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Honoring Dr. King's Legacy

January 24, 2014
Enewsletters

Dear Friend,

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On Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, I observed the National Day of Service by hosting an Affordable Care Act education and volunteer training session with more than 150 Memphians in attendance. I appreciate the support of Pastor Kenneth T. Whalum, Jr. and Seedco in organizing and getting the word out about the event. Attendees learned how they can help their neighbors sign up for health insurance under the Affordable Care Act and how communities are already benefitting from law. Dr. King said that “injustice in health care is the most shocking and inhumane” of all the forms of inequality, and I was glad to have so many Memphians join us to help improve their communities’ access to health care. Channel 3 covered our event and you can watch what they had to say here. For more information about how you can help others sign up for health insurance please contact Willie Henry in my District Office at (901) 544-4131 or Seedco at (901) 528-8341.

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Tomorrow morning at 8am CT, I will be on “Up with Steve Kornacki” on MSNBC. I hope you’ll tune in to watch.

Keep reading to learn what else happened this week.

Preventing and Reducing Racial Disparities in the Justice System
Taking Advantage of the Affordable Care Act
Honoring Dr. King’s Legacy
Kellogg’s Lockout
Reining in the NSA
Protecting Horses from Abuse
Helping Memphians Get Covered
Talking to Memphis Students
Protecting Consumers from Postal Delays
Veterans Resource Center Opens at UofM
United States Naval Academy Summer Programs
Helping Veterans Become Homeowners
2014 U.S. Capitol Historical Society Calendars Are Available
Grant Announcements

Preventing and Reducing Racial Disparities in the Justice System
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From the biased use of ‘stop and frisk’ policies to the impact of unfair mandatory minimum sentences on minority communities which I wrote about in Tuesday’s Commercial Appeal, there is widespread evidence that racial disparities pervade our criminal justice system. These disparities undermine confidence in the system, threaten the cause of justice, and cannot continue in a society that holds fairness and equality in high regard.

The ‘fierce urgency of now’ that Dr. King spoke of demands that we do everything in our power to eliminate them today. That’s why I introduced the Justice Integrity Act and Byrne/JAG Program Accountability Act, which will alleviate disparities when found, introduce more accountability into the process, and help restore the public’s trust in the criminal justice system. You can watch my interview with Channel 3 about my bills here.

Taking Advantage of the Affordable Care Act
Among the many benefits of the Affordable Care Act is free preventive care for services like mammograms that can detect breast cancer. A recent New York Times story noted that Memphis is “the deadliest major American city for African-American women with breast cancer.” A primary reason for the high mortality rate is late diagnosis, when the disease is harder to treat and has much lower survival rates. If you are at risk, please take a moment in the coming weeks to take advantage of provisions of the Affordable Care Act and get screened for breast cancer--it can help save your life.

Honoring Dr. King’s Legacy
In addition to hosting the Affordable Care Act education and volunteer training on Monday, I also spoke at the 23rd Annual Martin Luther King Prayer Breakfast at LeMoyne-Owen College. The breakfast was dedicated to the LeMoyne-Owen College students who organized and participated in sit-ins during the Civil Rights Movement and to the sanitation workers and other supporters who participated in the sanitation workers strike.

I also attended Mayor Wharton’s Be the Dream Commemorative Celebration at the Mason Temple where I paid tribute to the seven recipients of the 2014 Be the Dream Legacy Awards: Rev. Samuel Billy Kyles, Judge Russell Sugarmon, Jocelyn Wurzburg, Father Don Mowery, Dr. James L. Netters, Fred Davis, and Beverly Robertson, and presented them each with Congressional Record Statements praising their individual achievements.

Monday afternoon, I addressed the Southern Christian Leadership Coalition (SCLC) at Cane Creek Baptist Church. I spoke about the importance of Dr. King’s April 4, 1967 speech at Riverside Church in which Dr. King talked about the “triple evils” of war, racism and economic exploitation. I also spoke in support of the Kellogg’s workers who have been locked out.

Kellogg’s Lockout
With the lockout at the Memphis Kellogg plant entering its fourth month, I continue working with my colleagues in Congress and with local officials to help put an end to it. My office has been in contact with union representatives for months and I spoke about the situation on the floor of the U.S. House of Representatives. I hope this lockout ends quickly and these 226 hardworking Memphians can get back to work as soon as possible.

Reining in the NSA
Late last week, President Obama announced several changes to the National Security Agency’s (NSA) domestic spying programs. When these programs were unveiled, it was clear that the NSA had overstepped the bounds of what it should do, and the President changes mark his recognition that we must address this problem. I am hopeful that his changes to domestic surveillance programs will result in meaningful reforms, but Congress must go further and enact all of the recommendations made by the President’s NSA Advisory Committee last month so that these sorts of overreaches cannot happen again. I will continue working with both Democrats and Republicans on proposals like my FISA Court Accountability Act to better protect the privacy and rights of all Americans, as well as to restore the public’s trust in its government.

Protecting Horses from Abuse
Last year, I joined with Congressman Ed Whitfield of Kentucky in introducing the Prevent All Soring Tactics (PAST) Act to prevent the abusive practice of horse “soring.” Horse trainers often go to great lengths to avoid detection rather than comply with current federal law and train horses using humane methods. Our legislation would help stop these practices, and it wouldn’t increase the deficit by a penny. It protects the health and integrity of the Tennessee Walking, Racking, and Spotted Saddle Horse industries, essentially saving jobs, and I was glad to see a letter from Priscilla Presley this month urging all of my colleagues in Congress to support our legislation and help us pass it. You can read her letter here.

Helping Memphians Get Covered
All Memphians should have quality health insurance and the President’s landmark Affordable Care Act—also known as Obamacare—is making affordable, higher-quality coverage available to people who have not had access to it in the past. Luckily, many who have been unable to afford quality coverage in the past are now eligible to enroll in Tennessee’s Health Insurance Marketplace. Open enrollment for coverage in 2014 will continue until March 31st. And if you do not have health insurance coverage, you may also be eligible to save money on your health care premiums in the Marketplace.

If you are on Medicare or your employer is offering qualified health insurance that you are enrolled in, you’re already covered and won’t need to enter the Marketplace for your health coverage. If you aren’t sure whether or not you should use the Marketplace to get insurance, call the Marketplace Hotline at 1 (800) 318-2596, visit www.HealthCare.gov, or call Tennessee’s navigator, Seedco, at (901) 528-8341. You can also call my office or the Marketplace Hotline to find out if TennCare (Tennessee’s Medicaid program) is a coverage option for you. If you are one of the millions of Americans who need health insurance, you can sign up for coverage for 2014 until the open enrollment period closes on March 31st, 2014. Visit www.healthcare.gov today to look at your options.

The Affordable Care Act is already working for families across the Ninth District. According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 147,000 individuals in the district now have health insurance that covers preventive services without co-pays, $3.1 million in insurance premiums have been returned to consumers, and more than 5,000 seniors on Medicare paid a total of $5.9 million less for their prescription medications as we continue to close the ‘donut hole.’ Also, health insurance companies can no longer discriminate against patients with pre-existing conditions and young adults up to age 26 can now stay on their parents’ insurance plan.

Many of the Marketplace website issues that have been in the news have been resolved. However, the Marketplace website is only one tool that you can use to sign up for coverage. If you are having trouble accessing the website, please do not hesitate to call the Marketplace Hotline at 1 (800) 318-2596 or visit the Affordable Care Act Navigators at Seedco's Mid-South office at 22 North Front Street (Suite 900) for in-person help. Seedco can also be reached by phone at (901) 528-8341, and if you have any other questions, you should feel free to call my office at (901) 544-4131.

Talking to Memphis Students
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For 21 years the C-SPAN bus has helped inform communities, schools, and universities around the country about the educational and research resources that C-SPAN offers. When the bus came to Memphis last week, I was able to join students from Immaculate Conception High School & Soulsville Charter School and enjoyed discussing with them how our government works.

Protecting Consumers from Postal Delays
“Neither snow nor rain nor heat nor gloom of night” stops USPS mail carriers from delivering our mail, as their unofficial motto says. And they usually do it within just a day or two. Our recent weather makes us realize just how hard those jobs are, but the Postal Service faces significant challenges to stave off delays and further price increases.

That’s a problem, because citizens around the country including seniors and those living at or near the poverty line rely on speedy delivery by the Postal Service to pay their bills. They didn’t cause the Postal Service’s problems, and they shouldn’t be punished for them. I’ve introduced the Postmark Payment Act of 2014 to help ensure that companies use the date a payment was mailed instead of when it was delivered (the same standard used by the IRS) when processing payments, protect consumers from late fees stemming from delayed USPS service, and help Americans save money.

Veterans Resource Center Opens at UofM
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On Wednesday, I attended the grand opening of the Veterans Resource Center (VRC) at the University of Memphis. It provides veterans a new space on campus where they can relax, study, use a computer, or attend seminars and outreach events. The VRC, located in the Panhellenic Building, will be a tremendous asset.

United States Naval Academy Summer Programs
Each year, the United States Naval Academy invites more than 3,000 students to Annapolis, Maryland, to participate in its summer programs. The Academy’s summer STEM program, which is now accepting applications here, gives rising 8th, 9th, 10th, and 11th graders the opportunity to learn from some of the best college professors in the country and work in world-class lab facilities. The Academy’s Summer Seminars gives rising 12th graders the opportunity to find out if they have what it takes to be midshipmen by allowing them to experience the rigorous academics, physical challenges, and student life at the Naval Academy. More information about the Summer Seminar and how to apply is available here.

Helping Veterans Become Homeowners
Last year, the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs helped a record number of veterans obtain mortgage loans and become homeowners. In guaranteeing nearly 630,000 home loans, the VA’s Loan Guarantee program helped more veterans become homeowners or move to a new home than at any point in its 70-year history. Not only is this great news for veterans, but it also is another sign that our housing market is rebounding—and that is good news for everyone. The VA Loan Guarantee program has some of the lowest foreclosure rates around and, along with offering low interest rates, their loans do not require a down payment from first-time buyers. If you are a veteran looking to purchase a home, you can learn more about the program here.

2014 U.S. Capitol Historical Society Calendars Are Available
My office currently has a limited number of 2014 U.S. Capitol Historical Society calendars available. If you would like to receive a calendar, please complete this short form on my website Due to the rules of the House of Representatives, I am only able to mail calendars to residents of Tennessee’s Ninth District. Please feel free to share this email with other citizens of the Ninth District who may be interested in receiving one but who do not receive my eNewsletter.

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,

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

Issues:9th DistrictChildren and FamiliesEducationHealth CareJudiciaryMemphisShelby CountyTennessee