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 introduced the Fresh Food Act that Senator Jon Ossoff of Georgia introduced in the Senate last week. The measure would increase the rehabilitation tax credit for establishing supermarkets in urban and rural food deserts and increase the work opportunity tax credit for these supermarkets to hire local residents, veterans, disadvantaged youth and other workers facing barriers to employment. The bill would also create a tax credit for sales of fresh fruit and vegetables.
MEMPHIS – Congressman Steve Cohen (TN-9) took note of the verdicts in the trial of three Memphis police officers after a they were rendered by a federal court jury Thursday, and made the following statement:
“I am pleased that the jury found the officers guilty but was surprised that they weren’t found guilty of the charges that resulted in Tyre Nichols’ death.”
MEMPHIS – Congressman Steve Cohen (TN-9) today announced that Memphis Light, Gas and Water (MLGW) will receive $11,423,844 for the permanent repair of the electrical distribution system damaged by the straight-line wind storms of July 18-21, 2023. The figure represents the 75 percent federal share of the $15,231,792 in actual damage.
MEMPHIS – Congressman Steve Cohen, a senior member of the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee and its Subcommittee on Highways and Transit, today wrote to Department of Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, the Deputy Secretary of Transportation, Polly Trottenberg, and the Acting Administrator of the Federal Transit Administration, Veronica Vanterpool, expressing his deep concerns regarding the Memphis Area Transit Authority’s (MATA) severe financial challenges.
MEMPHIS – Congressman Steve Cohen (TN-9), a senior member of the House Judiciary Committee, today announced that Shelby County’s Office of Re-Entry will receive a grant of $999,101 from the U.S. Justice Department’s Bureau of Justice Assistance to provide safe, affordable housing and comprehensive services to individuals upon their release from prison. The program is intended to reduce recidivism rates in Memphis and Shelby County by mitigating barriers to housing and employment.
MEMPHIS – Congressman Steve Cohen (TN-9) today announced that the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) will provide a $411,000 grant to Shelby County to establish 27 carbon monoxide monitors at five sites in South Memphis. The automated monitors will provide 24/7 real-time reporting of air quality and pollutant concentrations.
Congressman Cohen made the following statement:
MEMPHIS – Congressman Steve Cohen (TN-9) today commended the Biden-Harris Administration for its immediate and comprehensive response to the devastation caused by Hurricane Helene in East Tennessee, Florida, Georgia, North and South Carolina and Virginia. On September 27, shortly after Governor Lee submitted a request for a major disaster declaration, Congressman Cohen joined the Tennessee delegation in urging President Biden to swiftly approve the designation.
MEMPHIS – Congressman Steve Cohen (TN-9) today announced that the Memphis-based River City Capital Investment Corporation will receive $619,000 from the U.S. Treasury Department’s Community Development Financial Institutions (CDFI) Program.
MEMPHIS – Congressman Steve Cohen (TN-9) today announced that Gooch Park, a 10.2-acre greenspace with an outdoor pool, pavilion, and playing fields, will receive a National Park Service Outdoor Recreation Legacy grant of $3,339,000 to make major improvements. The park, one of the first in Memphis designated for African Americans and named for philanthropists Cecil Milton and Boyce Alexander Gooch, who were known for providing scholarships and educational support to West Tennessee colleges, including Rhodes, was dedicated in 1957.
WASHINGTON – Congressman Steve Cohen (TN-9) today voted for a continuing appropriations resolution (known as a CR) to keep the government operating beyond the September 30 fiscal year deadline and until December 20. The measure was stripped of Republican poison pill provisions that caused him to vote against last week’s CR. The measure passed this afternoon would not have passed without Democratic member votes.