Urging Governor Lee to Seek Disaster Assistance for Shelby County
Dear Friend,
This week, as our region began recovering from the devastating storm last Saturday that brought down trees and powerlines over a broad area and resulted in the loss of power for more than one hundred thousand households, I wrote to Governor Bill Lee urging him to seek disaster assistance from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). I also joined the nation in mourning the loss of Dolly Parton, provided guidance for receiving replacement Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits, encouraged high school students to consider applying to one of the service academies, joined congressional colleagues in a friend-of-the-court brief to uphold provisions of the Presidential Records Act Donald Trump wants rescinded, notified constituents of next Tuesday’s deadline for new casework requests, and offered a Friday Flashback, a Bill Day cartoon, and a storm-related health tip. Keep reading and follow me on Bluesky, Facebook and Instagram to see what I am doing as it happens.
Urging Governor Lee to Seek Federal Disaster Assistance for Shelby County
Providing Guidance in Applying for Replacement SNAP Benefits
Encouraging Applications to the Service Academies
Defending the Constitutionality of the Presidential Records Act
Notifying Constituents of a September 1 Deadline for Casework Requests
Urging Governor Lee to Seek Federal Disaster Assistance for Shelby County
On Monday, I wrote to Governor Bill Lee, urging him to seek Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) assistance after Saturday’s powerful storms wreaked havoc over the whole Memphis region, plunging 140,000 MLGW customers into darkness. See that release and the letter here. I will keep working to urge Governor Lee and President Trump to make and grant the request expeditiously. I will also keep you informed about how to take advantage of the help FEMA and local coordinators can provide.
Dolly Parton at the Kennedy Center Honors in 2006
Like just about every American, and certainly every Tennessean, I was a big fan of Dolly Parton, who passed on Tuesday at the age of 80. Her original songs, her international celebrity, and her “folksy chic” made her one of our country’s most admired entertainers. Dolly was a living embodiment of grace, unwavering love and support, and generosity. I called her the greatest representative of Tennessee ever -- not just from her musical talents and her philanthropy, but from her big heart and amazing grace. She made us all proud. She represented the best of our nation, and there will never be another like her. She came from absolute poverty and died a mogul, an icon, and a legend. Most importantly, she gave away tens of millions of dollars to support medicine and families in need and gifted millions of books to children around the world in honor of her father, who never learned to read. She proved that despite being constantly underestimated by others, you could stay true to yourself and unapologetically feminine and still become one of the most powerful, successful, and influential women in the world. She broke countless barriers and never missed an opportunity to mentor and help others. She had the rare gift of being able to communicate a smile and hope with song alone. She will be missed, and may her memory be a blessing to us all. Our world would be a better place if we all tried to embody even a fraction of Dolly’s spirit.
Providing Guidance in Applying for Replacement SNAP Benefits
If you lost power for 12 or more hours after last Saturday’s devastating storm and lost food because of a lack of refrigeration and are a current Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) recipient, you can apply for replacement SNAP benefits by filling out this form.
Encouraging Applications to the Service Academies
Students interested in attending the U.S. Military Academy (West Point), the U.S. Naval Academy (Annapolis), the U.S. Air Force Academy, the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy, or the U.S. Coast Guard Academy are encouraged to apply for a congressional nomination through my office. Applicants must reside in Tennessee’s 9th Congressional District under the existing (pre-redistricting) boundaries. The deadline is Wednesday, September 30. Click here to get started. If you have questions or need more information, contact my District Director Willie “Hank” Henry Jr. at (901) 544-4131.
Defending the Constitutionality of the Presidential Records Act
The National Archives
I joined many of my congressional colleagues in filing a friend-of-the-court brief before the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit explaining the constitutionality of the Presidential Records Act that presidents for nearly 50 years have complied with – until Donald Trump. Presidential records are obviously critical public records requiring preservation and Trump’s non-compliance, and his effort to make that insult the law of the land, should be repugnant to all Americans who believe their government’s actions should be above board and transparent. As George Orwell, the dystopian novelist of Nineteen-Eighty-Four, told us decades ago: “Who controls the past controls the future; who controls the present controls the past.” The appeals court will hear oral arguments in the case in October.
Notifying Constituents of a September 1 Deadline for Casework Requests
As I prepare to leave Congress, I am particularly proud of the work my staff and I have done to improve lives by helping constituents with interactions with federal agencies like Medicare, Veterans Affairs, HUD, SNAP, the IRS and others. Realistically, resolving these issues takes more time than I have left in office, so Tuesday, September 1 is my office’s deadline for taking on new casework to ensure all constituents who reach out receive the attention and support they deserve. A reminder: That’s next Tuesday.
This is me with my fellow Cecil C. Humphreys School of Law Alumni Chapter “Pillars of Excellence Award” winners on August 26, 2023. With me were Bob Dinkelspiel, Ruby Wharton, David Wade, Mike McLaren and the late Federal District Judge Jon McCalla. Judge McCalla won the Alumni Chapter’s “Friend of the Law School” award.
In the wake of the weekend’s storm, the Shelby County Health Department recommends discarding perishable foods including meat, poultry, fish, eggs, or leftovers that have been held at temperatures above 40° Fahrenheit for two hours or more. At those temperatures, harmful bacteria can begin to multiply. See all of its guidance here. See guidance from the U.S. Department of Agriculture here.
“You’ll never do a whole lot unless you’re brave enough to try.” – Dolly Parton
As always, I remain…
Sincerely,
 |
Steve Cohen
Member of Congress