Voting 15 Times in the Election of a New House Speaker
Dear Friend, This week, I voted 15 times to elect Hakeem Jeffries of New York for Speaker of the House but watched early this morning as Kevin McCarthy of California finally won the gavel to preside over the 118th Congress. I also celebrated recognition of my successes for Tennessee’s 9th Congressional District and the country during the 117th Congress that just ended; recalled where I was during the January 6 insurrection that occurred two years ago Friday and vowed to prevent Donald Trump from ever assuming elective office in this country; met with the French ambassador to the United States; congratulated a team of four students from the Faith Heritage Christian Academy and Power Center Academy for winning the 2022 Congressional App Challenge; noted the January 15 deadline for enrolling in coverage on Healthcare.gov; called attention to a new, streamlined procedure for student financial aid; called attention to the January 20 deadline for appealing Pandemic EBT benefits calculations; and offered a health tip about a looming “tripledemic.” Keep reading and follow me on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram to see what I am doing as it happens. Voting 15 Times in the Election of a New House Speaker Celebrating My Victories in the Greatest Congress since the 1960s Recalling Anniversary of January 6 Attack on the Capitol Seeking FEMA Assistance After Winter Storm Damage Meeting with French Ambassador to the United States Congratulating Faith Heritage Christian Academy Winners of the Congressional App Challenge Offering 2023 U.S. Capitol Historical Society Calendars Signing Up for Healthcare.gov by January 15 Deadline Simplifying Application for Student Financial Aid Flagging January 20 deadline for Appealing Pandemic EBT Benefit Calculations Voting 15 Times in the Election of a New House Speaker Early this morning, the House voted to elect Kevin McCarthy of California as the new Speaker of the House. I voted 15 times over five days for Democratic Party Leader Hakeem Jeffries of New York, a proven leader whose rousing speech in the dead of night shows we are in good hands. The Republicans hold a very slim majority and many doubt the new Speaker can accomplish much with all the concessions he made to finally win the gavel. I pledge to work wherever possible with House Republicans, but this 118th Congress appears to be starting off on a rocky road. Also this morning, I was sworn in for my ninth term representing Tennessee’s 9th Congressional District, which has been the honor of a lifetime. I believe that the 117th Congress was the most accomplished legislatively since Lyndon Johnson’s “Great Society” of the 1960s or even Franklin Roosevelt’s “New Deal” Congresses of the 1930s. As the Representative of Tennessee’s 9th Congressional District, I am proud to have introduced 74 bills and to have seen President Biden sign into law more than 50 of my bills and other initiatives. That made me the fifth most prolific member of Congress in introducing legislation; I ranked third in the number of bills cosponsored. The measures that passed included securing more than $58 million in designated funding for major Memphis community projects; the historic renaming of the now-Odell Horton Federal Building downtown, named for the first black federal judge in Memphis; and the naming of the Luke Weathers Jr. VA Medical Center in honor of Memphis’ famed World War II Tuskegee airman. Some of the community projects receiving funding due to my efforts are major improvements to Tom Lee Park, equipment for Regional One, the renovation of historic Melrose High School, a Collins Chapel outreach effort, and the solution to the longstanding Overton Park Zoo parking situation. I was proud to facilitate funding for these huge improvements to our community in the past two years. Recalling Anniversary of January 6 Attack on the Capitol I commend the work of the January 6 Committee as I continue to review its disturbing findings. One thing is clear: Donald Trump spurred the insurrection in a cynical attempt to promote a lie, and he should never be permitted to hold public office in this country again. I was in the House Chamber that day and, on this second anniversary, recall my terror as the mob attacked and I fled to my office where I prepared to defend myself with a baseball bat. I look forward to further charges and convictions for those responsible for this attack on democracy, including those at the highest level. Seeking FEMA Assistance After Winter Storm Damage On Friday, I wrote to Governor Bill Lee for a second time seeking emergency assistance from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) for damage done in Memphis and Shelby County by recent winter storms. The letter noted that the dollar value of damage now exceeds the minimum federal threshold. See my release and the letter here. Meeting with French Ambassador to the United States Congressman Cohen and Ambassador Philippe Étienne On Tuesday, I met with Ambassador Philippe Étienne to discuss my priorities for the 118th Congress, Memphis, and both our nations’ support for Ukraine in its defense against Russia’s invasion. Last year, I had the pleasure of welcoming Ambassador Étienne to Memphis and showing him around town in my 1976 Peugeot. I look forward to continuing to foster close ties with America’s oldest ally. Congratulating Faith Heritage Christian Academy and Power Center Academy Winners of the Congressional App Challenge I am proud to announce that Annaya Murray, Jared Murray, Shaun Murray, and Johnathan Sherrill of Faith Heritage Christian Academy and Power Center Academy High School received first place for our district’s Congressional App Challenge. The Congressional App Challenge is a nationwide competition for High Schoolers to code and showcase original apps. This year’s team are members of CodeCrew, an after-school program in Memphis which empowers young people to learn how to build applications, games, and more. Our 2022 winners’ work with CodeCrew, along with their involvement with KodeWithKlossy, empowered them to use the Swift programming language to design HairWise. This app provides hair care and styling information for parents of African American children. I am proud of the team’s innovation and creativity. Our community’s future is in good hands with bright minds like theirs! Offering 2023 U.S. Capitol Historical Society Calendars My office will have a limited number of 2023 U.S. Capitol Historical Society calendars available. If you would like to receive a calendar, please complete THIS FORM on my website. Due to the rules of the House, I am only able to mail calendars to residents of Tennessee's Ninth District. Signing Up for Healthcare.gov by January 15 Deadline The deadline for signing up or making changes to existing Healthcare.gov programs is January 15. If you receive or want to receive health insurance through the federal marketplace, please go to Healthcare.gov for everything you need to know to sign up for or make adjustments to your existing marketplace plan. Simplifying Application for Federal Student Aid I am pleased to announce that important improvements have been made to the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) program after passage of the FAFSA Simplification Act and the Fostering Undergraduate Talent by Unlocking Resources for Education Act (FUTURE Act) and the FAFSA Simplification Act, both of which I was proud to support. Starting with the 2024-25 Award Year, the redesigned FAFSA will provide a more streamlined application process, expanded eligibility for federal financial aid, reduced barriers for certain student populations, and a better user experience with the FAFSA form. These changes mark the largest redesign to the FAFSA system in more than 40 years and will allow it to award Pell Grants to an additional 930,000 students per year. You can find more information and regular updates on the FAFSA website here. If you have any problems or questions, please contact my office at ( 901) 544-4131. Flagging January 20 deadline for Appealing Pandemic EBT Benefit Calculations If you did not get Pandemic electronic benefit transfer payments (P-EBT benefits) or did not get the right amount from March 2020 through July 31, 2022, or for the summer of 2023, you can appeal. The deadline for appeals is January 20, 2023. If your child was eligible to receive free or reduced meals at school during the 2021-22 school year, or attended a Community Eligibility Provision (CEP) school and missed five or more days because of Covid-19 but never got P-EBT benefits, you can appeal. If your child was eligible to receive free or reduced meals during the 2021-22 school year or attended a CEP school but did not get Summer P-EBT, you can appeal. Check the P-EBT Parent Portal to see your child’s benefits. Read more about P-EBT appeals on Tennessee Department of Human Services (DHS) page here. Public health officials are warning of the continuing threat of a “tripledemic” — a mix of an increase in Covid-19 cases, the flu and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV). A new and especially contagious Covid-19 variant, known as XXB.1.5, is now surging. Please practice public health protocols, including wearing masks indoors among those whose immunization status is unknown to you, and please get the free Covid-19 and flu vaccines and boosters. If you haven’t signed up to receive Covid-19 tests from https://www.covid.gov/tests recently, each household is again eligible to receive four free tests that will be delivered directly to your door. “He [Jeffries] does not traffic in extremism. He does not grovel to or make excuses for a twice-impeached former president. He does not bend the knee to anyone who would seek to undermine our democracy.” – Congressman Pete Aguilar of California, nominating Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries for Speaker of the House on Tuesday. “There's no education in the second kick of a mule.” – Texas Congressman Sam Rayburn (1882-1961), who served 17 years as Speaker, born on this date in Tennessee. As always, I remain. Steve Cohen |