Calling for a Billionaire Income Tax
Dear Friend,
This week I introduced legislation and spoke from the House floor on the need to tax billionaires just days after Pope Leo blamed income inequality for social polarization. I also questioned FBI Director Kash Patel about his agency’s help working with local law enforcement in Memphis and why the temporary deployment of the National Guard is unlikely to have much effect. I introduced the Safe Streets for All Reauthorization and Improvement Act, met Memphians in my Washington office, called for independent commissions to undertake congressional redistricting, met with Pulitzer Prize winning journalist and released Russian political prisoner Vladimir Kara-Murza, denounced the network television purge of comedians critical of Trump, reintroduced the Equal Employment for All Act, introduced the Aviation Funding Stability Act, announced more than $3.4 million in National Institutes of Health (NIH) grants to the University of Tennessee Health Science Center (UTHSC), welcomed Eastern Orthodox Archbishop Bartholomew to the U.S. Capitol, urged the Environmental Protection Agency administrator to take the human health effects of climate change seriously, 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.
Calling for a Billionaire Income Tax
Questioning FBI Director Kash Patel about Operation Viper and a National Guard Deployment to Memphis
Introducing Safe Streets for All Act
Meeting with the Memphis Constituent Groups
Calling for Independent Congressional Redistricting
Meeting with Russian Dissident Journalist Vladimir Kara-Murza
Denouncing Apparent Censoring of Trump Critics
Reintroducing the Equal Employment for All Act
Introducing the Aviation Funding Stability Act
Announcing $3.4 Million in NIH Grants to UTHSC
Meeting with Eastern Orthodox Archbishop Bartholomew
Urging the EPA to Maintain its Endangerment Finding on Air Pollution
Calling for a Billionaire Income Tax
On Wednesday, I introduced the Billionaire Income Tax Act with my friend Congressman Don Beyer of Virginia and Senator Ron Wyden of Oregon. We held a well-attended press conference in the Senate Finance Committee Room to explain how the measure would tax income from assets that, under current law, are not taxed until sold, while income from wages and salaries is taxed each paycheck. Later Wednesday, I spoke about the measure and about recent statements by Pope Leo on his concerns about income inequality from the House floor. I also entered a statement in the Congressional Record quoting Pope Leo’s remarks. See that here.
Questioning FBI Director Kash Patel about Operation Viper and the National Guard in Memphis
FBI Director Kash Patel testified at a Judiciary Committee oversight hearing on Wednesday, and I took the opportunity to commend Operation Viper, the FBI initiative that works with local law enforcement in Memphis, to reduce crime. I also said the temporary deployment of the National Guard, which doesn’t have law enforcement training, was unlikely to make our community safer but will affect tourism, restaurant, construction and other industries. See a release with my exchange with Director Patel here.
Introducing Safe Streets for All Act
On Thursday, I introduced the Safe Streets for All (SS4A) Reauthorization and Improvement Act with Congressmen Brian Fitzpatrick of Pennsylvania and Robert Garcia of California. The legislation aims to reduce traffic accidents by supporting projects protecting pedestrians, cyclists, scooter-riders, motorists and transit riders. This is an important and successful program from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, and I am working to ensure it continues. See details about the measure here.
Meeting with Memphis Constituent Groups
This week, I met with several constituent groups including members of the Greater Memphis Chamber of Commerce, University of Memphis President Bill Hardgrave and officials with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers – Memphis District, Head Start, the Port of Memphis and the Auto Care Association, including AutoZone, in my Washington office to discuss their legislative priorities. These meetings are helpful in shaping my approach to voting, and I always welcome the opportunity to talk with constituents from Tennessee’s 9th Congressional District to my Washington office.
Calling for Independent Congressional Redistricting
On Wednesday, I introduced the John Tanner and Jim Cooper Fairness and Independence in Redistricting (FAIR) Act to require states to remove politics from their congressional apportionment practices and establish independent redistricting commissions. The measure is named for two former Tennessee congressmen who championed an end to partisan gerrymandering. Read about the measure here.
Meeting with Russian Dissident Journalist Vladimir Kara-Murza
On Thursday, the Russian political dissident, journalist and recently released political prisoner Vladimir Kara-Murza and his wife Evgenia visited my Washington office to talk about the war in Ukraine, Russian President Vladimir Putin’s corruption and the plight of Russian political prisoners. Kara-Murza, who won the Pulitzer Prize in 2024 while in prison, was released in a prisoner exchange last year. He is a true hero. As the Special Representative on Political Prisoners for the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe’s Parliamentary Assembly, I discouraged Vladimir’s return to Russia in 2022 and worked diligently to keep his illegal detention in the headlines until he was released.
Denouncing Apparent Censoring of Trump Critics
ABC yanked late night host Jimmy Kimmel off the air on Wednesday citing some innocuous comments he made about the MAGA movement and its reaction to the assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk. This follows CBS’s decision to cancel late night host Stephen Colbert in a transparent attempt to muzzle any criticism of Trump and his administration. These decisions, made while each broadcaster’s ownership companies are awaiting government approvals for multi-billion-dollar mergers, smack of government censorship in an age of fear and must be loudly and passionately condemned. As a democracy, we have a long tradition of criticizing public and elected officials, and the First Amendment guarantees that free speech. I spoke about this issue on the floor Thursday night which you can see here, and I cosponsored a resolution to condemn these attacks on free speech.
Reintroducing the Equal Employment for All Act
Credit scores should not be used in making hiring or firing decisions. On Monday, Senator Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts and I reintroduced the Equal Employment for All Act to prohibit this practice. Read about it here.
Introducing the Aviation Funding Stability Act
With another Republican-caused government shutdown looming, I have introduced the Aviation Funding Stability Act with Congressman Andre Carson of Indiana. The measure would allow the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to keep all of its programs running and all of its employees working by drawing from its Airports and Airways Trust Fund during any lapse in typical government appropriations. The current temporary budget agreement ends September 30. See my release on the measure here.
Announcing $3.4 Million in NIH Grants to UTHSC
On Monday, I announced two National Institutes of Health (NIH) grants to the University of Tennessee Health Science Center (UTHSC) totaling $3,409,508. Read about them here and here.
Meeting with Eastern Orthodox Archbishop Bartholomew
Also Wednesday, I welcomed Archbishop Bartholomew of Constantinople, the leader of Eastern Orthodox Christians, at a luncheon hosted by House Speaker Mike Johnson. Bartholomew is making an official apostolic visit to the United States, where he will receive the prestigious Templeton Prize given to those who use their influence to explore deep questions about the universe and mankind’s purpose. Previous winners have been the Dalai Lama and Mother Teresa of Calcutta. Archbishop Bartholomew’s longtime effort to promote coexistence with all the world’s religions is an inspiration.
Urging the EPA to Maintain its Endangerment Finding on Air Pollution
On Monday, I wrote to Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Lee Zeldin seeking a reversal of a proposal to rescind the agency's 2009 Endangerment Finding which acknowledges that climate change has an impact on human health and safety. The Trump Administration is beholden to the fossil fuels industry. Denying climate change doesn’t change what everyone can see.
This is me with Willie Nelson on November 18, 2015, when he was awarded the Library of Congress Gershwin Prize for Popular Song. Nelson was a co-founder of Farm Aid (with Neil Young and John Mellencamp) that has staged annual benefit concerts for rural family farmers. Its 40th anniversary concert is Saturday in Minneapolis.
A Bill Day Cartoon – “Free Speech”
The Shelby County Health Department (SCHD) is investigating an outbreak of hand, foot and mouth disease in Memphis and Shelby County Schools. The illness is common in day care centers and elementary schools. The highly contagious virus causes fever and red spots or blisters, and lethargy. Parents are being encouraged to monitor their children for symptoms and keep their children home from school if they are symptomatic. See guidance from SCHD here.
“One (cause of polarization) which I think is very significant is the continuously wider gap between the income levels of the working class and the money that the wealthiest receive.” -- Pope Leo XIV in an excerpt of an interview released Sunday
For all those who observe it, I wish everyone a good Rosh Hashanah.
As always, I remain…
Sincerely,
|
Steve Cohen
Member of Congress