Newsletter: Remembering 9/11 and Supporting the President

Statement

Dear Friend,

This week we reflected on the 13th anniversary of September 11th, President Obama clearly outlined his strategy to degrade and dismantle the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (a.k.a. ISIS), and I announced more than $1 million to help Memphians get health insurance coverage. Keep reading to learn more about what happened this week.

Commemorating the 13th anniversary of September 11th

This week as we commemorated the 13th anniversary of the September 11th attacks, the United States Congress honored the fallen heroes with a Congressional Gold Medal ceremony at the United States Capitol (which I attended). Three gold medals were awarded: one to the individuals who died in Shanksville, Pennsylvania, one to those who died at the Pentagon, and another to those who died at the World Trade Center. Nearly 3,000 innocent victims in all.

Recently, I visited the National September 11 Memorial & Museum at Ground Zero in New York City and reflected upon the heroes who ran towards the devastation and into danger. They are all, along with Memphian Gary Lasko and each of innocent victims who died that day, in my thoughts. The anniversary of 9/11 is a day to reflect on the heroism of firefighters, policemen, and first responders from across the nation, thank those who continue to serve and keep us safe, and honor those who died on September 11, 2001. I spoke about this sad anniversary and the Congressional Gold Medal Ceremony on the floor of the United States House of Representatives, and you can watch my speech here.

Today, as we continue to face and respond to terrorist threats on our soil and around the world, let us remember that the indomitable American spirit lives on--and let us remember that the United States of America and the rest of the civilized world can never be defeated or diminished by extremists seeking to eliminate freedom, democracy, tolerance, and diversity.

Supporting the President's ISIS Strategy

On the eve of the 13th anniversary of 9/11, President Obama clearly outlined his comprehensive strategy for dismantling, disabling and destroying the ISIS terrorist group, protecting our homeland, and ensuring the safety of Americans at home and abroad. The recent beheading of two American journalists by ISIS shocked the global conscience, and they are unacceptable. These and many other deplorable and inhumane acts deserve a swift response. If ISIS succeeds in creating its envisioned caliphate, it will pose a threat to freedom, democracy, tolerance, diversity, and the United States of America. I stand with the President in the fight against global terrorism, and I plan on supporting him as he works with a broad international coalition to eliminate ISIS through military, economic, and other means. Before the President announced his strategy to the world, I joined Fox 13's Good Morning Memphis to discuss his plans. You can watch my interview here.

Fighting Violence Against Women and Cutting Through the Memphis Rape Kit Backlog

Tomorrow is the 20th anniversary of President Bill Clinton signing the Violence Against Women Act, or VAWA, into law. The landmark legislation created critical protections for victims of domestic violence and dramatically strengthened our nation's criminal justice response to violence against women.

VAWA represents a firm promise: no woman should ever feel unsafe or insecure in her own home and no woman should ever suffer in silence in the face of domestic violence. The law has improved countless lives by helping take domestic abuse out of the shadows and it has protected millions of women and saved lives. I was happy to cosponsor and support legislation to reauthorize VAWA last year, and will continue to fight violence against women in all of its forms and work to support survivors of abuse.

As we approach the 20th anniversary, I was pleased to be able to announce nearly $1 million in funding to improve victim services, investigations and prosecutions resulting from the processing of backlogged rape kits in Memphis. Absolutely no one should be a victim of sexual assault, and it is a travesty when communities are terrorized simply because evidence that could be used to prevent these crimes sits untested on a shelf somewhere. While there is much work still to be done, this funding will help victims in Memphis achieve the justice they deserve.

Bringing Justice to Deserving Non-Violent Offenders

Throughout my career, I've fought for fairer sentencing laws and worked to eliminate racially-biased sentencing disparities. After years of advocating on behalf of Americans who are unfairly incarcerated, I am pleased that our nation's policies are beginning to bend further towards justice.

While the Fair Sentencing Act of 2010, which I cosponsored and President Barack Obama signed into law, reduced the racially-biased 100:1 disparity between crack and powder cocaine mandatory minimum sentences, it did not apply retroactively to thousands of people who were sentenced before the law was passed who are still serving sentences that have been repudiated by Congress and the President.

I was pleased when the U.S. Sentencing Commission updated its sentencing guidelines to sharply reduce the recommended sentences for non-violent drug-offenses. To avoid making the same mistake again, I urged the Commission in July to make its updated guidelines retroactive and just a few weeks later it voted unanimously to do just that.

Recently I received a letter from the Chair of the Commission thanking me for expressing my views to them prior to their decision. The letter can be viewed here. This shift to retroactively reduce sentences could reduce prison sentences for eligible offenders by an average 25 months, and it will help reduce prison overcrowding in America. It is another important step on the path towards justice.

Ensuring Veterans Receive High-Quality Care

This week, Secretary of Veterans Affairs Robert McDonald on Monday proposed a plan to overhaul the VA healthcare system. His "Road to Veterans Day" strategy aims to rebuild trust with veterans, improve the healthcare veterans receive, and set long-term goals to ensure the system can sustain high-quality care. In announcing the plan, Secretary McDonald said: "We'll judge the success of all of these efforts against one single, unified metric. And that metric is, obviously, the satisfaction of the veterans that were trained to serve." That is the right metric, and I look forward to working with him to implement this new plan to make sure that Memphis veterans receive the care they deserve.

Helping Memphians Get Health Insurance Coverage

On Wednesday, I announced more than $1.4 million in new federal funding for Seedco to continue its efforts to provide in-person assistance to Memphis-area residents shopping for and enrolling in health insurance plans through the Affordable Care Act's insurance marketplace this fall.

Seedco's Navigators are an important resource to help Memphis consumers understand their coverage options in the Marketplace. This funding will help them get more Memphians enrolled in high-quality, affordable health insurance plans and help us achieve the goals of President Obama's landmark health care reform law. Citizens interested in learning more about Seedco and their navigators can visit www.seedco.org/tennesseenavigator or call 901.528.8341.

Strengthening Memphis Families

Earlier this week, I welcomed Tracy Owens from the Memphis Strong Families Initiative to my Capitol Hill Office. The Memphis Strong Families Initiative, led by the Community Alliance for the Homeless, aims to keep homeless families and low-income families at risk of homelessness together by helping address the family's need for permanent, stable housing with intensive services. Earlier this year, I announced $73,706 in funding for the Community Alliance for the Homeless to help it reduce homelessness in the Ninth District. You can read more about the grant here. I was pleased to have this opportunity to listen to Tracy's efforts with the Initiative and I will continue to work to reduce family homelessness in Memphis.

Improving Memphis International Airport

The Memphis International Airport is a critically important transportation link in the Mid-South region, and I was pleased to announce more than $1.1 million in funding for several airport improvements this morning. This funding will help ensure our airport can continue serving travelers safely, securely, and efficiently for many years to come.

Getting Money Out of Politics

Unfortunately, our government is affected too much by political contributions and fundraising. And while we believe in the concept of "one person, one vote," the reality is that huge corporations can spend unlimited amounts of money, giving them a much louder voice in the political process than the average citizen. On Wednesday, I took to the floor to argue in favor of an amendment that would help get the money out of our political system. You can watch my speech here. I was disappointed that House Republicans blocked the amendment, but will continue fighting to limit corporate influence over our government.

Facebook Photo Contest

I'm updating my Facebook cover photo--and my next one could be a photo that you took! If you have a great photo that represents the Ninth District and you'd like to have it highlighted on my Facebook page, please email it to me here. I'll post the best photos sent in, and anyone who "likes" my page will be able to vote to choose which photo will be my next cover photo.

President Obama Seeking Mentors for Young People

It is important that all children can count on caring adults who are engaged in their lives, but too many young people lack this important support. That's why President Obama is calling on Americans to sign up as long-term mentors to young people through his new "My Brother's Keeper" initiative. The President is seeking people from all walks of life who want to develop sustained and direct mentoring relationships that will play vital roles in the lives of young people in Memphis and around the country. If you are interested in signing up to help young adults in our city stay on track, you can do so here.

Make Sure to Claim Unclaimed Property

The State of Tennessee maintains a searchable database of unclaimed property, which can include bank accounts, stocks and dividends, wages, refunds, insurance payments, gift certificates, credit balances and overpayments, and a number of other things. There is no cost for accessing the database, and you may find that you are owed money or property. If you have not searched the database yet or if you haven't searched in a while, you can visit https://www.claimittn.gov and see for yourself whether the state is holding any property or assets for you. And you may pass this information along to your friends and family as well!

As always, I remain.

Most sincerely,

Steve Cohen
Member of Congress

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