Press Releases

[WASHINGTON, DC] – Congressman Steve Cohen (TN-09), a national leader in the effort to reduce prison overcrowding and reform federal mandatory minimum sentences for non-violent drug offenses that unfairly and unequally affect people of color and minority communities, today applauded United States Attorney General Eric Holder’s announcement that the Department of Justice (DOJ) will overhaul its draconian prosecution policies for non-violent drug offenders.

[MEMPHIS, TN] – Congressman Steve Cohen (TN-09) today announced that St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital in downtown Memphis was awarded $411,250 in grant funding to investigate the role of a specific protein in autoimmunity and the immune system. The grant comes through the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services’ (HHS) National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases.

“This funding will be used to continue important research at St. Jude, one of the world’s finest health care institutions,” said Congressman Cohen.

[MEMPHIS, TN] – Congressman Steve Cohen (TN-09) announced today that the University of Tennessee Health Science Center in Memphis has been awarded a total of $885,004 in funding for two important research projects. These grants come from the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).

“These funds will help continue the important work being done by the skilled researchers at the UT Health Science Center in Memphis,” said Congressman Cohen.

[WASHINGTON, DC] – As many in Congress focused on getting out of town as quickly as possible last week, Congressman Steve Cohen (TN-09) remained focused on his work helping Memphis and introduced the Jobs for Urban Sustainability and Training (JUST) in America Act. The legislation is designed to create jobs and provide training for Americans struggling to find work by eliminating tax breaks to major oil companies and putting the funds towards public works and job training programs for unemployed workers.

[MEMPHIS, TN] – Congressman Steve Cohen (TN-09) announced today that two local organizations have been awarded a total of $373,888 in grant funding to help reduce homelessness in Memphis. The Community Alliance for the Homeless will receive $157,418 in two separate grants and the Friends for Life Corporation will receive for $216,470 from a single grant.

“This funding will help local communities and organizations work to reduce—and eventually eliminate—homelessness in Memphis,” said Congressman Cohen.

[WASHINGTON, DC] – Congressman Steve Cohen (TN-09) today commemorated the 48^th anniversary of the landmark Voting Rights Act, which President Lyndon Johnson signed into law on August 6^th, 1965, and called on Congress to address a recent Supreme Court ruling that eviscerated important protections that have helped secure the right to vote for all Americans for nearly 5 decades.

[WASHINGTON, DC] – Prior to returning to his work in Memphis last week, Congressman Steve Cohen (TN-09) introduced H.R. 3015, the Supermarket Tax Credit for Underserved Areas Act, to help reduce the prevalence of “food deserts” and help ensure that healthy, fresh food is available throughout the nation, including in urban areas. The legislation would provide tax incentives for the establishment of supermarkets in empowerment zones and formerly designated renewal communities.

[WASHINGTON, DC] – Congressman Steve Cohen (TN-09) reintroduced his Fresh Start Act–which he originally introduced in 2010–late last week to enable non-violent federal offenders who have served their sentence and are now law-abiding, productive members of society to have their conviction expunged from their records.