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), Ranking Member of the House Aviation Subcommittee, today issued a statement in response to concerning reports about a recent Black Hawk helicopter that led to two commercial flights aborting landings at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport:
“If reports are true that an Army helicopter deviated from its standard flight path, causing two commercial airliners to execute go-arounds, this raises significant questions about interagency coordination and aviation safety.
WASHINGTON – Congressman Steve Cohen (TN-9) took note of more detailed plans to hold a military parade coinciding with Donald Trump’s 79th birthday on June 14 and reiterated the need to pass his Halting All Parades for Presidents’ Yearly Birthdays; It Risks Taxpayer Harm, Damages, And Your (HAPPY BIRTHDAY) Budget Act.
MEMPHIS – Congressman Steve Cohen (TN-9) will recognize World Press Freedom Day on Saturday, and released the following statement:
WASHINGTON -- Congressman Steve Cohen (TN-9) today reintroduced the Fair Debt Collection Improvement Act that would bar debt collectors from bringing legal actions involving a consumer debt for which the statute of limitations has expired.
Congressman Cohen made the following statement:
MEMPHIS – Congressman Steve Cohen (TN-9) took note of today’s stock market response to the Trump tariffs and made the following statement:
WASHINGTON – Congressman Steve Cohen (TN-9) today introduced the ‘‘Making Any Reimbursement Against the Law for Guarding Overnight Act’’ or the ‘‘MARALAGO Act’’ of 2025. The legislation prohibits the Secret Service from spending federal dollars to pay a President or former President (or an entity that he or she owns or controls) for lodging, meals, and other incidental expenses while the Secret Service is protecting the President or former President at his or her residence.
Congressman Cohen made the following statement:
WASHINGTON – Congressman Steve Cohen (TN-9) today wrote to Russell Vought, the acting director of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB), with concern at the damage done by Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) after mass dismissals of the bureau’s personnel.
The letter seeks answers to a series of questions, including “When do you anticipate CFPB investigations resuming?”
The letter reads in part:
MEMPHIS – Congressman Steve Cohen (TN-9) tonight held an in-person Town Hall meeting with nearly 900 constituents with special guest Max Richtman, President and CEO of the National Committee to Preserve Social Security and Medicare (NCPSSM).
More than 800 people crowded into the Mississippi Boulevard Christian Church sanctuary to hear a lively discussion of reactions to the Trump-Musk transformation of the federal government and its workforce by what are clearly illegal and unconstitutional actions.
MEMPHIS - Congressman Steve Cohen (TN-9) will hold an in-person town hall meeting on Tuesday, March 18, between 6 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. at the Mississippi Boulevard Christian Church to answer constituents’ questions and listen to their thoughts as the Trump-Musk Administration enters its ninth week. The news media are invited to attend.
What: An in-person Town Hall Meeting for 9th Congressional District constituents
WASHINGTON – Congressman Steve Cohen (TN-9) today re-introduced the Tax Return Preparer Accountability Act to provide the Internal Revenue Service with the explicit authority to regulate tax preparation services by enacting training and integrity requirements.
Congressman Cohen made the following statement: