Dear friend,

Yesterday marked the beginning of Hispanic Heritage Month! Delaware is home to a thriving and diverse Hispanic community. This month, and every month, we celebrate the vibrant culture and impactful contributions of the Hispanic community in Delaware and across the nation.

This week, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) announced that everyone 6 months and older should get an updated COVID-19 vaccine for extra protection from the virus this fall and winter. And good news – this vaccine will be available soon and will be free under most insurances.

Let’s continue to do our part to keep our communities safe. Keep an eye out on Vaccines.gov to see where you can get the updated vaccine soon.

This Week in Washington

Congress must pass a budget (which is composed of 12 appropriations bills) by September 30 to avert a government shutdown. As I write to you, only one appropriations bill has passed through the House. Complicating the budget situation, the Speaker has decided to launch an impeachment inquiry without evidence and without a vote rather than dealing with the important business of governing. Here are some of the things at stake in the event of a shutdown: paychecks for our military, support for our seniors with Meals on Wheels, and the processing of small business loans. The Senate has already passed all 12 appropriations bills out of committee on a bipartisan basis. It’s my hope that my colleagues on the other side of the aisle will act with the urgency the situation demands. I’ll be sure to keep you all updated along with providing information in the event of a potential government shutdown.

NADA Conference

On Tuesday, I joined the National Automobile Dealers Association (NADA) for its Washington, DC Conference in support of Delaware’s auto dealers. I shared the work I’ve done at the federal level to strengthen our supply chains, a cornerstone of both my Jobs Agenda and the CHIPS and Science Act, so that we can make more critical goods here in America.

Left to Right: Chip Sheridan, Sheridan Ford & Sheridan Nissan and President of the Delaware Automobile and Truck Dealers’ Association, Rep. Lisa Blunt Rochester, Bill Willis, Willis Chevrolet and Delaware NADA Director, and Charles (Charlie) Burton, Burton Dealerships.

Regional Leadership Council Floor Speech

This week, I joined the members of the Regional Leadership Council on the floor of the House to talk about the impact that the historic legislation passed last Congress has had on Delaware and our region – from securing benefits for our veterans through the PACT Act to investing in clean drinking water through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. You can watch my full speech below:

This Week in Delaware

Investing in Child Development in Newark

I joined Delaware Technical Community College’s President Dr. Mark Brainard, Senator Carper, and other state and local officials for a groundbreaking ceremony for a new Child Development Center in Newark. As we continue to face a shortage of child care providers exacerbated by the pandemic, this center could not come at a more important time. The Stanton campus is the only Del Tech campus currently without a center like this and will provide parents with access to quality, affordable child care while they earn their degrees. The center is also expected to create 140 construction and design jobs as well as 15 full-time jobs once built. I’m proud that the funding for this project comes from the American Rescue Plan Act, which I voted for last Congress, to help our nation recover and rebuild.

This morning, I again addressed participants at the annual AIDS Walk Delaware. I was proud to join so many Delawareans who came together to support the important work that AIDS Delaware does across our state to provide testing, treatment, and knowledge about HIV/AIDS. This year, we also honored 20 individuals (you can see them on our shirts in the picture below) for their commitment to the collective goal of ending HIV/AIDS by 2030 and fighting HIV/AIDS in Delaware. Their work is inspiring, and they are all my Constituent(s) Corner for this week. You can read more about them here.

Above: Rep. Lisa Blunt Rochester and John Gardner, AIDS Delaware Executive Director and AIDS Walk Delaware honoree.

As always, If you ever need assistance with federal agencies, please contact my office. My team can help with a wide range of issues including (but not limited to):

• United States Postal Service
• Social Security Administration
• Veterans Affairs benefits and services
• Passport and visa processing
• Citizenship and naturalization

Yours in service,

Rep. Lisa Blunt Rochester

Member of Congress

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