Senator Coons went to the floor this afternoon to weigh in on the potential for a government shutdown, blasting House Republicans’ attempt to defund the Title X program for women’s health services.
Senator Coons announced today that over 50 ready-to-hire employers have signed up to meet potential employees at the free job fair he is hosting on Monday, April 11. The job fair, which will take place at the Chase Center along Wilmington’s riverfront from 9:00am to 4:00pm, will feature federal agencies and private companies looking to hire, will also include two seminars to help job-seekers.
While we’re seeing signs of economic recovery, too many in Delaware who lost their jobs during this recession are still trying to find new ones. “It’s not enough for us simply to talk about the importance of getting more of our neighbors back to work,” Chris said. “We need to come together as a community and connect those looking for jobs with employers who are ready to hire.”
Job-seekers are encouraged to bring their resumes and be ready to meet recruiters. For more information, or to participate as a company seeking to hire, call 302-573-6345 or email workshop@coons.senate.gov.
Senator Coons embarked on his chairmanship of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee’s Subcommittee on African Affairs by holding its first nominations hearing of the 112th Congress. Appearing before the Subcommittee were President Obama’s nominees to serve as our ambassadors to Kenya and Botswana. Chris is the only freshman member of the Senate to lead a subcommittee in the 112th Congress.
Chris’s opening statement focused on Africa’s importance as a place of strategic importance for our national security, of expanding markets, and of emerging democratic institutions. He further cited the many challenges still facing the continent, in particular those of human rights abuses, obstacles to health care access, and widespread poverty.
Drawing on his own experiences in Africa, Chris said:
Africa is a continent of tremendous strategic importance to the United States and the world, and I am extremely grateful to Senator Kerry and my colleagues on the Committee for entrusting me with the gavel.
I look forward to working with my friend Senator Isakson to accomplish a shared vision and strategic goals, and hope to serve as a model for bipartisan cooperation on issues pertaining to Africa in the 112th Congress and beyond.
…While different countries with divergent histories, accomplishments and challenges, the issues we will discuss today in the context of Botswana and Kenya – governance, democratic institutions, health initiatives, human rights, trade, counterterrorism, U.S. interests and a broader regional strategy – will serve as focal points for the Africa Subcommittee.
Kenya has special meaning for me, as I developed a deep interest in Africa during my junior year of college when studying at the University of Nairobi and traveling through Kenya and Tanzania to immerse myself in African culture. After college, I wrote about anti-apartheid divestiture strategies while serving as an analyst for a research center in Washington. I subsequently returned to Africa on behalf of the South African Council of Churches, so my ties to both Kenya and Africa are both professional and personal.
President Obama has nominated former U.S. Air Force Major General J. Scott Gration to serve as Ambassador to Kenya. Previously, Gen. Gration was the President’s special envoy to the Sudan, where he played an important role in that country’s recent steps toward peaceful referendum on Southern Sudan’s independence. For the top post at our mission in Botswana, the President nominated Michelle Gavin, until recently the Senior Director for Africa at the National Security Council. Both would bring considerable experience and deep knowledge of the continent to their jobs if confirmed.
Monday, April 4 at 8:30 a.m. – Senator Coons will attend the Jewish Community Center Bagel Briefing. Bernard and Ruth Siegel Jewish Community Center, 101 Garden of Eden Road, Wilmington – Open to press.
Tuesday, April 5 at 12:00 p.m. – The Senator will speak about the U.S. Senate’s work on issues impacting American workers at AFL-CIO annual legislative advocacy week. SWA Conference Center, Washington, D.C.
Tuesday, April 5 at 2:30 p.m. – Senator Coons will chair the Senate Foreign Relations Africa Subcommittee Nomination Hearing. This will be the Senator’s first hearing as chair of the subcommittee. LOCATION TBD. U.S. Senate, Washington, D.C. – Open to press.
Wednesday, April 6 at 10:00 a.m. – Senator Coons will attend the Senate Judiciary Committee hearing on the Electronic Communications Privacy Act. 226 Senate Dirksen Office Building, Washington, D.C. – Open to press.
Thursday, April 7 at 9:30 a.m. The Senator will attend a Senate Energy Committee hearing on the Department of Biofuel Programs. 366 Dirksen Senate Office Building, Washington, D.C. – Open to press.
Thursday, April 7 at 9:30 a.m. Senator Coons will attend a Senate Judiciary Committee Executive Business Meeting. 226 Dirksen Senate Office Building, Washington, D.C. – Open to press.
Thursday, April 7 at 6:00 p.m. Senator Coons will attend the 23rd Annual National Fire and Emergency Service Dinner. The National Fire and Emergency Services Dinner is an annual fundraising event for the Congressional Fire Services Institute. Washington Hilton, 1919 Connecticut Ave N.W., Washington, D.C.
Friday, April 8 at 8:30 a.m. The Senator will talk about his experience in the U.S. Senate at the Leadership Delaware, Inc. Bank of America, 1100 N. King Street, Wilmington.
Friday, April 8 at 11:30 a.m. Senator Coons will speak at the Reading Institute Luncheon. Waterfall Convention Center, Claymont
Friday, April 8 at 6:30 p.m. Senator Coons will be the auctioneer at the Ministry of Caring Emmanuel Dining Room Auction. Barclay’s Bank, Wilmington Riverfront, Wilmington.
Saturday, April 9 at 11:00 a.m. Senator Coons will attend the kickoff of the Autism Delaware Walk. Bellevue State Park, Wilmington.
Saturday, April 9 at 7:00 p.m. The Senator will attend the Delaware Children’s Museum Gala. 550 Justison Street, Wilmington.
Sunday, April 10 at 11:00 a.m. The Senator will attend services at Mt. Zion AME Church with Representative Daryl Scott. 101 North Queen Street, Dover.
Sunday, April 10 at 6:00 p.m. Senator Coons will speak at the 2011 AIPAC Greater Philadelphia Community Reception. Adath Israel, 250 N. Highland Ave., Merion Station, Pennsylvania.
Monday, April 11 at 9:00 a.m. Senator Coons is hosting a Job Fair. Chase Center, Wilmington – Open to press.
From Sunday’s Washington Post: Metro columnist Marc Fisher tells the remarkable story of a simple Tunisian fruit vendor whose frustration with the indiginity repeatedy perpetuated upon him by corrupt police officers led to an act of defiance that sparked protests across the Arab world.
For years, Bouazizi had told his mother stories of corruption at the fruit market, where vendors gathered under a cluster of ficus trees on the main street of this scruffy town, not far from Tunisia’s Mediterranean beaches. Arrogant police officers treated the market as their personal picnic grounds, taking bagfuls of fruit without so much as a nod toward payment. The cops took visible pleasure in subjecting the vendors to one indignity after another — fining them, confiscating their scales, even ordering them to carry their stolen fruit to the cops’ cars.
Before dawn on Friday, Dec. 17, as Bouazizi pulled his cart along the narrow, rutted stone road toward the market, two police officers blocked his path and tried to take his fruit. Bouazizi’s uncle rushed to help his 26-year-old nephew, persuading the officers to let the rugged-looking young man complete his one-mile trek.
…
In Tunisia, an unusually cosmopolitan Arab country with a high rate of college attendance, residents watched for 23 years as Zine el-Abidine Ben Ali’s dictatorship became a grating daily insult. From Tunis — the whitewashed, low-rise capital with a tropical, colonial feel — to the endless stretches of olive and date trees in the sparsely populated countryside, the complaints were uniform: It had gotten so you couldn’t get a job without some connection to Ben Ali’s family or party. The secret police kept close tabs on ordinary Tunisians. And the uniformed police took to demanding graft with brazen abandon.
Still, the popular rebellion that started here and spread like a virus to Egypt, Libya and the Persian Gulf states, and now to Yemen and Syria, was anything but preordained. The contagion, carried by ordinary people rather than politicians or armies, hits each country in a different and uncontrollable way, but with common characteristics — Friday demonstrations, Facebook connections, and alliances across religious, class and tribal lines. This wave of change happened because aging dictators grew cocky and distant from the people they once courted, because the new social media that the secret police didn’t quite understand reached a critical mass of people, and because, in a rural town where respect is more valued than money, Mohammed Bouazizi was humiliated in front of his friends.
In the second installment of Senator Coons’ “Correspondence from the Commute” video series, Chris responds to constituents’ questions about the energy efficiency of light bulbs, the Defense of Marriage Act, the Republicans’ reckless budget proposal, education reform, high-speed rail and the Blue Rocks’ home opener.
Chris recorded this batch of videos last Thursday morning, aboard his Acela train from Wilmington.
“This month I heard from a lot of constituents concerned about the reckless cuts in the Republicans’ budget proposal,” Senator Coons said. “While Congress must tackle long-term deficit reduction that examines both expenditures and revenues, the House proposal would gut programs that are important to a lot of Delawareans, and they’re speaking up about it. I genuinely appreciate that feedback and hope Delawareans continue to advocate for the programs and projects that are most important to them.”
Videos released today include responses to:
Marking the one-year anniversary of President Obama signing health reform into law, Senator Coons called the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act “a major step in expanding access to affordable health care for all Americans.” Chris also noted health reform’s economic benefits, adding, “It’s important to remember that the Affordable Care Act is estimated to create as many as 400,000 jobs a year.”
Delawareans have already seen tangible benefits from the Affordable Care Act. Insurance companies are no longer allowed to drop or deny coverage to children with pre-existing conditions, and there is a new state insurance program for adults who have been dropped or denied coverage for this reason, which will cover them until provisions of the Affordable Care Act that protecting adults with pre-existing conditions take effect in 2014. Chris previously highlighted this program during a visit to the Henrietta Johnson Medical Center in Wilmington.
The Affordable Care Act has already enabled young people under the age of 26 to be covered under their parents’ plans, and the health insurance “exchanges” it establishes promise to lower costs and enable more Americans to purchase affordable coverage. More provisions will kick in over the next few years, with full-implementation expected in 2014.
While Chris believes the Affordable Care Act to have been a landmark piece of beneficial legislation, he recognizes that there are some areas where we can improve upon the bill. One of these is the 1099 reporting provision, which would impose burdensome reporting requirements on small businesses. Chris proudly voted in the Senate to repeal this provision on February 2.
If you are interested in more information about the how the Affordable Care Act helps you, click here or here to learn more.
While we’re seeing signs of economic recovery, too many in Delaware who lost their jobs during this recession are still trying to find new ones. To help, Senator Coons will be hosting a free job fair in Wilmington on Monday, April 11.
The job fair, which will fill the Chase Center with federal agencies and private companies looking to hire, will also feature two seminars to help job-seekers. One, “Applying for Federal Jobs,” will be hosted by the U.S. Office of Personnel Management, while the other, “New Strategies for Changing Times: Transform Your Mind and Embrace Change,” will be led by career coach Joyce Dungee Proctor. Those attending will also be able to receive tips on resume-building, cover letters, and interview skills.
Those seeking jobs are encouraged to bring their resumes and be ready to meet recruiters from the over forty companies that have already signed up. Chris has been working to bring potential employers to the job fair and has already confirmed the participation of companies like AFLAC, Comcast, TD Bank, Interim Health Care, Power Home Remodeling, and Barclay Card as well as government entities like New Castle County, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the Internal Revenue Service, the U.S. Secret Service, and the Philadelphia Passport Agency.
“It’s not enough for us to simply talk about the importance of getting more of our neighbors back to work,” Chris said. “We need to come together as a community and connect those looking for jobs with employers who are ready to hire.”
The job fair will take place at the Chase Center from 9:00am to 4:00pm on April 11. For more information, or to participate as a company seeking to hire, call 302-573-6345 or email workshop@coons.senate.gov.
In Delaware, the average gas price has reached $3.51 a gallon and everyone is feeling a pinch at the pump. The federal agency dedicated to monitoring the oil market for abuse and speculation, which protects consumers, has been working hard to keep market-manipulation at bay. The Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) has been consumers’ cop on the beat since its creation in 1975, safeguarding against fraud and abuse that lead to higher consumer prices.
It is unfortunate that the budget passed by House Republicans earlier this year would slash the CFTC’s operational budget by one-third. This would severely limit that agency’s ability to protect consumers and keep market-manipulators from driving gas prices even higher. According to CFTC Chairman Gary Gensler, such a cut would lead to “significant curtailment of staff and resources.”
Senator Coons and forty-seven other Senate Democrats sent a letter today to Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell warning about the risk of holding back key resources from the CFTC, especially at a time when gas prices are already high. Equally disturbing, they wrote, are the House Republicans’ cuts to a range of programs focused on developing alternative sources of energy, including clean fuel technologies that will help wean us off our dependence on foreign oil.
In their letter, Chris and other Senate Democrats called for real bipartisan solutions to our energy problems, particularly a “sensible fiscal policy that invests in what we need to grow and cuts what doesn’t, without undermining our mission to transition to a safe, clean, and affordable future.”
Click here to read the full letter, and for a complete list of the senators who signed it.
Senator Coons met today with two groups working to preserve Delaware’s coastal region: the University of Delaware Lewes campus and the Delaware Center for Inland Bays – one of only two National Estuary Programs in the state.
In the morning, Chris attended the Delaware Center for Inland Bays quarterly board meeting to listen to the board’s comments and concerns regarding protection of the Inland Bays and their watershed, which consists of 320 square miles and whose bays and tributaries cover about 32 square miles. One of the issues discussed during the meeting was a recent Supreme Court ruling that denied the states the right to require buffer strips of vegetation along waterways.
Chris discussed finding the balance between our valuable agriculture community and regional environmental concerns and answered on protecting the Chesapeake Bay Watershed as well as the related federal budget issues for National Estuary Programs.
Chris’ next stop was at the University of Delaware’s Lewes campus, where he met with Dean Targett, professors Jeremy Firestone and Willett Kempton and several graduate students to discuss the University’s renewable energy initiative and research. The faculty discussed the potential for wind energy as a successful and profitable renewable energy resource.
The University’s on-shore wind turbine, located on its Lewes campus, stands 400 feet tall and went operational in June 2010. The turbine provides most of the power for the Lewes campus and feeds to the electric grid in the surrounding area. This was the Chris’ third visit to the Lewes campus since its turbine was installed.