Honoring International Women’s Day

Since the United Nations General Assembly first invited member states to proclaim March 8 as International Women’s Day in 1977, many countries pause to mark the innumerable contributions women have made in their country and around the world. The UN theme for International Women’s Day 2012 is Empower Women – End Hunger and Poverty.

As chair of the Senate Foreign Relations Subcommittee on African Affairs, Senator Coons knows that in order to increase the quality of life for Africans, women must have a seat at the table and play an integral role in national decisions. This can only occur when countries invest in educating girls and boys equally and provide access to primary health care services.

The scourge of malaria impacts all kinds of people, but the majority of those killed are pregnant women and children under five years old.  Senator Coons is a co-chair of the bipartisan Senate Working Group on Malaria to raise Congressional awareness of U.S. efforts to stem the tide of malaria across the globe. Malaria, an infectious blood disease spread by mosquitoes, is most prevalent in the developing world, with 90 percent of deaths occurring in Africa. In June, the Senate unanimously adopted a resolution sponsored by Chris that supports the goals and ideals of World Malaria Day, and affirmed support for U.S. leadership to combat malaria as a critical component of the President’s Global Health Initiative.

Women play a critical role in agriculture, which forms the foundation of the economy for the rural poor. Worldwide roughly 1.6 billion women rely on farming for their livelihoods, and female farmers produce more than half of the world’s food. In sub-Saharan Africa alone, women account for 75 percent of all the agricultural producers. Due to the lack of information technology and the inability to connect rural enterprises to banks, many women in developing nations face greater obstacles than men when it comes to increasing their productivity and income.

One way women are working together to improve their communities and income is through cooperatives (co-ops) a type of business characterized by democratic ownership where farmers pool their resources for mutual economic benefit. In the war-torn country of Côte d’Ivoire, Marium Gnire partnered with Slow Foods International to organize a women’s farming co-op that would provide quality local food for school meals in her village of N’Ganon, increasing both the women’s income and the health of the community. Co-ops have been immensely successful in improving the lives of women and their families.

International Women’s Day is a time for reflection on the role women have played and continue to play in the betterment of our society and our world.

Click here to learn more about International Women’s Day.

Click here to learn more about Chris’ work on foreign policy. 

Senator Coons, Judiciary Committee crack down on drug thieves

This morning, Senator Coons and his colleagues on the Judiciary Committee approved legislation to fight a dangerous and growing class of crimes – the theft and illegal trafficking of pharmaceuticals.

The SAFE DOSES Act, co-sponsored by Senator Coons, passed the committee unanimously.

Between 2007 and 2009, the value of medicine stolen rose an estimated 350%, putting Delawareans at risk of unwittingly consuming dangerous or tainted pharmaceuticals. As co-chair of the Senate Law Enforcement Caucus, Senator Coons has worked hard to ensure law enforcement officers have the tools they need to combat this rapidly increasing type of crime.

The new law increases the criminal penalties for the theft of pre-retail medical products, including counterfeiting the label of a drug before it hits store shelves.  If the value stolen is over $5,000, the penalty can be up to 15 years in prison, and if a consumer or patient suffers serious bodily harm from the hijacked medicine, that doubles to 30 years.  In addition, civil penalties and restitution provisions will further deter the theft or counterfeiting of medical products.

Senator Coons is inspired at Sussex County Science Fair

Senator Coons went back to his roots as a chemistry major at the 20th annual Sussex County Science Fair on Monday. Chris was blown away by the work of the middle and high school participants whose projects covered a wide spectrum of scientific studies. He also took the opportunity to meet with and thank science teachers who encouraged students to participate.

“Teachers who go the extra mile, teachers who inspire kids to use what they’re learning in the classroom and apply it to everyday life–those are the educators who motivate students to follow their dreams and to go on to do great things,” said Chris.

The fair provided students with the opportunity to be recognized by the community for their curiosity and achievements in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) academics. Since arriving in the Senate, Chris has worked hard to promote STEM education.

“An education rooted in STEM gives students a leg up when it comes to finding good quality jobs,” he said.

Chris also spoke with Priyen Patel and his sister, Bansri, students at Sussex Technical High School in Georgetown who he previously met last year in Washington when they were on Capitol Hill for the international BioGENEius competition.

At the fair, Chris recognized all the hard work students, educators, judges, sponsors and volunteers like Helen Gieske put in to make this important event a reality for the 20th straight year. He also congratulated all of the winners:

Sussex County BioGENEius Winners             

Priyen Patel, Sussex Tech            

Bansri Patel, Sussex Tech             

Gopika Lakshmanan, Indian River            

Melissa Schoonfield, Sussex Central                                       

William McCabe, Indian River                    

Sussex County Science Fair Winners            

Grade 7                               

First Place: Cohen Davis, Sussex Academy

Second Place: Golden Fees, Sussex Academy

Third Place: Brooke Ward, Sussex Academy

Honorable Mention: Colleen Anderson, Sussex Academy

Honorable Mention: Gabrielle Hastings, Sussex Academy

Honorable Mention: Griffin McCormick, Sussex Academy

Grade 8                               

First Place: Ricky Brokaw, Sussex Academy

Second Place: Ashe Hebrank-Ekas, Beacon Middle

Third Place: Grace Brokaw, Sussex Academy

Honorable Mention: Tobias Ferl, Sussex Academy

Honorable Mention: Nicholas Conrad, Beacon Middle

Grade 9                               

First Place: Melissa Schoonfield, Sussex Central

Second Place: Alison Jennings, Indian River

Third Place: John Douglass Messick, Sussex Central

Honorable Mention: Tiffany Raeuber, Sussex Central

Honorable Mention: Jack Saxton, Indian River

Grade 10                             

First Place: Bansri Patel, Sussex Tech

Second Place: Sid Miller, Cape Henlopen

Third Place: Merrick Kovatch, Indian River

Honorable Mention: Jennifer Peasnall, Sussex Central

Honorable Mention: Mason Chambers, Sussex Central

Honorable Mention: Chelsea Shanahan, Indian River

Grade 11                             

First Place: Caroline Maahs, Sussex Central

Second Place: Priyen Patel, Sussex Tech

Third Place: Trevor Aldred, Cape Henlopen

Honorable Mention: Kristin Kneller, Indian River

Grade 12                             

First Place: Sara Westhafer, Indian River

Second Place: Amber Pearce, Sussex Central

Meeting with the Delaware Farm Bureau

Senator Chris Coons met with members of the Delaware Farm Bureau on Tuesday to discuss the past, present, and future of Delaware’s agricultural sector. Senator Tom Carper and Representative John Carney were also in attendance.

During the meeting, Chris highlighted some of his current work to advance Delaware’s agriculture, including his support for reauthorization of the farm bill. Chris is very supportive of conservation programs in the farm bill, including the Environmental Quality Incentives Program, and is working to protect funding for them. He is also a cosponsor of Senator Debbie Stabenow’s Grow it Here, Make it Here Biobased Manufacturing Act, which would help expand the advanced biofuels and bio-based manufacturing industries, using agricultural goods to make value-added products and create jobs.

Additionally, Chris discussed his recent visit to Cuba and Colombia in February with several other members of Congress where he promoted Delaware products, including poultry, soybeans, and soft red winter wheat.

The Farm Bureau meeting occurred on the same day as an announcement by the White House to sharpen efforts to protect the U.S. poultry industry and ensure fair trade policies with India. Chris was a leader in the Senate on this issue, leading a bipartisan group of 19 senators on a letter to United States Trade Representative Ron Kirk urging him to resolve India’s longstanding, non-scientifically based restrictions on American poultry.

Click here to learn more about Chris’ work for supporting and expanding Delaware agriculture.

What We’re Reading: Goal to improve access to safe drinking water reached

The Associated Press reported Tuesday on the achievement of a U.N. goal of cutting in half the proportion of people without access to safe drinking water five years ahead of the 2015 target.

A report issued by the U.N. children’s agency and the World Health Organization said over 2 billion people gained access to safe drinking water between 1990 and 2010.

That means 89 percent of the world’s population, or 6.1 billion people, had access to safe water sources at the end of 2010 — one percent more than the goal of 88 percent set by world leaders at the U.N. Millennium Summit in 2000, the report said.

But UNICEF and WHO said victory can’t be declared because 783 million people — 11 percent of the global population — still have no ready access to safe drinking water

Senator Chris Coons, chair of the Senate Foreign Relations Subcommittee on African Affairs, praised the milestone but remains vigilant about expanding access to safe drinking water in Africa, which has some of the lowest levels of access anywhere in the world.

Only 61 percent of people in sub-Saharan Africa have access to safe drinking water sources compared with 90 percent or more in Latin America and the Caribbean, northern Africa, and large parts of Asia, the report said.

Click here to read the full article on The Washington Post’s website.

Click here to learn more about Chris’ work on foreign policy.

Affordable Care Act protects 320,000 Delawareans from lifetime limits on care

Thanks to the Affordable Care Act, approximately 320,000 Delawareans will no longer face lifetime limits on their private health insurance, according to new data release by the White House on Monday. Nationally, 105 million Americans are protected.

This lifetime limit ban is just one of many new consumer protections created by the law that was passed by Congress on June 25, 2010. Annual dollar limits on coverage are being phased out, and 54 million Americans received new coverage of prevention without cost sharing in 2011.

Senator Coons is a firm believer that all Americans deserve accessible, affordable health care.

Click here to learn more about Senator Coons’ work on health care.

Click here to learn more about the state-by-state breakdown of the lifetime limits ban.  

Go behind-the-scenes with us on Instagram

They say a picture is worth a thousand words, which is why our office has put a lot of effort into telling the story of Senator Coons’ work for Delaware through photos. From the photo albums here on our website to our more robust account on Flickr, we’ve shared hundreds and hundreds of photos during his first year in office.

You can now find us on Instagram, too, at the username senatorchriscoons.

Instragram has emerged as one of the web’s most popular photo-sharing services, despite its only being available to iPhone users. It’s a social network, where you can follow the people from whom you want to see photos and ignore those from whom you don’t. Instagram’s camera software includes several built-in filters to give your photos added style. 

We’ll continue to post the majority of our photos from events, speeches, meetings and visits to our Flickr account, but to Instagram, we’ll try to post images you’re less likely to see elsewhere — shots from behind-the-scenes, shots of situations not usually open to the public, and shots from unlikely perspectives. 

Not on Instagram? Not to worry. When a new photo is posted to our Instagram account, we’ll automatically post a public link to our Twitter account. You can also see a gallery of all our Instagram photos here on Instagrid.

Senator Coons says marriage equality should be part of Democratic platform

Senator Coons last week voiced his support for the growing effort to make marriage equality a part of the official Democratic Party platform at this summer’s convention, telling the Washington Blade:

Of course marriage equality should be a part of the Democratic Party platform. It should be a part of the Republican Party platform, too. Whom you love should have no bearing on your access to the equal rights due every American citizen. It is time the law recognizes what the majority of Americans already recognize is a human right: marrying the person you love. Democrats have led the way in significant marriage equality victories in the states these last few years, so for the Democratic Party to not include marriage equality in our platform now would be to miss an important opportunity to reinforce and strengthen our continued national leadership on the issue.

Senator Coons is a cosponsor of the Respect for Marriage Act and an outspoken supporter of marriage equality.

The Senator’s week ahead schedule: March 5 to March 11

Monday, March 5 at 9:00 a.m. – The Senator will speak at the Delaware Sustainable Chemistry Alliance Summit. The second annual summit will showcase sustainable chemistry research, development and commercialization efforts at Delaware universities and companies. The emerging technology platforms identified at the 2011 workshop will be highlighted, including water purification and re-use, and products and processes employing renewable raw materials. 15 Innovation Way, Newark, DE – Open to press.

Monday, March 5 at 12:00 p.m. — The Senator will attend the Sussex County Science Fair. For the past two decades, the Sussex County Science Fair has provided an important venue for students to share how science, math and engineering can be exciting as well as fun, while also opening their eyes to career possibilities in these fields. Biden Center, Cape Henlopen State Park, DE – Open to press.

Monday, March 5 at 4:00 p.m. — The Senator will preside over the Senate until 6:00 p.m. Washington, D.C. – Open to press who wish to sit in the Senate Gallery.

Monday, March 5 at 7:00 p.m. — The Senator will attend the 2012 New Castle County Chamber of Commerce Annual Dinner.  The focus of this year’s dinner will be “a positive outlook for economic recovery.” During the dinner, there will be presentations for the Dr. Wallace M. Johnson Community Service Award, the Board Member of the Year Award, the Free Enterprise Award, and the William V. Roth, Jr., Citizenship Award. Doubletree Hotel, 700 King Street, Wilmington, DE – Open to press.

Tuesday, March 6 at 2:00 p.m. — The Senator will meet with members of the Delaware Farm Bureau visiting Washington. U.S. Capitol, Washington, D.C. — Closed to press.

Tuesday, March 6 at 4:45 p.m. — The Senator will appear live on WDEL with Allan Loudell. Press can listen live at 1150 AM or wdel.com.

Tuesday, March 6 at 5:00 p.m. – The Senator will speak at a reception held by the American Small Manufacturers Coalition. The American Small Manufacturers Coalition is a trade association of manufacturing extension agents who work to improve the innovation and productivity of America’s manufacturing community. Senator Coons is a member of the Senate Manufacturing Caucus and a strong believer that expanding America’s manufacturing sector will improve our economy and create high-quality middle-class jobs. HC-5, U.S. Capitol, Washington, D.C — Closed to press.

Wednesday, March 7 at 4:45 p.m. — The Senator will meet with two Delaware students participating in the U.S. Senate Youth Program. Established in 1962 by a U.S. Senate Resolution, the Senate Youth Program is a unique educational experience for outstanding high school students interested in pursuing careers in public service. The program provides student leaders from each state an opportunity to spend a week in Washington learning about the three branches of the federal government. 325 Russell Senate Office Building, Kennedy Caucus Room, Washington, D.C. – Open to press.

Thursday, March 8 at 8:30 a.m. – The Senator will speak at a Science Coalition breakfast in Washington. Attending as an honored guest of the University of Delaware, Senator Coons will talk with a group of university representatives about the importance of science and energy research and funding. The Monocle Restaurant, Washington, D.C. – Closed to press.  

Thursday, March 8 at 10:00 a.m. – The Senator will attend a Senate Judiciary Committee business meeting. The Committee will mark-up the SAFE DOSES Act during the meeting. Senator Coons is a cosponsor of the legislation, which will help stem the increasing rise in prescription drug theft. 226 Dirksen Senate Office Building, Washington, D.C. – Open to press.

Friday, March 9 at 9:30 a.m. – The Senator will preside over the Senate until 12:00 p.m.  Washington, D.C. – Open to press who wish to sit in the Senate Gallery.

Friday, March 9 at 12:30 p.m. – The Senator will speak at the Brookings Institute. The Senator’s remarks will explore the role of innovation and ingenuity in the future of American foreign policy and national security. Brookings Institute, 1775 Massachusetts Avenue, NW, Washington, D.C. – Closed to press.

Saturday, March 10 at 12:00 p.m. — The Senator will walk in the Wilmington St. Patrick’s Day Parade. The Coons family’s dog, Riley, will accompany the Senator.

Note: Schedule is subject to change 

###

Resolution calls for free elections in Iran

Senator Coons this week cosponsored a bipartisan resolution condeming human rights violations and calling for free and fair elections in Iran. You can read the resolution below: