What Lisa Blunt Rochester said, and what was done

“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.”

“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.”

“Representatives and now the Senate, I always appreciated the opportunity to meet with Dr. Norman to discuss Delaware's library funding needs, statewide literacy initiatives, and the many ways our libraries strengthen communities across the State.”

“Mr. President, on June 17, 2026, I missed the following vote, but had I been present, I would have voted yea on rollcall vote No. 179, on the motion to discharge from the Senate Foreign Relations Committee S.”

“On June 18, 2026, I missed the following vote, but had I been present, I would have voted yea on rollcall vote No. 180, on the cloture motion on the motion to concur in the House Amendment to the Senate Amendment to H.R. 6644 with an amendment.”

“Mr. President, I rise today to congratulate mayor Bill West on his retirement as mayor of Georgetown, DE. During his 12 years as mayor, Bill has remained an unwavering advocate for economic progress and pragmatic problem-solving.”

“Mr. President, today I rise to recognize and congratulate the Delaware Community Foundation, DCF, on 40 years of extraordinary service to the State of Delaware through its enduring commitment to philanthropy, community investment, and collaborative leadership.”

“Tariffs, a war, and a golden ballroom. We are in the middle of an economic crisis in America, but instead of working with us to help bring down costs, this administration weakened the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, gutting protections and making it harder for Americans to afford daily life.”

“The Federal Government should do the same, and I urge my colleagues to join us because nobody deserves to lose their job or their home because of false or outdated information.”

“Mr. President, I rise today to honor the life and legacy of former Delaware State Senator Nancy W. Cook, who passed away on March 23, 2026, at the age of 89.”

“Cook was a legendary and trailblazing figure in Delaware politics. Born in Philadelphia, she grew up in New Castle County, where she became a proud graduate of William Penn High School.”

“Mr. President, I rise today not only as a Senator but as an American and as a descendant of enslaved men and women like those who built this Chamber and fought hard for the right to vote.”

“Mr. President, today I rise to congratulate New Castle County Councilman Penrose Hollins for receiving the Order of the First State, the highest civilian honor awarded by the Governor of Delaware.”

“Mr. President, I rise today in disbelief of where we are as a country. I will tell you, in listening to the speeches that came before me--such powerful words--I thought to myself, What can I actually contribute to this moment?”

“Mr. President, today is January 6, 2026. We are 6 days into what will surely be a defining year for our Nation. We will celebrate the 250th anniversary of the founding of our country.”

“As I close, I stand here today as a Senator with gratitude to those who protected us and even gave their lives on that day. And I stand here as Lennox's grandmother with words of wisdom from the late, great Justice Thurgood Marshall, who said: This is your democracy.”

“Mr. President, on January 5, 2026, I missed rollcall vote No. 1 on the confirmation of Executive Calendar No. 70, Keith Bass of Texas, to be an Assistant Secretary of Defense due to a personal matter.”

“Mr. President, reserving the right to object, I had the honor of serving with Senator Marshall in the House. We were classmates. We came in together in 2016.”

“Mr. President, we are 12 days away from the deadline for Americans to get healthcare coverage starting January 1-- 12 days. Time is running out for us in Congress to act.”

“Madam President, I actually have written notes here. I came prepared to talk about the importance of the ACA tax credits, and as I sat here, I prayed: What do I even say in this moment?”

“Mr. President, today I rise to recognize and welcome the Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew to Washington, DC. Born Demetrios Arhondonis in 1940 on the island of Imvros, now known as Gokreada, Turkiye, Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew was elected in October 1991 as the 270th Archbishop of the 2,000-year-old Orthodox Church.”

“First let me say thank you, Senator Merkley, for your tenacity, your energy, your compassion, and your love for this country. I mean, really, that is what this is about.”

“As you talked about the small businesses, Senator, I was reminded that, as we look at who is actually purchasing this healthcare in the marketplace--a lot of people don't even know they are on ACA and receiving the tax credit--that half of them are small businesses.”

“Mr. President, as America confronts a period of darkness, still I rise, full of bright hope. Why bright hope? ``Bright Hope'' was the name of the church that my grandmother attended for 70 years in Philadelphia.”

“But for millions of Americans, that feeling is out of reach. Instead, home ownership feels impossible. And the rent in America is too doggone high. Yet, for too long, the Federal Government has been missing in action.”

“Mr. President, in one of the richest countries in the world, we have maternal and infant mortality crises. In fact, we have the highest maternal mortality rate among wealthy nations.”

“Mr. President, there are moments in our lives when everything changes, when the world shifts underneath you and a new reality forms. These are moments when you remember exactly where you were, what you were doing, and who you were with.”

“Mr. President, as I close out this time, I had written prepared remarks for my closing, but a word keeps ringing over and over in my head, and that word is ``freedom.'' As I stand here, why today is so important is because it is again another chip chipping at our freedoms.”

“Mr. President, you can see and feel and hear the anger, the disappointment, and the concern for the future of our country. Senator Alex Padilla is probably one of the first people that took time to sit down with me as a freshman Senator to prepare me for this job.”

“Mr. President, according to Secretary Kennedy, the Trump administration is committed to building the most compassionate Department of Health and Human Services in the history of the United States.”

“Madam President, yesterday when the budget resolution came to the floor, I introduced an amendment. It is a simple, straightforward piece of legislation that will protect American consumers by prohibiting tariffs that increase the costs of building a house.”

“And he said: Well, you will pay either the tariff at the exporter level, the importer, the retailer, and/or the consumer. And who is most likely to feel the pain?”

“I want to begin by thanking you so much, Senator Booker, for your leadership, and thank you for the opportunity to ask you a question. As I stood and listened to you, I was reminded of why we are in this place in the first place.”

“As the former executive of a city, a major city in this country, can you talk a little bit about the impact that these cuts will have on cities, municipalities, and States, because some might think: Oh, this is just a nice issue?”

“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.”

“Mr. President, I would hope I would be standing here today talking about lowering costs for Americans or tackling the housing crisis. Or, as the former secretary of labor in Delaware, I thought I would be standing here talking about jobs and the economy.”