White House Honors Memphis Senior

Dear friend,

This week Memphian Velma Lois Jones was in Washington, D.C. to receive the “Drum Majors for Service Award” from the White House Office of Faith-based and Neighborhood Partnerships.  I was happy to nominate Velma for this prestigious award.

Velma Lois Jones
Honoring the Civil Rights Movement
Telephone Town Hall
Payroll Tax Cut
Danny Thomas
OBABL Honors Lee Harris
Citizens for Global Solutions
The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights
St. Jude
Free Photo Identification
Grant Announcements

Velma Lois Jones

On Monday Velma Lois Jones received the “Drum Majors for Service Award” from the White House Office of Faith-based and Neighborhood Partnerships at the Eisenhower Executive Office Building in Washington, D.C.  A retired educator, Velma graduated from LeMoyne College, earned her master’s degree at Columbia University’s Teacher College and completed studies at the University of Memphis (then Memphis State) and Michigan State University.  She served as president of the Tennessee Education Association -- the first black classroom teacher ever elected.  She also served as a board member of the National Education Association.

Velma has served on local, state and national levels in the fields of civil rights, politics, religious, community service and education. She is a board member and past president of the local NAACP, three-time president of AKA’s Beta Epsilon Omega Chapter and a charter member of various organizations.  She is a lifelong member of Trinity CME Church.  She was recently named spokesperson for the AARP State Team on Social Security.

Honoring the Civil Rights Movement
On Wednesday I spoke on the House floor about legislation I authored with my friend Congressman John Conyers and more than 30 others to honor the pioneers and participants of the Civil Rights Movement with a Congressional Gold Medal.  Click here to see my remarks.

Telephone Town Hall
I will be hosting a Telephone Town Hall on February 27 at 6:30p.m. CT and encourage you to sign up to participate if you are a District 9 resident.  We will discuss President Obama’s budget, job creation and the economy, voter identification laws, and other important topics.

Payroll Tax Cut
Today the House voted to extend the payroll tax cut for millions of Americans; extend unemployment benefits for the millions of Americans who lost their jobs through no fault of their own; and ensure tens of millions of seniors can continue to see the doctor of their choice under Medicare.  The GOP was finally willing to end their obstructionist ways on these initiatives and put the country and our economy first.  I was proud to support this legislation from the very beginning and will continue to work to ensure Memphians get the help they need during these tough economic times.

Danny Thomas

Yesterday I spoke on the House floor to honor Danny Thomas and St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital – particularly how the U.S. Postal Service has unveiled a commemorative Forever Stamp honoring the legendary entertainer and humanitarian.  Danny Thomas’ early life and his tremendous impact on pediatric cancer care in America makes him an appropriate subject for a 2012 commemorative stamp.  After struggling to make it as an entertainer, Danny went on to enjoy phenomenal fame starring in Hollywood movies and then on television. 

In the early 1950s, Danny Thomas began raising money for his vision of a hospital in the South that would treat children regardless of their religion, their race or their ability to pay. Danny founded St. Jude in 1962 in Memphis built around the vision that no child should die in the dawn of life.  Danny Thomas’ hospital has been the leading force against childhood catastrophic diseases and has contributed to improving the survival rate of overall pediatric cancers.  Commissioning a stamp in Danny Thomas’ honor is the most fitting way to celebrate both the 50th anniversary of his hospital’s founding and his 100th birthday next year.  Click here to see my remarks.

OBABL Honors Lee Harris

On Being a Black Lawyer (OBABL) has named Memphis Councilman Lee Harris, professor of law at the University of Memphis Cecil C. Humphreys School of Law, one of the 100 most influential black lawyers in the U.S.  Harris and the other honorees will be recognized at a cocktail reception in Washington on February 29.  OBABL has also published The Power 100 Special Edition. The publication, available online at www.obabl.com/special-editions/, features profiles of the nation’s most influential black lawyers working in government, academics, and the public and private sectors.

An associate professor, Lee has been a member of the U of M faculty since 2005, teaching contracts, corporations, and mergers & acquisitions.  He also writes about the various ways investors influence a firm. His work has been presented at the Stanford/Yale Junior Faculty Forum and featured in prominent media such as The Economist.  Lee has held visiting appointments at the George Washington School of Law in Washington, D.C., and the Grenoble Ecole de Management in France. He has also held teaching fellowships in the Economics Department at Yale University and at Yale Law School. Before joining the Memphis faculty, Lee worked at the Baker Donelson firm in Memphis.  He earned his B.A. degree at Atlanta’s Morehouse College and his law degree from Yale Law School.  He has also been a visiting student at the London School of Economics.

Citizens for Global Solutions
This week I received an A- on the Citizens for Global Solutions 2012 Congressional Report Card.  I scored the highest grade in the Tennessee delegation, even receiving extra credit for spearheading letters on the controversial Keystone XL Pipeline.

The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights
This week I received a 100 percent on The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights voting scorecard, which has been published every Congress since 1969 and reflects positions taken by Senators and Representatives on the legislative priorities of The Leadership Conference.  I was the only member of the Tennessee Congressional delegation to receive a perfect score.

St. Jude
On Wednesday I announced that the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has awarded St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital $4,314,800 for a childhood cancer survivor study.  The new federal funds will be distributed by the National Cancer Institute (NCI).

Free Photo Identification
You can get free photo identification for voting the first Saturday of every month at two driver service centers in Shelby County at no charge.  The service centers are located at 3200 East Shelby Drive and 6340 Summer Avenue – both in Memphis.  They are open on the first Saturday of each month from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.  And to learn more about the new voter ID laws, visit my website here.  Also, Veterans who need ID can get free government-issued photo IDs at the Veterans Administration.

Grant Announcements
Each week I release a list of grant announcements from federal agencies like the Department of Health and Human Services, the Environmental Protection Agency, the Department of Transportation, and others.  These federal funding opportunities are available to faith-based and neighborhood associations, nonprofits and other community organizations in the 9th district. The announcements are updated weekly on my website.

Wishing you a happy and safe weekend,

As always, I remain,

Most sincerely,

Steve Cohen
Member of Congress