Long Live the Trolleys!
Dear Friend,
This week, I announced a $2.64 million federal grant to bring new rail trolleys back to downtown Memphis, hosted my 7th annual Veterans Day luncheon to honor Memphis veterans, and received the Sierra Club’s 2015 Dick Mochow Environmental Justice Award for my work on protecting our environment. Keep reading to learn more or follow me on Twitter and Facebook to see these updates as they happen.
Bringing Trolleys Back to Downtown Memphis
Hosting My 7th Annual Veterans Day Luncheon
Protecting Our Environment
Reforming Our Copyright Laws
Improving Our Nation’s Infrastructure
Helping Memphians Get Covered
Bringing Congress to your Corner
2016 U.S. Capitol Historical Society Calendars Are Available
Bringing Trolleys Back to Downtown Memphis
On Thursday, I announced that Memphis had been selected by the Tennessee Department of Transportation to receive $2,640,000 in federal funding from the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality Improvement (CMAQ) program to purchase three new electric rail trolleys for Downtown Memphis. These federal funds being directed to Memphis for new rail trolleys will play an important role in driving economic development downtown and along South Main. Residents and merchants enjoy our historic trolleys and having them back on Main Street will improve livability and increase tourism. I am pleased the Tennessee Department of Transportation selected Memphis for the federal grant and I thank MATA CEO Ron Garrison for his leadership on the issue. Long live the trolleys!
Hosting My 7th Annual Veterans Day Luncheon
On Wednesday, I hosted my 7th annual Veterans Day BBQ luncheon at BRIDGES for Memphis veterans. We hosted more than 300 Memphis-area veterans to update them on veterans legislation before Congress and thank them for their dedication and their sacrifices in service to our country. Our veterans are among the bravest and hardest working men and women in our nation, and we cannot say “thank you” often enough to them and their families.
I would like to thank Memphis VA Medical Center Director Dr. C. Diane Knight for speaking on the services that the Memphis VA hospital provides and Judge Bill Anderson for speaking about the veterans court. My office worked with Judge Anderson to help establish this court to make the judicial process easier for local veterans. I would also like to thank the Memphis Police Department’s Peacemakers and the Douglas High School color guard for their music and colors as well as Ms. Capri Starks Talley for her beautiful rendition of the national anthem. It was the best sung national anthem I have ever heard, and you can watch her performance here.
I would like to recognize Gunnery Sgt. Mike East, one of U.S. Marines in Cuba who lowered the U.S. flag in 1961 when the U.S. Embassy in Havana closed and returned to Havana with Secretary of State John Kerry and me for the U.S. Embassy’s reopening earlier this year, who spoke of his experience as a soldier in Cuba during the luncheon. I would like to also recognize Mr. William Bell, Navy Fireman First Class during World War II, who will be 100 on November 30 and was present as well.
On Saturday, I received the Sierra Club’s 2015 Dick Mochow Environmental Justice Award at their 14th Annual Grassroots Environmental Conference at the University of Memphis. My colleague in the House of Representatives and fellow Congressional Progressive Caucus member Rep. Keith Ellison came to Memphis to be the keynote speaker for the conference. Keith represents Minnesota's 5th District.
Earlier this week, I travelled to California’s Silicon Valley as well as Los Angeles with House Judiciary Chairman Bob Goodlatte (R-VA) and Ranking Member John Conyers (D-MI) for a Judiciary Committee field hearing and copyright listening tour to gather input from community leaders and businesses to find bipartisan solutions for copyright reform in Congress. Copyright law is critically important for American job creation, and reforms must take into account both innovation and consumer rights. As a member of the House Judiciary Subcommittee on the Courts, Intellectual Property, and the Internet, I appreciate the information gleaned from this field hearing to help in considering these matters.
Improving Our Nation’s Infrastructure
This week, I joined other members of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee in New Orleans, LA to learn about our nation’s water resource programs, flood control, imports and exports, disaster response, and environmental restoration and protection for America’s shorelines and rivers. The committee members also toured the New Orleans levee system to see firsthand the repairs and improvements made post-Hurricane Katrina. New Orleans is home to one of our nation’s largest shipping ports and many jobs are dependent upon importing and exporting goods through New Orleans as well as jobs produced by the oil industry there. Keeping our ports, shorelines, and rivers safe and accessible is critical for American job creation and maintaining a strong economy.
The HealthCare.gov insurance marketplace has opened for 2016 plan shopping and comparisons. While the current shopping period runs until January 31, 2016, December 15, 2015 is the deadline to enroll in coverage that will take effect on January 1, 2016. You can visit https://bit.ly/hcSavings to see if you qualify for tax credits that will be applied as discounts on your monthly insurance premium. If you already have insurance coverage through the HealthCare.gov marketplace, your plan will be automatically renewed for 2016 but you should still visit HealthCare.gov to update your information, ensure you receive the full tax credit to which you are entitled, and review new options as cheaper insurance plans that better fit your needs may now be available.
If you are on Medicare or your employer offers qualified health insurance in which you are enrolled, 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 (800) 318-2596, visit HealthCare.gov, or call the healthcare navigator Seedco at (901) 255-2955. You can also call my office at (901) 544-4131 or the Marketplace Hotline to find out if TennCare (Tennessee's Medicaid program) is a coverage option for you.
Bringing Congress to your Corner
Thanks to all who came by “Congress on your Corner” at the Benjamin L. Hooks Library last Friday. On Friday, November 20th, from 10am to 1pm, my office will hold “Congress on your Corner” office hours at the Whitehaven Branch Library at 4120 Millbranch Road. If you have questions or problems with Social Security, Medicare, FHA, the VA or any other federal agencies, my staff will be on hand to answer questions and provide assistance. We hope you can make it.
2016 U.S. Capitol Historical Society Calendars Are Available
My office currently has a limited number of 2016 U.S. Capitol Historical Society calendars available. If you would like to receive a calendar, please complete this form on my website. Due to the rules of the House, I am only able to mail calendars to residents of Tennessee’s Ninth District. Please feel free to share this email with other residents of the Ninth District who may be interested in receiving one but who do not receive my eNewsletter.
As always, I remain.
Most sincerely,
Steve Cohen
Member of Congress