Let Me Be Blunt: It’s Heating Up in Washington

Dear Friend, It may be the first week of fall, but things were HOT in Washington! My team and I had a busy week on the legislative front introducing bills on a range of issues to make life better for you and your family. In healthcare, I introduced legislation to prevent Medicare enrollees from losing coverage due to unexpected bills. On housing, I led bipartisan legislation to preserve and improve existing affordable housing units. And looking toward the future, I introduced bipartisan legislation to create a national workforce talent strategy and another to develop a program to standardize biological measurements. To top it all off, my bipartisan Critical Infrastructure Manufacturing Feasibility Act , which will boost domestic manufacturing of key imports, became law this week! Learn more about each of these bills and keep reading to see more from the past week. The No Surprise Bills for Seniors Act The bipartisan Talent Strategy Act The bipartisan Affordable Housing Preservation and Protection Act The bipartisan SCALE Biology Act The Future of Housing By now, I’m sure you’re aware of the landmark housing legislation, the 21 st Century Road to Housing Act , which became law earlier this year. I was thrilled to play a role in writing and passing this bill, and I cannot wait to see the impact these policies make across the country. I joined Politico’s Policy Outlook for a conversation on housing affordability, the implementation of the policies in the 21 st Century Road to Housing Act, and what additional actions Congress can take to address the affordable housing crisis. We also discussed recent developments with AI and how this technology could play a role in housing — from efficiencies in planning and development to concerns about algorithmic bias and discrimination in loans and financing. Congress is considering a variety of overlapping issues tied to AI, so stay engaged to see how these topics might impact you. Here’s a portion of our conversation HERE . The 21 st Century Road to Housing Act was a first step, but we still have more to do. The Next Generation of Energy Delaware often ranks last among U.S. states in energy production and only produces a fraction of the energy it consumes. So, as we face sky-high energy bills and a climate crisis, many of us are considering alternative options to lower costs for families while ensuring those options are safe and sustainable. I joined my colleagues on the Committee on Environment and Public Works for a hearing on “Updating America’s Nuclear Waste Management Policy.” This topic is timely as Delaware’s General Assembly created a 25-member bipartisan task force to study nuclear energy and whether small modular reactors could be developed in the state. The committee’s panel of experts said task forces like this are critical and encouraged partnerships with local communities to meet their needs. The focus of my line of questions centered around our status as the lowest-lying state in the nation and implications for nuclear waste. Paramount for our residents is safety, transparency, cost, feasibility and environmental impact. Learn more about how we can safely develop this technology HERE . Follow the Science Almost daily, there’s a new headline on foodborne illness and the rise in measles cases. For many of us, it’s led to more questions than answers. As we consider the health and well-being of our family and friends, we need transparency from public health officials and confidence that they’ll keep us safe. The Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions heard from Dr. Heidi Overton, the Trump administration nominee to lead the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). I pressed Dr. Overton on this administration’s decisions to alter critical vaccine schedules and expressed my concern with their ongoing handling of the largest measles outbreak in three decades. I was shocked by her responses to simple questions. When asked what “scientific evidence she personally reviewed” to advise the President on the vaccine options she gave him, she had no answer. Anyone tasked with leading our public health agencies needs to be equipped to prioritize the science and put our families, not the President first. As we continue to grapple with the current state of public health, be sure to consult with trusted healthcare professionals and resources. See my questions to Dr. Overton HERE . Honoring the Sacrifice This week marked Gold Star Families Remembrance Week, which honors the families of U.S. service members who lost their lives while serving our nation. Their loved ones have made the ultimate sacrifice, and each day these families “carry the weight of their loss and the legacy of their service.” I was honored to sit down with a group of Gold Star Families, including Caroline Kuhlman O’Neill and Tamp Lawrence from Millsboro, Delaware. Caroline was previously married to Corporal Kevin O’Neill, who served in Iraq and passed away in 2022. We discussed ongoing efforts to pass the bipartisan Take Care of Veterans Act , which includes measures to ensure surviving military spouses and veteran spouses retain survivor benefits if they remarry and efforts to help surviving children retain healthcare coverage until age 26 — on parity with the ACA. Throughout our conversation, we returned to the theme of turning the pain of loss into purpose, which is exactly what these individuals have done by advocating in the halls of Congress. To each of the families who joined me, thank you for honoring your loved ones and sharing your stories. An Update on AI For those of you following reports on AI safety, like me, I know these headlines are complex, but I’m working to find the answers and understand exactly what’s at stake. Last week, I shared how my colleague Senator John Curtis (R-Utah) and I called for public congressional hearings with leaders of top AI companies to discuss AI safety and security. Learn more HERE . This week, I met with CivAI, a company working to educate Congress on the current state of AI. We discussed the pace of AI development, economic benefits when developed properly, and how to prioritize safety despite ongoing global competition. We still have more to learn, but I’ll be sure to keep you updated every step of the way. Hear directly from an AI chatbot on the state of AI HERE . Capitol Conversations Our monthly constituent coffee is back! My team and I welcomed Delawareans to my Washington, D.C. office for an afternoon of good coffee and better conversations. Delawareans from across the state stopped in to advocate for issues that matter to them or just to say “hello” while they’re in town. It’s always great to see familiar faces in the halls of Congress, and I’m grateful so many of you took the time to get to know our team. Alongside the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association. A Night at the Ball Park to Beat Cancer! The Congressional Women’s Softball Game is an annual showdown between a bipartisan team of women Members of Congress and women of the Washington, D.C. press corps. The game is played to support the Young Survival Coalition, an organization dedicated to supporting young adults diagnosed with breast cancer, and to date it has raised over $4.9 million. I played in my freshman year in the House and was excited to join my colleagues as the newest Senate co-captain (honorary) with Senator Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV)! It’s easy for folks to get distracted by the partisan fights they see in Washington, but I’m proud to showcase us coming together for such an important and common cause. In this week’s How May We Serve You , I want to highlight how my team has been working to serve the needs of Delawareans across the state. Since 2022, a local family and their attorney had been stuck in administrative paperwork trying to settle a relative’s estate due to an IRS error. Despite working tirelessly for years, they hit dead ends at every turn until they reached out to our office for assistance. Our team stepped in and successfully resolved the issue in just three months. The family is incredibly relieved and finally able to move forward and honor their relative. Never hesitate to reach out to my office for help. CLICK HERE to learn more. Delaware recently celebrated the 10th anniversary of HBCU Week, so this week’s Constituent Corner recognizes its founder, Ashley Christopher. With the vision of Ashley and the leadership of the late Mayor Mike Purzycki, HBCU Week was founded to educate high school students on the legacy of HBCUs and en-courage enrollment. The effort provides scholarship funding and supports an employment pipeline from undergraduate education to corporate America. The cornerstone of HBCU Week is a college fair that includes an on-the-spot acceptance process for students meeting admissions requirements. To date, the fair has produced over 2,800 on-the-spot acceptances and over $11.5 million in awarded scholarships. Ashley, thank you for investing in the next generation of Delawareans and showing our students a diverse set of educational opportunities! Free PFAS Testing for Delawareans Delawareans who rely on private wells for drinking water can now request free testing for PFAS and a variety of other contaminants through a statewide program. The Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control is partnering with the Delaware Department of Health and Social Services, Division of Public Health, on the drinking water sampling initiative. CLICK HERE to learn more. See the World! The Congress-Bundestag Youth Exchange is a joint exchange program offered by the U.S. and German governments that offers opportunities to study or work abroad for high school students, recent high school graduates with a vocational interest, and young professionals. Applications are open until November 3. CLICK HERE to learn more. Service Academy Are you a young person interested in serving our country? 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.