Celebrating the Grand Opening of the Orange Mound Library
May 3, 2024 |
Dear Friend, Last Friday, I attended the grand opening of the Orange Mound Library at the renovated Melrose High School for which I secured $3 million through the annual appropriations process. This week, I announced significant grants addressing our high maternal and infant mortality rates, applauded the Drug Enforcement Administration’s (DEA) move to reschedule marijuana, spoke against the rise of antisemitism and voted to condemn it, wrote to President Biden about the humanitarian crisis in Gaza and Israel’s violation of U.S. law, saw progress in the House-Senate negotiations on extending Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) programs and authorities, announced substantial funding for Christ Community Health Services, viewed the “Americans and the Holocaust” exhibit at the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum, welcomed a new federal rule enforcing protection of walking horses, attended an event to advocate for protection of wild horses, announced $84.9 million to replace lead pipes in Tennessee, and offered a seasonal health tip. Keep reading and follow me on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram to see what I am doing as it happens. Celebrating the Grand Opening of the Orange Mound Library Announcing $2 Million in Healthy Start Grants Applauding Plan to Reschedule Marijuana Condemning the Rise in Antisemitism Expressing Concern about the Humanitarian Situation in Gaza Seeing Progress Toward an FAA Reauthorization Bill Announcing $3.3 Million Grant to Christ Community Health Services Visiting “Americans and the Holocaust” Exhibit Welcoming Final Rule Prohibiting Horse Soring Advocating for Protections for Wild Horses Announcing $84 Million in Lead Pipe Replacement Funding from the EPA Applauding Extending Health Care to Dreamers Celebrating the Grand Opening of the Orange Mound Library Last Friday, I celebrated the grand opening of the Orange Mound Library in the historic Melrose High School. I secured $3 million for renovating the school through the annual appropriations process, and I’m pleased that the investment is transforming the Orange Mound community. It was gratifying to see the outpouring of support for the library, which is sure to stimulate knowledge, wonder and community engagement for generations to come. Announcing $2 Million in Healthy Start Grants On Monday, I announced that Shelby County and Regional One will together receive $2,016,498 from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Healthy Start initiative. I submitted a letter of support for this important project, and the funding will help eliminate disparities in communities with high maternal and infant death rates. See my release on the grants here. Applauding Plan to Reschedule Marijuana While long overdue, I was pleased to see the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) move ahead this week on rescheduling marijuana. I have long advocated rescheduling and urged the DEA administrator in January to expedite the process after the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services made that recommendation last August. Decriminalizing marijuana possession at the federal level and making it legal in Tennessee is the right thing to do. We seem to be making incremental progress. Condemning the Rise in Antisemitism On Wednesday, I participated in the floor debate on the Antisemitism Awareness Act and then voted for the measure. In my floor remarks, I noted the unfortunate rise of antisemitism, not just on college campuses, but on the internet and elsewhere, and was reminded of then-President Trump’s exasperating response to the antisemitic and deadly demonstrations in Charlottesville, Virginia, in 2017. See my floor speech here. Expressing Concern about the Humanitarian Situation in Gaza On Thursday, I joined my Congressional colleagues in a letter to President Biden expressing our concerns about the humanitarian situation in Gaza and suggesting that there is sufficient evidence that Israel’s restrictions on U.S.-backed humanitarian aid violate American law. The letter reads in part: “We…urge you to make clear to Prime Minister Netanyahu that so long as Israel restricts, directly or indirectly, the facilitation of humanitarian aid delivery into Gaza, the Israeli government is risking its eligibility for further offensive security assistance from the U.S.” See the text of the entire letter here. Seeing Progress Toward an FAA Reauthorization Bill The House and Senate appear to be converging on a compromise that will extend the Federal Aviation Administration’s (FAA) programs and authorities for another five years. As the Ranking Member of the Aviation Subcommittee, I was particularly pleased to see several measures I have proposed made a part of the legislation, including a review of airline seat sizes and cramped conditions on airplanes for safe emergency evacuations and several consumer protection measures. I hope to be able to vote on the bill later this month. Announcing $3.3 Million Grant to Christ Community Health Services On Wednesday, I announced that Christ Community Health Services will receive $3,354,327 for its ongoing work with the underserved in our community. I took the opportunity to call again for the expansion of Tennessee’s Medicaid program, TennCare. See my release here. Visiting “Americans and the Holocaust” Exhibit On Wednesday, I joined a group of Congressional colleagues to view the new “Americans and the Holocaust” exhibit at the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum. The exhibit attempts to answer the questions “What did the U.S. government and the American people know about the threats to the Jewish people posed by Nazi Germany? What responses were possible? And when?” The museum provides a sad and sobering assessment. Holocaust Remembrance Day this year begins at sundown on Sunday. Welcoming Final Rule Prohibiting Horse Soring As a longtime opponent of the intentional injury to horse legs and feet called soring to create the exaggerated gait called “The Big Lick” in walking horse competitions, I applauded on Monday the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) newly strengthened horse protections. See my release and the details here. Advocating for Protections for Wild Horses Congressman Cohen, Diane Lane, Congresswoman Dina Titus and Director Ashley Avis On Tuesday, my friend and actress Diane Lane came to town and together we attended an event to bring awareness of the need for additional protections for wild horses and celebrating the documentary “Wild Beauty: Mustang Spirit of the West” with the film’s director Ashley Avis. The film honors the nation’s iconic wild horses that I have long advocated protecting and for which the Humane Society named me the “Humane Horseman of the Year” in 2022. Announcing $84 Million in Lead Pipe Replacement Funding from the EPA On Thursday, the Environmental Protection Agency announced that Tennessee will be receiving $84,997,000 to identify, remove and replace lead pipes and prevent exposure to lead in drinking water in Tennessee through the bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act. I am the only member of the current Tennessee Congressional delegation who voted for the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and am pleased and proud that it will provide this substantial investment in identifying and replacing lead pipes and reduce exposure to lead in our drinking water. The whole state will benefit by this investment. Applauding Extending Health Care to Dreamers Earlier today, I applauded the Biden Administration decision to publish a final rule that will expand health care for Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) recipients, also known as “Dreamers.” The decision ensures that DACA recipients can enroll in a Qualified Health Plan through the Affordable Care Act Health Insurance Marketplace or for coverage through a Basic Health Program. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) estimated the rule could lead to 100,000 previously uninsured Dreamers enrolling in health care coverage. Dreamers are our neighbors and friends, students, teachers, and people in all walks of life. Removing barriers to health care for them is the right thing to do. This rule underlines the fact that health care is a right, not a privilege, and those who have built lives and careers in the United States deserve nothing less. The added pollen in the air this Spring tends to exacerbate asthma symptoms in a region with a disproportionate share of the population managing the disease. If you or someone you know has asthma, consider this guidance and best practices from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). “The best fortress is to be found in the love of the people, for although you may have fortresses, they will not save you if you are hated by the people.” -- Political philosopher Niccolo Machiavelli, born on this day in 1469 As always, I remain. Steve Cohen |