MILTON, Del. — In an exclusive sit down interview with CoastTV, Congresswoman Lisa Blunt Rochester has announced an ambitious plan to address rising costs and stagnant wages, emphasizing the need to support Delaware families against corporate exploitation.
Blunt Rochester is currently running to succeed Senator Tom Carper (D - Delaware), who is retiring at the end of his term. Blunt Rochester was elected to Congress since 2016. She told CoastTV Sussex County is very important to her, noting that her first piece of legislation passed was in North Bethany about Flood Insurance.Â
"I tell my colleagues in Washington that Delaware is not as simple as you think. We are urban, suburban, rural and coastal. We really mirror the rest of the country," she says. "I see Sussex County as kind of a microcosm of our whole country."
Blunt Rochester's affordability plan tackles everything from housing to food costs, including bolstering federal agencies to help stop grocery price gouging. Another element is a bi-partisan farm bill that addresses crop insurance to investments in agriculture technology.
"I went to a farm here in Delaware where the woman was in her kitchen showing me on her iPad how she was controlling the irrigation of her crops," Blunt Rochester told CoastTV. "There is precision ahead where you can pick berries with little robotics. But we also have to deal with all of the issues that really affect us each and every day."
Blunt Rochester says on her new Delivering for Delaware tour she will visit with stakeholders up and down the state, and spend significant time in Sussex County.Â
"[In] Sussex County, sometimes people feel like, 'Hey, I'm not seen,' and I wanted people in Sussex to know: I see you, I hear you, even if you didn't vote for me, I'm going to represent you."
Excerpts of Blunt Rochester's plan to grow the middle class are listed below. For more information on Blunt Rochester’s plan and initiatives, visit her official campaign website.
Tackling Inflation on Everyday Expenses
Housing
- Cutting red tape to increase housing development.
- Reducing rents by accelerating affordable housing production.
- Supporting community housing projects for veterans, seniors, and at-risk families.
- Providing rebates for energy-efficient home upgrades.
- Expanding first-time homebuyer credits.
Health Care
- Make prescription drugs more affordable, including capping insulin prices.
- Protect Medicare from cuts and premium hikes.
- Expand access to community health centers.
- Address the nursing workforce shortage.
- Ensure no one has to choose between healthcare and basic needs.
Groceries
- Strengthen American supply chains.
- Combat price gouging by grocery stores.
- Pass a bipartisan farm bill to support food security.
- Eliminate food deserts and improve access to fresh groceries.
Gas & Utilities
- Preventing exploitative gas price hikes.
- Reducing monthly water bills.
- Investing in clean energy to lower utility costs.
- Reinstating the Affordable Connectivity Program for lower internet bills.
- Protecting consumers from unfair electricity price increases.
Education
- Investing in vocational and technical education.
- Expanding scholarships and loan repayment for healthcare professionals.
- Modernizing workforce development grants.
- Building on student loan forgiveness initiatives.
Creating Good Jobs
- Training Delawareans for high-paying jobs.
- Strengthening supply chains to create domestic jobs.
- Supporting small businesses and first-time entrepreneurs.
- Championing the caregiving economy.