Restoring Fairness in Student Lending

Dear Friend,

This week I introduced legislation to restore fairness in student lending by treating privately issued student loans the same as other types of private debt in bankruptcy. I also honored Jack Dyson of Rendezvous on the House floor. Jack is retiring after working at the restaurant for 45 years.

Restoring Fairness in Student Lending
Democratic Issues Conference
Jack Dyson of Rendezvous
Southwest Airlines Bringing More Flights to Memphis
American Heart Month
Bosnian President
Jane’s Law
Memphis Habitat for Humanity
Help Filing Taxes
EnergySmart Memphis
Congressional Calendars
Grant Announcements

Restoring Fairness in Student Lending
On Wednesday I introduced legislation to restore fairness in student lending by treating privately issued student loans the same as other types of private debt in bankruptcy. Last summer, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) and the U.S. Department of Education released a report that described the risky practices and debt that stemmed from the boom and bust of the private student loan market in the past ten years. According to the CFPB’s estimates, outstanding student loan debt in the United States topped $1 trillion in 2011 -- including approximately $150 billion of private student loan debt. One of the recommendations contained within the report concerns whether changes are needed to the treatment of private student loans in bankruptcy proceedings. Click here to learn more.

Democratic Issues Conference

This week I participated in the Democratic Issues Conference in Landsdowne, Virginia. President Obama addressed the Democratic Caucus on Thursday afternoon and took questions from Democratic lawmakers. I was the first member President Obama called on and I asked him to end America’s longest running war -- the failed Nixon-initiated war on drugs, especially marijuana and its disparate impact on the African-American community. President Obama said his Administration would look into that as a top priority this year. I also brought up his current DEA administrator, who is abysmal and a Bush left-over. I’m happy I got to talk to the President about this so that we can get the reform discussion underway.


Vice President Joe Biden also spoke at the Democratic Issues Conference. He discussed gun violence and what needs to be done to address it. The Vice President knows the issue inside out and I agree with him that assault weapons and high capacity magazines should be banned. We should also be conducting more background checks so people with mental illnesses do not have access to guns. Vice President Biden also said we should have more police officers on our streets to prevent tragedies like Newtown, Connecticut from happening again.

Jack Dyson of Rendezvous

On Tuesday I spoke on the House floor to honor Jack Dyson of Rendezvous, who is retiring after working at the restaurant for 45 years. Jack is a friend, a Korean War Veteran and has made countless people feel at home while working there. He has served everyone at Rendezvous from former Presidents and the Rolling Stones to Bill Cosby. I wish Jack the best in his retirement. Click here to see my remarks.

Southwest Airlines Bringing More Flights to Memphis
This week we learned that Southwest Airlines is bringing more flights to Memphis International Airport. I’ve been encouraging Southwest Airlines to bring more flights to Memphis International Airport for quite some time and am happy the airline is adding nonstop service to Chicago, Orlando and the Washington/Baltimore region. These new flights will increase competition, lower prices, create jobs and help grow our local economy and transportation network. I hope this decision by Southwest Airlines will encourage other airlines to do the same and bring more flights and service to Memphis.

American Heart Month
Every February Americans observe American Heart Month and work to help increase awareness on how best to prevent and treat heart disease, which is our country’s leading cause of death. Nobody is immune to heart disease but there are some simple steps you can take to reduce your risk of developing this debilitating illness. If you maintain a healthy and balanced diet, exercise regularly, avoid cigarettes and alcohol, and get regular health screenings, you greatly reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease. And thanks to the Affordable Care Act, President Obama’s new health care law which I supported, new health plans must now provide free preventive services, including blood pressure screenings for all adults and cholesterol screenings for adults of certain ages or at higher risk. This month please join me in fighting heart disease by encouraging others to stay healthy and keep our hearts strong for the sake of our families and friends.

Bosnian President

This week I met with the President of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina – Zivko Budimir. We discussed foreign relations and the importance of the relationship between the United States and Bosnia.

Jane’s Law
On Tuesday I reintroduced Jane’s Law, a bipartisan measure that was crafted to close a legal loophole that enables people to avoid paying court-ordered property distributions by crossing state lines. The measure was named after Jane Maharam, who has been fighting since 1983 to force her ex-husband to return her assets and obey court orders.

Memphis Habitat for Humanity

This week I met with members of Memphis’ Habitat for Humanity to discuss the Neighborhood Stabilization Program, the Community Development Block Grant Program, sequestration and other important issues. Click here to learn more about Habitat for Humanity.

Help Filing Taxes
Tax filing season began on January 30. Here is a link that you can use to find the nearest IRS Volunteer Income Tax Assistance site. Constituents earning less than $57,000 per year can file for free. There are a lot of tax scams out there, even in Memphis. I encourage you to use this website to find an IRS-approved tax consultant who can help you for free. You can also file online directly through the IRS here: https://www.irs.gov/Filing.

EnergySmart Memphis
EnergySmart Memphis is a year-long energy education and home improvement initiative designed to help Memphians save money on their energy costs. EnergySmart Memphis is a partnership between MLGW, City and County government agencies, Community Development Corporations and non-profit organizations, and the Tennessee Valley Authority. Through EnergySmart Memphis, an estimated 3,000 MLGW customers will receive in-depth energy conservation training; eligible customers will have weatherization improvements made to their home through this initiative; a series of Energy Education Workshops will be conducted city and county-wide at area libraries; and the initiative includes weatherization kits for qualified homeowners to receive minor and major home repairs. Click here to learn more.

Congressional Calendars
There are a limited number of 2013 Congressional Calendars available through my office. If you’d like to receive one of these free calendars, please click here to fill out a short form. I have already received a number of requests from some who are not residents of District 9. Due to the rules of the House, I am only able to mail calendars to residents of Tennessee’s 9th District. Please feel free to share this email with other constituents who may be interested in receiving a calendar.

Grant Announcements
I regularly release a list of grant announcements from federal agencies like the Department of Health and Human Services, the Environmental Protection Agency, the Department of Transportation, and others. These federal funding opportunities are available to faith-based and neighborhood associations, nonprofits and other community organizations in the 9th district. The announcements are updated regularly on my website.

Wishing you a happy and safe weekend,


As always, I remain,

Most sincerely,

Steve Cohen
Member of Congress