Lisa Blunt Rochester
Senator for Delaware · Democratic · United States
“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.”
Senate22 July 2026Source ↗
“Mr. President, 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. You know, the State of Massachusetts is such a powerful State for freedom, justice, and liberty.”
Senate22 July 2026Source ↗
“Delaware is called the ``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, deported back to Haiti.”
Senate22 July 2026Source ↗
“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 will try the economic. Hundreds of thousands of Haitian TPS recipients are in our workforce. These are good, hard-working people.”
Senate22 July 2026Source ↗
“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 5 years ago. The country has been in political turmoil ever since.”
Senate22 July 2026Source ↗
“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.”
Senate22 July 2026Source ↗
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“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 am here to tell you, yes, elections have consequences, and people are watching. And we are not giving up. Thank you to all of the individuals who are supporting these families. Thank you to our staffs 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. I yield the floor.”
Senate22 July 2026Source ↗
“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 will try the economic. Hundreds of thousands of Haitian TPS recipients are in our workforce. These are good, hard-working people. They work in healthcare, in agriculture. They are small business owners, Realtors, pastors, and more. They are necessary contributors to our economy. They provide over $800 million in taxes every year and generate over $5.9 billion for our economy. The loss of the 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.”
Senate22 July 2026Source ↗
“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 1-year-old niece--her 1-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?”
Senate22 July 2026Source ↗
“Delaware is called the ``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, 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.”
Senate22 July 2026Source ↗
“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 5 years ago. The country has been in political turmoil ever since. Daily life is characterized by civil unrest, violence, and kidnappings by armed gangs. On top of that, hurricanes and earthquakes 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 for 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.”
Senate22 July 2026Source ↗
“Mr. President, 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. You know, the State of Massachusetts is such a powerful State for freedom, justice, and liberty. You embody the ideals that we were sent here to fight for. And so I too am disappointed in our colleague's objection. I think what we proposed here that Congresswoman Pressley was able to pass in the House on a bipartisan--she got it done. 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?”
Senate22 July 2026Source ↗
“Norman's leadership has resulted in the expansion of more than two dozen libraries across the State and the delivery of state-of-the-art services through robust technology infrastructure. She has truly transformed Delaware's libraries into community hubs for Delawareans to gather, learn, and receive necessary services. I wish Dr. Norman the best of luck in her retirement. Today, I invite my colleagues to join me and the people of Delaware in congratulating Dr. Annie Norman on her retirement and for an outstanding life of public service. ____________________”
Senate15 July 2026Source ↗
“Throughout her career, Dr. Norman served under five different administrations. For each Governor, Dr. Norman has been a trusted voice for the advancement of literacy and lifelong learning. Under her leadership, the Delaware Library Catalog was established and expanded to all Delaware public libraries, academic libraries, and many school libraries, allowing over 4 million books and other materials to be shared statewide. Dr. Norman has been a leading voice in addressing our State's literacy challenges, serving as founder and co-chair of the Delaware Literacy Alliance alongside Delaware Secretary of Education Cindy Marten. In 2020, Dr. Norman oversaw the statewide launch of Dolly Parton's Imagination Library, which provides free books to all Delaware children from birth to age 5. I am proud to have partnered with Dr.”
Senate15 July 2026Source ↗
“Mr. President, I rise today to congratulate Dr. Annie Norman on her retirement as State Librarian of Delaware and director of the Delaware Division of Libraries. Throughout her 40-year tenure at the Delaware Department of State, Dr. Norman has remained an unwavering public servant dedicated to improving Delaware's libraries for all Delawareans. Her visionary leadership has transformed Delaware's library system, and her legacy will benefit generations of Delawareans for years to come.”
Senate15 July 2026Source ↗
“While Republicans work to cut taxes for billionaires, they are slashing the healthcare workforce our communities rely on. On behalf of our constituents and our country, I urge my colleagues to support this amendment. I yield the floor.”
Senate20 February 2025Source ↗
“Mr. President, I call up my amendment No. 311 and ask that it be reported by number.”
Senate20 February 2025Source ↗
“Does the candidate have the qualifications, the background, the character, and the ability? For this candidate, unfortunately, the answer is no. And tonight, I stand here for all of the children of our country, all of the families of our country, and I will be voting no on this nomination. I yield the floor.”
Senate12 February 2025Source ↗
“Mr. President, on the eve of the vote for the nominee for the Department of Health and Human Services, I stand before you acknowledging that I will vote no on the confirmation of Mr. Robert F. Kennedy. I stand before you tonight after looking at his abilities, his background and qualifications, and his character. For me, I listened to my constituents and the calls that we have received into our office. And I have read articles. I have looked at petitions and lawsuits.”
Senate12 February 2025Source ↗
“And I will do everything--everything--in my power to stand up for the people of Delaware and to deliver--even when it feels dark--bright hope. I yield the floor.”
Senate5 February 2025Source ↗