Governor, delegation call on Trump Administration to ramp up relief efforts in Puerto Rico & the U.S. Virgin Islands

WILMINGTON, Del. – Governor Carney, U.S. Senators Tom Carper and Chris Coons, and U.S. Representative Lisa Blunt Rochester on Friday released the following joint statement regarding relief efforts in Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands:

“The devastation that has affected the lives of millions of Americans in Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands is heartbreaking. These men, women and children may be thousands of miles away from Delaware, but they are our neighbors and we have a responsibility to help them recover and rebuild. The President has taken an important first step that temporarily makes it easier to ship aid and supplies to Puerto Rico, and we’re glad Congress has approved a first installment of disaster assistance, but there’s much more work to be done.

“The Delaware National Guard has deployed troops and flown two dozen relief missions, but we are ready and willing to do more. We have more guard units specialized in communications, engineering, aviation, security, medical, and heavy truck driving that are ready and eager to assist the emergency response efforts.

“We are committed to doing everything in our power to help, but the Trump Administration has the critical responsibility of taking the lead and activating the full force of the federal government to help these people. It must start by issuing a full disaster declaration for the entire island of Puerto Rico to ensure they can make use of all the assistance our country can give.”

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 Health Care, Flood Insurance among Topics for Discussion with Federal Delegation       

DOVER, DE – Insurance Commissioner Karen Weldin Stewart and fellow members of the National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC) were in Washington, D.C. this week to discuss insurance issues with members of Congress. Key topics included retirement security, flood insurance, cybersecurity and health reform.

Nearly 40 chief state insurance regulators and senior staff gathered for the 2016 Commissioner Washington, DC Fly-In. Before meeting their congressional delegations, the regulators were briefed by Senator Susan Collins from Maine and Congressman Sean Duffy from Wisconsin. Political analyst Stu Rothenberg also gave a presentation on the impact that the 2016 elections may have on states.

“My department is in regular contact with Representative Carney and Senators Carper and Coons on the important matters that face Delawareans,” said Commissioner Stewart. “The Fly-In is a great opportunity to sit one-on-one with our federal delegation and find ways to collaborate on issues such as health care, captive insurance companies and flood insurance.”

NAIC members spent two days meeting with their respective congressional representatives to highlight the NAIC’s legislative agenda, discuss the impact of policy initiatives in the states and brief lawmakers on international insurance regulatory developments.

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Designation Enables County to Receive Additional Support from Federal Program Designed to Disrupt Drug Trafficking through Coordinated, ‘Smart on Crime’ Approaches to Enforcement

Washington, D.C.  – Today, Michael Botticelli, Acting Director of the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP), announced the designation of New Castle County, Delaware as a High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA). The designation will enable the county to receive Federal resources to further the coordination and development of drug control efforts among Federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement officers in Delaware, and allow local agencies to benefit from ongoing HIDTA initiatives working to reduce drug use and its consequences across the United States. New Castle County will join 4 other counties, including Chester, Delaware, and Philadelphia Counties in Pennsylvania and Camden County, New Jersey that are part of the existing Philadelphia/Camden HIDTA.

“I am pleased to add New Castle County, Delaware to the Philadelphia/Camden High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area,’ said Michael Botticelli, Acting Director of National Drug Control Policy. “Designation of this county will further the development of joint drug control efforts by local, state, and federal law enforcement officers in the region. I look forward to continue working with officials in New Castle County on our collaborative efforts to reduce drug use and its consequences throughout the United States.”

‎“We all have an obligation to ensure our neighborhoods are safe and our citizens are able to realize success,” said Delaware Governor Jack Markell. “By providing access to additional federal resources, this productive partnership addresses a critical need in our communities and will further support our ongoing, collaborative efforts to stop crime and violence in Delaware. We are grateful to the members of our federal delegation for their unwavering support on this issue.”

“If we’re going to stop the violent crime that has so afflicted our community, we’re going to have to come together as a community to do it. We all need to do our part,” said Senator Chris Coons (D-DE). “This welcome news means that Wilmington and New Castle County will be able to access additional federal resources and expertise as we step up our game‎ against the drug crime that has overwhelmed our community. Senator Carper, Congressman Carney, and I are doing everything we can in Washington to ensure our community gets the help it needs to be safe.”

“It’s everyone’s responsibility to ensure that our neighborhoods are safe,” said Congressman John Carney (D-DE). “That includes the federal government, which is why the congressional delegation urged the Office of National Drug Control Policy to consider New Castle County for this designation.  It brings much needed additional resources to combat the serious violent crime that stems from the drug trade.  We must continue to work together at the federal, state, local, and community levels to make progress that will save and improve lives.”

Created by Congress in 1988, the HIDTA program serves as a catalyst for coordination among Federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement agencies operating in areas determined to be critical drug trafficking regions of the United States. Law enforcement organizations working within HIDTAs assess drug-trafficking problems and design specific initiatives to decrease the production, transportation, distribution, and chronic use of drugs and money laundering. With the addition of New Castle County to the program, there are currently 28 HIDTAs located in 48 states, as well as in Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and the District of Columbia.

For more information about the Office of National Drug Control Policy visit: www.whitehouse.gov/DrugPolicyReform

For information on the High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area program visit: www.whitehouse.gov/ondcp/high-intensity-drug-trafficking-areas-program

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