Science and Technology

WASHINGTON – Congressman Steve Cohen (TN-09), Congresswoman Ann Wagner (R-MO), Congressman Tony Cardenas (D-CA) and Congressman Adam Kinzinger (R-IL) praised final passage of the Stop, Observe, Ask and Respond (SOAR) to Health and Wellness Training Program (H.R. 767) today on a 386 to 6 vote, a measure to provide training to health care professionals on identifying and assisting victims of human trafficking.

Congressman Cohen made the following statement:

WASHINGTON – Congressman Steve Cohen (D-TN), a senior member of the House Judiciary Committee, today praised the use of DNA evidence to win a conviction against the perpetrator of an 18-year-old rape that occurred in southwest Memphis.

WASHINGTON – Congressmen Steve Cohen (D-TN) and Lamar Smith (R-TX) today introduced legislation to protect consumers from unfair taxes on digital goods and services like those purchased over the internet or on smartphones. The Digital Goods and Services Tax Fairness Act ensures that digital goods and services are not taxed at a higher rate than their tangible counterparts.

"Digital goods and services have become a driving force in our national economy," said Congressman Cohen. "We should make sure consumers are treated fairly and not double-taxed."

WASHINGTON – Congressman Steve Cohen (TN-09) today announced that the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has awarded research grants totaling $802,489 to St. Jude Children's Research Hospital and the University of Tennessee Health Science Center (UTHSC).

"I am proud of the important medical research taking place in Memphis," said Congressman Cohen. "These significant federal investments will help keep Memphis at the forefront of the medical research community."

WASHINGTON – Congressman Steve Cohen (TN-09) today announced that the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has awarded research grants totaling $1,151,320 to the University of Tennessee Health Science Center (UTHSC) and to St. Jude Children's Research Hospital.

WASHINGTON – Congressman Steve Cohen (TN-09) urged the Senate to include the Seat Egress in Air Travel (SEAT) Act in its version of legislation to reauthorize the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) before authorization expires on September 30, 2018. The bipartisan bill, which Congressman Cohen introduced with Congressman Adam Kinzinger (R-IL), would require the FAA to establish minimum sizes for seats and distances between rows to ensure that passenger safety is not put at risk by the recent shrinking of seat sizes.

WASHINGTON – Today, at a hearing of the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee on which he serves as a senior member, Congressman Steve Cohen (TN-09) praised the U.S. Department of Transportation's selection of Memphis as center for aerial drone technology and noted the initial success last week of a drone demonstration.

WASHINGTON – Congressman Steve Cohen (TN-09) today announced that the National Cancer Institute (NCI) has awarded a grant of more than $2.6 million to St. Jude Children's Research Hospital. The grant will be used to create a catalog of cancer clonotype drug sensitivities with single-cell genome sequencing, furthering the progress of cancer research and expanding possibilities for treatment.