E-Newsletter - Remembering Lorenzen Wright

Statement

This week I congratulated lifelong Memphian Ed Stanton for being confirmed by the Senate to serve as U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Tennessee, authored legislation to create a national freight transportation policy, participated in a town hall to discuss how we can combat food deserts, and joined in saying goodbye to our friend Lorenzen Wright.

Lorenzen Wright
Ed Stanton
FREIGHT Act
CHEER Town Hall
Goodwill
Comp Cam
Health Science Center

Lorenzen Wright
On Wednesday I spoke at a memorial service held for former University of Memphis and Memphis Grizzlies basketball player Lorenzen Wright. Lorenzen was a friend, hero and inspiration to us all. I paid tribute Lorenzen's life and accomplishments on the House floor last week.

Ed Stanton
Yesterday the Senate confirmed the nomination of lifelong Memphian Ed Stanton as U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Tennessee. Ed Stanton is senior litigation counsel with Federal Express Corporation and has a broad range of legal experience in government as well as the private and corporate sectors. He also has a long history of dedicated community service. It was my pleasure to deliver the good news to Ed Stanton when President Obama nominated him for the post in April, and I am thrilled he will be taking his oath of office soon.

FREIGHT Act
I recently authored legislation to create a national freight transportation policy. The "Focusing Resources, Economic Investment, and Guidance to Help Transportation (FREIGHT) Act of 2010" would implement a strategic plan to guide the goods movement, create an office devoted to freight planning within the U.S. Department of Transportation, and establish a competitive grant program for freight transportation projects.

CHEER Town Hall
Last Saturday I served as a panelist on the Consortium for Health Education, Economic Empowerment and Research (CHEER) Town Hall at the G.E. Patterson Family Life and Youth Center. The event focused on food "insecurity," policy interventions addressing the relationship between health disparities and food access, and availability and affordability.

I was asked to discuss legislation I authored to combat "food deserts" by offering tax incentives for the establishment of supermarkets in underserved areas. "Food deserts" are regions with little or no access to supermarkets that offer healthy foods such as fresh fruits and vegetables. Because of food deserts, far too many people in Memphis and across the country are leading lifestyles that are jeopardizing the health and well-being of their families.

Urban and rural areas are suffering from a lack of healthy eating choices due to fresh fruits and vegetables not being readily available in their neighborhoods. This is a critical issue that many 9th District constituents have raised with me in the town halls I have hosted in Memphis and on the telephone. My bill would give families more healthy eating options by providing supermarkets with tax incentives to open new locations in urban and rural areas.

Goodwill
On Tuesday I spoke at the Memphis Goodwill Vocational Rehabilitation Services Center grand opening. I also toured the facility, which is a one-of-a-kind center that will help intellectually and developmentally disabled people become productive members of society through job training and placement. The center was established with the help of federal stimulus funds.

Comp Cam
I also toured Comp Cam's Memphis corporate headquarters. Comp Cams manufactures high-technology performance engine components, camshaft and valve train products, engine accessories and specialty tools. It was a pleasure to see the facility and meet the employees that keep it running so well.

Health Science Center
The University of Tennessee Health Science Center was awarded $224,484 in new federal funding by the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism to support alcohol research programs.

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