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DEFENSE & PENTAGON

RECENT LEGISLATION

APPROPRIATIONS & DELAWARE FUNDING

FOREIGN POLICY & DIPLOMACY

2026 RACE CONTEXT

War Powers Resolution: Coons Supports Reining in Trump on Iran

Sen. Coons appeared on NPR (March 3) as a vocal supporter of Sen. Tim Kaine's War Powers Resolution to restrain President Trump's military operations against Iran. Coons called the conflict 'a war of choice' and argued Congress was not properly consulted before the operation began. He acknowledged the brutality of the Iranian regime but said six American service members have already died and the administration has offered no clear strategic goals. Notably, Coons criticized the fact that Trump consulted with Israeli PM Netanyahu more than with Congress before launching strikes. Dover Air Force Base — in Delaware — is receiving the remains of fallen service members.

Coons Blasts Hegseth at Defense Appropriations Hearing

As Ranking Member of the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Defense, Coons confronted Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, accusing him of spending more time on 'culture wars inside the building than deterring real ones outside it.' Coons criticized the firing of the previous Chairman of the Joint Chiefs and other military leaders, and flagged that the Pentagon has submitted the latest budget in modern history — blocking Congress from drafting the defense spending bill. He also raised concerns about the FY2026 budget request's elimination of all aid to Ukraine.

S. 3891 — ICE Accountability Act (Feb. 12, 2026)

Coons introduced legislation to impose new oversight and reporting requirements on ICE operations. Referred to Senate Judiciary Committee. Only one cosponsor as of filing.

S. 4011 — Tropical Forest & Coral Reef Conservation Act Reauthorization (Mar. 5, 2026)

Coons sponsored reauthorization of a 1998 international conservation law. Referred to Senate Foreign Relations Committee with 3 cosponsors.

S. 4029 — Foreign Corrupt Practices Act Reform (Mar. 9, 2026)

Coons cosponsored Sen. Warren's bill to extend the statute of limitations for bribery offenses under the FCPA to 10 years. One of 13 cosponsors. Referred to Judiciary.

FY2026 Defense Bill: $852B+ with Delaware Earmarks

Coons secured significant Delaware-focused wins in the FY2026 Defense Appropriations bill: $42M for Dover AFB operations facility (512th Airlift Wing), $8.1M for a new aircraft maintenance hangar at Dover, $8M for a new gate at New Castle Air National Guard, $408M for PFAS remediation (environmental contamination), and $31M for APEX Accelerators supporting Delaware small business defense contracting.

$75M+ Federal Funding Package for Delaware (Aug. 2025)

Working with Sen. Blunt Rochester, Coons celebrated Senate passage of FY2026 spending bills delivering $70.6M in military construction and over $6M for agriculture/emergency communications upgrades in Delaware.

Greenland/Denmark Bipartisan Delegation (January 2026)

Coons led a bipartisan congressional delegation to Copenhagen to ease U.S.-Denmark tensions over Trump's statements about acquiring Greenland. He met with Danish PM, foreign minister, defense minister, and parliamentarians. Coons publicly stated Greenland acquisition plans would undermine NATO and called Trump's approach 'his psychological well-being' driving foreign policy. He later attended Davos.

Race Snapshot: Coons vs. Katz (General: Nov. 3, 2026)

Sen. Coons (D) is running for a third full term. Republican primary: Dr. Mike Katz vs. John Shulli — primary set for September 15, 2026. Delaware is historically Solid Democratic (voted Clinton, Biden, Harris). Coons has missed 3.0% of Senate roll call votes since 2010, slightly above the 2.8% median. His legislative profile focuses on International Affairs (27%), Commerce (21%), and Labor (10%). He holds committee seats on Appropriations (Defense Subcommittee, Ranking Member), Foreign Relations, and Judiciary.