Children and Families
It is important to provide all children and families with access to a quality, affordable education and healthcare to help them secure a prosperous future. Congressman Cohen has championed legislation that makes it easier for Americans to balance work and family responsibilities, expands support for foster youth care, and serves the needs of children with special behavioral health needs and/or medical disabilities.
Congressman Cohen has worked to address the immediate issues that impact children and families, including working on the high infant mortality rate in the district. He has introduced legislation such as the NEWBORN Act, which would establish pilot programs in high-risk areas, funding community-specific care for leading causes like preterm birth, SIDS, and maternal issues, and promoting research to understand and prevent infant deaths.
Congressman Cohen has pushed for paid family leave and has continuously cosponsored the Family and Medical Insurance Leave (FAMILY) Act, which would create a permanent, national paid family and medical leave program.
Congressman Cohen continues to fight for food equity and increased funding for women, infants and children (WIC). He continues to advocate and push for the state to accept all federal opportunities to receive more funding for critical family programs like the supplemental nutritional assistance program (SNAP) and Summer Electronic Benefits Transfer (or Summer EBT).
As evidenced by his years-long efforts to create the Tennessee Lottery to fund college scholarships, Congressman Cohen also firmly believes that assisting families in their pursuit of higher education is critical for our nation's growth and success.
More on Children and Families
MEMPHIS – Congressman Steve Cohen (TN-9), a senior member of the Judiciary Committee, today announced that Regional One Health will receive a grant of $499,996 from the U.S. Department of Justice for its Rx for Change comprehensive support services program for crime victims of gun violence and other violent behaviors.
WASHINGTON – Congressman Steve Cohen (TN-9) today announced that St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital will receive a $758,781 grant from the National Instiute on Aging for research on novel pro-drug imaging agents to detect neuroinflammation in Alzheimers Disease under the direction of Dr. Kiel D. Neumann.
Congressman Cohen made the following statement:
MEMPHIS – Congressman Steve Cohen (TN-9) plans to commemorate the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Federal Holiday and Day of Service on Monday by encouraging everyone to read some of his stirring oratory and perform some community service in his memory. Congressman Cohen will spend part of the holiday at the National Civil Rights Museum which will have free admission.
Congressman Cohen made the following statement:
MEMPHIS – Congressman Steve Cohen (TN-9) tonight wrote Governor Bill Lee a letter urging him to have the State of Tennessee apply for Summer Electronic Benefits Transfer (Summer EBT) funding for a Summer U.S. Agriculture Food Assistance Program for an estimated 700,000 children and not fail to apply for it as he did last year.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Summer EBT program provides $120 in food benefits to support school-aged children who don’t have access to free or low-cost school meals during summer months.
MEMPHIS – Congressman Steve Cohen (TN-9) today announced that the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Safe Streets for All (SS4A) Program has awarded two grants totaling $6,891,760 to the Memphis Fire Department and the MidSouth Development District.
WASHINGTON -- Congressman Steve Cohen (TN-9) today reintroduced the Home Lead Safety Tax Credit Act, legislation to help American families cover the cost of eliminating lead from their homes. The Home Lead Safety Tax Credit Act would significantly broaden the national response to this threat to public health by providing refundable tax credits for homeowners, landlords, and tenants to remove lead from homes.
Congressman Cohen made the following statement:
WASHINGTON – Congressman Steve Cohen (TN-9) went to the House floor on Monday evening and said that his community is concerned about Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) misconduct and is asking the Trump administration to withdraw ICE agents from Memphis.
In his remarks, Congressman Cohen said in part:
WASHINGTON – Congressman Steve Cohen (TN-9) today voted against the Continuing Appropriations, Agriculture, Legislative Branch, Military Construction and Veterans Affairs, and Extensions Act.
The measure passed the House on a 222 to 209 vote. It now goes to the president to be signed into law.
Congressman Cohen explained his vote in the following statement:
MEMPHIS – Congressman Steve Cohen (TN-9) expressed guarded optimism that rulings by federal judges in Massachusetts and Rhode Island will keep Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits flowing, at least in the short term. The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) had planned to withhold payments for the program, arguing it could no longer fund it because of the government shutdown, despite previously pointing to the available contingency funds as a way to maintain the program.
Congressman Cohen made the following statement:
MEMPHIS – Congressman Steve Cohen (TN-9) today wrote to Governor Bill Lee urging him to use state emergency reserve funds to extend benefits from the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) if they would otherwise lapse because of the ongoing federal government shutdown.
The letter reads: