Delaware Day

Floor Speech

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Ms. McBRIDE. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor a most hallowed occasion in the history of our Republic: Delaware Day, which falls on this Sunday, December 7.

On that momentous day in 1787, the greatest State in the Union became the first State in the Union, boldly seizing the mantle of leadership by ratifying the United States Constitution before any of our hesitant sister States dared to do so.

Officially declared a State holiday in 1933, Delaware Day invites each of us to reflect upon our State's central role in forging a government of the people, by the people, and for the people.

We Delawareans celebrate being the first as any eldest sibling would; that is, obnoxiously and with great relish. It is with no small measure of delight that I stand here on the House floor to celebrate my beloved home State and the noble citizens who keep its spirit alive.

What we lack in size, we make up for in endless discoveries. While December 7 may technically be Delaware Day, it is always Delaware Day in my heart.

To all Delawareans, may their Delaware Day be filled with cheer, with history, and with the profound satisfaction of knowing that we beat everyone else to the punch.

Today and every day, it is good being first. Honoring Sue Ryan

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Ms. McBRIDE. Mr. Speaker, I rise to honor Sue Ryan, who is retiring after 10 years of extraordinary service as the executive director of the Delaware Coalition Against Domestic Violence.

For a decade, Sue has been the steady, principled voice behind a coalition that works every day to prevent domestic violence and support survivors across our State.

With more than 25 years in nonprofit service as an attorney, advocate, and administrator, Sue has devoted her life to advancing justice for people who are too often overlooked: survivors of violence, impoverished families, refugees, and those experiencing homelessness.

It has been an inspiration to watch Sue lead the Delaware Coalition Against Domestic Violence. Her integrity, compassion, and quiet strength have shaped the way I think about this work and what it means to serve with purpose.

Delaware is safer, stronger, and more compassionate because of Sue Ryan's leadership. We thank her for her vision, her courage, and her unwavering commitment to dignity and safety for all.

I congratulate Sue on a well-deserved retirement. We Need Solutions

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Ms. McBRIDE. Mr. Speaker, I rise today on behalf of Delaware families who are still catching their breath after Thanksgiving--a holiday that should bring joy, not undue anxiety over the cost of a single trip to the grocery store.

Last week, too many Delawareans told me that the price of their holiday meal felt heavier this year, and they are right. Delaware families are paying an average of $8,745 a year, or 14 percent of their income, just to put food on the table.

Those grocery bills aren't rising in a vacuum. Across The First State, shoppers are seeing coffee up 21 percent and beef up 11 percent. Flour, sugar, and canned fruits are each up more than 30 percent. These are costs that hit parents, seniors, and working people the hardest.

At Our Daily Bread, a food bank in Middletown, they are now serving 240 meals a day, up from just 200 a few months ago. This is a clear indication of how my neighbors are being squeezed by rising prices.

Delaware families are being hit from every direction--by inflation, yes, but also by policies coming out of the Trump administration that are pouring fuel on the fire. Tariffs are driving up grocery prices even higher and contributing to price uncertainty. The one big, ugly bill imposed the largest cut to food assistance in U.S. history. Premium hikes will cost Delawareans an average of $6,000 more a year in healthcare. Cuts to energy investments are pushing up electricity bills. New limits on student loan repayment hit working people hardest. Interest rates are so high that they put the dream of a first home further out of reach.

Delawareans deserve better than a government that increases their costs while taking away the lifelines that keep them afloat. No matter our politics, we all want the same thing: the ability to feed our families, put a roof over our heads, and find a job with dignity.

That is why I am proud to be a sponsor of legislation that would restore some common sense by banning the President from imposing tariffs without congressional approval, capping the cost of childcare, expanding health coverage, creating new pathways to homeownership, raising the minimum wage, and expanding tax deductions for working-class people.

Mr. Speaker, after Thanksgiving season, where so many families felt the strain, the message from Delaware is clear: We need solutions, not tariffs and cuts to healthcare but policies that make life more affordable.

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