{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "is_view": false, "human_description_en": "where party = \"Democrat\", state = \"DE\" and year = 2015 sorted by date descending", "rows": [["https://www.carper.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/pressreleases?ContentRecord_id=53dfef5a-dbfd-405f-834d-a6447d4c64e4", "Carper Statement on DuPont's Announcement of Job Reductions, Specialty Products Division Headquarters", "2015-12-29", "2015", "2015-12", "Democrat", "House", "DE", "Thomas Carper", "C000174", "www.carper.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "WILMINGTON, Del.  Today, U.S. Sen. Tom Carper (D-Del.) released the following statement on DuPonts announcement that approximately 1,700 Delaware-based positions will be eliminated and that its corporate headquarters for the post-merger Specialty Products division will remain in Delaware.\r\nThe news of the Dow-DuPont merger was a shock to all of us, and todays announcement is very troubling. My heart goes out to everyone affected by the job losses here in Delaware. These DuPont employees are our longtime friends, our family, and our neighbors. At this time of hardship for so many Delaware families, we, as the states elected officials, cant sit back, wring our hands and bemoan our fate. Weve got to roll up our sleeves and work together, and I will continue to work with the Governor and Congressional delegation to do everything we can to help those affected and make sure good job opportunities are available here in the First State.\r\nFor more than two centuries, the DuPont Company has made Delaware its home, and Delawareans have been responsible for many of its most successful and profitable products. From life-saving innovations to market-changing discoveries in research, these products have been sold under the DuPont name and made it one of the most respected American companies in the history of our country. The announcement made today that Dow-DuPonts Specialty Products division will remain in Delaware comes as a small but welcome break in the clouds. The fight, however, isnt over. Its also absolutely critical that the agriculture business is headquartered here in our state, and the Congressional delegation will work alongside Governor Markell, the Delaware legislature, and business and community leaders to do our part to ensure it is.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.carper.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/pressreleases?ContentRecord_id=35dd0548-5b06-4794-9163-7097c417a2fb", "Senator Carper Calls on Agencies to Improve Implementation of IT Management Law", "2015-12-18", "2015", "2015-12", "Democrat", "House", "DE", "Thomas Carper", "C000174", "www.carper.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "WASHINGTON  On the first anniversary of the enactment of the Federal Information Technology Acquisition Reform Act (FITARA), Sen. Tom Carper (D-Del.), ranking member of the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, called on agencies across the federal government to improve implementation of the landmark information technology (IT) law.\r\nCongress passed FITARA with the goal of reducing waste in federal information technology (IT) spending and increasing agency accountability to the American taxpayer,said Sen. Carper.I am encouraged by the steps that the Office of Management and Budget and some agencies have taken to implement the law. Ive also heard positive feedback from many federal Chief Information Officers who feel that FITARA has empowered them with the clear authority and guidance they need to do their job.That being said, agencies still have a lot of work to do to realize the laws full potential. One year into FITARA, agencies across the federal government are still vulnerable to catastrophic IT failures, continue to struggle with tracking and managing data centers, and still fail to purchase software in a cost-effective manner. There is clearly room for improvement. But FITARA set a high bar for improving IT management and was always meant to be a multi-year effort. This first anniversary is a good time for the leadership of agencies to assess how they are meeting the goals of FITARA and redouble their efforts to make real changes in the way the federal government manages its IT.\r\nAs the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) has repeatedly pointed out in recent years, the federal government spends approximately $80 billion annually on IT, yet those investments continue to underperform, often incurring considerable cost overruns and delays.\r\nFITARA works to improve how the federal government acquires, implements,and manages its information technology investments by giving agency Chief Information Officers (CIO) more authority over the budget, governance, and personnel processes for agency information technology investments, and by improving transparency and review processes of agency IT investments. The bipartisan legislation was originally co-sponsored by Sens. Carper and Tom Coburn (R-Okla.) and Representatives Darrell Issa (R-Calif.) and Gerry Connolly (D-Va.).\r\nFITARA builds on the statutory framework established by the Clinger-Cohen Act of 1996 by enhancing agency CIOs authorities and strengthening key IT management initiatives. Specifically, FITARA does the following:\r\n \r\nCIO Authority Enhancements - Gives civilian agency CIOs more authority over the budget, governance and personnel processes for agency IT investments, significantly enhancing CIO's role throughout the government.\r\n \r\n \r\nTransparency & Risk Management - Makes agency IT investments more transparent to the public and requires agencies to review troubled investments.\r\n \r\n \r\nGovernment-wide Software Purchasing - Requires development of an enhanced government-wide software purchasing program that agencies may use to lower acquisition and management costs.\r\n \r\n \r\nPortfolio Review - Requires agencies to annually review all of their IT investments to eliminate duplication and waste. For example, in fiscal year 2011 budget submissions, agencies reported 622 separate investments totaling $2.4 billion in human resource management systemsand 580 investments totaling $2.7 billion in financial management systems.\r\n \r\n \r\nData Center Consolidation - Requires federal data centers to be consolidated and optimized to achieve greatest usage, efficiency,and cost savings as recommended by GAO.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.carper.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/pressreleases?ContentRecord_id=85298de8-426f-48a9-ab47-9ad9c50fb966", "Carper Votes to Approve Omnibus, Tax Extenders", "2015-12-18", "2015", "2015-12", "Democrat", "House", "DE", "Thomas Carper", "C000174", "www.carper.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "WASHINGTON  Today, Sen. Tom Carper (D-Del.), top Democrat on the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, issued the following statement after voting to approve a legislative package that includes measures to fund the government through the end of the fiscal year and extend tax provisions that were set to expire at the end of this month.\r\nI am very pleased that the omnibus spending bill we approved today is consistent with the budget weve already adopted, and its a thoughtful balance of spending between our domestic and defense programs that honors our countrys values and principles. This legislative package, however, is extraordinarily large, and it combines policies that have diverse impacts not only on the federal government, but also our economy as a whole. While there are some serious shortcomings, ultimately, I believe the good outweighed the bad and therefore I voted to send it to President Obama for his signature.\r\nAs the top Democrat on the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, Im pleased with the spending allocations for our Committee's priorities, especially the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). Our national security is a paramount priority for our country, and this funding will better equip and enable the more than 200,000 men and women who work at DHS to better serve and secure our nation. This funding is a win for homeland security, and thats a win that all Americans can celebrate. \r\nI'm especially proud to have worked on the Cybersecurity Act of 2015. This legislation which would facilitate the sharing of cyber threat information among and between the private sector and federal government and authorize key cyber defense programs at the Department of Homeland Security, such as the cyber intrusion and detection system known as EINSTEIN, while maintaining privacy protections. Overall, this measure, which is the reflection of bipartisan collaboration and compromise, will strengthen our nations defenses online and help federal agencies, businesses and consumers better protect themselves against the evolving cyber threats of the twenty-first century.\r\nFunding included to support the consolidation of the Department of Homeland Securitys headquarters at the St. Elizabeths campus will help the Department build a sense of cohesion across its many offices, build employee morale, and save taxpayer dollars in the long run. This measure also directs spending of up to $750 million to address what I believe to be the root causes of the surge of migrants weve seen along our southern border: the violence, corruption, and lack of economic opportunities in the nations of Honduras, El Salvador, and Guatemala. While this money will not by itself solve the complicated, longstanding problems these countries face, it is an important part of our responsibility to help the governments of the Northern Triangle continue to make progress in improvements.\r\nThe permanent tax extensions approved as part of this package put a responsible end to the inefficient stop-and-go policy weve employed over the last number of years. Families and businesses need tax certainty and predictability in order to make smart financial decisions, and extending tax credits for two years at a time made that very difficult. This legislation will extend and incentivize investments in research and development and clean energy technology, which are critical to creating green jobs and modernizing our economy to compete and win in the global marketplace.\r\nThe package also includes a permanent extension of an increased Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) and Child Tax Credit (CTC), which will put more after-tax dollars in the hands of low and middle class families who need them the most. While these responsible changes arent inexpensive, its important to remember there is an even higher demand, and higher reward. Ultimately, this package will do a lot of good for American families and businesses, and will help grow our domestic economy.\r\nAs with any legislative package of this extraordinary size, its important not only to celebrate the victories, but also to recognize the areas where we fell short and commit ourselves to making important corrections in the future. Among those shortcomings is a drafting error that resulted in the long-term extension of the investment tax credits for solar energy, but not for several other clean energy technologies like stationary fuel cells. An extension of these tax credits is critical to getting these nascent industries off the ground in Delaware and across America. Im disappointed and discouraged that the error occurred. To voice my grievances,Ifiled an amendment with Senator Coons and 17 of our colleagues that would fix it. While the amendment was not included in the legislation that passed the Senate today, leadership on both sides of the aisle recognize this as an error and I have commitments that we will be able to correct this issue early next year.\r\nI am also deeply concerned about the impact of lifting the oil export ban on our independent oil refiners, who employ thousands of hardworking, middle class Americans. These refineries provide transportation fuels and home heating oil for hundreds of thousands, if not millions, of American families. Lifting the ban on domestic crude oil exports will result in a $30 billion windfall each year to oil producers, and put our domestic oil refiners at an economic disadvantage with their foreign competitors who enjoy lax environmental rules and regulations.\r\nI was joined by many of my colleagues to fight long and hard to keep from opening up our domestic oil market to volatile global forces, something I believe could put our consumers, economy, environment, and energy security at risk, but in the end we did not prevail. There was a small victory in the expansion of a tax provision to help our independent, domestic refineries pay less for some of their transportation costs, but I know our work on this issue is not finished. I will continue my efforts to help preserve the middle-class manufacturing jobs supported by these refineries not only in Delaware and along the Northeast Corridor, but also around the country.\r\nFinally, Im also discouraged by the delay of Affordable Care Act taxes that would support the continued implementation of the health care reform law that is already changing the lives of millions of Americans for the better. Health care costs are rising at the lowest rate in modern history and millions of Americans have high-quality health insurance for the first time. We should be doing everything we can to continue this important progress, not making attempts to undermine it. I am hopeful that when we return to work in January, my colleagues and I will move forward together to improve the law and continue strengthening our countrys health care system.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.carper.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/pressreleases?ContentRecord_id=e99bdf8a-0285-41fa-94d8-a000b3e3fff0", "Senate Passes Bipartisan PRIME Act Provisions to Curb Medicare and Medicaid Waste and Fraud", "2015-12-18", "2015", "2015-12", "Democrat", "House", "DE", "Thomas Carper", "C000174", "www.carper.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "WASHINGTON  Today, the Senate passed major provisions of the bipartisan Preventing and Reducing Improper Medicare and Medicaid Expenditures (PRIME) Act (S. 861) to improve program integrity within Medicare and Medicaid.The PRIME Act, which has 17 bipartisan cosponsors, was introduced by Sens. Tom Carper (D-Del.) and Mike Enzi (R-Wyo.).\r\nMedicare and Medicaid provide access to quality healthcare to seniors, children and families across the country every day, said Sen. Carper. But each year, millions of dollars that should be going to our most vulnerable Americans are lost to waste and fraud. The common-sense measures within the PRIME Act are a win-win. They will help us fulfill our responsibility to make sure this vitally important program has the resources it needs, while working to make us better stewards of taxpayer dollars by reducing instances of waste, fraud, and abuse. I look forward to working with my colleagues in the House to get this legislation over the finish line and on to the President for his signature.\r\nWe hear a lot about how Washington lacks common sense. People are usually right about that. This time, however, were using common sense, said Sen. Enzi. This bill does not affect coverage or benefits, but does make practical changes to the system. Weve used Government Accountability Office, HHS Inspector General and other expert findings and recommendations to build in better efficiencies.\r\nThe provisions approved today will specify criminal penalties for fraudulently buying, selling or distributing Medicare and Medicaid patient information, specifically beneficiary identification numbers. The legislation will also facilitate information sharing between federally administered Medicare and state-administered Medicaid to prevent fraudulent activity in both programs, and incentivize accurate payments to Medicare providers in order to prevent improper payments.\r\nThe PRIME Act provisions were included as part of a larger package of health care related legislation approved by the Senate by Unanimous Consent called the Patient Access and Medicare Protection Act (S.2425).\r\nIn April, an additional set of waste and fraud prevention provisions from the PRIME Act, were included as part of the Medicare Access and CHIP Reauthorization Act that was signed into law in April.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.carper.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/pressreleases?ContentRecord_id=9e13bada-c57e-489c-b25a-bf88d3ef8184", "Legislation to Modernize Federal Standards for Toxic Chemicals Passes the Senate", "2015-12-17", "2015", "2015-12", "Democrat", "House", "DE", "Thomas Carper", "C000174", "www.carper.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "WASHINGTON  Today, Sen. Tom Carper (D-Del.), a senior Democrat on the Environment and Public Works (EPW) Committee, released the following statement after the Frank R. Lautenberg Chemical Safety for the 21st Century Act, a bill to overhaul the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) of 1976, passed the Senate by voice vote. The bill, introduced by Sens. Tom Udall (D-N.M.) and David Vitter (R-La.), and cosponsored by Sen. Carper, would modernize TSCA, an outdated law enacted nearly four decades ago that fails to adequately protect the public from harmful chemicals, and imposed outdated regulatory procedures that stifled business innovation and job creation.\r\nBipartisanship is hard to come by in the Senate these days, especially on environmental issues. Today, the Senate took a historic step toward reforming our toxics laws to better serve both the public and businesses in Delaware and around the country. After too many years of failure, both sides of the aisle have worked together to compromise on policy, without ever compromising their principles, Senator Carper said. For nearly 40 years, a broken regulatory system for toxic substances has failed to adequately protect Americans from risks to their health, and hasn't worked for business either. Weve been negotiating TSCA reform for six years, and in the Senate theres been a lot of give and take by both sides of the aisle to get to todays vote. The final product is a testament to a robust and transparent committee process, and a textbook example of how we should legislate. And it's a proposal that's come leaps and bounds from its predecessor in its protections for public health and the environment.\r\nCommunication, compromise and collaboration have made all the difference in this effort, and enabled Republicans and Democrats to find a way forward on a very challenging, but necessary, reform of our nation's chemical safety law. I thank Senator Udall for his leadership, determination, and tireless efforts alongside Senator Vitter and Senator Inhofe to produce this bipartisan piece of legislation. Together weve made it to first and goal, and I look forward to reconciling this bill passed with the House and getting it across the finish line.\"\r\nOver the past few years, there have been several unsuccessful attempts to overhaul TSCA. This newest bipartisan proposal, however, contains critical revisions Sen. Carper has worked hard to include so that the new framework will offer Delawareans and all Americans the confidence they deserve that the products they use every day dont contain unsafe chemicals. Sen. Carper cosponsored the legislationafter working closely with the sponsors for more than a yearto secure enhanced protections for public health and the environment. The provisions secured by Sen. Carper will better protect public health and our environment, while still offering a regulatory process that is reasonable and manageable for businesses, and their inclusion provided a key breakthrough that allowed the bill to recieve bipartisan support and move forward through the legislative process.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.carper.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/pressreleases?ContentRecord_id=dabbd212-3657-40aa-a58e-3dd9ba393bb5", "Senator Carper Comments on Senate Confirmation of D.C. Superior Court Associate Judges", "2015-12-17", "2015", "2015-12", "Democrat", "House", "DE", "Thomas Carper", "C000174", "www.carper.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "WASHINGTON  Today, Sen. Tom Carper (D-Del.), ranking member of the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, released a statement following the Senates unanimous confirmation of Robert A. Salerno and Darlene M. Soltys to be Associate Judges, D.C. Superior Court.\r\nToday, the Senate did the right thing and quickly approved these two well-qualified, non-controversial nominees for the District of Columbia Superior Court. Ms. Soltys and Mr. Salernos expertise and experience have prepared them well to serve the Districts Superior Court and its residents. I am confident they are ready to hit the ground running and get to work. Todays confirmations make progress in restoring the Courts bench which still suffers from numerous vacancies. I hope my colleagues continue to consider and confirm D.C. judicial nominees, including the four nominees currently pending before our committee, in a timely manner.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.carper.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/pressreleases?ContentRecord_id=77a839e2-a0d3-403f-84d0-a99d81efc198", "Senator Carper Highlights Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Priorities in FY16 Spending Bill", "2015-12-16", "2015", "2015-12", "Democrat", "House", "DE", "Thomas Carper", "C000174", "www.carper.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "WASHINGTON Today, Sen. Tom Carper (D-Del.), ranking member of the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, released the following statement reacting to the homeland security and governmental affairs priorities included in the FY16 appropriations bill:\r\nGiven the number of threats facing our homeland today, I am encouraged by the number of provisions in the Fiscal Year 2016 spending measure crafted to fund the Department of Homeland Security and help ensure that our country is safe and secure. \r\nCyber attacks present one of the biggest national security challenges we face. Congress has a responsibility to continue to strengthen our cyber defenses and help federal agencies, businesses, and consumers protect themselves online. I thank my colleagues on the Appropriations Committee for recognizing the magnitude of this threat and including the Cybersecurity Act of 2015 in the bill, legislation which would facilitate the sharing of cyber threat information among and between the private sector and federal government and authorize key cyber defense programs at the Department of Homeland Security, such as the cyber intrusion and detection system known as EINSTEIN, while maintaining privacy protections.\r\nAs part of the effort to protect our homeland, Congress must make sure there is adequate coordination and collaboration across the Department of Homeland Security. To that end, I was encouraged by the funding that would support the consolidation of the Department of Homeland Securitys headquarters at the St. Elizabeths campus. Completion of this project will help the Department build a sense of cohesion across its many offices and save taxpayer dollars in the long run. It should also bolster efforts by Department leaders to improve employee morale. Moreover, I was pleased to see funding dedicated to countering violence extremism and supporting the Departments Office of Community Partnerships. This will help the Department continue its efforts to combat homegrown terrorism and self-radicalization.\r\nThis bill meets another top homeland security priority of mine:providing much-needed resources to address the underlying causes of the increase in migration weve seen from Central America. Specifically, it directs spending of up to $750 million to address what I believe to be the root causes of the surge of migrants weve seen along our southern border: the violence, corruption, and lack of economic opportunities in the nations of Honduras, El Salvador, and Guatemala. While this money will not by itself solve the complicated, longstanding problems our neighbors in these three countries face, it is an important part of our responsibility to help the governments of the Northern Triangle continue to make progress in improving their citizens lives.\r\nFinally, as we close in on the 2020 Census, Congress has a responsibility to make sure the Census Bureau has the resources it needs during this crucial period of planning and testing. Though lower than the Presidents request, the funding provided in this bill will go a long way toward helping the Bureau plan and achieve a more cost-efficient, modern, and accurate count.\r\nWhile I am supportive of these provisions, this is an incredibly large package that includes some policies that give me strong reservations.Iam thoroughly reviewing all of the bills details to determine whether or not the goodoutweighs the bad.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.carper.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/pressreleases?ContentRecord_id=ae7a7e07-a4a7-4e22-9c0d-941e71d3fb85", "Senate Approves Bill to Crack Down on Federal Charge Card Waste and Abuse", "2015-12-16", "2015", "2015-12", "Democrat", "House", "DE", "Thomas Carper", "C000174", "www.carper.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "WASHINGTON  Today, the Senate approved a bipartisan bill to curb waste, fraud and abuse in federal agency travel and purchase cards spending. TheSaving Federal Dollars Through Better Use of Government Purchase and Travel Cards Act of 2015(S. 1616),introduced by Sen. Tom Carper (D-Del.) with Sens. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa), Claire McCaskill (D-Mo.) and Ron Johnson (R-Wis.) now heads to the House of Representatives for further consideration.\r\nI thank Senators Grassley, McCaskill, and Johnson for their partnership on this bipartisan bill,said Sen. Carper.This common sense legislation would implement stronger and smarter controls to prevent potential abuse and misuse of government charge cards. Whilefederal agencies have made progress in strengthening financial controls over government travel and purchase cards,more needs to be done to eliminate wasteful charge card spending. Congress must continue to work across the aisle to ensure that federal agencies crack down on charge card abuse and taxpayer dollars are being spent responsibly across the federal government. I encourage my colleagues in the House of Representatives to approve this legislation and send it to the President for his signature.\r\nThis bill builds on my Government Charge Card Abuse Prevention Act of 2012 by adding an additional layer of government-wide oversight to the work of individual agency inspectors general,said Sen. Grassley.Earlier this year, a Defense Department inspector general report, which was drafted in response to the 2012 law, highlighted some areas where the Defense Department was not properly implementing the required controls and flagged casinos as a high risk for misuse of charge cards. Our bill will make sure were looking for similar patterns of misuse across all federal agencies and that agencies are sharing best practices to prevent misuse and identify potential cost savings.\r\nWhat weve done here to help agencies find and end the waste, fraud, and abuse of government-issued charge cards is a no-brainer,said Sen. McCaskill, a former Missouri State Auditor and top-ranking member on the Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations.We owe it to the taxpayers to make sure these cards are being used for legitimate business purposes, and not as a personal credit card. This is the kind of commonsense legislation thatll easily save taxpayer dollars and help give Americans a little more confidence in their federal government.\r\nThe federal government needs to do more to monitor and analyze the data on the travel and purchase cards of federal employees,\"said Sen. Johnson.\"We can use this data to find fraudulent uses of employee cards and determine where agencies are repetitively spending money on items that could be bought in bulk at lower cost. I am pleased that our bipartisan bill to address these concerns has moved through the full Senate, and I hope the improvements will be quickly implemented.\r\nTheSaving Federal Dollars Through Better Use of Government Purchase and Travel Cards Act of 2015helps prevent charge card misuse and abuse by requiring the Government Services Administration to continuously examine charge card purchases made across the federal government. The legislation would also facilitate improved anti-fraud information sharing among federal agencies that use purchase and travel cards, in addition to requiring those agencies to share best-practices for detecting and preventing waste, fraud and abuse.In addition, the bill would encourage agencies to leverage purchasing power through strategic sourcing.\r\nEarlier this year, a Department of Defense (DoD) Office of the Inspector General report detailed how some employees at the Department misused government-issued charge cards to gamble and pay for adult entertainment. This legislation aims to prevent charge card misuse and abuse by implementing more oversight controls for travel and purchase cards across federal agencies.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.carper.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/pressreleases?ContentRecord_id=f8b4dda1-1632-4f6f-a3b6-6a43bcdd0d20", "Senator Carper Responds to Updates to National Terrorism Advisory System (NTAS)", "2015-12-16", "2015", "2015-12", "Democrat", "House", "DE", "Thomas Carper", "C000174", "www.carper.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "WASHINGTON  Today, Sen. Tom Carper (D-Del.), ranking member of the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, reacted to updates the Department of Homeland Security has made to the National Terrorism Advisory System (NTAS). The National Terrorism Advisory System was created in 2011 to replace the color-coded alert system that wasput in place after 9/11. The system was developed to quickly communicate detailed information about terrorist threats to government agencies, first responders, transportation managers, and the American public. For more information on todays announcement, please visit:http://www.dhs.gov/news/2015/12/16/update-national-terrorism-advisory-system Given the terrorist threats our country faces, it is important for all Americans to continue to embrace the adage, if you see something, say something, said Sen. Carper. Today, Department of Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson announced updates to the National Terrorism Advisory System that will provide more information for Americans to help them to quickly report suspicious activity to law enforcement.Like all national security programs, theNational Terrorism Advisory System must be revisited and revised as the threats we face evolve. To that end, the Department must continue to work with community and government partners to make sure we are doing all that we can to keep our families and communities safe. Todays announcement is a small but needed step in that effort. Our Committee will continue to monitor the system and the implementation of these updated measures.\"", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.carper.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/pressreleases?ContentRecord_id=52f71ade-6a51-46ad-bd37-1f11777eb6bd", "Carper Statement on Announcement of DuPont-Dow Chemical Merger", "2015-12-11", "2015", "2015-12", "Democrat", "House", "DE", "Thomas Carper", "C000174", "www.carper.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "WILMINGTON, Del.  Today, U.S. Sen. Tom Carper (D-Del.) released the following statement on the news that DuPont and Dow Chemical are in advanced discussions to undergo a merger of equals.\r\nDuPont has been a Delaware company forover two hundred years, carrying with it a centuries-old tradition of success. It should come as no surprise that Dow has reportedly long been motivated to pursue a merger with DuPont. While the news certainly feels like a warning sign for turbulence ahead, I believe that in adversity lies opportunity. We can sit around, wring our hands and bemoan the hand that Delaware has been dealt  or we can roll up our sleeves, join hands and get to work finding the opportunity within this perceived adversity.\r\nIvealways believedthat one of the major roles of government is to create a nurturing environment for job creation and job preservation. Now, perhaps more than ever, our Congressional Delegation must immediately get to work with Governor Markell, the Delaware legislature, and business and community leaders across the First State to do all that we can to make the best out of this situation. Working together, Delaware can prove that if DuPont and Dow do merge, its the smart decision to locate a significant portion of their business here.\r\nIts not the time to sit back and accept our fate. Its time to seize the day. Carpe Diem!", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.carper.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/pressreleases?ContentRecord_id=1e9df6d9-9b3e-40ce-b901-96a5af1968eb", "Senator Carper Recognizes DHS US-Computer Emergency Readiness Team (US-CERT)", "2015-12-10", "2015", "2015-12", "Democrat", "House", "DE", "Thomas Carper", "C000174", "www.carper.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "WASHINGTON  In case you missed it, earlier today Sen. Tom Carper (D-Del.), ranking member of the U.S. Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs, took to the Senate floor to highlight the work of the United States Computer Emergency Readiness Team (US-CERT) that operates within the Department of Homeland Securitys (DHS) National Cybersecurity and Communications Integration Center (NCCIC).\r\nHis speech, as prepared for delivery, is below:\r\nMr. President, earlier this week, the Partnership for Public Service released its annual report ranking the best places to work in the federal government. The report is based on surveys conducted by hundreds of thousands of federal workers. This year, it showed an increase in overall employee morale for the first time in four years.\r\nDespite the progress that appears to have been made in many federal agencies, many components of the Department of Homeland Security continue to struggle to make its employees feel good about where they work and what they do.\r\nI know that Secretary Johnson and his team are taking significant steps to make the Department a better place to work for current and future employees. But Congress also has a responsibility to help improve morale at DHS.\r\nConsidering the fact that we began 2015 with a fight in this body over whether or not we should even fund the Department, I dont believe we are doing all that we can. That is why I have come down to the Senate floor on several occasions throughout the year to highlight some of the extraordinary work being done every day by the dedicated men and women at the Department of Homeland Security.\r\nToday, I rise to recognize no one individual, but a whole team of people for the important work they do every day to defend our nation from the growing and evolving threats our country faces in cyberspace.\r\nIt seems like we cant go a week without hearing about another major breach at a business or government agency. These past few years, weve seen major attacks on the Office of Personnel Management, Sony, a number of major banks, and even the email of the Director of the Central Intelligence Agency. These attacks make clear that the threats we face online are complex and well be struggling with how to deal with them for the foreseeable future.\r\nFortunately, here in Congress we have been making some progress combatting these cyber threats through legislation. Last year, we passed four cybersecurity bills aimed at strengthening the Department of Homeland Securitys ability to perform its cybersecurity missions.\r\nAmong those bills was one to update how the government protects its own networks. This bill included language clarifying the role the Department plays in overseeing and enhancing security at other agencies. Two other bills gave the Department some of the tools it needs to strengthen its cybersecurity workforce. Just last month, DHS announced that it would hire up to 1,000 new cybersecurity employees in the next six months using the new authorities we gave them.\r\nWe also passed a bill that codified the cyber operations center at the Department, the National Cybersecurity and Communications Integration Center. Also known as the NCCIC. This bill gave the NCCIC the strong legal foundation it needs to do its job and engage with the private sector in a joint effort to better secure critical cyber networks.\r\nWe have made great progress on cybersecurity legislation this year, as well. The Senate has passed a bill to increase information sharing and collaboration on cybersecurity issues. In that bill, DHS plays a central role as the interface between industry and the government. The bill also includes provisions to enhance the cybersecurity program at DHS known as EINSTEIN, which uses classified threat intelligence to protect all of our civilian agencies. \r\nIm mentioning all of this legislation to show the critical role that DHS plays in cybersecurity for our country. And at the center of DHSs cybersecurity operations is the United States Computer Emergency Readiness Team - also known as US-CERT.\r\nTo my left is a picture of President Obama and Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson addressing the employees at US-CERT. US-CERT is the main operational team at the NCCIC and it works as the hub of the Departments cyber security efforts. It pools information and shares that information throughout the federal government, with its partners in the private sector across the country, and with our allies around the world.\r\nTwenty-four hours a day, seven days a week, these men and women work to keep us ahead of bad actors who are trying to steal our personal information, hurt our economy, or damage critical infrastructure like our electric grid and financial systems.\r\nUS-CERT was established in 2003 as the Department of Homeland Security was first being stood up. The mission of US-CERT is simple: to make the Internet a safer place for everyone by helping to improve cybersecurity across the country. To do this, US-CERT operates a wide variety of programs. These include several information sharing and collaboration programs; incident response teams that provide on-site assistance to attack victims; programs like the EINSTEIN intrusion detection and prevention system to protect federal agencies; education and awareness programs; and deeply technical forensic analysis. US-CERT partners with a wide variety of organizations, including power plants, banks, software companies, researchers, CERT team in other countries, and other cyber centers like those at the NSA and FBI.\r\nWhen a major cyber attack occurs in the federal government or private sector, the men and women at US-CERT mobilize to travel to the victims location. They help mitigate the attack, strengthen the victims cyber systems, and then communicate with their partners so everyone can secure their systems against similar attacks.\r\nEarlier this year, when the Office of Personnel Management discovered a data breach affecting personnel data belonging to millions of federal employees, they called the NCCIC and asked for its team of experts. US-CERT played a central role in investigating and responding to the breach. For the next four months, a team worked around the clock at OPM to assess and monitor federal networks and develop new protections against the type of intrusion that OPM experienced.\r\nOnce US-CERT realized that other federal agencies were also vulnerable to this type of breach, they immediately shared the indicators of the attack with network analysts across the federal government. This allowed other federal agencies to scan their systems and make sure they had not been compromised by the same hacker.\r\nBecause of the scale and impact of the OPM breach, the US CERT team worked long hours to make sure they could provide guidance to federal agencies as quickly as possible so they could better protect their networks from similar attacks and prevent the attacker from using the information they obtained against us. Their work not only strengthened OPMs cybersecurity posture, but also bolstered cybersecurity across the entire federal government.\r\nUS-CERT and all of the cyber warriors at the NCCIC work tirelessly every day to out-think and out-innovate our cyber enemies. The legislation we enacted last year and the bill we are working hard to send to the President now puts DHS in the spotlight and entrusts them with great responsibility for years to come. We in Congress recognize the critical role the US-CERT plays in strengthening our nations cybersecurity. And we must continue to support these hard wording men and women in their mission.\r\nSo today, Mr. President, I say thank you to the men and women of our US-CERT team at DHS for helping keep us safe in cyber space.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.carper.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/pressreleases?ContentRecord_id=7a2d0e9b-fc53-4ed0-96ae-c21f76e6b6ba", "Carper Votes to Approve Bipartisan Education Reform Package to Replace No Child Left Behind", "2015-12-09", "2015", "2015-12", "Democrat", "House", "DE", "Thomas Carper", "C000174", "www.carper.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "WASHINGTON  Today, U.S. Senator Tom Carper (D-Del.) voted to approve the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA)  bipartisan legislation negotiated by House and Senate conferees to reauthorize and improve the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA). In July, the Senate overwhelmingly approved its version of ESEA reform legislation introduced by Senators Patty Murray (D-Wash.) and Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.). The final measure was approved today by a vote of 85 to 12, and will now be sent to President Obama for his signature.\r\nFifty years ago, President Lyndon Johnson signed the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965, a landmark civil rights law that provides valuable federal funds to our nations poorest schools districts. Over the past five decades, the law has contributed to significant academic gains, particularly among students in our most vulnerable communities. But the last time Congress reauthorized ESEA was 14 years ago through the No Child Left Behind Acta law that actually expired eight years ago.\r\nToday, the Senate made much-needed improvements to our nations main K-12 federal education law. We finally replaced No Child Left Behind and the new law reflects the lessons weve learned since 2001. The Every Student Succeeds Act reaffirms the federal governments role in ensuring that states set rigorous academic standards across the board, so that our students truly are getting the highest quality education. This bill eliminates some of the overly prescriptive and punitive aspects of No Child Left Behind, while empowering states, school districts, educators, and parents to develop locally driven plans to continue raising student achievement.\r\nThe federal government shares in the responsibility to make sure that all students  no matter their zip code, their race, or their economic status  have access to an education that prepares them to achieve success in the classroom and go on to meaningful careers. This bill goes a long way to making good on that promise. Critically, the Every Student Succeeds Act asks states to provide additional resources to our lowest performing schools. While I understand the concerns that some states may fail to live up to their end of the bargain, I believe the federal government can and should play a strong oversight role during implementation of the new law. We must ensure that states are using the additional flexibility in the new law to make good on the promise to support disadvantaged children.\r\nThroughout my career, few issues have been more important to me than raising student achievement and improving Americas schools. As Governor of Delaware, I spent eight years focused on ensuring that all students in the First State have access to an education that enables them to reach higher standards. Upon my arrival in the Senate in 2001, I had the chance to work on No Child Left Behind. Today, I am pleased to be part of a strong bipartisan vote to send the Every Student Succeeds Act to the President for his signature. I am particularly grateful for the leadership of Patty Murray and Lamar Alexander. They have proven that the Senate can work across party lines to address one of the most challenging issues facing our nation  improving the education of our children and once again leading the world in K-12 education.\r\nIn July, when the Senate considered its version of the legislation, Senator Carper introduced two bipartisan amendments that have been included in the final package.\r\nSenator Carper was joined by Senator Cory Gardner (R-Colo.) to offer a provision that strengthens the role of charter school leaders as states and school districts develop their Title I plans. Under current law, state departments of education must consult with a range of key stakeholders. The Carper-Gardner amendment adds representatives from charter schools to the list of stakeholders.\r\nAnother provision, which Senator Carper offered with Senator Kelly Ayotte (R-N.H.), strengthens programs that prepare and support principals and school leaders. Research shows that the best principals and school leaders have a powerful multiplier effect that can dramatically improve the quality of teaching and raise student achievement. Under current law, programs to attract, retain, and support effective principals and school leaders in high-needs schools are underutilized and underfunded. The Carper-Ayotte amendment ensures that states use federal dollars more efficiently to support activities that improve the quality of principals and school leaders.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.carper.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/pressreleases?ContentRecord_id=d75c65d2-518c-42d7-99e4-d2c24dd6594a", "Senator Carper Sponsors National Security Proposals to Defeat ISIS and Keep America Safe", "2015-12-09", "2015", "2015-12", "Democrat", "House", "DE", "Thomas Carper", "C000174", "www.carper.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "WASHINGTON  Today, Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee Ranking Member Tom Carper (D-Del.) sponsored legislation to defeat ISIS abroad while enhancing efforts to protect Americans from terrorism at home. The first measure, S.2377, introduced by Senate Democratic Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.), is based on proposals from Senate national security committees, including provisions drafted by Sen. Carper in his role as the Ranking Member of the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee. Sen. Carper also introduced his own bill, Community Partnership Act of 2015 (S. 2369), to combat the efforts by terrorist groups here in the United States and abroad to recruit and radicalize American citizens and encourage them to carry out attacks. \r\nThe best way to combat the threat of ISIS across the globe is to continue to degrade and destroy their forces overseas and show the world that they are not as powerful as they claim to be, said Sen. Carper. Our success will not only rob them of their safe haven in the Middle East, but also undercut their recruitment narrative that ISIS is on the rise. While the international coalition in the fight against ISIS continues to make progress dismantling and degrading the terrorist group, we must also focus on defeating the threat ISIS and other terrorist groups pose here at home. As the recent tragedy in California underscores, one of the greatest threats we face is homegrown terrorism and self-radicalization. Thats why we must also work to destroy ISISs influence by countering their twisted message and inoculating against its efforts to radicalize our own people here in the United States. We must also strengthen our aviation security, enhance the capabilities of our first responders, and ensure that radiological material here at home does not end up in the hands of a terrorist. This bill will give the Administration the authorities and guidance they need to help destroy this threat and better secure our homeland.\r\nSen. Carpers provisions in S.2377 would:   Establish the Office of Community Partnerships in DHS, a new office designed to reach out to select communities throughout the country and educate them about terrorist groups efforts to radicalize and recruit disenfranchised American youth.   Strengthen the security at our airports by increasing the screening of airport employees to prevent against insider threats and empowering TSAs special security teams to conduct increased surveillance throughout airports.   Ensure radiological material here in the United States does not end up in the hands of a terrorist by calling for a government strategy for securing domestic radiological material, improving the vetting of individuals who are granted unsupervised access to this material, and increasing state and local law enforcement awareness of any security threats related to radiological material in their state or town.   Support our first responders with better training and tools by ensuring that state and local law enforcement can use homeland security grants to help train for active shooter incidents and calling on the Department of Homeland Security to help communities better prepare for these types of emergencies.  \r\nOverall, S.2377 would:\r\nDefeat ISIS Abroad\r\n Create a new ISIS czar who would lead and coordinate the United States military and diplomatic efforts to defeat ISIS.   Cut off ISIS access to money by imposing tough new sanctions on financial institutions if they knowingly facilitate financial transactions with ISIS.   Intensify airstrikes on ISIS strongholds and oil supplies.   Increase support for local forces fighting ISIS on the ground.   Create a new stabilization fund for Jordan and Lebanon to help those fleeing the conflict in Syria stay in the region, closer to their own homes.   Confirm key national security positions necessary to fighting ISIS, such as Adam Szubin as Under Secretary for Terrorism and Financial Crimes at the Treasury Department.   Improve intelligence sharing with our allies and partners.   Improve migrant screening in Europe.   Develop a comprehensive strategy to counter ISIS propaganda and counter violent-extremism.  \r\nKeep America Safe\r\n Strengthen the Visa Waiver Program by requiring the universal use of machine-readable, electronic passports in order to participate in the program.   Close the terrorist gun loophole which would stop individuals who are known or suspected terrorists from purchasing a gun.   Strengthen aviation security by improving screening technology and Transportation Security Officers (TSOs) training, including tougher vetting and oversight of aviation workers and secure areas within airports.   Lock down dirty bomb materials by requiring the federal government to issue a strategy for locking down the highest risk radiological material in our hospitals and industrials sites.    Authorize and supporting a new office at Department of Homeland Security dedicated to stopping homegrown extremism.   Study ways in which U.S. law can improve our ability to intercept terrorist communications.   Help state and local law enforcement train and properly respond to an active shooter attack by authorizing new grants to fund these types of training exercises.  \r\nThe bill is also sponsored by Sens. Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.), Patty Murray (D-Was.), Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.), Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.), Jack Reed (D-R.I.) , Bill Nelson (D-Fla.), Ben Cardin (D-Md.), and Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio).\r\nThe Paris and San Bernardino terror attacks serve as a sobering reminder of the need to be vigilant against all forms of extremist-inspired attacks, including homegrown terrorism and self-radicalization, in the United States.The rise of social media and online networking has helped to expand the reach of radical ideology, allowing it to increasingly gain audience with individuals susceptible to recruitment.\r\nIn addition to his provisions in S. 2377, Sen. Carper introduced the Community Partnership Act of 2015 (S. 2369), companion legislation that would authorize in law the Department of Homeland Securitys Office of Community Partnerships. The new office is charged with directing the governments countering violence extremism efforts and engaging local communities to help them understand and counteract radicalization and violent extremism, including the hateful propaganda of ISIS. Sen. Carpers bill would ensure that the office has the appropriate authorities to effectively carry out its mission.\r\nThe Community Partnership Act of 2015(S. 2369) would:\r\n Authorize the Office of Community Partnerships to make it the focal point of all of DHSs activities to counter violent extremism.   Establish an Assistant Secretary for Community Partnerships who will directly report to the Secretary of Homeland Security on the Departments progress toward ending the recruitment of Americans by terrorist groups.   Charge the office with alerting communities to the dangers of violent terrorist groups like ISIS and their online recruitment and radicalization strategies.    Create a grant program that will help empower community groups, local leaders, religious leaders and non-profits to engage in activity that will promote tolerance, counter the narratives proffered by terrorist groups like ISIS, and help to prevent at-risk youths in our communities from falling prey to the lure of ISIS and other terrorists groups recruitment propaganda.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.carper.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/pressreleases?ContentRecord_id=dd709e9f-2316-43dd-8c81-34048245a90e", "Johnson, Carper Question K-1 Visa Program Vulnerabilities Following San Bernardino Terrorist Attack", "2015-12-09", "2015", "2015-12", "Democrat", "House", "DE", "Thomas Carper", "C000174", "www.carper.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "WASHINGTON  Sens. Ron Johnson (R-Wis.) and Tom Carper (D-Del.), chairman and ranking member of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, sent letters to the departments of Homeland Security and State on Wednesday requesting documents and information on the K-1 visa program following the terrorist attacks in San Bernardino, Calif. One of the suspected terrorists, Tashfeen Malik, entered the United States under a fianc visa in July 2014.\r\nThe San Bernardino attack has exposed the K-1 visa program as another potential vulnerability to our nations security, Sen. Johnson said. Despite undergoing background checks and reviews by both the Department of Homeland Security and the State Department, Tashfeen Malik gained lawful entry into the United States and brought terrorism to our shores. As Chairman of the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs, I will push for answers from the Homeland Security and State departments to find out how Ms. Malik slipped through the cracks and explore necessary reforms aimed at preventing terrorists from entering the United States via K-1 visas in the future.\r\nFollowing the attacks in San Bernardino, the threat of homegrown terrorism and self-radicalization has become all too real to Americans, Sen. Carper said. As the Committee with oversight over our nations homeland security, its critical that we learn all that we can from this tragedy to inform our fight against terrorism in all forms here at home and keep Americans safe. I realize that many Americans are concerned about terrorists traveling to our country. I am too and thats why I believe we must continue to examine any vulnerabilities in the various ways people are able to travel to and stay in our country. Given that one of the San Bernardino attackers came to the United States on a K-1 visa  or fianc visa  its important for us to get more information about that program in particular to determine if there are weaknesses and, if so, fix them to help prevent tragedies like this from happening again. In addition to our examination of our traveler programs, we must also address the threat of homegrown terrorism and self-radicalization and work to destroy ISISs influence by countering their twisted message and inoculating against the groups efforts to radicalize our own people here at home.\r\nFull text of the letters can be found here and here.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.carper.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/pressreleases?ContentRecord_id=19e424c5-50fc-4037-96cf-8283424a74af", "Senator Carper Responds to Annual \"Best Places to Work in the Federal Government\" Survey", "2015-12-08", "2015", "2015-12", "Democrat", "House", "DE", "Thomas Carper", "C000174", "www.carper.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "WASHINGTON  Today, Sen. Tom Carper (D-Del.), ranking member of the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, reacted to the annual Best Places to Work in the Federal Government rankings released by the Partnership for Public Service. Each year, the Partnership for Public Service releases federal agency rankings based on surveys conducted by hundreds of thousands of federal workers. This year, the report shows that overall employee morale increased for the first time in four years; however, the Department of Homeland Security remains at the bottom of the list among large agencies. For the past several years, federal employees have borne undue costs as a result of the partisan gridlock in Washington,said Sen. Carper.From pay freezes to short-sighted budget cuts to government shutdowns, federal employees have at best felt unappreciated and at worst under siege. This is not the way to inspire or motivate a workforce. And this is not the way to attract and retain the best and brightest to serve their country.\r\nLike turning an aircraft carrier, improving morale at our federal agencies will take time. The results of this report show that we have begun to right this ship but there is much more to be done. Congress must stop using federal budgets and federal employees to make a political point. We must work together across party lines to make the federal government a better, more attractive place to work and that starts with providing adequate levels of funding to federal agencies under regular order.\r\nWhile this report shows that overall morale has improved across the federal government, I was disheartened to see that employee morale at the Department of Homeland Security remains the lowest among major federal agencies. Though considering we began 2015 with a fight over whether or not we should even fund the Department, I cant say Im surprised. That is why I have gone down to the Senate floor on several occasions to highlight some of the extraordinary work being done every day by the brave men and women at the Department of Homeland Security.\r\nThe Department also continues to struggle to build a sense of cohesion across its many offices. Thats why Congressional support of the consolidated headquarters at St. Elizabeths is so important. This project will not only save taxpayer dollars but will improve coordination and communication across the Department. I know Secretary Johnson and his leadership team are taking significant steps to make the Department a better place to work for current and future employees. I urge my colleagues to support the agency in its effort.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.carper.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/pressreleases?ContentRecord_id=c9f22824-a5ec-4719-9e68-ad8e5490d2f2", "Senator Carper on USPS Board of Governors: \"Congress Must Act Now to Restore Appropriate Oversight of U.S Postal Service.\"", "2015-12-08", "2015", "2015-12", "Democrat", "House", "DE", "Thomas Carper", "C000174", "www.carper.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "WASHINGTON  Today, due to Congressional inaction, the U.S. Postal Services (USPS) Board of Governors has lost another two of its nine Senate-confirmed members, leaving only one appointed official to do the work of managing USPS activity alongside the Postmaster General and her management team. There are currently five nominees pending before the Senate.\r\nSen. Tom Carper (D-Del.), ranking member of the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, released the following reaction to the news:\r\nBecause of Congress inability to come to consensus on postal reform legislation over the last five years, the Postal Service continues to twist in the wind, only able to address the financial challenges it faces by degrading its primary service, fast and efficient delivery of the mail. Customers and stakeholders are left with uncertainty about what the future holds for the Postal Service and how the Postal Service will transform itself to remain relevant in the digital age. \r\nToday, Congress made that uncertainty even worse.Obstruction in Congress has made it impossible to consider the five pending nominees for the Postal Board of Governors before the current board was rendered ineffective by term limits. This is negligence on the part of Congress.This would never occur in the private sector because shareholders would demand oversight from a strong board to protect their investment. Congress has failed to protect postal customers.Congress must act now to restore appropriate oversight to this vital $70 billion government-backed corporation and to enact reforms that will restore service and faith in this 200-year-old institution.This is particularly pressing as we enter the winter holidays where shipping and mail volume are expected to increase exponentially. \r\nCongressional inaction represents a failure to meet part of the Senates most basic responsibilities: to provide advice and consent on nominations in a thorough and timely manner and to provide agencies with the leadership they need to be successful. We can easily right this wrong. I urge my Senate colleagues to come together and act on the nominees for the Postal Board of Governors and on postal reform legislation as soon as possible.\r\nSen. Carper introduced the Improving Postal Operations, Service, and Transparency Act of 2015 (iPOST) in September. iPOST reflects the views of a broad range of stakeholders and offers a compromise solution to the difficult issues that Congress and the Postal Service have struggled with for years. The bill includes a comprehensive package of reforms that would place the Postal Service on firm financial footing, stabilize and improve service performance, allow for the development of new products and services, and enhance transparency. The bipartisan bill is cosponsored by Sens. Jerry Moran (R-Kan.), Claire McCaskill (D-Mo.), and Roy Blunt (R-Mo.).\r\nFor more information, including a section-by-section summary of the bill and bill text, please visit: www.carper.senate.gov/postalreform", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.carper.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/e-newsletter?ContentRecord_id=eafb3917-4d1d-4e05-9d76-d0baec865b7c", "Delaware Day: Celebrating the \"Delaware Way\"", "2015-12-07", "2015", "2015-12", "Democrat", "House", "DE", "Thomas Carper", "C000174", "www.carper.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Dear Friends, \r\nTwo hundred and twenty-eight years ago, on December 7, 1787, a group of 30 elected delegates met at the Golden Fleece Tavern in Dover to decide the future of Delaware and our nation. On that day, Delawareans made the unanimous decision to ratify the U.S. Constitution and officially become the First State of our new nation. For about one week  five days before our neighbors in Pennsylvania ratified the Constitution  the state of Delaware composed the entire United States of America. A small wonder, indeed!\r\n\r\nToday is Delaware Day, a celebration of Delawares leading role to launch the greatest and most enduring experiment in democracy known to mankind.\r\nOn Delaware Day, its especially important that we remember the Delaware Way  the spirit of community that pulls Delawareans together, regardless of political party, race, creed or religion, and encourages us to do whats best for our state and fellow Delawareans. From Wilmington to Georgetown, and everywhere in between, Delawareans continue to work together regardless of our differences, and to build bridges across partisan divisions. Thats the Delaware Way.\r\n\r\nOver the past few months, I have been reminded of the message Pope Francis conveyed when he addressed a joint session of Congress in September.He called on each of us to follow the Golden Rule and treat others the way we would want to be treated. I believe the Golden Rule is embodied in the Delaware Way  and I believe we should all try to invoke that spirit each and every day.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.carper.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/pressreleases?ContentRecord_id=11026ee1-0227-44e8-b8d4-324f7c520f0e", "Carper, Johnson Bill to Curb Waste and Abuse in Federal Agencies Heads to Presidents Desk for Signature", "2015-12-07", "2015", "2015-12", "Democrat", "House", "DE", "Thomas Carper", "C000174", "www.carper.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "WASHINGTON  Today, the House of Representatives approved legislation co-authored by Sen. Tom Carper (D-Del.) and Sen. Ron Johnson (R-Wis.), ranking member and chairman of the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, that would strengthen coordination among federal agencies to identify and prevent improper payments.The Improper Payments Coordination Act of 2015 was unanimously approved by the Senate in July. The bill will now go to the President for his signature. Over the past several years, federal agencies have taken concrete steps and made significant strides to decrease wasteful spending, and increase accountability and transparency in government agencies,said Sen. Carper.Despite agencies efforts, improper payments continue to cost agencies billions of taxpayer dollars, undermining the effectiveness of the services that Americans rely upon. This legislation builds on past bipartisan efforts to implement stronger program integrity measures across the federal government, and provide agency officials with the tools they need to identify and prevent improper payments. I thank my colleagues in the House of Representatives for passing this common-sense, bipartisan legislation and look forward to continuing our efforts to ensure agencies are doing all they can to better manage the resources we entrust to them.\r\nIm pleased that my bill with Senator Carper to curb wasteful federal spending has passed the House and Senate and will be sent to President Obama. The federal governments efforts to stop improper payments have failed, as is clear from last years $19 billion increase in improper payments,said. Sen. Johnson.Taxpayers expect the federal government to ensure that it is paying the right people, in the right amount, for the right reason. Incremental improvements like this are important if we hope to reduce the $125 billion that was wasted last year. Improper payments are payments made by agencies in error or due to fraud. According to the Office of Management and Budget, federal agencies made an estimated $125 billion in improper payments for fiscal year 2014. The Improper Payments Coordination Act of 2015 would improve existing programs, requirements, and procedures across federal agencies established to identify and prevent improper payments. This legislationbuilds upon two recently enacted improper payment laws championed by Senator Carper. In 2010, Senator Carper saw enactment of the Improper Payments Elimination and Recovery Act (IPERA), which established new, federal-wide policies and procedures to save taxpayers money by reducing improper payments. In 2013, the Improper Payments Elimination and Recovery Improvement Act was signed into law, which further strengthened the rules requiring federal agencies to curb improper payments and mandated the establishment of a government-wide \"do not pay program.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.carper.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/pressreleases?ContentRecord_id=224d37a1-1c6d-48d1-88fb-271067430b0d", "Senator Carper Urges AFG Applicants to Submit Grant Requests for FY2015", "2015-12-07", "2015", "2015-12", "Democrat", "House", "DE", "Thomas Carper", "C000174", "www.carper.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "WASHINGTON  Today, Sen. Tom Carper (D-Del.), co-chair of the Congressional Fire Services Caucus and Ranking Member of the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs, highlighted the opening of the Assistance to Firefighters Grant Program (AFG) application process for Fiscal Year 2015 and encouraged applicants to submit their grant requests. The application period is open from December 7, 2015 through January 15, 2016.\r\nThe Assistance to Firefighters Grant Program helps provide our firefighters and emergency service operators with the tools and resources they need to protect the public and save lives, Sen. Carper said. \"Our firefighters and first responders across the First State put their lives on the line to protect our communities and families. Its important that they have the appropriate equipment, training, and resources necessary to do their job in a safe and effective manner. I urge our firefighters and first responders across Delaware to submit their applications and continue utilizing this program.\r\nThe grant, sponsored by the U.S. Department of Homeland Securitys Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), provides funding for projects designed to enhance the safety of firefighters and the public. Since its creation in 2001, AFG aims to reduce injury and prevent death by directly fulfilling firefighting and emergency response capabilities of fire departments and nonaffiliated emergency medical service organizations.\r\nFor the FY2015 application period, AFG grant applicants can find guidance and applications kit at www.grants.gov and http://www.fema.gov/assistance-firefighters-grant. FEMA has also offered a Get Ready Guide, which helps to clarify the process for potential applicants and provide additional direction.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.carper.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/pressreleases?ContentRecord_id=3c3ef103-17b0-44f4-9329-f1e10c791d3e", "Senator Carper Releases New Report Addressing the Root Causes of the Migration Surge from Central America", "2015-12-07", "2015", "2015-12", "Democrat", "House", "DE", "Thomas Carper", "C000174", "www.carper.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "WASHINGTON The ongoingmigration surge from the Northern Triangle countries of Guatemala, Honduras, and El Salvador reflects troubled conditions in those countries that the United States has contributed to with its insatiable appetite for illegal drugs and should help combat, according to a new report, Stronger Neighbors  Stronger Borders: Addressing the Root Causes of the Migration Surge from Central America, released by Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee Ranking Member Tom Carper (D-Del.).\r\nIn the spring of 2014, tens of thousands of children and families from the Central American countries of Guatemala, Honduras, and El Salvador, a region known as the Northern Triangle, arrived at the southwest border of the United States. These migrants werent avoiding the Border Patrol. They were often turning themselves in and seeking asylum. The minority staff report, which is based on a dozen hearings and briefings on the issue as well as multiple trips to the region over the past three years, found that most migrants were fleeing conditions of severe violence, poverty, and lack of economic opportunity.\r\nAccording to multiple experts who have testified to the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, these migrants will continue to come unless the societal and economic root causes of their desperate journey are addressed in a holistic, strategic manner. In fact, the report comes as the number of families and unaccompanied children arriving at the border is once more on the rise.\r\nDuring my time in the Northern Triangle, I have seen firsthand how the violence and lack of security, economic opportunity, and hope for the future there has led so many parents to do the unthinkable  to put their children in the hands of smugglers to undertake a dangerous 1,500-mile journey to the United States, said Sen. Carper, who began studying the issue of Central American migration to the United States  with a special focus on the migration of children and families -- shortly after becoming Chairman of the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee in 2013.\r\nThe report found that the United States has taken important steps to manage the flow of Central American migrants and deter new arrivals. These steps include increased capacity to handle Central American migrants at the southwest border, more investigations and prosecutions of smuggling rings, and coordination with the governments of El Salvador, Guatemala and Honduras to deter migration and return detainees who do not seek or qualify for asylum. These enforcement measures are indispensable and must continue.\r\nAfter last years surge, our government took unprecedented steps to try to stem the flow of Central American migrants, Sen. Carper continued. Working in coordination with Mexico and the Central American governments themselves, we were able to slow the migration for a time. But we must recognize that we have only bandaged the wound. We havent fully dealt with the underlying conditions that push desperate parents and children to leave their homes for a dangerous journey and an uncertain future. Shamefully, weve focused more on ways to keep migrants out of our country rather than helping them address the misery in their homelands, misery weve unfortunately helped create through our appetite for illegal drugs.\r\nBorder protection alone is not a sufficient answer to the recent waves of children and families from Central America, many of whom are potentially eligible for protection under U.S. and international law, according to the report. The United States must also address the root causes of the migration, including the fear, hopelessness, lack of economic opportunity, and corruption, that compel so many Central Americans to risk life and limb to come here.\r\nBy tackling the root causes driving this surge in migration, and helping these countries help themselves, we will not only strengthen America, we will help create a stable, safe, and economically resilient region to our south, and help end the preventable humanitarian crisis at our border, Sen. Carper said. There is a moment of opportunity to help the governments of the Northern Triangle as they have united in an unprecedented effort, called the Alliance for Prosperity, to promote change within their borders and the region generally.\r\nThe report identifies the following root causes as the primary push and pull factors driving migration from the Northern Triangle:\r\nViolence and Insecurity: Inhabitants of the Northern Triangle endure some of the highest murder rates in the world, as well as an epidemic of extortion and violent crimes. The U.S. demand for narcotics has made Central America a key transit zone, and in the process, helped boost the power of brutal local cartels that serve to transship drugs and link Colombian and Mexican cartels;\r\nPoverty and Lack of Opportunity: Migrants also flee the Northern Triangle out of economic desperation. In Honduras and Guatemala more than half the population lives in poverty, and nearly 40 percent do so in El Salvador. Job opportunities are scarce, especially for the many young people with limited education;\r\nDesire for Family Reunification: Civil wars and instability in Central America during the 1980s sent waves of migrants to the United States. Those flows subsided in the late 1990s, but increased again in recent years. Now, as many as 1 out of every 5 Salvadorans resides in the United States and significant numbers of Hondurans and Guatemalans as well;\r\nIncreasing Role of Smugglers and their Misinformation Tactics: Administration officials estimate that as many as 80 percent of the Central Americans who come to the United States do so with the help of professional smugglers, or in some cases traffickers. By many accounts, these smugglers have become more ruthless and aggressive about recruiting customers and peddle misleading information about U.S. immigration policy.\r\nBased on these findings, the report recommends:\r\nThe United States should increase its engagement with Central America. As part of this effort, Congress should support the Presidents $1 billion request to improve governance and security and generate prosperity in the Northern Triangle. The proposed U.S. aid package for Central America, paired with new security and development initiatives by Northern Triangle governments themselves, directly addresses the poverty and insecurity that drives migrants to the United States in the first place. While past U.S. investments in the region have focused on security and counternarcotics programs, the Presidents new strategic proposal addresses the regions broader issues by dedicating most of the package to reforming civil society and institutions and promoting economic growth. This investment will have a more meaningful and lasting impact on behalf of U.S. interests than the $1.5 billion spent in 2014 alone to handle the migrant surge. Over the past decade, our nation has spent nearly $250 billion to strengthen our borders and enforce our immigration laws, however less than 1 percent of that amount has been used to help proactively address the root causes driving so many Central Americans to come here.\r\nFederal agencies must continue and strengthen their crack down on the gangs, drug cartels and human traffickers that plague the Northern Triangle. Transnational crime and increasingly brutal gang activity are playing a fundamental role in fueling violence in the region and both spurring and facilitating unlawful migration from the Northern Triangle. U.S. law enforcement entities must continue and expand initiatives to combat these criminals, including through vital partnerships and engagement with Central American, South American and Mexican law enforcement. At the same time, the United States must help ensure that human rights protections remain in place for migrants fleeing dangerous conditions.\r\nCongress must fully resource immigration courts. Many of the recent Central American migrants  particularly the children  are seeking legal protection that requires consideration by an immigration judge. Unlike unaccompanied minors from Mexico or Canada, minors arriving from Central America or other non-contiguous countries are guaranteed a hearing under the Trafficking Victims Protection Act to review whether they qualify for legal protection. While the case burden of U.S. immigration courts has increased dramatically, the personnel and resources to address this caseload has not kept pace, with only 249 immigration judges in all of the United States. With the backlog of cases exceeding 450,000 and climbing, the Department of Justice reports that it would need 495 to 540 immigration judge teams to eliminate the backlog within 5 to 6 years and keep pace with new cases. The backlog of cases ensures that migrants are in a holding pattern over several years, prolonging uncertainty and increasing the pull factor by giving them de facto permission to stay in the United States while they wait.\r\nCongress must commit to common-sense comprehensive immigration reform. Some of the recent migration from Central America is a result of outdated U.S. immigration policy, as well as the exploitation of a broken system. Undocumented immigrants from Central America who have lived and worked here for decades have no way to reunite with family, or even travel home for a visit. There are not adequate legal channels for needed workers who would be willing to come only for seasonal work, and then return home afterward. Many migrants decide to come to the United States, in part, because of rumors of lack of clarity about U.S. immigration law. Creating appropriate legal channels for immigration and allowing long-time, law-abiding undocumented immigrants to come out of the shadows would help rebalance the system and relieve pressure for unlawful immigration. It will also increase border security by shrinking the haystack of unlawful activity at the border and allowing border officials to focus on people and things that may pose a true security threat to the United States.\r\nRead the full report here: Stronger Neighbors  Stronger Borders: Addressing the Root Causes of the Migration Surge from Central America.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.carper.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/pressreleases?ContentRecord_id=d14097ce-17d8-4961-b781-6d98bf84bf83", "Chairman Johnson, Ranking Member Carper Continue Oversight of California Shooting", "2015-12-04", "2015", "2015-12", "Democrat", "House", "DE", "Thomas Carper", "C000174", "www.carper.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "WASHINGTON  Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee Chairman Ron Johnson (R-Wis.) and Ranking Member Tom Carper (D-Del.) released this statement Friday regarding the committees ongoing oversight of the mass shooting in San Bernardino, Calif.:\r\nWe grieve for those in San Bernardino and elsewhere who have been affected by Wednesdays tragedy, and are grateful for the efforts of first responders. What happened in San Bernardino was a horrible event that has become all too common in our world today. Whether these attacks were coordinated or inspired by ISIS or another terrorist group, it is critical that our federal, state and local law enforcement and intelligence agencies work together to get to the bottom of this attack and do everything possible to prevent another attack from happening. As part of our committees responsibility to oversee our homeland security, we will conduct a thorough examination of the federal governments knowledge and actions before and after the attack, and federal agency interactions with state and local government partners, to ensure that we as a nation are better able to anticipate, prevent and, if necessary, respond to the next terrorist threat.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.carper.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/pressreleases?ContentRecord_id=3d4af769-e4fc-44de-a10f-7ed1823a4dfe", "HSGAC Hearing Statement: Nomination of Carol Waller Pope to be a Member, Federal Labor Relations Authority, and Robert A. Salerno and Darlene M. Soltys to be Associate Judges, D.C. Superior Court", "2015-12-03", "2015", "2015-12", "Democrat", "House", "DE", "Thomas Carper", "C000174", "www.carper.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "WASHINGTON Today, the U.S. Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs held the hearing, Nomination of Carol Waller Pope to be a Member, Federal Labor Relations Authority, and Robert A. Salerno and Darlene M. Soltys to be Associate Judges, D.C. Superior Court. Below is the opening statement of Ranking Member Tom Carper (D-Del.), as prepared for delivery:\r\nThank you Mr. Chairman.\r\nBefore I read my opening remarks, Id like to offer my condolences to the loved ones of the victims of yesterdays tragic shooting in San Bernardino, California. I continue to closely monitor the developments as law enforcement conducts its investigation.\r\nI want to thank all of our nominees and their families for being here today. My thanks as well to Senator Lankford for chairing this hearing and for his work in helping us move forward in considering these nominees.\r\nFirst, I want to welcome Carol Waller Pope, who is no stranger to this committee nor to the position to which she is nominated. Chairman Pope has over 30 years of experience at the Federal Labor Relations Authority, or FLRA. She began as a career employee in 1980, was confirmed as a Member in 2000, and has served as its Chairman since 2009. Under Chairman Popes leadership, the FLRA has eliminated its case backlog, significantly reduced the average amount of time cases are pending, and vastly improved employee satisfaction and morale.\r\nIn addition, the agency has increased the success of alternative dispute resolution to encourage parties to resolve differences without the need for costly and time-consuming litigation. I look forward to hearing more about the work Chairman Pope has done and also her vision for the FLRA going forward. Thank you again for being with us today.\r\nI am very pleased that we are also considering two nominees for the Superior Court of the District of Columbia. Robert A. Salerno has had a long career in private law practice, where he has worked on issues ranging from criminal investigations to commercial litigation to whistleblower protections. Darlene M. Soltys, currently an Assistant U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia, has many years of experience as a prosecutor. I believe that the background and experience both of these nominees bring makes them extremely well-qualified to serve as judges on the Superior Court. Thank you both for joining us.\r\nBefore I close so we can hear from our nominees, I want to note that I am also pleased that, on November 19, the Senate confirmed nominees to fill two other vacancies on the D.C. Superior Court, William Nooter and Steven Wellner.\r\nThat said, the length of time that it took to get Judges Nooter and Wellner confirmed is simply shameful. These qualified individuals waited two years for confirmation. We must do better. And I hope we can do better with these two nominees as well as four others that are currently pending in our committee.\r\nMost people  including some of our colleagues who are not on this committee  likely dont know that local judges in the District of Columbia must be confirmed by the Senate. The D.C. Superior Court and Court of Appeals are operated by the federal government. Their judges are appointed by the President from a slate of candidates thoroughly vetted and recommended by a non-partisan nomination commission. They must then be confirmed by the Senate for 15 year terms. But these courts dont handle federal matters. They are the local courts for the District of Columbia and deal with matters such as local crimes and domestic and civil disputes between the people who live here.\r\nJust this past September, Pope Francis addressed a joint session of the Congress. His remarks that day drew great accolades and standing ovations especially when he invoked the Golden Rule, which calls on us to treat others the way wed want to be treated.\r\nThe way that this body has been treating the nominees for court positions in the District of Columbia, as well as the residents of the District who rely on the court system, is a clear violation of the Golden Rule. Its got to stop, and it needs to stop now. No other jurisdiction in our country must have its local judges approved by Congress. And no other state or locality is denied representation in the Senate that might help it pursue its priorities here, including nominations.\r\nSome have suggested that local D.C. judges should not have to go through Senate confirmation. I think we should seriously consider that idea. But at a minimum, we should develop an expedited process for the confirmation of these local judges.\r\nIn the meantime, I hope that the Senate will move forward quickly on the nominations of Mr. Salerno and Ms. Soltys and I thank you both for being here and for your responses to our questions.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.carper.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/pressreleases?ContentRecord_id=5568867d-abd4-49ef-bb71-a3bffba99491", "Senators Carper, Johnson Seek Information on Threat of 'Ransomware' to Our Nations Cyber Defenses and to the American Public", "2015-12-03", "2015", "2015-12", "Democrat", "House", "DE", "Thomas Carper", "C000174", "www.carper.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "WASHINGTON  In response to the recent growth of cyber-attacks using a type of malicious computer virus known as ransomware, Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee Ranking Member Tom Carper (D-Del.) and Chairman Ron Johnson (R-Wis.) sent letters to Attorney General Loretta Lynch and Department of Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson asking for more information about efforts to address the growing threat posed by this new tool used by online criminals.\r\nRansomware attacks are targeted at a wide range of victims, including individual consumers. After infiltrating a persons computer, the ransomware virus encrypts a users files until a ransom is paid, usually through difficult-to-track online payment methods. Infected users face the difficult choice of paying the ransom or losing their files forever. State and local government networks have also been targeted by ransomware attacks.\r\nCyber-attacks remains one of our nations biggest security challenges. As the frequency and severity of cyber-attacks continues to increase, Congress has a responsibility to continue to strengthen our nations cybersecurity and encouraging Americans to protect themselves online,the Senators said.Only by staying a step ahead of the threat can we ensure the security of our citizens. While much attention is paid to what must be done to bolster the cyber defenses at federal agencies and large businesses, all of us is vulnerable to online scams and emerging dangers like the malicious computer virus known as ransomware.\r\nThe text of both letters are below and pdfs can be foundhereandhere.\r\nDear Madam Attorney General:\r\nThe threat posed by cyber-attacks remains one of our nations biggest security challenges. As the frequency and severity of cyber-attacks continues to increase, Congress has a responsibility to continue to strengthen our nations cybersecurity. To address this evolving 21st century threat with a 21st century response, we must equip the federal government with the authorities and resources it needs. Only by staying a step ahead of the threat can we ensure the security of our citizens.\r\nWhile much must be done to bolster the cyber defenses of our federal agencies, a far larger group, including individual consumers, faces a growing threat from a malicious computer virus known as ransomware. After infiltrating a persons computer, the virus encrypts a users files until a ransom is paid, usually in the form of Bitcoin or other difficult-to-track crypto currency. Infected users face the difficult choice of paying the ransom or losing their files forever. The Department of Justice (DOJ) and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) estimate that in less than eight months more than 234,000 computers were infected with a specific type of ransomware named CryptoLocker.While only about 1.3 percent of victims paid the ransom, the virus has enabled the extortion of approximately $27 million from infected users in two months.\r\nIn June 2014, the DOJ, with the assistance of the Department of Homeland Securitys (DHS) National Cybersecurity and Communications Integration Center, scored a major victory against ransomware when it announced that U.S. and foreign law enforcement officials successfully disrupted a large network of CryptoLocker-infected computers and seized CryptoLockers command-and-control servers. Possession of these servers allowed the development of a decryption tool that enabled CryptoLocker victims to unlock their infected machines.\r\nHowever, within a month of this disruption, the FBIs Internet Crime Complaint Center, a partnership between the FBI and the National White Collar Crime Center, identified a copycat virus named CryptoWall. Between April 2014 and June 2015, the IC3 received 992 CryptoWall-related complaints, with victims reporting losses totaling over $18 million.\r\nTo understand more about the DOJs efforts to address the growing threat of ransomware, we ask that you please provide the following information and materials:\r\n \r\nSince 2005, how many victims of ransomware-related crimes have reported complaints to the Internet Crime Complaint Center? What is the total amount of losses reported from ransomware victims? In addition to the Centers complaint website, does DOJ or FBI use additional resources to track number of ransomware victims?\r\n  \r\nSoon after its disruption, CryptoLocker was quickly replaced by similar ransomware programs, like CryptoWall and CryptoDefense. As of December 1, 2015, how many active ransomware-type viruses is the DOJ or FBI tracking?\r\n  \r\nBoth DOJ and DHS, including the United States Computer Emergency Readiness Team (US-CERT) and the United States Secret Service, distribute cyber vulnerability and threat information to individuals, industry, and other stakeholders. How does the FBI share data about ransomware and other cyber threats with DHS? Please describe any joint efforts between DOJ, FBI, and DHS to disseminate cyber threat information.\r\n  \r\nDoes the FBI coordinate with the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to educate the public about how to mitigate the threat of ransomware? If so, please describe any joint efforts with the FTC.\r\n  \r\nIn testimony before the Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs last year, officials from the FBI indicated that that agencys techniques must evolve to keep pace with increasingly sophisticated botnets. What techniques is DOJ using now to combat botnets, how are those becoming less effective, and what new techniques is DOJ considering to improve its ability to combat botnets in the future?\r\n  \r\nDespite the successful disruption of CryptoLocker in May 2014, the ransomware schemes architect, Evgeniy Mikhaylovich Bogachev, remains at large in Russia. Please describe the challenges of capturing and bringing to justice suspected criminals operating internationally, including in the Russian Federation and other nations.\r\n  \r\nThe disruption of CryptoLocker required coordination between DOJ, DHS, and over a dozen international law enforcement and government entities. How can this coordination be improved? Describe the impediments, if any, to further international law enforcement coordination.\r\n  \r\nRecent news reports suggest ransomware attackers are also targeting public safety and law enforcement agencies. Have federal, state, or local governments sought DOJ or FBIs help to remove ransomware from their computers? If so, please describe the nature of any assistance sought, whether agencies have paid ransoms to remove ransomware, and whether DOJ or the FBI was able to decrypt the computer systems.\r\n  \r\nDo DOJ or its agencies operate or utilize any technology that is or can be leveraged to identify ransomware or ransomware attackers command and control servers outside of DOJ? For example, do DOJ or its agencies operate any signature based detection, stateful packet inspection, or deep packet inspection technologies across one or more networks outside of DOJ? If so please describe those technologies, their capabilities and limitations, and their current and planned applications.\r\n \r\nThe text of the letter to DHS is below:\r\nDear Mr. Secretary:\r\nThe threat posed by cyber-attacks remains one of our nations biggest security challenges. As the frequency and severity of cyber-attacks continues to increase, Congress has a responsibility to continue to strengthen our nations cybersecurity. To address this evolving 21st century threat with a 21st century response, we must equip the federal government with the authorities and resources it needs. Only by staying a step ahead of the threat can we ensure the security of our citizens.\r\n While much must be done to bolster the cyber defenses of our federal agencies, a far larger group, including individual consumers, faces a growing threat from a malicious computer virus known as ransomware. After infiltrating a persons computer, the virus encrypts a users files until a ransom is paid, usually in the form of Bitcoin or other difficult-to-track crypto currency. Infected users face the difficult choice of paying the ransom or losing their files forever. The Department of Justice (DOJ) and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) estimate that in less than eight months more than 234,000 computers were infected with a specific type of ransomware named CryptoLocker.While only about 1.3 percent of victims paid the ransom, the virus has enabled the extortion of approximately $27 million from infected users in two months.\r\nIn June 2014, the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ), with the assistance of other law enforcement agencies and the Department of Homeland Securitys (DHS) National Cybersecurity and Communications Integration Center, scored a major victory against ransomware when it announced that U.S. and foreign law enforcement officials successfully disrupted a large network of CryptoLocker-infected computers and seized CryptoLockers command-and-control servers. Possession of these servers allowed the development of a decryption tool that enabled victims to unlock their infected machines.\r\nHowever, within a month of this disruption, the FBIs Internet Crime Complaint Center, a partnership between the FBI and the National White Collar Crime Center, identified a copycat virus named CryptoWall. Between April 2014 and June 2015, the IC3 received 992 CryptoWall-related complaints, with victims reporting losses totaling over $18 million.\r\nTo understand more about the DHSs efforts to address the growing threat of ransomware, we ask that you please provide the following information and materials:\r\n \r\nSince 2005, how many victims of ransomware-related crimes have reported to DHS? Does DHS track the total amount of losses reported from ransomware victims?\r\n  \r\nSoon after its disruption, CryptoLocker was quickly replaced by similar ransomware programs, like CryptoWall and CryptoDefense. As of December 1, 2015, how many active ransomware-type viruses is DHS tracking?\r\n  \r\nDHS, including the United States Computer Emergency Readiness Team (US-CERT) and the United States Secret Service, distributes cyber vulnerability and threat information to individuals, industry, and other stakeholders. Please describe any joint efforts between DHS, DOJ, and FBI to disseminate cyber threat information.\r\n  \r\nDoes DHS coordinate with the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to educate the public about how to mitigate the threat of ransomware? If so, please describe any joint efforts with the FTC.\r\n  \r\nIn testimony before the Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs last year, officials from the FBI indicated that agencies techniques must evolve to keep pace with increasingly sophisticated botnets that can be used to disseminate viruses like ransomware. What techniques is DHS using now to combat botnets, how are those becoming less effective, and what new techniques is DHS considering to improve its ability to combat botnets in the future?\r\n  \r\nThe disruption of CryptoLocker required coordination between DOJ, DHS, and over a dozen international law enforcement and government entities. How can this coordination be improved? Describe the impediments, if any, to further international law enforcement coordination.\r\n  \r\nRecent news reports suggest ransomware attackers are also targeting public safety and law enforcement agencies. Have state and local governments sought DHSs help to remove ransomware from their computers? If so, please describe the nature of any assistance sought and whether DHS was able to decrypt the computer systems.\r\n  \r\nOver the past 12 months, how many instances of ransomware has DHS been made aware of in federal agencies computers? In which agencies and on what systems was the ransomware located and what was the result? Is DHS aware of instances in which federal agencies have paid ransoms to remove ransomware?\r\n  \r\nHow are DHSs EINSTEIN, ALBERT, and Enhanced Cybersecurity Services intrusion detection and prevention systems leveraged to reduce the instances of ransomware on computers at federal agencies, state and local agencies, and critical infrastructure? How can that be improved?", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.carper.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/pressreleases?ContentRecord_id=7187b12f-4a67-44cc-813e-60bd28ef39bf", "Carper Statement on Senate Republicans' Attempt to Repeal Affordable Care Act", "2015-12-03", "2015", "2015-12", "Democrat", "House", "DE", "Thomas Carper", "C000174", "www.carper.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "WASHINGTON Today, U.S. Senator Tom Carper (D-Del.) voted against Republican legislation to repeal the Affordable Care Act through budget reconciliation.\r\nIt is unfortunate and disheartening that we wasted meaningful time this week trying yet again to repeal the Affordable Care Act even though this legislation has no chance of succeeding. Our time would be better spent addressing our most critical national priorities. We must continue our efforts to degrade, dismantle and destroy ISIS and other terror threats, we need to fund our government so it stays open for business, and we need to pass legislation to reform and improve our education system, among many, many, many other things. Instead, we are wasting Americans time by voting on legislation to repeal the health care law that has been passed by both chambers of Congress, signed by President Obama, upheld twice by the highest court in the land and, most important, has expanded health coverage to millions of Americans, including thousands of Delawareans, and driven down the rate of increase in health care costs to the lowest level in recent history. Its shameful.\r\nWe have a moral obligation to the least of these in our society, and that includes trying to ensure all American families have access to the affordable health care they deserve. We have a fiscal obligation as a government to meet that moral obligation in a fiscally sustainable way. Doing that by expanding Medicaid, providing tax credits to Americans on a sliding scale, and strengthening our health care system to reward better health outcomes and reducing costs is a good idea that will stand the test of time. However, the legislation I voted against today would increase the number of people without health insurance by nearly 22 million, destabilize our health insurance markets, particularly in small states such as Delaware, and hurt millions of Americans, the majority of them being the poorest among us, including children.\r\nThe Affordable Care Act is the law of the land and the federal government will continue its implementation. Instead of trying to hinder that implementation with futile legislative attempts to repeal the law, Congress should move forward together to improve the health care reform law and our health care system, and strengthen our countrys health care system.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.carper.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/pressreleases?ContentRecord_id=e01953aa-36bf-4bcd-bedb-ea3368addaf2", "Carper on Transportation Bill: We Missed a Tremendous Opportunity to Do What's Right", "2015-12-03", "2015", "2015-12", "Democrat", "House", "DE", "Thomas Carper", "C000174", "www.carper.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "WASHINGTON Today, U.S. Senator Tom Carper (D-Del.), a top Democrat on the Environment and Public Works committee, released the following statement after voting against the conference agreement for H.R. 22, the Fixing Americas Surface Transportation (FAST) Act of 2015.\r\nIt would be difficult to find a member of the United States Senate who is more dedicated to responsibly investing in our countrys roads, highways, bridges, and transit systems. So my decision to vote against this bill should make a clear statement: I cannot support a piece of legislation that falls well short of the obligation Congress has to fix our broken Highway Trust Fund. Sadly, Congress has opted to pilfer tomorrows dollars to pay for todays need to rebuild and modern our countrys transportation system. While this bill includes some good transportation policies, the way we pay for these policies is unsustainable and irresponsible, offering little more than a grab bag of budget gimmicks that will actually increase our deficit in the long run. In fact, the Congressional Budget Office has already told us that when this bill expires, the Highway Trust Fund will be $100 billion in the hole\r\nSince its inception, the Highway Trust Fund has supported construction and upkeep of Americas transportation system with user fees paid by those who use it. Im deeply disappointed that this bill diverges from that principle, which has worked so well for more than half a century. Instead Congress demands that just about everyone in our country pay more for our transportation system, except for the people who actually use our roads and highways. This is absurd. Its not unfair to ask those who actually use our nations transportation system to pay a little more for its upkeep and expansion. To be clear, pickpocketing revenues from unrelated programs for years to come in order to pay for todays potholes and failing bridges is as cowardly as it is illogical.\r\nI know bipartisan agreement in Washington on just about anything these days is difficult to achieve, and so I commend the conferees on their strong bipartisan effort, but I cannot in good conscience support this deeply flawed bill just for the sake of saying we got something done.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.carper.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/pressreleases?ContentRecord_id=5caa881b-8681-4a36-807c-7853d63ac86f", "Bipartisan Senators Join Bill to Stabilize, Modernize U.S. Postal Service", "2015-12-02", "2015", "2015-12", "Democrat", "House", "DE", "Thomas Carper", "C000174", "www.carper.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "WASHINGTON  Today, a bipartisan group of senators joined the effort to fix the serious, but solvable challenges facing the U.S. Postal Service. Sens. Jerry Moran (R-Kan.), Claire McCaskill (D-Mo.), and Roy Blunt (R-Mo.) joined Sen. Tom Carper (D-Del.), ranking member of the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, as sponsors of theImproving Postal Operations, Service, and Transparency Act of 2015 (iPOST), which Sen. Carper introduced in September.\r\niPOST reflects the views of a broad range of stakeholders and offers a compromise solution to the difficult issues that Congress and the Postal Service have struggled with for years. The bill includes a comprehensive package of reforms that would place the Postal Service on firm financial footing, stabilize and improve service performance, allow for the development of new products and services, and enhance transparency.\r\nWhether we come from rural, urban, or suburban communities, my colleagues and I all agree that now is the time to act on comprehensive legislation that will stabilize and modernize the U.S. Postal Service,said Sen. Carper.I thank Senators Moran, McCaskill, and Blunt for joining me in this effort. I know that their support will help make a great bill even stronger. Our economy still depends on a healthy and robust Postal Service. Its our duty in Congress to pave a fiscally sustainable path for the agency that will enable this American institution to return to solvency, improve service, and thrive in the digital age. I look forward to continuing to work with Senators Moran, McCaskill, and Blunt, our colleagues in the House and the Senate, Postal Service leadership and employees, stakeholders, and postal customers to refine this legislation and ensure the Postal Service thrives long into the future.\r\nThe United States Postal Service has long been an important part of American communication and commerce, but its deteriorating financial condition threatens its future,Sen. Moran said.Weve also seen postal service quality across rural America decline as the USPS debts and future liabilities rise. Failure to make reforms now will cause the Postal Services financial crisis to worsen and increase the cost of any future fix. To protect taxpayers from the costs of a truly bankrupt postal service, Congress must act to put the agency on a path toward solvency. These reforms offer a serious policy framework to return the Postal Service to economic stability and preserve postal services across the country.\r\nThis bipartisan legislation will help modernize our mail system and more effectively serve the millions of rural folks in Missouri and across the country that rely on the postal service as a source of communications and commerce every day,Sen. McCaskill said.Ensuring the Postal Service endures through the 21st century is critical for everyone from the modern entrepreneur to the grandchild placing a card in the mailbox, and Im proud to help lead this bipartisan effort to sustain it.\r\nI have heard from Missourians from all parts of the state that depend on a strong and efficient U.S. Postal Service,Sen. Blunt said.This bill will help get the Postal Service on stable financial footing and modernize the post office. I am glad to join my colleagues in support of the iPOST Act.\r\nThe financial condition of the Postal Service has been deteriorating for years, but the 2008 economic downturn and the continuing transition to digital communications and commerce have hastened its downward spiral. The Postal Service currently owes $15 billion and faces tens of billions of dollars more in unfunded pension and health care obligations in the years to come. It ended fiscal year 2015 with a net loss of $5.1 billion and now has a net deficit totaling more than $50 billion. For an institution that operates at the center of a $1 trillion industry that employs more than 7 million people, a financial outlook this bleak is alarming -- and shouldnt be ignored. Without serious, long-term reform, this iconic American institution  enshrined in our Constitution  will take on more and more debt.\r\nFor more information, including a section-by-section summary of the bill and bill text, please visit:www.carper.senate.gov/postalreform", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.carper.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/pressreleases?ContentRecord_id=9a00a43d-707c-4f27-98fc-f1c48ada2519", "Bipartisan Senators Join Bill to Stabilize, Modernize U.S. Postal Service", "2015-12-02", "2015", "2015-12", "Democrat", "House", "DE", "Thomas Carper", "C000174", "www.carper.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "WASHINGTON  Today, a bipartisan group of senators joined the effort to fix the serious, but solvable challenges facing the U.S. Postal Service. Sens. Jerry Moran (R-Kan.), Claire McCaskill (D-Mo.), and Roy Blunt (R-Mo.) joined Sen. Tom Carper (D-Del.), ranking member of the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, as sponsors of the Improving Postal Operations, Service, and Transparency Act of 2015 (iPOST), which Sen. Carper introduced in September.\r\niPOST reflects the views of a broad range of stakeholders and offers a compromise solution to the difficult issues that Congress and the Postal Service have struggled with for years. The bill includes a comprehensive package of reforms that would place the Postal Service on firm financial footing, stabilize and improve service performance, allow for the development of new products and services, and enhance transparency.\r\nWhether we come from rural, urban, or suburban communities, my colleagues and I all agree that now is the time to act on comprehensive legislation that will stabilize and modernize the U.S. Postal Service, said Sen. Carper. I thank Senators Moran, McCaskill, and Blunt for joining me in this effort. I know that their support will help make a great bill even stronger. Our economy still depends on a healthy and robust Postal Service. Its our duty in Congress to pave a fiscally sustainable path for the agency that will enable this American institution to return to solvency, improve service, and thrive in the digital age. I look forward to continuing to work with Senators Moran, McCaskill, and Blunt, our colleagues in the House and the Senate, Postal Service leadership and employees, stakeholders, and postal customers to refine this legislation and ensure the Postal Service thrives long into the future.\r\nThe United States Postal Service has long been an important part of American communication and commerce, but its deteriorating financial condition threatens its future, Sen. Moran said. Weve also seen postal service quality across rural America decline as the USPS debts and future liabilities rise. Failure to make reforms now will cause the Postal Services financial crisis to worsen and increase the cost of any future fix. To protect taxpayers from the costs of a truly bankrupt postal service, Congress must act to put the agency on a path toward solvency. These reforms offer a serious policy framework to return the Postal Service to economic stability and preserve postal services across the country.\r\nThis bipartisan legislation will help modernize our mail system and more effectively serve the millions of rural folks in Missouri and across the country that rely on the postal service as a source of communications and commerce every day, Sen. McCaskill said. Ensuring the Postal Service endures through the 21st century is critical for everyone from the modern entrepreneur to the grandchild placing a card in the mailbox, and Im proud to help lead this bipartisan effort to sustain it.\r\nI have heard from Missourians from all parts of the state that depend on a strong and efficient U.S. Postal Service, Sen. Blunt said. This bill will help get the Postal Service on stable financial footing and modernize the post office. I am glad to join my colleagues in support of the iPOST Act.\r\nThe financial condition of the Postal Service has been deteriorating for years, but the 2008 economic downturn and the continuing transition to digital communications and commerce have hastened its downward spiral. The Postal Service currently owes $15 billion and faces tens of billions of dollars more in unfunded pension and health care obligations in the years to come. It ended fiscal year 2015 with a net loss of $5.1 billion and now has a net deficit totaling more than $50 billion. For an institution that operates at the center of a $1 trillion industry that employs more than 7 million people, a financial outlook this bleak is alarming -- and shouldnt be ignored. Without serious, long-term reform, this iconic American institution  enshrined in our Constitution  will take on more and more debt.\r\nFor more information, including a section-by-section summary of the bill and bill text, please visit: www.carper.senate.gov/postalreform", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.carper.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/pressreleases?ContentRecord_id=208df5bd-8477-4575-be94-a2dbed77eb68", "Carper Statement on \"Irresponsible\" Transportation Conference Report", "2015-12-01", "2015", "2015-12", "Democrat", "House", "DE", "Thomas Carper", "C000174", "www.carper.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "WASHINGTONToday, U.S. Senator Tom Carper (D-Del.), senior member of the Environment and Public Works committee, released the following statement after members of the House-Senate Conference Committee released a final multi-year transportation report.\r\nAs a strong supporter of investment in our nations transportation systems, I deeply regret that I cannot support the final transportation conference report,Senator Carper said. While the proposal includes some good transportation policies, the way the bill is paid for is simply irresponsible. Rather than leading, Congress is passing the buck by using a grab bag of budget gimmicks and poaching revenues from unrelated programs for years to come in order to pay for todays transportation needs. This bill sets a terrible precedent. It sets bad transportation policy that undermines the user-pays principle, which has been the bedrock of investment in our nations highway and transit systems for more than half a century. And it sets bad fiscal policy that will actually increase our deficit in the long run. Congress has missed an opportunity to pay for this bill honestly by raising transportation user fees, simply because we lack the courage to ask those who use our nations transportation system to pay a little more for its upkeep and expansion.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.carper.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/pressreleases?ContentRecord_id=35518f23-39cc-4829-a4be-5b1a4f5db228", "Senate Passes Bipartisan Bill To Assist Eugenics Victims Receiving Compensation Payments", "2015-12-01", "2015", "2015-12", "Democrat", "House", "DE", "Thomas Carper", "C000174", "www.carper.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "WASHINGTON, D.C.  Last night, the Senate unanimously passed The Treatment of Certain Payments in Eugenics Compensation Act, legislation introduced by Senators Thom Tillis (R-NC) and Tom Carper (D-DE) that excludes payments from state eugenics compensation programs from consideration in determining federal benefits. Senators Richard Burr (R-NC), Tim Kaine (D-VA), and Mark Warner (D-VA) are original co-sponsors of the legislation.\r\nState-run eugenics and compulsory sterilization laws victimized more than 60,000 Americans in 33 states from the 1920s to the early 1970s. State governments often targeted specific groups for sterilization, including unmarried women, African-Americans, and children from poor families. Victims were often sterilized without their consent or knowledge.\r\nIn 2013, North Carolina became the first state in the nation to pass legislation to create a state fund to compensate the living victims of the state-run forced sterilization program. In 2014, more than 200 North Carolina victims were awarded their first compensation payment of approximately $20,000 each. Earlier this month, victims began receiving their second eugenics compensation payments, worth an additional $15,000.\r\nEarlier this year, Virginia became the second state to pass legislation compensating the victims of a state-run eugenics program. Virginia will award $25,000 to each individual who was involuntarily sterilized and is still alive as of February 1, 2015. \r\nThe legislation will help assist living eugenics victims receiving compensation payments by excluding their payments from being used in determining eligibility for, or the amount of, federal public benefits such as Medicaid, Supplemental Nutritional Assistance Program, Supplemental Security Income, and SSI-Disabled. Without this legislation, many eugenics victims who receive compensation payments could see their federal benefits reduced or even have their eligibility eliminated. \r\nI am proud that the Senate was able to come together to unanimously pass legislation that ensures federal laws do not unintentionally punish victims who receive eugenics compensation by preventing them from receiving the federal benefits they are entitled to, said Senator Tillis. It is my hope this will further increase the publics awareness of the horrors and injustices of state-run eugenics and sterilization programs and help persuade other states to follow the lead of North Carolina and create their own eugenics compensation programs. My friend, former state Rep. Larry Womble, deserves special recognition for leading the decades-long fight for the living victims of North Carolinas eugenics program. Without him, the legislation that passed this week would not be possible. \r\nPeople whove been subjected to horrifying sterilization practices as a result of misguided eugenics programs have already had to live with unfathomable loss and hardship, said Senator Tom Carper. These individuals shouldnt be penalized for compensation funds that they have received for their suffering, especially because it can never repair the pain theyve had to endure. Im proud the Senate came together across party lines to approve this important effort to ensure that no person loses important federal benefits because they received this type of compensation.\r\nThe Senate took a step forward to ensure that Americans targeted by state eugenics programs during a dark period of American history will receive compensation for the misdeeds of the state and federal government, said Senator Burr. The victims of these eugenics and sterilization programs were often subjected to procedures without their knowledge or consent. This bipartisan legislation will provide assistance to those who suffered as a result of horrific decisions made by our government.\r\nThis shameful period in Virginias history is thankfully in the past, but there are still living victims who are suffering from its dark legacy, said Senator Warner. Receiving just compensation for this horrible injustice should not unintentionally prevent victims from receiving federal assistance theyre entitled to. Im pleased that this bill has passed the Senate and encourage the House to right this wrong by doing the same.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.carper.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/e-newsletter?ContentRecord_id=d3133982-2465-4c14-aafe-c3a925971995", "Giving thanks for all that we have", "2015-11-26", "2015", "2015-11", "Democrat", "House", "DE", "Thomas Carper", "C000174", "www.carper.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Dear Friends, \r\nToday, we take a break from our busy lives to give thanks. Each year on this day, I head down to the Emmanuel Dining Room in Wilmington and join former Governor and Congressman Mike Castle to make sure our neighbors are able to enjoy a hot and delicious Thanksgiving meal. This tradition is my way of keeping in touch with what I believe to be the spirit of this holiday.\r\n\r\nDuring the holiday season, I always ask the people I meetacross the First State what they are most thankful for. Overwhelmingly, the people I ask respond with two answers: their family and health.\r\nFor tens of thousands of Delawareans who now have access to quality healthcare under the Affordable Care Act, this may be the first Thanksgiving where they can be thankful for health coverage for themselves and their family.\r\nThe Affordable Care Act gives most Americans access to high-quality, dependable health insurance. For individuals in the First Statewho do not have coverage through their employer, Medicare, or Medicaid, the Delaware Health Insurance Marketplace was created as part of the Affordable Care Act to providenew coverage options that are available to everyone, regardless of anypreexisting conditions. By the end of its second year, more than 23,000 Delawareans have signed up for a health plan that works for them through Delawares Health Insurance Marketplaceat ChooseHealthDE.com.\r\nThe Delaware Health Insurance Marketplace provides you with the information you need to make an informed decisionon what insurance will best meet the needs of you and your family, to keep you healthy, and be there in case of unexpected illness or injury. On the website, you can search among more thantwo dozenplans, find out what it costs, estimate out of pocket costs based on your expected health needs, see if you qualify for financial assistanceortax credits, and enroll in the appropriate plan for you and your family. You can also get help 24/7 by calling the hotline at 800-318-2596.\r\nOne Delawarean who received quality, affordable healthcarethroughthe Marketplace is Kathleen McGuire. I had the opportunity to meet Kathleen last week at a free enrollment assistance event run by Westside Family Healthcare at the Dover Library. Im so glad that Kathleen, and thousands of others like her across Delaware have enrolled in plans that can help them lead healthier, happier lives.\r\nIf you still need to enroll, or re-enroll in a health plan for the coming new year, you have until December 15 to visitChoose Health DEfor coverage starting January 1, 2015. And if youre set, then please check with your family and loved ones to be sure they have coverage too.\r\nThis Thanksgiving, lets be thankful and rejoice that every year more of our neighbors and fellow Delawareans can share in the blessing of health and access to quality health care.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.carper.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/pressreleases?ContentRecord_id=9398ede6-65d6-42e4-9bad-4f11dd4b6a8b", "Carper, Coons Urge Republican Leaders to Act Swiftly on Legislation to Stop Terrorists from Buying Firearms, Explosives", "2015-11-24", "2015", "2015-11", "Democrat", "House", "DE", "Thomas Carper", "C000174", "www.carper.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "WASHINGTON  Today, U.S. Senators Tom Carper and Chris Coons (both D-Del.) joined in sending a letter to Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and Speaker Paul Ryan urging them to act swiftly to schedule votes on legislation that would prohibit individuals on the Federal Terrorist Watchlist from purchasing firearms and explosives.    The Denying Firearms and Explosives to Dangerous Terrorists Act of 2015 would grant authority to the U.S. Attorney General to deny a known or reasonably suspected terrorist from purchasing firearms or explosives, while protecting legitimate gun owners rights to acquire firearms or explosives. Under current law, a person known or reasonably suspected of being involved in terrorist activity can purchase firearms, including assault-style rifles, and explosives. The Government Accountability Office (GAO) found that between 2004 and 2014, suspected terrorists attempted to exploit this loophole and purchase guns at least 2,233 times, succeeding in 2,043 of those instances, or 91 percent of the time.\r\nIn light of the horrific terrorist attacks in Paris, the need to pass such legislation is more imperative than ever so that the United States can address a serious national security and public safety weakness: the terrorist background check loophole that allows suspected terrorist to swiftly pass a background check and obtain a dangerous weapon, the Senators wrote. There is no reason why suspected terrorists who we consider too dangerous to board airplanes should be able to walk into any gun store in the United States and purchase a firearm or an explosive for the purpose of carrying out a terrorist act. TheDenying Firearms and Explosives to Dangerous Terrorists Act of 2015would:\r\n \r\nAllow the attorney general to deny the purchase or transfer of a firearm or explosive to a known or suspected terrorist if the prospective recipient may use the firearm or explosive in connection with terrorism.\r\nMaintain protections in current law that allow a person who believes he has been mistakenly prevented from buying a firearm to learn of the reason for the denial, and then to challenge the denial, first administratively with the Department of Justice, and then through a lawsuit against the Justice Department.\r\nAllow the Justice Department, in any administrative or court proceeding challenging the accuracy of a denied firearm or explosive transfer under the bill, to protect information that, if disclosed, would compromise national security.\r\n \r\nThe full text of the Senate Democrats letter is below:\r\nDear Leader McConnell and Speaker Ryan,\r\nWe write to urge you to quickly bring S. 551/H.R. 1076, the Denying Firearms and Explosives to Dangerous Terrorists Act of 2015 to the Senate and House Floor for consideration and a vote.\r\nIn light of the horrific terrorist attacks in Paris, the need to pass such legislation is more imperative than ever so that the United States can address a serious national security and public safety weakness: the terrorist background check loophole that allows suspected terrorist to swiftly pass a background check and obtain a dangerous weapon.\r\nThere is no reason why suspected terrorists who we consider too dangerous to board airplanes should be able to walk into any gun store in the United States and purchase a firearm or an explosive for the purpose of carrying out a terrorist act. But today, suspected terrorists can legally purchase guns in the United Statesand theyre doing so, even while law enforcement may be investigating them or pursuing their arrest or indictment.\r\nAccording to a Government Accountability Office letter, between February 2004 and December 2014, individuals on the federal terrorist watchlist tried to buy or obtain a firearm or explosive license or permit at least 2,233 times.\r\nIn 2,043 of those cases (91 percent of the time), the individuals successfully passed the background checks and were able to purchase the weapons or explosives. In 2013 and 2014, FBI data showed that individuals on the terrorist watchlist were involved in firearm-related background checks 485 times, and 455 of those (about 94%) were allowed to proceed.\r\nWhen over 90 percent of those on the terrorist watchlist who try to pass a background check succeed, it is absolutely clear we have a major vulnerability that could lead to deadly terrorist attacks.\r\nIndeed, the Washington Post reports that since March 2014, U.S. authorities have charged 66 men and women around the country with alleged ISIL activities, and that according to the FBI, in a handful of those cases, it has disrupted terrorism plots targeting U.S. military or law enforcement personnel.\r\nThe Denying Firearms and Explosives to Dangerous Terrorists Act of 2015 will make our communities safer, including U.S. military and law enforcement personnel. It will prevent hundreds of gun purchases by suspected terrorists each year. Specifically the bill would allow the Attorney General to deny the transfer of firearms or the issuance of firearms and explosives licenses to suspected terrorists if it is reasonably believed those individuals may use firearms or explosives in connection with an act of terrorism.\r\nImportantly, the Denying Firearms and Explosives to Dangerous Terrorists Act of 2015 provides important safeguards to protect a legitimate gun owners right to acquire firearms or explosives.\r\nThe need to close the terrorist background check loophole should not be a partisan issue. The Denying Firearms and Explosives to Dangerous Terrorists Act of 2015 has received support from members of Congress in both parties. It is also supported by law enforcement and a broad cross-section of Americans. This and similar proposals have received support from both Republican and Democratic administrations, including the Justice Department under President George W. Bush.\r\nWe urge you to quickly bring the Denying Firearms and Explosives to Dangerous Terrorists Act of 2015 to the Senate and House floor for a vote. Republicans and Democrats alikeshould have the opportunity to do their part to keep our country safe by ensuring terrorists cannot obtain firearms and explosives.\r\nBy passing the bill we could save American lives and help prevent terrorists from obtaining dangerous weapons.\r\nSincerely,", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.carper.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/pressreleases?ContentRecord_id=21433716-cd9f-4645-9363-913b41016763", "Carper, Coons Urge White House to Take Executive Action to Reduce Gun Violence", "2015-11-23", "2015", "2015-11", "Democrat", "House", "DE", "Thomas Carper", "C000174", "www.carper.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "WASHINGTON Today, U.S. Senators Tom Carper and Chris Coons (both D-Del.) joined a group of 22 Senate Democrats led by Senators Chris Murphy and Richard Blumenthal (both D-Conn.) to call on on President Barack Obama to investigate and pursue all possible options under his executive authority to reduce gun violence. In a letter to the President, the senators specially urged him to eliminate a loophole that currently allows individuals without a federal license to conduct high volumes of gun sales at gun shows, over the internet, and elsewhere, all without conducting background checks. U.S. Rep. Mike Thompson (CA-5), Chair of the House Gun Violence Prevention Task Force, today sent a similar letter signed by 114 of his colleagues in the House.\r\nWe stand with you determined to take action to reduce the terrible epidemic of gun violence plaguing this nation. All across the country, communities are ravaged and lives are senselessly cut short by gun violence. Following yet another horrific mass shooting in Roseburg, Oregon, it is unthinkable that our country can continue to turn a blind eye to these tragedies, the Senators wrote. We urge you to address an aspect of the high-volume gun seller loophole that allows guns to be sold without a background check by eliminating the ambiguity surrounding the term engaged in the business as it pertains to federally licensed firearms dealers.\r\nUpdating the definition of engaged in the business to provide more explicit guidance as to which gun sellers are required to obtain a federal firearms license wouldhelp ensure that individuals are not able to continue to exploit ambiguity in the current regulation and sell guns at a high volume without any oversight by ATF and without conducting background checks This change would be a positive step forward in achieving universal background checks, a policy change that roughly 90 percent of Americans support. It would help ensure that those clearly holding themselves out as gun dealers are held to the same standard as the thousands of responsible gun dealers already licensed with ATF across the country, the Senators continued.\r\nAlong with Senators Murphy and Blumenthal, Senators Carper and Coons were joined by Senators Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.), Cory A. Booker (D-N.J.), Barbara Boxer (D-Calif.), Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio), Benjamin L. Cardin (D-Md.), Richard Durbin (D-Ill.), Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.), Al Franken (D-Minn.), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.), Mazie K. Hirono (D-Hawaii), Tim Kaine (D-Va.), Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.), Robert Menendez (D-N.J.), Barbara A. Mikulski (D-Md.), Patty Murray (D-Wash.), Jack Reed (D-R.I.), Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii), Charles E Schumer (D-N.Y.), Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), and Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.).\r\nRead the full text of the letter online or below:\r\nPresident Barack Obama  The White House  1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW         Washington, DC 20500\r\nMr. President:\r\nWe stand with you determined to take action to reduce the terrible epidemic of gun violence plaguing this nation. All across the country, communities are ravaged and lives are senselessly cut short by gun violence. Following yet another horrific mass shooting in Roseburg, Oregon, it is unthinkable that our country can continue to turn a blind eye to these tragedies.\r\nWe will continue to make every effort to build support for and demand a vote on legislation to improve background checks, close loopholes, and shut down the illegal pipeline of guns. We will not give up the fight to improve our nations gun laws to reflect the broad agreement of gun owners and non-gun owners who want Congress to act to halt gun violence.\r\nWe ask you, concurrently, to investigate and pursue all available options under your executive authority to reduce gun violence. Specifically, your administration could take an immediate step that would have an important impact on limiting gun violence. We urge you to address an aspect of the high-volume gun seller loophole that allows guns to be sold without a background check by eliminating the ambiguity surrounding the term engaged in the business as it pertains to federally licensed firearms dealers.\r\nUnder current law, only licensed gun dealers are required to perform background checks for all gun sales, and only those individuals deemed to be \"engaged in the business\" of dealing in guns are required to obtain a license from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF). However, the regulatory definition of \"engaged in the business,\" needs clarification. Currently, individuals are able to sell guns at a high volume at gun shows, over the internet, or elsewhere without ever becoming licensed and, in turn, without being compelled to conduct a simple background check before completing a sale.\r\nUpdating the definition of engaged in the business to provide more explicit guidance as to which gun sellers are required to obtain a federal firearms license would not impact a father giving a gun to his son, or an individual selling his gun on the internet. But it will help ensure that individuals are not able to continue to exploit ambiguity in the current regulation and sell guns at a high volume without any oversight by ATF and without conducting background checks. This type of action is not without precedent, as many states have provided this type of explicit guidance regarding which vendors engaged in retail sales in the state are required to collect state sales tax. This change would be a positive step forward in achieving universal background checks, a policy change that roughly 90 percent of Americans support. It would help ensure that those clearly holding themselves out as gun dealers are held to the same standard as the thousands of responsible gun dealers already licensed with ATF across the country.\r\nThank you for your continued efforts to reduce gun violence and for your consideration of executive action that could save lives. We look forward to continuing to work together to prevent gun violence.\r\nSincerely,\r\n   ###", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.carper.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/pressreleases?ContentRecord_id=a6b930b9-8a3b-4d01-b967-bee748a2ceb6", "Sen. Carper Presents Purple Heart Medal to Native Delawarean William Brady", "2015-11-23", "2015", "2015-11", "Democrat", "House", "DE", "Thomas Carper", "C000174", "www.carper.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "GEORGETOWN, Del.  Today, U.S. Sen. Tom Carper (D-Del.)presented the Purple Heart to90-year-old United States Army and Navy veteranLt. William Bradyfor wounds he suffered during his service in the Korean War. Lt. Brady, a native of Delaware, was joined at the presentation at the Brick Hotel byhis wife Edith, and 26familymembersand friends.\r\nIn May, Judge Jane M. Brady, former Attorney General in Delaware,requested assistance fromSen. Carperto locate military records that would identify her father, Lt. Brady, as a candidate to receive the Purple Heart.Sen. Carpers office was able to locate Bradys service records,which detailed the cause and extent of the injuries hesufferedwhile stationed in Korea, andverified that he should receive theaward.\r\nI am honored to present the Purple Heart Medal to Lt. Brady in front of his wife,friends and family today, said Sen. Carper, also a veteran of the Navy. Our veterans put their lives on the line to defend our nation, and I am proud we were able to finally delivertoLt. Brady the honor he deserves on behalf of the U.S. Army and the President of the United States.\r\nBorn March 1, 1925, in Wilmington, Delaware, Lt. Brady attended Richardson Park Elementary School and Conrad High School. He served in the U.S. Navy from May 1943 to March 1946 as part of the amphibious force on the English Channel that prepared for the invasion of NormandyduringWorldWar II. Whenhe was honorably discharged from the Navy, he returned home to Delaware,enrolled in the University of Delawareandjoined the Army ROTC.\r\nIn April 1952, just days after the birth of his son, Lt. Brady was deployed by the U.S. Army to Korea. On Oct. 21, 1952, Lt. Bradys platoon in the 40thInfantry Division was attacked by enemy fire. At the time of the attack, Lt. Brady was positioned near the top of a hillwherehe was spotted and fired upon. As Lt. Brady began to retreat down the hill, a mortar landed near enough to him to blow him off his feet, sending his body downhill where he landed on his back. Although Lt. Brady was badly hurt and could barely move, he crawled 30 yards to take cover under a Jeep until the bombing stoppedand he could be rescued by fellow soldiers.The injuries he suffered during the attack kept him from walking on his own for a year.\r\nToday, Mr. Brady isa loving husband, devoted father of seven children and successful business man.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.carper.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/pressreleases?ContentRecord_id=f7447d82-79fb-4847-848b-f7d6d08141e6", "Carper Questions VA Secretary About Safeguards to Prevent Troubling Employment Practices, Abuse of Taxpayer Dollars", "2015-11-23", "2015", "2015-11", "Democrat", "House", "DE", "Thomas Carper", "C000174", "www.carper.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "WASHINGTON  Today, U.S. Senator Tom Carper (D-Del.) sent a letter to U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Secretary Robert McDonald asking for more information about safeguards at the agency to prevent abuse of taxpayer dollars in employment and relocation processes. The Senators letter comes after a VA Office of Inspector General (OIG) report outlined instances of rigged employment decisions and payments of exorbitant relocation fees to employees who steered themselves into positions in other cities.\r\nLast month, Senator Carper sent letters about this issue to the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) and U.S. General Services Administration (GSA), which have jurisdiction over the federal workforce.\r\nAs a retired Navy captain and the former commander-in-chief of the Delaware National Guard, I understand well the obligation we have as Americans to honor our nation's veterans, Senator Carper wrote. I take the reports of misconduct at the VA very seriously, as Im sure that you do, and I believe appropriate action should be taken to hold accountable those responsible and address the incidents that led to these serious issues.\r\nWe need to remain vigilant to ensure that the Department of Veterans Affairs is providing access to comprehensive, quality care for veterans throughout our country, he continued. We have a responsibility to ensure that they receive the help and benefits that they have earned, and that includes appropriate use of taxpayer resources provided to the VA.\r\nThe text of the letter is below and a pdf can be found here.\r\nDear Secretary McDonald:\r\nAs a retired Navy captain and the former commander-in-chief of the Delaware National Guard, I understand well the obligation we have as Americans to honor our nation's veterans. I visited the Veterans Hospital near Wilmington, Delaware within a few weeks after enrolling in graduate school at the University of Delaware in September 1973 to find out what services were available to me as a veteran of the Vietnam War. The hospital, built shortly after the end of WWII, was not one that Delaware or its veterans could be proud of. For more than thirty years  as a U.S. Representative, Governor, and U.S. Senator  I have worked to strengthen our Veterans Affairs (VA) system to enable it to better serve our veterans and to enable the VA to provide the excellent health care and benefits that veterans deserve.\r\nI take the reports of misconduct at the VA very seriously, as Im sure that you do, and I believe appropriate action should be taken to hold accountable those responsible and address the incidents that led to these serious issues. As Im sure you know, a recently-published VA Office of Inspector General (OIG) report[1] has alleged that senior VA employees acted improperly by orchestrating job openings, steering themselves into the new positions at higher salaries than their predecessors, and reaping large payments to relocate and begin employment in these new jobs. These are serious allegations, which led to the VA OIG making criminal referrals to the U.S. Attorneys Office regarding the actions of two VA officials. As the Senior Senator from Delaware and a veteran, I ask your assistance in helping me to understand what procedures are in place to prevent further abuse of taxpayer dollars in both the federal employment and relocation processes at the VA.\r\nSpecifically, according to the OIG report, Diana Rubens arranged her own re-assignment from her post as Deputy Under Secretary for Field Operations in Washington, D.C. to that of Director of the Philadelphia and Wilmington VA Regional Offices in June 2014. During her transition to her new position, Ms. Rubens allegedly billed the VA $274,019 for her move to Philadelphia and to arrange for new housing. Additionally, the OIG found that Kimberly Graves, working in concert with Ms. Rubens, left her position as the Director of the Veterans Benefits Administrations (VBA) Eastern Area Office in Philadelphia last October to become director of the regional office in St. Paul, MN. She charged the VA $129,467 for her moving expenses.\r\nThe OIGs allegations that these two VA officials appear to have orchestrated transfers as a means to bill the federal government hundreds of thousands of taxpayer dollars  if true  is deeply troubling. The VA OIGs report raises significant questions about how these types of situations are supposed to be handled. Accordingly, I ask: \r\n1. What safeguards are in place to prevent this type of manipulation of the federal employment process from occurring at the VA?\r\na. Were these procedures followed in the cases of Ms. Rubens and Ms. Graves? If not, why not?\r\nb. What could have caused existing safeguards to fail in the VBA?\r\nc. Are there additional processes and procedures that could be put into place to prevent future abuses of the federal employment process? \r\n2. Please describe what procedures exist at the VA to identify exorbitant relocation costs and prevent them from being reimbursed. Specifically:\r\na. Were these procedures followed in the cases of Ms. Rubens and Ms. Graves? If not, why not?\r\nb. What could have caused existing safeguards to fail in the VBA?\r\nc. Are there best practices or additional safeguards that the VA should implement to prevent reimbursement of relocation overpayments and recoup fraudulent relocation overpayments?\r\nWe need to remain vigilant to ensure that the Department of Veterans Affairs is providing access to comprehensive, quality care for veterans throughout our country. We have a responsibility to ensure that they receive the help and benefits that they have earned, and that includes appropriate use of taxpayer resources provided to the VA. Congress and the Department of Veterans Affairs must continue to work together to address these issues and improve the care our veterans receive.\r\nThank you very much for your attention to this matter. I look forward to receiving your response.\r\nWith best personal regards, I am\r\nSincerely yours,", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.carper.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/e-newsletter?ContentRecord_id=291bba1e-1178-45c2-858b-0dded4546c6b", "My Reflections in the Wake of the Paris Attacks", "2015-11-21", "2015", "2015-11", "Democrat", "House", "DE", "Thomas Carper", "C000174", "www.carper.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Dear Friend, \r\nJust over a week ago, terrorists struck at the heart of our nations oldest ally in Paris, France. I offer my deepest sympathies to the French people.Ournation mourns with the French people as they bury their loved ones and countrymen. The attack in Paris was not just an attack on France, but on the core values that we share with France  freedom, democracy and respect for human life.\r\n\r\nThis week, the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee held the hearing,The Impact of ISIS on the Homeland and Refugee Resettlement.Asthe committees ranking member, I questioned officials from the Departmentof Homeland Security and State Department about the implications of the Paris terror attacks onour national security, including the questions surrounding refugeeresettlement.\r\nYou can watch my opening statement here.\r\nI understand the legitimate concerns many of my colleagues and many Americans have regarding the resettlement of Syrian refugees in our country. We face a moral dilemma here. In September, Pope Francis gave a historic address to Congress. During his remarks, he reminded us of the Golden Rule and called on all of us to treat other people the way we want to be treated. He also invoked the words of Matthew 25: When I was hungry, did you feed me; when I was naked, did you clothe me; when I was thirsty, did you give me drink; when I was a stranger in your land, did you take me in?\r\n\r\nWe have a moral imperative to the least of these, and to treat otherpeople the way we want to betreated. And we have an equally strong moral imperative, anda duty by virtue of our oath of office, to make sure that we dont meet that moral imperative to the least of these by putting the citizens of this country at risk. The question is, can we do both? I am convinced that we can. I urge you towatch or read my speech on the Senate floorto learnmore about our two-year,rigorous screening process for all refugees, including those from Syria.\r\nWatch my speech on the Senate floor here.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.carper.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/pressreleases?ContentRecord_id=9db30d04-d0b6-4f4b-a0f4-dee8da2b8272", "Senator Carper Responds to U.S. Postal Service Fiscal Year 2015 Losses", "2015-11-20", "2015", "2015-11", "Democrat", "House", "DE", "Thomas Carper", "C000174", "www.carper.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "WASHINGTON  Today, Sen. Tom Carper (D-Del.), ranking member of the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, responded to the U.S. Postal Services reported net loss of $5.1 billion for fiscal year 2015:\r\nTodays report makes it clear that, despite a growing revenue stream, the U.S. Postal Service continues to suffer significant losses that threaten its future. The Postal Services package delivery products continue to show great promise but given the institutions longstanding financial and legislative burdens, coupled with an ongoing decline in the volume of First Class mail, this welcome news just isnt enough to get the Postal Service out of the red. The only way to alleviate the Postal Services financial challenges and take advantage of the opportunities it has to grow in the digital age is for Congress to come together and pass comprehensive postal reform legislation as soon as possible. It is my hope that my bill, the Improving Postal Operations, Service and Transparency (iPOST) Act of 2015, will provide a blueprint for an agreement. iPOST would make comprehensive reforms to stabilize current postal operations, improve service performance, enhance transparency, and put the Postal Service on the path to sound financial footing for years to come. I will continue to work with my colleagues on both sides of the aisle, stakeholders, and the Postal Service to refine this legislation to right the Postal Service and ensure its viability long into the future.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.carper.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/pressreleases?ContentRecord_id=9ea181bb-00c4-4774-83c9-4e22d880856a", "Senators Carper, Collins Respond to GAO Report on Implementation of the Federal Buildings Personnel Training Act of 2010", "2015-11-20", "2015", "2015-11", "Democrat", "House", "DE", "Thomas Carper", "C000174", "www.carper.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "WASHINGTON  Today, Sens. Tom Carper (D-Del.) and Susan Collins (R-Maine) highlighted a Government Accountability Office (GAO) report that found too many federal agencies have not taken steps to implement the Federal Buildings Personnel Training Act of 2010. The measure, originally sponsored by Sens. Carper and Collins along with Reps. Russ Carnahan (D-Mo.) and Judy Biggert (R-Ill.), requires that the General Services Administration (GSA) provide personnel who operate and maintain federal facilities the training and resources they need to safeguard the significant investment we've made in energy efficient buildings. \r\nThe report, Additional Authorities and Accountability Would Enhance the Implementation of the Federal Buildings Personnel Training Act of 2010, found that while GSA has made progress with implementation, many federal agencies across the government have not followed through and should therefore increase efforts to fully comply with the law.\r\nBy making the buildings we own more sustainable and energy-efficient, we can help shrink our carbon footprint, ease budgetary pressures facing our federal government, and save taxpayers billions of dollars, said Sen. Carper, ranking member of the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee. However, todays report shows that many agencies are lagging behind in providing building operators the tools and resources needed to perform their jobs effectively. I am concerned that agencies are not fully aware of this laws requirements and are not taking actions necessary to fully empower their federal building personnel. I will follow up with these agencies to learn why they are having challenges implementing the law and figure out how Congress can be helpful in furthering the goals of this law so we can ensure federal facilities are operating efficiently and in a cost-effective way.\r\n\"The federal government is our nations largest energy consumer, and with 350,000 buildings we have a responsibility to improve efficiency to reduce emissions and save taxpayer dollars,\" said Sen. Collins. \"This assessment from GAO, however, shows that many of the governments major landholding agencies have not yet taken steps to implement the Federal Buildings Personnel Training Act of 2010, which aimed to help ensure proper training for personnel and the optimization of federal building performance.\"\r\nThe Federal Buildings Personnel Training Act of 2010 required the General Services Administration (GSA), commonly referred to as the government's \"landlord\", to work with private industry and institutions of higher learning to create and maintain comprehensive continuing education courses to ensure that federal employees have the training to maintain federal buildings in a manner consistent with industry best practices.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.carper.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/pressreleases?ContentRecord_id=4809e311-fccd-4b2c-95f6-7db58cf9a4a2", "Senator Carper on the Senate Confirmation of D.C. Superior Court Judges", "2015-11-19", "2015", "2015-11", "Democrat", "House", "DE", "Thomas Carper", "C000174", "www.carper.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "WASHINGTON  Today, Sen. Tom Carper (D-Del.), ranking member of the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, released the following statement following the Senate confirmation of D.C. Superior Court Judges William Nooter and Steven Wellner, both of whom have been waiting since 2013 to be confirmed.\r\nTodays confirmation of both William Nooter and Steven Wellner to serve on the D.C. Superior Court is welcome news, albeit long-overdue. I thank my colleagues for doing the right thing and approving these well-qualified nominees. I am confident that Judge Nooter and Judge Wellner are ready to hit the ground running. Given the extraordinary amount of time it took these two, non-controversial and bipartisan nominees to get confirmed, I urge my colleagues to act in a more timely manner on the additional D.C. Superior Court and Court of Appeals nominees expected in the coming months.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.carper.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/pressreleases?ContentRecord_id=4d1839c8-a6c1-4132-acf3-a287cf8270c5", "Carper, Booker Urge Highway Bill Conferees to Maximize Investment in Transportation Programs", "2015-11-19", "2015", "2015-11", "Democrat", "House", "DE", "Thomas Carper", "C000174", "www.carper.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "WASHINGTON  Today, U.S. Senators Tom Carper (D-Del.) and Cory Booker (D-N.J.) sent a letter to House-Senate conferees negotiating a final Highway and Transportation Bill compromise, urging them to maximize investments to our nations crumbling roads, highways, bridges and transit systems by shortening the authorization period for the bill.\r\nOver the past 20 years, total federal, state, and local investment in transportation has fallen as a share of GDP, while population, congestion, and maintenance backlogs have increased. In fact, Americas investment in transportation as a share of GDP is at its lowest point in decades, falling more than 50 percent since 1962, the senators wrote. While the proposed Senate investment levels exceed baseline funding, they would still only be sufficient to cover expected increases in construction materials costs. These funding levels are certainly insufficient to rebuild and modernize our nations transportation infrastructure. With all this in mind, we strongly urge you to finalize a surface transportation conference report that can provide the maximum amount of benefits to American families and businesses by prioritizing increased investment for all surface transportation programs over the length of the authorization.\r\nAlso signing the letter were U.S. Senators Michael Bennet (D-Colo.), Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), Maria Cantwell (D-Wash), Ben Cardin (D-Md.), Bob Casey (D-Pa.), Chris Coons (D-Del.), Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.), Al Franken (D-Minn.), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.), Tim Kaine (D-Va.), Angus King (I-Maine), Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.), Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), Ed Markey (D-Mass.), Bob Menendez (D-N.J.), Chris Murphy (D-Conn.), Gary Peters (D-Mich.), Jack Reed (D-R.I.), Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii) Debbie Stabenow (D-Mich.), Tom Udall (D-N.M.), Mark Warner (D-Va.), Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), and Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.).\r\nThe full text of the letter can be found here or below:\r\nDear Conferees:\r\nAs you begin conference negotiations to reconcile House and Senate proposals for a multi-year surface transportation reauthorization bill, we urge you to consider the urgent need for an increase in infrastructure investment around the country, and report a final proposal that can best address these needs by maximizing annual investment levels for all surface transportation programs over a shorter authorization period.\r\nBoth the House and Senate versions of the legislation contain numerous policy reforms that will help to address Americas infrastructure challenges. However, no set of policy reforms can substitute for what is truly needed to make significant progress toward rebuilding and modernizing our nations infrastructure: funding.\r\nOver the past 20 years, total federal, state, and local investment in transportation has fallen as a share of GDP, while population, congestion, and maintenance backlogs have increased. In fact, Americas investment in transportation as a share of GDP is at its lowest point in decades, falling more than 50 percent since 1962. Sixty-five percent of Americas major roads are rated in less than good condition, one in four bridges require significant repair or cannot handle todays traffic, and forty five percent of Americans lack access to transit.\r\nThe impact of underinvestment on American businesses and families is real. The average driver spends 42 hours in traffic each year  the equivalent of an entire workweek, while burning through 2.9 billion gallons of gasoline. The poor conditions of our roadways increases auto repair and maintenance costs by over $500 per vehicle. American businesses pay $27 billion a year in extra freight transportation costs, increasing shipping delays and raising prices on everyday products. Despite record ridership levels, on-time performance of many passenger rail routes continues to decline due to lack of federal investment, causing frequent delays for millions of passengers. Our crumbling infrastructure is also a serious safety concern. Poor roadway conditions were a significant factor in approximately one-third of the more than 33,000 traffic fatalities last year.\r\nAs others have pointed out, prior to MAP-21, each successive transportation package contained significant increases in annual funding levels. While the proposed Senate investment levels exceed baseline funding, they would still only be sufficient to cover expected increases in construction materials costs. These funding levels are certainly insufficient to rebuild and modernize our nations transportation infrastructure.\r\nWith all this in mind, we strongly urge you to finalize a surface transportation conference report that can provide the maximum amount of benefits to American families and businesses by prioritizing increased investment for all surface transportation programs over the length of the authorization.\r\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.carper.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/pressreleases?ContentRecord_id=fbb3f017-bdbb-4526-a686-89b344e55b9d", "HSGAC Hearing Statement: \"The Impact of ISIS on the Homeland and Refugee Resettlement.\"", "2015-11-19", "2015", "2015-11", "Democrat", "House", "DE", "Thomas Carper", "C000174", "www.carper.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "WASHINGTON  Today, the U.S. Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs held the hearing, The Impact of ISIS on the Homeland and Refugee Resettlement. Below is the opening statement of Ranking Member Tom Carper (D-Del.), as prepared for delivery:\r\n\r\nThank you Mr. Chairman.First off, I want to express my deepest sympathies to the people of France. France is our oldest ally, and we mourn with them as they bury their countrymen.The tragedy in Paris is yet another reminder that ISIS, Al Qaeda and other terrorist groups have no regard for innocent civilians and will stop at nothing to terrorize the West and our core values of freedom, democracy and respect for human life.\r\nI want to commend the French people for their stoicism in the face of the attacks, and French and Belgian authorities for their valiant work in the days since. Their bravery and hard work has already apprehended or killed some of the terrorists, and quite possibly averted follow-on attacks. We have also seen encouraging progress in the larger fight to dismantle and degrade ISIS.\r\nHere at home, it is our job, the job of DHS, the FBI and the Intelligence Community to make sure that these kinds of attacks do not happen on US soil. The good news is that we have made it very hard for ISIS to do this.Over the past year, the FBI has arrested more than two dozen individuals on ISIS-related terrorism charges. DHS screens every single airline passenger coming to the United States and checks their data against our terrorism watchlist long before they ever get on a plane.\r\nOver the past year DHSs intelligence officein partnership with the FBIhas issued dozens of intelligence reports to state and local law enforcement units throughout the country about ISIS. These reports give them the information they need to know what it is that ISIS may be trying to do and to take the steps necessary to protect their communities. One report even warned about the capabilities of the alleged mastermind of the Paris attacks  the man we now know was killed in yesterdays pre-dawn raid by French authorities outside Paris. \r\nLastly, DHS has set up a new Countering Violent Extremism office charged with reaching out to select communities across the country to alert them to the dangers of ISIS. This office will help families, community leaders and religious figures understand ISISs online recruitment and radicalization tactics. It will also help young people resist the lure of joining the ranks of ISIS and al Qaeda.\r\nWe can of course always do more. But make no mistake, we have a multi layered and effective homeland security system in place. Our borders are strong, our law enforcement officers remain vigilant, and our intelligence community is working around the clock to sniff out the next attack.\r\nWith that said, I now want to take a moment to talk about Syrian refugees. A couple of months ago, on the other side of the Capitol, we had a visit from Pope Francis. Im not Catholic, but I was moved. I know a lot of our colleagues were moved, too, especially when the Pope invoked the Golden Rule. He called on all of us to treat other people the way we want to be treated.We were also moved when he invoked the words of Matthew 25: When I was hungry, did you feed me; when I was naked, did you clothe me; when I was thirsty, did you give me drink; when I was a stranger in your land, did you take me in?\r\nLet me repeat that last part: when I was a stranger in your land, did you take me in?\r\nWhen I hear that roughly a thousand Syrian refugees came to this country in the past year and more are coming next year, I think of the desperate plight of so many people who are trying to escape a hellacious situation in Syria. Theyve been living, in some cases, for months or even years in refugee camps. Theyve watched friends or family members suffer or die on the battlefield, at the hands of terrorists, and even on the route to safety as well.\r\nWhat happened in Paris, however, has many people asking questions about whether our country should be accepting Syrian refugees.From my perspective, we have two competing moral imperatives that should drive us in this situation. On the one hand, we have an obligation to care for the least of these. And on the other hand, we have an obligation to protect those of us who live here from possible threats that might be caused by individuals fleeing the violence in Syria.It may seem as if these moral imperatives are in conflict, that we cant both help the desperate Syrians weve seen and read about in the media without putting ourselves in danger. I understand the concern, but I dont believe that is the case. \r\nI think this Administration has worked hard to make sure that we can continue to welcome refugees with open arms while also keeping our citizens safe from terrorist groups like ISIS. The Administration has put in place a robust screening process for Syrian refugees - which we will hear about today.\r\nIt usually starts with the United Nations winnowing down the pool of refugees after gathering extensive biometric data and background information on the applicants. Only those individuals who pass the U.N. assessment are ever referred to the United States for possible resettlement.\r\nAt that point, federal agencies at the Department of Homeland Security and elsewhere begin a lengthy and intensive screening process, all conducted outside of our borders. Refugees are finger-printed, photographed, and vetted against all of the national security databases we maintain in search of any hint of terrorist ties or any other criminal or nefarious activity in their background.\r\nEach refugee is then interviewed face-to-face by highly skilled immigration analysts who undergo special training to spot inconsistencies in information or attempts by someone to conceal their true identity in some way. After then going through a health screening, the refugees are subjected to another security check and are re-vetted against U.S. national security databases.\r\nAll this happens well before any of these applicants ever set foot on U.S. soil. On average, the screening process here in the U.S. takes a year and a half. Let me repeat that. For the U.S. to conduct its review, refugees must wait out 18 months or more of screening.Thats a long time to wait and a lot of hurdles that a member of ISIS would have to clear if they were going to try to use the refugee program to get to the United States.\r\nSo we need to take a step back, tune out the hysteria, and identify some common sense steps we can take to advance both our obligation to provide safe harbor to the victims of war, and our obligation to keep Americans safe.\r\nI think we have a very experienced group of witnesses before us today who can help us have a productive dialogue on these issues.Thank you to you all and I look forward to hearing your testimony.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.carper.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/pressreleases?ContentRecord_id=a9865921-3662-49e1-8765-44bfa04119b1", "Sen. Carper's Statement on University of Delaware President Announcement", "2015-11-18", "2015", "2015-11", "Democrat", "House", "DE", "Thomas Carper", "C000174", "www.carper.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "WILMINGTON, Del.  U.S. Sen. Tom Carper released the following statement following the news that the University of Delawares Board of Trustees voted today to name Dennis Assanis president of the university:\r\nI welcome Dennis and his wife, Eleni, to Delaware and congratulate him on becoming President of the University of Delaware. His predecessors have led the universitys students, faculty and staff to higher academic achievements, while strengthening the university community, which has in turn benefited the First State. Im excited to learn that Dennis has a strong background in clean energy along with a distinguished academic record. I look forward to working with him to ensure that the University of Delaware and the First State remain an attractive place to learn, live and work.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.carper.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/pressreleases?ContentRecord_id=ac099821-a965-45a1-98f8-877c79e4d104", "Senators Carper, Johnson Seek Information on Potential Security Threats Posed by Emerging Drone Technology", "2015-11-18", "2015", "2015-11", "Democrat", "House", "DE", "Thomas Carper", "C000174", "www.carper.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "WASHINGTON  In response to a number of recent high-profile incidents involving unmanned aerial vehicles, Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee Ranking Member Tom Carper (D-Del.) and Chairman Ron Johnson (R-Wis.) sent a letter to Department of Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson asking for more information about the Departments efforts to address the potential security threats posed by emerging drone technologies.\r\nWhile drone technology can be a valuable asset to help grow our economy and contribute to our way of life, in July, the Departments Office of Intelligence and Analysis released an intelligence assessment that noted over 500 suspicious drone encounters at sensitive sites since 2012. More recently, it was reported that the Federal Aviation Administration is aware of nearly 700 instances of drones interfering with airplanes or airport operations.\r\nAs the availability and sophistication of new aerial systems have proliferated, recent high-profile incidents have raised public safety concerns related to the use of unmanned aerial vehicles, commonly known as drones, the Senators wrote. As the Ranking Member and Chairman of the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs, we write to gain a better understanding of the Department of Homeland Securitys efforts to address any potential emerging security threats posed by this technology.\r\nDrones have the capacity to make a number of positive contributions to our society and economy but also pose unique challenges to our law enforcement community, they continued. Indeed, there have already been multiple incidents of drones flying over restricted airspace and sensitive sites, including a small, commercially-available drone that accidentally crashed onto the White House grounds earlier this year.\r\nThere is also a risk of rogue or malicious drone operators using unmanned aerial vehicles as a weapon. In January, the Department reportedly held a summit with Federal intelligence and security officials on the increasing security threat from drones, including drones that could be modified to carry explosives or chemical weapons.\r\nThe text of the letter is below and a pdf can be found here.\r\nDear Mr. Secretary:\r\nAs the availability and sophistication of new aerial systems have proliferated, recent high-profile incidents have raised public safety concerns related to the use of unmanned aerial vehicles, commonly known as drones. As the Ranking Member and Chairman of the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs, we write to gain a better understanding of the Department of Homeland Securitys (the Department or DHS) efforts to address any potential emerging security threats posed by this technology.\r\nDrones have the capacity to make a number of positive contributions to our society and economy but also pose unique challenges to our law enforcement community. Indeed, there have already been multiple incidents of drones flying over restricted airspace and sensitive sites, including a small, commercially-available drone that accidentally crashed onto the White House grounds earlier this year. In July, the Departments Office of Intelligence and Analysis released an intelligence assessment that noted over 500 drone encounters since 2012 at sensitive sites across the United States. More recently, it was reported that the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is aware of nearly 700 instances of drones interfering with airplanes or airports operations. There have also been reports of individuals using drones to smuggle contraband across the U.S.-Mexico border and over prison walls. \r\nThere is also a risk of rogue or malicious drone operators using unmanned aerial vehicles as a weapon. In January, the Department reportedly held a summit with Federal intelligence and security officials on the increasing security threat from drones, including drones that could be modified to carry explosives or chemical weapons. In September, the Department hosted an interagency meeting to discuss safety issues created by drones in airspace near the Washington, D.C.-area and directed an intergovernmental working group to coordinate a response in detecting, classifying, and mitigating threats from drones.\r\nWe are encouraged by the Departments initial steps to address this threat. To help this Committee understand the Departments efforts related to the safety and security concerns of drones, we ask that you please provide the following information and materials:\r\n1. What do you believe is the proper role for the Department to play in addressing the safety and security concerns of drones? \r\n2. We understand that the Department, through the National Protection and Programs Directorate, is in its initial stages of conducting a risk assessment regarding the security implications of drones. What is the timeline and the status of this assessment? Please provide a copy of the assessment to the Committee when it is complete.\r\n3. Under the FAA Modernization and Reform Act of 2012, FAA has primary responsibility within the federal government for integrating drone operations in the national airspace. In February 2015, FAA issued a notice of proposed rulemaking for small unmanned aerial systems. Please describe DHSs role, if any, in this rulemaking process.\r\n4. In October 2015, the Department of Transportation and FAA announced the creation of a task force to develop recommendations for a registration process for drones. Please describe DHSs role, if any, in this taskforce.\r\n5. In March 2015, an official from FAA testified before Congress that FAA issued guidance for first responders to deter, detect, investigate, and report unauthorized or unsafe drone operations. Did DHS contribute to this guidance? If so, please describe DHSs involvement.\r\n6. Also in March 2015, a representative from the International Association of Chiefs of Police testified before Congress that law enforcement have to date only received limited tactical guidance from DHS about the security implications of personal and commercial drone use. Recognizing that state and local law enforcement officers are the first to respond to a potential immediate threat posed by drones, how does DHS ensure that any information provided to state and local law enforcement is useful, flexible, and responsive to the state and local law enforcement environment? Please describe the types of guidance DHS provides to these entities and whether additional guidance is planned for the future. \r\n7. Please explain any efforts the Department is making to coordinate with industry to better understand the potential future development of drone technology and any potential threats posed by drones. \r\n8. Please describe any findings from the September 2015 interagency meeting to discuss security issues created by drones in the Washington, D.C. area. Please also provide any materials from the interagency meeting, including a copy of the memorandum that created the intergovernmental working group to coordinate a response in detecting, classifying, and mitigating threats from drones.\r\n9. Our understanding is that DHS is leading an ongoing effort to address holistically drone security in the Washington, D.C. region through an inter-agency whole-of-community working group. What strategy or framework does DHS and this working group have in place to evaluate the efficacy of existing technology to mitigate the potential threat of drones and other non-traditional aviation technology?\r\n10. Has this working group compiled a comprehensive account of current operational capabilities for mitigating drones or other non-traditional aviation technology? If so, please provide such an accounting. \r\n11. Please describe this working groups approach for developing a list of requirements to guide necessary research, development, and possible of acquisition of technology and other solutions to mitigate potential threats posed by drones.\r\n12. Please provide a copy of the After-Action Report for the Gyrocopter Incident.\r\nWith best personal regards, we are\r\n Sincerely yours,\r\n\r\n\r\nThomas R. Carper    Ron Johnson\r\nRanking Member Chairman", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.carper.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/pressreleases?ContentRecord_id=d9567e27-2ac7-4575-97d5-fa87d93687ba", "EPW Hearing Statement: Examining the International Climate Negotiations", "2015-11-18", "2015", "2015-11", "Democrat", "House", "DE", "Thomas Carper", "C000174", "www.carper.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "WASHINGTON  Today, Sen. Tom Carper (D-Del.), a top Democrat on the Environment and Public Works Committee and ranking member of the Subcommittee on Clean Air and Nuclear Safety, released the following statement regarding the committees hearing on the upcoming climate negotiations in Paris:\r\nMadam Chairman, thank you for convening this hearing today, and thank you to our witnesses for joining us. I look forward to hearing your testimony.\r\nWere here to discuss our countrys efforts to fulfill the obligations required of us by signing and ratifying the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change under President George H.W. Bush in 1992. The treaty established a framework for international negotiationsbetweenits signatories todevise a plan to limitglobal carbon pollutionand the resultingimpacts toclimate change in order to preserve and protect our environment for future generations. Over the past 23 years, the United States and our treaty partners have held meetings, usually each year, to address these goals and, later this month, the 21stmeeting will take place in Paris.\r\nIn order to effectively address climate change we have to take action on a global scale, working cooperatively with our neighbors around the world. Theres a host of scientific studies that underscore the urgent need for action but, for me, the most compelling factor in supporting efforts to address climate change is deeply personal. Being a parent has been a transformative experience in my life, and my love for my sons has inspired me to make the world a better place for them, their children, and their grandchildren. I have an absolute duty to fight for changes to our behavior  not only in Delaware and across the country, but also around the world  that will help stem the tide of climate change. After all, our children and the generations of children that will come after them will face no greater environmental threat.\r\nI know this issue is complicated. As someone who was born in coal country  Beckley, West Virginia  I know there are hard-working middle class Americans whose financial security depends on the coal industry and the jobs that it creates. But, Ive also spent my adult life in Delaware  the lowest lying state in the nation  and I know that if something isnt done soon to address climate change, well be under water sometime in the next century.\r\nThe scientific evidence is clear  if we do not act, well suffer dangerous blows to our environment and our economy. Furthermore, we know the price of action pales in comparison to the cost of doing nothing. In fact, the Government Accountability Office has already listed climate change as one of the biggest fiscal risks facing our country. We simply must reject the false choice that we can either have a cleaner, stronger environment or a robust and growing economy. We can have both. Ive long said we must pursue an all-of-the-above energy strategy that meets the needs of both the coal miner in West Virginia and the farmer in coastal Delaware.\r\nPart of pursuing that strategy includes continuing our effort to meet the obligations we have agreed to meet by signing the Framework Convention on Climate Change more than two decades ago. After all, climate change is not an issue one state or one nation can tackle alone. The developing and developed world must work together to address the impacts of climate change has on global public health.\r\nSince the administration has retaken a leadership role on this issue, others have followed our lead. Countries like China and Brazil that have been hesitant to make carbon reductions have changed their tune because we made the first move. I am hopeful that the administration will continue its work to drive the international community toward a broader global agreement in Paris so that we can finally turn the corner on this growing problem.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.carper.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/pressreleases?ContentRecord_id=e75c8973-5326-4c49-baf5-ce567549895a", "Carper Requests More Information on Gun Safety Public Health Programs", "2015-11-18", "2015", "2015-11", "Democrat", "House", "DE", "Thomas Carper", "C000174", "www.carper.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "WASHINGTON  Today, U.S. Senator Tom Carper (D-Del.) joined 19 senators in sending a letter to Gene L. Dodaro, Comptroller General of the United States, to request a Government Accountability Office (GAO) report to assess the efficacy of public health and safety programs that are designed to impact gun safety, including the storage and security of guns in households. In the letter, the Senators stated that prevention of gun deaths and injuries should be an essential component of the federal governments commitment to public health and safety, and that previous federal campaigns on other challenges have helped to reduce dangerous behavior and improve public health and safety.\r\nWith more than 300 million guns in American homes, we write to request that the Government Accountability Office (GAO) conduct a study to assess the efficacy of public health and safety programs designed to impact gun safety, including the storage and security of guns in households throughout our country, the Senators wrote in the letter. Too many families have suffered tragic losses and hardships as a result of gun deaths and injuries. This public health burden demands an assessment of potential actions by the federal government, including the possibility of robust partnerships with established nonprofits and provider organizations in the development of a public campaign aimed at informing physicians, clinicians, parents, and families about the public health need to address this urgent issue. The Senators requested a report that: analyzes the effectiveness of public health and safety programs at the federal, state, and local level that raise awareness and provide best practices for safe and secure storage of guns in households; identifies programs that seek to address unsafe gun access and ensure safe practices with regards to firearms; and details which federal agencies can influence public health or safety, childrens health, criminal justice, or violence prevention programs.\r\nSenators requesting the report: Patty Murray (D-WA), Richard J. Durbin (D-IL), Charles E. Schumer (D-NY), Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Barbara Boxer (D-CA), Sherrod Brown (D-OH), Benjamin L. Cardin (D-MD), Thomas Carper (D-DE), Dianne Feinstein (D-CA), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), Mazie K. Hirono (D-HI), Tim Kaine (D-VA), Edward J. Markey (D-MA), Robert Menendez (D-NJ), Christopher Murphy (D-CT), Jack Reed (D-RI), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), and Ron Wyden (D-OR).\r\nText of the full letter has been included below and can also be found here:\r\n  Dear Mr. Dodaro:\r\nEvery day on average, 55 people kill themselves with a firearm, and 46 people are shot or killed in an accident with a gun. The Washington Post reported last month that so far in 2015 there have been 43 instances where a toddler three or under has shot themselves or others, leading to 15 fatalities and 28 injuries. With more than 300 million guns in American homes, we write to request that the Government Accountability Office (GAO) conduct a study to assess the efficacy of public health and safety programs designed to impact gun safety, including the storage and security of guns in households throughout our country.\r\nDeath and injury by firearm is one of the most significant public health threats to young people in communities across our nation. While long perceived as an urban issue, in fact, youth (up to age 19) in the most rural U.S. counties are almost as likely to die from a gunshot, self-inflicted or otherwise, as those living in the most urban counties. Furthermore, a 1999 study in the Journal of the American Medical Association estimated that the lifetime medical cost of treating gunshot injuries in the United States was $2.3 billion, with almost half the costs borne by taxpayers.\r\nGiven these stark statistics, prevention of gun deaths and injuries should be an essential component of the federal governments commitment to public health and safety along with other efforts such as background checks on gun purchases and closing other gun loopholes. Federal campaigns, such as those related to drinking and driving and smoking, have demonstrated that public health and safety campaigns can improve understanding and reduce dangerous behavior, with significant public health benefits. \r\nToo many families have suffered tragic losses and hardships as a result of gun deaths and injuries. This public health burden demands an assessment of potential actions by the federal government, including the possibility of robust partnerships with established nonprofits and provider organizations in the development of a public campaign aimed at informing physicians, clinicians, parents, and families about the public health need to address this urgent issue.\r\nTo that end, we request that GAO conduct a report that:\r\n1. Analyzes the impacts of existing publicly- and privately-operated public health and safety programs at the federal, state, and local level that further raise awareness among the public of the risk factors associated with having guns in the home and provide best practices on how families and communities can engage in a conversation about the safe and secure storage of guns in the household.\r\n2. Identifies existing public health and safety programs (publicly- and privately-operated efforts at the federal, state, and local level) that seek to address unsafe gun access and to ensure safe practices with regards to firearms.\r\n3. Inventories federal agencies whose missions relate to public health or violence prevention and the ways in which programs described under question number one relate to such missions. Such programs can include public health or safety, childrens health, criminal justice, or violence prevention programs.\r\nWe appreciate your attention to this request and your cooperation on this issue as we seek more information on these issues.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.carper.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/pressreleases?ContentRecord_id=47a5aeb1-dc02-43bf-9f98-9d59b4e9de04", "Sen. Carper Highlights Free Help to Enroll in Health Insurance", "2015-11-17", "2015", "2015-11", "Democrat", "House", "DE", "Thomas Carper", "C000174", "www.carper.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "DOVER, Del. On Monday, U.S. Sen. Tom Carper stopped by the Dover Library to meet with health insurance enrollment navigators from Westside Family Healthcare and constituents enrolling in health insurance plans on the Health Insurance Marketplace. Westside is one of four Delaware organizations offering free assistance. Others include Chatman LLC, Henrietta Johnson Medical Center and La Red Health Center.\r\nIn its third year, the health insurance market place provides Delawareans with the opportunity to secure affordable health insurance. During this open enrollment period there is free enrollment assistance available in all three counties of Delaware for the public, said U.S. Sen. Tom Carper. I encourage everyone to reach out to one of these health insurance market place navigators to look at their insurance options for 2016. When considering whether or not to secure health insurance, Delawareans should know that the penalties for choosing to go without health insurance have increased, and can be more costly than purchasing health insurance on the marketplace. I hope that all Delawareans take advantage of this opportunity to get covered.\r\nOpen enrollment for health coverage in 2016 on the marketplace began on Nov. 1, 2015, and ends on Jan. 31, 2016. Individuals must sign up by Dec. 15, 2015, for coverage to be effective Jan. 1. Free help finding a plan and enrolling from trained specialists is available to everyone throughout the state. For locations, go to www.choosehealthde.com or call 2-1-1.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.carper.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/pressreleases?ContentRecord_id=69445b99-b7ef-46b4-9154-dcef8b10b321", "Carper Calls on Transportation Conferees to Preserve Top Policy Priorities in Final Bill", "2015-11-17", "2015", "2015-11", "Democrat", "House", "DE", "Thomas Carper", "C000174", "www.carper.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "WASHINGTON  Today, U.S. Senator Tom Carper (D-Del.) sent a letter to members of the House-Senate Conference Committee tasked with negotiating a final version of multi-year transportation legislation, asking them to preserve several critical policy priorities in the bill they send back to each chamber for approval.\r\nAs a strong supporter of investment in our nations roads, highways, bridges, railroads and transit systems, I am pleased that, after too many years of short-term extensions, we now have the opportunity to make rebuilding and modernizing our countrys transportation system a long-term national priority in a way that will benefit nearly every American business and family, the Senator wrote.\r\nFor months, Senator Carper has urged his colleagues to back away from a reckless funding scheme that would pay for our transportation system by seizing unrelated federal dollars from across the government. Instead, he has advocated for gradually increasing to the countrys gas and diesel taxes, which have provided revenue for the Highway Trust Fund since its inception, but have not been updated for more than two decades, rendering them worth about 40 percent less than in 1993. Unfortunately, both the House and Senate versions of the bill failed to do this.\r\nWith this in mind, it is with regret that I must express my deep concerns for how Congress has decided to pay for these investments, he continued. That being said, there is much to commend in both the House and Senate legislation and I ask that you keep several policies in mind, which should be included to ensure the strongest possible bill to be sent to the president for his signature.\r\nText of the full letter has been included below and can also be found here:\r\n\r\nNovember 17, 2015\r\n\r\nDear Chairman Inhofe, Chairman Shuster, Ranking Member Boxer, and Ranking Member DeFazio:\r\nCongratulations on the recent appointment of a House-Senate Conference Committee to produce a final proposal for a multi-year federal transportation bill. As leaders of this effort to reconcile the two chambers proposals, I admire your steadfast commitment to this challenging effort. As a strong supporter of investment in our nations roads, highways, bridges, railroads, and transit systems, I am pleased that, after too many years of short-term extensions, we now have the opportunity to make rebuilding and modernizing our countrys transportation system a long-term national priority in a way that will benefit nearly every American business and family.\r\nWith this in mind, it is with regret that I must express my deep concerns for how Congress has decided to pay for these investments. User fees in the form of federal excise taxes on gasoline and diesel fuel have supported our nations transportation system for over half a century, and helped us to build the Interstate Highway System, which can be said without exaggeration to be among the most significant civil works projects in the history of the world. However, since 2008, weve strayed from this user-pays approach, relying on nearly $75 billion worth of budget gimmicks, unrelated offsets, and debt to prop up the Highway Trust Fund that pays for transportation investments.\r\nThis is simply the wrong way to pay for our infrastructure. Its not unfair to ask the individuals and businesses who use our transportation system to help pay for it. In contrast, the offsets currently included in the House and Senate legislation will increase costs for American families and businesses even though they do not directly raise transportation user fees. Millions of Americans will be forced to pay more for airline tickets, international travel, mortgages and a host of other services as a result. Moreover, these offsets are not permanent solutions, and we will be forced to confront this intractable problem again in a few short years. I therefore urge you to move away from these provisions and consider opportunities in this bill to restore the purchasing power of our federal user fees by gradually increasing gas and diesel taxes by a modest amount. This is the fairest, fastest, and most efficient way to raise the revenues we need to embark on a significant nationwide effort to rebuild and renew our countrys infrastructure.\r\nIn particular, certain offsets are particularly objectionable. Making changes to the dividend payments made to members of the Federal Reserve System would have significant impacts on the Federal Reserves stock structure and could fundamentally alter how some banks are regulated. Including this offset without any hearings or official consideration could lead to any number of negative unintended consequences, and I urge you to reject this idea.\r\nThe Houses inclusion of language eliminating the Federal Reserves surplus capital account is also troubling. This offset is a budgetary gimmick that would not actually provide any new net funding to the Treasury. In fact, instead this provision will ultimately increase future budget deficits and lose money for the Treasury.\r\nAs Ranking Member of the Committee on Homeland Security and Government Affairs, I am also opposed to provisions in both proposals to extend by two years increased rates for the fees the Transportation Security Administration is authorized to collect to help cover cost of transportation security at airports. While I support extending these rates, the revenue should be dedicated to improving transportation security and reducing wait times at airports, not used for unrelated highway and transit spending. Further, the provisions would use tomorrows dollars to pay for todays problem. Siphoning off TSA funds for highways will eventually lead to additional airline fee increases to help pay for needed security investments.\r\nSimilarly, while I support proposals to index duties and user fees on imports collected by the Customs and Border Protection (CBP), these Customs user revenues should continue to be dedicated to CBP staffing and inspection activities at ports of entry to strengthen border security and decrease wait times in support of robust trade and travel.\r\nAll of that being said, there is much to commend in both the House and Senate legislation. As leaders of the Conference, as you begin negotiations to reconcile the House and Senate proposals, I ask that you keep several policies in mind, which should be included to ensure the strongest possible bill to be sent to the president for his signature. 1. Prioritize Investment in Freight Mobility and Major Projects  Our border crossings and highway freight routes, along with seaports, air hubs and freight rails, collectively move $51 billion worth of goods each day through the complex supply chains where every minute of delay we eliminate gives American businesses a competitive edge. However, projects to improve freight flow, which can be large and complicated, are often overlooked in favor of higher-profile and simpler passenger transportation projects. I urge you to ensure that the conference report includes a robustly funded freight investment program that offers states and cities project support through both formula grants, such as the Freight Division of the Senate bill provides for. To complement this, the final proposal should also include a competitive merit-based, freight-specific discretionary grant program, as is included in proposals from both chambers, however it should be funded with contract authority, as in the Houses version. Such programs should also be flexible and multimodal, and I urge you to remove any restrictions on the amount of funding that can go do any particular freight movement mode. Finally, to maximize return on investment in projects that offer the highest value, I urge that such investments be prioritized based on current, reliable, real-world goods movement data, as the Senate freight proposal provides for.\r\nSimilarly, often the transportation projects that can offer the most transformative impacts on our economy are large and complicated, and do not fit neatly into our transportation formula programs. I urge that you include significant funding, such as the level authorized for the Houses Nationally Significant Freight and Highway Projects proposal, for a discretionary major projects program that offers competitively awarded grants to major highway, bridge, transit, rail, freight, or multimodal projects based on clear criteria that support our National Transportation Goals, such as is proposed in the Senate bills AMP Program. 2. Provide Funding for State User Fee Research Pilots - One of the biggest hurdles to advancing robust multi-year transportation legislation over the last few years has been finding a fair way to pay for it. While Congress was able to identify sufficient offsets for this proposal, structural flaws with the Highway Trust Fund remain, and will need to be addressed in the future. I believe that whats worth having is worth paying for. If the federal government is going to continue to invest in transportation infrastructure, new ways of funding and financing transportation must be found. Several states have been leading such efforts, but are hamstrung by limited funding to conduct pilot programs in a way that can produce meaningful, replicable results can would benefit all states. I therefore urge that you provide funding for new research grants, as are proposed in both the House and Senate bills, to states to help them to develop, test, and refine such new user-based funding mechanisms. 3. Provide State Tolling Flexibility  While fuel taxes and other revenue sources are usually be most efficient way to raise transportation funds, as a former governor, I know that under certain circumstances, tolls can be an effective tool for funding transportation. In some cases, tolling of new or existing infrastructure may be the most effective option, due to the fact that tolls can be targeted, structured to support debt finance or public-private partnerships, and used to help manage congestion and traffic flow in addition to offering a funding option. I urge that you adopt the Senates proposal on tolling authority to provide states with maximum flexibility to explore options for implementing tolls on highways within their borders, including on Interstate Highways and for purposes of reconstruction or rehabilitation of existing assets, with oversight of the Secretary of Transportation to ensure that tolls are not an impediment to interstate commerce or levied unfairly on any one group of travelers. 4. Reduce Harmful Diesel Emissions  Particulates are the deadliest form of air pollution due to their ability to penetrate deep into the lungs and blood streams unfiltered, causing permanent DNA mutations, heart attacks, and premature death. Comprehensive international research has shown that there is no safe level of particulate exposure. Fine particulates (PM2.5) are particularly deadly due to the fact that they can penetrate deeper into the lungs, causing a 36 percent increase in lung cancer for every additional 10 micrograms per square meter of airborne concentration. Fortunately, particulate filters combined with ultra-low sulfur diesel fuel can eliminate over 90 percent of particulate matter from diesel exhaust. I urge you to maintain set aside funding under the Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality program to help states and regions with air quality problems ensure that modern pollution control technology is being deployed effectively to reduce fine particulate matter in the most efficient and cost-effective way possible, as is proposed in the Senate bill. I also urge you to retain provision in the Senate bill that would expand eligibility for port related projects under CMAQ, which are a major source of PM2.5 in port-adjacent areas around the country. 5. Maintain Support For Public Transportation  Public transportation ridership has been trending upward for years, and annual ridership now exceeds 10.3 billion trips. Particularly in growing metropolitan areas in nearly every state, public transportation is an essential strategy to provide mobility and access, and in areas with heavy congestion and well-developed road networks, it can improve mobility more cost-effectively than highway investments. Investments in expansions of new transit service is essential to meeting our nations mobility goals. Therefore, I urge you to reject provisions in the House bill that would limit the federal contribution to fixed-guideway capital projects through the New Starts/Small Starts program to 50 percent of net project costs, and that would eliminate the ability of project sponsors to use Surface Transportation Program funds for a portion of its required federal share.\r\nFurther, I strongly oppose the House proposal to eliminate funding for the Sec. 5340 High Density Formula program, which provides my state of Delaware and many of our Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern neighbors with critical public transportation funds. While I support efforts to increase funding for bus transit programs, it should not come at the expense of others, especially in states where public transportation ridership is the highest and investment needs are among the greatest. 6. Support Bicycle and Pedestrian Safety  With record numbers of Americans travelling by bicycle and on foot, we must ensure that we are providing for their safe and efficient travel. I urge you to retain the fundamental structure of the Transportation Alternatives Program, with targeted changes included in the Senate bill to enhance local control by allocating funds by population, allowing NGOs to serve as grant recipients, limit the ability to transfer funding out of the TAP program, perhaps most importantly, ensure that the design of federal transportation projects provides for the safety of all users of the transportation network, including non-motorized users. I also urge inclusion of the House provision to create a new bicycle and pedestrian safety priority program within the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.\r\nFinally, on the matter of the overall size and length of the authorization, I urge you to consider the significant infrastructure investment needs around the country and report a final proposal that can best address these needs by maximizing annual investment levels for all surface transportation programs over a shorter authorization period. While long term predictability is important, when it comes to maximizing the benefits of surface transportation projects for Americas businesses and families, having higher annual funding levels is far more important.\r\nAgain, while we may not see eye to eye on some major portions of this legislation, I applaud your commitment to infrastructure investment. Our countrys needs are great, but the benefits of increasing investment are many. I thank you for your ongoing work, and look forward to future efforts to build on this foundation.\r\nWith best personal regards, I am\r\nSincerely yours,\r\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.carper.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/pressreleases?ContentRecord_id=8e04881d-ad15-456f-bf43-ab90135cfe4e", "Senator Carper Commends Department of Homeland Security on Clean Financial Audit Opinion", "2015-11-17", "2015", "2015-11", "Democrat", "House", "DE", "Thomas Carper", "C000174", "www.carper.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "WASHINGTON  Today, Sen. Tom Carper (D-Del.), ranking member of the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, commended the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) following its announcement that is has obtained a clean financial audit for the third year in a row:\r\nThe mission of the Department of Homeland Security is one of the most difficult and complex of any federal agency, said Sen. Carper. They do everything from securing our ports of entry, to inspecting food, to defending our cyber networks, to keeping our cities and towns safe. It is no small or easy task for any agency to produce a clean financial audit, let alone one as large and complex as DHS.\r\nWe need to look across the federal government, find whats working, and do more of that. It is clear that what the Department and its leadership are doing to ensure accurate and complete financial accounting is working, and could be used as a model for the Department of Defense, the only agency that has yet to meet its obligation to clean up its books. While the Department of Homeland Securitys independent auditor detailed some significant needs for further improvement, the Department is clearly making real progress. I commend them for their ongoing commitment to being a good steward of taxpayer dollars and encourage them to continue and build on these efforts.\r\nIn 2012, Sen. Carper joined Sens. Scott Brown (R-Mass.) and Ron Johnson (R- Wisc.) in seeing passage into law of the DHS Audit Requirement Target (DART) Act, which requires DHS to obtain and pass full audits for its financial statements. By earning a clean bill of financial health from an independent auditor for the third year running, DHS continues to be in compliance with this law.\r\nThe DHS is the third largest Department in the government, with 22 components, 240,000 employees, and a 60 billion dollar budget.The Department of Defense is the only remaining large federal department that is unable to conduct a full financial audit.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.carper.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/pressreleases?ContentRecord_id=10f10106-6107-4637-8c0b-4acad4f8e79c", "Carper, Coons Work to Protect Bus Service Projects in Transportation Funding Bill", "2015-11-16", "2015", "2015-11", "Democrat", "House", "DE", "Thomas Carper", "C000174", "www.carper.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "WASHINGTON  On Friday, Senators Tom Carper and Chris Coons (both D-Del.), joined in an urgent request to Senate leaders on the highway bill conference committee asking them to stand firm and preserve Senate language on critical funding for bus service in high density regions, citing the devastating impact of a House provision in the Surface Transportation bill on the most heavily travelled and densely populated corridor in the United States. The letter, led by Senator Ben Cardin (D-Md.) was signed by Senators Jack Reed (D-R.I.), Robert Menendez (D-N.J.), Charles Schumer and Kirsten Gillibrand (Both D-N.Y.), Barbara A. Mikulski (D-Md.), Ed Markey and Elizabeth Warren (Both D-Mass.), Richard Blumenthal and Chris Murphy (Both D-Conn.), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.), , Cory Booker (D-N.J.), Bob Casey (D-Pa.), Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.), Mark Warner and Tim Kaine (Both D-Va.). At least $1.6 billion over six years could be cut from formula funding for states that have the greatest need for bus-related funding. Sudden and severe cuts in funding to these high density regions could have a serious impact on safety, capacity and reliability in communities that are most reliant on public transportation.\r\nTransit systems in this region account for approximately half of all trips taken nationwide, and the region supports 20 percent of the nations Gross Domestic Product. The urban areas negatively impacted by the House provision face unparalleled congestion that cannot be addressed by building new highway infrastructure alone, the Senators wrote. Continued access to high-quality transit alternatives is a necessary priority that requires the funding provided through the Section 5340 program  [W]e urge Conferees to reject the short-sighted House provision.\r\nThe letter can be downloaded here. The full text is below.\r\nNovember 13, 2015\r\n\r\nThe Honorable James M. Inhofe    The Honorable Barbara Boxer\r\nChairman   Ranking Member\r\nSenate Committee on Environment   Senate Committee on Environment\r\nand Public Works   and Public Works\r\n205 Russell Senate Office Building   112 Russell Senate Office Building\r\nWashington, D.C. 20510   Washington, D.C. 20510\r\n\r\nThe Honorable John Thune   The Honorable Bill Nelson\r\nChairman Ranking Member\r\nSenate Committee on Commerce, Senate Committee on Commerce,\r\nScience, and Transportation Science, and Transportation\r\n511 Dirksen Senate Office Building 716 Dirksen Senate Office Building\r\nWashington, D.C. 20510 Washington, D.C. 20510\r\n\r\nThe Honorable Richard C. Shelby The Honorable Sherrod Brown\r\nChairman Ranking Member\r\nSenate Committee on Banking,  Senate Committee on Banking,\r\nHousing, and Urban Affairs Housing, and Urban Affairs\r\n304 Russell Senate Office Building 713 Russell Senate Office Building\r\nWashington, D.C. 20510 Washington, D.C. 20510\r\n\r\nThe Honorable Orrin G. Hatch The Honorable Ron Wyden\r\nChairman Ranking Member\r\nSenate Committee on Finance Senate Committee on Finance\r\n104 Hart Senate Office Building 104 Hart Senate Office Building\r\nWashington, D.C. 20510 Washington, D.C. 20510\r\n\r\nDear Chairs and Ranking Members,\r\nWe are writing to urge you to recede to the Senate position regarding Section 5340 transit apportionments. This formula provides a core investment for some of the most congested and transit dependent Urbanized Areas (UZAs) in the country.\r\nDuring the House consideration of H.R. 22, the Developing a Reliable and Innovative Vision for the Economy (DRIVE) Act, an amendment was adopted to eliminate the Section 5340 density apportionments and further increase funding for a competitive bus grant program. While many of us support the concept of increasing funding for a discretionary grant program for bus and bus facilities, it makes no sense to slash existing commitments to transit agencies to do so. Elimination of the density formula would be disastrous for our States and the entire Northeast Corridor. Funding for transit systems that serve Massachusetts, Connecticut, Rhode Island, New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, and the District of Columbia would be cut by at least $1.6 billion over six years. Some transit agencies would see their overall apportionments cut by nearly one-third.\r\nThe Northeast Corridor is the most heavily travelled and densely populated corridor in the U.S., and having safe and efficient transportation is critical to not only the region, but also to our nation as a whole. Transit systems in this region account for approximately half of all trips taken nationwide, and the region supports 20 percent of the nations Gross Domestic Product. The urban areas negatively impacted by the House provision face unparalleled congestion that cannot be addressed by building new highway infrastructure alone. Continued access to high-quality transit alternatives is a necessary priority that requires the funding provided through the Section 5340 program.\r\nFor these reasons, we urge Conferees to reject the short-sighted House provision and recede to the Senate position.\r\nRespectfully,\r\n\r\nCc: Sen. Harry Reid and Sen. Mitch McConnell", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.carper.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/pressreleases?ContentRecord_id=f2d3cd27-2ae0-491d-a487-7f521a42ea15", "Senator Carper Statement on the Attacks in Paris", "2015-11-14", "2015", "2015-11", "Democrat", "House", "DE", "Thomas Carper", "C000174", "www.carper.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "WASHINGTON  Sen. Tom Carper (D-Del.), ranking member of the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, released the following statement regarding the November 13 terrorist attacks in Paris, France:\r\nMy thoughts and prayers are with the victims of these horrific attacks, their loved ones, the city of Paris, and the people of France. I am carefully monitoring this situation and will continue to do so as we gather more information from our partners overseas. France is our nations oldest ally, and we continue to stand together during this dark hour. No amount of violence and hatred is a match for our unity or the freedoms and liberties both of our nations cherish.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.carper.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/pressreleases?ContentRecord_id=9ffa72cb-1a8a-48ff-a386-abd394d6ba36", "Carper Urges Colleagues to Do Better on Transportation Bill", "2015-11-10", "2015", "2015-11", "Democrat", "House", "DE", "Thomas Carper", "C000174", "www.carper.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "WASHINGTON  Today, U.S. Senator Tom Carper (D-Del.) took to the Senate floor to urge his colleagues to step off a reckless path on transportation funding that threatens to seize federal dollars from across the government to pay for our countrys roads, highways, bridges and transit systems.\r\nInstead of raising and indexing the user fees that have supported the Highway Trust Fund since its inception, were putting all reason aside, and making reckless choices that stand to compromise the way we finance and pay for all government programs, Senator Carper said. We have a tradition in this country that things worth having are worth paying for, and asking the people and businesses that use our roads, highways, bridges and transit systems to pay for them is the right thing to do.\r\nThis afternoon, the Senate sent legislation it passed this summer to conference with a version passed by the House last week. Both pieces of legislation authorize a multi-year transportation strategy, but pay for it by cobbling together funds that are unrelated to our surface transportation system, including a massive contribution of Federal Reserve capital, which former Chairman Ben Bernanke has warned is bad policy.\r\nWatch Senator Carpers remarks.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.carper.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/pressreleases?ContentRecord_id=fd1874a1-227d-4451-82df-442fff5989e1", "Sen. Carper Statement on the Nomination of Beth Cobert to be Director of the Office of Personnel Management", "2015-11-10", "2015", "2015-11", "Democrat", "House", "DE", "Thomas Carper", "C000174", "www.carper.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "WASHINGTON  Today, Sen. Tom Carper (D-Del.), ranking member of the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, issued the following statement on President Obamas intent to nominate Beth Cobert to be Director of the Office of Personnel Management (OPM):\r\nIn July, Beth Cobert stepped in as Acting Director to help the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) navigate the aftermath of a series of devastating data breaches of its own systems and those of its contractors. Under her guidance, the agency continues to address the serious consequences of these breaches, including the implications for our national security and for the more than 4 million individuals whose personnel data was stolen and the more than 21 million individuals whose sensitive security clearance information was compromised. Its critical that OPM continues to help the victims of the breaches and provide information in a timely and transparent manner.\r\nGiven the magnitude of these breaches and the other challenges facing OPM, permanent, Senate-confirmed leadership at the agency is imperative. Thats why I welcome President Obamas intent to nominate Acting Director Cobert as the agencys permanent director. I have worked closely with Beth Cobert in her role as Deputy Director for Management at the Office of Management and Budget and as Acting Director at OPM. I find her to be someone who is impressive, decisive, and well-respected on both sides of the aisle in Congress. She is someone who can continue to help lead OPM through this challenging time. I urge my colleagues to act quickly on her nomination.\r\nBut leadership isnt the only solution. Congress needs to provide federal agencies with the tools they need to stop the kind of attacks OPM experienced. Last month, the Senate passed critical cybersecurity legislation that would enable the sharing of information among the private sector and federal government and, among other things, require agencies to implement the cyber intrusion and detection program known as EINSTEIN. I hope the House and the Senate are able to approve the final bill soon and then turn our efforts to enacting badly-needed, bipartisan data breach legislation. We must continue our important work on this issue without delay. We owe it to these millions of individuals  and to the rest of the American public  to begin restoring their confidence in our governments ability to keep their personal information safe and secure.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.carper.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/pressreleases?ContentRecord_id=ff35163a-fb8b-46b9-b345-83f5d6c859b0", "Sen. Carper's Statement on the National Defense Authorization Act and Military Construction and Veterans Affairs Appropriations Act", "2015-11-10", "2015", "2015-11", "Democrat", "House", "DE", "Thomas Carper", "C000174", "www.carper.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "WASHINGTON Today, Sen. Tom Carper, ranking member of the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, issued the following statement after the Senate passed the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) by a vote of 91 to three and the Military Construction and Veterans Affairs Appropriations bill by a vote of 93 to zero.\r\nToday, I voted to approve an important piece of legislation, the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), which authorizes funding for the U.S. Department of Defense and the national security programs of the U.S. Department of Energy. The NDAA is critical to equipping and training our troops and keeping our country safe. This years bill authorizes some important investments in strengthening our military capabilities, providing needed support to the men and women of the Armed Forces, and enhancing our ability to counter emerging national security threats.\r\nThere are also provisions in this bill that will make important reforms to our militarys compensation and retirement system, enhance our cyber security efforts, put an unequivocal prohibition on the use of torture for intelligence purposes and provide support for our allies around the world. It also includes an important amendment I offered with my friend, Senator Angus King (I-Maine), that will help the U.S. Army expeditiously dispose of unneeded property, which costs taxpayers billions of dollars in unnecessary maintenance costs each year.\r\nThis afternoon, I also voted to approve the fiscal year 2016 Military Construction and Veterans Affairs appropriations bill, which provides critical services to our nations veterans and makes improvements to our military installations around the world. Im very pleased it contains funding to construct a hydrant fuel system at Dover Air Force Base, which will help to speed up the refueling process so that our planes can get in the air quicker and cargo can be moved through the base at a faster rate.\r\nPassing this bill is a direct result of the compromise found by Democrats and Republicans in both chambers of Congress to approve a budget framework that gives us the opportunity to fund our government in a more thoughtful fashion than we have over the past few years. We have ask the American people to send us to Washington on the promise that we will lead and make tough choices for our country, and Im glad were doing a little better at making good on it.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.carper.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/pressreleases?ContentRecord_id=8ae8955e-3dd4-4b6c-a615-110cb66f767d", "Delaware, Georgia Senators applaud Obama Administration's actions to hold South Africa accountable for failure to resume import of U.S. poultry", "2015-11-06", "2015", "2015-11", "Democrat", "House", "DE", "Thomas Carper", "C000174", "www.carper.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "WASHINGTON  U.S. Senators Tom Carper (D-Del.), Johnny Isakson (R-Ga.), Chris Coons (D-Del.) and David Perdue (R-Ga.) released the following statement after President Obama announced that he is issuing a 60-day notice to Congress of his intent to suspend certain trade benefits for South Africa under the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) after South Africa failed to eliminate long-standing barriers to U.S. poultry, pork, and beef imports. Specifically, South Africa failed to meet a key deadline on October 15th toresume imports of U.S. poultry. As a result, the Administration will suspend duty-free treatment of all AGOA-eligible agricultural goods from South Africa. This includes citrus products, wine, and macadamia nuts, among other agricultural goods.\r\nThe President's announcement comes after the completion of an out-of-cycle review of South Africas AGOA eligibility. Senators Isakson and Coons secured language in this years AGOA reauthorization requiring this review after pressuring the South African government for nearly a year to end the anti-dumping duties on U.S. poultry. The bipartisan amendment was introduced by Isakson and co-sponsored by Carper and Sen. Mark Warner (D-Va.).\r\n\r\nWe applaud the Obama Administration for holding South Africa accountable for failing to eliminate unwarranted barriers to exports of American poultry, as they agreed to do earlier this year, said the Senators. It is unfortunate that this action must be taken, but South Africa has repeatedly failed to implement the deal reached this summer and missed a key deadline last month to finalize the trade protocol and health certificate for U.S. poultry. South Africa does not deserve to receive benefits under AGOA as long as they refuse to drop unfairtrade policies that have effectively slammed the door on American chicken imports for over a decade. There is still time to address these issues, and we hope the President's action today spurs South Africa to open their market to American poultry immediately.\r\n\r\nOn June 8, 2015, a settlement was reached in the longstanding poultry dispute between the United States and South Africa, after negotiations in Paris led by the United States Trade Representative (USTR), the Department of State, U.S. Ambassador to South Africa Patrick Gaspard and trade experts from industry. The agreement was welcome news for the entire U.S. poultry industry, including the large poultry operations in the Senators home states  Georgia and Delaware.\r\n\r\nSince the settlement was reached, South Africa has been slow to fulfill the obligations agreed to in Paris, including the commitment to resolve sanitary barriers to poultry hindering the successful implementation of the agreement. In September, Senators Coons and Isaksoncalled on President Zumato act quickly to address the unresolved issues in the agreement. South Africa agreed to finalize both a trade protocol for avian influenza and a health certificate for U.S. poultry by October 15th.Despite assurances by high-ranking South African officials that those issues would be resolved by the deadline, they remain unresolved.Important differences remain on the health certificate and trade protocol.\r\nSenators Coons and Isakson are the co-chairs of the Senate Chicken Caucus, of which Carper and Perdue are members. Both Delaware and Georgia have large poultry industries and are major exporters of poultry.The poultry industry annually contributes over $15.1 billion to the Georgia economy. Delawares poultry industry supports more than 14,000 jobs and contributes more than $4.6 billion to the states economy, according to the National Chicken Council.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.carper.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/pressreleases?ContentRecord_id=6ec5c591-9ad3-47f7-ada1-6d9299dc829f", "Carper Applauds Bipartisan Introduction of House Companion Legislation to Protect Veteran and Military Students", "2015-11-05", "2015", "2015-11", "Democrat", "House", "DE", "Thomas Carper", "C000174", "www.carper.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "WASHINGTON- Today, Sen. Tom Carper (D-Del.) applauded the bipartisan introduction of the Military and Veterans Education Protection Actin the House of Representativesby Congresswoman Jackie Speier (D-Calif.), Congressman Mark Takano (D-Calif.), Congressman Walter Jones (R-N.C.), and 19 original cosponsors. The legislation is a companion toa piece of legislation introduced bySen. Carper with Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) and Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) in the Senate (S. 1664), which would close a loophole that allows for-profit schools to avoid having to secure at least 10 percent of their revenue from non-federal sources. Since 2009, more than1.4million service members, veterans, and their families have financed their higher education using the GI Bill, and millions more will take advantage of this benefit in the years to come. In the past five years, 40 percent of Post-9/11 GI Bill tuition benefits have gone to the for-profit sector, even as questions continue to be raised about these institutions graduation, default, and job placement rates. The recent collapse of the for-profit chain Corinthian Colleges  which received $186 million in Post-9/11 GI Bill dollars  due to financial problems is another glaring reminder that Congress must remain diligent to protect active-duty military, veterans, and taxpayers. After serving our country, our nation's veterans have earned the right to attain a high-quality, affordable education here at home with the help of the Post-9/11 GI Bill,Sen. Carper said.While not every for-profit college is a bad actor, one veteran mistreated is one veteran too many. We need to use common sense here. It doesnt make sense for taxpayers to send veterans to for-profit schools that can be 100 percent subsidized using taxpayers dollars. Closing the 90/10 loophole is a common sense approach that demonstrates were serious about improving education outcomes for our veterans and that were serious about protecting taxpayers. The 90-10 rule is an important safeguard that is intended to protect taxpayers by ensuring that for-profit schools obtain at least 10 percent of their revenues from sources other than taxpayers. However, current law leaves open a loophole that allows for-profit institutions to count military and veteran educational assistance, including the generous Post-9/11 GI Bill, as non-federal revenues. Some bad actors in the for-profit industry are exploiting this \"90-10 loophole\" by aggressively recruiting veterans and G.I Bill tuition dollars, rather than obtaining 10 percent of their revenue from non-federal sources. This legislation would require GI Bill benefits that come from the Department of Veterans Affairs and military education benefits offered through the Department of Defense to count toward the 90-percent limit on the federal share of a schools revenue. Yesterday, Senator Carper took to the Senate floor to join Senators Durbin, Blumenthal, Chris Murphy (D-Conn.), Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii) and Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) to call on Congress tohelp protect veterans from predatory actors in the for-profit education industry by quickly acting to close the loophole. Video of the Senators speech can be found below.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.carper.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/pressreleases?ContentRecord_id=78e26735-81e2-4322-a1d0-ceee7eda91ce", "Budget Hearing Testimony: Reforming the Federal Budget Process: A Biennial Approach to Better Budgeting", "2015-11-04", "2015", "2015-11", "Democrat", "House", "DE", "Thomas Carper", "C000174", "www.carper.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "WASHINGTON  Today, Sen. Tom Carper (D-Del.) testified before the U.S. Senate Committee on the Budget for its hearing, Reforming the Federal Budget Process: A Biennial Approach to Better Budgeting. His testimony, as prepared for delivery, is below.\r\nMr. Chairman, fellow senators, I would like to thank you for giving me the opportunity to testify at todays hearing. A great man named Albert Einstein once said, The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again, but expecting different results. Unfortunately, we in Congress seem to struggle with embracing the logic of Mr. Einstein. \r\nWe talk a great deal about making government more efficient and better able to serve the people of this country. Yet, in the past two decades, we have completed all the required actions to fund the government by the end of the fiscal yearSeptember 30exactly once. We cant expect better results until we address our inability to get the job doneon time. \r\nPassing twelve appropriations bills every year is something that Congress is simply unable to accomplish, particularly in light of all the other work that fills up the calendarincluding passing other crucial legislation, enacting authorization bills, conducting oversight, and so forth. At the same time, annual appropriations do little to foster longer-term planning either in Congress or among the agency decision-makers that make use of appropriated funds. \r\nFortunately, Chairman Enziand other senators, particularly my colleague Senator Isaksonhave championed a common-sense solution that will help address these problems: a biennial appropriations process.\r\n Ive often referred to myself as a recovering governor. You might not know that Im a recovering state treasurer, too. And while my home state of Delaware doesnt use the biennial appropriations model, a majority of states do. Our states are true laboratories of democracy, and their experiences on this issue can be instructive. What Ive heard from state officials makes a powerful case for adopting biennial appropriations at the congressional level.   \r\nA longer budget cycle allows for greater long-term strategic planning both in the legislature and Federal agencies. It also ensures greater certainty and predictability for agency officials who are tasked with implementing legislative decisions. In addition, a two-year appropriation allows for more time for thorough program evaluation and oversight during the second yearensuring better-informed decisions about program spending in the budget cycle that follows.  \r\nIm proud to be a cosponsor of Senator Enzis Biennial Appropriations Actwhich, each year, would call upon Congress to enact about half of the prescribed twelve appropriations bills. \r\nThis proposal would not only lighten the congressional appropriations workloadallowing greater time for other crucial legislative and oversight activitybut would also help reduce partisanship. Thats because, under Senator Enzis bill, Congress would take up the more uncontroversial two-year appropriations bills in even-numbered (election) years. \r\nAnd then, we would take up the more controversial bills in odd-numbered years, which has the advantage of separating tough spending choices from partisan disputes that could derail full consideration and passage of these bills.\r\n Im grateful to Chairman Enzi for advancing this issue and holding this hearing to shine a spotlight on ways to make our appropriations process more effective. Again, Id like to express my thanks to you for inviting me to testify, and I look forward to hearing what the witnesses to follow have to say on this crucially important subject.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.carper.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/pressreleases?ContentRecord_id=902c9612-8494-4dad-8118-80f0dd52e0aa", "Sussex County communities awarded more than $5 million from USDA", "2015-11-04", "2015", "2015-11", "Democrat", "House", "DE", "Thomas Carper", "C000174", "www.carper.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "WILMINGTON, Del.  Today, Delawares Congressional Delegation announced that almost $5.3 million in federal grants and loans from the U.S. Department of Agriculture were awarded to various communities in Sussex County, Delaware. Delmar, Georgetown, and Lewes will all receive assistance from the USDAs Rural Development, Community Facilities grant program.\r\nDelaware's communities have benefitted greatly from the USDA's Rural Development's Community Facilities grants, which aim to help our small towns provide essential services to its residents, said U.S. Sen. Tom Carper. From patrol cars for police departments, to energy efficiency upgrades for town buildings, these grants are important taxpayer investments that help our smaller communities meet their needs.\r\n\"This is great news for some of the quickly growing towns in Sussex County,\" said Sen. Coons. \"As communities grow, so do the needs of the residents. We are thankful to USDA Rural Development for these invaluable loans and grants. I am confident that they will be put to good use to ensure greater public safety and much needed support for mental health services downstate.\"\r\nSussex is the fasting growing county in Delaware, which requires that communities across the county have resources to upgrade and expand the services they provide to their residents, said Congressman Carney. These Rural Development grants will make a major difference in addressing those needs and improving the lives of Delawareans throughout Sussex County.\r\nThe projects awarded funding include:\r\n \r\nThe Town of Delmar was awarded $50,000 to purchase portable/mobile radios and to upgrade existing radios for its Police Department. The radios will enable Delmar officers to better communicate with the State Police and State Emergency Communications systems in both Delaware and Maryland.\r\n \r\n \r\nConnections Community Support Program received a $5.05 million loan to establish a Withdrawal Management Center serving Kent and Sussex Counties. The loan allows Connections to purchase an existing facility and upgrade the services provided to include medical, substance abuse, and psychiatric treatment.\r\n \r\n \r\nGeorgetown Fire Company was awarded $25,000 to purchase portable radios for its volunteer firefighters. The grant will enable to company to purchase enough radios for all firefighters to communicate in an emergency.\r\n \r\n \r\nThe Lewes Public Library was awarded $50,000 to furnish the library.\r\n \r\nIn a separate announcement from the USDA Agricultural Marketing Service, the Historic Lewes Farmers Market was awarded a $99,229.99 grant. These funds will be used to expand access to produce from local farms and to pinpoint best practices that will help improve farmers markets across the United States. \r\nUSDA Rural Development grants can be used to fund projects that bring housing, community facilities, business guarantees, utilities and other services to rural America. USDA provides technical assistance and financial backing for rural businesses and cooperatives to create quality jobs in rural areas. Rural Development works with low-income individuals, state, local and Indian tribal governments, as well as private and nonprofit organizations and user-owned cooperatives.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.carper.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/pressreleases?ContentRecord_id=4d31faac-563c-4614-afaf-5b1bc1b7c8d7", "Carper, Ernst Ask VA to Give Veteran Students More Information about Flight Schools Prohibited from Enrolling Veterans Using the Post-9/11 GI Bill", "2015-11-03", "2015", "2015-11", "Democrat", "House", "DE", "Thomas Carper", "C000174", "www.carper.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "WASHINGTON  Today, Senators Tom Carper (D-Del.), a retired Navy captain, and Joni Ernst (R-Iowa), Lieutenant Colonel in the Iowa Army National Guard, sent a letter to Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Deputy Under Secretary Curtis Coy requesting that the department provide more information aboutthe status of flight trainingprogramsthat have been suspended by VAon theGI Bill Comparison Tool.\r\nTen schools were found to have flight programs in violation of the 85/15 Rule, and VA suspended these programs from enrolling new veteran students until they become compliant with the law,theSenatorswrote.We believe that this information should be available to all prospective students who intend to use the Post-9/11 GI Bill to help finance their higher education.\r\nThe GI Bill ComparisonTool offers important resources to veterans with Post-9/11 GI Bill education benefits who are seeking to pursue higher education programs. Its critical that veterans know when a program listed on the tool has violated federal regulations regarding veteran enrollment, and whether or not that program has been suspended from enrolling new students.Adding more information about these programs to the GI Bill Comparison tool will help ensure veterans can make smart choices about enrolling in educational programs.\r\nLast month,Senators Carper and Ernst sent a letterto VA Secretary Robert McDonald requesting more information aboutflightschools that contract with public colleges and universitiesafter news reports claimed that some schools were charging taxpayers over $500,000totrainveteransusingPost-9/11 GI Bill education benefits.\r\nThe Senatorsrecentlyreceived a preliminary response from the department, identifying among other troubling findings that thePost-9/11 GI Billexpenditure on aviation-related degree programs at public institutes of higher learning (IHLs) has nearly doubled to $80 million per year for fewer than 2,000 students. A comprehensive summary can be foundhere.\r\nThe text of the letter is below and a pdf can be foundhere.\r\nDear Mr. Coy,\r\nWe recently received an interim response from the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to our September 30, 2015 letter to Secretary McDonald regarding the costs of certain flight training programs and whether VA has the tools to protect veterans and taxpayers from bad actors. One of the most important ways that VA can protect veterans and taxpayers from spending excessive and unnecessary sums on flight training programs is by enforcing the 85/15 Rule. This important rule was created to protect the GI Bill from academic programs that rely too heavily on veterans education benefits to stay in business. The 85/15 Rule requires VA to halt veteran enrollment at programs when more than 85 percent of their students are receiving educational assistance from the VA. We were pleased that VAs interim response included an overview of a recent audit that assessed each flight programs 85/15 compliance.\r\nAs you know, VA conducted compliance surveys from April 6, 2015 through May 8, 2015 at all public institutions of higher learning (IHLs) with contracted flight programs.The findings of these surveys were troubling. Three schools were operating non-VA approved programs, and VA banned each school from participating in the Post-9/11 GI Bill program. Another 10 schools were found to have flight programs in violation of the 85/15 Rule, and VA suspended these programs from enrolling new veteran students until they become compliant with the law. We believe that this information should be available to all prospective students who intend to use the Post-9/11 GI Bill to help finance their higher education.\r\nCurrently, VA lists caution flags for particular schools on the GI Bill Comparison Tool when VA determines that prospective veteran students would benefit from having certain additional information, including when schools have been designated to be in Heightened Cash Monitoring (HCM) status. We believe that this information is important for veterans. We also believe that the GI Bill Comparison Tool should include caution flags that indicate 85/15 violations and whether flight programs are prohibited from enrolling new students using the Post-9/11 GI Bill.\r\nWhile we remain concerned with unnecessary and excessive spending on flight training programs, we also believe veterans would benefit from more accurate information on the GI Bill Comparison Tools website. Given that none of the 10 suspended programs have become compliant with the law since VA completed its review over five months ago, we are urging you to add visible caution flags as soon as possible. Our veterans would greatly benefit from having this information.\r\nThank you for your work on behalf of our nations veterans and for consistently improving upon the GI Bill Comparison Tool. We look forward to your response, and to the swift completion of another critical improvement that will help veterans make more informed educational choices.\r\nSincerely yours,", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.carper.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/pressreleases?ContentRecord_id=0f804a4c-abc1-4dc8-9d2f-35af6a44150e", "Bipartisan Congressional Delegation Returns from Central America", "2015-11-02", "2015", "2015-11", "Democrat", "House", "DE", "Thomas Carper", "C000174", "www.carper.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "WASHINGTON  Sen. Ron Johnson (R-Wis.), chairman of the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, along with Ranking Member Tom Carper (D-Del.), Sens. Heidi Heitkamp (D-N.D.) and Gary Peters (D-Mich.), and Rep. Reid Ribble (R-Wis.), traveled Friday through Sunday to Guatemala and Honduras on a bipartisan, bicameral congressional delegation to see firsthand the factors that incentivize migration from Central America to the U.S.\r\nAmong the delegation's many stops were border crossings and checkpoints in both countries and a vocational training facility and model police precinct station in Honduras.\r\nThe senators made these remarks upon their return:\r\nThis weekend I was joined by Sens. Tom Carper, Heidi Heitkamp and Gary Peters and Congressman Reid Ribble on a fact-finding tour of Guatemala and Honduras, Johnson said.\r\nWitnessing the conditions in these Central American countries reinforced what we have been learning in 12 border security hearings held by the Senate committee I chair: that the root cause of America's insecure border is our insatiable demand for drugs. This demand has created drug cartels and conditions that have corrupted public institutions throughout Central America, leaving these countries incapable of providing sufficient security and the rule of law that are basic prerequisites of economic success.\r\nI was heartened to confirm that a sense of national pride still exists in these countries. The Guatemalan president-elect expressed a love for country that he knows must be shared by his fellow citizens. Children in Honduras talked about their future in Honduras. And Guatemalans just repatriated from the U.S. erupted in applause when welcomed back to their home country. The president of Honduras told the delegation that witnessing his people leave their country for opportunities in the U.S. was a 'slap in the face.' Although the landscapes of Guatemala and Honduras are stunningly beautiful, we found that the most beautiful part of both countries is their people.\r\nI return committed to setting achievable goals based on reality, and then working with my colleagues to design solutions that have the best chance for success. We must acknowledge that both push and pull factors lead Central Americans to migrate to the U.S., and both must be addressed. It is also important to understand that those who are leaving to seek opportunity are the very people that these countries need to remain and fight to improve their countries.\r\nThere is much work to be done, and it will take the collaborative efforts of many people in a number of countries to accomplish shared goals. The fact that we observed teams from Colombia, joining exceptional Americans from a variety of agencies and multiple military branches working with dedicated citizens of the host countries, instilled real hope. \r\nCentral American societies have been ravaged by what too many Americans consider a victimless' crime  drug abuse. We have seen the victims, and it is high time that we commit ourselves to finding real solutions.\r\nThis trip to Guatemala and Honduras gave us a chance to see, first-hand, the driving factors that compel so many children and parents to make a desperate decision and flee to the United States, said Carper. We were able to see the progress being made by the governments of Guatemala and Honduras to improve conditions in their countries and to learn more about a number of international initiatives aimed at alleviating the root causes of this migration, such as efforts to crack down on human and narcotics smugglers, violence reduction programs, job training for at-risk youth, and programs to encourage economic growth. Its encouraging to see many of the ways these programs are working on the ground, and meet the men and women dedicating their lives to making these nations a better place to live, work and raise a family. While were seeing progress, we need to do more to strengthen our efforts in the region. The governments of the Northern Triangle have made an unprecedented commitment to tackle these challenges in a coordinated way through the Alliance for Prosperity, which is a multi-national strategy to improve the economic and societal conditions in the Guatemala, Honduras, and El Salvador. We must work with our regional partners to support this effort, particularly given that the U.S. appetite for illegal drugs has contributed mightily to the difficulties these nations face. Change in these nations wont happen overnight, and it wont be easy, but we do have a moral and fiscal obligation to help our neighbors in these nations. They can do it, we can help.\r\nOur world is so connected today that what happens outside our borders can have a huge impact on us right here in the United States. Thats why I traveled to Central America with fellow members of the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee  to learn about challenges there that affect our country and how we can work with those nations to develop solutions, said Heitkamp. Human trafficking, drugs, and gangs in Central America can all cause families to want to leave those nations, so its important that we understand those root causes to make sense of migration within the Americas. I was moved by our time with girls at a shelter for victims of human trafficking  their resilience reminded me why its critical that we fight this horrible crime in North Dakota and around the world.\r\nToo many children are facing a sense of fear and hopelessness that is driving them to embark on the dangerous journey north to the United States, and it is critical that Congress have a clear understanding of the root causes of this migration, said Peters. I was pleased to join Senators Johnson, Carper and Heitkamp and Rep. Ribble to learn about the conditions on the ground in Guatemala and Honduras as well as the efforts by the U.S. and our partners in the region to crack down on smugglers who prey on desperate children and parents and help create a brighter future for the people of Central America.\r\nThe surge of adults and unaccompanied children trying to immigrate through our southern border is a crisis without an easy solution, and presents humanitarian issues on multiple layers as untold numbers of migrants become victims of human trafficking and suffer at the hands of brutal drug cartels in some of the hemispheres poorest and most volatile countries, Ribble said. We want to stem this tide of migration both by having strong border control and enforcement mechanisms, and by acting as a partner to address the root causes of this problem before it starts. As I visited border crossings, police checkpoints, shelters for sex trafficking victims, and spoke with officials in the region, I saw promising work being done, but it is clear that we still have a long way to go to truly address the immigration crisis at hand.\" \r\nRelated content here.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.carper.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/pressreleases?ContentRecord_id=77a4e4fd-7d89-4638-a161-980588281dc7", "Sen. Carper's Statement on News Journal Editorial Editor John Sweeney", "2015-10-30", "2015", "2015-10", "Democrat", "House", "DE", "Thomas Carper", "C000174", "www.carper.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "WILMINGTON, Del. Today, U.S. SenatorTom Carper (D-Del.) released the following statement onNews JournalEditorial Editor John Sweeneys decision tostepdown from his position aftermore than 26 years atDelawares only statewide newspaper.\r\nToday is truly bittersweet. John Sweeney has dedicated his long and distinguished career to delivering the news and serving as the voice of theNews Journaland the Delaware community. A native Philadelphian, Johnserved our nation in the Air Force and then attendedTemple University on the G.I. Bill. Not long after graduation, he started his career in news, eventually landing at the News Journal in 1989 as the Public Editor. Ihad the joy and privilege of working with him and gettingknow him better after he took over as Editorial Page Editorin 2005. Over the years, I have enjoyed our regular conversations about everything fromwhats happening here in the FirstState, tomy work in the Senate,to foreign affairs.\r\nI considerJohn Sweeneya partnerin public service.We serve ourstate in our very different roles, but with thesimilar missions todo the work of the people who call Delaware home.John believes thatthe friends and neighbors that make up the community that we are privileged to serve areentitled to hearmany points of viewin order for our democracy to truly thrive.While we didnt always agree on the issues, wealwaysagreed on that. I wish John and his family the best of luck in all that lies ahead,and as we say in the Navy, fair winds and following seas. Bravo Zulu.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.carper.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/pressreleases?ContentRecord_id=7f5d5525-fb10-4847-bcf7-0d912601451e", "Sen. Carper on Recent OMB Cyber Announcement", "2015-10-30", "2015", "2015-10", "Democrat", "House", "DE", "Thomas Carper", "C000174", "www.carper.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "WASHINGTON  Today, the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) announced a series of actions that aim to enhance the federal governments cybersecurity efforts, including a new strategy to secure federal networks and new reporting guidance. Sen. Tom Carper (D-Del.), ranking member of the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, made the following statement in reaction to the announcement:\r\nCybersecurity is one of the greatest challenges we face in the 21st century, one that requires an all-hands-on-deck response. The results of the Office of Management and Budgets (OMB) 30-Day Cyber Sprint this summer were encouraging, and I am pleased that we are continuing to build on the momentum of those efforts through the Cybersecurity Strategy Implementation Plan. The strategy released by OMB puts into practice many of the lessons learned from this summers Cyber Sprint, including a focus on timely detection and rapid response to cyber incidents. It is essential that we have a long-term vision to get to an acceptable level of cybersecurity within the federal government.\r\nI am also pleased to see that this strategy comes on the heels of efforts to update OMBs Circular A-130 guidance, something that has not happened since 2000. The Federal Information Security Modernization Act (FISMA) of 2014, the bill I shepherded through last Congress alongside former-Senator Tom Coburn, required OMB to update this core guidance to cut back on unnecessary paperwork and move toward real-time monitoring of security by December of this year. The inclusion of these and other important provisions from FISMA 2014 in the recent OMB guidance sends a strong signal that progress is being made on a number of fronts toward securing our federal cyber networks. But there is still more work to be done. The threats we face in cyber space continue to grow and evolve each day, and we need to continue working to stay ahead of our adversaries.\r\nFor more details on the announcement, please visit:https://www.whitehouse.gov/blog/2015/10/30/modernizing-federal-cybersecurity.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.carper.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/pressreleases?ContentRecord_id=9781d92d-3220-44be-ad43-2f92c0e5f3cf", "Carper, Coons Join Majority of Senate in Bipartisan Effort to Save Student Loan Program", "2015-10-29", "2015", "2015-10", "Democrat", "House", "DE", "Thomas Carper", "C000174", "www.carper.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "WASHINGTON  Senators Tom Carper and Chris Coons (both D-Del.) joined a bipartisan letter sent by Senators Tammy Baldwin (D-Wisc.), Susan Collins (R-Maine), Robert Casey (D-Pa.) and Rob Portman (R-Ohio), and cosigned by a majority of the Senate, to Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and Minority Leader Harry Reid urging them to take up and pass legislation to reauthorize the Perkins Loan Program. This critical lifeline for many low-income students expired on September 30, despite receiving a unanimous one-year, no-cost extension from the House of Representatives on September 28. Since its expiration, a bipartisan coalition of Senators have twice attemptedto reauthorize the program with a unanimous consent\" request, but the Senate has yet to pass the bill.\r\nThe Perkins Loan Program, the nations older federal student loan program, has existed with broad bipartisan support since 1958 and has provided more than $28 billion in loans through almost 26 million awards to students in all 50 states. In the last academic year alone, the program lent $1.1 billion to more than half a million students with financial need across more than 1,500 institutions of higher education. \r\nThere are many students who will be disadvantaged by the Senates inaction and the programs expiration, the Senators wrote.For example, students who have previously received Perkins loans will lose their eligibility if they change institutions or academic programs. In addition, if the program is not reauthorized soon, students seeking Perkins loans for the upcoming winter and spring semesters in 2016 may be ineligible.\r\nThe letter was also signed by:Senators Kelly Ayotte (R-N.H.), Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), Cory Booker (D-N.J.), Barbara Boxer (D-Calif.), Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio), Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.), Benjamin Cardin (D-Md.), Joe Donnelly (D-Ind.), Richard J. Durbin (D-Ill.), Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.), Al Franken (D-Minn.), Kirsten E. Gillibrand (D-N.Y.), Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.), Heidi Heitkamp (D-N.D.), Mazie K. Hirono (D-Hawaii), John Hoeven (R-N.D.), Ron Johnson (R-Wisc.), Tim Kaine (D-Va.), Angus S. King, Jr. (I-Maine), Mark Steven Kirk (R-Ill.), Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), Patrick J. Leahy (D-Vt.), Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.), Claire McCaskill (D-Mo.), Robert Menendez (D-N.J.), Jeffrey A. Merkley (D-Oregon), Barbara A. Mikulski (D-Md.), Jerry Moran (R-Kansas), Christopher S. Murphy (D-Conn.), Patty Murray (D-Wash.), Bill Nelson (D-Fla.), Gary C. Peters (D-Mich.), Jack Reed (D-R.I.), M. Michael Rounds (R-S.D.), Bernard Sanders (I-Vt.), Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii), Charles E. Schumer (D-N.Y.), Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.), Debbie Stabenow (D-Mich.), Jon Tester (D-Mont.), John Thune (R-S.D.), Patrick J. Toomey (R-Pa.), Tom Udall (D-N.M.), Mark R. Warner (D-Va.), Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.), and Ron Wyden (D-Ore.).\r\nThe full text of the letter is below and a pdf can be found here.\r\nDear Leader McConnell and Leader Reid:\r\nOn October 1, the authorization of the Perkins Loan Program, the nations oldest federal student loan program and a critical lifeline for many low-income students, expired. While our colleagues in the House of Representatives unanimously approved a one-year, no-cost extension of the program through the Higher Education Extension Act (H.R. 3594), the Senate has yet to advance that measure. As a result, thousands of current and future students face uncertainty and hundreds of institutions are struggling to find another way to help their neediest students afford their education. We write to express our strong support for the Perkins Loan Program and to request that the Senate take up and pass the Higher Education Extension Act as soon as possible.\r\nThe Perkins Loan Program has existed with broad bipartisan support since 1958 and has provided more than $28 billion in loans through almost 26 million awards to students in all 50 states. In the last academic year alone, the program lent $1.1 billion to more than half a million students with financial need across more than 1,500 institutions of higher education. \r\nThe Perkins Loan Program disburses financial aid to students through a campus-based revolving fund that leverages federal dollars with significant institutional investment. Colleges and universities have continued to participate in this self-sustaining program despite a lapse in federal appropriations for nearly a decade. The required institutional capital contribution gives colleges and universities skin in the game, and the loan payments from graduates are used to make new loans to other students. As a campus-based program, Perkins also enables these institutions to provide targeted support to the students they know have the greatest financial need. That is why it is broadly supported by higher education groups, including the Association of American Universities, the National Association of Independent Colleges and Universities, the American Association of Jesuit Colleges and Universities, the National Association of Financial Aid Administrators, the Coalition of Higher Education Assistance Organizations, the American Council on Education and many others, as well as dozens of individual colleges and universities across the country. \r\nThere are many students who will be disadvantaged by the Senates inaction and the programs expiration. For example, students who have previously received Perkins loans will lose their eligibility if they change institutions or academic programs. In addition, if the program is not reauthorized soon, students seeking Perkins loans for the upcoming winter and spring semesters in 2016 may be ineligible. All future students will be ineligible for this vital program, which helps fill the gaps between what is available through the Direct Loan Program and a familys ability to pay. On average, this is $2,000 in financial aid. As many as 150,000 current freshmen will lose access to these loans in the next academic year.  \r\nMany Senators have proposals aimed at making our various federal student aid programs work better for students, parents, and institutions. We look forward to discussing and debating ways to improve these important federal supports for higher education during this congress. In the meantime, we should immediately take up and pass the House-passed extension to provide certainty to students and ensure that this important source of student financial assistance is not interrupted. \r\nImmediately taking up the House-passed extension bill is a simple solution that can provide clarity in the near term to students and the colleges and universities that serve them without any cost to the federal government. The Congressional Budget Office concluded that this one-year extension would incur no new costs to the federal government because it includes limitations on the length of student participation in the program. The House has already acted unanimously to extend the Perkins Loan Program for one year. We urge you to take up and pass the Higher Education Extension Act without delay.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.carper.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/pressreleases?ContentRecord_id=6f6fa230-1cd7-4a1a-9839-9ad272d3258c", "HSGAC Hearing Statement: \"Assessing the State of Our Nations Biodefense\"", "2015-10-28", "2015", "2015-10", "Democrat", "House", "DE", "Thomas Carper", "C000174", "www.carper.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "WASHINGTON  Today, the U.S. Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs held the hearing, Assessing the State of Our Nations Biodefense. Below is the opening statement of Ranking Member Tom Carper (D-Del.), as prepared for delivery:\r\nThank you, Mr. Chairman, for holding this hearing on the state of our nations biodefense.\r\nIm delighted to welcome two of my former colleaguesJoe Lieberman and Tom Ridge. They have been  and remain  two of my very favorite people in the world, and here they are side by side! My heartfelt thanks to both of you for being here and for your extraordinary and continued service to our country on the issue well be discussing today and on many others, as well.\r\nIn recent years, public officials and academic experts alike have sounded the alarm about our ability to deal effectively with biological threats. Since 2000, several commissions, including the 9/11 Commission, have affirmed the danger that the release of a biological agent poses to all of us. In doing so, theyve urged us to devote more attention and resources to detecting, preventing, and responding to such an incident.\r\nOur experience with Ebola over the last year serves as a fresh reminder that biological threats are real.Over 11,000 people world-wide lost their lives in this recent Ebola outbreak and a number of Americans were infected with the disease. The spread of this diseaseas well as the public alarm over the epidemicdemonstrate the importance of having the appropriate policies, public engagement plans, and resources in place ahead of time.\r\nIts important to remember, too, that biological threats dont just have an adverse impact on our health and our homeland security. They can also dramatically impact our economy. As some of us will recall, just a few months ago, parts of our country struggled with an outbreak of highly pathogenic avian flu.\r\nThough harmless to people so far, the virus devastated some parts of the poultry industry, leading to higher egg prices and the closure of some foreign markets for U.S. poultry products, thus adversely impacting businesses large and small.\r\nFurther complicating matters, there have also been a number of troubling incidents over the past year at federal and non-governmental labs that research infectious diseases.\r\nThe reports of deadly pathogens being mishandled or misplaced is concerning and underscores the need for more rigorous oversight both here and in the Administration.\r\nIn the midst of these developments, a number of very smart people came together and began examining how the federal government  in conjunction with state, local, and non-governmental entities  was doing at preventing and combating potential biological hazards.\r\nSince last year, the Blue Ribbon Study Panel on Biodefense  led by our two very able friends we have before us today  has convened several public meetings and consulted with a number of experts. Their goal was simple  offer recommendations on how to improve our efforts and address capability gaps that had previously been overlooked.\r\nThat review, released earlier this morning, contains a number of valuable recommendations that could significantly improve our biosecurity efforts. I urge the Administration and our colleagues in Congress to give these recommendations the attention they deserve and, then, take action.\r\nIlook forward to discussing the Panels findings today. Im confident that our witnesses can help Congress identify any number of common sense improvements to our nations biodefense systems that could be enacted with bipartisan support.\r\nMy thanks again to Senator Lieberman and Governor Ridge for being here today to discuss their work and that of the team they led. I look forward to a productive hearing  and knowing these two gentlemen well  an enjoyable one, too! To paraphrase one of our former commanders-in-chief, Bring it on!", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.carper.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/pressreleases?ContentRecord_id=2150ac7d-3f4b-4651-b0c4-259efb7145cb", "Finance Hearing Statement: \"The Internal Revenue Service's Response to Committee Recommendations Contained in its August 5, 2015 Report\"", "2015-10-27", "2015", "2015-10", "Democrat", "House", "DE", "Thomas Carper", "C000174", "www.carper.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "WASHINGTON  Today, Sen. Tom Carper (D-Del.), a member of the Senate Finance Committee, released the following statement regarding the committees hearing on the Internal Revenue Services (IRS) response to the committees August report on organizations applying for tax-exempt status.\r\nI would like to thank IRS Commissioner Koskinen for being here today. His reaction to the August report released by this committee on the agencys handling of some organizations applying for tax-exempt status was swift and thorough. While the report clearly dispelled the notion that some of these organizations were handled with a political agenda, it did outline some areas of bureaucratic mismanagement. Commissioner Koskinen has agreed to accept all the recommendations made by this committee to improve this mismanagement, and that is good progress.\r\nI strongly believe that if something isnt perfect, we should work hard to make it better, and thats what were doing here today. But its important to look at the bigger picture. We must focus not only on the treatment of some organizations, but also on taxpayers as a whole. I think we can agree that taxpayer services at IRS can and should continue to improve. Taxpayers are waiting too long for responses to their calls and too few business returns are being examined.\r\nIts clear that Commissioner Koskinen is dedicated to working with Congress to make the agency better, so I look forward to hearing from him today about how we can be a good partner in effecting overall improvement.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.carper.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/pressreleases?ContentRecord_id=264bbf62-2954-4a9e-a6c8-9dc181d1952a", "Senate Approves Bill to Enhance Cybersecurity, Protect Privacy", "2015-10-27", "2015", "2015-10", "Democrat", "House", "DE", "Thomas Carper", "C000174", "www.carper.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Earlier today, Sen. Tom Carper (D-Del.), ranking member of the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, spoke on the Senate floor to encourage his colleagues to pass the Cybersecurity Information Sharing Act (CISA) of 2015.\r\nWASHINGTON  Today, by a vote of 74 to 21, the Senate approved the bipartisan Cybersecurity Information Sharing Act (CISA) of 2015 (S. 754), which encourages the sharing of cyber threat information among and between the private sector and federal government. Two of the bills major provisions were based on legislation developed by Sen. Tom Carper (D-Del.), ranking member of the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee and a cosponsor of the bill. Those provisions would strengthen all federal agencies cyber defenses and give the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) clearer authorities to share cyber threat information while protecting privacy. Todays passage builds on years of legislative efforts on cybersecurity by Sen. Carper and his colleagues.\r\nLast year on Election Day, American voters sent Congress a clear message: they want us to work together in a bipartisan fashion, they want us to achieve real results, and they want us to take actions that help grow our economy, said Sen. Carper. By passing this bipartisan cybersecurity legislation, we do all three of those things.\r\nBy sharing more cyber threat information, we can stay ahead of the threat, bolster our defenses, and better protect our critical networks from the growing threat cyber attacks pose to our economic security and our national security. This bill also underscores that we can have both strong cybersecurity and robust privacy protections. In fact, one of the provisions I championed ensures that the Department of Homeland Security, a civilian agency, scrubs cyber threat data of sensitive personal information before it is shared with any other agency.\r\nI commend Senators Burr and Feinstein for their leadership and tireless efforts to get this bipartisan legislation through the Senate. While we do not agree with everything in this legislation, I greatly appreciate the collaboration and compromises that have been made to make the bill stronger. Today, we showed the American public that were still able to set aside our partisan differences and summon the political will to do whats best for America when the stakes are high.\r\nWhile we can celebrate our important accomplishment today, we cannot rest on our laurels. There is still more work to do. We must now work with our colleagues in the House to get this legislation through conference and on to the Presidents desk for his signature. I am looking forward to working with my colleagues to get this bill across the finish line without further delay.\r\nSen. Carper helped shaped key provisions that play a central role in the bill. Specifically, provisions he championed:\r\nEnhance cybersecurity defenses across the federal government. Language modeled after the Federal Cybersecurity Enhancement Act of 2015 (S.1869), introduced by Sens. Carper and Ron Johnson (R-Wis.), requires that all federal agencies implement stronger protections and state-of-the-art technologies to defend against cyberattacks. It would also accelerate the deployment and adoption of the Department of Homeland Securitys federal cybersecurity program known as EINSTEIN, which works to prevent cyber intrusions.\r\nIncrease privacy protections at DHS, which is the center of the new information sharing program. In compromise language, DHS will be allowed to conduct an automated, real time privacy scrub for personally identifiable information on information it receives. The Department must work with the Departments of Justice, Defense, Treasury, Commerce, and Energy to develop and agree on the proper privacy scrub procedures.\r\nMake the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) an equal partner in combatting cyber threats by adding language that ensures the Department jointly drafts the information sharing operational procedures for the federal government with the Department of Justice.\r\nIn February, Sen. Carper introduced a cyber information sharing bill based on input from experts, stakeholders, and the Administration. Language from that bill, Cyber Threat Sharing Act of 2015 (S.456), helped improve todays bipartisan compromise.\r\nSen. Carper has been a leading voice on cybersecurity legislation for years. Todays passage builds on years of work by Sen. Carper and his colleagues.\r\nAs Ranking Member and former Chairman of the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, I have been following cybersecurity  and this information sharing proposal in particular  for years, said Sen. Carper. Last Congress, I worked closely with my Ranking Member, Dr. Coburn, and our House counterparts to get four cybersecurity bills enacted into law. I believe these four bills laid a very strong foundation for the Department of Homeland Security to operate at the center of the kind of robust information sharing program that the Burr-Feinstein bill would set up.\r\nLast Congress, the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee authored several cybersecurity bills, which the president signed into law in December. Those include the Federal Information Security Modernization Act (P.L. 113-283) to update the Federal Information Security Management Act, the National Cybersecurity Protection Act of 2014 (P.L. 113-282) authorizing a National Cybersecurity and Communications Integration Center at the Department of Homeland Security for information sharing, and two bills to improve the federal cybersecurity workforce  the Cybersecurity Workforce Assessment Act (P.L. 113-246.) and the Border Patrol Pay Reform Act (P.L. 113-277) (which contains provisions from the DHS Cybersecurity Workforce Recruitment and Retention Act of 2014).\r\nRead more about Sen. Carpers support of a cybersecurity information sharing bill:\r\nOctober 27, 2015: Sen. Carper encourages his colleagues to approve the Burr-Feinstein managers amendment and vote for final passage of CISA\r\nOctober 22, 2015: Sen. Carper urges his colleagues to vote for cloture and move forward with debate on CISA\r\nOctober 22, 2015: Sen. Carper on Cyber: We Have An Opportunity to Get Something Done:\r\nOct. 21, 2015: Sen. Carper discusses info-sharing and privacy protection provisions within CISA\r\nOctober 21, 2015: Sen. Carper Urges Colleagues to Pass Cybersecurity Information Sharing Legislation\r\nOctober 20, 2015: Senator Carper Calls on Colleagues to Pass Cyber Information Sharing Bill\r\nAugust 5, 2015: Sen. Carper Statement on Senates Cybersecurity Efforts\r\nMarch 12, 2015: Sen. Carper Statement on the Cybersecurity Information Sharing Act (CISA)\r\nFebruary 13, 2015: Sen. Carper Statement on Presidents Executive Order on Information Sharing\r\nFebruary 11, 2015: Senator Carper Introduces Bill to Increase Sharing of Cyber Threat Data\r\nJanuary 20, 2015: Ranking Member Carper Urges Colleagues to Heed Presidents Call to Strengthen Nations Cyber Defenses", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.carper.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/e-newsletter?ContentRecord_id=01a6720d-d0e6-4b30-a6b3-1ab0184c019d", "Making a Differece", "2015-10-24", "2015", "2015-10", "Democrat", "House", "DE", "Thomas Carper", "C000174", "www.carper.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Dear Friends, \r\nToday is National Make a Difference Day, an annual community service event celebrated nationwide on the fourth Saturday of October. National Make a Difference Day is the largest day of community service in the nation, with the mission to improve the lives of others through acts of service.\r\nI served for 23 years in the U.S. Navy  five years in a hot war in Southeast Asia, and 18 years in a cold war on reserve duty  and I deeply understand the value of service to our country. Throughout my career in public service, I have always considered myselfa servant, working on behalf of my constituents in an effort to improve their lives. A guiding principle throughout my life has been the notion that service to others is the secret to happiness. One of my favorite proverbs is something I borrowed from the Hindu faith: In the joy of others lies our own.\r\n\r\nAlong with public service, Ive found abundant joy in my life as a mentor. Ive been personally mentoring students in Delaware for nearly two decades. I helped recruit thousands of mentors when I was Governor as part of a statewide effort to include individuals, churches, service clubs, students, and corporations in mentoring Delaware's at-risk children. Today, mentoring has become an integral part of our school system in Delaware and is one of the keys to improving academic achievement among at-risk students.\r\nThere are thousands of students in our schools this year who would benefit greatly from having another positive role model in their lives, just like I did and  very likely  just like you did sometime in your life. Today, I invite you to join me in celebrating National Make a Difference Day, and take a minute to think about what you could do to make a positive difference in your community, or perhaps just in someone elses life. Even the smallest acts count and can make a difference.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.carper.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/pressreleases?ContentRecord_id=be5cbac4-163f-4f05-bbed-540f6b0265f2", "Carper, Johnson Seek Information on Troubling Employment Practices at VA", "2015-10-23", "2015", "2015-10", "Democrat", "House", "DE", "Thomas Carper", "C000174", "www.carper.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "WASHINGTON  In light of a recent report by the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Office of Inspector General, Sen. Tom Carper (D-Del.), ranking member of the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, was joined today by Committee Chairman Ron Johnson (R-Wis.) to send letters to Office of Personnel Management (OPM) and U.S General Services Administration (GSA) leadership asking for more information about problematic employment practices at the VA.\r\nThe September 2015 report outlined troubling instances of rigged employment decisions and payments of exorbitant relocation fees to employees who steered themselves into positions in other cities. Jurisdiction of issues regarding the federal workforce and federal employee relocation falls under the purview of OPM and GSA.\r\nA recently published Veterans Affairs (VA) Office of Inspector General (OIG) report has alleged that senior VA employees acted improperly by orchestrating job openings, steering themselves into the new positions at higher salaries than their predecessors, and reaping large relocation payments to move to begin employment in these new jobs, the Senators wrote. These are serious allegations, which led to the VA OIG making criminal referrals to the U.S. Attorneys Office regarding the actions of two VA officials. We ask your assistance in understanding what procedures are in place to prevent the abuse of taxpayer dollars in relocation expenses. \r\nSpecifically, according to the OIG report, Diana Rubens arranged her own re-assignment from her post as Deputy Under Secretary for Field Operations in Washington, D.C. to that of Director of the Philadelphia and Wilmington VA Regional Offices in June 2014, they continued.During her transition to her new position, Ms. Rubens allegedly billed the VA $274,019 for her move to Philadelphia and to arrange for new housing. Additionally, the OIG found that Kimberly Graves, working in concert with Ms. Rubens, left her position as the Director of the Veterans Benefits Administrations Eastern Area Office in Philadelphia last October to become director of the St. Paul, Minn., VA regional office. She charged the VA $129,467 for her moving expenses.\r\nThe text of both letters are below and pdfs can be found here (OPM) and here (GSA).\r\nThe text of the letter to OPM:\r\nDear Acting Director Cobert:\r\nA recently published Veterans Affairs (VA) Office of Inspector General (OIG) report[1] has alleged that senior VA employees acted improperly by orchestrating job openings, steering themselves into the new positions at higher salaries than their predecessors, and reaping large relocation payments to move to begin employment in these new jobs. These are serious allegations, which led to the VA OIG making criminal referrals to the U.S. Attorneys Office regarding the actions of two VA officials. We ask your assistance in understanding what procedures are in place to prevent the abuse of taxpayer dollars in both the federal employment and relocation process. \r\nSpecifically, according to the OIG report, Diana Rubens arranged her own re-assignment from her post as Deputy Under Secretary for Field Operations in Washington, D.C. to that of Director of the Philadelphia and Wilmington VA Regional Offices in June 2014. During her transition to her new position, Ms. Rubens allegedly billed the VA $274,019 for her move to Philadelphia and to arrange for new housing. Additionally, the OIG found that Kimberly Graves, working in concert with Ms. Rubens, left her position as the Director of the Veterans Benefits Administrations Eastern Area Office in Philadelphia last October to become director of the St. Paul, Minn., VA regional office. She charged the VA $129,467 for her moving expenses. \r\nThe OIGs allegations that these two VA officials orchestrated transfers as a means to bill the federal government hundreds of thousands of dollars of taxpayer dollars is deeply troubling. In addition, the House Committee on Veterans Affairs just this week issued the first subpoena in the Committees history to compel Ms. Rubens and Ms. Graves to testify on these issues.[2] The VA OIGs report raises significant questions on how these types of situations are handled across the federal government. Accordingly, we ask: \r\n1. What safeguards are in place to prevent this type of manipulation of the federal employment process from occurring across the federal government?\r\na. In your best estimate, were they followed in the cases of Ms. Rubens and Ms. Graves? If not, why not?\r\nb. What could have caused existing safeguards to fail in the VBA?\r\nc. Are there additional processes and procedures that could be put into place government-wide to prevent abuses of the federal employment process like those uncovered by the VA OIG from occurring?\r\n2. Is there a role for the Office of Personnel Management in providing oversight that could prevent these types of occurrences?\r\n3. Understanding that the General Services Administration is charged with implementing federal policies regarding employee relocation and the reimbursement of relocation expenses, is there or should there be a role for OPM in setting reimbursement requirements?\r\n4. Please describe what procedures exist at OPM or at other federal agencies to identify exorbitant relocation costs and prevent them from being reimbursed. Specifically:\r\na. What is done to recoup relocation overpayments deemed to be inappropriate?\r\nb. Are there best practices OPM can recommend to help agencies prevent reimbursement of relocation overpayments and recoup fraudulent relocation overpayments?\r\nThe Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs is authorized by Rule XXV of the Standing Rules of the Senate to investigate the efficiency, economy, and effectiveness of all agencies and departments of the Government.[3] Additionally, S. Res. 73 (114th Congress) authorizes the Committee to examine the efficiency and economy of all branches and functions of Government with particular references to the operations and management of Federal regulatory policies and programs.[4]\r\nThank you for your attention to this matter. We look forward to receiving your response. \r\nThe text of the letter to GSA is below:\r\nDear Administrator Roth:\r\nA recently published Veterans Affairs (VA) Office of Inspector General (OIG) report[5] has alleged that senior VA employees acted improperly by orchestrating job openings, steering themselves into the new positions at higher salaries than their predecessors, and reaping large relocation payments to move to begin employment in these new jobs. These are serious allegations, which led to the VA OIG making criminal referrals to the U.S. Attorneys Office regarding the actions of two VA officials. We ask your assistance in understanding what procedures are in place to prevent the abuse of taxpayer dollars in relocation expenses. \r\nSpecifically, according to the OIG report, Diana Rubens arranged her own re-assignment from her post as Deputy Under Secretary for Field Operations in Washington, D.C. to that of Director of the Philadelphia and Wilmington VA Regional Offices in June 2014. During her transition to her new position, Ms. Rubens allegedly billed the VA $274,019 for her move to Philadelphia and to arrange for new housing. Additionally, the OIG found that Kimberly Graves, working in concert with Ms. Rubens, left her position as the Director of the Veterans Benefits Administrations Eastern Area Office in Philadelphia last October to become director of the St. Paul, Minn., VA regional office. She charged the VA $129,467 for her moving expenses.\r\nThe OIGs allegations that these two VA officials orchestrated transfers as a means to bill the federal government hundreds of thousands of dollars of taxpayer dollars is deeply troubling. In addition, the House Committee on Veterans Affairs just this week issued the first subpoena in the Committees history to compel Ms. Rubens and Ms. Graves to testify on these issues.[6] \r\n   The VA OIGs report raises significant questions about how relocation reimbursements are handled across the federal government. Since the General Services Administration manages the federal relocation policies, we ask your assistance on how to prevent the future waste of taxpayer dollars through relocation expenses. Accordingly, we ask: \r\n1. Please describe the procedures and requirements in place when an employee seeks reimbursement for relocation expenses (i.e. eligibility, paperwork, documentation requirements, etc.).\r\na. In your best estimate, were these procedures followed in the cases of Ms. Rubens and Ms. Graves? If not, why not?    \r\n2. Please describe what safeguards exist to prevent exorbitant relocation fees from being paid in agencies across the federal government. Specifically:\r\na. Who is responsible for monitoring relocation expenses to ensure they are reasonable, and to recoup fraudulent relocation overpayments?\r\nb. Are there best practices GSA can recommend to help agencies prevent fraudulent relocation overpayments and recoup fraudulent relocation overpayments?\r\nThe Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs is authorized by Rule XXV of the Standing Rules of the Senate to investigate the efficiency, economy, and effectiveness of all agencies and departments of the Government.[7] Additionally, S. Res. 73 (114th Congress) authorizes the Committee to examine the efficiency and economy of all branches and functions of Government with particular references to the operations and management of Federal regulatory policies and programs.[8]\r\nThank you for your attention to this matter. We look forward to receiving your response.\r\nWith best personal regards, we are\r\n\r\n Sincerely yours,\r\n\r\nRon Johnson Thomas R. Carper\r\nChairman Ranking Member", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.carper.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/pressreleases?ContentRecord_id=ec39f572-dad4-4a64-af31-f71e49f4b1c4", "Carper Signs Letter to Administration Urging Immediate Action to Stop For-Profit Education Companies from Defrauding Taxpayers", "2015-10-23", "2015", "2015-10", "Democrat", "House", "DE", "Thomas Carper", "C000174", "www.carper.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "WASHINGTON  Today, Sen. Tom Carper (D-Del.) signed a letter led by Sens. Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio) and Richard Durbin (D-Ill.)  along with Sens. Chris Murphy (D-Conn.), Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), and Jack Reed (D-R.I.)  to U.S. Department of Education (ED) Secretary Arne Duncan and Internal Revenue Service (IRS) Commissioner John Koskinen, calling on them to stop for-profit institutions from fraudulently converting to non-profit status in order to evade federal income taxes, EDs gainful employment regulation, and the 90/10 rule.\r\n\r\nThese sham non-profits make a mockery of traditional non-profit governing and accountability structures with incestuous leadership arrangements, troubling debt structures, while continuing to make hefty profits for those in charge with questionable results for students, the senators wrote. As the agencies responsible for granting non-profit, tax exempt status and protecting students, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) and U.S. Department of Education (ED) must work together to better assess these conversions based on the priorities and authority of both agencies.\r\nA recent report from The Century Foundation (TCF) highlighted the trend of companies that own and operate for-profit education institutions, selling those assets to a non-profit entity that is controlled by the same individuals. The for-profit education institutions undergo no substantial changes in their operations but the companies are then eligible to become non-profit, tax-exempt organizations.\r\nIn order to qualify for federal student aid, for-profit education programs are required to prepare students for \"gainful employment in a recognized occupation. Furthermore, under the 90/10 rule, for-profit education institutions can receive no more than 90 percent of their operating revenue from federal student loans and grants. By converting to non-profit status, for-profit education companies can avoid both of these regulations.\r\nFull text of the letter is below.\r\n\r\nOctober 22, 2015\r\n\r\nThe Honorable Arne Duncan\r\nSecretary\r\nDepartment of Education 400 Maryland Avenue, SW\r\nWashington, DC 20202\r\nThe Honorable John Koskinen Commissioner\r\nInternal Revenue Service 1111 Constitution Avenue, NW Washington, DC 20224\r\n\r\nDear Secretary Duncan and Commissioner Koskinen:\r\n\r\nWe write today to ask you to respond to a recent report by Robert Shireman of The Century Foundation (TCF) entitled, The Covert For-Profit, which outlines the troubling trend of for-profit education companies converting to non-profit entities while continuing to reap huge financial gains for their leaders. These sham non-profits make a mockery of traditional non-profit governing and accountability structures. Their incestuous leadership arrangements and troubling debt structures enable them to continue posting hefty profits while providing questionable results for students. As the agencies responsible for granting non-profit, tax exempt status and protecting students, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) and U.S. Department of Education (ED) must work together to carefully assess these conversions.\r\nThe report enumerates ways in which four institutions--Herzing University, Remington College, Inc., Everglades College, and the Center for Excellence in Higher Education (CEHE)--have converted to non-profit educational organizations without any substantial changes in their operations and in ways inconsistent with what the organizations declared when seeking tax exempt non-profit status. In each of these cases, the companies that owned and operated for-profit college campuses and online programs appear to have sold the for-profit entitys assets to a non-profit entity controlled by the same individuals who had controlled the for-profit institution. Questions exist regarding how the asset purchases were structured and whether loan payments made to the non-profit entity by the for-profit entity to finance the asset purchase are a form of de facto profit to the former directors and executives that would not otherwise be allowable.\r\nOther concerns include: 1) schools operating board of directors hand-picked by former owners and filled with trustees with conflicts-of-interest or who are profiting directly and indirectly from the new non-profit institution; 2) paying rent for the use of facilities retained by the same individuals who previously owned the for-profit schools housed there; and 3) former owners of the for-profit schools collecting money from the new non-profits for ancillary services like hotel fees and private jets on top of receiving an inflated salary. Given these concerns, we encourage you to review the cases highlighted in the report to ensure these entities comply with the law and the requirements for tax-exempt status under section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code.\r\nIt is the responsibility of the IRS and ED to prevent former for-profit education companies from abusing their tax-exempt status and to protect students from predatory actors. According to the TCF report, ED relies solely on the IRS in determining nonprofit status and makes no additional effort to ensure that a school is actually adhering to the standards required of non-profit organizations. To address these problems there are number of steps that we believe must be taken.\r\nThe IRS and ED must coordinate assessment of these conversions based on the priorities of both agencies. The TCF report suggests that in the absence of clearly delineated authority these applications are falling into a no mans land in which neither agency is taking responsibility for developing the correct protocol and exercising necessary oversight. The Department of Education lacks the necessary jurisdiction and expertise to effectively make a decision about an applicants tax status. At the same time, the IRS lacks the resources to properly address this influx of complex applications.\r\nThe report also provides concrete recommendations for each of your agencies to address this issue, including a moratorium on the approval of any additional for-profit education institution seeking tax-exempt, non-profit status. We ask for your response to each of his specific recommendations and any other steps you will take to ensure the integrity of non-profit status in the face of abuse by members of the for-profit education industry. ED and the IRS should then develop a joint plan for evaluating and monitoring future conversion that takes into account the priorities of both agencies and ensures protections for students.It is critical that this plan clearly establish which agency will be responsible for each step in evaluating future applications.\r\nSince EDs gainful employment regulations went into effect, for-profit colleges have continually sought to find ways to subvert the rules requirements. Avoiding these regulations appear to be a prime factor behind the four conversions highlighted in the TCF report and the President of Remington College has stated publicly that conversion to non-profit status was driven, at least in part, by concern over exceeding the 90/10 rule.\r\nWith enhanced scrutiny on the for-profit industry after the collapse of Corinthian College and a renewed push for additional laws and regulations protect students and taxpayers, we are concerned additional schools will seek to avoid ED regulations by pursuing superficial conversions to non-profit status. Given that at least two publically traded for-profit education companies have already expressed interest in making this transition it is critical that both the IRS and ED take a closer look at non-profit conversions by for-profit education companies.\r\nThank you for your attention to this important issue. We look forward to your response.\r\n\r\n Sincerely,", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.carper.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/pressreleases?ContentRecord_id=19759a15-3fce-4751-a9f1-51d40a04ec95", "Carper-Toomey Bill to Expand and Improve In-Home Care for America's Seniors Goes to President for Signature", "2015-10-22", "2015", "2015-10", "Democrat", "House", "DE", "Thomas Carper", "C000174", "www.carper.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "WASHINGTON  Yesterday evening, the House of Representatives passed legislation that would to allow providers to develop pilot programs using the PACE Model of Care to improve health outcomes for the elderly.TheProviding Programs of All Inclusive Care for the Elderly Act (PACE) Innovation Act, cosponsored by Senators Tom Carper (D-Del.), Pat Toomey (R-Pa.), Bob Casey (D-Pa.), Pat Roberts (R-Kan.), Debbie Stabenow (D-Mich.), Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) and Mark Warner (D-Va.), would allow the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid (CMS) to include PACE in demonstration programs that test how to improve health outcomes and reduce costs for seniors who are eligible for both Medicare and Medicaid. Earlier this year, the Senate passed the PACE Innovation Actwith bipartisan support. The bill now heads to the Presidents desk to be signed into law.\r\n\"One of my guiding principles is to find what works and do more of it,\"Sen. Carper said.\"ThisPACElegislation will give the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid (CMS) the flexibility it needs to do just thatby allowing this physician-led, coordinated health care program to expand as efficiently as possible in Delaware and throughout the country. Weve begun to address the problem of rising health care costs, andbroadening the reach ofprograms like PACE will help uscontinue toprovideseniors with excellenthealthcare,while also reducing costs.Providing PACE programs with theroomthey need to grow and innovate will give more seniors the chance to remain in their homes,while receiving excellent health care and social services.\r\nIn Pennsylvania, PACE, or LIFE, programs, have been extremely successful in helping seniors to remain in their own homes rather than having to go into a costly nursing home or institutional setting, Sen. Toomey said. The PACE Innovation Act builds on this successful approach. I urge the President to sign this bipartisan legislation into law so an even greater number of vulnerable and disabled individuals who wish to stay in their communities can access quality health care and social services. The PACE program has been extremely successful in providing health care and important support services to eligible Kansans, Sen. Roberts said. The state has embraced the program and is currently expanding it to more areas.I am proud to support this legislation which would give additional regulatory flexibility to allow PACE to serve more populations in need. I have supported PACE programs since I was Governor of Virginia because they are great incubators for how we can better meet the needs of those with complex medical challenges, Sen. Warner said. As I continue to work with the Finance Committees bipartisan Chronic Care Working Group, I am focused on ensuring that healthcare providers collaborate to provide customized care for patients with chronic illness while simultaneously delivering financial savings to the system. PACE programs continue to provide great models for that effort. PACE provides comprehensive, fully integrated health care services to dually eligible individuals who require nursing home level care, but would like to remain in their homes. Programs like PACE are especially critical as Medicare moves from a fee-for-service system toward a prevention-based system that encourages health care providers to keep our country as healthy as possible. Due to state and federal administrative restrictions that are largely outdated, the expansion of PACE has been very slow. The PACE Innovation Act would alleviate many of these restrictions and help find ways to provide Americas seniors with higher-quality, more-efficient care.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.carper.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/pressreleases?ContentRecord_id=3155fc13-c435-4ad8-bf38-040d7e57379a", "New GAO Report Finds Federal Agencies Can Achieve Significant Savings Through Improved Management of IT Acquisitions", "2015-10-22", "2015", "2015-10", "Democrat", "House", "DE", "Thomas Carper", "C000174", "www.carper.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "WASHINGTON   Today, Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee members Tom Carper (D-Del.), Ron Johnson (R-Wis.) and Claire McCaskill (D-Mo.), highlighted a new Government Accountability Office (GAO) report that found that federal agencies can achieve significant savings and avoid unnecessary costs through streamlining acquisitions of Information Technology (IT) services.\r\nThe GAO report, Strategic Sourcing: Opportunities Exist to Better Manage Information Technology Services Spending, found that the Departments of Defense, Army, Navy, Air Force, Homeland Security and NASA have each initiated activities to leverage their buying power through an approach known as strategic sourcing. However, GAO found that the majority of dollars that these agencies spend on IT services flow through hundreds of duplicative contracts instead of through strategically sourced contracts. As a result, agencies pay varying rates for similar services with the same contractors, and are missing out on opportunities for savings. For example, GAO found that the Department of Defense was paying between $103 and $195 an hour for IT Project Management services under different contracts.\r\nThe government is missing out on economies of scale when it buys information technology (IT) services in a fragmented manner, said Ranking Member Carper. This report highlights the fact that there can be a significant difference in the prices that agencies are paying for the same service, even within the same department. This is like one member of a family going to the grocery store and paying one price for a gallon of milk, while another family member goes to another store and paying twice as much.We must use some common sense and get a better result for the American taxpayer. The good news is that there are promising efforts underway to address this problem.The Federal Information Technology and Acquisition Reform Act (FITARA), signed into law last year, will help agencies identify duplicative contracts. The Administration is also working to make sure agencies share pricing data so that they can be smarter shoppers.And many agencies are already showing progress. Id like to commend the Department of Homeland Security as a leader in using strategic sourcing aggressively.If leadership at all agencies across the government embrace and build on these efforts, we could save billions of dollars.\r\nWhat Americans expect is simple: Federal employees should spend taxpayer money using the same care that they use when spending their own, Chairman Johnson said. There's a reason private sector companies leverage their purchasing power to save money  because owners and investors expect nothing less. Once again, GAO has found that federal buyers do not effectively utilize the massive size of the federal government to buy smarter.\r\nWeve got to ensure our government is being smart when it comes to buying and managing information technology, said Senator McCaskill, former Missouri State Auditor. This report shows that we have hundreds of duplicative contracts and huge disparities across agencies in terms of how they handle helpdesk contractors and other IT folksso its important we figure out a way to make government smarter and more streamlined in spending taxpayer dollars in this important area.\r\nStrategic sourcing is proven to reduce costs to companies and large organizations. For example, implementing strategic sourcing has saved companies in the private sector 4-15 percent. Applying just 4 percent savings to the money federal agencies spend annually on IT services would result in over a billion dollars of cost avoidance.\r\nTodays report is the latest in a series of reports focused on acquisition practices of federal agencies. Two other recent GAO reports, Sole Source Contracting: Defining and Tracking Bridge Contracts Would Help Agencies Manage their Use, and Federal Supply Schedules: More Attention Needed to Competition and Prices also shine a light on areas that can be improved in federal acquisition processes.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.carper.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/pressreleases?ContentRecord_id=8642aa1b-b860-49f0-8869-16dd879c46e0", "Public Service Announcement: Challenge to End Veteran Homelessness", "2015-10-22", "2015", "2015-10", "Democrat", "House", "DE", "Thomas Carper", "C000174", "www.carper.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "WILMINGTON, Del.  Today, U.S. Sen. Tom Carper (D-Del.) recorded this public service announcement to help spread the word about the Challenge to End Veteran Homelessness. This is a partnership between New Castle County, the City of Wilmington, the Delaware State Housing Authority, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development and the Veterans Administration to house 84 homeless veterans by the end of 2015 in New Castle County.\r\nAs a 23-year veteran of the Navy, I understand the sacrifices our service men and women make every day to protect our country, which is why I believe its important to make sure they have all of the opportunities they need once they return home, said Sen. Carper. Unfortunately, some of Delawares Veterans are without a home. As we head into colder months, lets think about our veterans. If you are a landlord interested in partnering in this important initiative to end veteran homelessness in Delaware, contact the Homeless Planning Council of Delaware at (302) 654-0126.\r\nThe PSA can be downloaded by clicking the links below:\r\nAUDIO: https://s3.amazonaws.com/sdmc-media.senate.gov/Carper/102215_CARPER_1_RADIO.mp3?\r\nVIDEO: https://s3.amazonaws.com/sdmc-media.senate.gov/Carper/100815_CARPER_2_WEBHD_HD.mp4", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.carper.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/pressreleases?ContentRecord_id=b01d10b2-7fb1-469a-839b-c4c2d8eef1ba", "Sen. Carper Urges Colleagues to Pass Cybersecurity Information Sharing Legislation:", "2015-10-22", "2015", "2015-10", "Democrat", "House", "DE", "Thomas Carper", "C000174", "www.carper.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "WASHINGTON  In case you missed it, earlier today Sen. Tom Carper (D-Del.), ranking member of the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, took to the Senate floor to urge his Senate Colleagues to pass the Cybersecurity Information Sharing Act (CISA) of 2015.\r\nHis speech, as prepared for delivery, is below:\r\nMr. President, I rise today to speak in support of the cybersecurity information sharing bill introduced by our colleagues, Senators Burr and Feinstein. I would like to commend my colleagues and their staffs for their leadership and tireless efforts on this extremely important piece of legislation.\r\nAs Ranking Member and former Chairman of the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, I have been following cybersecurity  and this information sharing proposal in particular  for years.\r\nIn fact, when Senator Feinstein first introduced an information sharing bill in 2012, it was referred to the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee. This bill was ultimately folded into a comprehensive cybersecurity bill that I had the honor of cosponsoring along with Senators Lieberman, Collins, Rockefeller and Feinstein. We were not able to pass that bill, but it paved the way for other cyber legislation. \r\nLast Congress, I worked closely with my Ranking Member, Dr. Coburn, and our House counterparts to get four cybersecurity bills enacted into law. I believe these four bills laid a very strong foundation for some significant improvements in how the Department of Homeland Security carries out its cybersecurity mission. And really for this bill before us today, as well.\r\nWhat the legislation Dr. Coburn and I worked on during the last Congress did, in essence, was to better equip the Department to operate at the center of the kind of robust information sharing program that the Burr-Feinstein bill would set up.\r\nMr. President, sharing more cyber threat information among and between the private sector and federal government players who are on the front lines in cybersecurity is critical to our national security. Over the last few years, we have witnessed many troubling cyber attacks against our banks, retailers, healthcare providers, and government agencies. Some of those launching these attacks are just criminals who want to steal and make money off of our personal information or intellectual property. Others just want to be disruptive or make political points. Some actors, however, are capable - or would like to develop the capability - to use a cyber attack to harm people and cause physical damage.\r\nIt is long past time for this body to take action to more effectively combat these threats we face in cyberspace. Thats why earlier this year I introduced a similar information sharing bill. This bill largely mirrored the Administrations proposal. But we didnt stop there. We took input from many experts and stakeholders. The measure we discussing today shares the same goal as my bill: to increase the sharing of cyber threat information between the federal government and private sector. I am so pleased that we are finally discussing this critical issue on the Senate floor.  \r\nThe substitute amendment we are debating makes a number of improvements to the bill that was first made public after the Intelligence Committee reported it out. It also includes several changes that I, as well as several of my colleagues, have been calling for. Id like to thank Senators Burr and Senator Feinstein  and their staffs  for working so closely with me and my staff and others to produce what I believe is a stronger bill.\r\nIs the bill perfect? Of course not. There is always room for improvement and that is why we will still have a debate on a number of amendments. And while there may not be agreement on everything in this bill, I believe most of my colleagues will come to the conclusion that it will help improve our nations cybersecurity, and by extension our national security.\r\nFirst, the bill would ensure that the government is providing actionable intelligence to private sector entities seeking to better protect themselves in cyberspace. Businesses around the country are hungry for information they can use to fend off attacks and better protect their systems and their customers. This bill would make the federal government a much stronger partner for them.\r\nMany companies that I have talked to also want to share more information with the federal government about what theyre seeing online every day. But they're unsure of the rules of the road. In other words, Mr. President, companies want more predictability and certainty when it comes to working with the government. This bill would give them that by clarifying that they wont be putting themselves in legal jeopardy if they choose to share cyber threat information with the federal government.\r\nBut if companies do want to avail themselves of the legal protections this bill offers, they would have to - with just two narrow exceptions - use the information sharing portal at the Department of Homeland Security.\r\nThis puts the Department of Homeland Security  a civilian entity  at the center of the information sharing process. I think this is the smart and right thing to do. In fact, many experts and companies that I have talked to across the country agree with me. And I know many Americans are very uneasy with companies they do business with directly handing over data to an intelligence or law enforcement agency.    \r\nDHS will carry out its responsibilities under this bill through its cyber center, known as the National Cybersecurity and Communications Integration Center or N-Kick. One of the bills I worked on with Dr. Coburn last Congress formally authorized this center. I am very pleased to see that this bill would make the most out of the resources weve invested in the N-kick.\r\nEarlier this month, the Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security, Jeh Johnson, told our Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee that beginning in November, the N-Kick will have the capability to automate the distribution and receipt of cyber threat indicators. In other words, Mr. President, DHS will have the ability to share information with other agencies in real time, just as this bill would require.\r\nI know real time sharing is incredibly important to the bills sponsors. Its important to me too and probably many of our colleagues and stakeholders. Equally important, however, is the ability for DHS to apply what Ive called a privacy scrub to the information it receives from industry. Allowing the Department to do this would provide some additional assurances that personal information unrelated to a cyber threat isnt disseminated throughout the federal government if a company shares it through the portal. Protecting privacy is part of the Departments DNA and has been a key part if its mission since its creation. We should be taking full advantage of the Departments expertise in this area.\r\nI know some of my colleagues are concerned that a privacy scrub would slow down the information sharing process. I share those concerns, but I have been assured by officials at DHS that less than one percent of the information it receives would actually need to be reviewed by a person.\r\nThe rest  roughly 99 percent  would be shared with other agencies at machine speed. I am very pleased that DHS has come to agreement on this process with its agency partners and will be up and running with a portal in the coming weeks.\r\nOne of the amendments I filed speaks to this privacy scrub process. It would make clear that DHS could carry out an automated privacy scrub in real time and without delay. In fact, my amendment would add just one word to the bill so that DHS could continue to automatically remove irrelevant or erroneous data from cyber threat information. \r\nI am very happy that Senators Burr and Feinstein have taken my amendment into consideration and have now modified their substitute amendment to make sure DHS can apply its privacy scrub.\r\nThe substitute amendment now calls on DHS to work with its agency partners to agree on a process to share information while protecting privacy. This is the process that DHS is already undertaking. I would like to thank Senators Burr and Feinstein, as well as our friends at DHS and other agencies, for working so hard to find agreement on this language and for working with my staff and me on this important matter.\r\nAnother amendment that I put forward - this time with our Committees Chairman, Senator Johnson - aims to improve what is called cyber hygiene across the federal government and prevent attacks against federal agencies. The language is based on a bill Senator Johnson and I introduced and had reported out of committee by a unanimous vote. The amendment does three main things:\r\nFirst, it would require all federal agencies to implement specific best practices and state-of-the-art technologies to defend against cyberattacks. For example, we had experts testify about the importance of strong authentication and data encryption. This amendment would make sure agencies are taking these common sense steps to bolster their cyber defenses.\r\nSecond, the amendment would accelerate the deployment and adoption of the Department of Homeland Securitys cyber intrusion and detection program known as EINSTEIN. For my colleagues that may not be familiar with EINSTEIN, let me take just a couple of minutes to describe its main features. EINSTEIN analyzes Internet traffic entering and leaving federal civilian agencies to identify cyber threats and stop attacks.\r\nThe system has been rolled out in phases over the last several years. EINSTEIN 1 sees and records internet traffic, much like a guard at a checkpoint watching cars go by. EINSTEIN 2 detects anything out of the ordinary and sets off alarms if a piece of malware is trying to enter a federal network. EINSTEIN 3A is the latest version and uses unclassified and classified information to actually block cyber attacks.\r\nThe problem is, less than half of federal civilian agencies currently have EINSTEIN 3A in place, meaning most agencies are currently not benefitting from the protections offered by the systems most advanced features. This amendment would make sure agencies have EINSTEIN in place within one year.\r\nFinally, our amendment incorporates language originally drafted by Senators Collins, Warner, Ayotte, McCaskill, Coats, and Mikulski. These provisions would strengthen DHSs ability to shore up cyber defenses at civilian agencies and address cyber emergencies across the federal government. \r\nI am incredibly grateful that Senators Burr and Feinstein agreed to include our language in the Substitute amendment. It is the perfect complement to the information sharing bill we are discussing this week, and I thank the Senators for working with me and Senator Johnson on it.\r\nMr. President, I know a lot of Americans wonder if were still able to set aside our partisan differences and summon the political will to do whats best for America when the stakes are high. I believe bringing this bill to the floor, debating it, and considering amendments is great way to show the American people we still can.\r\nLets pass this bill so we can go to conference with the House and send a bill to the President.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.carper.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/pressreleases?ContentRecord_id=5776fa91-bd26-4bfa-a9e3-afff183cda32", "Senator Carper responds to GAO report on Post-9/11 G.I. Bill Overpayments", "2015-10-21", "2015", "2015-10", "Democrat", "House", "DE", "Thomas Carper", "C000174", "www.carper.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "WASHINGTON   Today, Sen. Tom Carper (D-Del.), ranking member of the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, responded to a new Government Accountability Office (GAO) report that found the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) made $416 million in overpayments in fiscal year 2014, affecting one in four veteran students and roughly 6,000 schools utilizing the Post-9/11 G.I. Bill program. Currently, VA disburses tuition and fees to schools before the start of classes, but does not comprehensively account for veteran students enrollment changes throughout the semester. Therefore, if a student drops a class or withdraws altogether, the resulting overpayments to schools can result in veterans unknowingly owing a sizeable debt to the federal government. The GAO report, Post-9/11 G.I. Bill: Additional Actions Needed to Help Reduce Overpayments and Increase Collections, which Sen. Carper requested last Congress as part of his ongoing effort to shed light on the VA education payment system, found flaws in the VAs ability to track overpayments made to schools and to notify veterans using the Post-9/11 G.I. Bill when a payment needed to be returned to the VA.\r\nThis Government Accountability Office report raises concerns regarding the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) current system for monitoring and collecting overpayments of Post-9/11 G.I. Bill benefits, said Sen. Carper. I am encouraged that VA has agreed to swiftly implement many of the GAOs recommendations for improvement. However, implementing these recommendations is just the first step. The report raises broader questions about the unnecessary complexity veterans and schools encounter when dealing with this program.\r\nI often say that we must use common sense in everything we do here in the Senate and across the federal government. Im concerned the VAs current system for administering Post-9/11 G.I. benefits is too confusing, and that the burden for repaying overpayments falls disproportionately on veterans, many of whom may be unaware that they may have been given too much money and owe it back. Ultimately, we must ensure that we are not, through poor management of this program, placing yet another barrier to success in front of veterans trying to get a high-quality education.\r\nA more efficient, modern system would go a long way toward reducing the frequency of overpayments and making it easier for veterans to pursue their education. I plan to follow up with Secretary McDonald on this report to ensure that our veterans are not being disadvantaged by an outdated, overly complex Post-9/11 G.I. Bill benefit system\r\nTodays GAO report showed $416 million in Post-9/11 G.I. Bill overpayments in Fiscal Year 2014, which represents roughly 4 percent of the $10.8 billion in total benefits paid during that year. GAO further found that 90 percent of high-dollar overpayments were caused by student enrollment changes, where a student dropped one or more classes.GAO made a series of recommendations to the VA for improving guidance and notification for veterans and schools regarding overpayments, as well as developing modern systems for tracking and collecting overpayments.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.carper.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/pressreleases?ContentRecord_id=583fe9e3-d79e-4470-b424-2e5c967802ca", "Carper Statement on Vice President Biden", "2015-10-21", "2015", "2015-10", "Democrat", "House", "DE", "Thomas Carper", "C000174", "www.carper.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "WASHINGTON Today, Sen. Tom Carper (D-Del.) released the following statement after Vice President Biden announced he would not make a presidential run.\r\nI know this was an extraordinarily difficult decision for the Biden family to make. Ive known Joe for many years as we worked together to serve the people of Delaware and our country, and I know he has everything it takes to make a great president. He and his family have decided this is not the right time, and its my sincere hope that they are at peace with his decision.\r\nIn my conversations with Joe over the past several weeks, I encouraged him to listen to his family as they all continue to grieve the terrible loss of their beloved Beau. I know he heard from people across the country who urged him to run and offered to help, but the most important influences on his decision were his wife, Jill, their children and grandchildren, and God.\r\nThere are still 15 months left in the Obama Administration, and a full time vice president will go a long way toward getting important things done for the American people. When his time in the White House concludes, Joe will certainly have the opportunity to serve as our ambassador to the world, and I know hell continue making a positive difference in all our lives. I also know Beaus memory and spirit will help him do it.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.carper.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/pressreleases?ContentRecord_id=8a68d1bd-6f75-4fbe-acce-f51d35703d3a", "Statement of Ranking Member Tom Carper: Ongoing Migration from Central America: An Examination of FY2015 Apprehensions", "2015-10-21", "2015", "2015-10", "Democrat", "House", "DE", "Thomas Carper", "C000174", "www.carper.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "WASHINGTON  Today, the U.S. Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs held the hearing, Ongoing Migration from Central America: An Examination of FY2015 Apprehensions. Below is the opening statement of Ranking Member Tom Carper (D-Del.), as prepared for delivery:\r\nI want to thank Chairman Johnson for calling this hearing on the ongoing surge of Central American migration were experiencing at our southwest border. This is an important challenge for the region and for our country, as well. I look forward to working together with the Chairman and the rest of my colleagues toward lasting solutions.\r\nLast summer, we were shocked by the flood of migrants arriving here from Guatemala, Honduras, and El Salvador, particularly the thousands of unaccompanied children and families with young kids. When they arrived, most did not try to evade Border Patrol agents but instead sought them out for protection. Some of their stories  and those of migrants who did not survive the journey  were heartbreaking.\r\nOur government took emergency steps to shelter and process these individuals, but also put into place strategies to stem the flow. These included public information campaigns on the dangers of the journey, expedited court hearings, an increased focus on human smuggling and trafficking rings, and support for Mexicos efforts to better police its own southern border.\r\nI was pleased that these efforts had an impact for a time in slowing migration. But many observers warned that as long as the Northern Triangle countries remained mired in violence and poverty, migration would continue. And that is exactly what appears to have happened. This time, we should not be surprised.\r\nAlthough for a number of months significantly fewer Central Americans were apprehended at our southern border, the flow never really stopped. In fact, much of the decrease was due not to fewer people fleeing the Northern Triangle, but from unprecedented new enforcement efforts by Mexico on its southern border with Guatemala.\r\nBetween July 2014 and June 2015, for example, Mexico reportedly apprehended nearly 157,000 Central American migrants  a 70 percent increase compared to the same period for the previous year.\r\nBut since this summer, even this enhanced effort on the part of our Mexican partners has not been enough. Border Patrol apprehensions of Central American children and families began slowly climbing toward last years levels early in 2015. In August, they surpassed the number of new arrivals in August of 2014.\r\nSeptember arrivals remained relatively high as well. This is particularly striking given that apprehensions usually peak in spring and decline over the summer and early fall. \r\nThere are different theories as to why we are seeing more Central American migrants again, particularly children and families. Some people point to increased violence in El Salvador, others to drought conditions that have worsened poverty for many in the region. Still another theory is that the smugglers have found new routes that have allowed them to get around Mexicos enhanced apprehension efforts and our own.\r\nOf course, there are also pull factors, particularly a desire on the part of migrants to reunite with family members who are already here. Smugglers may also be marketing real or perceived changes in our immigration policy  such as current litigation calling into question family detention  to persuade migrants that now is the right time to make the trip. We will discuss some of those factors today, and also what we can do to try to change the dynamic.\r\nI think the increased apprehensions we are seeing this summer and fall are an important reminder that we must  in addition to ongoing efforts to better secure our borders - work with our partners to address the root causes of Central American migration.\r\nThe governments of Guatemala, Honduras and El Salvador have joined in an unprecedented regional agreement, called the Alliance for Prosperity, that seeks to change the underlying conditions on the ground that compel so many people to flee.\r\nOur own government has proposed $1 billion in foreign aid in the current fiscal year for initiatives to complement the Alliance for Prosperity. These funds are intended not only to improve security, but also to provide more economic opportunity for the citizens of the Northern Triangle and improve the rule of law in the region.\r\nThis is clearly a daunting undertaking that will not yield immediate results, yet we cannot continue to neglect the underlying conditions that have led to the current migration crisis.\r\nIt is also worth remembering that it is our appetite for drugs that fuels much of the violence and corruption in this region. As a result, I believe we have a moral obligation to try and help undo that damage.\r\nSeveral of us on the Committee will be traveling to the Northern Triangle soon to explore more fully what is fueling this ongoing migration and how U.S. engagement in the region might help turn the tide.\r\nI think our efforts and those of others working on this issue are very much in keeping with the valuable message Pope Francis delivered during his recent visit. We need to see these migrants as people, not simply numbers, and work in partnership to try to alleviate the desperate conditions that cause so many to risk life and limb to flee to the United States.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.carper.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/pressreleases?ContentRecord_id=03e449c5-5654-4666-a013-e111488be652", "Senator Carper Statement on the Stop Sanctuary Policies and Protect Americans Act", "2015-10-20", "2015", "2015-10", "Democrat", "House", "DE", "Thomas Carper", "C000174", "www.carper.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "WASHINGTON   Today, Sen. Tom Carper (D-Del.), Ranking Member of the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, voted against the motion to proceed to S.2146, the Stop Sanctuary Policies and Protect Americans Act. The vote failed, 54-45. His statement below:\r\nEverything I do, I know I can do better. The same is true of the Department of Homeland Security. Until recently, the Department was using a well-intentioned but flawed program to track undocumented immigrants who had been arrested for crimes, in order to process them for possible deportation. It was a one-size-fits-all approach that ignored concerns raised by many state and local officials, often including local law enforcement. As a result, many cities opted out of the program and then were criticized for failing to help detain and deport undocumented immigrants who commit crimes. The legislation before us doesnt address these real conflicts. Instead, it would take us backwards, and seek to punish communities that dont go along with a one-size-fits-all approach that doesnt suit them or those they serve.\r\nAs a former governor, I understand that many times, state and local officials know how to manage their communities and law enforcement better than those of us in Washington. I also understand that, on many occasions, we can better serve our constituents when all levels of government  local, state, and federal  work together to find solutions that give necessary authorities and resources without being overly burdensome or counterproductive. Fortunately, the Department of Homeland Security has heard the concerns of our state and local officials and has taken steps to implement a smarter, more effective approach that works with local jurisdictions to better focus resources on individuals who are enforcement priorities, such as public safety and national security threats. Congress should give this program a chance to work rather than imposing a coercive approach that has already proven unworkable.\r\nMany advocacy and law enforcement groups have voiced opposition to the bill, including the U.S. Conference of Mayors, the Fraternal Order of Police, the Law Enforcement Immigration Task Force, and League of United Latin American Citizens.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.carper.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/pressreleases?ContentRecord_id=c4147ccc-b665-439e-94ec-6b2830cb07df", "Senator Carper Calls on Colleagues to Pass Cyber Information Sharing Bill", "2015-10-20", "2015", "2015-10", "Democrat", "House", "DE", "Thomas Carper", "C000174", "www.carper.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "WASHINGTON  Today, Sen. Tom Carper (D-Del.), ranking member of the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, called on his Senate colleagues to continue to work together towards passage of the Cybersecurity Information Sharing Act of 2015 (S. 754). This afternoon, Sens. Richard Burr (R-N.C.) and Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) offered the Burr-Feinstein amendment #2716 as a substitute to S. 754. The substitute includes modified language of two amendments filed by Sen. Carper that would strengthen all federal agencies cyber defenses and give the Department of Homeland Security clearer authorities to share cyber threat information while protecting privacy.\r\nCyber threats represent some of the most dangerous and immediate threats that Americans face every day. Given the increasing number  and severity -- of attacks on our federal agencies and private businesses large and small, there is no doubt that we must strive to strengthen our cybersecurity defenses.One way to do that is to improve the ability to share information about the threats coming from cyberspace between and among the private sector and the federal government.Thats why the work we are doing on the Senate floor this week is so important.\r\nAs the top Democrat on the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, I have been closely following cybersecurity, particularly this cybersecurity information sharing bill for years. I would like to commend Senators Burr and Feinstein and their staffs for their leadership and tireless efforts to bring their cybersecurity information sharing bill to the floor. While we do not agree with everything in this legislation, I greatly appreciate the compromises that have been made to make the bill stronger.\r\nThe compromises made in the substitute amendment include my measure to ensure that the Department of Homeland Security can apply privacy protections to cyber threat data as it sends information to other agencies. This privacy scrub would better protect sensitive personal information without slowing the sharing of cyber threat information. Another compromise in the package would authorize the deployment and adoption of the Departments cyber intrusion and detection system known as EINSTEIN. This provision, which is based on an amendment I filed with Senator Johnson, would also require that all federal agencies implement stronger protections and state-of-the-art technologies to defend against cyberattacks.\r\nImproving our cyber security practices must remain one of the top priorities for Congress and the Administration. I look forward to working with my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to get this bill across the finish line. Lets seize this opportunity, pass this bill, and continue to do all that we can to keep ahead of the growing cyber threat.\r\nThe Senates consideration of the Cybersecurity Information Sharing Act of 2015 builds on the cybersecurity efforts of last Congress. During the 113th Congress, the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee authored several cybersecurity bills, which the president signed into law in December. Those include the Federal Information Security Modernization Act (P.L. 113-283) to update the Federal Information Security Management Act, the National Cybersecurity Protection Act of 2014 (P.L. 113-282) authorizing the National Cybersecurity and Communications Integration Center at the Department of Homeland Security for information sharing, and two bills to improve the federal cybersecurity workforce  the Cybersecurity Workforce Assessment Act (P.L. 113-246) and the Border Patrol Pay Reform Act (P.L. 113-277) (which contains provisions from the DHS Cybersecurity Workforce Recruitment and Retention Act of 2014).", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.carper.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/pressreleases?ContentRecord_id=cdcf129e-8a40-4fe7-a156-590b2ad1da32", "Senator Carper Calls on Colleagues to Pass Cyber Information Sharing Bill", "2015-10-20", "2015", "2015-10", "Democrat", "House", "DE", "Thomas Carper", "C000174", "www.carper.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "WASHINGTON  Today, Sen. Tom Carper (D-Del.), ranking member of the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, called on his Senate colleagues to continue to work together towards passage of the Cybersecurity Information Sharing Act of 2015 (S. 754). This afternoon, Sens. Richard Burr (R-N.C.) and Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) offered the Burr-Feinstein amendment #2716 as a substitute to S. 754. The substitute includes modified language of two amendments filed by Sen. Carper that would strengthen all federal agencies cyber defenses and give the Department of Homeland Security clearer authorities to share cyber threat information while protecting privacy.\r\nCyber threats represent some of the most dangerous and immediate threats that Americans face every day. Given the increasing number  and severity -- of attacks on our federal agencies and private businesses large and small, there is no doubt that we must strive to strengthen our cybersecurity defenses.One way to do that is to improve the ability to share information about the threats coming from cyberspace between and among the private sector and the federal government.Thats why the work we are doing on the Senate floor this week is so important.\r\nAs the top Democrat on the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, I have been closely following cybersecurity, particularly this cybersecurity information sharing bill for years. I would like to commend Senators Burr and Feinstein and their staffs for their leadership and tireless efforts to bring their cybersecurity information sharing bill to the floor. While we do not agree with everything in this legislation, I greatly appreciate the compromises that have been made to make the bill stronger.\r\nThe compromises made in the substitute amendment include my measure to ensure that the Department of Homeland Security can apply privacy protections to cyber threat data as it sends information to other agencies. This privacy scrub would better protect sensitive personal information without slowing the sharing of cyber threat information. Another compromise in the package would authorize the deployment and adoption of the Departments cyber intrusion and detection system known as EINSTEIN. This provision, which is based on an amendment I filed with Senator Johnson, would also require that all federal agencies implement stronger protections and state-of-the-art technologies to defend against cyberattacks.\r\nImproving our cyber security practices must remain one of the top priorities for Congress and the Administration. I look forward to working with my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to get this bill across the finish line. Lets seize this opportunity, pass this bill, and continue to do all that we can to keep ahead of the growing cyber threat.\r\nThe Senates consideration of the Cybersecurity Information Sharing Act of 2015 builds on the cybersecurity efforts of last Congress. During the 113th Congress, the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee authored several cybersecurity bills, which the president signed into law in December. Those include the Federal Information Security Modernization Act (P.L. 113-283) to update the Federal Information Security Management Act, the National Cybersecurity Protection Act of 2014 (P.L. 113-282) authorizing the National Cybersecurity and Communications Integration Center at the Department of Homeland Security for information sharing, and two bills to improve the federal cybersecurity workforce  the Cybersecurity Workforce Assessment Act (P.L. 113-246) and the Border Patrol Pay Reform Act (P.L. 113-277) (which contains provisions from the DHS Cybersecurity Workforce Recruitment and Retention Act of 2014).", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.carper.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/pressreleases?ContentRecord_id=289183e3-366c-4b2c-bbef-9cf0ec637b19", "Senators Carper, Coons, Isakson concerned with South Africa's failure to meet key deadline for resuming import of U.S. poultry, urge immediate action", "2015-10-19", "2015", "2015-10", "Democrat", "House", "DE", "Thomas Carper", "C000174", "www.carper.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "WASHINGTON  U.S. Senators Tom Carper and Chris Coons (both D-Del.) and Johnny Isakson (R-Ga.) today expressed concern after South Africa missed an October 15 deadline to allow U.S. poultry exports to South Africa to resume and urged South Africa to act immediately. A settlement was reached in the longstanding poultry dispute between the United States and South Africa on June 8, 2015, after negotiations in Paris led by the United States Trade Representative (USTR), the Department of State, U.S. Ambassador to South Africa Patrick Gaspard and trade experts from industry. The agreement was welcome news for the entire U.S. poultry industry, including the large poultry operations in the Senators home states  Georgia and Delaware.\r\n\r\nSince the settlement was reached, South Africa has been slow to fulfill the obligations agreed to in Paris, including the commitment to resolve sanitary barriers to poultry hindering the successful implementation of the agreement. Last month, Senators Coons and Isakson called on President Zuma to act quickly to address the unresolved issues in the agreement. South Africa agreed to finalize both a trade protocol for avian influenza and a health certificate for U.S. poultry by October 15th.Despite assurances by high-ranking South African officials that those issues would be resolved by the deadline, they have not.Important differences remain on the health certificate and trade protocol. The U.S. has insisted that South Africa follow World Organization for Animal Health (OIE) guidelines to use a regional approach for avian influenza.\r\n\r\nWe are concerned that South Africa has not followed through on its promise to address key issues by October 15, preventing full implementation of the deal, said the Senators. South Africa failed to finalize both the trade protocol and health certificate for U.S. poultry despite the Administrations intense engagement with South Africa over the past year to resolve these issues. We believe this inaction must be factored into the out-of-cycle review of South Africa's AGOA eligibility and urge the Administration totake appropriate action. South Africa must take the necessary steps to resolve outstanding barriers to U.S. poultry immediately if its AGOA benefits are to be preserved. Hardworking poultry farmers in our home states and across the country should not have to wait any longer to participate in the South African market.\r\n\r\nSenators Coons and Isakson, both members of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, and Senator Carper, a member of the Senate FinanceCommittee,have pressured the South African government for over a year to end the antidumping duties on U.S. poultry. Most recently, the senators secured language in the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) that would put pressure on South Africa to remove unfair limits on American poultry imports. The bipartisan amendment introduced by Isakson and co-sponsored by Carper and Sen. Mark Warner, D-Va., would require the USTR to conduct an out-of-cycle review of South Africas trade practices, specifically antidumping duties on U.S. poultry. The senators look forward to seeing South Africa resolve this issue so they can focus on other important areas of collaboration.\r\n\r\nCoons and Isakson are the co-chairs of the Senate Chicken Caucus, of which Carper is a member. Both Delaware and Georgia have large poultry industries and are major exporters of poultry.The poultry industry annually contributes over $15.1 billion to the Georgia economy. Delawares poultry industry supports more than 14,000 jobs and contributes more than $4.6 billion to the states economy, according to the National Chicken Council.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.carper.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/e-newsletter?ContentRecord_id=2226ec3d-6022-4f15-91db-37af7160f44d", "Celebrating Delaware's wildlife", "2015-10-16", "2015", "2015-10", "Democrat", "House", "DE", "Thomas Carper", "C000174", "www.carper.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "October 16, 2015 \r\nDear Friends,\r\nThis week is the 20thNational Wildlife Refuge Week, a special celebration of our nations vibrant wildlife and a reminder of the obligation we have to preserve and protect our shared home for future generations.\r\nToday, each of the 50 states has at least one refuge within its borders, with 563 across the country protecting more than 150 million acres of land. Delaware is lucky enough to have not one, but two National Wildlife Refuges  Bombay Hook, between Smyrna and Dover, and Prime Hook, just south of Slaughter Beach.\r\nA few weeks ago, I visited Bombay Hook for the unveiling of the Bombay Hook National Wildlife Refuge Quarter  one of five quarters issued in the America the Beautiful Quarters programthis year. The quarter design features a great blue heron with a great egret, standing among the refuges tidal salt marsh. That's because, in Delaware, Bombay Hook and Prime Hook serve as home to thousands of native plants and animals. Twice a year, millions of migrating birds take a pit stop on the Delaware coast  much like many of us as we migrate up and down I-95 throughout the year  to rest on their thousand mile journey for warmer climates.\r\nBut more than just a home for birds, our wildlife refuges provide recreational spaces for hunters, fishermen and wildlife observers and photographers. They also serve an important environmental and ecological role by protecting against flooding and erosion and purifying our air and water. Just as important, they provide our children and grandchildren a place to connect with nature, to learn first hand about our planet and how they can preserve it for generations to come.\r\nThe National Refuge system is dedicated to conserving, managing and, where needed, restoring wild lands and wildlife.Bombay Hook and Prime Hook are shining examples of that mission.But we still have more work to do to preserve and protect our shared home. We only get one planet, so in everything we do, we must use common sense to protect it and all its inhabitants.\r\nHave you visited either of Delawares wildlife refuges? Tell me about it on Twitter,@SenatorCarper,or Facebook, www.facebook.com/tomcarper,with the hashtag #MyWildlifeRefuge.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.carper.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/pressreleases?ContentRecord_id=f3b0cfdc-7c2e-4875-989d-b3029f2fffcb", "Sens. Carper, Coons Join Senate Colleagues to Extend PTC Implementation Deadline to Avoid Rail Delays", "2015-10-16", "2015", "2015-10", "Democrat", "House", "DE", "Thomas Carper", "C000174", "www.carper.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "WASHINGTON As the Dec. 31, 2015, deadline for our nations freight and passenger railroads to implement positive train control (PTC) technology looms, U.S. Sens. Tom Carper and Chris Coons (both D-Del.) joined 41 of their Senate colleagues in a letter urging Senate leadership to extend the deadline for completing the implementation.\r\nA recent Government Accountability Office study reported that railroads are unable to meet the deadline at the end of this year, which could potentially cause disruptions to our national rail network. According to the Federal Railroad Administration, PTC is a system designed to prevent train-to-train collisions, derailments caused by excessive speeds and more. For example, PTC can force a train to a stop before it passes a signal displaying a stop indication, or before diverging on a switch improperly lined, thereby averting a potential collision.\r\nFull implementation of PTC is critical to the safety of the men and women who operate our nations trains, the millions of passengers that move around the country and the thousands of manufacturers, farmers and ranchers that depend on rails to move world-class products to market, the letter states. That is why it remains essential for Congress to hold railroads accountable to efficiently complete the PTC requirements set forth in RSIA (Rail Safety Improvement Act)  Railroads play a vital role in our nations economy. We cannot afford a disruption of rail service, which could occur if Congress does not extend this deadline.\r\nRSIA, which was enacted on October 16, 2008, and the corresponding regulations issued by theFederal Railroad Administration (FRA) require passenger and major freight railroads to implement PTC on most major track lines by December 31, 2015.\r\nA pdf of the letter can be found here, and the text is included below:\r\nSeptember 30, 2015\r\nDear Leader McConnell and Leader Reid:\r\nWe write to address the approaching statutory deadline for the full implementation of positive train control (PTC) safety technology. As reported in a recent GAO study, it is increasingly clear that our nation's freight and passenger railroads are unable to meet the December 31, 2015 implementation deadline. We believe it is important to ensure that the railroads complete implementation of PTC in an expeditious manner without any unnecessary disruptions to our national rail network. With this in mind, Congress must act now to extend the looming deadline to provide certainty to businesses and individuals that rely on the railroads while providing a clear timeline for meeting the PTC requirements set forth in the Rail Safety Improvement Act of 2008 (RSIA).\r\nWhen implemented, PTC will be a critical safety component of our national rail network. Full implementation is critical to the safety of the men and women who operate our nation's trains, the millions of passengers that move around the country and the thousands of manufacturers, farmers and ranchers that depend on rails to move world-class products to market. That is why it remains essential for Congress to hold railroads accountable to efficiently complete the PTC requirements set forth in RSIA. We must also do so in a way that acknowledges current constraints as the Senate did when it passed the bipartisan DRIVE Act.\r\nRailroads play a vital role in our nation's economy. We cannot afford a disruption of rail service, which could occur if Congress does not extend this deadline. Myriad businesses rely on dependable service and would be unnecessarily hurt by a slowdown in service, whether it is a farmer looking to sell this year's harvest, a sawmill moving logs or an energy company delivering fuel. Additionally, millions of passengers that depend on reliable service to commute locally as well as nationally will face preventable challenges.\r\nIt is important that we extend this deadline in a responsible way that ensures smooth implementation of this new technology with measurable benchmarks. It is also imperative that Congress take up this issue immediately, as railroads will begin to alter their service standards weeks before the actual deadline. We appreciate your attention to this time-sensitive manner, and stand ready to work with you.\r\nSincerely,", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.carper.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/e-newsletter?ContentRecord_id=b7ea1e7f-bda8-4617-9e0e-a34a74ebc8f0", "Unhappy birthday, TSCA!", "2015-10-10", "2015", "2015-10", "Democrat", "House", "DE", "Thomas Carper", "C000174", "www.carper.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "October 10, 2015\r\nDear Friends,\r\nEarlier this week, I was proud to stand alongside a bipartisan group of senators and supporters to call for stronger chemical safety laws. Together, in a press conference outside the Capitol, we urged the Senate to pass a historic bill that would reform the broken Toxic Substances Control Act of 1976.\r\nThe Toxic Substances Control Act of 1976  called \"TSCA\"  was intended to give the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) the authority to monitor and test chemicals, and regulate the ones that pose a risk to human health or the environment. But over the past four decades, this law has never worked as intended, leaving the public at risk for toxic exposure and the private sector with a broken regulatory process that has undermined innovation. What's more, over the past 39 years, weve learned a lot more about toxic chemicals, the harm they can cause to our environment and public health, and how best to identify and protect against these risks.\r\nWritten by Senators Tom Udall and David Vitter, the Frank R. Lautenberg Chemical Safety for the 21st Century Act would reform TSCA and better protect the public, while creating a manageable regulatory framework for American businesses and innovators. The bill builds off the work done by the late Senator Frank Lautenberg, who was a true champion of chemical safety. His widow, Bonnie Lautenberg, has carried on his dedication to the cause  and thanks much in part to her relentless efforts, the bill now has broad bipartisan support, with 60 Senate cosponsors representing 38 states.\r\nAfter the bill was introduced, I worked closely with Senators Udall and Vitter for more than a year, leading countless meetings and discussions to secure enhanced protections for public health and the environment  including provisions that would protect children, pregnant women, and workers from toxic risks, ensure the EPA has access to information to assess safety risks, and allow states to enforce federal toxic safety while also ensuring that innovation in the private sector can continue in Delaware and around the country. For the first time, this legislation will require that every chemical used in consumer products is assessed for safety. At the same time, it will offer businesses a predictable and manageable review process for chemicals that do not pose a safety hazard.Ill be frank  bipartisanship can be hard to find in the Senate these days, especially on issues that affect the environment. But in this case, Democrats and Republicans are coming together to improve a failed law that doesnt work for consumers and doesnt work for businesses. Today, we are closer than weve ever gotten to reforming our toxics law because both sides have compromised on policy without compromising their principles. Now we must show the American people that we can work together and get things done by moving this bill across the finish line.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.carper.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/pressreleases?ContentRecord_id=02788b4d-e616-4785-bc6c-f1ad489a4e02", "WhiteOptics Hosts Carper, Coons and U.S. Trade Representative Froman", "2015-10-09", "2015", "2015-10", "Democrat", "House", "DE", "Thomas Carper", "C000174", "www.carper.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "NEW CASTLE, Del. Today, U.S. Sens. Tom Carper and Chris Coons (both D-Del.) joined U.S. Trade Representative Michael Froman, thechief United States official on international trade, for a tour of WhiteOptics, a New Castle manufacturer that exportsits goods to countries aroundthe world.\r\nFounded in 2009, WhiteOptics manufactures and distributes high diffuse, high reflectance white metals, films and advanced coatings to the lighting industry. Carper,Coons and Froman discussed how American exports  like the products made at White Optics  are growingDelawares economy and howtradedeals that open up new markets to American goods and services can increase wages, boost productivity, and put people back to work.\r\nOne of my top priorities as a member of Congress is to create a nurturing environment for jobcreation, saidSen. Carper.In Delaware, we know one of the keys to doing that is making sure oursmall businesses can compete and win in the global economy. We have to look outside our national borders to find 95 percent of the worlds markets, so we must negotiate trade deals that get us there.\r\nManufacturing is a critical part of Delawares economy, and I want to thank Ambassador Froman for visiting with one of my favorite Delaware manufacturers, White Optics said Sen. Coons. We discussed a number of important issues today from trade and small business development to intellectual property protection. I also want to thank Ambassador Froman for his continued work on AGOA and efforts on opening up markets in Africa to Delawares poultry producers.\r\nMade-in-America exports, like the energy efficient lighting products that WhiteOptics sells around the world, support over 11 million high-paying jobs across the United States, said U.S. Trade Representative Michael Froman. With 95 percent of the worlds consumers living outside our borders, its imperative that we do as much as we can to help American exporters break through into new, growing economies so that we can sell more exports and support more jobs right here in the United States. Thats exactly what TPP does  by cutting over 18,000 taxes that make American exports more expensive and establishing the highest labor standards of any trade agreement in history, TPP levels the playing field for Delawareans and for the United States so that we can compete and win in the global economy. \r\nInternational trade supports one in every five jobs in Delaware and contributes billions of dollars to the local economy, but tremendous potential for growth remains untapped. Businesses in the First State face unfair barriers that make it hard to reach foreign markets and compete on a level playing field when they get there. Negotiating trade deals like the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) can help break these barriers and push Delaware goods and services into some of the fastest growing economies in the world.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.carper.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/pressreleases?ContentRecord_id=1d7f625b-2db5-4ea9-98d4-a86026c3459f", "Statement of Ranking Member Tom Carper: \"Threats to the Homeland\"", "2015-10-08", "2015", "2015-10", "Democrat", "House", "DE", "Thomas Carper", "C000174", "www.carper.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "WASHINGTON  Today, the U.S. Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs held the hearing, Threats to the Homeland. Below is the opening statement of Ranking Member Tom Carper (D-Del.), as prepared for delivery:\r\nThank you, Mr. Chairman and welcome to our witnesses.\r\nAs this Committee has discussed at a number of hearings over the years, the threats our country faces have evolved significantly since 9/11.\r\nAfter 9/11, the most acute terrorist threats came from Osama Bin Laden's Al-Qaeda. Today, Bin Laden is dead. The core of Al-Qaeda as we knew it has been dismantled.\r\nUnfortunately, ISIS and Al-Qaedas affiliates in Yemen and Syria have filled the void. The tactics they use have changed, as well. ISIS in particular has perfected using social media to spread its online propaganda and recruit members to its ranks. These new tactics mean that we can no longer rely solely on military force to eliminate a terrorist threat.\r\nWe must identify the root causes of why Westerners join the ranks of ISIS and tailor our counter terrorism tactics to meet this evolving challenge. That is no easy task. To do this, we will have to improve our ability to counter violent extremism. I know this is a priority for all of our witnesses, and I commend the Secretary for establishing a new office at the Department that will be focused countering violent extremism.\r\nMoreover, if we are to be truly successful in countering ISISs message, among other things, we must remind the world of the principals and values that the United States stands for. Our country has a long history of granting refuge to the war-weary. We have a moral obligation to continue this tradition by taking in our share of Syrian refugees.\r\nWith that said, we also have an obligation to ensure those people coming from Syria are thoroughly vetted in order to confirm that these people are who they say they are. It is our jobas well as the job of the witnesses testifying todayto strike an appropriate balance between these two competing interests. I hope well have a good conversation today about how we can do this.\r\nBut while we need to continue to focus on halting the kind of terrorist acts committed and inspired by groups like Al-Qaeda and ISIS, there are other threats that have grown and evolved since 9/11 that also demand our attention.\r\nFourteen years ago, hardly anyone was talking about cybersecurity. Today, cyber intrusions are a daily occurrence. Some cyber actors want to steal our sensitive information. Others just want to be disruptive to make political points. Some nation states, however, have the capability to use a cyber attack as a tool for espionage or even as a weapon of war.\r\nAnd the vulnerabilities that make these kinds of attacks possible also open the information systems that run our government, our businesses, and our critical infrastructure to cause wide-scale economic damage or even physical harm. \r\nLast year, this committee laid an important foundation and passed four cybersecurity bills that became law. Now we must come together  Democrat and Republican, privacy advocate and industry  to move cyber legislation here in the Senate as soon as possible.\r\nWe should start with the bill that Chairman Johnson and I, as well as Senators Ayotte, McCaskill, Collins, and Warner worked on to significantly enhance the EINSTEIN program at DHS. The Senate also needs to take up the information sharing bill sponsored by Senators Burr and Feinstein and consider amendments to the bill.\r\nAs I think about how we are going to address all the threats that our nation faces  terrorism, cyber attacks, drug traffickers, and even mother nature at times  I am reminded of the lessons in courage and sacrifice that I learned on a recent trip.\r\nA few weeks ago, on the 14th anniversary of the 9/11 terrorist attacks, I was honored to join Secretary Johnson and our Chairman in Shanksville, Pennsylvania, to visit the Flight 93 Memorial and commemorate the 40 passengers and crew who made the ultimate sacrifice for our country. Their story is a humble reminder of why we are all here today and the importance of the mission before us.\r\nIt is my hope that we will all remember the lessons that the passengers and crew of Flight 93 taught us about bravery and selflessness. And I hope we can use those lessons to make our country and the world a better, safer place.\r\nThank you again Mr. Secretary for that very special invitation.\r\nI look forward to a productive hearing today.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.carper.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/pressreleases?ContentRecord_id=2cdacab2-42cf-4723-81d8-c0a2f1edbb97", "Carper, Coons urge passage of historic bipartisan chemical safety reform legislation", "2015-10-08", "2015", "2015-10", "Democrat", "House", "DE", "Thomas Carper", "C000174", "www.carper.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "WASHINGTON  In a press conference today, U.S. Senators Tom Carper and Chris Coons (both D-Del.) joined a bipartisan group of their colleagues, Bonnie Lautenberg, widow of the late Senator Frank Lautenberg (D-N.J.), and other supporters of chemical safety reform to urge the Senate to act to pass a historic bill to reform the broken Toxic Substances Control Act of 1976 (TSCA).\r\nWritten by Senators Tom Udall (D-N.M.) and David Vitter (R-La.), the Frank R. Lautenberg Chemical Safety for the 21st Century Act would overhaul the 39-year-old law to better protect the public while still protecting American business and innovation. The proposal is based on a bill authored by chemical safety champion former-Senator Lautenberg before he passed away, which he wrote with Senator Vitter. It now has broad bipartisan support, with 60 Senate cosponsors representing 38 states. Our strategy to keep American families safe from toxic substances has failed for nearly four decades, and its time to fix the problem, said Senator Tom Carper. This legislation will, for the first time, require that every chemical used in consumer products is assessed for safety. At the same time, it will offer businesses a predictable and manageable review process for chemicals that do not pose a safety hazard. Bipartisanship is hard to find in the Senate these days, especially on issues that affect the environment. But in this case, Democrats and Republicans are coming together to improve a failed law that doesnt work for consumers and doesnt work for businesses. Today, we are closer than weve ever gotten to reforming our toxics law because both sides have compromised on policy without compromising their principles. We must now show the American people we can do whats right for this country and move this bill across the finish line. By failing to update our decades-old chemical safety laws, weve endangered public health and the environment for too long,said Senator Chris Coons.Before he passed away, Senator Lautenberg worked tirelessly to reach this groundbreaking reform bill, and Senator Udall has taken up the mantle since then to improve and strengthen the bill to adequately protect human health and the environment. I am proud that the bill also includes a section that reflects my Sustainable Chemistry R&D Act, which creates a federal interagency effort to support R&D, commercialization, education and training, and industry-academic partnerships in sustainable chemistry.We now have a bill that will finally ensure our country has a regulatory framework that works for the 21stcentury by protecting human health and the environment, while also providing certainty and predictability for consumers and industry. I urge the Senate to take up this bill immediately while we have wide bipartisan support, or risk losing all the hard work thats been done to reach this historic compromise. Senator Carper worked closely with the Senators Udall and Vitter for more than a year, leading a group of Democratic colleagues in discussions to secure enhanced protections for public health and the environment, including provisions that would protect children, pregnant women, and workers from toxic risks, ensure EPA has access to information to assess safety risks, and allow states to enforce federal toxic safety. He joined the legislation as a cosponsor of the compromise proposal, introduced in March. Since its introduction, Senator Carper has worked hard to further improve the bill and is proud of the strong bipartisan process that has moved this legislation forward with broad support from both sides of the aisle. The Frank R. Lautenberg Chemical Safety for the 21st Century Act includes provisions from Senator Coons sustainable chemistry bill that he introduced earlier this year with Senator Susan Collins (R-Maine). These provisions would encourage the design, development, and commercialization of high-preforming chemicals, products, and processes that reduce or eliminate risk to human health and benefit the environment.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.carper.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/pressreleases?ContentRecord_id=d8e8a788-6885-4da6-9e67-37e8fec13e39", "Senator Carper Responds to Results of Committee Business Meeting", "2015-10-08", "2015", "2015-10", "Democrat", "House", "DE", "Thomas Carper", "C000174", "www.carper.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "WASHINGTON  Today, Sen. Tom Carper (D-Del.), Ranking Member of the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, highlighted the bipartisan progress as well as unfinished work the Committee must tackle following the Committees business meeting.\r\nThe Committee favorably reported The Fraud Reduction and Data Analytics Act of 2015 (S.2133), which was introduced by Sen. Carper earlier this week. The bipartisan bill, cosponsored by Sens. Thom Tillis (R-N.C.), Claire McCaskill (D-Mo.), Ron Johnson (R-Wis.), and Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.), would require federal agencies to conduct regular fraud risk assessments and develop strategies to combat fraud within their programs. Specifically, the bill would require agencies to implement new financial controls to help them better identify and prevent fraud and push them to share anti-fraud best practices with each other. The bill would also promote the development and use of cutting-edge data analysis tools across the federal government that should help agencies, just like private sector business such as credit card companies, spot patterns of fraud. Finally, the bill would strengthen accountability by requiring regular reports to Congress about agency progress in combatting fraud.\r\nWe have a responsibility to ensure that federal agencies do a better job managing federal programs and delivering services more efficiently and at a lower cost, said Sen. Carper. This bill would, among other things, require federal officials to determine what areas of government spending are at the greatest risk for fraud, develop an action plan to address vulnerabilities, and then share those solutions across agencies with similar programs. I thank my Committee colleagues for supporting this timely, common sense and bipartisan legislation.\r\nThe Committee also considered several bills that would change various aspects of the regulatory procedures federal agencies follow. Sen. Carper joined his Committee colleagues in supporting S. 1817, the Smarter Regs Act of 2015, which would require retrospective review plans to be built into future regulations. The bill, introduced by Sens. Heidi Heitkamp (D-N.D.) and James Lankford (R-Okla.), was favorably reported by voice vote. Sen. Carper called on his Committee and Senate colleagues to continue to work together in a bipartisan manner to address remaining concerns in the other regulatory reform bills considered during todays business meeting.\r\nOne of the most important jobs of Congress is to help create a nurturing environment for job growth, said Sen. Carper. One of the ways we can do that is to have common-sense regulations that provide businesses with predictability they need. When done in a smart way, regulations can help grow our economy. Regulations also serve a number of other important public purposes, including protecting public health and safety and the environment. While there may sometimes be disagreements about certain rules, I believe everyone generally agrees that some regulation is necessary and good. However, whatever we do here in Congress and on this Committee should help reduce burdens and increase transparency while achieving the greatest public benefit. It should be our goal to have the most efficient, effective, and transparent regulatory process we can have. We should ensure that process results in common-sense regulations.\r\nThe Senators whose bills we discussed today are all thoughtful legislators and their legislative proposals are well-intentioned. And I am always willing to listen to new ideas, he continued. That having been said, I worry that many of these proposals focus too much on the costs of regulations, while ignoring the benefits. Many of the proposals also would add additional hurdles to the regulatory process that would make it even more complicated and lead to significant litigation and regulatory delays rather than help to make the process more efficient. I am hopeful that we can continue to work together to find common areas of agreement and try to find some consensus as the bills move forward, despite some of our disagreements. Regulatory reform in my mind is a lot like working toward a more perfect union. Its hard work and there are tough issues. But we must always keep trying.\r\nFinally, Sen. Carper urged his colleagues in the full Senate to vote on several nominees who were reported out of this Committee in June. Those nominees include the Associate Judges on the Superior Court of the District of Columbia, Judge William Nooter and Judge Steven Wellner, who were originally nominated in 2013.\r\nI have spoken repeatedly about the large and very troubling backlog of nominations in the Senate, said Sen. Carper. We do our country no service  and ourselves no honor  when we leave key institutions without proper leadership and leave honorable men and women willing to serve in government twisting in the wind. That includes the District of Columbia. Unlike states, the Districts judges must be confirmed by the Senate. In June, our Committee approved two very qualified nominees to be the Associate Judges of the Districts Superior Court  two nominees who were originally nominated in 2013. Since then, the full Senate has done nothing to move these nominees forward. Id like to remind my colleagues of the Golden Rule, to treat others the way youd want to be treated. This is not the way we should treat these well-qualified nominees or the citizens of the District of Columbia. We wouldnt want to be treated this way if we were in their shoes. Further delay is simply wrong and inexcusable. I ask that we do everything we can to get these nominees moved through the Senate soon.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.carper.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/pressreleases?ContentRecord_id=3a128a21-875a-430e-a419-9a68f92e4e13", "Senator Carper Highlights National Cyber Security Awareness Month", "2015-10-06", "2015", "2015-10", "Democrat", "House", "DE", "Thomas Carper", "C000174", "www.carper.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "WASHINGTON  Today, Sen. Tom Carper (D-Del), Ranking Member of the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, highlighted National Cyber Security Awareness Month, which begins October 1. During the month of October, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), the National Cyber Security Alliance, and the Multi-State Information Sharing and Analysis Center raise awareness on cybersecurity in an effort to educate Americans about protecting themselves online. With so many Americans using the Internet for banking, shopping, and personal communication, it is critical that information online is protected from cyber intrusions. While the national awareness campaign encourages Americans to be more cautious online, it also reminds Americans to recognize the importance of cybersecurity in their daily lives.\r\nAs Delawareans and Americans continue to share and store more personal information online, we must remain vigilant and make ourselves aware of the threats that exist in cyber space, said Sen. Carper. National Cyber Security Awareness Month serves as an important reminder for everyone to better understand the importance of cybersecurity and to take action to keep their personal information secure online, not just in October but every day.\r\nNational Cyber Security Awareness Month also serves as an important reminder for Congress to meet our responsibility when it comes to securing cyber space. Last year, Congress made strides in bolstering our nations cyber defenses by passing four bipartisan cybersecurity bills that strengthen our national security and help modernize our nations cybersecurity and cyber workforce. But more must be done. I hope my colleagues act without further delay and pass a bill that helps the private sector and the federal government share more information about the threats coming from cyber space. This kind of information sharing bill is critical to our national security, as well as the security of many private companies across our country.\r\nImproving our cyber security practices must remain one of the top priorities for Congress, the Administration, and every American. This month, lets seize the opportunity and do all that we can to keep ahead of the growing cyber threat and stay safe online.\r\nHere are some tips Americans can use to improve their cybersecurity practices:\r\n \r\nSet strong passwords and regularly change them.\r\nKeep your operating system, browser, and other critical software optimized by installing updates.\r\nMaintain an open dialogue with your family, friends, and community about Internet safety.\r\nLimit the amount of personal information you post online and use privacy settings to avoid sharing information widely.\r\nBe cautious about what you receive or read onlineif it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.\r\n \r\nFor more information on National Cyber Security Month and what Americans can do to protect themselves online, visit: http://www.dhs.gov/national-cyber-security-awareness-month\r\nIn July, the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee approved the Federal Cybersecurity Enhancement Act of 2015 (S.1869), introduced by Sens. Carper and Ron Johnson (R-Wis.), which would require that all federal agencies implement stronger protections and state-of-the-art technologies to defend against cyberattacks. It would also accelerate the deployment and adoption of the Department of Homeland Securitys federal cybersecurity program known as EINSTEIN. In February, Sen. Carper introduced the Cyber Threat Sharing Act of 2015 (S.456), which would take critical steps to remove barriers in order to increase the sharing of cyber threat data between private industry and the federal government. Last Congress, the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee authored several cybersecurity bills, which the president signed into law in December. Those include the Federal Information Security Modernization Act (P.L. 113-283) to update the Federal Information Security Management Act, the National Cybersecurity Protection Act of 2014 (P.L. 113-282) authorizing a National Cybersecurity and Communications Integration Center at the Department of Homeland Security for information sharing, and two bills to improve the federal cybersecurity workforce  the Cybersecurity Workforce Assessment Act (P.L. 113-246.) and the Border Patrol Pay Reform Act (P.L. 113-277) (which contains provisions from the DHS Cybersecurity Workforce Recruitment and Retention Act of 2014).", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.carper.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/pressreleases?ContentRecord_id=45517554-c722-48b0-ab28-79876b7684d5", "Senator Carper Statement on Presidents Intent to Nominate Michael Missal as Department of Veterans Affairs Inspector General", "2015-10-06", "2015", "2015-10", "Democrat", "House", "DE", "Thomas Carper", "C000174", "www.carper.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "WASHINGTON   Today, Sen. Tom Carper (D-Del.), a veteran and ranking member of the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, released the following statement regarding President Obamas intent to nominate Michael Missal as the Department of Veterans Affairs Inspector General:\r\nAs a veteran, I understand the sacrifices that our servicemen and servicewomen and their families have made to defend our country and the freedoms we cherish. We have a responsibility to ensure that our returning heroes have the support and the resources they need when they come home, and to make sure they are taken care of long after. Part of that responsibility includes making sure strong and effective leadership is in place at the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). The most important element in the success of any organization is leadership. Thats why the Presidents nomination of Michael Missal as the Inspector General for the Department of Veterans Affairs is such welcome news. \r\nOver the past several years, the VA and the oversight conducted by its Office of the Inspector General have come under scrutiny. For the past two years, the VA has been operating without a Senate-confirmed inspector general. I have long urged the President to nominate a qualified person to fill this critically important position. Veterans and taxpayers deserve strong and permanent leadership in place to reestablish trust at the Department. Mr. Missal brings a wealth of experience from the private and public sector, and I am eager to meet with him and discuss his qualifications and visions for the office. I look forward to working with my colleagues to consider his nomination in a thorough and timely manner.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.carper.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/pressreleases?ContentRecord_id=69c282b7-8830-4e00-b67d-888d3e8eb54d", "Sen. Carper's Statement on Ellen Kullman's Resignation from DuPont", "2015-10-06", "2015", "2015-10", "Democrat", "House", "DE", "Thomas Carper", "C000174", "www.carper.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "WILMINGTON, Del. Today, U.S. Sen. Tom Carper (D-Del.) released the following statement on the news that DuPont Chair and CEO Ellen Kullman will resign on October 16th\r\nIts not often that Ifind myself at a loss for words, butIdo today.I am deeply saddened by Ellens decision to step down from her post at DuPont later this month. She is one of this countrys great business leaders, and she has worked tirelessly to continue the companys centuries-old tradition of success.\r\n\"One of Delaware's very own, she deftly guided DuPont through theturbulence of the Great Recession and stayed the course during the tumultuous past yearall while repositioning the company to compete and win in the rapidly changing global economy. Most important, sheaccomplishedall of this whilebeinghonest and fair with the companys shareholders, customers, employees and the people inits surroundingcommunities.I admire Ellens strong leadership, and believe wholeheartedly that DuPont is better today because of herhard work over the past sevenyears. I wish her and her family all the best in this next chapter of their lives.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.carper.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/pressreleases?ContentRecord_id=e122faa2-8e78-4825-b66f-a7ed4e04ba1c", "Carper Applauds EPA Rule to Better Protect Americans from Ozone Pollution", "2015-10-06", "2015", "2015-10", "Democrat", "House", "DE", "Thomas Carper", "C000174", "www.carper.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "WASHINGTON  Today, Sen. Tom Carper (D-Del.), top Democrat on theSenateEnvironment and Public Works Subcommittee on Clean Air and Nuclear Safety, issued the following statement commending the Environmental Protection Agencys (EPA) announcement that it will implement stricter ozone air pollution health standards from 75 parts per billion to 70 parts per billion.Ozone air pollution poses a serious threat to public health and has been linked to asthma, heart disease and premature death. The Senator has been a long time champion of efforts to reduce dangerous emissions that contribute to ozone pollution.\r\nAs medical science evolves, so too does our understanding of healthy air. For decades, we have known that ozone pollution caused by dirty power plants, automobiles, and other sources is linked to serious health problems like asthma, strokes, heart attacks, and even early deaths. Parents who have watched their kids with asthma suffer on high ozone days know this better than anyone. As a parent, I worry about my own childrens health. And as a U.S. Senator, I worry about every childs health. Thats why I applaud the president and the EPA for crafting a health standard that better protects our nations children. \r\nThrough unprecedented outreach, the EPA collected broad input and developed this rule based on the most up-to-date science. Today, the EPA announced that our current ozone health standards are too weak and no longer adequately protect our health. Despite what many may say, todays announcement is purely a statement of fact  to protect our health, we need less ozone pollution.Fortunately, the EPA has already implemented federal regulations to ensure every state does its fair share when it comes to air pollution.As a result of these federal regulations, very few states will need to do additional actions to meet this new health standard.In fact, less than fifteen counties outside of California are expected to be in nonattainment by 2025.\r\nAcross the political spectrum, I know we can agree on many of the same things  we want cleaner air, a stronger economy, and to engage states and industry in a thoughtful way. Opponents to this rule will argue that we have to choose between having a cleaner, stronger environment and having a robust, growing economy. I believe this is a false choice. We can have both clean air and a strong energy sector in this country, and I applaud the EPA for moving us further into a clean energy future.\r\nThe U.S. Environmental Protection Agency EPA estimates that meeting the new 70 parts per billion standard in 2025 will yield annual health benefits of $2.9 to $5.9 billion for a standard and will cost an estimated $1.4 billion.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.carper.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/pressreleases?ContentRecord_id=e8d0455f-51fe-413b-90f0-07de847b9812", "Senators Respond to GAO Report on U.S. Postal Service Delivery Performance Measurement", "2015-10-06", "2015", "2015-10", "Democrat", "House", "DE", "Thomas Carper", "C000174", "www.carper.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "WASHINGTON  Today, Senators Tom Carper (D-Del.), Heidi Heitkamp (D-N.D.), Claire McCaskill (D-Mo.), and Jon Tester (D-Mont.), members of the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, responded to a new Government Accountability Office (GAO) report that found the on-time mail delivery performance results provided by the U.S. Postal Service (USPS) and Postal Regulatory Commission (PRC) are not complete and may not give an accurate assessment of service for many communities across the country.\r\nThe report, Actions Needed to Make Delivery Performance Information More Complete, Useful and Transparent, outlines deficiencies in the Postal Services measurement capabilities and makes recommendations to Congress to direct USPS and the PRC to improve the completeness, analysis and transparency of delivery performance information. Specifically, GAO called on USPS and the PRC to include more detail on the Postal Services performance beyond the national level to include area and district performance. \r\nAs my colleagues and I have heard through numerous committee hearings, round tables, and countless conversations with postal customers, stakeholders, and management, service across the country, particularly in rural communities, is suffering, said Senator Carper, Ranking Member on the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee. In order to fix these service problems, we need to figure out their root causes. Unfortunately, the Government Accountability Office found that the delivery performance results that the Postal Service and Postal Regulatory Commission provide do not give Congress or postal customers an accurate assessment of service. While the Postal Service can and should take steps to address these serious shortcomings in performance and transparency, Congress must also help the Postal Service get better in this area. My bill, iPOST, would help put the service back in Postal Service by stabilizing operations and requiring measurable improvements to delivery performance across the country. It would also require the Postal Service to publicize its performance data on its website so customers in all areas of the country can assess how the Postal Service is doing in their communities. I look forward to continuing to work with my colleagues in Congress, including Senators Heitkamp, Tester, and McCaskill, the Administration, and stakeholders to strengthen my bill and understand new ways we can help the Postal Service improve and maintain quality service across the country.\r\nThere is no question that mail delivery and service in rural areas like North Dakota are seriously lacking, said Sen. Heitkamp. Through my Fix My Mail initiative Ive heard about the challenges residents face getting mail on time, and an independent report I requested backed up those stories showing severe mail delivery problems in my state. As we learned from this new GAO report, how can the Postal Service possibly improve delivery in rural communities if it doesnt accurately track the time it takes to deliver mail to these areas? There is no reason why we shouldnt have access to that data. But we can change that. Senator Carper and I worked to include provisions in his bill to require the Postal Service provide definitions for urban, suburban, and rural communities, and mandate mail delivery performance goals that hold the agency accountable for improving delivery in underperforming communities. The reality is that rural communities, like North Dakota, are disproportionately and unfairly impacted by cuts to mail service and delivery which have harsh impacts on families and small businesses living in those regions. But with real data at their disposal, as this bill would require, the Postal Service will know exactly where it needs to make changes.\r\nTodays report makes clear what wed suspected about USPS service for rural Americansthat the Postal Service is unable to accurately measure its delivery times in rural areas. Until the Postal Service is able to accurately assess their own performance and address their ability to deliver on-time mail to rural customers, they cant possibly consider further consolidations of processing facilities and post office closures,\"said Senator McCaskill.\r\nMontanans tell me that there are serious delays in mail delivery and yet time and time again the USPS tells me theyre doing great, said Senator Tester. We clearly need better data that reflects whats actually happening on the ground. This report confirms what many of us in rural America have been hearing from our constituents for years. \r\nOver the past few years, in an effort to reduce costs and resize its vast network of processing and distribution plants, the U.S. Postal Service has shifted more and more mail volume from overnight to two to three day delivery. In response to concerns vocalized by constituents with delays in service beyond the Postal Services self-regulated delivery standards, Senators Carper, McCaskill, Heitkamp, and Tester requested GAO review the Postal Services ability to accurately measure delivery performance versus delivery standards across the nation and in some of the more rural areas of the country.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.carper.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/e-newsletter?ContentRecord_id=7b41efed-57b0-4f0c-8ec7-13a1736444e1", "This October, Be Cyber Aware", "2015-10-03", "2015", "2015-10", "Democrat", "House", "DE", "Thomas Carper", "C000174", "www.carper.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "October 3, 2015 \r\n Dear Friends, \r\nOctober is National Cybersecurity Awareness Month, and gives us a great opportunity to educate ourselves on the best ways to keep our personal information secure online. As we rely more and more on the internet to shop, pay bills or even access our bank accounts, we must remain vigilant and stay aware of the threats that exist in cyber space, not just in October  but every day.\r\nIn the 12 years since the first Cybersecurity Awareness Month, the amount of information that Delawareans and Americans share and store online has grown at a rapid pace. It is critically important that we do not let our ability to share information online outpace our knowledge of how to protect our information online.\r\nHere are some tips you can use to improve your cybersecurity practices:\r\n \r\nSet strong passwords and regularly changethem.\r\nKeep your operating system, browser, and other critical software optimized by installing updates.\r\nMaintain an open dialogue with your family, friends,and community about Internet safety.\r\nLimit the amount of personal information you post online and use privacy settings to avoid sharing information widely.\r\nBe cautious about what you receive or read onlineif it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.\r\n \r\nFor more tips on what you can do to protect your information online, visit the Department of Homeland Securitys Cybersecurity Awareness Month webpage, or the National Cyber Security Alliances Stay Safe Online page.\r\nWhile each of us must remain vigilant in securing our personal information, Congress also has a responsibility to help secure cyber space for Delawareans and Americans in their daily lives. Nearly every day, we hear about cyber criminals probing our government agencies, universities, and critical infrastructure  looking for weak spots in our defenses that would allow them to shut down our financial system or our electric grid, or steal our personal information. They also try to steal our ideas  the lifeblood of the American economy and the driving force that enables businesses and our military to remain preeminent in the world.\r\nLast year, Congress made strides in bolstering our nations cyber defenses by passing four bipartisan cybersecurity bills that help modernize and strengthen our nations cybersecurity and encourage more men and women to join the federal government and work to protect our cyber networks. But there is still more work to be done. I hope Congress uses Cybersecurity Awareness Month as an opportunity to pass legislation that helps the private sector and the federal government share more information about the threats coming from cyber space. This kind of information sharing bill is critical to our national security, as well as the security of many private companies across our country.\r\nImproving our cybersecurity practices must remain one of the top priorities for Congress, the Administration, and every American. This month, lets seize the opportunity and do all that we can to keep ahead of the growing cyber threat and stay safe online.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.carper.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/pressreleases?ContentRecord_id=b96b304a-98c8-4529-876f-fb837ac36752", "Finance Hearing Statement: Improper Payments in Federal Programs", "2015-10-02", "2015", "2015-10", "Democrat", "House", "DE", "Thomas Carper", "C000174", "www.carper.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "WASHINGTON Today, Sen. Tom Carper (D-Del.) released the following statement on the Senate Finance Committees hearing on improper payments made by federal government programs.\r\nFederal improper payments can be an instructive symptom of a serious disease that should concern all of us, namely the misuse or mismanagement of taxpayer dollars. Throughout my time in public office, Ive focused on ways to improve our stewardship of taxpayer dollars, whether it is reducing errors in federal spending, inefficient spending, or fraudulent spending. That's why I am particularly pleased that the Finance Committee is holding a hearing on this important issue, because improper payments can serve as canaries in the coal mine, warning us of potential vulnerabilities in federal financial management.\r\nAs my colleagues know, I like to focus on the root causes of a problem, instead of just treating its symptoms. I believe that approach is particularly important as we review why and how our federal agencies aremakingimproper payments, and I hope my colleagues share my point of view.\r\nIn order to create an effective solution to a problem, we must first thoroughly understand whats happening. One big misconception about improper payments is that they are always a symptom of fraud. That is simply not the case. Quite often, improper payments are unintentional mistakes. For example, a legitimate payment that is issued for an accurate amount, but does not have adequate supporting documentation, is considered improper. That circumstance should be corrected, but its not a scam. An inefficient and inaccurate federal payment system, however, can certainly create a ripe opportunity for bad actors to commit fraud, and Congress has a duty to address these vulnerabilities.\r\nHowever, you cant manage what you cant measure. Thats why Congress took action to require all executivebranch agencies to identify programs that may be susceptible to significant improper payments, and then measure and reportany improper payments that occurred. Five years ago, Congress expanded these requirements to help ensure agencies are adequately assessing the risk of improper payments in their programs, and that they have action plans to reduce that risk.\r\nLast year, when federal executive agencies reported their findings, we saw a significant increase in improper payments. That increase is troubling, but we shouldnt react without knowing what caused it. Today, Im most interested in hearing from Government Accountability Office Comptroller Gene Dodaro about what we actually mean when we say a payment is improper  whether its an over or under-payment, an act of fraud, or some other error  and if we have a solid grasp on the breakdown between the different scenarios. That information is critical to any effort to correct the mistakes made by our federal payment systems.\r\nThe American people entrust us with their hard-earned money, and they expect that we do everything possible not to waste it. We have a long way to go to make good on this expectation, but I know we are up to the task. I look forward to working with my colleagues on this committee to identify efficient and comprehensive solutions to stop improper payments before they happen.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.carper.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/featured-items?ContentRecord_id=8c2488ba-4552-497c-986e-e2c341515177", "2015 Hurricane Joaquin Preparedness", "2015-10-01", "2015", "2015-10", "Democrat", "House", "DE", "Thomas Carper", "C000174", "www.carper.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Sen. Tom Carper wants to remind Delawareans to prepare for the upcoming stormapproaching the state. Below is information for constituents about hurricane preparedness and useful resources. Proper preparation for hurricanes can help save homes, property, and even lives.\r\nHurricanes and other tropical disturbances can be unpredictable and can suddenly change course and intensity. As Hurricane Joaquin approaches the East Coast and theMid-Atlantic region, follow your local news and regularly visit theDelaware EmergencyManagement Agency websiteand theNational Hurricane Centers website. Both will provide the most updated information on the storm's trajectory, including its expected impact on Delaware.\r\nI strongly encourage everyone to think ahead and create emergency preparednesskits so that you and your family can be better prepared for this storm.VisitFEMAs emergency preparedness websiteto learn what to include in your kits. It is alwaysbetter to be over prepared in the case of an emergency.\r\nIf you need help or have questions, pleasecontact my officesMonday - Friday, and we will do our best to assist you with your needs.\r\n \r\nWilmington:(302) 573-6291\r\nDover: (302) 674-3308\r\nGeorgetown:(302) 856-7690\r\nWashington, DC: (202) 224-2441\r\n \r\nFind Information on Evacuation Routes and Preparation Measures for Each County Below:\r\nSussex County\r\n\r\nNew Castle County\r\n\r\nKent County\r\n\r\nADDITIONAL RESOURCES\r\nHurricane Preparedness", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.carper.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/pressreleases?ContentRecord_id=3fcf1e80-91cc-4048-9c32-d76cf6d7922c", "Carper Votes for Short Term Funding Measure to Keep Government Open", "2015-09-30", "2015", "2015-09", "Democrat", "House", "DE", "Thomas Carper", "C000174", "www.carper.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "WASHINGTON  Today, Sen. Tom Carper (D-Del.), top Democrat on the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, released the following statement after the Senate voted 78-20 to fund the Government through Dec. 11, 2015:\r\nI have a friend who, when asked how hes doing, responds with a question  Compared to what? Well, compared to a government shutdown, a continuing resolution sends the signal that sanity reigns in the Senate. But Im disappointed that our habit of crisis governing has desensitized us  in a world where we are worried about even keeping the governments lights on, its no wonder we fail to recognize how much were failing on our bigger picture responsibilities.\r\nBy lurching from one crisis to the next, our federal government becomes far less effective and far more expensive. The uncertainty of stopgap funding degrades the morale of our federal employees, hurts businesses ability to create jobs, and creates harmful ripple effects for state and local governments and economies. After all, its incredibly difficult to plan and budget effectively if you dont know what is, or is not, coming your way from Washington.\r\nCongress should be laser focused on continuing our economic recovery. We need to pass a comprehensive, bipartisan budget plan that gives government and business certainty, and shows the American people that we can lead. Then we need to translate those plans into timely appropriations bills that will let agencies and their partners spend their time trying to get better results for the taxpayer dollar, not hastily putting together contingency plans. I hope my colleagues in both the House and Senate will join me in saying that enough is enough, its time to come together, and do our jobs that the American people hired us to do.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.carper.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/pressreleases?ContentRecord_id=d850e053-8d98-455a-8639-e0554a61046c", "Carper, Ernst Request Information to Protect Veterans and Taxpayers from Expensive Flight Training Programs", "2015-09-30", "2015", "2015-09", "Democrat", "House", "DE", "Thomas Carper", "C000174", "www.carper.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "WASHINGTON  In light of troubling reports from national news outlets, U.S. Senators Tom Carper (D-Del.) and Joni Ernst (R-Iowa) sent a letter today to Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Secretary Robert McDonald to request more information about schools that contract with public colleges and universities to recruit veterans who are eligible for Post-9/11 G.I. Bill education benefits.\r\nSince 2009, more than 1.3 million service members, veterans, and their families have financed their higher education using the Post-9/11 G.I. Bill, and millions more will take advantage of this benefit in the years to come.\r\nWe strongly support the Post-9/11 G.I. Bill.We also support allowing veterans to choose the educational programwhether it be college or career-trainingthats right for them. However, Congress has a moral and fiscal obligation to our veterans and to taxpayers to prevent abuse of the Post-9/11 G.I. Bill, the Senators wrote. We write today to seek more information regarding the costs of certain flight training programs and whether or not VA has the tools to protect veterans and taxpayers from bad actors.\r\nWhile Congress established a payment cap on the amount of Post-9/11 G.I. Bill benefits that can go toward tuition and fees at vocational flight training programs and private colleges and universities, there is no payment cap on tuition and fees for in-state tuition at public colleges and universities. As a result, flight schools that contract with public colleges are able to avoid both payment caps on private schools and vocational flight schools.\r\nThe letter sent by Senators Carper and Ernst calls on the VA to provide additional data surrounding flight school training to determine whether or not the VA is protecting veterans and taxpayers from bad actors seeking to exploit the Post-9/11 G.I. Bill.\r\nAccording to an investigation by the Los Angeles Times, some for-profit flight schools that contract with public colleges and universities have been able to take advantage of the lack of a cap on benefits that can be paid to public colleges and universities to charge the VA exorbitant fees for helicopter training programs in one instance reportedly over $500,000 per veteran, the Senators wrote.Moreover, a representative from the National Association of State Approving Agencies recently testified before Congress that VA may have recently paid $913,000 for just one veterans flight training costs.\r\nWhile flight training can provide important skills to veterans transitioning to civilian life, Congress has a responsibly to ensure that federal taxpayer dollars are not wasted and that educational assistance programs administered by the VA are as cost-effective as possible.\r\n\r\nThe text of todays letter is below:\r\n\r\nThe Honorable Robert A. McDonald\r\nSecretary\r\nU.S. Department of Veterans Affairs\r\n810 Vermont Avenue NW\r\nWashington, DC 20420 \r\nDear Secretary McDonald,\r\nAfter sacrificing years of their lives in service to our country, our veterans and their families have earned the right to attain a high-quality, affordable education. Since August 1, 2009, the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) has dispersed over $50 billion in Post-9/11 G.I. Bill payments on behalf of more than 1.3 million veterans, servicemembers, and their family members. This benefit continues to enable a new generation of veterans to attain the skills they need to succeed in the civilian workforce.\r\nWe strongly support the Post-9/11 G.I. Bill. We also support allowing veterans to choose the educational programwhether it be college or career-trainingthats right for them. However, Congress has a moral and fiscal obligation to our veterans and to taxpayers to prevent abuse of the Post-9/11 G.I. Bill. We write today to seek more information regarding the costs of certain flight training programs and whether or not VA has the tools to protect veterans and taxpayers from bad actors.\r\nAs you know, veterans may receive Post-9/11 G.I. Bill benefit payments for the full cost of in-state tuition and fees at public colleges and universities. The benefit amount at private colleges and universities, meanwhile, is capped. The inflation-indexed cap for the 2015-2016 academic year is currently $21,084. In 2011, Congress expanded the Post-9/11 G.I. Bill to include educational benefits for vocational training programs. This legislation also created a separate inflation-indexed cap for vocational flight schools, which currently stands at $12,048 for the 2015-2016 academic year.\r\nAccording to an investigation by the Los Angeles Times, some for-profit flight schools that contract with public colleges and universities have been able to take advantage of the lack of a cap on benefits that can be paid to public colleges and universities to charge the VA exorbitant fees for helicopter training programs in one instance reportedly over $500,000 per veteran.Moreover, a representative from the National Association of State Approving Agencies recently testified before Congress that VA may have recently paid $913,000 for just one veterans flight training costs.\r\nWhile flight training can provide important skills to veterans transitioning to civilian life, Congress has a responsibly to ensure that federal taxpayer dollars are not wasted and that educational assistance programs administered by the VA are as cost-effective as possible. Accordingly, we ask that you please provide the following information and materials:\r\n1. VA has stated that educational benefit payments for helicopter flight training have increased tremendously with the implementation of the Post-9/11 G.I. Bill and that sometimes these programs charge higher prices than those that would be charged if the student had chosen to attend the vocational flight school for the same training. For each year since 2008, please provide both the total amount of Post-9/11 G.I. Bill education benefit payments to (1) institutes of higher learning (IHLs) with contracted flight programs and (2) vocational flight schools.\r\n2. Please provide a list of the 100 highest per-student Post-9/11 G.I. Bill educational benefit payments to IHLs with contracted flight programs. Please identify the amount paid per student and IHL that received the payment but do not include personally identifiable information for any student.\r\n3. VA has also stated in some cases, public institutions seem to be targeting veterans for enrollment in their flight-related training programs. Please describe any cases known to the VA of public institutions targeting veterans for enrollment in flight-related training programs.\r\n4. Has VA pursued overpayments to IHLs with contracted flight schools? If so, please describe those efforts and the amount of educational benefits the VA will seek to return to taxpayers.\r\n5. VAs 85/15 rule requires the VA to halt veteran enrollment in courses or programs when more than 85 percent of the students are receiving educational assistance under programs administered by the VA. Has VA found instances of IHLs or flight schools violating the 85/15 rule for flight related training programs? Please describe any findings VA has made regarding violations of the 85/15 rule for flight training related programs. Additionally, please describe any efforts to follow up on or remedy any violations of the 85/15 rule for flight training programs. \r\n6. From April 6, 2015 to May 11, 2015, VA conducted surveys at 108 IHLs with contracted flight programs. Please describe the survey findings, including the programs currently in violation of the 85-15 Rule and any planned corrective actions. Please also provide copies of comprehensive policy advisories distributed to IHLs.\r\n7. VA testified before Congress that a growing number of VA beneficiaries are taking flight courses as elective courses and that these courses are not specifically required for the Veterans degree. For each year since 2008, please provide the total amount of Post-9/11 G.I. Bill education benefits that were provided as payment for elective flight courses to IHLs with contracted flight programs. Beyond anecdotal evidence, has VA determined that veterans at IHLs with contracted flight programs are incentivized to round out their final semester with elective flight courses?\r\nWe thank you for your attention to this matter. We look forward to your response, and working with you to protect the Post-9/11 G.I. Bill from excessive and unnecessary spending.\r\nSincerely,\r\nTom Carper\r\nJoni Ernst\r\n\r\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.carper.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/pressreleases?ContentRecord_id=ed2f49b6-8bce-485c-a2fa-583eb6dc9245", "Statement of Ranking Member Tom Carper:", "2015-09-30", "2015", "2015-09", "Democrat", "House", "DE", "Thomas Carper", "C000174", "www.carper.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "WASHINGTON  Today, the U.S. Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs held the hearing, A Review of the Department of Education and Student Achievement. Below is the opening statement of Ranking Member Tom Carper (D-Del), as prepared for delivery:\r\nI want to thank Chairman Johnson for holding this important hearing today.\r\nAs a parent and as someone who has had the honor to serve Delawareans at both the federal and state level, few issues have been more important to meand continue to be more important to methan raising student achievement and improving the quality of our nations schools. Similarly, there are few issues more important to the future of the United States than equipping our nations students with knowledge and skills they need to compete successfully with the rest of the world.\r\nIf we're serious about winning the competition for jobs in a global economy in the 21st Century, we need to start by out-educating other nations. Todays hearing offers us a gut check, particularly when it comes to higher education.\r\nWe no longer lead the world in producing the highest percentage of college graduates. Total outstanding student loan debt has surpassed $1.3 trillion. And the ever-increasing costs of higher education have increasingly forced low- and middle-income students to take on oftentimes unnecessary amounts of debt just to stay competitive with their peers, both domestically and abroad. \r\nIn my mind, we need urgent change. I look forward to hearing from each of our witnesses about what they think that change should look like. \r\nI mentioned out-educating other nations. That isnt limited to college education, though thats a big part of it. We also need to look at improving education every step along the way, beginning at the earliest years through high school and college graduation. We could benefit from taking a page out of the book I learned as head of the National Governors Association (NGA) Center for Best Practices. What my colleagues and I from around the country tried to do on education policy and any number of issues was to figure out what works and replicate proven models of success in our states. In many cases, we already know what works. Ill mention just a few examples.\r\nHigh-quality early childhood education works. Rigorous academic standards raise expectations. Great teachers and strong school leaders improve educational outcomes of entire buildings. An engaged and compassionate mentor can change a childs life. And when we encourage the use of innovative practices, whether that involves harnessing new technology or replicating whats working at a high-performing charter school, we improve on the status quo.\r\nI want to close by saying that, if were serious about winning the competition to out-educate the rest of the world, we must remember that this burden does not fall to the Department of Education alone. It is a shared responsibility. It is a shared responsibility among federal, state, and local governments, schools, districts, teachers, principals, employers, and parents.\r\nThe purpose of todays hearing is to focus on the federal role, but I would encourage each of the witnesses to bring our attention to shared responsibility as well.\r\nAgain, thank you to Chairman Johnson and thank you to all of our witnesses for being here today.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.carper.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/pressreleases?ContentRecord_id=1f106ded-b457-4e3b-b9ce-88617714f51f", "EPW Hearing Statement: Economy-wide Implications of President Obama's Air Agenda", "2015-09-29", "2015", "2015-09", "Democrat", "House", "DE", "Thomas Carper", "C000174", "www.carper.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "WASHINGTON  Today, Sen. Tom Carper (D-Del.), top Democrat on the Senate Environment and Public Works (EPW) Subcommittee on Clean Air and Nuclear Safety, issued the following statement on the committees hearing about the economic implications of President Obamas clean air agenda:\r\nOver the years, I've had a lot of different jobs  newspaper boy, naval flight officer, treasurer and governor of my state, chairman of the National Governors Association  just to name a few. But my most cherished job  and the one most important in the end  has been the role of father.A major motivator in my life has been my love for my sons and my desire to make the world a better place for them, as well as for their children and grandchildren.\r\nToday, I am reminded just how important our fight for clean air is for my children and for children across the country.Despite what we might think sometimes, our children actually listen to what we say.They hear us talk about chores, homework, and responsibility, but they watch to see if we actually pitch in and do our fair share.\r\nMuch of our countrys ongoing efforts to clean up air pollution is about playing fair and doing our share. In my home state of Delaware, we've done our homework and worked hard to curb harmful emissions that create dirty air. As a result, we've made great strides in cleaning up our own air pollution.\r\nUnfortunately, a number of the upwind states to the west of us have not made the same commitment to reducing harmful pollution by investing in cleaner air.In fact, 90 percent of Delaware's air pollution actually comes from our neighboring states. This pollution is not only dangerous to our hearts, lungs and brains, it also costs us a great deal in medical bills, and in the quality of the lives we live.And some of this air pollution  like carbon pollution  impacts our climate, threatening the health of this generation and of generations to come.\r\nFortunately, federal clean air protections  established by the Clean Air Act  have been created to right that wrong.These protections were forged by both Democrats and Republicans who were strongly committed to making sure we all do our share to clean up America's air. The bipartisan vision embodied in our nation's clean air laws has translated into healthier, longer and more productive lives for hundreds of thousands of children in Delaware, and millions more across America. Compared to 1970 when President Nixon signed the Clean Air Act into law, our nations air is much cleaner and safer. But we can, and must, do better.\r\nAs science evolves, so does our understanding of how pollution impairs health, how it travels, and how we can be cost-effective at cleaning it up.We also know more about how these pollutants impact our global environment  especially when it comes to global climate change. In order to keep up with these new challenges and keep our children healthy, this administration has continued to implement the Clean Air Act as directed by Congress over two decades ago.That means keeping our air healthy, while continuing to grow our economy.\r\nAs the Pope reminded us last week, we must treat our neighbors as we would want them to treat us. Many of the recent Clean Air Act rules issued by the EPA  such as the air toxics cross-state air pollution and carbon rules  help ensure we all do our fair share to reduce air pollution, and that one community is not overburdened by anothers pollution. I believe these rules embody the Popes lesson. Lets follow his sage advice and work together to make our air clean and healthy for our children and the generations of children who will live on this earth after us. Theyre counting on us.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.carper.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/pressreleases?ContentRecord_id=81244ec1-a095-4f64-92ea-06baac2eea33", "Senator Carper Responds to GAO Assessment of Security of Federal Agencies Networks", "2015-09-29", "2015", "2015-09", "Democrat", "House", "DE", "Thomas Carper", "C000174", "www.carper.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "WASHINGTON  Today, Sen. Tom Carper (D-Del.), ranking member of the Homeland Security and Government Affairs Committee, responded to a new Government Accountability Office (GAO) report that analyzed the security of federal agencies networks. The report found that until agencies correct longstanding security deficiencies, federal systems will remain at increased and unnecessary risk of attack or compromise.\r\nTodays report sheds light on a number of deficiencies in the security of federal agencies networks across the government, said Sen. Carper. At a time when threats in cyber space are growing at a rapid pace, it is unacceptable that so many agencies continue to fall behind in cyber defense and remain far out of compliance with the law. Simply put, agencies need to do a better job fully implementing basic security measures. While the Government Accountability Offices results are very disappointing, it is important to note that much of this audit took place before the enactment of the updated Federal Information Security Modernization Act (FISMA) of 2014 and Federal Information Technology Acquisition Reform Act (FITARA). These laws represent two significant steps in empowering agencies to better protect their cyber networks, and I am optimistic that next years audit results will reflect those benefits. But in order to be successful, leadership at all agencies must make cybersecurity a top priority.\r\nThough its clear agencies have significant work ahead, we must not overlook the progress that has been made over the past year. I am encouraged by the increased oversight efforts currently being made by the Office of Management and Budget and the Department of Homeland Security. Efforts like the Administrations Cyber Sprint initiative are crucial in finding where we are most vulnerable and shoring up these weak links in the chain.\r\nStrong cybersecurity requires a team effort. While agencies have a responsibility to secure their cyber networks, we in Congress have a responsibility to provide agencies with the resources, tools, and authorities they need to achieve this goal. My legislation with Chairman Johnson would require agencies to adopt key cybersecurity practices and tools, including the cyber intrusion detection and prevention system known as EINSTEIN. It is my hope that Congress and the Administration can continue to work together and ensure that our federal networks are properly prepared and equipped to fend off cyber attacks.\r\nThe Federal Cybersecurity Enhancement Act of 2015 would mandate the deployment of cybersecurity best practices at agencies  measures such as intrusion assessments, strong authentication, encryption of sensitive data and appropriate access controls. The bill would also authorize EINSTEIN, an intrusion detection and prevention system intended to screen federal agencies Internet traffic for potential cyber threats. It would dramatically accelerate deployment and adoption of EINSTEIN, and it includes reporting requirements to increase program accountability. The bill was approved by the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee in July.\r\nPassed last Congress, the Federal Information Security Modernization Act (FISMA) of 2014 (P.L. 113-283), introduced by Sens. Carper and Tom Coburn (R-Okla.) made updates to the Federal Information Security Management Act of 2002 to better help agencies address evolving cyber threats. The law better delineates the roles and responsibilities of the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) in securing federal networks, moves agencies away from paperwork-heavy processes and toward real-time and automated security, and puts greater management and oversight attention on data breaches.\r\nThe Federal Information Technology Acquisition Reform Act (FITARA), co-sponsored by Sens. Carper and Coburn, and Reps. Darrell Issa (R-Calif.) and Gerry Connolly (D-Va.) would improve how the federal government acquires, implements and manages its information technology investments by giving agency Chief Information Officers (CIOs) more authority over the budget, governance, and personnel processes for agency Information Technology investments, and by improving transparency and review processes of agency IT investments. The measure was passed as part of the FY 2015 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) (P.L. 113-291).", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.carper.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/pressreleases?ContentRecord_id=bd8ee598-fea7-480d-ad27-d0365900f698", "Senator Carper Responds to GAO Assessment of Security of Federal Agencies Networks", "2015-09-29", "2015", "2015-09", "Democrat", "House", "DE", "Thomas Carper", "C000174", "www.carper.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "WASHINGTON  Today, Sen. Tom Carper (D-Del.), ranking member of the Homeland Security and Government Affairs Committee, responded to a new Government Accountability Office (GAO) report that analyzed the security of federal agencies networks. The report found that until agencies correct longstanding security deficiencies, federal systems will remain at increased and unnecessary risk of attack or compromise.\r\nTodays report sheds light on a number of deficiencies in the security of federal agencies networks across the government, said Sen. Carper. At a time when threats in cyber space are growing at a rapid pace, it is unacceptable that so many agencies continue to fall behind in cyber defense and remain far out of compliance with the law. Simply put, agencies need to do a better job fully implementing basic security measures. While the Government Accountability Offices results are very disappointing, it is important to note that much of this audit took place before the enactment of the updated Federal Information Security Modernization Act (FISMA) of 2014 and Federal Information Technology Acquisition Reform Act (FITARA). These laws represent two significant steps in empowering agencies to better protect their cyber networks, and I am optimistic that next years audit results will reflect those benefits. But in order to be successful, leadership at all agencies must make cybersecurity a top priority.\r\nThough its clear agencies have significant work ahead, we must not overlook the progress that has been made over the past year. I am encouraged by the increased oversight efforts currently being made by the Office of Management and Budget and the Department of Homeland Security. Efforts like the Administrations Cyber Sprint initiative are crucial in finding where we are most vulnerable and shoring up these weak links in the chain.\r\nStrong cybersecurity requires a team effort. While agencies have a responsibility to secure their cyber networks, we in Congress have a responsibility to provide agencies with the resources, tools, and authorities they need to achieve this goal. My legislation with Chairman Johnson would require agencies to adopt key cybersecurity practices and tools, including the cyber intrusion detection and prevention system known as EINSTEIN. It is my hope that Congress and the Administration can continue to work together and ensure that our federal networks are properly prepared and equipped to fend off cyber attacks.\r\nThe Federal Cybersecurity Enhancement Act of 2015 would mandate the deployment of cybersecurity best practices at agencies  measures such as intrusion assessments, strong authentication, encryption of sensitive data and appropriate access controls. The bill would also authorize EINSTEIN, an intrusion detection and prevention system intended to screen federal agencies Internet traffic for potential cyber threats. It would dramatically accelerate deployment and adoption of EINSTEIN, and it includes reporting requirements to increase program accountability. The bill was approved by the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee in July.\r\nPassed last Congress, the Federal Information Security Modernization Act (FISMA) of 2014 (P.L. 113-283), introduced by Sens. Carper and Tom Coburn (R-Okla.) made updates to the Federal Information Security Management Act of 2002 to better help agencies address evolving cyber threats. The law better delineates the roles and responsibilities of the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) in securing federal networks, moves agencies away from paperwork-heavy processes and toward real-time and automated security, and puts greater management and oversight attention on data breaches.\r\nThe Federal Information Technology Acquisition Reform Act (FITARA), co-sponsored by Sens. Carper and Coburn, and Reps. Darrell Issa (R-Calif.) and Gerry Connolly (D-Va.) would improve how the federal government acquires, implements and manages its information technology investments by giving agency Chief Information Officers (CIOs) more authority over the budget, governance, and personnel processes for agency Information Technology investments, and by improving transparency and review processes of agency IT investments. The measure was passed as part of the FY 2015 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) (P.L. 113-291).", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.carper.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/pressreleases?ContentRecord_id=502de9c1-ba81-4c27-8c40-f0a7bbcd9130", "Carper Addresses Environment and Energy Study Institute's Briefing, Offshore Wind: Can the U.S. Catch Up with Europe?", "2015-09-28", "2015", "2015-09", "Democrat", "House", "DE", "Thomas Carper", "C000174", "www.carper.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "WASHINGTON  Today, U.S. Senator Tom Carper (D-Del.), a long-time supporter of offshore wind technology, addressed participants in the Environmental and Energy Study Institutes (EESI) briefing on the status of offshore wind energy projects in the United States in comparison to our European neighbors, who have deployed more than 50 offshore wind projects since 1991.\r\nIndustry has shown tremendous interest in developing offshore wind in the United States, and Congress should do all it can to encourage the adoption of this emerging clean technology. The briefing included apanel of experts who examined how the United States could continue building momentum for investments in offshore wind energy.\r\nOffshore wind energy means reliable, homegrown power, cleaner air, and good-paying American jobs  it's a win-win-win, Sen. Carper said. I believe there is broad consensus in Congress that offshore wind can provide greater energy security and more opportunities for economic growth. To harness the clean power of offshore wind and reap its economic benefits, we need to provide a nurturing environment to get this industry off the ground.\r\nEarlier this year, Senator Carper wasjoined bySenator Susan Collins (R-Maine) to introduce the Incentivizing Offshore Wind Power Act, which would provide financial incentives to encourage investment in offshore wind energy. The legislation would create an investment tax credit that is redeemable for the first 3,000 megawatts of offshore wind facilities placed into service, amounting to approximately 600 wind turbines.\r\nSenator Collins and I introduced the Incentivizing Offshore Wind Power Act to help give theindustry the boost it needs to grow and thrive, Sen. Carper continued. A taxcredit for the first actors will encourage private sector development of offshore wind facilities across the country, and help move the United States closer to energy independence.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"]], "truncated": false, "filtered_table_rows_count": 469, "expanded_columns": [], "expandable_columns": [], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "units": {}, "query": {"sql": "select url, title, date, year, month, party, chamber, state, member_name, bioguide_id, domain, scraper, source, date_source, text, has_text, collected_at, updated_at from releases where \"party\" = :p0 and \"state\" = :p1 and \"year\" = :p2 order by date desc limit 101", "params": {"p0": "Democrat", "p1": "DE", "p2": "2015"}}, "facet_results": {"party": {"name": "party", "type": "column", "hideable": false, "toggle_url": "/press/releases.json?party=Democrat&state=DE&year=2015", "results": [{"value": "Democrat", "label": "Democrat", "count": 469, "toggle_url": "http://dpwillis-congress-press-search.hf.space/press/releases.json?state=DE&year=2015", "selected": true}], "truncated": false}, "chamber": {"name": "chamber", "type": "column", "hideable": false, "toggle_url": "/press/releases.json?party=Democrat&state=DE&year=2015", "results": [{"value": "House", "label": "House", "count": 469, "toggle_url": "http://dpwillis-congress-press-search.hf.space/press/releases.json?party=Democrat&state=DE&year=2015&chamber=House", "selected": false}], "truncated": false}, "state": {"name": "state", "type": "column", "hideable": false, "toggle_url": "/press/releases.json?party=Democrat&state=DE&year=2015", "results": [{"value": "DE", "label": "DE", "count": 469, "toggle_url": "http://dpwillis-congress-press-search.hf.space/press/releases.json?party=Democrat&year=2015", "selected": true}], "truncated": false}, "year": {"name": "year", "type": "column", "hideable": false, "toggle_url": "/press/releases.json?party=Democrat&state=DE&year=2015", "results": [{"value": "2015", "label": "2015", "count": 469, "toggle_url": "http://dpwillis-congress-press-search.hf.space/press/releases.json?party=Democrat&state=DE", "selected": true}], "truncated": false}}, "suggested_facets": [], "next": "2015-09-28,https~3A~2F~2Fwww~2Ecarper~2Esenate~2Egov~2Fpublic~2Findex~2Ecfm~2Fpressreleases~3FContentRecord_id~3D502de9c1-ba81-4c27-8c40-f0a7bbcd9130", "next_url": "http://dpwillis-congress-press-search.hf.space/press/releases.json?party=Democrat&state=DE&year=2015&_next=2015-09-28%2Chttps~3A~2F~2Fwww~2Ecarper~2Esenate~2Egov~2Fpublic~2Findex~2Ecfm~2Fpressreleases~3FContentRecord_id~3D502de9c1-ba81-4c27-8c40-f0a7bbcd9130&_sort_desc=date", "private": false, "allow_execute_sql": true, "query_ms": 104.55801989883184, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}