Fighting malaria should be a global effort

Senator Coons addressed a group of more than 50 at a briefing on Capitol Hill Tuesday to explore innovative techniques being used around the world to fight malaria, an infectious blood disease spread by mosquitoes and found most prevalently in the developing world.

In his remarks, Chris discussed America’s unwavering dedication to look out for the interests of developing nations, with particular attention on Africa, where 90 percent of malaria deaths occur.

“At a time when we have so many in this country focused inward on the challenges that face us, I think this conversation and this working group are a great opportunity for us to be reminded of the breath that our engagement and our service has provided in tackling malaria,” Chris said during the briefing.  “We must continue the vision that we are a nation that is great because of what it gives, not because of what it takes.”

Chris is the chair of the Senate Foreign Relations Subcommittee on African Affairs and co-chair of the Senate Working Group on Malaria.

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

Video: Senator Coons delivers keynote remarks at the Alliance to Save Energy’s Fall Conference

Addressing the Alliance to Save Energy’s annual policy summit Tuesday, Senator Coons described energy efficiency as a “bridge” that should draw steadfast bipartisan support in Congress.

During his speech, Chris reflected on the history of bipartisan energy policy by referencing the work of the late Senators Charles Percy (R-Ill.) and Hubert Humphrey (D-Minn.), who reached across the aisle 34 years ago and founded the Alliance to Save Energy. 

A member on the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, Chris has been a longtime advocate for clean, sustainable energy and called for a return to science-based, energy efficiency policy.  Furthermore he highlighted the energy efficiency legislation for which he is a cosponsored:

• S. 398, Implementation of National Consensus Appliance Agreements Act
• S. 963, Reducing Federal Energy Dollars Act
• S. 1000, Energy Savings and Industrial Competitiveness Act

These bills have the potential to save individuals and businesses energy and money, and – most importantly – create American jobs.  Other areas of great interest to Chris are saving the Department of Energy’s energy efficiency research funding, federal tax credits for energy efficiency, and modifying budget rules to allow energy service companies to reduce federal buildings’ energy consumption. 

Click here to learn more about Chris’ work on energy issues. 

An innovative power system for an innovative learning center

SMYRNA — Senator Coons joined Senator Carper and Congressman Carney at the Delaware AeroSpace Education Foundation’s (DASEF) Innovation Technology Exploration Center in Smyrna to announce a $50,000 USDA Rural Development grant to help fund a geothermal heating and cooling system.

The project will be comprised of eighty 400-foot deep wells that will provide heating and cooling to the 40,000 square-foot Exploration Center building.  The geothermal system will also serve as a learning tool for the thousands of children who visit the site each year to learn about science and technology.

Chris commended DASEF on its unwavering dedication to teaching the next generation about everything from space exploration to protecting the Earth, and from clean energy technology to reducing our dependence on foreign oil. 

“Educating our kids in science and technology is a critical part of keeping our state and nation competitive,” he said. “NASA may have launched its last space shuttle earlier this year, but we must not let that stand in the way of progress and discovery.  We must continue to guide our children toward career paths in science, technology, engineering and mathematics.  DASEF is committed to doing just that, and that is why we continue to support the organization’s mission.” 

The geothermal project carries a total price tag of $515,000.  DASEF also received $30,000 from DNREC’s Delaware Alternative Energy Rebate Program, and DASEF plans to cover the balance of the project while seeking additional public and private funding.

The Senator’s week ahead schedule: October 3 to October 9

Monday, October 3 at 8:00 a.m. – The Senator will attend the “Bagel Briefing” hosted by the Delaware Jewish Federation. The Senator will speak about Africa’s importance to the U.S. with the President of Jewish World Service, Ruth Messinger, at the Wilmington Jewish Community Center.  101 Garden of Eden Road, Wilmington, DE – Closed to press.

Monday, October 3 at 11:00 a.m. – The Senator will participate in a press event with Delaware Aerospace Education Foundation to announce a grant from U.S. Department of Agriculture Rural Development. The USDA will announce a $50,000 grant and additional state funds for a geothermal heating and cooling system at the DASEF Innovation Technology Exploration Center. 585 Big Oak Road, Smyrna, DE – Open to press.

Monday, October 3 at 4:00 p.m.  – The Senator will preside over the Senate. Washington, DC – Open to press who wish to sit in the Senate gallery.

Tuesday, October 4 at 10:30 a.m. – The Senator will deliver the keynote address at the Alliance to Save Energy’s fall policy conference, Driving Energy Efficiency as the Next Big Thing. The Alliance to Save Energy is a nonprofit organization that promotes energy efficiency worldwide through research, education and advocacy. It engages with business, government, environmental and consumer leaders to use energy efficiency as a means of achieving a healthier economy, a cleaner environment and greater energy security. 106 Dirksen Senate Office Building, Washington, DC – Open to press.

Tuesday, October 4 at 3:00 p.m. –The Senator will speak at a briefing hosted by the Senate Malaria Working Group. The briefing  – entitled “Innovations in the Fight Against Malaria” – will feature R. Timothy Ziemer, Rear Admiral, United States Navy (retired), U.S. Global Malaria Coordinator; COL Colin Ohrt, Chief, Department of Clinical Pharmacology and Translational Medicine, Walter Reed Army Institute of Research; and Larry A. Walker, Ph.D., Director, National Center for Natural Products Research, The University of Mississippi. Senator Coons is a co-chair of the bipartisan Senate Working Group on Malaria, whose goal is to raise Congressional awareness of U.S. efforts to stem the tide of malaria across the globe. SVC 209-08, Capitol Visitors Center, U.S. Capitol, Washington, DC – Open to press.

Wednesday, October 5 at 10:00 a.m. – The Senator will chair a Senate Foreign Relations Committee nominations hearing.  Nominees include: Ms. Susan Page, nominee to be Ambassador to South Sudan; Ms. Adrienne O’Neal, nominee to be Ambassador to Cape Verde; Ms. May Leonard, nominee to be Ambassador to Mali; and Mr. Mark Brzezinski, nominee to be Ambassador to Sweden. 419 Dirksen Senate Office Building, Washington, DC – Open to press.  

Wednesday, October 5 at 2:30 p.m. – The Senator will attend a Judiciary Committee hearing on the role of judges under the U.S. Constitution. The hearing will receive testimony from U.S. Supreme Court Associate Justices Antonin Scalia and Stephen Breyer. 216 Hart Senate Office Building, Washington, DC – Open to press.

Wednesday, October 5 at 4:00 p.m. – The Senator will participate in an online chat with Delaware educators hosted by the Hope Street Group. The online discussion will focus on Delaware’s education plan, Delaware student growth measures, and the status of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act reauthorization. Washington, DC – Closed to press.

Thursday, October 6 at 10:00 a.m. – The Senator will attend the Senate Judiciary Committee executive business meeting. 226 Dirksen Senate Office Building, Washington DC—Open to press.

Thursday, October 6 at 1:00 p.m. – The Senator will preside over the Senate. Washington, DC – Open to press who wish to sit in the Senate gallery.

Friday, October 7 at 8:30 a.m. – The Senator will visit the Wilmington Jobs Corps Center. The Job Corps provides free career technical and academic training to people ages 16 to 24 and is administered by the U.S. Department of Labor. 9 Vander Avenue, Wilmington, DE – Open to press. 

Friday, October 7 at 10:00 a.m. – The Senator will attend the opening of the PBF Energy Partners refinery opening. The facility is a 19,000-barrel per day, high-conversion, heavy crude oil refinery closed before Christmas in 2009. PBF reopening the facility creates more than 450 jobs and provides employment for an additional 150 workers at supporting firms. 4550 Wrangle Hill Road, Delaware City, DE – Open to press.

Friday, October 7 at 1:30 p.m. – The Senator will kick off National Wildlife Refuge Week with a visit to the Bombay Hook Wildlife Refuge in Smyrna. Stretching eight miles along Delaware Bay and covering 16,251 acres, Bombay Hook National Wildlife Refuge provides habitat for wildlife and attracts more than 170,000 visitors per year. Senator Coons will tour the refuge with his family. Smyrna, DE – Open to press. 

Note: Schedule is subject to change.

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Senator Coons applauds OnStar’s decision to reverse course on privacy issue

Senator Coons received word from OnStar today that it was reversing course on its decision to continue to track the locations of its customers and potentially sell that information to third parties even after those customers have terminated their service plans with the company.

“As location-based mobile technology becomes a larger part of consumers’ lives, it’s important that we’re vigilant about balancing convenience with privacy. I’m glad that OnStar heard our concerns and has decided to reverse course. OnStar’s announcement today is an important step toward restoring the trust consumers had placed in it, and I hope that other companies learn from this experience. Systems that automatically track users’ locations should, by default, protect their users’ privacy. Sensitive personal information should not be for sale without users’ explicit consent.”

Last week, Chris sent a letter to OnStar with Senator Al Franken (D-Minn.) urging the in-vehicle navigation system provider to undo controversial changes to its terms and conditions that it planned to roll out in December. 

Senator Coons and Senator Franken are both members of the Senate Judiciary Committee, which has jurisdiction over laws relating to the use and distribution of consumer information by businesses.

You can read OnStar’s press release announcing the reveral here.

The Senator’s week ahead schedule: September 26 to October 2

Monday, September 26 at 9:00 a.m.  – The Senator will host and speak at a job fair in Sussex County.  Similar to the job fairs that were held in New Castle and Kent counties, Senators Coons and Carper, and Congressman Carney are providing a forum to connect Delawareans looking for jobs with more than 60 employers who are ready to hire. In addition to networking with local companies, job seekers can also take advantage of the many workshops, career counseling and resume review opportunities at the fair. Delaware Technical & Community College, Georgetown, DE– Open to press.

Monday, September 26 at 11:45 a.m. – The Senator will attend the announcement of the launching of a partnership between the University of Delaware and NRG. The partnership will manage the interaction of plugged-in electric vehicles with the power grid as part of an effort to augment and stabilize the nation’s electricity supply. UD and NRG are looking to develop a program to train electricians to install home, commercial, and public electric car charging stations. NRG will also work with UD to train installers and service technicians of solar technologies, while developing large-scale solar projects with attention to supporting local job creation in the areas of production, installation and maintenance. University of Delaware, Science and Technology Campus, 550 South College Avenue, Newark, DE — Open to press. 

Tuesday, September 27 at 1:00 p.m. – The Senator will visit Corporation Service Company in Wilmington. The Senator will meet with company executives to learn more about how they are providing legal and financial services for the world’s largest companies, law firms, and financial institutions. Corporation Service Company, Wilmington, DE – Closed to press.

Wednesday, September 28 at 11:00 a.m. – The Senator will meet with U.S. Intellectual Property Enforcement Coordinator Victoria Espinel and DuPont CEO Ellen Kullman to discuss U.S. and industry efforts to counter the challenges posed by intellectual property theft. DuPont Experimental Station, Wilmington, DE — Closed to press.

Thursday, September 29 at 5:00 p.m. – The Senator will host a Jobs Search Workshop in partnership with the Goodwill Job Resource Center. The workshop will help job seekers hone their job-search skills, fine-tune their resumes, and master the interviewing process. In addition to Senator Coons, Career Coach Joyce Dungee Proctor will also be in attendance. Goodwill Job Resource Center, 300 E. Lea Boulevard, Wilmington, DE — Open to press.

Friday, September 30 at 9:00 a.m. – The Senator will speak at a forum entitled, “Increasing Parental Involvement: The Key to Student Achievement in Delaware” organized by the Metropolitan Wilmington Urban League, the Gilliam Foundation and The Appleseed Network.  In May 2011, Senator Coons co-sponsored the Family Engagement in Education Act to establish policies and programs at all government levels that better incorporate family engagement to increase student achievement.  Wilmington University, Audrey Kohl Doberstein Admissions Center, New Castle, DE – Open to press.

Friday, September 30 at 8:00 p.m. – The Senator will attend the Family Promise of Northern New Castle County Box City event.  The purpose of the event is to raise awareness and funding for homeless families in the Delaware community. 7250 Lancaster Pike, Hockessin, DE – Open to press.

Saturday, October 1 at 9:00 a.m.  – The Senator will speak at the AIDS Walk Delaware event. An important milestone in the largest AIDS fundraiser in the state, Senator Coons will address participants at the 25th Annual AIDS Walk Delaware. This event is presented by the Delaware HIV Consortium and AIDS Delaware, along with partner organizations Ministry of Caring and Faith Community Partnership. All of the funds that are raised are used to help Delawareans who are infected and affected by HIV/AIDS. Wilmington Riverfront, Wilmington, DE– Open to press.

Saturday, October 1 at 1:45 p.m.  – The Senator will attend the Indo-American Association of Delaware “IndiaFest” which showcases the arts and culture of India.  There will be stage performances including dance competitions, clothing and jewelry exhibitions, and a selection of savory Indian food. University of Delaware, The Bob Carpenter Center, Newark, DE – Open to press..

Note: Schedule is subject to change.

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Senator Coons tells OnStar that selling customers’ location data is privacy breach

Senators Coons and Franken yesterday sent a letter to OnStar urging the in-car navigation provider to reconsider its decision to continue to track the locations of its customers and potentially sell that information to third parties even after those customers have terminated their service plans with the company. The senators requested that the company provide detailed information on how OnStar intends to protect its customers’ location data. The full text of the letter is available below.

Earlier this year, Senator Coons cosponsored the Location Privacy Protection Act — introduced by Senator Franken — which would require companies like OnStar to obtain their customers’ explicit permission before tracking their location information or sharing that information with third parties.

“OnStar’s actions appear to violate basic principles of privacy and fairness for OnStar’s approximately six million customers—especially for those customers who have already ended their relationships with your company,” the letter states. “…We believe that OnStar’s actions underscore the urgent need for prompt congressional action to enact privacy laws that protect private, sensitive information like location. In the meantime, we believe that it is the responsibility of corporate citizens like OnStar to take every step possible to safeguard the privacy of their customers.”

Senator Coons is a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, which has jurisdiction over laws relating to the use and distribution of consumer information by businesses. He firmly believes that strong consumer data privacy is an issue of civil liberties, because American companies must be able to earn the trust of the consumers whose information they collect and store or risk consumer revolt and, ultimately, non-competitiveness in the market.

Read the full letter below.

Senator Coons meets with members of the Peace Corps

As the Peace Corps is commemorating fifty years of promoting peace and friendship around the world, Senator Coons set aside time to meet with Elizabeth “Betty” Irwin of Bear, Delaware on Thursday. Mrs. Irwin joined the Peace Corps at age sixty-two in 1993, using her training as a nurse to teach health and nutrition in the Highlands of Guatemala for two years.  Currently, she teaches English-as-a-second-language to adults in Delaware and works at the Rockwood Museum. 

This meeting emphasized both Mrs. Irwin’s service as a Delaware Peace Corps volunteer and the agency’s legacy of service by honoring our past, demonstrating our effectiveness, and inspiring the next generation of volunteers through education and engagement. Chris places a special significance on education and engagement, having volunteered abroad and at home in organizations such as the “I Have a Dream” Foundation, First State Innovation, the Bear/Glasgow Boys & Girls Club, and the Delaware College of Art and Design.

On Wednesday, Chris, chair of the Senate Foreign Relations Subcommittee on African Affairs, met with the director of the Peace Corps in his Washington office to discuss the agency’s work in Africa, program funding, and safety measures for the volunteers.

Aaron Williams was sworn in as the eighteenth director of the Peace Corps on August 24, 2009. Nominated by President Barack Obama and confirmed by the U. S. Senate on August 7, 2009, Mr. Williams is the fourth director in the Peace Corps’ history to have served as a Peace Corps volunteer, serving as a volunteer from 1967 to 1970, first in a training program for rural school teachers in the small town of Monte Plata, Dominican Republic, and extending his service for a third year to work as a professor of teaching methods at the Universidad Catolica Madre y Maestra in Santiago.

Peace Corps is an independent U.S. government agency that provides volunteers for countries requesting assistance around the world. The agency traces its roots and mission to 1960, when then-Sen. John F. Kennedy challenged students at the University of Michigan to serve their country in the cause of peace by living and working in developing countries.

To learn more about the Peace Corps, click here.

Celebrating International Car-Free Day

In honor of International Car-Free Day, Senator Coons encourages Delawareans to reflect on the impact various modes of transportation have on our environment, and if possible, try leaving their car at home and instead walking, biking or taking public transportation. 

Chris is a great proponent of alternative modes of transit and commutes from his home in Wilmington to Washington, DC, by Amtrak trains on a near daily basis. Additionally, he has been working with leaders from around the state to provide more recreational and bike-friendly routes, including the newly announced 14-mile C&D Canal Recreation Trail.

Delaware is very fortunate to have a wealth of active biking organizations within the state, and if you are interested in getting involved with cycling in the state for transport, recreation or both, Bike Delaware is a great advocacy organization committed to making Delaware more bikeable.  Many Delaware roads have designated bike lanes or wide shoulders to accommodate cyclist and the Delaware Bike Council and DART provide information on mapping a car-free route for your commute.

Chris will continue to work to help Delaware be a place where residents can save money on gas by accessing alternate forms of transportation for commuting to work or for daily activities.

Video: Chris talks about jobs, deficit reduction on MSNBC

Chris was on MSNBC Tuesday afternoon to discuss President Obama’s plans for jobs and deficit reduction. He also discussed his efforts to persuade leaders of African nations to oppose unilateral recognition of a Palestinian state at the United Nations. Watch the video below.