Philly’s NBC 10 News reports on the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act, signed into law by the President Tuesday. Senator Coons, who leads the Senate’s Manufacturing Jobs for America campaign, attended the bill signing ceremony and talked to NBC 10 outside the White House about what the bill means for American workers. Click here to read more about the bill.
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Tuesday, July 22 at 10:00 a.m. – The Senator will attend a Foreign Relations Committee business meeting. The committee will consider the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, adopted by the UN General Assembly in 2006 and signed by the U.S. in 2009. S-116, U.S. Capitol, Washington, D.C. – Open to press. Contact Foreign Relations Committee’s Adam Sharon at 202-224-4651.
Wednesday, July 23 at 9:00 a.m. – The Senator will attend a Democratic Steering and Outreach Committee meeting with Jewish leaders. The discussion will focus on events in the Middle East as well as domestic issues important to the Jewish community. U.S. Capitol, Washington, D.C. – Closed to press.
Wednesday, July 23 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, July 24 at 9:00 a.m. – The Senator will hold a “pen and pad” press conference focused on legislation he’s championed to support American manufacturers, and progress to date on the Senate’s Manufacturing Jobs for America campaign. 127-A Russell Senate Office Building, Washington, D.C. – Open to press. Contact Ian Koski at 202-224-5042.
Thursday, July 24 at 10:00 a.m. – The Senator will attend a Foreign Relations Committee hearing. The Committee will examine Iraq at a crossroads, focusing on options for United States policy. 419 Dirksen Senate Office Building, Washington, D.C. – Open to press. Contact Foreign Relations Committee’s Adam Sharon at 202-224-4651.
Friday, July 25 at 9:00 a.m. – The Senator will attend Delaware Future Farmers of America’s annual breakfast at the Delaware State Fair. Club House Restaurant, Harrington Fair Grounds, Harrington, DE. – Open to press. Contact Brian P. Cunningham at 302-650-7858.
Friday, July 25 at 10:30 a.m. – The Senator will tour the Delaware State Fair with representatives from the Small Business Administration. Harrington Fair Grounds, Harrington, DE.
Friday, July 25 at 1:00 p.m. – The Senator will greet Delawareans at the Delaware State Fair until 2:30 p.m. Harrington Fair Grounds, Harrington, DE.
Saturday, July 26 at 3:00 p.m. – The Senator will visit the Delaware State Fair until 7 p.m. and attend fair events including the 4-H Awards Celebration. Harrington Fair Grounds, Harrington, DE.
Note: Schedule is subject to change.
Monday, July 14 at 10:00 a.m. – The Senator will speak at the dedication ceremony for Wilmington’s Jim Sills Bridge, named in honor of former Wilmington Mayor James H. Sills, Jr. Northeast Corner of the Market Street Bridge, Wilmington, DE – Open to press. Contact Brian P. Cunningham at 302-650-7858.
Wednesday, July 16 at 9:00 a.m. – The Senator will attend a Democratic Steering and Outreach Committee meeting on voting rights. The meeting will bring together advocacy groups and national organizations to discuss challenges and solutions to improve voter registration and turnout. U.S. Capitol, Washington, D.C. – Closed to press.
Wednesday, July 16 at 10:00 a.m. – The Senator will attend a Foreign Relations Committee business meeting. S-116, U.S. Capitol, Washington, D.C. – Open to press. Contact Foreign Relations Committee’s Adam Sharon at 202-224-4651.
Wednesday, July 16 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.
Wednesday, July 16 at 3:00 p.m. – The Senator will attend the swearing-in ceremony for Crystal Nix Hines as U.S. Ambassador to UNESCO. State Department, Benjamin Franklin Room, 8th Floor, 2201 C Street NW, Washington, D.C.
Thursday, July 17 at 9:30 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, July 17 at 10:00 a.m. – The Senator will attend a Senate Appropriations Committee markup of the FY15 Department of Defense appropriations bill. 106 Dirksen Senate Office Building, Washington, D.C. – Open to press. Contact Appropriations Committee’s Vince Morris at 202-224-1010.
Thursday, July 17 at 12:00 p.m. – The Senator will speak on the Senate Floor about the Bring Jobs Home Act and the need to focus on manufacturing jobs. Senate Chamber, U.S. Capitol, Washington, D.C. – Open to press who wish to sit in the Senate Gallery. Note: Exact time subject to change.
Note: Schedule is subject to change.
Speaking at a Senate Appropriations Committee hearing Thursday, Senator Coons urged colleagues to support the President’s emergency funding request and focus additional resources on addressing the root cause of the crisis on the border.
“I think the evidence is clear that the children who we are seeing and who are being interdicted at our southern border at record numbers are fleeing dramatically increased levels of violence in three Central American countries — Guatemala, El Salvador and Honduras,” Senator Coons said. “And if this increase in refugees coming to the United States was caused by some change in policy, we would see a comparable flood of refugees from other countries throughout Central America, but we don’t. It’s just these three countries, and it’s because of the conditions in these three countries, as your testimony suggested. And so, it’s my hope that a significant share of the investment and the action that will be taken as a result of this emergency supplemental will focus on those countries.”
Senator Coons also praised the emergency funding bill for directing resources to guarantee due process protections – required under the 2008 Trafficking Victims Protection Act – for children detained by border security.
“I’m pleased this requests additional badly needed resources for immigration judges, for an expansion of the legal orientation program, and for counsel for minors, because while we know we have a significant backlog, we have significant unmet detention costs and humanitarian costs,” Senator Coons said. “I think we need to act now to fix our most urgent problems rather than removing the basic due process protections embedded in the [Trafficking Victims Protection Act], a law that was adopted unanimously by Congress and signed into law by President Bush.”
Senator Coons spoke on the Senate floor yesterday to call on Congress to responsibly confront the crisis at the border. Watch and read his remarks here: http://1.usa.gov/1lV0pLw
1. LATEST POLICY
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Passed by the Senate — Five Manufacturing Jobs for America bills in Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act
The Senate passed the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) on June 25. The bill includes five innovative skills-training provisions from the Manufacturing Jobs for America campaign to help prepare America’s workforce for the manufacturing jobs of the 21st century. The bill now heads to the House of Representatives for approval. The bills included were:
Adult Education and Economic Growth Act (S. 1400), sponsored by Sens. Reed (D-RI) and Brown (D-OH)
WIOA includes key portions of S.1400, which seeks to increase investment in adult education, expand access to technology and digital literacy skills for adult learners, require better coordination and integration of adult education with state workforce development systems and postsecondary education, and strengthen English and civics education for new Americans. More: Reed press release
America Works Act (S. 453), sponsored by Sens. Hagan (D-NC), Donnelly (D-IN), Heller (R-NV), Klobuchar (D-MN), and Schumer (D-NY)
WIOA includes provisions from S. 453, which seeks to prioritize federal funding for job training programs that offer portable, national, and industry-recognized credentials. This reform would promote job-training programs that match the skills of workers with the needs of local employers, thereby training individuals for the jobs that are available in their communities right now.
More: Hagan press release | Donnelly press release
On-the-Job Training Act (S. 1227), sponsored by Sens. Shaheen (D-NH) and Cochran (R-MS)
WIOA includes aspects of S. 1227 to significantly expand opportunities for on-the-job-training. WIOA requires state workforce investment boards to disseminate information identifying on-the-job-training opportunities and boosts incentives for employers to participate in on-the-job-training programs.
More: Shaheen press release
SECTORS Act (S. 1226), sponsored by Sens. Brown (D-OH), Casey (D-PA), Collins (R-ME), and Durbin (D-IL)
WIOA includes provisions from S.1226 to require state and local Workforce Investment Boards to establish sector-based partnerships between employers, educators, and local workforce administrators to train workers for the most in-demand 21st century jobs.
More: Brown press release
Community College to Career Fund (S. 1269), sponsored by Sens. Franken (D-MN), Begich (D-AK), Durbin (D-IL), and Schatz (D-HI)
WIOA includes aspects of S.1269 to create partnerships between businesses and schools that facilitate effective job training.
More: Franken press release
Executive Action — Presidential actions to revitalize manufacturing
The administration announced new federal actions and new commitments from Mayors and other local leaders to invest in manufacturing. New actions announced include:
‘Mayors Maker Challenge’
More than 90 Mayors and local leaders committed to the ‘Mayors Maker Challenge’ to expand access to physical locations and new manufacturing and prototyping equipment in their communities, spur manufacturing entrepreneurship, and inspire young people to pursue careers in manufacturing and engineering.
Streamlining access to $5 billion of advanced equipment in over 700 R&D facilities
The Administration will help manufacturing entrepreneurs access $5 billion worth of advanced equipment in federal R&D facilities that they may use to develop new technologies and launch new inventions. For example, entrepreneurs might access NASA’s National Center for Advanced Manufacturing to produce the high-strength, defect-free joints required for cutting-edge aeronautics.
Expanding investment in the Materials Genome Initiative
Five federal agencies will invest more than $150 million in ground-breaking research to support the Materials Genome Initiative, upping the Administration’s investment in the manufacturing of advanced materials. The Materials Genome Initiative is a public-private endeavor that aims to cut in half the time it takes to develop novel materials that can fuel advanced manufacturing and bolster the 21st century American economy.
More: White House press release
Passed by Committee — Manufacturing priorities in CJS Appropriations
The Senate Appropriations Committee included a number of manufacturing priorities in the Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies appropriations bill, which supports key programs for manufacturers and entrepreneurs. Included in the bill were:
Manufacturing Extension Partnerships
Manufacturing Extension Partnerships (MEPs) are the only public-private partnership dedicated to providing technical support and services to small and medium-sized manufacturers. The Appropriations Committee recognized the importance of MEPs by raising funding to $141 million, a $13 million increase. According to data from the National Institute of Standards and Technology, every dollar invested in MEP facilitates $19 in new sales growth and $21 in new client investment.
National Manufacturing Strategy
The bill directs the Office of Science & Technology Policy to report to Congress with a comprehensive plan to develop a national manufacturing strategy. This language compliments the American Manufacturing Competitiveness Act, which is part of Manufacturing Jobs for America and was introduced by Sens. Coons (D-DE) and Kirk (R-IL).
Bio-Manufacturing
The bill includes language recognizing the importance of U.S. bio-manufacturing and directing the National Science Foundation (NSF) to increase support for it in its advanced manufacturing portfolio by dedicating at least $15 million to new bio-manufacturing initiatives.
Foreign Commercial Service
The Department of Commerce announced the expansion of the Foreign Commercial Service, including four new offices in Angola, Tanzania, Ethiopia, and Mozambique and four office expansions in Kenya, Ghana, Morocco, and Libya. The expansion will create nearly 70 new positions and post 17 additional officers globally to help U.S. manufacturers get started in exporting or increase sales to new global markets.
This month’s full newsletter:
Tuesday, July 1 at 11:00 a.m. – The Senator will deliver remarks at the homecoming ceremony for the Delaware National Guard’s 150th Engineer Company, which is returning from Bagram, Afghanistan. Army Aviation Support Facility, 33 Corporate Circle, New Castle, DE – Open to press. Contact Brian P. Cunningham at 302-650-7858.
Tuesday, July 1 at 1:30 p.m. – The Senator will tour and meet employees at the Fraunhofer Center for Molecular Biology. Employees will brief Senator Coons on some of the latest technological advances Fraunhofer CMB has made in developing applications for vaccines, therapeutics, reagents and diagnostics. The Senator will also update Fraunhofer leadership on his work to boost support for bio-manufacturing in the National Science Foundation’s advanced manufacturing portfolio. Newark, DE. – Closed to press.
Wednesday, July 2 at 10:00 a.m. – The Senator will join members of the Delaware delegation and USDA Rural Development State Director Bill McGowan to announce wastewater system improvements that will help protect the health and safety of families and provide significant clean water benefits for the Muderkill River and Delaware Bay. 139 Milford Neck Road, Milford, DE – Open to press. Contact Kathy Beisner at 302-943-3818.
Wednesday, July 2 at 12:00 p.m. – The Senator will deliver keynote remarks at a luncheon hosted by the Wilmington West Rotary Club. Rotary brings business and professional people together to serve our community, and enriches the lives of our members through fellowship and friendship. University and Whist Club, 8th and Broom Streets, Wilmington, DE ? Open to press. Contact Brian P. Cunningham at 302-650-7858.
Wednesday, July 2 at 3:30 p.m. – The Senator will visit the Wilmington Hope Commission’s Achievement Center. The Hope Commission is leading efforts to successfully reintegrate ex-offenders back into the community through case management. The Achievement Center offers ex-offenders training, therapy, job placement, and educational support services. 38 Vandever Ave, Wilmington, DE – Open to press. Contact Brian P. Cunningham at 302-650-7858.
Thursday, July 3 at 11:00 a.m. – The Senator will speak at an event hosted by the Young African Leadership Initiative. Senator Coons will speak to the attendees about civic leadership. University of Delaware, Elliott Hall, 26 East Main Street, Newark, DE – Open to the press. Contact Colin Miller at cdmiller@udel.edu.
Senator Coons speaks with Comcast Newsmakers’ Jill Horner about the status of I-495 bridge repairs and bipartisan proposals to spur investment in critical infrastructure improvements across the nation. The federal Highway Trust Fund, which finances 80 percent of the cost of all state highway maintenance projects, will run out of funding as soon as early August if Congress fails to act.
“If we want modern infrastructure, if we want bridges and roads that work when we need them to, we have to pay for them,” Chris said.
Tuesday, June 24 at 10:00 a.m. – The Senator will attend a Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Homeland Security markup of the FY15 Homeland Security appropriations bill. 138 Dirksen Senate Office Building, Washington, D.C. – Open to press.
Tuesday, June 24 at 10:15 a.m. – The Senator will chair a Judiciary Committee hearing on judicial nominations. Nominees include: Pamela Harris, to be United States Circuit Judge for the Fourth Circuit; Pamela Pepper, to be United States District Judge for the Eastern District of Wisconsin; Brenda K. Sannes, to be United States District Judge for the Northern District of New York; Patricia M. McCarthy, to be a Judge of the United States Court of Federal Claims; Jeri Kaylene Somers, to be a Judge of the United States Court of Federal Claims. 226 Dirksen Senate Office Building, Washington, D.C. – Open to press.
Tuesday, June 24 at 2:15 p.m. – The Senator will attend a Foreign Relations Committee business meeting. Among the items on the agenda will be the Energize Africa Act, bipartisan legislation cosponsored by Senator Coons to help provide 50 million Africans with first-time access to electricity and add 20,000 megawatts of electricity to the African grid by 2020. S-116, U.S. Capitol, Washington, D.C. – Open to press.
Tuesday, June 24 at 6:45 p.m. – The Senator will attend the South Africa-Washington International Program’s Third Annual Wilson Center Forum and Reception. SAWIP is a student program aimed at developing future generations of leaders for a post-conflict South Africa. South African Ambassador Ebrahim Rasool will present Senators Coons — chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Subcommittee on African Affairs — and Jeff Flake (R-Ariz.) — the subcommittee’s ranking member — with SAWIP’s annual Ubuntu Award. The Woodrow Wilson Center, 1300 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW, Washington, D.C.
Wednesday, June 25 at 9:00 a.m. – The Senator will attend a Democratic Steering and Outreach Committee meeting on infrastructure investment. The discussion will focus on job creation and the federal government’s role in fostering public/private partnerships at the local level. U.S. Capitol, Washington, D.C. – Closed to press.
Wednesday, June 25 at 10:00 a.m. – The Senator will attend a Judiciary Committee hearing on the Voting Rights Amendment Act. The Committee will consider the Voting Rights Amendment Act, bipartisan legislation cosponsored by Senator Coons to modernize and restore the protections of the Voting Rights Act of 1965. 226 Dirksen Senate Office Building, Washington, D.C. – Open to press.
Wednesday, June 25 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.
Wednesday, June 25 at 5:00 p.m. – The Senator will co-host a reception organized by the child advocacy coalition “5th Birthday and Beyond” celebrating American leadership and unprecedented global gains in child survival and health. SR-325 Kennedy Caucus Room, Russell Senate Office Building, Washington, D.C.
Thursday, June 26 at 9:30 a.m. – The Senator will attend a Judiciary Committee business meeting. 226 Dirksen Senate Office Building, Washington, D.C. – Open to press.
Thursday, June 26 at 10:30 a.m. – The Senator will attend a Senate Appropriations Committee markup of the FY15 Financial Services and General Government and Homeland Security appropriations bills. 106 Dirksen Senate Office Building, Washington, D.C. – Open to press.
Friday, June 27 at 2:00 p.m. – The Senator will highlight Delaware’s FIRST recipient of the Rural Economic Development Loan Program. Senator Coons will join USDA Rural Development State Director, Dr. Bill McGowan, Senator Carper, and Congressman Carney for a press event to highlight the award made to the Delaware Municipal Electric Corporation. Milford City Hall, 180 Vickers Drive, Milford, DE – Open to press.
Friday, July 27 at 3:00 p.m. – The Senator will announce funding to increase resiliency of vulnerable Bayshore habitats. Senator Coons will join Governor Markell, Senator Carper, Congressman Carney, and DNREC Secretary Collin O’Mara to announce $6.9 million in federal funding to design and construct projects for Delaware Bay wetland and beach habitats that will minimize coastal flooding and enhance the resiliency of communities and ecosystems degraded by storms, including Hurricane Sandy in 2012. The funding will support Delaware’s efforts to protect lands, infrastructure, and communities along the Bayshore from future coastal storms and sea level rise. The federal grants will leverage state, local and partner funds. DuPont Nature Center, 2992 Lighthouse Rd., Milford, DE – Open to press.
Saturday, June 28 at 9:00 a.m. ? The Senator will attend the Wilmington Peacekeepers 2nd Annual Children’s Rally for Peace. The Wilmington Peacekeepers are an ethnically diverse and multi-denominational group that aims to promote peace within our society by ending gun violence and promoting youth education. Kirkwood Park, Wilmington, DE ? Open to press.
Saturday, June 28 at 11:00 a.m. ? The Senator will attend the Positively Dover 2014 African American Festival, an event that unites ethnic groups while exchanging cultural and artistic experiences. The festival takes place at the Legislative Mall, where visitors can explore African and African American culture through vendors and entertainment. Capitol Complex, Dover, DE ? Open to press.
Note: Schedule is subject to change.
Monday, June 16 at 9:00 a.m. – The Senator will visit the Garrison Energy Center’s new Dover site. The 309-megawatt combined-cycle electric generating facility will enhance reliability for Delaware and the regional power market and will be one of the cleanest and most efficient plants in the country. Garrison Oak Technical Park, Dover, DE – Closed to press.
Monday, June 16 at 10:00 a.m. – The Senator will speak at the Girls State program at Wesley College. Girls State is a country-wide nonpartisan program that provides high school girls who have completed their junior year with an opportunity to study responsible citizenship and learn about the government. Wesley College, Gooding Hall, Room 206, Dover, DE – Open to press. Contact Brian P. Cunningham at 302-650-7858.
Tuesday, June 17 at 12:30 p.m. – The Senator will attend a bio-based products showcase hosted by the Senate Agriculture Committee featuring bio-based technologies manufactured by DuPont. The ‘Grow It Here, Make It Here’ Spotlight on Innovation event will highlight new technologies from more than 30 innovators from across the country. SR-325 Kennedy Caucus Room, Russell Senate Office Building, Washington, D.C. – Open to press. Contact Agriculture Committee’s Ben Becker at 202-224-5466.
Tuesday, June 17 at 4:00 p.m. – The Senator will attend an Appropriations Committee business meeting to consider the FY15 Department of State, Foreign Operations, and Related Agencies appropriations bill. 138 Dirksen Senate Office Building, Washington, D.C. – Open to press. Contact Appropriations Committee’s Vince Morris at 202-224-1010.
Wednesday, June 18 at 9:00 a.m. – The Senator will attend an African American Media Roundtable hosted by the Democratic Steering and Outreach Committee. Commemorating the 50th anniversary of the signing of the Civil Rights Act, the discussion will bring together media experts, professionals, and advocates from around the country to evaluate effective communications methods and discuss how to best reach the African American community through today’s media sources. U.S. Capitol, Washington, D.C.
Wednesday, June 18 at 1:30 p.m. – The Senator will host a briefing on the Department of Energy’s advanced manufacturing initiatives. Mark Johnson, director of DOE’s Advanced Manufacturing Office, and Libby Wayman, director of the Clean Energy Manufacturing Initiative, will brief Congressional staff on DOE’s work to support U.S. advanced manufacturing and clean energy innovation. 366 Dirksen Senate Office Building, Washington D.C.
Wednesday, June 18 at 2:00 p.m. – The Senator will preside over the Senate until 3:30 p.m. Senate Chamber, U.S. Capitol, Washington, D.C. – Open to press who wish to sit in the Senate Gallery.
Wednesday, June 18 at 3:30 p.m. – The Senator will attend a Senate Judiciary Subcommittee markup of S.J. Res. 19, a constitutional amendment cosponsored by Senator Coons to overturn the Supreme Court’s ruling in Citizens United. 226 Dirksen Senate Office Building, Washington, D.C. – Open to press. Contact Judiciary Committee’s Jessica Brady at 202-224-7703
Thursday, June 19 at 9:30 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, June 19 at 10:30 a.m. – The Senator will attend a Senate Appropriations Committee markup of the FY15 Energy and Water Development; State, Foreign Operations, and Related Agencies; and Legislative Branch appropriations bills. 106 Dirksen Senate Office Building, Washington, D.C. – Open to press. Contact Appropriations Committee’s Vince Morris at 202-224-1010.
Friday, June 20 at 4:00 p.m. – The Senator will deliver remarks at a town hall meeting with members of Delaware’s Kenyan diaspora community at an event hosted by the Rockefeller-Aspen Institute Diaspora Program. The meeting will focus on how the U.S.-Kenyan diaspora can support development efforts in Kenya. Angaza Sharon Seventh Day Adventist Church, 210 Executive Drive, Newark, DE – Open to press. Contact Brian P. Cunningham at 302-650-7858.
Note: Schedule is subject to change.
In a personal speech on the Senate floor this week, Senator Coons shared his own first-hand account of the climate change impacts he has witnessed during trips to Glacier National Park in Montana, the Santa Marta Mountains in Colombia, and at home in Delaware. He urged his colleagues in Congress to take action now – to support clean energy and energy efficiency and back responsible limits on harmful carbon emissions – so we can change the course of our future and leave our children a healthier world. Read his full remarks here: http://1.usa.gov/SAoDDB