Chairing a Hearing on the Equal Rights Amendment
Dear Friend,
This week, I chaired the first Congressional hearing on the Equal Rights Amendment in 36 years and spoke of my commitment to seeing it added to the U.S. Constitution. I also responded to Attorney General William Barr's refusal to appear for a scheduled House Judiciary Committee oversight hearing; chaired a field hearing in Texas on voting rights; voted to address climate change; worked to reduce prescription drug costs; observed Holocaust Remembrance Day; announced almost $10 million in health grants to Memphis health care institutions; welcomed a new Legislative Director; and offered my weekly health tip. Keep reading to learn more about my week and follow me on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram to see more updates as they happen.
Chairing First Hearing on the Equal Rights Amendment in Decades
Calling Out Attorney General for Failing to Appear at Hearing
Chairing Judiciary Subcommittee Field Hearing on Voting Rights
Voting to Address Climate Change
Working to Reduce Prescription Drug Costs
Observing Holocaust Remembrance Day
Announcing $9.9 Million in Health Grants
Welcoming a New Legislative Director
Sign Up for Congress on Your Corner and This Newsletter
Weekly Health Tip
Quote of the Week
Chairing First Hearing on the Equal Rights Amendment in Decades
Congressman Cohen with actresses Alyssa Milano and Patricia Arquette
On Tuesday, as Chairman of the House Judiciary Subcommittee on the Constitution, Civil Rights and Civil Liberties, I presided over the first hearing on the Equal Rights Amendment in 36 years and expressed support for the ratification of ratification of the constitutional amendment guaranteeing equal rights for women. See my opening statement here and my release here. If you'd like to watch the entire hearing and the compelling testimony of six brilliant women, see that here.
Calling Out Attorney General for Failing to Appear at Hearing
On Thursday Attorney General Barr was scheduled to appear before the House Judiciary Committee. I highlighted his cowardly absence with a ceramic chicken and a bucket of fried chicken. The highest law enforcement officer in the country should not be afraid to testify before Congress. See my release here.
Chairing Judiciary Subcommittee Field Hearing on Voting Rights
This morning I was in Houston, Texas, chairing a hearing of the House Judiciary Subcommittee on the Constitution, Civil Rights and Civil Liberties on voting rights in Texas. Witnesses testified about ongoing vote-suppression efforts that occur disproportionately in minority communities.
Voting to Address Climate Change
On Thursday, I voted for, and the House passed, the Climate Action Now Act, ensuring that our country honors its commitment to the Paris Climate Agreement and addressing scientific evidence of climate change. See my release here.
Working to Reduce Prescription Drug Costs
On Tuesday, I supported four bipartisan, commonsense measures to lower prescription drug costs by easing access to generic drugs and ensuring generic drug companies can compete with the huge brand-name companies. Americans pay far too much for prescription drugs when cheaper and equally effective generics should be available to consumers. See my release here.
Observing Holocaust Remembrance Day
On Wednesday evening and Thursday, I recognized Yom HaShoah, Holocaust Remembrance Day, and pledged my commitment to a pluralistic society of democratic values that stands up to intolerance and discrimination in all its forms. See my release here.
Announcing $9.9 Million in Health Grants
Last week, I announced that the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has awarded two grants totaling $9.9 million to two essential Memphis health care institutions: St. Jude Children's Research Hospital and the Memphis Health Center. See my release here.
Welcoming New Legislative Director
I'm pleased to announce that Reisha Phills Buster has returned to to my D.C. office as Legislative Director, a position she held from 2009 to 2013. See my release on her background here.
Sign Up for Congress on Your Corner and This Newsletter
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. My next Congress On Your Corner event will be Friday, May 31, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., at the Whitehaven Branch Library, 4120 Millbranch Road.
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May is National High Blood Pressure Education Month. Many Americans already have hypertension or are at risk of it due to genetic factors, diet or inactivity. See valuable guidance on managing or preventing high blood pressure from the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute here.
"The summary letter the Department sent to Congress and released to the public late in the afternoon of March 24 did not fully capture the context, nature, and substance of this Office's work and conclusions…There is now public confusion about critical aspects of the results of our investigation. This threatens to undermine a central purpose for which the Department appointed the Special Counsel: to assure full public confidence in the outcome of the investigations." – March 27, 2019 letter from Special Counsel Robert Mueller to Attorney General William Barr regarding Barr's misleading March 24 four-page summary of Mueller's investigation.
As always, I remain
Most sincerely,
Steve Cohen
Member of Congress