Commemorating Veterans Day
Dear Friend, This week, I will commemorate Veterans Day on Friday’s national holiday and pay tribute to the brave men and women who have defended our great nation. I also traveled to Dulles International Airport in Virginia to congratulate FedEx on its role in flying three giant pandas from the National Zoo to China, explained why I voted to censure Representative Rashida Tlaib, welcomed the results of Tuesday’s off-year elections, watched Donald Trump make a spectacle of his civil fraud trial in New York, and offered a health tip for young parents. Keep reading and follow me on Twitter (X), Facebook, and Instagram to see what I am doing as it happens. Congratulating FedEx on its Panda Transport Explaining My Vote to Censure Representative Tlaib Welcoming Tuesday’s Off-Year Election Results Confirming Trump’s Fraudulent Business Practices On Friday, we will pause to pay tribute to the brave men and women who have served our country in uniform and thank them for their service. As we honor our veterans, we must also keep our promises to them by providing the best medical care at Department of Veterans Affairs facilities, including at the Lieutenant Colonel Luke Weathers Jr. VA Medical Center in Memphis that we renamed earlier this year, so they receive the state-of-the-art treatment they deserve. For those transitioning from the armed services to civilian life, we need to ensure they have good-paying jobs, strong educational opportunities, and access to student loan relief when applicable. I am always proud to work on legislation to ensure veterans receive the benefits they have been promised. Last week, I was pleased to vote to advance my National Guard and Reservists Debt Relief Extension Act through the Judiciary Committee for a vote of the full House of Representatives. I hope everyone will take the time on this Veterans Day to thank a veteran and appreciate the sacrifices that they and their families have made. Congratulating FedEx on its Panda Transport On Wednesday, I went out to Dulles International Airport outside D.C. to applaud the job FedEx has done in extending “panda diplomacy.” Pandas Tian Tian, Mei Xiang and their youngest cub, Xiao Qi Ji, left the Smithsonian National Zoo for a FedEx flight to China on Wednesday, ending more than 50 years of having the black and white bears in our nation’s capital. The Memphis Zoo was one of only four zoos in the country to host the popular creatures. I congratulate FedEx on its role transporting the trio. See my statement here. Explaining My Vote to Censure Representative Tlaib I listened to the floor debate in the House chamber, consulted with colleagues and constituents and thought hard about it before voting to censure Representative Rashida Tlaib for her untrue and misleading statements about Israel and the war Hamas started on October 7. I put out a press statement Wednesday but felt a further, more nuanced explanation was required. See that explanation here. I hope this war ends soon. Welcoming Tuesday’s Off-Year Election Results Tuesday’s off-year election results were encouraging and showed that the Republican agenda is being rejected by voters. It was particularly good to see policy referendums legalizing marijuana and enshrining a Constitutional right to abortion. We go into next year with what appears to be progressive momentum. Confirming Trump’s Fraudulent Business Practices Anyone listening to Donald Trump’s testimony in his New York civil fraud trial this week saw first-hand that the con man’s storied business acumen is sham and a hoax. The judge in the case has already found that the Trump Organization fraudulently misrepresented the value of its assets, and Trump this week confirmed he was involved in the deception. Despite all of this, he maintains support among the MAGA masses. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends that children receive four doses of the pneumococcal vaccine (PCV) before the age of 15 months to protect them against potentially deadly diseases like meningitis and pneumonia. See its guidance here. Despite what some misleading critics say, the shots are safe and effective. “This was our victory. It was a victory that sends a loud, clear message. A message that candidates should run for something and not against someone, that a candidate should show vision and not sow division, and a clear statement that anger politics should end right here and right now.” – Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear on Tuesday night after being re-elected. As always, I remain. Steve Cohen |