Voting to Name the Memphis VA Medical Center for Luke Weathers Jr.
Dear Friend, This week, I spoke from the House floor and then voted for my bill naming the Memphis VA Medical Center for the legendary World War II combat fighter pilot and Tuskegee airman, Lieutenant Colonel Luke Weathers Jr. I also questioned expert witnesses at a hearing on airline accessibility and safety issues; voted for and passed my bill to end the abusive practice of horse soring; condemned Russia’s genocide in Ukraine; questioned the Tennessee Valley Authority’s commitment to the Biden climate agenda; condemned Donald Trump’s use of antisemitic rhetoric; met with University of Tennessee President Randy Boyd; congratulated University of Memphis history professor Charles Crawford for his 60 years of service to the University; celebrated the anniversary of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) and its proven benefits for Tennessee; spoke in favor of the Iranian people protesting arbitrary and reckless theocratic rule; appreciated the honor being given to the Tennessee lawmaker who provided the deciding vote for women’s suffrage; and offered a Thanksgiving-related health tip. Keep reading and follow me on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram to see what I am doing as it happens. Voting to Name Memphis VA Medical Center for Luke Weathers Jr. Questioning Experts on Airline Accessibility and Safety Advancing Horse Protection Measure Condemning Russia’s Genocide in Ukraine Questioning TVA’s Commitment to Clean Power Generation Expressing Concern at Trump’s Antisemitic Rhetoric Meeting with University of Tennessee President Boyd Congratulating Professor Charles Crawford on 60 Years at University of Memphis Celebrating Impact of the Infrastructure Law on Tennessee Supporting Nationwide Protests in Iran Honoring the Late State Representative Joseph Hanover Voting to Name Memphis VA Medical Center for Luke Weathers Jr. On Monday, I spoke from the House floor about Lieutenant Colonel Luke Weathers Jr., the World War II combat fighter pilot, and then voted on my bill naming the VA Medical Center in Memphis in his honor. Lieutenant Colonel Weathers, who grew up in Memphis before joining the Army Air Corps “Red Tails” in Europe, was a true hero and aviation pioneer who served as the first African American air traffic controller in Memphis. See my floor speech and press release here. Questioning Experts on Airline Accessibility and Safety On Thursday, the Aviation Subcommittee on which I serve as a senior member, held a hearing on accessibility and safety for airplane passengers with disabilities. As the author of the Seat Egress in Air Travel (SEAT) Act that became law in 2018, my questions to the witnesses focused on the flawed Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) study of seat sizes and the distance between rows of seats in emergency airplane evacuations. See that line of questioning and my release here. Advancing Horse Protection Measure On Monday, the House voted 304 to 111 to pass my Prevent All Soring Tactics (PAST) Act, to end the practice of injuring show horses’ legs and hoofs to present a high-stepping gait known as “the Big Lick.” I am hopeful the Senate will take up the measure and that we can finally end this barbaric practice. See my release here. Condemning Russia’s Genocide in Ukraine Also Monday, as Co-Chairman of the Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe, also known as the Helsinki Commission, I attended a briefing on Russia’s genocide in Ukraine. See my opening statement at the briefing here. Questioning TVA’s Commitment to Clean Power Generation I remain concerned about the Tennessee Valley Authority’s plans to prolong its reliance on carbon-emitting technologies and undermine the Biden Administration’s climate agenda, so I wrote an op-ed for The Hill that was published on Wednesday. See that article here. Expressing Concern at Trump’s Antisemitic Rhetoric Earlier today, I led 11 Congressional colleagues in a letter to the Republican leaders of the House and Senate asking them to condemn former President Donald Trump’s recent antisemitic comments and to stand in solidarity with Jewish Americans. See that letter here. Meeting with University of Tennessee President Boyd On Wednesday, University of Tennessee President Randy Boyd came to my Washington office, and we discussed issues in higher education, including the education lottery programs that I shepherded through the state legislature as a state senator. Last week was the 20th anniversary of the vote ending the prohibition on lotteries in Tennessee. During his visit, I gifted the UT president a cap signed by the late, legendary Pat Summitt. Congratulating Professor Charles Crawford on 60 Years at University of Memphis This week, the University of Memphis recognized History Professor Charles Crawford for 60 years on the faculty. I have known the 91-year-old Tennessee and Memphis history expert since I started in politics and consider him my friend. This week, I placed a statement in his honor into the Congressional Record. Read that here. Congratulations, Professor. Celebrating Impact on Tennessee of the Infrastructure Law Tuesday was the first anniversary of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) that has already invested billions of dollars in Tennessee’s roads, bridges, utilities, transit and other projects. Only Congressman Jim Cooper and I supported the measure out of the entire Tennessee delegation, but everyone can see it is making transformative improvements in our entire state. See my release on the anniversary and investments in Tennessee here. Supporting Nationwide Protests in Iran On Thursday, I spoke at a briefing sponsored by the Organization of Iranian American Communities. I said the protests in the streets of Iran by those seeking freedom and an end to theocratic rule is encouraging, especially in light of the Iranian government’s support for Russia in its illegal war in Ukraine. Honoring the Late State Representative Joseph Hanover State Representative Joseph Hanover of Memphis, the Tennessee House floor leader who steered the 19th Amendment to ratification in 1920, is being honored with a historic marker for the National Votes for Women Trail (nvwt.org). The marker will be unveiled this afternoon at 2519 Broad Avenue, the location of the former representative’s home. I congratulate my friend Paula Casey and everyone else who made this physical symbol of our history a reality. It may seem obvious but statistics suggest it’s not: If you are driving to a Thanksgiving dinner, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration urges you to wear a seatbelt and avoid driving while impaired. The statistics are grim. Over the 2020 Thanksgiving holiday weekend, 333 people were killed in car accidents. Of those driving at night, 51 percent were not wearing seatbelts. Of those driving in daylight, 55 percent weren’t wearing seatbelts. Arrive alive and have a safe and memorable holiday. “My colleagues, I stand before you as speaker of the House, as a wife, a mother, a grandmother, a devout Catholic, a proud Democrat and a patriotic American, a citizen of the greatest republic in the history of the world — which President Lincoln called the last best hope on Earth. Indeed, in the words attributed to another of our colleagues, the legendary Daniel Webster, he said: ‘Hold on, my friends, to the Constitution of your country and the government established under it. Miracles do not cluster. That which has happened but once in 6,000 years cannot be expected to happen often.’ ” -- Speaker Nancy Pelosi speaking from the House floor on Thursday As always, I remain. Steve Cohen |