Last week, Senator Coons took part in a launch celebration unveiling the new Horn Program in Entrepreneurship at UD.
Made possible by a generous gift from Charles and Patricia Horn, this program will encourage students to pursue the kind of entrepreneurial ideas that will power Delaware’s economy for years to come.
The Horn program will enhance and expand entrepreneurial studies at UD and be made up of a variety of initiatives like the Venture Development Center, a student business incubator, Hen Hatch, UD’s premier startup funding competition and an annual President’s Forum on Innovation and Entrepreneurship. It will also support new curricular offerings at both the undergraduate and graduate levels.
Chris believes that supporting our innovators and entrepreneurs is critical to our economic recovery.
To read more about his work to create jobs and promote American economic competitiveness, click here.
The New York Times reported Friday on Senator Coons’ meeting in Havana with President Raúl Castro of Cuba. During an official visit to Cuba, Haiti and Colombia, Senator Coons - along with five other members of Congress - lobbied for the release of imprisoned American aid worker, Alan Gross.
The meeting with Mr. Castro was the first high-level contact since former President Jimmy Carter dined with him in April 2010. The imprisonment of Mr. Gross has chilled any thaw that might have happened in the wake of the resignation of the longtime Cuban leader, Fidel Castro, and the assumption of the presidency by his brother Raúl.
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Mr. Coons said he was firm that Mr. Gross’s release must come first. “My message back was before anything else can be discussed, we have to make progress on our humanitarian concerns, and that means releasing Alan Gross,” he said.
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Mr. Coons said the main goal of the talks was to assure Mr. Gross that his case remains the main impediment to diplomatic overtures.
The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights released its annual Congressional Voting Record on Tuesday, highlighting the position of members of Congress on civil and human rights issues.
In historical terms, the session was one of the least productive on record with little to no work on the advancement of civil rights. Senator Coons, however, has remained an ardent supporter of advancing civil rights and received a perfect score on the Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights’ voting record.
The scorecard, which covers the first session of the 112th Congress, outlines how U.S. senators and representatives voted and whether they co-sponsored legislation on priority issues affecting education, economic security, and civil rights. Chris is one of 38 senators to receive a perfect 100 percent rating for the first half of the 112th Congress.
The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights is a coalition charged by its diverse membership of more than 200 national organizations to promote and protect the civil and human rights of all persons in the United States. Through advocacy and outreach to targeted constituencies, The Leadership Conference works toward the goal of a more open and just society – an America as good as its ideals.
Founded in 1950, The Leadership Conference works to effect meaningful legislation, policies, and executive branch appointments, and to ensure the proper enforcement of civil rights laws to unite us as a nation true to its promise of equal justice, equal opportunity, and mutual respect.
In today’s global economy, it is critical for American businesses to be able to sell their goods and services to customers overseas. Senator Coons has been working to ensure Delaware businesses have access to the more than 95 percent of the world’s consumers who live outside the United States.
At his first Opportunity: Africa conference held this year in Wilmington, Senator Coons worked to connect Delawareans with some of the nation’s leading authorities on sustainable development and trade with Africa to help open new markets for Delaware businesses.
President Obama’s budget proposal contains several important programs that can help meet that goal. For example:
Export promotion. The budget provides an increase of $19 million, for a total of $432 million, to strengthen efforts at five international trade-related agencies to promote and enforce international trade, and meet the goals of the National Export Initiative. The funding will be divided among the Export-Import Bank, the U.S. Trade and Development Agency, the office of the U.S. Trade Representative, the U.S. International Trade Commission and the Overseas Private Investment Corporation.
Economic Diplomacy. Included in the State Department budget is funds for economic diplomacy and export promotion with the goal of increasing the number of “market-oriented economic and commercial policy activities and accomplishments” by 15 percent by September 2013.
It was fitting that President Obama unveiled his budget at a community college, because his plan focuses heavily on ensuring the next generation of American workers have access to an affordable higher education.
This is a top priority for Senator Coons, who said “if we are to compete and succeed in the global economy, we have to invest now in the training and education required for highly skilled, good quality jobs. If we have the right workforce, we can revitalize American manufacturing so products are made in America and manufactured in Delaware.”
In analyzing the President’s budget request, there are a several key programs related to college access, including:
Race to the Top: College Affordability and Completion. The budget proposes a $1 billion investment in a new Race to the Top challenge for states to spur higher education reform that will help improve affordability, quality, productivity, and degree completion.
First in the World Fund. The budget proposes a new $55 million First in the World Fund that introduces an evidence-based framework to test, validate, and scale up effective strategies to improve higher education.
Community College to Career Fund. Co-administered by the Department of Labor and the Department of Education, this fund will help forge partnerships between community colleges and businesses to train workers for good-paying jobs in high-growth and high-demand industries, such as health care, transportation, and advanced manufacturing.
In reviewing President Obama’s budget proposal, Senator Coons was especially interested in programs to create good-quality jobs and help Delaware and America compete and win in a global economy.
To achieve these goals, Chris has actively supported manufacturing programs, as well investments in research and development, in previous legislation. President Obama zeroed in on some of these same solutions in his budget. Highlights include:
Manufacturing Tax Incentives. The budget plan includes tax incentives for manufacturers who create jobs here and doubles the deduction for advanced manufacturing. It also ends tax deductions for shipping jobs overseas and creates a Manufacturing Communities Tax Credit to encourage investment in communities affected by job loss.
Innovation Corps. The Administration proposes $19 million for a new public-private “Innovation Corps” program aimed at bringing together the technological, entrepreneurial, and business know-how necessary to bring discoveries ripe for innovation out of the university lab.
Research and Development. The budget blueprint makes the R&D tax credit permanent, an idea Senator Coons strongly supports and has introduced as legislation because of its importance to economic competitiveness. The budget proposal includes an overall number of $140.8 billion for R&D and increases the level of investment in non-defense R&D by 5 percent from the 2012 level as well as provides $2.2 billion for advanced manufacturing R&D, a 19% increase over 2012.
International Trade Administration. Proposed funding for this program, which promotes exports and trade enforcement, is increased by $60 million, or 14%.
The League of Conservations Voters (LCV) released its 2011 National Environmental Scorecard on Tuesday, providing new insight into how members of Congress voted on a wide range of environmental issues. During a year when the LCV saw an unparallel assault on our environmental wellbeing, Senator Coons remained committed to protecting our environment for future generations and received a perfect score on the LCV’s 2011 Scorecard.
The 2011 Scorecard includes 11 Senate and a record 35 House votes on issues ranging from public health protections to clean energy to land and wildlife conservation. Chris was one of 31 senators to earn a perfect 100% score.
For over 40 years, the National Environmental Scorecard issued by LCV has been the nationally accepted yardstick used to rate members of Congress on environmental, public health and energy issues.
Senator Coons, a leader on protecting American innovation, has worked with Delaware businesses large and small on solutions to prevent foreign criminals from pirating their products, designs or ideas. This type of intellectual property theft affects tens of thousands of jobs in Delaware.
After a Senate vote on the PROTECT IP Act was delayed, Chris said “I have heard from a significant number of Delawareans on the issue this week through both digital and traditional channels and I deeply appreciate their engagement. I passionately share their concern for protecting Internet freedom and will bear it in mind as we move forward on this and future legislation.”
In a statement to the press, Chris continued “We cannot pretend that online piracy isn't an issue, nor can we pretend that the Internet can be a lawless domain. Tech companies cannot blindly profit from the theft of American intellectual property, just as content providers cannot pretend that their products exist in a vacuum. They must learn to cohabitate the Internet space, and to work constructively with Congress on a fair legal infrastructure for policing that space. Congress will not turn away from its role in crafting a responsible balance that accommodates both property and freedom. “
Just a few minutes ago the Senate voted to approve a deal negotiated by Majority Leader Harry Reid and Speaker John Boehner that will avert a shutdown of the federal government. Senator Coons was presiding over the Senate during the historic moment, putting him in a position to declare "The ayes appear to have it... the ayes do have it" and make the vote official.
In a statement released moments after the vote, Chris said he was "pleased that leaders in the Senate and House were able to reach a budget agreement tonight to avoid a shutdown of the federal government, which would have had wide-ranging, negative impacts on Delawareans and all Americans. It is my hope that the serious discussions in future budget negotiations are not similarly delayed by ideological debates over social policy."
Throughout February, Americans celebrated Black History Month and honored the important role of African Americans in our national history, politics, and society. In Delaware, home to a vibrant African American community dating back over 350 years, communities marked the occasion with poetry readings, art displays, and lectures at the University of Delaware, the Christina Cultural Arts Center, and other venues.
Senator Coons joined with New York Senator Kirsten Gillibrand in leading the Senate’s tribute to Black History Month, when he cosponsored a resolution (S. Res. 49) honoring the efforts of African Americans in building a stronger and more equal America.
“It’s a great tradition that this month each year we honor the extraordinary contributions African Americans have made to Delaware and our nation,” Chris said on February 18. “But as we pause to honor the efforts that have come before, let us also remember the work still before us. It is up to each and every one of us, regardless of the color of our skin, to carry the mantle and fight for the equality of all Americans. I was honored to join my colleagues this week in celebrating Black History Month.”
The Senate also unanimously passed S. Con. Res. 6, which “commends the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People on the occasion of its anniversary for its work to ensure the political, educational, social, and economic equality of all people.” Chris was also an original cosponsor of this resolution, introduced by Senator Ben Cardin of Maryland.
“The NAACP has helped advanced the cause of equality for African Americans for 102 years, harnessing the power of peaceful social and political change to lead during times of hardship and hostility," Chris said. "The organization has given voice to so many whose voices had long been ignored. It truly deserves a whole nation’s gratitude.”
