Dear friend,

I hope you and your family are having a good weekend so far and are staying cool. The House just wrapped up its last week of session until September. While we will have several critical items on the docket when we return including avoiding a government shutdown and funding critical community projects and agencies, I’m looking forward to seeing Delawareans up and down our state throughout the month of August. Keep reading for some tips on extreme heat and updates on what I was up to this week.

Delaware is experiencing extreme heat so I wanted to provide you with some tips on staying safe in the heat:

This Week in Washington

Regional Leadership Council Meetings

This week, the Regional Leadership Council (RLC) on which I serve met with members of the Biden Administration including U.S. Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo and White House officials to discuss the ongoing efforts of the council to promote the historic legislation passed last Congress including the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, the CHIPS and Science Act, and the Inflation Reduction Act.

I’m working with my colleagues to ensure that we’re meeting the goals of President Biden’s Investing in American Agenda right here in Delaware by lowering costs for families, investing in domestic manufacturing, and strengthening our economy.

Above: Rep. Lisa Blunt Rochester takes notes at the RLC meeting with Commerce Secretary Raimondo.

Above: Rep. Lisa Blunt Rochester takes part in a press conference at the White House after an RLC meeting.

Talking Second Chances with the Clean Slate Initiative

I had the pleasure of speaking at the Clean Slate Initiative’s briefing this week entitled The Clean Slate Act: A Fresh Start for Second Chances. The Clean Slate Act is about giving justice-involved individuals who have served their time for low-level nonviolent offenses and paid their debt to society a clean slate and a second chance. After the Clean Slate Act was introduced on the federal level, Delaware joined the movement and became one of twelve states to pass Clean Slate legislation. As we continue to face workforce shortages impacting industries across the country and our economy, it’s never been more important to do all we can to create equitable economic opportunity for millions of Americans, and this legislation would help us do just that. That’s why it was important to me to include it in my comprehensive JOBS Agenda.

Above: Rep. Lisa Blunt Rochester gives remarks at the Clean Slate Initiative Briefing.

Delaware’s Future Farmers in DC

I was glad to see the Delaware Future Farmers of America (FFA) Association state officers in our nation’s Capitol this week! FFA is the premier youth organization preparing members for leadership and careers in the science, business, and technology of agriculture. This is an impressive group of young people that have bright futures ahead!

Above: Rep. Lisa Blunt Rochester and the Delaware FFA State Officers.

This Week in Delaware

Delaware State Fair!

This week, I was in Harrington with the Delaware Secretary of Agriculture Michael Scuse for the Delaware State Fair! I always look forward to celebrating our agriculture sector, one of the primary economic drivers in our state, at the fair. It was great to see so many of you there, too! Thank you for saying hello or stopping by our table in the Delaware building!

Above: Rep. Lisa Blunt Rochester and Delaware Secretary of Agriculture Michael Scuse.

Above: Rep. Lisa Blunt Rochester and her State Director, Betsey Stang.

Above: Rep. Lisa Blunt Rochester pets a horseshoe crab.

Funding for Housing in Wilmington

Senator Carper, Senator Coons, and I announced this week that the City of Wilmington, along with the Wilmington Housing Authority and the WRK Group, was selected for a $50 million grant from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) to advance the revitalization efforts that have brought jobs, education, and more affordable and available housing options to the Riverside neighborhood.

I am so proud to have supported the City’s grant application and know that it will help us continue to fill the affordable housing gap in Wilmington, bringing safety, stability, and dignity to Delawareans. You can read more about the funding here.

CONSTITUENT RESOURCE FAIR HAPPENING NEXT WEEK!

My office is hosting a Constituent Resource Fair on Thursday, August 3, 2023, from 10:00 am to 4:00 pm at the Wilmington University New Castle Campus in the Audrey K. Doberstein Admissions Center. Over 40 federal and state agencies and community organizations will attend to share their services. Delawareans from across the First State are invited to attend this fair at no charge. RSVPs are encouraged but not required.

For more information about the Fair and for a full list of agencies, please visit my website by clicking here. Hope to see you there!

PACT ACT ANNOUNCEMENT

I want to offer a reminder on the upcoming deadline for applying for PACT Act benefits. The PACT Act, which I proudly voted for last Congress, is perhaps the largest health care and benefits expansion in VA history. It’s estimated that more than 3.5 million veterans who were exposed to burn pits, Agent Orange, and other toxic substances would become eligible for health care benefits, helping us deliver on our sacred obligation to support our veterans.

While there’s no deadline to apply for PACT Act benefits, if you file your PACT Act claim—or quickly submit your intent to file—by August 9, 2023, you may be eligible to receive benefits backdated to August 10, 2023.

For more information or to file a claim, go to VA.gov/PACT.

This week we celebrated National Intern Day! Having started as an intern in then-Congressman Tom Carper’s office, I know the value that an internship experience provides individuals looking to get involved with public service. For this week’s constituent corner, I am highlighting my current summer interns in my Delaware and Washington, DC offices! They are the unsung heroes of my offices – helping us respond to constituent inquiries and deliver results for Delawareans. Thank you all for your hard work and commitment to Delaware!