Congressman Cohen Secures Nearly $12 Million for Memphis Community Projects in Omnibus Spending Package

Press Release

Late Wednesday night, Congressman Cohen voted to pass an omnibus spending package to keep the government open and make transformative investments to help working families with the cost of living, create American jobs, and support the vulnerable. It also included $11.7 million in funding for the community projects in Tennessee's 9th Congressional District that Congressman Cohen requested through this year's appropriations process.

"The investments in this package finally leave behind Trump's old budget and address some of our nation's biggest challenges while making direct investments in Memphis' economy," said Congressman Cohen. "From supporting Memphis' Black business development to local job creation to community health care and food security, I am pleased that this legislation funds all ten of the community projects I sponsored. I am the only Member of Congress in West Tennessee who succeeded in bringing funds home to the district, which is the result of working for months with members of the community and my House colleagues on passing these priorities.

"Thanks to Democrats' leadership, we are bringing millions of dollars to Memphis and investing in the American middle class. I am proud to vote for this legislation, which will lower costs for working families, create American jobs, and support those in need."

Under guidelines issued by the Appropriations Committee, each Representative could request funding for up to ten projects in their community for fiscal year 2022. All ten of the projects Congressman Cohen sponsored were funded.

Community Funding Secured by Congressman Cohen:

$3 million for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to make improvements to Tom Lee Park along the Mississippi River waterfront.

$750,000 for the Memphis ReStart Initiative, a multi-faceted small business development program that includes leadership training for Black managers, entrepreneurs and business owners, and identifies opportunities for Black businesses to thrive.  The program is led by the Black Business Association of Memphis.

$671,000 for the Cocaine and Alcohol Awareness Program, Incorporated (CAAP Inc.) Community Corrections Program. The funding would be used to support the community-based, residential, alternative-to-incarceration, corrections program that has a partnership with the Tennessee Department of Corrections.

$1 million for the purchase of equipment at the Regional One Medical Center.

$400,000 for the provision of educational and job opportunities for Orange Mound and Binghamton residents by Christian Brothers University.

$350,000 for investing in facilities and equipment at the Church Health Center.

$1,080,000 for the Collins Chapel Connectional Hospital to provide the first respite/recuperative care center in the Mid-South for homeless individuals who are medically fragile.

$3,000,000 for the Historic Melrose Redevelopment Project to invest in the redevelopment of the Historic Melrose High School and the Orange Mound Community.

$1,000,000 for the Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC) Memphis Home repair program for low-income seniors

$450,000 for Sadie B's Kitchen at The Hospitality Hub to build a commercial kitchen in the shelter as well as provide two supplemental food trucks.

At the national level, this government funding legislation includes significant investments to:

Help Working Families with the Cost of Living: reducing costs by expanding childcare and early learning programs to more working families, investing in America's K-12 public schools, increasing the maximum Pell Grant award by $400, expanding access to homeownership, and bringing the promise of rural broadband to more communities.

Create American Jobs: putting folks to work in good-paying jobs rebuilding our infrastructure, helping small businesses grow and thrive, fostering the green energy jobs of tomorrow, and supporting high-quality job training and apprenticeship programs so every American can contribute and succeed.

Support the Vulnerable: meeting Americans' basic needs by strengthening nutrition assistance, funding more affordable housing and strengthening the social safety net.

Honor Our Promise to Veterans and Servicemembers: funding benefits, bolstering the VA's health care system and reducing backlogs, and funding a military pay raise.

Deliver Justice for Women and Girls: cracking down on gender-based violence with a long-overdue reauthorization of the Violence Against Women Act.

The legislation also addresses some of our nation's biggest challenges:

Protecting Our National Security: with robust funding for defense, diplomacy and global development, a strong focus on cybersecurity, and investments in responsible border and maritime security that keeps us safe and respects the rights and dignity of migrants.

Confronting the Climate Crisis: through a renewed focus on environmental enforcement, pioneering funding for environmental justice, and historic investments in clean energy and climate science.

Strengthening Public Health: by rebuilding our health care infrastructure, establishing funding for President Biden's new cancer research initiative, and confronting urgent health crises -- including maternal health, mental health, substance misuse, and gun violence.

Additionally, the omnibus will provide $13.6 billion in assistance for the people of Ukraine, as they face Russia's unprovoked, premediated war.  This legislation will also unlock critical infrastructure investments that have already been authorized by the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, creating good-paying jobs in Memphis and across the country.

The text of the spending package, H.R. 2471, is available here. A detailed summary of the legislation is here. A summary of the Ukraine supplemental is here and a one-page fact sheet is here. Next week, the House is slated to pass a separate bill fulfilling President Biden's request for $15 billion in funding to continue fighting COVID-19 across the world, protect against new variants and avoid future lockdowns.

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