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.
More on Memphis
WASHINGTON – Congressman Steve Cohen (TN-09), the chairman of the House Judiciary Subcommittee on the Constitution, Civil Rights and Civil Liberties, today presided at a hearing on the history and enforcement of the Voting Rights Act of 1965.
Congressman Cohen made the following statement:
"The right to vote is the most fundamental right of citizenship in our democracy. Yet for most of our history African Americans were denied this most basic right, especially in the Deep South.
Tennessee lawmakers are considering a resolution to express support for a bill in Congress that would require TVA's board of directors to hold open meetings.
State Sen. Ken Yager, of Kingston, is asking for a Senate resolution to support a bill in Congress to
require TVA to hold open meetings that the public can attend.
State Sen. Ken Yager, R-Kingston, explained Senate Joint Resolution 192 in a Senate committee meeting this week, in which the resolution won unanimous approval.
WASHINGTON – Congressman Steve Cohen (TN-09) today voted for, and the House passed, H.R. 1 – the For the People Act – to restore our democracy and clean up corruption. The vote was 234 to 193.
The comprehensive bill, which Congressman Cohen cosponsored, provides for automatic voter registration, ends inappropriate voter roll purges, restores voting rights to those who have completed their criminal sentences and reforms the campaign finance system.
Congressman Cohen made the following statement:
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WASHINGTON – Today Congressman Steve Cohen (TN-09) joined his Congressional colleagues with the Bipartisan Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU) Caucus and the Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Mathematics (STEAM) Caucus in welcoming the second annual HBCU STEAM Day of Action on Capitol Hill. This annual event brings together education and industry leaders and Members of Congress for a collective day of advocacy for our nation's 102 HBCUs and their 300,000 students.
WASHINGTON – Congressman Steve Cohen (TN-09) announced today that the University of Tennessee Health Science Center will be receiving a $418,000 grant from the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke to conduct clinical research on neurological disorders. He made the following statement:
"This grant for clinical neurological research will keep the University of Tennessee's highly regarded medical school at the cutting edge in this challenging field."
WASHINGTON – Congressman Steve Cohen (TN-09) today asked House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure on which he serves to conduct a hearing on the impact of coal plants and coal ash dumps on groundwater quality. See his letter here.
Gov. Bill Lee isn't changing his stance on keeping the bust of Confederate Gen. Nathan Bedford Forrest in the State Capitol in spite of a letter from U.S. Rep. Steve Cohen urging him to seek its removal.
Cohen, a Memphis Democrat, followed up on a January letter to the first-year governor – after receiving no response – with a Feb. 22 letter in which he pointed toward Lee's "stated regret" in participating in "Old South" activities and wearing Confederate uniforms while in the Kappa Alpha Fraternity at Auburn University.
WASHINGTON – Congressman Steve Cohen (TN-09) today voted for, and the House passed, the Enhanced Background Checks Act, closing the loophole that permitted the shooter in the 2015 Emanuel A.M.E. Church massacre in Charleston, South Carolina, to buy a gun when the three-day deadline for completing a background check passed, despite the fact he would not have been approved for the sale if the check had been completed. The vote was 228 to 198.
Congressman Cohen made the following statement:
WASHINGTON – Congressman Steve Cohen (TN-09) announced today that the National Science Foundation has awarded a $252,934 grant to the University of Memphis for a multidisciplinary program for undergraduates in the Physics and Material Sciences program. The grant underwrites a summer program in which students will be immersed in research-intensive activities.
Congressman Cohen made the following statement: