Government Reform
In Congress, I have taken numerous steps to begin to change the way we do business in Washington and to restore accountability and transparency to government. I have voted for and passed legislation that banned gifts from lobbyists, prohibited the use of corporate jets, and required full disclosure of earmarks. Also I have passed legislation banning pensions for Members of Congress convicted of certain crimes; and strengthening the Freedom of Information Act to increase government transparency.
More on Government Reform
Rep. Steve Cohen (D-Tenn.) said Tuesday the Electoral College was "conceived in sin" and originally designed to effectively perpetuate slavery.
"The country is different than it was when the Constitution was drafted," Cohen said on CNN while issuing support for the push to move to a national popular vote for presidential elections.
Cohen criticized the Electoral College's origins, saying, "When the Constitution was drafted, a lot of it had to do with slavery."
WASHINGTON – Congressman Steve Cohen (TN-09), the chairman of the House Judiciary Subcommittee on the Constitution, Civil Rights and Civil Liberties, today presided at a hearing on the history and enforcement of the Voting Rights Act of 1965.
Congressman Cohen made the following statement:
"The right to vote is the most fundamental right of citizenship in our democracy. Yet for most of our history African Americans were denied this most basic right, especially in the Deep South.
WASHINGTON – Congressman Steve Cohen (TN-09) today voted for, and the House passed, H.R. 1 – the For the People Act – to restore our democracy and clean up corruption. The vote was 234 to 193.
The comprehensive bill, which Congressman Cohen cosponsored, provides for automatic voter registration, ends inappropriate voter roll purges, restores voting rights to those who have completed their criminal sentences and reforms the campaign finance system.
Congressman Cohen made the following statement:
WASHINGTON – Congressman Steve Cohen (TN-09) chaired the first hearing of the House Judiciary Subcommittee on the Constitution, Civil Rights and Civil Liberties today for a hearing on the National Emergencies Act of 1976 and President Trump's declaration of an emergency on the U.S.-Mexican border. See his opening statement here.
Afterward, Congressman Cohen said:
WASHINGTON – Congressman Steve Cohen (TN-09) today voted for, and the House passed, the Enhanced Background Checks Act, closing the loophole that permitted the shooter in the 2015 Emanuel A.M.E. Church massacre in Charleston, South Carolina, to buy a gun when the three-day deadline for completing a background check passed, despite the fact he would not have been approved for the sale if the check had been completed. The vote was 228 to 198.
Congressman Cohen made the following statement:
WASHINGTON – Congressman Steve Cohen (TN-09) voted for, and the House passed, the Bipartisan Background Checks Act, the first significant gun violence protection bill in years. The vote was 240 to 190. The measure requires a background check for every gun sale or transfer with some reasonable and explicit exceptions, such as allowing temporary transfers to prevent imminent death or great bodily harm, and by law enforcement and the military.
WASHINGTON – Congressman Steve Cohen (TN-09) wrote a follow-up letter to Tennessee Governor Bill Lee on Friday, asking him again to remove the bust of Confederate General and Ku Klux Klan Grand Wizard Nathan Bedford Forrest from the State Capitol. A copy can be found here.
WASHINGTON – Congressman Steve Cohen (TN-09) received a 100 percent score from the NETWORK Lobby for Catholic Social Justice, the organization behind Nuns on the Bus led by Sister Simone Campbell. The score was based on seven House votes, including House passage in December of the First Step Act, which was signed into law.
Congressman Cohen made the following statement:
"I am proud to receive a 100 percent score from the NETWORK Lobby for Catholic Social Justice and for its recognizing my voting record on issues of social justice.
WASHINGTON – Congressman Steve Cohen (D-TN) hailed House passage of the Open Book to Equal Access to Justice Act, a bill he introduced earlier this year with Representative Doug Collins (R-GA).
While managing floor debate on the bill this afternoon for the Democratic side of the aisle prior to House passage, Congressman Cohen argued:
WASHINGTON – Congressman Steve Cohen (TN-09) questioned expert witnesses on gun violence today in the first House hearing addressing gun violence in eight years, despite the rising level of mass shootings in recent years. The Judiciary Committee on which Congressman Cohen serves as a senior member is considering H.R. 8, the Bipartisan Background Check Act. See the exchange here.
During his questioning, Congressman Cohen made the following statement: