Introducing the FAIR Act

Dear Friend, 

After a busy week in Washington, I’m here with an update on my work on behalf of Memphis and Tennessee’s 9th Congressional District. 
 
This week, I reintroduced a bill to make Congressional redistricting independent and fair, and I encouraged Governor Lee to postpone TCAP testing for students in Tipton County. I also met with students from Middle College High School, condemned the cruel and unusual 25-year sentence for Russian journalist and politician Vladimir Kara-Murza, proposed new ways to expand our aviation workforce, and was reappointed as Ranking Member to the Helsinki Commission. Read on for more updates, and thanks as always for starting your weekend here with me.

Introducing the FAIR Act on Redistricting 

We see the consequences of partisan gerrymandering every day—politicians picking their voters, not voters choosing who will represent them. That kind of politicized redistricting process erodes democracy. That’s why, on Monday, I re-introduced the John Tanner and Jim Cooper Fairness and Independence in Redistrict (FAIR) Act—a bill that would take a big step towards making redistricting fair and our elected officials more accountable to the people. I’m proud to lead the charge on this legislation and to associate my friends and former colleagues John Tanner and Jim Cooper with the effort. See below for more information on the bill, and click here to read my full release.

It was just last year that Jim Cooper retired after his Nashville-based district was gerrymandered into three largely rural districts, depriving our state’s capital city of a truly representative voice in Washington. For more on that story, click here.

Requesting Postponement of TCAP Testing in Tipton County Areas Affected by Recent Storms 

In the aftermath of the EF3 tornado that ravaged Covington, I’m urging Governor Lee to waive Tennessee Comprehensive Assessment Program (TCAP) testing for impacted students. Schools like Crestview Middle and Elementary have been rendered unusable, approximately 1,200 students have been impacted — many of whom also suffered damage to their homes — and they deserve a chance to heal and regroup before taking on the pressures of the TCAP test, which come with real stakes for these kids.

We secured federal disaster assistance to help Covington and other areas of Tipton County begin the rebuilding process, but it’s going to take several weeks before temporary structures for education are ready for use. Governor Lee has the authority right now to waive TCAP testing for these students, and he should exercise it. It would provide a small but much needed dose of relief to these students and their parents. To read the full letter I sent to Governor Lee, click here.

Meeting Middle College Students at the Capitol Steps

On Wednesday, I welcomed 45 students from  Middle College High School to the U.S. Capitol as part of their Close-Up trip to Washington. These are some really impressive young people, and I had a great time answering and talking through their questions on public policy—we covered a lot of ground, from climate change to voting rights and more.

Thank you to all 45 of these bright students for their great questions and conversation, and a big thank you to the teachers and parents who helped make their trip possible.

Condemning the Harsh Sentence for Russian Patriot Vladimir Kara-Murza 

Vladimir Kara-Murza is a Russian hero. His courage has been repeatedly demonstrated in his condemnation of Putin’s widespread corruption and the illegal war in Ukraine, often as a columnist for The Washington Post. When he returned last year to Moscow from the United States, where his wife and children are citizens, he was arrested on sham charges. This week, he was sentenced to 25 years in prison. I met with his wife Evgenia Kara-Murza on Tuesday morning, and we discussed his case.

I’m working in Congress to rally support for Vladimir’s release from this Stalinesque prison sentence, and I’m urging the U.S. State Department to officially classify him as “wrongfully detained”, which would unlock other resources to help press for his release. I’ll continue to advocate strongly for his release, but this is yet another reminder of the real battle between democracy and autocracy that our world is facing right now.

Working to Expand America’s Aviation Workforce

Memphis has come roaring back from COVID—our logistics and supply chain sector is booming, we set a regional record in jobs growth last year, and we’ve got the #1 busiest cargo airport on the continent. With tourism going strong and all sorts of new businesses moving their products to market through Memphis, growing our qualified aviation workforce is key to keeping our momentum going. I’m proud to serve as Ranking Member on the House Aviation Subcommittee, and on Wednesday we held a hearing to start working through challenges and plotting the path forward on this exact issue. Click below to watch some of my remarks.

Growing our qualified aviation workforce is a major focus of mine. One of the best ways we can do that is to expand workforce development and training opportunities to all the untapped talent we have in our region. Right now, Black Americans constitute only 3.4% of professional pilots, 5.6% of airport management positions, and 9.5% of air traffic controllers. Expanding our federally funded workforce development pipelines to reach students in our region’s high schools, community colleges, and HBCUs is a smart way to help shore up America’s aviation workforce, and it’s one of my top priorities.

Being Reappointed to the Helsinki Commission

This week, I was reappointed to the U.S. Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe, also known as the Helsinki Commission, and will serve as its Ranking Member. I will also continue to serve as the Special Representative on Political Prisoners after receiving that appointment from the President of the Organization on Security and Cooperation in Europe’s Parliamentary Assembly (OSCE PA). 
 
From Brittney Griner, to Alexei Navalny, to Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich, to the jailing of Vladimir Kara-Murza earlier this week, there is unfortunately a great need right now for this sort of diplomatic and humanitarian work. I am proud to dedicate myself to it.

Commemorating Holocaust Remembrance Day – Yom HaShoah 

On Monday evening, I commemorated Yom HaShoah — Holocaust Remembrance Day. To read my full statement, click here.

Weekly Health Tip

This week, the Food and Drug Administration updated their COVID-19 bivalent vaccine guidance and authorized immunocompromised individuals and individuals 65 years of age and older who have received a single dose of a bivalent vaccine to receive one additional dose at least four months following their initial bivalent dose. See the FDA announcement and additional guidance here.

Quote of the Week

“Not only do I not repent of any of this, I am proud of it. […] I subscribe to every word that I have spoken and every word of which I have been accused by this court. I blame myself for only one thing: that over the years of my political activity I have not managed to convince enough of my compatriots and enough politicians in the democratic countries of the danger that the current regime in the Kremlin poses for Russia and for the world. Today this is obvious to everyone, but at a terrible price  — the price of war.”—Vladimir Kara-Murza, in his final courageous statement before a Russian tribunal that he knew was preparing to sentence him to 25 years in a maximum-security prison

Thanks again for taking some time to read my eNewsletter. Remember, if there’s anything my staff and I can assist with, feel free to call our Memphis Office at (901) 544-4131, and you can reach our Washington, DC office at (202) 225-3265. For more updates on my work as it happens, click below to follow me on social media.


As always, I remain,
Most sincerely,

Steve Cohen
Member of Congress

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