Judiciary
Congressman Clarifies Remarks about The Purple Heart
WASHINGTON – Congressman Steve Cohen (TN-09) clarified his remarks at a joint hearing of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee and the Judiciary Committee on which he serves with the following statement:
"I regret mentioning the Purple Heart medal at yesterday's hearing. My intent was to speak metaphorically to make a broader point about attacks against the FBI and Special Counsel Mueller's investigation into a Russian attack on our country.
WASHINGTON – Congressman Steve Cohen (TN-09) commended the Justice Department for reopening the Emmett Till murder case that many say galvanized a nascent Civil Rights movement in 1955. The 14-year-old Chicago youth was killed after a white woman claimed he wolf-whistled at her in Money, Mississippi, and his admitted killers were later acquitted by an all-white jury. See Congressman Cohen speaking about the case on the House floor this morning here. He also made the following statement:
WASHINGTON – Congressman Steve Cohen (TN-09), the Ranking Member of the House Judiciary Subcommittee on the Constitution and Civil Law, today questioned the Majority's rationale for seeking the testimony of FBI Agent Peter Strzok after the Department of Justice's Inspector General found no evidence of bias impacting its work on the Hillary Clinton email investigation. See his exchange with Strzok here.
WASHINGTON – Congressman Steve Cohen (TN-09), the Ranking Member of the House Judiciary Subcommittee on the Constitution and Civil Justice, expressed his opposition to President Trump's nomination of Brett Kavanaugh, saying he fears it will move the nation's highest court further to the right and undermine important civil rights. He made the following statement:
WASHINGTON – Congressman Steve Cohen (TN-09) expressed cautious relief that EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt, the subject of numerous ethics scandals and corruption allegations, has at long last resigned. He released the following statement:
WASHINGTON – Congressman Steve Cohen (TN-09), the Ranking Member of the House Judiciary Subcommittee on the Constitution and Civil Justice, today questioned Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein and FBI Director Christopher Wray at a House Judiciary Committee hearing. After noting that both had been appointed by President Trump, and that Special Counsel Robert Mueller had been appointed by Rosenstein, the following exchange occurred (see it here):
WASHINGTON – Congressman Steve Cohen (TN-09) attended the meeting of FBI Special Agent Peter Strzok with House Judiciary Committee Members on Wednesday and released the following statement:
WASHINGTON – Congressman Steve Cohen (TN-09), the Ranking Member of the House Judiciary Subcommittee on the Constitution and Civil Justice, expressed unease at today's announcement that Justice Anthony Kennedy plans to retire at the end of July because of its obvious political result. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell has already said a nominee will be considered this fall. Congressman Cohen released the following statement:
WASHINGTON – Congressman Steve Cohen (TN-09), the Ranking Member of the House Judiciary Committee's Subcommittee on the Constitution and Civil Justice, said today's predictable 5-4 ruling against the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME) will have the effect of diminishing wages for working- and middle-class Americans, furthering income inequality, and is a direct result of the failure of the U.S. Senate to confirm President Obama's Supreme Court nominee. He made the following statement:
WASHINGTON – Congressman Steve Cohen (TN-09), the Ranking Member of the House Judiciary Subcommittee on the Constitution and Civil Justice, expressed frustration tonight that his effort to amend another spending bill with language prohibiting federal spending at businesses owned by President Trump, this time by Department of Defense programs, was prevented from consideration by the House Majority.