Press Releases
“It’s been a long time coming,” said Congressman Cohen. “But our hard work has finally paid off in a big way for The MED. This is going to save The MED tens of millions of dollars a year and relieve a huge burden on taxpayers in the 9th District, and I am thankful that we were able to get this important legislation passed so soon in the session. This is a great day for Memphis and I thank my colleagues in both chambers as well as President Obama for helping us achieve our objectives for the Mid-South’s primary public hospital.”
“It is important that the Bush Administration be held accountable for its actions even though they’re out of office,” said Congressman Cohen. “I called this hearing because I have been troubled by some of the controversial last-minute rules promulgated by the previous administration. Furthermore, the lack of a thorough vetting process for these rules is an area of deep concern.”
Every February, Americans of all races come together to celebrate Black History Month. African-American history is filled with extraordinary people who have left an indelible mark on our nation and the world. I hope that during this month, we may remember to take notice of the cultural, political, social and scientific contributions made by African-Americans that have enriched our nation.
“As a Lifetime Member of the NAACP, I have always been supportive of their legislative agenda both in the U.S. House of Representatives and during my tenure in the Tennessee State Senate,” said Congressman Cohen. “I am grateful for this recognition and I will continue to work with NAACP leaders like Julian Bond and Maxine Smith to effect change that benefits the people of the 9th District.”
“The recidivism rate in our country is disgraceful,” said Congressman Cohen. “Over the last decade, crime has fallen precipitously while the prison population has exploded. It is time to get serious about rehabilitation and giving people a chance to succeed once they’ve served their debt to society; otherwise, we’ll prolong the revolving door justice system currently in place. I was proud to sponsor this grant and I’m grateful to Department of Labor for awarding it to the City of Memphis, but this is only the first step.”
This provision is long overdue. I’ve been working with my colleagues in the House and Sens. Alexander and Corker to create a “MED Fix” for nearly two years, and I’m very grateful to see it finally pass. I applaud both of our state’s U.S. Senators for their efforts to secure these provisions in the Senate’s finalized version of H.R. 2.
Without this permanent fix, the ability of safety net hospitals such as The MED to continue to provide essential services to the uninsured would have been severely affected, especially given the current economic situation.
In this economic climate, only one thing is certain: inaction is not an option. In conjunction with the Obama Administration, we in Congress have created and passed this job creation package that will rebuild America, make us more globally competitive and energy independent, and transform our economy for long-term growth. Additionally, it will give 95 percent of American workers an immediate tax cut; and invest quickly in the economy.
The AFG program provides grants directly to local fire departments so they can obtain equipment, protective gear, emergency vehicles, training, and other resources needed to protect the public and emergency personnel from fire and related hazards.
I was proud to cosponsor and speak out in favor of this bill last year when it was approved by the House, although it was defeated by Senate Republicans. And I am pleased that this battle has come to fruition and that the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act will finally become law.