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Improving Children's Health Outcomes with New Le Bonheur Ambulances

January 20, 2023
Enewsletters

 

Dear Friend.

This week, while Congress was in recess in honor of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., I held an event to celebrate the funding I secured to provide mobile intensive care ambulances to Le Bonheur Children’s Hospital. I also remembered Dr. King on Monday’s Day of Service, announced a major grant for HIV/AIDS prevention and treatment in Shelby County, introduced the Keeping Evictions Off Credit Reports Act, applauded Amtrak’s commitment to use funding from the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act to bolster long-distance passenger rail routes, questioned the legitimacy of committee assignments for high-profile Republican extremists, and offered a health tip. Keep reading and follow me on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram to see what I am doing as it happens.

Improving Children’s Health Outcomes with New Le Bonheur Ambulances

Remembering Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. on Monday’s Day of Service

Announcing $1.2 Million in HIV/AIDS Grant Funding for Shelby County

Introducing the Keeping Evictions Off Credit Reports Act

Applauding Amtrak’s Commitment to Long-Distance Passenger Routes

Questioning Extremist Members’ New Committee Assignments

Weekly Health Tip

Quote of the Week


Improving Children’s Health Outcomes with New Le Bonheur Ambulances

President Wiggins, Congressman Cohen, Dr. Kink and the Pedi-Flite team

On Wednesday, I held a press event with Le Bonheur Children’s Hospital President Michael Wiggins and Dr. Rudy Kink, Director of Le Bonheur’s Pedi-Flite transportation team, to celebrate my efforts to secure $1 million for two life-saving and state-of-the-art mobile intensive care ambulances for sick and injured children. This vital equipment will serve young patients in Tipton, Fayette, Haywood, Madison and Hardeman counties near Memphis where timing is critical. The funding was part of the $58 million in designated funding for major Memphis community projects I secured in the 117th Congress.

Remembering Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. on Monday’s Day of Service

On Monday, as we all remembered Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. on the holiday set aside in his to honor, I helped the Metropolitan Inter-Faith Association (MIFA) deliver meals to those in need on the Day of Service. I have long sponsored MIFA’s Christmas meals program which had to be delayed this year because of intense cold. On Monday, we supplemented meals with special gifts. Later Monday, I attended the Grizzlies game in Dr. King’s honor, listening to players delivering his message. Years ago, I told the Grizzlies’ general manager that MLK Day was the one major national holiday the NBA did not recognize, and that was swiftly remedied. I am proud to have helped that come to fruition. Dr. King continues to inspire our noblest dreams.

Announcing $1.2 Million in HIV/AIDS Grant Funding for Shelby County

Also Wednesday, I announced that Shelby County will be receiving $1,217,533 from the Health Resources and Services Administration for its ongoing and successful HIV/AIDS prevention, detection and treatment efforts. See my release on the funding here. I was disappointed to see the state of Tennessee recently announced that its funding for non-governmental HIV/AIDS programs will be suspended. This short-sighted decision will affect St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, Friends for Life, Planned Parenthood and others working in this field and will limit the availability of testing and prevention services. My office is making inquiries with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to determine if what Governor Lee did is permissible.

Introducing the Keeping Evictions Off Credit Reports Act

Earlier today, I introduced the Keeping Evictions Off Credit Reports Act. This measure would prevent evictions related to the COVID-19 pandemic from appearing on credit reports that could prevent renters from being approved for future housing. See my release on the bill here.

Applauding Amtrak’s Commitment to Long-Distance Passenger Routes

On Thursday, Amtrak, the nation’s passenger rail service, released a statement on the impact the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) is having on long-distance routes like the Chicago to New Orleans “City of New Orleans” route that stops in Memphis. Amtrak quoted my appreciation of its commitment and my support for the IIJA in a press release. See that here.

Questioning Extremist Members’ New Committee Assignments

This week, a weakened and marginalized House Speaker Kevin McCarthy succumbed to pressure from hard-right extremists and named Representatives Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia, Paul Gosar of Arizona, Lauren Boebert of Colorado and Scott Perry of Pennsylvania to the House Committee on Oversight and Accountability.  These members, and other conspiracy-minded and onetime-fringe members of the Republican conference, will now be free to perform their chaotic but theatrical “investigations” into their meritless grievances, wasting your time and tax dollars. Elections have consequences.

Announcing $764,284 Grant to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital

On Thursday, I announced a National Institutes of Health investment in basic research at our premier children’s research hospital. See that release here.

Weekly Health Tip

The Shelby County Health Department is reporting 40 opiate overdose-related visits to hospital emergency departments in just the first week of the new year. As you know, much of the illicit opiate supply on the streets is tainted with potentially deadly fentanyl. If you or someone you know uses opiates, please be reminded of the deadly risks involved.

Quote of the Week

“Folks, I often think of the question that Dr. King asked us all those years ago. I think it’s important. You all remember; I think it’s important the nation remember it. He said, ‘Where do we go from here?’  That’s a quote. ‘Where do we go from here?’ Well, my message to the nation on this day is: We go forward, we go together — when we choose democracy over autocracy, a beloved community over chaos; when we choose believers and the dreams, to be doers, to be unafraid, always keeping the faith.” – President Joe Biden speaking from the pulpit of the Ebenezer Baptist Church in Atlanta on Sunday.

As always, I remain.
Most sincerely,

Steve Cohen
Member of Congress