U.S. Senator Chris Coons of Delaware

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  • Senator Coons inspired by Pearl Harbor survivor

    Senator Coons talks with veteran Thomas Morris

    MILFORD — To mark the 71st anniversary of the day our nation was attacked at Pearl Harbor, Senator Coons spent the afternoon of December 7th visiting the Delaware Veterans Home in Milford. 

    While he was there, Chris was deeply moved by the harrowing story of Thomas Morris, a World War II veteran who survived the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor.  Now over 90 years old, Mr. Morris shared his inspirational story of courage and determination from December 7, 1941.

    Originally from Cecil County, Maryland, Mr. Morris joined the Navy and was serving aboard the USS California on the day Pearl Harbor was bombed.  After a torpedo hit his ship, he rushed to rescue his fellow service members and fetch ammo. While he was below deck, a second strike blew him back 100 feet and burned him across his body.

    After making it onto one of the last lifeboats and finding his way to shore, Mr. Morris was told by a triage doctor at the Honolulu aid station that there was no way to save his life. The doctor ordered him wrapped in gauze to make him more comfortable, and urged him to prepare for death. The next morning, the astonished doctor found that Mr. Morris was in fact, very much alive – and ready to get back in the fight.

    Mr. Morris spent two full months recovering from his injuries, motivated by his desire to fight for his country at a time it needed him. He made a remarkable recovery and immediately joined the crew of a destroyer, where he worked his way up to the rank of gunner’s mate, third class. After fighting honorably, eventually, skin damage caused by his burns required him to return home to his family farm.

    “Extraordinary stories of courage from our military veterans are key threads in the rich fabric of our nation’s history,” Chris said.  “Mr. Morris’ story was touching and inspirational, and I am deeply honored to have had the opportunity to hear him describe that terrifying day aboard the USS California first-hand.  His lasting legacy of service and sacrifice will continue to inspire Americans for generations to come.”

    The Delaware Veterans Home provides long-term care services to Delaware veterans and it is the only facility of its kind in the state.

    Tags:
    Delaware
    Military
    Navy
    Veterans
  • Washington Post joins Senator Coons' call for a better plan on al Qaeda takeover of northern Mali

    Flag for What We're Reading

    In an editioral appearing in Monday's editions, The Washington Post joined Senator Coons' call for a better plan on al Qaeda's takeover of northern Mali. Senator Coons chaired a hearing on the situation there last week, noting that the space now controlled by al Qaeda is roughly the size of Texas and is the largest terrorist-controlled area in the world.

    ACCORDING TO the Obama administration, northern Mali “has become a safe haven for extremist and terrorist groups, including al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb and affiliates” — the same forces linked to the deadly Sept. 11 assault on the U.S. mission in Libya. Northern Mali, says Sen. Christopher A. Coons (D-Del.), chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations subcommittee on Africa, has become “the largest territory controlled by Islamic extremists in the world.” A Taliban-style rule of stonings and amputations has been imposed, and a dire emergency is unfolding: 400,000 civilians have fled their homes, and, the United Nations says, 600,000 children under the age of 5 are threatened by severe malnutrition.

    Not to worry. U.N. officials say that the terrorists will be subdued by a military intervention — but not before the fall of 2013.

    ...

    The Obama administration, for its part, is insisting that military action must be preceded by a multi-step political process, including democratic elections for a new Malian government and negotiations with groups in northern Mali that are not part of al-Qaeda. One, Ansar Dine, has imposed fundamentalist rule on Timbuktu and destroyed many of its priceless religious and cultural monuments, but the theory is that it can be detached from the transnational terrorists.

    Negotiations, which began this month, are certainly worth a try. But it’s also worth bearing in mind what is happening while this process drags on. As a Malian minister told the Security Council, “there are floggings, amputation of limbs, summary executions, children forced to become soldiers, rapes, stoning, looting and the destruction of cultural and historical sites.” Perhaps the diplomats in Turtle Bay can conclude it’s prudent to allow such atrocities to continue for another 10 or 12 months. But morality as well as common sense suggests that intervention must come sooner.

    Click here to read the Post's full editorial.

    Tags:
    Africa
    al Qaeda
    Foreign Relations
    Mali
    United Nations
    What We're Reading
  • The Senator’s Week Ahead Schedule: Dec. 10 – Dec. 16

    The Week Ahead

    Wednesday, December 12 at 9:00 a.m. — The Senator will participate in a Democratic Steering and Outreach Committee meeting with labor and progressive community leaders.  The meeting will focus on the economy, job creation, the fiscal cliff and shared legislation priorities for the 113th Congress.  Mansfield Room, S-207, U.S. Capitol, Washington, D.C.

    Thursday, December 13 at 4:00 p.m. — The Senator will preside over the Senate until 5:00 p.m.  Senate Chamber, U.S. Capitol, Washington, D.C. – Open to press who wish to sit in the Senate Gallery.

    Thursday, December 13 at 5:00 p.m. — The Senator will attend the National Guard’s 376th Birthday Celebration. The National Guard, the oldest component of the Armed Forces of the United States and one of the nation's longest-enduring institutions, will celebrate its 376th birthday on December 13, 2012. Today, tens of thousands of Guardmembers are serving in harm's way in Iraq and Afghanistan, as the National Guard continues its historic dual mission, providing to the states units trained and equipped to protect life and property, while also providing to the nation units trained, equipped and ready to defend the United States and its interests globablly. G-50 Dirksen Senate Office Building, Washington, D.C. – Open to press.

    Saturday, December 15 at 10:00 a.m. —The Senator will speak at the Delaware State University Commencement Ceremony. This will be Delaware State University’s first December Commencement to highlight the hard work of 250 new graduates. Reverend Ellis B. Louden, pastor of Mount Zion AME Church in Dover, will serve as commencement speaker.  Delaware State University, 1200 N. DuPont Highway, Dover, DE – Open to press.

    Saturday, December 15 at 3:00 p.m. —The Senator will attend the Boys Scout Banquet and Eagle Scout Ceremony. Ten Eagle Scouts from Troop 29, of Wilmington, Delaware, will be attending the event and have an opportunity to chat with Senator Coons about service and leadership. Red Clay Presbyterian Assembly Hall, 500 McKennans Church Road, Wilmington, DE

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  • Video: Honoring Human Rights Day

    Senator Chris Coons took to the Senate floor on Monday to recognize December 10 as Human Rights Day. During the speech, he calls on his colleagues to continue to fight for ensuring that all people are free to exercise their basic human rights.

  • Video: Hanukkah greeting from Senator Chris Coons

    As Hanukkah begins, my wife Annie and I extend our warm personal wishes to all Delawareans celebrating the festival of lights.

  • Video: Senator Coons calls for Congress to address unemployment insurance before time runs out

    If Congress fails to act by the end of the year, approximately 2 million Americans would stop receiving their weekly unemployment checks, no matter where they are in the federal program. Senator Coons called on his colleagues to extend unemployment insurance before time runs out.

  • CRPD would not impact homeschooling

    There are some false and damaging rumors about the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities causing real concern in Delaware and elsewhere. Our office has heard from Delawareans concerned that ratification of this treaty would impact their right to homeschool their children with disabilities, if they choose to do so.

    Senator Coons took those concerns seriously, and he checked with Department of Justice directly. What he heard – what he confirmed, with absolute certainty – should put the minds of these parents at ease.

    Ratification of this treaty will not do anything to change existing American law, rules or enforcement on homeschooling. The right of families who wish to homeschool their children to do so will be protected, no matter what.  

    Nor does the treaty erode one iota of American sovereignty.

    It does not hand over any authority to any international body. It does not burden us with any new obligations or expenses. It does not require us to do anything but comply with our own, already existing law – a law that has been in place for 22 years. Any rights that Americans have now, they will continue to have if this treaty is ratified. Period. 

    Tags:
    Disabilities
  • Senator Coons calls for extension of unemployment insurance benefits

    Senator Coons and 41 of his colleagues wrote to Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid and Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell to call for an extension of unemployment insurance for millions of out-of-work Americans. You can read the letter below:

    Tags:
    Letter
    Unemployment
  • The Senator’s Week Ahead Schedule: Dec. 3 – Dec. 9

    The Week Ahead

    Monday, December 3 at 11:00 a.m. – The Senator will speak at “A Call to Action: Collaboratively Ending Homelessness in Delaware,” hosted by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development and the U.S. Interagency Council on Homelessness. This discussion will allow participants to engage in dialogue about strategies, tools and action steps Delaware’s nonprofit executives can take to maximize available resources to end homelessness in the First State. Community Services Building, 100 West 10th Street, Wilmington, DE - Closed to press.

    Monday, December 3 at 2:00 p.m. — The Senator will preside over the Senate until 4:00 p.m.  Senate Chamber, U.S. Capitol, Washington, D.C. – Open to press who wish to sit in the Senate Gallery.

    Tuesday, December 4 at 10:00 a.m. — The Senator will preside over the Senate until 11:00 a.m.  Senate Chamber, U.S. Capitol, Washington, D.C. – Open to press who wish to sit in the Senate Gallery.

    Tuesday, December 4 at 11:30 a.m. — The Senator will attend a U.S.-Morocco Business Development Conference hosted by the U.S. Department of State. The conference will focus on Morocco’s economy and America’s trade relationship with Morocco. U.S. Department of State, 2201 C Street NW, Washington D.C. – Closed to press.

    Wednesday, December 5 at 9:00 a.m. – The Senator will chair a Senate Foreign Relations Subcommittee on African Affairs hearing on Mali. The hearing, entitled “AssessingDevelopments in Mali: Restoring Democracy and Reclaiming the North,” will include testimony from the following witnesses: The Honorable Johnnie Carson, Assistant Secretary for African Affairs, U.S. Department of State;  The Honorable Earl Gast, Assistant Administrator for Africa, U.S. Agency for International Development; Ms. Amanda Dory, Deputy Assistant Secretary for Africa, Department of Defense; Dr. Christopher Fomunyoh, Senior Associate and Regional Director for Central and West Africa, National Democratic Institute; Ms. Corinne Dufka, Senior Researcher, Africa Division, Human Rights Watch; and Mr. Nii Akuetteh, Independent Policy Researcher. 419 Dirksen Senate Office Building, Washington, D.C. Open to press.

    Thursday, December 6 at 4:00 p.m. — The Senator will attend and honorary-host the Taste of Delaware celebration of Delaware Day in Washington. On December 7, 1787, Delaware became the first state in the nation to ratify the U.S. Constitution. Senator Carper and Congressman Carney will be among the many proud Delawareans who attend this event, which is hosted by the Delaware State Chamber of Commerce and brings Delaware restaurants and beverage-makers. Kennedy Caucus Room, 325 Russell Senate Office Building, Washington, D.C. – Open to press.

    Friday, December 7 at 10:45 a.m. —The Senator will speak at a USDA grant announcement for rural housing development. During the event, Senator Coons will discuss the USDA Rural Development funds that have been allocated for the recruitment, loan packaging, and related activities for prospective self-help housing applicants throughout Kent and Sussex Counties. Milford Housing Development Corp., 977 East Masten Circle, Milford, DE – Open to press.

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    Tags:
    Schedule
  • Video: Senator Coons talks Susan Rice and DRC on MSNBC

    Senator Coons talked with MSNBC's Andrea Mitchell on Thursday about the possible nomination of U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Susan Rice as Secretary of State, and about the developing crisis in the Democratic Republic of Congo. 

    Senator Coons is chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Subcommittee on African Affairs.

    You can watch the interview below: