{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://cohen.house.gov/taxonomy/story-type/enewsletters/ending-federal-use-private-prisons", "Ending the Federal Use of Private Prisons", "2016-08-19", "2016", "2016-08", "Democrat", "House", "TN", "Steve Cohen", "C001068", "cohen.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Dear Friend,\nThis week, I commended the Obama Administration for ending the use of private prisons for some federal inmates, celebrated the 81st anniversary of Social Security, attended a celebration honoring the United States\u2019 diplomatic relationship with Kenya, and met with HUD\u2019s Memphis Field Director Sernorma Mitchell. Keep reading to learn more about my week and follow me on Twitter\u00a0and\u00a0Facebook\u00a0to see these updates as they happen.\nEnding the Federal Use of Private Prisons  Celebrating the 81st Anniversary of Social Security  Honoring the United States\u2019 Diplomatic Relationship with Kenya   Meeting with HUD\u2019s Memphis Field Director Sernorma Mitchell  Bringing Congress to your Corner\nEnding the Federal Use of Private Prisons\nI am pleased that\u00a0the Obama Administration is phasing out the Department of Justice's use of private prisons for some federal inmates. I have fought against private prisons for over 25 years as a Tennessee State Senator and now as a Member of Congress. Private prisons are both less safe and less effective at providing correctional services than government-run prisons. No one should profit from crime, nor should any entity that benefits from harsher sentences be part of the equation of sentencing and crime.\nCelebrating the 81st Anniversary of Social Security\nSunday was the 81st anniversary of Social Security. More than just a retirement program, Social Security is a lifeline that keeps millions of Americans out of poverty. Over 110,000 citizens of the Ninth District rely on Social Security to help pay for basic necessities like food, healthcare and housing. Read my statement on the anniversary here.\nHonoring the United States\u2019 Diplomatic Relationship with Kenya\nOn Saturday, I attended five-time World Kickboxing Champion and my friend Anthony \u201cAmp\u201d Elmore\u2019s Safari Homecoming Celebration to honor President Obama\u2019s legacy with Kenya, to honor Tom Mboya, a Kenyan trade unionist and educationist, and to honor the United States\u2019 60-year diplomatic relationship with Kenya.\nMeeting with HUD Memphis Field Director Sernorma Mitchell\nOn Tuesday I met with Sernorma Mitchell, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Memphis and Nashville Field Offices Director. We discussed a variety of topics such as my office\u2019s relationship with HUD, HUD\u2019s relationship with the city of Memphis, increasing housing vouchers for Memphians, and the delinquent Global Ministries Foundation properties. \u00a0\nBringing Congress to your Corner\nDuring the summer and fall, my office is holding \u201cCongress on your Corner\u201d events. Please mark these dates on your calendar. If you have questions or problems with Social Security, Medicare, FHA, the VA or any other federal agencies, my staff will be on hand to answer questions and provide assistance.\n Thursday, September 1st from 12pm-2pm at the Orange Mound Community Center\u00a0 (2572 Park Ave)\n\tFriday, October 14th from 12pm-2pm at the Ed Rice Community Center (2907 N. Watkins St.)\n Please visit my website at\u00a0https://cohen.house.gov for more information on Congress on your Corner.\nAs always, I remain.\u00a0  \n\tMost sincerely,  \u00a0  \n\tSteve Cohen  \n\tMember of Congress", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"]], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "primary_key_values": ["https://cohen.house.gov/taxonomy/story-type/enewsletters/ending-federal-use-private-prisons"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 1.468463335186243, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}