9th District
Dear Friend,
This week, after years of gridlock, large majorities of both parties in Congress came together to pass a bipartisan bill to fund the government through 2014. The bill includes a number of provisions that will help Memphis and the citizens of the Ninth District, like increased funding for Head Start programs, Section 8 rental assistance renewals, and the TIGER grant program which is currently helping fund the Main2Main project. Keep reading to learn more about the bill and about what else happened this week.
Congressman recommended Lipman after convening diverse, bipartisan screening committee
[WASHINGTON, DC] –Sheryl Lipman, who Congressman Steve Cohen (TN-09) recommended to President Obama to fill a vacancy on the District Court for the Western District of Tennessee, was today approved by the Senate Judiciary Committee, which is tasked with reviewing nominations to the federal bench. Ms. Lipman currently serves as Chief of Staff to University of Memphis Interim President R. Brad Martin and formerly served as University Counsel.
[WASHINGTON, DC] – Following the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) making available as much as $600 million in funding to help local organizations combat veteran homelessness, Congressman Steve Cohen (TN-09) today urged Ninth District-based veteran service groups to apply for federal support so that they can better serve more Memphis-area veterans.
Congressman calls for scholarships to be fully funded and for Pell Grants to be increased
Agreement includes provisions similar to Congressman’s legislation to limit waste, fraud and abuse in Afghanistan
[WASHINGTON, DC] – Congressman Steve Cohen (TN-09) today voted for the Consolidated Appropriation Act of 2014, which passed the House of Representatives by a vote of 359-67.
Dear Friend,
With Congress back in session for the New Year, it’s been a busy week—but I’m glad that it ended well, with a great Memphis win over Louisville last night. I hope you’ll join me in congratulating Coach Pastner and our Tigers on their second-ever win over a defending national champion. Keep reading to learn what else happened this week.
[MEMPHIS, TN] – Congressman Steve Cohen (TN-09) and Memphis Mayor A C Wharton today expressed their disappointment that Memphis was not eligible for the first round of President Obama’s “Promise Zone” initiative and recommitted to working together to see Memphis awarded a “Promise Zone” designation in the next rounds of the competition, which will use different selection criteria. In a letter sent earlier today, Congressman Cohen urged U.S. Secretary of Housing and Urban Development Shaun Donovan to strongly consider Memphis in the 2014 round of the program.
[WASHINGTON, DC] – Congressman Steve Cohen (TN-09) today applauded President Obama’s Administration for issuing new guidelines for public school officials aimed at cutting short the “school-to-prison” pipeline that is both expensive and disproportionately harmful to minority students. The guidelines encourage schools to redesign disciplinary policies to use alternative conflict resolution methods including counseling and recommend using law enforcement solely as a last resort in disciplinary incidents.
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] – Congressman Steve Cohen (TN-09) today issued the following statement after the Senate voted to begin consideration of a bipartisan three-month extension of unemployment insurance (S. 1845) on a vote of 60 to 37:
[MEMPHIS, TN] – Congressman Steve Cohen (TN-09) today hosted his 2014 District Issues Meeting for constituents, welcoming more than 50 Memphians to his office to discuss issues affecting the city and the Mid-South. This meeting, like his regular local events and telephone town hall meetings, offered the citizens of the Ninth District an opportunity for direct dialogue with the Congressman about the issues that matter most to them.