Press Releases
Coons, Blunt bill to protect victims of child abuse passes House, is on its way to the President’s desk
WASHINGTON - Today, U.S. Senators Chris Coons (Del.) and Roy Blunt (Mo.), co-chairs of the Senate Law Enforcement Caucus, announced that their bipartisan legislation to reauthorize the Victims of Child Abuse Act (VOCAA) passed the House with overwhelming bipartisan support and is on its way to the president's desk. The legislation provides funding for Children's Advocacy Centers that serve child victims and help law enforcement hold perpetrators accountable. "Children's Advocacy Centers protect… Continue Reading
12.20.18
[VIDEO] Sen. Coons: Trump’s Syria decision “a great big Christmas gift to the Ayatollah Khamenei, to Vladimir Putin, and Bashar al-Assad”
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Chris Coons (D-Del.), a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, this morning joined MSNBC's Morning Joe. "For us to unilaterally withdraw and abandon the Kurds to an almost certain advance by either the Turks or the Iranians or both, I think is just, why would anyone stand alongside us and fight in such an important conflict as our work against ISIS in the future if this is how we treat our partners, the Kurds in this important fight against ISIS? So, you'll … Continue Reading
12.20.18
Sen. Coons’ statement on President Trump’s decision to withdraw U.S. troops from Syria
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Chris Coons (D-Del.), a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, released the following statement on the Trump Administration's surprise announcement that it intends to quickly withdraw U.S. forces from Syria: "I am alarmed by the Administration's abrupt withdrawal of U.S. troops from Syria. The Administration must clearly explain to the American people why a withdrawal serves our national interests, strengthens our allies, prevents the re-emergence of ISIS,… Continue Reading
12.20.18
Congress Passes Carper, Coons, Blunt Rochester Bill to Fix Coastal Barrier Resources Map Affecting North Bethany Beach Homeowners
WASHINGTON, D.C. - Delaware's Congressional Delegation, U.S. Senators Tom Carper and Chris Coons, and Congresswoman Lisa Blunt Rochester (all D-Del.), celebrated the passage of the Strengthening Coastal Communities Act of 2018, which included legislation they led in the House and Senate that adjusts the boundary maps under the Coastal Barrier Resources Act (CBRA) for Delaware's North Bethany Beach map unit. The Strengthening Coastal Communities Act also adjusts maps in Florida, North Carolina an… Continue Reading
12.19.18
Sens. Coons, Flake introduce landmark bipartisan legislation to put money in the pockets of working families by pricing carbon pollution
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Chris Coons (D-Del.) and Jeff Flake (R-Ariz.) today introduced bipartisan legislation to pay a monthly dividend to every American family. The Energy Innovation and Carbon Dividend Act places an increasing price on carbon and other greenhouse gas emissions, designed to drive down pollution, address climate change, and encourage market-driven innovation in clean energy technologies. Revenues received will be returned directly to the American people in the form of a mon… Continue Reading
12.19.18
Sen. Coons, colleagues celebrate passage of major, bipartisan criminal justice reform
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Chris Coons (D-Del.), a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee and an original cosponsor of the revised First Step Act, tonight celebrated the passage of this bipartisan legislation in the Senate to reduce recidivism, improve fairness, and promote safety in the criminal justice system. The revised First Step Act has been endorsed by President Donald Trump and was cosponsored by more than a third of the Senate. "The American criminal justice system is broken, and it h… Continue Reading
12.17.18
[VIDEO] Sen. Coons on GOP colleagues: “Quietly, the vast majority of them say it's not a witch hunt”
Sen. Coons: "The only person who is on TV and on Twitter saying they would be proud to shut the government down is our president" Sen. Coons: Trump sounds "more like a mob boss than president of the United States" WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Chris Coons (D-Del.), a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, today joined CNN New Day. "For the millions of people who follow closely what President Trump has to say on Twitter every day, the idea that the FBI broke into his attorney's office runs ri… Continue Reading
12.14.18
[VIDEO] Sen. Coons on US-Saudi relationship: “I think we should have a complete re-examination”
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Chris Coons (D-Del.), a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, this morning joined MSNBC's Morning Joe. "When our president hears the relevant intelligence, is briefed on the security consequences and on all those chilling details and says, I don't know, I'm not sure who to believe, I'm not sure what we ought to do, they are a great partner, they buy a lot of weapons from us. That suggests our relationship with the Saudi kingdom is rooted only in arm sales a… Continue Reading
12.12.18
Coons, Blunt bipartisan bill to protect victims of child abuse unanimously passes Senate
WASHINGTON - Today, U.S. Senators Chris Coons (Del.) and Roy Blunt (Mo.), co-chairs of the Senate Law Enforcement Caucus, commended unanimous Senate passage of their bipartisan legislation to reauthorize the Victims of Child Abuse Act (VOCAA), which provides funding for Children's Advocacy Centers that serve child victims and help law enforcement hold perpetrators accountable. "Children's Advocacy Centers protect children in Delaware and all across the country, and I'm very glad that Senator … Continue Reading
12.12.18
[VIDEO] Sen. Coons on possible shutdown: “That would be a striking last gasp of the government with Republicans in control of both the Senate and the House and the White House”
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Chris Coons (D-Del.), a member of the Senate Appropriations and Judiciary Committees, today joined CNN New Day to discuss the potential government shutdown. "We had a hearing yesterday where the head of Customs and Border Patrol, CPB, was describing how much they built and how much more they could build. Frankly, there's an emerging gap between the leaders in the Administration responsible for border security and what they say will be wise investments and the president… Continue Reading
12.11.18
Sens. Carper, Coons, Rep. Blunt Rochester Secure Major Wins for Delaware Farmers in Bipartisan Farm Bill
WASHINGTON, DC - Today, U.S. Senators Tom Carper and Chris Coons and U.S. Representative Lisa Blunt Rochester (all D-Del.) lauded the major wins for Delaware farmers that the delegation was able to secure in the Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018 - more commonly known as the Farm Bill. These key provisions will help provide much-needed certainty to Delaware farmers while also maintaining important environmental protections that keep our air, water and land clean and safe. The final text of bill… Continue Reading
12.11.18
Sen. Coons: “America is not an ethnicity or a faith or a geography. America is an idea.”
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Chris Coons (D-Del.), a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, recently delivered the keynote address at the Muslim Advocates Annual Gala. In his remarks, Senator Coons explored the challenges and opportunities that lie ahead to advance civil rights for the American Muslim community. "[T]he call of Muslim Advocates and the call of all of us, is to stop bigotry in its tracks. And the way we will do that is by confronting fear with hope and hate with love. And by find… Continue Reading
12.11.18
Carper, Coons, Blunt Rochester, Carney Announce Over $22 Million to Bolster Delaware Memorial Bridge
WASHINGTON, D.C. - Today, Senator Tom Carper, top Democrat on the Environment and Public Works Committee (EPW), Senator Chris Coons, Congresswoman Lisa Blunt Rochester and Governor John Carney (all D-Del.) announced a $22.25 million Department of Transportation (DOT) Better Utilizing Investment to Leverage Development (BUILD) grant, awarded to Delaware River and Bay Authority (DRBA), for improvements to the Delaware Memorial Bridge. BUILD, previously known as the TIGER grants program, provides … Continue Reading
12.10.18
Sens. Coons and Tillis, Rep. Lowenthal introduce resolution honoring Human Rights Day
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Chris Coons (D-Del.) and Thom Tillis (R-N.C.), co-chairs of the Senate Human Rights Caucus, and Congressman Alan Lowenthal (D-CA-47) today introduced resolutions in the United States Senate and House of Representatives honoring Human Rights Day and the 70th anniversary of the United Nations' ratification of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. "Today, we celebrate the 70th anniversary of the ratification of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and honor th… Continue Reading
12.10.18
Sens. Coons, Tillis introduce resolution to establish a Human Rights Commission in honor of the late Senator McCain
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Chris Coons (D-Del.) and Thom Tillis (R-N.C.), co-chairs of the Senate Human Rights Caucus, today introduced a resolution to establish a John S. McCain III Human Rights Commission, modeled after the Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission in the U.S. House of Representatives. If passed, the resolution would create a bipartisan commission to examine human rights violations through regular hearings and briefings, and promote human rights initiatives in the Senate. Joining Sen… Continue Reading
12.10.18
ICYMI: Sen. Coons profiled in The Philadelphia Inquirer: “Can this Delaware senator save civility in Congress?”
WASHINGTON - In case you missed it, The Philadelphia Inquirer published a profile on U.S. Senator Chris Coons (D-Del.) following Senator Coons' remarks at the New York Avenue Presbyterian Church last week. Read the full profile here: http://www2.philly.com/news/chris-coons-prayer-breakfast-saving-civility-20181209.html Excerpt from the profile: "Coons - who has a divinity degree from Yale, previously served as an elder in his Presbyterian church, and still preaches on occasional Sundays - tur… Continue Reading
12.08.18
Sen. Coons statement on President Trump’s nomination of Heather Nauert as US Ambassador to the United Nations
WILMINGTON - Senator Chris Coons (D-Del.), a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, issued the following statement following President Trump's announcement that he will nominate State Department Spokeswoman Heather Nauert to serve as U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations: "I look forward to meeting Heather Nauert and reviewing her record and qualifications for this critical post. Previous U.S. Ambassadors to the UN have brought a wealth of relevant experience to this position - from … Continue Reading
12.08.18
Sen. Coons’ statement on the nomination of William Barr as Attorney General
WILMINGTON - Senator Chris Coons (D-Del.), a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee and co-author of the Special Counsel Independence and Integrity Act, issued the following statement following President Trump's announcement that he will nominate former Attorney General William Barr to lead the Department of Justice: "A nomination for Attorney General is long-overdue, given that Matthew Whitaker has been serving as the Acting Attorney General for a month without Senate confirmation, and the n… Continue Reading
12.06.18
Sen. Coons, bipartisan colleagues introduce resolution to hold Saudi Crown Prince accountable for killing of Jamal Khashoggi
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Chris Coons (D-Delaware), Lindsey Graham (R-South Carolina), Dianne Feinstein (D-California), Marco Rubio (R-Florida), Ed Markey (D-Massachusetts), and Todd Young (R-Indiana) introduced a Senate Resolution that holds Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia Mohammed bin Salman accountable for contributing to the humanitarian crisis in Yemen, the blockade of Qatar, the jailing of political dissidents within Saudi Arabia, the use of force to intimidate rivals, and the abhorrent and … Continue Reading
12.03.18
ICYMI: Sen. Coons in The News Journal: “Congress has a chance to pass major, bipartisan criminal justice reform now”
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Chris Coons (D-Del.), a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, published an op-ed in The News Journal on criminal justice reform. Congress has a chance to pass major, bipartisan criminal justice reform now By Chris Coons At a time when Congress, the White House, and the nation seem hopelessly divided, there is one critical, even difficult issue on which many Republicans and Democrats, conservative and progressive groups, and President Trump agree: criminal justi… Continue Reading
