U.S. Senator Chris Coons of Delaware

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Judiciary Committee

Judiciary Committee

Judiciary Committee

Promoting Justice and Competitiveness Through a Responsible, Responsive Law Enforcement and a Qualified, Capable Judiciary

Promoting justice through the rule of law is essential to our nation politically, economically, and morally. As a member of the the Senate Judiciary Committee, Chris will work to ensure that Delaware’s law enforcement and courts have the resources they need to protect the well-being of our communities.

The Senate Judiciary Committee also promotes American economic competitiveness by overseeing U.S. intellectual property laws. Chris will work to foster a strong and efficient intellectual property system that protects our country’s inventors, artists, businesses, and the contributions they make to Delaware’s economy.

Chris’ judicial priorities include:

  • Implementing of patent reforms that promote American innovation and competitiveness. The ability to patent new technologies is central to maintaining job growth and economic competitiveness abroad. Innovation will be key to reigniting our manufacturing sector and promoting economic vitality for all Delawareans. Chris strongly supports efforts to improve patent quality and to reduce the backlog by streamlining the patent application process and giving the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office the resources it needs to review applications expeditiously and produce high-quality patents.
  • Protecting American intellectual property. Just as we need to expedite the patent filing and review process, we must also ensure that those patents are recognized and respected abroad. Chris will press for greater international protections for the rights of American intellectual property owners.
  • Providing assistance to state and local law enforcement. Delaware’s state and local law enforcement agencies protect our communities with effective assistance from the federal government. Chris will champion their efforts by ensuring that Delaware’s police officers continue to receive adequate funding and up-to-date resources from the federal level.
  • Maintaining the strength of Delaware’s bankruptcy court system. Delaware’s bankruptcy court is renowned for having some of the country’s most well-respected judges and practitioners. `Given that many of these judgeships are set to expire without renewal, Chris will work to make sure that Delaware’s bankruptcy court retains its current capacity and remains a preferred venue nationwide for filing and conducting bankruptcy cases.
  • Full inclusion of the LGBT community. No one in our country should be denied equal rights and protection under the law on the basis of sexual orientation. LGBT Americans are involved in every aspect of our national life and we must ensure that they are equally able to pursue the American Dream.. This includes promoting measures to eradicate workplace discrimination and combating bullying targeted at LGBT youth.
  • Repealing the Defense of Marriage Act. Marriage is a human right. Every American deserves the chance to marry the partner of his or her choice. The Defense of Marriage Act is not only a burden on individuals and their freedom but also on the rights of states to have their citizens’ marriages recognized by the federal government. Congress should repeal this act and do it quickly.
  • Promoting a capable, impartial judiciary. Civil rights, economic rights, and political rights depend on a federal judiciary that is fair, impartial, and qualified. In order to attract quality candidates for public service on the bench, Chris believes that we need to fix our broken system of judicial nomination and confirmation. Good judging is not political and neither should be the Senate’s confirmation process. Judicial nominees should be evaluated on their merits, not on the ability to score political points by unfairly distorting their record.

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