Since the COVID-19 pandemic, I have heard from Delawareans up and down our state who have been affected by shortages of goods caused by shocks to our supply chains. This bill would help us identify supply chain disruptions before they become issues while creating jobs, lowering costs, growing our economy, and strengthening our national security. To read more about the bill and my supply chain efforts, click here.

Prior to the vote, I took to the House floor to encourage my colleagues to support the bill. You can watch my full floor speech by clicking below.

The other bill – also in partnership with Rep. Bucshon – is the Deploying American Blockchains Act. This bipartisan bill would bring us one step closer to harnessing innovative blockchain technology to protect consumers, support businesses, and grow our economy. If you’d like to read more about this legislation, click here.

Additionally, an amendment of mine passed the House as part of the TICKET Act, bipartisan legislation to make the process of purchasing tickets online more transparent, helping to protect consumers from fraudulent tickets, surprise costs, and excessive fees.

My amendment would make URLs less deceptive when buying tickets to events like concerts or sports games. URLs should help, not hurt, our ability to make informed choices about where, how, and from whom we purchase tickets online. In November, I advocated for my amendment to be included in the bill at the House Energy and Commerce Committee markup. You can watch my speech from that markup here.

This Week in Washington

Working to Extend the Affordable Connectivity Program

I've heard from households across Delaware about how vital the Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP) is to their everyday lives. In fact, over 52,000 Delawareans have benefited from it.

That’s why, in this week’s House Energy and Commerce Committee Health Subcommittee Markup, I urged my colleagues from both sides of the aisle to come together to extend the ACP so that we can keep Delawareans connected. I told the story of a senior in Delaware who shared with me that a lapse in this program would be detrimental. Delawareans need affordable, high-speed internet access to work, go to school, and access telehealth services. To watch my remarks on the ACP, click below:

Fighting for a Cure with the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society

I was proud to meet with the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society this week in my Washington office. One of the attendees, Jan White, was also my guest to the President’s State of the Union in 2020! The fight to end Leukemia and Lymphoma is a personal one. My dad, the late Ted Blunt, passed away from Leukemia earlier this year. I’m so grateful to everyone at the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society for the important work they do to fight for a cure to blood cancers and improve the quality of life of patients and their families. I will continue to be a partner in this effort.

From L-R: Jan White, Advocate, Rep. Lisa Blunt Rochester, and Jessica Burnell, Director, Federal Affairs at The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society

This Week in Delaware

Celebrating the Anniversary of Brown v. Board of Education

Yesterday marked the 70th anniversary of the Supreme Court’s decision in Brown v. Board of Education. A landmark case for civil rights in our country, the decision in Brown outlawed segregation in schools but many do not know that Delaware has a very important connection to that case.

Recently, a Center for Diversity, Inclusion & Social Equity opened at the former Hockessin Colored School #107C, which I had the pleasure of visiting last year, to preserve and remind us of Delaware’s role in the case. As we mark the achievement of the decision of Brown, we cannot lose sight of the work left to do, as Dr. King said, to “bend the arc of the moral universe toward justice.”

UPCOMING: Mobile Office Hours in Middletown

My office is once again hosting Mobile Office Hours Tuesday, May 21, 2024, from 11:00 am to 3:00 pm at the Appoquinimink Public Library in Middletown. Members of my casework team will be on hand to assist Delawareans who need help with federal agencies including passport and visa processing, securing your Social Security benefits, and getting your tax refund from the IRS.

RSVPs are encouraged but not required. To RSVP, please click here.

Internship Applications Due June 10!

Having started my career in public service as an intern for then-Congressman Tom Carper, I’ve seen first-hand just how valuable an experience internships are. That’s why I wanted to let you know that my office is now accepting internship applications for my Washington, DC and Delaware offices for the fall of 2024.

Complete applications are due by Monday, June 10, 2024, by close of business. This is an excellent opportunity for young people to learn about public service and gain experience working in a congressional office. For more information on how to apply, please visit my website here.

Below are some helpful resources for you:

Lower Energy Costs: Thanks to the Inflation Reduction Act that I helped pass last Congress, there are opportunities to lower your energy costs through tax credits and rebates. Check out energy.gov/save to learn more.
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 National Suicide Prevention Helpline: If you or someone you know is experiencing a mental health crisis, call 988, the 24/7, free and confidential support National Suicide Prevention Hotline. 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.
Student Loan SAVE Program: The Biden Harris Administration announced the SAVE (Saving on a Valuable Education) Plan. This program is income-driven and calculates your monthly payment amount based on your income and family size. The SAVE Plan provides the lowest monthly payments of any Income-Driven Repayment plan available to nearly all student borrowers. To apply for the SAVE Plan, go to studentaid.gov/idr.
U.S. Department of State’s Exchange Programs: The State Department sponsors several programs across the world that can give Americans educational, cultural, and professional experiences. Find out more about at exchanges.state.gov/us.

This week’s constituent corner honors Senator Tom Carper! Yesterday, the Newark Regional Transportation Center was named the Thomas R. Carper Train Station – a recognition of Senator Carper’s decades long work to strengthen Delaware’s infrastructure (and his love of traveling by train!). Senator Carper always says that the greatest pleasure in life is serving others. I am proud that we were able to celebrate him in this monumental way yesterday. Congrats, TC!

Photo: Office of Senator Tom Carper

Yours in service,

Rep. Lisa Blunt Rochester

Member of Congress