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

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 – Congressman Steve Cohen (TN-09) today noted the 55th anniversary of the historic March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom that brought a quarter of a million people to the National Mall to hear Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. deliver his "I Have a Dream" speech from the steps of the Lincoln Memorial while millions more watched on television. Congressman Cohen made the following statement:

WASHINGTON – Congressman Steve Cohen (TN-09) expressed his condolences to the family, friends and colleagues of John McCain upon hearing of his death in Arizona, and made the following statement:

WASHINGTON – Congressman Steve Cohen (TN-09) took note of the 70th anniversary of the integration of the armed services by President Harry Truman's Executive Order 9981 and made the following statement:

WASHINGTON – Congressman Steve Cohen (TN-09), the Ranking Member of the House Judiciary Subcommittee on the Constitution and Civil Justice, wrote to Attorney General Jeff Sessions today urging the Justice Department to continue monitoring the Shelby County Juvenile Court in compliance with a 2012 Memorandum of Understanding. See the letter here.
Shelby County and the Juvenile Court have sought to terminate the agreement.

WASHINGTON – Congressman Steve Cohen (TN-09), the Ranking Member of the House Judiciary Subcommittee on the Constitution and Civil Justice, condemned what appears to be a new violation of the U.S.

WASHINGTON – Congressman Steve Cohen (TN-09) condemned as heartless bad policy U.S. Housing and Urban Development Secretary Ben Carson's proposed 25 percent rent increase for low-income residents touted at the American Conservative Union's Foundation for Conservative Political Action Conference in Memphis earlier this week, and made the following statement:

WASHINGTON – Congressman Steve Cohen (TN-09) expressed cautious relief that EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt, the subject of numerous ethics scandals and corruption allegations, has at long last resigned. He released the following statement:

WASHINGTON – Congressman Steve Cohen (TN-09) attended the meeting of FBI Special Agent Peter Strzok with House Judiciary Committee Members on Wednesday and released the following statement:

WASHINGTON – Congressman Steve Cohen (TN-09), the Ranking Member of the House Judiciary Subcommittee on the Constitution and Civil Justice, expressed frustration tonight that his effort to amend another spending bill with language prohibiting federal spending at businesses owned by President Trump, this time by Department of Defense programs, was prevented from consideration by the House Majority.