Judiciary

WASHINGTON – Congressman Steve Cohen (TN-09), Chairman of the Judiciary Subcommittee on the Constitution, Civil Rights, and Civil Liberties today voted for, and the House passed, an extension of the deadline to ratify the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA) and a reauthorization of the Violence Against Women Act. Congressman Cohen presided at the first hearing on the Equal Rights Amendment in 36 years in May of 2019, and he has been a longtime and consistent supporter of gender equality.

In a floor speech today before the votes, Congressman Cohen said:

MEMPHIS – Congressman Steve Cohen (TN-09), the Chairman of the Judiciary Subcommittee on the Constitution, Civil Rights, and Civil Liberties, today responded to increasingly bellicose misstatements about the way he conducted a hearing on "The Constitutional Framework for Congress's Ability to Uphold Standards of Member Conduct" on Thursday. The occasionally contentious hearing was intended as an academic examination of the history of member discipline and expulsion and the procedures available to the U.S. House of Representatives in reviewing its members' conduct.

MEMPHIS – Congressman Steve Cohen (TN-09), a senior member of the Judiciary Committee, today participated in a Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism and Homeland Security hearing on "Controlled Substances: Federal Policies and Enforcement." Congressman Cohen, a longtime member of the Congressional Cannabis Caucus, was an original cosponsor and voted for the Marijuana Opportunity Reinvestment and Expungement (MORE) Act, which passed the House in December.

WASHINGTON – Congressman Steve Cohen (TN-09) and Kelly Armstrong (ND-At Large) today introduced the bipartisan, bicameral Prohibiting Punishment of Acquitted Conduct Act of 2021. The legislation would end the unjust practice of judges increasing sentences based on conduct for which a defendant has been acquitted by a jury.

Senator Dick Durbin of Illinois and Senator Chuck Grassley of Iowa introduced the measure in the Senate last Thursday.

WASHINGTON – Congressman Steve Cohen (TN-09), Chairman of the Judiciary Subcommittee on the Constitution, Civil Rights and Civil Liberties, which has jurisdiction over voting rights, today voted for H.R. 1, the For the People Act. The measure will restore public confidence in the integrity of U.S. elections, limit the influence of Big Money and special interests, strengthen oversight of election spending, establish non-partisan commissions for redistricting, and end conflicts of interest while improving ethics rules.

WASHINGTON – Congressman Steve Cohen (TN-09), Chairman of the Judiciary Subcommittee on the Constitution, Civil Rights, and Civil Liberties, tonight expressed deep satisfaction at the passage of the groundbreaking George Floyd Justice in Policing Act, which he believes will help build trust between police departments and the communities they serve. The measure contains major elements of bills Congressman Cohen authored, including the National Statistics on Deadly Force Transparency Act, the Police CAMERA Act, and Police Training and Independent Review Act.

WASHNINGTON – Congressman Steve Cohen (TN-09), the Chairman of the Judiciary Subcommittee on the Constitution, Civil Rights, and Civil Liberties, today went to the House floor to urge passage of H.R. 1, the For the People Act, emphasizing its redistricting and voting rights provisions.

In his remarks, Congressman Cohen said in part:

"This is an important and good bill. It's a comprehensive bill that takes in a lot of issues that are important to giving people their opportunity to vote and the people the opportunity to elect their leaders in a fair manner.

WASHINGTON -- Congressman Steve Cohen (TN-09), Chairman of the House Judiciary Subcommittee on the Constitution, Civil Rights, and Civil Liberties, today re-introduced the Civil Rights Enhancement and Law Enforcement Accountability Improvement Act. The measure would apply the doctrine of respondent superior to employers of a law enforcement officers. If enacted, the employer would be vicariously liable for officers' acts or omissions committed within the scope of their employment that deprive people of their constitutional rights.