Helping Young Memphians Succeed in Good Paying Jobs

Dear Friend,

Today marks the 14th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks and is a day that we should reflect on the heroism of our first responders and remember the innocent lives lost. This week, I also announced $42 million in federal funding to help the Ben Hooks Job Corps Center in Memphis prepare hundreds more young people for successful careers, Vice President Biden announced that a federal grant program I helped create will send $1.9 million to help Memphis eliminate its untested rape kit backlog, and I defended Planned Parenthood from deceitful attacks about the important services they provide to low-income and minority women. Keep reading to learn more or follow me on Twitter and Facebook to see these updates as they happen.

Helping Young Memphians Succeed in Good Paying Jobs
Eliminating the Memphis Rape Kit Backlog
Commemorating the 14th anniversary of September 11th
Defending Planned Parenthood from Deceitful Attacks
Welcoming the 2015 National Baptist Convention to Memphis
Stopping Iran from Building Nuclear Weapons
Your Chance to See the Pope in Washington
Bringing Congress to your Corner

Helping Young Memphians Succeed in Good Paying Jobs

The Job Corps is an important training program for our nation’s youth, and the Benjamin L. Hooks Job Corps Center in Memphis has successfully helped prepare thousands of Memphians for successful careers in good-paying jobs. On Tuesday, I was pleased to announce a new $42 million federal contract to help the center train almost 300 students each term. This multi-million dollar infusion of federal funds will help the Memphis Job Corps Center keep its doors open for hundreds more young people who didn't complete high school and prepare them for the workforce.

Eliminating the Memphis Rape Kit Backlog

Last year, I led the fight in Congress to increase funding to eliminate the untested rape kit backlog that plagues Memphis and other cities around the country. My amendment made sure that an additional $5 million would be made available through a new, competitive grant program for municipalities around the nation, and this year I am fighting for another $4 million for that grant program. After Mayor Wharton sent in a strong grant application, I’m pleased that Vice President Biden announced yesterday Memphis will receive of $1.9 million from the new grant program I helped create. You can read more about the funding here.

Commemorating the 14th anniversary of September 11th

Today is a day to reflect on the heroism of firefighters, policemen, and first responders from across the nation, thank those who continue to serve and keep us safe, and honor those who died on September 11, 2001. As we remember the tragedy of 9/11 and the horrific act of war against our country by Al Qaeda, we must realize the importance of remaining ever vigilant against extremism and terrorism in all their forms. We must keep each of the nearly 3,000 innocent victims who died that day, including Memphian Gary Lasko, in our thoughts. And we must remember our successes in the war on terror, including President Obama’s success in finding and eliminating Osama bin Laden as well as the triumph of the indomitable American spirit evident in the rebuilding of One World Trade Center and creation of the National September 11 Memorial & Museum.

Defending Planned Parenthood from Deceitful Attacks

On Wednesday, the Republican leadership of the House Judiciary Committee held a hearing they claimed was about “exposing Planned Parenthood” using recently-released (and heavily edited) videos. But the hearing wasn’t about videos, which have been widely discredited. It was another effort in a long-running and sustained campaign to restrict women’s constitutional rights – it was showboating for a political base that won’t be happy until Planned Parenthood is shut down. I spoke out at this hearing, and you can watch my remarks here.

The truth is that it is already prohibited for federal funds to be used for abortion services, and this effort to defund Planned Parenthood would only deny women – especially low-income and minority women – access to the vast majority of Planned Parenthood’s other health services like wellness exams, cancer screenings, contraception, and STD prevention and treatment.

Nearly three million women each year get their healthcare services from Planned Parenthood, and 97% of those services have nothing to do with abortion. Instead of these theatrical end-runs around Roe v. Wade, our focus should be on ensuring women can receive the care they need.

Welcoming the 2015 National Baptist Convention to Memphis

On Labor Day, I was pleased to help kick off the 2015 National Baptist Convention and welcome the attendees to Memphis. I encouraged those visiting our city to take advantage of what we have to offer by seeing the sights including the National Civil Rights Museum, eating our barbeque, and enjoying all of our city’s other destinations and activities.

Stopping Iran from Building Nuclear Weapons

Last night, I went to the House Floor to speak in support of the multilateral agreement to stop Iran from building nuclear weapons that Congress has been debating over the last week. You can watch my remarks here. I have been privy to many classified briefings and have spoken personally to President Obama and Secretary Kerry about the deal. I have listened to my constituents and met with officials at the Vienna headquarters of the IAEA and diplomats and officials from Europe and Asia, and I’ve considered the opinions of renowned physicists. Through my close and thoughtful consideration and examination, I am convinced this agreement is the most effective way to ensure Iran will not build a nuclear weapon.

Your Chance to See the Pope in Washington

Later this month, Pope Francis will become the first Pope to address a Joint Session of Congress. Each Member of Congress has been allocated a small number of standing tickets to watch the Pope's speech from the West Lawn of the U.S. Capitol, and this week I held a lottery to give the tickets away to citizens of the Ninth District. If you were not selected as a winner but would still like to travel to Washington for the chance to see Pope Francis in person, His Holiness will participate in a short parade near the White House on the morning of Wednesday, September 23rd. You can learn more details here.

Bringing Congress to your Corner

This morning, staff from my Memphis office was on hand at the Benjamin L. Hooks Library for my regular “Congress on your Corner” office hours to help address Memphians’ problems with and questions about Social Security, Medicare, FHA, the VA and other federal agencies. Stay tuned to these newsletters for information about the next Congress on your Corner event.

As always, I remain.
Most sincerely,

Steve Cohen
Member of Congress