President Bush signed the Emmett Till Unsolved Civil Rights Crimes Act this Tuesday after the Senate unanimously passed the measure last week.   Senator Cochran, an original cosponsor of the bill, praised its passage.  Read the article below for more details.

Bush signs Till measure to create special unit
Jerry Mitchell • jmitchell@clarionledger.com • October 8, 2008

President Bush signed a bill into law Tuesday that would create a cold-cases unit to prosecute unpunished crimes from the civil rights era.

The Emmett Till Unsolved Civil Rights Crime Act will give the Justice Department $10 million a year to examine civil rights killings from before 1970 and $3.5 million to help local law enforcement conducting such investigations.

“We’re happy the president has now made the Till bill the law of the land,” said Alvin Sykes of Kansas City, architect of the Emmett Till Unsolved Civil Rights Crimes Act. “These perpetrators will now be the subject of the most comprehensive criminal manhunt in this country’s history.”

The bill is named after Till, an African-American teenager from Chicago who was beaten and killed Aug. 28, 1955, after he reportedly wolf-whistled at a white woman in Money. An all-white jury in Tallahatchie County acquitted Roy Bryant and J.W. Milam, who went on to confess their involvement to Look magazine.

Click here to read the full article.

After the Senate passed the financial bailout package on Wednesday, the U.S. House of Representatives passed the plan by a 263-171 vote.  President Bush then quickly signed the bill into law on Friday.

Bush signs $700B bailout bill

Clarion-Ledger

WASHINGTON — President Bush has signed into law a far-reaching $700 billion bill to bailout the nation’s tottering financial industry and thanked Congress for acting in a bipartisan and decisive fashion.

“There were moments this week when some thought that the federal government could not rise to the challenge. But thanks to the hard work of members of both parties, in both houses, and the spirit of cooperation between Capitol Hill and my administration, we completed this bill in a timely manner,” Bush said in remarks in the Rose Garden.

The final vote was 263-171 in the House, a comfortable margin that was 58 more votes than the measure garnered in Monday’s stunning defeat. The vote capped two weeks of tumult in Congress and on Wall Street, punctuated by daily warnings that the country confronted the gravest economic crisis since the Great Depression if lawmakers failed to act.

Click here to continue reading in the Clarion-Ledger.

After the U.S. Senate passed the bailout package this week with a 74-25 vote, all focus turns toward the U.S. House of Representatives.  Both Mississippi Senators Thad Cochran and Roger Wicker voted against the plan this week despite its passage.  House members are expected to vote on the bailout in a matter of minutes.  

House Works Toward Bailout Vote  
   
Washington, D.C.
Posted: 10:42 AM Oct 2, 2008
The Associated Press

A Members of the U.S. House are gearing up for their second chance to vote on a financial bailout bill.

The measure passed the Senate Wednesday night, with several changes added.

House leaders will be lobbying for the dozen or so more votes they think will help the bill pass. A showdown vote is expected Friday.

The 74-25 roll call by which the Senate approved a $700 billion rescue package for Wall Street aimed at preventing a credit crisis.

Both of Mississippi’s senators, Thad Cochran and Roger Wicker voted against the package, as did Alabama’s Jeff Sessions and Richard Shelby.

On this vote, a “yes” vote was a vote to approve the package and a “no” vote was a vote against it.

Thirty-nine Democrats, 34 Republicans and one independent supported the measure. Voting against it were nine Democrats, 15 Republicans and 1 independent.

Click here to read on WTOK-TV.com.

With the help of Senator Cochran, Senator Wicker, and Governor Barbour, Mississippi homeowners in Hancock, Harrison, and Washington County are finally eligible to receive grants to rebuild and repair homes that were damaged by flooding from Hurricane Gustav.  Read the Associated Press article below for more details.

BY THE ASSOCIATED PRESS:

JACKSON — Federal aid is finally on the way for Mississippi homeowners hit hard by the flooding rains of Hurricane Gustav, and so far more than 970 residents from three counties have applied for individual assistance, officials confirmed Tuesday.

Homeowners in Harrison and Hancock counties on the Mississippi Coast, and Washington County in the Delta, are eligible for up to $28,000 each to rebuild or repair their flood-damaged homes. Residents have 60 days to apply for the grants.

Gov. Haley Barbour’s second request for individual assistance to rebuild or repair homes damaged or destroyed by the storm has been approved by FEMA, which had not responded to the governor’s first request on Sept. 10.

FEMA had already approved public assistance for several counties, including those along the Gulf Coast, to repair or rebuild public buildings and roadways and to remove hurricane debris.

Continue to read the Associated Press article by clicking here.

The United States Senate unanimously passed the Emmett Till Unsolved Civil Rights Crimes Act this Wednesday.  The bill would provide millions of dollars to develop a cold cases unit within the Justice Department to investigate unpunished civil rights crimes that happened before 1970. The money would also help local law enforcement officials conduct these examinations of killings that happened in the civil rights era.

Senator Thad Cochran was a co-sponsor of this bill in 2005 when it originated.  He has praised its passage and hopes that President Bush will sign the legislation into law.  The President is expected to sign it.

“Justice has been delayed, but it should not be denied,” Cochran said. “We are nearing a time, half a century after many of these crimes were committed, when witnesses who are able to provide testimony will no longer be available.”

To find out more about the Emmett Till Unsolved Civil Rights Crimes Act, click here to read an article in the Clarion-Ledger.

By J.R. WELSH - jrwelsh@sunherald.com 
 
BAY ST. LOUIS — Federal officials, distressed over poor conditions at Hancock County’s Emergency Operations Center, announced $1 million in new funding Wednesday to help build a replacement facility.

“Last week I had the opportunity to tour Hancock County’s EOC and saw firsthand the difficult conditions county officials have to work in,” U.S. Sen. Roger Wicker said in a statement issued jointly with U.S. Sen. Thad Cochran.

The money is part of $14.6 million being distributed nationally by the Department of Homeland Security for emergency operations centers. During natural disasters the centers serve as headquarters for first responders responsible for evacuations, emergency calls, rescues and distribution of critical public information.

The Sun Herald reported in a front-page story Tuesday on conditions at the Hancock EOC during Hurricane Gustav. About 200 first responders - including police, firefighters, Emergency Management Agency workers, National Guard soldiers, federal and state officials and others - crowded into the decrepit old Valena C. Jones School, where the center and the Bay St. Louis Fire Department are located.

While protecting the citizenry before, during and following the hurricane, they endured conditions including leaky roofs, loose ceiling tiles, rain-slick floors, mold-ridden ceilings and cracked concrete walls.

In announcing the grant, Cochran commended Hancock County officials “for their excellent work despite the condition of their temporary facility.” And Wicker said the money would “go a long way to help Hancock County move their emergency operations center to a safer location that ensures they can continue to respond effectively during the next storm or emergency.”

Click here to continue reading the article.

We are thrilled with Senator John McCain’s announcement today that Alaska Governor Sarah Palin will join the Republican ticket as his running mate.  The reveal of the first Republican female running for national office folds nicely into this week’s national celebration of the 88th anniversary of women’s right to vote.

Sarah Palin’s small-town background is one understood by Mississippians.  Like many children in your own communities, she was a teacher’s kid, a basketball player, and a hunter.   Governor Palin’s personal history suggests that she built upon the basic tenets learned from those first experiences to dictate how she would journey to the highest office in the State of Alaska; tenacity, fairness, sincerity, compassion.   

Her personal background is note-worthy, her record of accomplishment as the Governor of Alaska is vote-worthy.  She is the only candidate with Executive experience on the national ticket.  Palin is the Commander-in-Chief of the Alaskan National Guard and has a son soon to be deployed with the Army in Iraq.  She has a record of governmental reform, and knows all too well as the mother of five, how to account for the “least” of us. 

There is no doubt that Governor Palin’s appearance will offer additional excitement and enthusiasm to the Republican Convention - stay tuned Mississippi!!

In response to the selection, Cochran’s Communication Director Natalie Buchanan says, “I congratulate Governor Sarah Palin as she is the first female Republican Vice-Presidential nominee. It is a historic moment as Senator McCain’s selection falls during the week we celebrate the 88th anniversary of the passage of the 19th Amendment, which guarantees women a right to vote.  Governor Palin, a conservative leader with executive experience, is known for her pro-life, pro-gun, and fiscally conservative policies which are values important to Mississippians.  She will compliment Senator McCain well in the White House.” 

Please take time to read the Commercial Dispatch article covering the “Bridging the Gap” event in Columbus, Mississippi, on Wednesday.  Senator Thad Cochran, Senator Roger Wicker, and Gov. Haley Barbour all spoke at the event recognizing the great success and growth of our great state.  They also recognized the challenges that we as Mississippians continue to face.  The overall theme of the event was “teamwork” and how working together as Mississippians is what truly matters.

Also check back for pictures and possible video footage from the event.

GOP leaders tout leadership, growth

By Kristin Mamrack
kmamrack@cdispatch.com
Wednesday, August 20, 2008 12:04 PM CDT
 
Local and state community and business leaders this morning were treated to breakfast with two United States senators and the governor at the Trotter Convention Center.

Sen. Thad Cochran and Sen. Roger Wicker, both R-Miss., joined Gov. Haley Barbour and special guests for a “Leadership Bridging the Gap” breakfast.

“Columbus is a viable and growing city,” Mayor Robert Smith said in introducing special guests. “There is something inherently good about rallying together for the community good.”

“We’re proving we’re close together,” Cochran said. “I don’t think that gap is as big as some people think. By our example, we can be an influence to the rest of the country. I am convinced we have a record of achievement and accomplishment in reaching out and working together that should be the envy of every state in the nation.”

“I really feel at home here,” Wicker said of visiting Columbus. “We’ve got a long way to go, but maybe we could pat ourselves on the back for a community (able to assemble) a diverse group of leaders.”

Click here to continue reading in our “In the News” section.

Read an article that was written by Northeast Mississippi Daily Journal after an Editorial Board meeting was held with Senator Cochran.  Senator Cochran shared his views and concerns about several issues throughout the hour long interview with the paper.

LLOYD GRAY:Cochran remains consensus builder
Sunday, August 17, 2008 - Daily Journal
8/17/2008 7:26:22 AM
Daily Journal 
 

It’s not exactly top of mind, but there’s another U.S. Senate race in Mississippi this year besides the one between Roger Wicker and Ronnie Musgrove.

Thad Cochran, Mississippi’s senior senator who 30 years ago became the first statewide elected Republican official in a century, is up for re-election. Former state Rep. Eric Fleming of Jackson is his Democratic opponent.

Unlike the Wicker-Musgrove race, this one’s not in doubt. Cochran will win handily.

At 70, Cochran signed up for another six-year term after a period of deliberation last fall. Trent Lott’s resignation was a factor, though not the primary one, in his decision. Cochran acknowledged in a meeting with the Daily Journal editorial board last week that returning to Washington for another six years was less attractive than in the past because of the extreme partisanship now the rule at the U.S. Capitol.

Click here to continue reading the article.

Sen. Thad Cochran is taking over the post of Ranking Member on the Senate Appropriations defense subcommittee (SAC-D) from indicted Sen. Ted Stevens (R-Alaska).