This Week in Delaware

Highlighting investments to increase healthy food options for children with the Deputy Secretary of Agriculture

It was an honor to welcome Deputy Secretary of Agriculture Xochitl Torres Small to Lewes Elementary School to celebrate School Lunch Hero Day and critical investments that are being made to increase healthy food options for children in Delaware. We had a great time participating in a garden harvest with Healthy Foods for Healthy Kids and First Lady Tracey Quillen Carney and school and district leadership, and speaking with school nutrition staff.

Proper nutrition during childhood and access to regular, healthy meals is critically important for children’s health, wellness, and brain development. We also know that for some students, meals provided at school may be the only, or the most substantial, reliable food and nutrition source throughout their day. That is why I am so grateful to the U.S. Department of Agriculture for all they do to support healthy foods for our children and families.

Hosting my Senior Constituent Resource Fair in Lewes

I was so proud to host another resource fair - bringing services to the people! Yesterday, I hosted a Senior Constituent Resource Fair in Lewes to help bring information and support directly to seniors and their families.

As a former Congressional caseworker myself, I feel strongly that one of the most important parts of my job is informing Delawareans about all of the services available to them through my office and other community partners. That is why I was so proud that together with more than 20 federal and state agencies and community organizations, we were able to provide critical information and services to Delawareans - from Social Security and Medicare to resources to prevent seniors from being scammed, to sharing housing, health, and recreation opportunities. Thanks to everyone for coming! Please keep scrolling to see some important resources for Delawareans.

$28 million for identifying and replacing lead pipes

Also this week, I was proud to stand with Senators Tom Carper and Chris Coons, as well as Governor John Carney, to announce an award of $28,650,000 from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to identify and replace lead pipes in Delaware. This funding comes from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, which I strongly supported in Congress.

We know that we must do everything we can to ensure that all Delawareans live in a home that is safe and healthy - one that is free from lead pipes. That is why this funding will be so significant for families across our state.

This Week in Washington

Momentum for Clean Slate

To end Second Chance Month, I was happy to be with the Clean Slate Initiative and other critical stakeholders for a roundtable discussion on the Clean Slate Act. With me at the roundtable were some of my colleagues, including Rep. Nathaniel Moran (R-TX), and Rep. Kelly Armstrong (R-ND). I also want to thank Delawareans Mike Bartley and Derek “Dawud” Johnson for lending their voice in this discussion.

At this roundtable, we talked about the momentum we are seeing for the Clean Slate Act, which I have been proud to lead, and strategies for getting it passed on the federal level. For instance, there are now 12 states with similar laws on the books - New York was the most recent in 2023. Additionally, we just added some new bipartisan cosponsors to my bill in Congress.

As I have been saying, the Clean Slate Act is both a justice bill AND a jobs bill. It will be critical in addressing barriers to successful reentry for those who have served their debts to society - those who need a second chance and a clean slate.

Discussing our changing workforce and AI

This week, the Critical Labor Coalition hosted a great event at the Capitol on how AI can be a tool to address labor shortages and support both employers and employees. As the founder and co-chair of the bipartisan Future of Work Caucus, I was honored to serve as their featured speaker.

We know that applications of artificial intelligence present immense opportunities for innovation. With powerful algorithms that can help with tasks from complex image analysis for diagnostics (such as x-rays) to administrative support. I am amazed by what can be achieved through this technology. But still, we have to do it right - avoiding bias and ensuring our workforce has the skills needed. I will continue to examine and discuss how this technology will impact our workers, labor markets, and our economy in Congress.

Brandywine High School, national STEM champions!

I was honored to be presented with the STEM Champion Award by Samsung earlier this week at their Solve for Tomorrow Annual STEM Competition. That competition is an opportunity for students from around the country to demonstrate how their innovations will help us create a better future. But more importantly, I was excited to see the team from Brandywine High School be crowned national champions!

The group from Brandywine High School, accompanied by their teacher, Mr. Sean Merklin, created electronic board games with the goal of assisting students with disabilities to make lasting connections with their fellow students and peers. As someone passionate about the Future of Work and who has worked on making our communities more accessible to those with disabilities, I was so proud of their work and excited to see their efforts rewarded with a $125,000 investment in new technology and programming opportunities for their school.

This all-girls team - Malti John, Olivia Erskine, Isabella Chermak, and Kate McDerby - made Brandywine and Delaware proud. Congrats again!

ABOVE: Rep. Lisa Blunt Rochester pictured with the team from Brandywine High School

Delaware’s 2024 Teacher of the Year

Speaking of incredible educators, it was great to see Delaware’s 2024 Teacher of the Year, Mr. Cory Hafer! Mr. Hafer is an engineering teacher at Middletown High School and I could not be more grateful for all he does to empower his students to become lifelong learners! Thank you, Cory, for putting our students first and for sharing with me your passion for teaching.

ABOVE: Rep. Lisa Blunt Rochester is pictured with Mr. Cory Hafer. Rep. Blunt Rochester is holding an item made by one of Mr. Hafer’s students.

Meeting with Rural Community Assistance Partnership

I was also glad to meet with The Southeast Rural Community Assistance Project (SERCAP) this week alongside the Rural Community Assistance Partnership (RCAP). The RCAP network is a strong advocate and supporter of the low income water assistance pilot program at EPA and seeing the program move to the EPA permanently. I will continue to fight for this necessary and critical funding.

Below are some helpful resources for you:

Delaware Taxpayer Assistance Center Reopens in Dover: The Internal Revenue Service recently announced the reopening of the Taxpayer Assistance Center (TAC) on S. Dupont Highway in Dover. All IRS TACs operate by appointment. To schedule an appointment at the Dover TAC, call 844-545-5640. The office is open Monday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. To view services provided at this office and to get directions, click here.
Look Before You Book: Are you thinking about booking a trip? Before you do, you should ensure that your passport is up-to-date! You can go to travel.state.gov to check your passport expiration date, apply for a new passport, and more.
Need a Passport Appointment?: The Department of State is encouraging travelers to go to passportappointment.travel.state.gov to schedule passport appointments within 14 days of their date of travel. You can utilize this resource until September!
988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline: If you or someone you know is experiencing a mental health crisis, call 988, the 24/7, free and confidential support Suicide and Crisis Lifeline. You can also go to 988lifeline.org.
Delaware 211: Delawareans in need of emergency housing, utility assistance, food assistance, and more, call 211, Delaware’s free, confidential resource hotline.

This week’s constituent corner celebrates the culinary team at Caesar Rodney High School in Camden. The team - including Melia Stamper, Shannon Powell, Ralph Figueroa, Carys Raber, and Zoe Rowe - were recently crowned champions of the 2024 National ProStart Invitational. Hosted by the National Restaurant Association Educational Foundation, this is the largest high school culinary and restaurant management contest around. The team from Caesar Rodney High School made dishes including Hand-Rolled Pork Dumplings, Pepper Crusted Steak Diane, and a Lemon Meringue Tart. Sounds delicious!

Photo: National Restaurant Association

Yours in service,

Rep. Lisa Blunt Rochester

Member of Congress