Government Reform

Pandemic

WASHINGTON -- On Wednesday, June 3, at 10:00 a.m. Eastern time -- 9:00 a.m. Central time, Chairman Steve Cohen (TN-09) will preside at a House Judiciary Subcommittee on the Constitution, Civil Rights, and Civil Liberties hearing on protecting the right to vote during the COVID-19 pandemic. The global health crisis poses an unprecedented challenge for administering free and fair elections and ensuring that every eligible citizen is able to vote this November.

WASHINGTON – Congressman Steve Cohen (TN-09) returned to Washington and voted this evening for a $3 trillion measure to address the ongoing coronavirus pandemic and its impact on the national economy. The measure contains funding for state and local governments, hospitals, first responders, our health care workers, testing, another round of $1,200 economic impact payments and increased spending for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), among many other things.

MEMPHIS – Congressman Steve Cohen (TN-09) will return to Washington Thursday and plans to vote Friday on a fifth bill in response to the coronavirus pandemic. The Heroes Act, H.R.

MEMPHIS – Congressman Steve Cohen (TN-09) today wrote to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Majority Leader Steny Hoyer and Majority Whip James Clyburn asking them to prevent the privatization and outsourcing of federal jobs during the ongoing pandemic. Congressman Cohen cited a plan by the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) to outsource 108 Information Technology (I.T.) jobs to private contractors.

Congressman Cohen's letter reads in part:

WASHINGTON – Congressman Steve Cohen (TN-09) returned to Washington and voted today for a $484 billion response to the coronavirus pandemic with aid concentrated on small businesses and hospitals. This is the fourth bill Congress has passed to address the crisis that devotes $60 billion for loans to small businesses, such as minority-owned, women-owned and veteran-owned enterprises. In addition, the bill provides $60 billion for the Economic Injury Disaster Loan program administered by the Small Business Administration (SBA) and $25 billion for testing.

MEMPHIS – Congressman Steve Cohen (TN-09), a senior member of the House Transportation and Infrastructure's Subcommittee on Aviation, today wrote Federal Aviation Administrator (FAA) Stephen Dickson and Deputy Administrator Daniel K. Elwell requesting that funding to airports provided in the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act be suspended until an equitable funding formula can be found.

WASHINGTON, DC – Today, Congresswoman Rosa DeLauro (CT-03) and Congressman Steve Cohen (TN-09) announced they would send a letter to House and Senate leaders next week calling for repeal of a $170 billion tax break in the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES Act) for hedge fund owners and real estate developers. While most Americans will get a one-time economic impact payment of $1,200, the individuals eligible for this tax break stand to gain an average tax break of $1.6 million.