The Senator’s Week Ahead Schedule: March 3 to March 7

Monday, March 3 at 10:00 a.m. – The Senator will attend the 22nd Annual Sussex County Science Fair. The mission of the SCSF is to promote interest in science and scientific investigation for young people. The fair gives students the opportunity to pursue innovation and showcase their skills in the fields of science, mathematics and engineering. Sussex Academy for the Arts and Sciences, 21150 Airport Rd., Georgetown, DE. – Open to press. Contact Brian P. Cunningham at 302-573-6054.

Monday, March 3 at 1:00 p.m. – The Senator will visit with Polytech High School students, teachers, and administrators and tour classrooms to learn more about what teachers are doing to prepare students for the 21st century workforce. Polytech High School, 823 Walnut Shade Road, Woodside, DE. – Open to press. Contact Brian P. Cunningham at 302-573-6054.

Monday, March 3 at 8:15 p.m. – The Senator will attend the Whitehall Neck Sportsman Club’s Wild Game Dinner. Leipsic Volunteer Fire Company, 318 Main Street, Dover, DE.

Tuesday, March 4 at 5:30 p.m. – The Senator will speak about manufacturing jobs at the American Small Manufacturers Coalition ‘Hill Day’ Opening Reception. The reception will kick off ASMC’s annual ‘Hill Day’ event and celebrate attendees’ manufacturing achievements. Senator Coons will discuss his work to grow American manufacturing as the leader of the Senate’s Manufacturing Jobs for America campaign. Capitol Visitors Center, SVC 212-10, United States Capitol, Washington, D.C. – Closed to press. 

Wednesday, March 5 at 11:00 a.m. – The Senator will attend a Foreign Relations Committee working coffee with the Dalai Lama. U.S. Capitol, Washington, D.C. – Closed to press.

Wednesday, March 5 at 11:40 a.m. –The Senator will attend a Budget Committee hearing on the President’s FY2015 Budget. OMB Director Sylvia Burwell will testify. 608 Dirksen Senate Office Building, Washington, D.C. – Open to press. Contact Senate Budget Committee’s Eli Zupnick at 202-224-5398.

Wednesday, March 5 at 2:00 p.m. – The Senator will preside over the Senate until 4:00 p.m. Senate Chamber, U.S. Capitol, Washington, D.C. – Open to press who wish to sit in the Senate Gallery.

Thursday, March 6 at 10:00 a.m. – The Senator will attend a Judiciary Committee business meeting. 226 Dirksen Senate Office Building, Washington, D.C. – Open to press. Contact Judiciary Committee’s Jessica Brady at 202-224-7703.

Thursday, March 6 at 11:00 a.m. – The Senator will attend a Foreign Relations Committee hearing entitled Syria Spillover: The Growing Threat of Terrorism and Sectarianism in the Middle East. The committee will hear testimony from Deputy Secretary of State William J. Burns, Assistant Secretary of Defense for International Security Affairs Derek Chollet,  and others. 419 Dirksen Senate Office Building, Washington, D.C. – Open to press. Contact Foreign Relations Committee’s Adam Sharon at 202-224-4651.

Friday, March 7 at 8:30 a.m. – The Senator will attend the annual state-wide SkillsUSA competition with participants from all of Delaware’s vocational-technical schools. SkillsUSA is a partnership of students, teachers and industry working together to ensure America has a skilled workforce. Competition winners will go on to compete at the National SkillsUSA event in June. Hogdson Vo-Tech High School, 2575 Glasgow Avenue, Newark, DE. – Open to press. Contact Brian P. Cunningham at 302-573-6054.

Friday, March 7 at 10:30 a.m. – The Senator will co-host the Delaware delegation’s New Castle County job fair. The fair, which will bring together over 70 employers with hundreds of jobs to fill, will also offer workshops on applying for federal jobs (10 a.m.) and a motivational seminar by S. Renee Smith (11 a.m.). The fair will take place from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Chase Center on the Riverfront, Wilmington, DE. – Open to press. Contact Brian P. Cunningham at 302-573-6054. 

Friday, March 7 at 12:00 p.m. – The Senator will keynote the Port of Wilmington Maritime Society’s luncheon. Senator Coons will discuss his work to support investment in the port and the ongoing Delaware River deepening project. Chase Center on the Riverfront, Wilmington, DE.

Note: Schedule is subject to change.

Manufacturing Update for February 2014

1. LATEST POLICY

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Executive Order — Streamlining the Export/Import Process for America’s Businesses
The President issued an executive order cutting processing and approval times from days to minutes for small businesses that export American-made goods and services by completing the International Trade Data System (ITDS) by December 2016.
More: White House executive order

Announcement — The President Announces Two New Manufacturing Hubs
The President announced two new manufacturing innovation institutes.  A Detroit-area consortium will focus on lightweight and modern metals manufacturing, while a Chicago consortium will concentrate on digital manufacturing and design technologies. The President also announced a competition for a new manufacturing innovation institute to build U.S. strength in the manufacturing of advanced composites.
More: White House press release

This update is provided by the Office of U.S. Senator Chris Coons on behalf of the Manufacturing Jobs for America initiative. For more information, visit coons.senate.gov/manufacturing or email jj_singh@coons.senate.gov.  

Click here to download this month’s full newsletter as a PDF, or read it below.

New initiative will promote safety improvements for oil by rail

While rail transportation has proven an efficient means of transporting North America’s growing supply of crude oil, increased oil by rail traffic has also raised serious environmental and safety concerns in recent years.

Following several recent, high-profile accidents by trains transporting crude oil – including a December derailment in North Dakota in which 400,000 gallons of crude oil were spilled – the Department of Transportation (DOT) and Association of American Railroads (AAR) have come together to announce the roll out of new safety measures for crude by rail operations.

The agreement institutes an array of new safety measures to prevent train derailments, including implementation of new, more effective breaking technology and traffic routing technology that determines the safest and most secure routes, increased track inspections, and reduced speed requirements through designated urban areas.

“Our rail safety procedures must keep pace with the rapidly changing landscape of North American oil production,” Senator Coons said. “In January, a derailment in Philadelphia nearly ended in disaster, and over the last year, devastating crashes in communities from North Dakota to Alabama have underscored the need to update and strengthen freight safety measures. The improved safety procedures announced by DOT and AAR are an important step in what must be a sustained effort to protect our communities and environment from future disasters.” 

North American oil production has expanded rapidly in recent years thanks to growing production in the Canadian oil sands and increased shale oil production in North Dakota, Montana, and Texas. Nearly 70 percent of the United States’ crude oil demand is now supplied from production in North America, displacing imports from overseas. This crude oil boom has created new transportation challenges as producers have increasingly turned to rail to transport oil to refineries in market hubs across the U.S., including PBF’s refinery in Delaware City.

According to rail industry estimates, U.S. freight railroads carried more than 400,000 carloads of crude oil in 2013, compared to 9,500 carloads in 2008. In just the last three years, crude imports by rail from Canada have increased more than 20-fold. PBF’s Delaware City Refinery, which directly supports 500 jobs in Delaware, receives 1-2 unit trains of Bakken crude oil shipments per day.

The Senator’s Week Ahead Schedule: February 24 to March 2

Monday, February 24 at 10:00 a.m. – The Senator will co-host a grant-writing workshop with the Delaware congressional delegation. The U.S. Department of Commerce, United Way, and more than 20 grantor agencies will conduct workshops for local businesses and non-profits. Delaware State University, MLK Jr. Student Center, 1200 N. DuPont Hwy, Dover, DE. – Open to press. Contact Albert Shields at 302-561-5043.

Tuesday, February 25 at 9:25 a.m. – The Senator will participate in a panel discussion on energy innovation at the ARPA-E Innovation Summit. The summit brings together thought leaders in academia, business, and government to discuss cutting-edge energy issues and advance energy technology innovation. Gaylord National Hotel and Convention Center, 201 Waterfront Street, National Harbor, MD. – Open to press. Apply for a press pass here: http://bit.ly/MJgHxs

Wednesday, February 26 at 9:00 a.m. –The Senator will attend a Democratic Steering and Outreach Committee meeting on rebuilding the middle class with key members of the business community. U.S. Capitol, Washington, D.C. – Closed to press.

Wednesday, February 26 at 12:00 p.m. – The Senator will preside over the Senate until 2:00 p.m. Senate Chamber, U.S. Capitol, Washington, D.C. – Open to press who wish to sit in the Senate Gallery.

Thursday, February 27 at 2:15 p.m. – The Senator will attend a Foreign Relations Committee hearing on prospects for peace in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Great Lakes Region. The committee will hear testimony from witnesses including U.S. Special Envoy Russell D. Feingold, Former U.S. Ambassador to the DRC Roger Meece, Dr. Raymond Gilpin of the National Defense University, and Ben Affleck, Founder of the Eastern Congo Initiative. 419 Dirksen Senate Office Building, Washington, D.C. – Open to press. Contact Foreign Relations Committee’s Adam Sharon at 202-224-4651.

Thursday, February 27 at 10:00 a.m. – The Senator will attend a Judiciary Committee business meeting. 226 Dirksen Senate Office Building, Washington, D.C. – Open to press. Contact Judiciary Committee’s Jessica Brady at 202-224-7703.

Thursday, February 27 at 3:00 p.m. – The Senator will speak at a Senate Law Enforcement Caucus and House Victims’ Rights Caucus joint briefing on children’s advocacy centers and the Victims of Child Abuse Act. The briefing will focus on the important role trained forensic Interviewers and multi-disciplinary teams play in supporting law enforcement and child victims. SVC 212-10, U.S. Capitol Visitor’s Center, Washington, D.C. – Open to press. Contact Jamie Serlin at 202-224-6683.

Friday, February 28 at 11:00 a.m. – The Senator will attend the investiture ceremony for Leo E. Strine, Jr. for Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Delaware. New Castle County Courthouse, Courtroom No. 8B, 500 N. King Street, Wilmington, DE.

Saturday, March 1 at 6:30 p.m. – The Senator will stop by the 2013-2014 Wilmington Heart Ball hosted by the American Heart Association. The annual fundraiser celebrates AHA’s mission, work, donors, and the lives saved and improved by cardiovascular research and programs supported by the organization. Chase Center, Wilmington Riverfront, Wilmington, DE.

Saturday, March 1 at 7:30 p.m. – The Senator will stop by the Delaware Community Foundation’s Chips for Charity Event. Proceeds from the event support Next Gen North grants for programs that focus on Science, Technology, Engineering & Mathematics (STEM) education. Blue Ball Barn, 1914 West Park Drive, Alapocas Run State Park, Wilmington, DE.

Sunday, March 2 at 12:00 p.m. – The Senator will speak at the AIPAC Policy Conference Leadership Lunch. Senator Coons will participate in a moderated conversation about his support for Israel and the impact that AIPAC has in strengthening the U.S.- Israel relationship. Washington Convention Center, 801 Mount Vernon Pl NW, Washington, D.C– Open to press. Apply for a press pass here: http://bit.ly/1gSIIxm

Note: Schedule is subject to change. 

ZOUP’s! On! Senator Coons welcomes new business to New Castle County

Senator Coons, joined by students from William Penn’s Communities in Schools program, members of the Small Business Administration, and Delaware State Chamber of Commerce congratulated new business owners Eric and Zia Ames at the grand opening of their new ZOUP! Franchise in Wilmington. Customers and friends filled the seats and lined the walls of the new soup and sandwich store to celebrate the new business, which was launched with the investment of the Small Business Adiministration and Applied Bank .

“Small business is the lifeblood of the community, not just here in Delaware, but across America,” said Chris. “Our small businesses do more than sell us goods and services — they support and strengthen our communities. I congratulate Eric and Zia on their passion, pride and boldness, to take that leap to start this venture.”

Eric and Zia spoke to the more than 30 students gathered at the event about the sacrifices, as well as the rewards that come with being an entrepreneur in the community.

Two out of three new jobs created in this country are created by small businesses, and here in Delaware, there are 70,000 small businesses that create jobs and give many families a chance to attain the American dream.

“It takes a community to build a business, and thanks to the support of the SBA, Applied Bank, and a strong business community, my family’s dream to own our own business has become a reality,” said owner Eric Ames. “As a first generation business owner, I am excited by what this opportunity means for my children, knowing that when they graduate from college, they can begin their career or pursue a passion as an entrepreneur because they saw their dad do it.”

Zoup is located 4715 Kirkwood Highway, Wilmington, DE 19808

Senator Coons announces bill to boost manufacturing education at universities

Senator Coons joined leaders from the University of Delaware Thursday to announce new legislation designed to boost STEM education and help universities prepare students for careers in innovation and advanced manufacturing. The Manufacturing Universities Act of 2014 would award competitive grants to 25 designated ‘manufacturing universities,’ to better align educational offerings with the needs of modern manufacturers.

“The entire lifecycle of innovation, skills, and creativity in manufacturing has to include universities,” Senator Coons said. “Universities have a central role to play in continuing the cycle of innovation that is essential if American manufacturing is to continue its current recovery. Over the last three years, our economy has regained 600,000 manufacturing jobs, but hundreds of thousands more remain unfilled because there aren’t enough appropriately skilled and trained process engineers, mechanical engineers, and chemical engineers to keep that innovation going.”

Grants of $5 million per year, for a four-year period, will help universities revamp their engineering programs to emphasize manufacturing skills, incentivize partnerships with local manufacturers, increase internship and cooperative education opportunities for students, and help more recent graduates launch new manufacturing businesses.

“We want more students graduating with the skills they need to thrive in the 21st century manufacturing environment, and we want more of our universities orienting themselves toward this field where we can win, our communities can win, and our country can win.”

Following the announcement Senator Coons visited with biochemistry students and faculty at UD’s Interdisciplinary Science and Engineering Laboratory (ISE Lab) to demonstrate a chemical reaction and discuss the importance of STEM education.

The Senator’s Week Ahead Schedule: February 17 to February 21

Tuesday, February 18 at 9:30 a.m. – The Senator will attend a meeting with key leaders of the Delaware Poultry Industry to discuss the new farm bill, access to agriculture financing, infrastructure and transportation. Georgetown, DE – Closed to press.

Tuesday, February 18 at 11:30 a.m. – The Senator will meet with Mid-Atlantic Farm Credit and local farmers and members of the Farm Service Agency. MAFC is one of the primary lenders to agriculture on the East Coast. Mid-Atlantic Farm Credit, 20816 DuPont Boulevard, Georgetown, DE – Closed to press.

Tuesday, February 18 at 1:00 p.m. – The Senator will hold a media availability to discuss the recently passed farm bill and his legislation to explore an insurance program to assist poultry growers during uncertain economic times. The provision commissions a pair of studies on the feasibility of insurance programs to protect America’s poultry growers from catastrophic loss, such as disease outbreaks, and from bankruptcies of poultry integrators. Mid-Atlantic Farm Credit, 20816 DuPont Boulevard, Georgetown, DE ­– Open to press. Contact Brian P. Cunningham at 302-573-6054.

Tuesday, February 18 at 2:00 p.m. – The Senator will tour the Frankford Station of the Maryland-Delaware Railroad Company. The short-line railroad operates over 120 miles of track on the Delmarva Peninsula and ships grain products, fertilizer, plastic, lumber, paper products, wax, steel, and more. Intersection of Feather Lane and Pepper Road, Frankford, DE – Open to press. Contact Brian P. Cunningham at 302-573-6054.

Wednesday, February 19 at 10:00 a.m. – The Senator will host the first in a series of roundtable discussions entitled, “Winning the Fight Against Urban Unemployment” with a focus on generating actionable ideas for solving the problem locally and legislatively. 1105 Market Street, Wilmington, DE – Open to press. Contact Brian P. Cunningham at 302-573-6054.

Thursday, February 20 at 10:30 a.m. – The Senator will announce a new manufacturing bill to boost STEM education and skills training. The bill would award grants to universities designated as ‘manufacturing universities,’ to help better align educational offerings with the needs of modern manufacturers. The Senator will be joined by University of Delaware Provost Domenico Grasso, Dean of Engineering Dr. Tunde Ogunnaike, and Vice-Provost for Engineering Dr. Charles G. Riordan. Interdisciplinary Science and Engineering Laboratory, 221 Academy St, Newark, DE – Open to press. Contact Brian P. Cunningham at 302-573-6054. 

Thursday, February 20 at 12:00 p.m. – The Senator will deliver remarks at the grand opening and ribbon cutting of Zoup! in Wilmington, a new soup cafe opened with the investment of the SBA and Applied Bank. 4715 Kirkwood Hwy, Wilmington, DE – Open to press. Contact Brian P. Cunningham at 302-573-6054. 

Note: Schedule is subject to change. 

Senator Coons honored with Outstanding National Service Advocacy Award

Voices for National Service recognized Senator Coons Tuesday for his exemplary leadership and advocacy of national service as a state and federal priority, awarding him their Outstanding National Service Advocacy Award.

At the organization’s 11^th Annual Friends of National Service Reception, Chris spoke to a packed room of service champions about the role of national service in helping the nation meet its toughest challenges. The reception, which also celebrated the 20^th anniversary of AmeriCorps, allowed Senator Coons to reflect on his personal involvement with the organization. 

“AmeriCorps has given Americans immense opportunities over the past 20 years to use our talents to build stronger communities,” Chris said. “It’s because of your work and dedication that the service movement has come so far – closer to a day when it will be commonplace for any American to ask his or her neighbor ‘Where do you serve?’”

During AmeriCorps’ first years, Chris worked with a small group of individuals with the national “I Have a Dream Foundation” to build the organization’s AmeriCorps program. Chris currently serves as a member of the National Service Congressional Caucus, where he joins with Democrats and Republicans to fight for expanded national service opportunities. This year’s award was Chris’ second from Voices for National Service – in 2012, he received the Outstanding New Member Award for elevating national service as a legislative priority.

Voices for National Service is a coalition of national, state, and individual service programs that aims to give Americans of all ages the opportunity to volunteer and serve. Founded in 2003, Voices for National Service works with well-known service organizations to engage bipartisan efforts to meet policy needs through volunteerism and service.  

Senator Coons gets high marks from League of Conservation Voters

The League of Conservation Voters (LCV) has once again recognized Senator Coons’ strong environmental voting record, awarding him a 92 percent rating for 2013 in their latest National Environmental Scorecard. The scorecard provides objective, factual information about the most important environmental legislation considered by Congress and the corresponding voting records of all members. Senator Coons’ lifetime rating is now 95 percent.

The 2013 LCV scorecard includes 13 Senate votes that demonstrate Chris’ commitment to addressing important environmental issues affecting Delaware and the nation. Chris scored above the Senate average by 35 percent and Delaware was noted as one of 26 states with an average score above 90, thanks to high scores from all three members of the Delaware congressional delegation.

At home in Delaware and in the Senate, Chris has been a strong voice for environmental conservation, clean and renewable energy development, and measures to curb and combat the effects of climate change. Over the last year, Chris voted for disaster relief for victims of Superstorm Sandy and investments to make our communities more resilient against future storms, as well as to preserve investments in advanced next generation biofuels by the Department of Defense, the nation’s single largest energy user. He also opposed efforts to block EPA regulation of greenhouse gases for the purpose of combating climate change.

Chris advocated heavily for the inclusion of strong conservation provisions in the farm bill approved by Congress last week. He has led a letter to the Appropriations Committee for the past three years urging robust funding for farm bill conservation programs.

For over 40 years, the National Environmental Scorecard issued by LCV has been the nationally accepted yardstick used to rate members of Congress on environmental, public health, and energy issues. The Scorecard represents the consensus of experts from 20 respected environmental and conservation organizations who selected the key votes to be scored.

Read Senator Coons’ scorecard here: http://scorecard.lcv.org/moc/chris-coons

Download the full report here: http://scorecard.lcv.org/sites/scorecard.lcv.org/files/LCV_SCORE_FINAL_2.3.14.pdf

The Senator’s Week Ahead Schedule: February 11 to February 16

Tuesday, February 11 at 10:15 a.m. – The Senator will attend a Budget Committee hearing on the Budget and Economic Outlook for Fiscal Years 2014-2024. Congressional Budget Office Director Dr. Douglas Elmendorf will testify. 608 Dirksen Senate Office Building, Washington, D.C. – Open to press. Contact Senate Budget Committee’s Eli Zupnick at 202-224-5398.

Tuesday, February 11 at 6:30 p.m. – The Senator will speak at the 11th Annual Friends of National Service Awards reception hosted by Voices for National Service and accept the Outstanding National Service Advocacy Award. East Hall, Union Station, 50 Massachusetts Ave NE, Washington, D.C. – Open to press. Contact Jessica Borchert at 202-331-0233 or Jessica@blueenginemedia.com.

Tuesday, February 11 at 7:00 p.m. – The Senator will speak at the TechVoice Champion Awards Dinner and accept the 2014 TechVoice Champion Award, which recognizes members of Congress for their support of pro-innovation and pro-growth policies. TechVoice is a partnership of the Computing Technology Industry Association (CompTIA) and the Technology Councils of North America (TECNA). The Liaison Capitol Hill, 415 New Jersey Avenue NW, Washington, D.C. – Open to press. Contact Lana Sansur at 301-765-9816 or lsansur@comptia-agent.org.

Tuesday, February 11 at 7:30 p.m. – The Senator will attend Congressional Dialogues on Great American Presidents, featuring David McCullough, author of John Adams. Thomas Jefferson Building, Library of Congress, 10 First Street SE, Washington, D.C. – Open to press.

Wednesday, February 12 at 9:00 a.m. –The Senator will attend a Democratic Steering and Outreach Committee meeting on green jobs. The Senator’s guest will be Eric Teather, president of New Castle-based White Optics, which manufactures light-efficiency enabling materials for light fixture manufacturers and designers. Discussion items include energy, the environment, manufacturing, and job creation. U.S. Capitol, Washington, D.C. – Closed to press.

Wednesday, February 12 at 2:00 p.m. – The Senator will preside over the Senate until 4:00 p.m. Senate Chamber, U.S. Capitol, Washington, D.C. – Open to press who wish to sit in the Senate Gallery.

Thursday, February 13 at 10:00 a.m. – The Senator will attend a Judiciary Committee business meeting. 226 Dirksen Senate Office Building, Washington, D.C. – Open to press. Contact Judiciary Committee’s Jessica Brady at 202-224-7703.

Thursday, February 13 at 11:30 a.m. – The Senator will attend a Foreign Relations Committee hearing entitled Syria Spillover: The Growing Threat of Terrorism and Sectarianism in the Middle East. The committee will hear testimony from witnesses including Deputy Secretary of State William J. Burns and Assistant Secretary of Defense for International Security Affairs Derek Chollet. 419 Dirksen Senate Office Building, Washington, D.C. – Open to press. Contact Foreign Relations Committee’s Adam Sharon at 202-224-4651.

Note: Schedule is subject to change.