See how Lisa Blunt Rochester actually votes — against your values.
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Prediction track record
We haven't made any vote predictions for Lisa Blunt Rochester yet. Predictions are generated for bills with tagged effects; they show up here as soon as the predict-votes job covers this rep's upcoming docket.
Consistency insights
Lisa Blunt Rochester · statement ↔ vote record
84
Consistency score
Based on 3 data points across public statements and recorded votes · AI analysis of public records
118-hr-2·Consistent
Secure the Border Act of 2023
92/100
What they said
Apr 28, 2026
The lawmakers and advocates call on the Supreme Court to uphold Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for nationals from Haiti, Venezuela, Syria, and other countries in crisis, and urge Congress to advance legislative solutions to stabilize the care workforce that relies heavily on TPS holders.
The statement explicitly opposes ending Temporary Protected Status and calls for Congress to advance legislative solutions to protect TPS holders. The Secure the Border Act of 2023 is a restrictive immigration bill focused on border wall construction and asylum limits, with no provisions protecting or extending TPS. The representative voted no on passage, which is consistent with the stated position defending TPS and opposing restrictive immigration measures.
Senators Blunt Rochester and Murray oppose Republican efforts to restrict abortion access and reproductive healthcare, arguing that the Dobbs decision and subsequent state bans have harmed women and families. They call for federal legislation to protect abortion access nationwide and restore reproductive rights.
Senator Blunt Rochester's statement opposes Republican efforts to restrict abortion access and reproductive healthcare, characterizing such efforts as harmful to women. The Born-Alive Abortion Survivors Protection Act establishes criminal penalties for healthcare practitioners who fail to provide specified care to children born alive after abortion attempts. Her NO vote on passage is consistent with her stated opposition to Republican abortion restrictions, as she views this bill as part of the Republican agenda to limit abortion access and constrain reproductive healthcare. The bill's framing as a criminal enforcement mechanism aligns with her characterization of Republican efforts as attacks on reproductive rights.
Senator Blunt Rochester and the Senate Democratic Caucus introduced a resolution recognizing Black Women's Equal Pay Day to highlight wage disparities between Black women and white men, and to reaffirm commitment to closing pay gaps through federal action.
Senator Blunt Rochester's statement emphasizes federal action to close wage disparities for Black women through policy initiatives and workforce development support. H.R. 6655 reauthorizes and modifies workforce development programs (Job Corps, WIOA grant programs, adult education) that directly support employment and training opportunities for disadvantaged populations, including Black women. The YES vote on a bill that expands and improves federal workforce programs aligns with the stated commitment to federal action on economic opportunity and closing pay gaps. However, the bill does not specifically address wage discrimination or equal pay enforcement—it focuses on workforce development infrastructure—so the alignment is directional rather than on the identical specific question.
Pairs with ambiguous language and high uncertainty are withheld until more data is available. Procedural, cloture, and amendment votes are excluded — they don't cleanly signal substantive support or opposition.
Pro analysis
AI rep analysis — Pro
Get an AI-narrated read on Lisa Blunt Rochester's full voting record against your stated values — aligned themes, conflicts, notable votes, and what to watch for.
We haven't extracted campaign positions for Lisa Blunt Rochester yet. Once their campaign website or position pages are processed, this card will track what they said vs how they voted.
Crossing the aisle
Passage votes where Lisa Blunt Rochester broke ranks with ≥75% of Democrats. Threshold catches substantively partisan splits; unanimous-ish or close votes are excluded.
2
Cross-aisle votes
118-hr-1516·Sep 10, 2024·82% of D voted NO
DHS Restrictions on Confucius Institutes and Chinese Entities of Concern Act
NEWS: Senator Blunt Rochester Slams Trump Administration Attempt to Dismantle Department of Education
Position: Senator Blunt Rochester opposes the Trump administration's plan to transfer the Office for Civil Rights from the Department of Education to the Department of Justice, arguing that such a transfer would harm students with disabilities by eliminating individualized complaint resolution and oversight.
"This administration's interagency agreements will harm students with disabilities.”
Click here to watch Senator Blunt Rochester’s remarks.
U.S. Senator Lisa Blunt Rochester (D-Del.), a member of the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions, today participated in a spotlight hearing on the Trump administration’s attempts to dismantle the Department of Education and efforts to move the Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services (OSERS) and Office for Civil Rights (OCR) to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ). Blunt Rochester questioned witnesses on how these attempts will harm students with disabilities.
In a recent HELP Committee Executive Session, Blunt Rochester offered an amendment to prevent the Office for Civil Rights (OCR) of the Department of Education from being transferred to another Federal Agency. Republicans blocked consideration of the amendment.
Senator Blunt Rochester’s questions can be found here, and a key excerpt can be found below:
Senator Blunt Rochester: “Can you compare OCR's model to how the Department of Justice Civil Rights Division processes discrimination cases and say why that difference matters, and specifically why it matters for students with disabilities?”
Mr. Galanter: “Both the roles that DOJ and OCR play are incredibly important, but they are quite distinct. The special role that OCR plays is particularly valuable for parents and students who don't have access to resources, who don't have access to lawyers, or who simply have a complaint and need help, and the OCR complaint process is one of the few places in the federal government that they can go in an education setting and get an individualized response.
“DOJ performs an incredibly valuable function at a systems level. They look and they get lots of complaints, and they sift through them, looking for patterns, looking for you know great great facts or you know novel questions of law that they want to establish a new rule on, and they work aggressively to vindicate the rights of kids.
“But they do it at a macro level. They do it in cases that takes years that lead to settlements that say 90% of kids should get X within you know two years, or you know we want substantial compliance with this by 2030, and that's great for the system. But for an individual parent who's part of the 10% who's not getting the immediate relief, they could always come to OCR.
“There's no plan that they've revealed to explain how they're going to transfer these functions, which requires hundreds of investigators and attorneys experienced in education law, and move it to an agency that, as we know, has already itself been depleted of a lot of its existing expertise, and bringing in a whole new function with a whole different mindset, a different culture that's needed to reach these individual resolutions in so many individual fact-specific cases.”
NEWS: Blunt Rochester Joins 20 Colleagues in Urging Trump Administration to Use Leverage to Prevent Further Atrocities in Sudan
Position: The senators urge the Trump administration to cease certain U.S. arms sales to the United Arab Emirates, which is arming the Rapid Support Forces in Sudan, in order to prevent further atrocities and help end the conflict.
U.S. Senator Lisa Blunt Rochester (D-Del.), today joined Senator Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, and her Senate Democratic colleagues in pressing the State Department to use its leverage to prevent further atrocities in Sudan and help bring the war to an end. To do so, the Senators urge the State Department to cease certain U.S. arms sales to external actors like the United Arab Emirates (UAE) which continues to arm the Rapid Support Forces’ (RSF) in Sudan. The Senators’ letter notes the immediate need for the State Department to take action in light of the impending siege of the city of El Obeid and following the mass atrocities and bloodshed that occurred in El Fasher last year.
Senators Blunt Rochester and Van Hollen were joined in sending this letter by Senators Patty Murray (D-Wash.), Ron Wyden (D-Ore.), Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), Michael Bennet (D-Colo.), Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii), Chris Murphy (D-Conn.), Mazie Hirono (D-Hawaii), Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.), Tim Kaine (D-Va.), Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), Ed Markey (D-Mass.), Tina Smith (D-Minn.), Alex Padilla (D-Calif.), Jon Ossoff (D-Ga.), Raphael Warnock (D-Ga.), Peter Welch (D-Vt.), Adam Schiff (D-Calif.), and Angela Alsobrooks (D-Md.).
“We write with alarm regarding the Rapid Support Forces’ (RSF) impending siege of the city of El Obeid in Sudan, which threatens a repeat of the mass atrocities and bloodshed that occurred in El Fasher this past October. While we welcome the State Department’s expression of concern about the escalating situation in El Obeid, words are not enough. The United States must use the leverage and influence at our disposal to prevent further atrocities in El Obeid and help bring this brutal war in Sudan to an end. These actions should include ceasing certain U.S. arms sales to external actors that are fueling this war, including the United Arab Emirates, which continues to arm the RSF,” the Senators begin.
They continue, “We have already witnessed what happens when the international community fails to heed warnings of RSF atrocities. The RSF’s siege and devastation of El Fasher bore the ‘hallmarks of genocide’ according to United Nations investigators.[…] The siege of El Fasher lasted for over 500 days, and the ensuing atrocities were widely foreseen and repeatedly forewarned by the United Nations, intelligence from the U.S. State Department and foreign governments, humanitarian monitors, and researchers. We remain greatly concerned by this administration’s grave failure to act despite the chorus of alarm bells. What occurred in El Fasher is a stark warning of what could unfold in El Obeid and across Sudan if this administration—and the international community—continues this current pattern of inaction.”
The lawmakers go on to warn, “And now those alarm bells are ringing once again – this time in El Obeid. Volker Türk, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, said on July 3, ‘This is not a drill. It is a red alert that needs to land on the desks of heads of state and government around the world. Their phones should be running hot in the coming days and weeks, with ideas on how to prevent atrocity crimes in El Obeid and in other places in Kordofan.’ […] The State Department has also recognized that this is a critical moment. On June 22, the State Department spokesperson warned of ‘alarming indications that mass atrocities could be imminent’ and said ‘the RSF and their allied forces must cease any actions that could endanger civilians, impede humanitarian assistance, or contribute to further atrocities and suffering.’”
“The evidence is clear – the United Arab Emirates is the primary external backer of the RSF, providing unparalleled military, financial, and technical support to the group,” the Senators note.
“Now, an estimated 500,000 civilians are at risk in El Obeid, including many who have sought shelter there after fleeing RSF attacks across the Kordofan region. The encirclement and systematic crippling of resources in El Obeid increasingly parallels El Fasher, and this administration must use its leverage and influence to prevent a repeat of El Fasher’s horrors in El Obeid before it is too late. We urge this administration to take concrete actions to prevent such mass atrocities in El Obeid, including by ceasing certain U.S. arms sales to the UAE and other external actors that are fueling this war. We also request an update on what other actions the administration is taking, beyond just words, to prevent mass atrocities in El Obeid and to help bring this war to an end,” the lawmakers conclude.
The full text of the letter is available here and below.
We write with alarm regarding the Rapid Support Forces’ (RSF) impending siege of the city of El Obeid in Sudan, which threatens a repeat of the mass atrocities and bloodshed that occurred in El Fasher this past October. While we welcome the State Department’s expression of concern about the escalating situation in El Obeid, words are not enough. The United States must use the leverage and influence at our disposal to prevent further atrocities in El Obeid and help bring this brutal war in Sudan to an end. These actions should include ceasing certain U.S. arms sales to external actors that are fueling this war, including the United Arab Emirates, which continues to arm the RSF.
We have already witnessed what happens when the international community fails to heed warnings of RSF atrocities. The RSF’s siege and devastation of El Fasher bore the “hallmarks of genocide” according to United Nations investigators. A United Nations Independent International Fact-Finding Mission found that “the Rapid Support Forces steadily squeezed the life out of El-Fasher and surrounding displacement camps, cutting off food, water, medical supplies, and humanitarian assistance, while subjecting the city to recurring shelling and ground assaults. Civilians were increasingly trapped, as escape routes were restricted or closed, and forced to endure conditions of life progressively incompatible with human survival.” This 18-month siege culminated in a 3-day rampage in October 2025, where survivors describe the slaughter of civilians, mass executions, and crimes against humanity.
El-Fasher University “became one of the bloodiest execution sites in the city.” According to survivors, over a hundred civilians were gunned down or executed as they sought shelter or attempted to flee. Survivors described notorious RSF commander Abu Lulu, known as the “Butcher of El-Fasher", asking a pregnant woman how far she was in her pregnancy and then firing seven bullets into her abdomen when she replied that she was seven months along. He at one point said, “I was planning to kill 2000 people today, but I lost count, so I will start all over again.” In the case of El-Saudi Hospital, RSF forces stormed the hospital and “proceeded to search the wards and killing those they found, including patients, accompanying persons and medical personnel…it is estimated that over 460 patients and others present were killed.” Flight didn’t bring safety, according to survivors, as “The Rapid Support Forces pursued fleeing civilians along escape routes…where they had established ambushes and checkpoints…the perpetrators chasing people in open fields, firing at them with automatic rifles and mounted submachine guns, and running over fleeing persons with vehicles, causing mass casualties.” The horrors were visible from space, with satellite images analyzed by the Yale Humanitarian Research Lab showing bodies piled up in the streets, pools of blood on the ground, and mass burial sites.
The siege of El Fasher lasted for over 500 days, and the ensuing atrocities were widely foreseen and repeatedly forewarned by the United Nations, intelligence from the U.S. State Department and foreign governments, humanitarian monitors, and researchers. We remain greatly concerned by this administration’s grave failure to act despite the chorus of alarm bells. What occurred in El Fasher is a stark warning of what could unfold in El Obeid and across Sudan if this administration—and the international community—continues this current pattern of inaction.
And now those alarm bells are ringing once again – this time in El Obeid. Volker Türk, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, said on July 3, "This is not a drill. It is a red alert that needs to land on the desks of heads of state and government around the world. Their phones should be running hot in the coming days and weeks, with ideas on how to prevent atrocity crimes in El Obeid and in other places in Kordofan.” Tom Fletcher, the United Nations Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator, said of El Obeid on June 30, “Too often in this brutal war, clear warnings have been ignored. Civilians have paid the price. The international community must make itself heard. We cannot say we were not warned.”
The State Department has also recognized that this is a critical moment. On June 22, the State Department spokesperson warned of “alarming indications that mass atrocities could be imminent” and said “the RSF and their allied forces must cease any actions that could endanger civilians, impede humanitarian assistance, or contribute to further atrocities and suffering.” On June 23, State Department Senior Advisor for Africa Massad Boulos said that he spoke with RSF leadership and “strongly urged them to halt any actions that could endanger civilians in and around El Obeid.” And this Administration has repeatedly affirmed, including in July 2025, that “The Rapid Support Forces (RSF) and allied militias have committed genocide.” In November 2025, you yourself said that the RSF is “clearly receiving assistance from outside” and that “something needs to be done to cut off the weapons and the support the RSF is getting as they continue their advances.”
The evidence is clear – the United Arab Emirates is the primary external backer of the RSF, providing unparalleled military, financial, and technical support to the group. In May 2026, a new report by Human Rights Watch found that the UAE trained hundreds of Colombian mercenaries who then “took part in combat in and around El Fasher and, according to media reports, provided training to RSF recruits–including child soldiers”. In February 2026, a Reuters investigation found that Ethiopia has built a secret camp to train thousands of RSF fighters, and that the UAE financed the construction of the camp and provided military trainers and logistical support. This follows U.S. intelligence from October 2025, including separate reports from the Defense Intelligence Agency and the State Department’s intelligence bureau, that “show an increase in the flow of materiel from the U.A.E. to the rebel Rapid Support Forces since the spring.” These findings are part of a large and growing body of credible evidence that the UAE is both arming and providing military support to the RSF.
Now, an estimated 500,000 civilians are at risk in El Obeid, including many who have sought shelter there after fleeing RSF attacks across the Kordofan region. The encirclement and systematic crippling of resources in El Obeid increasingly parallels El Fasher, and this administration must use its leverage and influence to prevent a repeat of El Fasher’s horrors in El Obeid before it is too late. We urge this administration to take concrete actions to prevent such mass atrocities in El Obeid, including by ceasing certain U.S. arms sales to the UAE and other external actors that are fueling this war. We also request an update on what other actions the administration is taking, beyond just words, to prevent mass atrocities in El Obeid and to help bring this war to an end.
We request a response to this letter by August 17, 2026.
NEWS: Senators Blunt Rochester, Coons Join Colleagues in Demanding Trump Administration Restore Funding for Energy Projects That Were Illegally Canceled and Politically Targeted
Position: Senators demand the Trump administration restore funding for 223 energy projects that were canceled in October 2025, alleging the cancellations were based on political considerations targeting states that did not vote for Trump. The senators argue this violates the rule of law and the principle that federal government should serve all Americans equitably.
The letter follows an admission from the Trump administration that the decision to cancel energy project grants in states that did not vote for Trump was “based solely” on politics
“It is an attack on the rule of law and the basic democratic principle that the federal government serves the entire country—not merely those who support the President.”
Washington, DC – U.S. Senators Lisa Blunt Rochester and Chris Coons (both D-Del) joined Senators Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.), Ranking Member of the U.S. Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee and Patty Murray (D-Wash.), Vice Chair of the U.S. Senate Appropriations Committee, and 35 of their Democratic colleagues in sending a letter to U.S. Department of Energy Secretary Chris Wright and Office of Management and Budget Director Russell Vought demanding that the Trump administration restore funding for the 223 energy projects canceled in October 2025. The Trump administration has since admitted to illegally canceling energy grants because those projects were in states that did not vote for President Trump in the 2024 election.
Alongside Heinrich, Murray, Coons, and Blunt Rochester, a Member of the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works, this letter was signed by U.S. Senators Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.), Adam Schiff (D-Calif.), Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.), Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.), Alex Padilla (D-Calif.), John Hickenlooper (D-Colo.), Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.), Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), Ron Wyden (D-Ore.), Richard Durbin (D-Ill.), Ruben Gallego (D-Ariz.), Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i), Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.), Peter Welch (D-Vt.), Jacky Rosen (D-Nev.), Mazie K. Hirono (D- Hawai‘i), Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.), Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.), Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.), Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), Mark Kelly (D-Ariz.), Michael Bennett (D-Colo.), Tina Smith (D-Minn.), Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), Angela Alsobrooks (D-Md.), Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), Andy Kim (D-N.J.), Chris Murphy (D-Conn.), Maggie Hassan (D-N.H.), Cory Booker (D-N.J.), Jack Reed (D-R.I.), Angus King (I-M.E.). All 36 Democratic Senators from states with canceled grants and funding signed the letter.
“Now that court documents have confirmed what we knew to be true, we write to demand that you restore previously awarded funding that the Trump administration has weaponized in an attempt to punish perceived political enemies,” the Senators began.
“Once an administration begins punishing Americans for how they vote, the threat extends far beyond these projects: no state, community, business, or worker can trust that the federal government will apply the law fairly,” the Senators continued. “This is not only an attack on jobs, affordable energy, and America’s economic competitiveness. It is an attack on the rule of law and the basic democratic principle that the federal government serves the entire country—not merely those who support the President.”
“At a time when energy prices are skyrocketing, the administration is hell-bent on political retribution instead of working to bring down costs for millions of Americans. The American people deserve to have a government that works for them—not one that is willing to push energy prices even higher and put the country’s energy security at grave risk,” the Senators concluded. “For the good of our country, the rule of law, and the American people, we demand that you change course and restore the previously awarded funding.”
Coons and Blunt Rochester previously sent a letter in October 2025 when project grants were initially canceled despite having been approved and appropriated by Congress, demanding the restoration of these funds.
Read the full text of the letter here and below:
Secretary Wright and Director Vought:
Now that court documents have confirmed what we knew to be true, we write to demand that you restore previously awarded funding that the Trump Administration has weaponized in an attempt to punish perceived political enemies.
In October 2025, we wrote to you to express strong opposition to the Administration’s callous decision to unlawfully terminate $8 billion in federal investments for 223 energy projects. You not only acted outside the bounds of the law, but canceled projects that would have provided jobs, onshored manufacturing, and lowered skyrocketing energy prices. Congress authorized those projects and appropriated funding under the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, the Inflation Reduction Act, and annual appropriation bills. At the time of the termination of those projects, we expressed outrage that the terminations appeared politically motivated and confined to states that then-Vice President Kamala Harris carried in the 2024 presidential election. The Administration has now admitted in federal court what it denied to Congress and the American people.
On July 24, 2026, citing court filings, The New York Times reported that the Trump Administration acknowledged that it terminated more than $7.5 billion of grants due to political motivations. In a two-step process, the Department of Energy (DOE) first recommended more than 600 grants for potential termination, including grants in states represented by both Republicans and Democrats. It appears the Office of Management and Budget then selected all the grants in “Blue States” for cancellation, which DOE executed. In court filings, DOE’s lawyers conceded that the cancellations occurred “based solely on the political identity of the grant recipient’s state.” Specifically, as the court filings stated, “[w]ith one exception, the 284 terminated grants had a recipient location and/or at least one place of performance in a state that awarded its electoral votes to Kamala Harris in the 2024 election and has two Democratic-caucusing Senators (“Blue State” grants).” Similar grants in Red States, however, remained intact and were not the subject of termination. What’s more, DOE lawyers conceded that the decision to terminate these blue state grants was not “based on any programmatic, statutory, cost-reduction, or performance-based factor.”
Once an Administration begins punishing Americans for how they vote, the threat extends far beyond these projects: no state, community, business, or worker can trust that the federal government will apply the law fairly. This is not only an attack on jobs, affordable energy, and America’s economic competitiveness. It is an attack on the rule of law and the basic democratic principle that the federal government serves the entire country—not merely those who support the President.
At a time when energy prices are skyrocketing, the Administration is hell-bent on political retribution instead of working to bring down costs for millions of Americans. The American people deserve to have a government that works for them—not one that is willing to push energy prices even higher and put the country’s energy security at grave risk.
For the good of our country, the rule of law, and the American people, we demand that you change course and restore the previously awarded funding.
NEWS: Senator Blunt Rochester Highlights How AI Will Impact Digital Divides
Position: Senator Blunt Rochester opposes the Trump administration's 74 percent funding cuts to the Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) Program, arguing that reduced broadband investment will exacerbate digital divides and limit rural communities' participation in an AI-driven economy.
"This is the cost of doing business. This is the cost of our healthcare. This is the cost of even connecting to our neighbors.”
Click here to watch Senator Blunt Rochester’s remarks.
U.S. Senator Lisa Blunt Rochester (D-Del.), a member of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation Subcommittee on Telecommunications and Media, today participated in a hearing on how artificial intelligence impacts communications systems. Senator Blunt Rochester’s questions focused on how reliable internet access is critical in an increasingly AI economy and questioned how the Trump administration’s funding cuts to the Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) Program will impact AI access and digital divides.
Senator Blunt Rochester’s remarks can be found here, and a key excerpt can be found below:
Senator Blunt Rochester: “The Trump administration has cut [BEAD] funding by about 74 percent. This disproportionately impacts rural communities like those in Kent County and Sussex County, Delaware. Looking ahead, how will lack of access to reliable high-speed internet impact Delawareans' ability to participate in an increasingly AI-driven economy?”
Mr. Ramzanali: “If we don't connect those thousands of homes in Delaware that are not connected, it means that they're missing out on the economic benefits of not just AI, but access to the internet. It means that when their kids have homework assignments that they need to access the internet or to use AI, they don't have that access. It means when telehealth visits or being able to ask questions of various tools, they don't have that access either.
“So, these are real-world limitations that are being put on thousands of people in Delaware, but around the country, we shouldn't accept that. We shouldn't accept the state of the country where not every American is connected to high-quality networks.”
NEWS: Senator Blunt Rochester Fights for Civil Rights Protections in Education
Position: Senator Blunt Rochester opposes transferring the Department of Education's Office for Civil Rights to another federal agency, arguing that the OCR's independent authority is essential to protect students from discrimination based on race, religion, disability, gender, age, and national origin.
"We know that discrimination is not new, and it still persists.”
Click here to watch Senator Blunt Rochester’s remarks.
U.S. Senator Lisa Blunt Rochester (D-Del.), a member of the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions, today participated in a Committee Executive Session to consider key legislation. Senator Blunt Rochester and Senator Patty Murray (D-Wash.) offered an amendment to prevent the Office for Civil Rights (OCR) of the Department of Education from being transferred to another Federal Agency. Republicans blocked consideration of the amendment.
Senator Blunt Rochester’s remarks can be found here and below:
Senator Blunt Rochester: “Thank you, Senator Murray, for her leadership on this issue. I also want to thank Senator Hassan for making it clear that this is about students, families, and businesses. I co-lead this amendment because we know that discrimination is not new, and it still persists.
“I know it as the former Secretary of Labor of Delaware. I know it as the former CEO of the [Metropolitan Wilmington Urban League], where we fought for civil rights and justice, and also as a person who worked for the Institute for Community Inclusion, focused on people with disabilities.
“Created from the momentum of the Civil Rights Movement, the Office for Civil Rights is tasked with the responsibility of protecting students on the basis of race, religion, disability, gender, age, and national origin from discrimination, and making sure all children can go to school and learn. The work of OCR is as important today as it has ever been. The office is receiving increasing complaints of discrimination, while this administration is gutting protections, taking us backwards instead of forward.
“Instead of a system where the Department of Education investigates every claim, this interagency agreement could leave investigations up to the discretion of the DOJ and an administration that has demonstrated it cannot be trusted. We have almost no details about how this would actually work or how cases would be prioritized or addressed. Because of this, I urge my colleagues to join us in a vote of yes on this amendment, and do it for every student, every family, and every business in this country.”
NEWS: Blunt Rochester, Bennet Reintroduce Bill to Connect Workers with Higher Wages
Position: The senators support increased federal funding for evidence-based workforce development programs to improve employment outcomes and economic mobility for workers, particularly those without college degrees.
U.S. Senators Lisa Blunt Rochester (D-Del.) and Michael Bennet (D-Colo.) reintroduced the Better Jobs through Evidence and Innovation Act to expand funding for evidence-based and innovative workforce development programs to ensure that workers have the skills needed to compete in a 21st-century economy.
“As we address a changing economy and the widespread adoption of AI, we must ensure pathways to good jobs are available,” said Blunt Rochester. “I’m proud to co-lead the Better Jobs Through Evidence and Innovation Act to meet the moment by both investing in what works when it comes to workforce training and supporting the development of promising new strategies to prepare our future workforce.”
“I hear from veterans and single parents in Colorado who want to provide for themselves and their families but do not have the skills to earn a living wage,” said Bennet. “They want to build sustainable careers that pay living wages, we have the programs to train them, and Colorado’s economy needs the skills and talent they can provide. The last piece of the puzzle is to invest in the workforce training programs that are proven to create economic mobility for workers of every background.”
Programs that upskill workers support long-term economic mobility for individuals, including those without a college degree. These programs are ready and able to serve workers and employers but remain severely underfunded. The Better Jobs through Evidence and Innovation Act would establish the Workforce Development Innovation Fund in the U.S. Department of Labor to test and scale proven innovative strategies to improve employment outcomes for American workers.
The Workforce Development Innovation Fund would make three tiers of funding available to evidence-based employment and training programs that generate demonstrated, long-term economic improvements for jobseekers and employers, and produce high-quality evaluations of their effects.
“America Forward applauds Senators Michael Bennet and Lisa Blunt Rochester for championing the Better Jobs through Evidence and Innovation Act, which would invest in evidence-based workforce development programs delivering real, long-term economic mobility for workers and employers in a rapidly-changing economy,” said Deborah Smolover, Executive Director of America Forward. “As the pace of change in our labor market accelerates, this legislation ensures that the high-impact organizations driving economic mobility, many of which are members of the America Forward Coalition, have the support they need to grow and meet the evolving needs of workers and communities nationwide.”
“Too many Americans are completing workforce programs only to find themselves without a job or a path to higher earnings, and that’s simply not good enough,” said David Medina, co-founder and COO of Results for America. “The Better Jobs through Evidence and Innovation Act would address this challenge by finding, funding and implementing workforce programs with proven track records of success, while continuing to build the evidence base for the next generation of solutions. We applaud Sens. Bennet and Blunt Rochester for their leadership in ensuring that workforce investments deliver real, measurable and lasting results for jobseekers and their families.”
“Senator Bennet’s Better Jobs Through Evidence and Innovation Act represents exactly the approach our workforce development system urgently needs,” said Roger Low, CEO & Founder of the Colorado Equitable Economic Mobility Initiative. “By creating a tiered evidence fund, the legislation directs limited federal upskilling and reskilling dollars toward the two priorities that matter most: building strong evidence of effectiveness across promising training and credentialing pathways, and scaling the approaches that work.”
“There are training programs across the country with a proven record of moving people into quality careers — and they could achieve so much more with additional investment. Senator Bennet’s Better Jobs through Evidence and Innovation Act would channel federal support to the models that work,” said Plinio Ayala, CEO of Per Scholas. “For organizations like Per Scholas, that means reaching more learners, connecting employers with the skilled talent they need, and opening durable, demand-driven pathways to economic mobility.”
This bill is supported by over 60 organizations: America Forward, Results for America, American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education, ActivateWork, Aliento Education Fund, Appetite For Change, AppleTree Institute for Education Innovation, Arnold Ventures, BluePrint Geneva, Inc., Braven, CEEMI, Center for Employment Opportunities, Chrysalis, Coalition for Evidence-Based Policy, Colorado Succeeds, ConnectED Workforce, CrossPurpose, EDGE Partners, Education Partnerships Coalition of Minnesota, Elevate Teaching, FutureFit AI, Goodwill of Colorado, Jobs for the Future, Join FreeWorld Inc., JVS Bay Area, JVS Boston, Knowledge Alliance, LIFT Inc, Local Initiatives Support Corporation, Main Street Youth & Family Services, Merit America, Metro Alliance of Career Readiness Organizations, National Association of Workforce Boards, National Skills Coalition, NPower, Oakland Promise, Opportunity@Work, Per Scholas, Project Evident, Project QUEST, Propel America, RecycleForce, Redefine Alliance, Second Chance Center, Servicios de La Raza, Servicios Sigue, STRIVE International, StriveTogether, TeamHWH, The Foundation for the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award, The Master’s Apprentice, Third Sector, Third Way, United Way of Salt Lake, Vehicles for Change, Women’s Bean Project, Workforce, Inc., Yakima Valley Partners for Education, Year Up United, YouthBuild Global, and YUPRO Placement.
The text of the bill is available HERE. A summary of the bill is available HERE.
NEWS: Senators Blunt Rochester, Justice Introduce Bill to Support Farmers Faced with Flood Risks
Position: The senators and representatives introduce bipartisan legislation to help farmers mitigate flood risks by expanding access to voluntary floodplain easements through the USDA's Emergency Watershed Program.
Senators Blunt Rochester, Justice Introduce Bill to Support Farmers Faced with Flood Risks
Companion Legislation was Introduced by Representatives Panetta, Feenstra in the House of Representatives
Today, U.S. Senators Lisa Blunt Rochester (D-Del.) and Jim Justice (R-W. Va.) were joined by Congressmen Jimmy Panetta (D-Calif.-19) and Randy Feenstra (R-Iowa-04) to introduce the bipartisan, bicameral Farmers Lifeline Options for Overcoming Disasters Act, or the FLOOD Act. This legislation would help farmers place floodplain easements on their property to mitigate flooding before a weather event occurs.
By adding the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Emergency Watershed Program to the Regional Conservation Partnership Program, this bill would increase access to resources for rural community members seeking to reduce the impact of flooding on their land through the purchase of voluntary easements.
“As the lowest lying state in the nation, Delawareans know the risk of flooding all too well,” said Senator Blunt Rochester. “Our farming communities are key to both our culture and economy. Which is why I’m proud to introduce the FLOOD Act to ensure farmers in the First State and across the country have the resources they need to protect their properties, their crops, and their livelihoods.”
“West Virginia knows all too well the devastation that flooding can bring – tearing through communities, damaging homes, threatening farmers’ livelihoods, and leaving families picking up the pieces. Farmers contend with the weather every day and face threats from natural disasters every year – putting their operations and way of life at risk. I’m proud to join this legislation to help make sure that there are tools and resources available to safeguard lives, farms, and other property in watersheds from natural disasters, including floods,” said Senator Jim Justice.
“More farmers more often are facing devastating floods, which are the second-most damaging natural disaster to agricultural production worldwide,” said Rep. Panetta. “Our bipartisan, bicameral FLOOD Act would make it easier for farmers to create voluntary easements to mitigate future damage, restore native habitat, and produce the flood-compatible tools that they need to protect their livelihoods. That’s the least that we can do in Congress as farmers continue to strengthen our food supply and keep putting food on America’s tables.”
“Representing one of the most rural congressional districts in the nation, I know firsthand how devastating floods and other natural disasters can be for our farmers and rural communities,” said Rep. Feenstra. “Our agricultural economy is the backbone of our country, and those communities deserve the resources they need not only to recover quickly, but to emerge stronger and more resilient after disaster strikes. I’m proud to help lead this commonsense legislation to ensure the USDA can deliver timely assistance to disaster-impacted communities and support our farmers, small businesses, and rural communities when they need it most.”
The FLOOD Act has been endorsed by the following organizations: The Nature Conservancy, American Rivers Action Fund, Delaware Department of Agriculture, Delaware Rural Water Association, National Association of Conservation Districts, American Floodplain Coalition, National Association of Counties, Rural Community Assistance Partnership (RCAP), Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership, Coalition for the Delaware River Watershed, Farm Aid, American Sustainable Business Network, Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy, Iowa Environmental Council, West Virginia Rivers Coalition, Coastal Prairie Conservancy, Center for Rural Affairs, Socially Responsible Agriculture Project, Indiana Conservation Voters, Extreme Weather Survivor, Pheasants Forever, Quail Forever, Choose Clean Water Coalition, Congressional Sportsmen’s Foundation, Chesapeake Bay Foundation, the University of Delaware, and American Flood Coalition Action.
Quotes from endorsing organizations can be found HERE.
NEWS: Senators Blunt Rochester, Sheehy Introduce Bill to Expand Participation in AI Education, Research, and Workforce
Position: Senators Blunt Rochester and Sheehy introduced legislation to expand the National Science Foundation's ExpandAI program, broadening AI research capacity and workforce development opportunities across minority-serving institutions, rural colleges, and first-generation college students.
U.S. Senators Lisa Blunt Rochester (D-Del.) and Tim Sheehy (R-Mont.), both members of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, introduced the bipartisan Expanding AI Voices Act, which codifies and expands the National Science Foundation's ExpandAI program to help more institutions build AI research capacity. The legislation will broaden the range of institutions and communities involved in AI research and workforce development, including first-generation college students, Minority-serving Institutions (MSIs), and rural colleges and universities. The House companion is led by Representatives Valerie Foushee (D-N.C.) and Zach Nunn (R-Iowa).
“AI offers tremendous opportunities for our communities and economies, but as this technology changes the way we live, we must guarantee that our students and our workforce still have the chance to succeed,” said Senator Blunt Rochester. “I’m proud to introduce the Expanding AI Voices Act alongside Senator Sheehy to ensure that no matter where we come from, we can all achieve our goals in the economy of the future.”
“America's AI leadership depends on finding talent in every corner of the country. That’s why I’m introducing the Expanding AI Voices Act with Senator Blunt Rochester, which helps ensure students and researchers in Montana and other rural states have the opportunity to contribute to the future of AI innovation,” said Senator Tim Sheehy. “Our bipartisan legislation invests in people and institutions that have too often been overlooked, strengthens our workforce, and maintains America's competitive edge by supporting critical innovation. Let’s get it done.”
The Expanding AI Voices Act would:
"If we want to win the AI race, we can't rely on a small handful of schools and people. SeedAI has experienced this first-hand during our AI Across America tour — it's imperative that we go beyond the coasts and draw from the experiences and ingenuity of all Americans,” said Austin Carson, Founder and CEO of SeedAI. “The Expanding AI Voices Act will help build the AI research capacity needed to make that a reality. SeedAI thanks Senator Blunt Rochester and Senator Sheehy for their bipartisan leadership to strengthen American competitiveness.”
“America's AI economy is moving faster than our workforce can keep up, and that gap will only widen without action. The Expanding AI Voices Act, introduced by Sens. Blunt Rochester (D-DE) and Sheehy (R-MT), meets that challenge head-on by giving students and teachers the tools to compete in an economy being reshaped by AI in real time. This bill also recognizes that opportunity shouldn't be limited to those who can already afford a foothold. Its focus on first-generation undergraduate students ensures the next generation of AI talent includes voices from every background. BPC Action applauds Sens. Blunt Rochester and Sheehy for their leadership and urges the Senate to move quickly to pass it," says Michele Stockwell, president, Bipartisan Policy Center Action.
"For America to lead on AI, we need to expand the pipeline of talent that's fueling innovation," said ARI President Brad Carson. "By investing in education, research, and workforce development across a broader range of institutions and communities, the Expanding AI Voices Act helps ensure the future of AI is shaped by the full scope of American talent. It's exactly the kind of bipartisan, forward-looking policy the U.S. needs to maintain its edge in AI."
The Expanding AI Voices Act is endorsed by the American Mathematical Society, Americans for Responsible Innovation, Association of Community College Trustees, Bipartisan Policy Center Action, Google, Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights, National Hispanic Health Foundation, SeedAI, Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers, IBM, Information Technology Industry Council (ITI), Thurgood Marshall College Fund.
The full bill text of the Expanding AI Voices Act can be found HERE and a one pager can be found HERE.
STATEMENT: Senator Blunt Rochester Opposes Trump CDC Nominee
Position: Senator Blunt Rochester opposes the nomination of Dr. Erica Schwartz as CDC director, citing concerns that she would not prioritize science-based public health guidance and would be subject to pressure from the Trump Administration rather than maintaining institutional independence.
U.S. Senator Lisa Blunt Rochester (D-Del.) today released the following statement announcing her opposition to President Trump’s most recent nominee to lead the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Dr. Erica Schwartz.
“While qualified on paper, Dr. Schwartz did not convince me that she would prioritize science and the health of Americans over the erratic whims of Secretary Kennedy and the Trump Administration.
“This appointment could not come at a more important time. We are in the middle of the largest Measles spread in decades – including two cases in Delaware. Dangerous parasites are contaminating our food. Parents are unsure about what vaccines their children need, and flu shots are no longer mandatory for all our troops, reversing a policy that’s been in place since WWII meant to secure our military readiness. We are over 500 days into the Trump administration, and we’ve had a confirmed CDC director for a total of 29 days. We must get this right.
“The CDC director must be committed to using evidence-based public health guidance to rebuild public trust. While I respect Dr. Schwartz’ achievements, I have very little confidence in her ability to keep the job while maintaining independence from the pressures of this administration. For these reasons, I will not support her nomination.”
ICYMI: Senator Blunt Rochester Slams Trump Administration’s Repeal of Temporary Protected Status for Haitian Immigrants
Position: Senator Blunt Rochester opposes the Trump administration's repeal of Temporary Protected Status for Haitian immigrants and supports legislation to extend TPS protections for Haitians, citing ongoing civil unrest, gang violence, natural disasters, and humanitarian concerns.
“Delaware is a state of neighbors, and we are losing neighbors.”
Click here to watch Senator Blunt Rochester’s remarks.
U.S. Senator Lisa Blunt Rochester (D-Del.) today spoke on the Senate floor about the Trump administration’s repeal of Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Haitian immigrants. Following the Trump administration’s decision to terminate TPS for Haitians, Senator Blunt Rochester has worked to reverse this policy. Yet, despite passing the House in a bipartisan fashion, Senator Blunt Rochester’s legislation, which she led with Senator Ed Markey (D-Mass.) to extend TPS for Haitians, was blocked on the Senate floor.
Senator Blunt Rochester’s remarks as delivered can be found here, and below:
Senator Blunt Rochester: “Let me begin by thanking Senator Ed Markey for your leadership, for your compassion, for your brilliance on this issue, as well as the great Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley, who we are proud to have in the room today…
“I think what we proposed here, that Congresswoman Pressley was able to pass in the House on a bipartisan basis. She was doing what we need to get done here in the Senate, and what we wanted to do was clear and simple. We wanted a bill that would extend Temporary Protected Status for Haitian immigrants.
“Why is that so important? TPS is a designation the Department of Homeland Security can give to a foreign country to indicate that it's unsafe for its citizens to return home. “Home,” They weren't fleeing here because they don't want to be home.
“It's unsafe, and there are many reasons that a country could receive this designation. Ongoing conflicts like a civil war or gang violence, a natural disaster like a hurricane or an earthquake, or temporary conditions like civil unrest.
“Unfortunately, at this time, Haiti meets all three requirements. Yet, the Trump administration, with the help of the Supreme Court decision, as well as colleagues here, has decided to terminate TPS status for Haiti. This policy decision is driven by cruelty and xenophobia, and it has real consequences.
“The decision to uproot your entire life and start again in a different country isn't something someone takes lightly. The reality for many Haitians is this: decades of corrupt governance was ended by a political assassination five years ago. The country has been in political turmoil ever since. Daily life is characterized by civil unrest, violence, kidnappings by armed gangs. On top of that, earthquakes and hurricanes have left the country with limited access to healthcare, food, and public services. There are real, tangible reasons that 350,000 Haitians have fled to the United States in pursuit of a better life. Real reasons, reasons that your own families could not withstand.
“In my home state of Delaware, this is deeply personal. Delaware is called a state of neighbors, and over 5,000 of those neighbors are Haitian immigrants with TPS status, and at this moment, they are scared. They are terrified that they will lose their status and be unable to work, and ultimately be deported back to Haiti. Families are worried that they won't be able to make ends meet, or worse, be forcibly deported from a country they have grown to call home. These are real people with a real stake in the decisions that we make here in this body.
“People like Marie, who came to Delaware with her family when she was 12, her memories of growing up are full of Sundays spent at church, going to mass in the morning, spending the day with her family at the pastor's house, and then going back to afternoon service. Now an adult, Marie became one of the very first Haitian realtors in our state, where she helps families buy their first homes, establish roots, and get one step closer to the American dream.
“Or people like Anne. She received a deportation letter last April. Everyone in her family received the letter, including her one-year-old niece. Her one-year-old niece. Anne and her family fled to Delaware after a gang war broke out in Haiti following the assassination of the president in 2021. Receiving deportation letters left them depressed and scared. They were sent into a tailspin and faced a devastating choice. Do you stay here illegally? They don't want to do that. Do you stay here illegally? Do you try to figure it out and go back to a country with danger and chaos with a small child, or do you flee? As I said before, Delaware is a state of neighbors, and we are losing neighbors. Anne and her entire family have fled.
“Now, if the moral imperative doesn't convince you, I'll try the economic. Hundreds of thousands of Haitian TPS recipients are in our workforce. These are good, hardworking people. They work in healthcare and agriculture. They are small business owners, realtors, pastors, and more. They are necessary contributors to our economy.
“They provide over 800 million dollars in taxes every year and generate over $5.9 billion for our economy. The loss of Haitian TPS workforce would impact and cause harm to multiple industries, from the ag sector to education to healthcare, including nursing homes, hospitals, and senior centers. My office has already heard reports from private employers who are being forced to let these employees go, whose authorizations are tied to TPS.
“Today, we had a chance to set things right. We had a chance to extend these protections to our Haitian neighbors. We had a chance to do the right thing. But I'm here to tell you, yes, elections have consequences, and people are watching, and we're not giving up.
“Thank you to all of the individuals who are supporting these families. Thank you to our staff who are receiving the phone calls. Thank you to the pastors who are praying. Thank you to all who are fighting for our neighbors. As I said, we won't give up, and I yield back.”
Articles from a curated list of national outlets that mention Lisa Blunt Rochester.
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Source: GDELT 2.0 GKG, filtered to a curated list of national outlets. Inclusion is not endorsement; opinion pieces and reported news are mixed.
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Top PAC donors · 2026 cycle
Political action committees that gave the most to this rep's principal campaign committee this cycle. PAC giving is direct organizational support — industry, ideological, or leadership.
1.MACHINISTS NON PARTISAN POLITICAL LEAGUE OF THE INTERNATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF MACHINISTS & AEROSPACE5 contributions$25,000
2.UA UNION PLUMBERS & PIPEFITTERS VOTE! PAC (UNITED ASSOCIATION OF JOURNEYMEN AND APPRENTICES OF THE PLUMBING & PIPEFITTING INDUSTRY OF THE UNITED STATES AND CANADA)Labor3 contributionsTrade-union PAC for United Association plumbers and pipefitters — backs prevailing-wage protections, federal infrastructure funding, project labor agreements, and apprenticeship programs.AI$15,000
3.NATIONAL REALTORS POLITICAL ACTION COMMITTEE3 contributions$15,000
4.AMERICAN CRYSTAL SUGAR COMPANY POLITICAL ACTON COMMITTEE3 contributions$15,000
5.BLACKROCK FUNDS SERVICES GROUP LLC POLITICAL ACTION COMMITTEE3 contributions$15,000
6.THE HOME DEPOT INC. PACBusiness3 contributionsRetail corporation PAC — supports candidates aligned with business-friendly policies on labor, tax, and regulatory matters.AI$15,000
7.UNITED PARCEL SERVICE INC. PAC (UPSPAC)3 contributions$15,000
8.UBS AMERICAS INC. PACFinance2 contributionsPAC of UBS Americas, the U.S. subsidiary of Swiss banking and financial-services firm UBS. Backs candidates and policies supporting capital markets, banking regulation, and financial-sector interests.AI$10,000
9.LABORERS' INTERNATIONAL UNION OF NORTH AMERICA (LIUNA) PACLabor2 contributionsTrade-union PAC for construction laborers — backs prevailing-wage standards, infrastructure investment, apprenticeship programs, and project labor agreements.AI$10,000
10.UAW V CAP (UAW VOLUNTARY COMMUNITY ACTION PROGRAM)2 contributions$10,000
Source: OpenFEC (api.open.fec.gov) Schedule A receipts where contributor type is “committee.” Aggregated by contributing committee. Self-transfers from joint-fundraising / victory committees are excluded.
Top individual contributors · 2026 cycle
Itemized individual contributions over $200 to this rep's campaign committee, aggregated by donor employer. PAC giving is shown above; this section is people, not organizations.
1.APOLLO GLOBAL MANGEMENT$7,000
2.APOLLO GLOBAL MANAGEMENT INC$6,000
3.GENNX 360$5,250
4.AURORA PICTURES$5,000
5.ROCKET COMPANIES LLC$5,000
6.MOONLIGHT PROPERTIES$5,000
7.OCEAN ATLANTIC COMPANIES$5,000
8.THE PARTNERSHIP INC.$3,500
9.DEVOTED HEALTH INC.$3,500
10.MATTHEWS HOLDINGS SW$3,500
Source: OpenFEC Schedule A receipts where contributor type is “individual,” aggregated by the donor's self-reported employer. This is a geographic / industry correlation, not a corporate endorsement.
