Fighting for NIH

Dear Friend,

This week I spoke on the House floor about the importance of funding the National Institutes of Health (NIH), our country’s foremost medical research center which has helped millions across the country suffering from heart disease, cancer, HIV/AIDS, Diabetes, Parkinson’s, Alzheimer’s and Post Polio. Through sequestration, Republicans are looking to cut funding for NIH by more than $1.6 billion.

NIH
West Tennessee Veterans Cemetery
Tourette Syndrome Award
Memphis Tigers
Health Centers Award
Jordan Zevon
Sheila White Parrish
The Mississippi River Caucus
Israel and Turkey
Keystone XL Pipeline
Affordable Care Act Anniversary
10th Anniversary of the Start of the Iraq War
Benefits Payments
Help Filing Taxes
EnergySmart Memphis
Grant Announcements

NIH

This week I spoke on the House floor twice about the importance of funding the National Institutes of Health (NIH), our country’s foremost medical research center which has helped millions across the country suffering from heart disease, cancer, HIV/AIDS, Diabetes, Parkinson’s, Alzheimer’s and Post Polio. Unfortunately, Republicans are cutting more than $1 billion from NIH’s budget through sequestration.

I disagree with these cuts because Disease is the enemy and we must do everything in our power to conquer it. Yes, we have foreign enemies overseas that we have to defend ourselves against. But we should take some of the money allocated for the Department of Defense and use it to fight debilitating diseases. Funding for NIH should be increased -- not slashed -- because the research conducted there helps save lives, creates jobs and benefits future generations. Click here to see my remarks.

West Tennessee Veterans Cemetery
On Wednesday I announced that the West Tennessee Veterans Cemetery in Memphis will receive $2,796,868 from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs for 100 percent of allowable costs associated with the operation and maintenance of the cemetery. These new federal funds will help the West Tennessee Veterans Cemetery in Memphis make important upgrades. Our veterans, especially those who have passed, deserve the utmost respect and best treatment possible. These improvements will ensure that our nation’s history is well preserved.

Tourette Syndrome Award

Yesterday I was proud to receive the 2013 Public Policy Award from the Tourette Syndrome Association. My dear friend Polly Draper -- an award-winning actress, writer, producer and director (you might remember her from the television show Thirtysomething) -- presented me with the award at the Tourette Syndrome Association Congressional Briefing Luncheon in the U.S. Capitol.

Polly Draper is married to former Memphian Michael Wolff, who suffers from Tourette Syndrome (TS), and together they produced and wrote The Tic Code, an independent film that tells the story of a single mother and the relationship she forms with a jazz musician who has TS. The film is based on the life of Michael Wolff, who also provided the film’s score. Polly starred in the film alongside Gregory Hines. The film went on to receive a number of awards.

In my remarks at the award ceremony, I stressed how important it is for us to support the National Institutes of Health (NIH). Unfortunately, the GOP is using sequestration to slash funding for NIH by $1.6 billion. Republicans are also cutting funding for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. I disagree with these cuts because Disease is the enemy and we must do everything in our power to conquer it.

Memphis Tigers

Yesterday our Memphis Tigers beat St. Mary’s College of California in the first round of the NCAA basketball tournament. I watched the game in Washington with my good friends Congressman John Yarmuth and Congressman Peter Welch. Our Tigers now move on to play the Michigan State Spartans on Saturday. I have a number 9 Memphis Tigers jersey representing District 9 hanging in my Washington office. Go Tigers!

Health Centers Award

Yesterday I was proud to receive the 2013 Distinguished Community Health Advocate Award from the National Association of Community Health Centers in appreciation of my support for America’s Health Centers, and improving access to comprehensive, high quality, cost-effective health care for more than 22 million Americans.

Jordan Zevon

My friend Jordan Zevon, son of Grammy award winning artist Warren Zevon, was in Washington yesterday and visited me with members of the Asbestos Disease Awareness Organization (ADAO). More than 10,000 Americans die every year from exposure to asbestos and it is projected that over the next decade asbestos diseases will kill at least 100,000 Americans. Warren Zevon was a good friend of mine who was a victim of Mesothelioma and he’s a big part of why I have been fighting against asbestos these many years. In the 111th Congress, I authored a Resolution to designate the first week in April as Asbestos Awareness Week. And in 2012 I was proud to receive the 2012 Tribute of Hope Award from the ADAO for my “tireless commitment to asbestos education, advocacy, and support in honor” of my dear friend, Warren Zevon.

Sheila White Parrish

On Tuesday Memphian Sheila White Parrish travelled to Washington to meet with me and discuss her book “Fighting the Giant” and the documentary “The Million Women March,” which chronicles the 1997 journey of a group of people, mostly women, from Memphis to Philadelphia to convene with more than one million other women to address the challenges of women and how far women have come. In her book “Fighting the Giant” she describes what her life was like working in the railroad yards of Tennessee, how she learned to stand up for herself and how she used the legal system to defend her from the discrimination, retaliation, and humiliation she experienced over the years. Her legal case made it all the way to the Supreme Court, where she won. I was happy to present her with a “Woman in Congress” book, which is the most comprehensive source available on the more than 220 women who have served in the U.S. House of Representatives and Senate. Click here to learn more about Sheila White Parrish.

The Mississippi River Caucus
I am proud to be a member of the first ever bicameral Mississippi River Caucus to help highlight the natural beauty of the River, life on the River, and challenges of the River. The Mississippi River is more than just a river. It is a binding tie in the tapestry of our nation as it once represented the next frontier in growth and prosperity for the United States. Annually, 400 million tons of bulk cargo float up and down America’s main artery of commerce. Over 1 million jobs rely on the Mississippi’s transportation system. Two hundred million tons of petroleum moves along the waterway every year; including 180 million tons (20 percent) of coal; 22 percent of the nation’s oil and gas; and 60 percent of the nation’s grain output. It is a river supporting 250 species of fish, 326 types of birds, and 41 percent of North America waterfowl.

Israel and Turkey
Today Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu apologized for an Israeli military raid on a flotilla in 2010 that ended in the death of nine Turkish activists. As the Co-Chair of the Congressional Caucus on Turkey, I’m happy that America’s two best friends in the Middle East, Israel and Turkey, have normalized diplomatic relations and are sending Ambassadors back to each other’s respective capitals. On March 19, I met with Turkish Ambassador Namik Tan in Washington, D.C. and broached with him the need to repair the diplomatic relationship between Israel and Turkey -- the oldest, most prominent democracies in the Middle East. The flotilla raid in 2010 fractured what was once a strong alliance between Israel and Turkey. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s apology will go a long way toward promoting peace in the Middle East and strengthening the bond between the United States, Israel and Turkey. I congratulate Prime Minister Netanyahu for the apology and Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogun for accepting the apology and committing to the normalization of diplomatic relations. It is vital for the stability of the region that Israel and Turkey return to their once-friendly relationship and I applaud President Obama for his diplomatic statesmanship that has brought about this very important rapprochement.

Keystone XL Pipeline

On Monday I spoke on the House floor in opposition to the Keystone XL Pipeline. Members of the Safe Climate Caucus have made a commitment to speak every day on the House Floor this past week about the urgent need to address climate change and oppose the Keystone XL Pipeline, which will hurt our environment and not create as many jobs as Republicans say it will. Click here to see my remarks.

Affordable Care Act Anniversary
This week we marked the three-year anniversary of the Affordable Care Act, one of the most important Acts the Congress has ever passed. I was proud to vote for this historic legislation which has changed the landscape of our nation’s health care delivery system for the better and, as the law takes effect, will ensure that nearly all Americans have access to affordable health care coverage. More than 6.3 million people with Medicare have saved over $6.1 billion on prescription drugs because of the health care law.

The Affordable Care Act makes Medicare prescription drug coverage (Part D) more affordable by gradually closing the gap in coverage when, prior to enactment of the Affordable Care Act, beneficiaries had to pay the full cost of their prescriptions out of pocket. This gap is known as the donut hole. In 2010, Medicare beneficiaries who hit the coverage gap or “donut hole” in the Medicare prescription drug benefit received a one-time $250 rebate.

In 2011, Medicare beneficiaries began receiving a 50 percent discount on covered brand name drugs and coverage for seven percent of the cost of generic drugs in the coverage gap. In 2012, Part D covered 14 percent of the cost of generic drugs in the coverage gap. In 2013, the health care law increases the discounts and savings to 52.5 percent of the cost of most brand name drugs and 21 percent of the cost of covered generic drugs. Coverage for both brand name and generic drugs in the gap will continue to increase over time until 2020, when the coverage gap will be closed. Click here to learn more about the benefits of the Affordable Care Act.

10th Anniversary of the Start of the Iraq War
On March 19, 2003, brave members of our armed forces were ordered into service in Iraq. In the ensuing years, nearly 4,500 of those service members would not return home; tens of thousands would come back wounded, injured, changed forever. This week, ten years later, our combat mission is over and our troops no longer patrol the deserts of Iraq. We remember those who made the ultimate sacrifice in battle and honor those who came safely home. We pay tribute to the courageous men and women in uniform who did all that was asked of them and performed with valor, patriotism, and dedication to duty.

As we look back on the war in Iraq, we look forward to a future of peace, security, and stability across the globe. By the light of our values, by the bravery of our military, by the power of our example and our actions, the United States will remain focused on caring for our veterans and their families, committed to advancing the cause of freedom, and devoted to continued American leadership around the world.

Benefits Payments
If you currently receive benefit payments from Social Security, Veterans Affairs, Supplemental Security Income, Railroad Retirement Board, the Department of Labor, or the Office of Personnel Management, you may recently have received correspondence about switching the method of delivery of your benefit from paper checks to electronic payments. Electronic payments are safer, easier, and more convenient than paper checks. In addition, the Treasury Department’s move to electronic payments is expected to save taxpayers more than $100 million each year. Currently, 93 percent of all federal benefit recipients receive their payments electronically. Beneficiaries can sign up for the electronic payment option by calling (800) 333-1795. You can also learn more at https://www.godirect.org/

Help Filing Taxes
Tax filing season began on January 30. Here is a link that you can use to find the nearest IRS Volunteer Income Tax Assistance site. Constituents earning less than $57,000 per year can file for free. There are a lot of tax scams out there, even in Memphis. I encourage you to use this website to find an IRS-approved tax consultant who can help you for free. You can also file online directly through the IRS here: https://www.irs.gov/Filing

EnergySmart Memphis
EnergySmart Memphis is a year-long energy education and home improvement initiative designed to help Memphians save money on their energy costs. EnergySmart Memphis is a partnership between MLGW, City and County government agencies, Community Development Corporations and non-profit organizations, and the Tennessee Valley Authority. Through EnergySmart Memphis, an estimated 3,000 MLGW customers will receive in-depth energy conservation training; eligible customers will have weatherization improvements made to their home through this initiative; a series of Energy Education Workshops will be conducted city and county-wide at area libraries; and the initiative includes weatherization kits for qualified homeowners to receive minor and major home repairs. Click here to learn more.

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.

Wishing you a happy and safe weekend, and Go Tigers!


As always, I remain,

Most sincerely,

Steve Cohen
Member of Congress