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Empowering Voters and Fighting for Voting Rights

March 20, 2015
Enewsletters

Dear Friend,

This week, I cosponsored the most comprehensive voting rights reform legislation before Congress with Representatives John Lewis and James Clyburn, I introduced a bill to reduce so called food deserts in Memphis, and I announced more than $11 million for Shelby County Schools. Keep reading to learn more about what happened this week, or if you’d like to receive the updates in this eNewsletter (and more) as they happen simply “like” my Facebook page. Be sure to check it regularly, as it will be updated often with news, pictures, and videos!

Empowering Voters and Fighting for Voting Rights
Getting Memphians Bigger Tax Returns
Reducing Food Deserts in Memphis
Preparing Memphis Students for School
Relieving the Burden of Student Loan Debt
Helping Christ Community Health Services
Honoring Memphis WWII Veteran Jimmy Keep
Preventing a Nuclear Iran
Ensuring Accurate Vital Records and Preventing Fraud

Empowering Voters and Fighting for Voting Rights

In the past, people have been beaten or even killed in the struggle to ensure the right to vote was available to all Americans, and with more than 300 successful voting rights lawsuits over the last 2 decades, it is clear that voting discrimination is still a problem today. I was proud to join Representative John Lewis, Assistant Democratic Leader James Clyburn, House Judiciary Committee Ranking Member John Conyers, and so many of my colleagues in reintroducing the Voter Empowerment Act this week. Read more about the bill here.

Getting Memphians Bigger Tax Returns

The Earned Income Tax Credit adds an average of $2,400 to qualifying tax refunds and is too important for people to overlook. I hope all citizens of the Ninth District take advantage of credit if they are eligible for it. More information can be found here.

Reducing Food Deserts in Memphis

Every Memphian deserves access to fresh, healthy foods so that they can lead long lives, but too many live in so-called “food deserts” without this critical component of a happy, healthy life. This week, I reintroduced my Supermarket Tax Credit for Underserved Areas Act to address this problem, and you can read more about it here.

Preparing Memphis Students for School

This week I also announced that Shelby County Schools will to receive more than $11 million to help prepare students for school through the Head Start program. You can read more about this great news for Memphis here.

Relieving the Burden of Student Loan Debt

As the father of the Tennessee Education Lottery Scholarship, which has provided more than $3 billion to help our state’s young people attend college, I’ve always worked hard to ensure that higher education remains affordable for students and families. This week, I was pleased to join Democratic Leader Pelosi and Congressman Courtney on a bill to help provide student debt relief to nearly half a million hard-working, responsible Tennesseans. Read about our bill here.

Helping Christ Community Health Services

Christ Community Health Services provides an important service to the Memphis community, and this week I was proud to announce more than $3.6 million to help them continue their good work. You can read more about the funding here.

Honoring Memphis WWII Veteran Jimmy Keep

Jimmy Keep is a lifelong Memphian and a World War II veteran. This week, at 88 years old Jimmy Keep and his son flew to Iwo Jima to commemorate the battle’s 70th anniversary. I paid tribute to Jimmy Keep and his heroism on the House Floor on Monday, and you can watch my speech here.

Preventing a Nuclear Iran

On Monday, CNN published a joint op-ed that I wrote with Col. Lawrence Wilkerson (ret.), former Chief of Staff to Secretary of State Colin Powell, about the negotiations aimed at preventing Iran from developing nuclear weapons. Be sure to read it at CNN.com.

Ensuring Accurate Vital Records and Preventing Fraud

On Sunday night’s 60 Minutes, there was a segment on Social Security that shed light on the need to fund vital records. It’s something that I’ve been working to make that happen for 5 years. You can watch the 60 Minutes segment here and read more about my efforts here.

As always, I remain.
Most sincerely,
Image removed.
Steve Cohen
Member of Congress

Issues:9th DistrictChildren and FamiliesEconomy and JobsEducationForeign AffairsGovernment ReformHealth CareMemphisShelby CountyTennesseeVeterans' Affairs