Investigating Voter Roll Inconsistencies

Dear friend,

This week I requested a federal and state investigation into voter roll inconsistencies in Shelby County and honored former women’s college basketball head coach Pat Summitt on the House floor for her courage and tenacity in battling Alzheimer’s disease.  Pat was given the Presidential Medal of Freedom by President Obama earlier this week.

Investigating Voter Roll Inconsistencies
Ending the War in Afghanistan
Pat Summitt and the Presidential Medal of Freedom
Rochelle Stevens Invitational Track Meet
Defenders of Wildlife Scorecard
House Approves Flood Insurance Extension
Jewish American Heritage Month Ceremony
Environmental Job Training  
Free Photo Identification
Grant Announcements

Investigating Voter Roll Inconsistencies
Last Friday I sent letters to U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder and Tennessee Coordinator of Elections Mark Goins requesting an investigation into the alleged disenfranchisement of hundreds of Shelby County voters.  And yesterday I issued a statement stressing the importance of maintaining accurate voting records in the Shelby County Election Commission.

On Sunday, May 27, I hosted a news conference calling for the investigation after Bev Harris -- the Director of Black Box Voting -- discovered that the voting histories of close to 500 Shelby County residents, many of them lifelong voters, seem to have been altered to make it appear that they did not vote in recent elections.  Although the voting histories are intact, the public database maintains inaccurate information which has the public questioning the integrity of our local elections.

There have been problems as recently as December 2011 with the record-keeping at the Shelby County Election Commission.  In my letter to Attorney General Holder I noted how my office discovered significant errors in the voting records last year when preparing a district-wide mailing to constituents.

The fact that the Shelby County Election Commission listed only 61,787 voters in the 2010 August primary, even though other public records indicated that 102,214 people voted, is of concern.  In August 2010, I also requested an investigation by the U.S. Department of Justice into the voter irregularities that occurred during the Memphis and Shelby County elections held on August 5 and because of my request the Justice Department monitored the general election on November 2.  Bev Harris’s list of voters whose histories have been allegedly altered can be found here: http://blackboxvoting.org/

Ending the War in Afghanistan

Yesterday I participated in a bipartisan news conference with other members of the House in support of expedited withdrawal of U.S. troops from Afghanistan.  The conference was followed by a panel discussion featuring U.S. Army Lieutenant Colonel Daniel Davis, who provided an analysis of the situation in Afghanistan that is vastly different from the one Congress has received from the Administration.  
 
One week after the NATO announcement on Afghanistan, the American people are still waiting for Congress to catch up and bring about an end to the war in Afghanistan.  I joined a bipartisan group of House members who recently directed a request to Speaker John Boehner and Leader Nancy Pelosi that Lt. Col. Davis be invited to testify in a relevant hearing.  Since no invitation has been forthcoming, we received the testimony of Lt. Col. Danny Davis at a panel discussion.   Afghanistan Study group Director Shukria Dellewar and CATO Foreign Policy Analyst Malou Innocent also participated in the panel with us.

Pat Summitt and the Presidential Medal of Freedom

On Tuesday I was at the White House for the Presidential Medal of Freedom Ceremony.  President Obama bestowed the nation’s highest civilian honor to 13 people from all walks of life including Pat Summitt, Toni Morrison, Bob Dylan, Madeline Albright, Dr. William Foege, John Doar, John Paul Stevens, Dolores Huerta, John Glenn, Jan Karski, Gordon Hirabayashi, Juliette Gordon Low, and Shimon Peres.  On Wednesday I spoke on the House floor about Pat Summitt winning this prestigious award and praised her for her courage and tenacity as she battles Alzheimer’s disease.  Click here to see my remarks.

Rochelle Stevens Invitational Track Meet

Last weekend I attended the 22nd Rochelle Stevens Invitational Track Meet at Collierville Elementary School.  Every year track clubs from Alabama, Arkansas, Mississippi and Tennessee participate in the track meet, which has been selected to host the Olympic Day 2012 Celebration commemorating the birth of the modern Olympic Games.  Rochelle Stevens, who was born and raised in Memphis, was a 1996 Olympic gold medalist for the U.S. in the women’s 4x400-meter relay. She was also part of the team that won the silver medal in the same event and sixth in the world at 400 meters at the 1992 Summer Olympics in Barcelona, Spain.  Rochelle has helped thousands lose weight and get healthy with her weight loss and cardio program at Rochelle’s Health and Wellness Spa.  A voter registration drive was also held at the track meet by Delta Sigma Theta.

Defenders of Wildlife Scorecard
This week I received a perfect score on the Defenders of Wildlife Action Fund Conservation Report Card for the 1st Session of the 112th Congress and was the only member of the Tennessee Congressional delegation to receive 100 percent.  It is an honor to be recognized by the Defenders of Wildlife Action Fund for my work on conservation issues.

House Approves Flood Insurance Extension
This week the House approved a short-term, 60-day extension of the National Flood Insurance Program.  The bill now heads to the White House and President Obama has said he will sign it into law.  The National Flood Insurance Program, which provides government-subsidized insurance through the Federal Emergency Management Agency in flood-prone regions is nearly $18 billion in debt from hurricanes Katrina and Rita. It is vital that Congress overhaul this program so that it can have a strong financial footing.

Jewish American Heritage Month Ceremony

I was at the White House on Wednesday for a Jewish-American Heritage Month reception with President Obama, members of Congress and other dignitaries.  This month we celebrate and pay tribute to the many contributions made by Jewish Americans.  Well before our country was first founded in 1776, Jews worked tirelessly to promote the social and cultural values all Americans share through their work in public service, medicine, academia, law, literature, athletics, and many other professions.  The Jewish American story is one of faith, dedication, hard work, and love of country.

Environmental Job Training  
The Memphis Bioworks Foundation will be conducting weekly Information Sessions at the Hollywood Community Center (1560 North Hollywood Street) each Wednesday through June 27 from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. to share information about signing up for a free environmental job training and placement program.  The program is for eligible unemployed and underemployed Memphis residents living in the 38103, 38107 and 38108 zip codes. The training offered includes conservation and energy awareness, recycling technologies awareness, forklift operations certification, and other programs.  This training is being provided by an Environmental Protection Agency grant that I supported.  You can learn more by contacting Ann Terry at aterry@memphisbioworks.org or by calling her at 901.281.7874.

Free Photo Identification
Shelby County driver service centers are no longer open on Saturdays but if you or someone you know still needs a photo ID for voting purposes you don’t have to wait in line. If you only need to get an ID for voting purposes, you can still visit any driver’s license renewal station in Shelby County during regular business hours and there is a special line to serve your needs.  And if you are a Veteran who needs ID you can get free government-issued photo IDs at the Veterans Administration.  To learn more about the new voter ID laws, visit my website here.

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