Deploying the National Guard Will Not Solve Memphis' Endemic Problems
Dear Friend,
This morning, I addressed the deployment of the National Guard in Memphis at a previously scheduled press conference at Memphis International Airport, saying the short-term presence of the Guard won’t solve Memphis’ endemic problems but that permanent investment in public safety will. The press conference was originally set so that airport President and CEO Terry Blue and I could showcase the $50.6 million in grants the airport received in August for ongoing upgrades and improvements. In Washington this week, I sought clarity about Trump Administration policies targeting non-violent and hard-working migrants, condemned political violence, reintroduced the Reducing Obesity in Youth Act, expressed disappointment at the closure of the Minority Business Development Center, introduced a measure to repeal SNAP restrictions for people with prior felony drug convictions, talked with former Israeli hostages and their families, asked about the impact of America’s soft power programs on the Republic of Georgia, invited talented middle and high school students to register for the Congressional App Challenge, and offered a Doonesbury cartoon, a Friday Flashback, and a health tip. Keep reading and follow me on Bluesky, Facebook, and Instagram to see what I am doing as it happens.
Deploying the National Guard Will Not Solve Memphis’ Endemic Problems
Investing in the Future of Memphis International Airport
Seeking Clarity on Immigration Enforcement Policy
Reintroducing the Reducing Obesity in Youth Act
Expressing Disappointment at Closure of Minority Business Development Center
Sympathizing with Israeli Hostages and Their Families
Measuring the Impact of American Soft Power in Georgia
Inviting Students to Participate in Congressional App Challenge
Deploying the National Guard Will Not Solve Memphis’ Endemic Problems
Now that President Trump and Governor Lee have decided to deploy National Guard troops to Memphis, I support Mayor Paul Young’s commitment to making use of them in a way that is secondary to and supportive of the police and does not interfere with their patrol activities. I released a statement shortly after the president announced the deployment saying that Memphis is not a “deeply troubled” city, as the President said. Rather, Memphis is confronting endemic concerns, including crime, that are the result of centuries of racial discrimination and poverty. The Elon Musk budget cuts that recently caused the closure of the Minority Business Development Center that I brought to Memphis 13 years ago to spur job growth doesn’t help. These problems can’t and won’t be solved by the short-term deployment of the Guard. What is needed is consistent, long-term federal investment in public safety and social safety net programs. See my statement here.
Investing in the Future of Memphis International Airport
At my press conference with Memphis International Airport President and CEO Terry Blue, we showcased the $50.6 million in federal grants the airport received in August and noted its ongoing revitalization. The airport is a regionally significant economic engine, and investments in it are multiplied by increased capacity and efficiencies. As the former Ranking Member of the House Aviation Subcommittee, I am proud to help direct federal resources to MEM. Some of this funding came from Community Projects that both Congressman David Kustoff and I sought but most came from the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) during the Biden Administration that I was the only member of the Tennessee Congressional delegation to vote for.
Seeking Clarity on Immigration Enforcement Policy
On Tuesday, I wrote a third letter to Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem seeking clarity on Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s policies and priorities. She and Trump claim to be deporting “the worst of the worst,” but reports indicate only 8 percent of those detained have violent backgrounds. I returned to Washington after the August recess to discover that the longtime and industrious Guatemalan maintenance man in my building, with American citizen children, had been followed to work by ICE and arrested. (See what we’re losing in the Doonesbury cartoon below.) This should not be happening in America.
I didn’t like what Charlie Kirk stood for, just as I don’t support much of what Donald Trump is doing, but I strongly condemn violent attacks on political opponents and fear what these incidents could foretell. Kirk’s death leaves his family without a husband and father. I encourage vigorous debate over our policy differences, which strengthens our democracy, but violence has no place in politics.
Reintroducing the Reducing Obesity in Youth Act
On Tuesday, Senator Cory Booker of New Jersey and I reintroduced the Reducing Obesity in Youth Act to help incentivize healthy dietary and physical activity habits in children. Obesity is a big problem, particularly in places, like Memphis, where the obesity rate is above the national average. See our release on the legislation here.
Expressing Disappointment at Closure of Minority Business Development Center
Last Friday, September 5, I released a statement expressing my disappointment that the Minority Business Development Center, which I helped bring to Memphis 13 years ago, was closing its doors after Trump’s Commerce Department cut off its funding. See that statement here.
Also Tuesday, I reintroduced the Re-Entry Support Through Opportunities for Resources and Essentials (RESTORE) Act, to repeal the ban on SNAP benefits for drug offenders and allow them to apply to the program before their release dates. See my release here.
Sympathizing with Families of Israeli Hostages
On Wednesday, I participated in a roundtable discussion with Ilay David, brother of Israeli hostage Evyatar David, being held by Hamas in Gaza; released hostage Raz Ben-Ami; and Daniel Neutra, brother of deceased hostage Omer Neutra, as they seek a ceasefire in Gaza and the release of remaining hostages. Asked what message they would send to Prime Minister Bejamin Netanyahu from America, one said: “How long can we wait?”
Measuring the Impact of American Soft Power in Georgia
As the top House Democrat on the Helsinki Commission, I questioned experts, including the fifth president of Georgia, Salomé Zourabichvili, about the important role American-supported programs like Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty and the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), now dismantled by Trump, once played in strengthening Georgia’s democracy and economy. They said the loss of those programs has definitely hurt Georgia’s efforts to remain free of Russian, Chinese, North Korean and Iranian influence and control. See my opening statement and questions to hearing witnesses here.
Inviting Students to Participate in Congressional App Challenge
Registration for the prestigious Congressional App Challenge is now under way with an October 30 at 11 a.m. Central Time deadline. The computer science coding competition for middle and high school students has grown exponentially since its inception in 2013. Students living in or going to school in Tennessee’s 9th Congressional District are eligible and can use any platform or programming language. Winners will be invited to the U.S. Capitol to demonstrate their projects in Spring 2026. See details and register here.
This is me with California Congresswoman Maxine Waters and business executive Calvin Anderson, owner of The Tri-State Defender, at the Democratic National Convention in Charlotte, North Carolina, in 2012.
September 7-13 is National Suicide Prevention Week. If you or someone you know is struggling with mental health, please consider using the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline, available 24/7 online and via phone or text.
I have consistently supported robust federal funding for mental health programs, but the bill that Republicans passed out of the House Appropriations Committee this week cuts the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) by nearly $300 million. This short-sighted decision could be reversed with enough public disapproval.
Remarks of former U.S. Attorney and current Judge Kevin Ritz of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit at his investiture ceremony last Friday, September 5, at The Peabody:
“My final thank-you is not to a person. It’s to this city. Memphis. I love this city. It’s the place that made me who I am.
Lots of people have opinions on Memphis. We Memphians certainly have our own opinions. Sometimes folks from out of town are eager to tell us what they think. As we say, bless their hearts.
All I can say is the Memphis I know has so many wonderful things that have meant so much to me. So many great memories.
When I think of Memphis, I think of:
Field trips to Mud Island.
The East End Skating Rink.
Libertyland.
The Mid-South Fair.
The Cooper-Young Festival.
The Bluff City Classic.
Overton Park and Shelby Farms.
The Civil Rights Museum and the Pink Palace.
For me, Memphis is all those things. It’s also the musical education I received growing up here. Sam and Dave. Big Star. Al Green. The Reigning Sound. Stax, Sun, Royal, and Goner. Live music like R.E.M. on the Green Tour at the Mid-South Coliseum. The Replacements at the New Daisy. James Brown at the Beale Street Music Festival. And – 25 years ago – the E Street Band at the Pyramid. Yes, that’s the same Pyramid that is now a Bass Pro Shop.
Memphis is also food. Pronto Pups, Soulburgers, Gus’s chicken. The sea bass at Tsunami and the meatballs at Bari. The BBQ baloney sandwich, with radioactive slaw, at Payne’s.
Memphis is the P & H, the Deli, Wild Bill’s. The Hi-tone, where Anna and I had both our first date and our wedding reception.
Memphis is our high school senior prom - held right here, on this floor of this hotel, in the next room.
Memphis is Grizzlies playoff games and late Friday afternoons at BBQ Fest.
And it’s the night those two things converged - Game 6 of the 2011 Western Conference semifinals. When Zach Randolph put up 30 and 13, and then we all went back to BBQ Fest and high-fived each other.
I could go on. But ultimately, what makes Memphis special to me is the people here. We like to say we have grit, and that’s certainly true. But the people here are also warm and hilarious and smart and generous. So many of these people, our good friends, are here today.
There’s a song that’s been going around in my head recently. It’s by, well, one of my favorite musicians. It’s called Long Walk Home. In the last verse a father says to his son:
‘We’re lucky in this town
It’s a beautiful place to be born
It just wraps its arms around you
Nobody crowds you, nobody goes it alone.
You know that flag flying over the courthouse
Means certain things are set in stone
Who we are, what we’ll do and what we won’t.’
That resonates with me for many reasons. The part about the courthouse speaks for itself, I guess.
But the part about having a community that wraps its arms around you, where no one goes it alone. That’s what I’ve always treasured about Memphis. People talk about the heartland. For me, Memphis is the heartland. The best of Memphis is the best of America. I’m so grateful for what Memphis has given me, and I’m so proud to be from here.
So thank you to Memphis, thank you to my colleagues, friends, and family, and thank you to all of you for being here today.”
As always, I remain
Sincerely,
|
Steve Cohen
Member of Congress