Celebrating International Women’s Day
Dear Friend,
This week, I celebrated International Women's Day with remarks encouraging remembrance of some of Memphis' and Tennessee's greatest women. I also introduced a bill to remedy inconsistent reporting requirements for repeat DUI offenders, helped amplify Congressional concerns about Russian cyber meddling and the President's foot-dragging, did national television interviews on Trump son-in-law Jared Kushner's and the White House's conflicts of interest, asked the Judiciary Committee to review Russian meddling in our elections and pending gun violence measures, paid tribute to the late Angus McEachran and offered a health tip concerning kidney disease. Keep reading to learn more about my week and follow me on Twitter and Facebook to see more updates as they happen.
Celebrating International Women's Day
Remedying Inconsistent DUI Reporting Requirements
Demanding Sanctions Against Russian Election Meddlers
Talking with MSNBC's Alex Witt about Jared Kushner's Conflicts
Chatting with CNN's Ana Cabrera about White House Conflicts
Asking Judiciary Committee to Address Pressing Issues
Paying Tribute to Commercial Appeal Editor Angus McEachran
Inviting Constituents to Sign Up for My Next Telephone Town Hall and to Attend "Congress on Your Corner"
Weekly Health Tip
Quote of the Week
Celebrating International Women's Day
On Thursday, the world celebrated International Women's Day and I encouraged recognition of the great women of Memphis and Tennessee, noting it was the Volunteer State's passage of the 19th Amendment in 1920 that gave American women the right to vote.
I was pleased to see that, as part of its "Overlooked" initiative, announced Thursday,The New York Times recognized 15 women whose achievements were finally honored with obituaries, including Memphis' crusading anti-lynching journalist Ida B. Wells. See her heroic, belated story here.
Remedying Inconsistent DUI Reporting Requirements
The outrageous harm done by repeat drunken drivers is compounded by inaccurate records which can result in a driver with multiple offenses being charged and adjudicated as a first offender. On Thursday, I introduced the bipartisan DUI Reporting Act to remedy this loophole and ensure that law enforcement officers at the time of a traffic stop, and the courts called to mete out justice, have accurate, up-to-date, multi-state records of drivers' DUI histories. I am regularly reminded of two teenage girls from Briarcrest whose 2015 deaths caused by a repeat DUI offender brought the injustice of inconsistent reporting to light.
Demanding Sanctions Against Russian Election Meddlers
Congress passed a bill last year on a 419-3 vote in the House and a 98-2 vote in the Senate that required the Trump Administration to impose sanctions on Russian President Vladimir Putin's inner circle. For whatever mysterious reason, Trump continues to admire the Russian despot and continues to ignore the ongoing threat by dragging his feet on Congressionally mandated sanctions.
This week, I joined a large, bipartisan group of my colleagues to introduce the Directing the Implementation of Sanctions and Accountability for Russian Mischief (DISARM) Act as a way to draw attention to the seriousness of the threat Russian manipulation of our democratic process still poses. As Special Counsel Robert Mueller continues his probe into Russian meddling in the 2016 elections, it is unfortunate we have such reluctance on the part of the President to confront the ongoing danger.
Talking with MSNBC's Alex Witt about Jared Kushner's Conflicts
Days after it came to light that Trump son-in-law Jared Kushner's White House meetings with potential lenders led more than $500 million in loans to his family business, I sat down to talk about the controversy Saturday with MSNBC's Alex Witt. I noted that so much of what the Trump White House is doing is mired in conflicts, dubious ethical decision-making and incompetence, from a failure to release tax returns to allowing senior advisors to work without permanent security clearances. See the interview here.
Chatting with CNN's Ana Cabrera about White House Conflicts
A few hours later on Saturday, I discussed much the same laundry list of White House ethical challenges with CNN's Ana Cabrera. See that interview here.
Asking Judiciary Committee to Address Pressing Issues
On Wednesday, along with my colleagues on the House Judiciary Committee, I considered a bill to provide more oversight of pre-trial release programs. While it's an issue worthy of our attention, I pointed out to the Chairman that the Judiciary Committee also has jurisdiction to look at ongoing Russian meddling in our elections, past meddling, and a plethora of gun violence measures that are of perhaps more pressing concern in the wake of the most recent school shooting in South Florida. Although my words failed to persuade the Chairman to act, I will continue to make the case we have an obligation to address these matters.
Paying Tribute to Commercial Appeal Editor Angus McEachran
On Monday evening I learned of the passing of retired Commercial Appeal Editor Angus McEachran at 78. Mr. McEachran was a hard-nosed newspaperman and had a deep understanding of Memphis and the Mid-South region as he worked his way up from copyboy in 1960 to editor and president. He retired in 2002. Among the many highlights of an illustrious career, Mr. McEachran guided the Metro Desk coverage of the paper's two biggest stories of the 20th Century -- the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. in 1968 and the death of Elvis Presley in 1977. I join his many friends in paying tribute to his life.
Inviting Constituents to Sign Up for My Next Telephone Town Hall on March 20 and to Attend "Congress on Your Corner"
I enjoy meeting regularly with constituents in the district and helping get answers for them to questions about dealing with federal agencies. If you are interested in attending one of my "Congress on Your Corner" events, you can sign up here to receive notification as soon as the next event is scheduled.
To talk to constituents while I'm in Washington, I've found telephone town halls timely and have appreciated the positive response from constituents. I have scheduled my next telephone town hall for March 20, starting at 7:00pm CT. The telephone town halls provides a good forum to hear the concerns and ideas of the 9thDistrict and give me an opportunity to provide legislative action. For those who haven't participated in a Telephone Town Hall, it's easy to sign up for future events by using this form.
If you would like to receive this weekly eNewsletter, you can do that with this form.
Weekly Health Tip
Each week, I share a health tip in the hopes of promoting a healthy lifestyle for residents of the 9th Congressional District. As always, it is best to check with your doctor before making any changes to your diet, exercise routine or lifestyle.
March is National Kidney Month. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) notes that chronic kidney disease is more common in women than in men. Even so, fewer women are on kidney dialysis. The CDC encourages women to be aware of this disparity,to put a kidney checkup on the calendarand to seek treatment, if necessary.
Quote of the Week
"The way to right wrongs is to turn the light of truth upon them." – Ida B. Wells (1962-1931)
As always, I remain,
Most sincerely,
Steve Cohen
Member of Congress