Transportation
For nearly two decades, Congressman Cohen had the honor of serving on the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, including as Ranking Member of the Aviation Subcommittee, where he helped shape federal policy to strengthen America’s infrastructure and support the people and industries that keep it moving.
Transportation remains one of his top priorities in Congress. Memphis is a global logistics powerhouse — home to the nation’s busiest cargo airport, a hub for three interstate highways, five Class I railroads, and the fourth largest inland port in the United States. No city in the world can rival Memphis’s multimodal network, and he remains focused on ensuring our region continues to lead in transportation, innovation, and economic opportunity.
Investing in Memphis Infrastructure
Transportation is the economic engine of Memphis. Congressman Cohen continues to advocate for federal investments in highways, bridges, ports, rail, transit, and airports that connect people and commerce across our community. Whether through the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act or other surface transportation reauthorization bills, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Reauthorization Act, the Water Resources Development Act, or annual appropriations, he has fought to deliver funding for:
- Memphis International Airport modernization and safety improvements;
- MATA transit upgrades and electric bus expansion;
- Port of Memphis and freight infrastructure enhancements;
- Army Corps of Engineers projects to enhance the Memphis riverfront; and
- Critical roadway and bridge projects that improve roadway safety and reduce congestion
In 2024, Congressman Cohen announced $393.7 million — the largest infrastructure investment in Tennessee’s history — to build a new Interstate 55 bridge over the Mississippi River, a project he fought hard to secure.
Supporting FedEx and the Aviation Sector
As the home of FedEx, Memphis plays an essential role in keeping goods moving around the globe. Congressman Cohen has long worked to ensure the continued success of FedEx and the workers who make Memphis the world’s logistics capital.
He has also championed policies that improve aviation safety, consumer protections, and workforce development, priorities he advanced as a leader on the Aviation Subcommittee and continue to support today. These include fighting against shrinking seat sizes for safety and evacuation purposes, combatting unnecessary and costly airline fees, and improving the travel experience for passengers with disabilities.
Roadway Safety and Complete Streets
Every Memphian deserves safe, reliable ways to get where they need to go whether by car, bus, bike, or on foot. Congressman Cohen has consistently sponsored road safety and Complete Streets initiatives that reduce crashes, improve pedestrian access, and make neighborhoods more livable. Through the Safe Streets and Roads for All program, he has helped bring federal resources to Memphis to design safer corridors, protect vulnerable road users, and promote equitable transportation planning across our community.
More on Transportation
WASHINGTON – Congressman Steve Cohen (TN-9) today questioned expert witnesses on organized retail crime at a hearing in the Judiciary Subcommittee on Crime.
In his opening statement, Congressman Cohen described the breadth of organized retail crime and its impact on Memphis, in particular, as a transportation and logistics hub. He also discussed the importance of a carefully calibrated federal policy that respects state and local public safety efforts.
MEMPHIS – Congressman Steve Cohen (TN-9), until recently the ranking member of the Aviation Subcommittee, responded to Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy’s decision to reduce air traffic by 10 percent in 40 major markets, including Memphis International Airport, with the following statement:
WASHINGTON – Congressmen Steve Cohen (TN-9), the former Ranking Member of the Aviation Subcommittee, and Andre Carson (IN-7), a Member of the Aviation Subcommittee, today introduced the Aviation Funding Stability Act, a measure that would allow the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to keep all of its programs running and all of its employees working by drawing from its Airports and Airways Trust Fund during any lapse in typical government appropriations. The current temporary budget agreement ends September 30.
WASHINGTON – Congressman Steve Cohen (TN-9) today wrote to Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Lee Zeldin seeking the reversal of a proposal to rescind the 2008 Endangerment Finding acknowledging climate change has an impact on human health and safety.
The letter reads in part:
MEMPHIS -- Congressman Steve Cohen (TN-9) and Memphis International Airport President and CEO Terry Blue will hold a press conference on Friday to discuss $50.6 million in investments in the airport announced last month. News media representatives will also be able to see the new commercial vehicle lane from which Uber and Lyft will operate.
What: A media availability to discuss major new investments and ongoing revitalization at Memphis International Airport
WASHINGTON – Congressman Steve Cohen (TN-9), who as the Ranking Member of the Aviation Subcommittee authored and successfully worked to enact into law consumer protections for air travelers, today blasted the Trump Administration’s reported consideration of airline industry proposals to dismantle rules safeguarding passengers such as compensation for passengers for lengthy delays or cancellations caused by air carriers. He also criticized a request to the U.S.
WASHINGTON – Representatives Steve Cohen (TN-9) and Dina Titus (NV-1) today led a letter to Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy stressing the Congressional intent of provisions in last year’s Federal Aviation Administration Reauthorization law regarding the handling of wheelchairs and other mobility devices for air travelers with mobility issues. The letter was also signed by Representatives Christopher Deluzio, Mark DeSaulnier, John Garamendi, Jared Huffman, Jesus Garcia, Pramila Jayapal, Jarold Nadler, Pat Ryan, Greg Stanton, and Frederica Wilson.
WASHINGTON – Congressman Steve Cohen (TN-9) today called on Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Administrator Bryan Bedford to fully and accurately implement provisions of his Emergency Vacating of Aircraft Cabin (EVAC) Act. In the letter, Congressman Cohen urged the agency to “publicly disavow” a 2019-2020 aircraft evacuation study mandated by his earlier legislation, the SEAT Act, which relied on an unrepresentative sample of the flying public and has since been sharply discredited by the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine (NASEM).
WASHINGTON – Congressman Steve Cohen (TN-9), the Dean of the Tennessee Congressional Delegation, today led the House of Representatives in a moment of silence for the late FedEx founder and Memphis civic booster Frederick W. Smith, who passed away Saturday at the age of 80.
Before the moment of silence, Congressman Cohen spoke from the House floor, and said in part: