This Week in Washington

Raising Awareness of Diabetes with Usher Raymond

Did you know that more than 110,000 Delawareans are living with diabetes, and about 10% of those have Type 1? Nationally, it’s estimated that over 38 million Americans are living with diabetes with 2 million having Type 1 diabetes, including about 304,000 kids and teenagers. That’s why I was proud to meet with award-winning recording artist Usher Raymond in Washington this week. He came not as an entertainer, but as a dad, to share how his son was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes when he was just six years old. I thanked him for using his platform to advocate for early diabetes screenings, and we talked about our shared commitment to bringing more awareness to this health issue impacting millions of Americans. And while we’ve lowered insulin costs for seniors through the Inflation Reduction Act, legislation I championed, we know that there is more work to be done to do the same for all Americans.

Voting on the National Defense Authorization Act

Congress must fulfill its duty of reauthorizing defense spending every year to support the capability and readiness of our service members – the heart of America’s defense at home and abroad. However, after numerous partisan amendments were added by the majority party to this year’s NDAA, I could not, in good faith, vote for its passage.

I urge House leadership to bring a clean version of the NDAA to the floor immediately – one that upholds our obligation to protect our service members, strengthen our defense, and protect our national security. If you’d like to read my full statement on this vote, click here.

Honoring Delaware Students Nominated to U.S. Service Academies

There's nowhere I'd rather be than in a room full of Delawareans, but especially a room full of our young people who have answered a higher calling to serve our nation in uniform. It was an honor to host the 15 Delawareans that I, alongside Senator Tom Carper and Senator Chris Coons, nominated to our prestigious service academies and who will be attending them in the fall.

To earn an appointment to a service academy, students must demonstrate an excellent academic record, extraordinary leadership skills, strong moral character, and a passion for serving their communities. Congratulations to this year’s students and their families, and best of luck on the journey ahead! If you’re interested in learning more about the service academy nomination process through my office, click here.

SCOTUS Decisions

This week also brought a round of decisions from the Supreme Court. In a unanimous decision, SCOTUS upheld access to mifepristone. Mifepristone is a safe, effective, and FDA-approved medication that has been in use in the United States for over 20 years.

This is a major victory, but our fight to protect our reproductive freedoms is not over. Just this week, Senate Republicans blocked a vote on the Right to IVF Act on the Senate Floor. IVF access is personal to me – it’s what made me a grandmother.

I’ll always fight to protect and expand our reproductive freedoms across the country and will continue to push House leadership to bring legislation like the Women's Health Protection Act and the Right to IVF Act to the floor for a vote.

Another SCOTUS decision this week struck down a federal ban on bump stock devices which allow semi-automatic rifles to fire hundreds of bullets per minute. For context, bump stocks were used in the deadliest mass shooting in our nation’s history in Las Vegas in 2017. Delaware banned bump stocks in 2018 and assault weapons in 2022.

Every person across the country should be outraged by this decision. It puts more lives at risk and is a threat to our public safety. Congress must follow Delaware’s lead and take action now to ban assault weapons and bump stocks.

This Week in Delaware

UPCOMING: Mobile Office Hours in Dover

My office is once again hosting Mobile Office Hours on Monday, June 17, 2024, from 11:00 am to 3:00 pm at the Dover Public Library in Dover. 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.

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 highlights the Delaware Coalition Against Domestic Violence (DCADV) which visited me in my Washington, DC office this week. Representing DCADV was executive director Sue Ryan, policy coordinator Elaine Ansah, and police accountability task force member Pamela Brooks-Grimes. They shared their legislative priorities to support those who have experienced domestic violence, including ensuring that Congress passes the reauthorization of the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA). I’ve long supported reauthorizing VAWA and am proud to be a partner in our collective efforts to support and empower survivors across our state.

Lastly, I want to wish a happy Father’s Day to all the dads and father figures out there who've been guiding forces in our lives.

And for those of you, like me and my sisters, who are missing their dads, I hope you find comfort and joy in your memories.

Happy heavenly Father's Day, Dad. ❤️

Yours in service,

Rep. Lisa Blunt Rochester

Member of Congress