Dear Friend,
On Monday, June 24, I will host a Federal Procurement Fair to help Memphis Businesses learn how to gain a competitive edge in government contracting. Representatives from serveral Federal Agencies will be in attendance, and you can register by emailing your name, company, and contact information to cohen.procurement@mail.house.gov.
Federal Procurement Fair Student Loan Debt Briefing Inviting Airline Expansion in MemphisImmigration Reform Farm Bill Supporting St. JudePresidential Scholars Frederick Douglass Statue Unveiling Letter to President Obama Republican War on Women Mid-South Food BankSmall Business Webinar Affordable Care Act: Rights and Protections Grant Announcements
Federal Procurement Fair On Monday, June 24, I will host a Federal Procurement Fair which will provide information to help Memphis Businesses gain a competitive edge in government contracting. Representatives from the General Services Administration (GSA), Small Business Administration (SBA), Minority Business Development Agency (MBDA), Department of Transportation (USDOT), Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), Department of Energy, Army Corps of Engineers and Tennessee Procurement Technical Assistance will be among those attending. Find out more about the event by clicking here. To register, email your name, company and contact information to cohen.procurement@mail.house.gov.
Student Loan Debt Briefing
On Monday, I hosted a briefing on student loan debt with Congressman Danny Davis from Chicago. The focus of the briefing was on my bill, H.R. 532, the “Private Student Loan Bankruptcy Fairness Act of 2013.” My bill restores fairness in student lending by treating privately-issued student loans in bankruptcy the same as other types of private debt. With students relying more and more on loans to pay for the rising cost of college, Congress should be looking at ways to make it easier for students to get an education. My bill is a step in the right direction. Read more about the briefing by clicking here, and watch it here.
Inviting Airline Expansion in Memphis Following the news that Delta is further cutting flights from Memphis, I wrote to American Airlines and US Airways asking them to consider expanding their service in Memphis. I am hopeful that, if allowed to merge, American Airlines and US Airways would benefit the flying public by increasing the number of flights to and from Memphis. To see a copy of the letter, click here.
Immigration ReformOn Tuesday and Wednesday, the Judiciary Committee, on which I serve, considered two bills to make major changes to our immigration system. Unfortunately, instead of working towards comprehensive immigration reform, both of these bills would take us in the wrong direction. H.R. 2278, the “Strengthen and Fortify Enforcement Act,” would take an enforcement-only approach to immigration, and H.R. 1773, the “Agricultural Guestworker Act,” would import up to 500,000 temporary agricultural workers with few labor protections and little ability to apply for citizenship. Rather than taking a piecemeal approach, the House of Representatives should work on comprehensive legislation, like the Senate is considering, that would secure our borders, provide for the low-skilled and high-skilled workers that we need and create a path to citizenship for people who are currently undocumented.
Farm BillYesterday, I voted against H.R. 1947, the "Federal Agriculture Reform and Risk Management Act," because it included unconscionable cuts to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). I cosponsored an amendment to restore these vital funds, which help low income people put food on their tables and keep their children from going hungry. Although the amendment failed, fortunately, the bill was defeated. I hope that the Republican Leadership in the House will now work with Democrats to craft a bipartisan bill that will support our nation’s farmers without targeting the most vulnerable in our society.
Supporting St. Jude
Yesterday, I met with Alyssa de Jong, a Bartlett resident who is receiving life-saving treatment from St. Jude Children’s Hospital, one of the jewels of Memphis. Her mother Angela told me that Alyssa is receiving the utmost compassion and care from everyone at St. Jude and that my work to increase funding for medical research is helping to support her family. I told her that one of my top priorities is to increase funding for the National Institutes of Health (NIH), which is this nation’s true Department of Defense, fighting the diseases that invade our bodies. It was great to welcome Alyssa and Angela to Washington.
Presidential Scholars
On Wednesday, I met Daniel Zuo and Apoorva Dixit from White Station High School, who were both named Presidential Scholars for 2013. Daniel and Apoorva were among 141 Presidential scholars recognized at a June 16 ceremony in Washington, D.C. where they received medals honoring their academic accomplishments. Earning the title of Presidential Scholar is a prestigious honor. I am pleased that two of this year’s award winners are products of Memphis City Schools. Learn more about the Presidential Scholar program here.
Frederick Douglass Statue
On Wednesday, constituents Peggy Jackson and her niece Chayse Body joined me at the Frederick Douglass statue dedication in the U.S. Capitol Visitors Center. Nine-year-old Chayse recently wrote a report on Frederick Douglass and was honored to be able to attend the ceremony. Vice President Biden, Speaker John Boehner, Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid were among the speakers at the dedication. Learn more about Frederick Douglass here and here.
Letter to President This week, I sent a letter to President Obama urging that he make greater use of his pardon power. I recommended the creation of a Compassionate Release Review Board (CRRB) within the Pardon Office to conduct a systematic review of the sentences of all current prisoners and recommend worthy candidates for pardon or commutation. The new CRRB could review the sentences of offenders serving sentences that no longer align with our national policies. For example, the passage of the Fair Sentencing Act in 2010 reduced the crack-cocaine disparity from 100:1 ratio to an 18:1 ratio. Because the law was not retro-active, however, thousands of individuals who were sentenced under the pre-2010 ratio remain imprisoned. With the creation of a CRRB, the cases of such offenders could be easily reviewed and considered for pardons, potentially releasing thousands who have already paid their debt to society and saving millions of taxpayer dollars that would otherwise be spent in the prison system.
Republican War on WomenThis week, I voted against an unconstitutional bill that would ban abortions after 20 weeks. The bill, which unfortunately passed 228 to 196 despite my vote in opposition, endangers the health of women by denying care to women in the most desperate of circumstances, even if they learn that their fetus has anomalies incompatible with life or that continuing to carry the pregnancy will have detrimental effects on their own health. Instead of wasting time on a bill that the Senate won’t pass and President Obama would veto, the House should be working on bills to create jobs, fix our crumbling infrastructure, and require background checks on the purchase of firearms.
Mid-South Food BankSince 1981, the Mid-South Food Bank has been fighting hunger by collecting and distributing food and through education and advocacy efforts. In the Mid-South, one in five people are food insecure. If aid programs like the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) are cut, the role of the Mid-South Food Bank will become even more important. I commend the employees and volunteers at the Mid-South Food Bank who work to provide food to those who would not otherwise know where they will get their next meal.
Small Business Webinar The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and the Small Business Majority are hosting a webinar on Thursday, June 27 at 3pm on “What the New Healthcare Law Means for Your Small Business.” If you own a small business, I encourage you to participate. Click here to register for the webinar.
Affordable Care Act: Rights and Protections As a consumer of health insurance, you have certain rights and protections. Click here to learn about these rights and protections plus how they will change under the Affordable Care Act in 2014 and beyond.
Grant Announcements I regularly release a list of grant announcements from federal agencies like the Department of Health and Human Services, the Environmental Protection Agency, the Department of Transportation, and others. These federal funding opportunities are available to faith-based and neighborhood associations, nonprofits and other community organizations in the 9th district. The announcements are updated regularly on my website.
Wishing you a happy and safe weekend,
As always, I remain,
Most sincerely, Steve Cohen Member of Congress