Admonishing ICE Tactics and Recruitment after Minneapolis Shooting
Dear Friend,
This week, I expressed concern about the tactics and training of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents after a 37-year-old American citizen was shot and killed in Minneapolis. I also participated in a hearing, including testifying myself, on the fifth anniversary of the January 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol. Additionally, I closely monitored the situation in Venezuela and attended classified briefings on the subject, sought solutions to poor air quality in South Memphis, voted to invest $3 million from the Fiscal Year 2026 U.S. Department of Justice spending bill in public safety projects in Memphis and Shelby County, paid tribute to my former congressional colleague Gabby Giffords on the 15th anniversary of the assassination attempt that killed six, voted to extend Affordable Care Act subsidies to keep premiums low, congratulated Steny Hoyer on his fabulous career and service to the country and the party, attended an event with Abraham Accords Caucus members, and offered a Friday Flashback, a Bill Day cartoon and a weekly health tip. Keep reading and follow me on Bluesky, Facebook and Instagram to see what I am doing as it happens.
Admonishing ICE Tactics and Recruitment after Minneapolis Shooting
Observing the Fifth Anniversary of the Attack on the U.S. Capitol
Closely Monitoring the Situation in Venezuela
Addressing Air Pollution in South Memphis
Voting for $3 Million in Department of Justice-Funded Projects for Memphis and Shelby County
Paying Tribute to Gabby Giffords on the 15th Anniversary of the Attempt on Her Life
Congratulating My Friend Steny Hoyer as he Announces his Retirement
Discussing Australian Antisemitic Attack with Abraham Accords Caucus
Voting to Extend Affordable Care Act Subsidies
Admonishing ICE Tactics and Recruitment after Minneapolis Shooting
A reckless Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agent shot and killed Renee Nicole Good, a 37-year-old U.S. citizen, on Wednesday in Minneapolis. Those who have seen the video know the shooting was unjustified and that Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem and President Trump are lying when they say the agent acted in fear and self-defense. With a large and aggressive ICE presence in Memphis, this could have happened in our community. In a Judiciary Committee session on Thursday, I expressed my concern about the massive ICE recruitment effort targeting local law enforcement officers who feel constrained by rules with the implication that, as ICE agents, they’d enjoy fewer restrictions. There’s no reason for ICE agents to conduct raids in Memphis, and I urge the President to withdraw them. I also wrote to Secretary Noem seeking answers about ICE agents’ qualifications and training. See that letter here. See my statement on the Minneapolis shooting here.
Observing the Fifth Anniversary of the January 6 Attack on the U.S. Capitol
On Tuesday, I was honored to be asked to participate in a hearing on the fifth anniversary of the January 6, 2021, assault on the U.S. Capitol and to testify about my experience that day. I also commended Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi for finishing the Congressional vote count certifying the election of Joe Biden that night and for appointing the Select Committee that investigated the insurrection. In my testimony, I said that, like September 11, 2001, and December 7, 1941, January 6 is now a date that will “live in infamy.” See my release on the historic hearing here.
Closely Monitoring the Situation in Venezuela
Last Saturday, we woke to the news that Trump had launched a military invasion of Venezuela to grab its president, Nicolas Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores. There’s no question Maduro is a bad guy, but the raid was not authorized by Congress. Even the leadership of Congress was not notified in advance of such a serious operation that risked American and civilian lives and a much larger conflict. As a member of the Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, I have been attending briefings on the unfolding chaotic situation. The Constitution gives Congress alone the power to declare war. See my statement on the raid here.
Addressing Air Pollution in South Memphis
The Center for Engagement, Environmental Justice and Health (CEEJH) has reported that air pollution exceeds Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) standards in parts of South Memphis. I commend CEEJH for its commitment to measure pollution in the atmosphere caused by a large concentration of industrial complexes in the area. I am committed to making sure that the people living near harmful industrial operations are protected.
Voting for $3 Million in Department of Justice-Funded Projects for Memphis and Shelby County
On Thursday, I voted for more than $3 million for three U.S. Department of Justice public safety projects for Memphis and Shelby County which are projects that I fought for to be included in the Fiscal Year 2026 funding bill. The funding will provide equipment upgrades for the Memphis Police Department, improve witness protection efforts by the Shelby County District Attorney’s Office and strengthen the Memphis Youth Violence Prevention initiative. See details in my release here.
Paying Tribute to Gabby Giffords on the 15th Anniversary of the Attempt on Her Life
The House of Representatives on Thursday gave repeated standing ovations to our former congressional colleague Congresswoman Gabby Giffords of Arizona on the 15th anniversary of the assassination attempt that killed six people and injured 12 others as she held a “Congress on Your Corner” event with constituents in Tucson. She and her husband, Senator Mark Kelly, have dedicated their lives to ending gun violence, and I strongly support their efforts. I get an F grade from the NRA every year, which I take as a great honor.
Congratulating My Friend Steny Hoyer as he Announces his Retirement
House elder statesman and my friend Congressman Steny Hoyer announced his “reluctant conviction” that he should not seek re-election from the House floor on Thursday morning. He made the announcement in his characteristically articulate and thoughtful manner and, at 86, he’s still sharp as a tack. He noted that he has been a public servant for the people of Maryland since he was first sworn in as a state senator in January 1967 – 59 years ago. Steny was a perfect partner to Speaker Nancy Pelosi as Majority Leader when I arrived in Congress in January of 2007, and he has been a font of wisdom and good advice ever since. He will serve out his current term in Congress, and I look forward to working with him in his final year here. I wish him a happy and productive retirement. He will be missed.
Discussing Australian Antisemitic Attack with Abraham Accords Caucus
From left to right: Rep. Glenn Grothman, Rep. Maggie Goodlander, Rep. Brad Schneider, Rabbi Levi Shemtov, Rabbi Yehoram Ulman, Mr. Ahmed Al Ahmed, Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz, Rep. Steve Cohen, Rep. Timothy Kennedy
On Thursday morning, I attended an Abraham Accords Caucus meeting with Rabbi Yehoram Ulman of Chabad Bondi and Ahmed al-Ahmed. Rabbi Ulman’s Chanukkah event was the scene of the horrific antisemitic attack at Bondi Beach on December 14 and Ahmed al-Ahmed is the heroic bystander who tackled and disarmed one of the gunmen. We discussed Ahmed’s bravery and Rabbi Ulman’s leadership and loss in the wake of this tragedy.
Voting to Extend Affordable Care Act Subsidies
On Thursday, I voted to extend the subsidies for the Affordable Care Act for three years and arrest the abrupt spike in premiums that resulted from Republicans’ failure to address the issue before the December 31 deadline. The measure’s prospects in the Senate are not good, but this was the right thing to do and, with enough public pressure, a real solution to keep health care affordable may eventually materialize. I will not stop fighting until it does.
This is me with Mayors Paul Young and Lee Harris, Federal Highway Administrator Shailen Bhatt and others in July 2024 as we discussed the need for a new Interstate 55 bridge over the Mississippi River at Memphis. My efforts to persuade then-Department of Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg and others of the need has borne fruit, and the $800 million Kings' Crossing Bridge project, the largest infrastructure investment in Tennessee history, is now under way.
A Bill Day Cartoon – “Minneapolis”
The Memphis Light, Gas, and Water Division will distribute electric blankets at an event for eligible senior citizens and the disabled on Wednesday, January 14, from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. The event will be held at the Neighborhood Christian Center, 785 Jackson Avenue (38107). See eligibility requirements in this release.
“Look, I -- what made me do it is just simply my oath. I mean, what shocks me is that there were more people that didn't. I said this and I mean it…nothing that I did was heroic, but I was just surrounded by a bunch of cowards that were too scared to do it.” -- Former Republican Illinois Congressman Adam Kinzinger, a member of the January 6 Select Committee, testifying Tuesday on the fifth anniversary of the attack on the U.S. Capitol about his vote to impeach President Trump
“I wasn't ready for a President of the United States to incite an insurrection against the Congress of the United States, against the Constitution, against the Capitol of the United States. Now who would be ready for that? But we are ready to save our democracy that times have found us to do that. And again, much to his dismay, we went on to the count, we went to the floor that night in the House and in the Senate to honor our oath and to accept -- certify the results of the Electoral College.” – Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi testifying Tuesday at a hearing on the fifth anniversary of the January 6 attack
As always, I remain…
Sincerely,
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Steve Cohen
Member of Congress