Lisa Blunt Rochester
DJust fyi, the Blue Hens Forever sculpture is permanently attached to the ground and is not for sale. (Go Blue Hens!) https://t.co/FVXZo1lvAs
U.S. Senator Lisa Blunt Rochester (D-Del.), a member of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation and Ranking Member of the Subcommittee on Coast Guard, Maritime, & Fisheries, completed a congressional delegation visit to San Francisco, California. During her trip, she met with Coast Guard leadership, top national security officials, and leading artificial intelligence (AI) experts to discuss U.S. military capabilities, evolving national security threats, and recent AI safety issues. Senator Blunt Rochester’s visits included Travis Air Force Base to discuss air mobility missions; US Coast Guard Base Alameda to receive an update on Pacific Area threats, including growing cybersecurity concerns; Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory to discuss emerging technologies like fusion and quantum, and visit the world’s largest supercomputer; meetings with leadership from OpenAI to discuss recent AI threats; and conversations with foreign policy experts at Stanford University.
I'm back with Mammography Mondays to honor Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Breast Cancer doesn't affect all of us equally — Black women are more likely to die from breast cancer than any other group. Check with your doctor to get the right screening schedule for you.💕
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You'll get 'em next time @jonlovett https://t.co/t2GpFy8uLV
Had a great time with @AbdulElSayed and @garlin in Grand Rapids and Detroit. Michigan is central to our fight to win back a Democratic majority in the Senate, and so much is on the ballot this year. Let’s bring that energy to every race, up and down the ballot. 💙 https://t.co/ROQQms0m5y
Completely out of touch. Prices keep rising, but this adminstration keeps ignoring the problem.
The President’s attack on clean energy isn’t just hurting our environment; it’s hurting our pocketbooks. Because the Trump admin decided to cancel clean energy projects, our families are facing thousands more in energy costs, and our communities are losing critical, good-paying jobs. https://t.co/2cr35C0KLZ
Wilmington, DE — U.S. Senator Lisa Blunt Rochester (D-Del.) today released a statement on the passing of Former Delaware President Pro Tempore Patricia “Patti” Blevins: “I’m deeply saddened to hear of the passing of Patricia “Patti” Blevins. In her roles as a State Senator, Mayor, Town Councilmember, and advocate, she dedicated her life to best serving the Town of Elsmere and the First State. “It was a privilege to have worked alongside her throughout the years in our shared endeavor to strengthen Delaware. I admired Patti for her fair leadership, collaborative policy approach, and most of all her deep love for our state of neighbors. She leaves a lasting legacy of fighting to protect our most vulnerable and building safer communities. Her spirit of service will endure through the countless lives she has touched. “I join those mourning this immeasurable loss. My prayers are with her family and loved ones during this difficult time. May she rest in eternal peace.”
U.S. Senators Lisa Blunt Rochester and Chris Coons, a senior member of the Senate Judiciary Committee (both D-Del.), submitted a complaint against Judge Jennifer Mascott of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit with Circuit Executive Margaret Wiegand, calling for a review of Mascott’s conduct in light of recent reporting by Politico indicating that Mascott continued to run her late husband’s public affairs firm after her confirmation to the federal bench. “In our view, the ethical implications of Judge Mascott’s decision to lead this firm while simultaneously serving on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit deserve review,” the senators wrote. “Although ownership of an independent public affairs firm does not necessarily constitute judicial misconduct, ongoing and active engagement in managing that firm can be.” In August, Politico broke the news that Mascott was “deeply involved in daily operations” at Adfero, a Washington public affairs firm she inherited from her late husband, for at least six months after her confirmation to the Third Circuit. While serving as a judge, Mascott worked out of Adfero’s Washington offices, oversaw staffing and business development operations, and made key “operational and strategic” decisions. Mascott also pushed the previously non-partisan firm in a conservative direction, bringing on consultants and clients “with strong MAGA credentials.” “If she is logging time [at Adfero] and it has the potential to interfere with her judicial duties, that is a no-go,” Charles Geyh, a law professor at the Indiana University Maurer School of Law who studies judicial ethics, told Politico. “Under a basic reading of the Code of Conduct for United States Judges,” the senators continued in their complaint, judges “may not maintain a second profession that could take time and focus away from their Senate-confirmed job. We are concerned that by dedicating extensive time and attention to her role in Adfero, Judge Mascott may have engaged in misconduct.” The two senators also posed questions about whether Mascott’s work with Adfero has detracted from her work on the Court of Appeals, noting that since joining the bench, Judge Mascott “has issued only three written opinions in precedential cases, two of which are only about a page long.” Other Third Circuit judges have written significantly more in that time. “As representatives for the people of Delaware in the United States Senate, we want to ensure that the judges serving our state on the Third Circuit are fully committed to doing their best work, free from undue distraction or unethical conduct,” the senators concluded. “We look forward to your review of this complaint and thank you for your attention to this matter.”
Banking Democrats call for public forum to question Pulte on documented abuses of power U.S. SenatorsLisa Blunt Rochester (D-Del.),Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.), andJack Reed (D-R.I.) joined their Democratic colleagues on the Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs Committee in a letter to Chair Tim Scott (R-S.C.) requesting a hearing with Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) Director Bill Pulte. The Senators’ request follows various reported abuses of power by Pulte, including last week’s unprecedented move to cut the funding to the agency’s Office of the Inspector General (FHFA-OIG) by 60 percent and risk future operations. “We request you invite Director Pulte to testify before the Senate Banking Committee so our committee can fulfill its oversight functions and explore how his decisions are affecting FHFA’s ability to ensure Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac and the FHLBanks (collectively, “the government-sponsored enterprises,” or GSEs) operate in a safe and sound manner and provide a reliable source of liquidity and funding for housing finance and community investment. The hearing would provide Director Pulte the opportunity to explain his record,” wrote the Senators. Bill Pulte’s proposed cuts to FHFA-OIG – which is tasked with investigating waste, fraud, and abuse at FHFA, Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac and the Federal Home Loan Banks – come while he remains under increased scrutiny for his abuses of power. Pulte is under investigation by the Government Accountability Office (GAO) for potentially misusing his federal authority and resources to publicly accuse prominent Democrats and President Donald Trump’s perceived political enemies of mortgage fraud. Pulte also faces questions for his apparent involvement in the President’s scheme to demolish the Kennedy Center and his brief tenure as Acting Director of National Intelligence. The Senators also call into question his mismanagement of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, which back 70 percent of mortgages in the United States: “Since failing to respond to congressional inquiries on his activities, Director Pulte has fired more staff at Fannie Mae, including about a dozen high-ranking executives. These now-fired executives were responsible for multifamily loans, low-income housing tax credit investments, and finance, and also included regulatory and communications officials. Director Pulte has not publicly explained the reasoning behind these most recent terminations and how these firings will impact Fannie Mae’s ability to provide price stability across the mortgage market.” Pulte’s cuts to the FHFA-OIG would result in a layoff of 70-80% of staff, including experienced law enforcement officers who serve as the primary watchdogs for Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac and keep the mortgage market stable. These staff are tasked with investigating title and mortgage fraud, protecting mortgage lenders and home buyers from predatory practices, and ensuring a sound and secure mortgage and banking system. “We must fulfill our oversight responsibilities related to potential harm being done by Director Pulte to our nation’s housing finance market and in turn, to the supply and cost of housing,” conclude the Senators.
October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, so I'm participating in Mammography Mondays, sharing a fast fact about breast cancer. An estimated 321,910 women will be diagnosed in the U.S. this year, but when caught early, 99% of patients survive at least 5 years. Get screened!🩷
Secretary Kennedy ignored this outbreak, and now Delawareans are suffering. The Trump FDA needs to do their duty and sound the alarm on the measles crisis in our country. https://t.co/7rjBJFdOiP
Our healthcare system can be complicated. And with rising costs and changing coverage, it's hard to keep track. My No Surprise Bills for Seniors Act is a first step to make sure your loved ones don’t lose coverage because of confusing healthcare bills. https://t.co/rLDRfbVNej
There’s still much more to do. It’s time for leading AI companies to come before Congress and explain to the American people what’s happening and how they’ll keep us safe as this technology evolves.
Congratulations, @RepLaMonica on the birth of your beautiful baby girl! Sending you and your family well wishes and good health during such an exciting time.
Many of us have questions about AI safety, but we also need to know how its related infrastructure, like data centers, will impact our lives. @SenJohnCurtis and I are teaming up to increase transparency and community involvement. https://t.co/tIoDlLwXA0
U.S. Senators Lisa Blunt Rochester (D-Del.) and Ted Cruz (R-Texas) introduced the 529 Retirement Enhancement Act of 2026. This bipartisan legislation eliminates the $35,000 lifetime cap on rollovers from 529 education savings accounts to Roth IRAs. “529 accounts can be incredibly useful in helping families prepare for higher education, but plans can change. A student may receive a scholarship, not use the full balance of their account, or simply choose a different path. Families should be able to preserve financial flexibility regardless of what their child’s education decisions are years down the road,” said Senator Blunt Rochester. “I’m proud to co-lead the bipartisan 529 Retirement Enhancement Act to remove barriers to saving and give families greater peace of mind when investing in their children’s future.” “I have been committed throughout my Senate career to expanding 529 savings accounts to give parents increased flexibility to save and invest in their children’s future,” said Senator Cruz. “The law currently penalizes families when their children receive a scholarship or choose an alternative to college, leaving education savings unused, which in turn serves as a disincentive to initially use these accounts. The bipartisan 529 Retirement Enhancement Act will give parents greater flexibility to roll over unused education funds into their children’s Roth IRAs, and I’m proud to introduce it.” This legislation is supported by the Investment Company Institute. Investment Company Institute Chief of Government Affairs and Public Policy Tom Quaadman said, “ICI applauds Sens. Cruz and Blunt Rochester for their commonsense legislation giving families greater financial flexibility and security. Families with unspent funds in a 529 plan should not be penalized because a student received a scholarship or pursued other options. The Cruz-Blunt Rochester bill permits unused education savings to be moved into a Roth IRA allowing young people to get started on their path to a secure financial future.”
U.S. Senators Lisa Blunt Rochester (D-Del.) and John Curtis (R-Utah) today introduced the Data Center Transparency Act of 2026 and the Data Center Community Empowerment Act of 2026 to improve understanding of data centers’ impacts on the environment and quality of life and increase community involvement in the development of future data centers. The Data Center Transparency Act would require federal agencies to collect information on data centers’ environmental impact, energy consumption, and water consumption. The Data Center Community Empowerment Act would give communities access to technical expertise to understand the potential benefits, costs, and infrastructure impacts of proposed data center development. The House companion to the Data Center Transparency Act is led by Congressman Robert Menendez (D-N.J.-8). “The development of data centers is rapidly increasing across the country, and there is legitimate concern about how these projects could raise utility bills, harm our environment, or impact public health,” said Senator Blunt Rochester. “I am proud to work with Senator Curtis to introduce The Data Center Transparency Act and the Data Center Community Empowerment Act to ensure communities have a say in how these projects impact their quality of life. These bills are a necessary step to create a safer, more inclusive, and informed process. “Americans are rightly skeptical when a large company tells them not to worry about the impacts of a new data center in their community,” said Senator Curtis. “The answer to that distrust is transparency. Communities deserve independent, reliable information about what these projects mean for their power bills, water, infrastructure, and local economy. These bills give local leaders the facts and expertise they need to ask tough questions and make informed decisions—without Washington or industry making those decisions for them.” The Data Center Transparency Act would: Require EPA to collect and update data every three months on the environmental impacts that data centers have on: Water consumption, utility costs, and potential pollutants; and Air pollution cumulative impacts and greenhouse gases. Require the Energy Information Administration to collect and update data on energy consumption of data centers, including total energy consumption of data centers, associated grid build-out, and impact on household energy bills every six months. The Data Center Community Empowerment Act would: Establish a program at the Department of Energy to: Provide technical assistance to State, local, and Tribal governments on the potential energy, water, infrastructure, economic, and other community impacts associated with data center development; Develop a Data Center Community Toolkit with easy-to-understand information and resources specifically designed for nontechnical local officials; Provide independent project analysis at a community’s request, including an assessment of information voluntarily provided by a data center developer and the reliability of its data and reasonableness of its assumptions, projections, and conclusions; and Preserve local decision-making by requiring DOE to remain neutral on individual data center projects and prohibiting the Department from recommending whether a particular project should be approved or rejected.
U.S. Senator Lisa Blunt Rochester (D-Del.), a member of the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions, and U.S. Senator Cory Booker (D-N.J.) introduced a resolution recognizing October 2026 as World Menopause Awareness Month. The onset of menopause can be life-changing, with standard symptoms lasting over seven years, even longer for Black and Hispanic women. Yet, each year, women from all backgrounds begin menopause with little guidance on what to expect, and report having limited access to strategies to help ease the transition. The World Menopause Awareness Month Resolution seeks to increase awareness of the menopausal experience and expand access to care during and after menopause. Below is an excerpt of the resolution: “Each year, women in the United States enter the menopausal transition with little guidance on what to expect before, during, and after their reproductive years…As many as 40 percent of menopausal women say their symptoms interfered with their work performance or productivity weekly, and nearly 1 in 5 have left or considered leaving the workforce because of their symptoms. “[This resolution] expresses support for the recognition of October 2026, as “World Menopause Awareness Month,” recognizes the impact of menopause on women at individual and societal levels, as well as on the health and economic development of the United States… [and] supports women having access to appropriate health information and services to promote healthy aging and a high quality of life before, during, and after menopause.”
AI is becoming more unrecognizable by the day, and now scammers are using it to take advantage of Americans – especially older Americans – across the country. My AI Fraud Accountability Act will ban fraudsters from using these realistic AI impersonations to rip you off. https://t.co/ZFtsRWJUWc
Finally, a member of this adminsitration that tells the truth. https://t.co/xWwsErJpPJ
U.S. Senators Lisa Blunt Rochester, Chris Coons (Both D-Del.), Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee Ranking Member Gary Peters (D-Mich.), Senate Judiciary Committee Ranking Member Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), Senate Rules Committee Ranking Member Alex Padilla (D-Calif.), and Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.), and their Senate Democratic colleagues called on Department of Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin to immediately halt the department’s efforts to assert federal control over the 2026 midterm elections and undermine public trust in them. The senators demanded information substantiating Secretary Mullin’s public claims about noncitizens who registered to vote, called on DHS to rescind new election-related conditions on Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) homeland security grants, release the full grant funding to states, and end the alleged “Unlawful Voter Initiative” disclosed by a recent whistleblower. “We write to warn you against continued activities at the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) that seek to undermine the Constitutional authority of both Congress and states to administer elections and defy the directions of federal courts. As Secretary of Homeland Security, you have promoted the President’s conspiracy theories about our elections, pressured states to participate in illegal activities, and explicitly threatened to reduce grant funding and initiate criminal investigations for those states that do not comply with the Administration’s demands,” the senators wrote. In their letter, the senators raised concerns about Secretary Mullin’s unsupported claim that 250,000 noncitizens were registered to vote in four states and criticized DHS efforts to pressure states to provide sensitive voter roll information to be run through the Systematic Alien Verification for Entitlements (SAVE) program, despite the administration’s acknowledgment of problems with the underlying data. The senators also objected to new election-related conditions on FEMA’s Homeland Security Grant Program, which have been retroactively applied to previously awarded fiscal year 2025 funding and are threatening fiscal year 2026 funding. By threatening to withhold funding that communities rely on to prevent acts of terrorism and other threats, Secretary Mullin is putting Americans’ safety at risk as political leverage. The senators also highlighted allegations from a federal whistleblower about an effort referred to as the “Unlawful Voter Initiative.” According to the whistleblower, USCIS personnel were allegedly directed to use sensitive, personally identifiable information and improperly access state voter registration websites to find non-citizen voters. The whistleblower also alleged that personnel were directed to create law enforcement records using incomplete and unverifiable data for potential referral to law enforcement. “According to the whistleblower, USCIS staff were given a list of names and told to use sensitive personally identifiable information to impersonate voters and access state voter registration websites to verify individuals’ immigration and voter registration statuses. Equipped with incomplete and unverifiable data compiled with ‘supplemental magic,’ USCIS staff are allegedly being directed to create law enforcement records on individuals, including U.S. citizens, for possible referral to HSI for further investigation,” the senators wrote. “If true, this is just another alarming effort by the Department to use data that USCIS materials admit may be inaccurate, coupled with questionable means to potentially disenfranchise voters.” The senators called on Secretary Mullin to immediately provide all information substantiating his July 17, 2026 allegations regarding noncitizens who registered to vote, rescind FEMA Information Bulletin Nos. 569 and 569(a), and release all withheld funds to states without further delay, and provide information about the “Unlawful Voter Initiative” and immediately cease its activities.
Costs are rising across the country. But instead of offering relief, the President is forcing more than 1 million American children to lose access to food assistance.