Memphis Tigers Join the Big East

Dear friend,

This week we learned that our Memphis Tigers will be joining the Big East – one of the most elite and storied collegiate conferences in history.  Joining the Big East will help the University of Memphis and our City grow economically.

Big East
Tax Preparation Scams
Nationwide Mortgage Settlement
STOCK Act
National Black HIV/AIDS Awareness Day
Postmark Payment Act
No Child Left Behind Waiver
Student Lending
Defender of Children Award
League of Conservation Voters Scorecard
Southern Alliance for Clean Energy Scorecard
UTHSC
Keystone XL Pipeline
Memphians at the White House
Free Photo Identification
Grant Announcements

Big East

I am thrilled that my hometown team and alma mater the University of Memphis is being invited to join the Big East.  I spoke at a Liberty Bowl Luncheon and on the House floor about why Memphis belongs in the Big East and you can see those remarks by clicking here.  The Big East is one of the nation’s most elite and storied collegiate conferences containing esteemed schools such as Georgetown, Villanova, UConn, Marquette, Notre Dame and St. John’s.  Joining the Big East will not only be great for the University of Memphis, but it will be an economic catalyst for the City of Memphis.  I look forward to seeing the Tigers renew old rivalries with Louisville and Cincinnati and participate in a BCS conference which will give renewed life to our football program.  Thanks to Louisville Coach Rick Pitino for his strong support.  And Congratulations to Dr. Shirley Raines and R.C. Johnson.

Tax Preparation Scams
On Wednesday I joined with Congressman Bobby Scott (D-VA) in sending a letter to U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder calling for an investigation into alleged fraudulent and criminal actions of the “Mo Money Taxes” operation in Memphis, Tennessee and Norfolk, Virginia.  Numerous complaints have been circulating throughout the city about possible scams and delayed tax refund returns.  The Attorney General and the Department of Justice should look into these disturbing allegations as quickly as possible.  And I urge Memphians to visit the IRS’ website at www.irs.gov to learn about the IRS Free File service or to get a list of IRS-approved Free File companies.  A list of free tax assistance sites can also be found on the Memphis Public Library website.  These are tough economic times and Memphians should be diligent about how they file their tax returns and who they trust to help them.

Nationwide Mortgage Settlement
Yesterday I issued a statement on the $26 billion settlement between the Attorneys General of 49 states and the nation’s five largest mortgage lenders.  This settlement is a start towards addressing the root causes of the mortgage meltdown, but more needs to be done.  The housing crisis has evaporated the wealth of middle-class homeowners and has reversed the financial gains made by homeowners in Memphis and Shelby County. But I will continue to fight for legislation that ends predatory and deceptive lending practices and I will also fight for my Limiting Investor and Homeowner Loss in Foreclosure Act and my Preventing Homeowners from Foreclosure Act.

STOCK Act
Yesterday I spoke on the House floor about how the STOCK Act was sold short and weakened by the GOP.  I was one of the first members to cosponsor the STOCK Act to prohibit commodities and securities trading based on nonpublic information relating to Congress and require additional reporting by members and employees of Congress of securities transactions.  Click here to see my remarks.

National Black HIV/AIDS Awareness Day

This week we recognized National Black HIV/AIDS Awareness Day.  Tennessee reported 14,021 AIDS cases to the Centers for Disease Control, cumulatively, from the beginning of the epidemic through December 2008 and ranked 18th highest among the 50 states in cumulative reported AIDS cases.  HIV/AIDS is an alarming crisis in the African American community.  The statistics surrounding this epidemic are proof positive that we must take steps to aggressively promote HIV/AIDS testing, deliver antiretroviral drugs to those who need them, eliminate waiting lists for HIV/AIDS drug assistance, ensure our youth are provided with comprehensive sex education, and adopt other common-sense health care initiatives to make serious progress in the fight against HIV/AIDS and help save thousands of lives.  I vow to continue to work with President Obama and his Administration, schools, clinics, hospitals and other community partners to put every HIV/AIDS fighting tool to use in this battle.

Also, it was recently announced that the Memphis Gay and Lesbian Community Center (MGLCC) will be unable to offer HIV testing for the foreseeable future.  For more than three years, MGLCC has collaborated with Planned Parenthood to provide the only regularly-scheduled, after-hours HIV testing in the Mid-South. This week Planned Parenthood representatives informed MGLCC that they do not have the funds necessary to provide the HIV testing for the foreseeable future because the State of Tennessee has denied Planned Parenthood access to grants for HIV prevention. The cut in funding for Planned Parenthood has put MGLCC’s model HIV testing program in jeopardy.  Click here to learn more.

Postmark Payment Act
Yesterday I introduced the Postmark Payment Act, legislation that would require that any payment of a bill or invoice, if sent by U.S. mail, be considered sent on the date its envelope was postmarked. The bill would exempt any payment where another method, such as electronic payment, is required by regulation, contract, or law.  Each month, thousands of Americans are charged late fees and penalties for bills they believed in good faith they had paid on time, through no fault of their own.  This bill would make sure consumers are held to the same payment standards used by the Internal Revenue Service.

No Child Left Behind Waiver
Yesterday I announced that the U.S. Department of Education has provided a waiver to Tennessee and nine other states from the approaching mandates under the No Child Left Behind (NCLB) law’s targets for proficiency standards for reading and math.  The decision came as a result of Tennessee agreeing to raise standards, improve accountability, and undertake essential reforms to improve teacher effectiveness on its own.  The No Child Left Behind Law is broken.  Our teachers and principals know how best to educate our children and improve their proficiency in reading and math.   This new waiver will enable our teachers and education officials to make reforms that are best for our children so they can compete better in a 21st Century global economy.

Student Lending
On Tuesday I participated in a teleconference with the National Association of Consumer Bankruptcy Attorneys and the media to discuss legislation I authored with Sen. Dick Durbin (D-IL) and my friend Congressman John Conyers (D-MI) to restore fairness in student lending by treating privately issued student loans in bankruptcy the same as other types of private debt.  Before changes were made to the bankruptcy code in 2005, only government issued or guaranteed student loans were protected during bankruptcy.  This protection has been in place since 1978 and was intended to safeguard federal investments in higher education.  My bill would restore the bankruptcy law, as it pertains to private student loans, to the language that was in place before 2005, so that privately issued student loans will once again be dischargeable in bankruptcy.

Defender of Children Award
This week I was named a Defender of Children by the First Focus Campaign for Children (FFCC).  FFCC is a national bipartisan children’s advocacy organization and the award is part of the group’s campaign to recognize the top 100 Members of Congress who advocate on behalf of children in policy and budget decisions.  It’s an honor to be recognized by the FFCC for my work on behalf of America’s children.

League of Conservation Voters Scorecard
This week I received a 91 percent on The League of Conservation Voters (LCV) 2011 National Environmental Scorecard.  LCV works to turn environmental values into national priorities and the recent Scorecard reflects the most anti-environmental session of the U.S. House of Representatives in history, featuring unparalleled assaults on our nation’s bedrock environmental and public health safeguards by the GOP Majority.

Southern Alliance for Clean Energy Scorecard
This week I was the only member of the Tennessee delegation to receive a perfect score on the 2011 Southern Alliance for Clean Energy Action Fund Clean Energy and Climate Action scorecard.  SACE Action Fund is a non-partisan, non-profit (c4) organization striving to make global warming solutions a top priority for elected leaders.  SACE Action Fund engages in public education, legislative action and electoral accountability in the Southeast.

UTHSC

On Wednesday I announced that the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services awarded the University of Tennessee Health Science Center two federal grants totaling $428,549 for alcohol research programs.  The new federal funds will be distributed by the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA).

Keystone XL Pipeline
Yesterday the State Department’s Office of Inspector General issued a report on the Keystone XL Pipeline called the “Special Review of the Keystone XL Pipeline Permit Process.” In my opinion this report raises serious questions about the real impacts of the controversial $7-billion pipeline.  The objective of the report – which I requested with Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) and 12 other Members of Congress -- was to determine to what extent the Department complied with federal laws and regulations relating to the Keystone XL oil pipeline Presidential permit process.

Memphians at the White House

Last week the White House Business Council and Business Forward invited a diverse group of civic and business leaders from Memphis to a Conversation on Jobs and the Economy and ways the Administration and the Memphis Business Community can work together.  I was happy to help put this meeting together at the request of the White House.

Free Photo Identification
You can get free photo identification for voting the first Saturday of every month at two driver service centers in Shelby County at no charge.  The service centers are located at 3200 East Shelby Drive and 6340 Sumer Avenue – both in Memphis.  They are open on the first Saturday of each month from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.  And to learn more about the new voter ID laws, visit my website here.  Also, Veterans who need ID can get free government-issued photo IDs at the Veterans Administration.

Grant Announcements
Each week I release a list of grant announcements from federal agencies like the Department of Health and Human Services, the Environmental Protection Agency, the Department of Transportation, and others.  These federal funding opportunities are available to faith-based and neighborhood associations, nonprofits and other community organizations in the 9th district. The announcements are updated weekly on my website.

Wishing you a happy and safe weekend,

As always, I remain,

Most sincerely,

Steve Cohen
Member of Congress