Dear Friend,

This week, as a member of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, I questioned expert witnesses at a hearing about emerging international threats to our national security. I also denounced heartless immigration and mass deportation policies being pursued by Donald Trump and his senior advisor Stephen Miller, announced major grants to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, welcomed investments in physical improvements to our VA Medical Center, voted against a $1.15 billion Defense bill, discussed the need and my support for articles of impeachment against Trump, announced Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) funding for Shelby County and Memphis Shelby County Schools, spoke at the third annual Congressional Reason Reception, worked to release political prisoners unlawfully detained by Russia, offered some 2013 Obama-Biden Inauguration programs, and offered a Friday Flashback, a Bill Day cartoon and a weekly health tip. Keep reading and follow me on Bluesky, Facebook and Instagram to see what I am doing as it happens.

Discussing Emerging Threats at an Intelligence Committee Hearing

Denouncing Trump-Miller Immigration Policies

Announcing $2.8 Million in Grants to St. Jude

Welcoming $8.3 Million in Infrastructure Improvements for the Memphis VA Medical Center

Voting Against the $1.15 Trillion National Defense Authorization Act

Supporting Articles of Impeachment against Trump

Announcing FEMA Grants for Security Camera and Emergency Alert System

Speaking at the Third Annual Congressional Reason Reception

Working for the Release of International Political Prisoners

Offering Obama-Biden Inaugural Programs from 2013

The Friday Flashback

A Bill Day Cartoon

Weekly Health Tip

Quote of the Week

Discussing Emerging Threats at an Intelligence Committee Hearing

On Tuesday, the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, of which I am a member, held a hearing on “emerging threats” with expert witnesses, including former National Security Advisor and retired Lieutenant General H.R. McMaster. I asked the witnesses about threats to election integrity posed by tech oligarchs like Elon Musk and about the Trump administration’s misguided decision to lift export controls and allow China, a strategic adversary, to buy our advanced microchips. See my release and that line of questioning here.

Denouncing Trump-Miller Immigration Policies

Also Tuesday, I spoke in a Judiciary Committee markup about the immoral and cruel immigration policies Trump and his senior advisor Stephen Miller are advancing with the help of a sycophantic Republican-led Congress. See my remarks here.

Announcing $2.8 Million in Grants to St. Jude

St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital faculty and graduate students received four grants from the National Institutes of Health this week. See details in my releases here and here.

Welcoming $8.3 Million in Infrastructure Improvements for the Memphis VA Medical Center

On Tuesday, I announced the Lieutenant Colonel Luke J. Weathers VA Medical Center in Memphis will be getting new roofs for four of its buildings as well as upgraded X-ray and MRI technology. See details here.

Voting Against the $1.15 Trillion National Defense Authorization Act

On Wednesday, I voted against the $1.15 trillion National Defense Authorization Act because I could not in good conscience give Pete Hegseth carte blanche to let a department that has never passed an audit spend more millions on unauthorized wars, lobster tails, and ribeye steaks. (Hegseth told the Senate Appropriations Committee on Tuesday that he needs an additional $67.1 billion in supplemental funding for the failing war in Iran. From what I’ve heard from top officials, I don’t believe this will be an easy war to bring to a conclusion for America.) Once Republicans attached the SAVE Trump Act to the Defense measure, which the president thinks will help him retain a Republican majority in the House and prevent oversight in his final two years in office, my vote was unmistakable. See my release on the vote here.

Supporting Articles of Impeachment against Trump

On Wednesday, I spoke at a Symposium on Impeachment organized by longtime consumer advocate Ralph Nader and Constitutional lawyer Bruce Fein and declared my intention to file articles of impeachment (again) against Trump before my final term in Congress ends this year. Celinda Lake, the nationally known Democratic pollster, told participants that, contrary to the Democratic Congressional leadership’s perspective, impeachment is very popular with the public, especially when the question being asked mentions any of Donald Trump’s misconduct. The American public is particularly concerned about Trump’s corruption and self-dealing, engaging in an unauthorized and illegal war in Iran, and disregard of the courts. I have already introduced articles of impeachment against Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts for sullying the reputation of the Court with partisan rulings, and I am an original cosponsor of Congressman John Larsen of Connecticut’s articles against Trump introduced in April.

Announcing FEMA Grants for Security Camera and Emergency Alert System

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) is providing grants to Shelby County for its warning and alert system and to Memphis Shelby County Schools for repairs to or replacements of its security cameras damaged in recent storms. See my release on the funding here.

Speaking at the Third Annual Congressional Reason Reception

As a member of the Congressional Freethought Caucus, I spoke at Tuesday’s third Annual Congressional Reason Reception about the harm Donald Trump is doing to civil public discourse by his constant lies and false narratives that advance his narrow and often corrupt interests. Trump has learned that to say “God” or “guns” gets you votes, I said. The event was emceed by Elizabeth Booker Houston of Memphis, a lawyer and stand-up comedienne. Trump’s niece, Mary Trump, a psychologist and major critic of her uncle, also spoke. The caucus advocates for true religious freedom, for the secular character of our government adhering to Constitutional principles like the separation of church and state, and for public policies based on facts, science, and reason. Those causes are all worth celebrating – and defending – every day.

Working for the Release of International Political Prisoners

As the Special Representative on Political Prisoners for the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe’s (OSCE) Parliamentary Assembly, I met virtually with OSCE diplomats on Monday to work on a strategy for the release of its Ukrainian mission staffers Dmytro Shabanov, Maksym Petrov and Vadym Golda, who have been imprisoned in Russia since 2022 on fabricated espionage and treason charges by the Putin regime. After our meeting, we coordinated a joint statement reiterating our commitment towards working for their release. See our statement here.

Offering Obama-Biden Inaugural Programs from 2013

As I prepare to close down my congressional offices, I’m finding all kinds of memorabilia. I have a limited number of programs from the Obama-Biden inauguration in 2013 which I’d like to offer on a first come, first served basis. Contact my D.C. office at 202-225-3265 or respond to this newsletter to request one. 

The Friday Flashback

This is me with Aurelia Kyles, First Lady and former librarian Barbara Bush, Suki Carson and Memphis Public Library and Information Center Director Keenon McCloy at a White House ceremony on January 14, 2008. The Memphis system won the 2007 National Medal for Museum and Library Service for its long-term commitment to public service through innovative programs.

A Bill Day Cartoon – “Whoppers”

Weekly Health Tip

The Shelby County Health Department has confirmed the county’s first case of the measles this year. You may have been exposed if you were at the Hobby Lobby in Bartlett on the evening of July 9 or at the Aldi’s in Lakeland on the evening of July 15. As a polio survivor, I continue to urge all my friends, neighbors and constituents to stay up-to-date with all vaccines including the one for measles, mumps and rubella (MMR). See additional information about the disease here. See information on the case here.

Quote of the Week

“Many presidents have made mistakes, but none have made mistakes so cavalierly as President Trump. He makes rash, reckless decisions; at best, they are based on bar-stool theories of how the world works, and at worst, they are driven by corrupt motives. Since he ‘just knows’ he is right about how tariffs work, no evidence will sway him. In the short term, the country has been in many ways resilient, but he is corroding state capacity, democratic norms and the very sense of a unified nation.” -- Michael Bailey, a political scientist at Georgetown University, quoted in The New York Times on Tuesday

As always, I remain

Sincerely,

Steve Cohen
Member of Congress