Breaking Ground on Hub North Housing in New Chicago
Dear Friend,
This week, I recognized Memorial Day and, earlier today, helped break ground at the North Hub in the New Chicago neighborhood on a project addressing chronic homelessness. I also celebrated the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the City of Memphis signing an agreement to begin improvements on the Greenbelt Landing project for which I secured the federal share of the cost; attended a rededication to Clayborn Temple after the devastating fire; reintroduced the Horse Transportation Safety Act; applauded the unanimous decision of the U.S. Court of International Trade striking down most of Trump’s tariffs; remembered my former Congressional colleague and friend Charlie Rangel; and offered a health tip, a Friday Flashback, and a Bill Day cartoon. Keep reading and follow me on Bluesky, Facebook and Instagram to see what I am doing as it happens.
Breaking Ground on Hub North Housing in New Chicago
Celebrating Greenbelt Landing Partnership Agreement
Attending a Rededication of Clayborn Temple
Reintroducing the Horse Transportation Safety Act
Welcoming Ruling of U.S. Court of International Trade Striking Down Most of Trump’s Tariffs
Remembering Congressman Charles Rangel
Breaking Ground on Hub North Housing in New Chicago
This morning, I spoke at the groundbreaking of Hub North in the New Chicago neighborhood, the latest project of the Hospitality Hub, for which I secured $1,275,000 in community project funding through the appropriations process. Hub North will provide on-site assistance for those with unstable housing situations and is the third Hospitality Hub project for which I’ve secured federal funding ($1 million in Fiscal Year 2024 and $450,000 in Fiscal Year 2022). Kelcey Johnson, executive director of the Hospitality Hub; Ashley Cash, director of Housing and Community Development; Jarad Bingham, principal at Dragonfly Collective; Mayor Paul Young, Councilwoman Rhonda Logan, Councilwoman Michalyn Easter-Thomas and the Reverend Dr. Ronnie C. King, pastor of Grace Missionary Baptist Church, all spoke at the well-attended event. The Downtown Churches Association founded Hospitality Hub in 2007, and the Grace Church community has been particularly supportive of this project for which we can all be grateful. It was a very successful event.
Celebrating Greenbelt Landing Partnership Agreement
I was pleased to see that the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and Memphis Mayor Paul Young have now signed the Greenbelt Landing Project Partnership Agreement for which I secured $3 million in community project federal funding. The 102-acre park on the Mississippi River will undergo a major renovation, including repairs to the existing boat ramp, a new upstream boat ramp, boat mooring anchors, ADA-compliant parking improvements and enhanced lighting for safety. Construction is expected to begin this fall, and I look forward to seeing the final results.
Attending a Rededication of Clayborn Temple
Congressman Cohen with the Reverend Aaron Leach whose father was one of the last surviving 1968 Sanitation Workers
On Wednesday evening, I spoke at the rededication ceremony for the civil rights landmark Clayborn Temple and was pleased to see that a substantial private fundraising commitment is already providing hope for a successful rebuilding. I had $3 million in community project funding set aside for Clayborn Temple in the 2025 budget but, because of action on the Senate, we had to do a continuing budget resolution and all the community projects were dropped. I have Clayborn Temple as our lead project in 2026 and hope we’ll have the money to see it rebuilt. It was good to see Martin Luther King III, Mayor Paul Young, Council Chairman Ford Canale, a representative of the African American Cultural Heritage Action Fund and others speaking about how important the church is in American history, and especially its role as a headquarters during the 1968 Sanitation Workers’ Strike. I pledged once again to do all I can in Washington to restore this important landmark to its original glory.
Reintroducing the Horse Transportation Safety Act
I was joined by Representatives Dina Titus of Nevada and Brian Fitzpatrick of Pennsylvania on Thursday in re-introducing the bipartisan Horse Transportation Safety Act that would ban the transportation of horses across state lines in “double decker” trucks or trailers containing two or more levels on top of one another. The practice is unnecessarily cruel and must be prohibited. See my release on the measure here.
Welcoming Ruling of U.S. Court of International Trade Striking Down Most of Trump’s Tariffs
Not only are Trump’s on-again, off-again, daily revised tariffs roiling the markets and destroying savings while raising consumer prices, but the U.S. Court of International Trade has also now determined they are illegal in a ruling this week. “The question in the two cases before the court is whether the International Emergency Economic Powers Act of 1977 (‘IEEPA’) delegates these powers to the President in the form of authority to impose unlimited tariffs on goods from nearly every country in the world. The court does not read IEEPA to confer such unbounded authority and sets aside the challenged tariffs imposed thereunder,” it said. As a member of the House Democrats’ Rapid Response Litigation Task Force, I joined a brief arguing that Congress never handed over its Constitutional power to tax or regulate foreign commerce to the President. An appeals court later placed the ruling on hold.
Remembering Congressman Charles Rangel
Charlie Rangel passed on Monday at the age of 94. I had the honor of serving with Mr. Rangel, the Congressman from Harlem, for 10 years. A gentleman and a legislative giant, honored by the April 4th Foundation in Memphis with the I AM A MAN Award, we stood together on healthcare, drug reform, Cuba and much more. I was always proud to vote along with him and the Congressional Black Caucus he co-founded. He was one of the greats. May he rest in peace.
Again – take heed of Health and Human Services Secretary Robert Kennedy’s statement that you shouldn’t take his medical advice. Earlier this week, he announced that COVID vaccinations for children and pregnant women will no longer be the policy under the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) https://www.pbs.org/newshour/nation/kennedy-says-government-no-longer-recommends-covid-vaccines-for-healthy-children-and-pregnant-women. Last week, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) said that only adults over the age of 65 or those with one or more chronic conditions were recommended to receive the vaccine. By limiting its recommendations, people who do not meet the new guidelines but who want to receive a COVID vaccine may have to pay more out of pocket, as it is likely that their insurance will no longer cover them.
I am concerned about Secretary Kennedy acting unilaterally without relying on expert panels that have traditionally been instrumental in setting health policy in our country. I recommend talking with your personal health care provider(s) for the best medical advice during this Administration.
This is the late Houston Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee, Derek Jeter and me in Havana, Cuba, for the March 22, 2016, baseball game between the Tampa Bay Rays and the Cuban national team. Presidents Barack Obama and Raul Castro also attended the game which the Rays won 4-1.
“Mr. Trump may be the only person in the world still surprised by how Mr. Putin is behaving. The Russian is the same man he’s been for two decades, bent on reconstituting as much of the old Soviet empire as he can get away with. Ukraine is his obsession. He’s not going to modify his ambitions merely because Mr. Trump alternates between begging for peace and scolding outbursts on social media.... Mr. Trump’s naivete is helping Russia continue the killing as long as Mr. Putin wants.” – The Wall Street Journal editorial board in a Monday article entitled “Time for a GOP Senate Revolt on Sanctions Against Russia”
As always, I remain
Sincerely,
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Steve Cohen
Member of Congress