ICYMI: Senator Coons stresses respect and faith at 70th National Prayer Breakfast

WILMINGTON, Del. – In case you missed it, U.S. Senator Chris Coons (D-Del.) spoke at the 70th Annual Prayer Breakfast this past week. During his speech, Senator Coons emphasized the importance of faith and prayer in tumultuous times and stressed the role faith plays in leadership and confronting injustice. The National Prayer Breakfast also featured the remarks of keynote speaker Bryan Stevenson, the Milton, Del.-born founder and Executive Director of the Equal Justice Initiative, as well as President Biden, Vice President Harris, and other congressional leaders.

Religion News Service: Sen. Chris Coons: This year’s National Prayer Breakfast is a ‘reset’

“I think this year is a positive reset that allows us to focus on the original mission of the prayer breakfast, which was a much narrower engagement between Congress, the President, and some inspirational singers and speakers,” said Coons, a Democrat.

“This is the 70th anniversary of the National Prayer Breakfast. Every president has spoken every year for 70 years,” Coons said. “I think that sends an important message: Even in times of difficulty and division, even as the control of the White House and Congress changes party, we can come together in a nonsectarian celebration of prayer in the spirit of Jesus — with people from a wide range of faith backgrounds — and still find time to listen to each other, to respect each other and to pray together.”

“It is a great day for Delaware,” he said. “I look forward to remaining engaged as the National Prayer Breakfast continues to navigate its next chapter and explore what it should look like as we come out of the pandemic.”

Washington Post: At National Prayer Breakfast, Biden asks why unity remains elusive

Sen. Christopher A. Coons (D-Del.), a close Biden ally and one of the organizers of the prayer breakfast, promised this year’s event would be a “positive reset.” With Trump gone, the breakfast returned to its roots as an event to showcase unity and tradition, however unusual in these times.

Christian Broadcasting Network: ‘Bridges of Friendship’: Sen. Chris Coons Tells CBN News Why National Prayer Breakfast is Important for Lawmakers

“I’ve had a chance to hear really powerful moving stories from some of the most conservative Republican members of the Senate and it’s felt real bridges of friendship for us,” he said. “And I hope the weeks that I’ve spoken, they’ve seen the same that even though they think I’m terribly misguided and have awful policy ideas that I’m actually not that bad a person and a decent Christian and someone who is caring and a good friend.”

“My prayer is that we would still the noise, the anger, that we would make quiet our hearts and make space in our lives for that which moves us, grounds us, inspires us, and allows us to see the divine in each other,” Coons said.

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Sens. Coons, Boozman, French Caucus introduce legislation for a commemorative bench in Rock Creek Park in memory of diplomat Jean Monnet

WASHINGTON — Today, U.S. Senators Chris Coons (D-Del.) and John Boozman (R-Ark.) and U.S. Representatives Bob Latta (R-Ohio), Bill Keating (D-Mass.), Joe Wilson (R-S.C.), and Adam Schiff (D-Calif.), all Congressional French Caucus co-chairs, introduced legislation to install a commemorative bench in Washington D.C.’s Rock Creek Park dedicated to Jean Monnet, a French diplomat and entrepreneur known as a founding father of the European Union.

Monnet served as a key diplomat during World War II, going to Washington on France’s behalf to meet with President Franklin D. Roosevelt to negotiate a massive aircraft purchase at the start of the war. Later, after France was invaded by Nazi Germany, Monnet was sent to Washington by British Prime Minister Winston Churchill to negotiate with American authorities and deliver much-needed supplies for the British. English economist John Maynard Keynes stated that these efforts of Jean Monnet shortened the war by one year. During his diplomatic work in Washington, Monnet was an avid hiker in Rock Creek Park and often called it “my park.”

“Jean Monnet was a visionary who helped save millions of lives by shortening the Second World War and led the way in uniting the European continent to face the challenges and opportunities of the post-war era,” said Senator Coons. “Amid his consequential work in Washington, Jean Monnet found peace in the varied landscapes of Rock Creek Park. By placing a commemorative bench inside the park, we will honor and remember Jean Monnet’s important legacy of peacebuilding.”

“Jean Monnet spent a lifetime fostering stronger relationships between France, the United States and all of Europe,” said Senator Boozman. “His contributions helped promote peace and prosperity for our citizens, and I’m pleased to join my colleagues in recognizing his legacy through this commemorative tribute.”

“Jean Monnet was a distinguished French diplomat who was instrumental to the establishment of the European Union and was a prominent ally of the United States,” said Representative Latta. “France and the United States share a rich history of collaboration bonded by shared values, including life, liberty, and equality. During Mr. Monnet’s time in Washington, D.C., he enjoyed long walks near Rock Creek Park near his residence. He claimed that walks through Rock Creek Park helped him think and develop plans to achieve peace and unity in Europe. A commemorative bench in Rock Creek Park appropriately honors Mr. Monnet’s legacy and serves as a reminder for all who experience it to work towards a more peaceful world. As the co-chair of the Congressional French Caucus, I am proud to be a small part of this dedication with my colleagues.”

“As world events continue to show the importance of our transatlantic alliance, I am proud to be the co-chair of the House’s French Caucus,” said Representative Keating, Chairman of the Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on Europe. “France is America’s oldest ally and this bench, honoring the visionary Jean Monnet, is a celebration of this long-standing partnership. It is also a celebration of our larger partnership with the European Union, of which Monnet was one of the founding fathers. Let us hope this bench will serve as a place for people to come together in discussion of ideals for a better world.”

“As a founder of what is now the European Union, Jean Monnet’s global legacy remains steadfast. Commemorating a bench in his beloved Rock Creek Park is just one small gesture in recognizing his contributions to peace in Europe and the world,” said Representative Wilson. “The Embassy of France’s role in leading this effort is very much appreciated, and as a co-chair of the Congressional French Caucus, I’m grateful to cosponsor this bill.”

“Thanks to great visionaries like Jean Monnet, the United States and the European Union continue to share an enduring commitment to defending peace and liberty around the world and to standing together in the face of great challenges,” said Representative Schiff. “I hope this small token of respect will inspire others to follow in his footsteps, and celebrate the democratic values that unite us all.”

The bill text is available here.

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[VIDEO] Sen. Coons at 2022 National Prayer Breakfast: Faith is ‘a call to see and to address injustice in our nation and world’

WASHINGTON — Today, U.S. Senator Chris Coons (D-Del.) spoke at the 70th Annual Prayer Breakfast and introduced keynote speaker Bryan Stevenson, the Milton, Del.-born founder and Executive Director of the Equal Justice Initiative, a human rights organization in Montgomery, Alabama. During his remarks, Senator Coons expressed the importance of faith and prayer during periods of turmoil and emphasized the need to confront both racial inequality of the past and of the present.

“As Bryan has said, our nation’s history of racial injustice casts a shadow that can’t be lifted until we shine the light of truth on the destructive violence that shaped our nation that traumatized people of color and compromised our commitment to the rule of law and to equal justice,” said Senator Coons. “For all of us, our faith is an important part of what comforts us and sustains us and helps us engage with others in these difficult times, but it is also a charge, a call to see and to address injustice in our nation and world when and where we see it.”

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

Sen. Coons: Good morning. This is the day the Lord has made. Let us rejoice and be glad in it.

Mr. President, Madam Vice President, we are so blessed to have you with us and looking forward to your remarks this morning. Leader Schumer and Senator McConnell, thank you. Clergy, colleagues, friends, welcome to this 2022 National Prayer Breakfast. It’s a blessing to be back together in person as we fight our way through this pandemic with both hope and prayer.

Bryan Stevenson has dedicated his life to representing criminal defendants through his Equal Justice Initiative which provides free legal services to the unjustly convicted. Thanks to its work, at least 125 Americans have been spared the death penalty. If you haven’t read Bryan’s book, Just Mercy, or seen the movie based on his work, you’re in for a powerful experience this morning.

Bryan was born in Milton, Delaware, where his parents raised him and his siblings to be deeply rooted in their faith and taught them at an early age, the power of prayer. His father, Howard, instilled in his children the conviction that faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things unseen. His upbringing in that faith fed his determination to see injustices undone.

When I first met with Bryan a decade ago in Montgomery, our first conversation, yes, was about his years of determined and hard work exonerating the innocent, but also his stunning vision for how our nation could more honestly confront the legacy of slavery, of lynching, and of segregation. We spent hours talking late into the night as he described for me a vision of a national monument to the terror of lynching, a memorial, a nationwide series of markers and a community-based effort at reconciling and repairing the harms of decades of domestic terrorism rooted in racism.

Years later, in 2018, his National Memorial for Peace and Justice opened in Montgomery. I’ve seen firsthand this powerful memorial and its impact on our home state of Delaware, where the history of our most notorious lynching has now been both confronted and memorialized as a result. And last year, the Equal Justice Initiative opened the Legacy Museum in Montgomery, confronting the history of racial inequality from slavery to modern day mass incarceration.

As Bryan has said, our nation’s history of racial injustice casts a shadow that can’t be lifted until we shine the light of truth on the destructive violence that shaped our nation that traumatized people of color and compromised our commitment to the rule of law and to equal justice. For all of us, our faith is an important part of what comforts us and sustains us and helps us engage with others in these difficult times, but it is also a charge, a call to see and to address injustice in our nation and world when and where we see it.

For his leadership rooted in faith, confronting our nation’s original sin of slavery, Bryan Stevenson has been recognized far and wide. He has a hopeful message for us about how we can make both mercy and justice real in our nation. Let’s listen for his word. Bryan…

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Carper, Coons press for funding for PFAS research & remediation

WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Senators Tom Carper and Chris Coons (both D-Del.) joined their colleagues on a bipartisan letter urging President Biden to prioritize robust funding to combat per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in the fiscal year (FY) 2023 budget request to Congress. The letter asks for funding to support agencies and programs that will help close gaps in PFAS research, protect public health and the environment from PFAS contamination and support testing and cleanup of contaminated sites.

“PFAS chemicals have emerged as widespread contaminants affecting thousands of communities across the country, causing significant concern for those drinking contaminated water or facing significant exposures through their work or military service,” the senators began. “The prevalence of PFAS combined with the adverse health impacts associated with exposure—including developmental effects, changes in liver, immune, and thyroid function and increased risk of some cancers—requires a comprehensive approach.”

“We encourage you to provide detailed funding plans for a broad range of agencies and programs in your budget request to Congress for Fiscal Year 2023 to address the scale and scope of the challenges presented by PFAS,” they wrote. “Specifically, we ask that your budget request include dedicated funding to close gaps in data and research to better inform responses and drive innovation. Second, we urge prioritization of regulatory work necessary to enhance protections for public health and the environment. Finally, we encourage robust funding to support ongoing testing and cleanup of existing contamination nationwide.”

In addition to Senators Carper and Coons, U.S. Senators Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.), Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), Susan Collins (R-Maine), Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.), Richard Durbin (D-Ill.), Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.), Maggie Hassan (D-N.H.), Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.), John Hickenlooper (D-Colo.), Mark Kelly (D-Ariz.), Angus King (I-Maine), Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.), Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.), Ed Markey (D-Mass.), Alex Padilla (D-Calif.), Gary Peters (D-Mich), Jack Reed (D-R.I.), Jacky Rosen (D-Nev.), Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), Kyrsten Sinema (D-Ariz.), Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.), Tina Smith (D-Minn.), Debbie Stabenow (D-Mich), Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), Raphael Warnock (D-Ga.), Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.) and Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) also signed onto the letter.                                     

The full text of the letter is available here.

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[VIDEO] Sen. Coons announces Nobel Peace Prize nomination in discussion of Sudan’s imperiled transition to democracy

WASHINGTON — On Tuesday, U.S. Senator Chris Coons (D-Del.), a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, announced that he included several Sudanese grassroots organizations among a slate of nominees for the Nobel Peace Prize during a hearing about the Biden administration’s strategy for addressing the political crisis in Sudan.

Among the people and organizations that Senator Coons has nominated for the Peace Prize are the Sudan Resistance Committees and Central Committee of Sudan Doctors, groups that have played a pivotal role in Sudan’s peaceful revolution and pro-democracy protests in response to the October 25 military coup that has brought Sudan’s nearly three-year transition out of dictatorship and towards democracy to a halt.

Citing his continued work to support Sudan’s transition to democracy, Senator Coons said at the hearing that “We’ve made a significant down payment on a democratic future for Sudan, but I’m gravely concerned that this transition is badly off track, and without active diplomatic engagement and some strong and decisive action by the United States, this transition may effectively be dead. To live up to the commitments that we’ve made to the Sudanese people to support their aspirations, we have to take a greater leadership role.”

Senator Coons continued, “I’ve just submitted a nomination for the Nobel Peace Prize for Sudan’s Resistance Committees and the Central Committee of Sudan Doctors. I hope you will work to make sure that they are at the center of any political process.”

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

Sen. Coons: Thank you Chairman Menendez, Ranking Member Risch. And Chairman Menendez, thank you for convening this hearing and for ensuring that Sudan remains high on this committee’s agenda at this critical time to see a full committee hearing on the ongoing crisis in Sudan, with robust participation from Democrats and Republicans is genuinely encouraging. Assistant Secretary Phee, it’s great to see you again. Thank you for your service and your focus on this critical issue, and Deputy Administrator Coleman, good to see you as well. I’ve worked hard over recent years to support Sudan’s peaceful revolution, the inspiring civilian-led nationwide uprising that as one of the most successful grassroots pro-democracy movements in recent years, actually overthrew a brutal dictator, who had repressed the people of Sudan for decades and committed genocide. We’ve worked hard on the appropriation of over a billion dollars in both economic aid and as my friend and colleague, Senator Van Hollen was just referencing, important debt relief to help support a transition to civilian government. We’ve made a significant down payment on a democratic future for Sudan, but I’m gravely concerned that this transition is badly off track, and without active diplomatic engagement and some strong and decisive action by the United States, this transition may effectively be dead. To live up to the commitments that we’ve made to the Sudanese people to support their aspirations, we have to take a greater leadership role, and I’m grateful for the steps you’ve been taking Madam Assistant Secretary. As a number of my colleagues have asked, a lack of accountability for atrocities committed in Darfur and throughout Sudan, the killing of protesters in recent years, and the recent coup, all of this has established a pattern of impunity for military leaders who kill and harm unarmed civilians and peaceful protesters. We’ve seen that continued in recent weeks. As the military has systematically arrested and even assassinated some of the most effective community organizers and obstructed injured protesters from getting needed medical care. I’ve introduced the Sudan Democracy Act to sanction those involved in these activities, and others who undermine democracy and human rights and the networks that sustain them. The administration has publicly stated they’ll hold military authorities responsible. What does this mean in practice? How will you hold them accountable? And what does your previous comment that the security forces are not monolithic mean for a path forward, where we could somehow secure a transition to a wholly civilian government?

Assistant Secretary Phee: Thank you, Senator. First of all, for your engagement and involvement in this important issue, and for your assessment of the challenges that we face. I do believe I said to the Chairman, this hearing is a terrific way to reinforce the administration’s diplomacy and signal to all the parties of Sudan that we are with the civilians, we are with this transition, and it needs to move forward if they want to have any kind of partnership with us. And so that’s been basically the bottom line, how we implement it. We’ve talked to Senator Coons about using authorities that exist. We’ve talked about developing new authorities, and we’ve talked – we’re working very hard right now at nontraditional methods of pressure, particularly in terms of, for example, the illicit gold mining that takes place, and we’re also looking at the many enterprises that are owned by security forces. So, there’s a lot of active effort underway to augment the already significant pressure that we’ve discussed, from the suspension of both debt relief and bilateral and multilateral assistance.

Sen. Coons: Well, as the Chairman mentioned, if you need additional authorities, please do communicate that to this committee. I’m concerned the military will simply organize elections that are sham elections in 2023 that they’ll use to legitimize their role next year. How are we working with our regional partners, our allies, and relevant Sudanese stakeholders to prevent that outcome, which thousands and thousands of civilians have taken to the streets to prevent and that they’ve consistently spoken out against and rejected.

Assistant Secretary Phee: That’s a valid concern. However, the military leaders have claimed that they want international support for those elections. If we want to be in a position to provide that support, and of course, that would be geared towards credible and transparent elections. And also the Sudanese people, as we’ve seen, I’m confident would not participate in any sort of Potemkin type election. We talked earlier, Senator Coons, and I think it’s worth emphasizing about the importance of making clear, particularly to our Arab partners and Israel who engage in Sudan, that the prospect of security from a military-led government is not a true reality. It cannot – that cannot work, Sudan’s history shows that. The fact that the security forces are split is not necessarily a positive situation, but it does mean that they, like the civilians, because there are fractures and fissures, may be unwilling collectively, to do it as severe repression and a severe crackdown. That’s what we’ve been trying to say to them. Don’t go that path. Don’t be the leaders that lost Sudan. Be the leaders that affected this transition. So it’s a tricky balance, frankly.

Sen. Coons: Well, there’s a number of us who look forward to working with you on that. I’ve just submitted a nomination for the Nobel Peace Prize for Sudan’s Resistance Committees and the Central Committee of Sudan Doctors. I hope you will work to make sure that they are at the center of any political process. I look forward, Deputy Administrator Coleman, to hearing an update about how the administration is planning to leverage the $700 million in frozen funds, and I hope that we will consult in advance as you craft the broader framework for the U.S.-Africa Leaders Summit later this year. With that, Mr. Chairman, thank you.

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Senator Coons announces new Press Secretary

WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Senator Chris Coons (D-Del.) announced the hiring of Maddie McComb as his new Press Secretary.

“I’m glad to have Maddie on my team to work with reporters in Washington and Delaware to help spread the word about my legislative priorities and my work in Delaware and the halls of Congress,” said Senator Coons. “I’m confident she’ll continue the tradition of hardworking, dynamic professionals who have served on my communications team as we tackle urgent challenges at home and abroad.”

Before joining Senator Coons’ office, McComb served as Communications Director for Congresswoman Susan Wild (D-Pa.), where she worked to localize the success of the American Rescue Plan and the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act. Prior to working in the House of Representatives, McComb was a Regional Press Secretary at the Democratic National Committee, focusing on the Midwest and youth voters. She started her career as a staff assistant to former Senator Kamala D. Harris. She is originally from Lower Merion, Pennsylvania and will be based in Washington, D.C.

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Sens. Carper, Coons join colleagues in call for IRS to provide penalty relief for taxpayers as IRS faces extensive processing backlogs

WILMINGTON, Del. — U.S. Senators Tom Carper and Chris Coons (both D-Del.) yesterday joined Senators Bob Menendez (D-N.J.) and Bill Cassidy (R-La.) and a bipartisan, bicameral group of their colleagues in sending a letter to Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen and Internal Revenue Service (IRS) Commissioner Charles Rettig calling on the U.S. Department of the Treasury and the IRS to provide penalty relief for taxpayers amid extensive, ongoing processing backlogs at the IRS.

“While the COVID-19 pandemic has strained every federal agency, the impact on the IRS has been particularly severe,” wrote the group of lawmakers. “As of December 23, 2021, the IRS continued to have a backlog of 6 million Forms 1040 (Individual Income Tax Returns) and 2.3 million amended individual tax returns. In addition, the IRS has 2 million Forms 941 (Employer Quarterly Tax Returns) that must be processed before the nearly 500,000 amended Forms 941 can be processed.”

The lawmakers noted the delayed processing of amended returns has been particularly devastating to small businesses whose applications for emergency loans from the Small Business Administration have been caught in limbo nearly two years after the COVID-19 pandemic began.

“Recognizing the extraordinary challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic, in addition to the IRS operating with antiquated technology and a constrained budget, we find the current situation alarming. We stand ready to support the IRS and look forward to hearing how we can help you address any obstacles facing the agency. However, we respectfully request the IRS consider the following measures to bring immediate relief to taxpayers, and reduce the backlog, during this tax filing season,” the lawmakers added. “…While we recognize no single action will alleviate issues that have resulted from difficulties at the IRS spanning administrations of both political parties, these steps would provide our constituents with greater certainty as we enter this year’s filing season.”

This effort is supported by the Tax Professionals United for Taxpayer Relief Coalition, which includes the American Institute of CPAs (AICPA), National Association of Enrolled Agents (NAEA), Padgett Business Services, H&R Block, Latino Tax Professional Association, National Association of Tax Professionals (NATP), National Society of Tax Professionals (NSTP), National Society of Accountants (NSA), National Society of Black Certified Public Accountants (NSBCPA), National Conference of CPA Practitioners (NCCPAP), Diverse Organization of Firms Advocacy Committee, National Association of Black Accountants (NABA), and Prosperity Now.

The House version of the letter was led by U.S. Representatives Linda Sánchez (D-Calif.-38), Darin LaHood (R-Ill.-18), Richard Neal (D-Mass.-01), Vern Buchanan (R-Fla.-16), Mike Thompson (D-Calif.-05), Tom Rice (R-S.C.-07), Bill Pascrell (D-N.J.-09), Drew Ferguson (R-Ga.-03), Judy Chu (D-Calif.-27), and Ron Estes (R-Kan.-04). 

In addition to Sens. Carper, Coons, Menendez, and Cassidy, the letter was signed by Sens. Cory Booker (D-N.J.), Michael Bennet (D-Colo.), Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio), Ben Cardin (D-Md.), Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.), Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.), Tim Kaine (D-Va.), Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.), Cynthia Lummis (R-Wyo.), Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.), Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), Chris Murphy (D-Conn.), Jacky Rosen (D-Nev.), Debbie Stabenow (D-Mich.), Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), Mark Warner (D-Va.), Raphael Warnock (D-Ga.), and Ron Wyden (D-Ore.). 

Full text of the letter can be found here and below.

Dear Secretary Yellen and Commissioner Rettig,

As the 2022 tax filing season fast approaches, we are concerned about the unprecedented challenges facing the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) and the ongoing impact on our constituents. While the COVID-19 pandemic has strained every federal agency, the impact on the IRS has been particularly severe. As of December 23, 2021, the IRS continued to have a backlog of 6 million Forms 1040 (Individual Income Tax Returns) and 2.3 million amended individual tax returns.  In addition, the IRS has 2 million Forms 941 (Employer Quarterly Tax Returns) that must be processed before the nearly 500,000 amended Forms 941 can be processed.

In many cases, the delayed processing of amended returns has been devastating to small businesses in our communities whose applications for emergency loans from the Small Business Administration have been caught in limbo nearly two years after the COVID-19 pandemic began. The situation has deteriorated to a point that the Taxpayer Advocate Service (TAS) will no longer accept cases solely involving the processing of amended returns. This has made it impossible for frustrated taxpayers to find any help.  When our constituents cannot get assistance from the IRS and TAS, they contact us, and we have our hands tied at this point as well. 

Recognizing the extraordinary challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic, in addition to the IRS operating with antiquated technology and a constrained budget, we find the current situation alarming. We stand ready to support the IRS and look forward to hearing how we can help you address any obstacles facing the agency. However, we respectfully request the IRS consider the following measures to bring immediate relief to taxpayers, and reduce the backlog, during this tax filing season:

• Halt automated collections from now until at least 90 days after April 18, 2022;
• Delay the collection process for filers until any active and pending penalty abatement requests have been processed;
• Streamline the reasonable cause penalty abatement process for taxpayers impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic without the need for written correspondence; 
• Provide targeted tax penalty relief for taxpayers who paid at least 70 percent of the tax due for the 2020 and 2021 tax year; and
• Expedite processing of amended returns and provide TAS and congressional caseworkers with timely responses.

While we recognize no single action will alleviate issues that have resulted from difficulties at the IRS spanning administrations of both political parties, these steps would provide our constituents with greater certainty as we enter this year’s filing season. Thank you for your attention to this urgent matter and the dedication of the IRS and Treasury personnel to improving the filing process in these extraordinary times.

Sincerely,

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Senator Coons’ statement on the retirement of Supreme Court Justice Stephen Breyer

WILMINGTON, Del. – U.S. Senator Chris Coons (D-Del.), a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, released the following statement on the retirement of Supreme Court Justice Stephen Breyer:

“In his 42 years on the federal bench and his nearly 30 years on the Supreme Court, Stephen Breyer has lived up to the highest values of American jurisprudence. He has served with wisdom, fairness, and respect for both America’s laws and its people. Whether writing for the majority or in dissent, Justice Breyer has brought his thoughtful and pragmatic voice to advance civil rights, women’s access to health care, and voting rights.

“President Biden has nominated qualified men and women of the highest intellectual and moral character to serve on the federal bench. I look forward to meeting with the President’s nominee and working with my colleagues on the Senate Judiciary Committee to ensure a timely confirmation.”

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Lawmakers push for rapid implementation of historic ALS research law

WASHINGTON – Last week, U.S. Senators Chris Coons (D-Del.), the co-chair of the ALS Caucus, and Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska), a member of the Senate ALS Caucus, along with U.S. Representatives Mike Quigley (D-Ill.) and Jeff Fortenberry (R-Neb.), called on the administration to rapidly implement their ACT for ALS Act, historic legislation that President Biden signed into law on December 23. 

The law authorized new grant programs and partnerships that will deepen research into amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS); facilitate better collaboration between public, industry, and academic partners; and provide broader access to promising therapy candidates in ongoing clinical trials. The lawmakers, who introduced and championed the bill, called for several agencies — including Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and National Institutes of Health (NIH) — to fund the law’s fast implementation using resources in the proposed fiscal year 2022 appropriations bills released by both chambers’ appropriations committees.

“The passage of this momentous legislation represents not just a path forward for finding effective treatments and cures for ALS, but also hope for people living with ALS and their families. It is critical to move quickly to fully implement the Act to transform ALS innovation and accelerate progress toward a cure for people living with ALS and other rare neurodegenerative diseases,” the lawmakers wrote in a letter. “Enhancing access to promising therapies now while strengthening and accelerating research into ALS puts us on a fast track to truly effective treatments and, one day, a cure.”

The lawmakers stated, “As you know, the authorization period for ACT for ALS runs from fiscal year (FY) 2022 through FY 2026. As members of the Appropriations Committees in our respective chambers, we urge HHS to immediately implement the law. Congress has demonstrated a strong and consistent commitment to the research infrastructure within HHS and we intend to continue our record of supporting that invaluable work, including the new requirements authorized by ACT for ALS.”

Full text of the letter can be found here and below.

Dear Secretary Becerra, Acting Director Tabak, Director Koroshetz, and Acting Commissioner Woodcock:

We write to you today on the heels of an historic victory for people living with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and other rare neurodegenerative diseases. Owing in large part to the advocacy of people living with ALS and their families and researchers who have dedicated their careers to finding effective treatments and cures for ALS, Congress passed and President Biden signed into law the Accelerating Access to Critical Therapies for ALS Act, or ACT for ALS (P.L. 117-79), which we led in our respective chambers. The passage of this momentous legislation represents not just a path forward for finding effective treatments and cures for ALS, but also hope for people living with ALS and their families. It is critical to move quickly to fully implement the Act to transform ALS innovation and accelerate progress toward a cure for people living with ALS and other rare neurodegenerative diseases.

We are deeply grateful for President Biden’s support for this bill and for Secretary Becerra for joining the signing ceremony. The President echoed this message of hope when he signed the bill. The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), including the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the National Institutes of Health (NIH), played vital roles in shaping the final version of this Act. This collaboration goes back to early 2020 when a number of our offices worked closely with FDA and NIH to identify existing resources to offer open label extension to patients in a particular trial. The bill that was ultimately passed by both chambers of Congress reflects a collaborative process and a good-faith effort to ensure that the legislation would achieve its goals while assuring the integrity of clinical trials.

As you know, the authorization period for ACT for ALS runs from fiscal year (FY) 2022 through FY 2026. As members of the Appropriations Committees in our respective chambers, we urge HHS to immediately implement the law. Congress has demonstrated a strong and consistent commitment to the research infrastructure within HHS and we intend to continue our record of supporting that invaluable work, including the new requirements authorized by ACT for ALS.

Section 2 of ACT for ALS directs NIH to make grants to clinical trial sites for the purpose of enabling expanded access to promising treatments for ALS. In FY 2021, Congress provided $2,513,393,000 to the National Institute of Neurological Disease and Stroke (NINDS). The House-passed bill for FY 2022 would increase that amount by over $286 million, while the Senate proposed bill would increase it by over $210 million. We urge NINDS to implement this important program immediately and to the greatest scale feasible upon the enactment of appropriations for the Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies for FY 2022. We believe it is crucial to begin helping individuals living with ALS who cannot access promising treatments through an existing a clinical trial using this new appropriation for 2022. Making grants now will not only give many people with ALS the chance to slow the disease; it will also begin the collection of new, valuable research data from individuals who are not eligible for clinical trials, contributing to the body of knowledge that can accelerate cures for this and other devastating neurodegenerative diseases.

Section 5 of ACT for ALS directs FDA to award grants and contracts to public and private researchers for the purposes of research and development of interventions for rare neurodegenerative diseases, including ALS. It is critical that this Rare Neurodegenerative Disease Grant Program is implemented immediately to begin accelerating FDA-directed high- impact research into rare neurodegenerative diseases. The report accompanying the House bill which provides FY 2022 appropriations for FDA (H. Rept. 117-82) notes the inclusion of an additional $5 million for the Orphan Products Grant Program for the purposes of ALS clinical trials and investments in regulatory science. Should this amount be included in the final FY 2022 bill, we expect it to begin to satisfy the requirements of Section 5 for FY 2022. We will work with HHS and the FDA to assure appropriate funding in future years.

In addition, we look forward to the development of FDA’s ALS and Other Rare Neurodegenerative Disease Action Plan and the HHS Public-Private Partnership for Rare Neurodegenerative Diseases. We look forward to collaborating with HHS on fulfilling the statutory deadlines for the publishing of the Action Plan and the implementation of the Public- Private Partnership by June 23, 2022 and December 23, 2022, respectively.

This bill represents hope for the future for people living with ALS and their families, and we are dedicated to begin realizing that hope. Enhancing access to promising therapies now while strengthening and accelerating research into ALS puts us on a fast track to truly effective treatments and, one day, a cure.

Thank you for your partnership as we fight to end ALS. ACT for ALS is a major milestone in the effort to find treatments and cures for this cruel disease, and we are grateful for HHS’s work. We look forward to working with you in the coming weeks and months to ensure that people living with ALS are able to access promising therapies in line with Congressional intent.

Sincerely,

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