Hosting Hundreds at My Town Hall Meeting
March 21, 2025 |
Dear Friend, On Tuesday evening, I held a very successful town hall meeting attended by more than 750 at the Mississippi Boulevard Christian Church and heard from my constituents about the chaos Presidents Trump and Musk are causing. This week, I introduced a bill to prohibit arms sales or information sharing with Russia and expressed my dissatisfaction with the U.S. withdrawal from an international investigation of Russia’s genocide in Ukraine, condemned Trump’s executive order closing the Department of Education, reintroduced my Cerebral Palsy Research Program bill, invited talented high school students to submit artwork for the annual Congressional Art Competition (deadline: April 22), 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. Hosting Hundreds at My Town Hall Meeting Introducing America First Equipment and Information Act Condemning Executive Order Closing the Department of Education Reintroducing Cerebral Palsy Research Program Authorization Act Inviting Submissions to Congressional Art Competition Hosting Hundreds at My Town Hall Meeting
On Tuesday night, I hosted more than 750 Ninth Congressional District residents at a town hall meeting at Mississippi Boulevard Christian Church, fielding questions about Trump-Musk actions from constituents. Many are worried about Trump’s wholesale decimation of the federal workforce and his call for the impeachment of judges defying his illegal actions. Many also anticipate dangerous slashes to the social safety net programs – like Medicaid, SNAP, Medicare and Social Security -- they rely on. I also discussed cuts to biomedical research that will affect work being done by St. Jude, the University of Tennessee Health Science Center, the University of Memphis, and others. I understand the outpouring of concern and dismay and I assured listeners that I will do all I can in Washington to slow or stop the chaotic agenda. I invited Max Richtman, President and CEO of the National Committee to Preserve Social Security and Medicare (NCPSSM), to address the crowd with his expertise on those programs. Others asked what they, as private citizens, can do. I told them to mobilize, join demonstrations, write posts in social media, write letters to the editor expressing your views and visit my Trump Administration Tracker webpage. All in all, it was a deeply moving and productive session. Introducing America First Equipment and Information Act On Tuesday, as the House Ranking Member of the Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe, also known as the Helsinki Commission, I introduced the America First Equipment and Information Act. The measure would prohibit arms sales, trades or loans of weapons to the Russian Federation and would ban intelligence and information sharing. See details of the legislation here. Expressing Dismay at U.S. Decision to Withdraw from Investigation of Russia’s Genocide in Ukraine and its Kidnapping of Children
On Thursday, I released a statement critical of the U.S. Department of Justice decision to withdraw from an international investigation of Russian atrocities and genocide in Ukraine. I also called for the Trump Administration to resume government funding for Yale University’s Humanitarian Research Lab (Yale HRL) which has been tracking the mass kidnapping of children from Ukraine. I said in part: “Once again, President Trump’s agenda is undermining our longtime European allies to the joy of the Kremlin.” – See the entire statement here. Condemning Executive Order Closing the Department of Education
On Thursday, Trump’s much-anticipated executive order chloroforming the U.S. Department of Education came down, potentially upending federal support for children with disabilities and poorer school systems, more often than not in minority communities. The Southern states resisted integration and President Carter understood that and the need for an Education Department to address it. Red states are still stuck in the early 20th century. Their main education issue is vouchers to subsidize the wealthy often for tuition for parochial schools. Musk has already begun a substantial downsizing of the department’s workforce and its programs will be distributed to other agencies in a further example of careless and unnecessary chaos. Only Congress can do away with the department and I am working with other Democrat Congressional colleagues to make sure that doesn’t happen. We are calling for immediate oversight hearings and demanding the administration reverse course before millions of students and borrowers suffer the consequences. I am also a cosponsor of the Department of Education Protection Act, which prohibits the use of appropriated funds to decentralize, reduce the staffing level of, or alter the responsibilities, structure, authority, or functionality of the Department of Education. Reintroducing Cerebral Palsy Research Program Authorization Act On Tuesday, I reintroduced the Cerebral Palsy Research Program Authorization Act to create a research program to investigate prevention, diagnosis, treatment and the societal costs of cerebral palsy, the most prevalent life-long motor impairment. Although cerebral palsy affects one out of every 345 children, it is the most prevalent disability that has no designated federal funding for research. See my release on the measure here. Inviting Submissions to Congressional Art Competition
Again this year, I am soliciting artwork from 9th Congressional District high school students for the Congressional Art Competition. It’s an opportunity to recognize and encourage artistic talent across the country. Winners will have their works hung in the U.S. Capitol for a year. The deadline is Tuesday, April 22, at noon. See rules and details here. If you have further questions, contact my District office at (901) 544-4131.
This is me in 1970 with LSU star “Pistol Pete” Maravich at Memorial Gymnasium when I served as Mr. Commodore at Vanderbilt. A Bill Day Cartoon -- “Make America Stupid”
My office has been receiving calls and letters concerning Delta-8-Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), a psychoactive compound derived from hemp, a chemical featured in products often sold at convenience stores that has not been approved for use by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Studies show that up to 14 percent of teenagers in the South have used the substance despite a state law limiting sales to those over 21. Some have died or been permanently injured from overdoses. I call this to parents’ attention in the hope their vigilance will prevent more grief. See cannabis guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) here.
“On Saturday Mr. Trump ordered the termination of grants for Radio Free Asia and Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty. Voice of America, the Office of Cuba Broadcasting (Radio and Television Marti), the Open Technology Fund and the Middle East Broadcasting Networks are also being dismantled. This is a retreat in the global war of ideas...Mr. Trump understands the leverage of hard military power, but he has no interest in soft power or the war of ideas. It’s a blind spot that will be filled by the propaganda of our adversaries.” – Wall Street Journal editorial “Trump shuts down networks that help evade dictatorship firewalls” on Wednesday As always, I remain. Steve Cohen |
