Introducing Bill to Address Childhood Obesity
Dear Friend,
This week, I introduced legislation to address the high rates of childhood obesity in America and called attention to Tennessee having the highest rate in the nation. I also expressed concern about a misguided Freedom Caucus effort to impeach Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein, held a Congress On Your Corner event at the Benjamin Hooks Central Library, announced $43.3 million in grants to the Memphis airport, cosponsored the Violence Against Women Act, attended an event with ocean-protection advocates, celebrated National Intern Day with the Memphis and D.C. office interns, met with a constituent interning in Washington, marked Saturday's 150thanniversary of the 14th Amendment and offered a weekly health tip. Keep reading to learn more about my week and follow me on Twitter and Facebook to see more updates as they happen.
Introducing Bill to Address Childhood Obesity
Expressing Concern about efforts to Impeach Deputy Attorney General Rosenstein
Holding a Congress On Your Corner event
Making Memphis International Airport more efficient
Strengthening the Violence Against Women Act
Attending Oceana event to Help Protect the World's Oceans
Recognizing National Intern Day
Meeting with Memphian Ogechika Oselukwue
Marking the 150th Anniversary of the 14th Amendment
Signing Up for "Congress On Your Corner" and this e-Newsletter
Weekly Health Tip
Quote of the Week
Introducing Bill to Address High Levels of Childhood Obesity
We have a real problem with childhood obesity in this country and I am disheartened to note that Tennessee has the highest rate of any state at 38 percent. That's why I introduced on Thursday the Reducing Obesity in Youth Act which would create grant programs to assist in the development of healthier early care and education environments to improve healthy eating and exercise among children from birth to five years of age. Childhood obesity has implications not just for the future health of these children but also has a bearing on future national health care costs and national security. According to a recent Mission Readiness Study, nearly 70 percent of 17-24-year-olds in the U.S. are ineligible to join the armed services and the most-cited reason is being overweight. Beyond that, obese children are more likely to have a host of preventable illnesses later in life, including heart disease and diabetes. Representatives Rosa DeLauro of Connecticut and Jan Schakowsky of Illinois joined me introducing this important legislation.
Expressing Concern about efforts to Impeach Rosenstein
On Wednesday night, members of the misleadingly named Freedom Caucus filed Articles of Impeachment against Deputy Attorney General Rod J. Rosenstein in a transparent effort to derail Special Counsel Robert Mueller's investigation of Russian intervention in the 2016 election in favor of then-candidate Donald Trump – an investigation that Rosenstein oversees. I spoke on the House floor condemning their action. The purported pretext for this move is Rosenstein's reasonable resistance to turning over certain documents in an ongoing criminal investigation, something that is never done and that would be a breach of his sworn duties. It's obvious that this effort to impugn Mr. Rosenstein's reputation is a desperate plan to hobble a probe that is getting too close to President Trump's inner circle. It is critical that we prevent this impeachment effort from going forward and it's essential that we pass the Special Counsel Independence and Integrity Act (H.R. 5476) to protect Mueller.
Holding "Congress On Your Corner"
Earlier today, my District staff and I met with constituents for a "Congress On Your Corner" event that I schedule about once a month to help with Social Security, Medicare, veterans benefits and military service issues, Small Business Administration (SBA) loans and services, Federal Housing Administration (FHA) home loans, federal grants applications, IRS problems, passports and dealing with a host of issues involving interaction with federal agencies. We had a good turnout at the Benjamin L. Hooks Central Library and I was glad to hear what's on the minds of Memphians while we helped to solve a few problems for my constituents.
Making Memphis International Airport More Efficient
Also Friday, I was pleased to announce two Federal Aviation Administration grants totaling $43.3 million for work at Memphis International Airport. One grant is a reimbursement for $28.5 million spent reconstructing Taxiways Y and T. A second grant for $14.7 million funds the fifth phase of the rehabilitation of the Memphis International Airport's Concourse B. This is a sizeable public investment in our community and will make travel through our region more efficient. The airport is an important economic engine in our area and maintaining the facility in prime condition is critical in drawing future economic development to Memphis.
Strengthening the Violence Against Women Act
On Thursday, I cosponsored legislation to reauthorize and strengthen the Violence Against Women Act. If enacted, this bill would improve services for victims of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault and stalking as well as children who are affected by such violence. In addition to public health and housing assistance, the bill would also prohibit those convicted of dating violence and stalking from possessing guns.
Attending Oceana event to Help Protect the World's Oceans
On Wednesday evening, I attended an event sponsored by Oceana, an international advocacy organization focused on protecting the world's oceans. While there, I discussed my amendment to a spending bill that passed the House in June prohibiting spending on plastic drinking straws for House cafeterias, an effort some major private sector companies have also pledged to do in an effort to protect marine animals. I also got a chance to talk with actress Diane Lane, a strong advocate for the oceans and marine life, who spoke about the need to ban trade in shark fins and urged support for the passage of Senator Cory Booker's Shark Fin Trade Elimination Act (S.793). I am a cosponsor of the Shark Fin Sales Elimination Act (H.R. 1456) in the House.
Recognizing National Intern Day
Interns in my offices in both Memphis and D.C. are a critical component of my efforts to serve the 9th Congressional District. these bright and motivated young people -- many of whom work in my offices while still completing their studies -- learn about federal government policy while answering constituent letters, fielding phone calls, doing research and handling a variety of other jobs. One young woman recently researched the physical properties of the fencing separating Gaza from Israel and offered an oral report to me and my staff on the ongoing border conflict. Another recently attended a Senate Subcommittee on Space, Science and Competitiveness hearing on "putting American boots" on the planet Mars. Interns in both offices interact on a daily basis with constituents. I appreciate the hard work all our interns do and am glad our intern program is designed to create experiences that broadens their educational horizons and provides a firsthand opportunity to do public service. I was happy to recognize National Intern Day on Thursday with them.
Meeting with Memphian interning in D.C. Ogechika Oselukwue
This week I met with Ogechika Oselukwue of Cordova, a rising senior at Middle Tennessee State University who just finished her internship at Steptoe and Johnson LLP, an international law firm with offices in D.C. We discussed our heroes (hers is her dad, mine are JFK and former NAACP Chairman Julian Bond), her internship and time in D.C., as well as her plans to go to law school. It's always good to see my constituents doing well.
Marking the 150th Anniversary of the 14th Amendment
As the Ranking Member of the House Judiciary Subcommittee on the Constitution and Civil Justice, I take special pleasure in marking Saturday's 150th anniversary of the ratification of the 14th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. The 14th Amendment gives meaning to basic human rights by asserting as Constitutional law that states cannot deny citizens their life, liberty or property without due process of law. It also defines citizenship for all people born or naturalized in the United States, a provision now under attack by President Trump and others who would end birthright citizenship. The 14th Amendment extended the equal protection under federal law afforded in the Bill of Rights to the states. While it has taken far too long for the Amendment to fully deliver on its promise to African Americans, we should cherish this monumental achievement in civil rights, celebrate its anniversary, and rededicate ourselves to protecting the essential rights it enshrines in our Constitution.
Signing Up for "Congress On Your Corner" and this e-Newsletter
My staff and 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.
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Weekly Health Tip
Each week, I share a health tip in the hope of promoting a healthy lifestyle for residents of the 9thCongressional District. As always, it is best to check with your doctor before making any changes to your diet, exercise routine or lifestyle.
It's always nice to take a walk in the woods or visit a National Forest in the Summer but there are some precautions you should take against plants such as poison ivy, poison oak and poison sumac all of which are native to our part of Tennessee. The National Institute for Occupational Health and Safety and Health provides comprehensive information about the hazards, symptoms of exposure and other information here chiefly for those who work outdoors but that are largely applicable to all nature lovers.
Quote of the Week
On this date in 1974, the House Judiciary Committee on which I now serve voted 27 to 11 to recommend Articles of Impeachment, including obstruction of justice, against President Richard Nixon. Senator Howard Baker of Tennessee was the ranking member of the Senate Committee set up to investigate the 1972 break-in at the Democratic National Committee headquarters in the Watergate building complex, ably assisted by the committee's minority counsel and future Tennessee Senator Fred Thompson.
"I believed that it was a political ploy of the Democrats, that it would come to nothing. But a few weeks into that, it began to dawn on me that there was more to it than I thought, and more to it than I liked." – Senator Howard Baker to The Associated Press, in 1992, about being named the lead Republican on the special Watergate committee.
As always, I remain,
Most sincerely,
Steve Cohen
Member of Congress