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Planning to Vote on a New Coronavirus Relief Bill

December 11, 2020
Enewsletters

Dear Friend,

This week, I monitored negotiations for a new and much-needed coronavirus relief bill before the end of the year. I urged negotiators to assist state, local and Tribal governments by extending the deadline for spending funds already appropriated, and I also asked them to prevent the President from falsely claiming credit for any future Economic Impact Payment (EIP) checks. I also voted for the Water Resources Development Act (WRDA) that will transfer the City of Memphis' flood control responsibilities to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers; voted for the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) which includes paid parental leave, considerable funding for Vietnam veterans exposed to Agent Orange, a pay increase for service members and priorities for Memphis; introduced a bill addressing childhood obesity; questioned a State Department expert about the rise of anti-Semitism in Eastern Europe; discussed the abuse of the presidential pardon power on national television; reminded constituents of the December 15 deadline for signing up for 2021 health plans at Healthcare.gov; offered U.S. Capitol Historical Society 2021 calendars; announced a significant medical training grant to St. Jude Children's Research Hospital; and offered a coronavirus-specific health tip. Keep reading and follow me on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram to see what I'm doing as it happens.

Planning to Vote on a New Coronavirus Relief Bill

Transferring Memphis Flood Control to the Corps of Engineers

Voting for Defense Bill Containing Memphis Priorities

Introducing the Reducing Obesity in Youth Act

Questioning Expert on the Rise of Anti-Semitism in Europe

Discussing Abuses of the Presidential Pardon Power

Reminding Constituents of December 15 Healthcare.gov Deadline

Offering U.S. Capitol Historical Society Calendars

Announcing Medical Training Grant to St. Jude

Weekly Health Tip

Quote of the Week


Planning to Vote on a New Coronavirus Relief Bill

This week, Speaker Pelosi, Treasury Secretary Mnuchin and Senate Majority Leader McConnell appeared to come closer to a coronavirus relief agreement before the holidays and the formal transition to the Biden Administration to meet the immediate, critical health care and financial needs of millions. As negotiations continued, I wrote letters asking that the end-of-year deadline for spending funds already committed under previous relief bills be extended and urged negotiators to prevent President Trump from putting his name on future Economic Impact Payment (EIP) checks as he did to advance his political standing, probably illegally, earlier this year. See the releases and those letters here and here.

Transferring Memphis Flood Control to the Corps of Engineers

On Tuesday, I voted for the annual Water Resources Development Act (WRDA) that included my provision, developed in collaboration with the City of Memphis, to transfer the city's flood control obligations to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. See my release on the measure here.

Voting for Defense Bill Containing Memphis Priorities

Also Tuesday, I voted for the annual National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) with language that authorizes a $2 million multi-drone/multi-sensor intelligence program that will be housed at the University of Memphis. The bill also removes all names, symbols, displays, monuments, and paraphernalia across the military that honor or commemorate the Confederacy and will create a Chief Diversity Officer within the Department of Defense to ensure our military reflects our country's diversity, includes paid parental leave for federal civilians, a 3 percent wage increase for service members, substantial funding for Vietnam veterans exposed to Agent Orange and parts of my Artificial Intelligence Careers Act to improve Artificial Intelligence education and preparedness for the workforce. 

Introducing the Reducing Obesity in Youth Act

On Wednesday, I introduced the Reducing Obesity in Youth Act to address childhood obesity, which remains a serious and persistent problem in Tennessee and across the country. Senator Cory Booker of New Jersey introduced the companion measure in the Senate. See our release here.

Questioning Expert on the Rise of Anti-Semitism in Europe

On Tuesday, as a senior member of the Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe, also known as the Helsinki Commission, I participated in a hearing on U.S. priorities and questioned a senior State Department envoy about the rise of anti-Semitism in Eastern Europe. See my release and the exchange with the witness here.

Discussing Abuses of the Presidential Pardon Power

On Sunday, I appeared on MSNBC with Alex Witt, who asked me about my recent CNN opinion column on my concerns about the President's past and potential abuses of the Constitutional pardon power. See that interview here.

Reminding Constituents of December 15 Deadline for Healthcare.gov

The Healthcare.gov open enrollment period began November 1 and will end this upcoming 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 Training Grant to St. Jude

On Tuesday, I announced a graduate medical training grant for St. Jude Children's Research Hospital. See the details in my release here.

Weekly Health Tip

This week, in addition to calling attention to alarming rates of coronavirus spread in Tennessee and repeated daily death records in our country, I want to reiterate a serious recommendation: stay home if you can. The holidays won't be the same this year, which is regrettable, but it's the reality of our situation. Our emergency rooms and intensive care units are being overwhelmed with thousands hospitalized in Shelby County with this virus right now. Our health care workers are working tirelessly and we can support them by staying home and following the recommended precautionary measures to stay healthy. Please follow Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines, and keep your distance from others, wash your 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.

Quotes of the Week

"I don't want to see the Republican Party ride to political victory on the Four Horsemen of Calumny -- Fear, Ignorance, Bigotry and Smear." – Senator Margaret Chas Smith of Maine, June 1, 1950.

"My parents would bring me to protests strapped tightly in my stroller, and my mother, Shyamala, raised my sister, Maya, and me to believe that it was up to us and every generation of Americans to keep on marching. She'd tell us ‘Don't sit around and complain about things; do something.' So I did something. I devoted my life to making real the words carved in the United States Supreme Court: Equal justice under law." – Vice President-elect Kamala Harris.

As always, I remain.
Most sincerely,
Image removed.

Steve Cohen
Member of Congress