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Dear Friend,
Welcome to the McBride Memo, where I share five quick things from my past week for you to catch up on during your morning cup of coffee — my favorite part of the day.
1. One big thing: On Wednesday, President Trump announced sweeping tariffs of at least 10% across all countries, including some of the U.S.’s closest allies. Let me be clear: tariffs are taxes that everyday Americans will pay for. And what we’re witnessing in real time is the tanking of not just our domestic and global economies, but the start of a global trade war. Stocks are down and prices are up – all because of Trump’s slapdash policies.
2. Driving the news: I led a letter with my colleagues urging this administration to take immediate action to exempt items for young children, including car seats, highchairs, strollers, and cribs from Trump’s harmful tariffs that are hurting working families. Although Trump promised to lower costs on day one, his tariff policies are doing the exact opposite. You can read more about our efforts in WRDE.
3. On the floor: House Republican leadership threw a temper tantrum over a bill to allow remote voting for new parents in Congress. In protest, they shut down the House floor and canceled all votes for the rest of the week. All this, just to block a proposal that would let new parents vote by proxy while bonding with their newborns or recovering from childbirth. Here’s my take.
4. Legislative priority: On Tuesday, I spoke at the House Foreign Affairs Committee hearing about the Iranian regime’s malign activities and the rise of authoritarianism around the globe. While members of the committee sat in this hearing warning of the threat from Iran, President Trump’s top national security team — some of the most surveilled people on the planet — have been carelessly handling classified and mission-sensitive information. “Signalgate” isn’t just embarrassing—it’s dangerous to our safety and our national security.
5. Our state of neighbors: I love having the opportunity to connect with Delawareans in both Washington, D.C. and in the First State.
- Recently, I met with The WRK Group, which consists of REACH Riverside, Kingswood Community Center, and The Warehouse in Wilmington’s Riverside neighborhood. Alongside the WRK Group’s CEO, Logan Herring, I saw the impactful work they’re doing firsthand – from empowering young people at The Warehouse to providing educational, food, community, and family services at the Kingswood Community Center.
- I joined Delaware students for the annual World Language Showcase in Newark, where they showcased their mastery of language skills and cultural knowledge. These students represent the best of Delaware’s future – and these skills will help them bridge divides across communities and cultures.
- The shortage of affordable housing is impacting communities across both Delaware and our country. NeighborGood Partners stopped by my office this week to strategize how we can work together to build our affordable housing stock in Delaware and expand funding for critical programs that help connect residents with safe, reliable, and affordable housing.
- Our restaurants and small businesses help drive our local economy, so I was glad to meet with the Delaware Restaurant Association in my office this week to hear their concerns and ideas.
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| Rep. McBride with the WRK Group. |
I’m glad to finally be making progress on the length of this newsletter. Come back next week to see if I can keep it going!
| Stay in touch, and I'll do the same. |
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| Sarah McBride |
| Delaware's Congresswoman |
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- Our Constituent Advocate team is hosting mobile office hours in Dover on April 16th from 5:30 to 7:30 at the Dover Public Library, located at 35 Loockerman Plaza, Dover, DE 19901. They can help you navigate a federal agency — from Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid to veterans assistance. You can RSVP for Mobile Office Hours here.
- Help navigating a federal agency: If you can't get an answer from a federal agency in a timely fashion, or if you feel you have been treated unfairly, our office may be able to help resolve a problem or get you the information you need. While we cannot guarantee you a favorable outcome, we will do our best to help you receive a fair and timely response to your problem. If you need help navigating a federal agency, please visit: mcbride.house.gov/services/help-federal-agency
- Has Medicaid impacted your life? 1 in 4 Delawareans receive health care coverage from Medicaid. In Delaware, the federal government pays 60% of the cost of traditional Medicaid and 90% of the cost of Medicaid expansion. Our office is collecting stories from Delawareans about their access to Medicaid as Republicans in Congress continue to advance proposals to cut this life-saving program. Submit your story here.
- Congressional Art Competition: Each spring, a nation-wide high school arts competition is sponsored by the Members of the U.S. House of Representatives. The Artistic Discovery Contest is an opportunity to recognize and encourage the artistic talent in the nation, as well as in our Congressional District. The deadline to submit your artwork is April 7, 2025. If you know a student interested in applying – please visit: mcbride.house.gov/services/art-competition
- Appropriations Requests
- Scholarship Opportunity: the Sallie Mae Fund has partnered with Thurgood Marshall College Fund and is accepting applications for the 2025-26 Bridging the Dream Scholarship Programs.
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