Discussing Effective Crime Fighting with Attorney General Garland
Dear Friend, This week, as we edged closer to a government shutdown, I discussed effective crime fighting with Attorney General Merrick Garland and thanked him for the Department of Justice decision to investigate whether the Memphis Police Department engages in a “pattern or practice” of unconstitutional conduct. I also thanked him for announcing the federal civil rights charges against the former officers involved in Tyre Nichols fatal beating. The same day, Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg testified before the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, and I discussed with him the millions of dollars that have come to our region thanks to the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law I supported. All week, Congress has been at a standstill due to Republican infighting as a government shutdown looms. I am preparing for the shutdown and attempting to minimize its impact on constituents. I attended addresses by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and his wife at the National Archives. As a member of the Helsinki Commission, I spoke at a hearing about Russian journalist and politician Vladimir Kara-Murza who is imprisoned in Russia and our request to the State Department to classify him as wrongfully detained. At a Judiciary hearing Tuesday, I spoke about my continued effort to amend the Constitution by reforming the presidential pardon power. I also invited students to register for the Congressional App Challenge and offered a health tip. Keep reading and follow me on Twitter (X), Facebook, and Instagram to see what I am doing as it happens. Discussing Effective Crime Fighting with Attorney General Garland Reviewing Local Transportation Issues with Secretary Buttigieg Advising Constituents about Consequences of a Possible Government Shutdown Attending Addresses by Ukrainian President Zelensky and His Wife Urging State Department to Designate Vladimir Kara-Murza as Wrongfully Detained by Russia Calling for Reform of the Presidential Pardon Power Registering for the Congressional App Challenge Discussing Effective Crime Fighting with Attorney General Garland Attorney General Merrick Garland appeared before the Judiciary Committee on Wednesday to face a grilling by hostile Republicans. When I had the opportunity to question him, I asked about improving the hiring and training of police officers in Memphis and thanked him for the “pattern or practice” investigation of the Memphis Police Department the Department of Justice has undertaken and for his announcement of federal civil rights charges against the five former officers involved in the beating death of Tyre Nichols. See my release, including my line of questioning, here. Reviewing Local Transportation Issues with Secretary Buttigieg “What’s good for Memphis is good for the country.” Also Wednesday, Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg testified before the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee on which I serve, and I had the opportunity to acknowledge the success of the historic Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and its investments to the 9th Congressional District. Those include two Rebuilding American Infrastructure with Sustainability and Equity (RAISE) grants -- $25 million for the Memphis Area Transit Authority (MATA) for its Crosstown Corridor Safety and Multi-Modal Enhancement Program and $13.8 million to Shelby County for its Eliminating Barriers on North Watkins (Project ELBOW). I also urged him to consider a passenger rail route from Memphis to Nashville and told him “what’s good for Memphis is good for the country.” See my release here. Advising Constituents about Consequences of a Possible Government Shutdown Many federal government services and programs will be suspended if House Republicans can’t get their act together by the end of the month. Medicare and Social Security benefits will not be affected but many federal programs will be interrupted or unavailable. My offices will remain open, and my staff and I will be available to address your concerns. I will certainly keep you abreast of any updates on this looming Republican-caused crisis. Attending Addresses by Ukrainian President Zelensky and His Wife President Volodymyr Zelensky and his wife Olena at the National Archives On Thursday evening, I attended speeches by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and his wife Olena at the National Archives. Zelensky said Ukraine is a bulldog and will not give up the fight for freedom and protection of democracy around the world. They thanked the physicians who treated the Ukrainian casualties of Russian attacks, including a 17-year-old boy who lost his leg below the knee and an 8-year girl whose hands were damaged. They thanked America for help militarily. Earlier Thursday, President Zelensky visited the Pentagon and met with President Biden who announced additional military assistance. There is no one I hold in higher esteem than the Russian journalist and politician Vladimir Kara-Murza. A genuine hero, he returned to his country after writing critically of the Russian invasion of Ukraine and has since been sentenced to 25 years in prison for treason by the Putin regime. The bipartisan Helsinki Commission on which I serve as the House Ranking Member held a hearing Wednesday at which Kara-Murza’s wife and daughter and Meghan McCain, the late senator’s daughter, testified. The Commission is asking the State Department to designate Kara-Murza as wrongfully detained, which would make additional resources available for the U.S. State Department to use to fight for his release. See my release here. Calling for Reform of the Presidential Pardon Power The Judiciary Committee held a hearing on Constitutional amendments on Tuesday. While Republicans concentrated on term limits and balanced budgets, I recommended my amendment to prohibit presidents from pardoning themselves, their families, or their administration or campaign staff. While I initially proposed the reform when Donald Trump was president, I have reintroduced it this year because it’s a matter of principle. See my release on the hearing here. Registering for the Congressional App Challenge The Congressional App Challenge is a competition aimed at encouraging students to learn how to code by creating their own apps. The Challenge is intended to highlight the value of computer science and STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) education and encourage students to engage in these fields. The Congressional App Challenge is open to middle school and high school students in the Ninth Congressional District of Tennessee. Students participating in the competition may register and submit their app here through November 1, 2023. For complete registration information and resources, please visit the Congressional App Challenge website here. The Department of Health and Human Services and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) have announced the “Bridge Access Program” to provide free COVID-19 vaccinations for the estimated 30 million Americans who are uninsured or have insurance plans that don’t cover the shots cost-free. The bridge program is in effect through 2024. See additional details here. “And the interesting thing is that House Democrats are aligned with Senate Democrats, and we're both aligned with Senate Republicans and all of us, with the exception of the extreme MAGA Republicans, are aligned with President Joe Biden and the administration in terms of keeping the government open so we can meet the needs of the American people. But we need the extreme MAGA Republicans to get their act together in the civil war that's happening on the Republican side of the aisle that's paralyzing Congress. Get your act together so we can handle the business of the American people and solve problems on their behalf.” -- Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries on Thursday. As always, I remain. Steve Cohen |