Education
This week marked one year from a misguided Supreme Court decision that gutted the Voting Rights Act, I brought a senior VA official to Memphis to address our veteran community’s concerns, spoke on the House Floor about the urgent need to restore the protections of the Voting Rights Act, and met with a talented young Memphis artist who won this year’s Congressional Art Competition in the Ninth District. Keep reading to learn what else happened this week.
[WASHINGTON, DC] – Congressman Steve Cohen (TN-09) today welcomed Southwind High School student Xavier Brito to his Capitol Hill office to congratulate the student on winning this year’s Congressional Art Competition. As the Ninth District’s winner, Mr. Brito’s piece, entitled “Remember the Dream,” will hang in public view on Capitol Hill for the next year. A photo of Mr. Brito’s winning piece is available here, and a photo of Mr. Brito and his family with Congressman Cohen can be found here.
[MEMPHIS, TN] – With news that the winner of this week’s $259.8 million Powerball jackpot is a Tennessean, Congressman Steve Cohen (TN-09), a strong advocate for making college affordable and the father of the Tennessee Education Lottery Scholarship program, today emphasized the benefits for Tennessee’s students provided by the lottery. The Congressman fought for many years as a Tennessee State Senator to overcome stiff opposition and create the Lottery Scholarship program, which has provided more than $3 billion in scholarships and other support to the state’s students since 2004.
Dear Friend,
This week, the House passed my amendment to help prevent children from going hungry, President Obama moved to help more than 100,000 Tennesseans burdened with student loan debt, and a new report showed that 60,000 Ninth District citizens will receive a raise if Congress increases the minimum wage to $10.10 per hour. Keep reading to learn more about what happened this week.
[WASHINGTON, DC] – The U.S. House of Representatives today passed on a voice vote Congressman Steve Cohen’s (TN-09) amendment to the Agriculture appropriations bill for Fiscal Year 2015 that will help prevent children around the country from going hungry during the summer when free school lunch programs are not in effect. The amendment adds $3 million in funding to the Summer Electronic Benefits Transfer for Children program, which is a pilot program focused on helping provide meals to low income children during summer months when school lunch programs are not in effect.
[WASHINGTON, DC] – Congressman Steve Cohen (TN-09) today announced that President Obama’s move to give certain borrowers the ability to cap their student loan payments at 10% of their monthly income will help an estimated 103,736 citizens of Tennessee burdened with student loan debt, according to a new report released today by the Domestic Policy Council and the Council of Economic Advisers.
Dear Friend,
This week, the Senate Appropriations Committee approved my provision to add $5 million in funding to help eliminate the nationwide rape kit backlog, I spoke about the need to prevent childhood hunger, and President Obama’s Administration announced their plan to reduce carbon emissions and protect our air. Keep reading for more information about what else happened this week.
[MEMPHIS, TN] – Congressman Steve Cohen (TN-09) today announced 5 federal grants totaling $1,356,084 in funding for several projects at the University of Memphis. This funding comes through the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), the National Science Foundation (NSF), and the National Park Service (NPS).
“I am pleased that the federal government has made these important investments in the University of Memphis and their talented scholars,” said Congressman Cohen.
Dear Friend,
This week, the House passed my amendment to provide an extra $5 million to help eliminate the backlog of untested rape kits in America, on the House Floor I highlighted the importance of making sure our veterans receive the care they deserve, and an impressive Memphian was interviewed by Katie Couric for her work to help foster youth. Keep reading to learn more about what happened this week.
[WASHINGTON, DC] – Congressman Steve Cohen (TN-09) joined several U.S. Senators and Representatives today in urging the Secretary of Education, Arne Duncan, to bring more fairness to struggling students by establishing clear standards of eligibility for “undue hardship” discharge of federal student loans in bankruptcy. In a letter sent by Congressman Cohen, U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL), Jack Reed (D-RI) and Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) with U.S.