Dear Friend, 

Welcome back to the McBride Memo, my weekly dispatch to Delawareans. 

There’s a lot to get to this week — from attempts to fight fraud to attacks on the First Amendment — so let’s get right to it. Here are five things you should know:

The Trump administration decided this week to cancel Affordable Care Act Marketplace coverage for more than 750,000 Americans. Despite being framed as a move to fight fraud, this is yet another attempt to dismantle a critical lifeline Americans rely on. 

First, Trump and Congressional Republicans refused to extend the ACA enhanced tax credits that put healthcare within reach for thousands of my neighbors — this failure has already contributed to a significant spike in insurance premiums across the First State. Now, the administration is trying to kick hundreds of thousands of people off their health insurance in a rushed and secretive process that will inevitably have unintended consequences. 

Elected officials should be careful stewards of taxpayer dollars. I’ve worked across the aisle to protect your hard-earned money and eliminate scams that steal from the public. But this purging of coverage that working people rely on was neither careful nor transparent. 

The administration has released very little information explaining who lost coverage and how these folks were identified, and experts are worried that legitimate health insurance plans may now be erroneously cancelled. Those kinds of mistakes are not minor administrative errors — they are real people potentially losing access to lifesaving treatment. 

We have seen this pattern time and again. Trump or DOGE creates a rushed process for identifying fraud, they mistakenly cut vital programs or critical lifelines without implementing any alternatives, and then everyday Americans suffer as a result. We can deliver accountable government and root out waste, fraud, and abuse without denying our neighbors access to basic necessities.

Last Friday, the president made the extraordinary decision to ban CNN, MS NOW, and Politico from the White House after complaining about their “fictional” reporting. 

It’s worth taking stock of where we are at this moment. His war with Iran has spiraled out of control, my neighbors are facing skyrocketing costs, and the president has decided the best use of his time is banning news outlets that are reporting on his administration?

There’s a reason freedom of the press is enshrined in the First Amendment. As President Kennedy put it more than sixty years ago, “without debate, without criticism, no administration and no country can succeed — and no republic can survive.” 

Kennedy understood something fundamental: a free press isn’t supposed to flatter the president. It’s supposed to scrutinize those in power, ask uncomfortable questions, and keep Americans informed on what’s happening around them. 

And here’s the thing: going after news outlets won’t make the issues they’re reporting on disappear. The president’s growing unpopularity isn’t the fault of biased reporting. It is a reflection of his refusal to address the issues Americans are actually facing. Issues like the cost of gas, groceries, housing, healthcare, and energy. Instead of taking a sledgehammer to the First Amendment, the president would do well to focus on literally any of the problems Delawareans and Americans across the country are actually dealing with.  

For months, I have been sounding the alarm about the direction of immigration enforcement in this country. We have watched the president’s personal paramilitary force conduct increasingly aggressive operations in American communities amid serious concerns about due process, racial profiling, and accountability. We have seen encounters with federal immigration officers end with American citizens dead and public trust shattered.

This week, an ICE agent shot Wilber Rafael Garces Perez, a 28-year-old DoorDash driver, during an immigration enforcement operation in Austin, Texas. Available evidence raises serious questions about whether ICE provided Mr. Perez with necessary medical attention, and he currently remains in federal custody with a bullet lodged near his spine and serious mobility problems.

This conduct is shameful, un-American, and reprehensible. My colleagues and I are calling on ICE to preserve and turn over every piece of available evidence; refrain from interfering with a comprehensive investigation; explain why deadly force was used and provide body camera footage if it’s available or explain why one was not being worn; and ensure Mr. Perez can receive the medical treatment he needs. We are also demanding that Mr. Perez, whose attorney says he entered the United States lawfully, remain in the country while independent investigations into the shooting are completed.

For too long, Washington politicians have pretended that we must choose between the security of our nation and the rights of our neighbors. That is a false choice. Public safety and civil rights are not competing values. We can enforce our laws and protect our national security while demanding due process, transparency, and accountability from the people entrusted with enormous federal power. No badge puts a person above the law — and when a federal agent shoots someone, accountability should not be optional.

Human trafficking is one of the most horrific violations of human freedom. Yet for the second year in a row, the Trump administration has failed to meet the deadline for delivering one of America’s most important tools for combating it. The State Department’s 2026 Trafficking in Persons (TIP) Report is now more than two months late, after last year’s report was also delayed by several months. 

I led my colleagues last week in demanding answers from Secretary of State Marco Rubio. We called on the State Department to immediately release the report, explain the lack of staffing and leadership in the TIP office, and restore the capacity necessary to fulfill the office's mission in a timely manner. My colleagues and I also pressed the State Department to release the TIP report last year, after the administration’s three-month delay, and our efforts were successful. 

This isn’t just another government report. For more than two decades, the TIP Report has assessed how countries around the world are (or are not) preventing trafficking, protecting survivors, and prosecuting criminals. This information is invaluable to American diplomats who are charged with making the world a safer place. 

But instead of strengthening that important work, the Trump administration has consistently communicated that this simply isn't a priority, and that is unacceptable. Human trafficking thrives when exploitation is allowed to remain hidden and accountability disappears. Our government has a responsibility to shine a light on these abuses, stand with survivors, and use every tool available to hold traffickers accountable. Read the letter here.

Delaware’s future is built by people willing to invest in one another — whether that means developing lifesaving technology, standing alongside families facing cancer, or making sure young people have the opportunity to succeed. Here are some highlights from the past few days:

At the University of Delaware’s STAR Campus in Newark, I joined Dr. Kelvin Lee to sign one of the structural steel beams that will become part of the new SABRE Center. This facility will help researchers move promising biopharmaceutical technologies — including gene therapies and mRNA vaccines — from the lab toward real-world manufacturing, while giving students and workers hands-on job training. I was proud to help secure more than a million dollars in federal funding for this project because when we invest in Delaware innovation, we’re investing in lifesaving breakthroughs, good jobs, and opportunities for the next generation right here at home.

I also met with University of Delaware students, the Pediatric Brain Tumor Foundation, and members of the Andrew McDonough B+ Foundation to talk about how we can better support children with cancer and the families who support them. Our conversation centered on Kylie’s Voices for Childhood Cancer Act, legislation I’m proud to cosponsor in memory of Kylie Kupperman, a UD student who passed away from cancer last year at just 19 years old. The bill would help make sure pediatric cancer experts and the experiences of young patients are better represented in how we approach cancer care. Families confronting childhood cancer already carry an unimaginable burden; they deserve a healthcare system and a government that listens to them, invests in better treatments, and makes sure they never have to carry that burden alone.

And at the Route 9 Library in New Castle, I joined parents, educators, advocates, and state leaders for the kickoff of Fund Delaware’s Future, a new coalition focused on strengthening education and workforce opportunities from early childhood through adulthood. Every child — no matter their ZIP code, income, or background — deserves great teachers, safe schools, and the resources they need to thrive. Investing in education, childcare, and our workforce isn’t just about preparing Delaware for the economy of tomorrow; it’s about giving every family a fair shot at building a secure future today.

Rep. McBride stands next to Dr. Kelvin Lee as she prepares to sign a structural beam for the SABRE Center at the University of Delaware's STAR Campus in Newark.

Rep. McBride speaks during the Fund Delaware's Future event at Route 9 Library in New Castle.

This week, I’m reminded that the hardest problems we face rarely require us to abandon one value in order to uphold another. We can promote our security while defending fundamental freedoms. We can ensure accountability while leading with compassion. And we can build a stronger future without leaving any of our neighbors behind. You all make it abundantly clear that that’s the path forward for our state and our country, and I’m incredibly grateful to keep learning from the incredible work you all are doing. 

Thank you for reading along and allowing me to do this work. 

Whatever you are up to this weekend, I hope it’s a good one. 

Stay in touch, and I'll do the same. Sarah McBride Delaware's Congresswoman

• Service Academy Nominations: Our office is accepting applications from Delaware students seeking nominations to our nation’s prestigious service academies! As a member of Congress, it is my honor to support these students in their efforts to serve our nation in uniform. The application deadline is October 15 and you can find more information on eligibility and application requirements here.
• Congressional App Challenge: Calling all young coders! The Congressional App Challenge is now open to all middle and high school students in Delaware. This nationwide competition is a chance to flex your creativity, build real-world STEM skills, and develop your very own app. The winner will also be invited to the national #HouseOfCode celebration in D.C.! Learn more and get started 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: https://mcbride.house.gov/services/help-federal-agency

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