Press Releases

[WASHINGTON, DC] – Congressman Steve Cohen (TN-09) today issued the following statement regarding his decision not to attend Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s planned address to Congress next week:

[WASHINGTON, DC] – Congressman Steve Cohen (TN-09) this week introduced an amendment to reduce youth incarceration in America by helping train school personnel such as teachers and counselors in innovative conflict resolution methods that are less likely to result in non-violent juveniles entering the penal system. Currently, many school systems involve the police in non-violent incidents on school property, which helps feed the “school-to-prison” pipeline that is both expensive and harmful to America’s youth.

[MEMPHIS, TN] – Congressman Steve Cohen (TN-09), who is known across the state for his twenty-year fight to create a state lottery as “The Father of the Tennessee Education Lottery” and because Tennessee Lottery money is the source of the funding for Tennessee Promise has already been dubbed by some as “The Grandfather of the Funding of Tennessee Promise,” released the following statement regarding Governor Bill Haslam’s recent criticisms of America’s College Promise, which is President Obama’s new plan to provide two free years of community college:

[MEMPHIS, TN] – In response Attorney General Eric Holder’s comments this week regarding marijuana at the National Press Club, Congressman Steve Cohen (TN-09) called on Attorney General Eric Holder to use existing authority to reschedule marijuana.

[WASHINGTON, DC] – Reps. Steve Cohen (D-TN), Keith Ellison (D-MN), and Maxine Waters (D-CA) sent a letter today to Speaker of the House John Boehner urging him to postpone Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s speech before a joint session of Congress. The letter was cosigned by Reps. Earl Blumenauer (D-OR), André Carson (D-IN), John Conyers, Jr. (D-MI), Danny Davis (D-IL), Peter DeFazio (D-OR), Luis Gutiérrez (D-IL), Henry “Hank” Johnson, Jr.

[MEMPHIS, TN] – Congressman Steve Cohen (TN-09) released the following statement after learning that Shelby County residents are receiving phone calls from scammers claiming to sell anti-virus software.

“Phone scammers are becoming increasingly savvy,” said Congressman Cohen. “Be wary of anyone who calls or emails you and asks you to relay personal information. If you are skeptical, it is best to trust your instinct. Please, for your own protection, do not give them any information.”

[MEMPHIS, TN] – Congressman Steve Cohen (TN-09) announced today that Shelby County has been awarded $5,653,472 in federal funding to help address the HIV/AIDS epidemic and provide care for those living with HIV. This funding comes through the United States Department of Health and Human Services’ (HHS) Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program, which helps local governments provide HIV-related services to more than half a million people each year who do not have sufficient health care coverage or financial resources for coping with the disease.

Without adequate, comprehensive national data on fatal police interactions exists, abuses are difficult to identify and fix

[WASHINGTON, DC] – Congressman Steve Cohen (TN-09) applauded FBI Director James Comey for stating in a speech this morning that it is “ridiculous that [he] can’t tell you how many people were shot by the police last week, last month, last year.” In the same speech, Director Comey suggested that police departments nationwide should be required to report shootings that involve police officers so that these numbers can be tracked.