Sen. Coons’ statement on diplomatic boycott of Beijing 2022 Olympics

WASHINGTON — Today, U.S. Senator Chris Coons (D-Del.), a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, released the following statement on the Biden administration’s announcement of a diplomatic boycott of Beijing’s Winter Olympics, set to take place in February 2022. 

“I’m pleased to see the Biden administration’s announcement today of a diplomatic boycott of Beijing’s 2022 Winter Olympics. China’s gross mistreatment of Uyghur Muslims in Xinjiang Province, its crackdown on free speech and democracy activists in Hong Kong, its arbitrary detention of Tibetans, and its method of using sophisticated technology for social and political control domestically are deeply concerning. I’m glad that President Biden is placing human rights at the center of American foreign policy, and I hope other nations and corporate sponsors will consider joining this boycott to call attention to those defending free, open, and inclusive societies in China and around the world.”

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ICYMI Sen. Coons in Foreign Affairs: Peace is still possible in Ethiopia

WILMINGTON, Del. — In case you missed it, U.S. Senator Chris Coons (D-Del.), a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and chairman of the State and Foreign Operations (SFOPS) Appropriations Subcommittee, published an op-ed in Foreign Affairs on the ongoing conflict and humanitarian crisis in Ethiopia. In the op-ed, Senator Coons calls for Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed and his government as well as the Tigrayan Peoples’ Liberation Front (TPLF) to lead the way and create conditions under which both sides to the conflict can negotiate and find a peaceful political resolution.

Senator Coons travelled to Ethiopia to meet with Prime Minister Abiy in March as President Biden’s emissary. Last month, along with Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman Bob Menendez (D-N.J.) and Ranking Member Jim Risch (R-Idaho), Senator Coons introduced new bipartisan legislation sanctioning parties involved in the conflict in Tigray.

Foreign Affairs: Peace is still possible in Ethiopia

By Chris Coons

Ethiopia is sprinting toward calamity. Last week, as the rebel forces of the Tigrayan People’s Liberation Front (TPLF) and their allies advanced toward the capital of Addis Ababa, Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed traveled to the frontline and vowed to lead Ethiopian troops into battle himself. “We won’t give in until we bury the enemy,” he said. Not to be outdone, a spokesperson for the TPLF called Abiy’s leadership a “chokehold on our people” and pledged to continue the rebels’ “inexorable advance.”

If Abiy and his opponents continue on their current path, they risk triggering not only massive bloodshed and economic collapse but the fracture of the Ethiopian state as we know it. Ethiopia is at risk of becoming this generation’s Yugoslavia: a great nation and a regional leader that violently shatters along ethnic lines. Echoes of the bloody Yugoslav wars are already evident in the polarization, hate speech, and violence that have gripped Ethiopia over the last year. The memory of those previous conflicts haunts me when I think of what may be next for Africa’s second most populous nation.

The full op-ed can be read here.

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Sen. Coons on passing of former Senator Bob Dole

WILMINGTON, Del. — Today, U.S. Senator Chris Coons (D-Del.) issued the following statement on the passing of former U.S. Senator Bob Dole (R-Kan.):

“Throughout his life, Bob Dole always put his country first. I first met him as a Senate intern 40 years ago, and I was lucky enough to work with him on the effort to ratify the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities nearly a decade ago. Even then, his capability, his persistence, and sense of humor that served him so well as a Senator shone through. My thoughts are with Elizabeth and his daughter Robin in this difficult time.”

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Coons, Cornyn bill to enhance judicial ethics and transparency requirements passes House

WASHINGTON – Today the U.S. House of Representatives passed the Courthouse Ethics and Transparency Act, legislation from Senators Chris Coons (D-Del.) and John Cornyn (R-TX) to require online publication of financial disclosure reports for federal judges and mandate that federal judges submit periodic transaction reports for certain securities transactions.

“Every litigant deserves to have confidence that they will receive a fair hearing with an unbiased judge when they get their day in court,” said Senator Coons. “I commend the House of Representatives for overwhelmingly passing this necessary legislation, and I look forward to working with my colleagues in the Senate to pass our bill and put it on the President’s desk.”

“Federal judges were wrongly excluded from the disclosure requirements put in place by the STOCK Act, which helps bolster public trust in our institutions,” said Senator Cornyn. “I applaud my colleagues in the House for moving my legislation, which would help prevent conflicts of interest and ensure federal judges are subject to the same level of transparency as other officials.” 

Background:
 

The Courthouse Ethics and Transparency Act would require that federal judges’ financial disclosure reports be made publicly available online and require federal judges to submit periodic transaction reports of securities transactions in line with other federal officials under the STOCK Act. The bill, which was introduced in the Senate last October, would amend the Ethics in Government Act of 1978 to:

• Require the Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts to create a searchable online database of judicial financial disclosure forms and post those forms within 90 days of being filed, and
• Subject federal judges to the STOCK Act’s requirement of filing periodic transaction reports within 45 days of securities transactions over $1,000.

Importantly, the bill also preserves the existing ability of judges to request redactions of personal information on financial disclosure reports due to a security concern.

Under current ethics guidelines and federal law, federal judges are prohibited from hearing cases that involve a party in which they, their spouse, or their minor children have a financial interest. Federal judges are instead supposed to disqualify themselves in any proceeding in which their impartiality may be questioned. Despite this, a recent report from the Wall Street Journal found that between 2010 and 2018, more than 130 federal judges failed to recuse themselves in nearly 700 cases in which they or an immediate family member held stock in a company involved in the case.

While federal judges are required to submit financial disclosure reports, current law does not provide sufficient transparency or certainty for litigants to discern if the judge has a conflict of interest. The current process for obtaining judicial financial disclosure forms can be cumbersome and take months or even years. By contrast, financial disclosure reports for the President, Members of Congress, and Presidential-appointed and Senate-confirmed officials are readily available online. 

Litigants need real-time access to judges’ financial disclosures and securities transactions in order to preserve the integrity of the proceedings and ensure a recusal when there’s a potential conflict of interest in their case. The Courthouse Ethics and Transparency Act would enact necessary updates to disclosure rules and provide litigants and the public with greater confidence in the judicial system.

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Coons, Carper introduce Delawarean at confirmation hearing to serve on Federal Circuit Court

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senators Tom Carper and Chris Coons (D-Del.) introduced Delaware’s District Judge Leonard Stark at his confirmation hearing before the Senate Judiciary Committee to serve as a judge on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit. Eleven years ago, Senator Carper introduced Judge Stark before the same Committee, when he was first nominated to serve as a U.S. District Judge for the District of Delaware. Senator Coons is a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, and serves as Chairman of the Subcommittee on Privacy and Technology.

“I am confident that Judge Stark will bring the same sort of open-mindedness, keen legal mind, outstanding character, and sterling work ethic to the circuit court that he has brought to his practice and to the district of Delaware bench,” said Senator Coons. “I strongly support him and urge all my colleagues to take up and swiftly confirm this outstanding nominee.”

“Judge Stark is known as a consensus builder who works to find principled compromises,” said Senator Carper. “In the years since his last confirmation by this Committee, Judge Stark has served Delaware and the nation with integrity and distinction. He has the heart of a servant and the temperament to be an outstanding judge on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit.”

Before earning his law degree at Yale Law School, Judge Stark attended the University of Delaware for his undergraduate and graduate degrees. From 2010-2014, he served as a District Judge for the U.S. District Court for Delaware. He then served as Chief Judge on Delaware’s District Court from 2014 until June of 2021.

You can view the full remarks by Senator Carper and Senator Coons here.

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Carper, Coons, Blunt Rochester announce more than $30 Million for Delaware’s live venues

WILMINGTON, Del. – Yesterday, U.S. Sen. Tom Carper, Sen. Chris Coons, and Rep. Lisa Blunt Rochester (all D-Del.) joined representatives from the historic Queen theater in Wilmington to celebrate the success story from the Shuttered Venue Operator Grant (SVOG) program. In all, Delaware venues will receive a total of just more than $30 million.

SVOG was a provision born out of the Save our Stages Act, legislation supported by Delaware’s congressional delegation. The SVOG program provides grants to eligible organizations that have suffered revenue loss due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Business types eligible for SVOGs include live venue operators, promoters, arts organizations, talent representatives, motion picture theater operators, museums, and theatrical producers. Successful applicants can receive grants equal to 45 percent of their gross earned revenue, up to a maximum of $10 million. Today the delegation celebrated The Queen receiving $1.3 million from the business-saving program.

“One of the pandemic’s hardest-hit sectors was the live arts and entertainment industry,” said Sen. Carper. ”I was proud to support the Save our Stages Act which helped make this program possible. I am thrilled that these theaters can light up once again through this business-saving program, and provide arts and culture for years to come.”

“Our theaters, museums, and other cultural institutions are central to the identity of communities throughout our state and country, and the pandemic threatened their very existence,” said Sen. Coons. ”The Shuttered Venue Operator Grant, made possible thanks to federal legislation, has so far awarded billions in grants to thousands of eligible businesses, furnishing a much-needed lifeline to some of our hardest-hit performance venues and the folks whose livelihoods depend on them. I’m glad to support the SVOG program, I know some venues are still working through the process, and I look forward to the ongoing re-opening of cultural institutions in Delaware and throughout the United States.”

“Arts venues across Delaware faced unimaginable challenges brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic,” said Rep. Lisa Blunt Rochester. “While other industries were able to adapt to the pandemic, the Arts completely shut down leading to massive layoffs and lost revenue for these spaces. But because of these federal dollars, the stages we all know and love, from a small movie theatre in Dagsboro to a concert hall in Arden, have been able to re-open and operate safely so that Delawareans can once again experience the arts safely. I’m proud to support our stages and I look forward to the impact these funds will have on our community and economy.”

Carney, Carper, Coons, Blunt Rochester host USDOT Deputy Secretary Trottenberg to tout wins in bipartisan infrastructure law

WILMINGTON, Del. — Gov. John Carney, U.S. Senators Tom Carper and Chris Coons, and U.S. Rep. Lisa Blunt Rochester (all D-Del.), yesterday hosted U.S. Department of Transportation Deputy Secretary Polly Trottenberg to celebrate the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act becoming law. This bipartisan law will deliver historic investments in Delaware’s infrastructure while creating good-paying jobs.

Watch as these leaders discuss how Delaware will benefit from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law.

“I’m really proud of the hard work we put into getting this bipartisan infrastructure legislation across the finish line and what it is going to mean for Delaware,” said Sen. Carper. “Our bill is going to put a lot of Delawareans to work in good-paying jobs modernizing our roads and bridges for twenty-first-century challenges like climate change. It’s also going to deliver a brighter future for families across the First State by investing in clean water, high-speed internet, electric vehicle chargers, and more connected communities. All of this is possible because of President Biden, and I’m extremely thankful for his leadership and tenacity.”

“President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Deal is a blue-collar blueprint for our country, laying the foundation for years of infrastructure improvements,” said Sen. Coons. “I’m excited for what this means for Delaware, our country, and our future. The newly signed law will deliver much-needed upgrades to our roads, rail lines, water systems, bridges, and broadband. It promotes clean energy and will produce high-quality and good-paying jobs in Delaware and across the United States.”

“Today, Delaware celebrated the resources brought to the state after the passage of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Bill,” said Rep. Blunt Rochester. “From roads, to bridges, to broadband and water – this bill helps us recover, rebuild, and restore. Let’s get to work.”

“Thanks to the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law that President Biden signed last week, we will be able to repair the transportation system Americans rely on today – and build a transportation system that empowers Americans to thrive for generations to come,” said U.S. Deputy Secretary of Transportation Trottenberg. “Under the leadership of Senator Carper, Delaware’s Congressional delegation wrote some of the most important parts of the law, and helped secure bipartisan votes for it, and I’m thrilled to join them today.”

“This infrastructure bill is the largest investment in transportation and public transit in American history in more than a century,” said Governor Carney. “These investments will position Delaware to compete in the 21st-century economy by repairing our aging roads and bridges, focusing on resiliency and connecting communities. This legislation also will help us upgrade Delaware’s clean water infrastructure, build a network of electric vehicle chargers, and increase access to high-speed internet service. Thank you to the Congressional delegation for their leadership on the bipartisan infrastructure bill that will drive our economy for decades to come.”

“I’m excited about the incredible opportunity before us to make Delaware’s economy stronger and healthier,” said Lt. Governor Bethany Hall-Long. “Thanks to the infrastructure bill, Delaware is going to make significant investments that impact our roads, bridges and sewers, ensure safe drinking water and build the network of charging stations that will support the expansion of electric vehicles, all while reducing our carbon footprint and bringing good paying jobs to help ease the burden on our working class families. Thank you to the Congressional delegation for their commitment to Delaware’s working families and to our unions for helping us put these investments into communities across our state.”

Delaware Secretary of Transportation Nicole Majeski added, “These projects are critically important not only to the traveling public, but the thousands of people employed in the construction industry across our state. Having this bill finalized gives DelDOT and our contractor community certainty that we will continue to make needed infrastructure investments in the years ahead.” 

HOW THE IIJA WILL BENEFIT DELAWARE:

• Repairing and rebuilding roads and bridges: The IIJA will invest roughly $1.2 billion in Delaware’s highways and $225 million in bridge replacement and repairs. These investments would focus on addressing climate change, enhancing equity, and improving safety for all Delawareans, including cyclists and pedestrians.
• Building a network of EV chargers: Delaware will receive an estimated $18 million to support the expansion of electric vehicle infrastructure. 
• Improving healthy, affordable transportation options: The IIJA will invest roughly $220 million to improve public transportation options in the First State.
• Connecting more Delawareans to high-speed internet: The IIJA will invest at least $100 million to help provide broadband coverage across the First State. 1 in 5 Delawareans will be eligible for assistance to make internet access affordable.
• Delivering clean drinking water to families: The IIJA will invest more than $355 million to upgrade water systems across Delaware, including critical resources to remove lead pipes and clean up emerging contaminants like PFAS. 

Senator Coons celebrates payments for Delaware chicken growers

WASHINGTON — U.S. Senator Chris Coons (D-Del.) celebrated the start of the distribution of approximately $6.75 million in direct payments for Delaware chicken growers announced last week who suffered losses due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Last year, COVID-19 hurt hundreds of chicken growers across the state after processing facilities were forced to drastically reduce or suspend production. The United States Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Coronavirus Food Assistance Program was established to provide assistance for affected farmers, but the program initially excluded contract producers – barring the overwhelming majority of chicken growers from receiving aid. Senator Coons led a bipartisan effort to include assistance for contract chicken growers in the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2021, which was signed into law last year. Since securing funding for chicken growers, Senator Coons has worked with USDA and Delaware stakeholders to ensure that payments would be calculated fairly and provided to as many eligible growers as possible. 

Following USDA’s announcement on Thursday that roughly $270 million in pandemic assistance will be provided for poultry and livestock contract producers nationwide, a total of about $6.75 million will be distributed among 185 Delaware chicken growers. The payments account for contract producers who increased the size of their operation in 2020 or were new to farming when the pandemic began. Additional chicken growers were made eligible for assistance after USDA allowed for 2018 and 2019 revenue to be considered.

“I want to thank Delaware’s agriculture leaders and USDA’s Farm Service Agency staff, who worked tirelessly to ensure that this program provided flexibility for chicken growers in Delaware and across the country,” said Senator Chris Coons. “I was proud to lead the effort to secure federal funding for these payments and thrilled that they are now being distributed to Delaware chicken growers who were hurt by the COVID-19 pandemic.” 

“There were a lot of factors due to the COVID-19 pandemic that created significant reductions in grower pay and hardships for Delaware family farms. Through a bipartisan effort, with the help of Senator Coons and the Chicken Caucus working with USDA, poultry producers across the country finally can offset some of the money they lost due to COVID,” said Secretary of Agriculture Michael T. Scuse. “The ability for contract growers to receive payments through the Coronavirus Food Assistance Program is important not only for Delaware but all of Delmarva to help rebuild our economy.”

“We are incredibly grateful to know that legislators, like our own Senator Chris Coons, have made it possible for Delaware producers to be among those set to receive this additional funding. Many of our farmers and ranchers were faced with insurmountable complications set in motion during the COVID pandemic. But we can rest easier knowing this funding will support their efforts at conquering these uncertain times,” said Richard Wilkins, President of the Delaware Farm Bureau.

“The Delmarva Chicken Association thanks Senator Coons for all of his hard work in making sure that our contract chicken growers in Delaware and throughout the Delmarva received some aid to help with the loss of income that many faced in 2020,” said Holly Porter, Executive Director of the Delmarva Chicken Association. “These farm families are so important in making sure the United States continues to have a safe and abundant food supply.”  

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Senator Coons’ statement on agreement in Sudan

WASHINGTON — U.S. Senator Chris Coons (D-Del.), a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, released the following statement after reports of an agreement reached yesterday between Sudan’s military leaders and Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok:

“I stand with the courageous people of Sudan who were at the forefront of the peaceful revolution. Whether or not the deal struck between General Burhan and Prime Minister Hamdok represents progress for the country is for the Sudanese people to decide. It is imperative for all political prisoners to be released immediately and for urgent progress to be made on accountability, security sector reform, and steps toward full civilian rule. I will continue to push forward with my legislation sanctioning those individuals who undermine democracy, peace, and human rights in Sudan.”

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Sen. Coons files legislation to the National Defense Authorization Act to sanction Sudan’s military leaders

WASHINGTON – Yesterday, U.S. Senator Chris Coons (D-Del.), Chairman of the State and Foreign Operations Appropriations Subcommittee and member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, filed the Sudan Democracy Act as an amendment to the Fiscal Year 2022 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA). The legislation mandates the imposition of targeted sanctions against individual actors that undermine a civilian-led democratic transition, peace, and human rights in Sudan.

“Just over two years after the peaceful revolution that brought down Sudan’s brutal 30-year dictatorship, the country’s military leaders have unilaterally decided to ignore the will of the people, reverse progress made by Prime Minister Hamdok’s civilian government, and drag the country back to military rule,” said Senator Coons. “Since the October 25 military takeover, General Burhan and Sudan’s military junta have defied calls of the international community by tightening their grip on the country’s ruling council and unleashing security forces to gun down dozens of peaceful protestors in the streets. This is unacceptable and unconscionable, and those responsible must be held accountable for the blood on their hands. I am introducing this legislation to punish actors undermining democracy, peace, and human rights in Sudan, and I will continue to stand by the courageous Sudanese people in their pursuit of a free, peaceful, and prosperous nation.”

Full text of the amendment is available here.

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