Judiciary
For two days, the main theme on Capitol Hill, at least for Democrats, has been voting rights.
Dozens gathered in the rotunda on Tuesday to honor Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and Coretta Scott King and commemorate the Civil Rights Act. The Senate held a detailed hearing Wednesday morning about a proposal to update the Voting Rights Act, and congressional Democrats took the stage on the Capitol lawn in the afternoon to demanding they be given a vote on the issue.
Dear Friend,
This week, the House passed my amendment to help prevent children from going hungry, President Obama moved to help more than 100,000 Tennesseans burdened with student loan debt, and a new report showed that 60,000 Ninth District citizens will receive a raise if Congress increases the minimum wage to $10.10 per hour. Keep reading to learn more about what happened this week.
[WASHINGTON, DC] – Congressman Steve Cohen (TN-09), Ranking Member of the House Judiciary Subcommittee on the Constitution and Civil Justice, today joined Attorney General Eric Holder in urging the U.S. Sentencing Commission to make certain non-violent drug offenders eligible for reduced sentences if they are incarcerated in federal prisons under sentences that no longer apply under current law.
Dear Friend,
This week, the Senate Appropriations Committee approved my provision to add $5 million in funding to help eliminate the nationwide rape kit backlog, I spoke about the need to prevent childhood hunger, and President Obama’s Administration announced their plan to reduce carbon emissions and protect our air. Keep reading for more information about what else happened this week.
[WASHINGTON, DC] – Five million dollars to help eliminate the national rape kit backlog that Congressman Steve Cohen (TN-09) secured in the House-passed Fiscal Year 2015 Commerce, Justice and Science (CJS) Appropriations bill was approved by the U.S. Senate Appropriations Committee this morning.
Dear Friend,
This week, the House passed my amendment to provide an extra $5 million to help eliminate the backlog of untested rape kits in America, on the House Floor I highlighted the importance of making sure our veterans receive the care they deserve, and an impressive Memphian was interviewed by Katie Couric for her work to help foster youth. Keep reading to learn more about what happened this week.
[WASHINGTON, DC] – The U.S. House of Representatives this afternoon passed on a voice vote Congressman Steve Cohen’s (TN-09) amendment to the Fiscal Year 2015 Commerce, Justice and Science Appropriations bill that would provide more federal resources to local law enforcement agencies working to reduce their backlogs of untested rape kits. Of roughly 400,000 untested rape kits sitting in evidence rooms nationwide, an estimated 12,000 remain untested in Memphis—more than anywhere else in the country.
[WASHINGTON, DC] – Congressman Steve Cohen (TN-09) this evening offered an amendment to the Fiscal Year 2015 Commerce, Justice and Science Appropriations bill to provide additional resources to the Department of Justice’s (DOJ) Office of the Pardon Attorney to help President Obama’s Administration more fully realize the goals of its newly-expanded criteria for executive clemency.
Dear Friend,
This week, President Obama’s administration selected Memphis to be included in a brand new program aimed at growing our local economy, I voted to help protect our veterans from substandard care, and I commemorated the life of Rev. Frank McRae on the House Floor. Keep reading to learn what else happened this week.
[WASHINGTON, DC] – Congressman Steve Cohen (TN-09) joined several U.S. Senators and Representatives today in urging the Secretary of Education, Arne Duncan, to bring more fairness to struggling students by establishing clear standards of eligibility for “undue hardship” discharge of federal student loans in bankruptcy. In a letter sent by Congressman Cohen, U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL), Jack Reed (D-RI) and Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) with U.S.