Expresing Concern over the President's Past and Potential Abuse of the Pardon Power
December 4, 2020 |
Dear Friend, This week, I expressed concern over the President's past and anticipated abuse of the pardon power and urged my colleagues and the American people to consider my proposed Constitutional amendment to limit potential misuse. I also began preparing for the rollout of a COVID-19 vaccine with cautionary guidance to my constituents that availability for Americans who are not on the front lines of this pandemic is still several months off. I also voted for the Marijuana Opportunity Reinvestment and Expungement (MORE) Act, removing marijuana from the list of scheduled substances under the Controlled Substances Act and eliminating federal criminal penalties for anyone who manufactures, distributes or possesses marijuana. I sponsored legislation to prohibit evictions without a court order during a national emergency. I sent a letter to Speaker Pelosi and the Appropriations Committee urging an extension of funding for Minority Business Development Agency (MBDA) Business Centers. I was saddened to learn that Terri Freeman will be stepping down as President of the National Civil Rights Museum and wish her all the best. Also this week, I joined my colleague, Don Beyer of Virginia, in writing to the Administration to urge it to abandon plans to liquidate specialized, unarmed planes that are used to enforce provisions of the Treaty on Open Skies; reminded constituents of the fast-approaching December 15 deadline for signing up for affordable health insurance at Healthcare.gov; offered 2021 U.S. Capitol Historical Society calendars; announced a significant job-training grant for food service workers; and provided a coronavirus-specific health tip. Keep reading and follow me on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram to see what I'm doing as it happens. Expressing Concern Over the President's Past and Potential Abuse of the Pardon Power Preparing for the Phased Rollout of COVID-19 Vaccines Voting for Marijuana Legal Reforms Prohibiting "Self-Help" Evictions Writing in Support of Extending Funding for MBDA Business Centers Wishing National Civil Rights Museum President Terri Freeman Well Writing to Urge the President to Abandon Plans to Hobble Open Skies Enforcement Reminding Constituents of December 15 Deadline for Healthcare.gov Offering 2021 U.S. Capitol Historical Society Calendars Announcing a Significant Job-Training Grant Expressing Concern Over the President's Past and Potential Abuse of the Pardon Power Following the President's self-serving pardon of his first National Security Advisor, Michael Flynn, who lied to the FBI about his contact with Russians, I reminded my colleagues and the press that I first introduced a Constitutional Amendment in October 2017, and again in the current Congress, to limit any President's pardon power and to prohibit its use for himself, his family and others. See an opinion column on the issue I wrote for CNN on Thursday here. As a young lawyer and Vice President of the Tennessee Constitutional Convention in 1977, I proposed a reform of the Governor's pardon power during a period of pardon abuse by then-Governor Ray Blanton. I have a long history of advocacy on this issue and hope it will be addressed at the federal level soon. Preparing for the Phased Rollout of COVID-19 Vaccines We have all heard the good news about progress with COVID-19 vaccines, but we have to be patient and realistic about how soon we can expect vaccinations for the general population to be available. The rollout will be implemented in phases and based on scientific criteria, beginning with front line health care workers. My Congressional web page will always have the latest updates, and I will keep you informed as more details around the vaccination logistics become available. Voting for Marijuana Legal Reforms Earlier today, I voted to pass the Marijuana Opportunity Reinvestment and Expungement (MORE) Act, removing marijuana from the list of scheduled substances under the Controlled Substances Act, effectively eliminating federal criminal penalties. It also sets up a system for expungement of criminal records for marijuana-related offenses that are often an impediment to employment, housing, education, and accessing federal benefits. In Shelby County, the vast majority of those arrested for cannabis-related offenses are African Americans. The bill also sets up an excise tax for cannabis products and uses those proceeds to invest in the communities most harmed by the War on Drugs, particularly communities of color, and promote diversity in the cannabis industry. As a longtime advocate of sensible marijuana reform laws, I'm pleased this long-overdue measure has passed the House. See my release and statement here. Prohibiting "Self-Help" Evictions Earlier today, I sponsored the Emergency Eviction Enforcement Act of 2020, which would prevent self-help evictions during national emergencies. Federal and state evictions protections are expiring right as we expect the worst of the COVID epidemic. This legislation would keep people in their homes by stopping landlords from taking it upon themselves to remove tenants. See my release on the measure here. Writing in Support of Extending Funding for MBDA Business Centers This week, I wrote a letter to Speaker Pelosi and the Appropriations Committee chairs to request an extension of funding for Minority Business Development Agency (MBDA) Business Centers. The business centers operate on five-year grants that expire on March 31, 2021. Without an extension, the business centers would close on March 31 and minority-owned businesses would be left without services or support during an historic crisis that threatens to shutter thousands of minority-owned businesses, which have been disproportionately affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. I secured the establishment of the MBDA Business Center in Memphis and want to make sure it has the adequate time and funding to help our minority-owned and small businesses. See the letter here. Wishing National Civil Rights Museum President Terri Freeman Well Terri Freeman has done an exceptional job as President of the National Civil Rights Museum, and I was sorry to see Thursday's announcement that she will be stepping down. During her tenure, the NCRM commemorated the 50th anniversary of the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., showcasing the masterfully curated museum to an international audience. She also helped affiliate the museum with the Smithsonian Institution and its traveling exhibits. I congratulate her on a job well done and wish her all the best. Writing to Urge the President to Abandon Plans to Liquidate Open Skies Enforcement Aircrafts On Monday, I joined my friend Congressman Don Beyer (VA-08) in writing the President and urging him not to liquidate the aircraft that make enforcement of the Treaty on Open Skies possible. See my release and the letter here. Reminding Constituents of December 15 Deadline for Healthcare.gov The Healthcare.gov open enrollment period began November 1 and will end on Tuesday, December 15th. It is important for you to review your options during this period. If you are on Medicare or if 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 1-800-318-2596, visit www.Healthcare.gov, or you can always call my office at (901) 544-4131. You can also call either of these numbers to find out if TennCare (Tennessee's Medicaid program) is a coverage option for you. During this devastating pandemic, health coverage is more important than ever, and I have worked to expand access to affordable and comprehensive health care. I will continue to urge Governor Lee to expand Medicaid under the Affordable Care Act, which would extend life-saving coverage to thousands of Tennesseans. Offering 2021 U.S. Capitol Historical Society Calendars My office will have a limited number of 2021 U.S. Capitol Historical Society calendars available. If you would like to receive a calendar, please call my office at (202) 225-3265. Due to the rules of the House, I am only able to mail calendars to residents of Tennessee's Ninth District. Please feel free to share this email with other residents of the Ninth District who may be interested in receiving one but who do not receive my e-Newsletter. Announcing a Significant Job-Training Grant Also Monday, I announced that the Delta Regional Authority will provide a grant to ProGeny Place, a Memphis-based collaborative partnership, to train domestic violence survivors in the food-based manufacturing and distribution industry certification program at Southwest Tennessee Community College. See my release here. This week, in addition to calling attention to alarming rates of coronavirus spread in Tennessee and a record number of daily deaths in our country, I want to make a serious recommendation: stay home if you can. The holidays won't be the same this year. That's regrettable but it's the reality. There are 2,413 people hospitalized in Shelby County with this virus right now. Please follow Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines and keep your distance from others, wash hands frequently, and wear a mask when indoors and around strangers. It is best to assume those around you are infected, so be safe, and we'll get through this. "Even after this office requested that President Trump try and quell the violent rhetoric being born out of his continuing claims of winning the states where he obviously lost, he tweeted out, ‘Expose the massive voter fraud in Georgia.' This is exactly the kind of language that is at the base of a growing threat environment for election workers who are simply doing their jobs." – Republican Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger on Wednesday. As always, I remain. Steve Cohen |
