In a personal speech on the Senate floor this week, Senator Coons shared his own first-hand account of the climate change impacts he has witnessed during trips to Glacier National Park in Montana, the Santa Marta Mountains in Colombia, and at home in Delaware. He urged his colleagues in Congress to take action now – to support clean energy and energy efficiency and back responsible limits on harmful carbon emissions – so we can change the course of our future and leave our children a healthier world. Read his full remarks here: http://1.usa.gov/SAoDDB
Senator Coons applauded the Supreme Court’s 6-2 ruling on Tuesday upholding the EPA’s Cross-State Air Pollution Rule (CSAPR), which establishes controls to reduce the flow of air pollution across state lines. The CSAPR requires Eastern and Midwestern states to curb power plant emissions that contribute to air pollution in downwind states like Delaware, Maryland, and Connecticut. Delaware is already in compliance with the rule, which falls under the Clean Air Act’s “Good Neighbor” provision.
“Air pollution doesn’t stop at state borders. As a downwind state, Delaware suffers the consequences when our neighbors pollute the air. Our state has done its part to curb harmful emissions, but pollution from neighboring states continues to threaten the health of our communities. The EPA’s Cross-State Air Pollution Rule will ensure our neighbors do their part to reduce harmful emissions and meet healthy clean air standards. I commend the Supreme Court’s decision to uphold this critical protection for Delaware and our East Coast neighbors.”
Carried by wind and weather, sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxide released by power plants travel long distances and result in harmful levels of smog and soot in downwind communities. In Delaware, this pollution has resulted in serious and costly public health consequences, including asthma, bronchitis, heart attacks, and premature death. The CSAPR will slash millions of tons of smokestack pollution, improving air quality in Delaware and reducing the health, environmental, and economic costs associated with air pollution.
Chris has strongly supported implementation of the CSAPR and has repeatedly opposed efforts in the Senate to block the rule, as well as other EPA regulations under the Clean Air Act aimed at reducing air pollution and curbing greenhouse gas emissions.
Energy poverty is one of the most significant challenges facing Africa today. Seventy percent of Sub-Saharan Africans – and 85 percent of those living rural areas – are currently living without access to electricity.
Pervasive energy poverty undermines economic growth and development goals in health, education, and institution-building across the continent. Businesses have repeatedly cited the lack of reliable energy access in Sub-Saharan Africa as a more significant impediment to doing business than corruption, access to capital, and other challenges. More than 90 million schoolchildren across the continent lack access to this basic educational resource and 30 percent of health facilities are without electricity. Toxic fumes from kerosene – the chemical used to light homes – lead to more than 3 million deaths per year, more than HIV/AIDs and malaria combined.
The Power Africa initiative, launched by President Obama in June 2013, seeks to double the number of individuals with access to electricity in Sub-Saharan Africa by producing at least 10,000 megawatts of more efficient, cost effective, and sustainable electricity generation capacity on the continent. By 2020, it aims to increase electricity access for at least 20 million new households and commercial entities, enhance the energy resource management capabilities of partner countries, and increase regional cross-border energy trade.
To achieve these goals, the U.S. government and private sector have made approximately $20 billion in commitments to expanding energy access and generation across Sub-Saharan Africa in the next five years, especially in the six Power Africa focus countries – Kenya, Tanzania, Ghana, Liberia, Nigeria, and Ethiopia.
Senator Coons, chair of the Foreign Relations Subcommittee on African Affairs, will chair a hearing on Thursday to examine questions surrounding Power Africa’s scope, implementation and sustainability. The hearing will feature testimony from witnesses leading Power Africa’s implementation, including USAID Assistant Administrator for Africa Earl Gast, OPIC Executive Vice President Mimi Alemayehou, and Ex-Im Africa Director Rick Angiuoni. Additional witnesses include Tony Elumelu, Chairman of Heirs Holdings and Founder of the Tony Elumelu Foundation; Paul Hinks, CEO of Symbion Power; Del Renigar, Senior Council for Global Government Affairs Policy for General Electric; and Tom Hart, U.S. Executive Director of the ONE Campaign. Their testimony will help to inform the Foreign Relations Committee’s future consideration of legislation to provide congressional authorization for Power Africa.
The hearing will be held Thursday, March 27 at 10:30 a.m. in the Senate Foreign Relations Committee Hearing Room, 419 Dirksen Senate Office Building. Click here to view a live webcast of the hearing.
Senator Coons questioned Secretary of State John Kerry about funding for the Power Africa initiative at a hearing of the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on State and Foreign Operations earlier this month. Click here to watch their exchange.
The Washington Post published an article Thursday on the public health consequences of recently enacted anti-homosexuality laws in Nigeria, Uganda, and elsewhere – specifically citing their negative impact on the fight against HIV/AIDS.
It is the job of public health officials to account for the reality of human behavior in pursuit of the public good. Anti-gay laws complicate that task in practical ways. MSM who are afraid of prosecution and violence are less likely to attend meetings where they are given education, condoms and lubricants. Less likely to be honest with their physicians about their sexual histories. Less likely to be tested for AIDS and receive treatment and care. And more likely to inadvertently infect others.
When Western governments lecture African countries about their retrograde views, it can feed a populist, anti-colonial backlash. When donors threaten to cut off aid, it can cause lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender activists to cringe — fearing they will be scapegoated for the punishment of their whole country.
What might be more effective is a forceful health-related message. This is an area in which civil rights — starting out with a simple zone of personal privacy — is a requirement of public health. Nations such as Nigeria and Uganda are committed to ambitious objectives in fighting AIDS. Those goals are unachievable while any group is targeted for discrimination and excluded from effective outreach.
Senator Coons, chair of the Senate Foreign Relations African Affairs Subcommittee, spoke out against the enactment of Uganda’s Anti-Homosexuality Bill in February calling the law “a setback for human rights around the world” and appeared on MSNBC earlier this month to discuss steps the U.S. can take to combat the law and stand up for Uganda’s LGBT community.
The League of Conservation Voters (LCV) has once again recognized Senator Coons’ strong environmental voting record, awarding him a 92 percent rating for 2013 in their latest National Environmental Scorecard. The scorecard provides objective, factual information about the most important environmental legislation considered by Congress and the corresponding voting records of all members. Senator Coons’ lifetime rating is now 95 percent.
The 2013 LCV scorecard includes 13 Senate votes that demonstrate Chris’ commitment to addressing important environmental issues affecting Delaware and the nation. Chris scored above the Senate average by 35 percent and Delaware was noted as one of 26 states with an average score above 90, thanks to high scores from all three members of the Delaware congressional delegation.
At home in Delaware and in the Senate, Chris has been a strong voice for environmental conservation, clean and renewable energy development, and measures to curb and combat the effects of climate change. Over the last year, Chris voted for disaster relief for victims of Superstorm Sandy and investments to make our communities more resilient against future storms, as well as to preserve investments in advanced next generation biofuels by the Department of Defense, the nation’s single largest energy user. He also opposed efforts to block EPA regulation of greenhouse gases for the purpose of combating climate change.
Chris advocated heavily for the inclusion of strong conservation provisions in the farm bill approved by Congress last week. He has led a letter to the Appropriations Committee for the past three years urging robust funding for farm bill conservation programs.
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. The Scorecard represents the consensus of experts from 20 respected environmental and conservation organizations who selected the key votes to be scored.
In July, Senator Coons supported a resolution passed by the Senate to proclaim September as National Prostate Cancer Awareness Month. The President and the Senate began issuing this designation in 2001. With nearly 240,000 new cases of prostate cancer expected this year and more than 2.5 million American men living with the disease, there has never been a more important time to increase our understanding of this terrible illness. The Senate resolution declares that steps should be taken to: (1) raise awareness about prostate cancer screening and treatment; (2) increase research funding; and (3) improve access to, and the quality of, health care services for detecting and treating prostate cancer.
One in six men is diagnosed with prostate cancer at some point in his life, and prostate cancer is the second leading cause of cancer death among American men. The chances of prostate cancer increase to one in three if a man has one close relative who has had the disease and to 97 percent with three close relatives.
In Delaware, prostate cancer is the most frequently diagnosed cancer among males, and from 2003 to 2007 there were 3,813 new cases reported. Delaware’s prostate cancer incidence rate of 180.2 per 100,000 men is also significantly higher than the average U.S. rate. African American men are at an increased risk for the disease, with one in four men diagnosed each year, and African American men in Delaware are two times more likely to die from prostate cancer than white men.
Fortunately, early detection and advancements in treatment have resulted in high survival rates. Indeed, with early testing, nearly 100 percent of men diagnosed with prostate cancer were still alive five years later. The proportion of prostate cancer cases in Delaware that are detected in the local stage has increased dramatically over the past 30 years.
This month, Chris’ health policy staff met with a representative from the Delaware Prostate Cancer Coalition who underscored the importance of continued research funding and early detection methods. While prostate cancer has seen remarkable advances, adequate research and early testing remain important tools for combatting the disease. Chris has been a longtime supporter of funding for the National Institute of Health (NIH) and will continue fighting to ensure that the NIH and research centers like the National Cancer Institute have adequate funding to prevent, detect, and treat prostate cancer.
Senator Coons called for renewed, bipartisan efforts to combat pulmonary fibrosis Thursday at a briefing marking National Pulmonary Fibrosis Awareness Month. The briefing, titled “Fatal Fibrotic Diseases: The Challenges and the Path Forward to Finding Cures,” was sponsored by the Coalition for Pulmonary Fibrosis and American Thoracic Society, and brought together patients, advocates, congressional staff, and health experts to examine efforts to better coordinate and expand research on the disease, which claims the lives of 40,000 Americans each year.
“For the thousands of Americans diagnosed each year with pulmonary fibrosis, there has never been a more urgent time to fight for a cure,” Chris said. “While groundbreaking research and medical advances have improved the prognosis for so many diseases in recent years, funding for pulmonary fibrosis research remains scarce and the number of Americans diagnosed with this deadly disease has continued to rise. Pulmonary fibrosis deserves the nation’s dedicated attention and I’m committed to working with my colleagues to support vital research that brings us closer to a cure.”
Pulmonary fibrosis affects the lungs and limits a person’s ability to breathe. There is no known cause, it has no cure, and there are currently no FDA-approved treatments. Most patients with pulmonary fibrosis live only three to five years after diagnosis. In the United States alone, more than 200,000 people are living with pulmonary fibrosis, with 48,000 more diagnosed each year.
Since his election to the Senate, Chris has carried on the pulmonary fibrosis advocacy work begun by former Delaware Congressman Mike Castle, who spent years working tirelessly in the House to shine a brighter light on the disease.
“The pulmonary fibrosis community is engaged, motivated, and making progress, and Congress must follow their lead,” Chris said. “Pulmonary fibrosis doesn’t discriminate along party lines and neither should our efforts. That’s why I am working to develop a new, bipartisan bill that looks at fibrosis more broadly, provides the resources that are needed for the National Institutes of Health, comes up with a research gameplan, and engages the whole community. It is my real hope that the conversations we’re having today will continue to advance and refine that agenda so that we can continue making inroads against this devastating disease.”
Sponsored by the Coalition for Pulmonary Fibrosis, National Pulmonary Fibrosis Awareness Month includes a congressional briefing, patient advocate meetings on Capitol Hill, and a patient education day co-hosted with the American Thoracic Society and Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, among other dedicated events.
Total Parenteral Nutrition (TPN) drugs play an integral role in the growth and immune system health of newborns and children who cannot digest nutrients on their own. Unfortunately, TPN drugs have been in critical shortage for several months. Since 2010, there have been 300 drug, vitamin, and trace element shortages in the United States, the highest number ever recorded by the University of Utah Drug Information Service.
Prompted by an article entitled, “Children Are Dying”, in the Washingtonian magazine, several Delawareans first brought this issue to Senator Coons’ attention in May. The Senator’s staff subsequently met with representatives of Nemours, a non-profit health organization that operates A.I. duPont Children’s Hospital in Wilmington, Delaware. Nemours representatives confirmed that TPN drug shortages are a life-threatening problem for many newborns and are directly affecting the quality of care in neonatal intensive care units in Delaware and across the country.
The shortage began after American Regent, the leading provider of TPN drugs, temporarily halted operations in late 2012 when U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) investigators found particulate matter in the company’s injectable products. Though the company was set to reopen after 30 days, it is still not fully operational. The FDA is working to import drugs from trusted foreign manufacturers, but has faced challenges due to the strenuous approval process and strict FDA requirements.
Thankfully, in late May, the FDA had a breakthrough with the importation of trace elements and phosphate injections from a Norwegian plant. The agency has also begun importing critical nutrients like calcium chloride and intra-lipids. Although zinc shortages remain an issue, the FDA is continuing to look for new importers and to assist suspended manufacturers in resuming production. While there is no clear indication of when and to what level domestic production will resume, the FDA has made resolving the TPN shortage a top priority. Additionally, various legislative and executive efforts, such as President Obama’s 2011 Executive Order requiring drug manufacturers to notify the FDA when a shortage appeared imminent, have proven successful in enabling the FDA to recognize shortages early and proactively identify alternate drug suppliers and manufacturers.
This is good news for hospitals, like A.I. duPont Children’s Hospital, that treat vulnerable patients like newborns and chronically ill children who rely on TPN drugs for survival. The FDA is continuing to work with domestic drug manufacturers to get operations back online as quickly as possible and ensure that the necessary drugs, vitamins, and trace-elements get to our nation’s hospitals. Our staff will continue to monitor the TPN drug shortage situation and keep Delawareans informed of its progress.
Senator Coons attended a Regional Patient Advocacy Leaders Summit hosted by the American Lung Association last week. This summit gave staff, volunteers and leaders in patient advocacy the opportunity to learn about issues on the horizon. The summit also included networking and discussions of new avenues for advocacy.
Senator Coons addressed about 70 regional patient advocates. He talked about the bipartisan Pulmonary Fibrosis Research Enhancement Act of 2011, a bill he introduced to increase the awareness, understanding and research being done to find the root cause – and a cure – for Pulmonary Fibrosis. He also discussed the implementation of the Affordable Care Act, which has already helped 6,000 young Delawareans get insurance.
For more on Chris’ work on health care, click here.
On Thursday, Senator Coons joined Senator Carper and Congressman Carney at the Delaware Children’s Museum in Wilmington to announce two federal grants awarded to Nemours for a combined total of nearly $6 million to help build healthier communities.
“These grants will serve tens of thousands of Delawareans, helping them live happier, healthier lives,” Chris said. In his remarks, he reiterated the significant impact that these grants will have on preventative care and early intervention, touching upon how it could enact change in areas such as the struggle with obesity and chronic diseases in young children.
For more on Chris’ work on health care, click here.
