Listening to My Constituents at Another Open Town Hall Meeting

August 15, 2025 Enewsletters Dear Friend, This week, I hosted a well-attended town hall meeting at Mississippi Boulevard Christian Church to hear my constituents’ concerns about ongoing harms being done by a careless and cruel Trump administration. I also spoke at the Celebration of Life for Fred Smith, and announced substantial National Institutes of Health (NIH) funding for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, and then toured the hospital campus to see its ongoing, life-saving work. I also celebrated the 90 th anniversary of the Social Security program and pledged to strengthen and defend it, discussed Southwest Tennessee Community College’s “Blue Path” program educating future law enforcement officers, met with Tipton County Mayor Jeff Huffman, strategized with Democratic leaders about Texas Republicans’ plan to increase the state’s GOP representation in next year’s mid-term elections, met with representatives of the American Heart Association, and offered a Bill Day cartoon, a Bygone Days picture and a health tip. Keep reading and follow me on Bluesky , Facebook and Instagram to see what I am doing as it happens. Listening to My Constituents at Another Open Town Hall Meeting Speaking at the Celebration of Life of Fred Smith Announcing More than $8.3 Million in NIH Grants to St. Jude and Touring the Campus Celebrating 90 th Anniversary of Social Security Discussing Southwest Tennessee Community College Support for Law Enforcement Careers Meeting with Tipton County Mayor Jeff Huffman Discussing Republican Gerrymandering Efforts in Texas with Leader Jeffries Discussing Lifesaving Pediatric Cardiac Surgery with Local American Heart Association Advocates A Bill Day Cartoon Bygone Days Weekly Health Tip Quote of the Week Listening to My Constituents at Another Open Town Hall Meeting On Monday evening, I held another open town hall meeting with about 300 constituents at the Mississippi Boulevard Christian Church and heard what they are thinking about the Trump administration’s disastrous transformation of public policy, safety net programs and the normal functions of government. I was joined by two representatives of the Tennessee Justice Center who addressed the harms being inflicted by the One Big Ugly Bill Trump signed into law on July 4 with its tax cuts for billionaires. Some of my constituents expressed concern over losing Medicaid benefits (TennCare), others made clear their anxiety over air quality and other issues with Elon Musk’s xAI supercomputers, and some let me know they are appalled at what the right-wing Netanyahu government is doing in Gaza. This was my second in-person town hall this year. These sessions are always revealing, providing the kinds of practical, civic-minded insights that guide my work in Washington. I thank the Tennessee Justice Center and all those who took the time to come out. Speaking at the Celebration of Life of Fred Smith This lapel pin was handed out at the memorial service. The tailfin symbolizes Fred’s steady vision just as a tailfin keeps an aircraft on course. On Monday morning, I spoke at the Celebration of Life for Fred Smith at the FedEx Forum. I said that this great citizen of Memphis was responsible for so many of our civic institutions, and improvements to others like the University of Memphis and the Memphis Zoo, and that he put our zoo on the international map when FedEx jets flew rare Chinese pandas to America aboard the Panda Express. In my remarks, I noted that both Elvis and Fred Smith were born in Mississippi, and both made me proud to be a Memphian. I mentioned that Fred tutored me before my first speech in the House on the issue of independent contractors and the purpose of the Railway Labor Act. I made a very good speech, but I had a very good tutor. My friend Henry Turley told me that the headmaster at Memphis University School, Colonel Lynn, said Fred was in a class of his own. Fred went on to Yale and we found out two things about it: they had a professor who didn't know anything about air cargo and he didn't know how to grade a term paper properly. Fred was a remarkable man and his place in Memphis and national history will never be forgotten. Announcing More than $8.3 Million in NIH Grants to St. Jude and Touring the Campus Dr. Mackenzie Bloom, Congressman Cohen, and Dr. Roketa Sloan Henry at St. Jude on Thursday On Monday, Wednesday and Thursday of this week, I announced a total of six National Institutes of Health (NIH) grants to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital for more than $8.3 million. See those releases here and here and here . On Thursday, I was invited to tour the hospital campus and see the spectacular Domino's Village House where families stay at no cost. I got to see the life-changing and life-saving work its scientists, researchers, and medical professionals do every day. Patients from around the world come to Memphis for treatment. We are fortunate to have St. Jude in our community. St. Jude, like FedEx, reflects well on Memphis all over the globe. Celebrating 90 th Anniversary of Social Security President Franklin D. Roosevelt signing Social Security into law Thursday was the 90 th anniversary of Social Security, the social safety net program guaranteeing a dignified retirement to senior citizens and support for millions of the disabled. I will continue to work to strengthen Social Security even as Republicans try to dismantle and privatize one of our most popular federal programs. Discussing Southwest Tennessee Community College Support for Law Enforcement Careers On Tuesday, I spoke at Southwest Tennessee Community College’s Legislative Day which focused on the school’s ongoing commitment to educating the next generation of law enforcement professionals. I commended Southwest’s President, Dr. Tracy D. Hall, on the work the school is doing to prepare students for public service and on its community partnerships in what it calls the “Blue Path Program.” I discussed the possibility that Trump might send the FBI and the National Guard to patrol the streets of Memphis, as he did in Washington, D.C., this week, and the problems that would cause. The National Guard is called out for natural disasters or riots, neither of which are present in Memphis. Mayor Paul Young; Bill Gibbons, President of the Memphis-Shelby County Crime Commission; Assistant Chief Sharonda Hampton of the Memphis Police Department, Shelby County Sheriff’s Assistant Chief Deputy Chuck Mays, County Commissioner Charlie Caswell and others were on hand to applaud Southwest’s efforts. Meeting with Tipton County Mayor Jeff Huffman On Wednesday, I met with Tipton County Mayor Jeff Huffman. Now that I represent a substantial part of the county, I was pleased to get his perspective on what more I can do for its residents. I mentioned a recent grant the county received for its Drug Free Tipton program, the $375,000 the City of Covington received for hiring under the Community Oriented Policing (COPS) program, the U.S. Agriculture Department funding for a rural development specialist, the tens of millions of dollars of Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) money going into the renovation of the Crestview Elementary and Middle Schools damaged in 2023, and the community project funding I have secured through the annual appropriations process. We had a good, productive meeting. Discussing Republican Gerrymandering Efforts in Texas with Leader Jeffries On Wednesday, I was on a conference call with House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries and former Obama administration Attorney General Eric Holder to discuss the unabashedly partisan gerrymandering efforts underway in Texas to increase the number of Republicans the Lone Star state sends to Congress.  This partisan brinksmanship is unhealthy, but Democratic Party-majority state legislators also have options, if necessary. A better long-term solution would be to require every state to use independent and apolitical commissions to draw these lines. My bill, the John Tanner and Jim Cooper Fairness in Redistricting (FAIR) Act , would do that and make Congress more representative and accountable. Discussing Lifesaving Pediatric Cardiac Surgery with Local American Heart Association Advocates Amanda Beckham, Congressman Cohen, Edrika Finnie and Sarah Adair On Wednesday, I met with Edrika LeeAnn Finnie, Amanda Beckham and Sarah Adair of the American Heart Association to discuss lifesaving pediatric cardiac surgery and the ongoing need for federal investments in research on heart health. I assured them I will continue to advocate for robust medical research supported by the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute and other National Institutes of Health (NIH). A Bill Day Cartoon – “Dictators Rule!” Bygone Days This is me with Mark Flanagan and Jackson Baker at the Democratic National Convention in Boston in 2004. Weekly Health Tip The Shelby County Health Department will hold a community health fair at Douglass Community Center, 1616 Ash Street (38108) on Saturday, August 23. The fair will provide back-to-school immunizations, free HIV testing, COVID-19 shots, infant car seats and access to other health department programs from 10 a.m. until 2 p.m. See details here . Quote of the Week “The Republican Party has zero credibility on the issue of law and order. The violent crime rate in Washington, D.C. is at a thirty-year low. Donald Trump doesn’t care about public safety. On his first day in office, he pardoned hundreds of violent felons—many of whom brazenly assaulted law enforcement officers on January 6.” – Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries on Monday As always, I remain… Sincerely, Steve Cohen Member of Congress