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 -- Congressmen Steve Cohen (TN-09), Jesús “Chuy” García (IL-04) and Ro Khanna (CA-17) and Senators Edward J. Markey (D-Massachusetts) and Richard Blumenthal (D-Connecticut) today reintroduced the Forbidding Airlines from Imposing Ridiculous (FAIR) Fees Act. This bicameral legislation would prohibit airlines from charging fees – including bag, seating, cancellation, and change fees – that are not reasonable or proportional to the costs of the services actually provided.
WASHINGTON – Representatives Steve Cohen (TN-09), Bill Keating (MA-09), Joe Wilson (SC-02) and Maria Elvira Salazar (FL-27) along with U.S. Senators Ben Cardin (D-MD) and Todd Young (R-IN) today re-introduced the Combating Global Corruption Act, bipartisan, bicameral legislation that would raise the profile of efforts to fight international corruption by evaluating and publicly naming countries where corruption is rampant.
MEMPHIS – Congressman Steve Cohen (TN-09) today wrote to Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra seeking his assistance to ensure the health and safety of Tennesseans living with and at high risk for contracting HIV by providing HIV treatment and prevention funding directly to county health departments and community organizations after the Tennessee Department of Health’s (TDH’s) decision to discontinue its participation in the Center for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC’s) Prevention and Ending the HIV Epidemic (EHE) initiat
WASHINGTON – Congressman Steve Cohen (TN-09) went to the House floor Tuesday to condemn Republican rules passed in the opening legislative actions of the Republican majority, including passage of a measure to revoke spending for the IRS to go after tax cheats.
In his remarks, Congressman Cohen said in part:
WASHINGTON – Congressman Steve Cohen (TN-09), a senior member of the Judiciary Committee which has jurisdiction over bankruptcy law, today reintroduced the Private Student Loan Bankruptcy Fairness Act (H.R. 138). The legislation would restore the treatment of private student debt to its pre-2005 status and make it dischargeable in bankruptcy.
WASHINGTON – Congressman Steve Cohen (TN-09), Chairman of the Judiciary Subcommittee on the Constitution, Civil Rights, and Civil Liberties, today applauded the Select Committee to Investigate the January 6th Attack on the United States Capitol for its thorough investigation and compelling conclusions.
WASHINGTON – Congressman Steve Cohen, who has advocated for the release of records and files associated with the assassination of President John F. Kennedy throughout his career in public office, expressed disappointment with the National Archives and Records Administration’s limited release of the remaining records, and made the following statement today:
WASHINGTON – Congressman Steve Cohen (TN-09) today voted no on the National Defense Authorization Act that contains $45 billion more than President Biden requested earlier this year.
The vote on passage was 350 to 80.
After the vote, Congressman Cohen made the following statement:
MEMPHIS – Congressman Steve Cohen (TN-09) and Congresswoman Anna Eshoo (CA-18) today led a letter to the Public Interest Declassification Board seeking release of the remaining 14,000 documents associated with the 1963 assassination of President John F. Kennedy. They note that the public is skeptical about the official version of events and that the documents’ release would help restore confidence through transparency.
WASHINGTON – Congressman Steve Cohen (TN-09), a vocal critic of the Tennessee Valley Authority, today introduced the TVA Reform and Consumer Protection Act that would allow greater competition inside and outside its electricity service territory by eliminating the “fence,” lowering costs to ratepayers, and subjecting the federally owned utility to much needed oversight by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC).