (D-Del.) voted to pass the bill out of the U.S. House of Representatives.

This appropriations package includes funding for all government agencies and programs through the end of Fiscal Year 2022 in September as well as $97 million for key Delaware projects including a new fuel cell hangar for the Delaware Air National Guard, housing relief, health and education, parks improvements, and more. The bill also includes $13.6 billion in funding to aid Ukraine and the Ukrainian people facing the Russian military invasion, including over $4 billion in humanitarian aid.

“This critical funding bill will help communities up and down the First State,” said Senator Carper. “I’m proud that the congressional delegation secured funding that will foster economic development in disadvantaged neighborhoods, provide affordable housing and infrastructure investments, deliver health care to the far reaches of our state, improve public safety, and support our children. This legislation will help Delawareans and Americans for generations to come — and I’m delighted to send it to President Biden’s desk to be signed into law.”

“After months of negotiations, I am glad to pass a strong, bipartisan agreement on an appropriations package that will fund the government through September out of the Senate and onto President Biden’s desk,” said Senator Coons. “As the first Delaware senator in more than 40 years to serve on the Appropriations Committee, I am proud that this deal will fund critical government programs and invest in Delaware communities up and down the state – supporting better services, cleaner parks, and stronger infrastructure.”

“I am incredibly pleased to vote to fund the government and to fund nearly $100 million worth of projects back home in Delaware,” said Representative Blunt Rochester. “I am proud to have fought for funding that will make our communities healthier, safer, stronger, and even more resilient. These investments support under-resourced areas and foster economic development, making a real difference in the lives of so many Delawareans.”

Background: The appropriations package advanced today includes two components: (1) Programmatic Funding, which funds all federal government programs, and (2) Congressionally Directed Spending (CDS), which runs through the Senate and House Appropriations Committees and allows representatives and senators to target funding to specific projects in their home states. The appropriations package has now been passed by the House and Senate, and it is expected to be signed into law by President Biden early next week.

Some of the Delaware projects receiving funding in the appropriations package include:

• $17.5 Million for Hangar Replacement for the Delaware Air National Guard – This funding will replace the outdated Delaware Air National Guard Fuel Cell/Corrosion Control hangar at New Castle County Airport. The Fuel Cell/Corrosion Control hangar is one of two hangars required for the maintenance of the Delaware Air National Guard’s eight C-130 aircraft.
• $10 Million for the Kingswood Community Center at REACH Riverside – This funding will be used to build a new Kingswood Community Center (KCC) in the Riverside neighborhood of Wilmington. Specifically, this funding will invest in a new, state-of-the-art facility that can support program growth, offer important amenities to residents, and strengthen community resiliency. A new KCC is part of REACH Riverside’s effort to transform the Riverside neighborhood into a vibrant and healthy community by implementing the nationally recognized Purpose Built Communities model.
• $8 Million to National Institute for Innovation in Manufacturing Biopharmaceuticals (NIIMBL) – This funding will initiate a design-build construction effort for a current Good Manufacturing Practices (cGMP) facility at NIIMBL to be located on the UD STAR Campus that will focus on ways to develop and make innovative biopharmaceuticals at the clinical research scale.
• $3.5 Million for the Mental Health Therapist Fellowship Initiative at Jewish Family Services of Delaware – The purpose of this project is to establish a workforce development program to address Delaware’s growing mental health crisis, rising demand for counseling, and a lack of licensed mental health practitioners by creating paid fellowship positions for master’s degree-prepared and license-eligible counselors.
• $2 Million toward Reducing Inequity in Access to Solar Power – This project at Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control (DNREC) will support the installation of residential solar energy systems in low-and moderate-income households throughout Delaware.
• $11.6 Million toward Beach Nourishment – This funding for DNREC will support critical beach nourishment activities from Cape Henlopen to Fenwick Island and Rehoboth and Dewey Beaches. Maintaining Delaware’s beaches is critical to storm damage prevention and the First State’s economy.
• $8.95 Million toward Dredging for the Port of Wilmington – This funding helps maintain ship access channels for the Port of Wilmington. The Port is responsible for 5,900 direct, indirect, and induced jobs; annually produces $436 million in business revenue for Delaware; and supports more than $409 million in personal income for the state and the region.

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Coons-Cornyn bipartisan gun safety legislation heads to President Biden’s desk

WASHINGTON — Today, the U.S. Senate voted to pass the NICS Denial Notification Act, bipartisan gun safety legislation led by U.S. Senator Chris Coons (D-Del.) and John Cornyn (R-Texas), both members of the Senate Judiciary Committee. The bill was included in the Violence Against Women Act reauthorization which passed both chambers of Congress this week.

The NICS Denial Notification Act will help states enforce existing laws against individuals who “lie and try” to illegally purchase firearms with a fraudulent background check. The bill would require federal authorities to alert state and local law enforcement within 24 hours when a prohibited individual who tries to purchase a firearm fails a background check, which can be a warning sign of future criminal behavior.

“Every single Delawarean deserves to live free from fear, abuse, and violence,” said Senator Coons. “The reauthorization of VAWA is critical to ensure that we continue to prevent domestic violence and protect survivors of gender-based violence in homes across America. This isn’t just a reauthorized VAWA, it’s a modernized bill with critical new bipartisan protections to address modern challenges. That includes my commonsense bipartisan gun safety legislation with Senator Cornyn that will help prevent tragic acts of violence perpetrated by individuals who are prohibited from obtaining a gun under existing law.”

“After the tragic shooting in Sutherland Springs, Texas, I worked across the aisle to pass the FIX NICS Act, a critical piece of legislation to help close the gaps in the criminal background check system, but there is still work to be done,” said Senator Cornyn. “This legislation will ensure that when a prohibited person attempts to purchase a firearm, state and local law enforcement are alerted to further protect our communities.”

Federal officials are notified when individuals who are legally prohibited from purchasing a firearm, such as convicted felons, fugitives, and domestic abusers, fail a National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS) background check during an attempt to purchase a firearm. Unfortunately, federal and state authorities rarely prosecute any of these individuals.

In 13 states, state officials contact the NICS system to conduct background checks, and so state authorities are already aware when prohibited persons fail a background check, and local law enforcement can then investigate these cases. However, in the 37 states and the District of Columbia that rely on the FBI to run some or all their background checks, local authorities generally are not aware when a person in their area fails a background check. Individuals who are willing to “lie and try” to buy a gun may be dangerous and more likely to obtain guns through other means. As a result, these states and D.C. lack crucial law enforcement intelligence that could be used to keep their communities safe.

The NICS Denial Notification Act:

• Requires federal authorities to alert state and local law enforcement of background check denials, so that these authorities can decide whether to investigate or prosecute these denied individuals.
• Requires the Department of Justice to publish an annual report with statistics about its prosecution of background check denial cases, so Congress and voters can hold officials accountable.

The bill text is available here. 

The legislation is also co-sponsored by U.S. Senators Marco Rubio (R-Fla.), Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.), Susan Collins (R-Maine), Tom Carper (D-Del.), James Lankford (R-Okla.), Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), Pat Toomey (R-Pa.), Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.), Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.), Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa), Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.), Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska), and Dick Durbin (D-Ill.). Companion legislation was led in the U.S. House of Representatives by U.S. Representatives Mike Quigley (D-Ill.), Brian Fitzpatrick (R-Pa.), Eric Swalwell (D-Calif.), and Mario Díaz-Balart (R-Fla.).

The NICS Denial Notification Act is endorsed by the Fraternal Order of Police, the Major Cities Chiefs Association, the Federal Law Enforcement Officers Association, the National District Attorneys Association, the National Domestic Violence Hotline, the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence, Everytown for Gun Safety, Giffords, and Brady: United Against Gun Violence.

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