releases: https://cohen.house.gov/taxonomy/story-type/enewsletters/visiting-9th-congressional-district-constituents-us-naval-academy
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| https://cohen.house.gov/taxonomy/story-type/enewsletters/visiting-9th-congressional-district-constituents-us-naval-academy | Visiting 9th Congressional District Constituents at the U.S. Naval Academy | 2018-10-12 | 2018 | 2018-10 | Democrat | House | TN | Steve Cohen | C001068 | cohen.house.gov | legacy | Dear Friend, This week, I visited midshipmen fromTennessee's 9thCongressional Districtstudying at the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland, and came away impressed at their commitment to becoming U.S. Navy or Marine officers.I also wrote the Shelby County Election Commission expressing my concern at its reported high rate of invalid voter applications, introduced a bill to prevent double taxation on purchase of digital goods and services, cheered the signing of bills on which I worked that block insurers from enforcing gag clauses that prohibit pharmacies from telling customers about how they can pay less for drugs, attended a documentary film on the Watergate scandal, condemned the confirmation of Brett Kavanaugh for the Supreme Court, wrote an opinion column on the treatment of Obama-era judicial nominations, began inviting veterans to my Veterans Day barbecue, offered my constituentsU.S. Capitol Society calendars and provided a health tipon Alzheimer's disease. Keep reading to learn more about my week and follow me onTwitterandFacebookto see more updates as they happen. Visiting 9thCongressional District Constituents at the U.S. Naval Academy Expressing Concern about Voter RegistrationApplication Invalidations Introducing the Digital Goods and Services Tax Fairness Act Blocking Big PHARMA's Influence over Insured Drug Costs Attending Washington Premiere of Watergate Condemning the Confirmation of Justice Brett Kavanaugh Lamenting Obstruction of Obama-eraJudicial Nominations Inviting Vets to My Veterans Day BBQ Luncheon Offering U.S. Capitol Historical Society Calendars Signing Up for Congress On Your Corner and this e-Newsletter Weekly Health Tip Quote of the Week Visiting 9thCongressional District Constituents at the U.S. Naval Academy On Tuesday, I had a delightful visit with three, third-year Midshipmen fromthe9thCongressional Districtat the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland. These young men will graduate as U.S. Navy or Marine officers after a fine education at an elite institution. Memphis University School graduate C.J. McCoy, White Station High School graduate Brody McDonald and Evangelical Christian School graduate David Boyd will make this country proud.Receivinga Naval Academy education is a tremendous honor and a major achievement. It also instills qualities of character that produce true leaders. I was disappointed I couldn't meetwithfour other 9thDistrict midshipmen who are on the Navy football team and were busy training, but I'll give a shout out to them, too: Sean Williams of Cordova and Memphians Cameron Kinley, Caleb Clear, and Camren Taylor. I wish them all a Navy toast of fair winds and following seas. Expressing Concern about Voter RegistrationApplication Invalidations On Wednesday, I wrote to Shelby County Election Commission Chairman Robert Meyers expressing my concern about the Commission's assertion that 55 percent of voter applications are being ruled invalid. I asked Chairman Meyers what theCommission is doing to ensure federal law is being followed and that applications are processed before the beginning of early voting on October 17 next Tuesday. I also asked what theCommission is doing to inform eligible citizens whose applications have been deemed incomplete what they are required to do to complete them,and what is being done to inform felons who are eligible to have their voting rights restored what they are required to do to complete an application. Read my letterhere.Withwhat's going on in Georgia, where 53,000 registration applications are being held up 70 percent of which are from African Americans -- we must ensure that no Tennessean's right to vote is compromised. Introducing the Digital Goods and Services Tax Fairness Act On Friday, I joined Congressman Lamar Smith (R-Texas) in introducing the Digital Goods and Services Tax Fairness Act aimed at protecting consumers who make purchases over the internet or by smart phone.The bill wouldensure that consumersaren't taxed at a higher rate than they would be for purchases of tangible items.It would also ensure that consumers aren't double taxed. I look forward to its consideration by theHouseJudiciary Committee on which I serve. Blocking Big PHARMA's Influence over Insured Drug Costs On Wednesday,two bills were signed into lawthat block insurers from enforcing gag clauses that prohibit pharmacies from telling customers about how they can pay less for drugs.I was proud to cosponsor the House version ofThe Patient Right to Know Drug PricesActwhich was introduced by my colleague Rep. Lloyd Doggett (D-TX), as well as the House version of theKnow the Lowest PriceAct. These billswill help ensure that consumers canfind out whether a prescription drug would cost less were they to pay for it out of pocket instead of through their healthinsurance. The Patient Right to Know Act applies to patients covered by private insurance and takes effect immediately. The second measure applies to Medicare recipients and takes effect in 2020. Attending Washington Premiere of Watergate Watergate prosecutors George T. Frampton, Richard Ben-Veniste, and Jill Wine-Bank speak with Watergate director Charles Ferguson (with microphone). On Wednesday evening, I attended and enjoyed the Washington premiere of the first half of the documentary Watergate Or, How We Stopped an Out-of-Control President at the National Portrait Gallery. The part I saw led up to 1973 and depicted a paranoid, obsessed president whose involvement in illegal activity and its coverup was abetted by people around him who realized but hid that he was out of control. Nixon is seen attackingThe Washington Postand other news organizations and falsely asserting that the Watergate special prosecutors would find nothing in their investigation of the burglary, the political chicanery orthe payoffs to keep witnesses silent. As a member of the House Judiciary Committee,I found the parallels to Special Counsel Robert Mueller's ongoing investigation of Russian interference in our elections, and Trump's response to it, chillingly similar, and was reminded why it is so important for Congress to pass the Special Counsel Independence and Integrity Act to protect Mueller from being inappropriately fired. The documentary airs on cable television in early November. Condemning the Confirmation of Justice Brett Kavanaugh Much of the country was disappointed at last Saturday evening's Senate vote confirming Judge Brett Kavanaugh as anassociate justice of the U.S. Supreme Court. I talked withthe Reverend Al Sharptonof MSNBC on Sunday and with CNN'sWolf Blitzer on Mondayabout the confirmation process and the impact Kavanaugh is likely to have in jeopardizing voting rights, women's reproductive rights and other critical issues resolved by the nation's highest court. Kavanaugh does not have the judicial temperament for the job. We need fair and impartial judges to protect the rights of the most vulnerable. Lamenting Obstruction of Obama-eraJudicial Nominations In response to a recentcolumn by Senator Lamar AlexanderinThe Commercial Appealaccusing Senate Democrats of stalling the confirmation of federal District Court judge nominees, including state Senator Mark Norris, I wrote my ownop-edinThe Commercial Appealpointing out the lengthy delay and ultimate derailing of President Obama's nomination of former U.S. Attorney Ed Stanton to become a federal judge.Senator Majority Leader Mitch McConnell refused to let the Senate consider President Obama's nominee for the Supreme Court, Merrick Garland. Senator Norris was confirmed by the Senate Thursday night.The record reflects thatRepublicansenators engaged in far more obstruction ofObama's nominees thanDemocratic senators have ofTrump'snominees. Inviting Vets to My Veterans Day BBQ Luncheon Words cannotfullyexpress the gratitudeournation owes its military veterans for their dedication to our country and the sacrifices they have made. My annual Veterans Day Luncheon is a time to thank them and their families.This luncheon serves asan opportunity for me to hear their concerns and for veterans to hear what is being done at the federal, state and local levels to better serve their needs. My 10thAnnual Veterans Day Barbecue Luncheon will be held on Monday, November 12, from noon to 2 p.m. at the Kroc Center of Memphis Hardin Hall, 800 East Parkway South.VetsshouldRSVP by Thursday, November 8 at (901) 544-4131. Offering U.S. Capitol Historical Society Calendars My office will soon have a limited number of 2019 U.S. Capitol Historical Society calendars available. If you would like to receive a calendar, pleasecomplete this formon my website. Due to the rules of the House, I can mail calendars only to residents of Tennessee's 9thCongressional District. Please feel free to share this email with other residents of the 9thDistrict who may be interested in receiving one but who do not receive my e-Newsletter. Signing Up for Congress On Your Corner and this e-Newsletter I enjoy meeting regularly with constituents in the district and helping get answers for them to questions about dealing with federal agencies. If you are interested in attending one of my Congress on Your Corner events, you can sign uphereto receive notification as soon as the next event is scheduled. For those who haven't participated in a telephone town hall, it's easy to sign up for them by usingthis form. If you would like to receive this weekly e-Newsletter, or share it with others, you can do that withthis form. Weekly Health Tip Each week, I share a health tip in the hope of promoting a healthy lifestyle for residents of the 9thCongressional District.As always, it is best to check with your doctor before making any changes to your diet, exercise routine or lifestyle. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention(CDC)estimates 5.7 million Americans are now living with Alzheimer's disease, the leading cause of dementia in the elderly. While some risk factors, like age and genetics, can't be controlled,the CDC offers a few tipsto improve your chances of staving off dementia, including staying active, avoiding smoking and, perhaps surprisingly, just trying to learn new things. Alzheimer's is also the most expensive disease in America, with one in five Medicare dollars spent on someone with the disease. According to the Alzheimer's Association, early diagnosis would save billions while providing better treatment options for families and caregivers. Quote of the Week With the post-season upon us, it's always nice to be reminded of the wisdom of baseball great Yogi Berra: You can observe a lot by just watching. Baseball is 90 percent mental and the other half is physical. Never answer an anonymous letter. I'll be at the Liberty Bowl Saturday afternoon when the Tigers take on UCF. Let's go Tigers! As always, I remain Most sincerely, Steve Cohen Member of Congress | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z |