Judiciary
[WASHINGTON, DC] – Congressman Steve Cohen (TN-09) today reintroduced the John Tanner Fairness and Independence in Redistricting (FAIR) Act to take the decennial congressional apportionment process, which often leads to partisan gerrymandering, out of the hands of politicians and give it to an independent redistricting commission. Congressman Cohen also introduced the FAIR Act in the 113th Congress.
[MEMPHIS, TN] - Congressman Steve Cohen (TN-09) today issued the following statement regarding President Obama's grant of clemency to 20 individuals, including Memphian Larry Nailor, whose life prison sentence for a non-violent drug conviction was commuted:
Rep. Steve Cohen (D-Tenn.) has introduced legislation requiring the Justice Department to collect data on how many people are killed by police officers.
Reliable data on police shootings due to "excessive force" is not available because the Justice Department doesn't maintain a comprehensive record. The lack of such information has come to light after the high-profile deaths of African-American men by white police officers in Ferguson, Mo., Staten Island, N.Y. and other cities in recent months.
Rep. Steve Cohen (D-Tenn.) has introduced legislation requiring the Justice Department to collect data on how many people are killed by police officers.
Reliable data on police shootings due to "excessive force" is not available because the Justice Department doesn't maintain a comprehensive record. The lack of such information has come to light after the high-profile deaths of African-American men by white police officers in Ferguson, Mo., Staten Island, N.Y. and other cities in recent months.
[WASHINGTON, DC] – Congressman Steve Cohen (TN-09), Ranking Member of the House Judiciary Subcommittee on the Constitution and Civil Justice, introduced the National Statistics on Deadly Force Transparency Act of 2014 to close a loophole in federal law that prevents adequate collection of comprehensive national data regarding justified and unjustified fatal interactions with police. Without accurate data, racial disparities, abuses, and instances of excessive use of force are difficult to identify and unlikely to be fixed.
[WASHINGTON, DC] – Congressman Steve Cohen (TN-09) today released the following statement regarding the 2015 government funding agreement:
[NASHVILLE, TN] – Congressman Steve Cohen (TN-09) issued the following statement regarding President Obama’s visit to Nashville today:
WASHINGTON — U.S. Rep. Steve Cohen will fly with President Barack Obama aboard Air Force One to Nashville on Tuesday when Obama goes to Music City to deliver a speech on immigration.
Obama is scheduled to talk about his recent executive actions to protect 5 million undocumented immigrants from deportation and allow them to obtain work permits. The president will speak at Casa Azafran, a community center and home to a number of immigrant-related nonprofits in Nashville’s most international and socially diverse district.
The grand jury’s decision not to indict police officer Darren Wilson in the shooting death of Michael Brown in Ferguson, Missouri, was bitterly disappointing to many whose fervent hope is to see all Americans treated with dignity and equality under our laws. Brown’s death is a tragedy that cannot be denied. His devastated family understandably feels they did not receive justice.
The grand jury’s decision not to indict police officer Darren Wilson in the shooting death of Michael Brown in Ferguson, Missouri, was bitterly disappointing to many whose fervent hope is to see all Americans treated with dignity and equality under our laws. Brown’s death is a tragedy that cannot be denied. His devastated family understandably feels they did not receive justice.