Dear friend,

I hope you had a fun and safe St. Patrick’s Day and that your weekend is off to a great start. Below are some highlights of my week spent in the First State as well as some resources for federal funding I encourage Delaware organizations to look through. 

St. Patrick's Day Traditions

Wilmington comes alive when St. Patrick's Day rolls around each year - and with the holiday comes the annual traditions the city (and myself) look forward to joining to celebrate Irish culture and community. I was honored to join the Irish Club of Delaware's St. Patrick's Day Parade and the 30th Annual St. Patrick's Day Society's Mass and Parade to celebrate with so many folks dressed head-to-toe in green and Irish pride!

New Castle County Chamber of Commerce Policy Makers

The New Castle County Chamber of Commerce holds a series of breakfasts called Policy Makers where they invite a legislator to give a presentation before its membership. On Wednesday, I was honored to be able to join over 100 business and nonprofit leaders to share with them about the historic progress made over the last two years, my work to invest in Delaware's communities through Community Project Funding, and the work to come. 

Women Veterans Roundtable

On Thursday, I brought together women servicemembers and veterans at the Dover Community-Based Outpatient Clinic for a roundtable discussion on issues facing women veterans. Topics discussed include barriers to health services and mental health support, including reproductive care and LGBTQ+ care, employment opportunities after service, and the impact of federal legislation such as the Deborah Sampson Act and the Honoring Our PACT Act. I was proud to host the conversation during Women's History Month as we continue to uplift the contributions and achievements of women across the globe – including those who have served us in uniform. I'm grateful to this group of women for sharing their experiences with me so that we can better address the issues impacting veterans in our state.

REGIONAL LEADERSHIP COUNCIL

Congress made historic progress throughout the past two years. Earlier this year, I was appointed to serve on the Regional Leadership Council where I will lead the implementation and communication of the historic legislation we passed for Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, New Jersey, and Washington, DC. From the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act to the CHIPS and Science Act and the Inflation Reduction Act, we are making great strides in securing a brighter future and stronger economy. Because of these pivotal pieces of legislation, we're upgrading our roads, bridges, and highways. We're strengthening mental health services in schools. We're fixing our supply chains and bringing good-paying manufacturing jobs back to America. And we're lowering prescription drug costs for Medicare beneficiaries and energy costs for homes and businesses.

GRANT RESOURCES FOR DELAWAREANS

In the spirit of effectively implementing these major bills, I wanted to spread the word about funding opportunities that Delaware organizations, state and local governments, businesses, and nonprofits can apply for. Moving forward, each week, I'm going to update you on where you can find these funding opportunities. Please see below for more info on what has just been announced and stay tuned for more info about grants coming into our state.

• EV CHARGING: U.S. Department of Transportation's (DOT) new Charging and Fueling Infrastructure (CFI) Discretionary Grant Program, established by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law
• CLIMATE: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) Climate Pollution Reduction Grant, established by the Inflation Reduction Act
• MANUFACTURING SEMICONDUCTORS: U.S. Department of Commerce's CHIPS for America Program, established by the CHIPS and Science Act

This week, I'm highlighting my Delaware office interns - Lauren and Justin! Lauren and Justin are key to helping our office run day-to-day by helping answer Delawareans' calls, assisting at events, and always ready to help the team when needed. Thank you, Lauren and Justin, for your hard work and for being a great addition to #TeamLBR!

If you're interested in interning with one of my offices, now is your chance! We're accepting applications for summer 2023 now through Saturday, April 22nd by close of business. For more information on how to apply, please click here.

Yours in service,

Rep. Lisa Blunt Rochester

Member of Congress

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