Memphis
As a fourth-generation Memphian, I have dedicated my life to public service in Memphis and Shelby County. My work has defined my life and affected the lives of people in Memphis, across Tennessee and now across America throughout my career in national, state and local politics.
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MEMPHIS – Congressman Steve Cohen (TN-09) today voted for, and the House passed, the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act, which would prohibit an employer from requiring a pregnant worker to accept an accommodation that she didn't agree to and from retaliating against a worker for requesting or using a reasonable accommodation. Employers also could not deny employment opportunities based on the need for reasonable accommodations or require an employee to take paid or unpaid leave instead of providing a reasonable accommodation.
The vote was 329 to 73.
MEMPHIS – Congressman Steve Cohen (TN-09), Chairman of the House Judiciary Subcommittee on the Constitution, Civil Rights and Civil Liberties, today commemorated Constitution Day. September 17 marks the 233rd anniversary of the formal signing of the U.S. Constitution in 1787 and has been variously known as "Constitution Day," "Citizenship Day" and, since 2004, as "Constitution Day and Citizenship Day."
Congressman Cohen made the following statement:
MEMPHIS – Congressman Steve Cohen (TN-09) today announced the National Institutes of Health have awarded significant grants to the St. Jude Children's Research Hospital and the University of Tennessee Health Science Center (UTHSC). St. Jude will receive $2,101,865 from the National Cancer Institute for work on telehealth-based exercises for childhood cancer survivors. UTHSC will receive $418,384 for clinical research into neurological disorders from the National Institute for Neurological Disorders and Stroke.
Congressman Cohen made the following statement:
MEMPHIS – Congressman Steve Cohen (TN-09) today announced that the University of Tennessee Health Science Center (UTHSC) will receive two grants totaling more than $790,000 from the National Institutes of Health (NIH). The first, for $581,359, from the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, will underwrite research on renal insufficiency in infants. The second, for $210,000, from the National Institute on Aging, will support research on the biochemistry of aging.
Congressman Cohen made the following statement:
MEMPHIS – Congressman Steve Cohen, a senior member of the House Judiciary Committee, today spoke in favor of, and voted in the Committee to advance to the House floor, the Creating a Respectful and Open World for Natural Hair, or CROWN Act. The measure would prohibit discrimination based on race-based hair styles by extending statutory protection in the workplace to hair texture and protective styles such as braids, twists and knots.
MEMPHIS – Congressman Steve Cohen (TN-09) today voted for, and the House passed, the Strength in Diversity Act, which would expand existing educational diversity initiatives.
The vote was 248 to 167.
After the vote, Congressman Cohen made the following statement:
"Diversity in our schools strengthens our democracy and improves educational outcomes. This bill advances good ideas in public policy and expands initiatives that are already proven successes stories. I'm pleased to vote for this measure and hope to see it enacted into law."
MEMPHIS – Congressman Steve Cohen, a senior member of the Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe (CSCE, also known as the Helsinki Commission) led a letter to President Trump today asking that he keep Congress informed of the Administration's ongoing investigation of what Germany has determined was the intentional poisoning of Russian opposition figure Alexei Navalny.
The letter was signed by Members James McGovern, Debbie Dingell, Ruben Gallego, Barbara Lee, Gregory Meeks, Jackie Speier and Alan Lowenthal.
The letter reads in part:
MEMPHIS – Congressman Steve Cohen (TN-09) today announced that St. Jude Children's Research Hospital will receive a $500,813 grant from the National Institute of General Medical Sciences for medical research focusing on protein synthesis in ribosomes.
Congressman Cohen made the following statement:
"This is a significant investment in basic research that is likely to advance our knowledge in molecular biology. I'm pleased that this funding will keep our St. Jude researchers working in their labs to make life-sustaining breakthroughs."
MEMPHIS – Congressman Steve Cohen (TN-09) today wrote to Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin asking that he reconsider blanket loan forgiveness for recipients of assistance through the Paycheck Protection Program after both the Department of Justice and the Internal Revenue Service identified egregious instances of fraud. Congressman Cohen reminded Mnuchin of his public testimony on the issue of loan forgiveness and asked, in light of the fraud concerns, whether he has reversed his position.
The letter reads in part:
MEMPHIS – Congressman Steve Cohen (TN-09), a member of the House Committee on Science, Space and Technology, today announced two National Science Foundation grants to Rhodes College. The first, for $267,970, is for the study of brain activity involved in body movement. The second, for $84,657, is for research promoting legal and policy collaboration in robot design.
Congressman Cohen made the following statement: