Remembering Frances Hooks
Dear Friend,
This week, I sent a letter to U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development Secretary Julian Castro requesting a federal inquiry into the safety and living conditions at Peppertree Apartments, hosted my annual District Issues Meeting to discuss matters important to the constituents of the Ninth Congressional District, attended President Obama’s final State of the Union address with new Memphis Mayor Jim Strickland, and voted to reduce rates of recidivism and give ex-offenders a second chance. Keep reading to learn more or follow me on Twitter and Facebook to see these updates as they happen.
Remembering Frances Hooks
Fighting for Safe and Clean Housing
Hosting My Annual District Issues Meeting
Attending the State of the Union
Giving Ex-Offenders a Second Chance
Strengthening the HOPE Lottery Scholarship
Bringing Congress to Your Corner
Helping Memphians Get Health Insurance
Ensuring Memphians Get the Tax Refunds They Deserve
Remembering Frances Hooks
On Thursday, I was saddened to hear of the passing of Mrs. Frances Hooks, widow of the late Dr. Benjamin Hooks, civil rights legend, former executive director of the NAACP, and Baptist minister. Mrs. Hooks was the love of Dr. Benjamin Hooks’ life and the affection was mutual. She looked after him and was the perfect spouse, First Lady of the NAACP and Greater Middle Baptist Church, civil rights leader, and citizen of Memphis. Mrs. Hooks was also a founding member of the Women’s Foundation for a Greater Memphis and did so much to empower children through her 24-year career as an educator and guidance counselor in Memphis. Hers was a life well-lived. I am fortunate to have been able to call both Dr. and Mrs. Hooks friends, and I send my condolences to the Hooks family.
Fighting for Safe and Clean Housing
On Wednesday, I sent a letter to U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development Secretary Julian Castro regarding the safety and living conditions at the Peppertree Apartments in Memphis. According to media reports, Memphis Police were called to the complex 1,200 times last year. Tenants have also complained of rodents, as well as bedbugs and broken appliances. If these reports are accurate, this is deeply disturbing. On Thursday, I spoke with HUD officials who assured me that they are now on the case of the Peppertree Apartments and will be on the ground soon. Tenants deserve clean, safe, and fully functional housing. You can read my letter here.
Hosting My Annual District Issues Meeting
This morning, I held my annual District Issues Meeting at my office in Memphis where over 150 constituents attended. At the meeting, I discussed various issues affecting the city of Memphis and the Mid-South. This meeting, like my regular local events and telephone town hall meetings, offered the citizens of the Ninth Congressional District an opportunity for direct dialogue about the issues that matter most to them. Thank you to everyone who came out.
Attending the State of the Union
On Tuesday, President Obama gave his seventh and final State of the Union address to Congress. Before the speech, I had constructive conversations with my guest for the speech, newly elected Memphis Mayor Jim Strickland, and I was honored to show him around Washington, DC. Mayor Strickland and I discussed opportunities to bring federal grant money to Memphis, including TIGER Grants to improve Memphis’s transportation infrastructure and a Promise Zone to increase economic activity and educational opportunities, as well as to reduce violent crime in high poverty communities.
During the State of the Union, President Obama spoke directly to the American people to lay out his vision for the future of our country. I was particularly pleased the President spoke about the need to give everyone a fair shot at opportunity by raising the minimum wage. President Obama also correctly stated, “We need to reject any politics that targets people because of race or religion.” That day has long passed in America. He also rightly highlighted that we need to strengthen Social Security and Medicare, not weaken them, and to invest in medical research to cure diseases like cancer.
Giving Ex-Offenders a Second Chance
On Monday, I met with the Executive Director of LifeLine to Success Pastor DeAndre Brown and his wife Vanessa in Memphis. LifeLine to Success works with ex-offenders to provide the necessary support to help them reenter into society and have a positive impact in their communities. It is important to Memphis, and I am pleased I had the opportunity to meet with them.
On Wednesday, I was pleased the House Judiciary Committee took steps to reform our criminal justice system and reduce rates of recidivism. Our nation’s prison population has grown 500% in the last thirty years. More than 60% of this population are racial and ethnic minorities. For African American males in their thirties, 1 in 10 is in prison or jail on any given day. This is unconscionable. We need sentencing reform, but we also need to ensure that when people get out of prison, they have a chance to become productive, law-abiding citizens. When people have paid their debt to society, they need access to decent employment. But too often, they face significant barriers when looking for a job. We can and should work to remove these barriers to success. A video of my remarks at the House Judiciary Committee meeting can be found here.
Strengthening the HOPE Lottery Scholarship
I was pleased one of three Powerball winners was not only from Tennessee but from the greater Memphis area. As a result of this unprecedented lottery jackpot, Tennessee students will benefit from record lottery ticket sales in the state. Every lottery ticket purchased in Tennessee directly helps students and their families attend colleges and technical schools. I am proud of my decades of work as a State Senator to create the Tennessee Education Lottery Scholarship program, which has now provided more than $3.5 billion for education programs. As college costs skyrocket and college degrees become more important, it is critical that we do everything we can to keep college affordable for hard-working students and families. In Congress, I have cosponsored the Bank on Students Emergency Loan Refinancing Act to enable students to refinance their student loans to get lower interest rates.
Bringing Congress to Your Corner
On Friday, January 22 from 12pm to 3pm, my office will hold “Congress on your Corner” office hours at the Ed Rice Community Center at 2907 N. Watkins Street. If you have questions or problems with Social Security, Medicare, FHA, the VA or any other federal agencies, my staff will be on hand to answer questions and provide assistance. We hope you can make it.
Helping Memphians Get Health Insurance
The HealthCare.gov insurance marketplace is still open for 2016 plan shopping and comparisons until January 31, 2016. You can visit https://bit.ly/hcSavings to see if you qualify for tax credits that will be applied as discounts on your monthly insurance premium. If you already have insurance coverage through the HealthCare.gov marketplace, your plan has automatically been renewed for 2016 but you should still visit HealthCare.gov to update your information, ensure you receive the full tax credit to which you are entitled, and review new options as cheaper insurance plans that better fit your needs may now be available.
Healthcare navigator SEEDCO will have enrollment assistance at the Benjamin Hooks Library at 3030 Poplar Ave. 38111 on January 22, 2016 from 10:30am-3:30 pm. Consumers can call (901) 405-7890 if they need any additional information. SEEDCO will also be at the Benjamin Hooks Library on January 31, 2016 from 1pm-5pm.
If you are on Medicare or your employer offers qualified health insurance in which you are enrolled, you're already covered and won't need to enter the Marketplace for your health coverage. If you aren't sure whether or not you should use the Marketplace to get insurance, you can call the Marketplace Hotline at (800) 318-2596 or visit HealthCare.gov. You can also call my office at (901) 544-4131 or the Marketplace Hotline to find out if TennCare (Tennessee's Medicaid program) is a coverage option for you.
Ensuring Memphians Get the Tax Refunds They Deserve
In December, I voted to permanently extend the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC), which is indexed for future increases, for low and middle income individuals and families. This provision ultimately became law.
April 15th – the deadline to file your 2015 federal tax return – is only a few months away. As you prepare your return, I hope you won’t overlook the EITC if you are eligible for it. It is an important credit that can give families a financial boost and is too important for people to overlook. Sadly, eligible taxpayers in Memphis and Shelby County have not taken full advantage of the program. I want to encourage everyone who is eligible to consider claiming it when filing their taxes.
Memphians shouldn’t pay more than they owe, and they should receive every penny they deserve in refunds. In 2014, I helped open one of 15 new Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) sites that operate throughout Shelby County. The VITA sites are available to provide tax return guidance and advice free of charge to ensure that Memphians take full advantage of programs like the EITC and get the tax refund they are entitled to. More information including a list of all VITA locations and their hours is available at the Shelby County Trustee’s website, and I encourage you to find one near you to help ensure you get every penny you are owed.
As always, I remain.
Most sincerely,
Steve Cohen
Member of Congress