Floor Statements

Thank you Mr. Speaker, and Mr. Chairman, I rise in strong support of H.R. 2587, which would designate the postal facility at 555 South 3rd Street Lobby in Memphis, Tennessee, as the Kenneth T. Whalum, Sr. Post Office building.

Congressman Cohen Gives Floor Statement on September 11th Tragedy

Mr. Speaker, we will hear from General Petraeus today and tomorrow.

Click HERE to watch the video.

Last June the 6th, I voted for a Hate Crimes Bill in this session and was proud to do it. Since that time, the Black Ministers Association in my city has come out strongly against the Hate Crimes Bill that provides protection of people from violent crimes.

Mr. Speaker, I think it has well been addressed here the dangers that this side of the aisle and possibly some well-meaning folks on the other side of the aisle have about the encroachment on the Constitution that this bill will have. What it basically does is take judges out of the process.

Mr. Speaker, I am astonished at what I have heard from the other side of the aisle: disingenuous talk about great deficit; the deficit caused by the Republican majority's work or lack of work over the last 12 years; giving tax breaks to the rich while sending our troops to a war that has cost us half a trillion dollars and approaching a trillion dollars.

Madam Speaker, some time ago this House passed the Hate Crime Bill, and I was one of the sponsors and one of the supporters.