Dear Friend, This week, our nation's Capitol survived an insurrection incited by a petulant, narcissistic President whose time in office is, mercifully, coming to an end. The people's citadel of representative democracy, the U.S. Capitol itself, and 244 years of self-government, were thrown into disarray by a crowd of thugs and right-wing extremists fired up by a would-be tyrant. Our democracy is resilient and the job we were in the Capitol to perform was completed. Congress certified the Electoral College victory of Joe Biden and Kamala Harris.
On Sunday, I was proud to take the oath of office to begin an eighth term representing Tennessee's Ninth Congressional District. That same day, I voted to make Nancy Pelosi our Speaker of the House once again. I also introduced a Constitutional Amendment to prevent corrupt and self-dealing pardons; introduced the NEWBORN Act to address our city's and our nation's unacceptable level of infant mortality; introduced the Baseball Diplomacy Act to permit Cuban athletes to play in our major leagues; monitored the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers' ongoing permitting process for the Byhalia Connection oil pipeline over our city's sensitive drinking water aquifer; and shared more information on how to check the status of the second IRS Economic Impact stimulus payments. Also this week, I congratulated Georgia for sending two new U.S. Senators to Washington to give the new Biden Administration its best chance of advancing our "For the People" legislative agenda. This week saw more bleak news about the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, and I urged my friends and constituents to be especially rigorous in following public health guidelines. Next week, I plan to introduce a resolution to amend the Constitution to abolish the Electoral College and establish the direct election of the president and vice president. Keep reading and follow me on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram to see what I'm doing as it happens.
Expressing Gratitude Our Country Survived a Chaotic Insurrection
Certifying the Biden-Harris Victory in the Electoral College
Taking the Congressional Oath of Office for the Eighth Time
Voting for Speaker Nancy Pelosi
Introducing a Constitutional Amendment to Limit the Pardon Power
Introducing the NEWBORN Act
Introducing the Baseball Diplomacy Act
Monitoring the Byhalia Connection Pipeline Permitting Process
Sharing Information on the Second Round of IRS Economic Impact Payments
Congratulating Georgia on its Selection of New U.S. Senators
Calling for the Abolition of the Electoral College
Announcing a Significant Grant to St. Jude
Weekly Health Tip
Quote of the Week
Expressing Gratitude Our Country Survived a Chaotic Insurrection
I was in the House Gallery for the certification of the Electoral College vote Wednesday afternoon when thugs and insurrectionists breached U.S. Capitol security and desecrated the centerpiece of our temple of democratic self-government. I appreciate the outpouring of concern for my safety I've received from my constituents and people around the country. I'm shaken by the experience and concerned that our country was wounded in the eyes of the world. It it clear that the wannabe tyrant in the White House is responsible for these acts of violence, and I look forward to January 20 when our nation will finally be rid of him. See my statement about the incident here and my description of events on MSNBC here.
Certifying the Biden-Harris Victory in the Electoral College
The storming of our Capitol did not prevent the House and Senate from conducting its purely pro forma function of certifying the vote of the Electoral College. Very early Thursday morning, after access to the House floor was restored, we certified the election of Joe Biden and Kamala Harris.
Taking the Congressional Oath of Office for the Eighth Time
On Sunday, I returned to Washington to be sworn in for an eighth term representing Tennessee's Ninth Congressional District. As my seniority increases, I am looking forward to working with my new and long-time colleagues to do important work for the American people. I continue to serve as the Chairman of the House Judiciary Subcommittee on the Constitution, Civil Rights, and Civil Liberties. This year the Subcommittee will be conducting critical work on voting rights, free speech, religious tolerance and presidential powers, among other issues. I am also a senior member of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, and I was elected by my colleagues to continue serving on the Democratic Steering and Policy Committee, where important decisions shaping policy initiatives are made.
Voting for Speaker Nancy Pelosi
The year I entered Congress, Nancy Pelosi called me the conscience of the freshman class, and I was proud that my first vote was to make her Speaker of the House. On Sunday, I was pleased to vote for her again. Her past performance has shown her to be one of the wisest and most accomplished Speakers in our history.
Introducing a Constitutional Amendment to limit the Pardon Power
On Monday, I offered a Constitutional Amendment that would limit the President's power to grant a pardon or clemency to himself, his family, his administration officials, or his campaign advisors. It would also prevent pardons for conduct undertaken for a direct and significant personal benefit of the President, the President's family, or Administration officials, and for crimes committed in cooperation with the President. Finally, it would ensure that pardons issued for a corrupt purpose are invalid. Donald Trump has demonstrated that the broad nature of the pardon power makes it ripe for abuse. Passing this joint resolution would remove that threat, now and in the future. See my release here.
Introducing the NEWBORN Act
On Monday, I introduced the Nationally Enhancing the Wellbeing of Babies through Outreach and Research Now (NEWBORN) Act to help address America's unacceptably high infant mortality rate with concrete solutions. If enacted, the bill would create infant mortality-focused pilot programs in the highest-risk areas of the country, like Memphis, to help those most in need address this devastating crisis. See my release here.
Introducing the Baseball Diplomacy Act
On Tuesday, I introduced the Baseball Diplomacy Act to eliminate barriers to Cuban athletes entering the U.S. on non-immigrant visas for the duration of the baseball season. We all know that some of our greatest baseball players are from Cuba or learned the game there, including my childhood hero, Minnie Minoso, ‘The Cuban Comet' of the Chicago White Sox, and Randy Arozarena, the Tampa Bay star of last year's playoffs who played for the Memphis Redbirds earlier in his career. The measure I have introduced would allow players to retain their Cuban citizenship and return to Cuba with their earnings, rather than having to renounce their citizenship and abandon their families to play baseball in the United States. See my release here.
Sharing Information on the Second Round of IRS Economic Impact Payments
Eligible individuals will automatically receive an Economic Impact Payment of up to $600 or $1,200 for married couples and up to $600 for each qualifying child. Most people who have an adjusted gross income for 2019 of up to $75,000 for individuals and up to $150,000 for married couples filing joint returns and surviving spouses, will receive the full amount of the second payment Congress authorized last month. For filers with income above those amounts, the payment amount is reduced. Qualified individuals began receiving their payments on January 4, 2021 as direct deposits, paper checks, or mailed debit cards. The IRS will continue to send out payments through mid-January.
To check the status of your second Economic Impact Payment, please visit this link and and click "Get My Payment." This service is available in both English and Spanish. Please note that these payments are automatic and do not require action by eligible individuals.
If you have any questions regarding your Economic Impact Payment, I encourage you to visit the Internal Revenue Service website first. The IRS cannot change your bank account information or address on file. If you have not received your full payment by the time you file your 2020 taxes, you may claim the Recovery Rebate Credit on your tax return. If you need assistance, please do not hesitate to contact my Memphis office at 901-544-4131.
Monitoring the Byhalia Connection Pipeline Permitting Process
On Tuesday, I had a meeting with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to express concerns about the Byhalia Connection pipeline currently slated to run over our sensitive Memphis Sand Aquifer, the source of our community's drinking water. On Friday, I wrote to Corps officials in Washington with my continuing concerns. See that letter here. I want to assure you that I am paying careful attention to this process and demanding answers.
Congratulating Georgia on its Selection of New U.S. Senators
Wednesday started with the encouraging news that Georgia will be sending the Reverend Raphael Warnock and Jon Ossoff to the U.S. Senate and giving that body a 50-50 partisan split in which ties can be broken by soon-to-be Vice President Kamala Harris. They both have much to contribute and I look forward to working with them. I had a nice call today from Senator-elect Warnock. I congratulated him and we had a good conversation about our late mutual friends Julian Bond and John Lewis.
Calling for the Abolition of the Electoral College
I had planned to introduce a joint resolution this week, as I did in the opening days of the previous Congress, to abolish the antiquated Electoral College and establish the direct election of the president and vice president by popular vote. I will now plan to introduce that measure on Monday. Twice in twenty years, the will of the people has been ignored and the presidency has been handed over to the loser of the popular vote. It is time for that practice to end. It was during the certification of the Electoral College vote on Wednesday, formalizing the results of an election Donald Trump lost by seven million votes, that our Capitol was overrun by hooligans bent on conferring the presidency to the loser. Wednesday's mayhem at the Capitol shows that efforts can be made to manipulate the Electoral College vote using falsehoods by ambitious politicians. The President should always be elected by the people, not the politicians; the Electoral College currently allows politicians to make the ultimate decision.
Announcing a Significant Grant to St. Jude
On Tuesday, I announced a significant grant to St. Jude Children's Research Hospital for immunology research. See that release here.
Weekly Health Tip
Tennessee has topped 7,100 deaths from the coronavirus as public health officials warn of a post-Christmas holidays surge. The state ranks third behind California and Arizona in cases per capita. That is why I am urging everyone to be particularly vigilant in the days and weeks ahead and follow public health guideline of washing hands frequently, wearing a mask indoors and avoiding crowds. Stay tuned for more information as Tennessee prepares to launch an online appointment system for those who are currently eligible to schedule a time to receive their first dose. The vaccines are still months away for most of the population, so commonsense precautions must still be observed. As a member of Congress, I was asked to get a the first of two vaccine shots on Sunday to ensure the continuation of government during this crisis. I didn't get the polio vaccine in a timely fashion when I was a child and have suffered the consequences since. The vaccines are safe and are the best way to begin to put this pandemic safely behind us.
Quote of the Week
"We gather today due to a selfish man's injured pride and the outrage of his supporters whom he has deliberately misinformed for the past two months and stirred to action this very morning. What happened here today was an insurrection, incited by the President of the United States. Those who choose to continue to support his dangerous gambit by objecting to the results of a legitimate, democratic election will forever be seen as being complicit in an unprecedented attack against our democracy. They will be remembered for their role in this shameful episode in American history. That will be their legacy." – Senator Mitt Romney of Utah on the floor of the Senate Wednesday night. As always, I remain.
Most sincerely,
 Steve Cohen
Member of Congress |
