Organizing 117th Congress Committees and Retaining Chairmanship of Judiciary Subcommittee
Dear Friend,
This week, the new 117th Congress organized its committees, and I was re-elected Chairman of the House Judiciary Subcommittee on the Constitution, Civil Rights, and Civil Liberties. I remain a senior member of the Judiciary Committee and of the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure. I was pleased to also be named to the Committee on Natural Resources that has jurisdiction over issues involving climate change. These committee duties should give me a strong platform to advocate for the interests and needs of the people of the Ninth Congressional District. All through the month of February, I will be calling attention to important dates, people and events associated with Black History. On this date in 1866, for instance, the great Pennsylvania Congressman and abolitionist Thaddeus Stevens introduced an amendment to the Freedman's Bill working its way through Congress to provide public and confiscated land to freed, previously enslaved people in 40-acre lots. Also this week, I introduced bills to provide free credit scores to consumers and to ensure that the Department of Veterans Affairs gives local contractors preference for projects and services at VA facilities. I also wrote to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to demand an explanation for why long overdue test results of airplane evacuations mandated by the SEAT Act have not been made available to Congress or to the public. In a related matter, I participated in a Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure hearing on the safety of transportation workers and passengers during the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. I also cosponsored the SAFE to DRIVE Act to discourage distracted driving and provided a weekly health tip. Keep reading and follow me on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram to see what I'm doing as it happens.
Organizing 117th Congress Committees and Retaining Chairmanship of Judiciary Subcommittee on the Constitution
Commemorating People and Events During Black History Month
Introducing Free Access to Credit Scores Act
Introducing Bill Ensuring Local Contractor Preference in Veterans Affairs Projects
Assuring the Safety of the Traveling Public
Cosponsoring the SAFE to DRIVE Act
Weekly Health Tip
Quote of the Week
Organizing 117th Congress Committees and Retaining Chairmanship of Judiciary Subcommittee on the Constitution
This week, I participated in the reorganization of the committees serving the new 117th Congress. This is a process that takes place at the beginning of every Congress to set rules and procedures for individual committees. As a senior member of the Judiciary Committee, I was re-elected Chairman of its Subcommittee on the Constitution, Civil Rights, and Civil Liberties and will preside over important hearings on voting rights and other critical issues in the weeks and months ahead. I am also a senior member of the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure and was pleased to be named to the Committee on Natural Resources. In this new assignment, I will be involved in shaping policy to respond to the major existential issue of our time: Climate Change. See my release about my duties with the Natural Resources Committee here. All of these assignments will provide opportunities and useful insight in dealing with the needs and interests of the people of the Ninth Congressional District who I am proud to serve.
Commemorating People and Events During Black History Month
All month, I will celebrate Black Americans and their accomplishments. Next week, the Judiciary Committee will consider H.R. 40, symbolically associated with the 40 acres pledged to freed, previously enslaved people during Reconstruction. The bill calls for a commission to look into and make proposals for reparations for African Americans.
Introducing Free Access to Credit Scores Act
On Wednesday, I re-introduced my Fair Access to Credit Scores Act to provide a free and accurate credit score with the free annual credit reports that are already available to consumers through the Fair Credit Reporting Act. I introduced this bill in previous Congresses. In the last Congress, provisions of the bill were included in the House-passed Consumers First Act in May 2019. See my release here.
Introducing Bill Ensuring Local Contractor Preference in Veterans Affairs Projects
On Thursday, I introduced a bill to require the Department of Veterans Affairs to use local contractors on its projects and in providing services. The measure would strengthen the VA's relationship with the communities it serves while also supporting their local economies. See my release here.
Assuring the Safety of the Traveling Public
On Tuesday, I wrote to the administrator of the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) demanding to know why the findings of mandated safety testing on aircraft evacuations, called for in my Seat Egress in Air Travel (SEAT) Act that became law in 2018, still have not been released to Congress or to the public. See my release and the letter here. At this week's Transportation and Infrastructure Committee hearing on transportation workers and passenger safety during the ongoing pandemic, I questioned expert witnesses on failures to enforce the mask mandate in airports and on aircraft. See my release on the hearing here.
Cosponsoring the SAFE TO DRIVE Act
This week, I cosponsored the bipartisan States Afforded Funding Extensions To Oppose Driving Recklessly In Vehicular Engagements (SAFE TO DRIVE) Act, which creates two supplemental grant programs for states to use for distracted driving prevention. I joined Congressmen Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-Illinois) and Mike Gallaher (R-Wisconsin) to address distracted driving that killed nearly 2,800 people in 2018.
Weekly Health Tip
I'm pleased to see that the national vaccination program is speeding up and more of our neighbors and friends are getting the shots that will help to end the coronavirus pandemic. The Biden Administration and Congress will continue to address and correct significant issues with Trump's poor distribution plans, and I am closely monitoring the situation. It remains critical that we all continue to follow basic public health precautions until most of us are vaccinated later this year. Wearing a mask to protect your fellow Americans is a patriotic act that will help us get this pandemic under control more quickly and save countless lives in the process. I urge my friends and constituents to be vigilant in maintaining public health protocols: wash your hands regularly, wear a mask, and keep your distance from others, particularly when you're inside. Click here to see when you will be eligible to receive a vaccine, and call 901-222-7468 to be notified when appointments are available through the Shelby County Health Department.
Quote of the Week
"It is my official and sad honor to welcome Officer Brian Sicknick, and many who loved, respected and were protected by him, to the United States Capitol Rotunda for a recognition of his life…Each day, when members enter the Capitol, this temple of democracy, we will remember his sacrifice," – House Speaker Nancy Pelosi at a memorial service Wednesday honoring Capitol Police Officer Brian Sicknick, 42, who was killed when rioters supporting the false election fraud claims of President Donald Trump stormed the U.S. Capitol on January 6.
As always, I remain.
Most sincerely,
Steve Cohen
Member of Congress