Cohen Sworn Into 114th Congress, Begins 5th Term

[WASHINGTON, DC] – Congressman Steve Cohen (TN-09) was sworn into the 114^th Congress by Speaker of the House John Boehner in the U.S. Capitol today. The swearing-in marks the official beginning of Congressman Cohen’s fifth term representing the Ninth District of Tennessee in Congress.

“I am honored that the citizens of the Ninth District have given me an opportunity to represent them in the United States House of Representatives for a fifth term,” said Congressman Cohen. “As the 114^th Congress begins, I look forward to continuing my work to create jobs, make college more affordable, support minority-owned businesses, expand health care coverage to more citizens, protect voting rights, honor our veterans, and fight for civil rights.”

Congressman Cohen starts his fifth term following a very productive fourth term in which he worked closely with President Obama and with Congressional Republicans to deliver several accomplishments to the citizens of the Ninth District. During the 113^th Congress, Cohen secured an additional $5 million in federal funding to reduce the backlog of untested sexual assault kits, announced nearly $20 million for job training and creation programs, and helped pass the Veterans Access, Choice, and Accountability Act to allow the Memphis VA Medical Center hire more doctors and reduce wait times. Several of the Congressman’s recommendations to the President were also confirmed for federal positions by the Senate, including District Court Judge Sheryl Lipman and TVA Board Members V. Lynn Evans and Ron Walter.

During his third term, Congressman Cohen was successful in getting bipartisan legislation he authored -- the National Guard and Reservist Debt Relief Extension Act of 2011 – signed into law. The measure created an exception to the means test’s presumption of abuse for members of the National Guard and Reserve who, after September 11, 2001, served on active duty or in a homeland defense activity for at least 90 days. During his second term, Congressman Cohen’s bipartisan Securing the Protection of our Enduring and Established Constitutional Heritage (SPEECH) Act was signed into law. The measure protects American authors, journalists and publishers from foreign defamation judgments that undermine the First Amendment and American due process standards.

A seasoned and experienced legislator from his 24 years serving in the Tennessee Senate, Congressman Cohen quickly gained distinction during his freshman term for his legislative work. During his first term Representative Nancy Pelosi, then the Speaker of the House, called him “the conscience of the freshman class.”