Senator Coons, chair of the Senate Foreign Relations Subcommittee on African Affairs, questioned Secretary of State John Kerry about funding for the President’s Power Africa initiative, the peacekeeping mission in the Central African Republic, humanitarian challenges in Sudan and South Sudan, wildlife trafficking, and other Africa priorities in the State Department budget at a hearing of the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on State and Foreign Operations on Thursday. Watch the full exchange below. Secretary Kerry's remarks begin at 4:13.
At the second meeting of the budget conference committee Wednesday, Senator Coons questioned Congressional Budget Office Director Douglas Elmendorf about the impact of Congress’ current spending decisions on the nation’s economic competitiveness and the long-term unemployed.
“You've testified before that not all cuts are the same, and that there are some ways in which we are cutting that are hurting our long-term competitiveness,” Senator Coons said. “That short-term cuts in things like education, or infrastructure, or research and development produce longer-term reductions in our capacity, and that we should be prioritizing things that will accelerate growth – that we should not be simply trying to get through this difficult fiscal time in a way that focuses on austerity; that we should also be investing in a way that sustains growth.”
When asked about policies that could accelerate growth and help the long-term unemployed, Director Elmendorf said, “Of all non-defense discretionary spending, half represents investment of some sort. About 20 percent of non-defense discretionary spending is investment in physical capital, such as highways, another 15 percent goes for education and training, and about 10 percent goes for R&D, such as health research. Over all, we think those investments help to build a stronger economy in the future and cutbacks in those investments would reduce output and income in the future.”
The problem of long-term unemployment, Elmendorf noted, also “has important economic effects over time… It poses a very large risk of there being some set of people who will not find their way back to work at all or will not find their way to the productive sort of work that they were in before they lost their jobs.”
Elmendorf said the CBO has “reviewed the evidence on a large number of different ways of trying to help people get back into the labor force,” a number of which “have been successful on a small scale and have not been tried on a large scale.” Elmendorf pledged to work with Senator Coons on developing policies that help the long-term unemployed get back to work.
Senator Coons spoke on the Senate floor Wednesday, sharing another letter written by a furloughed Delawarean, and walking through the events leading up to the government shutdown, including the Senate's passage of a budget, progress on Appropriations bills, the sequester, and now this manufactured crisis. Senator Coons explained how we arrived at this point, and the ways in which Democrats have compromised and tried to negotiate, only to be rebuffed, blocked, or otherwise prevented from making reasonable progress.
Barring a last-minute change of heart by members of the House of Representatives, at midnight tonight, the government of the United States of America will shut down for the first time in 17 years.
It is as embarrassing as it is frustrating.
There is no reality where the Senate and President Obama agree to repeal the Affordable Care Act — which was passed by Congress, upheld by the Supreme Court, and sustained in the last presidential election — but the House of Representatives has been unrelenting in its drive to tear it down. They know that shutting down the government won’t stop the new health insurance marketplace from opening tomorrow, but are determined to make their point, no matter the cost to our nation.
Delawareans deserve better than this.
There are too many important things Congress should be working on — helping businesses create jobs and grow our economy, first among them — for it to be wasting its time on these needless partisan conflicts.
Congress should be working together to invest in our nation’s aging infrastructure, revitalize our schools, and keep our communities safe.
It can’t seem to pass laws anymore, but Congress has become very good at manufacturing crises. This one was months in the making, and completely preventable.
I’m a member of the Senate Budget Committee and am proud to have helped write a budget that not only fairly replaces the sequester and responsibly reduces the deficit, but still invests in economic growth. The full Senate debated and ultimately approved that budget, but a few Senate Republicans have blocked negotiations with the House from moving forward — ensuring that the federal government will operate without a budget for the fifth straight year.
I’m also a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, which has passed 11 spending bills for the Senate to consider. We tried to pass one of them earlier this year — the bill funding the departments of Transportation, and Housing and Urban Development, which had bipartisan support in Committee — but Senate Republicans blocked even debate of the measure.
It is insanely frustrating.
I’m doing what I can to bring the Delaware Way to Washington, steering clear of needless partisanship, working with my Republican colleagues on constructive legislation, and generally trying to put our nation’s interests above our political priorities.
I regret that some in Congress have once again delivered us to the doorstep of an economic crisis, but I will continue to do everything I can to bring us back.
If the government does shut down, my offices in Wilmington and Dover will be closed and most of my team will be furloughed. If you wish to weigh in on the shutdown, you can call my Washington office at 202-224-5042. For those in need of individual help with a federal agency, my website will be updated with the direct contact information of those who can help.
A member of the Senate Budget Committee and Senate Appropriations Committee, Senator Coons released his six-page letter to the chairman and ranking member of the Senate Finance Committee detailing his priorities for their effort to reform the nation’s tax code.
As part of their “blank slate” approach to comprehensive tax reform, Senate Finance Committee Chairman Max Baucus (D-Mont.) and Ranking Member Orrin Hatch (R-Utah) gave their colleagues the opportunity to submit letters explaining the tax “expenditures” they’d like to see preserved or added to the tax code. Although senators were given the opportunity to submit their letters confidentially, Senator Coons volunteered to make his letter public.
"America’s tax code is too long, too complex, and unfair," Senator Coons wrote. "It stifles economic growth and the government’s ability to efficiently collect the revenue it needs. We badly need reform that broadens the tax base and lowers tax rates, simplifying a process that wastes too much time and money, and hurts our global competitiveness. We can achieve this kind of reform by following three broad principles: a new code must maintain or increase progressivity, raise revenue to reduce our deficits, and spur economic growth."
The letter highlghted Senator Coons' eight priorities, saying Congress should:
Preserve and strengthen the social safety net;
Encourage savings for retirement;
Protect access to affordable housing and home ownership for families, while making renting more affordable for low-income households;
Incentivize state and local investment in infrastructure, public facilities, and community development;
Make college more affordable;
Broaden access to health insurance, especially by helping small businesses offset the cost of insurance for their employees;
Support policies that help families and caregivers pay for dependents; and
Promote a robust network of non-profit and charitable organizations.
Delaware State Senator Nicole Poore (D-12) came to Washington Thursday to testify before the Senate Budget Committee's Government Performance Task Force — of which Senator Coons is a member — about the efforts of Delaware's Joint Sunset Committee to eliminate redundant and antiquated programs to save tax dollars.
Watch below as Senator Coons questions Senator Poore during the hearing:
DOVER, Del. — Senator Coons visited the Children's Advocacy Center in Dover on Friday, pledging to fight to restore federal funding for the nonprofit centers.
President Barack Obama’s proposed budget for 2014 includes no money for the Victims of Child Abuse Act program, which provides federal funds for some 750 Children’s Advocacy Centers nationwide, including three in Delaware.
Obama’s proposed budget for the current year also included no funding for the centers, but Congress nevertheless appropriated the money.
“I was very angry that a $20 million line item for this program was eliminated in 2013,” Coons, D-Del., said Friday during a visit to the Children’s Advocacy Center in Dover. The similar lack of funding in Obama’s proposed budget for fiscal 2014 was disappointing and represented a “disconnect,” he said.
The News Journal explained why the Children's Advocacy Centers are so important:
The offices, including one in Wilmington, are where trained staff from the center conduct interviews with child victims that are analyzed by a team of legal experts and mental health professionals and used to prosecute abusers. Last fiscal year the center conducted 1,478 such interviews, three-quarters of which were related to sexual abuse cases.
The one-on-one interviews, which take place in the absence of family members who could interfere with a child’s testimony, are aimed at getting a full, single account of the evidence a child victim has to offer.
“Prior to the centers you had children interviewed multiple times, you had children interviewed in police lock-ups and hospital emergency rooms,” Williams said. “Telling their story over and over again, they were being re-traumatized, re-victimized, by the system that was really supposed to help them.”
The State News covered the scope of the Centers' work:
Last fiscal year, 1478 interviews were conducted in Delaware centers. About 75 percent were sexual abuse cases — the average age of the child interviewed was nine.
In 2012, Lewes pediatrician Early Bradley was convicted through evidence gathered at the centers, in what Mr. Williams said is the worst reported instance of mass victimization of children.
“Valuable and important programs are being cut in almost every department,” Sen. Coons said.
“Who’s willing to stand up and fight for something? If nobody fights for it, it gets cut,” he said.
WBOC explained the importance of the federal funding:
Overall, federal funding, including money from the federal Victims of Crime Act, accounts for about 25 percent of the Delaware CAC's $1.3 million budget, Williams said. VOCA funds, which come from criminal fines and penalties and help pay for a forensic interviewer and three mental health specialists in Delaware, are not at issue. But Williams said money from the child abuse act helps pay for office leases in Dover and Georgetown and staffing at the Dover center. And he added a cut in funding could mean a cut in services.
"We don't want to close a center, but that's on the table. We don't want to lay off staff, but that's on the table."
NEWARK, Del. – Senator Coons, a member of the Senate Budget Committee, told more than 250 anti-hunger advocates gathered for a conference Monday that he would continue to stand up for Delawareans who are struggling to make ends meet as Congress looks for ways to reduce the federal government’s dangerous deficits.
“Even in times of tight budgets and program cuts, we have a moral obligation to put a circle of protection around the most vulnerable of our neighbors,” Chris said. “In 2013, in the richest country in the world, in a state that grows some of the healthiest produce and poultry in the country, it is unacceptable that thousands of Delawareans go to sleep at night not sure where their next meal will come from. Out of America’s abundance, we can find the time and the effort and the energy to come together and to meet the needs of the hungry.”
Chris has supported a balanced approach to deficit reduction that does not rely exclusively on cuts to discretionary programs — including anti-poverty and anti-hunger programs — to find savings. Last month he voted on a budget that responsibly reduced our nation’s deficit while making investments in America’s long-term competitiveness and protecting the most vulnerable in our society.
In contrast, the budget passed by the House of Representatives cut the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) by 34 percent over the next five years. The Center on Budget and Policy Priorities reported that, “SNAP cuts of the magnitude that the Ryan budget proposes would almost certainly lead to increases in hunger and poverty.” The non-profit Bread for the World described the proposed cuts as “devastating,” despite “unprecedented levels of need.”
Monday’s all-day conference, Ending Hunger! (Through Citizen Service), was organized by the Delaware Anti-Hunger Coalition and sponsored by the Delaware Department of Health and Social Services. Held at the Christiana Hilton in Newark, it focused on ways to increase access to and participation in children’s nutrition programs, innovative strategies for providing more nutritious foods and recruiting and applying volunteer talent.
The Delaware Anti-Hunger Coalition is comprised of representatives from the nonprofit, business, government, education, faith-based and agricultural sectors. The Coalition works to identify goals, objectives and measurements and make significant contributions towards alleviating, and in many cases eliminating, hunger in the state of Delaware.
With senators expected to take dozens of votes on amendments to the Senate's budget resolution over the next 36 hours, Senator Coons' staff will live-blog the votes to provide some context on how he voted and why.
SATURDAY at 8:00 a.m.
Sessions #614 (Health coverage for immigrants)
This amendment would deny federally subsidized health care for immigrants who were ever unlawfully present in the U.S., even if they ultimately achieve legal status, LPR, or citizenship. This would include participation in Affordable Care Act exchange subsidies. Senator Coons believes this would be unfair to families, youth, seniors (especially because they have to pay federal income taxes). This amendment would affect DREAMers and create a second class of citizenship. Chris voted against the amendment, 43-56.
Inhofe #359 (Greenhouse gases and climate change)
Senator Coons believes that climate change must be confronted head-on and that preventing the EPA from regulating greenhouse gases, as this amendment would do, is dangerous. Climate change is of serious concern to Delaware, especially given the threat of sea level rise. This amendment would limit our ability to mitigate the problem. This amendment would block EPA’s work to use the Clean Air Act to reduce carbon emissions, as they were authorized and mandated to do in a Supreme Court order. The environmental community, including NWF, NRDC, and Sierra Club opposes the amendment. Chris voted against the amendment, which failed, 47-52.
FRIDAY at 11:32 p.m.
Brown #455 (Manufacturing)
Senator Coons supported a bipartisan budget amendment to establish a national network for manufacturing innovation that leverages private and public sector investments for proven United States based manufacturing industries. Chris has been working hard to unleash the power of next-generation manufacturing to create good quality jobs. The amendment passed by voice vote.
FRIDAY at 10:28 p.m.
Casey #442 (Law enforcement)
As a co-chair of the Senate Law Enforcement Caucus, Senator Coons co-sponsored and supported an amendment to help state and local governments implement evidence-based law enforcement tools. Supporters of this amendment include the National Criminal Justice Association, the International Association of Chiefs of Police, the Fraternal Order of Police, the Major Counties Sheriffs Association, the National Sheriffs Association, the National Narcotics Officers Associations Coalition and the National Troopers Coalition. The amendment passed by voice vote.
FRIDAY at 9:31 p.m.
Reed #482 (Energy efficiency)
As a champion for energy efficiency, Senator Coons voted for a budget amendment to invest in energy efficiency retrofit programs and weatherization for low-income households. Chris has said that “energy efficiency is one of the smartest, strongest ways that we can see progress in the country.” The amendment passed by voice vote.
FRIDAY at 8:10 p.m.
Hagan #278 (Service members’ families)
Senator Coons is a co-sponsor and a strong supporter of this amendment to help the families of service members and military veterans by expanding educational opportunities, increasing access to job training and placement services, tracking and reporting on suicides of family members, ensuring high-quality and affordable health care, and improving military housing. The amendment passed by voice vote.
FRIDAY at 7:45 p.m.
Merkley #398 (Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy)
Senator Coons is a strong supporter of ARPA-E, which leads us forward in game-changing energy innovation. He co-sponsored and strongly supported this amendment to increase the funding for ARPA-E in a deficit neutral way. This amendment increases ARPA-E funding by $50 million over 10 years, but offsets that investment from existing reserve funds and budget allowances. The amendment passed by voice vote.
FRIDAY at 6:03 p.m.
Hoeven #494 (Keystone XL Pipeline)
Senator Coons is fighting to protect our environment and preserve our natural resources for future generations. He knows that many Delawareans have strong feelings about the proposed Keystone XL pipeline, and believes it is extremely important that this project go through the full and thorough established review process, which the Administration is currently undertaking. The President has final authority to approve or deny the Keystone XL pipeline. Senator Coons voted for an amendment to the budget that takes into account the existing process, and the reality that if the Administration approves this project it will have a budgetary impact. The amendment passed 62-37.
FRIDAY at 4:54 p.m.
Menendez #651 and Coburn #409 (Hospital wage levels)
Senator Coons voted for two side-by-side budget amendments to help bring Medicare payments back to Delaware hospitals. These amendments fix a Medicare provision that was hurting Delaware – as well as the majority of other states in the nation – by requiring Medicare’s hospital wage reimbursements to be drawn from a national pool instead of a statewide allocation. As a result, two states were drawing a disproportionate share of funds at the expense of other states. The News Journal detailed the issue last month.
Medicare reimbursements help hospitals in Delaware pay doctors and nurses and buy equipment. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services estimated that the provision these amendments are trying to fix has cost Delaware $5.6 million over two years.
The Menendez amendment failed 49-50 and the Coburn amendment passed 68-31.
FRIDAY at 4:00 p.m.
Senator Coons will call into WDEL at 5:30
The Senator will call into WDEL to talk with Allan Loudell about the budget at 5:30. Click here to stream it.
FRIDAY at 12:32 p.m.
Shaheen #438 (women’s health)
Senator Coons voted for an amendment to the budget that would protect access to healthcare and contraception for women.
Chris is a longtime advocate for women’s health. At a roundtable discussion last summer, he said “all women should have the right to affordable, accessible reproductive health care.” The vote passed, 56-43.
FRIDAY at 11:45 a.m.
Cruz #202 (repealing the Affordable Care Act)
Another day, another attempt by Congressional Republicans to repeal the Affordable Care Act (aka "Obamacare"). The ACA provides access to stable and secure health care for 30 million Americans and protects more than 129 million individuals from being discriminated against due to pre-existing conditions, and it allows parents to have their sons and daughters covered on their plans until they are 26 and preventative care will come without a co-pay or deductible. This was an easy one. As he has in the past, Senator Coons voted against this amendment. It failed, 45-54.
FRIDAY at 11:05 a.m.
Mikulski #431 (equal pay)
An amendment to support equal pay policies for men and women was among the first batch of budget votes Friday morning, and it was approved by voice vote.
Senator Coons is a strong supporter of the Paycheck Fairness Act, which would help ensure that women in Delaware and around the country earn equal pay for equal work as a matter of basic fairness.
Women in Delaware on average earn 81 cents for every dollar paid to men. Over their lifetime, that means they'll earn nearly half a million dollars less than their male counterparts.
FRIDAY at 9:30 a.m.
Senator Coons now managing the floor
Chairman Murray can't be on the floor every minute of the day during the debate and vote-a-rama, so Senator Coons is managing the floor for the Democrats from 9:30 to 10:00. Ish. That means he'll speak on behalf of the Democratic budget, refute arguments made by Republicans, and allocate speaking time to other Democrats.
Before the Senate resumes votes on amendments to the budget resolution, Senator Coons will appear on MSNBC's Morning Joe at 7 a.m. and will call into Dan Gaffney's show on 105.9 FM in Sussex County at 7:45 a.m.
THURSDAY at 9:43 p.m.
The #Senate has concluded voting for the evening. The next votes on #SenateBudget will occur at 11am ET tomorrow.
Senator Coons voted in favor of this amendment because it protects Medicare for our seniors and prohibits replacing guaranteed benefits with the House passed budget plan to turn Medicare into a voucher program. The vote passed, 96-3.
THURSDAY at 9:26 p.m.
Voted against the Ryan budget tonight. Its priorities are all wrong for our country, chief among them, killing 2 million jobs.
The second vote brought the budget passed by House Republicans to the Senate floor, giving senators the opportunity to vote yes or no on House Budget Committee Chairman Paul Ryan’s plan to end Medicare as we know it and make dangerously deep cuts to investments in our country’s future. Senator Coons was a strong 'no' vote on the Ryan path to austerity, and in fact, he spent much of Thursday making sure his colleagues knew that the House Republican plan fails the basic tests of balance, fairness and values, as opposed to the budget passed by the Senate Budget Committee, which responsibly reduces our debt and deficit without sacrificing our values. The vote failed, 40-59.
THURSDAY at 7:15 p.m.
Votes scheduled
The Senate's leadership has announced there will be five votes starting Thursday at 8:00 p.m., then six votes Friday at 11:00 a.m. After two hours of debate, the vote-a-rama will begin at 3:00 p.m.
Video: Senator Coons compares Democratic, Ryan/Republican budgets at press conference
Senator Coons stood with his colleagues in a press conference in the Capitol Thursday morning to compare the Democratic and Ryan/Republican budget resolutions. Watch below.
Senator Chris Coons participated in a colloquy on Thursday about the importance of passing a budget that reduces the deficit in a balanced way, promotes economic growth and job creation in the short term, invests in our competitiveness in the long term, and places a circle of protection around the most vulnerable in our society.
