Giving Consumers Access to a Free Credit Score
Dear Friend,
This week, I introduced a bill to require that a consumer’s credit score be included with their annual free credit report, met with constituents about the fight to raise the minimum wage to $15/hour and announced my plans to introduce a bipartisan amendment to the Federal Aviation Administration reauthorization bill to establish a minimum seat size on airplanes for the safety and health of passengers. Keep reading to learn more about my week and follow me on Twitter and Facebook to see these updates as they happen.
Giving Consumers Access to a Free Credit Score
Fighting to Raise the Minimum Wage
Ensuring the Safety and Health of Airline Passengers
Celebrating Earth Day
Honoring Harriet Tubman on the $20 Bill
Building a New Solar Farm in Millington
Taking a Stand for Civil Rights
Redesigning My Website
The IRS Urges Public to Stay Alert for Scam Phone Calls
Giving Consumers Access to a Free Credit Score
On Wednesday, I introduced the Fair Access to Credit Scores Act of 2016. A good credit score means better interest rates on mortgages, bank loans and credit cards, smaller deposits for rent or utilities and even lower insurance premiums. Unfortunately, many Americans may find monitoring their credit scores to be difficult and expensive because gaining access to reliable and affordable information about their credit scores is not nearly as easy as it should be. My bill would require that a consumer’s credit score be included with their annual free credit report. Read more about my bill here.
Fighting to Raise the Minimum Wage
On Wednesday, I met with Tennessee home care workers from the Service Employees International Union and my constituents Ms. Mary Payne, Ms. Sepia Coleman and Ms. Carol Hewitt (pictured above) to discuss the fight to raise minimum wage to $15/hour. Throughout my career, I have always fought to ensure that hard-working Memphians can earn a living wage and won’t have to struggle to provide for themselves and their families. I was proud to vote for and sponsor the minimum wage increase to today’s rate of $7.25/hour in 2007 during a Democratic controlled Congress. I have continued to cosponsor bills to raise the minimum wage, but during the recent Republican controlled Congresses, none of those bills have come to the floor for a vote.
Ensuring the Safety and Health of Airline Passengers
On Tuesday, Representative Adam Kinzinger (R-IL) and I announced that when the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Reauthorization Bill comes to the House floor, we plan to offer a bipartisan amendment to establish a minimum seat size on commercial airlines as well as a minimum distance between rows of seats to protect the safety and health of airline passengers. Fox & Friends did a great segment on our amendment that you can watch here.
Today is Earth Day. To mark Earth Day, leaders from more than 160 countries, including the United States, will gather today in New York City for a ceremony to sign the Paris Climate Agreement. Yesterday, I joined my colleagues in sending a letter to President Obama in support of the Paris Climate Agreement and the President’s decision to sign the agreement on the first day it will be open. If we are going to preserve our environment for future generations, we must treat our planet with the care it deserves.
Honoring Harriet Tubman on the $20 Bill
I am pleased Harriet Tubman will be recognized on the twenty dollar bill. Slavery was our nation’s original sin and, unfortunately, we still feel the effects in our society today. This decision was too long in coming, but I welcome that a woman once again is part of our nation’s history as depicted on our currency. It is also good Andrew Jackson, one of Tennessee’s presidents and a founder of Memphis, will remain on the bill with Ms. Tubman.
Building a New Solar Farm in Millington
On Monday, the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) announced that it would be building a 53 megawatt solar project at Naval Support Activity Mid-South in Millington. The solar array will be the largest in the state. You can read more about the new solar farm here. In May of 2015, I wrote a letter to TVA President and CEO Bill Johnson in support of building a solar farm at the Millington Naval base. You can read my letter here.
Taking a Stand for Civil Rights
I would like to thank Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Committee Patrick Leahy (D-VT) for sending a letter to the Obama Administration this week urging them to not name the FBI’s planned future headquarters after J. Edgar Hoover. Last October, I introduced a bill to remove former FBI director J. Edgar Hoover's name from the current FBI building. Hoover specifically targeted African American civil rights leaders such as Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and homosexuals working in the government to try to silence them and ruin their lives. Cosponsors of my bill include civil rights icon Rep. John Lewis (D-GA), House Judiciary Ranking Member John Conyers (D-MI) and Rep. Maxine Waters (D-CA).
This week I unveiled my newly redesigned website. Check it out here!
The IRS Urges Public to Stay Alert for Scam Phone Calls
The IRS continues to warn consumers to guard against scam phone calls from thieves intent on stealing their money or their identity. Criminals pose as the IRS to trick victims out of their money or personal information. Click here for several tips to help you avoid being a victim of these scams and what to do if you believe have been contacted by a scammer.
As always, I remain.
Most sincerely,
Steve Cohen
Member of Congress