Remembering Judge D’Army Bailey
Dear Friend,
This week, we lost a great Memphian in Judge D’Army Bailey, the President took significant steps toward bringing fairness to our criminal justice system, and his administrator selected Memphis to compete for a $30 million Choice Neighborhood grant as well as for a program aimed at increasing broadband access and bridging the digital divide. Keep reading to learn more about what happened this week, and don’t forget to like my Facebook page to receive these updates, and more, as they happen.
Remembering Judge D’Army Bailey
Encouraging the President’s Criminal Justice Reform Push
Helping Transform our City with Choice Neighborhoods
Increasing Broadband Access and Bridging the Digital Divide in Memphis
Discussing Important Issues with Hillary Clinton
Keeping our Nation Safe from Home-Grown Radicals
Fighting for the Voting Rights of All Americans
Supporting our National Parks
Preventing a Nuclear Iran and Keeping America Safe
Bringing Congress to your Corner
Please Join My Telephone Town Hall Meeting on July 30th
Remembering Judge D’Army Bailey
Judge D’Army Bailey was an outstanding jurist, skilled attorney, and the father of the National Civil Rights Museum. When the Lorraine Motel risked foreclosure and even demolition, it was D’Army Bailey who stepped up, raised the funding needed to save it, and secured help from state, county, and city governments to turn it into the National Civil Rights Museum it is today. His vision and lifelong commitment to civil and human rights will not be forgotten. Earlier this week, I paid tribute to his life and work on the floor of the House of Representatives and you can watch my speech here.
Encouraging the President’s Criminal Justice Reform Push
With each instance of excessive police force—disproportionately against people of color—and every life sentence handed down for non-violent drug crimes, the urgent need for a top-to-bottom overhaul of our criminal justice system crystallizes a little bit more. President Obama has taken encouraging and significant steps this week to make things better and he is now highlighting the “fierce urgency of now” that Dr. King spoke of half a century ago. I have been encouraging the President and senior administration officials including then-Attorney General Eric Holder to take these steps for several years.
The President is right that our justice system should recognize the difference between dangerous criminals who deserve long sentences and young people who have simply made mistakes in their youth, but he cannot change the laws that ignore that fact alone. Congress must act to bring real change, fairness, and justice to how we police our communities and sentence convicts in a way that keeps citizens safe while saving taxpayer money.
Helping Transform our City with Choice Neighborhoods
I am very pleased that Memphis has been selected as a finalist to compete for up to $30 million in federal housing assistance funding from President Obama’s Choice Neighborhoods program, a program that could substantially transform our city. While we have not won this award yet, Memphis is ready to demonstrate why we should, and I will continue doing all I can to support the city’s efforts. You can read more about it here.
Increasing Broadband Access and Bridging the Digital Divide in Memphis
Without internet access, Memphis students can fall behind in their studies, which hurts their chances of securing good jobs as adults and leading successful lives. President Obama’s new ConnectHome initiative will help bridge the digital divide in our city, and it will be even more effective if Memphis wins the $30 million Choice Neighborhood Implementation Grant for which we are now competing. Read about the initiative here.
Discussing Important Issues with Hillary Clinton
On Tuesday, Secretary Hillary Clinton spoke to the Democratic Caucus about on a range of issues including this week's Iran nuclear agreement and reducing the burden of student loans on our nation's young people. While she was on Capitol Hill, I also asked her about justice and law issues. I appreciated her visit and the opportunity to speak with her.
Keeping our Nation Safe from Home-Grown Radicals
At a House Judiciary Committee hearing this week, I asked Secretary of Homeland Security Jeh Johnson what he is doing to protect Americans from domestic terrorists who target innocent Americans based on the color of their skin. I also asked what he is doing to prevent more “lone-wolf” attacks like last month’s shooting at the Emanuel AME Church is Charleston, South Carolina. Houses of worship need to be safe havens for our people, and it is clear that we must do more to stop future attacks.
Fighting for the Voting Rights of All Americans
There is little more precious to our democracy than the right to vote, but since a Supreme Court ruling two years ago some of the Voting Rights Act’s most important protections haven’t functioned properly and Congress has failed to update them. Yesterday, I joined Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi, Assistant Democratic Leader Jim Clyburn, Chairman of the Congressional Black Caucus G.K. Butterfield, and several other House colleagues in calling on Speaker Boehner to bring a bill to restore those protections to a vote as soon as possible. I am a proud cosponsor of the Voting Rights Advancement Act and I’ll keep fighting to protect this critical right for all Americans.
Our national parks saw a record number of visitors in 2014 and are visited by tourists from around the world as well as millions of Americans each year. I am honored to be recognized this week for my efforts on behalf of national parks with the Friend of the National Parks Award. With the popularity of our national parks increasing, I will continue to make them a priority in Congress so that they can be enjoyed by generations to come.
Preventing a Nuclear Iran and Keeping America Safe
Secretary Kerry and all of the negotiators deserve credit for their hard work leading to this week’s historic, comprehensive nuclear agreement with Iran. Congress should give the agreement a fair, unbiased, and objective review. On Thursday morning, I attended a special briefing at the White House with Deputy National Security Advisor Ben Rhodes regarding the agreement and Vice President Joe Biden joined us at a Democratic Caucus meeting this week as well.
I look forward to thoroughly examining the agreement to ensure that it effectively cuts off Iran's path to nuclear weapons and will keep America and our allies, especially Israel, safe. I also look forward to discussing the deal with the intelligence community, my colleagues, and my constituents before moving forward.
Bringing Congress to your Corner
On Friday, August 7th, my office will hold “Congress On Your Corner” office hours from 10am to 1pm at the Benjamin L. Hooks Library. If you have questions or problems with Social Security, Medicare, FHA, the VA or any other federal agencies, my staff will be on hand to answer questions and provide assistance. We hope to see you there.
Please Join My Telephone Town Hall Meeting on July 30th
I will be hosting a telephone town hall meeting to discuss several issues at 3pm CT on Thursday, July 30th. If you would like to participate in the telephone town hall, please fill out the form here by Wednesday, July 29th, and we will call you when the meeting begins.
As always, I remain.
Most sincerely,
Steve Cohen
Member of Congress