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Voting for Major Infrastructure Bills that are Good for Memphis

November 6, 2021
Enewsletters

November 6, 2021

Dear Friend,

This week, I voted to pass the bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, a major physical infrastructure bill that will create millions of jobs and that has already been passed by the Senate. It now goes to the President to be signed into law. I also voted to advance for a final vote the Build Back Better bill that contains major improvements to health care, early childhood education, an extended child tax credit, and investments in our climate. I proudly voted for and the House overwhelmingly passed my bill naming the federal building in downtown Memphis for the late Judge Odell Horton. I also questioned expert witnesses at a hearing of the Helsinki Commission on the erosion of human and civil rights in Poland and Hungary; spoke in favor and voted to advance to the full House a bill reforming aspects of the federal bankruptcy law; spoke at the Autumn meeting of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe's Parliamentary Conference; offered 2022 U.S. Capitol Historical Society calendars; and provided a health tip. Keep reading and follow me on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram to see what I'm doing as it happens.

Voting for Major Infrastructure Bills that are Good for Memphis

Voting to Rename the Downtown Federal Building for Judge Odell Horton

Expressing Concern over the Erosion of Democracy and Human Rights in Poland and Hungary

Advancing Bankruptcy Reform Bill

Speaking at Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe Autumn Parliamentary Conference

Offering U.S. Capitol Historical Society Calendars

Weekly Health Tip

Quote of the Week


Voting for Major Infrastructure Bills that are Good for Memphis

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This evening, I voted for the bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs (II&J) Act and for a procedural rule on the Build Back Better social and climate infrastructure measure that advances it to a final vote. These are transformational, once-in-a-generation bills. The II&J bill, already passed by the Senate, contains several safety and job-creating measures that I authored and that will be good for Memphis and the country. See my release on that bill here. I look forward to voting to pass the Build Back Better bill soon and was pleased to advance it with the procedural vote tonight. See my release on that vote here. On Wednesday, I spoke on my hopes that both the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act and the Build Back Better bill that has been negotiated over the past few weeks would have bipartisan support. See that speech here. On Thursday, I spoke of the variety of popular and needed elements in the Build Back Better plan – including family and medical leave, the child tax credit, elderly care, and an investment in our planet's climate. See that speech here.

Voting to Rename the Downtown Federal Building for Judge Odell Horton

On Thursday, I voted for my bill to rename the downtown federal building for the late Judge Odell Horton. The measure, which had the support of Tennessee's entire Congressional delegation and received an overwhelming 422 to 2 vote, will remove the name of the late Congressman and Klansman Clifford Davis from the building. Adding Judge Horton's name to the federal building was the first bill I passed as a new Congressman in 2007. I am pleased that, after Senate passage, Memphians can look upon their federal building with pride and respect. See my release and a floor speech I made on the bill here.

Expressing Concern over the Erosion of Democracy and Human Rights in Poland and Hungary

On Wednesday, as Co-Chairman of the Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe, better known as the Helsinki Commission, I questioned expert witnesses at a hearing on the erosion of civil and human rights in Poland and Hungary. See my release, including my questioning of witnesses, here.

Advancing Bankruptcy Reform Bill

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Also on Wednesday, the Judiciary Committee on which I serve as a senior member debated and amended several bills, including the Nondebtor Release Prohibition Act. That bill would, in part, prevent corporations from dividing into separate entities in an effort to declare bankruptcy and avoid the financial consequences of their harmful actions. See my statement on the bill here.

Speaking at Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe Autumn Parliamentary Conference

On Thursday, I spoke at the Autumn Parliamentary Conference of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe. As the Co-Chairman of the Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe, I condemned, in the strongest terms, the August 26 terrorist attack on the Kabul airport that killed thirteen American service members, and nearly 170 others, and the more recent attacks on a Kabul hospital and mosque. I also expressed concern about the fate of Afghans still in the country who worked for American interests and for the remaining journalists who are seeking safe passage out of the country. I also expressed remorse for Afghan women and girls whose opportunities have been taken away by the Taliban government. This situation is "not acceptable." See my release and speech on the session here.

Offering U.S. Capitol Historical Society Calendars

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My office will have a limited number of 2022 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 am only able to mail calendars to residents of Tennessee's Ninth District.

Weekly Health Tip

The Shelby County Health Department will offer vaccinations for children aged 5 to 11 accompanied by a parent or legal guardian on a walk-in basis at its immunization clinic at 814 Jefferson Avenue between 8 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday. The accompanying parent or legal guardian must provide documentation of the child's birth date with either a birth certificate or shot record. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) approved the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine for children ages 5 to 11 on Tuesday, November 2.

In addition, certain adults with underlying health conditions, and those over age 65, are eligible for coronavirus booster shots. More information about the booster shots is available here.

Vaccines are currently available for everyone 12 and older. If you need a ride to a vaccination site, you can call 901-RIDE901 (901-743-3901) to coordinate the best transportation option for you. The City of Memphis is also now coordinating with organizations, congregations, community groups, and businesses to host coronavirus vaccinations. The Pipkin Building at the old Mid-South Fairgrounds is open Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. – 6 p.m. and Saturday 9 a.m. – 1 p.m., and will remain a vaccination site through December 31. The Health Department at 814 Jefferson is now open, too, from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., Monday through Friday. No appointments are needed. To find the latest information about vaccination sites, to request a vaccination appointment for a homebound individual, or to set up a community coronavirus vaccination event, visit https://covid19.memphistn.gov/

Quote of the Week

"The good news is, we have everything we need now to respond to the challenge of global warming. We have all the technologies we need, more are being developed...But we should not wait. We cannot wait. We must not wait." -- Former Vice President Al Gore.

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

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Memphis
167 North Main Street,
Suite 369
Memphis, TN 38103
Phone: (901) 544-4131
Fax: (901) 544-4329

Washington, D.C.
2104 Rayburn
House Office Building
Washington, DC 20515
Phone: (202) 225-3265
Fax: (202) 225-5663