Pointing Out that Trump Doesn't Understand His Job Goes Viral
Dear Friend,
This week, I went to the House floor and delivered brief remarks about President Trump’s television interview on Sunday demonstrating that he really doesn’t understand his duties under the Constitution, and the speech has already been viewed on social media by more than 1.7 million people. I also expressed disappointment at the acquittal on state charges of the three former Memphis police officers charged in the beating death of Tyre Nichols, welcomed the first American pope, Leo XIV, condemned Trump’s assault on the free press, signed a discharge petition to force a vote to protect Medicaid and SNAP, championed the work of the Litigation-Response Task Force in pushing back on Trump’s illegal initiatives, introduced legislation to promote passenger rail travel, announced substantial federal investments in Memphis and Tennessee transit systems, announced a National Science Foundation grant to the University of Memphis, questioned experts at a hearing on the Bureau of Prisons, 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.
Pointing Out Trump Doesn’t Understand His Job Goes Viral
Welcoming the First American Pope
Condemning Trump’s Assault on a Free Press
Signing Discharge Petition to Force a Vote on the Hands Off Medicaid and SNAP Act
Championing Wins of the Litigation-Response Task Force
Introducing Measure to Reauthorize Federal-State Partnership for Intercity Passenger Rail Program
Announcing $18.2 Million in FY 2025 Transit Funding for Tri-State Memphis Urban Area
Announcing $1.4 Million National Science Foundation Grant to the University of Memphis
Questioning Experts in Oversight Hearing on the Federal Bureau of Prisons
Pointing Out Trump Doesn’t Understand His Job Goes Viral
On Monday, I went to the House floor and delivered brief remarks on Donald Trump’s interview on “Meet the Press” on Sunday in which the President demonstrated that he doesn’t understand his oath of office to “preserve, protect and defend” the Constitution. In the interview, he said he didn’t know whether he was obligated to defend the Constitution, which I called “unfathomable.” I also mentioned the $90 million price tag for a military parade he wants to hold on his June 14 birthday, which I called “unacceptable.” See the speech here. The speech went viral on Facebook, Bluesky and Twitter (X), where more than 1.7 million people have viewed it. This is a good sign that many people are souring on this ignorant egotist.
Expressing Disappointment at Acquittal of Former Memphis Police Officers Charged in Tyre Nichols Beating Death
Wednesday’s acquittal of the three former Memphis police officers on state charges involving the beating death of Tyre Nichols is a big disappointment but, as a lawyer, I understand the role of a jury in our criminal justice system, and we must respect the verdicts. They have been convicted on federal charges and will be sentenced in the weeks ahead, so some justice will be done. See my statement here.
Welcoming the First American Pope
I was very pleased to see Cardinal Robert Prevost the first American ever to be elected pope on Thursday. Leo XIV appears to want to walk in the footsteps of his predecessor, Pope Francis, with a focus on the sick, poor, disabled and marginalized. See my statement on his selection here.
Condemning Trump’s Assault on a Free Press
I introduced a resolution condemning Trump’s repeated attacks on the free press on Tuesday, joined by Congressman Jim McGovern of Massachusetts and Senator Sheldon Whitehouse of Rhode Island. See my release on the resolution, and its text laying out a litany of his offenses, here.
Signing Discharge Petition to Force a Vote on the Hands Off Medicaid and SNAP Act
House Republicans intend to give trillions in tax cuts to the wealthy by stripping Medicaid and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP, or food stamps). I joined Congressman Brendan Boyle of Pennsylvania in signing his discharge petition to force a floor vote on the Hands Off Medicaid and SNAP Act. If it receives 218 signatures (which would require only four Republicans), we will have the vote and derail this disastrous plan, I hope next week.
Championing Wins of the Litigation-Response Task Force
I joined the Litigation-Response Task Force to push back against Trump’s egregious attacks on the Constitution in the courts and in our communities to protect taxpayers and the legal rights of federal workers, migrants and others. We have had a string of successes. More than 180 House Democrats filed an amicus brief with the U.S. Supreme Court in a case upholding the longtime principle of birthright citizenship, challenged Trump-Musk freezes of appropriated funds to various agencies, sought to protect probationary employees from arbitrary firings, sought to re-establish funding for programs supported by the U.S. Agency for International Development, urged protection of sensitive Social Security and IRS data, and sought to restore the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau dismantled by DOGE. We’re fighting back against this careless cruelty, and we will ultimately win.
Introducing Measure to Reauthorize Federal-State Partnership for Intercity Passenger Rail Program
On Wednesday, as a passionate advocate of passenger rail travel, I introduced a bill to reauthorize the Federal-State Partnership for Intercity Passenger Rail Program and its Corridor Identification Program that recently identified a Memphis-Nashville-Chattanooga-Atlanta route for development. See my release and details of the legislation here.
Announcing $18.2 Million in FY 2025 Transit Funding for Tri-State Memphis Urban Area
The Federal Transit Administration (FTA) released full-year Fiscal Year 2025 funding of $18,246,472 for transit programs in the Memphis-Tri-State urban area and $132,363,425 for Tennessee’s transit programs statewide. See my release making the announcement here.
Announcing $1.4 Million National Science Foundation Grant to the University of Memphis
The University of Memphis Department of Biological Sciences has received a prestigious National Science Foundation grant of $1.4 million to study the genetic effect of climate change on animals, including polar bears, in the arctic. See my release on the award here.
Questioning Experts in Oversight Hearing on the Federal Bureau of Prisons
The Judiciary Subcommittee on Crime held an oversight hearing on the Bureau of Prisons on Tuesday which quickly devolved into Republican talking points on divisive culture war issues and Democrats seeking solutions but also ridiculing Trump’s movie-inspired plan to re-open the prison on Alcatraz Island in San Francisco Bay. See my release on the hearing here.
This is me with then-Ambassador to Japan Caroline Kennedy and Congressman Joaquin Castro at the U.S. Embassy in Tokyo in August of 2015.
A Bill Day Cartoon – “Mother's Day”
All residents of Shelby County aged 14 and older can now discreetly order a free at-home HIV test kit through a secure online portal, https://901hivtesting.com
The Shelby County Health Department announced the pilot program last month as part of its HIV awareness campaign called “Know Your Status.” The department has also unveiled the campaign’s first billboard, located at Poplar Avenue and Union Extended, where its message may reach tens of thousands of commuters every day.
“In our Constitution, judges and the judiciary is a co-equal branch of government, separate from the others with the authority to interpret the Constitution as law and strike down, obviously, acts of Congress or acts of the president. and that innovation doesn’t work if the judiciary is not independent.” – Chief Justice John Roberts on Wednesday in Buffalo addressing lawyers and judges at the 125th anniversary of the U.S. District Court for the Western District of New York
Wishing all of the 9th Congressional District mothers a Happy Mother's Day.
As always, I remain.
Most sincerely,
Steve Cohen
Member of Congress