Congressman Cohen Named Chairman of the Subcommittee on Commercial and Administrative Law
“I am truly honored to serve as a subcommittee chairman in just my second term,” said Congressman Cohen. “And I’m even more proud that it’s the Subcommittee on Commercial and Administrative Law, which will have jurisdiction over key elements of the economic recovery plan. We have a lot of work to do, and I plan to hit the ground running to ensure mortgage bankruptcy legislation is included in the ‘American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.’”
“Chairman [John] Conyers (MI-14), whose support made my election to the chairmanship of this subcommittee possible, has been like a mentor to me during my short time in the Congress. Getting to know and learn from Chairman Conyers was one of my great joys during my first term, and I can now say that I understand why he was the only person for whom Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. ever campaigned. I thank him for his friendship, his leadership and his service to our great nation. I look forward to working even more closely with Chairman Conyers, House Leadership and President Obama over the next two years to effect the change that the American people have sought.”
Chairman Conyers stated: “From the first time I met Steve Cohen, I could see that he got it. After more than two decades in the Tennessee Senate, he came to Washington with an understanding of the legislative process usually evinced by only longtime veterans of Capitol Hill. His enthusiasm and thoughtfulness made an immediate impact on the Judiciary Committee, and in holding former Bush Administration senior officials’ feet to the fire, he showed the American people that we in Congress could still speak truth to power. I was proud to recommend him for this important chairmanship, and I look forward to working with Congressman Cohen for the foreseeable future.”
In an editorial published on Monday, the New York Times stated: “The first step toward providing the relief is to include in the package a measure to allow hard-pressed homeowners to have the terms of the mortgages modified under bankruptcy court protection, an avenue currently denied them by an outdated and anti-consumer bent to the law.”
Congressman Cohen added, “We have got to make a straightforward change to the law that gives homeowners filing for bankruptcy the opportunity to restructure their loans so that they can save their homes from foreclosure just as they can with other assets. Specifically, we need to empower bankruptcy judges to modify mortgage terms to help homeowners stay in their homes and put a floor on this mortgage crisis.”
It was also announced today that Congressman Cohen will sit on the Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism and Homeland Security, as well as the Subcommittee on the Constitution, Civil Rights, and Civil Liberties.
This is Congressman Cohen’s second election to a leadership position in his sophomore term in the U.S. House of Representatives. On December 11, 2008, he was elected by his colleagues in the Democratic Caucus to serve as one of twelve Regional Whips. In that capacity, Congressman Cohen will count votes for Majority Whip James Clyburn (SC-06) represent Region VII, a territory which includes Tennessee, Arkansas, Louisiana, North Carolina and South Carolina. Congressman Cohen will be responsible for relaying concerns and questions about legislation from his Members to the Majority Whip, Speaker Nancy Pelosi and House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer. Additionally, as a Regional Whip, Congressman Cohen will frequently be asked to participate in floor discussions of bills.
# # #
Contact:
Marilyn Dillihay, Press Secretary, 202-225-3265
Charlie Gerber, Communications Assistant, 202-225-3265