Voting to Hold the Attorney General in Contempt of Congress
Dear Friend, Voting to Hold the Attorney General in Contempt of Congress Voting to Hold the Attorney General in Contempt of Congress
On Wednesday, in the House Judiciary Committee, I voted to hold Attorney General William Barr in contempt of Congress. Barr has refused to turn over the unredacted report of Special Counsel Robert Mueller, defying a subpoena issued on April 19. See my release here. Afterward, I talked to CNN's Wolf Blitzer on "The Situation Room." See that interview here. See me quoted in the NBC News story on the hearing here. Congratulating the National Civil Rights Museum On Tuesday, the Institute of Museum and Library Services announced that the National Civil Rights Museum will be awarded the prestigious National Medal for Library Science on June 12. Read my release about the honor here. Introducing U of M President Dr. M. David Rudd
Voting to Protect those with Pre-existing Conditions On Thursday, I voted for and the House passed H.R. 986, the Protecting Americans with Pre-existing Conditions Act. The bill rescinds Trump administration guidance weakening Affordable Care Act protections for those with pre-existing conditions. Additionally, on Wednesday, I voted for and the House passed H.R. 1503 and H.R. 1520, both of which help increase access to generic alternatives and lower prescription drug prices. Demanding Answers from EPA about Asbestos Rule On Wednesday, I wrote to the Environmental Protection Agency Acting Administrator Andrew Wheeler to demand answers on why the agency has issued a rule to restrict, but not ban, asbestos, a known carcinogen that has killed millions of people over the last several decades. See my release and the letter here. Attending Sunday Services at Emmanuel Episcopal, Idlewild Presbyterian and Mount Vernon Baptist Churches
On Sunday, I attended services at Emmanuel Episcopal Church in Whitehaven to hear Bishop Michael Curry, the first African American Presiding Bishop of the Episcopal Church. Bishop Curry is an inspiration and is perhaps best known for being asked to deliver the sermon – "The Power of Love" -- at the royal wedding of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, now Duchess of Sussex, last May. At Emmanuel, he talked about how the power of love can overcome the love of power, and I took that in a universal and timely sense. I also attended services for retiring Idlewild Presbyterian Pastor Steve Montgomery (see David Waters' column in The Daily Memphian here) and the ribbon cutting for the Reverend James L. Netters Legacy Hall at Mount Vernon Baptist-Westwood, a well-deserved recognition of his ministry and of his commitment to our community. Serving Crawfish Hushpuppies at March of Dimes Event On Wednesday night, I served Memphis chef Kelly English's crawfish hushpuppies with remoulade at the 37th annual March of Dimes Gourmet Gala. Kelly, the chef at both Restaurant Iris and The Second Line in Overton Square, was nice enough to offer his recipes. Some diners questioned whether Memphis has crawfish. I told them we don't, but we do have a great chef from Louisiana who knows how to serve them. I've participated in this event for many years and have a sentimental attachment to the March of Dimes which supported research into polio and now works to improve maternal health, an important issue in Memphis. Sign Up for Congress on Your Corner and This 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. My next "Congress on Your Corner" is Friday, May 31, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., at the Whitehaven Branch Library, 4120 Millbranch Road. 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.
This week, I cosponsored a resolution to recognize May as "Stroke Awareness Month." According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), an American dies from a stroke every four minutes and someone suffers a stroke every 40 seconds. Memphis has the world's most comprehensive mobile stroke unit that is able to respond and treat stroke victims, but recognizing the symptoms early is essential. African Americans are particularly at risk for stroke due to factors such as high rates of elevated blood pressure, diabetes and genetics. See the CDC's "ABCS of Stroke Prevention" guidelines here. "We are now in a constitutional crisis." -- House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jerrold Nadler, on Wednesday, after the committee voted 24 to 15 to hold Attorney General William Barr in Contempt of Congress. As always, I remain
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