Skip to main content

Federal Procurement Fair

June 28, 2013
Enewsletters

Dear Friend,

This past Monday, I hosted more than 150 Memphis small business owners and entrepreneurs at my third Federal Procurement Fair. Local business owners had a chance to learn about the federal government contracting process directly from representatives from a host of federal agencies, and I was pleased to see such a strong showing from the 9th District.

Federal Procurement Fair
Voting Rights Act Ruling
DOMA Ruling
Our Energy Future
FISA Bill
New "Healthcare.gov" Website
Bobby "Blue" Bland
Visas for Patients and Their Families
Griffin Armored Vehicle Demo
$2.7 Million in Grants to the 9th District
Congressional Art Competition Winner Jay Williams
Playhouse On The Square
Grant Announcements

Federal Procurement Fair
Image removed.

This Monday, more than 150 Memphis small businesses and entrepreneurs attended the third Federal Procurement Fair that I have hosted. At the fair, business owners had a chance to learn about the federal government contracting process directly from representatives of agencies including the General Services Administration (GSA), Small Business Administration (SBA), Minority Business Development Agency (MBDA), Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), Department of Energy, and the Army Corps of Engineers. Small and minority-owned businesses are the heart of our economy, and I was glad to bring together so many agencies to give local businesses a competitive edge.

Voting Rights Act Ruling
Tuesday was, unfortunately, a bad day for America. The Supreme Court, in a narrow 5-4 decision, struck down a critical section of the landmark Voting Rights Act that protects the rights of all Americans to participate in the democratic process by voting. Until the ruling, state and local governments in areas with histories of racial discrimination were required to “preclear” changes in the voting laws with an independent authority. While the Court did not rule that protecting against minority voter suppression in this way was unconstitutional, they did eviscerate the government’s ability to effectively prevent it. Watch my remarks from Tuesday's press conference on the Supreme Court's ruling here (https://bit.ly/18eFZM3). Already, Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi is considering a new Voting Rights Act that would ensure access to the ballot box. Although the Republican majority has been reluctant to preserve voting rights, I will work with Leader Pelosi, Congressman John Lewis, Congressman John Conyers and other colleagues on the Judiciary Committee to protect your right to vote. Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg wrote a scathing dissent from the Supreme Court decision. You can read it here.

DOMA Ruling
With Wednesday's ruling to overturn Section 3 of the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA), the Supreme Court ruled against discrimination and in favor of equality. DOMA was a politically inspired law in the 1990s and was never good law. Even President Clinton, who signed it into law, and Bob Barr, who was its prime sponsor, said it was unconstitutional. President Obama declined to defend it in court for the same reason. I'm glad the federal government will recognize state laws regarding marriage -- historically it always has and it should. Politics have certainly changed on same-sex marriage since the enactment of DOMA in 1996, particularly in the twelve states and the District of Columbia where it is now legal. I'm proud that I never voted for repressive laws like DOMA that take away rights from Americans.

With the court's ruling, the federal government can no longer deny legally married same-sex couples the federal protections and responsibilities triggered by marriage including Social Security Survivor benefits, family and medical leave, benefits for service members’ spouses, and immigration rights.

Our Energy Future
This week, I voted against two bills on the House floor which would increase off-shore oil drilling along our nation's coastline. In the same week that President Obama laid out a comprehensive plan to reduce carbon pollution, Republicans passed two bills that will increase the number of off-shore oil wells while doing nothing to prevent another BP oil spill or to reduce our reliance on oil. You can view President Obama's speech on climate change here.

FISA Bill
Today, I introduced a bill to bring accountability to the FISA Court which is responsible for approving measures like the NSA surveillance programs recently disclosed. The FISA Court Accountability Act would give Congress significant input and oversight of this court to ensure that your privacy is protected and to keep our government's checks and balances in place.

Healthcare.gov
With less than 100 days before the Affordable Care Act’s health insurance marketplace becomes operational and begins helping reduce costs for both individuals and small businesses, the Department of Health and Human Services launched the new version of their HealthCare.gov website to help people choose the best health insurance options for themselves. The new website also answers many questions about how individuals can apply for coverage, so take a look at it here. If you have any questions that aren’t answered on the website, you can also chat 24 hours a day with experts by clicking the “Live Chat” button on this page.

Bobby ‘Blue’ Bland
Sadly, one of the greatest blues singers of all time passed away over this last weekend. Bobby ‘Blue’ Bland had top 100 hits nearly every year for 40 years, worked with other giants of blues including B.B. King, and influenced countless other artists. He received a Lifetime Achievement Grammy and was inducted into both the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and the Memphis Music Hall of Fame, where he was a member of the inaugural class of inductees. Other inductees in that first year included Elvis Presley, Al Green, and Isaac Hayes—just to name a few. Earlier this week, I paid tribute to him from the floor of the U.S. House of Representatives. You can watch my tribute to Bobby here.

Visas for Patients and Their Families
Yesterday, I offered an amendment in the Judiciary Committee that would help children’s hospitals like St. Jude continue to provide life-saving care for people from all over the world. During consideration of a bill to fix our high-skilled immigration system, I offered an amendment to provide temporary visas to individuals for the purpose of receiving medical treatment in the United States for serious and life-threatening conditions. The amendment would also enable the parents of children receiving medical care to work while caring for their children. The Chairman of the Committee congratulated me on my amendment and pledged to work with me on perfecting the language. I will be working to see that this important provision is included in comprehensive immigration reform. Click here to see the discussion of my amendment.

Griffin Armored Vehicle Demo
Image removed.

On Tuesday, I hosted a demonstration on Capitol Hill of Griffin Incorporated's Idle Reduction Technology. Griffin's technology combines fuel usage reduction, environmental improvement, and reduced operations and maintenance costs. Griffin uses a hybrid-like system to run all necessary vehicle operations when parked. This means that a parked truck is fully operational but it does not generate environmentally detrimental emissions, productivity and safety are not affected, and costly wear and tear on the engine is significantly reduced. The addition of idle reduction technology via an inexpensive after-market installation could save millions of dollars for state and local emergency, police, and fire departments, all while improving safety and efficiency. I appreciate Dick Sweebe, a local partner of Griffin, for introducing me to this technology at a demonstration in Memphis.

$2.7 Million in Grants to the 9th District
This week, I announced almost $2.7 million in grants from federal agencies to provide funds for medical research, to help at-risk youth, and to help citizens with juvenile records find jobs. The Memphis Youth Build program will receive $1.1 million to provide education and hands-on training in the construction industry. Memphis Leadership Foundation will receive $1 million to help juvenile offenders find employment by working with them toward diversion and record expungement. St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital will receive more than $370,000 to better understand communicative disorders like deafness. The University of Tennessee Health Science Center in Memphis will receive $225,000 to study neurological disorders.

Congressional Art Contest Winner Jay Williams
Image removed.

Wednesday, I met with Jay Williams, a recent graduate from Wooddale High School and Winner of the 2013 Congressional Art Competition for Tennessee's Ninth District. I was pleased to welcome him and his mother LaFrancine Edwards to our nation's capitol.

Playhouse on the Square
Playhouse on the Square, Memphis' only professional resident theatre company, is entering its 44th season. With the construction of the new Playhouse on the Square, a true performing arts center in Midtown, Playhouse has served as a catalyst to the revitalization of Overton Square, creating the city's first theatre arts district and invigorating the performing arts with a major economic impact in the Mid-South. I hope that they will continue for another 44 years and more to entertain, educate and inspire those who experience their performances. For more information visit playhouseonthesquare.org.

Grant Announcements
I regularly 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 regularly on my website.

Have a happy and safe weekend,

As always, I remain,
Most sincerely,
Image removed.
Steve Cohen
Member of Congress

Issues:ArtsEconomy and JobsEnergyHealth CareHomeland SecurityJudiciaryMemphis