Dear Friend,

Welcome back to Let Me Be Blunt. A familiar issue was back at the forefront this week here in Washington. President Trump is again ordering Senate Republicans to pass his SAVE America Act. This time he called for the Senate to stay in session until it’s passed. But despite his orders, he doesn’t even have the votes among his allies.
 
While Washington Republicans debate the issue, I want to remind you where I stand – the SAVE America Act is a bad bill, and just another one of President Trump’s attempts to silence our communities. He may say this legislation and his other efforts are for election security, but they’re really about self-preservation and securing wins for his allies for years to come.
 
President Trump may be willing to compromise your right to vote but know that I’ll keep fighting to protect your voice at the ballot box and beyond. Learn more HERE.

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The First State in Innovation

Delaware isn’t just the first state; it’s the first state in innovation, too! I joined the Delaware Municipal Electric Corporation to celebrate the launch of its floating solar array in Middletown. Supported by federal tax credits, this solar array is new technology that will float up to 5,000 solar panels in a wastewater treatment pond to create clean, reliable energy and lower costs for our community. Once completed, it will be one of the top 10 largest solar arrays on the East Coast and will generate 3 megawatts of solar energy! This is a true federal, state, and local partnership, and I could not be more proud of the great things Delawareans are creating!

Delawareans are constantly creating amazing things.

Fighting For Our Neighbors

Working with my colleagues, I’ve been leading efforts to restore Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Haitian immigrants and other groups in the wake of the Trump administration's repeated attacks. Unfortunately, earlier this week, termination of the TPS program went into effect, requiring thousands of immigrants to stay in the United States illegally or return to unsafe and tumultuous conditions in their home countries.

I met with students and members of the American Civil Liberties Union of Delaware to discuss the importance of restoring TPS and creating a pathway to citizenship for our neighbors. During our meeting, we even ran into a separate group of advocates who were on the Hill fighting for the same solution! Learn more about my work to restore TPS HERE.

We must fight to restore protections for our friends and neighbors.

AI's Reach

Since my time in the House of Representatives, I’ve focused on understanding emerging technologies and how they’ll impact our daily lives. Given the four committees I sit on in the Senate, I’ve explored this issue from several different lenses. This week, the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) subcommittee on Employment and Workplace Safety and the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation Subcommittee on Telecommunications and Media held hearings addressing the reach of AI.

We must protect our workforce in the new AI economy.

In the HELP Committee, we heard from employment experts about how AI is changing the labor market and how we can protect the American workforce. In the Commerce Committee, I questioned the witnesses about infrastructure needs to ensure everyone is connected and can meet the AI moment. Specifically, we discussed ensuring all Delawareans have access to reliable internet. Emerging technologies are rapidly changing the ways we live and work, and we must make sure we’re keeping pace. Watch my remarks in committee HERE and HERE.

We need access to the right resources to succeed with AI.

Helping Our Students Succeed

The HELP committee also considered key legislation to support our students and education system. During the hearing, I offered an amendment to address the Trump administration’s decision to move the Office for Civil Rights to the Department of Justice— part of their effort to illegally dismantle the Department of Education. Students come from every background, and this amendment would ensure that they remain protected. Watch my remarks HERE.

Our students deserve every opportunity to succeed.

Securing a Healthy Future

I was honored to receive the inaugural award from the Joint Commission for my work to advance maternal health. The Joint Commission is a nonprofit organization that accredits more than 22,000 health care organizations and programs. A majority of US state governments recognize Joint Commission accreditation as a condition of licensure for the receipt of Medicaid and Medicare reimbursements. They have worked tirelessly to improve patient safety and quality of care, so I’m honored to have them recognize our teams efforts to save lives and improve the healthcare outcomes for mothers and babies across the country.

Read more about some of my maternal health policies HERE.

Thank you to the Joint Commission for the honor.

A Day at the Fair

The Delaware State Fair is back with a record number of attendees! While I had a blast checking out all it has to offer earlier this week, I am mindful of the challenges our farmers face with high fuel and fertilizer costs due to the war and extreme weather. On the tour with former Ag Secretary Michael Scuse, we also discussed the current Farm Bill and the likelihood of passage. Stay tuned for an update in the coming weeks.

It’s always a pleasure connecting with many of you in person and seeing the success of our agricultural communities up close. I even attended the Junior Livestock Auction, which leaves me even more confident that Delaware’s agricultural legacy will continue to live on.

It wouldn’t be a visit to the fair without trying your favorite fair foods, so check out my Fair Food Taste Test HERE. Thanks to the many Delawareans who shared some recommendations!

I hope you and your family have a chance to visit the fair!

This week's Constituent Corner honors Frank “Fresh” Cloverdale, the Food Bank of Delaware’s longest-serving employee. A lifelong resident of Harrington, Mr. Cloverdale joined the Food Bank over 20 years ago to give back to his community. He believes that the best way to help people in their most stressful moments is through connection.

At a time when federal food assistance funding is being cut, Mr. Cloverdale is there to help. Thank you for uplifting your community and the First State!

Service Academy
Are you a young person interested in serving our country? Are you interested in having your college tuition fully covered? Every year, I have the honor of nominating exceptional students to one of our U.S. Service Academies. The 2026 application process is now open through October 15. CLICK HERE to learn more.

Please head to my website’s Resources for Delawareans page for information about lowering your energy costs, scheduling passport appointments, finding emergency housing, accessing food assistance, paying for prescription drugs, connecting with mental health resources, and more.

CLICK HERE FOR MY RESOURCES PAGE.

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