Representing the U.S. at OSCE Parliamentary Assembly in Vancouver
July 7, 2023 |
Dear Friend, This week, after attending the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe Parliamentary Assembly 30th Annual Session in Vancouver, Canada, as a voting member, I returned to Memphis. While in Vancouver, I released a report to the Parliamentarians as the appointed OSCE PA’s Special Representative on Political Prisoners. The Vancouver meetings were the culmination of a bipartisan, bicameral Congressional fact-finding mission to the Arctic. This week I also called attention to the millions of dollars the American Rescue Plan showered on Memphis’ shuttered entertainment venues and restaurants during the pandemic’s assault on the local economy; announced a half-million dollar grant to the University of Tennessee Health Science Center (UTHSC) for brain tumor research; met with local constituents to discuss quality and affordable child care; and noted the cap now in place to make insulin prices affordable for Medicare recipients with diabetes as this week’s health tip. Keep reading and follow me on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram (and soon on Threads) to see what I am doing as it happens. Representing the U.S. at OSCE Parliamentary Assembly in Vancouver Delivering Update as Special Representative on Political Prisoners Calling Attention to American Rescue Plan’s Impact on Memphis Entertainment Venues and Restaurants Announcing a $504,020 Brain Cancer Research Grant to UTHSC Discussing Quality Child Care with Constituents Representing the U.S. at OSCE Parliamentary Assembly in Vancouver From last Friday through Monday, July 3rd, I represented the United States as the House Ranking Member of the Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe at the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe Parliamentary Assembly (OSCE PA) 30th Annual Session in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. The OSCE PA sessions were dominated by discussions of the war in Ukraine, migration and immigration issues, human trafficking and human rights. The OSCE PA Annual Session is a gathering of representatives of 57 nations seeking to cooperate and coordinate international responses to major security issues, and I was proud to speak on behalf of the American people with major world leaders on this international stage. Delivering Update as Special Representative on Political Prisoners Last July, OSCE Parliamentary Assembly President Margareta Cederfelt of Sweden named me its Special Representative on Political Prisoners. While in Vancouver on Monday, I delivered my first comprehensive report on my activities involving close to 90 cases following an event I hosted last October in Warsaw, Poland. I discussed my weekly social media reports on individual cases and my meetings with the families and supporters of those wrongly detained. I also made a series of recommendations, including urging OSCE-region parliaments to adopt national resolutions designating October 30 as an annual “Day of Political Prisoners,” and to work more closely with special rapporteurs on political prisoners at the United Nations and the Council of Europe. See my report to the assembly here. The Space Force Base at Pituffik, Greenland; Congressman Cohen with Air Force Technical Sgt. Tandrea Wilson of La Vergne, Tennessee; Senators Ben Cardin of Maryland and Dan Sullivan of Alaska Airman First Class Jess Wettlaufer of Clarksville, Tennessee, Congressman Cohen and Senior Airman Gabriel Porter of Maryville, Tennessee, at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson This trip has highlighted for me how important the Arctic is to our defense both from Russia and China. We are not only close to Russia at the Bering Strait between the northern Pacific Ocean and Arctic Ocean but also over the Arctic bowl of the North Pole. Calling Attention to American Rescue Plan’s Impact on Memphis Entertainment Venues and Restaurants I was pleased to vote for the American Rescue Plan in 2021 and continue to tout on social media the good it has done for Tennessee’s 9th Congressional District. Live entertainment venues in Memphis have received $88.6 million and 240 Memphis restaurants received $34,375,000 to maintain payrolls and save jobs during the pandemic. See my graphic illustrations of the impact below: Announcing a $504,020 Brain Cancer Research Grant to UTHSC On Wednesday, I announced that the University of Tennessee Health Science Center (UTHSC) will receive a $504,020 grant from the National Cancer Institute for brain tumor research. See my release on the award here. Discussing Quality Child Care with Constituents Before I traveled overseas, I met in my Washington office with Mariah and Jaylon Johnson and their daughter Jayde to discuss policies that help kids and young families, gain access to quality child care and child tax credits. Access to high quality child care is one of the top concerns for families in Memphis. That’s why I am a cosponsor of the Child Care for Working Families Act. I am glad we have families like the Johnsons advocating and spreading the word. Thanks to the Inflation Reduction Act that I supported, as of last Saturday, July 1, if you use an insulin pump that’s covered under Medicare Part B’s durable medical equipment benefit, or you get your covered insulin through a Medicare Advantage Plan, your insulin costs will be capped at $35 for a one-month supply. The Part B deductible won’t apply. If you have Part B and Medicare Supplement Insurance (Medigap) that pays your Part B coinsurance, your Medigap plan should cover the $35 (or less) cost for insulin. Visit Medicare.gov/coverage/insulin or Medicare.gov/about-us/inflation-reduction-act to learn more. If you need to talk with someone about Medicare’s coverage and your costs for insulin, call 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227). TTY users can call 1-877-486-2048. “You know, as we remember the extraordinary country this is, I hope we all rededicate ourselves to the essential work of our democracy, which is to unify this nation, to see each other not as adversaries but as fellow Americans.” – President Biden's July 4 remarks to military families from the South Lawn on Tuesday As always, I remain. Steve Cohen |