The Equal Employment for All Act

Dear Friend,

This week several of my House colleagues including Congressman John Conyers joined me in sending a letter to Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid and House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi asking them to include my Equal Employment for All Act in any potential jobs legislation that is introduced before the end of the 112th Congress.

Equal Employment for All Act
Grizzlies Academy and Grace-St. Luke’s
America’s Got Talent
White House Christmas Party
Supporting Women and Equity
State Rep. Karen Camper
Presidential Inaugural Ticket Information
Hill Photo
Congressional Calendars
Grant Announcements

Equal Employment for All Act
This week several of my House colleagues including Congressman John Conyers joined me in sending a letter to Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid and House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi asking them to include my Equal Employment for All Act in any potential jobs legislation that is introduced before the end of the 112th Congress.  Credit reports have increasing importance in consumers’ lives because they are used as a way to screen job applicants. The Equal Employment for All Act would amend the Fair Credit Reporting Act to prohibit the use of consumer credit checks in relation to current and prospective employees for the purposes of making employment decisions.

Too many Americans are caught in a cycle of debt. They have fallen into bad credit and when employers deny them jobs because of it they cannot do what is necessary to climb out: find a job, work hard, pay their bills, and earn a better credit score.  My Equal Employment for All Act would give some of our most vulnerable, “credit challenged” citizens (students, recent college graduates, low-income families, senior citizens, minorities, among others) the opportunity to begin rebuilding their credit history by obtaining a job.

Far too often, employers turn down applicants because they erroneously link credit scores to potential job performance. Even worse, many people fall victim to deceptive marketing practices by credit report companies or credit counseling services. These companies charge outlandish fees for supposedly rehabilitating credit scores to help with employment but rarely succeed.  A person’s credit history has no bearing on their job performance and we should continue to do everything in our power to help people land jobs during these tough economic times and not hinder them.

Grizzlies Academy and Grace-St. Luke’s

Earlier this week I visited students at Grizzlies Academy and Grace-St. Luke’s and spoke to them about clean energy legislation, how JFK inspired me to get involved with government and politics, and the similarities between President Obama and JFK.  For example, they were both young, handsome, had beautiful families, brought forth new ideas and change, and broke down racial and religious barriers.  I also stressed to the students the importance of doing well in school so they can receive a Tennessee Education Lottery Scholarship.  As a State Senator, I fought for nearly twenty years to establish the Tennessee Lottery to give students an opportunity to receive a college education without having to incur huge student loan debt or dilute their time for study by working while in school.  It is gratifying that tens of thousands of students have benefited from my efforts to provide Tennesseans with access to affordable, quality, post-secondary education.

America’s Got Talent
America’s Got Talent will be conducting auditions on December 11 at the Memphis Convention Center.  This is the only show open to any age and any talent. Anyone can audition at this open call. The producers travel around the country to meet talented people and put them on television.  I encourage Memphians with talent to try out on December 11. Click here to learn more.

White House Christmas Party

This week I attended the White House Christmas Party and was able to speak to Congressional leaders and Cabinet members about Memphis and its needs and how we can work together to best help our community and region. I also spoke to the President briefly and he agreed that the Memphis Grizzlies are the best team in the NBA. Go Grizzlies!

Supporting Women and Equity
An article came out this week saying that I was a secret male feminist.  But it’s no secret, I have long advocated for women’s rights and equity.  The article by policymic specifically mentions my “excellent track record on women’s reproductive rights” and my 100 percent voting record with the Planned Parenthood Action Fund. Click here to read the article, which has me in good company with Vice President Joe Biden and Congressman Barney Frank – among others.

State Rep. Karen Camper

This week State Representative Karen Camper was in Washington, D.C. and visited me to discuss defense cuts via sequestration.  It was great to see Representative Camper and discuss such an important issue with her.

Presidential Inaugural Ticket Information

President Obama’s inauguration will take place on January 21, 2013. I recognize the historic significance of the inauguration ceremony and am glad that some District 9 residents are planning to be in our nation’s capital to share in the experience.  Information about how many tickets each Congressional office will receive for the inauguration will not be available until December.
 
Because of the logistics of this event, and because we anticipate an unprecedented number of ticket requests, no exceptions can be made to the requirements listed on this page. We don’t yet know how many tickets our office will be allocated, but we feel certain of two things: 1) we will receive far fewer tickets than the number needed to meet all requests, and 2) we will get a very limited number of seated tickets, so requesters should assume that any tickets received will not be seated.  Click here to learn more about the inauguration.

Hill Photo

The media took a photo of me this week as I was driving away from the Capitol after the House adjourned early on Wednesday.  Click here to see other interesting photos around Capitol Hill.

Congressional Calendars
There are a limited number of 2013 Congressional Calendars available through my office.  If you’d like to receive one of these free calendars, please click here to fill out a short form.  I have already received a number of requests from some who are not residents of District 9.  Due to the rules of the House, I am only able to mail calendars to residents of Tennessee’s 9th District.  Please feel free to share this email with other constituents who may be interested in receiving a calendar.

Grant Announcements
I regularly release a list of grant announcements from federal agencies like the Department of Health and Human Services, the Environmental Protection Agency, the Department of Transportation, and others.  These federal funding opportunities are available to faith-based and neighborhood associations, nonprofits and other community organizations in the 9th district. The announcements are updated regularly on my website.
 
Wishing you a happy and safe weekend,
 
As always, I remain,

Most sincerely,

Steve Cohen
Member of Congress