Press Releases

WASHINGTON – Congressman Steve Cohen (TN-09), a senior member of the House Judiciary Committee, released a statement today in response to growing criticism and calls for consequences of Criminal Court Judge Jim Lammey's racist and anti-Semitic posts on his personal social media accounts. Lammey reportedly disseminated the notion that Jews need to "get the f--- over the Holocaust" and that Muslims are "batsh— crazy."

Congressman Cohen said:

WASHINGTON – Congressman Steve Cohen (TN-09), a member of the Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe (also known as the Helsinki Commission), today expressed his concern about President Trump meeting with dictatorial Hungarian Prime Minister Victor Orban. Congressman Cohen joined House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Eliot Engel in a letter to the president last week expressing misgivings about the planned Oval Office visit. See that letter here.

WASHINGTON -- Today, Congressman Steve Cohen (TN-09) voted for and the House passed H.R. 986, the Protecting Americans with Pre-Existing Conditions Act, to block the Trump Administration's dangerous October 2018 guidance that gives states the ability to weaken the Affordable Care Act's critical protections for Americans with pre-existing conditions. The vote was 230 to 183.

WASHINGTON – Congressman Steve Cohen (TN-09), a member of the House Committee on Science, Space and Technology, questioned witnesses at a hearing today looking at achieving the promise of a diverse workforce by encouraging minority students to consider studying the Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) disciplines. Congressman Cohen asked the witnesses about the role of scholarships in promoting diversity in those disciplines. See his exchange with the hearing witnesses here.

The witnesses at the hearing were:

WASHINGTON – Congressman Steve Cohen (TN-09) today introduced University of Memphis President M. David Rudd to the House Education and Labor Subcommittee on Higher Education and Workforce Investment. Congressman Cohen noted that Rudd, also a Professor of Psychology, is in his fifth year as president and that his wife, Loretta, teaches child development at the university. See his introduction here.

WASHINGTON – Congressman Steve Cohen (TN-09), a member of the House Science, Space and Technology Committee, today wrote to Environmental Protection Agency Acting Administrator Andrew Wheeler asking for an explanation of why the agency disregarded the advice of its own scientists by issuing a rule restricting but not banning asbestos, a known carcinogen.

WASHINGTON – Congressman Steve Cohen (TN-09), a senior member of the Judiciary Committee, voted today to hold Attorney General William P. Barr in contempt of Congress, and the Judiciary Committee sent the contempt citation to the House floor.

Barr has declined to produce the unredacted report of Special Counsel Robert Mueller and underlying documents subpoenaed by the Judiciary Committee in its effort to exercise oversight of the Trump administration.

Congressman Cohen spoke at the committee's markup of the contempt citation, saying:

WASHINGTON – Congressman Steve Cohen (TN-09) congratulated the National Civil Rights Museum, its supporters and staff for winning the prestigious National Medal for Museum and Library Science from the Institute of Museum and Library Services, announced Tuesday.

The National Civil Rights Museum was one of 10 winners of the medal, the nation's highest honor given to libraries and museums that make significant and exceptional contributions to their communities. The medals will be awarded at a ceremony in Washington on June 12.

Congressman Cohen made the following statement: