Press Releases

During debate on the Fiscal Year 2010 Homeland Security Appropriation Bill, the House included Congressman Cohen’s request to increase national funding for the Urban Areas Security Initiative (UASI) Nonprofit Security Grant program by $3 million.

Congressman Cohen was among the 140,000 Memphis and Shelby County residents that lost power and experienced storm damage. The Congressman continues to monitor the situation closely from Washington, DC – including the restoration of power to the Ninth District’s homes and small businesses.

The text of the letter follows:

June 17, 2009

Phil Bredesen
Governor
Tennessee State Capitol
Nashville, TN 37243

Governor Bredesen,

“YouthBuild is an incredible program that not only provides young people with real skills but also deserving families with a home. This is the kind of organization that makes a real difference in our community and has an enormous impact on the life of a young person,” Congressman Cohen said. “I was proud to vote for the ARRA that made this program possible. I commend all those who are involved with YouthBuild and will do all that I can to make sure that this program can continue to make a difference for a long time to come.”

“We’ve been hearing for some time that the country is facing the greatest economic crisis since the Great Depression, and an increasing bankruptcy filing rate in Tennessee is a stark reminder of that assertion,” Chairman Cohen said. “A well-functioning bankruptcy system is absolutely critical to helping individuals and businesses weather this economic storm, and having a sufficient number of bankruptcy judges is key to making that system work.”

“I commend the House for saying in a single, strong voice that libel tourism threatens the principles of free speech because foreign courts often don’t place as difficult a burden on plaintiffs in libel cases,” Congressman Cohen said. “This was a vote to support our cherished First Amendment rights and make sure that they will never be undermined by foreign judgments.”