Dear Friend,

This week, I returned to Washington and learned that the ongoing chaos over Republicans’ unwillingness to release the Jeffrey Epstein files would upend the Congressional calendar and send members home early for the scheduled August recess. I went to the House floor to say Congress thus far has earned a grade of F. I also co-hosted a virtual roundtable discussion on supercomputer data centers and their energy needs and environmental impact, introduced a bill to insulate federal inspectors general from interference by presidents, announced a substantial grant to Porter-Leath Inc. to operate Head Start programs, met with Coach Dorsey Sims and his Memphis basketball players, met with a Meharry Medical College official, and offered a Garry Trudeau cartoon and a health tip. Keep reading and follow me on Bluesky, Facebook and Instagram to see what I am doing as it happens.

Expressing Frustration at Chaotic and Harmful House Leadership

Holding a Virtual Roundtable Discussion about Data Centers

Meeting with EPA Regional Administrator

Introducing the Independent Acting Inspectors General Act

Announcing a $35.5 Million Head Start Grant to Porter-Leath

Meeting with a Memphis Basketball Team

Meeting with Meharry Medical College Officials about Reinstating NIH Grants

A Garry Trudeau-Doonesbury Cartoon

Weekly Health Tip

Quote of the Week

Expressing Frustration at Chaotic and Harmful House Leadership

The Republican House leadership, terrified that its own members might vote to release the Jeffrey Epstein files, canceled votes and began the August recess a day early on Wednesday. I went to the House floor on Tuesday evening and delivered a blistering speech on the failures of the House this year under Republican leadership and about the serious harm the measures that have passed are doing and will do. See that speech in this release. 

Holding a Virtual Roundtable Discussion about Data Centers

Senator Ed Markey of Massachusetts and I hosted a virtual roundtable discussion Wednesday on what the public needs to know about energy- and water-hungry data centers. I spoke about the ongoing development of Elon Musk’s xAI supercomputers in Memphis and my concerns about their impact on air and water quality. Amanda Garcia from the Southern Environmental Law Center joined as a panelist to share her experience working to protect the community in Memphis from the environmental harms of data centers. Earlier in the week, I questioned five executives with utility companies who told me no one’s health is adversely affected by gas turbine emissions. This is a technology that is rapidly transforming information gathering and the economy, and I intend to stay apprised of its evolution both locally and nationally.

Meeting with EPA Regional Administrator

On Wednesday, I met with Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Southeast Regional Administrator Kevin McOmber and raised the issue of Elon Musk’s use of natural gas turbines to power his xAI supercomputers. He told me that the EPA would not be approving anything, or do anything, that would be harmful to peoples’ health. Do I believe him? Absolutely not. McOmber is the former senior vice president of a construction planning firm that opposed EPA regulation. Besides that, the EPA is preparing to announce that it is doing away with the agency’s program addressing climate change. I expect nothing good to come from the EPA under this administration.

Introducing the Independent Acting Inspectors General Act

Four days after taking office, Donald Trump summarily fired 17 inspectors general of federal departments and agencies. Federal inspectors general were created in 1978 to provide independent oversight and investigate waste, fraud and abuse in their agencies. On Tuesday, I introduced the Independent Acting Inspectors General Act to ensure that the deputy inspector general takes over when there is a vacancy and that federal judges appoint successors until the Senate confirms their replacements. See my release on the measure here.

Announcing a $35.5 Million Head Start Grant to Porter-Leath

On Tuesday, I announced that Porter-Leath Inc., which has served the Memphis community for more than 160 years, will receive a $35.5 million grant to operate Head Start programs during the rapidly approaching 2025-6 school year. See my release here.

Meeting with a Memphis Basketball Team

On Wednesday, I met in my Washington office with basketball Coach Dorsey Sims and some of his team Diamonds and Gems in the Rough visiting our nation’s capital. I wish them well as they head to a competition in Brooklyn.

Meeting with Meharry Medical College Official

Also on Wednesday, I met with Dr. Anil Shanker, vice president for research and innovation at Meharry Medical College in Nashville to discuss reinstating three National Institutes of Health training grants. Musk’s DOGE efforts have led to a real setback for medical institutions, and I am doing what I can to reverse it.

A Garry Trudeau-Doonesbury Cartoon 

Weekly Health Tip

The first day of school for Memphis and Shelby County Schools (MSCS) is early this year, starting Monday, August 4. Please consider getting your children ready for school by scheduling medical checkups and updating vaccinations. The MSCS Health Promotions program can help with reliable health information. See that here. The National Institutes of Health has some useful back-to-school tips about nutrition and reducing screen time here.

Quotes of the Week

“The meeting set the stage for the high-profile review to come to an end. (Attorney General Pam) Bondi had said in February that Epstein’s client list was ‘sitting on my desk right now to review.’ Trump said last week (Tuesday, July 15) in response to a journalist’s question that Bondi hadn’t told him that his name was in the files.” – The Wall Street Journal on Thursday in a story headlined “Justice Department Told Trump in May That His Name is Among Many in the Epstein Files”

“When asked by ABC News on July 15 what Bondi told Trump about the review – ‘specifically, did she tell you at all that your name appeared in the files?’ Trump responded: ‘No, no, she’s -- she's given us just a very quick briefing,’ before making baseless claims that the files were created by some of his political foes.” -- ABC News on Wednesday in a story headlined “Trump was told by Bondi his name appeared multiple times in Epstein files”

As always, I remain

Sincerely,

Steve Cohen
Member of Congress