Getting Back to Business after Speaker Vacancy Fiasco
Dear Friend, This week, after three of their nominees could not gather the necessary votes, House Republicans settled for a fourth choice for Speaker of the House -- Mike Johnson of Louisiana -- and finally reopened the House floor for business. The House’s first act was to pass a resolution I cosponsored standing with Israel in the war against Hamas. I also questioned expert witnesses in a Helsinki Commission hearing on political prisoners, congratulated Rhodes College President Jennifer Collins on her inauguration, announced $68.1 million in low-income home energy assistance funding, and offered a health tip tied to daily news coverage. Keep reading and follow me on Twitter (X), Facebook, and Instagram to see what I am doing as it happens. Getting Back to Business after House Speaker Vacancy Fiasco Standing with Israel as it Defends Itself Against Terrorists Drawing Attention to Wrongfully Detained Political Prisoners and Hostages Congratulating Rhodes College President at Her Inauguration Announcing $68.1 Million in Low-Income Energy Assistance Getting Back to Business after House Speaker Vacancy Fiasco After three weeks of inaction, the House is back to business after the dysfunctional House Republicans finally got behind right-wing ideologue Mike Johnson as Speaker of the House. We have a full agenda of aid to Israel, aid to Ukraine, and spending bills ahead of a November 17 deadline. See my statement on the new Speaker here. Standing with Israel as it Defends Itself Against Terrorists Once floor votes resumed, the first bill taken up by the House was a resolution I cosponsored standing with Israel as it defends itself in the war against Hamas and other terrorists. See my release on the measure’s overwhelming passage here. Drawing Attention to Wrongfully Detained Political Prisoners and Hostages The Helsinki Commission on which I serve as the House Ranking Member held a hearing Wednesday on the plight of political prisoners and hostages in Gaza. As the appointed Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe Parliamentary Assembly’s Special Representative on Political Prisoners, it is my duty to call attention to the many cases of wrongfully detained prisoners like my friend and Putin critic Vladimir Kara-Murza, who is wrongfully imprisoned in Russia. See my release on the hearing here. Congratulating Rhodes College President at Her Inauguration Photo courtesy of Rhodes College On Saturday, I attended the inauguration of Jennifer Collins as the 21st President of Rhodes College. The inauguration coincided with the prestigious college’s 175th anniversary. Collins, a former federal prosecutor and law professor, brings an impressive resume to the presidency which she began in July 2022. It was nice to be in a crowd that could pick its leader on the first ballot. I wish her all the best. Announcing $68.1 Million in Low-Income Energy Assistance On Tuesday, I announced that the Low-Income Energy Assistance Program will invest $68.1 million in Tennessee, funding supplemented by $1.7 million from the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act that I alone in the current Tennessee Congressional delegation supported. See my release here. Many people may be feeling extra stress, especially due to the news and images from Israel, Palestine, and Lewiston, Maine. October is Depression Awareness Month and resources are available at https://www.cdc.gov/reproductivehealth/depression/resources.htm. If you are having thoughts of self-harm, the 988 Lifeline provides free and confidential support and is available 24/7. Just dial 9-8-8. “Earth is a paradise and we must protect it.” – Amazon founder Jeff Bezos in remarks after receiving the Good Steward Award from the International Conservation Caucus Foundation Tuesday night. “He is unquestionably mentally unstable, and he is racist, bigoted, misogynistic, xenophobic, vulgar and prone to violence. There is simply no rational argument that could lead me to vote for someone with those characteristics.” – Mitt Romney describing Donald Trump in an email message to Chris Christie, quoted in the new biography Romney: A Reckoning by McKay Coppins, released Tuesday. As always, I remain. Steve Cohen |