Memphis

WASHINGTON – Congressman Steve Cohen (TN-09), a senior member of the House Judiciary Committee, questioned witnesses at a hearing on police practices and improving the relationship between the law enforcement and the communities they serve. Many of the witnesses endorsed the principle of an independent review when deadly forced is used.

WASHINGTON – Congressman Steve Cohen (TN-09) today announced that he has been named as one of 34 members of the U.S. House of Representatives who are "Notable Leaders" on international religious freedom issues. The assessment was made by 21Wilberforce, a Christian human rights organization dedicated to defending universal rights of religion, belief and conscience, based on his voting record on 64 measures introduced in the 115^th Congress (January 3, 2017 through January 3, 2019).

Congressman Cohen made the following statement:

WASHINGTON – Congressman Steve Cohen (TN-09), a member of the Committee on Science, Space and Technology, today questioned Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Andrew Wheeler on his decision in April to disregard the advice of his agency's own scientists by issuing a rule that restricted but did not ban asbestos. Congressman Cohen led a letter with 33 Congressional colleagues questioning that decision.

WASHINGTON – Congressman Steve Cohen (TN-09), a senior member of the House Judiciary Committee, today questioned witnesses at a hearing on "Oversight on the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA)." Congressman Cohen expressed concern about seeking surveillance warrants based on activity protected under the First Amendment. Congressman Cohen asked representatives from the FBI and Department of Justice to audit their use of the law in surveilling racial, ethnic, and religious minorities.

WASHINGTON – Congressman Steve Cohen (TN-09) questioned Dave Ross, Assistant Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) Office of Water, about the agency's retreat from protections of groundwater and, in particular, coal ash contamination. See the exchange here.

Congressman Cohen noted that Tennessee has a serious problem with coal ash contamination and that he and his colleague, Congressman Tim Burchett (R-TN-02), have been working to shine light on it.

WASHINGTON – Congressman Steve Cohen (TN-09) mourned the passing Monday of his friend, Ira A. Lipman, the founder of Guardsmark and a supporter of social justice causes and a free press.

Congressman Cohen made the following statement:

"My friend Ira was a passionate advocate for social justice and a defender of journalistic freedom. He will be missed for his wisdom, courage and willingness to step up. His was a life well-lived."

WASINGTON- Congressman Steve Cohen (TN-09) today announced that the University of Tennessee Health Science Center will be receiving two grants totaling $683,760 from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The first, for $304,014, from the National Institutes of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, will be for research on the bladder. The other, for $379,746, from the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute, will underwrite heart and vascular research.

Congressman Cohen made the following statement:

WASHINGTON – Congressman Steve Cohen (TN-09), a senior member of the House Judiciary Committee, today questioned former Trump campaign manager Corey Lewandowski about Trump's request that Lewandowski instruct then-Attorney General Jeff Sessions to make a public statement that Special Counsel Robert Mueller's investigation was unfair to Trump and that its focus should be on future elections. Lewandowski ultimately declined to deliver the message. See the entire exchange here.