Hello friends,
I’m writing to you just a few short hours after taking the oath of office to represent Delaware for my fourth term in Congress. While the swearing-in came about much differently and much later (1:40 a.m. and 3 days later to be exact) than usual, the feelings of pride as I took the oath were very much the same.
To recap what has taken place, the new and returning members of the House gathered on January 3rd to officially end the 117th Congress and start the 118th Congress. The first order of business for each new Congress is to – elect a Speaker of the House. This must be done before the House can conduct any other business. That’s why I’ve been in Washington, DC every day since the 3rd, standing united with my fellow House Democrats in voting for Rep. Hakeem Jeffries. In the end, and after 15 rounds of voting, Kevin McCarthy is the Speaker of the House. While I’m disappointed in the disfunction we’ve seen thus far, and concerned with the concessions that Speaker McCarthy made in order to get the gavel, I remain hopeful that we will come together with a renewed spirit of cooperation to build on the progress we’ve made and continue to form a better, brighter, and more perfect union -for all.
Beyond the Speaker’s vote, yesterday also marked the solemn anniversary of the January 6th attack on the Capitol. For me, January 6th will always be a day of remembrance, reflection, and recommitment. That’s why I joined my House colleagues in commemorating the events of that day and the Capitol Police’s service and sacrifice that day and in the two years since. And while the 6th is always a difficult day, it brought a smile to my face to be able to share lunch with the Capitol Police officers and staff who sacrificed so much to protect us that day.
As a reminder, if you ever need assistance from my office, please do not hesitate to reach out. My team can assist with a range of issues including (but not limited to):
- United States Postal Service
- Social Security Administration
- Veterans Affairs benefits and services
- Passport and visa processing
- Citizenship and naturalization
Finally - as a personal note - I just wanted to say thank you to all of the Delawareans who reached out via call, text, email, or social media. Your thoughtful messages helped me navigate the dozens of hours, 15 roll call votes, and approximately 6,500 names that were called on the floor this week. And now, with all of that behind us, we move forward together with purpose.
Yours in service,
Lisa Blunt Rochester
Member of Congress
Updates & Reminders
At the end of December, Congress passed the Omnibus appropriations package to fund the government. The package also included key legislative priorities I championed for Delaware. To learn more about the funding I secured to improve our state, you can click here or watch my breakdown above.
The omnibus package also included funding for 13 projects in Delaware that were submitted through my office through a process called Community Project Funding. These projects had to have two components: community support and community need. I was able to visit with these organizations over the last several months to hear about their projects and how they would use the money to improve their organizations. I’m proud to have delivered this funding for them. Take a look above to see where the funding will be going!
Last month, President Biden announced that each household is eligible to order 4 additional COVID tests at no cost to them. This is an easy way to take extra precautions so you and your family can stay safe from COVID-19 this winter. You can order yours today by going to COVID.gov.
On January 1, 2023, the health and energy benefits of the historic Inflation Reduction Act that Congress passed last year went into effect! This means that as of January 1st:
- There is now a $35/month cap for seniors and individuals with disabilities on Medicare
- There is now a $2,000 out-of-pocket cap for Part D drugs for seniors on Medicare
- There are no-cost vaccines available for Medicare Part D
- And there are new tax credits to make homes energy efficient and run on clean energy as well as tax credits to lower the cost of purchasing new and used electric and hybrid cars
Learn more about the Inflation Reduction Act’s provisions to lower costs here.
Welcome to a new segment of the newsletter I’m calling “Constituent Corner,” a moment to highlight the amazing feats of a Delawarean each week. Take a look at our first one below!
On January 5th, Nicholas Qaabar opened Scout Café, a new, Middle Eastern-inspired coffee shop in Wilmington! This café brings together the traditional and modern in its food, drinks, and design inspired by Nicholas’ Middle Eastern roots. A perfect place to get together with friends, treat a coworker to coffee, or visit solo with a good book, Scout Café is on its way to becoming a key part of the Wilmington community. Nicholas is also using his store as a way to promote other local businesses such as Hell’s Belles Bake Shop in Wilmington. Thank you to Nicholas for investing in Wilmington and our local economy! I can’t wait to see what the future holds for Scout Café. To learn more, you can visit Scout’s website here.
