Blocked

There has been no more frustrating part of my first year in the Senate than watching job-creating bill after job-creating bill get blocked by a gridlocked Congress. We’ve had so many opportunities to make a difference, but partisan gridlock has made it impossible to make real progress against America’s jobs crisis.

Finding jobs for our neighbors and helping our economy recover remains my top priority, which is why this week I cosponsored and worked aggressively for the Rebuild America Jobs Act — the second component of President Obama’s American Jobs Act to be brought before the Senate on its own.

Like its predecessors, this job-creating measure was blocked.

The Rebuild America Jobs Act would have gotten hundreds of thousands of construction workers back on the job addressing one of our nation’s most serious long-term problems — its crumbling infrastructure. That’s why I went to the floor twice this week to voice my support for this bill. Click here to watch to my first speech

The traffic we see on our crumbling roads is nothing compared to the partisan gridlock that has prevented us from making real progress in fighting our jobs crisis.  Investments in America’s infrastructure are investments in America’s future, making the Rebuild America Jobs Act smart policy that would have made a real difference.

The highlights of my first year of service in the Senate may well be the three job fairs I hosted around the state, which connected nearly 5,000 of our neighbors with more than 100 employers. Washington can learn a lot from Delaware about what it means to get the job done.

I’ll keep trying to pass legislation in Washington to punch back against this recession that has taken so much from so many American families, and I’ll keep doing all I can in Delaware to help our business grow and our connect out-of-work neighbors with employers ready to hire.

Video: Why we need an infrastructure bank

Senator Coons went to the floor again Thursday to trumpet the national infrastructure provisions in the Rebuild America Jobs Act. Chris is also a cosponsor of the BUILD Act, a standalone billed introduced earlier this year that would create the American Infrastructure Finance Authority to bring more private investment into infrastructure efforts.

With America facing a need for more than $2.2 trillion in infrastructure investments over the next five years, an infrastructure bank would help struggling state and local government to find the financing they need to repair their roads, bridges, tunnels, airports, railways, water and sewer systems.

“In my view, we have to get creative,” Senator Coons said. “We have to bring in more resources than are currently on the field. And especially now, especially in this country, I think we have to be smart about how we spend our funds. The Rebuild America Jobs Act, to which I hope we will be moving later this afternoon, would put $50 billion directly into infrastructure but $10 billion as a down payment into making possible this new infrastructure bank. Seed money that makes possible loans and loan guarantees, not grants, for a wide range of infrastructure projects including energy, water and critically needed transportation.”

Watch the speech above, or click here to read the transcript.

Senator Coons, economists discuss ideas for job creation

Senator Coons participated in a forum with economists from the public and private sectors on Wednesday to look at innovative ways to jumpstart the economy and create jobs. The meeting, which was hosted by the Democratic Steering and Outreach Committee, mainly focused on broad economic strategies for improving our economy, with an emphasis on consumer confidence and demand.

“My number one priority since joining the Senate has been creating jobs for Delaware and helping Delaware business grow,” Chris said. “In August, I hosted three roundtable discussions with Delaware business leaders to listen to their ideas for job creation. It’s imperative that we continue to seek counsel from a wide range of stakeholders, so we can keep the lines of communication open and the ideas on how to create jobs flowing.”

The panel examined job-creating initiatives currently being reviewed by the Senate, including the latest measure put forth by Senate Democrats, the Rebuild America Jobs Act. This legislation would create jobs through investments in our nation’s decaying transportation infrastructure. Senator Coons is a cosponsor and spoke on it on the floor on Wednesday.

In August, Senator Coons hosted several jobs roundtables discussions in Delaware on: jobs for Delaware’s veterans, jobs in Delaware’s high-tech and R&D sector, and jobs in Delaware’s community-based businesses

In addition to the roundtable discussion, Chris hosted three in-state job fairs this year with more than 4,900 job seekers in attendance.

Click here to learn more about Chris’ blueprint for job creation.

Click here to share your thoughts with Chris on how to bring jobs to Delaware.

Video: Senator Coons voices support for national infrastructure jobs bill

Speaking on the Senate floor on Wednesday, Senator Coons voiced his support for the Rebuild America Jobs Act, which was introduced Monday to help address America’s jobs crisis by investing in America’s crumbling infrastructure. Senator Coons is an original cosponsor to the bill.

Charts from SFRC hearing on China’s role in Africa

At a Senate Foreign Relations Subcommittee on African Affairs hearing this afternoon, Senator Coons will walk through a series of charts that compare the strategies of China and the United States in Africa. You can take a sneak peek below. Click to go see the chart at full resolution in our Flickr photostream.

The Senator’s week ahead schedule: October 31 to November 6

Monday, October 31 at 11:00 a.m.  – The Senator will speak at the Emergency Medical Services (EMS) Leadership Summit. The 2011 Summit will feature Senator Coons’ view on how EMS as a profession is currently perceived by his colleagues and how EMS leaders can improve the effectiveness of their advocacy.  An estimated 100 EMS Chiefs from across the country are expected to be in attendance. Washington, DC – Closed to press.

Monday, October 26 at 2:00 p.m.  – The Senator will preside over Senate. Washington, DC – Open to press who wish to sit in the Senate Gallery.

Tuesday, November 1 at 10:00 a.m.  – The Senator will attend the Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Crime and Terrorism hearing on organized crime.  The hearing is entitled, “Combating International Organized Crime: Evaluating Current Authorities, Tools, and Resources.” 226 Dirksen Senate Office Building, Washington, DC – Open to press.

Tuesday, November 1 at 3:00 p.m.  – The Senator will chair the Senate Foreign Relations Africa Subcommittee Hearing on China’s Role in Africa. The hearing is entitled, “China’s Role in Africa: Implications for U.S. Policy” and will consider how China’s rapidly increasing role in Africa is affecting U.S. foreign and economic policy. It will feature three witnesses: The Honorable David Shinn of George Washington University; Dr. Deborah Brautigam, Senior Research Fellow for the International Food Policy Research Institute; and Mr. Stephen Hayes, President and CEO of The Corporate Council on Africa. 419 Dirksen Senate Office Building, Washington, DC — Open to press

Wednesday, November 2, at 9:00 a.m. – The Senator will attend the Senate Steering and Outreach Committee meeting with top economists. The meeting will include dozens of economists from labor groups and business trade associations who will provide an outlook on future economic trends and how Congress can act to help spur job creation. S-207 United States Capitol, Washington, DC – Closed to press.

Thursday, November 3 at 10:00 a.m.  – The Senator will attend a Judiciary Committee business meeting. The Respect for Marriage Act (S.598) and the Discount Pricing Consumer Protection Act (S.75) are on the agenda to be discussed, as well as several nominees to district and circuit judgeships. 226 Dirksen Senate Office Building, Washington, DC — Open to press.

Thursday, November 3 at 1:00 p.m.  – The Senator will preside over Senate. Washington, DC – Open to press who wish to sit in the Senate Gallery.

Friday, November 4 at 1:00 p.m.  – The Senator will be a panelist at a forum on Social Security hosted by Delaware First Media. The forum is entitled, “Understanding Social Security: A Forum on Social Security’s Roots, Issues and Future.” Senator Coons will join Jo Anne Barnhart, the former Commissioner of the U.S. Social Security Administration, on the forum’s third panel, which will focus on options for making Social Security sustainable for the future. University of Delaware, 2800 Pennsylvania Avenue, Wilmington, DE — Open to press.

Note: Schedule is subject to change.

###

Married LGB service members seek equal access to marriage benefits

In another step toward securing the equality due all Americans, today the Servicemembers Legal Defense Network filed a federal lawsuit on behalf of eight married same-sex military couples seeking access to the same benefits available to married opposite-sex military couples.

Though you can be gay or lesbian and serve in the military now because of the repeal of Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell, your spouse can’t get a military identification card, he or she can’t access any programs for military families, housing benefits, health insurance, or surviving spouse benefits.

The suit is a constitutional equal protection challenge to the Defense of Marriage Act and seeks marriage recognition for every legally married military spouse. Specifically, it challenges DOMA, as well as other statutory definitions of “spouse” in Title 10, Title 32 and Title 38 of the U.S. Code.

Just as repealing Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell was about restoring balance and equality in access to the responsibility of service, the suit seeks to restore balance and equality in access to the benefits of service.

Learn more at sldn.org.

What We’re Reading: Women and STEM education

From the Associated Press: Since the ratification of the 19^th Amendment nearly a century ago, women have broken numerous societal barriers and are leveling the occupational playing field in areas that were once considered “male professions,” including law and medicine.

Our current economic environment has hurt many job sectors and forced companies to lay off workers. Senator Coons and many others agree that, in order to improve our economy and ensure its future success, we must invest in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) education, which has always been at the heart of American innovation.

Women are currently still lagging behind men in earning higher degrees in the profitable STEM fields. Fortunately, women are making steady strides, thanks, in part, to an increased push by secondary education teachers to encourage girls to pursue careers in these fields.

With two-thirds of all undergraduate degrees and 60 percent of master’s degrees now going to women, many believe it’s only a matter of time before that trend influences the upper echelons of the STEM fields.

Already, statistics from the Council of Graduate Schools show that women, overall, earned slightly more than half of the doctorates handed out in all disciplines in the United States in 2009 and 2010. When it comes to the STEM fields, women have been most successful in medicine and biology – and least successful in engineering, math and computer science.

But experts hope that, too, will change. A recent report from the American Association of University Women notes that, 30 years ago, the ratio of seventh- and eighth-grade boys who scored more than 700 on the SAT math exam, compared with girls, was 13 to 1. Now it’s 3 to 1.

Read the entire story here.

Learn about Chris’ work to improve education here.  

Answering your questions about Medicare

One of Senator Coons’ terrific constituent advocates took her service a step further yesterday, volunteering at KYW3’s phone bank for those with questions about Medicare as we enter the open enrollment period. Beverly Flannigan is an expert on Medicare and is always available to help Delawareans with questions or problems about the program. You can reach her during business hours at 573-6345.

Click here to watch KYW’s story on the phone bank to learn a little more about the Medicare open enrollment period.

Senator Coons highlights benefits of SBA commercial refinancing loan

REHOBOTH BEACH, Del. — Senator Coons joined regional representatives from the Small Business Administration (SBA), and members of the Delaware business community on Tuesday in congratulating Admiral Hotel owners Chad and Elyse Moore for running the first business in Delaware to be approved for a SBA commercial refinancing loan. Senator Coons was joined by State Senator George Bunting, Mayor Sam Cooper, and Delaware Community Development Corporation’s Bill Aberna.

The hotel, which is located right off the beach in Rehoboth Beach and employs about 25 people, had a near-record year last summer, but still had a hard time getting a loan from any banks, so they turned to the SBA and Fulton Bank for help.

The 504 SBA commercial mortgage refinance loan came out of the American Jobs Act of 2010 and permits small businesses to lock in long-term, stable financing and improve cash flow.

The Moores will use the loan from Fulton bank, backed by the SBA, to refinance the hotel’s existing mortgage into a 20-year fixed rate, as well as make necessary renovations, including the construction of a  café on the premise, which will create 10 new jobs.

“During this difficult economic time, we must provide assistance to small businesses that are trying to expand and create jobs,” Chris said. “The Admiral Hotel was seeking help in refinancing its mortgage and making necessary repairs, and I applaud the Small Business Association’s willingness to lending a helping hand. I encourage all Delaware small businesses that are looking to refinance their mortgage to take advantage of this loan program.”

The SBA 504 refinance program is only for businesses that can demonstrate that their loans are current and that they have successfully made all required payments under original or modified bank terms. There is a new, independent appraisal required for all projects and existing 504 projects and government-guaranteed loans are not eligible to be refinanced.

To click here to learn more about the SBA 504 loan.