Remembering Judge Russell Sugarmon
February 22, 2019 | |
Dear Friend, This week, I mourned the loss of a legendary leader, attorney, jurist and my friend and mentor, Russell Sugarmon. I also attended the Munich Security Conference with Congressional colleagues and a host of world leaders; held a "Congress On Your Corner" event at the Randolph Branch Library; reminded my constituents that the April 15th tax filing deadline is approaching and pointed out a useful, free service that the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) provides; urged the Secretary of the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) to meet with Memphis Mayor Jim Strickland about the disputed use of federal funds; expressed concern about potential delays in the release of Special Counsel Robert Mueller's report; cosponsored a resolution to undo President Trump's misguided declaration of an emergency on our southern border; offered U.S. Capitol Historical Society calendars; and made a health tip about rehabilitating deteriorating vision. Keep reading to learn more about my week and follow me on Twitter and Facebook to see more updates as they happen. Remembering Judge Russell Sugarmon Remembering Judge Russell Sugarmon  On Monday, I learned that my mentor, friend and source of inspiration, Russell Sugarmon, had passed. Judge Sugarmon was a giant in Memphis – a legendary and pioneering attorney, Civil Rights strategist, jurist and wise man. It was my great honor to have known him my entire life and to have my bill to name the post office at 1325 Autumn Avenue for Judge Russell B. Sugarman Jr.become law last year. See my extended remarks to be printed in The Congressional Record when Congress reconvenes next week here.  Last weekend, I joined Congressional colleagues on the Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe on which I serve (also known as the Helsinki Commission) in attending the 55th annual Munich Security Conference where 35 heads of government or heads of state and more than 50 foreign and defense ministers discussed trans-Atlantic cooperation and the consequences of a return to great power competition. There I heard the tepid and dismissive response to Vice President Mike Pence's call for other countries to rescind the Iran nuclear deal, known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), and the enthusiastic response to former Vice President Joe Biden's and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's calls for a return to traditional support for our allies, the rule of law and the promotion of democracy. Military leaders expressed concern over ongoing Russian aggression. I had the opportunity to meet with Cindy McCain, the late Senator's widow, who was attending the first presentation of the John McCain Award. I also toured the Documentation Center for the History of National Socialism, where Germany puts on public display the story of the rise of Nazism and German society's failure to challenge it and its anti-Semitism. I've just returned from a successful "Congress On Your Corner" event at the Randolph Branch Library in the Grahamwood neighborhood. My staff and I were available to help constituents with issues including Social Security, Medicare, veterans benefits, federal grant applications and technical job training opportunities, as well as the approaching federal income tax deadline. We also discussed elder abuse, pension issues and infrastructure bills. My office's next "Congress On Your Corner" will be Friday, March 29, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., at the Hollywood Branch Library, 1530 North Hollywood. Reminding Constituents of April 15th Tax-Filing Deadline The Monday, April 15th deadline for filing federal tax returns is fast approaching. I would like to point out that taxpayers earning $66,000 or less last year are eligible to file their tax returns online for free through the Free File Program on the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) website here. On Tuesday, I joined Senators Alexander and Blackburn in a letter to U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Secretary Ben Carson asking him to meet with Mayor Jim Strickland regarding expenditures of HUD-issued funds for two Memphis housing development projects: Marina Cove and Cleaborn Pointe. See our letter to Carson and Mayor Strickland's September 6, 2018, letter to Carson here. On Wednesday night, I appeared on CNN with host Don Lemon to discuss my concern about possible impediments new Attorney General Bill Barr might fashion to slow or prevent release of Special Counsel Robert Mueller's probe of Russian interference in the 2016 election and other illegal activity. The American people paid for this investigation and deserve to see what Mueller has found out. See that interview here. On Thursday, I discussed the Mueller probe and the obvious links between Trump's campaign and Russia, with CNN's Brianna Keilar. See that interview here. On Friday, a resolution I cosponsored to overturn President Trump's misguided declaration of an emergency on our southern border was introduced in the House. I strongly believe that Trump's emergency declaration is unconstitutional and undermines both the separation of powers and Congress's power of the purse. Congress should not allow this emergency declaration to stand.
My office has a limited number of 2019 U.S. Capitol Historical Society calendars available. If you would like to receive a calendar, please complete this form on my website. Due to the rules of the House, I can mail calendars only to residents of Tennessee's 9th Congressional District. Please feel free to share this email with other residents of the 9th District who may be interested in receiving one but who do not receive my e-Newsletter.
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. For those who haven't participated in a telephone town hall, it's easy to sign up for them by using this form. If you would like to receive this weekly e-Newsletter, or share it with others, you can do that with this form.
February is Low Vision Awareness Month. As the population of the United States ages, eye diseases and declining vision are becoming major public health concerns. Right now, more than 4 million people over the age of 40 are visually impaired and those diagnosed with low vision cannot be helped with standard glasses, medication or surgery. There are ways to rehabilitate remaining vision to maintain independence. See that guidance from the National Eye Institute here.  "I feel like I helped make it better. That's enough for me." – Judge Russell B. Sugarmon Jr., speaking of his Civil Rights work in Memphis, in an oral history conversation with historian and archivist G. Wayne Dowdy in the Memphis Room of the Benjamin L. Hooks Central Library, November 2012. As always, I remain
Steve Cohen |
