Securing Money to End the Rape Kits Backlog and Passing My Bill For Servicemembers
Dear Friend,
This week, I voted for the Fiscal Year 2016 Omnibus federal spending bill which included my extra $4 million for ending the rape kit backlog; voted to permanently extend the Earned Income Tax Credit, Child Tax Credit, education tax credit for college students and teachers, and sales tax deduction for Tennessee; Congress passed my bill to provide bankruptcy relief for National Guardsmen and Reservists into law; and commended President Obama for commuting more prison sentences for non-violent drug offenders. Keep reading to learn more or follow me on Twitter and Facebook to see these updates as they happen.
Investing in America’s Future
Helping Our Servicemen and Women
Fighting for Justice
Commending Presidential Commutations for Non-Violent Drug Offenders
Meeting with Memphis Students
Recognizing the Memphis Academy of Health Sciences’ Honor Roll
Honoring Kirk Douglas
Helping Memphians Get Covered
2016 U.S. Capitol Historical Society Calendars Are Available
This morning, the Housepassed a $1.1 trillion Omnibus federal spending bill for 2016 to invest in the future of America and help working families. The Omnibus includes, among other things, an extra $4 million I secured to help reduce the backlog of untested rape kits, a $2 billion increase for the National Institutes of Health (NIH), including a 60% increase for Alzheimer’s research, funding for renewable energy and energy efficiency programs, and investments in Head Start and early childhood development. The House also voted yesterday to protect lower and middle class Americans from potentially painful tax increases, such as permanently extending the Earned Income Tax Credit, Child Tax Credit, a $2,500 per student tax credit for college students, and tax credits for teachers and small businesses. The bill also permanently extends the itemized deductions for state and local sale taxes in lieu of itemized deductions for state and local income taxes. This provision specifically benefits Tennessee since we do not have a state income tax. You can watch my speech on the House floor on funding to reduce the rape kit backlog here. You can watch my speech on the House floor recapping the year in Congress here.
Helping Our Servicemen and Women
Today, President Obama signed into law my bill, H.R. 4246, the National Guard and Reservists Debt Relief Extension Act of 2015, to ensure that certain members of the National Guard and Reserves who fall on hard economic times after their military service will continue to obtain bankruptcy relief without having to fill out the substantial required paperwork. This law is a way for our nation to recognize the tremendous sacrifice made by National Guard and Reserve members who have served on active duty or homeland defense since September 11 and may be suffering from financial hardship. These veterans who have returned from Iraq and Afghanistan disrupted their civilian lives to serve our country in war zones and homeland defense activities and could face a risk of financial distress. It is only fair that we help them during the bankruptcy process.
On Monday, U.S. Attorney Ed Stanton III announced that the Department of Justice (DOJ) in tandem with its Civil Rights Division, the U.S. Attorney’s Office, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation, would conduct a comprehensive review of the Darrius Stewart shooting. Back in July, I asked the Department of Justice to open an independent investigation to determine whether any federal civil rights violations had occurred and have continued to urge them to do so. I also personally asked Attorney General Loretta Lynch during a House Judiciary hearing last month to get the Department of Justice involved in this case. It should have the full, fair and public review it deserves and I am pleased that DOJ is investigating this case.
Commending Presidential Commutations for Non-Violent Drug Offenders
Earlier today, President Obama commuted the sentences of another 95 individuals serving lengthy federal prison sentences for non-violent crimes that under today’s law would have already been completed. In 2010, President Obama signed into law the Fair Sentencing Act, of which I was a cosponsor, to reduce the dramatic and unfair 100:1 disparity between crack and powder cocaine mandatory minimum sentences to 18:1 (It should be the same). While this was a step in the right direction, the Fair Sentencing Act was not retroactive, so there are numerous people in prison who have already completed their sentences under today’s law.
The commutations for non-violent drug convictions made today are an encouraging development and a significant step by the President toward a more rational and just clemency system for Americans who are incarceratedsomething I have long encouraged. But there still remain thousands of Americans languishing in prisons serving sentences that have been repudiated by both Congress and the President. I am encouraged by the recent bipartisan effort to reform our nation’s criminal justice laws, and I look forward to working with my colleagues to put an end to the practice of racially biased and unjust sentences. In the meantime, I am pleased that President Obama is using his constitutional powers to help bring these inmates the justice they deserve, and I hope the President continues his efforts to commute unjust sentences during his remaining time in office.
On Monday, I visited with 7th grade students of Samantha Buford’s social justice class at the Soulsville Charter School. The students wrote letters to my office expressing concern about the child soldiers in Syria, so I visited their classroom to discuss this issue and others. Soulsville is a great school where all nearly all graduating seniors graduate, go to college, and receive scholarships. The young students were bright, engaged, and gave me a hopeful feeling about the future of Memphis.
Recognizing the Memphis Academy of Health Sciences’ Honor Roll
On Monday morning, I spoke at the Memphis Academy of Health Sciences (MAHS)’ Honor Roll recognition event. 93 students made the school’s honor roll based on the first grading period, more than double the number of students from last year. The Memphis Academy of Health Sciences High School was recently recognized by Newsweek as one of the best high schools in America 2015. The graduation rate is one of the best in the city and state at 92 percent. MAHS has a great principal in Dr. Reginald Williams, and he and the teaching staff are the guiding force to success.
On Tuesday, I took to the House floor to honor living legend Kirk Douglas who recently celebrated his 99th birthday. He is an icon on the silver screen, but more importantly, he has used his success to help others. For his birthday, he didn’t receive gifts; he gave gifts. Mr. Douglas donated $15 million dollars to help the Motion Picture & Television Fund build an Alzheimer’s facility support industry members who suffer from the disease. In 1960, Kirk Douglas stood up against blacklisting in Hollywood by having the courage to hire Dalton Trumbo a blacklisted writer to write what became one of his most acclaimed films: Spartacus. He also established the Douglas Foundation in 1964 and is one of the entertainment industry’s oldest and largest philanthropist. The foundation supports education, medical research, and has built over 400 public playgrounds. As a longtime supporter of equal rights, Mr. Douglas has been an advocate for the apology of slavery by the United States to African-Americans, the legislative expression of which I authored in Congress, and has been a proponent of marriage equality. I am grateful for Mr. Douglas’s work both on the screen and off and I hope he will continue his efforts for many years to come. You can watch my speech on the House floor honoring Kirk Douglas here.
The HealthCare.gov insurance marketplace is open for 2016 plan shopping and comparisons. While the deadline to enroll in coverage that will take effect on January 1, 2016 has passed, you can still sign up for plans 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 will be automatically 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. 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, call the Marketplace Hotline at (800) 318-2596, visit HealthCare.gov, or call the healthcare navigator Seedco at (901) 255-2955. 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.
2016 U.S. Capitol Historical Society Calendars Are Available
My office currently has a limited number of 2016 U.S. Capitol Historical Society calendars available. If you would like to receive a calendar, please complete this formon my website. Due to the rules of the House, I am only able to mail calendars to residents of Tennessee’s 9th Congressional District. Please feel free to share this email with other residents of the 9th Congressional District who may be interested in receiving one but who do not receive my eNewsletter.
As always, I remain.
Most sincerely,
Steve Cohen
Member of Congress