Dear Fellow Delawarean,

Every day, I look for ways to help create a nurturing environment for job creation and job preservation in the First State and across the country. Part of that is ensuring that people and businesses have the protections and safeguards they need to thrive. Recently, there have been exciting developments in the Senate relating to my ongoing efforts to boost our agriculture economy in Delaware and to preserve our health and economic well-being by protecting our environment. I want to take just a moment to share those developments with you.

Farm Bill Passes the Senate

Last week, the U.S. Senate overwhelmingly passed a bipartisan Farm Bill that reduces the deficit by over $23 billion, eliminates wasteful spending, protects and restores the Chesapeake Bay, and provides our hard-working farmers with a critical safety net. This farm bill also includes an important provision I introduced to help reduce costs for poultry growers and the poultry industry on Delmarva by improving the feed used to raise our chickens.

To read more about the Farm Bill and how it benefits Delawareans and all Americans, please click here.

Defending Clean Air and Public Health Protections

Last week, I also helped lead the effort to preserve new protections that prevent large power plants from emitting toxic amounts of mercury into Delaware’s air and water. Some of my colleagues were attacking this provision saying it would harm our economy, but I do not believe we must choose between protecting our health and strengthening our economy. That is a false choice. Communities across our state and nation will see great benefits from these protections including, I’m told, up to $90 billion in public health benefits nationally, as well as up to 46,000 short-term construction jobs and 8,000 long-term utility jobs. That is why over 90 mayors from across the U.S., including Wilmington’s own James Baker, have stood up in support of these protections. With cleaner air, we will lead healthier, more productive lives — yielding big returns for our economy and our quality of life.

You can watch my floor speech defending Delaware’s clean air by clicking the image below:

Celebrating Delaware’s Agriculture Industry

Just this month, I visited Hopkins Dairy Farm in Sussex County to see their advanced dairy facilities, as well as the annual Delmarva Chicken Festival, held this year in Salisbury, Maryland, to celebrate Delaware’s poultry industry — and to chow down on some tasty local chicken! Agriculture is vital for jobs and a robust economy in our state and region, and I’m proud to have supported a farm bill that aims to help this industry. I will continue to fight for additional resources and opportunities for Delaware’s farmers, poultry growers, and agricultural producers.

With warm personal regards,

I am,

U.S. Senator Tom Carper