Honoring Nelson Mandela

Senator Coons, the chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Subcommittee on African Affairs, extended his warm congratulations to Nelson Mandela on his 94th birthday on Wednesday.

Mandela has devoted his life to serving the people of South Africa. His unbreakable will and unwavering determination helped end apartheid and lift South Africa out of turmoil. Mandela’s enduring legacychanged the arc of history, transforming his country and his continent.

To honor his historic service, the United States joined 192 other nations in the creation of Nelson Mandela International Day.

Click here to learn more about Chris’ work on foreign policy.

Video: Senator Coons talks Africa at the Center for Strategic & International Studies

Senator Chris Coons was a featured speaker at the Center for Strategic & International Studies on June 19, 2012. Senator Coons’ speech, entitled, “The Nexus of Security, Development and Governance: Reflections from a Recent Trip to East Africa,” focused on his recent CODEL to East Africa.

Senator Coons recognizes World Malaria Day

Today, Senator Coons marked World Malaria Day by highlighting Delaware’s unique, important role in eradicating the disease worldwide.  

This afternoon, Chris spoke at an event hosted by Malaria No More featuring the latest U.S. research and development from public and private institutions working to combat malaria. One of the institutions included was Delaware’s own Fraunhofer Center for Molecular Biology, which is utilizing a nearly $10 million grant from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to develop a transmission-blocking vaccine that would render bites from malarial mosquito harmless.

“While we have come a long way in lowering the number of malaria-related deaths, we still have much work to do to stem the spread of this preventable, treatable disease,” Senator Coons said. “Through public and private research, we are developing promising new advancements in eradicating malaria globally, and the Delaware-based Fraunhofer Center for Molecular Biology is leading the charge.”

Malaria is a parasitic blood disease spread by mosquitoes, and while it was eradicated from the United States in 1951, the debilitating disease still kills 655,000 people each year around the world. It is most prevalent in the developing world, with 90 percent of related deaths occurring in Africa.  The majority of those killed are pregnant women and children under five years old.    

In partnership with Senator Roger Wicker (R-Miss.), Senator Coons has sponsored two resolutions supporting the goals of World Malaria Day, which aims to end malaria deaths by 2015. He also supports U.S. leadership to combat malaria as a critical component of the President’s Global Health Initiative.

Senator Coons chairs hearing on Joseph Kony

This morning, Senator Coons, the chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Subcommittee on African Affairs, held a hearing examining U.S. policy to counter the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA) and its leader, Joseph Kony.

In his opening statement, Chris declared “Joseph Kony epitomizes the worst of mankind and evil in the modern day.”   He showed this chart, demonstrating that in the past four months alone, the LRA has committed 132 attacks despite increased U.S. and regional efforts to kill or capture Kony and his top lieutenants.

Witnesses at today’s hearing included Principal Deputy Secretary of State for African Affairs Donald Yamamoto, Assistant Administrator for Africa at USAID Earl Gast and Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for African Affairs Amanda Dory.

On a second panel of witnesses, two former LRA abductees, Jolly Okot and Jacob Acaye, shared their stories. Chris personally thanked them for attending, noting they both “endured horrific experiences in Uganda, and survived to courageously tell their story.”

The hearing stressed the broad bipartisan support in the U.S. Senate for stopping Kony, and for the recent deployment of 100 U.S. military advisors, which just yesterday, President Obama announced would continue to train regional militaries. 

Chris also took time to show a video he made to respond to the millions of Americans – especially young people – who recently became involved in this issue due to the effective advocacy of NGOs such as Resolve, Invisible Children, and the Enough Project. He is also sponsoring a resolution, with 40 other bipartisan members of the Senate, condemning the LRA and supporting continued U.S. efforts to strengthen the capabilities of regional militaries, increase civilian protection, and provide assistance to populations affected by the LRA. Join Chris as a citizen cosponsor of his resolution here.

Video: Senators respond to Kony 2012 movement

The day before the Kony 2012 movement’s global day of action, U.S. Senators Chris Coons (D-Del.), Johnny Isakson (R-Ga.), John Kerry (D-Mass.), Jim Inhofe (R-Okla.), Mary Landrieu (D-La.), and Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) released a video on the Senate’s efforts to support the removal of Joseph Kony and his top lieutenants in the Lord’s Resistance Army from the battlefield in central Africa. Former U.S. Senator Russ Feingold (D-Wis.), is also featured in the video, which is aimed at the millions of young Americans who have become part of the Kony 2012 movement in the last month.

Senator Coons leads hearing on entrenched African leaders

As Chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Subcommittee on African Affairs, Senator Coons today convened a hearing to examine U.S. policy in response to entrenched African leaders.

In his opening statement, Chris said that African leaders who stay in power for decades, some by manipulating their country’s constitution or governing institutions “challenge U.S. values and objectives, including the promotion of democracy, transparency, and rule of law.  It contributes to corruption, economic stagnation, a lack of accountability, and an inability of the government to effectively represent and respond to the needs of the people.  It threatens to hamper the vast potential of sub-Saharan Africa, and must therefore be addressed and ultimately, reversed.”      

The hearing featured testimony from Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs Johnnie Carson, USAID Assistant Administrator for Africa Earl Gast and the National Democratic Institute’s Regional Director for Central and West Africa Dr. Christopher Fomunyoh.

In addition, the committee heard testimony from Dr. Mo Ibrahim, an advocate for responsible governance in Africa whose foundation awards an annual cash prize of $5 million to democratically elected African leaders who demonstrate excellence in office and peacefully step down from power. Chris had the opportunity to meet with Dr. Ibrahim prior to the hearing.

Senator Coons meets with young Delawareans about Joseph Kony, LRA

WILMINGTON — Senator Coons met today in his office with a dozen students from several local high schools and the University of Delaware, as well as young advocates from The Resolve and Invisible Children. The group was eager to discuss the pursuit of Joseph Kony and the Lord's Resistance Army, who have terrorized Uganda and much of Central Africa for more than 25 years.

“The attention Kony and the LRA have received in Delaware schools these last few weeks thanks to the work of groups like Resolve, Enough, and Invisible Children, has shown just how important the issue is, especially to our young people,” Senator Coons said. “It’s important they know that the Senate has been working on this issue and strongly backs the U.S. mission in central Africa in support of Kony’s capture. I hope parents and teachers in Delaware who want to learn more about this so that they can engage with their kids will reach out to me or to my office to learn more.”

To aid in that effort, last week Senator Coons sent a letter, video, and four-page information kit to educators throughout the state. Those resources can be found online here.

“Joseph Kony and the Lord’s Resistance Army have burned a path of destruction through Uganda and its neighbors in central Africa for the last 25 years,” Senator Coons said. “Joseph Kony represents the worst of mankind, and he and his commanders must be held accountable for their war crimes.”

Senator Coons is chair of the Senate Foreign Relations Subcommittee on African Affairs.

Bipartisan resolution on Kony, LRA nets 40th cosponsor

We just got word that our bipartisan resolution condemning Joseph Kony and the Lord's Resistance Army, which Senator Coons introduced today, now has 36 37 39 40 cosponsors! The updated list of cosponsors is below:

In addition to Senator Coons and Senator Jim Inhofe (R-Okla.), the resolution is now cosponsored by Senators Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), Johnny Isakson (R-Ga.), Pat Leahy (D-Vt.), Orrin Hatch (R-Utah), Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.), Joe Lieberman (I-Conn.), Carl Levin (D-Mich.), John McCain (R-Ariz.), Robert Menendez (D-N.J.), Dan Coats (R-Ind.), Daniel Akaka (D-Hawaii), Mary Landrieu (D-La.), John Boozman (R-Ark.), Jack Reed (D-R.I.), Jerry Moran (R-Kan.), Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.), Lindsay Graham (R-S.C.), Susan Collins (R-Maine), Mark Begich (D-Alaska), Barbara Boxer (D-Calif.), Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio), Roger Wicker (R-Miss.), Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), Frank Lautenberg (D-N.J.), Patty Murray (D-Wash.), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.), Jon Tester (D-Mont.), Ben Nelson (D-Neb.), Al Franken (D-Minn.), Ben Cardin (D-Md.), John Cornyn (R-Texas), Roy Blunt (R-Mo.), Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), and Mike Enzi (R-Wyo.).

UPDATE: Senator Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.) signed-on as the 37th cosponsor on Thursday.

UPDATE: Senators Tim Johnson (D-S.D.) and Dean Heller (R-Nev.) have signed-on as cosponsors.  

UPDATE: Senator Kelly Ayotte (R-N.H.) makes it 40!

Click here to learn more about Kony and his crimes against humanity in central Africa.

Idols against malaria on the Hill

This week, the Malaria No More Policy Center hosted an event on Capitol Hill, recognizing members of Congress committed to fighting malaria around the world. They also brought along some special guests in former American Idol contestants Elliot Yamin (Season 5), Jason Castro (Season 7) and Melinda Doolittle (Season 6).

The Idols have partnered with Malaria No More as they work to reach a goal of near zero malaria deaths by 2015.

Senator Coons, the chair of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee Subcommittee on African Affairs, also co-chairs the bipartisan Senate Working Group on Malaria.

Malaria, an infectious blood disease spread by mosquitoes, is most prevalent in the developing world, with 90 percent of deaths occurring in Africa.  In June, the Senate unanimously adopted a resolution Chris sponsored in support of World Malaria Day, and affirming support for U.S. leadership to combat malaria as a critical component of the President’s Global Health Initiative.

Senators John Boozman (R-AR) and Roger Wicker (R-MS) and Congressman Jeff Fortenberry (R-NE) spoke at the event.  The American Idol contestants were vocal about their support for the fight against malaria and were grateful their celebrity gives them a platform from which to speak out for the cause.

Melinda Doolittle recalled a visit from Bono during the filming of American Idol, saying, “He said, ‘you have this platform and millions of people are seeing you sing, but what you are going to do with the platform?’” She cited this question as her inspiration to become more active in the Malaria No More project.

This bipartisan event highlighted the cooperation and support for the fight against malaria on Capitol Hill, and the sense that even in a tough political climate, some issues can still bring people together.

ICYMI: Senator Coons op-ed on efforts to capture LRA leader Joseph Kony

The Huffington Post: Senator Chris Coons wrote an op-ed on Thursday drawing attention to efforts to capture Joseph Kony, the notorious leader of the LRA – an organization that has kidnapped and murdered tens of thousands of people in central Africa.

As we work toward this shared goal, it is essential to be clear about certain facts that may have been blurred these last few days. Joseph Kony's unconscionable crimes against humanity are not in doubt. Under his leadership, the LRA murdered and kidnapped tens of thousands of people and advanced the use of rape as a weapon of war.  Over two decades, they forced thousands of children to become child soldiers, displaced even more people from their homes and destabilized an entire region.

That's why President Obama's decisive action to bring Kony and his top lieutenants to justice is such a critical part of the story.

The Obama Administration has taken steps to "remove Kony from the battlefield," and it has done so in the right way. In 2010, Congress passed and the President signed legislation authored by former Senator Russ Feingold to express support for increased U.S. efforts to help mitigate and eliminate the threat posed by the LRA.  With this authorization, President Obama deployed 100 American military advisors to central Africa to train and assist regional militaries in their pursuit of Kony. The Administration, with the strong support of Congress, has also taken steps to increase civilian protection, support the desertion of LRA combatants, and provide assistance to populations affected by the LRA.

Click here to read the full op-ed on The Huffington Post.

Click here to learn more about Chris’ work on foreign policy.