Voting to Raise the Minimum Wage
July 19, 2019 | |
Dear Friend, Voting to Increase the Minimum Wage to $15 Voting to Increase the Minimum Wage to $15 On Thursday, I voted for the Raise the Wage Act to raise the federal minimum wage to $15 by 2025. The federal minimum wage is currently $7.25 and hasn't changed in more than a decade. See my release about it here. Hosting a Telephone Townhall Meeting
On Monday night, I had a Telephone Townhall meeting with thousands of constituents and answered questions live. This allows me to hear directly from constituents while I serve them from Washington. The participants on Monday asked excellent questions on various issues, including the study of reparations for African Americans that I support, crime and efforts to mitigate it, legalizing marijuana in Tennessee and my bill to prevent federal arrests for marijuana possession in states that have legalized it, voting rights and preventing voter suppression. If you want to participate in a future Telephone Townhall, please sign up here. Condemning the President's Racist Attacks on Four Congresswomen of Color Last Sunday, the President attacked four freshmen Democratic Members of Congress, all of whom are women of color, on Twitter. His comments were racist, anti-immigrant, and demonstrated his support for white nationalism. On Monday, I introduced a resolution of censure with nine co-sponsors, which has now grown to 28, condemning and disciplining the President, in response and spoke from the House floor in support of a resolution condemning the President's remarks. See my release about it here. See my Thursday morning interview with MSNBC's Hallie Jackson about Trump's xenophobic scapegoating tactics here. Demanding Implementation of the SEAT Act
The Transportation and Infrastructure Subcommittee on Aviation, on which I serve, held a hearing on aircraft safety on Wednesday. I questioned witnesses about why the FAA has not implemented my Seat Egress in Air Travel (SEAT) Act that became law more than nine months ago. See my release and my exchange with the witnesses here. Voting to hold Attorney General and Commerce Secretary in Contempt On Wednesday night, I voted to hold Attorney General William Barr and Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross in criminal contempt of Congress for their willful failure to comply with lawful subpoenas and document requests. See my release here. Supporting the Integrity of Federal Scientific Research
On Wednesday, the two subcommittees of the Committee on Science, Space and Technology on which I serve held a joint hearing on the importance of integrity of scientific research. It's clear that the integrity of some research, for example on climate change, is being interfered with for political gain. See my release here. Speaking Out Against Hate Crimes I participated in a hearing held by The Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe, also known as the Helsinki Commission, on the role of religious leaders in dealing with hate crimes. See my remarks at the hearing here. Questioning Experts about Women in the Criminal Justice System
The House Judiciary Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism and Homeland Security, on which I serve, held a hearing on "Women and Girls in the Criminal Justice System" on Tuesday. See my release and my exchange with the expert witnesses here.
Shelby County is currently in the grip of a heat advisory with heat indexes at or above 105 degrees and high humidity expected through the next several days. See the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) guidance on avoiding heat stroke and heat exhaustion here. See the National Weather Service forecast for Memphis and the Mid-South here. Stay cool.
On this date in 1848, Elizabeth Cady Stanton, Lucretia Mott and Martha Coffin Wright met in the Wesleyan Chapel at Seneca Falls, New York, with about 200 other women (and Frederick Douglass) at the first American Women's Rights Convention. At its conclusion the next day, many signed a Declaration of Sentiments. "The history of mankind is a history of repeated injuries and usurpation on the part of man toward woman, having in direct object the establishment of an absolute tyranny over her." – Declaration of Sentiments (1848) As always, I remain
Steve Cohen |
