Seeking Replacement of the I-55 Bridge
Dear Friend, This week, I met with Administrator Shailen Bhatt of the Federal Highway Administration in Memphis to talk about the need to replace the I-55 Bridge over the Mississippi River and my concerns that it would be vulnerable to serious damage in an earthquake. In Washington, I voted to modernize the Federal Aviation Administration over the next five years with a bill containing many provisions I authored, condemned baseless Republican efforts to hold Attorney General Merrick Garland in contempt of Congress, spoke against the largely right-wing sources of antisemitism, introduced legislation to study a potential new National Scenic Trail in Tennessee, announced federal grants to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital and the University of Memphis, and offered a health tip about youth mental health. Keep reading and follow me on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram to see what I am doing as it happens. Seeking Replacement of the I-55 Bridge Voting for a Five-Year FAA Reauthorization Condemning Effort to Hold Attorney General Garland in Contempt Introducing the Benton MacKaye Scenic Trail Feasibility Study Act Announcing Aging Grant to St. Jude Reporting National Science Foundation Grant to the University of Memphis Seeking Replacement of the I-55 Bridge Administrator Shailen Bhatt, Commissioner Butch Eley, Mayor Paul Young, Congressman Cohen and Mayor Lee Harris On Monday, I welcomed Administrator Shailen Bhatt of the Federal Highway Administration to Memphis, where I made the case that the Mid-South needs the Interstate 55 Bridge over the Mississippi River replaced. Both the Tennessee and Arkansas Departments of Transportation have sought funding for a new bridge. Mr. Bhatt toured the bridge and then appeared before the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee on Wednesday, where I asked him about the I-55 bridge’s location within the New Madrid Fault Seismic Zone. See my release and our exchange here. Coincidentally, on Thursday morning, the Memphis region was shaken by a 3.8 magnitude earthquake. Voting for a Five-Year FAA Reauthorization As the Ranking Member of the Aviation Subcommittee, I was pleased to vote for the overwhelmingly bipartisan Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) reauthorization bill. The five-year measure contains several safety and consumer protection provisions I authored and will update and modernize all aspects of flying in America, including diversifying the aviation workforce. See my release, including my floor speech, on the vote here. Condemning Effort to Hold Attorney General Garland in Contempt The Judiciary Committee entertained a meritless contempt citation against Attorney General Merrick Garland on Thursday. I took the opportunity to point out the majority’s shamelessness for trying to hold the Attorney General in contempt for not providing the audio version of an interview for which they have the certified transcript. See my release on the contempt hearing here. On Wednesday, the Judiciary Committee held a hearing on antisemitism on college campuses, and I spoke about the threat posed by right-wing groups spewing hatred against Jewish people. See my remarks here. Introducing the Benton MacKaye Scenic Trail Feasibility Study Act On Thursday, I introduced the Benton MacKaye Scenic Trail Feasibility Study Act, which would authorize a feasibility study to designate a trail linking parts of Tennessee, North Carolina and Georgia as a National Scenic Trail. Senator Raphael Warnock of Georgia introduced a companion bill in the Senate. See my release here. Announcing Aging Grant to St. Jude On Tuesday, I announced that the National Institute on Aging will make a grant of $455,000 to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. See my release here. Reporting National Science Foundation Grant to the University of Memphis On Monday, I announced that the University of Memphis Center for Electrified and Automated Trucking will receive a grant of $750,000 grant from the National Science Foundation. See that release here. Earlier this month, the Department of Labor (DOL) launched an interactive webpage (www.dol.gov/youthmentalhealth) with concrete actions that communities can take to support the mental health and well-being of young people. We know that the workforce system is an important partner in supporting the mental health of young people and that good jobs are a critical component of well-being and security. DOL is committed to equipping the workforce system with resources and connections to ensure that youth employment programs are a bridge to the wellness services young people need. Everyone is welcome to share their #YouthMentalHealth story on the webpage by June 15. “They say I was born too soon. I say the doors were opened too late.” – Negro League Baseball player Cool Papa Bell (1903-1991), born on this day. As always, I remain. Steve Cohen |