September 26, 2025 • 12 mins
Sen. Lisa Blunt Rochester (D-DE) is one of two African-American women in the United States Senate. She discusses how she learned from those who preceded her and how she is focused on providing affordable housing during a time of shortages and inflation.
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:01):
I'm Vanessa Tyler reporting at the Congressional Black Caucuses fifty
fourth Annual Legislative Conference on the Black Information Network, your
home for Black News. First, there is history made because
of my next guest. For the first time ever, there
are two black women in the US Senate. Delaware Senator
(00:22):
Lisa Blunt Rochester welcome.
Speaker 2 (00:24):
Thank you so much, Vanessa.
Speaker 3 (00:26):
It is wonderful to be here at the Black Information Network.
Speaker 1 (00:31):
Thank you so much. You and Maryland Senator Angela also
Brooks made history. Let's take that in for a moment.
How has it been for you in the Senate?
Speaker 3 (00:42):
Yeah, well, first, I want to start off by saying
thank you to the people who supported us, not just
with their votes and their financial support, but with their
prayers and their encouragement. You know, yesterday, I think it
was yesterday, Senator also Brooks and I received an award
as a trailblazer, and I highlighted the fact that there
(01:03):
were trailblazers before us. I mean, there was Carol Moseley
Braun from Illinois, and it took almost a quarter of
a century before another black woman was elected to the Senate,
which was Kamala Harris, our Vice president and then it
took almost a decade before La Fonza Butler was appointed.
(01:24):
But for Angela and I we come in together the
first time ever. We call ourselves sister senators, and it
has been so powerful to be able to advocate for
issues that affect all of America but also that affect
us as a community. And so everything from working on
(01:47):
issues of you know, maternal mortality and fibroids, and to
being able to work on issues of jobs in the economy,
and you know, having that sister senator and having the
support of so many others, I think makes it really
real and makes us recognize that while we might not
(02:09):
have chosen this moment, we were made for it.
Speaker 2 (02:12):
Yeah, and this is the moment.
Speaker 1 (02:15):
He also served in the House, and I often had said,
of course, in the Senate you have more reasonable minds,
And I'm just wondering, have you seen the difference. Do
you find that there is more dialogue when you get
to that chamber.
Speaker 3 (02:30):
Well, you know, for me, I represent the state of Delaware,
and in the House we only had one member that
represented Delaware, So it was important for me to always
try to find partnerships and colleagues and across the aisle,
and also within our caucus. I was, you know, very
much in every single room. I was in the Black Caucus,
(02:51):
I was in the Women's Caucus, I was in the
Congressional Progressive Caucus. And so for me, it was always
about partnerships. But the difference with the Senate is you
are one of one hundred. Now four hundred and thirty five,
You are one of one hundred, and so it is
I feel easier to know many of the members.
Speaker 2 (03:12):
Make those alliances.
Speaker 3 (03:14):
And also even some of the rules require almost you
to be able to work together to get things done
in the Senate. So I find it different in that way.
But you know, for me, what it has allowed us
to do is to also do the work more deeply,
more thoughtfully, and have more impact.
Speaker 2 (03:34):
In my state.
Speaker 3 (03:34):
That's the number one issue for us is to have impact.
If you're not have an impact, you might as well
go home.
Speaker 2 (03:40):
Where do things stand now? Yeah? Well, when you say
where do things stand right now?
Speaker 3 (03:46):
You know, I think about again the theme of this,
this whole alc about being made for this moment, and
in this moment as a country, we are facing a
moment that it really confronts us to say, you know,
people say we're better than this, No, we're this. The
question is do we want to be better than this?
(04:07):
What does it take to be better than this? And
so where things stand right now is that, you know,
we have an administration that has been clawing back resources
that were approved by the Congress. That's why we have
checks and balances, that's why we have this system. They
have fired or put on pause grants and to states,
(04:28):
they have fired federal employees. We know that in the
first three months or so over what is it like,
four hundred thousand black three hundred thousand black women have
lost jobs. And so for us, where we are at
at this moment is a choojie this day moment. And
(04:49):
right now I feel really powerful and passionate about the
fact that we have been fighting for healthcare, even in
this very present moment where the President of the United
States could have sat down at the table with our
leaders to make sure that we don't you know, see
see us go into a shutdown, but he's pulled away
(05:11):
from the table, and we're saying, you know, come to
the table, come to the table. There's too much at risk,
and especially people's health care.
Speaker 2 (05:19):
Everybody's going to feel the.
Speaker 3 (05:21):
Impacts of these changes from that big so called beautiful bill.
Speaker 1 (05:26):
If there is a shutdown, of course, there are threats
of jobs that will not come back. Correct, So that's
kind of the pressure to really accept what's there.
Speaker 3 (05:35):
Well, that's what they're saying, right, And so for us, again,
this is a moment where we're going to have to
stand strong there. You know, we've got a couple more
days before we go into next week, and so you know,
our leadership, our members have been very clear that we
are fighting for people's health care, you know, fighting for
(06:00):
making sure that we don't go backwards. And you know,
as a people, it's not new to us for people
to try to erase us. It's not new to us
for people to try to intimidate us. And so you
know it's incumbent upon all of us to say, in
this moment, what can I do. Not everybody has to
(06:22):
run for office, not everybody has to be a TV star,
but in this moment, if you are a person who is.
Speaker 2 (06:33):
A writer, then you better be writing. If you are
on social media, then you need to be spreading real information.
Speaker 3 (06:41):
If I always say my best friend Michelle, when I
ran for office, I didn't have. She said, I don't
have money, Lisa to give you for your campaign, but
you're running.
Speaker 2 (06:49):
Up and down this state losing weight. I can make
you pots of spaghetti and beef stew.
Speaker 3 (06:53):
Michelle did her part, and that's all we are called
to do in this moment.
Speaker 2 (06:58):
Do your part absolutely.
Speaker 3 (07:01):
Now.
Speaker 1 (07:01):
You recently introduced a bill to expand workforce training and technology.
We talked about losses of jobs, talk about that kind
of need for that type of training.
Speaker 3 (07:12):
Well, you know, in Delaware, I was really fortunate and
blessed to serve as the Secretary of Labor. I also
served as head of State Personnel, and so jobs are
like number one for me. I always say, if I
had another middle name, it'd be Lisa Blunt Jobs, Rochester,
because that's how much I care about jobs in the economy.
Speaker 2 (07:31):
And we also know that AI.
Speaker 3 (07:33):
Is something that's impacting us as well, and so for us,
we've introduced legislation that focuses on that, but also work
for shortages like nursing. We see a shortage in home healthcare, folks,
And part of that is also how much money we
pay people. People should not have to work two three,
(07:53):
four jobs to be able to make it It's also
why I released about a week ago my own and
hot off the press, the New Way Home Agenda, because
one of the number one issues I hear about as
people are talking about their costs is housing. That young
people can't even think about owning a home, and you know,
(08:14):
and the rent is two dog on high in this country.
Speaker 2 (08:17):
And so for me, we put.
Speaker 3 (08:19):
Forward legislation that some are in a major package in
the Senate right now, and some are aspirational for where
we see us going as a country that deals with
things like redlining that we experienced as black folks, that
deals with things like zoning and things that prevent us
to build more housing, but also tries to make sure
(08:41):
that we create strong, safe communities as well.
Speaker 1 (08:44):
That's interesting because we all know home ownership is the
key to generational wealth as well, so losing out on
that really hurts not this generation but the ones to
compactly exactly, I mean literally, I've had people come up
to me and say, in Delaware, we are a small state,
but we are.
Speaker 3 (09:04):
Urban, suburban, rural, and coastal. I don't care if you
are in on the coast where it is expensive to
live on the beaches, all the way to the farming areas.
People are finding it challenging to be able to own
or even rent a house right now, and so this
is why it's a focus for me and why we
(09:25):
put forward this agenda.
Speaker 1 (09:27):
Now, how would that work, Exactly what it be or
they would get funding for down payment? What exactly would
be the easier route or path to home ownership.
Speaker 3 (09:36):
Well, the cool thing about this agenda is that it's comprehensive.
It is a federal framework. First of all, the federal
government has sort of stepped away from housing for decades.
The last time we did some of the legislation that
I proposed was one hundred years ago, and we don't
live like we lived one hundred years ago. So we're
looking at everything from low income house home tax credits
(09:57):
to supporting communities that are trying to provide they call
them purpose built communities where you're not just talking about
the home. Because we got to build more housing. That's
number one. We're almost between four and seven million units
short in this country. So you got to get rid
of the rules and the red tape and the things
that prevent that.
Speaker 2 (10:18):
But at the same time, we want to make.
Speaker 3 (10:20):
Sure that we're supporting communities with wrap around services like
health and education and transportation, which tends to be one
of the biggest challenges that a lot of folks face
trying to even get to work.
Speaker 2 (10:32):
Yeah, that is so true.
Speaker 1 (10:34):
There are so many things going on right now during
this conference.
Speaker 2 (10:37):
What do you hope to walk away with?
Speaker 1 (10:39):
And you want people who are attending to walk away
with as they move forward and the rest of their well, you.
Speaker 2 (10:47):
Know, I think there's a couple of things.
Speaker 3 (10:49):
Number One, I hope that people see each other and
feel uplifted, even in spite.
Speaker 2 (10:56):
Of the moment that we're in.
Speaker 3 (10:57):
When I ran for office, I ran under this theme
of bright Hope. It was the name of the church.
My grandmother attended Bright Hope Baptist Church, and it shines
brightest when it's dark. So I hope that people, even
in the collective, find some strength and find some bright hope.
Speaker 2 (11:17):
I also think it's inherent in your name.
Speaker 3 (11:20):
And one of my favorite Beyonce songs is we need
to get information, and that's both get information as well
as the information for what is in front of us
at this most pressing moment.
Speaker 2 (11:34):
And so I want us to be uplifted.
Speaker 3 (11:37):
I want us to remember what we came from, and
that we'd been through tough times. Our ancestors have been
through tough times. When I walk into the Senate sometimes
I could feel the walls talk to me and say,
we built this place knowing you were coming, and so
I want us to remember where we've been and that
(11:58):
we're in this together. Get that information and information, and
then let's go Wow.
Speaker 1 (12:04):
Lisa Blunt, Rodchester Senator, thank you so much, thank you, Thank.
Speaker 2 (12:10):
You, guys. We got this, We got this.
Speaker 1 (12:15):
I'm Vanessa Tyler, reporting from the Congressional Black Caucus at
the fifty fourth Annual Legislative Conference on the Black Information Network,
your home for black news First VA
I'm Vanessa Tyler reporting at the Congressional Black Caucuses fifty
fourth Annual Legislative Conference on the Black Information Network, your
home for Black News. First, there is history made because
of my next guest. For the first time ever, there
are two black women in the US Senate. Delaware Senator
(00:22):
Lisa Blunt Rochester welcome.
Speaker 2 (00:24):
Thank you so much, Vanessa.
Speaker 3 (00:26):
It is wonderful to be here at the Black Information Network.
Speaker 1 (00:31):
Thank you so much. You and Maryland Senator Angela also
Brooks made history. Let's take that in for a moment.
How has it been for you in the Senate?
Speaker 3 (00:42):
Yeah, well, first, I want to start off by saying
thank you to the people who supported us, not just
with their votes and their financial support, but with their
prayers and their encouragement. You know, yesterday, I think it
was yesterday, Senator also Brooks and I received an award
as a trailblazer, and I highlighted the fact that there
(01:03):
were trailblazers before us. I mean, there was Carol Moseley
Braun from Illinois, and it took almost a quarter of
a century before another black woman was elected to the Senate,
which was Kamala Harris, our Vice president and then it
took almost a decade before La Fonza Butler was appointed.
(01:24):
But for Angela and I we come in together the
first time ever. We call ourselves sister senators, and it
has been so powerful to be able to advocate for
issues that affect all of America but also that affect
us as a community. And so everything from working on
(01:47):
issues of you know, maternal mortality and fibroids, and to
being able to work on issues of jobs in the economy,
and you know, having that sister senator and having the
support of so many others, I think makes it really
real and makes us recognize that while we might not
(02:09):
have chosen this moment, we were made for it.
Speaker 2 (02:12):
Yeah, and this is the moment.
Speaker 1 (02:15):
He also served in the House, and I often had said,
of course, in the Senate you have more reasonable minds,
And I'm just wondering, have you seen the difference. Do
you find that there is more dialogue when you get
to that chamber.
Speaker 3 (02:30):
Well, you know, for me, I represent the state of Delaware,
and in the House we only had one member that
represented Delaware, So it was important for me to always
try to find partnerships and colleagues and across the aisle,
and also within our caucus. I was, you know, very
much in every single room. I was in the Black Caucus,
(02:51):
I was in the Women's Caucus, I was in the
Congressional Progressive Caucus. And so for me, it was always
about partnerships. But the difference with the Senate is you
are one of one hundred. Now four hundred and thirty five,
You are one of one hundred, and so it is
I feel easier to know many of the members.
Speaker 2 (03:12):
Make those alliances.
Speaker 3 (03:14):
And also even some of the rules require almost you
to be able to work together to get things done
in the Senate. So I find it different in that way.
But you know, for me, what it has allowed us
to do is to also do the work more deeply,
more thoughtfully, and have more impact.
Speaker 2 (03:34):
In my state.
Speaker 3 (03:34):
That's the number one issue for us is to have impact.
If you're not have an impact, you might as well
go home.
Speaker 2 (03:40):
Where do things stand now? Yeah? Well, when you say
where do things stand right now?
Speaker 3 (03:46):
You know, I think about again the theme of this,
this whole alc about being made for this moment, and
in this moment as a country, we are facing a
moment that it really confronts us to say, you know,
people say we're better than this, No, we're this. The
question is do we want to be better than this?
(04:07):
What does it take to be better than this? And
so where things stand right now is that, you know,
we have an administration that has been clawing back resources
that were approved by the Congress. That's why we have
checks and balances, that's why we have this system. They
have fired or put on pause grants and to states,
(04:28):
they have fired federal employees. We know that in the
first three months or so over what is it like,
four hundred thousand black three hundred thousand black women have
lost jobs. And so for us, where we are at
at this moment is a choojie this day moment. And
(04:49):
right now I feel really powerful and passionate about the
fact that we have been fighting for healthcare, even in
this very present moment where the President of the United
States could have sat down at the table with our
leaders to make sure that we don't you know, see
see us go into a shutdown, but he's pulled away
(05:11):
from the table, and we're saying, you know, come to
the table, come to the table. There's too much at risk,
and especially people's health care.
Speaker 2 (05:19):
Everybody's going to feel the.
Speaker 3 (05:21):
Impacts of these changes from that big so called beautiful bill.
Speaker 1 (05:26):
If there is a shutdown, of course, there are threats
of jobs that will not come back. Correct, So that's
kind of the pressure to really accept what's there.
Speaker 3 (05:35):
Well, that's what they're saying, right, And so for us, again,
this is a moment where we're going to have to
stand strong there. You know, we've got a couple more
days before we go into next week, and so you know,
our leadership, our members have been very clear that we
are fighting for people's health care, you know, fighting for
(06:00):
making sure that we don't go backwards. And you know,
as a people, it's not new to us for people
to try to erase us. It's not new to us
for people to try to intimidate us. And so you
know it's incumbent upon all of us to say, in
this moment, what can I do. Not everybody has to
(06:22):
run for office, not everybody has to be a TV star,
but in this moment, if you are a person who is.
Speaker 2 (06:33):
A writer, then you better be writing. If you are
on social media, then you need to be spreading real information.
Speaker 3 (06:41):
If I always say my best friend Michelle, when I
ran for office, I didn't have. She said, I don't
have money, Lisa to give you for your campaign, but
you're running.
Speaker 2 (06:49):
Up and down this state losing weight. I can make
you pots of spaghetti and beef stew.
Speaker 3 (06:53):
Michelle did her part, and that's all we are called
to do in this moment.
Speaker 2 (06:58):
Do your part absolutely.
Speaker 3 (07:01):
Now.
Speaker 1 (07:01):
You recently introduced a bill to expand workforce training and technology.
We talked about losses of jobs, talk about that kind
of need for that type of training.
Speaker 3 (07:12):
Well, you know, in Delaware, I was really fortunate and
blessed to serve as the Secretary of Labor. I also
served as head of State Personnel, and so jobs are
like number one for me. I always say, if I
had another middle name, it'd be Lisa Blunt Jobs, Rochester,
because that's how much I care about jobs in the economy.
Speaker 2 (07:31):
And we also know that AI.
Speaker 3 (07:33):
Is something that's impacting us as well, and so for us,
we've introduced legislation that focuses on that, but also work
for shortages like nursing. We see a shortage in home healthcare, folks,
And part of that is also how much money we
pay people. People should not have to work two three,
(07:53):
four jobs to be able to make it It's also
why I released about a week ago my own and
hot off the press, the New Way Home Agenda, because
one of the number one issues I hear about as
people are talking about their costs is housing. That young
people can't even think about owning a home, and you know,
(08:14):
and the rent is two dog on high in this country.
Speaker 2 (08:17):
And so for me, we put.
Speaker 3 (08:19):
Forward legislation that some are in a major package in
the Senate right now, and some are aspirational for where
we see us going as a country that deals with
things like redlining that we experienced as black folks, that
deals with things like zoning and things that prevent us
to build more housing, but also tries to make sure
(08:41):
that we create strong, safe communities as well.
Speaker 1 (08:44):
That's interesting because we all know home ownership is the
key to generational wealth as well, so losing out on
that really hurts not this generation but the ones to
compactly exactly, I mean literally, I've had people come up
to me and say, in Delaware, we are a small state,
but we are.
Speaker 3 (09:04):
Urban, suburban, rural, and coastal. I don't care if you
are in on the coast where it is expensive to
live on the beaches, all the way to the farming areas.
People are finding it challenging to be able to own
or even rent a house right now, and so this
is why it's a focus for me and why we
(09:25):
put forward this agenda.
Speaker 1 (09:27):
Now, how would that work, Exactly what it be or
they would get funding for down payment? What exactly would
be the easier route or path to home ownership.
Speaker 3 (09:36):
Well, the cool thing about this agenda is that it's comprehensive.
It is a federal framework. First of all, the federal
government has sort of stepped away from housing for decades.
The last time we did some of the legislation that
I proposed was one hundred years ago, and we don't
live like we lived one hundred years ago. So we're
looking at everything from low income house home tax credits
(09:57):
to supporting communities that are trying to provide they call
them purpose built communities where you're not just talking about
the home. Because we got to build more housing. That's
number one. We're almost between four and seven million units
short in this country. So you got to get rid
of the rules and the red tape and the things
that prevent that.
Speaker 2 (10:18):
But at the same time, we want to make.
Speaker 3 (10:20):
Sure that we're supporting communities with wrap around services like
health and education and transportation, which tends to be one
of the biggest challenges that a lot of folks face
trying to even get to work.
Speaker 2 (10:32):
Yeah, that is so true.
Speaker 1 (10:34):
There are so many things going on right now during
this conference.
Speaker 2 (10:37):
What do you hope to walk away with?
Speaker 1 (10:39):
And you want people who are attending to walk away
with as they move forward and the rest of their well, you.
Speaker 2 (10:47):
Know, I think there's a couple of things.
Speaker 3 (10:49):
Number One, I hope that people see each other and
feel uplifted, even in spite.
Speaker 2 (10:56):
Of the moment that we're in.
Speaker 3 (10:57):
When I ran for office, I ran under this theme
of bright Hope. It was the name of the church.
My grandmother attended Bright Hope Baptist Church, and it shines
brightest when it's dark. So I hope that people, even
in the collective, find some strength and find some bright hope.
Speaker 2 (11:17):
I also think it's inherent in your name.
Speaker 3 (11:20):
And one of my favorite Beyonce songs is we need
to get information, and that's both get information as well
as the information for what is in front of us
at this most pressing moment.
Speaker 2 (11:34):
And so I want us to be uplifted.
Speaker 3 (11:37):
I want us to remember what we came from, and
that we'd been through tough times. Our ancestors have been
through tough times. When I walk into the Senate sometimes
I could feel the walls talk to me and say,
we built this place knowing you were coming, and so
I want us to remember where we've been and that
(11:58):
we're in this together. Get that information and information, and
then let's go Wow.
Speaker 1 (12:04):
Lisa Blunt, Rodchester Senator, thank you so much, thank you, Thank.
Speaker 2 (12:10):
You, guys. We got this, We got this.
Speaker 1 (12:15):
I'm Vanessa Tyler, reporting from the Congressional Black Caucus at
the fifty fourth Annual Legislative Conference on the Black Information Network,
your home for black news First VA
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