Budget
MEMPHIS – Congressman Steve Cohen (TN-09), a senior member of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, participated in a daylong markup to consider legislative proposals to comply with the reconciliation directive included in section 2001 of the Concurrent Resolution on the Budget for Fiscal Year 2021, S. Con. Res. 5. The proposal includes nearly $100 billion to support transportation workers and communities affected by the coronavirus pandemic. Congressman Cohen voted for the measure in Committee this evening.
MEMPHIS -- Congressman Steve Cohen (TN-09) will vote for tonight's Continuing Resolution to provide an additional 24 hours for finalizing the compromise negotiators have achieved, and made the following statement:
WASHINGTON – Congressman Steve Cohen (TN-09) tonight voted for the updated Heroes Act, which contains many of the provisions he has fought hard to have included in the measure addressing our ongoing health and economic catastrophe to protect lives, livelihoods and the life of our democracy. The $2.2 trillion measure is a scaled down version of the Heroes Act the House passed on May 15 but which the Senate has so far failed to consider.
Tonight's vote on passage was 214 to 207.
Congressman Cohen made the following statement:
WASHINGTON – Congressman Steve Cohen (TN-09) today voted for one of two comprehensive spending measures funding federal government programs through the end of fiscal year in September 2020. Both measures passed the House, averting another government shutdown. The measure the Congressman supported provides a record high level of spending on the National Institutes of Health, Child Care and Community Development Block Grants, Head Start, Title 1 Education, and Food for Peace.
WASHINGTON – Congressman Steve Cohen (TN-09) applauded House passage of his amendment to the State and Foreign Operations spending bill that would prohibit certain federal departments and agencies from spending taxpayer dollars at Trump-owned businesses. The vote was 231 to 187.
Congressman Cohen made the following statement:
WASHINGTON – Congressman Steve Cohen (TN-09), Chairman of the House Judiciary Subcommittee on the Constitution, Civil Rights and Civil Liberties, led a letter to House Appropriation Committee leaders, signed by 40 of his House colleagues, asking them to include language prohibiting the use of federal funds at businesses owned in whole or in part by President Trump in the annual spending bills for the next fiscal year beginning October 1. See the full letter here.
Recently, I testified before the House Budget Committee to advocate for a people-oriented budget that would build a stronger and healthier nation. If our budget is to truly reflect our values, it is time to significantly increase non-defense spending to combat compelling needs at home.
WASHINGTON – Congressman Steve Cohen (TN-09), the Chairman of the House Judiciary Subcommittee on the Constitution, Civil Rights and Civil Liberties, today condemned President Trump's declaration of a state of emergency on the U.S.-Mexican border and made the following statement:
WASHINGTON – Congressman Steve Cohen (TN-09) tonight voted for, and the House passed, a spending package that will likely avert another government shutdown. The package, which includes $1.375 billion for barriers and bollard fencing but none for the President's requested border wall, will fund the departments and agencies covered by the Agriculture, Commerce-Justice-Science, Financial Services, Homeland Security, Interior-Environment, State-Foreign Operations, and Transportation-Housing and Urban Development appropriations bills through September 30.
WASHINGTON – Congressman Steve Cohen (TN-09), the Ranking Member of the House Judiciary Subcommittee on the Constitution and Civil Justice, today introduced amendments to the annual Department of the Interior, Environment and Related Agencies Appropriations Act for Fiscal Year 2019 (H.R. 6147) to prohibit the federal government from spending money at businesses owned by President Trump. The Congressman contends such spending violates a Constitutional anti-corruption provision that prohibit any President from receiving funding from the federal government beyond his salary.