Shelby County

MEMPHIS – Congressman Steve Cohen (TN-09) today announced that Shelby County will receive $1,197,084 in Community Development Block Grant (CBDG) funding and $447,723 in HOME Investment Partnerships Program funding from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD).

Congressman Cohen made the following statement:

MEMPHIS – Congressman Steve Cohen (TN-09), who has long advocated removal of the bust of Ku Klux Klan (KKK) Grand Wizard, Confederate general and slave trader Nathan Bedford Forrest from the State Capitol, today commended the State Capitol Commission for its vote to petition the State Historical Commission for permission to remove the bust. The vote was 7 to 2.

MEMPHIS – Congressman Steve Cohen (TN-09) today announced that the University of Tennessee Health Science Center (UTHSC) will receive a $417,301 grant from the National Cancer Institute for research on breast cancer.

Congressman Cohen made the following statement:

"This funding will help save lives while keeping our dedicated scientists and researchers in their labs making important breakthroughs. This is an important investment in combatting this disease."

MEMPHIS – Congressman Steve Cohen (TN-09), a senior member of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Subcommittee on Aviation, today introduced the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) Second Screening Act. The bill would permit passengers being screened at TSA checkpoints to opt for a second electronic screening, rather than an automatic physical pat-down, when they believe they have produced a false positive result because of inadvertent movement or mistakenly having a foreign object in a pocket.

MEMPHIS – Congressman Steve Cohen (TN-09) today commended Governor Bill Lee for stating that he will recommend the bust of Confederate General and slave-trader Nathan Bedford Forrest be removed from the State Capitol and placed in the Tennessee State Museum when the State Capitol Commission meets on Thursday. Congressman Cohen, a former member of the State Senate, has long opposed the bust's place of honor in the State Capitol and has written a series of letters to both Lee and his predecessor, Governor Bill Haslam, asking for its removal.

MEMPHIS – Congressman Steve Cohen (TN-09) today announced that the Shelby County Board of Education will receive a grant of $4,144,250 from the Department of Health and Human Services Office of Head Start for its early childhood programs.

Congressman Cohen made the following statement:

MEMPHIS – Congressman Steve Cohen (TN-09) today announced that the University of Memphis will receive a grant of $1,334,467 for biomedical research from the National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering.

Congressman Cohen made the following statement:

"I'm pleased to announce this significant funding for biomedical research during the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. This grant will keep scientists and lab techs on the job performing lifesaving experiments leading to valuable breakthroughs. This is a good investment in the future."

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MEMPHIS – Congressman Steve Cohen (TN-09) today wrote to Governor Bill Lee urging him to take the lead on removal of the bust of Confederate General Nathan Bedford Forrest from the state Capitol at Wednesday's meeting of the State Capitol Commission.