{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "is_view": false, "human_description_en": "where party = \"Democrat\", state = \"DE\" and year = 2018 sorted by date descending", "rows": [["https://www.coons.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/sen-coons-statement-on-tomorrows-elections-in-the-democratic-republic-of-the-congo", "Sen. Coons\u2019 statement on tomorrow\u2019s elections in the Democratic Republic of the Congo", "2018-12-29", "2018", "2018-12", "Democrat", "House", "DE", "Christopher Coons", "C001088", "www.coons.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "12.29.18\n\t\t\t Sen. Coons' statement on tomorrow's elections in the Democratic Republic of the Congo \n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tWILMINGTON U.S. Senator Chris Coons (D-Del.), a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, released the following statement ahead of tomorrow's long-delayed elections in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.\r\nI call on the authorities of the Democratic Republic of Congo ensure that long delayed elections take place as scheduledtomorrow, December 30and that the Congolese people are able to participate freely. Security forces, candidates, and their supporters must refrain from violence and commit to the rule of law and transparent, accountable governance. The people of the DRC, a country the size of Western Europe, have suffered enough in recent years due to pervasive corruption, attacks by armed groups, and a lack of basic services. The current and recent outbreak of Ebola in the east compounds these challenges. Congo's 81 million people have never known the leaders they deserve. The election tomorrow represents an opportunity to turn over a new page in the country's history. But the conduct of the pre-election environment has not been encouraging. This election should have been held at the end of 2016 under DRC's constitution. The Saint Sylvestre political agreement of December 2016 provided a one-year extension, which authorities again failed to respect. Most recently, a mysterious fire that destroyed some eight thousand voting machines, which were apparently to be used in the capital of Kinshasa (an opposition stronghold), caused an additional one-week delay. Finally, the electoral commission decided unilaterally this week that some 1.2 million people in Beni, Butembo, and Yumbi (also known for supporting opposition candidates) will not be able to vote on Sunday, due to the Ebola outbreak as well as recent violence. These delays are concerning.\r\nI am also disappointed by the electoral commission's refusal to accept independent election observers from the European Union or the U.S.-based Carter Center. DRC authorities have also disrupted and forcibly prevented opposition rallies and campaign events, repressing the rights of free assembly and expression in violation of the government's commitments under Saint Sylvestre agreement.\r\nI condemn successive election delays and enduring political restrictions. These attempts to repress the will of the people of the DRC must stop.\r\nAs the people of DRC head to the polls tomorrow, I call upon the security forces of the DRC to protect the vote and act with restraint. Simply put, the government's security forces must back off and let the people exercise their democratic rights. Regional organizations such as the African Union and the Southern African Development Community, as well as the UN peacekeeping force MONUSCO, must help ensure that people can cast their votes in peace. If we again see the security forces attack civilians peacefully exercising their rights, there will be consequences. I am determined to work with the Trump Administration to impose targeted sanctions against high-level officials responsible for further violence or repression. The people of the DRC have waited years for this moment. They deserve a peaceful, credible election, followed by necessary anti-corruption measures and governance reforms.\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t Press Contact \n\t\t\t\tSean Coit at 202-224-5042 orSean_Coit@coons.senate.gov\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\n\t  \n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t \n\t\t\n\t\t\tPrint\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tEmail\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tTweet\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t \n\t\n\t\n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n    \n\t\n\t\n    \n    \n    \n    \t\n    \t\n\t    \t  \n\t\t    \n\t\t    \n\t\t    \tPrevious Article", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.carper.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/2018/12/carper-to-epa-dismantling-mercury-emissions-rule-puts-americans-health-at-risk", "Carper to EPA: Dismantling Mercury Emissions Rule Puts Americans Health at Risk", "2018-12-28", "2018", "2018-12", "Democrat", "House", "DE", "Thomas Carper", "C000174", "www.carper.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "WASHINGTON, D.C. Today, U.S. Senator Tom Carper (D-Del.), top Democrat on the Environment and Public Works Committee (EPW), issued the following statement after the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced that it is rolling back critical protections by asserting that it is no longer appropriate and necessary to regulate mercury and toxic air pollution from coal and oil fired plants under the Mercury Air Toxics Standards (MATS).\r\nOnce again, the Trump Administration is acting in a way that will adversely affect the health and safety of those living from coast to coast.The Trump EPA has decided  despite the recommendations of scientists, public health experts and elected officials on both sides of the aisle  that it is no longer appropriate and necessary' to protect the development ofinfants' brains from the serious threats posed by mercury power plant pollution.\r\nBy releasing this proposal today, Acting Administrator Wheeler can only be attempting to rush an egregious policy before EPA staff are furloughed that is not only wildly unpopular, but also rolls back years of critical protections that keep toxic emissions out of the air we all breathe. With this action, EPA is also setting a dangerous precedent that a federal agency  charged with protecting the environment and public health  will no longer factor in all the clear health, environmental, and economics benefits of clean air polices, such as reducing cancer and birth defects.Since the Mercury and Air Toxics Rule was issued in 2012, both electric prices and mercury pollution have gone down. With this proposal, EPA has decided to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory, and all Americans will suffer as a result.\r\nBackground on Senator Carper's fight to limit mercury emissions:\r\n \r\nSenator Carper in December sent aletterto the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs (OIRA) expressing grave concerns that in making this decision, EPA is ignoring or dismissing many of the MATS rule's public health benefits and actual costs.\r\nSenator Carper in AugustintroducedtheComprehensive National Mercury Monitoring Actwith Senator Susan Collins (R-ME), a bipartisan bill that would establish a national mercury monitoring network.\r\nSenator Carper in August sent aletterwith Senator Lamar Alexander (R-TN) to EPA requesting that EPA keep the MATS rule in place.\r\nSenator Carper early last yearquestionedthen-Attorney General Scott Pruitt last year about EPA's commitment to regulate mercury. Pruitt replied that Mercury under the Section 112 is something that EPA should deal with and regulate.\r\nSenator Carper early last year discussed Pruitt's antagonism towards regulating mercury while he led theovernight floor debateon the confirmation vote for Scott Pruitt to lead EPA.\r\nSenator Carper in NovemberhighlightedAssistant Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency for Air and Radiation Bill Wehrum's opposition to regulating mercury from power plants.\r\n \r\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.coons.senate.gov/news/videos/watch/sen-coons-joins-face-the-nation-december-23-2018", "Sen. Coons joins Face the Nation December 23, 2018", "2018-12-24", "2018", "2018-12", "Democrat", "House", "DE", "Christopher Coons", "C001088", "www.coons.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Look at the biggest progressive fights & you'll often find that they were religious movements\n\nSen. Coons celebrates America 250: \"Our story is stronger when we tell it in its entirety\"\n\nThis week, seven of my bipartisan bills advanced in the Senate, one step closer to becoming law.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-06-27T23:11:43Z"], ["https://www.coons.senate.gov/news/videos/watch/sen-coons-joins-cnn-new-day-december-21-2018", "Sen. Coons joins CNN New Day December 21, 2018", "2018-12-21", "2018", "2018-12", "Democrat", "House", "DE", "Christopher Coons", "C001088", "www.coons.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Look at the biggest progressive fights & you'll often find that they were religious movements\n\nSen. Coons celebrates America 250: \"Our story is stronger when we tell it in its entirety\"\n\nThis week, seven of my bipartisan bills advanced in the Senate, one step closer to becoming law.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-06-27T23:11:43Z"], ["https://www.coons.senate.gov/news/videos/watch/sen-coons-joins-hardball-december-20-2018", "Sen. Coons joins Hardball December 20, 2018", "2018-12-21", "2018", "2018-12", "Democrat", "House", "DE", "Christopher Coons", "C001088", "www.coons.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Look at the biggest progressive fights & you'll often find that they were religious movements\n\nSen. Coons celebrates America 250: \"Our story is stronger when we tell it in its entirety\"\n\nThis week, seven of my bipartisan bills advanced in the Senate, one step closer to becoming law.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-06-27T23:11:43Z"], ["https://www.carper.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/2018/12/carper-senate-democrats-urge-va-to-protect-student-veterans-in-light-of-education-corporation-of-america-s-abrupt-closure", "Carper, Senate Democrats Urge VA to Protect Student Veterans in Light of Education Corporation of Americas Abrupt Closure", "2018-12-20", "2018", "2018-12", "Democrat", "House", "DE", "Thomas Carper", "C000174", "www.carper.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Senate Democrats express serious concerns regarding sudden closure of more than 70 for-profit college campuses\r\nWASHINGTON, D.C.  Today, U.S. Senator Tom Carper (D-Del.) led a letter to the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) regarding the recent closure of Education Corporation of America's (ECA) national chain of for-profit colleges, including Brightwood College, Brightwood Career Institute, Ecotech Institute, Golf Academy of America, and Virginia College. Earlier this month, ECA abruptly announced the closure of more than 70 campuses across 21 states. More than 4,000 students attending ECA campuses in FY 2016 were veterans.\r\nJoining Senator Carper in sending the letter were Senators Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio), Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) and Patty Murray (D-Wash.)\r\nSchool closures continue to disproportionately harm student veterans, the senators wrote. Unfortunately, the Forever GI Bill does not provide full restoration of GI Bill benefits going forward, including for ECA students. Additionally, the terms of the limited restoration may leave the ECA student veterans who were able to complete their current term without any restoration of their hard-earned GI Bill benefits whatsoever, despite the fact that those credits may carry little value. Unlike Corinthian and ITT Tech student veterans, ECA student veterans are facing the prospect that months or years of their benefits will have been effectively wasted.\r\nThe senators also requested the VA work with the U.S. Department of Education and with State Approving Agencies to ensure that veterans affected by the closures would receive accurate information about their options, including transfer opportunities that would allow them to continue on their road to higher education without putting them at risk of further deception.\r\nIn November of 2017, Senator Carper reintroduced the Military and Veterans Education Protection Act, legislation that 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 and protect student veterans misled or mistreated by aggressive recruitment practices by for-profit institutions. In October of 2016, Senator Carper released a report highlighting the harm to student veterans caused by for-profit school closures and recommending comprehensive relief be provided to veterans and their families to ensure their G.I. Bill benefits were not permanently lost.\r\nThe text of the letter can be found below and here.\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\nDecember 20, 2018\r\n\r\nThe Honorable Robert Wilkie\r\nSecretary of Veterans Affairs\r\nU.S. Department of Veterans Affairs\r\n810 Vermont Avenue, NW\r\nWashington, DC 20420\r\n\r\nDear Secretary Wilkie:\r\n\r\nWe write to express concern regarding the recent closure of Education Corporation of America's (ECA) national chain of for-profit colleges and to request information regarding the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs' (VA) response to assist the student veterans who used their Post-9/11 GI Bill at the institutions owned by this company. We also ask that the VA continue to work with the U.S. Department of Education and with State Approving Agencies (SAAs) to ensure that student veterans affected by school closures receive accurate information about their options, including transfer opportunities that must not put students at further risk of harm.\r\n\r\nAfter more than three years on the U.S. Department of Education's Heightened Cash Monitoring watch list for financial instability, ECA's chain of for-profit colleges announced on December 5, 2018 that it would be abruptly closing its more than 70 campuses in 21 states, including Brightwood College, Brightwood Career Institute, Ecotech Institute, Golf Academy of America, and Virginia College. According to the most recent data available on the VA's GI Bill Comparison Tool, more than 4,000 student veterans were attending ECA campuses in FY 2016. Following the collapse of Corinthian Colleges. Inc. (Corinthian) and ITT Educational Services, Inc. (ITT Tech), the closure of ECA is another stark reminder that the VA and Congress must do more to protect student veterans from for-profit educational institutions with shaky finances that too frequently fail to deliver on the promise of a quality education to our nation's veterans.\r\n\r\nSchool closures continue to disproportionately harm student veterans. Through the U.S. Department of Education and statutory protections, federal student loan borrowers may be eligible to discharge their entire student loan debt through the closed school discharge process if they meet certain criteria. The Harry W. Colmery Educational Assistance Act of 2017, also known as the Forever GI Bill, does provide GI Bill beneficiaries with a limited restoration of benefits after a school closure for the current term they were enrolled, and temporarily extends the housing allowance to allow beneficiaries to make their rent or mortgage payments while they decide on next steps. The Forever GI Bill also increased protections for certain veterans attending closed schools between January 1, 2015 and August 16, 2017 by allowing the GI Bill beneficiaries from Corinthian, ITT Tech, and other closed schools to have their GI Bill benefits fully restored if they were enrolled at the time of the closure and did not transfer to another educational institution.\r\n\r\nUnfortunately, the Forever GI Bill does not provide full restoration of GI Bill benefits going forward, including for ECA students. Additionally, the terms of the limited restoration may leave the ECA student veterans who were able to complete their current term without any restoration of their hard-earned GI Bill benefits whatsoever, despite the fact that those credits may carry little value. Unlike Corinthian and ITT Tech student veterans, ECA student veterans are facing the prospect that months or years of their benefits will have been effectively wasted.\r\n\r\nAs we consider legislative options to help student veterans and their families following a school closure, we ask that you respond to the following questions by January 10, 2019.\r\n\r\n \r\nWhen did ECA notify the VA about the planned closures for each campus?\r\nWhen and how did the VA notify GI Bill recipients about the closures for each campus?\r\nHow many Post-9/11 GI Bill recipients were enrolled at ECA colleges at the time of the announced closure? Please provide GI Bill enrollment data for each campus.\r\nPlease describe the specific steps the VA has taken to identify and assist Post-9/11 GI Bill recipients affected by ECA closures.\r\nUnder the Forever GI Bill, will ECA veterans be eligible for an additional housing allowance, and, if so, what is the duration of that relief?\r\nPlease describe how the VA is coordinating with SAAs, the U.S. Department of Education, or ECA to provide information to GI Bill recipients on their transfer options.\r\nPlease describe how the VA is ensuring that transfer options do not put student veterans at risk of further harmsuch as providing guidance regarding institutions that have active caution flags on the GI Bill Comparison Tool.\r\nHow much funding from the VA did each of ECA's schools receive in academic years 2014-2015, 2015-2016, 2016-2017, and 2017-2018?\r\nPost-9/11 GI Bill beneficiaries have recently experienced delays and underpayments in housing benefits this year. How many students impacted by the ECA closures were also affected by delays in housing payments, and will ECA students who may have received incorrect housing allowances be retroactively reimbursed?\r\nPlease provide information on any efforts by the VA to limit, suspend, or withdraw ECA's participation in the Post-9/11 GI Bill program prior to their announced closure and within the last five years.\r\nPlease provide information on the overall number of student veteran complaints to the GI Bill Feedback System about schools owned by ECA and the VA's efforts to address them since 2014.\r\n \r\n\r\nThank you for your attention to this matter. We looking forward to reading your responses and working together to help our student veterans when their schools close their doors.\r\n\r\nSincerely,\r\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.carper.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/2018/12/congress-passes-carper-coons-blunt-rochester-bill-to-fix-coastal-barrier-resources-map-affecting-north-bethany-beach-homeowners", "Congress Passes Carper, Coons, Blunt Rochester Bill to Fix Coastal Barrier Resources Map Affecting North Bethany Beach Homeowners", "2018-12-20", "2018", "2018-12", "Democrat", "House", "DE", "Thomas Carper", "C000174", "www.carper.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "WASHINGTON, D.C. Delaware's Congressional Delegation, U.S. Senators Tom Carper and Chris Coons, and Congresswoman Lisa Blunt Rochester (all D-Del.), celebrated the passage of the Strengthening Coastal Communities Act of 2018, which included legislation they led in the House and Senate thatadjusts the boundary maps under theCoastal Barrier Resources Act (CBRA) for Delaware's North Bethany Beach map unit. The Strengthening Coastal Communities Act also adjusts maps in Florida, North Carolina and South Carolina, helping coastal homeowners qualify for disaster aid and setting aside thousands of acres for wildlife conservation.\r\nSpecifically, the legislation will implement a recommendation made by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) following itsdiscovery during a recent digital mapping pilot project that a portion of the North Bethany Beach unit, which encompasses the South Shore Marina development, was included by mistake when the map was created in 1990. This change to the map may only be made through Congressional action.\r\nThe Coastal Barrier Resources Act saves taxpayers money, keeps people and their property out of harm's way and conserves natural resources by restricting most federal expenditures and financial assistance for new construction on barrier islands. But a mistake made years ago has prevented South Shore Marina homeowners from accessing subsidized flood insurance through the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP),said Senator Carper, top Democrat on the Environment and Public Works Committee.This bill fixes that mistake and allows Delaware homeowners access to the National Flood Insurance Program.\r\nThis common-sense fix will help protect both Delaware homeowners and our natural resources,said Senator Coons. Severe storms will continue to threaten our coast, and it is important for Congress to make these updates as our mapping technology improves. I am pleased that we were able to advance legislation that ensures Delaware homeowners can access the federal flood insurance program.\r\nFamilies along our coastline deserve the peace of mind that when disaster strikes, they will have the tools and resources at their disposal to rebuild their homes and pick up the pieces in the aftermath. Thanks to these critical updates to the Coastal Barrier Resources Act, the South Shore Marina Community will finally have access to those federal dollars,said Congresswoman Blunt Rochester.Our legislation makes technical corrections that have a big impact in improving the lives of coastal communities and protecting Delaware's invaluable natural resources and wildlife. I am proud to have joined Senator Carper and Senator Coons in working to get this passed, and I look forward to the Administration swiftly signing this bill into law.\r\nIn November 2016, FWS sent a report to Congress that included the results of the mapping pilot project, which was required by the 2006 Coastal Barrier Resources Reauthorization Act. Delaware was part of the pilot project, and the report contains the recommendation for this map change.\r\nEnacted in 1982, the CBRA is a map-based law that recognizes that certain actions and programs of the federal government subsidize and thus encourage development on coastal barriers. However, coastal building, if done in the wrong places, contributes to the loss of natural resources and threatens human life, health and property. The CBRA system currently contains 859 geographic units in 23 U.S. states and territories along the Atlantic Ocean, Gulf of Mexico, Great Lakes, U.S. Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico coasts. The CBRA units are depicted on a set of maps that is maintained by the Secretary of the Interior through FWS.\r\nWhile CBRA does not prohibit or regulate development, it removes the federal incentives to build on these undeveloped, unstable and environmentally sensitive areas. As it reviewed digital mapping results, FWS consulted South Bethany Beach area property owners, as well as the state government, who all concur with the map change.\r\nNow that both the U.S. Senate and U.S. House have passed the Strengthening Coastal Communities Act, the bill is headed to the President for his signature.\r\n\r\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.carper.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/2018/12/release-carper-murkowski-introduce-bill-to-help-americans-transition-to-more-efficient-wood-heaters-reduce-air-pollution", "Carper, Murkowski Introduce Bill to Help Americans Transition to More Efficient Wood Heaters, Reduce Air Pollution", "2018-12-20", "2018", "2018-12", "Democrat", "House", "DE", "Thomas Carper", "C000174", "www.carper.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "WASHINGTON, D.C. Earlier this week, U.S. Senators Tom Carper (D-Del.), top Democrat on the Environment and Public Works Committee (EPW), and Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska), top Republican on the Energy and Natural Resources Committee (ENR), introduced a bill (S. 3779) that would establish a grant program at the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to incentivize the removal and replacement of old, inefficient residential wood heaters with efficient, clean-burning heaters. The Wood Heaters Emissions Reduction Act (WHERA) reduces toxic air pollution, protects public health, and supports the expansion of American jobs. WHERA also requires that Indian tribal and rural communities are fairly represented in funding allocations.\r\nI've long said that there are ways to clean up our environment and grow our economy at the same time and the Wood Heaters Emissions Reduction Act is an example of how we can do just that,said Senator Carper.This bipartisan legislation builds off of the successes we continue to see with the Diesel Emissions Reduction Act  one of the most cost effective federal clean air programs with an average of $13 in health and economic benefits for every $1 put into the program. The Wood Heaters Emissions Reduction Act ensures communities that rely on wood heaters have access to cleaner, more affordable ones, reduces toxic pollution in the air we all breathe, and creates jobs here at home. At a time when our country is looking for ways to grow our economy, reduce health care costs and clean up the environment, this legislation stands out as an opportunity we should capitalize on. It's a true win-win.\r\nMany Alaskans, along with millions of families across the country, rely on wood as an abundant, affordable fuel to heat their homes. Older, inefficient appliances for wood heat can last a really long time, but newer options are better for both our health and the environment,said Senator Murkowski.The bill Sen. Carper and I introduced yesterday would provide families with a cost-effective way to transition to appliances built with the most innovative wood-burning technologies to help reduce emissions, and ensure the air we breathe is cleaner both inside and outside of our homes.\r\nDangerous emissions from wood heaters place people at risk for harms to their health as well as at risk for premature death,said Harold P. Wimmer, National President and CEO of the American Lung Association.This bill would help communities make real reductions in air pollution by swapping out older, more polluting wood heaters for cleaner ones. We applaud the leadership of Senator Tom Carper and Senator Lisa Murkowski in proposing this solution, which would help protect health nationwide.\r\nSpecifically, the Wood Heaters Emissions Reduction Act would:\r\n\r\n \r\nAuthorize $75 million for each fiscal year 2019 through 2024 for an EPA grant program that incentives households to change-out their old wood heaters for cleaner burning stoves. Based on data from the U.S. Census Bureau, an estimated 11.5 million homes use wood as a primary or secondary heat source, 58 percent of those homes are found in rural areas. It is estimated that 6 million residential wood heaters in operation today do not meet 1988 EPA Clean Air Act emission standards, much less the emissionsstandards implemented in 2015.\r\nReplace old wood heaters with new, efficient heaters and encourage the recycling of old heaters.Creates a voluntary program to replace older wood stoves with new, efficient, cleaner burning and properly installed heaters that at least meet EPA's most stringent wood heater emission standards.\r\nRequire funds to be made available to Indian tribes.EPA would make available no less than 4 percent of the funds for Indian tribes to use for maintenance and installation of the new stoves. The bill also directs EPA to use public educational outreach to develop incentives and consult Indian tribes to promote the replacement of old, inefficient wood heaters.\r\nResult in cleaner air.Older, inefficient residential wood heaters can produce a deadly mix of particulate matter, carbon monoxide, volatile organic compounds, black carbon and air toxics such as benzene and formaldehyde. EPA has determined that replacing just one old, inefficient wood heater is equivalent to taking five dirty diesel engines off the road and the monetized public health benefits from replacing the nation's old, inefficient residential wood heaters would be up to $126 billion per year.\r\n \r\n\r\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.carper.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/2018/12/video-following-cop24-carper-calls-for-bolder-action-to-combat-climate-change", "VIDEO: Following COP24, Carper Calls for Bolder Action to Combat Climate Change", "2018-12-20", "2018", "2018-12", "Democrat", "House", "DE", "Thomas Carper", "C000174", "www.carper.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "WASHINGTON, D.C. Several days after the conclusion of the COP24 climate conference in Poland, Senator Tom Carper (D-Del.), top Democrat on the Environment and Public Works Committee (EPW), joined other Democrats on the Senate floor yesterday to discuss the urgent need for decisive action to fight climate change. In his remarks, Senator Carper also highlighted the agreements reached at COP24, the Trump Administration's ignorance of this issue and the economic, environmental and public health consequences of inaction. \r\nFollowing the conclusion of COP24, Senator Carper on Saturday released a statement responding to the multilateral agreement reached to implement the Paris Climate Accord. Read that responseHERE.\r\nThis agreement is not perfect, and no one is pretending it is. It falls well short of the steps that the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) determined, just months ago, are needed to avoid the most catastrophic effects of climate change over the next decade,said Senator Carper.Americans are witnessing firsthand the effects of climate change in their communities every dayYet, as the world works to develop meaningful solutions to mitigate these effects of climate change, the Trump Administration chooses to exacerbate the problem by doubling down on dirty and outdated energy policies.\r\nSenator Carper continued,We don't have the luxury of waiting around. We need to crank it up and get going. That's why, as the senior Democrat and Ranking Member of the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works, I'm anxious to help lead the fight for policies that take this country into a brighter climate future. If we're honest with our children and grandchildren, we don't have any other choice\r\nToday's speech can be viewed by clickingHERE. Below are Senator Carper's full remarks, as prepared for delivery:\r\nMr. President, I rise today with Senators Ed Markey and Jeff Merkley to reflect on the 24th session of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change that concluded this past weekend in Poland. This important conference, which is better known as COP24, met there for the past two weeks as leaders from nearly 200 countries worked to reach agreement on how the world will actually implement the Paris Climate Agreement.\r\nThe stakes could not be higher. The future of our planet and the futures of our children and grandchildren hang in the balance. It was a positive step forward that the international community could come together and agree to meaningful action to combat climate change on a global scale by finally beginning to implement the Paris Agreement into practice. Having said that, however, this agreement is not perfect, and no one is pretending it is. It falls well short of the steps that the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) determined, just months ago, are needed to avoid the most catastrophic effects of climate change over the next decade.\r\nThe entire world must be doing even more to address this problem. That includes setting much more aggressive emissions reduction targets going forward to address the challenges of climate change in the years ahead. While we certainly can and should be doing more, though, this agreement is cause for hope that bolder future agreements are achievable.\r\nBut reaching bolder future agreements is going to require real leadership from leaders and from nations across the world. After all, leadership is the biggest key to success for almost any organization or endeavor  and that includes saving our planet. Unfortunately, our President  along with many of those within his Administration  continues to reject climate science and deny the reality of the problems we are facing.\r\nWell, Mr. President, here's the reality. According to National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), the United States experienced 16 extreme weather-related disasters that exceeded $1 billion in 2017. In the past year alone, Americans paid $306 billion in damages due to storm surges, flooding, wildfires, crop freezes and droughts  a new record!\r\nThirteen of our nation's leading scientific federal agencies recently reported to us in the National Climate Assessment that, if we do nothing to address our carbon emissions, today's extreme weather-related events will pale in comparison to what lies ahead.\r\nIn the future, we can continue to expect rainfalls where precipitation is measured by the foot, not in inches. We can continue to expect more wildfires out West burning areas larger than my home state of Delaware. And we can continue to expect extreme flooding to devastate small communities like Ellicott City Maryland, which has been hit by two 1,000-year-floods in the past two years alone. Think about that! Two in the past two years alone!\r\nMr. President, one of the most memorable lyrics from singer-songwriter Stephen Stills goes something like this, Something's happening here. Just what it is ain't exactly clear.' Well, make no mistake, something is happening here, and it IS exactly clear.' What's also clear is that there's still time to do something about it and actually foster economic growth in the USA and beyond our borders. Climate science isn't part of some grand hoax. This isn't an alarmist prediction. It doesn't come from some left-leaning organization, and it doesn't come from talk radio. It comes directly from our nation's leading scientists and from leading scientists around the world.\r\nLet me also remind my colleagues that the National Climate Assessment is not developed at the direction or whim of any one person or administration. It was Congress that passed a law mandating that the National Climate Assessment be presented every four years. That law was called the Global Change Research Act of 1990. It passed the United States Senate unanimously and was signed into law by President George H.W. Bush  a Republican.\r\nOur nation's leading scientists warned us yet again - less than one month ago  that, if we fail to start seriously reducing carbon emissions now, by the end of the century, we may well be witnessing:\r\n \r\nsea-levels rising another 6 feet, resulting in an estimated $3.6 trillion in cumulative damages to U.S. coastal properties and infrastructure;\r\nannual economic losses of up to $500 billion that will impact nearly every major economic sector in our country; and,\r\nreductions in our gross domestic product by up to 10 percent - twice that of the Great Recession that brought America to its knees a decade ago.\r\n \r\n\r\nYet, as the world works to develop meaningful solutions to mitigate these effects of climate change, the Trump Administration chooses to exacerbate the problem by doubling down on dirty and outdated energy policies. The Administration is also attempting to discredit the recent science reports by pushing talking points from well-known climate deniers.\r\nBut Americans aren't falling for these tricks anymore. Americans are witnessing firsthand the effects of climate change in their communities every day. And they want action. So does our business community. While this Administration sits on its hands, American businesses are stepping up in a big way to combat the effects of climate change. Many businesses stand ready to do even more.\r\nTo our international friends who are wondering where this nation is on climate change, I can tell you that the majority of Americans  including me  are with you. We support the Paris Climate Agreement. We want to reduce carbon emissions because we're convinced that doing so will enable us to save our planet.\r\nThis isn't a Democrat or Republican issue. This isn't a blue-state or red-state issue. It affects all of us. And if you think climate change hasn't reached your state just yet, the science is clear that it will. Luckily for us, young people are leading the call for action. Climate change or environmental issues are often mistakenly forgotten when we discuss domestic issues. In today's news cycle, especially under this Administration, it doesn't always make headlines. It's oftentimes been said that climate change isn't an issue that drives American to the polls. Well, Mr. President, that is changing.\r\nYoung people have led the way in changing our country before. In the 1950s, they led the decades-long Civil Rights Movement for equal rights for every American under the law. It was young activists who made clear their opposition to the Vietnam War. Back in the 1970s, young people pushed hard for strong environmental standards when the Cuyahoga River in Cleveland, Ohio was burning and garbage littered our shores. Well, our country is back at another one of those make-or-break moments in our history. We need the energy of Americans of all ages  young and old  to make sure we don't blow it. And we need to listen to them all, especially our younger Americans. After all, it's their future that's at stake.\r\nWhen it comes to global challenges??such as terrorism and cyber- attacks??the U.S doesn't sit back and wait for someone else to lead the way. We step up, and we lead! We have many dogs in this fight. Too many to count!\r\nFortunately, acting sooner rather later on climate change brings with it many positives. We can put our country on a course to reduce emissions, and grow our economy. The two are not mutually exclusive. In fact, quite the opposite. What we can and should be doing is using our energy and resources to foster new economic opportunities for communities that may be dependent on the old world order. In 2017, nearly 3.2 million Americans were working in wind, solar, energy efficiency and other clean energy jobs. More will follow, and it's incumbent on us to ensure that some of those new jobs go to people whose jobs are going away, as we seek to reduce carbon emissions in this country and on our planet.\r\nWe don't have the luxury of waiting around. We need to crank it up and get going. That's why, as the senior Democrat and Ranking Member of the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works, I'm anxious to help lead the fight for policies that take this country into a brighter climate future. If we're honest with our children and grandchildren, we don't have any other choice, Mr. President.\r\nIt was my hope that, on the world stage this week, America's representatives at COP24 would make clear that our country is ready to lead by example. Unfortunately, they did not. But that's no reason to despair. We have the facts and the energy on our side.\r\nI will leave my colleagues with this message today: Climate action should not be an issue that divides us. It should unite us. It should unite the entire global community. And our world could definitely use more unification these days. Years from now, when my sons or my sons' children are dealing with the inevitable consequences of our failure to address climate change, there will be a day when they come to me and say, You were a U.S. Senator. What did you do when you had the chance to do something about this impending disaster when there was still time?' We should all want to be able to say  and work tirelessly to say  that we moved heaven and earth to make sure that future generations could inherit a safe, healthy planet, one where their dreams and aspirations can be realized and not destroyed.\r\nMy colleagues and I are on the floor today to make clear that the overwhelming majority of Americans stand with almost every other nation in the world. We need to act, and we need to act now. Time is not on our side. Let's seize the day! Carpe Diem!\r\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.coons.senate.gov/news/videos/watch/sen-coons-joins-morning-joe-december-20-2018", "Sen. Coons joins Morning Joe December 20, 2018", "2018-12-20", "2018", "2018-12", "Democrat", "House", "DE", "Christopher Coons", "C001088", "www.coons.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Look at the biggest progressive fights & you'll often find that they were religious movements\n\nSen. Coons celebrates America 250: \"Our story is stronger when we tell it in its entirety\"\n\nThis week, seven of my bipartisan bills advanced in the Senate, one step closer to becoming law.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-06-27T23:11:43Z"], ["https://www.coons.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/congress-passes-carper-coons-blunt-rochester-bill-to-fix-coastal-barrier-resources-map-affecting-north-bethany-beach-homeowners", "Congress Passes Carper, Coons, Blunt Rochester Bill to Fix Coastal Barrier Resources Map Affecting North Bethany Beach Homeowners", "2018-12-20", "2018", "2018-12", "Democrat", "House", "DE", "Christopher Coons", "C001088", "www.coons.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "12.20.18\n\t\t\t Congress Passes Carper, Coons, Blunt Rochester Bill to Fix Coastal Barrier Resources Map Affecting North Bethany Beach Homeowners \n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t \n\t\n\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n        \n\t\t\t\t Legislation makes common sense fix that will allow Delaware homeowners to access the National Flood Insurance Program\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t WASHINGTON, D.C. Delaware's Congressional Delegation, U.S. Senators Tom Carper and Chris Coons, and Congresswoman Lisa Blunt Rochester (all D-Del.), celebrated the passage of the Strengthening Coastal Communities Act of 2018, which included legislation they led in the House and Senate thatadjusts the boundary maps under theCoastal Barrier Resources Act (CBRA) for Delaware's North Bethany Beach map unit. The Strengthening Coastal Communities Act also adjusts maps in Florida, North Carolina and South Carolina, helping coastal homeowners qualify for disaster aid and setting aside thousands of acres for wildlife conservation.\r\n\r\nSpecifically, the legislation will implement a recommendation made by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) following itsdiscovery during a recent digital mapping pilot project that a portion of the North Bethany Beach unit, which encompasses the South Shore Marina development, was included by mistake when the map was created in 1990. This change to the map may only be made through Congressional action.\r\n\r\nThis common-sense fix will help protect both Delaware homeowners and our natural resources,saidSenator Coons.Severe storms will continue to threaten our coast, and it is important for Congress to make these updates as our mapping technology improves. I am pleased that we were able to advance legislation that ensures Delaware homeowners can access the federal flood insurance program.\r\nThe Coastal Barrier Resources Act saves taxpayers money, keeps people and their property out of harm's way and conserves natural resources by restricting most federal expenditures and financial assistance for new construction on barrier islands. But a mistake made years ago has prevented South Shore Marina homeowners from accessing subsidized flood insurance through the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP),said Senator Carper, top Democrat on the Environment and Public Works Committee.This bill fixes that mistake and allows Delaware homeowners access to the National Flood Insurance Program.\r\n\r\nFamilies along our coastline deserve the peace of mind that when disaster strikes, they will have the tools and resources at their disposal to rebuild their homes and pick up the pieces in the aftermath. Thanks to these critical updates to the Coastal Barrier Resources Act, the South Shore Marina Community will finally have access to those federal dollars,said Congresswoman Blunt Rochester.Our legislation makes technical corrections that have a big impact in improving the lives of coastal communities and protecting Delaware's invaluable natural resources and wildlife. I am proud to have joined Senator Carper and Senator Coons in working to get this passed, and I look forward to the Administration swiftly signing this bill into law.\r\n\r\nIn November 2016, FWS sent a report to Congress that included the results of the mapping pilot project, which was required by the 2006 Coastal Barrier Resources Reauthorization Act. Delaware was part of the pilot project, and the report contains the recommendation for this map change.\r\n\r\nEnacted in 1982, the CBRA is a map-based law that recognizes that certain actions and programs of the federal government subsidize and thus encourage development on coastal barriers. However, coastal building, if done in the wrong places, contributes to the loss of natural resources and threatens human life, health and property. The CBRA system currently contains 859 geographic units in 23 U.S. states and territories along the Atlantic Ocean, Gulf of Mexico, Great Lakes, U.S. Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico coasts. The CBRA units are depicted on a set of maps that is maintained by the Secretary of the Interior through FWS.\r\n\r\nWhile CBRA does not prohibit or regulate development, it removes the federal incentives to build on these undeveloped, unstable and environmentally sensitive areas. As it reviewed digital mapping results, FWS consulted South Bethany Beach area property owners, as well as the state government, who all concur with the map change.\r\n\r\nNow that both the U.S. Senate and U.S. House have passed the Strengthening Coastal Communities Act, the bill is headed to the President for his signature.\r\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t Press Contact \n\t\t\t\tSean Coit(Coons)202-224-5042Christine Brennan(Carper)202-224-8832Kyle Morse(Blu\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\n\t  \n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t \n\t\t\n\t\t\tPrint\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tEmail\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tTweet\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t \n\t\n\t\n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n    \n\t\n\t\n    \n    \n    \n    \t\n    \t\n\t    \t  \n\t\t    \n\t\t    \n\t\t    \tPrevious Article", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.coons.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/coons-blunt-bill-to-protect-victims-of-child-abuse-passes-house-is-on-its-way-to-the-presidents-desk", "Coons, Blunt bill to protect victims of child abuse passes House, is on its way to the President\u2019s desk", "2018-12-20", "2018", "2018-12", "Democrat", "House", "DE", "Christopher Coons", "C001088", "www.coons.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "12.20.18\n\t\t\t Coons, Blunt bill to protect victims of child abuse passes House, is on its way to the President's desk \n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tWASHINGTON  Today, U.S. Senators Chris Coons (Del.) and Roy Blunt (Mo.), co-chairs of the Senate Law Enforcement Caucus, announced that their bipartisan legislation to reauthorize the Victims of Child Abuse Act (VOCAA) passed the Housewith overwhelming bipartisan support and is on its way to the president's desk. The legislation provides funding for Children's Advocacy Centers that serve child victims and help law enforcement hold perpetrators accountable.\r\nChildren's Advocacy Centers protect children in Delaware and all across the country, and I'm very glad that Senator Blunt and I have been able to work across the aisle to move forward a reauthorization of the Victims of Child Abuse Act,said Coons.This legislation will ensure that law enforcement, along with health and other service providers, have the resources they need to care for children who have been abused and quickly prosecute the perpetrators of these horrific crimes.\r\nEvery year, Children's Advocacy Centers protect thousands of our state's most vulnerable children,said Blunt.By reauthorizing funding for this critical program, Child Advocacy Centers and law enforcement will continue to have the tools they need to coordinate the investigation, treatment, and prosecution of child abuse cases. I thank Senator Coons, our colleagues in the House, and advocacy groups across the nation for their help in getting this bill to the president's desk.\r\nThe funding that the CAC of Delaware receives through the Victims of Child Abuse Act is critical to the continued operation of our three CAC's here in Delaware,said Randy Williams, CEO Child Advocacy Centers of Delaware.We rely on federal and private grant funding for over 43% of our annual revenue. We very much appreciate Senator Coons' unwavering efforts to ensure that CAC's nationwide have the financial resources required to provide essential services for victims of child abuse.\r\nNational Children's Alliance (NCA) is grateful to Senator Roy Blunt, Senator Chris Coons, and Representatives Jim Costa and Ted Poe, for championing the cause of America's children in introducing the Victims of Child Abuse Act Reauthorization Act of 2018,said Teresa Huizar, Executive Director, National Children's Alliance.As the national association and accrediting body for Children's Advocacy Centers (CACs), NCA knows that this Act, funding the only federal program solely dedicated to developing CACs and improving the services they provide to kids that have been abused, is critical to the more than 330,000 children our member CACs serve each year. Once again, Congress shows, by reauthorizing and updating the Act, that it values the impact of the CAC model. Sen. Blunt led the effort in Congress to give our movement the continuity crucial to our provision of healing mental health services to more than a million children over the past decade. Thanks to the 115th Congress, and especially our champions for children, Sen. Blunt, Senator Coons, Rep. Costa, and Representative Poe, for their leadership in making this program one that children can rely on.\r\nCoons and Blunt introduced the bill in May 2018. They previously introduced similar legislation, which was signed into law in 2014, to reauthorize the Victims of Child Abuse Program through 2018.\r\nChildren's Advocacy Centers employ a multi-disciplinary team of trained professionals to conduct forensic interviews of children who have been victims of abuse. These interviews are designed to be admissible in court while also preventing children from being re-traumatized by having to tell their accounts multiple times. Use of Children's Advocacy Centers leads to faster criminal charging decisions in sexual abuse cases, increased felony prosecutions of child sexual abuse, and lower average per-case costs.\r\nIn addition to Coons and Blunt, original Senate cosponsors include U.S. Senators Todd Young (Ind.), Shelley Moore Capito (W. Va.), Richard Burr (N.C.), Mike Rounds (S.D.), Deb Fischer (Neb.), Amy Klobuchar (Minn.), Bob Casey (Pa.), Mazie Hirono (Hawaii) and Dick Durbin (Ill.). U.S. Representatives Ted Poe (Texas) and Jim Costa (Calif.) introduced similar legislation in the House.\r\nThe bill has garnered widespread support from the nation's top advocacy groups, including the National Children's Alliance, National Association of Prosecuting Attorneys, National Association of Police Organizations, National Sheriffs' Association, Fraternal Order of Police, and National District Attorneys Association. The bill is also backed by the Major County Sheriffs' Association, the North East Regional Children's Advocacy Center, the Midwest Regional Children's Advocacy Center, the Western Regional Children's Advocacy Center, the Sergeants Benevolent Association, the National Children's Advocacy Center, and the Southern Regional Children's Advocacy Center.\r\n###\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t Press Contact \n\t\t\t\tSean Coit at 202-224-5042 orSean_Coit@coons.senate.gov", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.coons.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/sen-coons-statement-on-president-trumps-decision-to-withdraw-us-troops-from-syria", "Sen. Coons\u2019 statement on President Trump\u2019s decision to withdraw U.S. troops from Syria", "2018-12-20", "2018", "2018-12", "Democrat", "House", "DE", "Christopher Coons", "C001088", "www.coons.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "12.20.18\n\t\t\t Sen. Coons' statement on President Trump's decision to withdraw U.S. troops from Syria \n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tWASHINGTON  U.S. Senator Chris Coons (D-Del.), a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, released the following statement on the Trump Administration's surprise announcement that it intends to quickly withdraw U.S. forces from Syria:\r\nI am alarmed by the Administration's abrupt withdrawal of U.S. troops from Syria. The Administration must clearly explain to the American people why a withdrawal serves our national interests, strengthens our allies, prevents the re-emergence of ISIS, and counters the expansion of Iranian influence in the Middle East.\r\nJust a few weeks ago, Gen. Joseph Dunford, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, argued that the United States needed to remain in Syria to train local partner forces, continue stabilization efforts, and decisively defeat ISIS. Surprise announcements and rash decisions make for bad foreign policy.\r\nIn April, I led abipartisan letterto President Trump, urging him to sustain a U.S. force presence in Syria and work with Congress on a comprehensive strategy.The Trump Administration has supposedly made countering Iran the centerpiece of its Middle East strategy. Yet this decision will allow Iran to increase its influence in Syria, threaten Israel, and increase risks to our Arab and Kurdish partners.\r\nThe Administration owes Congress and the American people more information about this decision, and I look forward to getting briefed by top administration officials soon.\"\r\n###\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t Press Contact \n\t\t\t\tSean Coit at 202-224-5042 orSean_Coit@coons.senate.gov\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\n\t  \n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t \n\t\t\n\t\t\tPrint\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tEmail\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tTweet\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t \n\t\n\t\n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n    \n\t\n\t\n    \n    \n    \n    \t\n    \t\n\t    \t  \n\t\t    \n\t\t    \n\t\t    \tPrevious Article", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.coons.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/video-sen-coons-trumps-syria-decision-a-great-big-christmas-gift-to-the-ayatollah-khamenei-to-vladimir-putin-and-bashar-al-assad", "[VIDEO] Sen. Coons: Trump\u2019s Syria decision \u201ca great big Christmas gift to the Ayatollah Khamenei, to Vladimir Putin, and Bashar al-Assad\u201d", "2018-12-20", "2018", "2018-12", "Democrat", "House", "DE", "Christopher Coons", "C001088", "www.coons.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "12.20.18\n\t\t\t [VIDEO] Sen. Coons: Trump's Syria decision a great big Christmas gift to the Ayatollah Khamenei, to Vladimir Putin, and Bashar al-Assad \n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t \n\t\n\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n        \n\t\t\t\t Sen. Coons: I couldn't disagree more with this decision. It's a terrible decision, both in how the president made it and in what he's decided to do. I only pray that our president will reconsider.\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t WASHINGTON  U.S. Senator Chris Coons (D-Del.), a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, this morning joined MSNBC's Morning Joe.\r\nFor us to unilaterally withdrawand abandon the Kurds to analmost certain advance by eitherthe Turks or the Iranians orboth, I think is just, whywould anyone stand alongside usand fight in such an importantconflict as our work againstISIS in the future if this is how we treat our partners, the Kurdsin this important fight againstISIS?So, you'll see a lot of efforttoday to try to persuade thepresident to reverse thisdecision,said Senator Coons.\r\nVideo and transcript availablehere.\r\nExcerpts from the transcript are below:\r\nSen. Coons on Syria:That's right.I couldn't disagree more withthis decision.It's a terrible decision, bothin how the president made it andin what he's decided to do.I only pray that our presidentwill reconsider, because hemanaged to unite all of usin the Senate in the last twodays. First, we had a very positive daywhere we all came together andpassed a big bold bipartisancriminal justice reform bill andmanaged to avoid a governmentshutdown, so the mood was prettypositive yesterday.And then just like a shot ofelectricity, the message thatthe president in a tweetannounced he was going towithdraw from Syria and hand agreat big Christmas gift to theAyatollah Khamenei, to Vladimir Putin, and Bashar al-Assad of Syria I think unified our Senatein concern, even outrage.You've played earlier in thissegment the statement from awide range of senators.I'll add my voice to them.I pray our president reversesthis terrible decision thatsimply cedes the ground ofSyria to ISIS, to Iran, and to Russia.Just a terrible decision.\r\nMore on Syria:I don't.My strong impression from othersenators I spoke with last nightwas that none of the relevantsenior senators had beenconsulted or informed beforethis decision was announced.I think it was announced onTwitter.It's possible because I haven'tspoken to every senator thatthere were some that heconsulted with but the idea thatit was Senator Rand Paul andSenator Mike Lee who are cheering thisand other 90 senators I expectwill denounce it, question itswisdom and the process and saythis was a grave mistake tellsyou something about the ways inwhich President Trump who ran asan unconventional candidate, ouronly president with nomilitary or elected experience before getting intooffice has made a decision here that is uniformly condemned bythe United States Senate.It shows a lack of consultation.I'm more concerned if he madethis decision in directopposition to advice from thesenior levels of our armedforces and our intelligencecommunity who I strongly suspectadvised him urgently againstmaking this brazen and ill-considered move. More on Syria:Joe, you'll hear today verystrong, very unified messages tothe president begging him toreconsider this decision beforehe heads off for his two-weekgolf vacation at Mar-a-Lago.He put out a video as you referenced earlier citingthose who fought and sacrificed and died in the conflict against ISIS and my hunch is you'll hearvoice from our armed forces, fromthe Congress, and from thegeneral public saying that thewar against ISIS is not won, andthat we should best honor thesacrifice and service of our menand women at arms by not cedingthis ground, not paving ahighway of control of Syria for Iran andbringing this threat right to the threshold of our vital ally Israel.We have the world's mostpowerful military for a reason.The fight against ISIS was animportant and noble andsignificant effort where wepulled in dozens of other countries.The United States did manage tobring some measure of stabilityto a part of a country thatwas destroyed by ISIS, but thatfight is not over and not won.For us to unilaterally withdrawand abandon the Kurds to analmost certain advance by eitherthe Turks or the Iranians orboth, I think is just, whywould anyone stand alongside usand fight in such an importantconflict as our work againstISIS in the future if this is how we treat our partners, the Kurdsin this important fight againstISIS?So, you'll see a lot of efforttoday to try to persuade thepresident to reverse thisdecision.\r\n###\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t Press Contact \n\t\t\t\tSean Coit at 202-224-5042 orSean_Coit@coons.senate.gov\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\n\t  \n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t \n\t\t\n\t\t\tPrint\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tEmail\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tTweet\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t \n\t\n\t\n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n    \n\t\n\t\n    \n    \n    \n    \t\n    \t\n\t    \t  \n\t\t    \n\t\t    \n\t\t    \tPrevious Article", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.carper.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/2018/12/carper-schumer-demand-disclosure-of-administration-s-oil-industry-contacts-after-reports-of-covert-campaign-to-weaken-fuel-economy-standards", "Carper, Schumer Demand Disclosure of Administrations Oil Industry Contacts After Reports of Covert Campaign to Weaken Fuel Economy Standards", "2018-12-19", "2018", "2018-12", "Democrat", "House", "DE", "Thomas Carper", "C000174", "www.carper.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "WASHINGTON, D.C.  Today, Senator Tom Carper (D-Del.), top Democrat on the Environment and Public Works Committee (EPW) and Senate Democratic Leader Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.) sent a letter to several Trump Administration cabinet members and officials demanding information regarding the New York Times report that Marathon Petroleum, the largest oil refiner in the United States, engaged in a covert lobbying campaign with oil industry groups to support Trump Administration efforts to weaken fuel economy standards and increase demand for oil consumption. The lobbying campaign reportedly includedcontacts with federal agencies, including meetings between then-EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt and Marathon Petroleum CEO Gary Heminger. The campaign also used a front group, titled Energy4US, to mask its ties to the oil industry while urging the public to support weaker standards.\r\nThe letter was sent to Secretary of Transportation Elaine Chao, Secretary of Energy Rick Perry, Acting Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Andrew Wheeler, Director of the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Mick Mulvaney, and Chief of Staff to the Council of Environmental Quality (CEQ) Mary Neumayr.\r\nA copy of the letters can be found HERE, and full text of the letter and its attachment is below:\r\nDecember 19, 2018\r\n   Dear Secretary of Transportation Elaine Chao, Secretary of Energy Rick Perry, Acting Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency Andrew Wheeler, Director of the Office of Management and Budget Mick Mulvaney, and Chief of Staff to the Council of Environmental Quality Mary Neumayr,\r\nWe write to convey our strong concerns regarding last week's New York Times report that Marathon Petroleum, the largest oil refiner in the United States, along with oil industry and other groups[1], engaged in a covert lobbying campaign to support the Trump Administration's proposal to weaken fuel economy standards for cars and SUVs.[2] The Administration's proposal also seeks to remove California's authority to set and enforce its own fuel economy standards, which have been adopted by 13 states, including Delaware and New York.\r\nAs reported by the Times, the campaign included contacts with federal agencies, including meetings between former Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Scott Pruitt and Marathon Petroleum CEO Gary Heminger. The campaign also reportedly used a front group, Energy4US, to mask its ties to the oil industry and advertise on social media urging consumers to comment on and support the Department of Transportation and EPA rulemakings that would weaken fuel economy standards.\r\nIt is no surprise that weakened fuel economy standards would increase greenhouse gas emissions and the amount of gasoline consumers would have to buy which would, in turn, increase oil industry profits. As Marathon's CEO recently told its investors, a rollback of fuel economy standards would amount to Americans consuming an additional 350,000 to 400,000 barrels of gasoline per day.\r\nPlacing oil industry profits ahead of consumers, automobile industry workers and the environment is unacceptable. We believe that weakened fuel economy standards would hurt U.S. economic and national security, undermine global efforts to combat climate change, and create uncertainty for the automobile industry. Automakers and California have repeatedly urged the Trump Administration to abandon its current efforts and negotiate a reasonable compromise including continued fuel economy increases and the preservation of California's long-standing authority to enforce its own fuel economy standards.[3]\r\nIt is essential that the Trump Administration is transparent regarding its oil industry contacts related to its efforts to weaken fuel economy standards. Accordingly, we request that you disclose your agency's industry contacts related to any of these efforts. Please provide us with a response to the attached list of requested information no later than close of business on January 31, 2019.\r\n\r\nAttachment 1\r\nList of Requested Information\r\n\r\nCovered Agency: Environmental Protection Agency, the Department of Transportation (including the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration), the Department of Energy, the White House Office of Management and Budget, and the White House Council on Environmental Quality.\r\n\r\n \r\nPlease provide a list of all meetings (including in-person meetings, telephonic and video conferences) that have occurred since January 20, 2017 between any political appointee at the covered agency, and any representative of Marathon Petroleum, AFPM (or any of its member companies), Koch Industries, ALEC (or any of its members) or Americans for Prosperity, at which fuel economy or greenhouse gas tailpipe standards was discussed, including the date of the meeting and a list of all meeting attendees and their affiliation(s).\r\nFor each such meeting, please provide copies of all emails, meeting notes and summaries, memos, or other written materials, provided in advance of, at, or following the meeting, to any political appointee at the covered agency.\r\nPlease provide copies of all correspondence (including letters, memos, emails, powerpoint presentations or other materials) received (or sent by) any political appointee at the covered agency from (to) any representative of Marathon Petroleum, AFPM (or any of its member companies), Koch Industries, ALEC (or any of its members) or Americans for Prosperity related to fuel economy or greenhouse gas tailpipe standards.\r\n \r\n\r\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.coons.senate.gov/news/videos/watch/sen-coons-joins-npr-morning-edition-december-19-2018", "Sen. Coons joins NPR Morning Edition December 19, 2018", "2018-12-19", "2018", "2018-12", "Democrat", "House", "DE", "Christopher Coons", "C001088", "www.coons.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Look at the biggest progressive fights & you'll often find that they were religious movements\n\nSen. Coons celebrates America 250: \"Our story is stronger when we tell it in its entirety\"\n\nThis week, seven of my bipartisan bills advanced in the Senate, one step closer to becoming law.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-06-27T23:11:43Z"], ["https://www.coons.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/sen-coons-colleagues-celebrate-passage-of-major-bipartisan-criminal-justice-reform", "Sen. Coons, colleagues celebrate passage of major, bipartisan criminal justice reform", "2018-12-19", "2018", "2018-12", "Democrat", "House", "DE", "Christopher Coons", "C001088", "www.coons.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "WASHINGTON  U.S. Senator Chris Coons (D-Del.), a member of the Senate Judiciary Committeeand an original cosponsor of the revisedFirst Step Act, tonight celebrated the passage ofthisbipartisan legislation in the Senate to reduce recidivism, improve fairness, and promote safety in the criminal justice system. The revisedFirst Step Acthas been endorsed by President Donald Trump and was cosponsored by more than a third of the Senate.\r\nThe American criminal justice system is broken, and it has been for a long time. The mass incarceration explosion resulting from the War on Drugs' and tough on crime' policies of the last four decades has left us with prisons that are overcrowded and costly and inmates that are often unfairly sentenced and forgotten. For decades, our system has focused too much on criminalization and incarceration and too little on justice and rehabilitation,said Senator Coons.I was proud to partner with my colleagues to craft legislation that would make the criminal justice system fairer,and I look forward to seeing President Trump sign the First Step Act into law.\r\nThe comprehensive, revisedFirst Step Actaims to reduce crime by helping low-risk inmates prepare to successfully rejoin society through participation in proven recidivism reduction and professional development programs. It also improves fairness in prison sentences by recalibrating certain mandatory minimum sentences, granting greater discretion for judges in sentencing of low-level, nonviolent drug crimes,and clarifying congressional intent on sentencing enhancements for certain crimes involving firearms.Thelegislation also allows petitions for retroactive application of theFair Sentencing Actto be considered on an individual basis to reduce sentence disparities between crack and powder cocaine offenses.\r\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.coons.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/sens-coons-flake-introduce-landmark-bipartisan-legislation-to-put-money-in-the-pockets-of-working-families-by-pricing-carbon-pollution", "Sens. Coons, Flake introduce landmark bipartisan legislation to put money in the pockets of working families by pricing carbon pollution", "2018-12-19", "2018", "2018-12", "Democrat", "House", "DE", "Christopher Coons", "C001088", "www.coons.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "12.19.18\n\t\t\t Sens. Coons, Flake introduce landmark bipartisan legislation to put money in the pockets of working families by pricing carbon pollution \n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t \n\t\n\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n        \n\t\t\t\t The Energy Innovation and Carbon Dividend Act will help to create 2.1 million net new jobs and reduce U.S. carbon emissions by 33% within a decade\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t WASHINGTON  U.S. Senators Chris Coons (D-Del.) and Jeff Flake (R-Ariz.) today introduced bipartisanlegislation to pay a monthly dividend to every American family.The Energy Innovation and Carbon Dividend Act places an increasing price on carbon and other greenhouse gas emissions, designed to drivedown pollution,address climate change,andencouragemarket-driven innovation in clean energy technologies. Revenues received will be returned directly to the American people in the form of a monthly dividend, protecting energy consumers and low- and middle-income households. The legislation aims to help accelerateAmerican innovation to advance clean energysolutions,incentivize our trading partners to lower emissions,and preventthousands ofpollution-related deaths annually. Arelatedbill was introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives by Congressmen Ted Deutch (D-Fla.), Francis Rooney (R-Fla.), John Delaney (D-Md.), Brian Fitzpatrick (R-Penn.), and Charlie Christ (D-Fla.).\r\nClimate change is a serious threat to our economy, our security, and our way of life, and we need leadership from all parts of our society and government to tackle it,said Senator Coons. Putting an economy-wide price on carbon and other greenhouse gases is a comprehensive way to reduce emissions, spur innovation, and create jobs. I am proud to introduce this legislation with my good friend Jeff Flake, who has long been a champion of market-based climate legislation since his days in the House. I am hopeful that we will continue to have bipartisan conversations about addressing this issue.\r\nWith the administration's recent climate assessment and skeptical response from the president, Republicans need to be at the forefront of addressing climate change,said Senator Flake.Sen. Coons and I have introduced bipartisan, revenue-neutral carbon tax legislation that provides an honest path to clean energy. This free-market solution will reduce carbon pollution and encourage American innovation.\r\n\"We thank Senators Coons and Flake for demonstrating their commitment to ambitious carbon pricing that benefits Americans and our economy. Today's introduction shows that well-designed climate policy is supported by both Republicans and Democrats in both chambers of Congress, and it is gaining momentum. And this shouldn't be surprising - Citizens' Climate Lobby volunteers had more than 3,000 meetings with representatives and senators during this Congress, asking for this specific type of legislation. The Energy Innovation and Carbon Dividend Act has the enthusiastic support of 100,000+ Citizens' Climate Lobby supporters across the country,said Mark Reynolds, Executive Director, Citizens' Climate Lobby.\r\nA one-pager on the bill is availablehere.\r\nThe bill text is availablehere.\r\n###\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\n\t  \n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t \n\t\t\n\t\t\tPrint\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tEmail\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tTweet\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t \n\t\n\t\n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n    \n\t\n\t\n    \n    \n    \n    \t\n    \t\n\t    \t  \n\t\t    \n\t\t    \n\t\t    \tPrevious Article", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.carper.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/2018/12/carper-schumer-demand-overdue-epa-action-to-ban-deadly-paint-stripping-chemical", "Carper, Schumer Demand Overdue EPA Action to Ban Deadly Paint-Stripping Chemical", "2018-12-18", "2018", "2018-12", "Democrat", "House", "DE", "Thomas Carper", "C000174", "www.carper.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "WASHINGTON, D.C. Yesterday, Senators Tom Carper (D-Del.), top Democrat on the Environment and Public Works Committee (EPW) and Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.),senta letter to Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Acting Administrator Andrew Wheeler demanding EPA immediately finalize its proposed ban of methylene chloride, a hazardous chemical found primarily in paint strippers that has for years posed grave and deadly risks to unsuspecting users. Since the EPA in May acknowledged the dangers of methylene chloride in aplanto ban the product from store shelves and online, the agency has been slow-walking the process and endangering people who may have no clue just how dangerous this chemical really isuntil they've been exposed, sickened or worse. While some stores have phased out or have committed to voluntarily remove the methylene chloride product from shelves, it is still sold by a number of American retailers including Walmart, Menards and Ace Hardware. The senators released the following statements commenting on EPA's inaction:\r\nIn May of this year, I welcomed EPA's announcement that it intended to finalize a ban on methylene chloride. But seven months have come and gone and a ban has yet to be finalized on a chemical so dangerous that it is killing unsuspecting Americans who pick it up at the hardware store,said Senator Carper.Congress passed TSCA reform in 2016 with overwhelming bipartisan and stakeholder support. Despite that clear and definitive mandate, the Trump Administration cannot even manage to finalize the ban of a chemical so harmful to human health that stores have voluntarily taken it off their shelves. There is absolutely no excuse for this delay.\r\nIt is shocking to think that a chemical and product that has made people really sick, even caused deaths, is available for sale in everyday stores and online while the federal government sits back and presses pause on a plan to remove it from the marketplace,said Senator Schumer.That is why I am sounding the alarm today for all DIY-types across Long Island who have the know-how to get everyday home improvement projects done, but might not know the risk they're taking when opening the can and breathing in the fumes. And with winter on the way, and more indoor projects being undertaken, now is the time to bluntly ask the feds to do their job and implement the methylene chloride ban that is already in place and ready to go. Whether you acquire a methylene chloride product from a Long Island shelf or an internet signal, one thing's for sure: it's dangerous, the feds know it, and it should be removed from the marketplace. DIY should not have to risk RIP.\r\nIn 2014, the EPA addressed the paint stripping uses in its risk assessment. In January 2017, the EPAproposeda ban on the chemical under the Toxic Substances and Control Act (TSCA), which would prohibit the consumer and commercial paint stripping uses for methylene chloride. In May 2018, EPA announced its plans tofinalizethe ban. However, seven months later, no such ban has been finalized and the chemical is still available at a number of hardware stores. To date, the EPA has not taken sufficient action against this dangerous and deadly chemical and has only reported that it is working to finalize the methylene chloride rulemaking shortly.'\r\nMethylene chloride is a chemical often found in paint strippers/thinners, polyurethane foam manufacturing, and in cleaning and degreasing work activities. The chemical is known to reduce blood's oxygen carrying capacity, thus affecting the brain and nervous system's function which can result in asphyxiation and/or heart attack. People exposed to methylene chloride can present symptoms including dizziness, headache, and/or nausea. According to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), employees exposed to methylene chloride areat increased riskof developing cancer, adverse effects on the heart, central nervous system and liver, and skin or eye irritation. A full list of brands that contain methylene chloride can be foundHERE.\r\nA copy of the letter can be foundHERE, and the full text of the letter is below:\r\n\r\nDecember 17, 2018\r\n\r\nThe Honorable Andrew Wheeler\r\nActing Administrator\r\nU.S. Environmental Protection Agency\r\n1301 Constitution Ave. NW\r\nWashington, DC 20460\r\n\r\nDear Acting Administrator Wheeler:\r\nWe write to demand that you expeditiously move to ban methylene chloride, a dangerous chemical found in paint strippers. Methylene chloride has killed dozens of people even when they were wearing protective gear and following recommended safety precautions.\r\nFollowing the 2016 enactment of reforms to the Toxic Substances and Control Act (TSCA), EPA proposed bans on some uses of three chemicals under the new law, including methylene chloride. In early May 2018, former Administrator Pruitt announced that he would finalize the methylene chloride ban. However, more than seven months later, this dangerous chemical remains on the market.\r\nWe are extremely troubled by the manner in which the new TSCA law, which was enacted with a near-unanimous vote and with the support of a wide range of stakeholders, has been implemented by the Trump Administration thus far. Any further delay in finalizing this ban could jeopardize human health and the environment and undermine the efficacy of the bipartisan law passed by the Congress.\r\nWe urge you in the strongest possible terms to finally act to ban this chemical before any more lives are lost.\r\n\r\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.carper.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/2018/12/carper-votes-to-advance-bipartisan-criminal-justice-reform-bill", "Carper Votes to Advance Bipartisan Criminal Justice Reform Bill", "2018-12-18", "2018", "2018-12", "Democrat", "House", "DE", "Thomas Carper", "C000174", "www.carper.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "FIRST STEP Act backed by diverse coalition including law enforcement and victims' organizations, religious organizations, business groups, the National Governors Association\r\n\r\nWASHINGTON, D.C.  Today, U.S. Senator Tom Carper (D-Del.) voted to advance the Formerly Incarcerated Reenter Society Transformed Safely Transitioning Every Person (FIRST STEP) Act (S.3649). The bipartisan legislation, which Senator Carper cosponsored, combines prison reform proposals that overwhelmingly passed in the House of Representatives earlier this year with sentencing reform provisions from the broadly bipartisan Sentencing Reform and Corrections Act that passed the Senate Judiciary Committee in February 2018. The bill, which passed the Senate by a final vote of 87-12, now heads to the House for approval.\r\nThe United States has one of the highest incarceration rates in the entire world. While our country makes up only five percent of the world's population, it incarcerates more than 20 percent of the world's prisoners, said Senator Carper. We should not be aiming to win any records for how many individuals we are incarcerating; instead, we should be working to ensure that those who serve their time are re-entering our society as better people, not better criminals. Despite the over $80 billion that our country spends on incarceration every year, our criminal justice system continues to face problems with overcrowding, inmate violence and high recidivism rates. The FIRST STEP Act puts long-awaited common-sense reforms into our federal prison system to address these problems while critically providing equal justice under the law. Today's vote may be overdue, but I am pleased that we were finally able to seize the day and pass this legislation with overwhelming bipartisan support. I would urge the House to take this measure up quickly so that the President can sign it into law.\r\nThe FIRST STEP Act contains both sentencing guidelines and recidivism reduction reforms. The bill's sentencing reform provisions include:\r\n \r\nExpansion of the Safety Valve to give judges broader discretion to sentence qualified low-level, non-violent offenders to less than the mandatory minimum penalty.\r\nRetroactive application of the Fair Sentencing Act of 2010 to allow inmates who are still serving disproportionately long sentences for crack cocaine possession to petition for sentence reductions.\r\nReduction of second- and third-strike mandatory minimum penalties for prior drug offenses, from 20 to 15 years and life in prison to 25 years.\r\nElimination of stacking consecutive mandatory minimum penalties for repeat offenders in possession of a firearm during certain crimes that frequently results in absurdly long sentences incommensurate with the convicted offense.\r\n \r\nIn addition to the above sentencing guidelines, the bill also includes the following provisions aimed at recidivism reduction:\r\n \r\nFix for good-time credit formula;\r\nBan on the practice of shackling pregnant prisoners;\r\nRequirement to provide feminine healthcare products;\r\nRequirement to place prisoners within 500-mile radius of their home residence;\r\nRequirement to provide evidence-based heroin/opioid abuse treatment;\r\nDe-escalation training for correctional officers; and,\r\nExpanded qualifications for compassionate release.\r\n \r\n\r\nThe FIRST STEP Act is supported by a number of law enforcement groups, including the nation's largest police group.It's also now supported by 172 former federal prosecutors including two former Republican U.S. attorneys general, two former deputy attorneys general and a former director of the FBI along with sheriffs from 34 states across the country. The National Governors Association, which represents the governors of all 50 states, praised the bill earlier this week. And a broad coalition of conservative, progressive, and faith groups also support the bill. The bill has also been endorsed by the oft-divergent editorial boards of the New York Times and the Wall Street Journal, as well as by the editorial board of the Houston Chronicle.\r\nSenator Carper joins other cosponsors including Senators Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa), Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), Mike Lee (R-Utah), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.), Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), Cory Booker (D-N.J.), Tim Scott (R-S.C.), Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.), Joni Ernst (R-Iowa), Jerry Moran (R-Kan.), Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), Chris Coons (D-Del.), Jeff Flake (R-Ariz.), Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), Pat Roberts (R-Kan.), Doug Jones (D-Ala.), Susan Collins (R-Maine), Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.), Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.), Rand Paul (R-Ky.), Mazie Hirono (D-Hawaii), Rob Portman (R-Ohio), Angus King (I-Maine), Todd Young (R-Ind.), Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii), Bill Cassidy (R-La.), and Ben Cardin (D-Md.).\r\nYou can find a fact sheet of the FIRST STEP Act here.\r\nYou can find the text of the FIRST STEP Act here.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.carper.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/2018/12/carper-leads-epw-minority-members-in-urging-epa-to-abandon-baseless-proposal-on-animal-waste-emissions-reporting", "Carper Leads EPW Minority Members in Urging EPA to Abandon Baseless Proposal on Animal Waste Emissions Reporting", "2018-12-17", "2018", "2018-12", "Democrat", "House", "DE", "Thomas Carper", "C000174", "www.carper.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "WASHINGTON, D.C. On Friday, Senator Tom Carper (D-Del.), top Democrat on the Environment and Public Works Committee (EPW), led all EPW minority members in aletterto Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Acting Administrator Andrew Wheeler calling for the agency to reverse course on a proposal that would exempt farms from reporting requirements for hazardous air emissions from animal waste under the Emergency Planning Community Right to Know Act (EPCRA). In the letter, the senators noted that EPA lacks the legal basis to disregard key elements of EPCRA. The law was enacted in 1986 to help authorities track airborne health hazards, deploy emergency response efforts to mitigate impacts on public safety, and provide citizens with information about potential chemical hazards in their communities. \r\nEPA is required to faithfully execute the laws as passed by Congress,the senators wrote.EPA's proposed rule vastly exceeds EPA's statutory authority and countermands unambiguous Congressional intent. EPA's proposed interpretation of reporting requirements for hazardous air emissions from animal waste relies on a statutory interpretation that was considered, and specifically rejected by Congress, when it enacted the FARM Act into law. EPA should withdraw this proposed rule and faithfully execute and enforce EPCRA and CERCLA reporting requirements consistent with the laws passed by Congress.\r\nEarlier this year, President Trump signed theFair Agricultural Reporting Method Act(FARM Act) into law, narrowly exempting animal waste air emissions on farms from reporting requirements under the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA), or the Superfund law. Congress chose to leave in place reporting requirements under EPCRA. Despite Congress's express desire, on November 14th, Acting Administrator Wheeler proposed to extend the hazardous air emission exemption for farms to ECPRA, effectively violating congressional intent of keeping the law's reporting requirements intact.\r\nThe letter was also signed by Senators Ben Cardin (D-Md.), Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.), Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), Cory Booker (D-N.J.), Ed Markey (D-Mass.), Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.), Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) and Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.).\r\nThis senators submitted this letter on Friday as a public comment at the proposal'sdocketunder EPA-HQ-OLEM-2018-0318. A copy of the letter and its appendices can be foundHERE, and the full text of the letter is below:\r\n\r\nDecember 14, 2018\r\n\r\nThe Honorable Andrew Wheeler\r\nActing Administrator\r\nU.S. Environmental Protection Agency\r\n1200 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW\r\nWashington, DC 20460\r\n\r\nRE: Proposed Rule Amending Release Notification Regulations under the Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-Know Act (EPCRA) for Air Emissions from Animal Waste At Farms (Docket ID No. EPA-HQ-OLEM-2018-0318)\r\n\r\nDear Acting Administrator Wheeler,\r\nWe write regarding the Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) proposed rule, published in the Federal Register on November 14, 2018. The proposed rule would exempt hazardous air emissions from animal waste from reporting under the Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-Know Act (EPCRA). In our view, EPA has no legal authority to exempt these emissions from farms from the reporting requirements contained in Section 304 of EPCRA.\r\nIn 2008, EPA established different reporting requirements for air emissions from animal waste under the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA) and EPCRA. Livestock operators have successfully been reporting hazardous air emissions from animal waste to state and local officials under Section 304 of EPCRA since at least 2009.\r\nThe legal basis for EPA's proposed rule is fundamentally flawed. EPA's proposal is premised on an erroneous interpretation of the unambiguous requirements and exemptions that are included in the recently enacted 2018 Fair Agricultural Reporting Methods (FARM) Act. EPA's proposal also ignores the legislative history that accompanied the introduction, consideration, and enactment of the FARM Act. In the FARM Act, Congress crafted a narrow statutory exemption from CERCLA Section 103 reporting requirements, but deliberately took no steps to exempt farms from similar reporting requirements under EPCRA. Even a cursory review of the FARM Act's legislative history makes clear that Congress intended a narrow exemption for reporting requirements for certain air emissions under CERCLA, and only CERCLA. Any EPA rulemaking that attempts, as the current proposal attempts, to exempt reporting requirements for hazardous air emissions from animal waste has no basis in statute or Congressional intent. More to the point, the policy objectives of EPA's proposed rulemaking were specifically considered, and rejected, by Congress during the FARM Act's consideration.\r\nI.Background\r\n\r\nIn 2008, EPA finalized a rule to exempt most air emissions reporting requirements from animal waste on farms.[1]Under the rule, all farms were exempted from any CERCLA hazardous substances reporting requirements for emissions resulting from animal waste. However, under the rule, only a subset of farms were exempted from reporting requirements under EPCRA; EPA retained emissions reporting requirements for certain large farms.\r\nIn 2017, the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals vacated EPA's 2008 reporting exemption in itsWaterkeeper Alliance v. EPAdecision.[2]Following the court's vacatur, all farms with emissions of hazardous substances in excess of the reportable quantities were required under CERCLA Section 103 to report those emissions to the National Response Center, and required under EPCRA Section 304 to separately report those emissions to state and local officials.\r\nAfterWaterkeeper Alliance, various stakeholders engaged members of Congress about reporting requirements for animal waste emissions. Some agricultural stakeholders found these reporting requirements to be confusing and sought relief from the potential administrative and regulatory burdens associated with reporting such emissions. Other stakeholders, including environmental, public health, state and local government officials, and constituencies adjacent to large livestock operators made clear that the information made available to the public through EPCRA Section 304 reporting is extremely beneficial to them. These emissions data help inform siting and zoning decisions for large livestock farms; they provide important data for public health risk assessments; and, they help document specific harms to human health and the environment that impact areas surrounding large livestock operations.\r\nIn response to these competing concerns raised by interested stakeholders, Congress enacted the FARM Act in March 2018 as Title XI of Division S of the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2018 (P.L. 115-141). The FARM Act created a narrow reporting exemption under Section 103 of CERCLA for farms for releases of hazardous substances that arise from animal waste and that are released into the air. Notably, this language deliberately did not amend reporting requirements under EPCRA. The FARM Act was carefully drafted to only provide a statutory exemption from reporting under CERCLA. The provision had the intended effect of preserving the status quo' for farms under the 2008 rule with respect to being exempt from CERCLA reporting. This achieved the goal of significantly reducing the administrative burden of emissions reporting for farms. Instead of having to prepare and submit two separate reports on their emissions, farms would no longer need to file an emissions report with the National Response Center, as would otherwise be required under CERCLA.\r\nAt the same time, this compromise ensured that community members and local officials seeking emissions data would still be able to access it through EPCRA. Citizens have come to rely upon having access to this data and larger farms already had substantial experience with the EPCRA reporting requirements for hazardous air emissions because they had been reporting those emissions for nearly a decade. When enacting the FARM Act, Congress was able to strike a careful balance which simultaneously reduced reporting burdens on farms while preserving the public's access to valuable information to which they remain legally entitled under EPCRA.\r\n\r\nII.Legislative History and Committee Consideration of the FARM Act\r\n\r\nThe text of the FARM Act in P.L. 115-141 is identical to the text of S. 2421, sponsored by Senator Deb Fischer of Nebraska, which was introduced on February 13, 2018, and which was referred to the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works (the Committee). Prior to its introduction, Senator Fischer's office shared earlier drafts of the FARM Act which included statutory language that exempted farms from animal waste air emissions reporting requirements under both CERCLA and EPCRA. While the offices involved in those negotiations were interested in providing farms relief from reporting requirements under CERCLA, we opposed such an exemption under EPCRA. In exchange for our support for the bill, Senator Fischer agreed to drop the offending provisions which would have exempted farms from reporting under EPCRA, and instead to limit the scope of the bill's reporting exemptions to only those required under Section 103 of CERCLA. It was only after those changes were incorporated into the bill's legislative text that broad, bipartisan support for the FARM Act became possible.\r\nAfter the bill was introduced, the Committee held two legislative hearings on this language. The first hearing entitledLegislative Hearing on S. 2421, the Fair Agricultural Reporting Method Act,took place in the Subcommittee on Superfund, Waste Management, and Regulatory Oversight on March 8, 2018.[3] The full committee also held a legislative hearing entitledS. __, the Agriculture Creates Real Employment (ACRE) Act,[4]on March 14, 2018. The hearing was on a draft bill titled the ACRE Act, and the text of S. 2421 was included in that bill as Section 3.[5]\r\nDuring the course of those hearings, witness testimony and member statements made clear that the FARM Act was intended only to apply narrowly to reporting requirements under CERCLA. For example, during his opening statement in the subcommittee hearing on March 8, 2018, Subcommittee Ranking Member Booker stated:\r\nI was happy to see that this bill, S. 2421, only proposed to exempt CAFOs from reporting under CERCLA, and not under EPCRA. And I know that Senator Carper and others fought to limit the scope of the bill before signing on.[6]\r\nFull Committee Ranking Member Carper, who was an original cosponsor of the FARM Act and helped draft its provisions, reiterated this point in his opening remarks, stating:\r\nOne thing I worked hard on this legislation with Senators Fischer and Barrasso and others, as we were developing this legislation, is to make sure the FARM Act makes no change to EPCRA reporting, no change I just want to thank both Senator Barrasso, and thank Senator Fischer, others, other staffs, and others for working with my staff and me and agreeing not to amend EPCRA in this bill. This is an issue that was critical for many members on our [D]emocratic side. We have repeatedly heard concerns from [s]tate and local officials, public health experts and other member of our communities who want information about what is in their air, and this bill seeks to strike a careful balance. As a result, it enjoys broad, bipartisan support.[7]\r\nWitnesses at both hearings also understood that Congress intended for EPCRA reporting requirements to continue if the legislation were enacted. Several Committee members specifically asked witnesses whether enacting the FARM Act would affect reporting requirements for farms under EPCRA. Those witnesses testified that the legislation would not, as they understood it, based both on a plain reading of the text and the manifest Congressional intent behind it. For example, in the subcommittee hearing on March 8, 2018, Senator Van Hollen had an extensive discussion with Bill Satterfield, Executive Director of the Delmarva Poultry Industry, on this point. Senator Van Hollen asked whether eliminating the reporting requirement under CERCLA would necessarily impact reporting requirements under EPCRA. Mr. Satterfield indicated they would not, because the two statutes were independent and had different purposes:\r\nSenator Van Hollen. And the last comment I will make, Mr. Chairman, because I really am trying to figure this out with you, is in the decision, in the court decision, the judge said, in the final rule, that cutting back on CERCLA reporting requirements had the automatic effect of cutting back on Community Right-to-Know reporting and disclosure requirements. Is there something I am missing here, that is it an automatic flow-through? In other words, it doesn't touch that statute, but the Community Right-to-Know statute is directly linked with the CERCLA statute in terms of triggering reporting requirements?\r\nMr. Satterfield. My understanding is that, under CERCLA, the reports go to the National Response Center operated by the Coast Guard, and then 30 days later a written report to the regional EPA office. Under the EPCRA, the Community Right-to-Know, it is my understanding that those reports go to the local and State emergency responders, not necessarily to the Federal people. So there are two different reporting systems, two different purposes.\r\nSenator Van Hollen. And they are totally independent, so this legislation, while it may impact CERCLA requirements, would not impact the Community Right-to-Know requirement?\r\nMr. Satterfield. That is my understanding, sir.[8]\r\nOther witnesses shared this same understanding of the legal effects of the legislation. During the full committee hearing on March 14, 2018, Senator Fischer asked Doug Miyamoto, Director of the Wyoming Department of Agriculture, about the FARM Act's effects on EPCRA reporting:\r\nSenator Fischer. Can you please explain to the Committee the current regulatory framework livestock producers must comply under, and specifically under the bill before us, the ACRE Act and, subsequently, the FARM Act, do certain providers still have to comply with EPCRA reporting requirements?\r\nMr. Miyamoto. Mr. Chairman, Senator, they do. In confined animal feeding operations, they would still have a duty to report under EPCRA and comply with the regulatory requirements there.\r\nSenator Fischer. So, just to be clear, producers and our large animal feeding operations, they still must comply with EPCRA, the Clean Water Act, and State regulations?\r\nMr. Miyamoto. Mr. Chairman, Senator, that is correct.[9]\r\n\r\nIII.Congressional Research Service Analysis of the FARM Act\r\n\r\nAs part of the Committee's consideration of the FARM Act, the Committee asked the Congressional Research Service (CRS) to analyze the potential effects of the FARM Act's amendments to CERCLA. In response, CRS produced two memoranda which were made part of both hearing records, and are included in the Appendix. The CRS memorandum titled Supplemental Analysis: Fair Agricultural Reporting Method Act/FARM Act (S. 2421) dated March 13, 2018, explains that the reporting requirements outlined in EPCRA Sec. 304(a)(1) and 304(a)(3) are contingent upon reporting under CERCLA. However, as CRS notes:\r\nS. 2421 would not have a bearing on the reporting of releases of extremely hazardous substances under Section 304(a)(2) of EPCRA though, as this provision is not contingent upon reporting required under Section 103 of CERCLA. If the exemption from CERCLA in S. 2421 were enacted, the applicability of Section 304(a)(2) therefore would remain the same as in current law. An air release of an extremely hazardous substance emitted by animal waste at a farm would be subject to Section 304(a)(2) if all three statutory criteria for reporting were met...\r\nAn air release of an extremely hazardous substance emitted by animal waste (e.g., ammonia or hydrogen sulfide) would satisfy the third criterion of Section 304(a)(2)(C) of EPCRA, if the release were to occur in the samemanneras a release that would require reporting under CERCLA. As outlined in the March 7thCRS memorandum, the term release in CERCLA is relatively broad with respect to the manner in which a hazardous substance may enter the environment, including spilling, leaking, pumping, pouring, emitting, emptying, discharging, injecting, escaping, leaching, dumping, or disposing into the environment. The term environment is defined in Section 101(8) of CERCLA to include surface water, groundwater, a drinking water supply, surface soils, sub-surface soils, or ambient air. Section 329 of EPCRA defines the terms release and environment similar in scope to CERCLA. The federal regulations promulgated under Section 304 of EPCRA reflect these statutory definitions. Both CERCLA and EPCRA generally treat emissions into the ambient air as releases into the environment\r\nIn implementation, EPA has treated the phrase occurs in a manner in EPCRA Section 304(a)(2)(C) to mean the nature of the release in terms of how a substance enters the environment, not that reportingisrequired under Section 103 of CERCLA. Otherwise, Section 304(a)(2) would be rendered meaningless in covering releases of extremely hazardous substances that do not require reporting as hazardous substances under CERCLA, while requiring reporting under CERCLA at the same time.[10]\r\nIn other words, as CRS explains, if an extremely hazardous substance (as defined by EPCRA), is emitted in excess of the reportable quantity, and is released into the environment in a manner which would generally trigger reporting (as those terms are defined in CERCLA), then reporting is required under EPCRA 304(a)(2), even though reporting is not required under CERCLA. There is no condition-precedent that a substance first be reported under CERCLA in order to trigger the reporting requirements that exist under EPCRA 304(a)(2).[11]\r\n\r\nIV.EPA's Actions Following Enactment of the FARM ACT\r\n\r\nWhen Congress passed the FARM Act it made clear that EPCRA reporting requirements for farms would continue. However, it is equally clear that the policy preference of EPA's current leadership is that no farm be required to report any hazardous air emissions from animal waste. Following theWaterkeeper Alliancedecision, in October 2017, EPA issued guidance that EPCRA reporting was not required because these emissions were associated with routine agricultural operations, and would therefore not be within the universe of facilities which are subject to EPCRA section 304 release reporting. This interpretation directly contradicts EPA's previous interpretations of EPCRA, because as has been noted previously, many large farms had been reporting their animal waste air emissions since at least 2009.\r\nDespite Congress providing only a narrow exemption from CERCLA reporting, EPA has taken steps to achieve its preferred policy outcome through a novel legal theory offered in the form of guidance published on April 27, 2018. In that document EPA suggested that EPCRA reporting for farms was no longer required because CERCLA reporting was no longer required, i.e., because [a]ir emissions from animal waste thus do not occur in a manner which would require notification under CERCLA these releases fall out of the reporting requirements of EPCRA Section 304.[12]\r\nFollowing the publication of this guidance, members of the Committee wrote to EPA about its ill-conceived guidance. In the letter, Committee members noted that EPA's new guidance and interpretation of EPCRA Section 304 would have the presumably unintended effect of exempting reporting of releases forallsubstances designated as extremely hazardous substances' (EHS) under EPCRA, but not designated as hazardous substance under CERCLA.[13]Under EPA's new interpretation of Section 304(a)(2), hundreds of EHS that currently are subject to release reporting requirements would now effectively be exempt.\r\nEPA appears to have recognized the vulnerabilities intrinsic in its legal rationale for this new interpretation of EPCRA Section 304(a)(2)(C), and in the proposed rule attempts to draw a distinction between EPCRA reporting requirements from EHS for animal waste and for other substances listed as EHS. The rationale EPA presents in its proposed rulemaking, however, is similarly flawed and unpersuasive. The crux of EPA's argument lies in that the FARM Act specified the reporting exemption applied to releases of any substance from animal wasteinto the air.[14]Namely, when Congress specified the medium into which the release occurred, EPA argues that the reporting criterion in Section 304(a)(2)(C) is no longer met, and therefore reporting requirements under Section 304 are obviated. This situation, EPA argues, is different for releases of other EHS under EPCRA which are not also hazardous substances under CERCLA.\r\nTo illustrate this difference, in its proposed rule EPA cites the EPCRA reporting requirements for trimethylchlorosilane, which is an EHS under EPCRA but not a hazardous substance under CERCLA. EPA notes that, even though trimethylchlorosilane is not reportable under Section 103(a), a release of trimethylchlorosilane that occurs in a manner'would require notification under CERCLA Section 103(a) where, for example, the release is into the environment' as defined by CERCLA Section 101(22) . . . .[15]The distinction EPA is attempting to draw between reporting requirements for releases into the air and releases into the environment is inapposite. The term environment, as defined in CERCLA Section 101(8), includes the ambient air. Therefore, a release into the air is by definition a release into the environment. More explicitly, the FARM Act deliberately limits the reporting exemption only for hazardous substances emitted into the air. Releases into the environment other than those into the air (i.e. spills, discharges into water, contamination of soil, etc.) were intentionally not exempted from these reporting requirements and are still required to be reported under CERCLA Section 103, which in turn requires reporting under EPCRA Section 304(a)(1).\r\nUnder EPA's proposed interpretation of the FARM Act, if instead of limiting the CERCLA exemption to emissions into the air, Congress had instead carved out a broader exemption for reporting requirements under CERCLA and exempted releases intoall environmental media, then the EPCRA reporting requirements under Section 304(a)(2) (into the air or any other media) would apply. In other words, EPA is arguing that a more expansive reporting exemption under CERCLA would require more extensive reporting under EPCRA. This is an illogical and unreasonable interpretation of the statute.\r\n\r\nV.Conclusion\r\n\r\nEPA is required to faithfully execute the laws as passed by Congress. EPA's proposed rule vastly exceeds EPA's statutory authority and countermands unambiguous Congressional intent. EPA's proposed interpretation of reporting requirements for hazardous air emissions from animal waste relies on a statutory interpretation that was considered, and specifically rejected by Congress, when it enacted the FARM Act into law. EPA should withdraw this proposed rule and faithfully execute and enforce EPCRA and CERCLA reporting requirements consistent with the laws passed by Congress.\r\nWe respectfully request that this letter and the attached Appendices be added to the docket under EPA-HQ-OLEM-2018-0318, Amending Release Notification Regulations under the Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-Know Act (EPCRA) for Air Emissions from Animal Waste.\r\nThank you for consideration of our views.\r\n\r\n###\r\n    \r\n\r\n[1]40 C.F.R. Part 302; 40 C.F.R. Part 355.\r\n\r\n\r\n[2]853 F.3d 527 (D.C. Cir. 2017).\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n[5]CompareACRE Act, S. __, 115th Cong.  3 (2018) (attached as appendix to this letter),withFARM Act, S.2421, 115th Cong. (2018) (as introduced).\r\n\r\n\r\n[6]Hearing on FARM Act,supranote 3, at 10.\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n[9]Hearing on Draft ACRE Act,supranote 4, at 4950.\r\n\r\n\r\n[10] Memorandum from David M. Bearden, Cong. Research Serv., to S. Comm. on Env't & Pub. Works,Supplemental Analysis: Fair Agricultural Reporting Method Act/FARM Act (S. 2421), at 34 (Mar. 13, 2018) (emphasis in original),reprinted in164 Cong. Rec. S1926 (daily ed. Mar. 22, 2018).\r\n\r\n\r\n[11]See generallyU.S. EPA Office of Solid Waste & Emergency Response, EPA 550-B-15-001,List of Lists: Consolidated List of Chemicals Subject to the Emergency Planning and Community Right-To-Know Act (EPCRA), Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act (CERCLA) and Section 112(r) of the Clean Air Act(March 2015),available athttps://www.epa.gov/sites/production/files/2015-03/documents/list_of_lists.pdf.\r\n\r\n\r\n[12]U.S. EPA Office of Land & Emergency Mgmt.,How does the Fair Agricultural Reporting Method (FARM) Act impact reporting of air emissions from animal waste under CERCLA Section 103 and EPCRA Section 304?, at 1 (Apr. 27, 2018),attached in Appendix.\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n[14]83 Fed. Reg. 56791, 56793 (Nov. 14, 2018) (emphasis in original).", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.coons.senate.gov/news/videos/watch/sen-coons-joins-cnn-new-day-december-17-2018", "Sen. Coons joins CNN New Day December 17, 2018", "2018-12-17", "2018", "2018-12", "Democrat", "House", "DE", "Christopher Coons", "C001088", "www.coons.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Look at the biggest progressive fights & you'll often find that they were religious movements\n\nSen. Coons celebrates America 250: \"Our story is stronger when we tell it in its entirety\"\n\nThis week, seven of my bipartisan bills advanced in the Senate, one step closer to becoming law.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-06-27T23:11:43Z"], ["https://www.coons.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/video-sen-coons-on-gop-colleagues-quietly-the-vast-majority-of-them-say-its-not-a-witch-hunt", "[VIDEO] Sen. Coons on GOP colleagues: \u201cQuietly, the vast majority of them say it's not a witch hunt\u201d", "2018-12-17", "2018", "2018-12", "Democrat", "House", "DE", "Christopher Coons", "C001088", "www.coons.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "12.17.18\n\t\t\t [VIDEO] Sen. Coons on GOP colleagues: Quietly, the vast majority of them say it's not a witch hunt \n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tSen. Coons: The only person who is on TV and on Twitter saying they would be proud to shut the government down is our president\r\nSen. Coons: Trump sounds more like a mob boss than president of the United States\r\nWASHINGTON  U.S. Senator Chris Coons (D-Del.), a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, today joined CNN New Day.\r\nFor the millions of people who follow closely what President Trump has to say on Twitter every day, the idea that the FBI broke into his attorney's office runs right up against the foundation of our law, which is the FBI was executing a duly authorized warrant. Law enforcement, federal, state, local law enforcement doesn't just break into people's offices. They were executing a warrant issued with the approval of a judge. This is part of how investigations work. His use of the term \"Rat\" for Michael Cohen and mischaracterizing this as a break-in to his attorney's office frankly makes him sound more like a mob boss than president of the United States,said Senator Coons.\r\nThe only person who is on TV and on Twitter saying they would be proud to shut the government down is our president. I'm confident that leadership, Republican and Democrat, House and Senate, we want to finish our appropriations bills and want to go home. We don't want to see a government shutdown. But, in a fairly famous exchange at the White House the president said I'm willing to shut the government down over getting my wall. They haven't spent the money that was appropriated last fiscal year,saidSenator Coons.\r\nVideo and audio availablehere.\r\nExcerpts from the interview are below:\r\nSen. Coons on President Trump's tweets:The president is clearly going after the rule of law and our criminal justice system and he's undermining it. For the millions of people who follow closely what President Trump has to say on Twitter every day, the idea that the FBI broke into his attorney's office runs right up against the foundation of our law, which is the FBI was executing a duly authorized warrant. Law enforcement, federal, state, local law enforcement doesn't just break into people's offices. They were executing a warrant issued with the approval of a judge. This is part of how investigations work. His use of the term \"Rat\" for Michael Cohen and mischaracterizing this as a break-in to his attorney's office frankly makes him sound more like a mob boss than president of the United States.\r\nMore on the President:This is not good, not healthy for law enforcement. Law enforcement doesn't want to be dragged into partisan politics. They're just going to keep doing their job. I'm the co-chair of the Law Enforcement Caucus in the Senate. I have enormous respect for what federal law enforcement has to do each and every day. This is just another disheartening chapter in the president's attempts to mislead the American people about Mueller's investigation.\r\nSen. Coons on his Republican colleagues:Sadly, silent, most of them. There are a few, who every time there's a tweet like this, step forward saying that the Mueller investigation has to be protected. Mueller is executing an appropriate investigation. Quietly, the vast majority of them say it's not a witch hunt. We're going to take steps to protect it. This week, Senator Jeff Flake of Arizona will, once again, join me on the floor of the Senate, asking for a vote on our Mueller protection bill. And I'm sadly confident it will get blocked and it won't get a vote as it should.\r\nMore on Republicans:I can't speak for them. But I'll tell you, when we have private conversations most of my colleagues recognize this is not healthy, not good. But they're so happy with what they're getting out of the Trump administration in terms of tax cuts, deregulation, attacks on the Affordable Care Act and Obamacare, two new justices to the Supreme Court, that they're willing to let him, as they say, just ramble on, on Twitter. They pay attention to the policy accomplishments not to the Twitter statements. I think having the president of the United States say and do things like this on Twitter is fundamentally corrosive to the rule of law in our country.\r\nSen. Coons on criminal justice reform:Yes, this afternoon in the Senate, we'll take up and I believe pass the First Step Act, which has important sentencing revisions in it as well. This is a bipartisan effort that I've been part of for three congresses now. There are real leaders in the Republican and Democratic caucus who've pushed this over the finish line. President Trump has said he will sign it. Unfortunately, we've seen this movie before where the president commits to signing something important like immigration reform and then changes his mind. I think we should take this particular deal, get it through the Senate, hope the president will sign it before Christmas and this will be a heck of a holiday gift for thousands of families who will see family members who have served long, long sentences released early.\r\nSen. Coons on Obamacare:This is the opportunity for Republicans in the Senate to show they mean what they say that they want to protect pre-existing conditions and that they want to work across the aisle to fix and stabilize parts of the Affordable Care Act that are now widely popular. I remain hopeful even though there hasn't been any movement in that direction for this Congress. It's going to be a tough issue for the Republicans facing the electorate in 2020. The Affordable Care Act, in particular its protections that allow young people under 26 to stay on their parents' health care, the closing of the so-called donut hole that reduced prescription drug costs for seniors and the pre-existing condition protection. Those are very popular. So much so that governors and senators who ran against Obamacare, who participated in this lawsuit ran in the last few weeks of the 2018 election claiming, without foundation that they, in fact, were trying to protect pre-existing conditions.\r\nSen. Coons on whether the government will shut down:I have no idea. The only person who is on TV and on Twitter saying they would be proud to shut the government down is our president. I'm confident that leadership, Republican and Democrat, House and Senate, we want to finish our appropriations bills and want to go home. We don't want to see a government shutdown. But, in a fairly famous exchange at the White House the president said I'm willing to shut the government down over getting my wall. They haven't spent the money that was appropriated last fiscal year.\r\nMore on the wall:They've spent money on some models and studies and they have obligated the money, but it's not as if they built 100 or 200 miles of wall in the last year. There's a number of problems, a simple one for folks to understand is that the vast majority of the land on which President Trump's imaginative concrete ribbon wall would be built is privately owned and a lot of those land owners are not volunteering to come forward to have a wall put at the end of their property. It would take a lot of time and effort to get permissions, legal authority to put this wall on a lot of places that it doesn't exist. There are already 700 miles of border fencing and border wall in some of the areas where there's the most active crossing. A lot of this very long border is extremely remote, far out in the desert, in very rugged areas, mountainous areas, I've heard from both CDP and DHS, the homeland security and customs and border patrol folks, that a single, ribbon, concrete wall is just a foolish way to spend money, and there are other, smarter ways to invest in border security. I have voted, as has almost every Democrat, to invest in border security but this isn't the way to do it.\r\n###\r\n\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t Press Contact \n\t\t\t\tSean Coit at 202-224-5042 orSean_Coit@coons.senate.gov", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.carper.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/2018/12/carper-statement-on-multilateral-agreement-to-implement-paris-climate-accord", "Carper Statement on Multilateral Agreement to Implement Paris Climate Accord", "2018-12-15", "2018", "2018-12", "Democrat", "House", "DE", "Thomas Carper", "C000174", "www.carper.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "WASHINGTON, D.C. Today, Senator Tom Carper (D-Del.), top Democrat on the Environment and Public Works Committee (EPW), released the following statement regarding the agreement reached at the 24thsession of the Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP24):\r\nFor the past two weeks, leaders from nearly 200 countries have been working to reach agreement on how the world will actually implement the Paris Climate Agreement.It is a positive step forward that the international community could come together and agree to meaningful action to combat climate change on a global scale by finally putting the Paris Agreement into practice.\r\n\r\nHowever, this agreement is not perfect. Unfortunately, it falls well short of the steps that the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) determined, just months ago, are needed to avoid the most catastrophic effects of climate change over the next decade. The entire world must be doing even more and setting even more aggressive targets going forward to address the challenges of climate change. While we certainly can and should be doing more, today's agreement gives me hope that bolder future agreements are possible.\r\n\r\nAs the rest of the world sets off to meet their Paris climate targets, the Trump Administration has decided to forego the economic opportunities of a clean energy future and instead tie our economy to the dirty fossil fuels of the past. The path this administration is taking our country down is bad for our economy and disastrous for our climate. But we don't have time to wait for President Trump and other climate deniers to come to their senses. We must continue to push forward and work in Congress to make the changes that we know are needed to protect our planet.\r\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.coons.senate.gov/news/videos/watch/sen-coons-joins-morning-joe-december-14-2018", "Sen. Coons joins Morning Joe December 14, 2018", "2018-12-14", "2018", "2018-12", "Democrat", "House", "DE", "Christopher Coons", "C001088", "www.coons.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Look at the biggest progressive fights & you'll often find that they were religious movements\n\nSen. Coons celebrates America 250: \"Our story is stronger when we tell it in its entirety\"\n\nThis week, seven of my bipartisan bills advanced in the Senate, one step closer to becoming law.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-06-27T23:11:43Z"], ["https://www.coons.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/video-sen-coons-on-us-saudi-relationship-i-think-we-should-have-a-complete-re-examination", "[VIDEO] Sen. Coons on US-Saudi relationship: \u201cI think we should have a complete re-examination\u201d", "2018-12-14", "2018", "2018-12", "Democrat", "House", "DE", "Christopher Coons", "C001088", "www.coons.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "12.14.18\n\t\t\t [VIDEO] Sen. Coons on US-Saudi relationship: I think we should have a complete re-examination \n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t \n\t\n\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n        \n\t\t\t\t Sen. Coons: We're not just a country of interests. We're not just another great power. We're a country that is great because of our values.\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t WASHINGTON  U.S. Senator Chris Coons (D-Del.), a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, this morning joined MSNBC's Morning Joe.\r\nWhen our president hears therelevant intelligence, isbriefed on the securityconsequences and on all thosechilling details and says, Idon't know, I'm not sure who tobelieve, I'm not sure what weought to do, they are a great partner,they buy a lot of weapons fromus.That suggests our relationshipwith the Saudi kingdom is rootedonly in arm sales and access toenergy.That degrades the United States.That makes us not only not greatagain but that goes at the verycore of what has made us greatwhich is being clear about ourvalues, priorities.So refusing to stand up for thefreedom of the press and defend anAmerican resident journalistweakens our country and having apartnership even following thisincident with no accountabilityfor it profoundly weakens ourcountry,said Senator Coons.\r\nVideo and audio availablehere.\r\nExcerpts from the interview are below:\r\nSen. Coons on the border:Mika, absolutely.This calls on all of us to bringa moral lens to this story, tolook at how we're treatingfamilies, families withchildren, families who arecoming to this country out ofdesperation.My predecessor, Joe Biden, whenhe was Vice President led aneffort to invest in trying tostabilize and improve thequality of life, the rule of lawin countries like Guatemala andHonduras and El Salvador so tensof thousands of parents wouldn'tfeel compelled by violence and disorder inthose countries to risk thethousands of miles of traveloften across desert to try andmake it to our southern border.That's a policy that wassupported in a bipartisan wayhere in Congress but thisadministration has cut thefunding for those programssignificantly over the last twoyears.I think we should do everythingwe can to help make surefamilies don't feel compelled tomake that risky trip, but oncethey do, border patrol needs todo everything they can to avoidthis kind of senseless andneedless loss of life,particularly for children whopresent at our border in reallyterrible condition. Sen. Coons on Yemen:I think the chances arefairly strong, Joe, becausenumber of senators bothRepublican and Democrat who havehad grave concerns about theconduct of the war in Yemen fora long time but hadn't spokenout about it, hadn't votedagainst it and who now have as aresult of the brutal abduction,torture and murder of JamalKhashoggi an American residentjournalist that's what changedthe view of so many in theSenate with whom I voted andspoken about this issue, wasboth that particular incidentand the ways in which PresidentTrump failed to step up andteach about America's values.You know, we're not just acountry of interests.We're not just another greatpower.We're a country that is greatbecause of our values.The utter failure to stand upfor and protect a journalist, an American resident journalist with American citizen children, has galvanizedbipartisan action in the Senateand the point you make, Joe, isan important one.Although this was a significantvote yesterday in the Senate,there's no chance that theRepublican controlled House willtake it up and pass it beforethe end of this session.Early next year I think weshould consider this issue againand take stronger action withteeth in way that our Housecolleagues in the DemocraticParty can then put on thepresident's desk to force him toact on this issue. More on Saudi Arabia:This is the sort of thing,Willie, I think the ForeignRelations Committee of theSenate should look at in detail.For a long time, we had a close,strategic partnership with theSaudi kingdom.They are a key bulwark against Iran and against Iran's expansionism, their support of terrorism in the region.But some of the recent adventures that MBS has dragged us along on, not just this tragic war in Yemen, but also their actions against Qatar,his actions in Lebanon and for a long time the ways inwhich the Saudi kingdom hassupported and exported a fairlyextreme version of Islam has tomake us reconsider the depth ofthis relationship.How many more incidents likethis, tragedy in the Saudiconsulate in Istanbul will weget dragged into if we don'tbegin to draw some differentlines in terms of our prioritiesfor the U.S.-Saudi relationship?So I think we should have acomplete re-examination.What we haven't heard yet fromSecretary Pompeo is a realopenness to a reconsideration ofour relationship with theSaudis. More on the Middle East:I do share that concern,David.A number of my colleagues havecome out and fairly boldly said:What should happen to the CrownPrince?Who should be the next leader ofSaudi Arabia?And I think we're on stronger,better footing if we put forwardour values and our prioritiesand make it clear what thelimits are to our partnershipwith the Saudis.That's what the vote yesterdaywas really about, was sayingthat the conduct of the war inYemen, the humanitarianconsequences of the war in Yemenare a step too far for us.We've already seen some positivemovement in the peace talksbetween the Houthis and the legitimate Yemen government, particularly in regard to the port in Hudaydah and thedelivery of humanitarian relief.That's an encouraging firstsign.I don't think we should bespecifically saying whether theCrown Prince can or can't leadSaudi Arabia, but insteadputting our values, prioritiesforward and then making it clearwe won't be supporting furtheradventurism and further actionsin particular actions to try todo the sort of extreme thinglike kidnapping and murdering acritic of the Saudi royalfamily. More on Saudi Arabia:Joe, that's exactly why thishas been such a galvanizingincident.You concisely summarized themost chilling parts of thisparticular incident and I thinkwe need to send a clear messagethat that style of leadership isnot going to lead to an enduringAmerican partnership with theSaudi kingdom and to be clearabout our priorities.When our president hears therelevant intelligence, isbriefed on the securityconsequences and on all thosechilling details and says, Idon't know, I'm not sure who tobelieve, I'm not sure what weought to do, they are a great partner,they buy a lot of weapons fromus.That suggests our relationshipwith the Saudi kingdom is rootedonly in arm sales and access toenergy.That degrades the United States.That makes us not only not greatagain but that goes at the verycore of what has made us greatwhich is being clear about ourvalues, priorities.So refusing to stand up for thefreedom of the press and defend anAmerican resident journalistweakens our country and having apartnership even following thisincident with no accountabilityfor it profoundly weakens ourcountry.\r\n###\r\n\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t Press Contact \n\t\t\t\tSean Coit at 202-224-5042 orSean_Coit@coons.senate.gov\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\n\t  \n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t \n\t\t\n\t\t\tPrint\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tEmail\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tTweet\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t \n\t\n\t\n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n    \n\t\n\t\n    \n    \n    \n    \t\n    \t\n\t    \t  \n\t\t    \n\t\t    \n\t\t    \tPrevious Article", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.carper.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/2018/12/carper-to-trump-administration-do-not-undercut-rule-that-protects-americans-from-harmful-mercury-emissions", "Carper to Trump Administration: Do Not Undercut Rule That Protects Americans From Harmful Mercury Emissions", "2018-12-13", "2018", "2018-12", "Democrat", "House", "DE", "Thomas Carper", "C000174", "www.carper.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "WASHINGTON, D.C. Today, Senator Tom Carper (D-Del.), top Democrat on the Environment and Public Works Committee (EPW),wroteto the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs (OIRA) expressing grave concerns regarding the Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) proposed reconsideration of the Supplemental Finding about Mercury and Air Toxics Standards (MATS) which clearly states that it is appropriate and necessary for EPA to regulate mercury and toxic air pollution from coal and oil fired power plants. In the letter, Carper warns that EPA's new proposal may be ignoring or dismissing many of the clear health and environmental benefits of the Mercury and Air Toxics Standards.\r\nFor decades, and in multiple Administrations, EPA has followed OMB's direction by providing a robust record of all the quantifiable and qualitative data for air toxic rules....Based on all the health and scientific data, Congressional intent, and historical justification and precedent, it just does not make sense for EPA to change course regarding the consideration of non-quantifiable benefits in its Supplemental Finding for MATS,Carper wrote.\r\nCarper continued,If EPA looks at all the actual benefits and updated costs of this [MATS] rule instead of persisting in its tortured effort to re-define its own legal authority and responsibility, there is no reasonable conclusion other than that it is appropriate and necessary to regulate these dangerous power plant emissions under Section 112 of the Clean Air Act. I echo the call of health and environmental groups, states and the business community: Keep the entirety of the MATS rules in place.\r\nA copy of the letter can be foundHERE, and the full text of the letter is below:\r\n\r\nDecember 13, 2018\r\n\r\n\r\nThe Honorable Neomi Rao\r\nAdministrator\r\nOffice of Information and Regulatory Affairs  Eisenhower Executive Office Building\r\n1650 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW\r\nWashington, DC 20503\r\n\r\nDear Administrator Rao:\r\nI write with great concerns about the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) proposed reconsideration of the Mercury and Air Toxics Standards (MATS) Supplemental Finding (81 FR 24420, April 25, 2016). Your office received this reconsideration proposal for review on October 4, 2018. According to press reports,[1]EPA intends to propose to reverse its decision that it is appropriate and necessary to regulate mercury and toxic air pollution from coal- and oil-fired power plants. These reports indicate that, in arriving at that conclusion, the EPA is attempting to ignore or dismiss many of the MATS rule's public health benefits. If this is the case, this proposal should be rejected. It would contravene Congressional intent and endanger the health of all Americans.\r\nMercury (and other air toxics such as lead, arsenic, benzene, and acid gases) harms the public while airborne, and when it settles on the soil and in the waterways we depend on for the water we drink and fish we eat. These toxic substances, which are emitted by power plants, then build up in our bodies, causing cancer, respiratory illness, mental impairment, and death. Mercury pollution is especially dangerous for unborn children, who can suffer long-lasting neurological damage if exposed during development. According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, there is no safe level of mercury exposure for children  none.\r\nAfter a long delay, in 2012 EPA issued a MATS rule to reduce emissions from power plants, our nation's largest sources of mercury and air toxics. The MATS rule was expected to reduce utility mercury emissions by 90% and other air toxic emissions by 50%. In the agency's 2011 cost benefit analysis for the MATS rule, EPA estimated that the quantifiable benefits to public health (including 11,000 fewer deaths each year) of the MATS rule far outweighed the estimated costs of compliance for the utility industry.[2]\r\nThe substance of the MATS rule survived court challenges, and remains on the books today. However, in the 2015Michigan vs. EPAcase, the Supreme Court ruled 5-4 that EPA should have considered costs when deciding whether it is was appropriate and necessary to regulate hazardous air emissions from power plants. Instead of vacating the MATS rule, the Court allowed the rule to stay in place while EPA addressed the Court's concerns. In Justice Scalia's majority opinion, he wrote: We need not and do not hold that the law unambiguously required the Agency, when making this preliminary estimate, to conduct a formal cost-benefit analysis in which each advantage and disadvantage is assigned a monetary value. It will be up to the Agency to decide (as always, within the limits of reasonable interpretation) how to account for cost.[3]\r\nIn April 2016, in response toMichigan vs. EPA, EPA issued the MATS Supplemental Finding. That finding reconfirms that it is appropriate and necessary to regulate hazardous emissions from power plants under Section 112 of the Clean Air Act.[4] EPA reiterated its conclusion after considering the full range of factors relevant to the appropriate and necessary finding.[5] In coming to this conclusion, EPA reviewed the industry's compliance costs (e.g., revenue, consumer costs, capital expenditures, operation costs, etc.) based on data provided for the Regulatory Impact Analysis (RIA). EPA also reviewed all the health and environmental benefits, including those that are impossible, to quantify or monetize, but are no less real than any other advantage of regulation.[6]\r\nDespite the MATS rule's overwhelming public health benefits, former-Administrator Scott Pruitt announced in 2017 that EPA would reconsider the April 2016 MATS Supplemental Finding. OMB's Regulatory Review Dashboard shows that your office is currently reviewing EPA's proposal to reconsider those determinations.[7] Based on public comments made by EPA Assistant Administrator Wehrumboth when he was a private citizen representing clients that opposed the MATS rule and supported a reconsideration of the MATS Supplemental Finding, and now in his official capacity at EPAI believe the agency has decided to make a legal finding that it is no longer appropriate and necessary to regulate power plant air toxic emissions. Further, Mr. Wehrum's comments suggest that EPA is making such a finding based on a limited view of the benefits from the MATS rule. It is my understanding that EPA has determined that it will only consider quantifiable costs and benefits of reducing hazardous air pollutants, not all the actual benefits. If true, this blatant attempt to undermine the MATS rule would contradict longstanding EPA practice, OMB requirements, Congressional intent, and common sense.\r\nEPA should not to turn a blind eye to the societal benefits of the MATS rule that cannot easily be reduced to dollars and cents. Economic tools for projecting and estimating costs and benefits are always evolving and they work better in some situations than others. For example, EPA has good health, exposure, and mortality data that can translate to monetized health benefits for criteria air pollutants like ozone and particulate matter. Yet, EPA has struggled for over four decades to precisely monetize the health benefits of controlling air toxics such as mercury. EPA explains that difficulties in monetizing the health benefits of controlling mercury arise because: the adverse health effects of toxics are often irreversible, not mitigated or eliminated by reduction in ongoing exposure, and involve particularly painful and/or protracted disease. Therefore these effects are not readily studied and quantified in human clinical studies, in contrast to, for example, ambient ozone.[8]\r\nCongress, EPA and OMB have long recognized that if EPA cannot quantify the benefits that doesn't mean the benefits do not exist. When 1990 Clean Air Amendments were written  including Section 112(n) - there were few, if any, quantifiable data available on cancer risks of air toxics and no quantifiable data whatsoever available for non-cancer risks, like birth and neurological defects.[9] Despite the lack of quantifiable benefits, Congress still found it necessary to require EPA to pursue robust regulations to address major sources of air toxics emissions. At the same time, Congress indicated that it was well aware of the limitations of relying exclusively on cost-benefit analysis when assessing air toxics, stating: [T]he public health consequences of substances which express their toxic potential only after long periods of chronic exposure will not be given sufficient weight in the regulatory process when they must be balanced against the present day costs of pollution control and its other economic consequences.[10] Based on this legislative history, it is clear Congress did not intend for EPA to ignore public health benefits that could not quantified into dollars when determining if it is appropriate and necessary to regulate power plant air toxic emissions. Congress also did not intend for EPA to ignore co-benefits thatcanbe monetized.\r\nThe scientific information critical to determining the monetized value of reducing air toxic pollution is still limited. This has resulted in some of the most important benefits (including reduced incidents of birth defects and cancer) not being able to be quantified in EPA's cost-benefit analyses for air toxic rules. In 2003, then-EPA Assistant Administrator for Air and Radiation Jeff Holmstead testified before the House Energy and Commerce Committee on the difficulty of quantifying the benefits of reducing air toxic emissions from power plants, saying: These estimates [for Clear Skies] do not include the many additional benefits that cannot currently be monetized but are likely to be significant, such as human health benefits from reduced risk of mercury emissions, and ecological benefits from improvements in the health of our forests, lakes, and coastal waters.[11]\r\nEPA has tried to bridge the air toxic data gaps through various stakeholder workshops over the years. The latest workshop in 2009 concluded that monetizing all air toxic benefits is still not possible, making a cost benefit analysis difficult to do for any action involving hazardous air pollutants. Finding that, [F]or many chemicals on the [Clean Air Act hazardous air pollutant] list, the information on potential health effects is so limited that quantitative benefits analysis is not feasibleThis lack of information is in contrast to the criteria air pollutants for which there is extensive human exposure or epidemiological data on the health effects at ambient-exposure levelscharacterizing the health effects of air toxics at ambient levels can be subject to a very high level of uncertainty; thus, using these health effects in economic benefits assessment is difficult.[12]\r\nFortunately, OMB has long-recognized the constraints of using cost benefit analysis when trying to justify a rule, especially when it is difficult to quantify benefits. That is why in OMB's 2003 Circular A-4, EPA and other agencies are required to conduct a complete regulatory analysis that includes a discussion of non-quantified as well as quantified benefits and costs. When there are important nonmonetary values at stake, you should also identify them in your analysis so policymakers can compare them with the monetary benefits and costs.[13] In addition, OMB clarifies in Circular A-4 that all ancillary benefits should be counted in any rule analysis, directing agencies to look beyond the direct benefits and direct costs of your rulemaking and consider any important ancillary benefits and countervailing risks. An ancillary benefit is a favorable impact of the rule that is typically unrelated or secondary to the statutory purpose of the rulemaking. OMB also states when an agency, can estimate the monetary value of some but not all of the ancillary benefits of a regulation, but cannot assign a monetary value to the primary measure of effectiveness, you should subtract the monetary estimate of the ancillary benefits from the gross cost estimate to yield an estimated net cost.[14]\r\nFor decades, and in multiple Administrations, EPA has followed OMB's direction by providing a robust record ofallthe quantifiable and qualitative data for air toxic rules. The Congressional Research Service has found that between January 1, 2000 and the present, EPA has issued at least thirty-two Regulatory Impact Analyses (RIAs) for rules that involve regulating air toxics under Section 112(d) of the Clean Air Act, including the MATS rule. None of these thirty-two RIAs fully quantified the direct benefits of reducing hazardous air pollutants, yet the rules discuss benefits that cannot be quantified as important justifications for reducing the toxic emissions  particularly those regarding critical health benefits. For MATS specifically, EPA concluded there are some costs and important benefits that EPA could not monetize, such as other mercury reduction benefits and those for the [hazardous air pollutants] other than mercury being reduced by this final rule. Upon considering these limitations and uncertainties, it remains clear that the benefits of the MATS are substantial and far outweigh the costs.[15]\r\nIn these thirty-two RIAs, EPA also provided monetized ancillary benefits known as co-benefits. The co-benefits included the dollar value of lives saved and other health benefits from the reduction of sulfur dioxide and ozone pollution that occurs along with the reduction of air toxics. EPA found that the quantified ancillary benefits for MATS are significant, up to $90 billion in benefits per year.\r\nBased on all the health and scientific data, Congressional intent, and historical justification and precedent, it just does not make sense for EPA to change course regarding the consideration of non-quantifiable benefits in its Supplemental Finding for MATS. No judicial or legislative directive requires this willful blindness to the public health consequences of EPA's proposal.\r\nThis decision is especially peculiar given that MATS is resulting in faster and significantly more cost-effective public health benefits than EPA initially predicted in 2011. On July 10, 2018, every major electrical utility trade organization representing coal-fired and other utilities joined with labor organizations in a letter to EPA that confirmed our power plants have already reduced mercury emissions by nearly 90 percent over the past decade.[16] These reductions are in large part due to the investments that were made to comply with MATS  investments that turned out to be about one-quarter the costs EPA conservatively predicted. The utilities and labor organizations explained that industry compliance with the MATS rule was easier than first estimated, stating that today all covered plants have implemented the regulation [MATS] and that pollution controlswhere neededare installed and operating.[17] The letter went on to cite the importance of regulatory certainty given all the investments made to meet the MATS rules and asked EPA to leave the underlying MATS rule in place and effective.[18]\r\nMy hope is that OMB will ensure that EPA follows Congressional intent under the Clean Air Act when it comes to determining if it is appropriate and necessary to regulate air toxic emissions from power plants. If EPA looks at all the actual benefits and updated costs of this rule instead of persisting in its tortured effort to re-define its own legal authority and responsibility, there is no reasonable conclusion other than that it is appropriate and necessary to regulate these dangerous power plant emissions under Section 112 of the Clean Air Act. I echo the call of health and environmental groups, states and the business community: Keep the entirety of the MATS rules in place.\r\nI thank you for your prompt attention to this matter.\r\n\r\n###\r\n    \r\n\r\n\r\n[2]U.S. EPA. 2011.Regulatory Impact Analysis for the Final Mercury and Air Toxics Standards. Office of Air Quality Planning and Standards, Research Triangle Park, NC. EPA452/R11011. Docket ID No. EPAHQ OAR2009023420131.\r\n\r\n\r\n[3]Michigan v. E.P.A., 135 S. Ct. 2699, 2711 (2015).\r\n\r\n\r\n[4]Supplemental Finding That It Is Appropriate and Necessary To Regulate Hazardous Air Pollutants from Coal- and Oil-Fired Electric Utility Steam Generating Units, 81 Fed. Reg. 24,419 (Apr. 25, 2016).\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n[9] Legislative History 1990 Clean Air Act Amendments, H.Rept 101-490 Part 1, 101st Congress (1989-1990).\r\n\r\n\r\n[10]Legislative History 1990 Clean Air Act Amendments, S.Rept 101-228, 101st Congress (1989-1990).\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n[15]U.S. EPA. 2011.Regulatory Impact Analysis for the Final Mercury and Air Toxics Standards. Office of Air Quality Planning and Standards, Research Triangle Park, NC. EPA452/R11011. Docket ID No. EPAHQ OAR2009023420131.\r\n\r\n\r\n[16]Letter to USEPA Assistant Administrator of Office of Air and Radiation William Wehrum from The Edison Electric Institute, The American Public Power Association, The National Rural Electric Cooperative Association, The Clean Energy Group, The Class of 85 Regulatory Response Group The International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers The International Brotherhood of Boilermakers, Iron Ship Builders, Blacksmiths, Forgers & Helpers, July 10, 2018, can be found athttps://www.eenews.net/assets/2018/07/11/document_gw_04.pdf. Hereafter 2018 Industry Letter to EPA.\r\n\r\n\r\n[17]2018 Industry Letter to EPA\r\n\r\n\r\n[18] 2018 Industry Letter to EPA", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.carper.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/2018/12/carper-votes-to-end-u-s-military-involvement-in-yemen-condemn-saudi-crown-prince", "Carper Votes to End U.S. Military Involvement in Yemen, Condemn Saudi Crown Prince", "2018-12-13", "2018", "2018-12", "Democrat", "House", "DE", "Thomas Carper", "C000174", "www.carper.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "WASHINGTON, D.C.  Today, Senator Tom Carper (D-Del.) released the following statement after the Senate voted unanimously to condemn Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman as responsible for the killing of Washington Post columnist Jamal Khashoggi. The Senate also voted, 57-38, to end U.S. military involvement in Yemen where a four-year civil war has killed tens of thousands of civilians, and pushed fourteen million more to the brink of famine.\r\nWhen it comes to guarding against potential threats or suspicious activity here at home, we have a saying: If you see something, say something.' We have seen Saudi Arabia wage a military intervention in Yemen that has led to the death of tens of thousands of civilians and the near starvation of millions more, including innocent children. We have seen the Saudi-led military operation refuse to improve its targeting in that conflict in order to minimize civilian deaths. We have also seen that the government of Saudi Arabia murdered Jamal Khashoggi  a journalist living in America  in cold blood. And in fact, our intelligence community has concluded that this particularly gruesome murder was most probably ordered directly by the Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia, Mohammed bin Salman.\r\nThis is what we have seen. We have an obligation to say something. And today, the U.S. Senate spoke clearly and forcefully. The House of Representatives and President Trump have seen the very same evidence. They should also feel compelled to speak out and raise the alarm. The promise of doing business with any nation cannot be allowed to supersede our country's commitment to standing up for human rights and condemning lawless, evil acts. I hope that with today's vote, we have sent the world a clear message  that Saudi Arabia, and any other country who would violate our core values, must be held accountable for its actions.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.carper.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/2018/12/after-portman-carper-psi-investigative-report-exposed-price-hikes-of-more-than-600-percent-drug-manufacturer-kal-o-reduces-price-of-naloxone-drug", "After Portman-Carper PSI Investigative Report Exposed Price Hikes of More Than 600 Percent, Drug Manufacturer Kalo Reduces Price of Naloxone Drug", "2018-12-12", "2018", "2018-12", "Democrat", "House", "DE", "Thomas Carper", "C000174", "www.carper.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Drug ManufacturerKaloPlans to Take Steps to Lower the Price of its Naloxone Auto-Injector to $178\r\nWASHINGTON, D.C. U.S. Senators Rob Portman (R-OH) and Tom Carper (D-DE), the chairman and ranking member of the Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations (PSI), today reacted to the news that drug manufacturer kaloplanned to take steps to reduce the price of its naloxone auto-injector to $178, down from $4,100 per unit. Portman and Carper previously led an investigation into the cost of the company's naloxone product  which is a naloxone delivery device used to revive individuals who overdose on opioids.\r\nLife-saving drugs should not be out of reach for those that need them most, especially in the midst of a deadly public health crisis,said Senator Carper. The news that Kaleo will make their naloxone drug more affordable, following our investigation, is a step in the right direction, and this step should serve as a teachable moment for other drug manufacturers. This move also reinforces the importance of substantive and bipartisan investigations that help to ensure that the public has the full picture when it comes to such important and costly issues. I'm pleased that Senator Portman and I can work together to get at the truth, and I am confident we will continue to do the work necessary to ensure that loopholes in our system cannot be exploited at the expense of patients and taxpayers.\r\nThis news is a positive step forward and I'm hopeful that it will increase access to naloxone, a critically-important overdose reversal drug that has saved tens of thousands of lives,saidSenator Portman.The Subcommittee will continue its efforts to lower prescription drug costs and protect taxpayer-funded programs like Medicare and Medicaid.\r\nOn November 18, Portman and Carper released the findings of a new investigative report, which were also highlighted on CBS News'60 Minutes, detailing how drug manufacturer kaloexploited the opioid crisis by increasing the price of its naloxone drug EVZIO by more than 600 percent by 2016 (from the initial price of $575 per unit in July 2014 to $3,750 in February 2016 and then to $4,100 11 months later in January 2017), launching a new distribution model planning to capitalize on the opportunity of opioid overdose at epidemic levels. The company's sales force focused on ensuring doctors' offices signed necessary paperwork indicating that EVZIO was medically necessary, ensuring the drug would be covered by government programs like Medicare and Medicaid. The plan worked, resulting in increased costs to taxpayers, to date, totaling more than $142 million in just the last four years, despite the fact that less costly versions of naloxone exist.\r\nKEY FINDINGS IN THE NOVEMBER 18 PSI REPORT\r\n \r\nWith sluggish sales of its EVZIO drug at its initial list price of $575, kalo implemented a new distributionmodel proposed by consultant Todd Smith that increased the price by more than 600 percent by 2017 (from $575 per unit in July 2014 to $3,750 in February 2016 and then to $4,100 in January 2017 11 months later).\r\nMr. Smith previously installed his distribution model at Horizon and Novum pharmaceutical companies, where he drastically raised drug prices at those companies.\r\nAccording to company documents, Mr. Smith's new distribution model for EVZIO was designed to capitalize on the opportunity of opioid overdose at epidemic levels.\r\nAs part of the distribution model, the company's sales force focused on making sure doctors' offices signed necessary paperwork indicating that EVZIO was medically necessary, which ensured the overdose reversal drug would be covered by government programs like Medicare and Medicaid.\r\nBefore kalo increased the price of EVZIO, industry experts recommended a price between $250-$300 for the product, telling the company it would own the market at that price.\r\nOne of the industry experts advising kalo to charge a lower price for EVZIO went on to work with Adapt to price Narcan at $125, which has now cornered the market at that price.\r\nKalo states its cost for an EVZIO is roughly $174, which includes $52 in manufacturing, $29 in overhead and $93 in obsolescence.\r\nKalo's new distribution model worked. EVZIO fill rates jumped from 39 percent to 81 percent. While kalo said its new model focused on commercially-covered patients, the majority of its initial revenues were from Medicare and Medicaid, and the resulting cost to taxpayers, to date, has been $142 million despite the fact that much less costly alternatives are available.\r\nKalo paid Mr. Smith and his partner Mr. Bove (through their consulting firm Underhill) more than $10.2 million for around two years of work. The rate was based on revenue generated by their distribution model.\r\n \r\nLEGISLATIVE RECOMMENDATIONS IN THE REPORT\r\n \r\nThe Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) should review its policies governing physician use of medical necessity formulary exceptions for Medicare Part D to prevent companies from inappropriately influencing prescribing.\r\nCongress should mandate a three-day limit on opioid prescriptions, consistent with Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommendations.\r\nCongress should require all states to utilize prescription monitoring programs (PDMPs) for opioids and other dangerous drugs that are authorized to freely share data among states.\r\nCongress should require CMS to improve transparency regarding the total amount spent for drugs purchased by government health care programs.\r\nCongress should allocate funding for research to develop innovative, more potent opioid overdose reversal drugs and non-opioid pain relief drugs. \r\nCongress should allocate funding for state and local governments to train members of the public on the use of generic and brand name naloxone products.\r\nStates should consider changing laws to authorize and train emergency medical technicians and other first responders to administer naloxone.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.carper.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/2018/12/carper-on-vote-to-overturn-trump-administration-dark-money-rule-this-should-have-passed-the-senate-unanimously", "Carper on Vote to Overturn Trump Administration Dark Money Rule: This Should Have Passed the Senate Unanimously", "2018-12-12", "2018", "2018-12", "Democrat", "House", "DE", "Thomas Carper", "C000174", "www.carper.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "WASHINGTON, D.C.  Today, Senator Tom Carper (D-Del.) released the following statement after the Senate just barely passed a measure, pushed by Democrats, to overturn a Trump Administration rule weakening disclosure requirements for donors. Earlier this year, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) eliminated a crucial donor disclosure requirement for 501(c)(4) organizations, like the NRA  making it easier for anonymous donors, including foreign agents, to funnel untraceable dark money' into our political system. That announcement came on the very same day the Justice Department revealed the arrest of a Russian national with NRA ties who has now plead guilty to conspiring to act as a foreign agent. In July, Senator Carper voted against President Trump's nominee to lead the IRS in light of the Trump Administration's rollback.\r\nIt is a good step forward that a majority of my Senate colleagues voted today to overturn the Trump Administration's rule that allows dark money' donors, including foreign agents, to hide even more information. However, this measure should have passed the Senate unanimously. Dark money is not a Democratic or Republican issue. It is an issue that affects the very health and integrity of our democracy. The Trump Administration's decision to weaken disclosure requirements for donors is reckless and puts our political system at risk from hostile foreign intervention.\r\nAmericans of all political affiliations want more transparency when it comes to our elections  not less. That a vote to restore some accountability in our democracy and ensure that our electoral process isn't subject to foreign influence only passed by one vote in the U.S. Senate is disappointing. It is clear that our work to enact broader reforms that will restore confidence in our campaign finance system and in our elections following Citizens United must continue.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.coons.senate.gov/news/videos/watch/judiciary-hearing-cpb-short-december-12-2018", "Judiciary Hearing CPB Short December 12, 2018", "2018-12-12", "2018", "2018-12", "Democrat", "House", "DE", "Christopher Coons", "C001088", "www.coons.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Look at the biggest progressive fights & you'll often find that they were religious movements\n\nSen. Coons celebrates America 250: \"Our story is stronger when we tell it in its entirety\"\n\nThis week, seven of my bipartisan bills advanced in the Senate, one step closer to becoming law.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-06-27T23:11:43Z"], ["https://www.coons.senate.gov/news/videos/watch/sen-coons-at-judiciary-customs-and-border-patrol-oversight-hearing-december-11-2018", "Sen. Coons at Judiciary Customs and Border Patrol Oversight Hearing December 11, 2018", "2018-12-12", "2018", "2018-12", "Democrat", "House", "DE", "Christopher Coons", "C001088", "www.coons.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Look at the biggest progressive fights & you'll often find that they were religious movements\n\nSen. Coons celebrates America 250: \"Our story is stronger when we tell it in its entirety\"\n\nThis week, seven of my bipartisan bills advanced in the Senate, one step closer to becoming law.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-06-27T23:11:43Z"], ["https://www.coons.senate.gov/news/videos/watch/sen-coons-joins-cnn-new-day-december-12-2018", "Sen. Coons joins CNN New Day December 12, 2018", "2018-12-12", "2018", "2018-12", "Democrat", "House", "DE", "Christopher Coons", "C001088", "www.coons.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Look at the biggest progressive fights & you'll often find that they were religious movements\n\nSen. Coons celebrates America 250: \"Our story is stronger when we tell it in its entirety\"\n\nThis week, seven of my bipartisan bills advanced in the Senate, one step closer to becoming law.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-06-27T23:11:43Z"], ["https://www.coons.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/coons-blunt-bipartisan-bill-to-protect-victims-of-child-abuse-unanimously-passes-senate", "Coons, Blunt bipartisan bill to protect victims of child abuse unanimously passes Senate", "2018-12-12", "2018", "2018-12", "Democrat", "House", "DE", "Christopher Coons", "C001088", "www.coons.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "12.12.18\n\t\t\t Coons, Blunt bipartisan bill to protect victims of child abuse unanimously passes Senate \n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tWASHINGTON  Today, U.S. Senators Chris Coons (Del.) and Roy Blunt (Mo.), co-chairs of the Senate Law Enforcement Caucus, commended unanimous Senate passage of their bipartisan legislation to reauthorize the Victims of Child Abuse Act (VOCAA), which provides funding for Children's Advocacy Centers that serve child victims and help law enforcement hold perpetrators accountable.\r\nChildren's Advocacy Centers protect children in Delaware and all across the country, and I'm very glad that Senator Blunt and I have been able to work across the aisle to move forward a reauthorization of the Victims of Child Abuse Act,said Coons.This legislation will ensure that law enforcement, along with health and other service providers, have the resources they need to care for children who have been abused and quickly prosecute the perpetrators of these horrific crimes.\r\nChildren's Advocacy Centers support and protect thousands of our nation's most vulnerable children every year,said Blunt.I appreciate my Senate colleagues coming together to help ensure these centers and law enforcement will continue to have an important tool to bring perpetrators to justice and keep kids safe. I urge our House colleagues to follow suit and get this bill to the president's desk.\r\nThe funding that the CAC of Delaware receives through the Victims of Child Abuse Act is critical to the continued operation of our three CAC's here in Delaware,said Randy Williams, CEO Child Advocacy Centers of Delaware.We rely on federal and private grant funding for over 43% of our annual revenue. We very much appreciate Senator Coons' unwavering efforts to ensure that CAC's nationwide have the financial resources required to provide essential services for victims of child abuse.\r\nBlunt and Coonsintroducedthe bill in May 2018. They previously introduced similarlegislation, which was signed into law in 2014, to reauthorize the Victims of Child Abuse Program through 2018.\r\nChildren's Advocacy Centers employ a multi-disciplinary team of trained professionals to conduct forensic interviews of children who have been victims of abuse. These interviews are designed to be admissible in court while also preventing children from being re-traumatized by having to tell their accounts multiple times. Use of Children's Advocacy Centers leads to faster criminal charging decisions in sexual abuse cases, increased felony prosecutions of child sexual abuse, and lower average per-case costs.\r\nIn addition to Blunt and Coons, original Senate cosponsors include U.S. Senators Todd Young (Ind.), Shelley Moore Capito (W. Va.), Richard Burr (N.C.), Mike Rounds (S.D.), Deb Fischer (Neb.), Amy Klobuchar (Minn.), Bob Casey (Pa.), Mazie Hirono (Hawaii) and Dick Durbin (Ill.). U.S. Representatives Ted Poe (Texas) and Jim Costa (Calif.) introduced similar legislation in the House.\r\nThe bill has garnered widespread support from the nation's top advocacy groups, including the National Children's Alliance, National Association of Prosecuting Attorneys, National Association of Police Organizations, National Sheriffs' Association, Fraternal Order of Police, and National District Attorneys Association. The bill is also backed by the Major County Sheriffs' Association, the North East Regional Children's Advocacy Center, the Midwest Regional Children's Advocacy Center, the Western Regional Children's Advocacy Center, the Sergeants Benevolent Association, the National Children's Advocacy Center, and the Southern Regional Children's Advocacy Center.\r\n###\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t Press Contact \n\t\t\t\tSean Coit at 202-224-5042 orSean_Coit@coons.senate.gov\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\n\t  \n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t \n\t\t\n\t\t\tPrint\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tEmail\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tTweet\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t \n\t\n\t\n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n    \n\t\n\t\n    \n    \n    \n    \t\n    \t\n\t    \t  \n\t\t    \n\t\t    \n\t\t    \tPrevious Article", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.coons.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/video-sen-coons-on-possible-shutdown-that-would-be-a-striking-last-gasp-of-the-government-with-republicans-in-control-of-both-the-senate-and-the-house-and-the-white-house", "[VIDEO] Sen. Coons on possible shutdown: \u201cThat would be a striking last gasp of the government with Republicans in control of both the Senate and the House and the White House\u201d", "2018-12-12", "2018", "2018-12", "Democrat", "House", "DE", "Christopher Coons", "C001088", "www.coons.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "12.12.18\n\t\t\t [VIDEO] Sen. Coons on possible shutdown: That would be a striking last gasp of the government with Republicans in control of both the Senate and the House and the White House \n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t \n\t\n\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n        \n\t\t\t\t Sen. Coons on border security: The only person who is publicly saying he would be proud to shut down the government is President Trump\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t WASHINGTON  U.S. Senator Chris Coons (D-Del.), a member of the Senate Appropriations and Judiciary Committees, today joined CNN New Day to discuss the potential government shutdown.\r\nWe had a hearing yesterday where the head of Customs and Border Patrol, CPB, was describing how much they built and how much more they could build. Frankly, there's an emerging gap between the leaders in the Administration responsible for border security and what they say will be wise investments and the president's grandstanding over demanding $5 billion more. The president keeps mischaracterizing the Democrats as wanting open borders and not being willing to invest in border security and that's not true,said Senator Coons.\r\nVideo and audio availablehere.\r\nExcerpts from the interview are below:\r\nSen. Coons on a possible government shutdown:I certainly hope not. The only person who is publicly saying he would be proud to shut down the government is President Trump and that would be a striking last gasp of the government with Republicans in control of both the Senate and the House and the White House.\r\nSen. Coons on the border wall:Yes, I think that the average American, the average voter, just wishes we would work on problems to solve rather than greater problems to create. But, the reality here is that the vast majority of Democrats have voted for significant increases in border security.The fight we are having here isreally more over the symbolismof whether we are going to givePresident Trump $5 billion more for wallfunding when he already got 1.3billion this year that hasn't been spent yet for border security.We had a hearing yesterday where the head of Customs and Border Patrol, CPB, was describing how much they built and how much more they could build. Frankly, there's an emerging gap betweenthe leaders in the Administration responsible forborder security and what theysay will be wise investments andthe president's grandstandingover demanding $5 billion more.The president keepsmischaracterizing the Democratsas wanting open borders and not being willing to invest in border security andthat's not true. Sen. Coons on the border wall: We are both old enough toremember when Mexico was goingto pay for the wall.I think there's broad agreement that in order to make progress on immigration issues weare willing to work in abipartisan way on improvingborder security.I think that's a responsible part of being committed to having secure borders. But not in an unlimited amountand an amount clearly purely for publicrelations purposes. More on the wall:I suspect it will be broken the way the lastone was, the president willblink and we will end up appropriatesome money for the border security, we won't shut the government down, and we'll move forward. As someone who's on the Appropriations Committee, the committee responsible forall the spending decisions, wehave made more progress, come farther than at any point in my eight years, and so I know theleadership of both Republicansand Democrats of the Senate and the House is really hopeful we can get pastthis point without a dramaticshutdown a week beforeChristmas.There are other things going on here. We just passed a bipartisan farmbill yesterday out of the Senate and we areabout to take up and pass acriminal justice bill, and I'm hopeful we will send a strong bipartisan messagethat the murder of Jamal Khashoggi, an American resident journalist, bythe Saudis is unacceptable.And on Monday, Senator Tillis and Iintroduced a bill to create a new human rights commission here in the Senate in honor of the late SenatorJohn McCain.\r\nSen. Coons on the criminal justice reform bill:Because it divides his caucus. There are a number of Republicansenators very strongly opposed to anykind of criminal justice reform,but eventually as they were doing in internal whip counts, seeing how many Republicansenators favored it or opposedit, the numbers became overwhelming and the majority leader waswilling to give this a votebecause it already passed theHouse, because it has support from theWhite House and because anoverwhelming majority ofsenators both Democrats and Republicans have endorsed this, andit's a bill Ico-sponsored and worked on over the last six years. This is an important bipartisan accomplishment.  Sen. Coons on his colleagues' comments about Michael Cohen:That's sadly a pretty good summaryof the overall opinion of mostof my colleagues on the other side:I don't care about the presidenthaving made hush payments to aporn star just before theelection, he's doing a good job.Broadly speaking, many of mycolleagues think that betweenderegulation and tax cuts and aconservative Supreme Courtthat President Trump has accomplished thepolicy goals and that shouldlead us to overlook or forgive a lot of other thingsthat are destabilizing or undermining the law orare flat out illegal. Sen. Coons on the Democratic Party: As you know, what I haveurged my House colleagues andthe incoming Democratic majority to do is to take up andpass a series of strong broadbills, that would reduce thecost of health care, co-pays and deductibles, and would improve the quality of health careand would create morehigh-paying good quality jobs through investing in infrastructure, that would address the opioid crisis in a broader and more meaningful way, put those on the table,push them over to the Senate andsay let's get real things doneto help the average American,and call the question, see if we are able to getthings done on a bipartisanbasis.There are issues thatdeserve investigation and I amconfident that Jerry Nadler, the incomingchairman of the House Judiciary Committee will hold thepresident accountable for a number of issues that we just talked about. More on legislating: I would say start by showingthat we are committed tolegislating in a responsible andbipartisan way on the issuesthat I hear in Delaware affectthe average American, that's what they want us to do.The average American doesn'twant impeachment and shutdown, they want progress and solutions. And it's our job to hold thepresident accountable andimprove the transparency of theadministration, but I think our firstjob is to make sure it's clearwe are willing to legislate in aresponsible fashion that addresses the real problems theaverage American is waking upthis morning saying how can Ipossibly afford health care for my ailingmother, how can I afford retirement, and how can I afford tosend my kid on to college if hefinishes high school, and howcan I pay the health care bills?That's the sort of thing the averageAmerican sitting around their breakfast table before they head off to work and school is struggling with, andthat's what they want to see us do in Washington, not morebickering and fighting.\r\n###\r\n\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t Press Contact \n\t\t\t\tSean Coit at 202-224-5042 orSean_Coit@coons.senate.gov", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.carper.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/2018/12/carper-coons-blunt-rochester-carney-announce-over-22-million-to-bolster-delaware-memorial-bridge", "Carper, Coons, Blunt Rochester, Carney Announce Over $22 Million to Bolster Delaware Memorial Bridge", "2018-12-11", "2018", "2018-12", "Democrat", "House", "DE", "Thomas Carper", "C000174", "www.carper.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "WASHINGTON, D.C.-Today, Senator Tom Carper, top Democrat on the Environment and Public Works Committee (EPW), Senator Chris Coons, Congresswoman Lisa Blunt Rochester and Governor John Carney (all D-Del.) announced a $22.25 million Department of Transportation (DOT) Better Utilizing Investment to Leverage Development (BUILD) grant, awarded to Delaware River and Bay Authority (DRBA), for improvements to the Delaware Memorial Bridge. BUILD, previously known as the TIGER grants program, provides multimodal capital grants to critical infrastructure projects. The grant, which is the largest BUILD or TIGERgrant ever awarded to Delaware, will be used to install 80-foot diameter sheet pile cells at the bases of the Delaware Memorial Bridges to better protect the structural integrity of the bridges in the event of a ship collision.\r\nI often say that an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure, and that is particularly true when it comes to investing in the major assets that drivers in Delaware and all across our region depend on every day. This important infrastructure grant is a win-win for Delaware and our region,said Senator Carper.Addressing structural deficiencies on such a critical piece of infrastructure like the Memorial Bridge will improve maritime and travel safety on the Northeast I-95 corridor, support our nation's commerce industry, and create good-paying jobs here at home. I believe that a strong national infrastructure is one of the most critical parts of our economy, which is why I'll continue looking for ways in Congress to support more projects like this for our state. I'm proud of our Delegation's work to secure such a major investment for our state and want to congratulate the Delaware River and Bay Authority on a successful grant application. I'm confident we will see the benefits of this funding for years to come.\r\nMillions of motorists travel the Delaware Memorial Bridge every year, and this investment by the United States Department of Transportation is critical to protecting not just those motorists who travel the bridge, but those pilots who captain hundreds of ships below it,said Senator Coons, member of the Senate Appropriations Committee.We are thankful to Secretary of Transportation Chao for the Department's investment in this new ship collision system, which will ensure the safety of maritime commerce and maintain the integrity of this bridge to keep travelers safe. This bridge has been well-maintained by the Delaware River and Bay Authority and has an outstanding record of operational excellence. However, it would devastate our region if an accidental collision shut down the bridge. This grant is a great example of how the federal government can partner with semi-private infrastructure authorities around the country to fund needed projects.\r\nLast month's emergency closure of the Delaware Memorial Bridge underscores the critical need to invest in modernizing our nation's infrastructure. This bridge is an essential channel of interstate commerce connecting supply chains along the I-95 corridor, as well as helping Delaware's economy grow and thrive,said Congresswoman Blunt Rochester.I am proud to join our delegation in announcing this record 22-million-dollar grant, which will create jobs, improve travel safety, and strengthen the structural integrity of the Delaware Memorial Bridge for many years to come.\r\nSmart investments in our infrastructure will help keep Delaware competitive, accommodate future growth, alleviate costly traffic delays, and create good-paying jobs,said Governor John Carney.The Delaware Memorial Bridge is a critical artery along the East Coast and this $22 million investment will help protect the bridge for years to come. Across Delaware - with the help of the General Assembly and our federal delegation - we will invest $4 billion in our transportation systems to upgrade our infrastructure and create jobs. Thank you to Senator Carper, Senator Coons, and Representative Blunt Rochester for their continued advocacy and support in Washington on behalf of the people of our state.\r\nThe BUILD program remains highly oversubscribed, indicating the significant unmet need for infrastructure investments. This year, a total of 869 applications were received, totaling 11.6 billion dollars in BUILD grant requests.\r\n\r\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.carper.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/2018/12/carper-coons-blunt-rochester-secure-major-wins-for-delaware-farmers-in-bipartisan-farm-bill", "Carper, Coons, Blunt Rochester Secure Major Wins for Delaware Farmers in Bipartisan Farm Bill", "2018-12-11", "2018", "2018-12", "Democrat", "House", "DE", "Thomas Carper", "C000174", "www.carper.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018 includes key provisions to assist new First State farmers, protect the environment\r\nWASHINGTON, DC Today, U.S. Senators Tom Carper and Chris Coons and U.S. Representative Lisa Blunt Rochester (all D-Del.) lauded the major wins for Delaware farmers that the delegation was able to secure in theAgriculture Improvement Act of 2018 more commonly known as the Farm Bill. These key provisions will help provide much-needed certainty to Delaware farmers while also maintaining important environmental protections that keep our air, water and land clean and safe. The final text of bill, which was released last night, is scheduled to be voted on in both the House and Senate this week. A link to the final text of the bill is available here.\r\nThe Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018 includes an amendment originally introduced by Senators Carper and Coons and championed by the Delaware Congressional Delegation that allows farmers in the beginning stages of farming to apply for conservation funds through the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP). EQIP helps agricultural producers improve operations on their farms  all while protecting the land, as well as air and water quality. Previously, Delaware poultry farmers in the beginning stages of farming were prevented from applying for conservation funds. In September, the Delaware Congressional Delegation sent a letter to Farm Bill negotiators to secure this win-win provision for Delaware farmers.\r\nOur farmers in Delaware and across the country are dealing with unique challenges as they work to feed consumers at home and abroad. Low commodity prices coupled with significant uncertainty surrounding this administration's trade policies have made it increasingly difficult for our farmers to make long-term planning decisions. My partners Senator Coons and Congresswoman Blunt Rochester and I fought to ensure that this year's farm bill will help farmers combat these headwinds and allow them to better plan for the future, giving them some of the certainty they need to keep producing for this country and driving our economy, said Senator Carper. This bill also proves that we don't have to pick between a strong economy and a healthy environment. Too often, sweeping legislation like the Farm Bill is used to push through harmful provisions that rollback protections for the land we all share, the water we drink and the air we breathe. That is not the case with this legislation, and that is a win-win for our state and the country. I'm proud to have worked with Senator Coons, Congresswoman Blunt Rochester and our colleagues on both sides of the aisle to produce a comprehensive Farm Bill that shows just how fruitful legislation can be when we work together.\r\nI applaud the Farm Bill conferees for negotiating a strong bill that will provide needed certainty to Delaware's farmers, who have faced a challenging year from unpredictable weather, low commodity prices, and trade tensions. This bill sustains our farm safety net, makes critical investments in agricultural conservation and research, supports rural communities, and avoids harmful changes to SNAP,said Senator Coons.I was also pleased to work with Senator Carper and Congresswoman Blunt Rochester to ensure that our provision to expand beginning poultry farmers' access to conservation funds through the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) was included in the final Farm Bill, and I look forward to supporting its passage in the Senate.\r\nMy goal in obtaining a seat on the House Agriculture Committee was to help craft a farm bill that met the specific needs of Delaware's farmers, producers, and consumers. Through my work on the committee and in roundtable discussions across the state, I was able to hear Delawareans' concerns and hopes for the Farm Bill, and by partnering with Senator Carper and Senator Coons, we were able to turn those concerns into tangible results for everyone in the state  from farm to fork, said Congresswoman Blunt Rochester. Through months of tense negotiations, we were able to secure funding for critical conservation funds like the EQIP program, expand the crop insurance program to backstop farmers in difficult years, and protect vulnerable families through nutrition programs like SNAP. I am proud that Congress came together in a bipartisan, bicameral way to uphold the very purpose of the Farm Bill. We can finally vote for a Farm Bill that protects Delaware's over 30,000 agricultural and forestry jobs and maintains our state and universities' status as leaders in agriculture research and technology for years to come.\r\nSpecifically, the 2018 Farm Bill:\r\n \r\nMaintains support for agricultural conservation programs important to Delaware, such as the Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP), Environmental Quality Incentive Program (EQIP) and the Regional Conservation Partnership Program (RCPP)  programs that offer crucial tools to help farmers in Delaware and around the country protect water quality, preserve the land and enhance wildlife habitats\r\nIncludes improvements included in the Chesapeake Bay Farm Bill Enhancements Act (S.2039/H.R. 4420) that increase funding for the RCPP programs and create additional opportunities for farmers on Delmarva, and throughout the Chesapeake Bay watershed, to benefit from the program.\r\nExpands crop insurance to help cover crops that are not covered by insurance, while also improving access for veterans, beginning farmers, dairy farmers and fruit and vegetable growers\r\nPreserves critical food access for millions of families, including thousands of families in Delaware\r\nMakes key improvements to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) that affirm existing regulations on SNAP work requirements, while avoiding harmful eligibility changes that would take away benefits and create unnecessary obstacles for states and working families\r\nCreates new initiatives to make fruits and vegetables more accessible and affordable\r\nFights the opioid crisis through expanded telemedicine and community facility investments to provide critical treatment options for those who suffer from opioid addiction\r\nKeeps out controversial provisions that weaken critical environmental protections and, as a result, has won support from major environmental and sportsmen groups, including The Wilderness Society, Sierra Club, National Wildlife Federation, Trout Unlimited, Ducks Unlimited, National Audubon Society, Environmental Defense Fund and Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership\r\nProvides funding for farmers markets and organic research\r\nDevelops a new Harvesting Health produce prescription program to allow healthcare providers to help low-income patients build healthier diets and access more fruits and vegetable\r\nProvides $40 million for 1890 Scholarship Programs, which can be utilized at Delaware State University", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.carper.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/2018/12/carper-slams-trump-administration-s-new-dirty-water-rule-opening-up-u-s-waterways-to-pollution", "Carper Slams Trump Administrations New Dirty Water Rule Opening Up U.S. Waterways to Pollution", "2018-12-11", "2018", "2018-12", "Democrat", "House", "DE", "Thomas Carper", "C000174", "www.carper.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "WASHINGTON, D.C.  Today, Senator Tom Carper (D-Del.), top Democrat on the Environment and Public Works Committee (EPW), released the following statement after the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the US Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) announced a replacement proposal for the Clean Water Rule. The new proposal redefines Waters of the United States (WOTUS) under the Clean Water Act of 1972 and guts protections for certain streams and wetlands. \r\nIt may seem unimaginable to young Americans today, but many of us remember a time before our country implemented strong, sensible laws to protect our waterways. Back then, the Cuyahoga River in Cleveland, Ohio was so polluted that it actually caught on fire. Polluters were allowed to dump toxic waste into our waterways without consequence. Garbage littered our shores. It isn't just a coincidence that this is no longer the reality in our country. We addressed the horrific water quality in many parts of our country by putting in place strong standards to protect the waterways we all share and depend on for drinking water and recreation.\r\nThe Clean Water Rule sought to make clear which waters receive federal protection after several confusing and conflicting Supreme Court decisions. That rule would protect the oceans, wetlands, and waterways from which we drink and obtain our food, provide certainty for American businesses, and keep us on a sure track to enjoy nearly $500 million in economic benefits that clean water and healthy wetlands provide. The Trump Administration's replacement plan does just the opposite. It protects fewer waters from pollution and poses serious threats to the health of the public, the environment, and our economy. The Trump Administration proposal also promises uncertainty for our farmers and ranchers, and could lead to years of unwieldly litigation for the federal government and many others who use and depend on these resources. This Administration is rolling back the clock and putting its thumb on the scale to make it easier for industry to dump harmful pollution in our waterways. Under this new rule, any water that isn't explicitly protected is water that can be polluted.\r\nLet's be very clear: Congress was not confused or uncertain about what it was seeking to protect when it passed the Clean Water Act. At the time, there was broad and bipartisan concern over the health of our waters, and there was a consensus that we needed to fix a very real and costly problem. To cut back important protections for our waters  especially when we have enjoyed and profited from 50 years of strong standards  is nothing short of senseless.\r\nEPA and USACE will take comment on the proposal for 60 days in the Federal Register and will hold a public listening session.\r\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.coons.senate.gov/news/photos/coons-muslim-advocates", "Senator Coons' remarks at Muslim Advocates Annual Gala", "2018-12-11", "2018", "2018-12", "Democrat", "House", "DE", "Christopher Coons", "C001088", "www.coons.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Skip to primary navigation Skip to content\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\n\t  \n\t    \n\t      \n\t      \n\t        \n\t       \t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t  Meet Chris\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t  Services\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t  Issues\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t  Newsroom\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t  Contact\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t \n\t      \n\t    \n\t  \n\t\n Page Top \n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t12.11.18\n\t\t\t\t Senator Coons' remarks at Muslim Advocates Annual Gala", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.coons.senate.gov/news/photos/senator-coons-with-muslim-advocates-deputy-director-naheed-qureshi-and-president-and-executive-director-farhana-khera", "Senator Coons with Muslim Advocates Deputy Director Naheed Qureshi and President and Executive Director Farhana Khera", "2018-12-11", "2018", "2018-12", "Democrat", "House", "DE", "Christopher Coons", "C001088", "www.coons.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Skip to primary navigation Skip to content\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\n\t  \n\t    \n\t      \n\t      \n\t        \n\t       \t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t  Meet Chris\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t  Services\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t  Issues\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t  Newsroom\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t  Contact\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t \n\t      \n\t    \n\t  \n\t\n Page Top \n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t12.11.18\n\t\t\t\t Senator Coons with Muslim Advocates Deputy Director Naheed Qureshi and President and Executive Director Farhana Khera", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.coons.senate.gov/news/videos/watch/sen-coons-joins-cnn-wolf-blitzer-december-10-2018", "Sen. Coons joins CNN Wolf Blitzer December 10, 2018", "2018-12-11", "2018", "2018-12", "Democrat", "House", "DE", "Christopher Coons", "C001088", "www.coons.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Look at the biggest progressive fights & you'll often find that they were religious movements\n\nSen. Coons celebrates America 250: \"Our story is stronger when we tell it in its entirety\"\n\nThis week, seven of my bipartisan bills advanced in the Senate, one step closer to becoming law.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-06-27T23:11:43Z"], ["https://www.coons.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/carper-coons-blunt-rochester-carney-announce-over-22-million-to-bolster-delaware-memorial-bridge_-", "Carper, Coons, Blunt Rochester, Carney Announce Over $22 Million to Bolster Delaware Memorial Bridge", "2018-12-11", "2018", "2018-12", "Democrat", "House", "DE", "Christopher Coons", "C001088", "www.coons.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "12.11.18\n\t\t\t Carper, Coons, Blunt Rochester, Carney Announce Over $22 Million to Bolster Delaware Memorial Bridge    \n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\r\nWASHINGTON, D.C. - Today, Senator Tom Carper, top Democrat on the Environment and Public Works Committee (EPW), Senator Chris Coons, Congresswoman Lisa Blunt Rochester and Governor John Carney (all D-Del.) announced a $22.25 million Department of Transportation (DOT) Better Utilizing Investment to Leverage Development (BUILD) grant, awarded to Delaware River and Bay Authority (DRBA), for improvements to the Delaware Memorial Bridge. BUILD, previously known as the TIGER grants program, provides multimodal capital grants to critical infrastructure projects. The grant, which is the largest BUILD or TIGERgrant ever awarded to Delaware, will be used to install 80-foot diameter sheet pile cells at the bases of the Delaware Memorial Bridges to better protect the structural integrity of the bridges in the event of a ship collision.\r\nI often say that an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure, and that is particularly true when it comes to investing in the major assets that drivers in Delaware and all across our region depend on every day. This important infrastructure grant is a win-win for Delaware and our region, said Senator Carper. Addressing structural deficiencies on such a critical piece of infrastructure like the Memorial Bridge will improve maritime and travel safety on the Northeast I-95 corridor, support our nation's commerce industry, and create good-paying jobs here at home. I believe that a strong national infrastructure is one of the most critical parts of our economy, which is why I'll continue looking for ways in Congress to support more projects like this for our state. I'm proud of our Delegation's work to secure such a major investment for our state and want to congratulate the Delaware River and Bay Authority on a successful grant application. I'm confident we will see the benefits of this funding for years to come.\r\nMillions of motorists travel the Delaware Memorial Bridge every year, and this investment by the United States Department of Transportation is critical to protecting not just those motorists who travel the bridge, but those pilots who captain hundreds of ships below it, said Senator Coons, member of the Senate Appropriations Committee. We are thankful to Secretary of Transportation Chao for the Department's investment in this new ship collision system, which will ensure the safety of maritime commerce and maintain the integrity of this bridge to keep travelers safe. This bridge has been well-maintained by the Delaware River and Bay Authority and has an outstanding record of operational excellence. However, it would devastate our region if an accidental collision shut down the bridge. This grant is a great example of how the federal government can partner with semi-private infrastructure authorities around the country to fund needed projects.\r\nLast month's emergency closure of the Delaware Memorial Bridge underscores the critical need to invest in modernizing our nation's infrastructure. This bridge is an essential channel of interstate commerce connecting supply chains along the I-95 corridor, as well as helping Delaware's economy grow and thrive, said Congresswoman Blunt Rochester. I am proud to join our delegation in announcing this record 22-million-dollar grant, which will create jobs, improve travel safety, and strengthen the structural integrity of the Delaware Memorial Bridge for many years to come.\r\nSmart investments in our infrastructure will help keep Delaware competitive, accommodate future growth, alleviate costly traffic delays, and create good-paying jobs, said Governor John Carney. The Delaware Memorial Bridge is a critical artery along the East Coast and this $22 million investment will help protect the bridge for years to come. Across Delaware - with the help of the General Assembly and our federal delegation - we will invest $4 billion in our transportation systems to upgrade our infrastructure and create jobs. Thank you to Senator Carper, Senator Coons, and Representative Blunt Rochester for their continued advocacy and support in Washington on behalf of the people of our state.\r\nThe BUILD program remains highly oversubscribed, indicating the significant unmet need for infrastructure investments. This year, a total of 869 applications were received, totaling 11.6 billion dollars in BUILD grant requests.\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t Press Contact \n\t\t\t\tChristine Brennan/Kelly Scully(Carper) - (202) 224-8832  Sean Coit(Coons)  (202) 224-0351  Kyle Morse(Blunt Rochester) - (202) 225-4165  Jonathan Starkey(Carney) &nd\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\n\t  \n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t \n\t\t\n\t\t\tPrint\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tEmail\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tTweet\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t \n\t\n\t\n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n    \n\t\n\t\n    \n    \n    \n    \t\n    \t\n\t    \t  \n\t\t    \n\t\t    \n\t\t    \tPrevious Article", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.coons.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/sen-coons-america-is-not-an-ethnicity-or-a-faith-or-a-geography-america-is-an-idea", "Sen. Coons: \u201cAmerica is not an ethnicity or a faith or a geography. America is an idea.\u201d", "2018-12-11", "2018", "2018-12", "Democrat", "House", "DE", "Christopher Coons", "C001088", "www.coons.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "12.11.18\n\t\t\t Sen. Coons: America is not an ethnicity or a faith or a geography. America is an idea. \n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tWASHINGTON  U.S. Senator Chris Coons (D-Del.), a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, recently delivered the keynote address at theMuslim AdvocatesAnnual Gala. In his remarks, Senator Coons explored the challenges and opportunities that lie ahead to advance civil rights for the AmericanMuslimcommunity.\r\n[T]he call of Muslim Advocates and the call of all of us, is to stop bigotry in its tracks. And the way we will do that is by confronting fear with hope and hate with love. And by finding a way to open our hearts even to those with whom we think we have nothing in common. Still holding out hope that somehow, we might find a path forward together. It's possible. It is possible,said Senator Coons. That even folks with whom I disagree on so many other issues can end up being allies in fighting for the rule of law, in fighting not just for tolerance, but for inclusion, and for the open-hearted, open-spirited America that we all know we are meant to belong to.\r\nFor a photo of Senator Coons' remarks, please clickhere. For a photo of Senator Coons with Muslim Advocates Deputy Director Naheed Qureshi and President and Executive Director Farhana Khera, please clickhere.\r\nExcerpts fromSenator Coons' remarks, as delivered, are below:\r\nWe're nearing the end of a wonderful dinner, a great celebration and a recognition of how much hard and good work there is to do ahead and what great things have been done so far in these past two years. My mother, when I was a child would often say to me;Hard work that is worth doing is what helps give life meaning.'Well, not long after President Trump was elected, I called my mother and said,I think I have a lot of meaning.'\r\nIf I could, to Farhana Khera, thank you so much for your leadership, for your capability, for your strength, for your calmness in the face of such bigotry and such force that represents the worst in the human spirit, and for standing up in such ways that show resolve, and grace, and faithfulness.\r\n---\r\nYou put it so well, my sister, it's for our children. It's to show them that America is not an ethnicity or a faith or a geography. America is an idea. America is virtually the only nation that was started not based on all of us being from one place or of one race or of one language or of one faith, but because all of us in some way or another came here in pursuit of a vision that all are endowed by their creator with rights, inalienable rights; to life to liberty, the pursuit of happiness, and embedded in very beginning of the top amendment of our U.SConstitution: the rights to free exercise of our faith, whichever faith we practice or no faith at all. Unlike the countries of Europe at the time, there was no test to stand for public office or to be treated better based on your background or faith, that blank slate, that open land, that chance to pray when and where and if you choose, was the promise that brought so many to this country. And Muslim Advocates makes that promise real by not accepting bigotry, by not allowing hate to stand, no matter whether it comes from a small town or a next-door neighbor, from something said in the news or something that comes from the White House itself, by standing and fighting you made real the promise of America. Thank you.\r\n---\r\nLet me tell you a quick story if I could. A story about my own faith journey and about how I came to understand what hospitality means, what it means to be welcoming to the stranger and the foreigner, either in our midst or those who come to us. You know, if we read through the Qur'an, the Torah, the Gospel, all have passages, more than I can quote, saying that we have a wonderful obligationto render to the kindred their due rights, as also to those in want and to the traveler'[in distress]to quote the Qur'an. Similar passages all throughout the Torah and the Gospel say that we have a special opportunity. We have a special blessing or mitzvah that we can do by being gracious, by being welcoming to those who are adrift, who are lost, and who are travelling. And at this time in our world, there are more refugees-- there are more seeking a place of safety than at any time in the last seventy years, and we have an opportunity to show as a country who we are, and what we're about, informed by the face that have driven so many here in the past. My first exposure to the tradition of hospitality of Islam, came when I was just 20 years old. I'd spent a semester as a student at the University of Nairobi, and I was heading to Europe to meet my college girlfriend, and my luggage and I, everything I had for six months, went to the airport in Nairobi, and we got on a plane, and in Cairo I got off, but my luggage did not.\r\nSo with just $50 in my pockets and one change of clothes, I found a public bus and went downtown and found a youth hostel for I think it was $2 a night, and being utterly unfamiliar with the traditions of Ramadan, as I checked in, the nice young man behind the counter saidWhere's your luggage?'I said,I don't have anything.'He said,You don't have anything?'I said,Yes, I don't have anything.'He said,Do you have enough money to sustain yourself?'I said,Barely, you know I've got enough probably enough to eat for the next couple days, but you know, I'd really hoped to see Cairo.'He saidOh, this is wonderful.'I'm thinking,Ok, what's wonderful about this? I don't get this.'He said,You must come to my home tonight!'I said,Great!'He said,No, no, tonight is the first night of Ramadan!'I said,Oh good, ok. Wonderful.'He said,I'll come back at sundown. Come with me.'And that there began four nights that I will never forget of astonishing hospitality, seven course meals. I think I gained fifteen pounds! As I went from house to house to house from cousin to friend to neighbor.Look! A lost American!'It was such a blessing. And so for the rest of my life, as I think of travel to Egypt or to a Muslim country, I think of hospitality, of open arms, of graciousness, of an amazing sense of celebration as a fast is broken, at a time of great dedication and self-reflection that is followed by enormous family centered joy that also has room around the table for those who have lost their way or who are seeking solace or who are refugees. What a remarkable tradition.\r\n---\r\nAnd so my own family when I was a child-- I'm a Presbyterian, a somewhat obscure sect of Christianity. Any Presbyterians in the house? See we don't ever gowoo,'so... Are you Presbyterian? Are you sure? We've been nicknamed the frozen chosen because we tend to be really uptight and very WASPy. We are from a Calvinist sect of Christianity that really, really, really believes in good works, but they don't ever talk about it. So we get busy building schools and hospitals and you know, helping. But we're extremely uncomfortable talking about you know, uh, God. We just don't do much of that. Part of my friendship with Jeff Flake, the Senator from Arizona, grew out of our mutual fascination with each other because he's a Mormon. And so at exactly the same time I was going to Kenya, he was going to Zimbabwe on a Mormon mission which literally means going *ding dong* Would you like to talk about Jesus? As a Presbyterian not only had I never done that, I had never met anyone who had done that, and I found it fascinating that he did that, and he found it puzzling that I didn't do that therein making for long conversation.\r\nOne of the ways that my parents when I was a child showed me not by talking but by doing was by gathering with a dozen other families in our immediate community and welcoming a refugee family from Vietnam. This was at the time when a flood of refugees from the fall of South Vietnam were looking for an opportunity to come the United States. And so my mother and a dozen other families got busy getting an apartment and clothes and a car and opportunities, and the Vienn family that came from South Vietnam had gone through remarkable deprivation in the course of the war and being in refugee camps had children just about the same age as my brothers and me and we all grew up together. And to see them become fully part of the American dream and to be successful and to be vibrant, made a lasting impression on me and I don't think I had grasped how deep an impression until 2016.\r\n---\r\nMy mother ever forceful and clear-eyed about what we were called to do, had read in the newspaper in Wilmington, Delaware that Delaware was one state that had not yet welcomed a single Syrian refugee, and she said,This is a disgrace. What are you doing about it, Senator?'And so we got on the phone the pastor of the church I had grown up in and Masjid Ibrahim and Jewish Family Services and a series of meetings came together and money was raised, and an apartment was secured, and a car was gotten, and an offer was extended to a wonderful young family that had fled Syria. They literally lived in the neighborhood hit by tear gas, by poison gas by murderous Bashar Al-Assad. They had met in a refugee camp halfway around the world, had married, and had a wonderful baby girl.\r\nAnd I was so excited about the small but real way in which my home community and different communities of different faiths were demonstrating that love could still trump hate even in this era, even in our country. But at the same time, I'm preparing for this upcoming National Prayer Breakfast. The Prayer Breakfast was just four days after the president signed the travel ban, and this wonderful family Amin and Samira and Maha, their daughter, were literally just waiting for their plane and their tickets and ready to come. And so what was upsetting, alarming, concerning, offensive to so many, had a particular focus here. And I reflected on what I was supposed to do in this moment as I went to this Prayer Breakfast where a chaplain was to speak, where President Trump was to speak, and where I had been asked to speak immediately after him in the event there was some expected expression.\r\n---\r\nAs things move forward, because of the actions of Muslim Advocates, because of the actions of brave and determined advocates, because of the actions of members of Congress, there was a brief pause and that allowed this wonderful family from Syria to come to Delaware and to settle and to be welcomed with open arms by our community. But as you know, the litigation continued. The first time, the second time, no the third time, ultimately the Supreme Court of the United States upheld a reformulated travel ban which I still believe to be unconstitutional and a violation of what America in its founding ideals is all about. And rather than simply shaking my fist at the television or hoping, I joined with Erica's help and support and some volunteers from the bar around the country in filing an amicus brief opposing the President's travel ban. I worked with members of the Senate, members of the House, I think ultimately, we had 150 members of Congress who filed at the district court level, at the circuit court level, at the Supreme Court level through all the iterations saying that we too, will join with the Muslim Advocates in saying,Mr. President this executive order is profoundly wrong.'\r\nNow, where we are today, I'm drafting legislation to introduce early in the next Congress that will say the only way to overturn this decision with which I so profoundly disagree, is to amend the Immigration and Naturalization Act of the United States to make it clear that the non-discrimination provisions apply not just to immigrant visas but to non-immigrant visas, to give it broader reach and meaningful teeth, and to say our immigration laws cannot again be used to discriminatory effect. Only by getting that introduced and passed and signed into law can we be certain that this President or any future president won't repeat this behavior. And I look forward to your encouragement and support as we finalize and introduce that legislation early in the next Congress.\r\nI'm also working with Senator Richard Blumenthal of Connecticut on the No Hate Act. As you've heard referred to by the Congresswoman and as we all sadly know, the percentage increase in hate crimes, and in particular hate crimes against certain religions and ethnicities, has been alarming. Ever since the first moments when then candidate and now President, Donald Trump, began speaking on the national stage. I'll remind you he got his start in questioning President Obama's legitimacy as an American and challenging his birth certificate, a profoundly racist and misguided effort to try and delegitimize and undermine the dully elected, American-born President of the United States, and he's doubled down on that attitude, that approach, that worldview, ever since becoming the elected President of the United States and the consequences that it has here at home and around the world in terms of what he says, directly and indirectly, what by action and by inaction he encourages in terms of the most dark sides of human nature expressed here in the United States.\r\n---\r\nIt goes right back to what I first heard in that hearing with Ted Cruz, where you stood up so bravely and said in order for us to be safer, the federal government must do its job and investigate and oppose extremist violence by white nationalists, by anti-Muslim groups, by organizations and groups motivated by bigotry and hate of all kinds. Because that's where more suffering has come than in any other way in the last decade here in the United States, and by fighting hate and bigotry of all kinds, that's how we show who we are as a people and as a nation. So, Farhana, I look forward to working with you and all of you with Muslim Advocates and with other folks who've come tonight from other civil rights organizations and throughout our community. I am excited for the opportunity to work together. Yes, to continue praying, to continue praying for someone who if not personally, certainly politically, is my enemy because we are called to humble ourselves and to ask for God's intervention in history that we might still show that goodness is possible. As you heard in the remarks of the Congresswoman, as you heard in the opening remarks by Farhana, the call of Muslim Advocates and the call of all of us, is to stop bigotry in its tracks. And the way we will do that is by confronting fear with hope and hate with love. And by finding a way to open our hearts even to those with whom we think we have nothing in common. Still holding out hope that somehow, we might find a path forward together. It's possible. It is possible.\r\nSenator Thom Tillis from North Carolina, a conservative Republican with whom I thought I had nothing in common when I met him when he was first elected. I looked at the things he had supported and sponsored in North Carolina and thought certainly this is a man with whom I will have little good work to do. He has been a tireless advocate for criminal justice reform. He has joined with me in co-chairing the Senate Human Rights Caucus, and he has been a tireless advocate for the legislation that would protect Special Counsel Mueller, his investigation, and future investigations of future presidents.\r\nWe still can be surprised by ways in which folks we wouldn't have expected it can be good. Jeff Flake, the first few years that Senator Flake was here, he and I had so little to talk about and so little in common except early in our lives time we had spent in Africa experiencing remarkable hospitality. But in recent weeks, he has stood up on the floor of the Senate and blocked nominations to courts of folks who are unqualified or who, by their values did not belong there, and he has stood against his entire caucus and demanded a vote on the Special Counsel bill. What's the point here? That even folks with whom I disagree on so many other issues, can end up being allies in fighting for the rule of law, in fighting not just for tolerance, but for inclusion, and for the open-hearted, open-spirited America that we all know we are meant to belong to.\r\nLet me in closing, just thank everyone who's been a part of evening. . .Frankly, to all of you for recognizing that the whole world needs and waits for America to regain our being America again. Not just an ethnicity or a geography or a history, but an idea, an idea born imperfectly, not yet fully grown into what it is meant to be, but capable of improving, capable of surprising, capable of reaffirming that in all of us, is some of the divine, and that all of us belong in a nation where we are free to worship, or not, as we choose. Thank you.\r\n###\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t Press Contact \n\t\t\t\tSean Coit at 202-224-5042 orSean_Coit@coons.senate.gov", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.coons.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/sens-carper-coons-rep-blunt-rochester-secure-major-wins-for-delaware-farmers-in-bipartisan-farm-bill", "Sens. Carper, Coons, Rep. Blunt Rochester Secure Major Wins for Delaware Farmers in Bipartisan Farm Bill", "2018-12-11", "2018", "2018-12", "Democrat", "House", "DE", "Christopher Coons", "C001088", "www.coons.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "12.11.18\n\t\t\t Sens. Carper, Coons, Rep. Blunt Rochester Secure Major Wins for Delaware Farmers in Bipartisan Farm Bill \n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t \n\t\n\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n        \n\t\t\t\t Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018 includes key provisions to assist new First State farmers, protect the environment\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t WASHINGTON, DC Today, U.S. Senators Tom Carper and Chris Coons and U.S. Representative Lisa Blunt Rochester (all D-Del.) lauded the major wins for Delaware farmers that the delegation was able to secure in theAgriculture Improvement Act of 2018 more commonly known as the Farm Bill. These key provisions will help provide much-needed certainty to Delaware farmers while also maintaining important environmental protections that keep our air, water and land clean and safe. The final text of bill, which was released last night, is scheduled to be voted on in both the House and Senate this week. A link to the final text of the bill is available here.\r\nThe Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018 includes an amendment originally introduced by Senators Carper and Coons and championed by the Delaware Congressional Delegation that allows farmers in the beginning stages of farming to apply for conservation funds through the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP). EQIP helps agricultural producers improve operations on their farms  all while protecting the land, as well as air and water quality. Previously, Delaware poultry farmers in the beginning stages of farming were prevented from applying for conservation funds. In September, the Delaware Congressional Delegation sent a letter to Farm Bill negotiators to secure this win-win provision for Delaware farmers.\r\nOur farmers in Delaware and across the country are dealing with unique challenges as they work to feed consumers at home and abroad. Low commodity prices coupled with significant uncertainty surrounding this administration's trade policies have made it increasingly difficult for our farmers to make long-term planning decisions. My partners Senator Coons and Congresswoman Blunt Rochester and I fought to ensure that this year's farm bill will help farmers combat these headwinds and allow them to better plan for the future, giving them some of the certainty they need to keep producing for this country and driving our economy, said Senator Carper. This bill also proves that we don't have to pick between a strong economy and a healthy environment. Too often, sweeping legislation like the Farm Bill is used to push through harmful provisions that rollback protections for the land we all share, the water we drink and the air we breathe. That is not the case with this legislation, and that is a win-win for our state and the country. I'm proud to have worked with Senator Coons, Congresswoman Blunt Rochester and our colleagues on both sides of the aisle to produce a comprehensive Farm Bill that shows just how fruitful legislation can be when we work together.\r\nI applaud the Farm Bill conferees for negotiating a strong bill that will provide needed certainty to Delaware's farmers, who have faced a challenging year from unpredictable weather, low commodity prices, and trade tensions. This bill sustains our farm safety net, makes critical investments in agricultural conservation and research, supports rural communities, and avoids harmful changes to SNAP,said Senator Coons.I was also pleased to work with Senator Carper and Congresswoman Blunt Rochester to ensure that our provision to expand beginning poultry farmers' access to conservation funds through the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) was included in the final Farm Bill, and I look forward to supporting its passage in the Senate.\r\nMy goal in obtaining a seat on the House Agriculture Committee was to help craft a farm bill that met the specific needs of Delaware's farmers, producers, and consumers. Through my work on the committee and in roundtable discussions across the state, I was able to hear Delawareans' concerns and hopes for the Farm Bill, and by partnering with Senator Carper and Senator Coons, we were able to turn those concerns into tangible results for everyone in the state  from farm to fork, said Congresswoman Blunt Rochester. Through months of tense negotiations, we were able to secure funding for critical conservation funds like the EQIP program, expand the crop insurance program to backstop farmers in difficult years, and protect vulnerable families through nutrition programs like SNAP. I am proud that Congress came together in a bipartisan, bicameral way to uphold the very purpose of the Farm Bill. We can finally vote for a Farm Bill that protects Delaware's over 30,000 agricultural and forestry jobs and maintains our state and universities' status as leaders in agriculture research and technology for years to come.\r\nSpecifically, the 2018 Farm Bill:\r\n \r\nMaintains support for agricultural conservation programs important to Delaware, such as the Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP), Environmental Quality Incentive Program (EQIP) and the Regional Conservation Partnership Program (RCPP)  programs that offer crucial tools to help farmers in Delaware and around the country protect water quality, preserve the land and enhance wildlife habitats\r\nIncludes improvements included in the Chesapeake Bay Farm Bill Enhancements Act (S.2039/H.R. 4420) that increase funding for the RCPP programs and create additional opportunities for farmers on Delmarva, and throughout the Chesapeake Bay watershed, to benefit from the program.\r\nExpands crop insurance to help cover crops that are not covered by insurance, while also improving access for veterans, beginning farmers, dairy farmers and fruit and vegetable growers\r\nPreserves critical food access for millions of families, including thousands of families in Delaware\r\nMakes key improvements to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) that affirm existing regulations on SNAP work requirements, while avoiding harmful eligibility changes that would take away benefits and create unnecessary obstacles for states and working families\r\nCreates new initiatives to make fruits and vegetables more accessible and affordable\r\nFights the opioid crisis through expanded telemedicine and community facility investments to provide critical treatment options for those who suffer from opioid addiction\r\nKeeps out controversial provisions that weaken critical environmental protections and, as a result, has won support from major environmental and sportsmen groups, including The Wilderness Society, Sierra Club, National Wildlife Federation, Trout Unlimited, Ducks Unlimited, National Audubon Society, Environmental Defense Fund and Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership\r\nProvides funding for farmers markets and organic research\r\nDevelops a new Harvesting Health produce prescription program to allow healthcare providers to help low-income patients build healthier diets and access more fruits and vegetable\r\nProvides $40 million for 1890 Scholarship Programs, which can be utilized at Delaware State University\r\n \n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\n\t  \n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t \n\t\t\n\t\t\tPrint\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tEmail\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tTweet\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t \n\t\n\t\n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n    \n\t\n\t\n    \n    \n    \n    \t\n    \t\n\t    \t  \n\t\t    \n\t\t    \n\t\t    \tPrevious Article", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.coons.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/icymi-sen-coons-profiled-in-the-philadelphia-inquirer-can-this-delaware-senator-save-civility-in-congress", "ICYMI: Sen. Coons profiled in The Philadelphia Inquirer: \u201cCan this Delaware senator save civility in Congress?\u201d", "2018-12-10", "2018", "2018-12", "Democrat", "House", "DE", "Christopher Coons", "C001088", "www.coons.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "12.10.18\n\t\t\t ICYMI: Sen. Coons profiled in The Philadelphia Inquirer: Can this Delaware senator save civility in Congress? \n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tWASHINGTON  In case you missed it,ThePhiladelphiaInquirerpublished a profile on U.S. Senator Chris Coons (D-Del.) following Senator Coons'remarksat the New York Avenue Presbyterian Church last week. Read the full profile here:http://www2.philly.com/news/chris-coons-prayer-breakfast-saving-civility-20181209.html\r\nExcerpt from the profile:\r\nCoons  who has a divinity degree from Yale, previously served as an elder in his Presbyterian church, and still preaches on occasional Sundays  turns to religion.Faith, and looking at the two of us from a Kingdom perspective, is what gives me the opportunity to forgive,' said Coons, a 55-year-old from Wilmington with a cheery demeanor and dry wit.His recent speech and interviews show a glimpse of how one senator is trying in small ways to soothe the acrimony that has become the defining feature of American politics, overshadowing every major public debate.\r\n###\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t Press Contact \n\t\t\t\tSean Coit at 202-224-5042 orSean_Coit@coons.senate.gov\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\n\t  \n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t \n\t\t\n\t\t\tPrint\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tEmail\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tTweet\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t \n\t\n\t\n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n    \n\t\n\t\n    \n    \n    \n    \t\n    \t\n\t    \t  \n\t\t    \n\t\t    \tNext Article\n\t\t    \n\t\t    \n\t\t    \tPrevious Article", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.coons.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/sens-coons-tillis-introduce-resolution-to-establish-a-human-rights-commission-in-honor-of-the-late-senator-mccain", "Sens. Coons, Tillis introduce resolution to establish a Human Rights Commission in honor of the late Senator McCain", "2018-12-10", "2018", "2018-12", "Democrat", "House", "DE", "Christopher Coons", "C001088", "www.coons.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "12.10.18\n\t\t\t Sens. Coons, Tillis introduce resolution to establish a Human Rights Commission in honor of the late Senator McCain \n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tWASHINGTON U.S. Senators Chris Coons (D-Del.) and Thom Tillis (R-N.C.), co-chairs of the Senate Human Rights Caucus, today introduced a resolution to establish a John S. McCain III Human Rights Commission, modeled after the Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission in the U.S. House of Representatives. If passed, the resolution would create a bipartisan commission to examine human rights violations through regular hearings and briefings, and promote human rights initiatives in the Senate. Joining Senators Coons and Tillis in introducing the resolution were Senators Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), Todd Young (R-Ind.), Ed Markey (D-Mass.), andMarco Rubio (R-Fla.).\r\nSenator McCain was a remarkable man who used his role in the Senate to advocate for human rights and to stand up for people around the world who were denied basic freedoms. He embodied our country's values and understood the critical role of the United States in promoting human rightsacrosstheglobe,said Senator Coons.I am hopeful that we can advance this legislation and honor Senator McCain's legacy by establishing a bipartisan commission here in the Senate that is dedicated to raising awareness about human rights abusesand promoting human liberty around the world.\r\nOur late friend and colleague John McCain understood that promoting and defending human rights was a cornerstone of America's foreign policy and an inherent way of advancing American values, from leading the passage of the Magnitsky Act to sanctioning authoritarian regimes that hold contempt for human life,said Senator Tillis.It's an honor to join Senator Coons in proposing the establishment of the McCain Human Rights Commission, which will carry on John McCain's legacy of shining a light on human rights abuses across the world and building bipartisan coalitions to take action.\r\n\"John McCain understood the importance of American international leadership on human rights, and establishing this commission is an important and appropriate way to honor him and reinforce the central role of human rights in American foreign policy,\"said Senator Young.\r\nThis proposed commission would honor Senator John McCain, who dedicated his life to promoting and protecting the democratic and moral values that we as Americans cherish,Senator Rubio said. In the Senate, he was a tireless champion for the God-given rights of all people and worked to expose violations of human dignity in the darkest corners of the world. Today, on the 70th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, I am proud to join my colleagues in continuing that work in the days ahead.\r\nThe text of the resolution is availablehere.\r\n###\r\n\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t Press Contact \n\t\t\t\tSean Coit at 202-224-5042 orSean_Coit@coons.senate.gov\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\n\t  \n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t \n\t\t\n\t\t\tPrint\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tEmail\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tTweet\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t \n\t\n\t\n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n    \n\t\n\t\n    \n    \n    \n    \t\n    \t\n\t    \t  \n\t\t    \n\t\t    \tNext Article\n\t\t    \n\t\t    \n\t\t    \tPrevious Article", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.coons.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/sen-coons-statement-on-president-trumps-nomination-of-heather-nauert-as-us-ambassador-to-the-united-nations", "Sen. Coons statement on President Trump\u2019s nomination of Heather Nauert as US Ambassador to the United Nations", "2018-12-08", "2018", "2018-12", "Democrat", "House", "DE", "Christopher Coons", "C001088", "www.coons.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "12.08.18\n\t\t\t Sen. Coons statement on President Trump's nomination of Heather Nauert as US Ambassador to the United Nations \n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tWILMINGTON  Senator Chris Coons (D-Del.), a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, issued the following statement following President Trump's announcement that he will nominate State Department Spokeswoman Heather Nauert to serve as U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations:\r\nI look forward to meeting Heather Nauert and reviewing her record and qualifications for this critical post. Previous U.S. Ambassadors to the UN have brought a wealth of relevant experience to this position  from time spent as successful governors, veterans of the Senate, renowned scholars of international affairs, or seasoned diplomats  and rightfully so. This position represents our country's values and interests at an invaluable international forum the United States helped create to advance global peace and prosperity following World War II.\r\nI am concerned that President Trump fails to understand this and instead views the United Nations as a constraint on American power instead of an institution where he can summon the best of American leadership. I respect the role that Heather Nauert has played as State Department Spokeswoman and her time spent traveling overseas and supporting the administration's agenda under Secretaries Pompeo and Tillerson. I look forward to questioning her about what she hopes to achieve at the United Nations, her priorities, and her knowledge of international affairs.\r\n###\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t Press Contact \n\t\t\t\tSean Coit at 202-224-5042 orSean_Coit@coons.senate.gov\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\n\t  \n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t \n\t\t\n\t\t\tPrint\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tEmail\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tTweet\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t \n\t\n\t\n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n    \n\t\n\t\n    \n    \n    \n    \t\n    \t\n\t    \t  \n\t\t    \n\t\t    \n\t\t    \tPrevious Article", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.coons.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/sen-coons-statement-on-the-nomination-of-william-barr-as-attorney-general", "Sen. Coons\u2019 statement on the nomination of William Barr as Attorney General", "2018-12-08", "2018", "2018-12", "Democrat", "House", "DE", "Christopher Coons", "C001088", "www.coons.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "12.08.18\n\t\t\t Sen. Coons' statement on the nomination of William Barr as Attorney General \n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tWILMINGTON  Senator Chris Coons (D-Del.), a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee and co-author of theSpecial Counsel Independence and Integrity Act, issued the following statement following President Trump's announcement that he will nominate former Attorney General William Barr to lead the Department of Justice:\r\nA nomination for Attorney General is long-overdue, given that Matthew Whitaker has been serving as the Acting Attorney General for a month without Senate confirmation, and the number three position at the Justice Department has been occupied by an acting official since February.\r\nHaving served as Attorney General in the Bush administration and in other leadership roles at the Justice Department, Mr. Barr has the background and experience you would expect of a nominee for this post. However, I am concerned that he holds, and has long advanced, a very expansive view of presidential power.\r\nMr. Barr has cast doubt on the ability of an independent counsel to investigate the president and hold members of the executive branch accountable. He has also openly criticized the current Special Counsel investigation into Russian interference, which the President continues to attack and undermine. Mr. Barr must demonstrate that he would be an independent Attorney General committed to the Constitution and the rule of law, not the President who nominated him. It will be critical that Mr. Barr assure the Senate and the American people that the Special Counsel investigation would continue without any interference.\r\nAs a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, the confirmation process is a responsibility I take seriously. I will closely examine Mr. Barr's record, experience, and his views on issues including executive power, civil and voting rights, protections for those with pre-existing conditions, the environment, and more, to determine whether he will protect the rule of law and the rights of every American, or instead use this position as a partisan tool, manifesting the President's worst tendencies and policies.\r\n###\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t Press Contact \n\t\t\t\tSean Coit at 202-224-5042 orSean_Coit@coons.senate.gov\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\n\t  \n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t \n\t\t\n\t\t\tPrint\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tEmail\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tTweet\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t \n\t\n\t\n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n    \n\t\n\t\n    \n    \n    \n    \t\n    \t\n\t    \t  \n\t\t    \n\t\t    \tNext Article\n\t\t    \n\t\t    \n\t\t    \tPrevious Article", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.carper.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/2018/12/carper-slams-epa-s-decision-to-undercut-good-neighbor-requirements", "Carper Slams EPAs Decision to Undercut Good Neighbor Requirements", "2018-12-07", "2018", "2018-12", "Democrat", "House", "DE", "Thomas Carper", "C000174", "www.carper.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "WASHINGTON, D.C.  Today, Senator Tom Carper (D-Del.), top Democrat on the Environment and Public Works Committee (EPW), released the following statement after the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced a rule providing that upwind states meet their good neighbor requirements of the 2016 Cross State Air Pollution Rule (CSAPR) for ozone-season nitrogen oxides based on the outdated 2008 national ambient air quality standards (NAAQS) for ground-level ozone.\r\nToday's dangerous decision is another blow to downwind states like Delaware and a failure by the Trump Administration to protect families from the harmful pollution emitted from power plants in upwind states. Protecting polluters over people seems to be the new normal at EPA  an agency that is supposed to be protecting Americans' health and our environment. EPA's Acting Administrator Wheeler struggled to name one action the agency is taking to address air pollution and has even said he cannot calculate what the long list of clean air rollbacks would mean for increased air pollution and downwind states. Add this decision to the list.\r\nDownwind states like Delaware, Maryland, and New York have made it clear to EPA that the Cross-State rule isn't cutting it.Upwind states can and must do more for downwind states to meet ozone attainment.In Delaware's case, we are simply asking for upwind states to flip on control technologies that are already installed in the power plant facilities and paid for by consumers.Delaware is working hard to reduce harmful emissions, but more than 90 percent of our air pollution comes from upwind states' power plants. In other words, we rely on the EPA to protect the quality of our air. For all Delawareans, especially for the 70,000 who live with asthma, I say enough is enough. EPA needs do its job and protect our health and the environment, not polluters.\r\nIn June, EPA proposed to deny four petitions from the State of Delaware under Section 126(b) of the Clean Air Act seeking to reduce ozone pollution in Delaware emitted from power plants in Pennsylvania and West Virginia. On June 22, Senator Carper submitted comments at EPA's public hearing in Washington, D.C. on these proposed rejections. On June 27, Senator Carper led a letter from the Delaware congressional delegation to EPA then-Administrator Scott Pruitt urging him to reconsider this proposal.\r\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.carper.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/2018/12/carper-statement-on-education-corp-of-america-closures", "Carper Statement on Education Corp. of America Closures", "2018-12-07", "2018", "2018-12", "Democrat", "House", "DE", "Thomas Carper", "C000174", "www.carper.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "WASHINGTON, DC Today, U.S. Senator Tom Carper (D-Del.), a senior member on the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, issued the following statement regarding the announcement that Education Corp. of America will close its more than 70 for-profit college campuses across the country.\r\nHere we go again. First it was Corinthian Colleges. Then it was ITT Tech. Now, we learn that Education Corp. of America (ECA), which operates more than 70 for-profit college campuses across the country, will be abruptly closing its doors. These closures will leave more than 4,000 student veterans in the lurch.Once again, too many taxpayer dollars have been wasted, and too many veterans have been robbed of their time and hard-earned GI Bill benefits. Enough is enough.\r\nThese student veterans have fought hard to protect our country, and now we have an obligation to fight hard for them and protect them when their schools collapse through no fault of their own. In the days to come, the Department of Veterans Affairs must work closely with the Department of Education to ensure that ECA student veterans have the resources and guidance they need to continue their studies at high-quality institutions of higher learning, including community colleges.\r\nCongress also has work to do. The Forever G.I. Bill, which Congress passed last year, took important steps forward to protect student veterans affected by school closures, but the legislation does not provide the same breadth of protections that are available to federal student loan borrowers. And, if we're serious about preventing future school closures and protecting student veterans and taxpayer dollars, Congress must close the 90/10 loophole once and for all.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.carper.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/2018/12/as-global-carbon-emissions-reach-all-time-high-carper-blasts-epa-s-move-allowing-more-dirty-coal-pollution", "As Global Carbon Emissions Reach All-Time High, Carper Blasts EPAs Move Allowing More Dirty Coal Pollution", "2018-12-06", "2018", "2018-12", "Democrat", "House", "DE", "Thomas Carper", "C000174", "www.carper.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "WASHINGTON, D.C. Today, U.S. Senator Tom Carper (D-Del.), top Democrat on the Senate Environment and Public Works (EPW) Committee, released the following statement regarding the Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) proposal to ease carbon dioxide limits placed on new coal-fired power plants.\r\nYesterday, as world leaders gathered in Poland to discuss serious ways to address the growing threat of climate change, scientists revealed that global emissions of carbon dioxide have reached a record high in 2018. Today, the Trump Administration's EPA has chosen to roll back a protection that requires new coal-fired power plants to capture the carbon dioxide they produce. The disconnect could not be more stark or more dangerous.\r\nToday's decision is both foolish and unnecessary. It is feasible to capture harmful emissions from power plants with technology. We know that limiting carbon emissions will protect our environment and public health. But as the world discusses meaningful solutions to deal with climate change, this EPA is choosing, instead, to exacerbate the problem by doubling down on dirty coal technology.\r\nMake no mistake: this move will not bring the coal industry back no matter what President Trump tries to say. As a West Virginia native, I know the very real challenges that coal miners are facing in today's day and age. But this regulation is not the source of the coal industry's woes  market forces are.Natural gas and in many places renewables are a cheaper option. A record number of coal-fired power plants are shutting down. The industry employs just over 50,000 workers. Rolling back a protection that ensures harmful carbon emissions do not escape into our atmosphere will not reverse these trends.\r\nWhat we should be doing is using our energy and resources to foster new economic opportunities for communities that may be dependent on the old world order. In 2017, nearly 3.2 million Americans were working in wind, solar, energy efficiency and other clean energy jobs. Clean energy and efficiency investments made over the last decade have lowered energy costs in this country and expanded economic opportunities. We know what we need to be doing to cut harmful pollution, create new jobs and economic opportunities and protect our planet for future generations. With this decision, this EPA is willfully choosing to ignore the clear science on climate change, put our health at risk and hamper our economy.\r\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.carper.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/2018/12/carper-statement-on-trump-administration-s-efforts-to-weaken-sage-grouse-protections", "Carper Statement on Trump Administrations Efforts to Weaken Sage Grouse Protections", "2018-12-06", "2018", "2018-12", "Democrat", "House", "DE", "Thomas Carper", "C000174", "www.carper.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "WASHINGTON, D.C.  Today, Senator Tom Carper (D-Del.), top Democrat on the Environment and Public Works Committee (EPW), issued the following statement regarding the U.S. Department of Interior's (DOI) decision to roll back multi-state sage grouse conservation plans.\r\nJust days after the Trump Administration greenlighted seismic testing in important whale habitats, it has given yet another holiday gift to the oil industry at the expense of an imperiled species. This shortsighted move presents unnecessary harm to Western landscapes, could bring the sage grouse closer to an Endangered Species Act listing, and reverses years of bipartisan, collaborative conservation work.\r\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.coons.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/sen-coons-bipartisan-colleagues-introduce-resolution-to-hold-saudi-crown-prince-accountable-for-killing-of-jamal-khashoggi", "Sen. Coons, bipartisan colleagues introduce resolution to hold Saudi Crown Prince accountable for killing of Jamal Khashoggi", "2018-12-06", "2018", "2018-12", "Democrat", "House", "DE", "Christopher Coons", "C001088", "www.coons.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "12.06.18\n\t\t\t Sen. Coons, bipartisan colleagues introduce resolution to hold Saudi Crown Prince accountable for killing of Jamal Khashoggi \n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t \n\t\n\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n        \n\t\t\t\t Resolution also seeks to hold Saudi leader accountable for atrocities in Yemen, blockade of Qatar, use of force to intimidate rivals\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t WASHINGTON  U.S. Senators Chris Coons (D-Delaware), Lindsey Graham (R-South Carolina), Dianne Feinstein (D-California), Marco Rubio (R-Florida), Ed Markey (D-Massachusetts), and Todd Young (R-Indiana) introduced a Senate Resolution that holds Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia Mohammed bin Salman accountable for contributing to the humanitarian crisis in Yemen, the blockade of Qatar, the jailing of political dissidents within Saudi Arabia, the use of force to intimidate rivals, and the abhorrent and unjustified killing of journalist Jamal Khashoggi.\r\nThe United States Senate should speak in a clear, bipartisan voice to say that we will not tolerate the kinds of egregious human rights violations we've seen from Saudi leadership and, in particular, from Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman,said Senator Coons.The world has long looked to the United States to lead on human rights, and this is an important moment to show that we will not compromise our core values.\r\nI believe it's vitally important to U.S. national security interests to make a definitive statement about the brutal murder of an American resident  Mr. Khashoggi  who has three American citizen children,said Senator Graham.This resolution  without equivocation  definitively states that the Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia was complicit in the murder of Mr. Khashoggi and has been a wrecking ball to the region jeopardizing our national security interests on multiple fronts. It will be up to Saudi Arabia as to how to deal with this matter. But it is up to the United States to firmly stand for who we are and what we believe.\r\nThe world is entitled to know all the perpetrators of this terrible murder, and they must be held accountable. President Trump's willingness to ignore the crown prince's role in the killing of journalist Jamal Khashoggi is unacceptable,said Senator Feinstein.Our resolution corrects that by condemning the crown prince's actions and stating he should be held responsible for this murder, the blockade in Qatar and for human rights abuses in the Saudi Arabia and Yemen.\r\nOur values as Americans must be central to our foreign policy. Saudi Arabia is an important ally but not an ally at any cost. There is no doubt that Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman knew about the murder of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi, condoned it, and at worst was actually involved in directing it,Senator Rubio said.The U.S. must demand accountability and press for the release of all Saudi political prisoners, including blogger Raif Badawi and women's rights activists.\r\nCrown Prince Mohammed bin Salman isnot the reformer he pretends to be. He is a thug and underhis rule, the Kingdom has cracked down forcefully on dissent,taken aggressive actions against neighbors like Lebanon and Qatar that have destabilized the region, createdan unprecedentedhumanitarian crisis through its brutal war in Yemen, and decided it may commit extraterritorial killings with impunity,said Senator Markey.Saudi Arabiais heading in the wrong direction, and the benefits of our relationship with the Kingdom are quickly beingoutweighed byMohammad bin Salman's blatant disregardfor fundamental freedoms and international norms. It is time to re-think our relationship with Saudi Arabia, and President Trump must makepubliclyclear that the United States will not tolerate this behavior by anyone, even our so-called friends. This resolution would ensure that the United States Senate is on the record as condemning the Crown Prince's murdering of an American journalist and that we will not tolerate the actions of a regime that violates basic human rights and freedoms.\r\nThe failure over the last year and half to utilize all available U.S. leverage with respect to Saudi Arabia's actions in Yemen has left the Crown Prince with the mistaken impression that the United States will turn a blind eye to his increasingly brazen atrocities.Those who suggest we must sacrifice our principles for security will have neither,said Senator Young.  \r\nThe Graham-Feinstein-Rubio-Markey-Young-Coons Resolution:\r\ncondemns in the strongest possible terms the murder of Jamal Khashoggi;\r\nfinds that as Crown Prince, Mohammed bin Salman was in control of the security forces at the time of Jamal Khashoggi's murder;\r\nbased on evidence and analysis made available to this institution, the Senate has a high level of confidence that Mohammed bin Salman was complicit in the murder of Jamal Khashoggi;\r\nurges the United States Government and the international community to hold all parties, including Mohammed bin Salman, involved in the murder of Jamal Khashoggi accountable;\r\ncalls on the Government of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to negotiate directly with representatives of the Houthi movement in order to end the war in Yemen, agree on a political resolution, reverse the humanitarian crisis, and refocus efforts on defeating al Qaeda and ISIS in Yemen;\r\ncalls on the Government of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to negotiate a political solution to its dispute with Qatar expeditiously and in a way that restores diplomatic relations with Qatar; and\r\nurges the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to immediately release Saudi blogger Raif Badawi, the Saudi women's rights activists, and other detained political prisoners.\r\nFull text of the resolution is attached.\r\n###\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t Press Contact \n\t\t\t\tSean Coit at 202-224-5042 orSean_Coit@coons.senate.gov", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.carper.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/2018/12/carper-celebrates-signing-of-coast-guard-bill-protecting-marine-ecosystems", "Carper Celebrates Signing of Coast Guard Bill Protecting Marine Ecosystems", "2018-12-04", "2018", "2018-12", "Democrat", "House", "DE", "Thomas Carper", "C000174", "www.carper.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "WASHINGTON, D.C. - Senator Tom Carper (D-Del.), top Democrat on the Environment and Public Works (EPW) Committee, released the following statement after President Donald Trump signed into law the Coast Guard Authorization Act of 2018, a bill reauthorizing the work of the United States Coast Guard. The Act includes a bipartisan provision negotiated by Senator Carper, the Vessel Incidental Discharge Act (VIDA), that empowers the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and Coast Guard to protect waterways by restricting ballast water discharges of harmful pollution and invasive species.\r\nThe president today signed a strong, bipartisan bill that provides the Coast Guard with the resources it needs to safely defend our shores and waterways, said Senator Carper. Beyond bolstering homeland security, the Act empowers the Coast Guard to protect marine ecosystems in Delaware and throughout the country from invasive species by enforcing strict EPA rules limiting ballast water discharges. After months of tough negotiations, I'm proud that I was able to work with my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to reach an agreement that both supports marine life and provides long-term regulatory certainty to American vessel owners and mariners. Thank you to Senators Thune, Nelson, Stabenow and Portman, and the staffs of each of these members, for working with my staff and me on this important bipartisan provision.\r\nThe Vessel Incidental Discharge Act (VIDA):\r\n \r\nDelegates the lead role in establishing standards for discharges incidental to the normal operation of a vessel to the EPA and assigns the Coast Guard the lead role in monitoring and enforcing standards.\r\nAccommodates unique regional situations. Pacific Coast ballast water exchanges will continue and the Great Lakes may set their own basin-wide standards.\r\nAllows states to establish no-discharge zones for areas that require additional protection.\r\n \r\nHighlights of The Frank Lobiondo Coast Guard Authorization Act of 2018 (S. 140):\r\n \r\nMaritime drug and border enforcement includes new authorities to combat illicit trafficking and smuggling and transnational criminal organizations by furthering interagency cooperation, combating concealment of bulk cash, and increasing the budget for investigations and ability to use informants.\r\nMultiyear contracting authorizes the Coast Guard Commandant to utilize several new acquisition tools, including multiyear funding for procuring future National Security Cutters. These changes will allow the Coast Guard to reduce the price of follow-on vessels and give shipyards greater predictability, stabilizing workforces.\r\nAuthorization level authorizes the U.S. Coast Guard for fiscal years 2018 and 2019 at $10.1 billion and $10.6 billion. The previous Coast Guard authorization, enacted in 2016, authorized $9.1 billion for the service for fiscal years 2016 and 2017.\r\nArctic Operations directs the Coast Guard to conduct a review of the assets and personnel required to ensure the safety and security of the Arctic.\r\nRecreational Boating increases safety and clarifies requirements for recreational boating safety by implementing the installation of engine cut-off switches and alternate signaling devices.\r\n \r\nBackground:\r\n \r\nEarlier last month, Senator Carper gave floor remarks on the VIDA agreement. WatchHERE.\r\nYesterday, Senator Carper visited the Indian River Inlet Coast Guard Station in Rehoboth Beach, Delaware to highlight VIDA and other important provisions in the bill. Read more about that visit HERE.\r\nVIDA was the subject of Senator Carper's latest e-newsletter. Read that HERE.\r\n \r\n\r\n###\r\n\r\nCarper Celebrates Signing of Coast Guard Bill Protecting Marine Ecosystems", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.carper.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/2018/12/carper-statement-on-trump-postal-task-force-recommendations", "Carper Statement on Trump Postal Task Force Recommendations", "2018-12-04", "2018", "2018-12", "Democrat", "House", "DE", "Thomas Carper", "C000174", "www.carper.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "WASHINGTON D.C. Today, U.S. Senator Tom Carper (D-Del.), a senior member of the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee (HSGAC), released the following statement regarding the Treasury Department's proposed recommendations to reform the United States Postal Service.\r\nThe long-term viability of an American institution that ensures each and every home, regardless of its zip code, receives its mail, is an incredibly important issue that all of us should care about. In April, I welcomed the President's engagement on this time-sensitive issue. However, for the better part of 2018, the President's task force has been crafting recommendations in secret that the public has only just seen today. Again, I am always glad to have more people involved and working to solve this imminently fixable problem, and Presidential leadership could help us finally enact meaningful legislation to bolster the Postal Service. But I believe we need to be working together in a transparent way and building off legislation that is the result of years of hard work and scrutiny to address the Postal Service's immediate challenges. We know that the Postal Service's financial situation is in a downward spiral. We know we need to act now, and I would like to get to work putting much needed reforms, like those that have bipartisan support in the House and Senate, into place.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.carper.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/2018/12/carper-to-wheeler-as-cop24-begins-distorting-climate-science-report-runs-afoul-of-commitment-you-made-to-me", "Carper to Wheeler as COP24 Begins: Distorting Climate Science Report Runs Afoul of Commitment You Made to Me", "2018-12-04", "2018", "2018-12", "Democrat", "House", "DE", "Thomas Carper", "C000174", "www.carper.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "WASHINGTON, D.C.- As the 24thsession of the Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP24) begins, Senator Tom Carper (D-Del.), top Democrat on the Environment and Public Works Committee (EPW),wroteto Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Acting Administrator Andrew Wheeler to express grave concerns regarding his recent public comments with respect to the Trump Administration's release of the Fourth National Climate Assessment. The nearly 1,700-page scientific report, congressionally-mandated and issued the day after Thanksgiving by 13 federal agencies and over 300 federal experts, highlights the devastating impacts climate change has on human health, the economy, and the environment. The report also highlights some of the vulnerabilities in communities across the country such as deteriorating infrastructure, stressed ecosystems, and economic inequality that will leave certain areas more susceptible to the most damaging effects of climate change.\r\nThe letter notes that since the report was released, comments made by President Trump, White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders and Acting Administrator Wheeler sought to undermine its findings.In the letter, Ranking Member Carper also demanded documents that detail EPA's views and involvement in shaping the Trump Administration's response to its own report.\r\nIf the United States continues to ignore the dangers of climate change, the costs for all Americans will be devastating,wrote Senator Carper.This isn't an alarmist prediction. It doesn't come from some left-leaning organization, and it doesn't come from talk radio. It comes directly from our nation's leading scientists. We may not all agree about what to do to address these dire warnings, but it disturbs me greatly that counter to the commitment you made to me during your confirmation hearing, you seem to be actively working to undermine and distort the scientific evidence itself.\r\nThe text of the letter can be found below andHERE.\r\nDecember 3, 2018\r\n\r\nThe Honorable Andrew Wheeler\r\nActing Administrator\r\nU.S. Environmental Protection Agency\r\n1200 Pennsylvania Ave. NW\r\nWashington, DC 20460\r\n\r\nDear Acting Administrator Wheeler:\r\nI write to express my grave concerns regarding the recent public comments made by you and your agency with respect to the release of the Fourth National Climate Assessment. These comments appear to run afoul of the commitment you made to me during your confirmation hearing, when you committed not to distort climate science studies, saying, [m]y goal would be to not distort any scientific or economic analysis.[1]\r\nOn the day after Thanksgiving, thirteen federal agencies led by NOAA released the Fourth National Climate Assessment. This nearly 1,700-page, congressionally-mandated report highlighted the devastating impacts that climate change will have over the next eighty years if we do not change course now. The report was a dire warning to our nation and our planet, a warning that the world's leaders are today attempting to heed as the 24thsession of the Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change begins this week.\r\nThe Fourth National Climate Assessment took three years to develop and write. It was written with input from more than 300 federal experts  some of which are EPA employees  as well as non-federal experts who volunteered their time. The scientific report was finalized following an extensive public outreach and interagency review process, and its conclusions are important to every person living on this planet.\r\nSince the report was released, comments made by you and other Trump Administration officials have sought to undermine the findings of the report. For example, on November 26, 2018, President Trump stated I don't believe it when asked about the report, adding that we're at the cleanest we've ever been.[2] The following day, White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders stated at the White House press conference that We think that this is the most extreme version and it's not based on facts. She also said that [I]t's not data-driven and that it contradicts long established trends.[3]\r\nAt aWashington Postevent held on November 28, 2018, you stated that The drafting of this report was drafted at the direction of the Obama administrationand [G]oing forward, I think we need to take a look at the modeling that used for the next assessment and I don't know this for a fact  I wouldn't be surprised if the Obama administration told the report's authors to take a look at the worst case scenario for this report.[4] The EPA then doubled down on these comments the next day, by releasing a statement[5]that purported to validate your remarks, citing an article[6]issued byThe Daily Caller, a publication with a long history of issuing false statements about climate change.[7] This article greatly mischaracterized the scope of the climate report by falsely asserting that Obama Administration officials directed it to focus on the worst-case' scenario.\r\nAs you must certainly know, the National Climate Assessment is not developed at the direction of any one Administration, but was directed by Congress through the Global Change Research Act of 1990, which passed the United States Senate unanimously and was signed into law by President George H.W. Bush. This law requires, every four years, a report that, analyzes the effects of global change on the natural environment, agriculture, energy production and use, land and water resources, transportation, human health and welfare, human social systems, and biological diversity and analyzes current trends in global change, both human-induced and natural, and projects major trends for the subsequent 25 to 100 years.[8] The memo mischaracterized by EPA andThe Daily Callerclearly states that the Fourth National Climate Assessment should use scenarios and science that are consistent with previous reports.[9]\r\nIf the United States continues to ignore the dangers of climate change, the costs for all Americans will be devastating. This isn't an alarmist prediction. It doesn't come from some left-leaning organization, and it doesn't come from talk radio. It comes directly from our nation's leading scientists. We may not all agree about what to do to address these dire warnings, but it disturbs me greatly that counter to the commitment you made to me during your confirmation hearing, you seem to be actively working to undermine and distort the scientific evidence itself.\r\nSo that I can understand the basis for EPA's views and involvement in shaping the Trump Administration's response to its own report, I ask that you provide me with the following materials, no later than January 15, 2019:\r\n\r\n \r\nCopies of all briefing materials prepared for you or other Trump Administration EPA political officials related to the preparation and release of the Fourth National Climate Assessment, including but not limited to the May 2, 2018 briefing for the Office of Air and Radiation whose invited participants included Bill Wehrum and David Harlow, the May 14, 2018 briefing for the Office of Water whose invited participants included Lee Forsgren and Owen McDonough, and the May 29, 2018 briefing for the Office of Research and Development whose invited participants included Richard Yamada.\r\nCopies of all briefing or materials prepared by EPA that were sent to any other entity within the Trump Administration related to the preparation or release of the Fourth National Climate Assessment.\r\nCopies of all documents, including emails, white papers, memos, briefing slides, meeting minutes, drafts of press remarks or talking points, or other materials related to the release of the Fourth National Climate Assessment, including documents related to the decision to release the report the day after Thanksgiving.\r\nCopies of all documents, including emails, white papers, memos, briefing slides, meeting minutes, drafts of press remarks or talking points, or other materials related to your appearance at the November 28, 2018Washington Postevent or the EPA press release the following day.\r\n \r\n\r\nThank you for your assistance in this matter.\r\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.carper.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/2018/12/following-request-from-carper-and-udall-epa-oig-agrees-to-broaden-investigation-into-legally-questionable-loophole-for-high-polluting-glider-trucks", "Following Request from Carper and Udall, EPA OIG Agrees to Broaden Investigation into Legally Questionable Loophole for High-Polluting Glider Trucks", "2018-12-04", "2018", "2018-12", "Democrat", "House", "DE", "Thomas Carper", "C000174", "www.carper.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "WASHINGTON, D.C.  Today, Senators Tom Carper (D-Del.), top Democrat on the Environment and Public Works Committee (EPW) and Tom Udall (D-N.M.), ranking member on the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on the Interior, Environment, and Related Agenciesissued the following statement after the Environmental Protection Agency Office of the Inspector General (EPA OIG) agreed to expand the scope of its project regarding the repeal of emission requirements for glider vehicles, glider engines, and glider kits in response to the senators' request. \r\nWe have reason to believe EPA's decision to exempt manufacturers of the dirtiest trucks on the road from the Clean Air Act's public health protections disregarded the health and economic effects and violated requirements of the rulemaking process, said the lawmakers. We have questions that we want answers to regarding industry's involvement and legal, procedural, and technical irregularities in the proposal. We're glad the Office of the Inspector General has agreed to get to the bottom of this and hope to receive its findings in a timely manner.\r\nSpecifically, Senators Carper and Udall asked EPA OIG to broaden the current audit to include investigations into the discredited, industry-funded study former EPA Administrator Pruitt used to support his decision to deregulate glider vehicles; the apparent decision to rush signature and publication of the likely illegal proposal without EPA having reviewed likely health effects associated with deregulating the rule; last minute changes to the proposed rule purposefully designed to avoid legally required health and economic analyses; and the promise Mr. Pruitt made on his last day to the glider industry that it would not be required to comply with current glider rules. Yesterday's announcement covered portions of the Senators' request.\r\nA copy of the Senators request for an investigation can be found HERE.\r\nIn March, Senators Carper and Udall raised concerns over EPA's decision to repeal air emissions standards for high-polluting glider trucks.\r\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.carper.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/2018/12/photo-release-during-visit-to-indian-river-inlet-station-carper-highlights-coast-guard-reauthorization-that-protects-waterways-marine-ecosystems", "During Visit to Indian River Inlet Station, Carper Highlights Coast Guard Reauthorization that Protects Waterways, Marine Ecosystems", "2018-12-03", "2018", "2018-12", "Democrat", "House", "DE", "Thomas Carper", "C000174", "www.carper.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Bipartisan legislation ensures Coast Guard has tools needed to continue safeguarding Delaware waters \r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\nREHOBOTH BEACH, Del. Today, U.S. Senator Tom Carper (D-Del.), top Democrat on the Environment and Public Works Committee (EPW), was at the Indian River Inlet Coast Guard Station to celebrate passage of a bill that reauthorizes the work of the U.S. Coast Guard. This legislation, which President Trump is set to sign into law in the coming days, provides the brave men and women of the U.S. Coast Guard with the tools and resources they need to continue safeguarding our waters. Specifically, the bill includes:\r\n \r\nIncreases to operational and maintenance funding for their personnel and boats;\r\nFunds for shore side infrastructure improvements;\r\nUpdates to leave policies Coast guard members and their families rely on;\r\nAdditional clarity on inspections and enforcement procedures for vessel boardings.\r\n \r\nThe Coast Guard does an unbelievable job protecting our waterways, defending our borders, and executing missions in the most severe conditions. I'm proud that the Coast Guard Authorization Act  which will be signed by the President this week  provides the brave men and women of the U.S. Coast Guard with the tools they need to keep doing that incredibly important work, said Senator Carper. The provisions included in this bill, including increased funding for personnel and boats and funding for shore side infrastructure improvements, will go a long way at a small station like the one here at Indian River Inlet that serves the First State. Additionally, provisions like those that update the leave policies that Coast Guard members and their families depend on are simply the right thing to do, especially for those who work to keep all of us safe. At the same time, this bill also protects waters here in Delaware and across our country from the environmental risks posed by the spread of invasive species in ballast water. In a divided Congress, we found a responsible way to pass the Coast Guard Reauthorization agreement, and that's a win for our Coast Guard contingent here in Delaware and the waters we all treasure.\r\nToday's event also included an advancement ceremony for a member of the Coast Guard, Bosun's Mate 3rd Class (BM3) Brennan Piemonte, who has served in the Coast Guard for three years and was promoted to 2nd class today.\r\nThe major piece of legislation, that is currently awaiting the President's signature before it becomes law, also includes the Vessel Incidental Discharge Act (VIDA), a bipartisan compromise, negotiated by Senator Carper and his staff, that empowers the Coast Guard to protect waterways and ecosystems in Delaware and across the country by limiting harmful pollution and invasive species from watercraft discharges, including ballast water.\r\nAdditional background on the bill:\r\n \r\nThe bill passed the House on Tuesday, after passing the Senate on a 94-6 vote earlier this month. Read Senator Carper's response to House passageHERE.\r\nEarlier this month, Senator Carper spoke on the Senate floor to tout the bipartisan agreement reached on VIDA. View that by clickingHERE.\r\nAdditionally, VIDA was the subject of Senator Carper's latest newsletter, which can be accessed by clickingHERE.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.coons.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/icymi-sen-coons-in-the-news-journal-congress-has-a-chance-to-pass-major-bipartisan-criminal-justice-reform-now", "ICYMI: Sen. Coons in The News Journal: \u201cCongress has a chance to pass major, bipartisan criminal justice reform now\u201d", "2018-12-03", "2018", "2018-12", "Democrat", "House", "DE", "Christopher Coons", "C001088", "www.coons.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "12.03.18\n\t\t\t ICYMI: Sen. Coons in The News Journal: Congress has a chance to pass major, bipartisan criminal justice reform now \n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tWASHINGTON  U.S. Senator Chris Coons (D-Del.), a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, published an op-ed inThe News Journalon criminal justice reform.\r\nCongress has a chance to pass major, bipartisan criminal justice reform now\r\nBy Chris Coons\r\nAt a time when Congress, the White House, and the nation seem hopelessly divided, there is one critical, even difficult issue on which many Republicans and Democrats, conservative and progressive groups, and President Trump agree: criminal justice reform.\r\nThe American criminal justice system is broken, and it has been for a long time. The mass incarceration explosion resulting from the war on drugs and tough on crime policies of the last four decades has left us with prisons that are overcrowded and costly and inmates that are often unfairly sentenced and forgotten.\r\nFor too long, our system has focused too much on criminalization and incarceration and too little on justice and rehabilitation.\r\nRecognizing the urgent need to address this disparity, a remarkable bipartisan coalition in Congress has worked together for several years to craft legislation that would make the criminal justice system fairer, and now, we're ready to vote on the bill and have the president sign it into law.\r\nTo read the full column, clickhere.\r\n###\r\n\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t Press Contact \n\t\t\t\tSean Coit at 202-224-5042 orSean_Coit@coons.senate.gov\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\n\t  \n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t \n\t\t\n\t\t\tPrint\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tEmail\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tTweet\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t \n\t\n\t\n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n    \n\t\n\t\n    \n    \n    \n    \t\n    \t\n\t    \t  \n\t\t    \n\t\t    \n\t\t    \tPrevious Article", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.coons.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/senators-urge-us-news-to-consider-a-schools-role-in-spurring-social-mobility-in-2020-college-rankings", "Senators urge U.S. News to consider a school\u2019s role in spurring social mobility in 2020 college rankings", "2018-12-03", "2018", "2018-12", "Democrat", "House", "DE", "Christopher Coons", "C001088", "www.coons.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "12.03.18\n\t\t\t Senators urge U.S. News to consider a school's role in spurring social mobility in 2020 college rankings \n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tWASHINGTON  U.S. Senators Chris Coons (D-Del.), Cory Booker (D-N.J.), Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii), Kamala Harris (D-Calif.), Chris Murphy (D-Conn.), and Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.) today sent a letter urging U.S. News & World Report to further change their methodology for college rankings by more expansively considering a school's diversity, inclusion, and representation.\r\nU.S. News may claim that it now adequately addresses economic diversity by adjusting its new Pell metrics by the share of the student body receiving such grants. But this adjustment still leaves in the background the question of how widely schools open their doors to such students,the Senators wrote. Moreover, it fails to consider the importance of diversity, inclusion, and representation in its own right. At the schools U.S. News rates most highly, this approach means the heart of the problem remains inadequately considered. Without an exclusive metric assessing the access a college or university provides to historically underrepresented students, deep inequities will continue to be masked.\r\nThe letter is availablehereand is copied below.\r\nDecember 3, 2018\r\nMr. Brian Kelly\r\nEditor\r\nU.S. News & World Report\r\n1050 Thomas Jefferson St NW\r\nWashington, DC 20007\r\nDear Mr. Kelly:\r\nWe write regarding the recent updates to the 2019 U.S. News & World Report (U.S. News) Best Colleges Rankings. While the 2019 edition includes modest improvements to reflect colleges' role in boosting social mobility, we urge you to consider further changes to your methodology by more expansively considering a school's diversity, inclusion, and representation. We join others in questioning whether the changes represent a true embrace of social mobility, as your ranking system still fails to consider the extent to which colleges enroll historically underrepresented students. As the leading mass media ranking outlet, we fear U.S. News continues to create a perverse incentive for schools to adopt or maintain policies that perpetuate social and economic inequalities. We urge U.S. News to comprehensively update its rankings to recognize the colleges that transform the lives of millions of historically underrepresented students and their families instead of the privileged few.\r\nAmerica's best colleges and universities are those that look like America, educate all of our students, and prepare them for a diverse and global workforce. As the primary mass media arbiter of college prestige relied upon by many students, families, and colleges, U.S. News has an obligation to assess American higher education fairly. U.S. News should acknowledge and correct for the role its rankings have played in fueling the collegiate arms race and preserving regressive admission policies like legacy enrollment and early decision. This approach prioritizes prestige and exacerbates America's deeply ingrained and racialized wealth disparities.\r\nWe appreciate that U.S. News has taken a first step this year in the consideration of low-income students by accounting for both the graduation rate of Pell Grant recipients at an institution and whether a college graduates those students at the same rate as their peers. Colleges should urgently work to close gaps in access to and outcomes at their campuses, and we are grateful that U.S. News has incorporated measurements of that work into its rankings for the first time.\r\nThose two indicators, however, each make up only 2.5 percent of the ranking's methodology. While the new indicators are a noble start, they amount to a negligible change and pale in comparison to the substantial weight given to identifying wealthy and exclusive collegesregardless of whether they serve a broad cross section of America's students. Sixty-five percent of a school's ranking is still based on a vague measure of expert opinion (20 percent), faculty resources (20 percent), student excellence (10 percent), student spending (10 percent), and alumni giving (5 percent). Additionally, U.S. News made very narrow changes to the metrics that value prestige, such as eliminating the acceptance rate metric that before comprised only 1.25 percent of the formula and reducing the weight on standardized test scores by a fraction of a percentage point. Inevitably, ranking systems reflect their creators' views about what makes for a good college. In the end, even after these tweaks, U.S. News's methodology reflects an assumption that a college's success in fundraising matters to its quality as much as its success in serving students from every walk of American life. We believe judgments like that are indefensible.\r\nU.S. News may claim that it now adequately addresses economic diversity by adjusting its new Pell metrics by the share of the student body receiving such grants. But this adjustment still leaves in the background the question of how widely schools open their doors to such students. Moreover, it fails to consider the importance of diversity, inclusion, and representation in its own right. At the schools U.S. News rates most highly, this approach means the heart of the problem remains inadequately considered. Without an exclusive metric assessing the access a college or university provides to historically underrepresented students, deep inequities will continue to be masked. For example, the nation's most selective colleges currently enroll only 14 percent Pell students and have a median endowment of $1.2 billion, but we know that 40 percent of all high school graduates are low-income, and of those that score in the top 10 percent of the ACT, 20 percent are low-income. Meanwhile, the thousands of colleges doing the hard work of enrolling and supporting underrepresented students have a median endowment just one-hundredth the size of their more selective peers$10 million. While this year's changes are steps in the right direction, they fall short of truly acting to recognize collegesincluding many of our nation's minority-serving institutions and community collegesthat serve as our country's engines of social mobility and incent others to do so. We encourage U.S. News to take that next and more meaningful stride.\r\nAs our country's public conversation again grapples with the repercussions of stark wealth inequalityincluding the tremendous overrepresentation of alumni from elite high schools, colleges, and law schools across all three branches of our federal government and in other powerful positions of leadershipour nation's wealthiest colleges must face public scrutiny and accountability for the role they play in either alleviating or cementing income inequality.\r\nWe urge U.S. News to use its influential platform to better align its rankings with the three longstanding goals behind federal financial aid: improving college access, supporting student success, and providing every talented student a pathway to economic stability and meaningful participation in our country's economic, social, and civic life. Doing so will provide colleges and universities with a single, clear roadmap for how to pursue academic excellence and how diversity, inclusion, and representation are key indicators of the extent to which a college contributes to those goals.\r\n\r\nWe all have a stake in combatting rising social immobility and providing a fair pathway of opportunity for all. We ask that U.S. News make further improvements in next year's 2020 Best Colleges Rankings and build on its initial steps to address a college's role in spurring social mobility. We hope that U.S. News will work hard to recognize the colleges that educate America's diverse students and prepare the next generation of diverse American leaders. We look forward to your response.\r\nSincerely,\r\n###\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t Press Contact \n\t\t\t\tSean Coit at 202-224-5042 orSean_Coit@coons.senate.gov", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.carper.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/2018/12/carper-statement-on-the-passing-of-president-george-h-w-bush", "Carper Statement on the Passing of President George H.W. Bush", "2018-12-01", "2018", "2018-12", "Democrat", "House", "DE", "Thomas Carper", "C000174", "www.carper.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "WASHINGTON, D.C.  Today, U.S. Senator Tom Carper, (D-Del.) released the following statement on the passing of the 41st President of the United States, President George Herbert Walker Bush.\r\nI am saddened to learn of the passing of President George H.W. Bush. He was a true public servant who dedicated his life to our country  as a decorated Navy pilot in World War II, as a representative for the people of Texas, as a diplomat, as a leader in our intelligence community, as Vice President and as our President. He loved this country. He believed in our institutions and in the strength of the American spirit. And he exemplified what it truly means to be a leader.\r\nAbove all, though, President George H.W. Bush was a good man who treated others with kindness and respect  regardless of their politics. He knew we could disagree without being disagreeable. We could all learn from the example he set, and we could use more like him right now, on both sides of the aisle.\r\nThere will be much more that I will want to say about President Bush's legacy in the days and weeks to come as we honor his memory. For now, Martha and I send our sincerest condolences to the Bush family and pray that President George H.W. Bush may rest in peace.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.carper.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/2018/11/carper-whitehouse-decry-epa-inspector-general-s-decision-to-close-probes-into-former-epa-chief-pruitt", "Carper, Whitehouse Decry EPA Inspector Generals Decision to Close Probes into Former EPA Chief Pruitt", "2018-11-30", "2018", "2018-11", "Democrat", "House", "DE", "Thomas Carper", "C000174", "www.carper.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "WASHINGTON, D.C.  Today, Senators Tom Carper (D-Del.), top Democrat on the Environment and Public Works Committee (EPW), and Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.), raised serious concerns after the Environmental Protection Agency's Office of Inspector General (EPA OIG) released its semi-annual report to Congress that includes its decision to close two investigations requested by the Senators into former EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt. The EPA OIG's report cites his resignation as reason for the office's inability to complete the investigations.\r\nScott Pruitt set a new bar for unethical behavior by a Trump cabinet official, and that's saying a lot. We appreciate the problems of investigating Pruitt's abject abuse of government position once he's fled EPA, but walking away leaves the full story of what took place in EPA's highest position untold, the senators said. The whole truth matters, and the Inspector General office should do all it can to make sure we never see behavior like this at EPA again.\r\nInvestigations requested by Senators Carper and Whitehouse that the EPA OIG terminated include:\r\n \r\nIn May, Senators Carper, Whitehouse, and Udall wrote a letter to EPA OIG to request an investigation into potential violations of federal regulations by Pruitt during a real estate search by a top aide.\r\nIn June, Senators Carper, Whitehouse, and Udall wrote a letter to EPA OIG to request an investigation into Pruitt's use of his official position to pursue family business opportunities.\r\n \r\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.carper.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/2018/11/release-carper-slams-trump-administration-s-approval-of-seismic-tests-off-delaware-coast", "Carper Slams Trump Administrations Approval of Seismic Tests Off Delaware Coast", "2018-11-30", "2018", "2018-11", "Democrat", "House", "DE", "Thomas Carper", "C000174", "www.carper.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "WASHINGTON, D.C. Today, U.S. Senator Tom Carper (D-Del.), top Democrat on the Environment and Public Works (EPW) Committee, slammed the Trump Administration's decision to approve seismic testing in the Atlantic Ocean. The National Marine Fisheries Service has awarded permits to five marine contractors to survey and conduct seismic tests in the waters between Delaware and Central Florida. These seismic tests are conducted to search for oil and gas deposits beneath the ocean floor and are often a pre-cursor to offshore oil drilling.\r\nDelaware has made clear its opposition to seismic testing because our state's economy relies on the health and wellbeing of our coasts. Today's proposal is a threat to our economy, our environment, and our way of life all along the East Coast,said Senator Carper.Clean coastal waters and the ocean ecosystems they support draw millions of visitors from around the country and billions of dollars for our coastal communities. This decision unnecessarily puts those economic drivers at risk, along with the vibrant marine life that inhabits the waters off of our coast. I have long advocated for a strategy to meet our country's energy needs as we move toward greater energy efficiency and use of renewable energy, but today's proposal to open up seismic testing in the Atlantic Ocean is shortsighted and tone-deaf. Just days after 13 federal agencies issued a dire warning about the impacts of climate change and the need to change course, the Trump Administration has taken yet another major step backward.\r\nIn July 2017, Senators Carper and Coons sent aletterto the U.S. Department of Commerce opposing issuance of permits to companies to conduct seismic surveys in the Atlantic, citing 40 state and local elected officials from Delaware to the Department of Interior in opposition to proposed seismic surveys.\r\nIn February 2018, Senator Carper took to the Senate floor tohighlightpotentially devastating effects of the Trump Administration's proposal to open up parts of the Atlantic and Pacific oceans to oil and gas exploration.\r\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.coons.senate.gov/news/videos/watch/sen-coons-joins-cnn-new-day-november-30-2018", "Sen. Coons joins CNN New Day November 30, 2018", "2018-11-30", "2018", "2018-11", "Democrat", "House", "DE", "Christopher Coons", "C001088", "www.coons.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Look at the biggest progressive fights & you'll often find that they were religious movements\n\nSen. Coons celebrates America 250: \"Our story is stronger when we tell it in its entirety\"\n\nThis week, seven of my bipartisan bills advanced in the Senate, one step closer to becoming law.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-06-27T23:10:16Z"], ["https://www.carper.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/2018/11/one-month-after-tree-of-life-shooting-carper-bipartisan-senators-push-to-protect-worship-centers", "One Month after Tree Of Life Shooting, Carper, Bipartisan Senators Push to Protect Worship Centers", "2018-11-29", "2018", "2018-11", "Democrat", "House", "DE", "Thomas Carper", "C000174", "www.carper.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Lawmakers Call For Robust Community Safety Funding\r\nWASHINGTON, D.C. As the nation continues to grieve the deadliest attack on the American Jewish community in United States' history, U.S. Senator Tom Carper (D-Del.), along with a group of bipartisan senators, is pressing for robust community safety funding in any FY19 appropriations package. Specifically, the lawmakers have called for adequate allocations to the DHS Nonprofit Security Grant program which helps nonprofit organizations like religious institutions, schools, and community centers make security improvements.\r\nWe regret that nonprofit organizations  especially religious institutions, schools, and community centers  have become targets for violent attacks and believe we have a responsibility to address the motivating factors behind these threats, wrote the Senators. But as long as the threat remains, we must take steps to ensure these facilities have the necessary resources to improve their security if they wish to do so. While we recognize much more remains to be done beyond investing in security, we urge your strong support for robust funding of the Nonprofit Security Grant program in the FY19 appropriations cycle and stand ready to work with you on this issue.\r\nSenator Carper was joined by U.S. Senators Bob Casey (D-Pa.), Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.), Richard Durbin (D-Ill.), Jack Reed (D-R.I.), Bill Nelson (D-Fla.), Debbie Stabenow (D-Mich.), Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.), Bob Menendez (D-N.J.), Ben Cardin (D-Md.), Bernard Sanders (I-Vt.), Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio), Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), Tom Udall (D-N.M.), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.), Rob Portman (R-Ohio), Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.), Chris Murphy (D-Conn.), Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.), Angus King (I-Maine), Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), Ed Markey (D-Mass), Cory Booker (D-N.J.), Gary C. Peters (D-Mich.), Bill Cassidy, M.D. (R-LA), M. Mike Rounds (D-S.D.), Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.), Maggie Hassan (D-N.H.), Kamala Harris (D-Calif.), Tina Smith (D-Minn.).\r\nA full copy of the letter can be found here and more on the DHS Nonprofit Security Grant program is available here.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.carper.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/2018/11/video-carper-highlights-grim-findings-of-climate-report-calls-for-decisive-action", "VIDEO: Carper Highlights Grim Findings of Climate Report, Calls for Decisive Action", "2018-11-28", "2018", "2018-11", "Democrat", "House", "DE", "Thomas Carper", "C000174", "www.carper.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "WASHINGTON, D.C.- Senator Tom Carper (D-Del.), top Democrat on the Environment and Public Works (EPW) Committee, spoke on the Senate floor today to highlight the findings of the Fourth National Climate Assessment, a report by 13 federal agencies laying out the troubling impacts of climate change on environmental quality, public health, and economic growth. Senator Carper stressed that for those unfazed by the troubling environmental effects of climate change, they might be moved to action by the serious, long-term threats it poses to job creation and economic productivity. \r\nDespite the Trump Administration's best efforts to bury this report on a Friday of a holiday weekend, those of us based in reality are going to make sure that the clear facts in it are broadcast far and wide,said Senator Carper.The numbers and the facts don't lie. The reality of climate change is scary, especially for a coastal state like Delaware  the lowest lying state in our country. But the facts that this report so clearly lays out affect all of us. It doesn't matter if you are from a coastal state or from a landlocked state; if you care about public health or the environment; or if you care about our economy or national security  this report says every sector of our economy and every person living in this country will be affected by climate change if we do nothing.\r\nWe don't have to choose between all this doom and gloom and a strong economy,Senator Carper continued.We can address the gloom and doom and add a lot of jobs. We ought to do this. This can be a win-win. We ought to seize the day.\r\nA statement from Senator Carper after the release of the report can be readHERE.\r\nToday's speech can be viewed by clickingHERE. Below are Senator Carper's full remarks, as prepared for delivery:\r\nMr. President, welcome back. I hope you were able to get home last week for Thanksgiving and spend some time enjoying what I like to call the holiday's 6 Fs: Family, friends, food fun, faith and football! I hope all Americans were able to enjoy some combination of those things over the holiday weekend. Mr. President, you may be like me and many others across the country who took the long weekend to unplug a bit by turning off our phones, maybe turning off cable news too, so that we could reconnect with loved ones.\r\nBut while many Americans were recharging  enjoying a good meal with family and friends, maybe watching a football game or doing some early Christmas shopping  some major news broke.\r\nLast Friday, on the day after Thanksgiving, 13 federal agencies released a nearly seventeen hundred-page report highlighting the devastating impacts that climate change will have over the next 80 years if we do not change course now. The report was a dire warning to our nation and our planet, but one that you might have easily missed while celebrating the holiday with family and friends.\r\nNow, I suspect that the fact that this major report was released on the Friday of a holiday weekend was not an accident. After all, the report, which was put together by experts from over a dozen agencies within the Trump Administration, spells out the very real and very serious consequences of climate change  a global crisis that President Trump has repeatedly called a hoax.'\r\nIn fact, just yesterday, the President said that he is not among the so-called believers' who see climate change as a pressing problem. Well, luckily, we don't have to just blindly believe in climate change. We can look at the facts. And despite the Trump Administration's best efforts to bury this report on a Friday of a holiday weekend, those of us based in reality are going to make sure that the clear facts in it are broadcast far and wide.\r\nNow, this particular report took three years to write. It was written by more than three hundred federal experts and non-federal experts who volunteered their time. It was only finalized after an extensive public outreach and interagency review process. This report wasn't thrown together to push any agenda. It is a scientific report, and its conclusions should be important to every person living on this planet.\r\nI would like to take a few minutes and go over some of the highlights of the report. Let's start with extreme weather. According to the latest report, which, again, was released by the Trump Administration, climate change will continue to increase and intensify extreme weather events in the years to come. Over the last three years alone, extreme weather events have cost the United States nearly $400 billion dollars in damages due to storm surges, flooding, wildfires, crop freezes and drought. More powerful and more frequent extreme weather events will increase that figure exponentially and also have far-reaching impacts on people in every corner of this country.\r\nPerhaps you live in the Southwest. In 2017, Phoenix, Arizona set a new record of nearly 200 days with temperatures of at least 90 degrees Fahrenheit. By 2090, Phoenix could be dealing with an additional 45 days every year with temperatures above 90 degrees Fahrenheit. That's another six weeks of extreme heat in addition to the city's already record-breaking temperatures. Or maybe you live in the Southeast. Currently, Charleston, South Carolina experiences 38 days of tidal flooding every year. By 2045, the city could experience 180 days of tidal flooding every year  nearly five times the flooding that occurs today!\r\nOr perhaps you live out West. By 2050, wildfire seasons could burn up to six times more forest area every year. We have all seen the historic and horrific devastation that fires in California have caused just this year alone. Now, California is a big state, and sometimes it is difficult to put into context just how big and destructive these wildfires are. For some context, here is the area that the recent Camp Fire in California burned in relation to a city my colleagues are familiar with  Washington, D.C. The Camp Fire burned an area over three times greater than Washington, D.C. That was just one fire. In one state. In one year. Imagine what we will be facing with up to six times more forest area burning every single year.\r\nNow, if the extreme weather conclusions don't make some of our colleagues jump to action, maybe the information about the health impacts of climate change will cause them take notice. This report makes clear that increases in ozone and particle pollution will result in an additional $26 billion dollars every year in health care costs across the country. And here's a particularly startling statistic: Extreme hot and cold temperatures in 49 U.S. cities are projected to result in more than 9,000 additional premature deaths per year! That's not in a far off, developing nation. That's 9,000 more people dying right here at home every year.\r\nBut if our colleagues are not swayed by the serious impacts to Americans' health, maybe they will moved by the impacts climate change will have on our country's already aging infrastructure. If we do not act, we can expect up to $26 billion dollars in damages to our roadways and railways ever year due to climate change. Increases in rainfall in inland areas  not on the coasts, but in the middle of our country  will threaten up to 6,000 bridges by 2090.\r\nBut here's a statistic that we will not be able to avoid. Since 1993, sea levels have risen by three inches. If we do nothing, by 2100, we could see sea levels rise by up to six feet! Those of us who lived through Superstorm Sandy saw the absolute destruction that can be caused by three inches of sea level rise. It's almost unimaginable to think about nearly 70 inches!\r\nBut maybe that's still not alarming enough. Perhaps the impacts on our farmers and ranchers might sway my colleagues. According to the report, more frequent and intense rains, combined with rising temperatures, are likely to reduce agricultural production in the Midwest to 1980 levels. When it comes to crops that agricultural communities depend on like corn and soybeans, farmers could see reduced yields of up to 25 percent.\r\nBut maybe some of our colleagues don't come from states with a large agricultural sector. Perhaps the economic impacts might move them to action. Climate change could mean up to $500 billion dollars in economic losses every year by 2090. Additionally, almost two billion labor hours are projected to be lost every year by 2090, due to the impacts of extreme temperatures. That alone would cost an estimated $160 billion dollars in lost wages.\r\nAnd here's a stark statistic: Climate change could slash up to 10 percent of our gross domestic product (GDP) by 2100. For context, that would be more than double the losses of the Great Recession. Many of our colleagues were here during the Great Recession. We saw what happened in our states. To families all across this country. To refuse to act would be to willingly usher in economic calamity twice as painful as the Great Recession.\r\nMr. President, the numbers and the facts don't lie. The reality of climate change is scary, especially for a coastal state like Delaware  the lowest lying state in our country.\r\nBut the facts that this report so clearly lays out affect all of us. It doesn't matter if you are from a coastal state or from a landlocked state; if you care about public health or the environment; or if you care about our economy or national security  this report says every sector of our economy and every person living in this country will be affected by climate change if we do nothing.\r\nAs I see it, we have two options: we take up this fight and get serious about addressing and adapting to climate change; or we stick our heads in the sand, ignore the facts and do nothing  dooming our children and grandchildren to live in a world less healthy, less safe, and less stable. I say we fight, and my hope is that our colleagues will join us. The future of our one and only planet, and the security of all those who inhabit it now and in years to come, compel us to act.\r\nThere is some good news, too. The good news is that there are ways to address this challenge. The economic challenge, the agricultural challenge, the flooding challenges, the temperature challenges. There are a way to do it. Among the smart ways to do it is to reduce the emission of carbon in this country. And the good news is: we can do that by adding and creating jobs.\r\n200 million people went to work in this country today. Three million went to work in jobs where they're involved in renewable energy, energy conservation -- jobs that help save our planet and preserve the quality of life. And there's a lot more we can add in jobs in that kind of work, including building vehicles that run on batteries, hydrogen and fuel cells. We can address all these threats in ways that are economically viable.\r\nWe don't have to choose between all this doom and gloom and a strong economy. We can address the gloom and doom and add a lot of jobs. We ought to do this. This can be a win-win. We ought to seize the day.\r\nThank you, Mr. President.\r\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.coons.senate.gov/news/videos/watch/sen-coons-delivers-remarks-on-the-special-counsel-november-28-2018", "Sen. Coons delivers remarks on the special counsel November 28, 2018", "2018-11-28", "2018", "2018-11", "Democrat", "House", "DE", "Christopher Coons", "C001088", "www.coons.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Look at the biggest progressive fights & you'll often find that they were religious movements\n\nSen. Coons celebrates America 250: \"Our story is stronger when we tell it in its entirety\"\n\nThis week, seven of my bipartisan bills advanced in the Senate, one step closer to becoming law.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-06-27T23:10:16Z"], ["https://www.coons.senate.gov/news/videos/watch/sen-coons-joins-morning-joe-november-28-2018", "Sen. Coons joins Morning Joe November 28, 2018", "2018-11-28", "2018", "2018-11", "Democrat", "House", "DE", "Christopher Coons", "C001088", "www.coons.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Look at the biggest progressive fights & you'll often find that they were religious movements\n\nSen. Coons celebrates America 250: \"Our story is stronger when we tell it in its entirety\"\n\nThis week, seven of my bipartisan bills advanced in the Senate, one step closer to becoming law.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-06-27T23:10:16Z"], ["https://www.coons.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/senator-coons-calls-on-president-trump-to-work-with-allies-at-g20-summit-to-urge-chinese-president-xi-jinping-to-end-chinas-discriminatory-economic-practices", "Senator Coons calls on President Trump to work with allies at G20 summit to urge Chinese President Xi Jinping to end China\u2019s discriminatory economic practices", "2018-11-28", "2018", "2018-11", "Democrat", "House", "DE", "Christopher Coons", "C001088", "www.coons.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "11.28.18\n\t\t\t Senator Coons calls on President Trump to work with allies at G20 summit to urge Chinese President Xi Jinping to end China's discriminatory economic practices \n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tWASHINGTON  Prior to the G20 summit in Buenos Aires and a meeting between President Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping, U.S. Senator Chris Coons (D-Del.), a member of the Foreign Relations Committee,released the following statement calling onPresident Trump to work with our European and Asian allies to pressure China to change its discriminatory trade practices such as intellectual property theft, forced technology transfer, and cyber hacking of foreign firms.\r\nIn Buenos Aires this weekend, President Trump should exercise leadership and work with those who share our values and our preference for free markets and democratic governance to pressure China to end its discriminatory practices and further open up its economy.By imposing tariffs on trusted allies like Canada, Sweden, Germany, and South Africa under the guise of national security concerns, President Trump has divided us from our closest partners in these efforts. This summit is an opportunity to repair those relationships and work together to pressure China.\r\nPresident Trump is right to have zeroed in on China's unfair trade practices, but a trade warwithChina isn't good for the world's economy over the long term, and it's not good for the U.S. economy either. The G20 summit inArgentinaprovides the United States with an invaluable opportunity toend the tariffs and begin a real negotiation to change the way the world trades with China.\r\nPolitically, economically, and ideologically  we're competing with China more often than we are cooperating. We need to seek areas where we can partner with China. In areas where we cannot, the United States is best served by emphasizing American values and deepening and strengthening relationships with allies and partners around the world.\r\n###\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t Press Contact \n\t\t\t\tSean Coit at 202-224-5042 orSean_Coit@coons.senate.gov\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\n\t  \n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t \n\t\t\n\t\t\tPrint\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tEmail\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tTweet\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t \n\t\n\t\n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n    \n\t\n\t\n    \n    \n    \n    \t\n    \t\n\t    \t  \n\t\t    \n\t\t    \n\t\t    \tPrevious Article", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.coons.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/sens-coons-lankford-pen-letter-urging-delay-of-new-tax-liabilities-on-nonprofits", "Sens. Coons, Lankford pen letter urging delay of new tax liabilities on nonprofits", "2018-11-28", "2018", "2018-11", "Democrat", "House", "DE", "Christopher Coons", "C001088", "www.coons.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "11.28.18\n\t\t\t Sens. Coons, Lankford pen letter urging delay of new tax liabilities on nonprofits \n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tWASHINGTON  U.S. Senators Chris Coons (D-Del.) and James Lankford (R-Okla.), co-chairs of the National Prayer Breakfast and the Senate Prayer Breakfast, sent a letter totheSecretary of the Treasury,StevenMnuchin, expressing their concerns about the challenges faced by tax-exempt organizations, such as charitable nonprofits, houses of worship, and foundations,regarding compliance withnew tax liabilities.\r\nEnacted in December 2017, the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act applies the Unrelated Business Income Tax (UBIT) of 21% to tax-exempt organizations in an unprecedented manner. Historically, nonprofits have paid UBIT if they operated unrelated businesses or trades.However, under the new law,nonprofits must now use a significantly different method of calculating and reporting the income and loss for each unrelated business or trade in ways that are unclear. The new law also directs nonprofits to pay UBIT on employee benefits, such as transit passes, parking spots, and provided meals for the first time.\r\nNonprofits in Oklahoma, Delaware, and all across the country provide countless services to Americans in need, including combating homelessness, lifting faith, providing health care to the medically underserved, and improving outcomes for disadvantaged youth,the Senators wrote.Employees of nonprofits often have the same access to parking and meals that others in the community have because the nonprofit serves the whole community. Eating a meal with the homeless in their shelter should not be a taxable benefit for their employees; it is part of the work of the nonprofit.\r\nRequiring these organizations to pay a federal tax on these employee benefits, something they have never been required to do before, will cause them to not only face an increased operating cost, but also an administrative burden.\r\nThe new tax liabilities took effect on January 1, 2018, giving nonprofits just a few days over the holidays to understand and adapt to thenew tax liabilities and budget for the unanticipated costs. Many organizations were in the middle of their fiscal years at the time and had to adjust their systems and procedures retroactively.Additionally, Treasury and the IRS have not issued Final Rules on either section of the new law, leaving many questions unansweredfor charities, houses of worship, foundations and other tax-exempt organizations and their professional advisers, despite these organizations writing to the Department and IRS.\r\nThe letter written by Senators Coons and Lankford urges the Department of the Treasury and the Internal Revenue Service to delay the implementation of the new UBITsectionsuntil one year after the Final Rules are issued. The delay would provide additional time for the Department to work with Congress and the tax-exempt community to address the confusion and operational compliance challenges faced by charitable nonprofits, houses of worship, and foundations, so that they are able to continue providing critical services to communities without undue burden or interruption.\r\nThe full text of the letter is copied below and is availablehere.\r\nNovember 27, 2018\r\nThe Honorable Steven Mnuchin\r\nSecretary\r\nU.S. Department of the Treasury\r\n1500 Pennsylvania Ave NW\r\nWashington, D.C. 20220\r\nDear Secretary Mnuchin:\r\nWe write to call your attention to the challenges that tax-exempt organizations, including charitable nonprofits, houses of worship, and foundations, are experiencing regarding compliance with the new Internal Revenue Code Sections 512(a)(6) and 512(a)(7) under the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (Public Law No. 115-97) enacted in December 2017.\r\nAs you know, under the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, two sections apply the Unrelated Business Income Tax (UBIT) of 21% to charitable nonprofits, houses of worship, and foundations. While we understand that nonprofits have historically paid UBIT if they operated unrelated businesses or trades, Section 512(a)(6) imposes a significantly different method of calculating and reporting the income and loss for each unrelated business or trade for nonprofits in ways that are unclear.\r\nSection 512(a)(7) directs nonprofits to pay UBIT on employee benefits such as transit passes, parking spots, and provided meals for the first time. Nonprofits are organized around a cause, mission, or community need, and employees of nonprofits often have the same access to parking and meals that others in the community have because the nonprofit serves the whole community. Eating a meal with the homeless in their shelter should not be a taxable benefit for their employees; it is part of the work of the nonprofit. Parking is most often not an unrelated business for a nonprofit, and it is only an issue in the narrow case that the nonprofit leases their parking spaces on days or times they are not normally used for the nonprofit. If a nonprofit owns spaces in an urban area for the use of their employees, that is no different than providing the employee office space to work during the day or a bike rack to store their bike. That is not unrelated business. If a nonprofit is near a large university and they use their parking lot as a fundraiser during a sports game or concert, it is the same as using their parking lot to set up a table to sell lemonade on a summer afternoon as a fundraiser. A parking lot is not a benefit to most nonprofits, it is an essential part of their reach into the community. Parking lots for nonprofits are often gravel and unstriped; it is not even possible to note a cost per space, because there is no way to accurately determine how many spaces they have on their open lot. \r\nRequiring these organizations to pay a federal tax on these employee benefits, something they have never been required to do before, will cause them to not only face an increased operating cost, but also an administrative burden by filing 990-T forms with the IRS for the first time.\r\nAs Senator Lankford and I mentioned in our previous letter to the Department and IRS regarding the impact of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act on the charitable deduction, nonprofits in Oklahoma, Delaware, and all across the country provide countless services to Americans in need, including combating homelessness, lifting faith, providing health care to the medically underserved, and improving outcomes for disadvantaged youth. Also, as co-chairs of both the National Prayer Breakfast and the Senate Prayer Breakfast, we believe that we have a moral obligation to support our neighbors most in need, and nonprofits play an essential role in doing just that.\r\nThe new unrelated business income taxes on tax-exempt entities ostensibly took effect on January 1, 2018. Nonprofits had only a few days over the holidays to learn of and try to understand these new tax liabilities, adapt their accounting systems and procedures to secure full compliance, and budget for the unanticipated costs. Many organizations were in the middle of their fiscal years on January 1, and thus were expected to adjust their systems retroactively.\r\nIt is the responsibility of the Department of the Treasury to issue regulations that provide guidance to the affected communities in order to enable them to comply with the new law. We understand that on August 21, 2018, Notice 2018-67 was released with interim guidance regarding issues arising under Section 512(a)(6). However, many questions remain unanswered for charities, houses of worship, foundations and other tax-exempt organizations and their professional advisers on both sections, despite these organizations writing to the Department and IRS. Also, on November 8, the Department of the Treasury and IRS published a 2018-2019 Priority Guidance Plan, placing guidance for Section 512(a)(7) on this list. However, this still does not provide taxation clarification for nonprofits.\r\nWe urge the Department and IRS to delay the implementation of both Section 512(a)(6) and 512(a)(7) until one year after Final Rules are issued. It is essential that the Department of the Treasury and IRS engage the regulated community during the formal rulemaking process to identify not only how the wording of the new provisions is causing confusion and operational compliance challenges among nonprofits and their professional tax advisors, but also possible regulatory solutions.\r\nMr. Secretary, we believe strongly that a one year delay in implementing the Final Rules is a necessary step that will provide additional time for the Department to work with Congress and the tax-exempt community, including America's charitable nonprofits and houses of worship, so that they are able to continue providing critical services to communities in Delaware, Oklahoma, and across the country without undue burden or interruption.\r\nWe urge you to act swiftly on this matter.\r\nSincerely,\r\n###\r\n\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t Press Contact \n\t\t\t\tSean Coit at 202-224-5042 orSean_Coit@coons.senate.gov", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.carper.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/2018/11/carper-cheers-house-passage-of-coast-guard-bill-protecting-waterways", "Carper Cheers House Passage of Coast Guard Bill Protecting Waterways", "2018-11-27", "2018", "2018-11", "Democrat", "House", "DE", "Thomas Carper", "C000174", "www.carper.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "WASHINGTON, D.C.  Today, Senator Tom Carper (D-Del.), top Democrat on the Environment and Public Works (EPW) Committee, released the following statement after the House passed an amended bill reauthorizing the U.S. Coast Guard. The bill includes the Vessel Incidental Discharge Act (VIDA)  a bipartisan measure Senator Carper helped negotiate that will protect waterways and marine life in Delaware and throughout the United States from invasive species and harmful pollution. The bill passed the Senate by a vote of 94-6 earlier this month and is expected to be signed into law early next month.\r\nToday, we are one step closer to getting a strong, bipartisan Coast Guard reauthorization bill signed into law, said Senator Carper. First and foremost, this bill provides the brave men and women of the U.S. Coast Guard with the tools they need to safeguard our waters. At the same time, this bill protects waters across our country from the threat of invasive species found in ballast water and provides important regulatory certainty for vessel owners and mariners. This bill proves that we can keep our vessels moving in and out of our waterways while protecting our environment and marine life at the same time. Thank you to Senators Thune, Nelson, Stabenow and Portman, and the staffs of each of these members, for working with me and my staff on this important bipartisan bill that is now on its way to the President's desk. I'm glad we were able to get this important bill across the finish line here in Congress, and I would urge the President to act swiftly to sign this legislation into law.\r\nThe Vessel Incidental Discharge Act (VIDA):\r\n \r\nDelegates the lead role in establishing standards for discharges incidental to the normal operation of a vessel to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and assigns the Coast Guard the lead role in monitoring and enforcing standards.\r\nAccommodates unique regional situations. Pacific Coast ballast water exchanges will continue and the Great Lakes may set their own basin-wide standards.\r\nAllows states to establish no-discharge zones for areas that require additional protection.\r\n \r\nHighlights of The Frank Lobiondo Coast Guard Authorization Act of 2018 (S. 140):\r\n \r\nMaritime drug and border enforcement includes new authorities to combat illicit trafficking and smuggling and transnational criminal organizations by furthering interagency cooperation, combating concealment of bulk cash, and increasing the budget for investigations and ability to use informants.\r\nMultiyear contracting authorizes the Coast Guard Commandant to utilize several new acquisition tools, including multiyear funding for procuring future National Security Cutters. These changes will allow the Coast Guard to reduce the price of follow-on vessels and give shipyards greater predictability, stabilizing workforces.\r\nAuthorization level authorizes the U.S. Coast Guard for fiscal years 2018 and 2019 at $10.1 billion and $10.6 billion. The previous Coast Guard authorization, enacted in 2016, authorized $9.1 billion for the service for fiscal years 2016 and 2017.\r\nArctic Operations directs the Coast Guard to conduct a review of the assets and personnel required to ensure the safety and security of the Arctic.\r\nRecreational Boating increases safety and clarifies requirements for recreational boating safety by implementing the installation of engine cut-off switches and alternate signaling devices.\r\n \r\nEarlier this month, Senator Carper gave floor remarks on the agreement. WatchHERE.\r\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.coons.senate.gov/news/videos/watch/sen-coons-joins-bbc-november-27-2018", "Sen. Coons joins BBC November 27, 2018", "2018-11-27", "2018", "2018-11", "Democrat", "House", "DE", "Christopher Coons", "C001088", "www.coons.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Look at the biggest progressive fights & you'll often find that they were religious movements\n\nSen. Coons celebrates America 250: \"Our story is stronger when we tell it in its entirety\"\n\nThis week, seven of my bipartisan bills advanced in the Senate, one step closer to becoming law.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-06-27T23:10:16Z"], ["https://www.coons.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/sens-coons-young-introduce-bipartisan-bill-to-support-entrepreneurs", "Sens. Coons, Young introduce bipartisan bill to support entrepreneurs", "2018-11-27", "2018", "2018-11", "Democrat", "House", "DE", "Christopher Coons", "C001088", "www.coons.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "11.27.18\n\t\t\t Sens. Coons, Young introduce bipartisan bill to support entrepreneurs \n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t \n\t\n\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n        \n\t\t\t\t Legislation expands access to successful NSF innovation program\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t WASHINGTON  U.S. Senators Chris Coons (D-Del.) and Todd Young (R-Indiana) introduced theInnovators to Entrepreneurs Act of 2018today. This bipartisan bill encourages broader participation in the successful National Science Foundation Innovation Corps (I-Corps) program and provides additional training for innovators to learn how to turn their research into a company.\r\nTraining our most promising entrepreneurs to navigate the transition from the laboratory to the marketplace supports U.S.-grown startups and small businesses and increases our competitiveness on the global stage,said Senator Coons.We wisely invest billions of taxpayer dollars every year into scientific research and development, and this legislation builds a bridge for our best research to directly benefit society.\r\nEntrepreneurs fuel Indiana's small business community and have the power to transform our lives,said Senator Young.This legislation will support Hoosier entrepreneurs by investing in research and innovation, and empowering individuals to turn their ideas into products and businesses.\r\nI-Corps connects scientists and engineers with the technological, entrepreneurial, and business communities necessary to move discoveries from the laboratory to the market. TheInnovators to Entrepreneurs Act of 2018expands the eligible pool of applicants for the I-Corps program, allowing the participation of aspiring entrepreneurs that have already demonstrated their merit by being awarded Small Business Innovation Research or Small Business Technology Transfer grants from any federal agency.\r\nThe bill also authorizes a Phase II I-Corps program that would provide additional hands-on, immersive learning classes for participants who have already gone through the current I-Corps training. This Phase II course would help entrepreneurs develop business plans to the point where they are ready to attract venture capital funding. A similar bill, led by Representatives Dan Lipinski (D-Ill.) and Daniel Webster (R-Fla.), has been endorsed by the Information Technology and Innovation Foundation and by I-Corps founding program officer and M34 Capital CEO Dr. Errol Arkilic. That bill passed the House in April.\r\n###\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t Press Contact \n\t\t\t\tSean Coit atSean_Coit@coons.senate.gov\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\n\t  \n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t \n\t\t\n\t\t\tPrint\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tEmail\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tTweet\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t \n\t\n\t\n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n    \n\t\n\t\n    \n    \n    \n    \t\n    \t\n\t    \t  \n\t\t    \n\t\t    \n\t\t    \tPrevious Article", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.carper.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/2018/11/carper-following-u-s-climate-report-ignoring-facts-is-costing-this-country-lives-money-and-jobs", "Carper Following U.S. Climate Report: Ignoring Facts Is Costing This Country Lives, Money, and Jobs", "2018-11-26", "2018", "2018-11", "Democrat", "House", "DE", "Thomas Carper", "C000174", "www.carper.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "WASHINGTON, D.C.  Today, Senator Tom Carper (D-Del.), top Democrat on the Environment and Public Works Committee (EPW), released the following statement regarding the major climate report issued by 13 federal agencies on Friday that highlights the devastating impacts climate change has on human health, the economy, and the environment. The nearly 1,700-page report also highlights some of the vulnerabilities in communities across the country such as deteriorating infrastructure, stressed ecosystems, and economic inequality that will leave certain areas more susceptible to the most damaging effects of climate change.\r\nThe truth of the matter is that the Trump Administration tried to bury one of the most devastating climate reports in our nation's history over a long holiday weekend. While Americans were celebrating with loved ones, President Trump hoped that we would miss the alarming conclusions from scientists within his own government about the ever-increasing threats of climate change. But we did notice, and, unfortunately for President Trump, facts are stubborn things.\r\nCountries around the world, almost all credible scientists, and the United States military have warned us time and time again of the costs and dangers of inaction. This weekend, 13 federal agencies within the Trump Administration reiterated the same alarming conclusion: inaction on climate change is costing this country lives, money, and jobs. It is not a matter of if climate change is happening,' it's a matter of how bad will it be.' Extreme weather events cost this country billions every year, a number that, according to this report, will skyrocket if we continue to do nothing about climate change.We can no longer afford to sit on our hands, and that's why, as Ranking Member of the Environment and Public Works Committee, I stand ready to work with my counterparts on both sides of the aisle here in the Senate and in the House to find serious ways to reduce our emissions and prepare our nation's infrastructure for what we know is next. Whether he likes it or not, President Trump can bet that we're going to keep talking about what's in this report because our collective future depends on it.\r\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.carper.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/2018/11/doing-what-s-right-not-what-s-easy-or-expedient", "Doing whats right, not whats easy or expedient", "2018-11-19", "2018", "2018-11", "Democrat", "House", "DE", "Thomas Carper", "C000174", "www.carper.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Over the past week and a half, the news has been dominated by post-election coverage. But behind all the headlines about politics, serious negotiations were wrapping up on a bipartisan bill that was months in the making and means big things for marine life and clean waterways in Delaware and across our country.\r\n\r\n\r\nOn Wednesday, by an overwhelming vote of 94-6, the Senate passed a major bill reauthorizing the critical work of our United States Coast Guard. The reauthorization makes sure that the men and women of the Coast Guard have the tools and resources needed to protect our shores, restrict the flow of illicit goods and help Americans in need of emergency rescue at sea. For the Coast Guard contingent based at the Indian River Inlet, this bill means more funding for cutting edge watercraft, easier access to health care, improved leave policies and clarity on inspections and enforcement procedures. This reauthorization alone is good news for our service members and our security.\r\nBut within this bill is another measure that I'm particularly proud of  one that will help ensure clean water and healthy ecosystems for the shipping channels of Delaware, like those leading to and from the Port of Wilmington. Known as the Vessel Incidental Discharge Act, or VIDA, this provision directs the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to craft new, strong rules to limit pollution and invasive species that boats can release into American waterways. VIDA empowers both the Coast Guard and states with the tools they need to enforce these new standards  making sure there is always a cop on the beat in our waterways with the ability to protect our precious resources.\r\nAs a former governor, I'm proud that this bill also gives local leaders a louder voice when it comes to the protection of their waters. VIDA allows governors in the Great Lakes to establish their own guidelines for the entire basin, and it lets leaders block off particularly vulnerable areas as off-limits to all ballast discharges.  \r\nGetting to this point on VIDA was a multi-month endeavor  and it hasn't always been easy. In April, the Senate failed to pass a version of this bill because many of my colleagues and I were concerned that it did not adequately protect marine life and ecosystems from the threat of invasive species. It was a frustrating bump in the road that could have caused many to throw in the towel, but, instead, we went back to work to get this right. From my position as top Democrat on the Senate environment committee, I worked with Democrats and Republicans alike, and our staffs on both sides of the aisle, to craft a solution that earns support from stakeholders across the board.\r\nAfter months of collaboration, we developed what I like to call a win-win for environmental quality and economic growth. Thanks to this bill, coastal waters throughout the country will be cleaner and more marine ecosystems will be protected from the scourge of invasive species. At the same time, VIDA provides long-term certainty to the American shipping industry, upon whom we all rely to safely and efficiently move goods in and out of the country.\r\nThere's an old African proverb that says: If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together. Although we had our differences along the way, what brought Democrats and Republicans together was a common appreciation of how important clean water is to our country.Whether you live on the Delaware River or on the shores of Lake Michigan, this is something that all Americans value.\r\n\r\nPeople in Delaware say to me all the time: When is Congress going to get something done?' While these smart, bipartisan wins don't always make the front page, they are important and show what can be done when both sides commit to getting things done and done right, rather than scoring political points.\r\nI'm proud that this bill will bring real results to First State ecosystems and the brave men and women of the Coast Guard based in Delaware. I will continue pushing members of the House to support this great bipartisan bill, and by doing so, demonstrate that, even right on the heels of last week's elections, Congress is still committed to hammering out principled compromises on difficult, but important issues. Accomplishments like these give me hope that, in the next Congress, we'll have even more opportunities to find common ground and make progress in tackling other problems.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.carper.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/2018/11/portman-carper-unveil-new-investigative-report-on-60-minutes-reveal-drug-manufacturer-profiting-off-taxpayers-during-opioid-crisis", "Portman, Carper Unveil New Investigative Report on 60 Minutes, Reveal Drug Manufacturer Profiting Off Taxpayers During Opioid Crisis", "2018-11-19", "2018", "2018-11", "Democrat", "House", "DE", "Thomas Carper", "C000174", "www.carper.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "WASHINGTON, D.C. A new report that aired tonight on CBS News'60 Minuteshighlighted the findings of anew investigative reportreleased this evening by U.S. Senators Rob Portman (R-OH) and Tom Carper (D-DE), the chairman and ranking member of the Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations (PSI), into the cost of naloxone  the prescription drug used to revive individuals who overdose on opioids.\r\nThe new PSIreportdetails how drug manufacturer kaloexploited the opioid crisis by increasing the price of its naloxone drug EVZIO by more than 600 percent by 2016 (from the initial price of $575 per unit to $3,750 and then to $4,100 11 months later), launching a new distribution model planning to capitalize on the opportunity of opioid overdose at epidemic levels. The company's sales force focused on ensuring doctors' offices signed necessary paperwork indicating that EVZIO was medically necessary, ensuring the drug would be covered by government programs like Medicare and Medicaid. The plan worked, resulting in increased costs to taxpayers, to date, totaling more than $142 million in just the last four years, despite the fact that less costly versions of naloxone exist.\r\nNaloxone is a critically important overdose reversal drug that our first responders have used to save tens of thousands of lives,saidSenator Portman.Thefact that one company dramatically raised the price of its naloxonedrug and costtaxpayers tens of millions of dollars in increased drug costs, all during a national opioid crisis no less, is simply outrageous. The Subcommittee will continue its efforts to protect taxpayers from drugmanufacturers that are exploiting loopholes in the Medicare and Medicaid system in order to profit from a nationalopioid crisis.\r\nOur country is grappling with one of themost lethal public health crisis in our history. The opioid crisis has afflicted communities across our country indiscriminately  wealthy and poor areas, urban and rural areas, on the coasts and in the heartland. Last year, first responders in New Castle County  the largest county in Delaware  were dispatched to respond to a drug overdose every 80 minutes. Too many familiesin my home state andacross our country have lost loved ones to fatal overdoses that could have been prevented. The fact that, in the midst of this crisis, some would take advantage of loopholes in our system to profit off of this heartbreaking epidemic is absolutely unacceptable and shameful,said Senator Carper. We know that naloxone can save lives. We need to take the necessary steps to ensure that drugs like this are affordable and accessible to those in need, especially during a public health emergency of this magnitude. Senator Portman and I will continue working together to root out systemic problems contributing to this crisis, find solutions at the federal level, and hold any bad actors accountable.     \r\nKEY FINDINGS IN THE REPORT\r\n \r\nWith sluggish sales of its EVZIO drug at its initial list price of $575, kalo implemented a new distributionmodel proposed by consultant Todd Smith that increased the price by more than 600 percent by 2016 (from $575 per unit to $3,750 and then to $4,100 11 months later).\r\nMr. Smith previously installed his distribution model at Horizon and Novum pharmaceutical companies, where he drastically raised drug prices at those companies.\r\nAccording to company documents, Mr. Smith's new distribution model for EVZIO was designed to capitalize on the opportunity of opioid overdose at epidemic levels.\r\nAs part of the distribution model, the company's sales force focused on making sure doctors' offices signed necessary paperwork indicating that EVZIO was medically necessary, which ensured the overdose reversal drug would be covered by government programs like Medicare and Medicaid.\r\nBefore kalo increased the price of EVZIO, industry experts recommended a price between $250-$300 for the product, telling the company it would own the market at that price.\r\nOne of the industry experts advising kalo to charge a lower price for EVZIO went on to work with Adapt to price Narcan at $125, which has now cornered the market at that price.\r\nKalo states its cost for an EVZIO is roughly $174, which includes $52 in manufacturing, $29 in overhead and $93 in obsolescence.\r\nKalo's new distribution model worked. EVZIO fill rates jumped from 39 percent to 81 percent. While kalo said its new model focused on commercially-covered patients, the majority of its initial revenues were from Medicare and Medicaid, and the resulting cost to taxpayers, to date, has been $142 million despite the fact that much less costly alternatives are available.\r\nKalo paid Mr. Smith and his partner Mr. Bove (through their consulting firm Underhill) more than $10.2 million for around two years of work. The rate was based on revenue generated by their distribution model.\r\n \r\nLEGISLATIVE RECOMMENDATIONS IN THE REPORT\r\n \r\nThe Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) should review its policies governing physician use of medical necessity formulary exceptions for Medicare Part D to prevent companies from inappropriately influencing prescribing.\r\nCongress should mandate a three-day limit on opioid prescriptions, consistent with Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommendations.\r\nCongress should require all states to utilize prescription monitoring programs (PDMPs) for opioids and other dangerous drugs that are authorized to freely share data among states.\r\nCongress should require CMS to improve transparency regarding the total amount spent for drugs purchased by government health care programs.\r\nCongress should allocate funding for research to develop innovative, more potent opioid overdose reversal drugs and non-opioid pain relief drugs.\r\nCongress should allocate funding for state and local governments to train members of the public on the use of generic and brand name naloxone products.\r\nStates should consider changing laws to authorize and train emergency medical technicians and other first responders to administer naloxone.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.coons.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/-sens-coons-portman-lead-bipartisan-letter-to-president-trump-supporting-us-uk-trade-agreement-post-brexit", "Sens. Coons, Portman lead bipartisan letter to President Trump supporting US-UK trade agreement post-Brexit", "2018-11-19", "2018", "2018-11", "Democrat", "House", "DE", "Christopher Coons", "C001088", "www.coons.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "11.19.18\n\t\t\t  Sens. Coons, Portman lead bipartisan letter to President Trump supporting US-UK trade agreement post-Brexit \n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tWASHINGTON  U.S. Senators Chris Coons (D-Del.) and Rob Portman (R-Ohio), co-chairs of the Senate U.K. Trade Caucus, today led a bipartisan group of Senators in sending a letter to President Trump supporting a bilateral trade agreement with the United Kingdom after its departure from the European Union next year.\r\nThe economic ties between the United States and the United Kingdom are longstanding and significant. The United Kingdom is the fourth-largest export market for American goods and services, and the United Kingdom is our seventh-largest trading partner overall,the Senators wrote. We believe a trade agreement with the United Kingdom would confirm and enhance our commercial partnership and our security alliance, and we look forward to working with you and your administration to expand opportunities for Made in America products to be sold to our friends and allies in the United Kingdom. \r\nCoons and Portman launched the Senate UK Trade Caucus in May to build congressional support for a bilateral trade agreement between the United States and the United Kingdom.\r\nThe letter can be read in its entiretyhere.\r\nNovember 16, 2018\r\nPresident Donald J. Trump\r\nThe White House\r\nWashington, D.C. 20500\r\nDear President Trump,\r\nWe were pleased to receive the notification of your intent to initiate trade negotiations with the United Kingdom after its departure from the European Union next year.\r\nThe economic ties between the United States and the United Kingdom are longstanding and significant. The United Kingdom is the fourth-largest export market for American goods and services, and the United Kingdom is our seventh-largest trading partner overall. Notably, the United States has a $15 billion trade surplus with the United Kingdom.\r\nThe United States has no better ally than the United Kingdom. Our alliance is rooted in shared values and common political and cultural traditions, and it is strengthened by the shared sacrifice of the First and Second World Wars, the creation of NATO, and military and intelligence cooperation to confront 21st century challenges, including the conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan. This special relationship is an expression of the deeply shared values between our nations.\r\nReaffirming this crucial alliance through a new trade agreement will enhance the already close commercial ties and shared values between the United States and the United Kingdom, and it will highlight the critical role trade agreements can play in anchoring important strategic relationships.\r\nAlthough bilateral trade negotiations cannot begin until the United Kingdom leaves the European Union, we agree that the United States should be at the front of the line for an agreement because we believe our country would benefit from an expeditious deal with a sovereign United Kingdom. We are encouraged by the efforts of the U.S.-UK Trade and Investment Working Group, and we thank you for supporting its work.\r\nFrom the Cornish tin miners who brought their expertise across the Atlantic to the profitable services, financial, and intellectual property-intensive trade of today, the longstanding ties between the United States and the United Kingdom are profound. We believe a trade agreement with the United Kingdom would confirm and enhance our commercial partnership and our security alliance, and we look forward to working with you and your administration to expand opportunities for Made in America products to be sold to our friends and allies in the United Kingdom.\r\nSincerely,\r\n###\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t Press Contact \n\t\t\t\tSean Coit at 202-224-5042 orSean_Coit@coons.senate.gov\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\n\t  \n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t \n\t\t\n\t\t\tPrint\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tEmail\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tTweet\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t \n\t\n\t\n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n    \n\t\n\t\n    \n    \n    \n    \t\n    \t\n\t    \t  \n\t\t    \n\t\t    \n\t\t    \tPrevious Article", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.coons.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/sens-coons-tillis-join-vp-pence-in-condemning-violence-against-burmas-rohingya", "Sens. Coons, Tillis join VP Pence in condemning violence against Burma\u2019s Rohingya", "2018-11-19", "2018", "2018-11", "Democrat", "House", "DE", "Christopher Coons", "C001088", "www.coons.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "11.19.18\n\t\t\t Sens. Coons, Tillis join VP Pence in condemning violence against Burma's Rohingya \n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tWashington, D.C. U.S. Senators Chris Coons (D-Del.) and Thom Tillis (R-N.C.), co-chairs of the Senate Human Rights Caucus, issued the following statement in response to Vice President Pence's criticism of the treatment of Burma's Rohingya.\r\nAs co-chairs of the Senate Human Rights Caucus, we have repeatedly condemned the persecution of the Rohingya Muslims in Burma's Rakhine State and called on the Government of Burma to releaseReuters journalists Wa Lone and Kyaw Soe Oo. We applaud Vice President Pence for affirming the United States' commitment to a free and independent press and delivering a strong criticism of the treatment of the Rohingya during his meeting with Burmese State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi at the ASEAN Summit on Wednesday. We join the Vice President in calling on the Government of Burma to hold the perpetrators of violence against the Rohingya accountable, and we are grateful to the people of Bangladesh for welcoming the more than 700,000 Rohingya who have been forced to flee their homes. We remain committed to supporting these refugees and urge the Government of Bangladesh to ensure that any repatriation of refugees to Burma is voluntary, safe, and dignified. The Government of Burma should take immediate steps to improve conditions for the Rohingya and other ethnic and religious minorities in Burma, including providing a pathway to citizenship for the Rohingya.\r\n###\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t Press Contact \n\t\t\t\tSean Coit at 202-224-5042 orSean_Coit@coons.senate.gov\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\n\t  \n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t \n\t\t\n\t\t\tPrint\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tEmail\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tTweet\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t \n\t\n\t\n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n    \n\t\n\t\n    \n    \n    \n    \t\n    \t\n\t    \t  \n\t\t    \n\t\t    \tNext Article\n\t\t    \n\t\t    \n\t\t    \tPrevious Article", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.carper.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/2018/11/carper-statement-on-trump-s-intent-to-nominate-andrew-wheeler-for-epa-administrator", "Carper Statement on Trumps Intent to Nominate Andrew Wheeler for EPA Administrator", "2018-11-16", "2018", "2018-11", "Democrat", "House", "DE", "Thomas Carper", "C000174", "www.carper.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "WASHINGTON, D.C.  Today, Senator Tom Carper (D-Del.), top Democrat on the Environment and Public Works (EPW) Committee, issued the following statement in response to President Trump's announcement that he intends to nominate Andrew Wheeler to be Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).\r\nI have a friend who, when asked how he's doing, always says, Compared to what?' Compared to Administrator Pruitt, Mr. Wheeler is better. Compared to Administrators Ruckelshaus or Whitman, he's not doing nearly as well. If the President intends to nominate Andrew Wheeler to be the Administrator of EPA, then Mr. Wheeler must come before our committee so that members can look at his record as Acting Administrator objectively to see if any improvements have been made at the agency since he took the helm.\r\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.carper.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/2018/11/carper-whitehouse-lead-senators-in-demanding-documents-on-epa-s-abrupt-dismissal-of-scientists-from-advisory-committees", "Carper, Whitehouse Lead Senators in Demanding Documents on EPAs Abrupt Dismissal of Scientists from Advisory Committees", "2018-11-15", "2018", "2018-11", "Democrat", "House", "DE", "Thomas Carper", "C000174", "www.carper.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "WASHINGTON, D.C.  Today, Senators Tom Carper (D-Del.), top Democrat on the Environment and Public Works Committee (EPW) and Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.) led a group of Democratic senators to demand information and documents about the Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA's) recent dismissal and appointment of members to its Clean Air Scientific Advisory Committee (CASAC), its decision to disband two key scientific air pollution advisory panels, and its invitation for public comment on the nomination of 174 scientists to EPA's Science Advisory Board. The senators point out that the scientists on federal advisory committees are supposed to provide independent, scientific, and technical advice to EPA administrators on major agency programs.\r\n\r\nThese actions, taken together with past similar actions, could have the effect of jeopardizing the environment and human health, because they are likely to result in the replacement of renowned scientists who can provide EPA with advice on how to best protect people from the effects of environmental pollution with less qualified, industry representatives who may also have conflicts of interest, the senators wrote.\r\n\r\nThe letter was also signed by Senators Ed Markey (D-Mass.), Margaret Hassan (D-N.H.), Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.), Chris Van Hollen (DMd.), Ron Wyden (D-Ore.), Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), Kamala Harris (D-Calif.), Cory Booker (D-N.J.), Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.), Mazie Hirono (D-Hawaii), Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.) and Tina Smith (D-Minn.).\r\n\r\nA copy of the letter can be found HERE, and the full text of the letter is below:\r\n\r\nNovember 15, 2018\r\n\r\nThe Honorable Andrew Wheeler\r\nActing Administrator\r\nEnvironmental Protection Agency\r\n1301 Constitution Ave. NW\r\nWashington, DC 20460\r\n\r\nDear Acting Administrator Wheeler:\r\n\r\nWe write to request information about the Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA's) recent dismissal and appointment of members to its Clean Air Scientific Advisory Committee (CASAC), its decision to disband two key scientific air pollution advisory panels, and its invitation for public comment on the nomination of 174 scientists to EPA's Science Advisory Board.[1] These actions, taken together with past similar actions, could have the effect of jeopardizing the environment and human health, because they are likely to result in the replacement of renowned scientists who can provide EPA with advice on how to best protect people from the effects of environmental pollution with less qualified, industry representatives who may also have conflicts of interest.\r\n\r\nThere have been frequent efforts to understand the manner in which EPA is removing and appointing scientists on its federal advisory committees:\r\n\r\n \r\nIn letters sent to then-Administrator Pruitt in May 2017, Senators Carper[2], Shaheen, and Hassan[3] expressed deep concern about EPA's abrupt dismissal of twelve scientists from EPA's Board of Scientific Counselors, and Senator Carper requested all documents related to any EPA plans or consideration of plans not to renew the terms of any member of any of EPA's other boards or panels.\r\nIn July 2017, the Government Accountability Office (GAO) accepted a request from 10 Senators[4] to review EPA's process for selecting federal advisory committee members.\r\nAfter EPA announced[5] on October 31, 2017 that it would ban scientists from serving on federal advisory committees if they received research funding from EPA, 10 Senators asked[6] GAO to expand its probe in order to consider several questions concerning the impact of that policy on EPA's 22 federal advisory committees.\r\nOn January 9, 2018, Senators Carper and Whitehouse sent a letter[7] to EPA asking about the appointment of two scientistsDrs. Louis Anthony (Tony) Cox, Jr., a researcher for the petroleum industry, and S. Stanley Young, a researcher for the pharmaceutical and petroleum industryto the CASAC and Scientific Advisory Board.[8] According to internal EPA documents, EPA career staff believed that Drs. Cox and Young may have financial conflicts of interest, may risk an appearance of a lack of impartiality, and may lack the scientific expertise necessary to serve on one or more Federal Advisory Committees.\r\nOn February 14, 2018, Senators Carper and Whitehouse sent[9] GAO information about Dr. Cox and Dr. Larry Wolk, who, according to internal EPA documents released by the Senators, was criticized for having no direct experience in health effects of air pollution, among other things.\r\n \r\n\r\nThere have also been more recent changes to CASAC's membership. On October 10, 2018, EPA announced the appointment of five new members to its CASAC, and the unusual dismissal of three qualified scientists from that committee. Specifically, you removed Judith Chow, Ivan Fernandez, Elizabeth Sheppard from CASACall of whom were eligible to serve for another three yearsand additionally removed Larry Wolk.\r\n\r\nIn their place, you appointed Dr. Sabine Lange from the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality and Dr. Steven Packham from the Utah Department of Environmental Quality.[10] Both appointments raise serious concerns related to whether Drs. Lange and Packham should be serving on this Committee. According to documents obtained by the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works[11], EPA career staff warned that Dr. Lange has no direct experience serving on national scientific committees and may have a possible issue with an appearance of a lack of impartiality given her publications and presentation on standards for criteria pollutants and her employer's well-established views and positions on various National Ambient Air Quality Standards. Dr. Lange has said that lowering the smog health standard from 75 parts per billion (ppb) to 70 ppb will not measurably impact public health,[12] has disputed that short-term exposure to smog pollution was linked to respiratory mortality and total mortality,[13] and is considered by some to have extreme views regarding the harmfulness of ozone (smog) pollution and the need for protective health standards.[14]\r\n\r\nDr. Packham holds similarly troubling views. In 2014, he presented a poster about air quality and outdoor exercise with the conclusion being that positive effects of exercise outweigh risks of exposure to air pollutionminimizing the impact that air pollution can have on the healthiest and unhealthiest among us. He has also said that individuals can generally deal with increased air pollution, and that while such pollution can take years off your life you don't drop dead. He has also downplayed spikes in formaldehyde presence in Utah.\r\n\r\nThe appointment of these two scientists (and removal of highly qualified scientists) is particularly concerning in light of EPA's October 10, 2018 announcement[15] that it would disband its Particulate Matter Review Panel and the Ozone Review Panel, which are comprised of outside scientists that have assisted EPA with its statutory obligation under the Clean Air Act to review the adequacy of EPA's standards for six common air pollutants, including particulate matter and ozone. Instead, EPA announced that CASAC  which is now populated with scientists who are generally in favor of lower pollution standards  will serve that function instead.[16] Importantly, Dr. Cox remains the Chair of CASAC, despite a recent investigative report finding that just this year Dr. Cox made claims along the lines that researchers are overstating the dangers of air pollution, that his own statistical modeling of health data found no connection between dirty air and respiratory problems or heart attacks, that there is no proof that cleaning air saves lives, that there's no link between fine particle pollution and human health, and that the health benefits from reducing ozone are exaggerated.'[17]\r\n\r\nMost recently, EPA also announced the nomination of 174 scientists to EPA's Science Advisory Board, which provides independent scientific and technical advice to the EPA Administrator on EPA's major programs.[18] This list includes several problematic nominees, including: Dr. James Enstrom, who has served as a policy adviser for the Koch-funded Heartland Institute and has received funding from the tobacco industry to produce research that downplays the risks of secondhand smoke, and has determined that the PM2.5 NAAQS is scientifically unjustified[19]; Dr. William Happer, who helped former EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt develop the red-team concept and heads the CO2 Coalition, which has received funding to argue that [m]ore carbon dioxide levels will help everyone, including future generations of our families[20]; and Dr. Richard Belzer, whose recent clients include Exxon Mobil, the American Chemistry Council and Fitzgerald Glider Kits, which is pushing EPA to roll back air pollution protections on heavy trucks.[21]\r\n\r\nAt least one academic analysis of EPA since the beginning of the Trump administration has concluded that EPA is already demonstrating signs of being influenced by the industries it regulates.[22] By turning to industry-funded scientists and lobbyists to staff the agency and provide it scientific advice, EPA does little to enhance its credibility as an independent government agency acting to protect the environment and public health. And it is hard to see how the agency will be entitled to deference in court when it seeks to defend rules that show signs of being written and endorsed by industry.\r\n\r\nSo that we can understand EPA's decision-making process with regard to its federal advisory committees, we ask that you provide us with responses to the following questions and requests for information no later than close of business on December 17, 2018:\r\n\r\n \r\nPlease provide us with all documents that are related to EPA's decisions to appoint or not to reappoint any members of any of its federal advisory committees, including but not limited to documents relevant to EPA's assessment of advisory committee nominees' potential conflicts of interest or lack of impartiality. Please provide us with updated responses to this request on a quarterly basis.\r\nPlease provide a detailed description of the internal process EPA uses to select members for its federal advisory committees, including the manner in which the input of EPA's career staff is solicited and utilized. Please provide us with a copy of all documents that memorialize all or part of this internal selection process.\r\nPlease provide a detailed explanation as to why EPA has determined to eliminate the Particulate Matter Review Panel and the Ozone Review Panel. Please provide us with all documents that are related to any plan to eliminate either panel. Going forward, for any analogous panel EPA determines to eliminate, please provide us with documents related to that decision.\r\n \r\n\r\nFor purposes of this letter, documents includes, but is not limited to, comments, notes, emails, legal and other memoranda, white papers, scientific references, letters, telephone logs, meeting minutes and calendars, photographs, slides and presentations sent or received by or within EPA (including documents sent or received by members of EPA's beach-head and transition teams).\r\n\r\nThank you very much for your attention to this important matter. If you have any questions or concerns, please contact or have your staff contact Michal Freedhoff of the Environment and Public Works Committee staff, at 202-224-8832.\r\n\r\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.carper.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/2018/11/epw-hearing-statement", "EPW Hearing Statement: Hearing on the Nomination of Alexandra Dunn to be Assistant Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency", "2018-11-15", "2018", "2018-11", "Democrat", "House", "DE", "Thomas Carper", "C000174", "www.carper.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "WASHINGTON, D.C. - Today, the U.S. Senate Environment and Public Works Committee held the hearing, Examining Funding Needs for Wildlife Conservation, Recovery, and Management.Below is the opening statement of Ranking Member Tom Carper (D-Del.), as prepared for delivery:\r\nThank you, Mr. Chairman. Our Committee has held quite a few hearings this Congress on wildlife management issues. At each of these hearings, I noticed one major area of agreement  that wildlife conservation is severely underfunded. States, federal agencies and partners would be able to do far more to protect and recover species with additional financial resources.\r\nAccordingly, the topic for today's hearing is an appropriate culmination of our Committee's consideration of wildlife matters this Congress. As we have heard at our previous hearings, global wildlife populations have fallen by 60 percent since 1970 for many reasons, including pollution, deforestation and climate change. Current rates of species extinction are up to 1,000 times the natural rate of extinction. Once species are gone, they are gone forever. And we do not even know the long-term effects this biodiversity loss will have on our planet. We must act sooner rather than later to address this extinction crisis by developing a comprehensive wildlife funding strategy and finding a way to pay for it.\r\nI supported both the WILD Act and the HELP for Wildlife Act, each of which reauthorized valuable wildlife conservation programs. However, I believe that Congress may have to go beyond the status quo of simply reauthorizing programs. And while sportsmen and women have contributed a great deal to wildlife conservation, we can no longer rely solely upon their contributions as the only source of dedicated wildlife conservation funding.\r\nAs our Committee wraps up this session of Congress and looks to the next, I hope we will consider a bolder wildlife funding strategy going forward that addresses funding needs for both state-managed and federally-managed species. States and federal agencies all have important roles and responsibilities in conserving and recovering species, and each must be more adequately resourced to properly fulfill them. We also have to ensure that states and agencies appropriately balance the needs of our nation's endangered wildlife with preventing new Endangered Species Act listings. Both are important and warrant additional funding and attention.\r\nStates and the federal government cannot solve our wildlife funding problems alone though. This has to be an all hands on deck effort. Tribes, private landowners, non-profit organizations and other stakeholders have stepped up, and we need to make sure they can continue to do so.\r\nSome of our colleagues and witnesses have advocated for an expanded role for states in wildlife conservation and recovery. A meaningful funding solution could actually create an expanded role for states naturally, but without minimizing necessary federal involvement and backstops.\r\nFor example, Delaware's State Wildlife Action Plan includes 692 species with conservation needs, including 18 that are federally threatened or endangered. Delaware has experienced remarkable success working with federal agencies to conserve these imperiled species, and we've done so within the framework of the existing Endangered Species Act. The Fish and Wildlife Service and the State of Delaware both helped restore habitat for endangered Piping Plovers and threatened Red Knots at Fowler Beach and Missipillion Harbor.\r\nAs a result of these restoration activities, Delaware was home to 36 Piping Plover chicks in 2018, the highest number we have had since 2003. These areas also provide habitat for numerous other species, such as Red Knots, Diamond Back Terrapins and Least Terns. Additional marsh, forest and beach restoration activities will benefit all types of species, including birds, reptiles, fish and mammals.\r\nThe existing state-federal partnership works more often than not, as it has in Delaware's case. With additional, reliable funding for states and federal agencies, Delaware could do even more, hand-in-hand with our federal partners and stakeholders. Habitat restoration activities in Delaware also support ecotourism and a commercial fishing industry, and they prevent coastal flooding. Working to conserve and manage habitat benefits our wildlife, but it also protects our communities, drives our economy and preserves a way of life for many Delawareans.\r\nI do understand that each state and every species has different needs and challenges, so I look forward to learning more from our panel today. I also stand prepared to work with my colleagues to tackle wildlife funding issues in the 116th Congress. Thank you again, Mr. Chairman, for bringing us together to explore this important topic. And thanks, as well, to our panel of witnesses for bringing their perspectives to bear on this and other related issues today.\r\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.coons.senate.gov/news/videos/watch/sen-coons-joins-cnn-new-day-november-15-2018", "Sen. Coons joins CNN New Day November 15, 2018", "2018-11-15", "2018", "2018-11", "Democrat", "House", "DE", "Christopher Coons", "C001088", "www.coons.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Look at the biggest progressive fights & you'll often find that they were religious movements\n\nSen. Coons celebrates America 250: \"Our story is stronger when we tell it in its entirety\"\n\nThis week, seven of my bipartisan bills advanced in the Senate, one step closer to becoming law.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-06-27T23:10:16Z"], ["https://www.carper.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/2018/11/carper-thune-and-portman-applaud-senate-passage-of-coast-guard-bill-protecting-waterways", "Carper, Thune and Portman Applaud Senate Passage of Coast Guard Bill Protecting Waterways", "2018-11-14", "2018", "2018-11", "Democrat", "House", "DE", "Thomas Carper", "C000174", "www.carper.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "WASHINGTON, D.C.Senators Tom Carper (D-Del.), top Democrat on the Environment and Public Works Committee and senior member of the Homeland Security and Government Affairs Committee, John Thune (R-S.D.), chairman of the Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee with jurisdiction over the U.S. Coast Guard, and Rob Portman (R-Ohio), who was instrumental in developing changes to help address concerns of Great Lake states, issued the following statements after the Senate's 94-6 vote to pass an amended bill reauthorizing the Coast Guard and enacting the Vessel Incidental Discharge Act (VIDA) -- a bipartisan measure that will protect waterways and marine life in Delaware and throughout the United States from invasive species and harmful pollution.\r\nVIDA directs the EPA to craft new rules limiting ballast discharges of toxic pollution and invasive species, and empowers the U.S. Coast Guard to enforce these standards. It also gives states the ability to establish no-discharge zones for vulnerable areas within their borders.\r\nToday, we are one step closer to getting this strong bipartisan compromise signed into law. This bill protects waters across our country from the environmental and economic risk of the spread of invasive species contained in ballast water, while also providing regulatory certainty for vessel owners and mariners. To reach this agreement, my colleagues and I did not settle for what was easy or what was expedient. These improvements have taken a great deal of time and energy, they are the right thing to do,said Carper.Specifically, it will reduce the risks posed by ballast water discharges that enter our waterways, minimize the likelihood of introducing invasive species along our coasts and in the Great Lakes, while still ensuring these discharges are regulated under the Clean Water Act. This bill shows that we can keep our vessels moving in and out of our waterways while protecting our environment and marine life at the same time. As Ranking Member of the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee, I was proud to be at the table during negotiations to see this compromise across the finish line and find a responsible way to pass the Coast Guard Reauthorization agreement. Thank you to Senators Thune, Nelson, Stabenow and Portman for working with me on this important bipartisan bill.\r\nAs the Coast Guard works through hurricane season and continues drug interdiction and other critical efforts, Senate passage of this legislation is a critical step toward supporting the men and women in uniform who guard our nation,said Thune. Addressing the need for clear and enforceable standards of incidental water discharges from vessels, a bipartisan agreement included in this legislation places the Environmental Protection Agency in the lead role of establishing standards, which the Coast Guard will monitor and enforce. Clear, achievable rules will be the most effective way to addressenvironmental concerns about the spread of invasive species through ballast water discharges.\r\nThis bill will both protect the Great Lakes against the spread of invasive species and ensure that our shipping industry in Ohio and across the Great Lakes is competitive,said Portman.I want to thank Senator Stabenow for working with me to find a balanced legislative solution to ensure the regulations regarding vessel discharges will protect the ecosystem in the Great Lakes. I appreciate Senators Thune and Carper for working with us on this important issue for the Great Lakes region.\r\nThe Vessel Incidental Discharge Act (VIDA):\r\n \r\nDelegates the lead role in establishing standards for discharges incidental to the normal operation of a vessel to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and assigns the Coast Guard the lead role in monitoring and enforcing standards.\r\nAccommodates unique regional situations. Pacific Coast ballast water exchanges will continue and the Great Lakes may set their own basin-wide standards.\r\nAllows States to establish no-discharge zones for areas that require additional protection.\r\n \r\n  Highlights of S. 140: The Frank Lobiondo Coast Guard Authorization Act of 2018:\r\n \r\nMaritime drug and border enforcement includes new authorities to combat illicit trafficking and smuggling and transnational criminal organizations by furthering interagency cooperation, combating concealment of bulk cash, and increasing the budget for investigations and ability to use informants.\r\nMultiyear contracting authorizes the Coast Guard Commandant to utilize several new acquisition tools, including multiyear funding for procuring future National Security Cutters. These changes will allow the Coast Guard to reduce the price of follow-on vessels and give shipyards greater predictability, stabilizing workforces.\r\nAuthorization level authorizes the U.S. Coast Guard for fiscal years 2018 and 2019 at $10.1 billion and $10.6 billion. The previous Coast Guard authorization, enacted in 2016, authorized $9.1 billion for the service for fiscal years 2016 and 2017.\r\nArctic Operations directs the Coast Guard to conduct a review of the assets and personnel required to ensure the safety and security of the Arctic.\r\nRecreational Boating increases safety and clarifies requirements for recreational boating safety by implementing the installation of engine cut-off switches and alternate signaling devices.\r\n \r\nSenate approval of S. 140, as amended, returns it to the House of Representatives for consideration.\r\nSenator Carper gave floor remarks yesterday on the agreement. WatchHERE.\r\nFor background information on the bill, see yesterday'sreleaseabout the bipartisan agreement reached by Carper and others.\r\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.coons.senate.gov/news/videos/watch/sen-coons-joins-morning-joe-november-14-2018", "Sen. Coons joins Morning Joe November 14, 2018", "2018-11-14", "2018", "2018-11", "Democrat", "House", "DE", "Christopher Coons", "C001088", "www.coons.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Look at the biggest progressive fights & you'll often find that they were religious movements\n\nSen. Coons celebrates America 250: \"Our story is stronger when we tell it in its entirety\"\n\nThis week, seven of my bipartisan bills advanced in the Senate, one step closer to becoming law.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-06-27T23:10:16Z"], ["https://www.coons.senate.gov/news/videos/watch/sens-coons-flake-media-availability-post-uc-november-14-2018", "Sens. Coons, Flake Media Availability Post-UC November 14, 2018", "2018-11-14", "2018", "2018-11", "Democrat", "House", "DE", "Christopher Coons", "C001088", "www.coons.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Look at the biggest progressive fights & you'll often find that they were religious movements\n\nSen. Coons celebrates America 250: \"Our story is stronger when we tell it in its entirety\"\n\nThis week, seven of my bipartisan bills advanced in the Senate, one step closer to becoming law.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-06-27T23:10:16Z"], ["https://www.coons.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/senator-coons-applauds-passage-of-the-coast-guard-reauthorization", "Senator Coons applauds passage of the Coast Guard reauthorization", "2018-11-14", "2018", "2018-11", "Democrat", "House", "DE", "Christopher Coons", "C001088", "www.coons.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "11.14.18\n\t\t\t Senator Coons applauds passage of the Coast Guard reauthorization \n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tWASHINGTON  U.S. Senator Chris Coons (D-Del.), a member of the Appropriations Committee, applauded Senate passage of S.140, the Frank LoBiondo Coast Guard Authorization Act of 2018. The bill authorizes funding for the U.S. Coast Guard for fiscal years 2018 and 2019 and includes legislation that Senator Coons co-sponsored to promote maritime commerce  the Commercial Vessel Incidental Discharge Act (VIDA). Vessels take on and discharge water to provide stability, and VIDA will lead to uniform standards for these discharges.\r\nI am pleased that the Senate authorized strong funding levels for the Coast Guard to support its dedicated members and their families in carrying out their missions, said Sen. Coons. Coast Guard Sector Delaware Bay and the broader Fifth Coast Guard District play a critical role in advancing our economic and national security by protecting Delaware's coastline and marine life, and supporting maritime commerce on our waterways and in the Port of Wilmington. As a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, I will continue working to secure strong funding for the Coast Guard this year and in years ahead. I also applaud Senators Thune, Carper, and Nelson for working hard to reach an agreement that will provide a clear regulatory framework for ballast water discharge standards that protect our environment.\r\nS.140 authorizes more than $10 billion each year for the Coast Guard in fiscal years 2018 and 2019, and will now move to the House of Representatives for consideration. Senator Coons secured $10.19 billion for the Coast Guard in the fiscal year 2019 Homeland Security appropriations bill which passed the Senate Appropriations Committee earlier this year with bipartisan support.\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t Press Contact \n\t\t\t\tBrian P. Cunningham at 302-573-6054 or brian_cunningham@coons.senate.gov\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\n\t  \n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t \n\t\t\n\t\t\tPrint\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tEmail\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tTweet\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t \n\t\n\t\n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n    \n\t\n\t\n    \n    \n    \n    \t\n    \t\n\t    \t  \n\t\t    \n\t\t    \n\t\t    \tPrevious Article", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.coons.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/video-sen-coons-on-the-special-counsel-we-ought-to-take-responsible-bipartisan-action-here-to-prevent-what-would-otherwise-be-a-constitutional-crisis", "[VIDEO] Sen. Coons on the Special Counsel: \u201cWe ought to take responsible bipartisan action here to prevent what would otherwise be a constitutional crisis.\u201d", "2018-11-14", "2018", "2018-11", "Democrat", "House", "DE", "Christopher Coons", "C001088", "www.coons.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "11.14.18\n\t\t\t [VIDEO] Sen. Coons on the Special Counsel: We ought to take responsible bipartisan action here to prevent what would otherwise be a constitutional crisis. \n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t \n\t\n\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n        \n\t\t\t\t Sen. Coons on his bipartisan legislation to protect the Special Counsel: We can take this up and pass it easily today by unanimous consent.\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t WASHINGTON  U.S. Senators Chris Coons (D-Del.) and Jeff Flake (R-Ariz.) today joined MSNBC's Morning Joe to discuss Special Counsel Robert Mueller and working with President Trump.\r\nFrankly, the veryday that President Trump forcedthe resignation of Jeff Sessionsas attorney general he also,again, denounced Mueller'sinvestigation as a hoax andtweeted that he could fireMueller at any time.Why that's not enough of awarning for the majority leader,for our colleagues, I don'tknow, but the statements thatMatt Whitaker the actingattorney general made on CNNwhen he was a commentator giveme grave concern.I think we ought to takeresponsible bipartisan actionhere to prevent what wouldotherwise be a constitutionalcrisis.We can take this up and pass iteasily today by unanimousconsent,said Senator Coons.\r\nVideo and audio availablehere.\r\nExcerpts from the interview:\r\nSen. Coons on the border:I've got someone on mystaff, Lieutenant Brendan Mackie, who served in this exactmission when our National Guardunit got deployed to the bordera number of years ago.When they are forward deployedat the border, it's difficultduty and in this particularinstance given as Senator Flakesaid that they are sitting 90miles from the border and giventhat active duty military troopsreally aren't needed to blocksome caravan that we have gotmonths of advanced notice of,the border guard is fullycapable of handling them, Iwould have to look them in theeye and say thank you for yourservice and I regret that ourpresident is using you as apolitical stunt. Sen. Coons on the Mueller legislation:You know, frankly, the veryday that President Trump forcedthe resignation of Jeff Sessionsas attorney general he also,again, denounced Mueller'sinvestigation as a hoax andtweeted that he could fireMueller at any time.Why that's not enough of awarning for the majority leader,for our colleagues, I don'tknow, but the statements thatMatt Whitaker the actingattorney general made on CNNwhen he was a commentator giveme grave concern.I think we ought to takeresponsible bipartisan actionhere to prevent what wouldotherwise be a constitutionalcrisis.We can take this up and pass iteasily today by unanimousconsent. Sen. Coons on working with President Trump:We can't spend our timeworrying about the nextelection, we have to focus onsolving the problems that facethe American people.What I heard up and down thestate of Delaware in recentweeks is that folks really want us towork together.One of the reasons I'm gratefulfor the service of Senator Flakeis the things we've been able towork together on overseas andhere at home.I think if we show that we arewilling to step forward and puton the table strong real billsto address infrastructure, toaddress apprenticeships and jobsin the building trades, to dealwith the cost of health care andchallenge the president to workwith us in a bipartisan way, andsolve people's real problems,that will end up having apositive effect in the nextelection, but that shouldn't bethe reason to do it.Folks in our country haveelected a Republican Senate anda Democratic House and they wantus to work together.That's what we ought to get busydoing. Sen. Coons on the Fed:Let me mention one otherthing Jeff and I have just doneon a bipartisan basis. PresidentTrump directly challenged andcriticized the chairman of theFed in the run up to theelection, we have both been toZimbabwe a number of times,that's more the sort of thingyou expect to see in a countryruled by a dictator than in afree and open society like ours.The president shouldn't beinterfering with the Fed and their decisions and wesent a joint letter to thepresident urging him to stopthat bad behavior.\r\n###\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t Press Contact \n\t\t\t\tSean Coit at 202-224-5042 orSean_Coit@coons.senate.gov\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\n\t  \n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t \n\t\t\n\t\t\tPrint\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tEmail\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tTweet\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t \n\t\n\t\n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n    \n\t\n\t\n    \n    \n    \n    \t\n    \t\n\t    \t  \n\t\t    \n\t\t    \n\t\t    \tPrevious Article", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.carper.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/2018/11/carper-thune-announce-coast-guard-authorization-agreement", "Carper, Thune Announce Coast Guard Authorization Agreement", "2018-11-13", "2018", "2018-11", "Democrat", "House", "DE", "Thomas Carper", "C000174", "www.carper.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "WASHINGTON, D.C.  Senators Tom Carper (D-Del.), top Democrat on the Environment and Public Works Committee and senior member of the Homeland Security and Government Affairs Committee, and John Thune (R-S.D.), chairman of the Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee, which has jurisdiction over the U.S. Coast Guard, issued the following statements on an agreement for reauthorizing the Coast Guard and establishing a framework for the service to enforce an EPA-led standard setting initiative for national ballast water discharge rules through the Vessel Incidental Discharge Act (VIDA).\r\nThanks to months of hard work, we have been able to reach a strong compromise that protects waters across our country from the environmental and economic risk of the spread of invasive species contained in ballast water, while also providing regulatory certainty for vessel owners and mariners. To reach this agreement, Senators Thune and Nelson and I did not settle for what was easy or what was expedient. These improvements have taken a great deal of time and energy, they are the right thing to do, said Carper. This bipartisan compromise strengthens ballast discharge standards in an environmentally protective way. Specifically, it will reduce the risks posed by ballast water discharges that enters our waterways, minimize the likelihood of introducing invasive species along our coasts and in the Great Lakes, while still ensuring these discharges are regulated under the Clean Water Act. This bill shows that we can keep our vessels moving in and out of our waterways while protecting our environment and marine life at the same time. As Ranking Member of the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee, I was proud to be at the table during negotiations to see this compromise across the finish line and find a responsible way to pass the Coast Guard Reauthorization agreement. Thank you to Senator Thune and Senator Nelson for working with me on this important bipartisan bill.\r\nThis agreement to have the Coast Guard enforce standards established through an EPA-led process will create needed clarity for vessel operators while remaining sensitive to local concerns about invasive species, said Thune. I appreciate Sen. Tom Carper for working with me on this important issue. This language is a victory for both the environment and commerce.\r\nThe Vessel Incidental Discharge Act (VIDA):\r\n \r\nDelegates the lead role in establishing standards for discharges incidental to the normal operation of a vessel to the EPA.\r\nAssigns the Coast Guard the lead role in monitoring and enforcing such standards for discharges incidental to the normal operation of a vessel.\r\nKeeps existing rules in place until new standards are final and enforceable.\r\nAccommodates unique regional situations. Pacific Coast ballast water exchanges will continue and the Great Lakes may set their own basin-wide standards.\r\nAllows States to establish no-discharge zones for areas that require additional protection.\r\n \r\nOther highlights of the U.S. Coast Guard authorization for fiscal years 2018-2019 included in S. 140:\r\n \r\nMaritime drug and border enforcement  includes new authorities to combat illicit trafficking and smuggling and transnational criminal organizations by furthering interagency cooperation, combating concealment of bulk cash, and increasing the Coast Guard's ability to use informants.\r\nMultiyear contracting  authorizes the Coast Guard Commandant to utilize several new acquisition tools, including multiyear funding for procuring future National Security Cutters. These changes will allow the Coast Guard to reduce the price of follow-on vessels and give shipyards greater predictability, stabilizing workforces.\r\nAuthorization level  authorizes the U.S. Coast Guard for fiscal years 2018 and 2019 at $9.8 billion and $10.5 billion. The previous Coast Guard authorization, enacted in 2016, authorized $9.1 billion for the service for fiscal years 2016 and 2017.\r\nArctic operations  directs the Coast Guard to conduct a review of the assets and personnel required to ensure the safety and security of the Arctic.\r\nRecreational boating  increases safety and clarifies requirements for recreational boating safety by implementing the installation of engine cut-off switches and alternate signaling devices.\r\n \r\nSenate approval of S. 140, as amended, will return it to the House of Representatives for consideration. On April 18, 2018, a 56-42 vote left the legislation short of the 60 votes necessary to advance through the Senate. Prior to the mid-term elections, an agreement was reached to hold a cloture vote on the measure on Tuesday, November 13, followed by a vote on final passage on Wednesday afternoon.\r\nFor the full text of the agreed upon substitute for S. 140, click here.\r\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.carper.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/2018/11/video-carper-touts-bill-protecting-waterways-marine-ecosystems-from-harmful-vessel-discharges", "Carper Touts Bill Protecting Waterways, Marine Ecosystems from Harmful Vessel Discharges", "2018-11-13", "2018", "2018-11", "Democrat", "House", "DE", "Thomas Carper", "C000174", "www.carper.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "WASHINGTON, D.C. - Senator Tom Carper (D-Del.), top Democrat on the Environment and Public Works Committee (EPW) and senior member of the Homeland Security and Government Affairs Committee (HSGAC), spoke on the Senate floor today before a vote to invoke cloture on a bill reauthorizing the U.S. Coast Guard and enacting the Vessel Incidental Discharge Act (VIDA) -- a bipartisan measure that will protect waterways and marine life in Delaware and throughout the United States from invasive species and harmful pollution.\r\nCrafted through months of negotiations led by Senators Carper, John Barrasso (R-Wyo.), Bill Nelson (D-Fla.) and John Thune (R-S.D.), VIDA directs the EPA to craft new rules limiting ballast discharges of toxic pollution and invasive species, and empowers the U.S. Coast Guard to enforce these standards. It also gives states the ability to establish no-discharge zones for vulnerable areas within their borders.\r\nThe Senate voted to invoke cloture on the bill today, and it is scheduled for a vote on final passage tomorrow before going to the House for consideration.\r\nThe Vessel Incidental Discharge Act (VIDA), an amendment to S. 140:\r\n \r\nDelegates the lead role in establishing standards for discharges incidental to the normal operation of a vessel to the EPA.\r\nAssigns the Coast Guard the lead role in monitoring and enforcing such standards for discharges incidental to the normal operation of a vessel.\r\nKeeps existing rules in place until new standards are final and enforceable.\r\nAccommodates unique regional situations. Pacific Coast ballast water exchanges will continue and the Great Lakes may set their own basin-wide standards.\r\nAllows States to establish no-discharge zones for areas that require additional protection.\r\n \r\nFor the full text of the agreed upon substitute for S. 140, click here.\r\nToday's speech can be viewed by clicking here. Below are Senator Carper's full remarks, as prepared for delivery:\r\nI rise today in support of the Coast Guard reauthorization bill and to urge our colleagues to vote yes on the pending cloture motion and on final passage of this legislation tomorrow. Ensuring that our Coast Guardcomprised of nearly 90,000 men and women across our countryhas the resources to do their important work they do every day is incredibly important. The Coast Guard, established at the behest of Treasury Secretary Alexander Hamilton in 1790, has played a crucial role in our countryincluding in my state of Delawarefrom the very birth of our Nation.\r\nToday, we ask this branch of our military to track pollution at sea, combat illicit trafficking and smuggling, and protect maritime operations that are expanding throughout our Arctic waterswhile still keeping our waters safe for recreational and cargo vessels sailing in places like the Delaware Bay. This bill before us today will increase resources for the Coast Guard by nearly 10 percent so that they are equipped to continue this important, and often life-saving, work. This legislation also allows multi-year funding in order to procure future National Security Cutters, which will reduce costs, increase predictability and stabilize workforces. And for a state like mine that is serious about its recreational boating, the bill would increase safety by implementing engine cut-off switches and alternate signaling devices.\r\nFor the Coast Guard contingent based at the Indian River Inlet in Delaware, that's halfway between Rehoboth and the Maryland line, this bill means an increase in operational and maintenance funding for personnel and boats, easier access to health care for crews and their families, better quality of life through updated leave policies, extra funding for shore-side infrastructure improvements, and clarity on inspections and enforcement procedures for vessel boardings. The impacts of this reauthorization bill are real. They will be felt in Coast Guard contingents across the country. But this bill also includes a major win with regard to our shared environment.\r\nMany of my Senate colleagues have invested far more than I havein time and effortto bring greater efficiency and effectiveness to our nation's management of potentially harmful ballast water discharges from vessels plying our waters. That effort has culminated in the Vessel Incidental Discharge Act, better known as VIDA, which is contained in Title IX of the amendment before us. Specifically, the bill will go a long way, Mister President, toward preventing polluted ballast water discharges from entering our waterways, minimize the risk of introduction of invasive species in the Great Lakes and other sensitive ecosystems, and maintain important environmental protections for our waters that are enshrined in the Clean Water Act.\r\nThis past April, the Senate failed to invoke cloture on a prior version of this reauthorization bill. Many of my colleagues and I were concerned that the earlier legislation failed to maintain appropriate roles for the Coast Guard and the EPA. This new version makes sure that the EPA is responsible for setting vessel discharge standards while the Coast Guard is responsible for approving the technologies that can meet those standards and, thus, allow vessels to operate safely.\r\nMister President, as Ranking Member of the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee, I am grateful for the excellent work done by the Senator from South Dakota (Senator Thune, the Chairman) and the Senator from Florida (Senator Nelson, the Ranking Member), and their able staffs, for working with us on this important, bipartisan bill. With the support of my Commerce Committee colleagues and the active participation of many Senatorsincluding our Pacific Coast, Great Lakes, and East Coast partnerswe have strengthened VIDA in substantial ways since our last vote on this legislation in April.\r\nLet me explain how. First of all, we have clarified that the Clean Water Act should govern this important endeavor to keep our waters clean, healthy and productive, and that the Environmental Protection Agency should take the lead in establishing standards for the discharge of waters polluted by invasive species and other substances from vessels.\r\nThis legislation also recognizes the expertise and experience of the Coast Guard by ensuring that it retains responsibility for determining the best available technology necessary to meet EPA's discharge standards while also maintaining maritime safety. In addition, the Coast Guard would assume the primary federal role in monitoring and enforcing these standards.\r\nAs a former governor, my colleagues would say a recovering governor, however, it was critically important to me that we ensure a robust role for states, especially given that the waters in their jurisdictions are the most at risk for invasive species and pollution coming from ships. With that in mind, we've ensured that states maintain a co-enforcement responsibility to ensure these federal standards are met. The Coast Guard, in close coordination with the states, will establish a set of inspection and enforcement procedures that will ensure a common approach in the states' enforcement of Federal vessel discharge standards and requirements.\r\nWe have also required that governors are consulted in the establishment of discharge standards and that they can act to drive the federal agencies to issue emergency measures should invasive species appear off their shores. Governors will also be able to directly petition the EPA and Coast Guard for stronger national standards and requirements if the science says they are necessary or the technology has evolved. EPA and the Coast Guard will be required to respond to a governor's petition quickly, and on the merits, not sidestepping concerns that are raised. Should a state find that its waters are threatened despite the protection offered by the national standard, that state can petition EPA to establish no-discharge zones to protect those vulnerable waters from any vessel discharges, or force EPA to issue emergency orders.\r\nUnder this legislation, Great Lakes governorsfor the first timehave a defined process to adopt stronger requirements and more protective equipment on vessels entering or traveling within the Great Lakes. In addition, a new Aquatic Nuisance Species Program is established that would address the waters of the Great Lakes and Lake Champlain. This bill also creates special ballast water exchange requirements to help ensure protection of critical Pacific Region environments.\r\nAnd under all circumstances, no future discharge standards, regional requirements, or technology mandates can ever be weaker than the federal requirements that are in place today. Furthermore, no state laws or regulations will be preempted unless and until the new, more protective federal standards and requirements are in placemeaning they are both final and enforceable by the Coast Guard and the states.\r\nThis bill contains equal measures of environmental urgency and common sense. It sets clear roles and responsibilities for the federal agencies involved in implementing it, and it provides certainty and predictability to all who rely on our coastal waters and the Great Lakes to recreate, fish, and carry our cargos.\r\nMany of our colleagues realize that getting to this point has been a multi-year endeavor. In the end, what has brought us together is a common appreciation of how important our waters are to our country. No matter how far away from the coast we may live, none of us are untouched, in some way, by the environment and resources extending from our shores.\r\nAgain, let me commend everyone who has helped in ways both large and small to craft the important compromise that is before us today. With its inclusion, we will have a clear path to adopting a much-needed Coast Guard reauthorization bill with its strong VIDA provisions. I urge my colleagues to join us in supporting it, and by doing so, demonstrating that even on the heels of last week's elections, the Senate is still committed to hammering out principled compromises on difficult, but important issues, like these.\r\nPeople say to me all the time back home: When are you going to get something done?'...I don't care if you live on the coast, around the Great Lakes or somewhere else in our country. We all have a dog in this fight. We're not just talking about it, and we're not just pointing fingers at each other. We're doing something about it. And we're doing it by working together. I'm proud of what we've done, and grateful to everyone who's had a part in that.\r\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.coons.senate.gov/news/videos/watch/sen-coons-joins-kasie-dc-november-11-2018", "Sen. Coons joins Kasie DC November 11, 2018", "2018-11-13", "2018", "2018-11", "Democrat", "House", "DE", "Christopher Coons", "C001088", "www.coons.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Look at the biggest progressive fights & you'll often find that they were religious movements\n\nSen. Coons celebrates America 250: \"Our story is stronger when we tell it in its entirety\"\n\nThis week, seven of my bipartisan bills advanced in the Senate, one step closer to becoming law.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-06-27T23:10:16Z"], ["https://www.coons.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/icymi_wsj-sens-coons-and-flake-urge-president-trump-to-stop-criticizing-fed", "ICYMI \u2013 WSJ: Sens. Coons and Flake urge President Trump to stop criticizing Fed", "2018-11-13", "2018", "2018-11", "Democrat", "House", "DE", "Christopher Coons", "C001088", "www.coons.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "11.13.18\n\t\t\t ICYMI  WSJ: Sens. Coons and Flake urge President Trump to stop criticizing Fed \n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tWASHINGTON  In case you missed it, U.S. Senators Chris Coons (D-Del.) and Jeff Flake (R-Ariz.) were featured inTheWall Street Journalafter the Senators called on President Trump to stop publicly criticizing the Federal Reserve.\r\nThe Wall Street Journal: Two Senators Urge Trump to Stop Criticizing Fed\r\nBy Nick Timiraos\r\nTwo U.S. senators called on President Trump Monday to stop publicly criticizing the Federal Reserve and warned his comments could jeopardize the central bank's credibility and hurt the economy.\r\nIn a letter to Mr. Trump, Sens. Chris Coons (D., Del.) and Jeff Flake (R., Ariz.) also said Mr. Trump's disagreement with the central bank over interest-rate policies wouldn't be a sufficient reason to remove any Fed leaders, including Chairman Jerome Powell.\r\nMr. Trump escalated his criticism of the Fed's short-term rate increases in recent weeks. In an interview with The Wall Street Journal last month, he said the Fed was the biggest risk facing the U.S. economy. In earlier comments, he blamed the central bank for the early October stock-market selloff, calling the Fed crazy and out of control.\r\nWhile presidents have publicly and privately challenged the Fed for much of its 105-year history, presidents before Mr. Trump hadn't publicly criticized the central bank's policy decisions for 25 years. A growing body of economic literature suggests that politicizing a central bank's monetary-policy decisions makes investors less confident that inflation would remain low and stable, causing interest rates set by markets to rise.\r\nYour ill-advised commentary goes beyond holding the Fed accountable, said Sens. Coons and Flake in the letter to Mr. Trump. You appear to be telling the Fed what to do with interest rates, which we believe is unconstructive and dangerous.\r\nTo read the full article, clickhere.\r\n###\r\n\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t Press Contact \n\t\t\t\tSean Coit at 202-224-5042 orSean_Coit@coons.senate.gov\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\n\t  \n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t \n\t\t\n\t\t\tPrint\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tEmail\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tTweet\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t \n\t\n\t\n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n    \n\t\n\t\n    \n    \n    \n    \t\n    \t\n\t    \t  \n\t\t    \n\t\t    \n\t\t    \tPrevious Article", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.coons.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/sens-coons-flake-urge-president-trump-to-respect-the-independence-of-fed-officials-on-interest-rates", "Sens. Coons, Flake urge President Trump to respect the independence of Fed officials on interest rates", "2018-11-13", "2018", "2018-11", "Democrat", "House", "DE", "Christopher Coons", "C001088", "www.coons.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "11.13.18\n\t\t\t Sens. Coons, Flake urge President Trump to respect the independence of Fed officials on interest rates \n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tWASHINGTON  U.S. Senators Chris Coons (D-Del.) and Jeff Flake (R-Ariz.) sent aletterto President Trump urging him to respect the independence of Federal Reserve (Fed) officials and to refrain from pressuring the Fed on interest rates. The Senators' letter comes after the Presidentrepeatedlycriticizedthe Fed for its interest rate decisions.\r\nWe share a deep concern that if you continue to verbally attack the Fedsuggesting that a particular monetary policy is owed to you as presidentyou will establish a dangerous precedent that could do grave damage to the U.S. economy,wrote the Senators.You have an opportunity to change course. We call on you to acknowledge that the Fed chair and its board are free to carry through their full terms. We ask that you pledge, as your three predecessors have done, to refrain from criticizing their decisions.\r\nThe letter is availablehereand copied below.\r\nNovember 12,2018\r\nThe Honorable Donald J. Trump\r\nPresident of the United States\r\nThe White House\r\n1600 Pennsylvania Ave, N.W.\r\nWashington, D.C. 20500\r\nDear President Trump:\r\nWe are concerned about your recent comments harshly criticizing the Federal Reserve (Fed) for its interest rate decisions. We are writing to urge you to respect the independence of Fed officials and to follow the example of other modern presidents by refraining from pressuring the Fed on interest rates. If you undermine the Fed's credibility, you are putting the U.S. economy at risk. Supporting the Fed's independence stabilizes markets, supports economic growth, and helps create good-paying American jobs.\r\nThe effectiveness of the Fed depends upon sufficient separation from politics, which is why Congress established the Fed as an independent agency. Federal Reserve Board members are not cabinet members. They do not serve at the pleasure of the President. Rather, they serve terms that often span both Democratic and Republican administrations. Never in the 105-year history of the Fed has a chair been removed by the President. In fact, the law prohibits a President from removing a Fed board member, except for cause. Disagreement over interest rates clearly is not justifiable cause.\r\nThe law insulates the Fed from political pressure so that the Fed can adjust rates with a focus not on the next election, but on the long-term health of the U.S. economy. Indeed, Fed independence has been an important ingredient to U.S. economic growth over the past century. In the late 1970s, for example, the Fed successfully fought off damaging inflation by making interest rate decisions that would have been very difficult to sustain if the Fed were expected to help the political party in power. It is no surprise that across the globe, countries with independent central banks are more successful at keeping inflation low.\r\nFed independence is not just about its board members serving uninterrupted terms. Over the past quarter century, Democratic and Republican presidents built a tradition of not commenting publicly on interest rate decisions. Of course, this is not required by law. Over this period, however, respect for the Fed's independence has helped it to build valuable credibility with markets, which makes the Fed more effective. During the Great Recession, for example, the Fed's pledge to hold interest rates low for a sustained period helped to stimulate the recoverybecause markets believed the Fed would follow through.\r\nCongress gave the Fed a mandateprice stability and maximum sustainable employmentand the independence to achieve those goals. Of course, the Fed should be and is accountable to Congress and the public. Fed officials must explain what they are doing and why, as they do in congressional hearings, press conferences, and other public appearances. But your ill-advised commentary goes beyond holding the Fed accountable. You appear to be telling the Fed what to do with interest rates, which we believe is unconstructive and dangerous.\r\nFor these reasons, we share a deep concern that if you continue to verbally attack the Fedsuggesting that a particular monetary policy is owed to you as presidentyou will establish a dangerous precedent that could do grave damage to the U.S. economy. We have confidence in Chairman Jerome Powell and believe, under his leadership, the Fed will not bow to political pressure of any kind. Yet we are concerned because simply a perception among market participants that the Fed could consider politics in its decisions would imperil its ability to control inflation.\r\nWe have seen firsthand the damage that can be done by heads of state who intervene in the decisions of their countries' central banks, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa, where we have traveled together extensively. Take the most extreme case, for exampleZimbabwe. Its longtime dictator Robert Mugabe forced the central bank head to print money, causing hyperinflation at the root of that country's political turmoil and instability. The U.S. is not Zimbabwe, but we ought to learn an important lesson from it and other countries whose heads of state crossed this line: It never ends well.\r\nFortunately, you have an opportunity to change course. We call on you to acknowledge that the Fed chair and its board are free to carry through their full terms. We ask that you pledge, as your three predecessors have done, to refrain from criticizing their decisions. Ultimately, this is the best way for you to strengthen the U.S. economy, something at which we all would like you to succeed.\r\nSincerely,\r\n###\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t Press Contact \n\t\t\t\tSean Coit at 202-224-5042 orSean_Coit@coons.senate.gov", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.coons.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/sens-coons-rubio-write-letter-to-secs-pompeo-mattis-expressing-concern-about-chinas-expanding-influence-in-the-horn-of-africa", "Sens. Coons, Rubio write letter to Secs. Pompeo, Mattis expressing concern about China\u2019s expanding influence in the Horn of Africa", "2018-11-13", "2018", "2018-11", "Democrat", "House", "DE", "Christopher Coons", "C001088", "www.coons.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "11.13.18\n\t\t\t Sens. Coons, Rubio write letter to Secs. Pompeo, Mattis expressing concern about China's expanding influence in the Horn of Africa \n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tWASHINGTON  U.S. Senators Chris Coons (D-Del.) and Marco Rubio (R-Fla.), both members of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, sent a letter to Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and Secretary of Defense James Mattis expressing concern about Djibouti's recent nationalization of the Doraleh Container Terminal and the possibility that this development will allow China to expand its influence and challenge U.S. interests in the Horn of Africa.\r\nIn February 2018, the Government of Djibouti seized control of the Doraleh Container Terminal. The Government of Djibouti is expected to cede operations of Doraleh to Chinese state-owned enterprises (SOEs) following a July 2018 agreement between the Djiboutian government and a Chinese SOE to establish a large free trade zone in Djibouti.\r\nI am concerned that a potential Chinese takeover of the Doraleh Container Terminal would allow Beijing to impede the military operations of the United States and our allies in the Horn of Africa and also threaten the freedom and independence of states in the region,said Senator Coons.I look forward to working constructively with the Trump administration to sustain U.S. operations in the Horn of Africa.\r\nThe letter written by Senator Coons and Senator Rubio asks the State Department and Pentagon to outline the military and political consequences of China gaining full control of Doraleh Container Terminal, as well as to share U.S. diplomatic and security strategy for countering Chinese influence in Djibouti and throughout the Horn of Africa.\r\nThe letter is copied below and is availablehere.\r\nNovember 7, 2018\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\nThe Honorable Mike Pompeo\r\nSecretary of State\r\nU.S. Department of State\r\n2201 C Street NW\r\nWashington, DC 20520\r\n\r\n\r\nThe Honorable James Mattis\r\nSecretary of Defense\r\nU.S. Department of Defense 1000 Defense Pentagon\r\nWashington, DC 20301\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\nDear Secretary Pompeo and Secretary Mattis,\r\nWe write to express concern about Djibouti's recent nationalization of the Doraleh Container Terminal and the possibility that this development will allow China to expand its influence and challenge U.S. interests in the Horn of Africa.\r\nIn February 2018, the Government of Djibouti terminated a concession contract for the Doraleh Container Terminal with DP World, a United Arab Emirates-based company and the fourth largest port operator in the world. In September, it nationalized the port, citing emergency measures, and ignored legal rulings in the United Kingdom intended to restrain the termination of the joint venture and nationalization of Doraleh.\r\nEven more alarming are reports that the government will likely cede operations of Doraleh to Chinese state-owned enterprises (SOEs), following a July 2018 agreement between the Djiboutian government and a Chinese SOE to establish a large free trade zone in Djibouti. Troublingly, Djibouti's external debt has grown from 50 to 85 percent of GDP in only two years, much of which is owed to the Export-Import Bank of China.\r\nWe believe these developments provide major strategic benefits to China and risk undermining the balance of power in East Africa and around the Bab al-Mandeb strait, a major artery of maritime trade between Europe, the Middle East, and Asia. China's control of Doraleh could allow it to impede U.S. military operations in the Horn of Africa, as well as those of U.S. allies like Italy, Japan, and France, which maintain military bases in the region. These facilities are vital to ensuring the free flow of maritime commerce and the success of counterterrorism and intelligence operations against extremist groups like al-Qaeda, the Islamic State, and al-Shabab.\r\nFurthermore, control of Doraleh will allow China to expand its influence in East Africa. For example, Ethiopia currently relies on Djibouti for more than 95 percent of its imports. Chinese control of both Doraleh and the new Doraleh Multi-Purpose Port would allow it to exert greater control over Ethiopia's economy and expand its political influence in a country of more than 100 million that is a linchpin of stability in the region.\r\nWe respectfully ask you to outline in writing the military and political consequences of China gaining full control of Doraleh Container Terminal, as well as to share our diplomatic and security strategy for countering Chinese influence in Djibouti and throughout the Horn of Africa. We stand ready to work with you to counter growing Chinese influence and protect U.S. interests in the Horn of Africa and throughout the continent.\r\n###\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t Press Contact \n\t\t\t\tSean Coit at 202-224-5042 orSean_Coit@coons.senate.gov\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\n\t  \n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t \n\t\t\n\t\t\tPrint\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tEmail\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tTweet\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t \n\t\n\t\n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n    \n\t\n\t\n    \n    \n    \n    \t\n    \t\n\t    \t  \n\t\t    \n\t\t    \n\t\t    \tPrevious Article", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.coons.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/video-sen-coons-matt-whitaker-strikes-me-as-a-clear-and-present-danger-to-the-independence-of-the-special-counsel", "[VIDEO] Sen. Coons: \u201cMatt Whitaker strikes me as a clear and present danger to the independence of the Special Counsel\u201d", "2018-11-13", "2018", "2018-11", "Democrat", "House", "DE", "Christopher Coons", "C001088", "www.coons.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "11.13.18\n\t\t\t [VIDEO] Sen. Coons: Matt Whitaker strikes me as a clear and present danger to the independence of the Special Counsel \n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tWASHINGTON  U.S. Senator Chris Coons (D-Del.), a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, joined Kasie Hunt on MSNBC's Kasie DC to discuss his legislation to protect the Special Counsel.\r\nThis is a balanced, bipartisan bill, and I respect that the Majority Leader has said in the past that the Mueller investigation should not be interfered with, but I don't understand on what basis he thinks President Trump who continues as recently as last week to criticize and question and challenge the Mueller investigation can be trusted to stay hands off. I think it is the role of the Senate to step forward in a moment like this and ensure that we don't have a constitutional crisis that is so obviously avoidable with legislation that's bipartisan and ready for action,said Senator Coons.\r\nVideo and audio availablehere.\r\nSen. Coons on the Special Counsel bill:Well this is a bipartisan bill that passed the Senate Judiciary Committee back in April by a strong bipartisan margin of 14 to 7. My co-sponsors on the Republican side, Senators Graham and Tillis, and my co-sponsor on the Democratic side, Senator Booker, have all urged this not just to protect this Special Counsel, but future Special Counsels to make sure that it is clear in law that you can't abruptly and for no good reason fire the Special Counsel. As you mentioned in the lead in Kasie, we are hoping the Special Counsel is concluding his investigation, preparing his report, but we don't know that. And Matt Whitaker strikes me as a clear and present danger to the independence of the Special Counsel, given things he has said a year ago when he was a CNN commentator and given some of his unusual legal theories. Kasie I expect there's going to be challenges to Matthew Whitaker's appointment, legal challenges. There was a letter sent by a wide range of leading Democrats to the DOJ Ethics Counsel asking for a ruling on whether or not he should recuse himself. But as we wait for those two things to develop, Senator Flake and I will be going to the floor this week and asking for a live unanimous consent on the bill that is ready for action at any time.\r\nSen. Coons on the constitutionality of Whitaker's appointment:I have real doubts about that. The Appointments Clause, which is Article II Section II Clause II of our Constitution, strongly suggests that in something like the principal officer, the Attorney General of the United States, it has to be Senate confirmed. That may have to be tested in a lawsuit. We'll see. But a number of legal scholars, both conservative and liberal, have said this is a highly questionable appointment. As you know Kasie, the President didn't follow the Department of Justice succession statute that would have made Rod Rosenstein the Senate confirmed Deputy Attorney General the acting Attorney General. That would have been the wiser course of action here.\r\nMore on Whitaker:Well that audio clip was very muddy on my side Kasie, but I'll take it that Rod Rosenstein, the Deputy Attorney General, isn't saying this is a crisis yet -- Look my expectation is that President Trump may move fairly quickly to nominate a new Attorney General and that person will come in front of the Judiciary Committee. But it could be weeks or even months before that confirmation happens. And in the meantime, I do think Matthew Whitaker, the acting AG, should recuse himself given his past statements. I'm somewhat encouraged if Rod Rosenstein, the Deputy Attorney General, has made a comment that you just played that suggests he's not alarmed. But frankly the test here is whether Matthew Whitaker is someone whose legal ideas and whose relevant experience makes him an appropriate person to serve as acting Attorney General. And there have been a number of press accounts of things that Matthew Whitaker said when he was a candidate in Iowa -- he ran for the Senate previously in Iowa unsuccessfully-- that were really way outside the legal mainstream of the United States, suggesting that he supports some really very obscure legal theories about constitutional order and the role of states in nullifying decisions by the Supreme Court.\r\nMore on protecting the Special Counsel:It's possible as a number of leaders have said today on television and over the past week. Jerry Nadler who is likely the next Judiciary Committee Chair in the House and there was a passing comment from Senator Schumer, the Minority Leader, earlier today. We do have an end of year spending bill that will come up on December 7. It's entirely possible for us to insert into that bill a piece of legislation like the Special Counsel Integrity and Independence Act that I've co-sponsored, or another provision that would provide that the Special Counsel's report would need to be provided to the critical committees of Congress. It is the spending power of Congress that is in some ways our most important, and that's one of a number of vehicles we could use to try to ensure that Special Counsel Mueller's important work isn't simply buried or lost if there is some action against his investigation by Matt Whitaker.\r\nMore on protecting the Special Counsel:Well we're not there yet Kasie. I think what Jeff Flake and I are going to be doing this week is trying to put on the floor of the Senate a bill that's ready for action to say why even flirt with the idea of a government shutdown. This is a balanced, bipartisan bill, and I respect that the Majority Leader has said in the past that the Mueller investigation should not be interfered with, but I don't understand on what basis he thinks President Trump who continues as recently as last week to criticize and question and challenge the Mueller investigation can be trusted to stay hands off. I think it is the role of the Senate to step forward in a moment like this and ensure that we don't have a constitutional crisis that is so obviously avoidable with legislation that's bipartisan and ready for action.\r\n###\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t Press Contact \n\t\t\t\tSean Coit at 202-224-5042 orSean_Coit@coons.senate.gov\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\n\t  \n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t \n\t\t\n\t\t\tPrint\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tEmail\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tTweet\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t \n\t\n\t\n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n    \n\t\n\t\n    \n    \n    \n    \t\n    \t\n\t    \t  \n\t\t    \n\t\t    \tNext Article\n\t\t    \n\t\t    \n\t\t    \tPrevious Article", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.carper.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/2018/11/honoring-our-veterans", "Honoring Our Veterans", "2018-11-11", "2018", "2018-11", "Democrat", "House", "DE", "Thomas Carper", "C000174", "www.carper.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Having served 23 years in the U.S. Navy and Naval Reserves, I understand the sacrifices that the brave men and women of our military have made to defend our country's freedoms. We owe it to our veterans and their families to ensure they have access to high-quality health care, a place to call home, the opportunity to obtain an education and the skills they need to lead a successful life as a civilian.\r\nToday, The News Journal featured a piece I wrote on our obligations to our veterans who have sacrificed so much in service to our country.I hope you'll take a moment to read my Veterans Day message, and join me in honoring our fallen soldiers and saying Thank You to all of our veterans in Delaware and around our great country. \r\nLet's make good on our promises to veterans\r\nOn Veterans Day, we honor all of America's veterans who have served, or are currently serving, our country with courage and commitment. Those who have served in times of peace and in times of war. Those who have protected and made real the principles enshrined in our Constitution. \r\nWe didn't always have a day dedicated to our men and women in uniform. While World War I officially ended in June 1919 with the signing of the Treaty of Versailles, fighting had ceased months earlier when an armistice went into effect on the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month  November 11, 1918. One year later, on November 11, 1919, President Woodrow Wilson commemorated the very first Armistice Day.\r\nIn 1954, Congress replaced Armistice with Veterans to better ensure that all future generations of veterans would feel the gratitude of their country and its citizens. \r\nMy first Veterans Day in Delaware was November 11, 1973, shortly after I had completed nearly five years of active duty as the Vietnam War was beginning to wind down. That fall, with the help of the GI Bill, I enrolled in the University of Delaware's MBA program.\r\nAlong with other Vietnam veterans who were furthering their education, I received a $250 monthly benefit along with some dental benefits at the state's only VA medical facility in Elsmere.\r\nThat medical facility was a World War II relic of a hospital then with 16-bed wards, almost no care for female veterans, poor morale and an equally poor reputation for providing health care. Veterans in Kent and Sussex counties had to find a way to get Elsmere to receive care from the VA and often had to travel all the way to Philadelphia to find it.\r\nAdditionally, there were no VA Community Based Outpatient Clinics (CBOC's) in Delaware, no veterans cemeteries and no veterans home.\r\nJust as the Constitution would, in the end, largely be words on a piece of paper without the generations of Americans who have risked, and in many cases given, their lives to protect our freedoms, so too would Veterans Day be an empty gesture if we are not making good on the promises made to our veterans.\r\nThankfully, since 1973, we have continued to make significant improvements that help demonstrate our appreciation for Delaware veterans every day of the year.\r\nEncouraged by our congressional delegation, the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) opened two state-of-the-art CBOC's a decade ago, one in Georgetown and the second in Dover. The Georgetown CBOC doubled in size and staff last year. Planning for similarly expanding the CBOC in Dover has begun, and ground will be broken next year. \r\nHalfway between Dover and Georgetown, in the town of Milford, is the Delaware Veterans Home, where 150 elderly and/or disabled veterans have resided since it opened a decade ago. Beginning this fall, dental care will become available there for the Veterans Home's residents and for non-residents alike. \r\nTwo magnificent veterans cemeteries opened in Delaware some time ago, one near Glasgow in 1989 and the other just outside of Georgetown in 1999, to provide a final resting place for thousands of our veterans and their eligible spouses. \r\nAnd, under a law initially passed by Congress in 2014, and improved in 2018, health care is now more accessible for veterans outside of the VA system when the care that is needed is not available within that system in a timely way.\r\nThe GI Bill has also undergone a major transformation and expansion. Today, it looks little like the one awaiting those of us who served in the Vietnam or Persian Gulf Wars.\r\nToday's GI Bill enables veterans to attend colleges like the University of Delaware, Delaware State University, Delaware Technical Community College and Wilmington University tuition-free, while also receiving a $2,000-a-month housing allowance for as long as 36 months. If eligible GI's don't use their benefit, their spouses or children may use it. \r\nThe Preamble of our Constitution, first ratified by Delaware in Dover 231 years ago, does not promise to form a perfect Union. Rather, it pledges to form a more perfect union. Our Founding Fathers wisely anticipated that future generations would improve on their work, and they were right. \r\nAs I reflect on more than four decades of Veterans Days in the First State, I'm reminded of the remarkable progress that can be made when we work together to care for those who have borne the battle. Our work is not yet finished, but we've come a long way.\r\nThis Veterans Day, we once again honor our nation's veterans and their families for their sacrifice. I am also renewing my commitment to continue improving the quality of services and benefits for Delaware veterans and their families so that when we say, Happy Veterans Day to a veteran, he or she will know we really mean it. \r\nHappy Veterans Day to all!", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.coons.senate.gov/news/videos/watch/sen-coons-joins-cnn-november-8-2018", "Sen. Coons joins CNN November 8, 2018", "2018-11-09", "2018", "2018-11", "Democrat", "House", "DE", "Christopher Coons", "C001088", "www.coons.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Look at the biggest progressive fights & you'll often find that they were religious movements\n\nSen. Coons celebrates America 250: \"Our story is stronger when we tell it in its entirety\"\n\nThis week, seven of my bipartisan bills advanced in the Senate, one step closer to becoming law.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-06-27T23:10:16Z"], ["https://www.coons.senate.gov/news/videos/watch/sen-coons-joins-anderson-cooper-360-november-7-2018", "Sen. Coons joins Anderson Cooper 360 November 7, 2018", "2018-11-08", "2018", "2018-11", "Democrat", "House", "DE", "Christopher Coons", "C001088", "www.coons.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Look at the biggest progressive fights & you'll often find that they were religious movements\n\nSen. Coons celebrates America 250: \"Our story is stronger when we tell it in its entirety\"\n\nThis week, seven of my bipartisan bills advanced in the Senate, one step closer to becoming law.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-06-27T23:10:16Z"], ["https://www.coons.senate.gov/news/videos/watch/sen-coons-joins-npr-morning-edition-november-8-2018", "Sen. Coons joins NPR Morning Edition November 8, 2018", "2018-11-08", "2018", "2018-11", "Democrat", "House", "DE", "Christopher Coons", "C001088", "www.coons.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Look at the biggest progressive fights & you'll often find that they were religious movements\n\nSen. Coons celebrates America 250: \"Our story is stronger when we tell it in its entirety\"\n\nThis week, seven of my bipartisan bills advanced in the Senate, one step closer to becoming law.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-06-27T23:10:16Z"], ["https://www.coons.senate.gov/news/videos/watch/sen-coons-joins-the-rachel-maddow-show-november-7-2018", "Sen. Coons joins The Rachel Maddow Show November 7, 2018", "2018-11-08", "2018", "2018-11", "Democrat", "House", "DE", "Christopher Coons", "C001088", "www.coons.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Look at the biggest progressive fights & you'll often find that they were religious movements\n\nSen. Coons celebrates America 250: \"Our story is stronger when we tell it in its entirety\"\n\nThis week, seven of my bipartisan bills advanced in the Senate, one step closer to becoming law.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-06-27T23:10:16Z"], ["https://www.coons.senate.gov/news/videos/watch/sen-coons-joins-wdel-november-7-2018", "Sen. Coons joins WDEL November 7, 2018", "2018-11-07", "2018", "2018-11", "Democrat", "House", "DE", "Christopher Coons", "C001088", "www.coons.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Look at the biggest progressive fights & you'll often find that they were religious movements\n\nSen. 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