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Dear Friend,
Welcome back to Let Me Be Blunt. This weekend, the Senate will be in session, and I will be working to stop the Republican reconciliation bill which will have a detrimental impact on health care (potentially cutting off 16 million individuals), nutrition programs for children and families, and so much more. Stay tuned!
Here’s a look at just some of what my team and I did this week on your behalf:
This Week in Washington
The Dobbs Decision: Marking 3 Years
This week marked three years since the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade. The Dobbs decision overturned decades of precedent and is the first time a right has been taken away from us. Despite saying this is a states’ rights issues, anti-abortion Republicans and the Trump administration have been quietly, methodically chipping away at reproductive rights to achieve the ultimate goal of a national abortion ban.
I began the day with a press conference about the importance of access to abortion care with leaders in the Senate and advocates who fight tirelessly for reproductive freedom. You can read my full remarks at this event by CLICKING HERE.
ABOVE: Leader Schumer, Senator Murray, Senator Baldwin, and I with patients and advocates
We continued to shine a light on these policies throughout the day. I focused on the incremental actions that are happening across the country — when put together are a puzzle of legislation, pardons, and cuts that will amount to a national abortion ban. I attended and spoke at a spotlight hearing with patients and providers from around the country. They shared the impact these piecemeal policies are already having on access to care.
ABOVE: I am grateful to the patients, providers, and advocates who bravely told their stories at our spotlight hearing on the impact these piecemeal policies are already having on access to care.
I ended the day by leading my colleagues on the Senate floor where we spoke of history and our constitutional rights, shared stories of the current harmful impacts of this decision, and gave calls to action. Ultimately, our fight for reproductive freedom is far from over. CLICK HERE to watch my remarks.
ABOVE: On the Senate floor, I stood up for our daughters and granddaughters to have more, not less rights than our mothers and grandmothers.
Demanding Answers from the Nominee for CDC Director
This week, just over three months after she was nominated for the role, the President’s nominee for CDC director came before my colleagues and me on the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee. When I met with Dr. Monarez one-on-one, she told me she believed the members of Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) did not have conflicts of interest. In committee, however, she completely changed her tune.
Secretary Kennedy used those supposed conflicts to justify firing all 17 qualified experts on the panel and install hand-picked vaccine skeptics in their place. With a new school year on the way and states requiring immunizations for kids to enter school, what happens with this committee will have a real impact on Delawareans and families across the country. If they refuse to recommend key vaccines currently required by schools, parents could be forced to shoulder the costs. I’m laser-focused on the health of our communities and bringing down health costs for families, so I’ll continue pushing to restore ACIP as a trusted, qualified piece of our health system. CLICK HERE to see our full exchange.
ABOVE: In this HELP Committee hearing, I pressed the President’s nominee for CDC Director on vaccine affordability for Delaware families.
Celebrating the Anniversary of a Civil Rights Victory
Later in the week, I had the opportunity to join disability rights advocates and experts to celebrate the 26thanniversary of the Olmstead v. L.C. Supreme Court decision. The Court ruled that the needless segregation of people with mental disabilities violated the Americans with Disabilities Act, opening the door for individuals to live independent lives in the community if they can and want to, rather than in institutions. It ushered the way for home and community-based services, programs, and activities for people with disabilities to be provided in the most integrated setting appropriate.
This year, as we commemorate the decision, there was a heightened awareness of how detrimental cuts to Medicaid in the Republican reconciliation bill could be — rolling back years of progress. I’ll do all I can this weekend and beyond to stop those cuts in the “big bad bill” from becoming law.
ABOVE: As I told everyone at the event honoring the anniversary of the Olmstead case, I’ll do all I can to stop cuts to Medicaid from becoming law.
Questions for Fed Chair Powell
As a member of the Senate Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs Committee, I was eager to hear from Jerome Powell, the Federal Reserve Bank Chair. As we continue to explore the potential impacts of AI on the workforce, I asked him for his perspective on the future effects of emerging technologies on employment across the country. CLICK HERE to hear his responses.
Delawareans in DC
It means so much to hear from Delawareans who visit my office in Washington. This week, I met with representatives from the Association of Black Cardiologists, the Delaware Coalition Against Domestic Violence, and AARP Delaware. In addition, we held a zoom meeting with Chief Avery “Leaving Tracks” Johnson and Assistant Chief Farrah Stigall of the Nanticoke Indian Tribe. These meetings are so important because they give me the opportunity to understand the wide range of concerns and priorities represented throughout our state.
ABOVE: I'm always glad to meet with AARP Delaware. In addition to hearing of their work, we discussed health and food security for Delawareans.
ABOVE: The Delaware Coalition Against Domestic Violence and I agree: we need to protect federal funding for domestic violence programs.
This Week in Delaware
Saluting a Medal of Honor Recipient
Over the weekend at Dover Air Force Base, I attended the induction ceremony of a Vietnam veteran, Colonel Paris Davis, into the Air Mobility Command Museum. For his heroic service to our country, Col. Davis earned a Medal of Honor. I was moved by his story of courage and determination, and I am grateful that the Air Mobility Command Museum will commemorate his achievements and those of our honorable service members.
ABOVE: It was an honor to meet Colonel Davis and learn about his inspiring service to our nation.
Delawareans continue to write to me to shine a light on the damage the Republican reconciliation bill will cause in our state. This week, I’m highlighting what Jeannine from Dover told me.
Jeannine lives with chronic illness and is undergoing multiple surgeries in the next year that she hopes will enable her to return to work. But in the meantime, Medicaid and SNAP have been critical in helping her get by.
Jeannine told me, “Medicaid and SNAP are both incredibly important for my survival, as well as my ability to return to work and become a productive member of society who does not need government assistance... When I say these programs are critical to my life, I mean it both figuratively and literally. I would not survive without them, and I am not alone in this experience.”
Jeannine, and so many people like her, want to return to work. Programs like Medicaid and SNAP help make that possible. I’ll do everything I can to protect these programs, and I hope you’ll keep writing in.
Do you have a story to share? I want to hear from you! Please click here to share your story.
Please note that your stories may be used on the Senate floor, on social media, or with the press.
Below are some helpful resources for you:
- Cybersecurity Training: If you’re a small business owner with a cooperative agreement or grant with the SBA, you can access brand-new cybersecurity training designed by Delaware’s award-winning Small Business Development Center (SBDC). Visit northstarcert.americassbdc.org.
- Lower Energy Costs: You can lower your energy costs thanks to tax credits and rebates made available by the Inflation Reduction Act. Learn more at www.energy.gov/save.
- Look Before You Book: Before you book your next international trip, make sure your passport is up to date! Visit travel.state.gov to check your passport expiration date, apply for a new passport, and more.
- Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP): Before you go overseas, consider downloading STEP, a free service that will send you safety and security alerts from the nearest U.S. embassy or consulate. Travel with peace of mind and enroll today at mytravel.state.gov/s/step.
- 988 National Suicide Prevention Helpline: If you or someone you know is experiencing a mental health crisis, call 988 or visit 988lifeline.org, the 24/7, free, and confidential support National Suicide Prevention Hotline.
- Delaware 211: Delawareans in need of emergency housing, utility assistance, food assistance, and more should call 211, Delaware’s free, confidential resource hotline.
- 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 at exchanges.state.gov/us.
- Medicare Prescription Payment Plan: Medicare Part D beneficiaries can spread out the costs of prescription drugs over the course of a year thanks to the Inflation Reduction Act. Payment plans have zero-interest installments and a $2,000 annual out-of-pocket cap. Learn more at medicare.gov/prescription-payment-plan.
This week’s Constituent Corner honors Natalie Radecki, a rising senior at Caravel Academy, who took home the Golden Boot Award at the 2025 U17 Pan American Championship for wrestling. In addition to the award — presented to the most outstanding wrestler in the tournament — Radecki won gold in her category, as part of an American team that took the gold in all ten weight categories. Congratulations, Natalie!
ABOVE: Natalie sits in the front row of the U.S. women’s wrestling team at the 2025 U17 Pan American Games in Rio De Janeiro, Brazil, holding her Golden Boot Award. (Photo: USA Wrestling)
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