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Join Me Tomorrow to Help Build a Healthier Memphis

April 11, 2014
Enewsletters

Dear Friend,

This week, I asked the U.S. Attorney General to protect Shelby County voters in our upcoming elections, reflected on Dr. King’s Dream on the House floor, hosted a telephone town hall, met with two groups of outstanding Memphis high school students, and introduced legislation to protect taxpayers from fraudsters like Mo’ Money. Keep reading to learn more.

TOMORROW: Building a Healthier Memphis by Preventing Diabetes
Remembering Martin Luther King and Promoting Civil Rights
Protecting Shelby County Voters
Fighting for Sane Criminal Drug Policies
Outstanding Memphis Students Visit Our Nation's Capital
Listening to Memphis
Protecting Consumers from Fraudsters Like Mo’ Money
Ensuring Memphians Get the Tax Refunds They Deserve
Helping Shelby County Recover from March’s Severe Winter Storms
Working for the Unemployed
Urging De-escalation in Ukraine
Grant for the University of Memphis
Make Sure to Claim Unclaimed Property
Helping Veterans Become Homeowners

TOMORROW: Building a Healthier Memphis by Preventing Diabetes

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More than 7.5 million Americans enrolled in high-quality, affordable coverage before the Affordable Care Act’s 2014 open enrollment period ended on March 31st. With so many Americans now enrolled in coverage through marketplaces like HealthCare.gov, President Obama is right when he says “the Affordable Care Act is here to stay.”

The Affordable Care Act is already helping millions of Americans get covered and get the care they need, but we can do more. In February, I launched my “Building a Healthier Memphis” series on wellness in the Ninth District with a panel discussion and education session focused on the racial disparities in breast cancer outcomes in Memphis. During the panel—which drew an overflow crowd—experts discussed the reasons for the current outcome gap and helped identify how Memphians can take advantage of provisions of the President’s Affordable Care Act that include no co-pay and no deductible mammograms to address the disparity and improve outcomes for themselves, their families, and their communities.

I was encouraged that so many Memphians attended the panel and education session to learn how they can improve their own health and the health of their families and communities. Now, I am glad to invite you to the next “Building a Healthier Memphis” wellness tomorrow morning at Church Health Center Wellness (located at 1115 Union Avenue) at 10:00AM.

This next event will focus on how our community can work together to stem the rising tide of diabetes diagnoses in Memphis and will include a number of local experts on diabetes prevention as well as Dr. Ann Albright from the United States Centers for Disease Control (CDC). I hope you can join us tomorrow.

Remembering Martin Luther King and Promoting Civil Rights

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Last weekend, to commemorate the 46th anniversary of the assassination of Dr. Marin Luther King, Jr., I attended the April 4th Foundation’s 2014 Gala and I also spoke at the grand reopening of the National Civil Rights Museum. When I got back to Washington, I went to the floor of the House of Representatives and reflected on Dr. King’s dream and the museum’s reopening. You can watch my speech here, and I hope you will visit the museum to see its powerful exhibits for yourself.

Protecting Shelby County Voters

On Tuesday, I questioned U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder at a Judiciary Committee hearing on Capitol Hill. I was glad to have the opportunity to follow-up with him on a letter that I sent to him with Pastor Kenneth T. Whalum of the New Olivet Baptist Church regarding our concerns about the competency of the Shelby County Election Commission.

Despite an election riddled with errors that was set aside by court order and other documented serious mistakes, no changes have been made at the Shelby County Election Commission. As I have highlighted on several occasions, the Commission has demonstrated a troubling pattern of incompetence over the years—and something must change. At Tuesday’s hearing, I urged the Attorney General and the Department of Justice to do everything in their power, including sending monitors to ensure the fairness of our elections, to protect the vote of every citizen in Shelby County.

Fighting for Sane Criminal Drug Policies

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At Tuesday’s hearing with Attorney General Holder, I also had the opportunity to question him about the federal government’s priorities when it comes to enforcing outdated and misguided marijuana laws. Currently, the drug is on “Schedule I” of the Controlled Substances Act. If a drug is listed under Schedule I, it means that the federal government recognizes no medical use, but the listing can be changed by the Attorney General in consultation with the Secretary of Health and Human Services. Including marijuana in Schedule I disregards both medical evidence and the laws of nearly half of the states that have legalized it for medical purposes.

When marijuana was placed on Schedule I, it was supposed to be temporary until the science was in. That was 1970. The science has been in for a long time, and keeping marijuana on Schedule I—with heroin and LSD—is ludicrous. Not simply because African Americans are 4 times more likely than Caucasians to be arrested for possession, although that is a travesty, but also because the science tells us it’s wrong. Time and again, this Administration has acted within its authority to address injustice and fix problems, whether immigration, protecting our environment, or raising the minimum wage for federal contractors. The Attorney General can and should act to better reflect the science, the medical research, and the opinions of the American people when it comes to the federal classification of marijuana. You can watch my questioning of the Attorney General here.

Outstanding Memphis Students Visit Our Nation's Capital

This week I was pleased to welcome two groups of outstanding Memphis high school students to Washington, DC.

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Victoria Meeks (left) and Jamila Miller (right), seniors at The Soulsville Charter School and finalists at the Shelby Debate Society City Championship, came to my office to discuss their upcoming challenge at the 2014 Urban Debate National Championship. Jamila and Victoria are part of a Soulsville class that has seen 100% of its graduating students accepted into college. I am proud that Memphis is represented in the national tournament by these two bright young women, and am confident that they will perform admirably. Good luck, Victoria and Jamila!

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I was also pleased to welcome an impressive group of high school seniors from BRIDGES, a Memphis organization that works to unite and inspire diverse young people to become leaders and thinkers, committed to their communities. This particular group, which included (from left to right) Corrine McClure (White Station High School), Paris Byrd (Central High School), Logan Ruthling (Christian Brothers High School), and Bryan Redmond (City University Charter School), are part of the Bridge Builders CHANGE program, who have been doing local education policy work for the past two years in Shelby County. In November, 2013, their combined efforts resulted in the establishment of a Student Congress for Shelby County Schools. A recent Huffington Post article details their accomplishments.

The six students I met with this week represent five different Memphis high schools. I was very pleased to see such bright, poised young people representing our city of Memphis in our nation’s Capital. I am thankful for the opportunity to have met with these students, and am proud to represent our City of Memphis.

Listening to Memphis

On Monday night, I hosted another telephone town hall with more than 5,600 Ninth District citizens to answer questions about the issues facing our district and our nation, including how to ensure that taxpayers take advantage of all the credits and deductions they are entitled to. We also discussed tomorrow’s “Building a Healthier Memphis” diabetes reduction event.

Town hall meetings like Monday’s give citizens of the Ninth District like you another way to speak directly with me and share what’s really on your mind. I appreciated having this opportunity to hear the Ninth District’s perspective on the issues facing our city and enjoyed discussing how hardworking Memphians can ensure they receive every penny they are owed in tax refunds this year, and what our community can do to help stem the rising tide of diabetes diagnoses in Memphis. Regardless of the issue, the opinions and ideas of Ninth District constituents help us move forward with legislation in Congress.

If you would like to sign up to participate in my future telephone town halls, please email me through my website with your home phone number. Please enter a landline phone number, as I cannot call cell phones during telephone town halls.

Protecting Consumers from Fraudsters Like Mo’ Money

In Memphis and across the country, Mo’ Money was caught defrauding honest taxpayers with outrageous fees and cheating them out of the refunds they deserved. As the New York Times reported, the U.S. Department of Justice shut them down, but there remain many other fly-by-night tax preparers just like them that deceive hardworking Americans of their earned refunds with little risk of repercussions. Yesterday, I introduced the Tax Return Preparer Accountability Act to help ensure that these shady and dishonest business practices cannot continue, and protect the pocketbooks of middle-class families and the federal treasury alike.

Ensuring Memphians Get the Tax Refunds They Deserve

April 15th – the deadline to file your 2013 federal tax return – is less than a week away. As you prepare your return, I hope you won’t overlook the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) if you are eligible for it. It is an important credit that can give families a financial boost. But historically, eligible taxpayers in Memphis and Shelby County have not taken full advantage of the program. Last year alone, as much as $70 million in potential tax credits were left on the table by area taxpayers.

If you have not yet filed your 2010 federal tax return and are owed a refund, the April 15th deadline is also your last chance to claim that refund. If the federal government owes you a refund from 2010, there is no penalty for filing a late return for that year. According to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), nearly $13 million in unpaid refunds is owed to more than 16,000 taxpayers across Tennessee, but you must file by next Tuesday, April 15th in order to collect those funds or they will be forfeited.

Memphians shouldn’t pay more than they owe, and they should receive every penny they deserve in refunds. This year, I helped open one of 15 new Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) sites that are now operating throughout Shelby County. The VITA sites are available to provide tax return guidance and advice free of charge to ensure that Memphians take full advantage of programs like the EITC and get the tax refund they are entitled to. More information including a list of all VITA locations and their hours is available at my website, and I encourage you to find one near you to help ensure you get every penny you are owed.

Helping Shelby County Recover from March’s Severe Winter Storms

Earlier this week, Governor Bill Haslam asked the President to declare a “major disaster” for the State and to make federal Public Assistance funding and other aid available to Shelby and other counties affected by the severe winter storms of early March to help the region recover. I fully supported his efforts, and on Wednesday I joined Senators Alexander and Corker and other members of the Tennessee Congressional delegation in calling on the President to quickly approve the Governor’s request and make federal aid available. You can read more here.

I was pleased to learn that this afternoon, President Obama issued a major disaster declaration for the State of Tennessee, which will trigger the release of Federal funds to help our local communities recover from the Severe Winter Storms of March. All counties in the State of Tennessee are eligible to apply for assistance under the Hazard Mitigation Grant Program, and I encourage all who need assistance to apply.

Working for the Unemployed

On Tuesday, the Senate passed a bipartisan emergency unemployment insurance extension for the millions of Americans whose benefits expired at the end of the year due to Republican obstruction. I’m glad that some in Congress have finally recognized the urgent need to pass this legislation, but I remain very disappointed that Speaker John Boehner has indicated that he won’t even let the House vote on it when the Senate sends it to us.

Speaker Boehner shouldn’t make millions of out-of-work Americans—including more than 31,000 Tennesseans—wait another day for the unemployment benefits they need to keep a roof over their heads and put food on their tables. He should stop obstructing the Senate’s bipartisan bill and immediately let the House vote to extend this critical lifeline to people who have lost their jobs through no fault of their own.

Urging De-escalation in Ukraine

This week, I attended a Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe (the U.S. Helsinki Commission) hearing with U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for European and Eurasian Affairs Victoria Nuland to discuss the tumultuous situation in Ukraine. The United States has a responsibility to work towards a peaceful de-escalation of current tension, support Ukrainian sovereignty, ensure that Russia recognizes there are costs for their actions, and maintain our commitment to the security of all of our NATO Allies. I joined the Helsinki Commission to continue my work of promoting human rights and democracy around the globe as well as to help strengthen ties and cooperation among nations.

Grant for the University of Memphis

On Wednesday, I announced nearly $50,000 in federal funds from the National Science Foundation for a University of Memphis research project that could help emergency personnel respond to chemical spills. The grant underscores the important role that University of Memphis scholars play in keeping Americans healthy and safe from toxic chemicals.

Make Sure to Claim Unclaimed Property

The State of Tennessee maintains a searchable database of unclaimed property, which can include bank accounts, stocks and dividends, wages, refunds, insurance payments, gift certificates, credit balances and overpayments, and a number of other things. There is no cost for accessing the database, and you may find that you are owed money or property. If you have not searched the database yet or if you haven’t searched in a while, you can visit https://www.claimittn.gov and see for yourself whether the state is holding any property or assets for you. And you may pass this information along to your friends and family as well!

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.

Again, thank you for your interest.

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

Issues:9th DistrictChildren and FamiliesForeign AffairsHealth CareJudiciaryMemphisShelby CountyTennesseeVeterans' Affairs