Halfway Through 2024 

Dear Friend,

We are officially more than halfway through 2024 and throughout my final year in office, I am continuing to deliver for Delaware at every opportunity. In the past few months, I’ve worked hard to protect our coastlines, secure resources for our first responders, usher in a new era of clean energy, and address the needs of our veterans and their families.

This May, I announced that our Delaware bay beach communities are receiving nearly $32 million in federal funding to protect and restore our shores. As Chairman of the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee, I’m proud to help Delaware’s five-star beaches defend against the effects of sea-level rise and climate change. This funding does just that by protecting our communities from flooding and erosion while also benefitting our coastal economies.

In addition to restoring our beach communities, I’ve also been hard at work to pass legislation that will support our local fire departments both in Delaware and across the country. As co-chair of the Congressional Fire Services Caucus, I helped lead Senate passage of the bipartisan Fire Grants and Safety Act this past month. This legislation reauthorizes critical federal grant programs that provide resources to address staffing needs, purchase equipment, conduct fire training and education programs, and improve emergency medical services. And these grant programs serve as a lifeline to the 58 local fire departments in Delaware. The prevalence and lethality of fires and emergencies that our firefighters must respond to are increasing – in large part due to climate change – and this legislation will give them the resources that they need to adapt.

The Fire Grants and Safety Act also included the bipartisan ADVANCE Act. This legislation will support the safe deployment of our nation’s largest source of carbon-free electricity – nuclear energy – while creating thousands of new jobs. Safe, clean, American-made nuclear energy is an indispensable tool in our ongoing efforts to address the climate crisis and strengthen our nation’s energy security.

By passing these two pieces of legislation together, we are addressing the effects of climate change while building a clean energy future for our children and grandchildren. And this week, I was proud to be at the White House when President Biden signed this legislation into law!

A few weeks ago, I also hosted a summit in Delaware with Nemours Children Hospital and the Elizabeth Dole Foundation focused on the unique needs of millions of military and veteran families across the state and the country. During the event, we heard from policymakers and members of the veteran community about the special needs and contributions of “hidden helpers,” the children and teens living with a wounded, ill, or injured veteran or service member. As the last Vietnam War veteran serving in the U.S. Senate, I understand the sacrifice that servicemembers and their families make to protect our country, and best way to thank them for their service is to ensure that they receive the care that they deserve. Whether it is expanding health benefits through the PACT Act, building state-of-the-art VA facilities in Delaware, or protecting G.I. provisions, I will always do my part to advocate for those who risked their lives defending our country.

I’d like to close by sharing how humbled and grateful I am to have both the Newark Train Station and the Bombay Hook National Wildlife Refuge Visitor Center named in my honor this year. These recognitions are undeserved, but not unappreciated. This first half of this year is off to a wonderful start, and I look forward to continuing to deliver for the First State in 2024.

God bless,

Tom Carper