Being Appointed to the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence
Dear Friend,
This week, I began attending hearings of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence after Leader Hakeem Jeffries appointed me to the important post on Friday, June 6. I also spoke to the news media about my bill that, if passed, would have prevented the egomaniac in the White House from having a $45 million (some estimates are $100 million) birthday parade tomorrow, spoke and voted against a disastrous $9.4 billion rescissions bill, met with Mayor Paul Young, advanced airline scheduling and cancellation reform through the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, applauded the passage of the TVA Transparency Act in the House, remembered Memphis artist Veda Reed, introduced the National Emergencies Reform Act, met with this year’s winner of the Congressional Art Competition, met with Memphis Rise Academy’s principal and students, welcomed newly naturalized American citizens, and offered a Friday Flashback, a Bill Day cartoon, and a health tip. Keep reading and follow me on Bluesky, Facebook and Instagram to see what I am doing as it happens.
Being Appointed to the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence
Objecting to Military Parade for the President’s Birthday
Speaking and Voting Against Rescissions Bill
Meeting with Memphis Mayor Paul Young
Advancing Airline Scheduling and Cancellation Policy Reform
Passing the TVA Transparency Act
Remembering Memphis Artist and Professor Veda Reed
Introducing National Emergencies Reform Act
Congratulating Congressional Art Competition Winner
Meeting with Memphis Rise Academy Principal and Students
Applauding Newly Naturalized U.S. Citizens
Being Appointed to the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence
Last Friday, House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries appointed me to the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, and I began attending its hearings this week. In this new position, which no member of Congress representing Memphis has ever held, I will assess threats to our national security, conduct critical oversight, and shape intelligence policy. I appreciate Leader Jeffries for entrusting me with this important responsibility.
Objecting to Military Parade for the President’s Birthday
On Saturday, President Trump will get his birthday wish: a military parade with tanks, troops, and flyovers that will waste at least $45 million (and probably much more) of your tax dollars. It’s a shameful display of egotism by a president who claims to want to end wasteful spending. And his threat to the millions of people who will be peacefully protesting at hundreds of scheduled events across the country shows his contempt for free speech and the First Amendment. This parade is not about celebrating the 250th anniversary of the U.S. Army; it’s being used to elevate President Trump in his own mind (if that’s possible). I introduced the Halting All Parades for Presidents’ Yearly Birthdays; It Risks Taxpayer Harm, Damages, And Your (HAPPY BIRTHDAY) Budget Act in April when rumors of the parade first surfaced.
Speaking and Voting Against Rescissions Bill
On Thursday, I spoke from the House floor and then voted against a disastrous rescissions bill, which would chop $9.4 billion by making massive cuts at the White House’s request to public broadcasting (PBS and NPR), foreign aid, humanitarian aid to democracy activists, poor children served by UNICEF, the World Health Organization, and many other programs Congress previously agreed to support and funded just three months ago. The measure codifies Musk’s DOGE cuts oftentimes made under the influence of drugs by a man wielding a chainsaw gift from the president of Argentina as if he were in a trance. In my speech, I said the bill was terrible but “good for Russia and China and undertakers.” When Congress funds government programs, the president must spend the money Congress appropriates and carry out the programs that Congress directs by law. See my floor speech here. On Wednesday night, I spoke from the floor against the budget bill the House passed last week, and the Senate is currently considering. See those remarks here.
Meeting with Memphis Mayor Paul Young
Mayor Paul Young was in our nation’s capital Wednesday and stopped by my office to talk about how we can work together to improve our city. We spoke about my work to bring resources to the city, including the I-55 replacement bridge, community projects, and public safety.
Advancing Airline Scheduling and Cancellation Policy Reform
On Wednesday, the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee marked up and passed the Ensuring Airline Resiliency to Reduce Delays and Cancellations Act that I introduced with Ranking Member Rick Larsen of Washington state. The bill will ensure that airlines have robust strategies in place to prevent and limit future disruptions and protect passengers from schedule changes that can cost time and money. We are committed to holding airlines accountable, safeguarding the interests of travelers across the nation, and ensuring that these incidents are limited and reasonable. See the committee’s release here.
Passing the TVA Transparency Act
On Monday, the House passed my Tennessee Valley Authority Transparency Act that I introduced with Congressman Tim Burchett of Knoxville. The measure requires that certain meetings of the TVA board and committees be held in public and that minutes of those meetings are available on request. See my release here.
Remembering Memphis Artist and Professor Veda Reed
This is the Veda Reed painting in my D.C. condominium
Artist Veda Reed, my friend and a longtime fixture in the Memphis and national art scene and a professor at the Memphis College of Art, has passed. I remembered her in a statement in the Congressional Record. See it here.
Introducing National Emergencies Reform Act
On Wednesday, I introduced the National Emergencies Reform Act which I’ve been working on since 2018. The measure would rebalance the power dynamic between Congress and the Executive branch by permitting a president to declare a national emergency for 30 days and requiring a vote of Congress to extend it beyond that time. See my release on the measure here.
Congratulating Congressional Art Competition Winner
Congressman Cohen with Chloe Warner and Ms. Warner in the Cannon Building tunnel with her “Take the Veil”
The winner of the Congressional Art Competition, Chloe Warner, who just graduated from Hutchison School, came to my office Wednesday with her mother Kim. Her artwork, “Take the Veil,” will be displayed at the U.S. Capitol for a year. We talked about her plans, which include studying animal sciences at Clemson University with a career in veterinary medicine in mind. She also will continue developing her obvious artistic talent by minoring in art.
Meeting with Memphis Rise Academy Principal and Students
Also Wednesday, I met with Memphis Rise Academy Principal Gus Connelly and students Kyndal East (Class of 2027) and Nancy Ortiz (Class of 2026), who were in town for the National History Day Competition at the University of Maryland. Their history project on the 1968 Memphis Sanitation Workers Strike in this year’s Tennessee History Day Competition earned them a place in the national contest. We talked about the strike, Bill Lucy, the fire at Clayborn Temple, and the education they are receiving at Rise, a Memphis and Shelby County charter school. I enjoy meeting with talented young people like these, and am always inspired.
Applauding Newly Naturalized U.S. Citizens
On Thursday in Memphis, 49 people from 21 foreign countries took the Oath of Allegiance to the United States and became naturalized American citizens. “Today is a celebration and a day of joy,” U.S. District Judge Thomas L. Parker told them. “It is an honor to pledge allegiance to the flag with you today.” Immigration makes this country strong. I congratulate our new citizens and encourage them to register to vote.
Meeting with Congresswoman Jasmine Crockett
On Wednesday, I met in my office with Congresswoman Jasmine Crocket of Texas to discuss her work on the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform. Her visit was a big hit with our summer interns.
This is me talking with former National Institutes of Health Director Francis Collins at a reception in his honor at the National Archives. A brilliant scientist, he led the Human Genome Project and oversaw medical research from 2009 to 2021 that made American scientific research the envy of the world. Dr. Collins left the NIH in good standing. What Trump-Musk have already done to NIH, with cuts to research grants aimed at curing cancer, strokes, Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, and other deadly diseases, is a disgrace.
A Bill Day Cartoon – “Cold as ICE”
The Shelby County Health Department and the Amigo Community Center will hold a community health fair on Saturday, June 21, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., at El Mercadito, 3766 Ridgeway Road (38115). Free services and information about health department resources will be available, as will free car seats (while supplies last), confidential HIV testing, opioid-prevention kits, and more. See details here.
“The biggest challenge posed by Mr. Trump federalizing the National Guard is this: What’s the limiting principle? Could any president order federalized combat troops to enforce his or her whims? And ultimately, who and what is the U.S. military in service to — the American public or the president’s political agenda?” – The New York Times June 8 editorial “Trump Calling Troops Into Los Angeles Is the Real Emergency”
“Assurances that the Trump administration would focus on dangerous criminals never squared with Trump’s promise of mass deportations. There simply aren’t enough violent undocumented immigrants in the United States to deport, and finding them is hard. The immigration hard-liners in Trump’s orbit, led by White House Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller, would not be satisfied with anything like the pragmatic approach previous presidents took — one that acknowledged the nation’s dependence on imported labor and the risks of quickly ejecting a key workforce from the country.” – The Washington Post editorial on Wednesday
“Trump is declaring war on science, and the casualty will be the U.S. economy.” -- Max Boot, senior fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations, in his June 3 article "We are witnessing the suicide of a superpower"
As always, I remain
Sincerely,
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Steve Cohen
Member of Congress