Press Releases

Washington, DC – Congressman Steve Cohen (TN-9) will speak at a ceremony renaming the Clifford Davis Federal Building as the Clifford Davis and Odell Horton Federal Building at 10 a.m. Friday, August 24. The ceremony will take place on the south side of the building located at 167 N. Main.

Washington, DC – Congressman Steve Cohen (TN-9) has appointed former Tri-State Defender publisher and editor Marzie G. Thomas to his staff at the Memphis district office. As a special assistant to Congressman Cohen, her responsibilities will include veterans affairs and community outreach, including working with the religious community on areas of common interest such as civil rights, health initiatives and poverty issues.

Washington, DC -- Today a U.S. Congressional Delegation in Israel, including Congressman John Tanner (TN-08) and Congressman Steve Cohen (TN-09), met with President Shimon Peres, Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, Likud Party Chairman Benjamin Netanyahu and Minister of Defense Ehud Barak.

The Delegation also met with the parents of Ehud Goldwasser and Eldad Regev, Israeli army reservists abducted near the Lebanese border last year by Hezbelloh.

Washington, DC -- Congressman Steve Cohen (TN-09) is encouraging the participation of District 9 minority vendors in the Minority Procurement Seminar being held in Washington, D.C. on September 27. In an effort to increase the level of participation by minority vendors in contracting opportunities with the U.S. House of Representatives, the Committee on House Administration is sponsoring a Minority Procurement Seminar on September 27, 2007 from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. at the Grand Hyatt Hotel in Washington, D.C.

Washington -- On July 30, 2007, the U.S. House of Representatives passed four pieces of legislation to improve benefits and services for America’s veterans. Congressman Steve Cohen (TN-09) was pleased to support each of the bills, including H.R.2874, a bill increasing care for homeless and low-income veterans. H.R.2874, the Veterans' Health Care Improvement Act of 2007, will improve mental health care and provide counseling for veterans returning from Afghanistan, Iraq, and all other U.S. conflicts post-1991.

Washington, DC -- It has been more than 10 years since American workers have seen an increase in the federal minimum wage marking the longest gap in the history of the law. Congressman Steve Cohen (TN-09), long championing the need for an increase, was pleased to support legislation that brought about the first incremental wage increase since 1997. The federal minimum wage increase, going into effect today, from its current hourly rate of $5.15 to $5.85 is the first of three 70-cent increases which culminate in July of 2009 at $7.25/hour.

Washington, DC – Thursday, July 19, Congressman Steve Cohen was joined by Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton, Chairwoman of the Transportation and Infrastructure Subcommittee on Economic Development, Public Buildings and Emergency Management, in sending a letter to the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) relaying their concerns with FEMA’s most recent logistical debacle, the waste of $67 million spent on the shipping, storage and disposal of 84.9 million pounds of ice.

Washington, DC -- Today, the U.S. House approved an appropriations amendment to increase funding for Historically Black Colleges and Universities by $100 million and for Historically Black Graduate Schools by $25 million. Congressman Jim Cooper (TN-5), sponsor of the amendment, stated on the House floor, "The need is great. Historically Black Colleges and Universities across America need help and they need help now."