Voting for the FAA Reauthorization Bill
Dear Friend, This week, as the Ranking Member of the Aviation Subcommittee, I spoke in favor of and voted for the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Reauthorization Act, critical legislation that will make major improvements and stimulate the economy across the country and in Tennessee’s 9th Congressional District. I also introduced a bill to restore transparency in Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) salaries, expressed my condolences on the death of Memphis Firefighter Lt. Jeffrey Norman, met with Pope Francis’ envoy seeking to reunite Ukrainian children abducted by Russia with their parents, attended a speech by Israeli President Isaac Herzog, announced that the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) will reimburse MLGW for expenses incurred in a winter storm last year, welcomed an FAA investment in terminal improvements at Memphis International Airport, announced grants to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital and the University of Tennessee Health Science Center (UTHSC), attended the White House Congressional Picnic, and offered a sobering 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. Voting for the FAA Reauthorization Bill Introducing Bill to Restore Transparency in TVA Salaries Expressing My Condolences on the Death of Lt. Jeffrey Norman Meeting Papal Envoy Seeking to Bring Ukrainian Children Home from Russia Attending Joint Session of Congress for Speech by President Isaac Herzog of Israel Announcing $12.1 Million FEMA Grant Reimbursing MLGW Welcoming $1.3 Million Investment in Memphis International Airport Applauding Grants to St. Jude and UTHSC Attending White House Congressional Picnic Voting for the Bipartisan FAA Reauthorization Bill On Thursday, as the Ranking Member of the Aviation Subcommittee, I voted for the bipartisan Securing Growth and Robust Leadership in American Aviation Act, reauthorizing and updating Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) programs for five years. On Wednesday, I managed the debate on the measure on the House floor and spoke in favor of the massive bill. Aviation is important to the American economy and particularly to the economy of Memphis, which is home to FedEx. See my release, including my speech and details about provisions in the bill I sponsored, here. Introducing Bill to Restore Transparency on TVA Salaries On Tuesday, I introduced a bill with Congressman Tim Burchett (R-TN-2) to restore a requirement that the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) provide transparency by disclosing the salaries of its top executives. The TVA has been relying on a 1995 paperwork-reduction law to deny my repeated requests for this information. See our release here. Expressing My Condolences on the Death of Lt. Jeffrey Norman On Tuesday night, twenty-year veteran Memphis Firefighter Lt. Jeffrey Norman lost his life and several of his comrades were injured in a fire in the Riverview neighborhood of South Memphis. Firefighter first responders risk their lives for us each and every day, and I am grateful for their service. I released a statement expressing my condolences. See that here. Meeting Papal Envoy Seeking to Bring Ukrainian Children Home from Russia Also Tuesday, as the Ranking Member of the Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe, I organized a meeting of Members of Congress and others with Pope Francis’ envoy, Cardinal Matteo Zuppi, who is seeking to gain the release of Ukrainian children who were abducted and sent to Russia. See my release on the meeting here. Attending Joint Session of Congress for Speech by President Isaac Herzog of Israel On Wednesday, the House and Senate gathered to hear from Israeli President Isaac Herzog, who emphasized his country’s close relationship with the United States. He also said that questioning the Jewish people’s right to self-determination is not diplomacy; it is antisemitism. Later Wednesday, I voted for a resolution declaring that Israel is not a racist or apartheid state, which passed the House overwhelmingly. Announcing $12.1 Million FEMA Grant Reimbursing MLGW On Thursday, I was pleased to announce that $12.1 million in expenses incurred by MLGW after the disastrous February 2022 storm will be reimbursed by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). See that release here. Welcoming $1.3 Million Investment FAA Investment in Memphis International Airport On Thursday, I announced the FAA’s Airport Improvement Program will invest $1,337,110 in terminal improvements at Memphis International Airport. See my release here. Applauding Grants to St. Jude and UTHSC The University of Tennessee Health Science Center (UTHSC) this week received grants from the National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research and from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Rural Residency Planning and Development Program. St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital received a grant from the National Cancer Institute. See those releases here, here, and here. Attending the White House Congressional Picnic Howard University Charles B. Rangel International Affairs Fellow Krista McSwain, who graduated from the University of Memphis, and Vice President Harris at the White House Wednesday. On Wednesday evening, I attended a White House picnic with some of my staff. The bipartisan get-together, which included Members’ families, was a respite from the hyper-partisanship roiling Capitol Hill and was welcomed. Some of my staff met stars, like Vice President Kamala Harris. It has been one year since the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration launched the 988 and 988lifeline.org suicide and crisis prevention hotlines, which are 24/7 resources that have answered nearly five million calls in their first year. If you or a loved one needs help, I urge you to avail yourself of this service. For more details, chick here. "The bottom line of any country is: what did we contribute to the world? We contributed Louis Armstrong." -- Tony Bennett, who died today at the age of 96. “The real question before the subcommittee is this: Why do you want to make it more difficult for Instagram to keep anyone’s racist, antisemitic, and scientifically baseless conspiracy theories off their platform? The cesspool of bigotry and hate that infects social media platforms has fueled a sharp rise in violence motivated by race, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, and religion.” – Maya Wiley, president and CEO of the Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights, in written testimony for Thursday’s hearing of the Select Judiciary Subcommittee on the Weaponization of the Federal Government As always, I remain. Steve Cohen | ||
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