{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://cohen.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/congressman-cohen-condemns-rationale-attack-southern-poverty-law-center", "Congressman Cohen Condemns Rationale for Attack on the Southern Poverty Law Center", "2026-06-09", "2026", "2026-06", "Democrat", "House", "TN", "Steve Cohen", "C001068", "cohen.house.gov", "cohen", "https://cohen.house.gov/media-center/press-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON \u2013 Congressman Steve Cohen (TN-9), a senior member of the Judiciary Committee, today spoke at the third Republican-led hearing attacking the Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC) and focused on the clearly false allegations that it is animated by antisemitism.\n\nAddressing hearing witness Bryan Fair, SPLC\u2019s President and CEO, directly, Congressman Cohen said in part:\n\n\u201cI don\u2019t understand the questioning some have suggesting the Southern Poverty Law Center is not concerned about antisemitism and Jewish hate. As a person who has been exposed to Jewish hate and antisemitism since my birth, I guess \u2013 there\u2019s a ton of it on X, Mr. (Elon) Musk\u2019s hate-filled organization\u2026that\u2019s increased lately \u2013 why would they be asking such questions? You go after antisemitism, do you not?\u201d\n\nFair responded: \u201cAntisemitism is hateful and groups that traffic in it, whatever their political ideology, will be identified.\u201d\n\nCongressman Cohen continued: \u201cAs a Jewish person, I welcome all faiths to come to our aid and support and many have \u2013 many, many have. But usually when there\u2019s antisemitism, the Anti-Defamation League is on it. Jewish groups are not afraid to stand up and speak out against antisemitism. And none of them have contacted you (to complain)\u2026\n\n\u201cWhat\u2019s going on in our country is really scary\u2026We\u2019re looking at a president (who has) pardoned people who committed treason against our country, violence against police, desecrated our Capitol. They were convicted or pled guilty and he pardoned them, and now he wants to give them money.\n\n\u201cHe may not want to leave come January 2029. He\u2019s got his army prepared. I wouldn\u2019t be surprised if a lot of people in ICE aren\u2019t J-6ers. That\u2019s why they wear their masks\u2026\u201d\n\nAgain, addressing Fair, he said, \u201cI value your work.\u201d\n\nAt the end of his remarks, Congressman Cohen noted that when one of his best friends, Irvin Salky, died \u2013 the member of the first integrated law firm in the South -- he asked people to make memorial donations to the SPLC in his honor.\n\n\u201cI thank you for your work.\u201d\n\nSee his entire remarks at the hearing here.\n\n# # #", 1, "2026-06-23T06:27:52Z", "2026-06-23T06:29:20Z"]], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "primary_key_values": ["https://cohen.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/congressman-cohen-condemns-rationale-attack-southern-poverty-law-center"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 1.612842082977295, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}