This Week: Medical Bankruptcy, Jobs, And More Cops In Memphis

Statement

It's been a busy week in Washington -- from feverish negotiations for a health care reform bill to passing major funding bills to reforming the way corporate CEO's are paid. It has literally a sprint to the finish before the August recess begins for the House.

With the House going out of session for the next month, it is a perfect opportunity for me to bring my entire staff together so that the constituents of the Ninth District can meet them. I hope you'll consider joining me and my entire staff, on Saturday, August 8 from 10 a.m. to Noon at the BRIDGES, 477 North Fifth Street, Memphis, TN 38105 for a Town Hall meeting. We want to hear your thoughts and concerns.

Cash for Clunkers

On Friday, I voted for an additional $2 billion to be appropriated to the "Cash for Clunkers" program, which exhausted its funding during its first week. It has been an immensely successful program that is benefiting our economy, families, and environment. This is a program that is already helping to grow our clean energy economy, cut down on pollution and save money at the pump as we reduce consumption by over 250 million gallons of gas.

Cash for Clunkers allows those who have a car with low gas mileage to trade it in for up to $4,500 toward the purchase of a new, environmentally friendly vehicle. The Cash for Clunkers program has resulted in over 200,000 auto purchases this week. Almost 200,000 cars have already been bought through the program, and it is expected to spur the sale of up to 800,000 more fuel-efficient cars and trucks. The funding comes from previously appropriated American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) funding.

37 More COPS on the Beat

On Tuesday, we got incredibly good news that the Obama Administration has awarded $6,345,093 in Recovery Act funding to the City of Memphis to hire and train 37 new police officers. The federal funds will provide 100 percent of the approved salary and benefits for entry level officer positions over a three year period.

Not only will these funds create good-paying jobs but allow the city to put more cops on the beat to keep our neighborhoods safe. As a member of the House Judiciary Committee, I've worked to increase federal funding for the COPS program to give our communities the resources they need to hire and train the next generation of first-responders. I look forward to welcoming the next class of police recruits and watching as they work to protect our streets, our children, and our homes.

Greater Oversight of Cemeteries

On Monday, I participated in a federal hearing in Chicago hosted by Congressman Bobby Rush (D-IL) to examine the need for greater federal oversight of cemeteries.

The hearing was called in the wake of this month's arrests of five employees of the historic Burr Oak Cemetery in Alsip, Illinois following the discovery that hundreds of bodies had been dug up and the grave sites resold.

Sadly, the issues facing Burr Oak Cemetery have been felt as far away as Memphis. A constituent, Rochelle Payne, has had ten relatives buried at the cemetery. We have a deep obligation to make sure that this never happens again. The anguish of losing a loved one has now turned to anger at the mismanagement and criminal actions of those trying to turn a dollar. I'm absolutely outraged and determined to make sure that this kind of thing never happens again

What's worse is that there are for-profit cemeteries that have simply abandoned their responsibility to the families of those who are buried there. In my own district two such cemeteries, Mt. Carmel and Hollywood are in disrepair, littered with broken headstones, and prone to flooding. My office has worked with local officials to force some action, but it shouldn't take the threat of legislation or lawsuit to force these companies to do the right thing. Perhaps it is time for the Federal Trade Commission to be granted expanded powers to deal with this issue.

$5 Million in Defense Spending Headed to Ninth District

Yesterday, the House of Representatives endorsed $5 million in federal spending for the Ninth District that will go to train battlefield nurses, advance cancer research, and develop a state-of-the-art battlefield sensor system. The federal funding was included in the Fiscal Year 2010 Defense Department Appropriations Bill that passed the House of Representatives this afternoon.

The medical and scientific advances being achieved at the University of Memphis and UT-Health Center are making a real difference in the lives of our men and women serving on the front lines in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Whether its training nurses in battlefield medicine, undertaking cancer research to better understand war illnesses, or developing technology that keeps our soldiers safe, our district is truly contributing to our national defense and providing support for our soldiers.

I was proud to fight for these funds and equally proud of the men and women who serve our nation in uniform. The bill that we passed provides our active duty men and women with the equipment and training they need to get the job done and return safely. We increased their pay, invested in military health care and, very importantly, are taking care of their families on the home front.

Bill Prohibiting Credit Checks in Employment Process Introduced

Wednesday, I was joined by Congressman Luis Gutierrez, (D-IL) chairman of the Subcommittee on Financial Institutions and Consumer Credit, at a press conference introducing HR 3149, The Equal Employment For All Act. My bill will prevent employers from discriminating against potential hires on the basis of their credit history, which in some cases prevents employment.

With unemployment at 10.3 percent in Memphis, using a credit check as a basis to deny employment to otherwise qualified candidates is only a barrier to those seeking to improve their financial situation. This bill is necessary to prevent the loss of job opportunities for those who need them the most and to stop a vicious cycle that only hurts those who are trying to improve their credit

HR 3149 would give some of our most vulnerable, "credit challenged" citizens - students, recent college graduates, low-income families, senior citizens, and minorities - the opportunity to begin rebuilding their credit history by obtaining a job. Far too often, employers turn down "credit challenged" applicants because they have erroneously linked credit scores to potential job performance.

Medical Bankruptcy Hearing with Elizabeth Edwards

During a Commercial and Administrative Law hearing that I chaired on Tuesday, I had the opportunity to hear from Elizabeth Edwards, a leading voice for health care reform. She gave great insight of about the need for affordable healthcare and medical bankruptcy reform.

Almost 17 percent of the population in the Ninth District does not have health insurance, which can lead to massive debt. No one should have to choose between paying their bills and putting food on their families table just to afford treatment or prescription drugs. One study suggests that medical debt is driving force behind families in the middle class who file for bankruptcy.

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