Senator Coons celebrates Delaware 87ers at “87ers Day” pep rally

Senator Coons joined Wilmington Mayor Dennis P. Williams, Delaware 87ers President Aaron Moszer, and Philadelphia 76ers CEO Scott O’Neil to celebrate “87ers Day” on August 7 (8/7) and address approximately 100 fans gathered in Wilmington’s Rodney Square for a pep rally honoring the Sevens’ inaugural basketball season. The event featured members of the Sevens street team and Wilmington Blue Rocks’ mascot Rocky Bluewinkle, as well as other entertainment. The team, part of the NBA’s Developmental League, will begin playing at the University of Delaware’s Bob Carpenter Center this November.

Addressing fans, Senator Coons evoked University of Delaware women’s basketball great and current WNBA all-star Elena Delle Donne as a spark that “changed our expectations about basketball, the Bob, and what Newark, Delaware can do for fans in Delaware and the region.”

Chris was on hand at the Bob in April for the announcement from Sixers CEO Adam Aron that the organization had selected Newark to host its minor league team. Aron said the organization had looked at dozens of communities in seven states, and credited Chris with suggesting Newark and aggressively advocating on its behalf.

The team name “87ers” was selected in recognition of Delaware’s place in United States history, as it was the first state to ratify the U.S. Constitution on December 7, 1787. The 87ers name also is immediately evocative of the parent “76ers,” a name similarly derived from Philadelphia’s place in U.S. history with the Declaration of Independence being signed there in 1776. The 87ers team nickname, the “Sevens,” is a nod to the way the parent club’s official name is often shortened to the “Sixers.”

“There’s no fan base in the country more ready for a pro team than the one here in Delaware,” Chris said.

Bill to renew Bulletproof Vest Partnership clears Senate Judiciary Committee

Senator Coons, a member of the Judiciary Committee and co-chair of the Senate Law Enforcement Caucus, applauded the Judiciary Committee’s overwhelming and bipartisan passage Thursday of the Bulletproof Vest Partnership Grant Act, S. 933. The bill, which Senator Coons and Judiciary Committee Chairman Patrick Leahy re-introduced on May 13, reauthorizes the competitive grant program from the Bureau of Justice Assistance that provides funding to state and local law enforcement agencies to assist in their purchasing of bullet-resistant and stab-resistant body armor. The bill will now move to consideration by the full Senate.

“A bullet-resistant vest is not an accessory; it is a critical part of every officer’s uniform,” Senator Coons said. “The federal Bulletproof Vest Partnership makes vests more affordable, ensuring that when officers go out to protect our communities, they can do so safely. We need to save this program so that this program can keep saving lives.”

On February 11, bulletproof vests purchased through the federal Bulletproof Vest Partnership saved the lives of two Capitol Police officers, Sergeant Michael Manley and Corporal Steve Rinehart, when a gunman opened fire at the New Castle County Courthouse in Wilmington. Both officers were struck, but survived because of their vests.

Thousands of vests have been purchased by Delaware law enforcement through the Partnership over its 14-year history, including 3,852 in the last five years. Nationwide, the program has subsidized more than a million vests, saving the lives of more than 3,000 police officers, according to the U.S. Department of Justice. Agencies can be reimbursed for up to 50 percent of the cost of body armor that complies with National Institute of Justice standards.

As co-chair of the Senate Law Enforcement Caucus, Chris regularly hosts briefings to educate and inform Senate Members and staff about policies, programs, and initiatives that enhance public safety and strengthen our criminal justice system. Faced with shrinking budgets, many police departments, including smaller departments in Delaware, are unable to afford body armor for all officers.

“Police officers work to make us safer every day,” Chris said. “Congress should be working to make police officers safer, too. I thank my colleagues on the Judiciary Committee for their support of this bill and will continue working to ensure its final passage.” 

The Senator’s Week Ahead schedule: August 5 to August 11

Tuesday, August 6 at 9:30 a.m. – The Senator will tour Summit Aviation and discuss the company’s growing aerospace center in Delaware, its successful practice of hiring veterans, and efforts to expand the center’s customer base. 4200 Summit Bridge Road, Middletown, DE – Open to press.

Tuesday, August 6 at 11:00 a.m. — The Senator will visit Amazon.com Inc.’s Middletown warehouse and distribution center to talk to new hires and thank Amazon for bringing new jobs to Delaware. Middletown, DE – Closed to press.

Wednesday, August 7 at 12:00 p.m. – The Senator will speak at the Delaware 87ers’ “87ers Day” pep rally. The Senator will join Wilmington Mayor Dennis P. Williams, Delaware 87ers President Aaron Moszer, and Philadelphia 76ers CEO Scott O’Neil to address fans at a pep rally celebrating the Sevens’ inaugural basketball season. Members of the Sevens street team, including dancers and dunkers, will attend, along with the Wilmington Blue Rocks’ mascot Rocky Bluewinkle. Fans can receive free Delaware 87ers T-shirts and posters from members of the Sevens street team. Face painters, clowns and a DJ will also be at the pep rally. Rodney Square, Wilmington, DE – Open to press. Contact: Nicole Pender of the Delaware 87ers at nicolepender@sevens.com

Wednesday, August 7 at 2:15 p.m. – The Senator will deliver brief remarks at TEDx Wilmington. The full day program will feature 24 live presenters and screenings of TEDTalks videos examining a range of innovative ideas and topics. Queen Theater, 500 N Market Street, Wilmington, DE – Open to press.

Note: Schedule is subject to change.

The Senator’s Week Ahead Schedule: July 29 to August 4

Tuesday, July 30 at 10:30 a.m. – The Senator will attend a Judiciary Subcommittee on Antitrust, Competition Policy and Consumer Rights Hearing entitled, “Standard Essential Patent Disputes and Antitrust Law.” The subcommittee will hear testimony from executives at Intel Corp and Qualcomm and representatives from the Federal Trade Commission and the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers. 226 Dirksen Senate Office Building, Washington, D.C. – Open to press. Contact Judiciary Committee’s Jessica Brady at 202-224-7703.

Tuesday, July 30 at 2:15 p.m. — The Senator will attend a Foreign Relations Committee business meeting. The committee will consider nominations for Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs and 14 ambassadorial posts, as well as subcommittee membership and jurisdiction for the 113th Congress. 419 Dirksen Senate Office Building, Washington, D.C. – Open to press. Contact: Foreign Relations Committee’s Adam Sharon at 202-224-4651.

Wednesday, July 31 at 9:00 a.m. – The Senator will attend a Senate Democratic Steering and Outreach Committee meeting with trade associations. The discussion will feature CEOs from 12 leading trade associations and will focus on job creation, economic recovery, and shared legislative goals. Mansfield Room, S-207, U.S. Capitol, Washington, D.C. – Closed to press.

Wednesday, July 31 at 11:15 a.m. – The Senator will attend a special Senate Democratic Caucus Meeting with President Obama. Lyndon B. Johnson Room, S-211, U.S. Capitol, Washington, D.C. – Closed to press.

Wednesday, July 31 at 2:30 p.m. – The Senator will testify at a Finance Committee Energy Subcommittee Hearing entitled “Powering Our Future: Principles for Energy Tax Reform.” He will provide testimony on the importance of financing for renewable energy development and about the Master Limited Partnerships Parity Act, a bipartisan, bicameral bill he reintroduced in April to level the playing field between renewable and fossil fuel-based project financing. 215 Dirksen Senate Office Building, Washington, D.C. – Open to press. Contact: Finance Committee’s Sean Neary at 202-224-4515.

Wednesday, July 31 at 3:00 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, August 1 at 9:30 a.m. – The Senator will attend a Judiciary Business Meeting. The committee will consider S. 987, the Free Flow of Information Act of 2013, a bipartisan bill cosponsored by Senator Coons that provides certain protections for journalists and news organizations during investigations into leaks of classified information. The committee will also consider three nominations for U.S. District Judge and one nomination for U.S. Circuit Judge. 226 Dirksen Senate Office Building, Washington, D.C. – Open to press. Contact Judiciary Committee’s Jessica Brady at 202-224-7703.

Thursday, August 1 at 10:30 a.m. – The Senator will attend a Senate Appropriations Committee Markup of FY2014 Department of Defense appropriations bill. 106 Dirksen Senate Office Building, Washington, D.C. – Open to press. Contact: Appropriations Committee’s Rob Blumenthal at 202-224-7363.

Thursday, August 1 at 4:00 p.m. – The Senator will preside over the Senate until 5:00 p.m. Senate Chamber, U.S. Capitol, Washington, D.C. – Open to press who wish to sit in the Senate Gallery.

Friday, August 2 at 10:00 a.m. – The Senator will attend and speak at a job fair being hosted for Veterans by the Congressional Delegation.  Bridgeville Library, 600 South Cannon Street, Bridgeville, DE – Open to press. Contact Katie Wilson at 302-598-4915.

Friday, August 2 at 11:30 a.m. – The Senator will join Senator Carper and Rural Development Acting State Director Kathy Beisner to announce a $50,000 USDA grant awarded to Primeros Pasos. The funding will enable the non-profit organization, which is dedicated to early childhood learning with a focus on the local Hispanic population, to build a new multi-cultural early learning center. 122 East Pine Street, Georgetown, DE – Open to press.

Friday, August 2 at 2:30 p.m. – The Senator will tour ILC Grayling and thank the company’s leaders for bringing jobs back to the U.S. 6095 Whitehurst Drive, Seaford, DE – Open to press.

Saturday, August 3 at 9:00 a.m. – The Senator will attend the Annual Wyoming Peach Festival and parade. Wyoming, DE – Open to press.

Note: Schedule is subject to change.

Senator Coons urges tax reform effort to prioritize a simpler, fairer code that supports job creation

A member of the Senate Budget Committee and Senate Appropriations Committee, Senator Coons released his six-page letter to the chairman and ranking member of the Senate Finance Committee detailing his priorities for their effort to reform the nation’s tax code.

As part of their “blank slate” approach to comprehensive tax reform, Senate Finance Committee Chairman Max Baucus (D-Mont.) and Ranking Member Orrin Hatch (R-Utah) gave their colleagues the opportunity to submit letters explaining the tax “expenditures” they’d like to see preserved or added to the tax code. Although senators were given the opportunity to submit their letters confidentially, Senator Coons volunteered to make his letter public.

“America’s tax code is too long, too complex, and unfair,” Senator Coons wrote. “It stifles economic growth and the government’s ability to efficiently collect the revenue it needs. We badly need reform that broadens the tax base and lowers tax rates, simplifying a process that wastes too much time and money, and hurts our global competitiveness. We can achieve this kind of reform by following three broad principles: a new code must maintain or increase progressivity, raise revenue to reduce our deficits, and spur economic growth.”

The letter highlghted Senator Coons’ eight priorities, saying Congress should:

• Preserve and strengthen the social safety net;
• Encourage savings for retirement;
• Protect access to affordable housing and home ownership for families, while making renting more affordable for low-income households;
• Incentivize state and local investment in infrastructure, public facilities, and community development;
• Make college more affordable;
• Broaden access to health insurance, especially by helping small businesses offset the cost of insurance for their employees;
• Support policies that help families and caregivers pay for dependents; and
• Promote a robust network of non-profit and charitable organizations.

The full text of the letter can be read below:

Senator Coons sticks up for Amtrak

With the Senate considering an appropriations bill that includes funding for Amtrak this week, Senator Coons stuck up for the passenger rail service in a speech on the Senate floor Wednesday. Later in the day, he filed an amendment to the Transportation/Housing and Urband Development appropriations bill calling for additional investment in Amtrak to help it make progress on the nearly $6 billion backlog of deferred capital improvements to infrastructure assets already beyond their designed life.

The amendment would increase the appropriated amount by $113 million. While the Senate bill would already provide $862 million for capital grants (as opposed to the House’s $400 million), it is still not enough to perform any infrastructure upgrades, let alone start much-needed multi-year projects, like tunnel and bridge replacements.

“Now is not the time, in my view, given all these standards of progress that they have met, to gut Amtrak, as our counterparts in the House seem determined to do,” Senator Coons said. “Now is the time to help Amtrak build on its steady gains and continue to grow. Amtrak is a vital part of hundreds of communities across this country, so, in my view, to invest in Amtrak is to invest in those communities and their future.”

Senator Coons cited the work of the late Senator Frank Lautenberg of New Jersey, who fought tirelessly for Amtrak for decades in the Senate. “He fought harder than anybody to build Amtrak into what it is today because he saw that with our population steadily growing, we needed to be prepared and to provide reliable, safe, affordable transportation, in particular here in the eastern region.”

Click here to read and watch Senator Coons’ entire speech.

The Senator’s Week Ahead Schedule: July 22 to July 28

Tuesday, July 23 at 9:00 a.m. – The Senator will attend a Senate Air Force Caucus breakfast. Acting Secretary of the Air Force Eric Fanning and Air Force Chief of Staff General Mark A. Welsh III will speak about issues important to the future of the Air Force. SVC-201, Capitol Visitors Center, Washington, D.C. – Closed to press. 

Tuesday, July 23 at 10:00 a.m. — The Senator will attend a Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Financial Services and General Government Markup of its FY2014 appropriations bill. 138 Dirksen Senate Office Building, Washington, D.C. – Open to press. Contact: Appropriations Committee’s Rob Blumenthal at 202-224-7363. 

Tuesday, July 23 at 10:30 a.m. – The Senator will attend a Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs Markup of its FY2014 appropriations bill. 138 Dirksen Senate Office Building, Washington, D.C. – Open to press. Contact: Appropriations Committee’s Rob Blumenthal at 202-224-7363.

Tuesday, July 23 at 2:15 p.m. – The Senator will attend a Senate Foreign Relations Committee business meeting. The committee will consider several executive branch nominations and S.Res.156, a resolution marking the 10th anniversary of NATO Allied Command Transformation. S-116, U.S. Capitol, Washington, D.C. – Open to press. Contact: Foreign Relations Committee’s Adam Sharon at 202-224-4651.

Tuesday, July 23 at 3:00 p.m. – The Senator will chair a Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Bankruptcy and the Courts hearing, “Sequestering Justice: How the Budget Crisis is Undermining Our Courts.” The hearing will focus on how the sequester and the federal government’s fiscal crisis are impacting the federal court system and Americans’ access to justice. 226 Dirksen Senate Office Building, Washington, D.C. – Open to press. Contact Judiciary Committee’s Jessica Brady at 202-224-7703.

Wednesday, July 24 at 9:00 a.m. – The Senator will chair a Senate Foreign Relations Committee nominations hearing. The committee will consider nominees for Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs and Ambassadors to Nigeria, Ethiopia, the Republic of the Congo, South Africa, and the African Union. 419 Dirksen Senate Office Building, Washington, D.C. – Open to press. Contact: Foreign Relations Committee’s Adam Sharon at 202-224-4651. 

Wednesday, July 24 at 3:00 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, July 25 at 9:30 a.m. – The Senator will attend a Senate Judiciary Committee business meeting. The committee will consider S. 987, the Free Flow of Information Act of 2013. The bill seeks to protect the free flow of information to the public by establishing conditions under which the federal government can compel disclosure of information by the news media. 226 Dirksen Senate Office Building, Washington, D.C – Open to press. Contact Judiciary Committee’s Jessica Brady at 202-224-7703.

Thursday, July 25 at 10:00 a.m. – The Senator will attend a Senate Appropriations Committee Markup of the FY2014 appropriations bills for Financial Services and General Government and State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs. 106 Dirksen Senate Office Building, Washington, D.C. – Open to press. Contact: Appropriations Committee’s Rob Blumenthal at 202-224-7363. 

Thursday, July 25 at 4:00 p.m. – The Senator will preside over the Senate until 5:00 p.m. Senate Chamber, U.S. Capitol, Washington, D.C. – Open to press who wish to sit in the Senate Gallery.

Friday, July 26 at 8:45 a.m. – The Senator will deliver remarks at the Annual Delaware FFA Awards Breakfast, held at the Delaware State Fair, congratulating career development event winners. Harrington Fair Grounds, Harrington, DE – Open to press. 

Friday, July 26 at 10:30 a.m. – The Senator will attend the NRG Energy Center Dover grand opening event with DNREC. Senator Coons will join the Delaware Delegation and state officials, as well as NRG East Region President Lee Davis, to announce the conversion of NRG Energy Center Dover from a coal-fueled plant to a high-efficiency combined-cycle natural gas facility. The Senator will tour the facility improvements, which have transformed the facility into one of the nation’s cleanest power plants and improved air quality in Delaware. 1280 West North Street, Dover, DE – Open to press.

Saturday, July 27 at 11:30 a.m. – The Senator will attend the Delaware State Fair until 1:30 p.m. 18500 South DuPont Highway, Harrington, DE – Open to press.

Note: Schedule is subject to change.

Hearing examines path forward on restoring Voting Rights Act

In response to the Supreme Court’s decision striking Section 4 of the Voting Rights Act, Senator Coons participated today in a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing to examine options for restoring critical voting rights protections. The hearing, titled “From Selma to Shelby County: Working Together to Restore the Protections of the Voting Rights Act,” featured testimony from Rep. John Lewis (D-GA-5) and Rep. James Sensenbrenner (R-WI-5) about the legacy of the Voting Rights Act and the path forward to reinstate provisions invalidated by the Supreme Court’s decision in Shelby County v. Holder.

“The day of the Supreme Court decision broke my heart. It made me want to cry,” said Lewis, former chairman of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee and a civil rights icon. “I felt like saying come, come and walk in the shoes of people who tried to register, tried to vote, but did not live to see the passage of the Voting Rights Act.”

“In a democracy such as ours, the vote is precious. It is almost sacred. It is the most powerful nonviolent tool we have,” Lewis said.

Sensenbrenner, former chairman of the House Judiciary Committee and a leader of the 1982 and 2006 reauthorizations of the Voting Rights Act, said that his committee had examined thousands of pages of record on the Voting Rights Act and concluded that “discrimination in the electoral process continues to exist and threatens to undermine the progress that has been made over the past 50 years.”

In addition to Lewis and Sensenbrenner, the committee heard testimony from a panel including Luz Urbaez Weinberg, Commissioner of Aventura, Florida; Michael Carvin, partner at the law firm Jones Day and former Deputy Assistant Attorney General in the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division; and Justin Levitt, associate professor of law at Loyola Law School.

Chris is committed to enacting bipartisan legislation rewriting the Section 4 coverage formula the Court ruled unconstitutional in order to ensure that every American is protected from discriminatory voting rights practices.

A dedicated and ardent advocate for civil rights, Chris cosponsored the End Racial Profiling Act of 2011 and is a member of the Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on the Constitution, Civil Rights and Human Rights. In March, Chris visited Montgomery and Selma, Alabama for the Congressional Civil Rights Pilgrimage and recorded two videos for Delaware students chronicling and reflecting on his trip.

Bill to reform military justice system gains key bipartisan support

The Military Justice Improvement Act, a bill that would remove the prosecution of sexual assault in the military from the chain of command, gained key bipartisan support in the Senate this week. Senator Coons, an original cosponsor of the bill, said he was pleased by the announcement that Senators Rand Paul (R-KY) and Ted Cruz (R-TX) will support the measure and was encouraged by the broad spectrum of support that now backs legislation to fundamentally reform and improve the military justice system.

The Military Justice Improvement Act, introduced by Senator Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), will be offered as an amendment to the FY2014 National Defense Authorization Act and could come to the Senate floor as early as this month. The bill would separate the prosecution of all crimes punishable by one year or more in confinement from the military chain of command, except crimes that are uniquely military in nature, such as disobeying orders or going Absent Without Leave. The prosecutorial decision would instead lie with independent, specially trained military prosecutors.

“The disturbing rise in sexual assaults in our armed forces is simply unacceptable and absolutely cannot be tolerated,” Senator Coons said. “The Pentagon has to do a better job of preventing these criminal acts, and that starts with making sure that everyone who wears a uniform knows that sexual abuse not only is unacceptable but also carries real repercussions. This legislation will put people who are trained and skilled at administering justice in charge of how accusations of sexual assault are handled in our armed forces, and it will encourage those who are sexually assaulted to report the crime without having to fear retaliation. The support of Senators Paul and Cruz is a promising step toward passing this legislation and demonstrates the extent to which this issue transcends party lines.”

Senator Paul said he tries not to look at problems “through a partisan lens” and kept an open mind when Senator Gillibrand approached him on the Senate floor about the legislation. After further research and a few modifications, Senator Paul said he was able to give the bill his support.

Senator Cruz said he entered the Armed Services Committee markup of the bill undecided but was “really persuaded by Senator Gillibrand’s passionate and able advocacy.” Cruz has provided a consistent vote for the legislation in the Armed Services Committee.

WTO ruling on India poultry ban helps Delaware producers

The World Trade Organization has announced that it will allow a case brought by the U.S. against India’s trade restrictions on poultry, pork, and other products to move forward. India attempted to have the U.S. complaint dismissed on technical grounds, but World Trade Organization (WTO) adjudicators ruled in favor of the U.S.

The ruling is an important victory for Delaware’s poultry industry, which supports more than 13,000 jobs and contributes more than $3.2 billion to the state economy. Senator Coons praised the work of the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) to challenge India’s longstanding, non-scientifically based trade policies against U.S. poultry.

Since 2007, India has formally banned imports of various agricultural products from the U.S., supposedly to prevent outbreaks of avian influenza in India. India instituted this ban despite the fact that the U.S. has not had an outbreak of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza since 2004. India’s trade policies have not conformed to the scientifically based World Organization for Animal Health standards on avian influenza. American poultry producers, including Delaware’s, adhere to these globally recognized standards of food production.

At the end of 2011, Senator Coons, together with a bipartisan group of 20 other Senators, sent a letter to USTR Ambassador Ron Kirk urging the Administration to resolve longstanding, non-scientifically based policies. He is thrilled that USTR has taken up the mantle to champion this issue for American poultry businesses.

After bilateral talks and consultations between the United States and India failed to produce a resolution, the case moved to the dispute panel settlement stage earlier this year. A WTO panel was established in February 2013 to directly rule on the U.S. claims, and in March, India filed its request to dismiss the complaint based on technical flaws.

Last May, at the invitation of Senator Coons, Indian Ambassador Nirupama Rao visited Delaware. She met with Delaware poultry companies, as well as state and federal agriculture officials, and visited the University of Delaware College of Agriculture’s Allen Lab for poultry science research. Senator Coons was proud to welcome the Ambassador to Delaware and show her first-hand the high quality and integrity of Delaware’s poultry businesses and research institutions.

The National Chicken Council estimates that U.S. poultry exports to India could exceed $300 million annually if appropriate, fair market access was provided in accordance with India’s obligations as a member of the WTO.