Sen. Coons participates in roundtable on judicial nominees

Senator Chris Coons met with a group of more than 30 attorneys from around the country on Tuesday for a roundtable discussion on judicial vacancies and ways of improving the nominations backlog. U.S. courts are currently facing a significant number of judicial vacancies with 82 District Court judgeships and 20 Circuit Court judgeships vacant or shortly to become vacant.

During the roundtable, Chris, a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, emphasized that four U.S. Circuit Courts are facing a “judicial emergency” with over 700 cases per panel or a vacancy of 18 months plus enormous caseloads.

“We have got a lot of work to do to speed up the nominations process and fill judicial vacancies around the country,” Chris said. “As attorneys, you all see and feel the burden that comes with having vacant spots in our courts.”

Click here to watch and read Chris’ floor speech on Senate gridlock of judicial nominations. 

Video: Senator Coons talks about crisis in Syria

Following his trip to the region, Senator Coons offers his take on the state of U.S. policy and the crisis in Syria.

The Senator’s Week Ahead Schedule: Jan. 21 – Jan. 27

Monday, January 21 at 11:30 a.m. — The Senator will attend the 57th Presidential Inauguration. Front steps of the U.S. Capitol, Washington, D.C. – Open to credentialed press.

Tuesday, January 22 at 11:00 a.m. — The Senator will speak at a meeting of the Committee for a Fair Judiciary. One of a series of meetings hosted by the Committee, Senator Coons will join Senator Sheldon Whitehouse of Rhode Island to talk about judicial nominees. Both senators are members of the Senate Judiciary Committee. SVC-215, U.S. Capitol, Washington, D.C.

Wednesday, January 23 at 9:00 a.m. – The Senator will attend a Senate Foreign Relations Committee hearing entitled, “Benghazi: The Attacks and Lessons Learned.” The Honorable Hillary Rodham Clinton, Secretary of State, will deliver testimony during the hearing. 216 Hart Senate Office Building, Washington, D.C. – Open to press.

Wednesday, January 23 at 10:00 a.m. – The Senator will chair a Senate Judiciary Committee nominations hearing.  The following judicial nominees will testify during the hearing: Nelson Stephen Roman, to be United States District Judge for the Southern District of New York; Raymond P. Moore, to be United States District Judge for the District of Colorado; Analisa Torres, to be United States District Judge for the Southern District of New York; Derrick Kahala Watson, to be United States District Judge for the District of Hawaii; Claire R. Kelly, to be a Judge of the United States Court of International Trade. 226 Dirksen Senate Office Building, Washington, D.C. – Open to press.

Wednesday, January 23 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, January 24 at 10:00 a.m. – The Senator will attend a Senate Foreign Relations Committee confirmation hearing for the Honorable John F. Kerry of Massachusetts, nominated to be Secretary of State.  216 Hart Senate Office Building, Washington, D.C. – Open to press.

Thursday, January 24 at 6:30 p.m. — The Senator will speak at the 42^nd Annual Delaware Agriculture Industry Dinner. The Delaware Council of Farm Organizations sponsored the first Agricultural Industry Dinner in February 1971. The purpose of the Delaware Council of Farm Organizations is to promote agricultural pursuits by encouraging cooperation among farmers and farm related organizations, specifically in regards to legislative policy and regulations impacting agriculture in the state. Dover Downs, Dover, DE – Open to press.

Senator Coons to host second annual Opportunity: Africa conference

Senator Chris Coons will host the second annual Opportunity: Africa conference on Monday, February 11 at Delaware State University in Dover.  The conference will link Delaware businesses, faith communities and individuals with top experts on Africa and provide insight on trade opportunities and issues such as human rights challenges, sustainable development, food security and global health.  Last year’s conference drew nearly 500 attendees.

“As home to many of the fastest-growing economies in the world, Africa is a continent of enormous opportunity and is quickly becoming central to our economy and national security,” Chris said. “This year’s Opportunity: Africa conference will pick up where last year’s left off, with hundreds of Delawareans exploring U.S. diplomatic, economic and humanitarian engagement with Africa.  This conference will put Delawareans on the cutting edge of some of the most important economic and policy ideas of the years to come.”

Opportunity: Africa will feature a series of plenary sessions and workshops on specific aspects of U.S. diplomatic, economic and humanitarian polices toward Africa.  Two prominent voices on Africa will keynote the conference:  His Excellency Elkanah Odembo, Kenyan Ambassador to the United States, and Michael Gerson, author, nationally syndicated columnist and policy fellow with the ONE Campaign.

Opportunity: Africa is free and open to the public. It will be held from 8:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. on Monday, February 11 at Delaware State University in Dover.  Delawareans can RSVP online at:

http://www.coons.senate.gov/opportunityafrica/

A PDF of the save-the-date for the conference can be downloaded by clicking here.

Video: Senator Coons condemns anti-Semitic comments by Egyptian president

In Cairo Wednesday as part of a Congressional delegation to the region, Senator Coons spoke with MSNBC’s Andrea Mitchell about recently unearthed anti-Semitic comments made by Egyptian President Mohamed Morsi, and how those comments could impact Egypt’s relationship with the U.S. Senator Coons had met with President Morsi just hours earlier.

Senator Coons also discussed the devolving situation in Mali, where Al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb and affiliated extremists — which already control two-thirds of the country — have launched an offensive against the Malian government. French forces have gone in to assist the Malian army in meeting that threat.

He later appeared on CNBC to discuss the kidnapping of 41 individuals — including Americans — by Al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb in response to the French action in Mali.

President Obama signs Kerry-Coons bill to bring war criminals to justice

Senator Coons on Tuesday praised President Obama for signing into law legislation he co-sponsored to enhance the ability of the U.S. Government bring war criminals to justice. The bill would allow the United States to offer monetary rewards for information that leads to the arrest or conviction of foreign nationals accused by international criminal tribunals of atrocity-related crimes.

The Department of State Rewards Program Update and Technical Corrections Act of 2012, which was written by Senator John Kerry, would help bring to justice perpetrators of crimes against humanity including Joseph Kony and other leaders of the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA).

“All of these individuals face charges before international criminal tribunals for horrific acts, including attacks on civilians, murder, the recruitment and use of child soldiers and rape,” the White House said in a statement issued on Tuesday. “We have made unmistakably clear that the United States is committed to seeing war criminals and other perpetrators of atrocities held accountable for their crimes, and today’s legislation can help us achieve that goal.”

As chair of the Senate Foreign Relations Subcommittee on African Affairs, Chris has been an outspoken advocate for capturing Joseph Kony and LRA leaders.

Click here to learn more about Chris’ work to stop the LRA.

ICYMI: Sen. Coons talks Delaware River dredging in interview

Dredging Today published a Q&A on Tuesday highlighting Senator Chris Coons’ thoughts on the job-creating potential of the Delaware River dredging project currently underway.

We are already seeing signs of job creation and growth as a result of the Delaware River dredging project. I have heard from businesses, labor leaders and private equity companies that they see the Port of Wilmington and the other ports on the Delaware River as perfectly situated to handle more cargo and take advantage of their proximity to major population centers on the East Coast. With the completion of the 45’ channel in the Delaware River, we will see tens of thousands of direct and indirect jobs created as ports are expanded, cargo volume increases and people are hired to handle every downstream aspect of what comes in and what goes out.

Click here to read the full article.  

Bipartisan, bicameral effort to provide added court options for federal officers becomes law

Legislation sponsored by Senators Chris Coons and Chuck Grassley and Representatives Dave Reichert and Bill Pascrell, Jr. was signed into law as part of the Defense Authorization Act.  The new law would allow federal law enforcement officers who acted under their official duties and charged with a crime in state court an opportunity to petition to have the agent’s case heard before a federal court.

“When our law enforcement officers act bravely to stop a violent crime, they have earned our gratitude,” Senator Coons said. “Now that the Officer Safety Act is the law of the land, we can be sure federal agents have access to a fair court process if they ever need it.”

“Taxpayers train federal agents to protect and serve the American public.  They are expected to be ‘on-call’ at all times. To think that they would have to stand by while a victim suffers violent acts in their presence to protect themselves from being sued is contrary to the oath they take and is a waste of taxpayer funded training,” Senator Grassley said.  “This new law will help make our communities safer and help those who are sworn to guard and serve the public.”

The Officer Safety Act of 2012 is modeled after the Good Samaritan Act, but is narrower, more restrictive, and provides no liability protection.  The bill does not provide immunity to federal law enforcement officers, but simply allows for case removal to federal court where the officer will be required to defend his or her actions.  In addition, it doesn’t infringe upon states’ rights, as they retain the same rights that have existed since the early 1800’s.

Specifically, the Officer Safety Act of 2012:

• allows a federal law enforcement agent, who stops a violent crime while off-duty and is indicted in a state court for those actions, to petition for the state criminal prosecution against him to be removed to a federal court, and
• clarifies the “color of law” prong required in the removal process, as courts have invited Congress to clarify.

The bill was supported by the Federal Law Enforcement Officers Association, the Federal Bureau of Investigation Agents Association, and the National Border Patrol Council. The bill text can be found by clicking here.

Senate passes Coons bill to expand protections for White Clay Creek

The Senate voted unanimously on Sunday to pass legislation authored by Senator Coons that would add approximately nine miles of White Clay Creek and its tributaries to the existing Wild and Scenic Rivers designation for the waterway.

The White Clay Creek Wild and Scenic River Expansion Act of 2011, which was co-sponsored by Senator Tom Carper and Senator Bob Casey, now awaits consideration by the House of Representatives.

“The White Clay Creek watershed is rich in natural resources, and it is important that we preserve those resources for the next generation,” Chris said. “Growing up, I spent considerable time in the White Clay Creek watershed and know that it is an important resource for Delaware and the region. It’s up to all of us to fight to protect our natural resources.”

“Yesterday, the Senate passed an important piece of legislation that will help safeguard one of Delaware’s great outdoor treasures,” said Senator Carper. “Through preserving nine additional miles of White Clay Creek and its tributaries, this measure will help ensure that Delawareans will continue to enjoy this waterway’s natural, cultural and recreational benefits for generations to come.”  

The legislation, which comes at no cost to taxpayers, would expand the original Wild and Scenic Rivers designation to include two small stream sections that were omitted from the original designation.

Representative Joseph Pitts (R-Pa.) is the lead sponsor of the companion legislation in the House. However, if the House does not pass this version of the legislation before January 3, both the Senate bill and the House bill must be reintroduced and reconsidered by both chambers in the next Congressional session. Unanimous Senate passage provides strong momentum that could help the new version of the bill move quickly in the next Congress.

Senator Coons disappointed indefinite detention provisions survived 2013 NDAA

When the Senate debated the 2013 National Defense Authorization Act last month, included among its provisions was an amendment to repeal powers granted to the U.S. military in last year’s NDAA to indefinitely detain American citizens.

Senator Coons, who pledged last December to work to remove those powers, cosponsored the amendment and praised the Senate’s progress on Twitter:

The Senate just passed our amendment to ban indefinite detention of US citizens without a trial. It’s about time we got this right.

— Senator Chris Coons (@ChrisCoons) November 30, 2012

That progress was short-lived, however, and the amendment was stripped out of the bill when Senate and House negotiators met to reconcile the chambers’ versions of the legislation. As a result, the military’s power to detain American citizens indefinitely has survived.

Here’s how Senator Coons reacted to the news:

“As a nation, we must strike the essential balance between national security and civil liberties. I am deeply disappointed that the final version of this year’s National Defense Authorization Act fails this test by removing an amendment I cosponsored, along with Senator Feinstein, to prohibit the indefinite detention of American citizens by the military.”

“The detention authorities provided by this legislation were not requested by the Pentagon and will not make us safer. At the same time, they erode the fundamental promise of our Constitution – that an American citizen has a right to due process of law. Our civilian criminal justice system has proven itself capable — time and again — of obtaining convictions and tough sentences for terrorists that act on our soil.  Civilian trials not only provide tough sentences for terrorists, but they also protect all of us from the prospect of facing a military tribunal for a crime we did not commit.”

“We live in a dangerous world, and we must ensure our military has the tools and resources they need to keep us safe. But threats to our safety are no excuse for curtailing the liberties guaranteed to every American citizen by the Founders of our country.”