Shelby County
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 Shelby County
WASHINGTON – Congressman Steve Cohen (TN-9) today announced that Dr. Jonathan H. Jaggar of the University of Tennessee Health Science Center (UTHSC) Department of Physiology will receive a grant of $596,176 from the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute for research on chloride channels in endothelial cells. Chloride channels are a type of protein that allows chloride (Cl-) to flow in and out of cells. Endothelial cells are the type of cells which line all blood vessels and form capillaries.
WASHINGTON – Congressman Steve Cohen (TN-9) today announced that Dr. Shannon L. McKinney-Freeman of the Hematology Department at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital will receive a grant of $673,150 for research on stem cell dysfunction in sickle cell disease from the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute. These types of stem cells – found in every person – give rise to all other types of blood cells. Part of the project’s goals are to develop new treatments for sickle cell disease.
Congressman Cohen made the following statement:
MEMPHIS – Congressman Steve Cohen (TN-9) released the following statement in advance of President Trump’s scheduled visit to Memphis on Monday to discuss the work of the Memphis Safe Task Force, a multi-agency federal effort addressing crime since last September:
“With everything going on in the world – war in Iran and its disruption of oil shipments and gas price spikes, war in Ukraine, and who knows what in Venezuela and Cuba – the President has decided it’s a good time to come to Memphis and talk about the Memphis Safe Task Force.
WASHINGTON – Congressman Steve Cohen (TN-9) today questioned leading intelligence officials at a House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence hearing on threats to national security.
Congressman Cohen asked FBI Director Kash Patel about his firing of at least 12 FBI counterintelligence analysts with expertise on Iran days before the war broke out and whether they were terminated because of their role in investigating President Trump’s unauthorized storage of classified documents in his Mar-a-Lago bathroom.
Supports sensible 1982 U.S. Supreme Court precedent
WASHINGTON – Congressman Steve Cohen (TN-9), a cosponsor of legislation that would fund critical agencies like the Transportation Security Administration (TSA), Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), Coast Guard and other DHS components, vowed to sign a discharge petition to force a vote on the measure. At the same time, Congressman Cohen continued to insist that any funding for Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Customs and Border Patrol (CPB) be contingent on significant policy reforms guaranteeing civil rights and transparency.
WASHINGTON – Congressman Steve Cohen (TN-9) received a perfect 100 percent on the Alliance for Retired Americans 2025 scorecard. He has a 99 percent lifetime score with the group. Every other member of the Tennessee Congressional Delegation, including its two senators, received scores of zero (0 percent) in 2025.
MEMPHIS – Congressman Steve Cohen (TN-9) today welcomed the announcement that Shelby County has been added to the list of jurisdictions now eligible for Public Assistance funding from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to address the extensive damage caused by the January 22-27 winter storms.
WASHINGTON – Congressman Steve Cohen (TN-9) today wrote to Veterans Affairs Secretary Doug Collins seeking information about claims backlogs and the department’s accountability. He wrote that while getting claims below 100,000 was a “productive milestone,” he is concerned about declining accuracy rates for the claims processed in recent months.
The letter reads in part:
WASHINGTON – Congressman Steve Cohen (TN-9), a member of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, today voted to require the President to seek Congressional authorization for starting the war against Iran. The U.S. Constitution gives Congress the sole authority to declare war, and President Trump did not seek Congressional approval before launching attacks in concert with Israel on Saturday.
The vote to rein in the President’s war-making failed on a vote of 212 to 219.
Congressman Cohen made the following statement: