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Investing in Memphis's Infrastructure with Vice President Biden

February 19, 2016
Enewsletters

Dear Friend,

This week, I had the opportunity to tour the Memphis Regional Intermodal Facility with Vice President Joe Biden and discuss the importance of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) and transportation infrastructure in Memphis. Also this week, I met with officials from the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) about the implementation of Memphis’s $30 million Choice Neighborhood Grant. On Monday, February 22, I am hosting a roundtable discussion on Monday morning at Le Bonheur Children’s Hospital with local, state, and federal officials on the Zika Virus and other threats to infant health. The roundtable discussion is open to the public, and you can read more about it below. Keep reading to learn more about my week or follow me on Twitter and Facebook to see these updates as they happen.

Investing in Memphis’s Infrastructure with Vice President Biden
Helping Transform our City with Choice Neighborhoods
Hosting a Roundtable Discussion on the Zika Virus and Infant Mortality
Bringing Congress to Your Corner
White House Easter Egg Role
U.S. Naval Academy Summer Seminar
The IRS Urges Public to Stay Alert for Scam Phone Calls
Ensuring Memphians Get the Tax Refunds They Deserve

Investing in Memphis’s Infrastructure with Vice President Biden

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On Wednesday, I had the opportunity to tour the Memphis Regional Intermodal Facility with Vice President Joe Biden, Deputy Secretary of the Department of Transportation Victor Mendez and Memphis Mayor Strickland. During this visit, we discussed the importance of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA), an unprecedented effort that saved America’s economy from financial collapse and helped create millions of jobs for people all across America. Vice President Biden has worked diligently in ensuring a successful implementation of the ARRA, and I was pleased he came to Memphis to highlight the Obama Administration’s dedication to investing in transportation infrastructure. With five Class I railroads, seven interstate and U.S. highways, one of the world's leading cargo airports, and the nation's fourth-largest inland port, Memphis offers shippers an outstanding combination of efficiency and flexibility. As part of the ARRA, Tennessee, among other states, received a TIGER grant for $105 million in 2010 that allowed for accelerated construction of two key intermodal terminals for the Crescent Corridor Intermodal Freight Project, including the Memphis Regional Intermodal Facility. This grant significantly impacted economic development and workforce development in rail, trucking and warehousing in our region. Vice President Biden, the President’s newly anointed cancer czar, also promised me that next time he was in Memphis, he would visit St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. I look forward to welcoming the Vice President back to Memphis.

Helping Transform our City with Choice Neighborhoods

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Yesterday, I met with Housing and Urban Development (HUD) officials and the South City Implementation Working team at the Urban Child Institute to discuss the progress of the South City transformation project from Memphis’s $30 million Choice Neighborhood Grant I helped secure last year. President Obama’s Choice Neighborhoods program aims to transform impoverished neighborhoods into viable mixed-income neighborhoods with access to a multitude of economic opportunities through revitalization of public and assisted housing, schools and education programs, public transportation and job creation. It is good to see the progress and hard work that has been put into the plans for the redevelopment of the South City neighborhood.

Hosting a Roundtable Discussion on the Zika Virus and Infant Mortality

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On Monday, February 22nd from 9:00am-10:30am at Le Bonheur Children's Hospital, I will be hosting a roundtable discussion as part of my "Building a Healthier Memphis" series with local, state and federal officials on how to protect babies and expectant mothers from the Zika virus and other threats to their health. Representatives from Le Bonheur Children's Hospital, Regional One Health, the Shelby County Health Department, and the Tennessee Department of Health will discuss strategies to protect expectant mothers from the Zika virus. Representatives from the March of Dimes will discuss ways to reduce premature birth and infant mortality. The Deputy Associate Administrator of the Maternal and Child Health Bureau at the U.S. Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) will also be present to discuss the agency’s goals and its roadmap for improving the health of children in Tennessee by 2020.

The round-table discussion will take place in the auditorium of the Faculty Office Building at Le Bonheur Children’s Hospital, 51 N. Dunlap St. The event is open to the public. Parking is available in the Family/Guest Parking Garage (130 N. Manassas) adjacent to the Faculty Office Building.

Bringing Congress to Your Corner

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This morning, my office held “Congress on your Corner” office hours at the Ed Rice Community Center at 2907 N. Watkins Street. My staff was on hand to answer questions and provide assistance with Social Security, Medicare, FHA, the VA or any other federal agencies. Please stay tuned to my weekly E-Newsletter for more information on our next “Congress on your Corner” office hours.

White House Easter Egg Role

The White House Easter Egg Roll will be held on Monday, March 28, 2016. The event will open the White House South Lawn to children ages 13 years and younger and their families.

White House Easter Egg Roll tickets can be requested through an online public lottery which will be open from today at 12:00 PM EST until Wednesday, February 17, at 12:00 PM EST. Winners will be notified by February 25; tickets are free of charge and cannot be sold. To enter the lottery, please visit www.recreation.gov.

To honor the final Easter Egg Roll of the Obama Administration, this year’s theme will be “Let’s Celebrate,” and will feature aspects of First Lady Michelle Obama’s initiatives, as well as the contributions the Obama Administration has made to the Easter Egg Roll.

The White House invites all elementary and middle school students to submit original artwork related to this year’s theme for the 2016 Easter Egg Roll Design Contest. The First Lady will select two winning designs, which will be used as a part of the White House 2016 Easter Egg Roll program and souvenir poster.

Submissions for the contest are now openand will close on Monday, February 22nd, at 12:00 PM EST. Designs should be uploaded to www.whitehouse.gov/eastereggroll. Artwork should reflect this year’s theme. Please note submissions may be made public during the selection process.

U.S. Naval Academy Summer Seminar

The United States Naval Academy Summer Seminar is a fast-paced, six-day experience for high achievers who have completed their junior year in high school. Summer Seminar teaches students about life at the Naval Academy, where academics, athletics, and professional training play equally important roles in developing our nation's leaders. Students who are interested in pursuing an appointment to one of our nation's service academies and serving as an officer, are encouraged to apply for the Naval Academy's Summer Seminar at https://www.usna.edu/Admissions/index.php. The Naval Academy Summer Seminar online application closes 11:59 p.m. (EST) on March 31. The Summer STEM online application closes 11:59 p.m. (EST) on April 15.

The IRS Urges Public to Stay Alert for Scam Phone Calls

The IRS continues to warn consumers to guard against scam phone calls from thieves intent on stealing their money or their identity. Criminals pose as the IRS to trick victims out of their money or personal information. Click here for several tips to help you avoid being a victim of these scams and what to do if believe you have been contacted by a scammer.

Ensuring Memphians Get the Tax Refunds They Deserve

In December, I voted to permanently extend the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC), which is indexed for future increases, for low and middle income individuals and families. This provision ultimately became law.

April 15th – the deadline to file your 2015 federal tax return – is only a few months away. As you prepare your return, I hope you won’t overlook the EITC if you are eligible for it. It is an important credit that can give families a financial boost. Sadly, eligible taxpayers in Memphis and Shelby County have not taken full advantage of the program. I want to encourage everyone who is eligible to consider claiming it when filing their taxes.

Memphians shouldn’t pay more than they owe, and they should receive every penny they deserve in refunds. In 2014, I helped open one of 15 new Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) sites that operate throughout Shelby County. The VITA sites are available to provide tax return guidance and advice free of charge to ensure that Memphians take full advantage of programs like the EITC and get the tax refund to which they are entitled. More information including a list of all VITA locations and their hours is available at the Shelby County Trustee’s website, and I encourage you to find one near you to help ensure you get every penny you are owed.

As always, I remain.
Most sincerely,
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Steve Cohen
Member of Congress

Issues:9th DistrictHealth CareHousingMemphisMillingtonShelby CountyTennesseeTransportation