I was sworn in as Delaware’s representative in Congress one year ago this month — the same month Donald Trump was inaugurated as president for the second time.
I recently published an op-ed in the Delaware News Journal, reflecting on my first year in Congress. In many ways, this year has felt like a decade.
In this op-ed, I wrote about the work I’ve done for my state, the fights I’ve taken on, what’s ahead as we approach midterms, and why I consider myself the luckiest member of the House.
I hope you’ll take just a few minutes to read it.
— Sarah
McBride: I fight to protect Delaware. And I'll keep going
Sarah McBride
January 14, 2026
When I was sworn in as Delaware's member of Congress, I made a simple promise: I would work with anyone willing to deliver for Delaware, and I would stand up to anyone who would hurt Delawareans.
These last twelve months have felt like a decade in many ways. Time and again, we have seen the president sowing chaos and endorsing cruelty — striking fear into the hearts of immigrant neighbors, disregarding due process, firing public servants and attacking the foundations of the American health care system. Meanwhile, families across Delaware are facing rising utility bills, housing costs, and grocery prices that don't match their paychecks.
This is the reality that has shaped my first year in Congress.
I'm focused on protecting Delawareans
From day one, I've focused on protecting Delawareans — because a government for and by the people must respect the rule of law, not the whims of the powerful and wealthy few. That meant standing up to political appointees who sought unauthorized access to Americans' personal data, pushing for transparency and accountability from the White House, and defending Congress's constitutional role in decisions about war.
We've seen the consequences when those guardrails fail — when wealthy donors are given a blank check to summarily fire civil servants and hollow out federal agencies Congress created to serve the public.
We also witnessed relentless attacks on the American health care system: the largest cut to Medicaid in our history, mass firings of health care workers, and partisan attacks in the research and institutions that keep us safe from disease. Science — not ideology — should guide decisions that affect people's health. That's why I supported legislation to protect vaccine access, fought to restore and strengthen Medicaid funding, reinstate federal health workers and extend Affordable Care Act tax credits — something we are much closer to now than when my Democratic colleagues and I started that effort.
I'll be the first to admit it: it can feel like Congress isn't doing enough to address everyday concerns. But after my first year in office, I'm proud to say I know that progress is still possible, despite a loud, divided and too-often dysfunctional Washington, when we listen to one another and put people over politics.
Every day in Washington, while I work to defend our democracy and address the cost of living, Delawareans reach out to my office for help navigating federal bureaucracy. A Social Security notice demanding tens of thousands of dollars because of an administrative error. A delayed tax refund. A stalled SBA loan. A grandmother unable to access her Medicare coverage. A veteran denied the benefits they earned in uniform.
To the people facing these challenges, they mean everything. In every constituent we serve, we learn how to make government deliver better for all of us.
That's why I'm most proud that my office helped over 800 Delawareans this year, returning nearly $4 million directly to families. Oftentimes, government isn't abstract — it's whether a problem gets solved or a door gets slammed shut.
Delivering for our neighbors also means bringing resources home. This year, working alongside Senators Coons and Blunt Rochester, we helped secure over $200 million in federal grant funding for Delaware communities, hospitals, schools, and local governments — along with more than $76.4 million of new direct investment across our state.
When I was elected, I hadn't hoped to serve in the minority. So, yes, I have real disagreements with my Republican colleagues. When I need to stand up to policies that would hurt Delaware, I do — and always will. But Delawareans know something Washington sometimes forgets: you can stand for your values and still work together where common ground exists. That's how we deliver results.
I introduced five new bills, all with bipartisan support, all shaped directly by conversations with Delawareans — from consumer protection to supporting farmers. One of my bills that would expand investment for entrepreneurs and small businesses passed the House unanimously this past summer.
I led a bipartisan effort to restore funding the Trump administration cut from Delaware's Manufacturing Extension Partnership, protecting small and mid-sized manufacturers and good-paying jobs, and helped secure bipartisan funding for Delaware-developed cooling technology that reduces data centers' energy and water use and eases pressure on utility costs.
And when the Trump administration moved to cut Medicare's funding for home health care, I worked across the aisle to stop it — preserving nearly $1 billion so seniors can receive care at home and caregivers can keep doing their jobs. I've continued my work to expand paid family and medical leave nationally and support fair wages, because no one should have to choose between their family or their wellbeing and their livelihood.
Supporting our veterans has remained a priority — from protecting earned benefits, to cutting red tape at the VA, to ensuring servicemembers are paid even during a government shutdown.
I'm proud of Delaware
I consider myself the luckiest member of the House. Not everyone gets to represent the greatest state in the Union. That's why I also spent this year traveling across Delaware — joining town halls and roundtables, touring small businesses, and taking over 360 meetings with neighbors across 35 towns and cities. Those moments at home remind me of the true Delaware way: democracy works best when we focus less on ideology and more on outcomes— less on noise and more on neighbors.
It is the privilege of my lifetime representing our state in the House of Representatives. As I begin my second year, I'm more clear eyed than ever about the work ahead. I'm grateful to the people of Delaware for trusting me with this responsibility.
Thank you for reading! Sarah is working every day to push back against Trump’s billionaire agenda, hold Republicans accountable for the harm they’re causing, and deliver real solutions to make life more affordable for working families. None of that is possible without this grassroots team. |
