Carper's Corner
Holiday Heros
November 23, 2009One of the holiday traditions that I've come to cherish the most is the hour or so that I spend around noon most Thanksgivings at the Emanuel Dining Room in Wilmington with several dozen other volunteers, including our congressman and his wife. There, we serve turkey platters with all the fixings to several hundred people of all ages, some homeless, some not, but all hungry. Interestingly, giving back to our community in this small way brings as much joy to those of us who serve as to those who are served there. Lending a helping hand is important all year long, but the holiday seasons helps to remind us to focus on the neediest among us. And this year, there are many of them.
In Adversity Lies Opportunity
November 5, 2009On Monday, November 9, I will be speaking at an economic conference at the University of Delaware. This "sneak-peek" op-ed ran in the Wilmington News Journal on November 1.
Cyber Security Awareness Month
October 7, 2009In only a few short decades, the Internet has changed the way we live. Today, you would be hard-pressed to find anyone whose life hasn't been touched by it. According to the Pew Internet & American Life Project, about 73 percent of Americans surf the Internet every day, to check e-mail or use search engines like Google to find all sorts of information.
Video Blog - Looking ahead to climate change legislation
September 22, 2009Senator Carper took a moment to answer some common questions about climate change legislation. The House of Representatives passed a climate change bill this past June, and the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee, on which Senator Carper serves as a senior member, is expected to take up similar legislation in the coming month.
Video Blog - FAQs on Health Care Reform
September 21, 2009Listen to Senator Carper answer some frequently asked questions on health care reform.
Video Blog - Reactions from Recess and Next Steps
September 15, 2009Listen to Senator Carper answer some questions about health care reform. Over August recess, the senator met with thousands of Delawareans, outlining his efforts to find the best ways to provide comprehensive, affordable and quality health care. He heard concerns and suggestions from Delawareans through two large tele-town hall meetings involving nearly 10,000 callers, appearances on numerous radio and televisions interviews and call-in shows, meetings with constituents and stakeholders, and through his involvement in a highly publicized, live chat on The News Journal's website, delawaseonline.com., as well through his own health care updates posted on his congressional website.
Health Care Town Hall
September 1, 2009Four weeks ago, a Republican colleague of mine from Tennessee, Bob Corker, and I were talking about town hall meetings just before the August recess began. The previous week, he had held a different kind of town hall meeting.
CLEAN TEA Op-Ed
August 20, 2009I want to share with you a recent op-ed that I wrote about my CLEAN TEA legislation and the importance of including the transportation section in climate change legislation. This piece ran in the Wilmington News Journal on August 18.
Chesapeake Bay
August 10, 2009Wilmington - On August 3, 2009, the Senate Environment and Public Works Water and Wildlife Subcommittee held a hearing called, "A Renewed Commitment to Protecting the Chesapeake Bay: Reauthorizing the Chesapeake Bay Program." I am not a member of the subcommittee, but Chairman Ben Cardin (D-MD) was gracious enough to invite me, given Delaware's interest in the Chesapeake Bay watershed.
Video Blog - The Progress of Health Care Reform
July 27, 2009Listen to Senator Carper react to President Obama's comments on the progress of the health care reform debate.
Video Blog - Delaware's National Park
July 17, 2009Listen to Senator Carper talk about why Delaware deserves a national park, and about his efforts and plans to create one.
Video Blog - Judge Sotomayor
June 17, 2009Listen to Senator Carper talk about his meeting with Supreme Court nominee Judge Sotomayor.
Video Blog - Health Care Reform
June 5, 2009Listen to Senator Carper talk about President Obama's expectations and his own priorities for the upcoming health care reform debate.
Video Blog - CODEL
June 4, 2009Listen to Senator Carper reflect on the Congressional Delegation (CODEL) trip he led to Afghanistan and Pakistan over Memorial Day recess and talk about a soldier he met from Delaware.
Credit Card Reform
May 27, 2009WASHINGTON -- I wanted to share the following op-ed with you that I wrote for the The Wilmington News Journal following passage of new credit card reform legislation. It ran on Tuesday, May 26. Last week, the Congress passed, and President Obama signed into law, significant credit card reforms, which I supported. I believe that the final compromise legislation comes close to striking the right balance between the needs of millions of cardholders and the concerns of an industry whose health is vitally important to our state's economy. The new law will help consumers, and it will do so without dramatically reducing access to credit for most of them. These reforms will not put the "white hats" in the credit card industry out of business, although the reforms will cause many of them to change the way they do business. But some of the "black hats" in the industry, those who sometimes prey on kids and low-income families, may well end up closing their doors. We will not miss them.
Recycling Facilities
May 8, 2009Washington - Recently, I asked the member of my staff who handles recycling issues to tour several different recycling facilities in Baltimore, Maryland. I serve as co-chair of the Senate Recycling Caucus along with Senator Olympia Snowe (R-Maine), and I'm also a member of the Environment and Public Works Committee. Sen. Snowe and I are interested in gaining a deeper understanding of the various segments of the industry, as well as the obstacles we face on the path toward more profitable, more extensive recycling practices. I've asked my staff member to share her experience with you as well and to talk about our goals moving forward to address recycling issues in this Congress and in America. Here's what she has to say.
National Service
May 1, 2009Wilmington -- I recently spoke to a group of about 150 students in an American government class at one of my alma maters - the University of Delaware. We talked about a wide range of issues - the economy in light of the housing bubble bursting, the banking sector in turmoil, and the economic recovery package that was undergoing final congressional consideration. Afterwards students asked questions ranging from the economy to student aid to Afghanistan and Iraq. Then one senior raised her hand and asked about job opportunities in these tough economic times.
Offshore Wind
April 23, 2009Washington, D.C. - As a member of the Environment and Public Works Committee for the past eight years, I'm deeply interested in the work that our federal and state governments are doing to reduce climate change and to increase renewable energy production and energy efficiency. Earth Day 2009 brought with it some encouraging news in the fight to reduce our nation's reliance on fossil fuels in the generation of electricity. Perhaps the biggest development was President Obama's announcement on Wednesday, April 22, that the Administration was promulgating the long-awaited regulations governing offshore wind farms.
Census 2010: Another Look
March 30, 2009As many of you know, the U.S. Constitution requires the federal government to perform a census every 10 years. I chair the Senate subcommittee responsible for overseeing the census, and we have held a number of hearings over the past year looking at the Census Bureau's preparation for the upcoming 2010 census. Specifically, I have been trying to evaluate the Census Bureau's plans to ensure the accuracy of the 2010 Census, which is only a year away.
CLEAN TEA
March 17, 2009Washington -- On Thursday, March 12, I introduced the Clean Low-Emission Affordable New Transportation Act, or CLEAN TEA, designed to help states and cities reduce greenhouse gas emissions by making transportation systems more efficient and by providing alternative forms of transportation. I submitted the following statement for the Congressional Record:
Recycling Facilities
March 10, 2009Washington - Recently, I asked the member of my staff who handles recycling issues to tour several different recycling facilities in Baltimore, Maryland. I serve as co-chair of the Senate Recycling Caucus along with Senator Olympia Snowe (R-Maine), and I'm also a member of the Environment and Public Works Committee. Sen. Snowe and I are interested in gaining a deeper understanding of the various segments of the industry, as well as the obstacles we face on the path toward more profitable, more extensive recycling practices. I've asked my staff member to share her experience with you as well and to talk about our goals moving forward to address recycling issues in this Congress and in America. Here's what she has to say.
Economy Rx
February 26, 2009Washington - Now that President Barack Obama has signed the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act - or stimulus bill - into law, it's time to look ahead to the next steps that this new Administration and Congress must take to help put our economy back on the road to recovery. Even though these daunting economic challenges are inherited, President Obama and Vice-President Biden have not hesitated from making financial stability and economic recovery their top priority. Leading economists from all sides of the political spectrum have given the America's economy a troubling diagnosis—one that continues to generate concern and that will continue to require an array of short-term and long-term remedies. I've come to believe that what I call a "four-legged-stool approach" may well be the right approach to getting us back on track.
American Recovery and Reinvestment Act
February 18, 2009Wilmington -- I wrote the following op-ed for the Wilmington News Journal last weekend after the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (H.R. 1) passed the Senate, and I wanted to share it with you. President Obama signed the bill into law yesterday.
V2G
February 3, 2009"How many members of Congress does it take to plug in a car?" I made the joke a few weeks ago as I stood out in the cold with Congressman Castle at the University of Delaware, as the large three-prong plug we were plugging into a meter at a press conference wouldn't go into the outlet! Fortunately, it only ended up taking the two of us - with a little help from our host Dr. Willett Kempton - to fix a bent prong on the plug. With that done, we were underway.
National Mentoring Month
January 27, 2009Wilmington - January is National Mentoring Month, and as a long-time mentor myself, I want to take a little time to share my experiences with you, and even encourage you to become a mentor, as well, if you aren't one already. For more than 13 years, I have been a mentor to several young people. I truly believe each of us is the person we are today in large part because of the influence of caring adults in our lives. A parent is, ideally, every child's best mentor, but some children need a little more support than their parents can give.
Inauguration Day
January 14, 2009Washington - What an exciting time to be from Delaware! As President-elect Obama and Vice President Biden's inauguration approaches, my staff and I have been hearing from people all over the state who are excited about being a part of this historic occasion. As you may know, my office received some 6,000 ticket requests, far exceeding the limited number of tickets available for distribution. Soon after the election was over, the trickle of requests for tickets quickly became a river and then a flood. Thousands of requests came in from all corners of the state, from Delawareans who've attended inaugurations before and those who haven't.
Recycling
January 2, 2009During this time when we are buying and disposing of more items, it's a perfect time to find new ways to reduce our ecological footprint. Among all the ways we can help to protect our environment, I believe that one of the simplest, yet most important activities is recycling.
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