Lisa Blunt Rochester in State of Delaware Archives
On Abortion:
Fight against defunding Planned Parenthood
Women's Health: "As a young woman I relied on Planned Parenthood for my health needs. I know I am not alone. We cannot afford to let politicians in Washington try and drag us back to the last century." --Lisa Blunt RochesterWomen's health care is
under a relentless attack across the country. Republicans in Washington have voted over and over again to defund Planned Parenthood's work providing cancer screening and health services to women in need.
They have voted against a woman's right to choose and even refused to protect the medical records of victims of rape and incest from government invasion. In Congress, Lisa will be a champion for women's health by:
- Standing up to the Republicans
in Congress trying to defund Planned Parenthood
- Working to make it easier for low-income women to get cancer screenings and mammograms
- Fighting against regressive legislation that tries to put the government between a woman and her doctor
Source: 2016 Delaware House campaign website LisaBluntRochester.com
Nov 8, 2016
On Civil Rights:
Pass the Paycheck Fairness Act for gender pay equity
Equal Pay for Equal Work: "I will stand up to the politicians in Washington who oppose efforts to guarantee equal pay for equal work. This is about fairness and it is about strengthening our families" --Lisa Blunt RochesterWomen in Delaware make on
average 81% of the wages earned by their male counterparts and that rate is even less for Latino and African American women. In Congress, Lisa will be a champion for Equal Pay by:
-
Pushing for an online database that would make information about wages by job category public, so everyone can see if they are getting proper compensation for their type of work.
- Working to finally pass the Paycheck Fairness Act so
that employers couldn't retaliate against employees who want to share information about how much they're paid.
- Fighting to provide accessible, high quality early learning options for working families.
Source: 2016 Delaware House campaign website LisaBluntRochester.com
Nov 8, 2016
On Crime:
Systemic problems in judicial system affect people of color
Public Safety: "At the end of the day, making sure our families are safe is the most important job we can do."--Lisa Blunt RochesterI still remember the day that I jumped into my car, in my pajamas, when my son called and told me he had been pulled
over. For far too many mothers like me, our strong need and desire to have the safest streets possible is complicated by the reality that, unfortunately, systemic problems exist within our judicial system that disproportionately affect people of color.
In Congress, Lisa will be a champion for protecting our communities by:- Promoting economic equality and creating satisfying job options.
- Working to close the educational achievement gap as a critical part of
finding a holistic approach to crime prevention.
- Furthering her work to bring police and communities together to figure out how best to protect our neighborhoods.
Source: 2016 Delaware House campaign website LisaBluntRochester.com
Nov 8, 2016
On Education:
New College Compact: free tuition for 10 hours weekly work
Affordable and Accessible Education: "We succeed as a society where everyone has the opportunity to reach their full potential. Well-educated citizens and well-trained workers make for a strong democracy and economy."--Lisa Blunt Rochester
I always emphasized the importance of a good education to my children. And, like so many parents who also place a premium on education, I now find myself helping my kids pay off the loans we took out so that they could go to college.
In Congress,
Lisa will be a champion for improving access to affordable education by:- Helping families with current student debt to refinance their loans at current rates and providing debt relief to thousands of graduates.
- Fighting for the New College
Compact that would allow students to attend public colleges tuition free in return for 10 hours a week of work.
- Protecting the President's efforts to make community colleges free to all residents Working to increase vocational training options.
Source: 2016 Delaware House campaign website LisaBluntRochester.com
Nov 8, 2016
On Government Reform:
Overturn Citizens United decision by amending Constitution
Campaign Finance Reform and Expanding Voting Rights: "One person, one vote is the cornerstone of our country's political system. I will stand strong in my commitment to defend that principal so our leaders in Washington are only concerned with the will
of the people." - Lisa Blunt RochesterOver the last few decades there has been a shift in our politics to where money became more important than the will of the people. We reached a tipping point with the Citizens United decision in which the
Supreme Court tore down the floodgates and let unlimited, unregulated money into our system. The Citizens United decision was an incredible mistake that works to prevent everyday Americans from having a say in the political process.
If I'm elected, one of my top priorities will be to reform our campaign finance system, and we need to start by passing legislation that will overturn the Citizens United decision, even if that means amending the Constitution.
Source: 2016 Delaware House campaign website LisaBluntRochester.com
Nov 8, 2016
On Government Reform:
Institute same day voter registration
[We should] open up the voting process and make sure our government is truly representative of our state and our nation. We need to renew our commitment to voting rights and institute Same Day Voter Registration so everyone's voice can be heard.
And we need to address the issue of gerrymandering - where congressional lines are sliced up to serve personal political interests, not to best represent our people. We need an impartial redistricting process in order to create districts that are
contiguous and properly represent their constituents. In Congress, Lisa will be a champion for getting money out of politics and reforming our broken system by:- Working to pass a constitutional amendment declaring
corporations aren't people and overturning Citizens United.
- Pushing for national Same Day Voter Registration laws.
- Introducing legislation to take drawing congressional districts out of the hands of politicians.
Source: 2016 Delaware House campaign website LisaBluntRochester.com
Nov 8, 2016
On Gun Control:
Stand up to the NRA to close gun loopholes
Preventing Gun Violence: "As a mother of two, I worry about gun violence more than I ever should. I'm running to stand up to the radicals who are putting NRA campaign contributions above the lives of our children." - Lisa Blunt Rochester
We need to figure out long-term solutions to this problem by putting much tougher restrictions on who can own a gun and what those guns can do. We need to put much more effort and resources behind fixing our mental health system.
In Congress, Lisa will stand up to the NRA by:
- Working to close loopholes that allow criminals easy access to guns.
- Fighting for expanded background checks and instituting a cooling off period for anyone who wants to buy a gun.
-
Pushing for more resources to fix our mental health system.
- Championing programs aimed at strengthening police/community relations.
Source: 2016 Delaware House campaign website LisaBluntRochester.com
Nov 8, 2016
On Health Care:
ObamaCare is not perfect, but it is a huge step forward
Protecting ObamaCare: "A healthy Delaware is a stronger Delaware. We need to protect ObamaCare from radical Republican attacks and work to make it stronger and more effective for generations to come." - Lisa Blunt Rochester
The Affordable Care Act has brought the number of uninsured down to historic lows, taking the burden off the backs of taxpayers and helped stabilize sky rocketing insurance rates. The law is not nearly perfect, but it is already a huge step forward.
In Congress, Lisa will be a champion for better healthcare by:- Allowing Medicare and Medicaid to negotiate directly with drug manufacturers and cut out waste in our medical system.
-
Working to expand access to the program, curbing costs, and ensuring standards of quality.
- Pushing to fund community health clinics and other local outreach efforts to help fill in the current gaps.
Source: 2016 Delaware House campaign website LisaBluntRochester.com
Nov 8, 2016
On Social Security:
Fight any attempt to privatize Social Security and Medicare
Social Security/Medicare: "We have made a commitment to the generations before us to protect them and care for them as they've cared for us. Any politician who wants to turn our seniors' wellbeing over to Wall Street will have to go through me first."
--Lisa Blunt RochesterBefore Social Security and Medicare, the single biggest cause of poverty in this country was getting old. We saw this problem, came together as a country, and created two of the most successful public programs of all time.
Most Republicans in Washington want to gamble with our seniors' wellbeing by privatizing Social Security and cutting Medicare.
In Congress, Lisa will be a champion for our seniors by:- Fighting any attempt to privatize Social Security and Medicare
- Allow Medicare to negotiate for lower prescription drug prices
- Opposing reductions in cost of living adjustments
- Fighting to keep the retirement age at 67
- Increasing the current qualified income cap
Source: 2016 Delaware House campaign website LisaBluntRochester.com
Nov 8, 2016
On Civil Rights:
Every American deserves to be treated with respect & dignity
Blunt Rochester voted to pass historic Equality Act to end discrimination against all LGBTQ Americans. "While we've made a great deal of progress in fighting against discrimination, the reality is that our LGBTQ community deserves the full protection of
federal law. The Equality Act is about recognizing a simple proposition--that every American--no matter their sexual orientation or gender identity--deserves to be treated with respect, with dignity, and with equal protection under the law."
Source: House press release "LGBTQ" on 2022 Delaware Senate race
Feb 25, 2021
On Drugs:
Marijuana does not belong on Controlled Substances list
Rep. Blunt Rochester voted to federally decriminalize marijuana. "One of the most tragic & longest-lasting impacts of our system is the way in which our society treats marijuana offenses," she said. "From housing to education, to employment, too-often,
nonviolent drug offenses act as a seemingly immovable barrier for too many Americans. It has been clear for some time from a scientific and criminal justice perspective that marijuana does not belong on the federal Controlled Substances list."
Source: House press release "Marijuana" on 2022 Delaware Senate race
Dec 4, 2020
On Energy & Oil:
Investing in energy efficiency helps reduce carbon emissions
U.S. Senator Tom Carper and U.S. Representative Lisa Blunt Rochester (both D-Del.) joined U.S. Secretary Jennifer M. Granholm today to announce the one millionth American home upgraded with energy efficiency improvements through the U.S. Department of
Energy (DOE)’s Home Performance with ENERGY STAR program. "The cleanest form of energy is the energy we save and never have to use. Funding to make our homes more energy-efficient is good for people's wallets and good for the planet," said Senator
Carper
"We know that investing in energy efficiency is one of the fastest and most effective ways to reduce carbon emissions and help fight the climate crisis," said Rep. Lisa Blunt Rochester. "That's why the ENERGY STAR program is such an
important tool to help Delawareans weatherize and make their homes more energy efficient. These are the kinds of critical investments that President Biden's Bipartisan Infrastructure Deal continues to make throughout our country."
Source: Senate press release "Granholm" on 2024 Delaware Senate race
May 11, 2023
On Homeland Security:
No greater responsibility than ensuring national security
Rep. Blunt Rochester voted to pass the National Defense Authorization Act. "As Members of Congress, we have no greater responsibility than to ensure the security of our nation--and that starts with supporting our men and women in uniform," she said.
"With this year's defense funding bill, I was proud to secure crucial benefits and protections for our servicemembers that will make our nation safer and stronger, while making strong investments in our national defense and in our security interests."
Source: House press release "NDA" on 2022 Delaware Senate race
Dec 8, 2022
On Immigration:
Time for comprehensive reform with pathway to citizenship
Blunt Rochester calls the Republican immigration bill 'Unserious, Unproductive, And Unworkable': "Our country cannot afford any more of these political stunts -- it's time to come to the table, using the U.S. Citizenship Act proposed by
President Biden as our starting point, and negotiate for comprehensive immigration reform that honors our values, offers real and meaningful border security, and provides a pathway to citizenship."
Source: House press release "Unworkable": 2022 Delaware Senate race
May 11, 2023
On Principles & Values:
Bright Hope Church instilled family with hope and resilience
Lisa's story, like so many Delawareans and Americans, starts with hope. Bright Hope Church is where Lisa's grandmother worshiped for decades, a spiritual home for
Lisa's family that instilled them with hope and resilience. Lisa is guided by those values to run for the U.S. Senate and deliver for the people of Delaware.
Source: 2024 Delaware Senate campaign website LisaBluntRochester.com
Jun 28, 2023
On Principles & Values:
Prayed from House floor during the Jan. 6 insurrection
Blunt Rochester shouted out a prayer as she and other lawmakers took shelter while rioters broke through police barriers and into the Capitol building. In a video that has been circulating the internet, the sound of glass breaking and shouts of "Stay
down" can be heard. Intermingled with these noises, Rochester can be heard pleading for God to heal America and asking for protection for those police officers trying to protect lawmakers, as well as for her fellow congress men and women.
Source: Church Leaders on 2024 Delaware Senate race
Jan 11, 2021
On Drugs:
Rated A by NORML: decriminalize marijuana & seal records
NORML Politician Info: rated A - Candidate: Lisa Blunt Rochester (D - DE): Holds office U.S. House District At-Large; Candidate in race for U.S. Senate on Tuesday, September 10, 2024
- Summary:
DECRIMINALIZE/MEDICAL USE: Introduced bill to seal records of those convicted of marijuana possession in the past.
- Co-sponsored Legislation:
- H.R.1996 - SAFE Banking Act of 2021
- H.R.3884 - MORE (Marijuana Opportunity Reinvestment
and Expungement) Act of 2019
- H.R.1595 - SAFE Banking Act of 2019
- H.R.2864 - Clean Slate Act of 2021 (Sponsored)
- Comments: "That's why I was proud to vote for the MORE Act, removing marijuana as a controlled substance,
creating a new tax structure for cannabis products, and continuing the hard work of reversing the decades of damaging marijuana criminalization at the federal level." 12/4/20
Source: NORML "Smoke the Vote" on 2024 Delaware Senate race
Aug 8, 2024
Page last updated: Oct 18, 2026