Government Reform
In Congress, Congressman Cohen has taken numerous steps to begin to change the way we do business in Washington and to restore accountability and transparency to government.
He has voted for and passed legislation that banned gifts from lobbyists, prohibited the use of corporate jets, and required full disclosure of earmarks. He has supported legislation banning pensions for Members of Congress convicted of certain crimes, and to strengthen the Freedom of Information Act by increasing government transparency.
Congressman Cohen has also taken the lead on important structural reforms, like non-partisan redistricting with the John Tanner and Jim Cooper Fairness and Independence in Redistricting Act, and the rigorous, nonpartisan agency oversight with the Independent Acting Inspectors General Act.
More on Government Reform
WASHINGTON – Congressman Steve Cohen (TN-9) watched President Trump’s prime time East Room speech to the nation tonight and made the following statement:
“Donald Trump is obsessed with the 2020 election that dozens and dozens of audits and court rulings established he lost. Sowing doubt about election results, I fear, is preparation for attempting to undo the loss Republicans will suffer in the midterms this November. We need to be vigilant in recognizing his lies and standing up for democracy.”
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WASHINGTON – Following two recent killings in Memphis by members of the Memphis Safe Task Force and recent killings in Houston and Biddeford, Maine, by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents, Congressman Steve Cohen (TN-9) today wrote to Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin demanding answers about the policies, practices and standards employed by the accelerated federalized law enforcement in American cities.
WASHINGTON – Congressman Steve Cohen (TN-9) today spoke from the House floor, focusing on aspects of the corrupt Trump presidency that he likened to theft from the American people. “We have a man who is out of control as our president, and it scares me tremendously,” he said.
In his remarks, he said in part:
WASHINGTON – Congressman Steve Cohen (TN-9) today reintroduced the Latonya Reeves Freedom Act, assuring that the Supreme Court’s Olmstead ruling, giving the disabled the qualified right to receive the services they need in a setting of their choice, is honored. The measure was introduced with 48 bipartisan House cosponsors.
Congressman Cohen made the following statement:
WASHINGTON – Congressman Steve Cohen (TN-9), a senior member of the Judiciary Committee, again today called for the impeachment of Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts at a committee markup of a Constitutional Amendment on composition of the high court. Congressman Cohen introduced six Articles of Impeachment against Roberts on May 21.
In his remarks, Congressman Cohen said in part:
WASHINGTON – Congressman Steve Cohen (TN-9), a senior member of the Judiciary Committee, today introduced six Articles of Impeachment against Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts for committing high crimes and misdemeanors by violating the Constitution, disregarding his statutory obligations as Chief Justice, and breaching his oaths of office.
WASHINGTON – Congressman Steve Cohen, who has represented Tennessee’s 9th Congressional District for more than 19 years, held a press conference at his office in Washington this morning to announced that he will not be a candidate for any of the newly drawn Congressional seats carved out of the 9th. His majority-Black district was gerrymandered into three Republican-leaning districts by the state General Assembly last week.
He made the following statement:
WASHINGTON – Congressman Steve Cohen (TN-9), a senior member of the Judiciary Committee, discussed the travesty for representation that is the partisan Congressional redistricting of Tennessee’s 9th District. The majority-minority Tennessee Congressional District that Congressman Cohen has represented for more than 19 years was divided into three Republican-leaning districts by the Tennessee General Assembly last week.
MEMPHIS – Congressman Steve Cohen (TN-9) today observed the wholesale destruction of democratic representation in the state of Tennessee by the Tennessee General Assembly that he has tried to prevent and made the following statement:
MEMPHIS – Congressman Steve Cohen (TN-9), who has represented a majority-Black district in Congress since 2007, responded to state Republican lawmakers’ call for a special legislative session to consider redistricting, and made the following statement:
“This transparent effort to create a seat for a member of Congress who will rubber stamp Trump’s increasingly bizarre and dangerous agenda will also dilute the Black vote in Tennessee to the point of irrelevance.