Dear Friend, This week, I announced that 23 Shelby County schools and libraries have received more than $18.4 million from the Federal Communications Commission to assure that students have internet access in their homes and can make use of online resources. I also pledged to stand up for the NATO members of the Baltic states and later voted to punish Russian aggression in Ukraine by suspending normal trade relations with Russia and Belarus; introduced the Oligarch Asset Forfeiture Act; warned Russia not to use illegal chemical weapons in Ukraine; spoke in favor of and voted for the CROWN Act; spoke out about threats to public officials during a Judiciary Committee markup of the Domestic Terrorism Prevention Act; spoke in favor of and voted for the FAIR Act to protect employees and consumers from unfair forced arbitration; and offered a health tip. Keep reading and follow me on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram to see what I'm doing as it happens. Announcing $18.4 Million for Shelby County Schools and Libraries Pledging to Stand with NATO-Member Baltic States Introducing the Oligarch Asset Forfeiture Act Warning Russia Against the Use of Illegal Chemical Weapons Voting to Pass the CROWN Act Condemning Threats to Public Officials Speaking in Favor and Voting for the FAIR Act Weekly Health Tip Quote of the Week
Announcing $18.4 Million for Shelby County Schools and Libraries 
On Tuesday, I announced that the American Rescue Plan, which I supported, has already brought $18,459,774 to 23 Shelby County schools and libraries from the Federal Communications Commission's (FCC) Emergency Connectivity Fund Program (ECF). The program expands access to the internet for all students to close the homework gap and strengthen online learning from their homes. See my release listing all of the local recipients here. Pledging to Stand with NATO-Member Baltic States
Co-Chairman Cohen speaks about the Russian threat to the Baltic states. On Thursday, as Co-Chairman of the Helsinki Commission, I presided at a hearing on the Russian threat to the Baltic states with senior parliamentary members from Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia as witnesses. See my release, including my statement on the peril, here. Later, I spoke from the House floor in favor of ending Russian and Belarusian normal trade relations with the United States and voted to pass the measure. See that release here. Introducing the Oligarch Asset Forfeiture Act
On Thursday, Congressman Cohen condemned Russia's actions as immoral. On Tuesday, I introduced with Representatives Joe Wilson of South Carolina, Tom Malinowski of New Jersey, and Maria Elvira Salazar of Florida the Oligarch Asset Forfeiture Act to freeze, seize and liquidate the ill-gotten wealth of Putin-linked oligarchs. See that release here. Warning Russia Against the Use of Illegal Chemical Weapons Last Saturday, as Russian aggression and misinformation flared, I put out a statement warning Russia not to use illegal chemical weapons as Russia had suggested Ukraine might be contemplating. See my statement here. Speaking and Favor and Voting for the CROWN Act
This morning, I spoke from the House floor in favor of the Create a Respectful and Open World for Natural (CROWN) Hair Act, to prohibit discrimination on the basis of hair textures and hair styles commonly associated with a particular race or national origin. I later voted for the CROWN Act, which passed the House 235 to 189. See my release here. Condemning Threats to Public Officials During Wednesday's Judiciary Committee markup of the Domestic Terrorism Prevention Act, I spoke against the recent rise in threats of violence against public officials by domestic terrorists. See my release and those remarks here. Speaking in Favor and Voting for the FAIR Act On Thursday, I spoke from the House floor in favor of my friend Congressman Hank Johnson of Georgia's Forced Arbitration Injustice Repeal (FAIR) Act and later voted for the measure. The FAIR Act would prohibit forced arbitration, which has allowed companies to create a rigged, pro-business system of dispute resolution rather than allowing consumers and employees to have their cases heard before a judge and jury and receive a rightful judgement. See those remarks and my release here. Weekly Health Tip As things begin to open up and vaccination rates improve, it remains critical that we maintain public health protocols, particularly when we are inside and in crowds. Mask wearing is still a smart choice. The White House continues to provide eight free Covid-19 test kits per household. See how to request them here. Quote of the Week "Today, the Ukrainian people are defending not only Ukraine, we are fighting for the values of Europe and the world, sacrificing our lives in the name of the future…Thank you. Glory to Ukraine. Thank you for your support." -- Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky speaking to a Joint Session of Congress on Wednesday. Congratulations to the Memphis Tigers in their victory over Boise State. Go, Tigers! Beat Gonzaga! As always, I remain.
Most sincerely,
Steve Cohen
Member of Congress | 
