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Ranking Member of Judiciary Subcommittee

January 25, 2013
Enewsletters

Dear Friend,

This week I received my Subcommittee assignments and will serve as the Ranking Member of the House Judiciary Subcommittee on Regulatory Reform, Commercial and Antitrust Law. I also appeared on Current TV to discuss voting rights, gun safety, Congress and President Obama. And House Republicans voted to temporarily suspend the debt limit until May 19.

Subcommittee Assignments
Gun Safety, Voting Rights and Congress
President Obama’s Inauguration

Temporarily Postponing the Debt Limit
Remembering Dr. King

40th Anniversary of Roe v. Wade
Ending Violence Against Women
Help Filing Taxes

Memphis CARES Mentoring Movement
Congressional Calendars
Grant Announcements


Subcommittee Assignments
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On Wednesday I received my Subcommittee assignments. I currently serve as a member of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, and the House Judiciary Committee. But I also will serve as ranking member on the House Judiciary Subcommittee on Regulatory Reform, Commercial and Antitrust Law, and will serve on the House Judiciary Subcommittee on Constitution and Civil Justice. I will also serve on the Subcommittee on Aviation, the Subcommittee on Highways and Transit, and the Subcommittee on Railroads, Pipelines and Hazardous Materials.

It is an honor and a privilege to continue serving on the House Judiciary Committee and the Transportation & Infrastructure Committee. Both committees have a significant impact on Memphis and its residents. I look forward to working to bring more jobs and federal funding to Memphis through my work on these committees, and I will continue to work on protecting the rights of citizens.

Gun Safety, Voting Rights and Congress
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On Tuesday I appeared on Current TV’s “The War Room” to discuss voting rights, the ill effects of gerrymandering, gun safety, Congress and President Obama. Click here to see my remarks.

President Obama’s Inauguration
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On Monday President Obama and Vice President Biden were sworn in to their second terms. From the National Mall to the White House and along the parade route in between, thousands of excited spectators danced, sang, cheered, and waved American flags in celebration of the 57th Presidential Inauguration.

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It was a pleasure and an honor to share this wonderful day with District 9 residents who were in Washington, D.C. for the swearing in. Here are some photos from the swearing in and you can click here to see even more pictures from the 2013 Presidential Inaugural Committee.

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Temporarily Postponing the Debt Limit
On Wednesday House Republicans approved the Temporary Debt Limit Suspension (H.R. 325) – legislation that suspends the debt limit through May 19. This temporary proposal just kicks the can down the road and does not relieve the uncertainty faced by small businesses, the markets and the middle class, uncertainty that damaged our economy in the summer of 2011. Our country needs a clean debt ceiling increase and a balanced and bipartisan budget agreement that protects Medicare and Social Security, invests in the future, and responsibly reduces the deficit.

I’m glad that Republicans have finally backed off their threat of default and to hold the debt limit and our entire economy hostage to extract drastic cuts in Medicare, education, and other investments for middle-class families. But the Congress should commit to paying its bills and pass a long-term clean debt limit increase that lifts self-inflicted and unnecessary uncertainty from the Nation’s economy.

Remembering Dr. King
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On Monday we celebrated the inauguration of President Obama but we also recognized the life and legacy of one of America’s greatest citizens, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.. We should all take note that the dream Dr. King articulated has still not been fully realized. Before he was tragically murdered in Memphis, Dr. King was working toward the pursuit of economic and social justice for all Americans. Nearly 50 years later, millions of Americans today are still living through ‘a long night of injustice’ in the form of economic hardship, diminished opportunity, and a lack of social mobility.

We have come a long way as a nation towards racial equality, even though there is still much work left to be done. But in terms of economic justice, America has moved backwards. Today, workers earning the federal minimum wage have less purchasing power than minimum wage earners in 1968. Millions of families are still facing foreclosure and bankruptcy, and Memphis is one of the cities hardest-hit by the recent recession. If we truly want to honor the legacy of Dr. King, we must continue his unfinished work and ensure that every American has access to honest work, fair wages, affordable housing, and the ability to earn and enjoy a decent life.

40th Anniversary of Roe v. Wade
Forty years ago this week, the Supreme Court’s decision in Roe v. Wade established fundamental principles in American life and society: that reproductive freedom must be protected; that the right to privacy must be preserved; and that a woman’s health decisions must be her own, in consultation with her family, her physician, and her faith. I am committed to these values and pledge to preserve the right to choose. I promise to fight any and every effort to chip away at the hard-won freedoms of America’s women, and to protect women’s health.

I believe the most private decision for a woman is when and whether to have a child, and I stand ready to keep that decision out of the hands of politicians. I will continue to strongly support the effort to defend reproductive choice and work toward a comprehensive approach to reproductive health care, so we can reduce the number of unintended pregnancies at home and around the world. I hope to work with all of my colleagues in Congress to build on the legacy of Roe v. Wade and protect the rights of women across our country.

Ending Violence Against Women
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This week the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) was reintroduced in the 113th Congress and I was proud to cosponsor the measure. Since its original passage in 1994, Congress has worked on a bipartisan basis to not only reauthorize VAWA -- which helps investigate and prosecute violent crimes against women -- but to improve its ability to protect victims and ensure that law enforcement has the tools it needs to prosecute abusers.

VAWA represents a firm promise: no woman should ever feel unsafe or insecure in her own home and no woman should ever suffer in silence in the face of domestic violence. VAWA has taken domestic abuse out of the shadows; it has protected millions of women; it has saved lives. We must reauthorize and strengthen this historic measure without further delay.

Help Filing Taxes
Tax filing season begins 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 $50,000 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 IRA approved tax consultant who can help you for free.

Memphis CARES Mentoring Movement
Tomorrow at noon (Saturday, January 26), mentors, mentees and their supporters will congregate at the Memphis Education Association Building (126 Flicker Street) to celebrate mentoring in Memphis. Mayor A C and attorney Ruby Wharton, Calvin Anderson, SVP & Chief of Staff, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Tennessee, and Kym Clark, Morning News Anchor TV5, are all slated to participate in the program. The highlight of the program, which celebrates the 5th anniversary of the Memphis CARES Mentoring Movement, will be the presentations of mentoring awards and Susan Taylor’s call to action on behalf of mentoring for our community’s children. 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,
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Steve Cohen
Member of Congress

Issues:9th DistrictMemphisShelby CountyTennessee