E-Newsletter - Obama Signs My Bill Into Law

Statement

This week President Obama signed into law legislation I authored -- the SPEECH Act -- to protect American authors, journalists and publishers from foreign defamation judgments that undermine the First Amendment and American due process standards.

SPEECH Act
Attorney General Holder
State Aid
Border Security
National Civil Rights Museum
St. Jude Children's Research Hospital
Southwest Tennessee Community College
Stop Loss
Social Security

SPEECH Act
On Tuesday I went to the Oval Office in the White House to watch President Obama sign into law my bill -- the Securing the Protection of our Enduring and Established Constitutional Heritage (SPEECH) Act -- to protect American authors, journalists and publishers from foreign defamation judgments that undermine the First Amendment and American due process standards. The President used three pens to sign the measure into law and will be sending me one in a ceremonial box to commemorate the event.

Libel tourism threatens to undermine the principles of free speech because foreign courts often do not place as strict a burden on plaintiffs in libel cases as American courts. I believe our First Amendment rights to be among the most sacred principles laid out by our founding fathers. It is vital we ensure that these rights are never undermined by foreign judgments. I appreciate Senators Patrick Leahy and Jeff Sessions for their dedication and assistance on this important topic. I recently spoke on the House floor about the SPEECH Act. Click here to see my remarks.

Attorney General Holder
On Wednesday I issued a letter to Attorney General Eric H. Holder Jr. requesting an investigation into voter irregularities that occurred during the Memphis and Shelby County elections held on August 5. Many voters were mistakenly turned away from the polls because of inaccurate voter rolls. I am requesting the Justice Department to investigate whether the inaccurate rolls were the result of negligence or intentional criminal misconduct.

State Aid
This week I voted to save and create almost 320,000 jobs -- including saving the jobs of 160,000 teachers and preventing the layoffs of tens of thousands of police officers, firefighters, and nurses. The House reconvened this week to take up this emergency aid to help states keep teachers in our classrooms and first responders on duty. The Education Jobs and Medicaid Assistance Act is not only completely paid for, but it reduces the deficit by $1.4 billion over 10 years -- in part by closing a loophole that encourages corporations to ship American jobs overseas.

Border Security
I also voted to boost our nation's border security, putting more agents on patrol and protecting communities along the southern border. The Emergency Supplemental Appropriations for Border Security legislation provides $600 million in emergency funding to shore up our border -- including more than $240 million to hire 1,000 new Border Patrol agents and 250 new Customs and Border Protection agents.

National Civil Rights Museum
The National Civil Rights Museum was awarded $750,000 from the National Endowment for the Humanities to establish an endowment fund dedicated to educational programming. The National Civil Rights Museum is one of the most prestigious museums in the country. These new federal funds will be used to establish an endowment fund dedicated to educational programming that will help future generations better understand and appreciate the Civil Rights Movement.

St. Jude Children's Research Hospital
St. Jude Children's Research Hospital was awarded $435,000 from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases. The new funding will help finance continued research into the effects of molecular control of TCR signaling and function on the immune system.

Southwest Tennessee Community College
Yesterday I spoke at the Southwest Tennessee Community College groundbreaking on their new nursing, natural sciences and biotechnology building on Union Avenue. I secured a $321,000 earmark to help fund this new facility, which will provide countless students with the education and guidance they need to pursue careers in medicine and health care. Senator Lamar Alexander also helped secure funding for this new building.

Stop Loss
Defense Department officials want to ensure that anyone whose military enlistment was involuntarily extended under the so-called "stop loss" provision applies to receive a stipend by the Oct. 21 deadline. An estimated 145,000 servicemembers are eligible to receive $500 for each full or partial month served in stop loss status. Click here for more details.

Social Security
Tomorrow we celebrate the 75th anniversary of Social Security. Six in 10 seniors rely on Social Security for more than half their income. More than 6 million children -- nearly nine percent of all U.S. children -- receive part of their family income from Social Security. This bedrock program was established 75 years ago as a promise of economic security and stability for Americans after a lifetime of hard work. I vow to do everything in my power to fight to preserve and strengthen this vital program for generations to come.

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