url,title,date,year,month,party,chamber,state,member_name,bioguide_id,domain,scraper,source,date_source,text,has_text,collected_at,updated_at http://cohen.house.gov/commutations-health-care-and-cuba,"Commutations, Health Care and Cuba",2014-12-19,2014,2014-12,Democrat,House,TN,Steve Cohen,C001068,cohen.house.gov,,,legacy,"While Congress has adjourned for the holidays I supported President Obama’s actions this week to restore liberty to individuals unjustly imprisoned, including a Memphian, and to reopen diplomatic relations with Cuba.  I was also relieved that Governor Haslam finally announced a plan to cover additional low income people in Medicaid under the Affordable Care Act.  Keep reading to learn more about these important issues. Presidential Commutations  On Wednesday, President Obama issued commutations to eight federal prisoners, including Memphian Larry Nailor who was sentenced to life in prison for a non-violent drug conviction.  These commutations are an encouraging sign that the President and Attorney General are taking positive steps, as I have long uged them to do, to implement a more rational, humane clemency system for Americans who are unfairly incarcerated. But these few commutations and pardons do not solve our nation's incarceration problem, as there remain thousands of Americans languishing in prisons serving sentences that have been repudiated by both Congress and the President. The laws that continue to create racially biased and unjust sentences must be reformed.  In the meantime, President Obama can and should use his Constitutional power to help bring these people the justice they deserve, and I hope he does so as soon as possible. Health Insurance for More Tennesseans  On Monday, Governor Haslam unveiled his Insure Tennessee plan, a two-year pilot program to provide health coverage to Tennesseeans who currently do not have access to health insurance. While I am dismayed by the amount of time that it took Governor Haslam to reach this agreement, I am relieved that he has completed his negotiations with the Obama Administration to begin expanding health coverage to more Tennesseans. I am glad the governor is following Arkansas’ lead and expanding coverage as our neighbor did 2 years ago. I am cautiously optimistic that the General Assembly will pass and implement the governor’s plan.  As a founding member of the Congressional State Medicaid Expansion Caucus, I remain committed to ensuring that all Tennesseans are able to take advantage of the benefits and protections made available through the President’s landmark Affordable Care Act. I believe that a full expansion of TennCare as originally prescribed by the law is the best way to cover Tennesseans, I am hopeful that implementation of the Governor’s plan can put Tennessee on the road to achieving universal health coverage in the future.Relations with Cuba  This week President Obama announced that the administration is restoring full diplomatic relations with Cuba and will roll back restrictions on travel and trade to the country.  I support the President’s move to chart a new course in our relationship with Cuba. Our current policy has done little to help the Cuban people over the past 50 years. The reestablishment of diplomatic relations with Cuba is a humane and logical path forward that will enable the United States to more effectively promote change in the country and support the Cuban people, and it may one day open more trade opportunities for Memphis and the Mid-South. Wishing you and your family a happy and safe holiday season.  Best wishes for 2015,   Steve Cohen  Member of Congress",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z http://cohen.house.gov/press-release/cohen-reacts-presidential-commutation-non-violent-memphians-unjustly-long-prison,Cohen Reacts to Presidential Commutation of Non-Violent Memphian's Unjustly Long Prison Sentence,2014-12-18,2014,2014-12,Democrat,House,TN,Steve Cohen,C001068,cohen.house.gov,,,legacy,"[MEMPHIS, TN] - Congressman Steve Cohen (TN-09) today issued the following statement regarding President Obama's grant of clemency to 20 individuals, including Memphian Larry Nailor, whose life prison sentence for a non-violent drug conviction was commuted: ""This commutation of a Memphian's life prison sentence for a non-violent drug conviction is an encouraging sign that the President and Attorney General are taking positive steps, as I have long encouraged them to do, to implement a more rational, humane clemency system for Americans who are unfairly incarcerated. But these few commutations and pardons do not solve our nation's incarceration problem, as there remain thousands of Americans languishing in prisons serving sentences that have been repudiated by both Congress and the President. The laws that continue to create racially biased and unjust sentences must be reformed.  In the meantime, President Obama can and should use his Constitutional power to help bring all of these inmates the justice they deserve, and I hope he does so as soon as possible.”",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z http://cohen.house.gov/press-release/cohen-statement-reestablishment-diplomatic-relations-cuba,Cohen Statement on the Reestablishment of Diplomatic Relations with Cuba,2014-12-17,2014,2014-12,Democrat,House,TN,Steve Cohen,C001068,cohen.house.gov,,,legacy,"[MEMPHIS, TN] – Congressman Steve Cohen (TN-09) today released the following statement regarding the Administration’s announcement that it would seek to re-establish diplomatic relations with Cuba: “I support the President’s move to chart a new course in our relationship with Cuba. Our current policy has done little to help the Cuban people, and the Castros still rule the nation as they did when we instituted these policies more than 50 years ago. The reestablishment of diplomatic relations with Cuba is a humane and logical path forward that will enable the United States to more effectively promote change in the country and support the Cuban people, and it may one day open more trade opportunities for Memphis and the Mid-South.”",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z http://cohen.house.gov/hill-bill-would-require-data-police-killings,The Hill - Bill Would Require Data on Police Killings,2014-12-15,2014,2014-12,Democrat,House,TN,Steve Cohen,C001068,cohen.house.gov,,,legacy,"Rep. Steve Cohen (D-Tenn.) has introduced legislation requiring the Justice Department to collect data on how many people are killed by police officers. Reliable data on police shootings due to ""excessive force"" is not available because the Justice Department doesn't maintain a comprehensive record. The lack of such information has come to light after the high-profile deaths of African-American men by white police officers in Ferguson, Mo., Staten Island, N.Y. and other cities in recent months. Cohen, a top Democrat on the House Judiciary Committee, argued that access to more information about police shootings is necessary before Congress and local law enforcement can make adequate policy changes. ""Before we can truly address the problem of excessive force used by law enforcement we have to understand the nature of the problem and that begins with accurate data,"" Cohen said in a statement.  Under Cohen's measure, local law enforcement agencies would have to provide the Justice Department with detailed data on police shootings. The data would be available to the public without identifying the people involved. The necessary information would include the date of each encounter where police used deadly force; the race, gender, ethnicity, religion and age of the officer and civilian involved in the altercation; the civilian's alleged crime; an explanation of why lethal force was necessary; and other ways the officer tried to resolve the situation before resorting to deadly force. Cohen introduced the bill on the House's last day in session for the year. He would have to re-introduce it in January for consideration in the new Congress.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z http://cohen.house.gov/press-release/cohen-statement-governor-haslam%E2%80%99s-tenncare-announcement,Cohen Statement on Governor Haslams TennCare Announcement,2014-12-15,2014,2014-12,Democrat,House,TN,Steve Cohen,C001068,cohen.house.gov,,,legacy,"[MEMPHIS, TN] – Congressman Steve Cohen (TN-09) today released the following statement regarding Governor Haslam’s newly-announced “Insure Tennessee” Medicaid plan: “While I regret the amount of time that it took Governor Haslam to reach this agreement, I am relieved that he has completed his negotiations with the Obama Administration to begin expanding health coverage to more Tennesseans. I am glad the governor is following Arkansas’ lead and expanding coverage as our neighbor did 2 years ago. I remain cautiously optimistic that the General Assembly will pass and implement the governor’s plan,” said Congressman Cohen. “As a founding member of the Congressional State Medicaid Expansion Caucus, I remain committed to ensuring that all Tennesseans are able to take advantage of the benefits and protections made available through the President’s landmark Affordable Care Act. I believe that a full expansion of TennCare as originally prescribed by the law is the best way to cover Tennesseans, I am hopeful that implementation of the Governor’s plan can put Tennessee on the road to achieving universal health coverage in the future.”",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z http://cohen.house.gov/press-release/cohen-today-last-day-enroll-healthcaregov-coverage-kicking-january-1st,Cohen: Today is the Last Day to Enroll at HealthCare.gov for Coverage Kicking in On January 1st,2014-12-15,2014,2014-12,Democrat,House,TN,Steve Cohen,C001068,cohen.house.gov,,,legacy,"[MEMPHIS, TN] – Congressman Steve Cohen (TN-09) reminded the residents of the Ninth District of today’s deadline to enroll through HealthCare.gov in affordable health insurance coverage that kicks in on January 1st. This year’s enrollment period runs until February 15th, but today is the deadline to enroll in coverage that will take effect on January 1st, 2015. “Today is the last day for those without insurance coverage to enroll at HealthCare.gov in an affordable plan that will begin on the first of the year,” said Congressman Cohen. “The Affordable Care Act is clearly already working for thousands of Ninth District families, but everyone—whether or not they already have insurance—should visit HealthCare.gov today to ensure they get the best possible deal and that they receive their full tax credit in 2015.” While those who enrolled in plans through the Marketplace last year do not need to re-enroll to maintain coverage for 2015, all citizens whether or not they have previously enrolled are strongly encouraged to visit the newly-redeveloped, more stable, and easier-to-use HealthCare.gov website to ensure they receive the full tax credit to which they are entitled and to review their options as cheaper insurance plans may be available this year. Consumers are also now able to view health insurance plans available in their area without registering, logging in, or identifying themselves. A simple, one-page guide to navigating and enrolling through the HealthCare.gov marketplace is available here, and Memphis-area citizens can visit this page to determine if they qualify for lower insurance costs in the coming year.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z http://cooper.house.gov//media-center/press-releases/cooper-applauds-medicaid-expansion-in-tennessee,Cooper Applauds Medicaid Expansion in Tennessee,2014-12-15,2014,2014-12,Democrat,House,TN,Jim Cooper,C000754,cooper.house.gov,,,legacy,"WASHINGTON – U.S. Rep. Jim Cooper (TN-5) today issued a statement on Gov. Bill Haslam’s Insure Tennessee plan: “Gov. Haslam’s announcement is a step in the right direction,” Cooper said. “Expanding health insurance to more Tennesseans is the right thing to do for patients, hospitals and businesses.” For more information on the proposal, click here.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z http://cohen.house.gov/press-release/cohen-statement-government-funding-deal,Cohen Statement on Government Funding Deal,2014-12-12,2014,2014-12,Democrat,House,TN,Steve Cohen,C001068,cohen.house.gov,,,legacy,"[WASHINGTON, DC] – Congressman Steve Cohen (TN-09) today released the following statement regarding the 2015 government funding agreement: “While I am pleased that negotiators on both sides of the aisle agreed that funding for Tennessee’s hospitals and my $5 million provision to help fight our rape kit backlog should be included, I simply cannot support the many non-germane riders added. This agreement takes from the middle class and the poor and gives to the rich, overturns the D.C. vote on marijuana, and gives millionaires more influence in Washington while letting them take bigger risks on Wall Street. The American people do not want more money in our politics and a return to the Wall Street policies that almost brought the world economy crashing down in 2008.”",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z http://cohen.house.gov/press-release/new-cohen-bill-would-close-loophole-allowing-police-abuses-be-swept-under-rug,New Cohen Bill Would Close Loophole Allowing Police Abuses to be Swept Under the Rug,2014-12-12,2014,2014-12,Democrat,House,TN,Steve Cohen,C001068,cohen.house.gov,,,legacy,"[WASHINGTON, DC] – Congressman Steve Cohen (TN-09), Ranking Member of the House Judiciary Subcommittee on the Constitution and Civil Justice, introduced the National Statistics on Deadly Force Transparency Act of 2014 to close a loophole in federal law that prevents adequate collection of comprehensive national data regarding justified and unjustified fatal interactions with police. Without accurate data, racial disparities, abuses, and instances of excessive use of force are difficult to identify and unlikely to be fixed. “Before we can truly address the problem of excessive force used by law enforcement we have to understand the nature of the problem and that begins with accurate data,” said Congressman Cohen. “I am introducing this bill so that our country can begin to honestly assess racial disparities and other problems in our justice system and begin to fix them. It is a step in the right direction and a critical component of the healing process.” The 1994 Crime Bill requires the Attorney General to collect statistics on the use of excessive force, but the law does not provide any enforcement mechanism nor does it adequately define what “excessive force” is. As a result, the federal government has been unable to gather data from many local police departments and there are no reliable statistics on how often law enforcement uses deadly force. Congressman Cohen’s legislation would incentivize states to require local law enforcement agencies to provide data to the Attorney General on: The date of each instance when deadly force was used; The identifying characteristics of the victim and officer involved, including the race, gender, ethnicity, religion and approximate age of the victim; Any alleged criminal behavior by the victim; An explanation, if any, by the relevant law enforcement agency of why deadly force was used; A copy of any use of deadly force guidelines in effect at the time at the law enforcement agency; The nature of the deadly force used, including whether it involved a firearm; and A description of any non-lethal efforts that were taken before deadly force was used. This data would be made publicly available, but would not disclose any personally identifying information.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z http://cohen.house.gov/supporting-president-obama-and-attorney-general-holder-tennessee,Supporting President Obama and Attorney General Holder in Tennessee,2014-12-12,2014,2014-12,Democrat,House,TN,Steve Cohen,C001068,cohen.house.gov,,,legacy,"Dear friend, This week, I joined President Obama at the White House and on Air Force One during his trip to Nashville, and each time I invited him to Memphis. In addition, Congress approved $5 million that I secured to help fight our backlog of untested rape kits, and I introduced legislation to close a loophole that prevents us from effectively identifying and addressing fatal police interactions. Keep reading to learn more about what happened this week. Supporting President Obama and Attorney General Holder in Tennessee Another Republican Handout to Wall Street  Honoring Al Green at the Kennedy Center  Fighting for Equal Justice And Equal Enforcement of the Law  Remembering Chloe Grauer  My Recommendation for TVA Board Confirmed by Senate  Helping Memphians Get Covered with the Affordable Care Act  Promoting Nutrition with NBA Star Detlef Schrempf Supporting President Obama and Attorney General Holder in Tennessee   After attending the White House Holiday Party on Monday evening, I was pleased to accept President Obama's invitation to join him on his recent trip to Nashville to discuss the need for Congress to pass comprehensive immigration reform. As he always is, the President was thoughtful, knowledgeable, brilliant, and engaging as he discussed his commonsense moves to address some of the flaws of our nation's immigration system and called on Congress to fix these problems once and for all. I support the President's actions and will continue working in Congress to pass comprehensive immigration reform. While I was in Nashville with the President, several of my District office staff members joined U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder as he visited our city. While he was in Memphis, the Attorney General visited the National Civil Rights Museum at the Lorraine Motel, spoke at Mayor Wharton's ""My Brother's Keeper"" Communities Challenge Summit, and hosted a roundtable discussion with law enforcement, local officials, community leaders, students, and faith leaders. Another Republican Handout to Wall Street Late last night, the House passed a bill to fund the government next year. While I am pleased that negotiators on both sides of the aisle agreed that funding for Tennessee's hospitals and my $5 million provision to help eliminate our rape kit backlog should be included, I simply could not support the many non-germane riders added. The agreement that passed the House late last night takes from the middle class and the poor and gives to the rich, overturns the D.C. vote on marijuana, and gives billionaires more influence in Washington while letting them take bigger risks on Wall Street. The American people do not want more money in our politics and a return to the Wall Street policies that almost brought the world economy crashing down in 2008. Honoring Al Green at the Kennedy Center On Sunday evening, my friend Al Green was recognized at the Kennedy Center Honors for his contributions to the arts. I was glad to be there to see the Reverend receive this high honor in front of the President and First Lady, and enjoyed the chance to sing ""Love and Happiness"" to him. The Kennedy Center Honors will be broadcast on PBS on December 30, if you would like to watch them. Rev. Al Green's Full Gospel Tabernacle in Memphis will be celebrating its 38th anniversary on Sunday and I am pleased that my Deputy District Director Willie ""Hank"" Henry will be on hand to present a Congressional Proclamation to celebrate the day. Fighting for Equal Justice And Equal Enforcement of the Law This week, I spoke on the House floor about my friendship with baseball All-Star Minnie Minoso, the first African-Latin baseball player in Major League Baseball, and the important lessons he taught me at a young age about race. After seeing Minnie play in Memphis as a child, he became one of my heroes and I followed his career diligently. I was disturbed to learn that whenever Minnie came to Memphis for a game, he had to stay at the segregated Lorraine Motel—the same hotel where Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. was later shot—while his white teammates stayed at the nearby Peabody Hotel. By living in Memphis and through the actions of Minnie Minoso, I learned about Jim Crow, the evils of segregation, and the vestiges of slavery that we still see today. We still see it in incarceration rates, arrests, and excessive use of police force. On Wednesday, I met with representatives from the Ferguson Action Team to discuss how we can work to address these injustices. And yesterday, I introduced legislation to close a loophole in federal law that prevents the adequate collection of comprehensive national data regarding both justified and unjustified fatal interactions with police. Before we can truly address the problem of excessive force used by law enforcement we have to understand the nature of the problem and that begins with accurate data. My bill will help our country begin to honestly assess racial disparities and other problems in our justice system and take steps towards to fix them. Remembering Chloe Grauer It is with great sadness that I write to inform you that 3-year-old Memphian Chloe Grauer passed away this week. Chloe Grauer suffered from hundreds of debilitating seizures every day and her parents tried numerous available treatments, but none of them worked. One option, however, was denied to her: cannabidiol, or CBD, which is a treatment derived from the marijuana plant that does not produce a high but has significant medical value. The treatment has been shown to work for similar medical conditions and Tennessee law allows for its study, but federal law prohibits it from being imported and made it impossible for the Grauers to secure treatment for Chloe. I am so sorry for Chloe's parents and grandparents who so lovingly cared for their daughter and granddaughter yet could not save her because outdated federal policies got in the way. I have long worked to relax these restrictions and help the Grauers, including talking to Presidential advisor Valerie Jarrett on Air Force One Tuesday and urging both Governor Haslam and Attorney General Holder to work together to get Chloe the medicine she so desperately needed. I will not forget Chloe, and will continue my efforts to reform our nation's marijuana laws so that no one else is denied this potentially life-saving treatment. My Recommendation for TVA Board Confirmed by Senate Earlier this year, after I recommended Ron Walter to President Obama to fill a vacancy on the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) Board of Directors, the President nominated him for the position. I was pleased to recommend Ron to the President, as I have known him for nearly 40 years and know of no finer citizen of our community. He is diligent in all things and active and loved in the community for his genuine, caring attitude. This week, his nomination was confirmed by the U.S. Senate, and he will now fill one of nine positions on the Board. I know he will do an outstanding job and serve the TVA constituency with good judgment and rectitude, and I am pleased he was confirmed. Helping Memphians Get Covered with the Affordable Care Act There are only 3 days left before the December 15th deadline to enroll in health care coverage through HealthCare.gov that will take effect on January 1, 2015. You can visit https://bit.ly/hcSavings to see if you qualify for tax credits that will be applied as discounts on your monthly insurance premium. If you already have insurance coverage through theHealthCare.gov marketplace, your plan will be automatically renewed for 2015 but you should still visit the newly-redeveloped, more stable, and easier-to-use HealthCare.gov to update your information, ensure you receive the full tax credit to which you are entitled, and review new options as cheaper insurance plans that better fit your needs may now be available. While the application process at HealthCare.gov has been streamlined and simplified this year, a one-page guide is available here. If you are interested in receiving in-person assistance, Tennessee's health care navigator Seedco will be hosting enrollment sessions at the Ben Hooks Library from 10:30am to 1pm on December 16th and 18th.At each of these sessions, there will be certified health care navigators on site to answer questions you have about the law and assist you in the enrollment process. If you plan to attend one of the enrollment sessions, please call (901) 405-7895 to RSVP. If you are on Medicare or your employer is offering qualified health insurance that you are enrolled in, you're already covered and won't need to enter the Marketplace for your health coverage. If you aren't sure whether or not you should use the Marketplace to get insurance, call the Marketplace Hotline at (800) 318-2596, visit HealthCare.gov, or call Seedco at (866) 720-1711. You can also call my office at (901) 544-4131 or the Marketplace Hotline to find out if TennCare (Tennessee's Medicaid program) is a coverage option for you. Promoting Nutrition with NBA Star Detlef Schrempf This week I was pleased to welcome back to Washington Linda Cornish, a fellow Memphian, and former NBA All-Star Detlef Schrempf. The two were on Capitol Hill to highlight the Seafood Nutrition Partnership, a group who works to improve Americans' health through partnerships that raise awareness about the nutritional benefits of seafood, which can include lowered risk of heart disease and improved eyesight in adults, as well as improved brain health in infants. I was pleased to learn earlier this year that the Seafood Nutrition Partnership had chosen Memphis, along with Boston and Indianapolis, as one of three cities in which to launch its inaugural interactive pilot program, and enjoyed the opportunity to learn of their progress in promoting healthy eating. As always, I remain.  Most sincerely,   Steve Cohen Member of Congress",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z http://cooper.house.gov//media-center/press-releases/cooper-statement-on-cromnibus-spending-bill-vote,Cooper Statement on Cromnibus Spending Bill Vote,2014-12-12,2014,2014-12,Democrat,House,TN,Jim Cooper,C000754,cooper.house.gov,,,legacy,"WASHINGTON – U.S. Rep. Jim Cooper (TN-5) today issued a statement following his vote against a $1.1 trillion spending bill. “Congress had all year to do its job. But it again waited until the final hours and made shady backroom deals. This bill is no way to govern,"" Cooper said. The House of Representatives voted 219-206 to pass the spending bill late Thursday night. The “cromnibus” includes 11 appropriations bills and a continuing resolution, which will fund most of the government through September 2015. The bill also includes changes to campaign finance and Wall Street reform laws. It is expected to quickly pass the Senate and be signed into law by the President.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z http://cohen.house.gov/press-release/cohen%E2%80%99s-recommendation-tva-board-ron-walter-confirmed-us-senate,"Cohens Recommendation for TVA Board, Ron Walter, Confirmed by U.S. Senate",2014-12-09,2014,2014-12,Democrat,House,TN,Steve Cohen,C001068,cohen.house.gov,,,legacy,"[WASHINGTON, DC] – The United States Senate today confirmed Congressman Steve Cohen’s (TN-09) recommendation for the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) Board of Directors, Ronald Walter, by a vote of 86-12. Mr. Walter will now fill one of nine positions on the TVA Board. Video of Congressman Cohen introducing Ron Walter at his Senate Committee on Environment & Public Works confirmation hearing last month is available here. “I was pleased to recommend Ron Walter to President Obama, as I have known Ron for nearly 40 years and know of no finer citizen of our community. He is diligent in all things, active and well-loved in the community for his genuine, caring attitude. I am very pleased Ron was confirmed by the U.S. Senate today, and I know he will do an outstanding job and serve the TVA constituency with good judgment and rectitude.” Ronald Walter is currently the President and General Manager of WREG-TV, a position he has held since 2004.  Mr. Walter has served in a variety of positions at WREG-TV since 1987.  He was Executive Vice President/Station Manager from 1994 to 2004, concurrently serving as Vice President of Government and Cable Relations for the New York Times Broadcast Group, WREG-TV’s former parent company from 2001 to 2004.  He served as Vice President and Station Manager from 1991 to 1994, Vice President of Government and Public Relations from 1989 to 1990, and Director of Marketing, Production and Client Services from 1987 to 1989.  Mr. Walter was Vice President of Customer Relations for the Memphis Light, Gas and Water Division from 1982 to 1987.  From 1980 to 1982, he served as Assistant to the President at Memphis Light, Gas and Water.  Mr. Walter received a B.A. from Clark University and an M.S.L.S. from Case Western Reserve University. The Tennessee Valley Authority, a corporation owned by the U.S. government, provides electricity for 9 million people in parts of seven southeastern states at prices below the national average. TVA, which receives no taxpayer money and makes no profits, also provides flood control, navigation and land management for the Tennessee River system and assists utilities and state and local governments with economic development.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z http://cohen.house.gov/press-release/congressman-cohen-statement-president-obama%E2%80%99s-visit-nashville,Congressman Cohen Statement on President Obamas Visit to Nashville,2014-12-09,2014,2014-12,Democrat,House,TN,Steve Cohen,C001068,cohen.house.gov,,,legacy,"[NASHVILLE, TN] – Congressman Steve Cohen (TN-09) issued the following statement regarding President Obama’s visit to Nashville today: “I was proud to accept President Obama's invitation to join him as he travelled to Tennessee on Air Force One today. As always, the President was thoughtful, knowledgeable, brilliant, and engaging as he discussed his commonsense moves to address some of the flaws of our nation's immigration system and called on Congress to fix these problems once and for all. I support the President's actions and will continue working in Congress to pass comprehensive immigration reform.”",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z http://cooper.house.gov//media-center/press-releases/cooper-statement-on-president-s-visit-to-nashville,Cooper Statement on Presidents Visit to Nashville,2014-12-09,2014,2014-12,Democrat,House,TN,Jim Cooper,C000754,cooper.house.gov,,,legacy,"NASHVILLE – U.S. Rep. Jim Cooper (TN-5) today issued the following statement: “The U.S. Senate – including Senators Corker and Alexander – voted overwhelmingly to do what the President outlined today. House Republicans have refused to consider the Senate bill, but they have three more days to allow an up or down vote where it would pass with a large majority. Our community – including the Nashville Area Chamber of Commerce, Lipscomb University, the Catholic Church, the Southern Baptist Convention and local charitable family foundations – supports the goal of integrating immigrants into the wider community. We are a model for the country.”",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z http://cooper.house.gov//media-center/press-releases/cooper-welcomes-president-obama-to-nashville-0,Cooper Welcomes President Obama to Nashville,2014-12-04,2014,2014-12,Democrat,House,TN,Jim Cooper,C000754,cooper.house.gov,,,legacy,"WASHINGTON – U.S. Rep. Jim Cooper (TN-5) today praised President Obama’s upcoming visit to Nashville on December 9. “It’s always an honor and a thrill when a sitting president visits Nashville,” Cooper said. “I welcome President Obama to our vibrant, thriving and diverse city. Nashville is the perfect setting for his remarks.” The White House has announced President Obama will deliver remarks at Casa Azafran on the executive actions he is taking to fix America’s broken immigration system. Tuesday’s visit is President Obama’s second trip to Nashville in less than a year. In January, he spoke at McGavock High School.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z http://cohen.house.gov/press-release/cohen-grijalva-takano-call-scrutiny-deal-sell-profit-college-campuses-ruthless-student,"Cohen, Grijalva, Takano Call for Scrutiny of Deal to Sell For-Profit College Campuses to Ruthless Student Debt Collector",2014-12-03,2014,2014-12,Democrat,House,TN,Steve Cohen,C001068,cohen.house.gov,,,legacy,"[WASHINGTON, DC] – Congressmen Steve Cohen (TN-09), Raul Grijalva (AZ-03), and Mark Takano (CA-41) today called on U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan to closely scrutinize a proposal by Educational Credit Management Corporation (ECMC) to purchase a total of 56 campuses owned by defunct for-profit Corinthian Colleges Inc., which agreed to sell or close all of its campuses after failing to address concerns about its educational outcomes and recruiting practices. ECMC has no prior experience operating institutions of higher learning, but it does have a checkered history that includes using ruthless collection tactics against student loan debtors who should have reasonably qualified for bankruptcy relief. “Any sale of Corinthian’s campuses should be approved by the Department of Education only if it, unlike Corinthian’s practices, puts students first,” wrote the Congressman in a letter to Secretary Duncan today. “We are concerned that [ECMC has no] previous experience in operating an academic institution. Rather, the ECMC Group, as one of the largest student loan guaranty agencies in the United States, has benefited by collecting loan payments from students, sometimes using dubious tactics. Serious consideration should be given before transitioning management of Corinthian’s campuses from one company that profited off deceptive lending practices to an umbrella company that also has a checkered history in student loans.” Congressman Cohen is also the lead sponsor of the Private Student Loan Bankruptcy Fairness Act of 2013 with Congressman Danny Davis (IL-07), which aims to restore fairness in student lending by treating privately issued student loans the same as other types of private debt in bankruptcy.  In 2005, the law was unjustifiably changed to give private student loans the same privileged bankruptcy treatment as government loans, even though private student loans have vastly different terms and fewer consumer protections. The Congressman’s bill would amend the Bankruptcy Code to restore the dischargeability of debt from private loans made by for-profit lenders, which was available before 2005. “Congress taking action on student loan debt is long overdue,” said Congressman Cohen when he introduced this legislation (H.R. 532).  “People who seek higher education to better their futures should not be dissuaded from doing so by the threat of financial ruin. The bankruptcy system should work as a safety net that allows people to get the education they want with the assurance that, should their finances come under strain by layoffs, accidents, or other unforeseen life events, they will be protected. Our bill takes a modest but important step in achieving this goal.” Congressman Cohen has long opposed ECMC’s use of aggressive tactics against students and middle class families. Earlier this year, he joined U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL), Jack Reed (D-RI) and Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) as well as U.S. Representatives John Conyers (D-MI), Elijah Cummings (D-MD), and Hank Johnson (D-GA) in urging Secretary Duncan to bring more fairness to struggling students by establishing clear standards of eligibility for “undue hardship” discharge of federal student loans in bankruptcy. Additional guidance would benefit the most vulnerable student loan debtors by bringing consistency to the manner in which the Department of Education’s contractors like ECMC handle undue hardship claims. Such guidance would further enable the Department of Education to focus student loan collection efforts on cases where there is a more realistic opportunity for loan recovery.  “Federal law does provide that bankruptcy discharge is available for student loans in cases of undue hardship,’ and while the courts have established a high legal standard for a debtor to show “undue hardship” there are some debtors who should be able to avail themselves of this option,” wrote the Members at the time. “However, the path to an undue hardship discharge is often blocked by Department contractors, such as the Educational Credit Management Corporation (ECMC), which have a practice of aggressively challenging debtors’ efforts to show undue hardship. While we recognize the Department’s prerogative to fairly collect on student loan debts owed to it, we do not find it sensible or cost-effective for the Department or its contractors to engage in lengthy legal challenges and appeals against bankrupt student loan borrowers who have demonstrated a clear and legitimate inability to repay their loans.” Text of today’s letter from Reps. Cohen, Grijalva, and Takano is below, and a PDF is available here:  December 3, 2014 The Honorable Arne Duncan Secretary U.S. Department of Education 400 Maryland Ave. SW Washington, DC 20202  Dear Secretary Duncan: Thank you for your efforts to ensure that schools at all levels are institutions whose primary goal is educating students. We are writing to express concerns about the ECMC Group’s proposed purchase of campuses owned by for-profit company Corinthian Colleges. Any sale of Corinthian’s campuses should be approved by the Department of Education only if it, unlike Corinthian’s practices, puts students first. As a proprietary entity, Corinthian Colleges has operated to make money for its investors.  Accounts of students’ dealings with Corinthian demonstrate that educating students has been of secondary importance to the company. Corinthian may not have been operating with the best interest of its students in mind, as it has allegedly mismanaged funds, doled out high-interest student loans using questionable practices and falsified job placement data. We want to ensure that students on any future iteration of Corinthian campuses will receive a quality education and have access to legitimate, full-time employment opportunities without being unduly indebted with federal and high-interest private student loans they cannot repay.  Corinthian is liquidating its assets in the wake of years of investigations into the college for using aggressive tactics to encourage disadvantaged students to enroll, mismanaging finances and inflating employment rates of its graduates. In 2013, the California attorney general sued Corinthian for allegedly misrepresenting job placement rates to students, advertising programs that it does not offer, unlawfully using military seals in advertising and inserting unlawful clauses into enrollment agreements that purport to bar any and all claims by students.  This year, the Massachusetts and Wisconsin attorneys general filed separate lawsuits alleging similar actions, and the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) filed a lawsuit in Illinois alleging that Corinthian lured its students into taking out federal and private student loans by giving them false and misleading representations about job placement assistance and employment opportunities. In addition, more than 20 other state attorneys general, the Department of Justice, and the Securities and Exchange Commission have open investigations into the company. As a for-profit college, Corinthian appears to have operated by exploiting students as revenue generators rather than investing in educating them. According to a report prepared by the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee staff, Corinthian spent barely half of its revenue on instruction in 2009—$3,969 per student—compared to $2,465 per student on marketing and $998 per student on profit. In 2010, Corinthian reported 81.9% of its revenue came from title IV federal financial aid programs. By 2012, it was 89.8%. This amount does not include revenue received from the Departments of Defense and Veterans Affairs education programs. Community colleges, by contrast, spend a comparable amount per student, but charge far lower tuition. Despite receiving such a high percentage of its operating expenses from federal dollars, Corinthian has used nearly half of that on marketing or profits rather than on educating students. One of the largest hurdles to higher education, affordability, was raised even further by Corinthian. Despite targeting low-income and first-generation students, the suit filed by the CFPB alleges that Corinthian artificially increased tuition so that the college could meet 90/10 rule standards, ensuring that federal aid would not cover the entire cost. This practice forced many students to take out private student loans, often backed by Corinthian at high interest rates, to cover the cost of tuition. Such practices led to dramatically inflated tuition rates at Corinthian.  According to the same HELP Committee report, some programs at Corinthian Colleges cost as much as 17 times more than comparable programs at other nearby credible academic institutions. Should Corinthian’s campuses continue to operate, the Department should do everything possible to ensure that the students are not subjected to similar tactics. As reported by the Department of Education last week, ECMC Group’s newly-formed nonprofit education entity, Zenith Education Group, has submitted a proposal to acquire 56 of Corinthian’s Everest and WyoTech campuses. We are concerned that neither the ECMC Group nor the Zenith Education Group has any previous experience in operating an academic institution. Rather, the ECMC Group, as one of the largest student loan guaranty agencies in the United States, has benefited by collecting loan payments from students, sometimes using dubious tactics. In 2012, a panel of bankruptcy appeal judges expressed concern that the ECMC Groups’s collection activities “constituted an abuse of the bankruptcy process and defiance of the court’s authority.” Serious consideration should be given before transitioning management of Corinthian’s campuses from one company that profited off deceptive lending practices to an umbrella company that also has a checkered history in student loans. As a nonprofit entity, Zenith Education Group will no longer be held to the same 90/10 rule required of for-profit colleges, and its degree programs will no longer be subject to the Higher Education Act’s gainful employment requirements. Thus, they will not be restricted by the percent of revenue that can be raised from government entities, nor required to demonstrate that their degree programs will prepare students for careers that will enable them to repay their student loan debts. Although the ECMC Group has proposed a tuition cut, the ECMC Group should do more reduce the dramatically inflated costs of attending in order to bring tuition down to a level in line with costs at credible academic institutions. Additionally, if the acquisition is approved, we hope you will require the Zenith Education Group to identify and implement specific steps to achieve its expressed desire to improve job placement and increase individualized support. This plan should be received by the Department prior to approval of the purchase and Zenith held accountable for ensuring that the goals are met. We hope that you will carefully scrutinize the acquisition offer from the ECMC Group to ensure that students at any future iteration of Corinthian’s campuses are provided a worthwhile education that will enable them to repay their student loans. We appreciate your attention to our concerns. Sincerely,",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z http://cooper.house.gov//media-center/press-releases/cooper-congratulates-degrafinreid-on-new-job,Cooper Congratulates Degrafinreid on New Job,2014-12-03,2014,2014-12,Democrat,House,TN,Jim Cooper,C000754,cooper.house.gov,,,legacy,"WASHINGTON – U.S. Rep. Jim Cooper (TN-5) announced today that his Counsel, Alfred Degrafinreid II, has departed to become Chief Deputy Criminal Court Clerk of Davidson County. “I’m sorry to lose Alfred,” Cooper said. “He has been a tremendous asset to my office and to Nashville, but this is a good, big step for a rising star.” As Cooper's Nashville-based Counsel, Degrafinreid coordinated community outreach and advised on housing matters, the music industry and other policy issues. In his new role, Degrafinreid will assume the top staff position for Davidson County Criminal Court Clerk Howard Gentry. A native Tennessean holding both bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Tennessee State University, Degrafinreid also is a graduate of Indiana University’s Robert H. McKinney School of Law.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z http://cohen.house.gov/press-release/cohen-recommended-tva-board-nominee-ron-walter-approved-senate-committee-final,"Cohen-recommended TVA Board Nominee Ron Walter Approved by Senate Committee, Final Confirmation to Follow",2014-12-02,2014,2014-12,Democrat,House,TN,Steve Cohen,C001068,cohen.house.gov,,,legacy,"[WASHINGTON, DC] – The nomination of Ronald Walter to the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) Board of Directors, recommended to President Obama by Congressman Steve Cohen (TN-09), was unanimously approved today by the Senate Committee on Environment & Public Works. The United States Senate is now set to consider Walter’s nomination and, if confirmed, he will fill one of the nine positions on the TVA Board. Video of Congressman Cohen introducing Ron Walter to the Senate Committee last month is available here. “I was pleased to recommend Ron Walter to President Obama, as I have known Ron for nearly 40 years and know of no finer citizen of our community. He is diligent in all things and active and loved in the community for his genuine, caring attitude. I know Ron will do an outstanding job and serve the TVA constituency with good judgment and rectitude if confirmed, and I am pleased the full Senate will consider his nomination.” Ronald Walter is currently the President and General Manager of WREG-TV, a position he has held since 2004.  Mr. Walter has served in a variety of positions at WREG-TV since 1987.  He was Executive Vice President/Station Manager from 1994 to 2004, concurrently serving as Vice President of Government and Cable Relations for the New York Times Broadcast Group, WREG-TV’s former parent company from 2001 to 2004.  He served as Vice President and Station Manager from 1991 to 1994, Vice President of Government and Public Relations from 1989 to 1990, and Director of Marketing, Production and Client Services from 1987 to 1989.  Mr. Walter was Vice President of Customer Relations for the Memphis Light, Gas and Water Division from 1982 to 1987.  From 1980 to 1982, he served as Assistant to the President at Memphis Light, Gas and Water.  Mr. Walter received a B.A. from Clark University and an M.S.L.S. from Case Western Reserve University. The Tennessee Valley Authority, a corporation owned by the U.S. government, provides electricity for 9 million people in parts of seven southeastern states at prices below the national average. TVA, which receives no taxpayer money and makes no profits, also provides flood control, navigation and land management for the Tennessee River system and assists utilities and state and local governments with economic development.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z http://cohen.house.gov/have-happy-and-safe-thanksgiving,Have a Happy and Safe Thanksgiving,2014-11-26,2014,2014-11,Democrat,House,TN,Steve Cohen,C001068,cohen.house.gov,,,legacy,"Dear friend, Thanksgiving is a time for us to gather with our families and loved ones, enjoy each other's company, and pause to count our blessings. As we enjoy a well-cooked turkey feast, we should also remember those who are not as fortunate and those that remain in need. And we should all remember those who cannot be with their families because they are protecting our country and our freedom overseas, as well as those who have done so in the past. But we cannot forget one more group who are also unable to be with their families: those serving unfairly long prison sentences that Congress and the President believe no longer fit the non-violent crimes they committed. I wrote about what the President can do to help fix this injustice in The Hill this week. I hope you'll read my column here. Working for the Ninth District I also want to update you on my work in Congress for the Ninth District. This week, I urged Congressional appropriators to ensure that as they negotiate a budget for next year they include an additional $5 million to fight the rape kit backlog. Earlier this year, the House of Representatives passed an amendment I authored to add this funding to cut through the backlog. The Senate Appropriations Committee recommended the full Senate pass it as well. With time running out for us to pass next year's budget, it is very important that Congress include as much of this vital funding as possible to help achieve the goal of eliminating the untested rape kit backlog in Memphis and around the country. And because one of the wealthiest nations in the world should not send its children to bed hungry, I have also asked appropriators to include $3 million to help prevent youth hunger that I secured in the House-passed Agriculture Appropriations Bill. The amendment I authored that added this funding cut through partisan gridlock to help prevent hunger and make sure that children in Memphis and throughout the United States get the nutritious meals they need to live happy and healthy lives, and it should be included in next year's budget. Also this week, Shelby County reached an agreement with CSX to purchase abandoned railway and extend the Shelby Farms Greenway to Cordova. The Greenway, which has been paid for almost entirely with federal funding, will stretch more than 10 miles after the extension is completed and will be an important recreation asset for Shelby County. It is a visible reminder of how the federal government can help make our communities more livable and more beautiful, and I am pleased with this agreement. I wish you and your family a happy Thanksgiving and an enjoyable holiday season. If you will be shopping for gifts over the holiday weekend, I hope you will consider supporting local small businesses by shopping on Small Business Saturday. As always, I remain.  Most sincerely, Steve Cohen Member of Congress P.S. By the way, just thought I'd attach these pictures that appeared in Roll Call yesterday of me driving my '86 Cadillac on Capitol Hill with my favorite fedora and my Memphis Tiger Pride license plate. And kudos to Memphian Craig Brewer for the shout-out to Hustle & Flow!",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z http://cohen.house.gov/press-release/congressman-cohen-budget-negotiators-include-5-million-fight-rape-kit-backlog-gov%E2%80%99t,Congressman Cohen to Budget Negotiators: Include $5 Million to Fight Rape Kit Backlog in Govt Funding Bill,2014-11-25,2014,2014-11,Democrat,House,TN,Steve Cohen,C001068,cohen.house.gov,,,legacy,"[MEMPHIS, TN] – With time running out for this Congress to pass a budget for next year, Congressman Steve Cohen (TN-09) today led a coalition of 18 Members of Congress in urging appropriators to include in their forthcoming budget compromise bill $5 million aimed at cutting through the backlog of untested rape kits that he secured in the House-passed Fiscal Year 2015 Commerce, Justice and Science (CJS) Appropriations bill. In May, an amendment authored by Congressman Cohen to add this important funding passed the House on a voice vote. The same funding level was approved just a week later by the Senate Appropriations Committee and now awaits action in the full Senate. “Absolutely no one should be a victim of sexual assault, but it is a travesty when communities are terrorized simply because evidence that could be used to prevent these crimes sits untested on a shelf somewhere,” said Congressman Cohen. “We know that, if tested, these rape kits could have helped catch perpetrators and prevent additional attacks. We must do more to cut through this backlog—it’s the least we can do to give victims the justice they deserve and it is an imperative if we want to keep our communities safe from predators. My provision to provide additional funding to reduce the rape kit backlog is a step in the right direction, and it should be included in next year’s budget.” Untested rape kits are a significant public safety hazard that prevents law enforcement from apprehending violent criminals, increases the risk of additional crimes, and robs victims of the justice they deserve. Congressman Cohen authored a deficit-neutral provision to transfer $5 million in federal funds to a new grant program focused specifically on helping law enforcement agencies cut through their sexual assault kit backlogs. The additional funding would increase the grant program’s budget by nearly 15%, from $36 million to $41 million, and increase Memphis’ chance of receiving the funding necessary to significantly reduce its current backlog, which has been described as the largest in the nation. Joining Congressman Cohen in signing his letter to appropriators (pdf available here) today are Reps. Earl Blumenauer (OR-03), David Cicilline (RI-01), Katherine Clark (MA-05), Elijah Cummings (MD-07), Raul Grijalva (AZ-03), Steve Israel (NY-03), Sheila Jackson Lee (TX-18), Kerek Kilmer (WA-06), Alan Lowenthal (CA-47), Gregory Meeks (NY-05), Gwen Moore (WI-04), Jan Schakowsky (IL-09), Jackie Speier (CA-14), Eric Swalwell (CA-15), Niki Tsongas (MA-03), Juan Vargas (CA-51), and Frederica Wilson (FL-24). Text of Congressman Cohen’s letter to appropriators follows: Dear Chairman Rogers, Chairman Wolf, Ranking Member Lowey and Ranking Member Fattah: Thank you for the strong support you have shown for reducing the backlog of untested sexual assault kits.  We appreciate the $36 million you included in the Fiscal Year (FY) 2015 Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies (CJS) Appropriations bill specifically to reduce the backlog of untested kits at law enforcement agencies and we were pleased that this was increased to $41 million during House floor consideration.  As you work toward final legislation that will fund the government through the end of FY 2015, we ask that you include at least $41 million for this important program. Untested rape kits are a significant public safety hazard that prevents law enforcement from apprehending violent criminals, increases the risk of additional crimes, and robs victims of the justice they deserve.  DNA analysis has been revolutionary in helping to catch criminals and prevent crimes from occurring in the first place.  But this evidence does us no good if it remains untested and sitting on a shelf in a lab somewhere.  Despite progress over the last few years, the number of untested rape kits continues to number in the hundreds of thousands and with state and local governments tightening their belts, significant federal assistance is needed. The funds included in the House’s FY 2015 CJS Appropriations bill for reducing the sexual assault kit backlog at law enforcement agencies is an important down payment toward solving this problem once and for all.  The Senate Appropriations Committee included the same amount in its FY 2015 CJS Appropriations bill, demonstrating strong support on both sides of the Capitol.  We hope that you will work together to ensure that any omnibus appropriations bill or continuing resolution include at least $41 million for this critical program. Sincerely,",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z http://cohen.house.gov/press-release/cohen-statement-shelby-county-agreement-csx-extend-shelby-farms-greenway,Cohen Statement on Shelby County Agreement with CSX to Extend Shelby Farms Greenway,2014-11-24,2014,2014-11,Democrat,House,TN,Steve Cohen,C001068,cohen.house.gov,,,legacy,"[MEMPHIS, TN] – Congressman Steve Cohen (TN-09) today released the following statement regarding Shelby County’s agreement with CSX Railroad to extend the Shelby Farms Greenway:  “The Shelby Farms Greenway, which has been paid for almost entirely with federal funding, will be an important recreational asset for Shelby County. It is a visible reminder of how the federal government can help make our communities more livable and more beautiful, and I am pleased with this agreement.”",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z http://cohen.house.gov/press-release/cohen-statement-passing-marion-barry,Cohen Statement on the Passing of Marion Barry,2014-11-23,2014,2014-11,Democrat,House,TN,Steve Cohen,C001068,cohen.house.gov,,,legacy,"[MEMPHIS, TN] -- Congressman Steve Cohen (TN-09) today released the following statement regarding the passing of former Washington, D.C. Mayor Marion Barry:   ""Marion Barry was always gracious and full of information when we talked, and I am saddened to hear of his passing. He was a son of Memphis, a graduate of what is now LeMoyne-Own College and the President of the NAACP there, as well as the first national chairman of the Student Non-Violent Coordinating Committee. A strong civil rights leader, he rose to serve 4 terms as the popular, indefatigable Mayor of Washington, DC. As Maya Angelou once said, he 'changed America with his unmitigated gall to stand up in the ashes of where he had fallen and come back to win.' He was beloved by many in our nation's capital and around the country, and he will be missed.""",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z http://cohen.house.gov/helping-memphians-get-covered-affordable-care-act,Helping Memphians Get Covered with the Affordable Care Act,2014-11-21,2014,2014-11,Democrat,House,TN,Steve Cohen,C001068,cohen.house.gov,,,legacy,"Dear Friend, This week, the HealthCare.gov marketplace opened for 2015 plan selections, I spoke with nearly 7,300 Ninth District citizens during a telephone town hall meeting, and the President laid out his plan to help alleviate some of the problems with our broken immigration system. Keep reading to learn what else happened this week. Helping Memphians Get Covered with the Affordable Care Act Fixing our Nation's Broken Immigration System Listening to the Ninth District Secretary Hillary Clinton Visits St. Jude Fully Protecting the President Emerging from the Shadows of Slavery and Jim Crow Giving Non-Violent Offenders a Fresh Start Saving the HOPE Scholarship and Fighting for Tennessee Students Helping Memphians Get Covered with the Affordable Care Act All Memphians deserve quality health insurance and thanks to the landmark Affordable Care Act, the uninsured rate for the Ninth District has plummeted by 10%, 15,000 citizens who did not have insurance coverage now do, more than 200,000 Memphis-area residents have insurance that covers preventive care, and no one can be denied coverage because of a pre-existing condition anymore. The Affordable Care Act is already working for Memphis and for the whole country. The HealthCare.gov insurance marketplace is now open for 2015 plan shopping and comparisons. While the current shopping period runs into February of next year, December 15th is the deadline to enroll in coverage that will take effect on January 1st, 2015. You can visit https://bit.ly/hcSavings to see if you qualify for tax credits that will be applied as discounts on your monthly insurance premium. If you already have insurance coverage through the HealthCare.gov marketplace, your plan will be automatically renewed for 2015 but you should still visit the newly-redeveloped, more stable, and easier-to-use HealthCare.gov to update your information, ensure you receive the full tax credit to which you are entitled, and review new options as cheaper insurance plans that better fit your needs may now be available. While the application process at HealthCare.gov has been streamlined and simplified this year, a one-page guide is available here and Tennessee's health care navigator Seedco will be hosting several enrollment assistance sessions over the coming weeks if you are interested in receiving in-person assistance. There will be enrollment sessions at the Ben Hooks Library from 10:30am to 1pm on December 4th, 11th, 16th, and 18th. At each of these sessions, there will be certified health care navigators on site to answer questions you have about the law and assist you in the enrollment process. If you are interested in attending one of the enrollment sessions, please call (901) 405-7895 to RSVP. If you are on Medicare or your employer is offering qualified health insurance that you are enrolled in, you're already covered and won't need to enter the Marketplace for your health coverage. If you aren't sure whether or not you should use the Marketplace to get insurance, call the Marketplace Hotline at (800) 318-2596, visit HealthCare.gov, or call Seedco at (901) 255-2955. You can also call my office at (901) 544-4131 or the Marketplace Hotline to find out if TennCare (Tennessee's Medicaid program) is a coverage option for you. Fixing our Nation's Broken Immigration System As the leader of the least productive Congress in recent history, Speaker Boehner has outright refused to allow the House of Representatives to vote on the bipartisan comprehensive immigration and border security bill that passed the Senate a year-and-a-half ago. As one of the bill's 200 House cosponsors, I have repeatedly called upon the Speaker to give the bill a fair hearing to no avail. Our nation's immigration system remains broken as a result of the Speaker's politically-motivated delays. After waiting on Congressional action that the Speaker refuses to allow, the President last night announced a series of commonsense actions that will help alleviate the problems in our system. The country cannot afford to wait any longer to address one of our most pressing challenges. I fully support the President's legally-sound move that follows well-established precedents to address our nation's immigration problems. I once again urge Speaker Boehner to let Congress work its will, allow for a vote which would surely pass with wide bipartisan support, and finally fix our broken immigration system. Listening to the Ninth District On Tuesday, I hosted another telephone town hall meeting for the citizens of the Ninth District. I enjoyed the opportunity to speak to almost 7,300 constituents. We discussed a number of issues, including the recently-opened shopping period for affordable 2015 health insurance plans at HealthCare.gov, the start of construction at Harahan Bridge, my work to end efforts by Deep South state legislatures to dilute the voting rights and political power of African Americans, and the recent push by some in Congress to force President Obama to approve the environmentally-damaging Keystone XL pipeline. These telephone town hall meetings allow me to hear what's on your mind, even when I'm in Washington working on your behalf. Hearing the perspective, opinions and ideas of citizens like you helps me best represent the Ninth District in Congress. Whether you have a question or would like to listen in, I hope you'll consider participating in future telephone town halls. If you would like to sign up to participate in my future telephone town halls, please fill out this form. Secretary Hillary Clinton Visits St. Jude This week, former First Lady and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton came to Memphis to help open the new, 38,000 square foot education center at St. Jude. The new education center houses a medical library, more rooms for doctors and researchers, and 2 auditoriums—and it will help train more doctors right here in Memphis. While I couldn't be there for the Secretary's visit, my District Director Marzie Thomas represented me. It is always good for our city to have such well-known, well-respected public figures visit, and I am glad that Secretary Clinton came to Memphis and met with families and patients at St. Jude. Fully Protecting the President After a series of high-profile security lapses at the White House and elsewhere, the House Judiciary Committee this week held a hearing to ensure that the Secret Service is doing everything it can to adequately protect President Obama. At the hearing, I questioned Acting Secret Service Director Joseph Clancy about the role of the Secret Service, and you can listen to NPR's All Things Considered segment covering some of my questions here. You can watch my full remarks from the hearing here. I suggested to Acting Director Clancy that a water barrier along the most vulnerable section of the fence around the White House might be both attractive and effective deterrent.  While some in the media have jumped on my use of the word ""moat,"" my idea, which I also discussed privately with the Acting Director, would be a simple water barrier, similar to that used at the Memphis Zoo, along a small portion of the White House fence. It would help slow down anyone attempting to climb the fence and give the Secret Service more time to intercept intruders. Emerging from the Shadows of Slavery and Jim Crow Six years ago, I was proud to author the first and only official Congressional apology for slavery and Jim Crow, but we should do more to emerge from the shadow that still hangs over our society. On Tuesday morning, I met with Commander Ted Johnson, who recently wrote ""How to Apologize for Slavery: What the U.S. Can Learn from West Africa"" for The Atlantic magazine. We discussed the significance of the Congressional apology and the need for a frank national conversation on race and understanding of the lingering consequences of Jim Crow laws which continue to impact African Americans. Giving Non-Violent Offenders a Fresh Start Currently, those convicted of even non-violent crimes could very well face what amounts to a life sentence because the stigma of a conviction can follow convicted felons for the rest of their life. Employment, education and housing opportunities – the very things necessary to start life over – can all be denied because of a past conviction. To address this problem, I wrote and introduced the Fresh Start Act, which would give non-violent offenders who have turned their lives around a real chance to start over again. The Fresh Start Act will help non-violent federal offenders who have already served their sentence and are now law-abiding, productive members of society get their convictions expunged from their records. While I am still working to pass the Fresh Start Act in Congress, I am pleased to report that it is receiving bipartisan support at the state level. This week, a Utah State Legislature committee voted 9-1 to advance a fresh start bill based on my legislation. You can read a story about it here. Saving the HOPE Scholarship and Fighting for Tennessee Students Recently, Governor Haslam defended his ""Tennessee Promise"" plan that raids $300 million this year and millions more annually from the HOPE Scholarship program by arguing that our state hasn't ""increased the number of Tennesseans who are going to school,"" and that he believes his plan is what the state needs to do that. However, a new report shows that the Governor is just plain wrong. Between 2007 and 2012, enrollment in Tennessee's public colleges actually rose by more than 22%. But while enrollment picked up substantially, state funding per student actually fell by nearly 18%, making it harder for our state's best and brightest to afford higher education. If the Governor truly wants to increase both enrollment and graduation rates, he should support and fully fund the HOPE Scholarship program instead of crippling it by raiding more than $300 million from lottery revenue to pay for a completely untested program with no standards. The Governor should work with the General Assembly to provide full tuition HOPE Scholarship so that more high-achieving Tennesseans can go to college, earn degrees with less debt, and contribute to our state's economy. I hope you and your loved ones have a happy and safe Thanksgiving.  As always, I remain.  Most sincerely, Steve Cohen Member of Congress",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z http://cohen.house.gov/press-release/cohen-reacts-republicans-suing-president-obama,Cohen Reacts to Republicans Suing President Obama,2014-11-21,2014,2014-11,Democrat,House,TN,Steve Cohen,C001068,cohen.house.gov,,,legacy,"[MEMPHIS, TN] – Congressman Steve Cohen (TN-09) released the following statement today after learning that House Republicans filed suit against the President for his implementation of the Affordable Care Act: “After doing everything they can—including 50 repeal votes that went nowhere—to strip the American people of the Affordable Care Act’s benefits and consumer protections, turning around  and suing the President of the United States for not implementing the law effectively enough doesn’t even pass the laugh test. It is even more bizarre for a party whose main approach has been attacking lawyers for trying to keep our air and water clean and for protecting consumers from substandard medical care and negligent businesses. Suddenly this is the party that believes lawyers are the answer?” “The appropriate avenue for Congress to address its concerns with the President is—as it has always been—legislating. Congress should be working to raise the minimum wage for low-income workers, pass a transportation bill that will create good-paying jobs rebuilding our nation’s crumbling infrastructure, help keep college affordable for all students, and reform our broken immigration system. This meritless lawsuit will do nothing to help fix our country’s problems.”",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://web.archive.org/web/20141124070507/http://cohen.house.gov:80/press-release/congressman-cohen-calls-president-george-hw-bush-support-president-obama%E2%80%99s-immigration,Congressman Cohen Calls on President George H.W. Bush to Support President Obamas Immigration Executive Action,2014-11-21,2014,2014-11,Democrat,House,TN,Steve Cohen,C001068,web.archive.org,,,legacy,"Congressman Cohen Calls on President George H.W. Bush to Support President Obama’s Immigration Executive Action President Obama’s executive actions follow similar moves by Republican Presidents Eisenhower, Reagan, and Bush [MEMPHIS, TN] – After President Barack Obama announced a series of executive actions—similar to moves by several former Republican Presidents and similar in scale to those of President George H.W. Bush—to alleviate some of the most dysfunctional aspects of the country’s immigration system, Congressman Steve Cohen (TN-09) released the following statement: “When Congress refused to act to address immigration system flaws during the George H.W. Bush Administration, President Bush he took executive action to fix the most glaring problems and to keep families together, similar to moves by several other Republican Presidents including Eisenhower and Reagan and similar in scale to President Obama’s recently-announced immigration actions. President Bush recognized at the time that he had the undisputed authority to use prosecutorial discretion to set enforcement policies for immigration agents. And he did so in a humane and reasonable manner. President Obama’s announcement last night falls within well-established precedents set by several former Presidents, and I hope President Bush will come out forcefully in support of these moves and in defense of the office of the President. Based on his own decisions during his Presidency, that is the only reasonable expectation.”",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z http://cohen.house.gov/press-release/cohen-statement-president-obama%E2%80%99s-move-fix-nation%E2%80%99s-broken-immigration-system,Cohen Statement on President Obamas Move to Fix Nations Broken Immigration System,2014-11-20,2014,2014-11,Democrat,House,TN,Steve Cohen,C001068,cohen.house.gov,,,legacy,"[WASHINGTON, DC] – Congressman Steve Cohen (TN-09) released the following statement after President Barack Obama announced a series of executive actions to alleviate several dysfunctional aspects of the United States’ immigration system: “As the leader of the least productive Congress in recent history, Speaker Boehner has obstructed, deflected responsibility, and outright refused to allow the House of Representatives to vote on the bipartisan comprehensive immigration and border security bill that passed the Senate a year-and-a-half ago. As one of the bill’s 200 cosponsors, I have repeatedly called upon the Speaker to give the bill a fair hearing to no avail.” “Our nation’s immigration system remains broken as a result of the Speaker’s politically-motivated delays. Immigration is one of America’s most pressing challenges. We can’t afford to wait any longer to fix it. In light of the Majority leadership’s abdication of its duty, I fully support the President’s commonsense, legally-sound move that follows well-established precedents to address our nation’s immigration problems as best he can. I once again urge Speaker Boehner to let Congress work its will, allow for a vote which would surely pass with wide bipartisan support, and finally fix our broken immigration system.”",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z http://cohen.house.gov/press-release/cohen-discusses-ninth-district-priorities-more-7250-constituents-during-teletown-hall,"Cohen Discusses Ninth District Priorities with More Than 7,250 Constituents During TeleTown Hall Meeting",2014-11-19,2014,2014-11,Democrat,House,TN,Steve Cohen,C001068,cohen.house.gov,,,legacy,"[WASHINGTON, DC] – Congressman Steve Cohen (TN-09) last night hosted a telephone town hall to answer his constituents’ questions about the issues facing the Ninth District and the nation. During the telephone town hall meeting, the Congressman discussed a wide variety of issues including the recently-opened shopping period for affordable 2015 health insurance plans at HealthCare.gov, the start of construction at Harahan Bridge, his efforts to end efforts by Deep South state legislatures to dilute the voting rights and political power of African Americans, and the recent push by some in Congress to force President Obama to approve the environmentally-damaging Keystone XL pipeline. “These town hall meetings offer Memphians and all citizens of the Ninth District yet another way to speak directly with me and share what’s important to them,” said Congressman Cohen. “I appreciated having this opportunity to listen to the Ninth District’s perspective on the issues facing our city and enjoyed discussing my work and legislation with more than 7,250 Memphians. Hearing the perspective, opinions and ideas of my constituents helps me best represent the Ninth District in Congress.” The Telephone Town Hall meeting began at 6:30PM CT and lasted approximately one hour.  More than 7,250 Ninth District constituents participated in the call and many asked questions about raising the minimum wage and the Congressman’s efforts to reduce recidivism rates by helping rehabilitated ex-offenders find jobs. Since being elected to the House of Representatives in 2006, Congressman Cohen has hosted dozens of town hall meetings in his Congressional district and via telephone from Washington, D.C.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z http://cohen.house.gov/press-release/cohen-earns-perfect-score-national-food-policy-scorecard-113th-congress,Cohen Earns Perfect Score on National Food Policy Scorecard for 113th Congress,2014-11-18,2014,2014-11,Democrat,House,TN,Steve Cohen,C001068,cohen.house.gov,,,legacy,"[WASHINGTON, DC] – Congressman Steve Cohen (TN-09) has received a perfect score from Food Policy Action on their 113th Congress National Food Policy Scorecard. The group aims to highlight the importance of policies that promote healthy diets, reduce hunger at home, ensure healthy food is affordable and accessible, and examine the environmental impact of farming and food production. “It is an honor to be recognized for my voting record by Food Policy Action,” said Congressman Cohen. “I will continue to support policies that reduce hunger and promote healthy living in the United States.” The National Food Policy Scorecard for the 113th Congress rates 18 specific bills regarding food policy issues like hunger, food access and subsidies, nutrition, food additives, food transparency, the effects of food production on the environment, and a multitude of other measures. Congressman Cohen was the only member of the Tennessee Congressional Delegation to receive a 100% score from Food Policy Action.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z http://cohen.house.gov/honoring-our-veterans-and-building-healthier-memphis,Honoring our Veterans and Building a Healthier Memphis,2014-11-14,2014,2014-11,Democrat,House,TN,Steve Cohen,C001068,cohen.house.gov,,,legacy,"Dear Friend,  This week, I hosted my best-attended annual Veterans Day luncheon for more than 300 Memphis-area veterans, I introduced Ron Walter—who I recommended the President nominate for the TVA Board—at his confirmation hearing before the U.S. Senate’s Environment and Public Works Committee, Congress came back into session and the HealthCare.gov health insurance marketplace opens for 2015 plan shopping tomorrow. Keep reading to learn what else I did this week. Honoring our Veterans Construction Begins on Main to Main at Harahan Bridge Welcoming TVA Board Nominee and Memphian Ron Walter to Washington Helping Memphians Get Covered with the Affordable Care Act Protecting our Environment and Stopping Keystone XL Stopping Efforts to Rob African-Americans of Their Voting Rights Memphis New Ballet and Memphian Briana Brown Honored at the White House Winning an Excellence in Public Service Award Saving the HOPE Scholarship and Fighting for Tennessee Students Honoring our Veterans   Tuesday was Veterans Day, which we set aside each year to honor those men and women who have served our country in uniform. This year, I was proud to host my 6th annual Veterans Day luncheon for more than 300 Memphis-area veterans, breaking attendance records for previous years. I spoke to the veterans about what we are doing in Congress to address recent concerns at the Department of Veterans Affairs, and Memphis VA Medical Center (VAMC) Director Dr. C. Diane Knight, U.S. Navy Commanding Officer—Naval Support Captain Doug Walker, and Alpha Omega Veterans Services Director Cordell Walker addressed the attendees. After reports of substandard care arose last year, I am pleased that follow-up reports show that the Memphis VA has implemented almost all of the VA Inspector General’s recommendations and is moving in the right direction. I was proud to support the Veterans Access, Choice, and Accountability Act which was signed into law by President Obama and will help VAMCs around the country hire more doctors, reduce wait times, and allow veterans who live far from their closest VAMC to seek care from closer private doctors. I will continue working to ensure that the Memphis VAMC receives needed resources including funding and improvements that will help minimize preventable deaths, eliminate redundancies that can impact patient care, and increase efficiency and veterans’ trust in the system. Construction Begins on Main to Main at Harahan Bridge On Monday, I joined Downtown Memphis Commission President Paul Morris to help highlight the start of construction for the Main to Main project at Harahan Bridge. It will be the longest bike bridge in the country and it's a big federal project for Memphis which will create jobs. I am proud of my work to secure the $15 million federal TIGER grant that is helping fund it. Welcoming TVA Board Nominee and Memphian Ron Walter to Washington Earlier this year, after I recommended Ron Walter to President Obama to fill a vacancy on the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) Board of Directors, the President nominated him for the position. I was pleased to recommend Ron to the President, as I have known him for nearly 40 years and know of no finer citizen of our community. He is diligent in all things and active and loved in the community for his genuine, caring attitude. This week, I was proud to introduce Ron at his confirmation hearing before the U.S. Senate Committee on Environment & Public Works. I know he will do an outstanding job and serve the TVA constituency with good judgment and rectitude if confirmed. You can watch footage of me introducing Ron here. Helping Memphians Get Covered with the Affordable Care Act All Memphians deserve quality health insurance and the President’s Affordable Care Act is making affordable coverage available to people who have not had access to it in the past. Thanks to the landmark healthcare reform law, the uninsured rate for the Ninth District has plummeted by 10%, 15,000 citizens who did not have insurance coverage now do, more than 200,000 Memphis-area residents have insurance that covers preventive care, and no one can be denied coverage because of a pre-existing condition anymore. The Affordable Care Act is already working for Memphis and for the whole country. Tomorrow, the HealthCare.gov insurance marketplace will re-open for 2015 plan shopping and comparisons. While this year’s shopping period runs into February of next year, December 15th is the deadline to enroll in coverage that will take effect on January 1st, 2015. You can visit this page to see if you qualify for tax credits that will be applied as discounts on your monthly insurance premium. If you already have insurance coverage through the HealthCare.gov marketplace, your plan will be automatically renewed for 2015 but you should still visit the newly-redeveloped, more stable, and easier-to-use HealthCare.gov to update your information, ensure you receive the full tax credit to which you are entitled, and review new options as cheaper insurance plans that better fit your needs may now be available. While the application process at HealthCare.gov has been streamlined and simplified this year, a one-page guide is available here and Tennessee’s health care navigator Seedco will be hosting several enrollment assistance sessions over the coming weeks if you are interested in receiving in-person assistance. Their Open Enrollment Kick-Off and Health Fair will be held tomorrow from 9am to 1pm at First Baptist Broad Church (2835 Broad Avenue), and they will host additional enrollment sessions at the Ben Hooks Library from 10:30am to 5pm on November 18th, and from 10:30am to 1pm on December 4th, 11th, 16th, and 18th. At each of these sessions, there will be certified health care navigators on site to answer questions you have about the law and assist you in the enrollment process. If you are interested in attending one of the enrollment sessions, please call (901) 405-7895 to RSVP. If you are on Medicare or your employer is offering qualified health insurance that you are enrolled in, you’re already covered and won’t need to enter the Marketplace for your health coverage. If you aren’t sure whether or not you should use the Marketplace to get insurance, call the Marketplace Hotline at (800) 318-2596, visit HealthCare.gov, or call Seedco at (901) 255-2955. You can also call my office at (901) 544-4131 or the Marketplace Hotline to find out if TennCare (Tennessee’s Medicaid program) is a coverage option for you. Hosting Kerry Kennedy, Daughter of Robert F. Kennedy, in Memphis On Saturday, I showed my friend Kerry Kennedy, the daughter of U.S. Attorney General Robert F. Kennedy and a niece of President John F. Kennedy, around town. We went to St. Jude, the Rendezvous, to see the ducks and roof view at the Peabody, and to the National Civil Rights Museum—sharing the museum’s history with her was special as her family is so inextricably linked to the civil rights movement and played such an outsized role in our nation’s history. Kerry was in Memphis to speak at the 2014 Call to Action Conference last weekend. Protecting our Environment and Stopping Keystone XL House Republican leadership this week rushed through an ill-advised plan to approve the Keystone XL Pipeline. This was the first of the many attacks on President Obama and his agenda that will surely come as Republicans take control of both Houses of Congress next year. As the House debated the measure, I spoke on the floor to highlight the damage that the pipeline will do to our environment and, as today’s NPR Morning Edition quoted me saying, point out that almost all of the “permanent jobs” that Republicans like to claim will be created by Keystone will actually be jobs cleaning up oil spills. Every year, 3.2 million gallons of oil spill out of pipelines in the country. It’s possible that Keystone will create jobs—but jobs cleaning up more oil spills aren’t the kind of jobs Americans want. Stopping Efforts to Rob African-Americans of Their Voting Rights All Americans hold dear the sacred, constitutionally-protected right to vote. Too often, we take for granted the principle of “one person, one vote.” In recent years, many conservative-led state legislatures in the South have redrawn their legislative districts to minimize the influence held by minority communities, specifically African-American communities, using a practice known as “packing.” By packing as many minority voters as possible into a single district, these legislatures actually dilute minority voting rights by reducing the number of districts their votes can influence. Last month, I sent Attorney General Eric Holder a letter asking that he do what he can to stop it, and this week the Supreme Court heard arguments regarding the practice. While it may be done under the pretext of protecting minorities or ensuring they are represented, recent “packing” efforts actually have the opposite result, materially reducing the impact and influence of African-Americans in our democracy.  It is no coincidence that the five congressional districts with the most African-Americans are all in the Deep South—and it demonstrates that there is much work to be done to truly emerge from the shadows of slavery and Jim Crow. . The Supreme Court should put a stop to this shameful tactic and fully protect the constitutional rights of every American, regardless of skin color. Memphis New Ballet and Memphian Briana Brown Honored at the White House I am very proud that the Memphis New Ballet and Memphian Briana Brown were honored by First Lady Michelle Obama at the White House. The First Lady gave the Ballet, represented by Briana Brown, the National Arts and Humanities Youth Program Award, which includes a $10,000 grant to support the Ballet. Congratulations to the New Ballet and to Briana! Winning an Excellence in Public Service Award On Sunday, Wiley College and the Carver Arts & Education Project awarded me with their Excellence in Public Service Award for “a lifetime of service to the citizens of Shelby County and the State of Tennessee.” I am proud to receive this distinction, to be recognized for my work, and for the honor of representing the citizens of the Ninth District.  Saving the HOPE Scholarship and Fighting for Tennessee Students Recently, Governor Haslam defended his “Tennessee Promise” plan that raids $300 million this year and millions more annually from the HOPE Scholarship program by arguing that our state hasn’t “increased the number of Tennesseans who are going to school,” and that he believes his plan is what the state needs to do that. However, a new report shows that the Governor is just plain wrong. Between 2007 and 2012, enrollment in Tennessee’s public colleges actually rose by more than 22%. But while enrollment picked up substantially, state funding per student actually fell by nearly 18%, making it harder for our state’s best and brightest to afford higher education. If the Governor truly wants to increase both enrollment and graduation rates, he should support and fully fund the HOPE Scholarship program instead of crippling it by raiding more than $300 million from lottery revenue to pay for a completely untested program with no standards. The Governor should work with the General Assembly to provide full tuition HOPE Scholarship so that more high-achieving Tennesseans can go to college, earn degrees with less debt, and contribute to our state’s economy. As always, I remain.  Most sincerely, Steve Cohen Member of Congress",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z http://cohen.house.gov/press-release/cohen-sends-open-letter-highlighting-savings-available-healthcaregov-eve-insurance,Cohen Sends Open Letter Highlighting Savings Available at HealthCare.gov on Eve of Insurance Marketplace Opening,2014-11-14,2014,2014-11,Democrat,House,TN,Steve Cohen,C001068,cohen.house.gov,,,legacy,"[MEMPHIS, TN] – Congressman Steve Cohen (TN-09) has written an open letter to the citizens of the Ninth District about tomorrow’s HealthCare.gov insurance shopping period grand opening. The Congressman’s letter, available here, outlines several tips to help consumers enroll in the 2015 health insurance plan that best fits them while keeping the most money in their pockets. “Thanks to President Obama’s landmark healthcare reform law, our uninsured rate has plummeted by 10%, almost 15,000 Memphians who did not have insurance coverage before health care reform now do, more than 200,000 now have insurance that covers preventive care, and no one can be denied coverage because of a pre-existing condition anymore,” said Congressman Cohen. “The Affordable Care Act is clearly already working for thousands of Ninth District families, but everyone—whether or not they already have insurance—should visit HealthCare.gov today to ensure they get the best possible deal and that they receive their full tax credit in 2015.” This year’s enrollment period runs for three months from November 15th to February 15th, but December 15th, 2014 is the deadline to enroll in coverage that will take effect on January 1st, 2015. While those who enrolled in plans through the Marketplace last year do not need to re-enroll to maintain coverage for 2015, all citizens whether or not they have previously enrolled are strongly encouraged to visit the newly-redeveloped, more stable, and easier-to-use HealthCare.gov website to ensure they receive the full tax credit to which they are entitled and to review their options as cheaper insurance plans may be available this year. Consumers are also now able to view health insurance plans available in their area without registering, logging in, or identifying themselves. A simple, one-page guide to navigating and enrolling through the HealthCare.gov marketplace is available here, and Memphis-area citizens can visit this page to determine if they qualify for lower insurance costs in the coming year. The full text of Congressman Cohen’s letter follows: November 15th, 2014 Dear Friend, All Memphians deserve quality health insurance and the President's Affordable Care Act is making affordable coverage available to people who have not had access to it in the past. Thanks to the landmark healthcare reform law, the uninsured rate for the Ninth District has plummeted by 10%, 15,000 citizens who did not have insurance coverage now do, more than 200,000 Memphis-area residents have insurance that covers preventive care, and no one can be denied coverage because of a pre-existing condition anymore. The Affordable Care Act is already working for Memphis and for the whole country. This morning, the HealthCare.gov insurance marketplace officially opened for 2015 plan shopping and comparisons. While this year's shopping period runs into February of next year, December 15th is the deadline to enroll in coverage that will take effect on January 1st, 2015. You can visit https://bit.ly/hcSavings to see if you qualify for tax credits that will be applied as discounts on your monthly insurance premium. If you already have insurance coverage through the HealthCare.gov marketplace, your plan will be automatically renewed for 2015 but you should still visit the newly-redeveloped, more stable, and easier-to-use HealthCare.gov to update your information, ensure you receive the full tax credit to which you are entitled, and review new options as cheaper insurance plans that better fit your needs may now be available. While the application process at HealthCare.gov has been streamlined and simplified this year, a one-page guide is available https://bit.ly/hcGuide and Tennessee's health care navigator Seedco will be hosting several enrollment assistance sessions over the coming weeks if you are interested in receiving in-person assistance. Their Open Enrollment Kick-Off and Health Fair will be held today from 9am to 1pm at First Baptist Broad Church (2835 Broad Avenue), and they will host additional enrollment sessions at the Ben Hooks Library from 10:30am to 5pm on November 18th, and from 10:30am to 1pm on December 4th, 11th, 16th, and 18th. At each of these sessions, there will be certified health care navigators on site to answer questions you have about the law and assist you in the enrollment process. If you are interested in attending one of the enrollment sessions, please call (901) 405-7895 to RSVP. If you are on Medicare or your employer is offering qualified health insurance that you are enrolled in, you're already covered and won't need to enter the Marketplace for your health coverage. If you aren't sure whether or not you should use the Marketplace to get insurance, call the Marketplace Hotline at (800) 318-2596, visit HealthCare.gov, or call Seedco at (901) 255-2955. You can also call my office at (901) 544-4131 or the Marketplace Hotline to find out if TennCare (Tennessee's Medicaid program) is a coverage option for you.  As always, I remain. Most sincerely, Steve Cohen Member of Congress",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z http://cohen.house.gov/press-release/cohen-introduces-tva-board-nominee-ron-walter-senate-confirmation-hearing,Cohen Introduces TVA Board Nominee Ron Walter at Senate Confirmation Hearing,2014-11-13,2014,2014-11,Democrat,House,TN,Steve Cohen,C001068,cohen.house.gov,,,legacy,"[WASHINGTON, DC] – Congressman Steve Cohen (TN-09) today introduced Ronald Walter, President Obama’s nominee to the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) Board of Directors, to a full hearing of the U.S. Senate Committee on Environment & Public Works. If confirmed by the Senate, Walter will fill one of the nine positions on the TVA Board. Video of the Congressman’s remarks is available here (beginning at 38:00). “I was pleased to recommend Ron Walter to President Obama, as I have known Ron for nearly 40 years and know of no finer citizen of our community. He is diligent in all things and active and loved in the community for his genuine, caring attitude. I know Ron will do an outstanding job and serve the TVA constituency with good judgment and rectitude if confirmed, and I am proud to introduce him to the U.S. Senate today.” Ronald Walter is currently the President and General Manager of WREG-TV, a position he has held since 2004.  Mr. Walter has served in a variety of positions at WREG-TV since 1987.  He was Executive Vice President/Station Manager from 1994 to 2004, concurrently serving as Vice President of Government and Cable Relations for the New York Times Broadcast Group, WREG-TV’s former parent company from 2001 to 2004.  He served as Vice President and Station Manager from 1991 to 1994, Vice President of Government and Public Relations from 1989 to 1990, and Director of Marketing, Production and Client Services from 1987 to 1989.  Mr. Walter was Vice President of Customer Relations for the Memphis Light, Gas and Water Division from 1982 to 1987.  From 1980 to 1982, he served as Assistant to the President at Memphis Light, Gas and Water.  Mr. Walter received a B.A. from Clark University and an M.S.L.S. from Case Western Reserve University. The Tennessee Valley Authority, a corporation owned by the U.S. government, provides electricity for 9 million people in parts of seven southeastern states at prices below the national average. TVA, which receives no taxpayer money and makes no profits, also provides flood control, navigation and land management for the Tennessee River system and assists utilities and state and local governments with economic development.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z http://cohen.house.gov/press-release/cohen-memphians-can-now-review-affordable-insurance-options-healthcaregov,Cohen: Memphians Can Now Review Affordable Insurance Options at HealthCare.gov,2014-11-12,2014,2014-11,Democrat,House,TN,Steve Cohen,C001068,cohen.house.gov,,,legacy,"[MEMPHIS, TN] – Memphians can now visit the HealthCare.gov insurance marketplace to review plan options, premiums, and deductibles, Congressman Steve Cohen (TN-09) announced today. Using the newly-streamlined window-shopping feature at HealthCare.gov, Ninth District consumers can answer three simple questions—income, household member age(s), and ZIP code—to view all of the affordable health insurance plans available to them, as well as each plan’s out-of-pocket costs after any applicable tax credits are taken into account. This new feature will enable the citizens of Memphis to get a head start on their plan selection so that they are ready to enroll in the plan that is best for them when the HealthCare.gov open enrollment period begins on Saturday. “Thanks to President Obama’s landmark healthcare reform law, our uninsured rate has plummeted by 10%, almost 15,000 Memphians who did not have insurance coverage before health care reform now do, more than 200,000 now have insurance that covers preventive care, and no one can be denied coverage because of a pre-existing condition anymore,” said Congressman Cohen. “The Affordable Care Act is already working for thousands of Ninth District families, and HealthCare.gov’s new window-shopping feature will help Memphians see if there is an even better deal available. Whether they already have insurance or not, everyone should visit HealthCare.gov to make sure their plan keeps the most money in their pockets and to ensure they receive their full tax credit in 2015.” This year’s enrollment period runs for three months from November 15th to February 15th, but December 15th, 2014 is the deadline to enroll in coverage that will take effect on January 1st, 2015. While those who enrolled in plans through the Marketplace last year do not need to re-enroll to maintain coverage for 2015, all citizens whether or not they have previously enrolled are strongly encouraged to visit the newly-redeveloped, more stable, and easier-to-use HealthCare.gov website to ensure they receive the full tax credit to which they are entitled and to review their options as cheaper insurance plans may be available this year. A new one-page guide to navigating and enrolling through the HealthCare.gov marketplace is available here. Memphis area citizens can visit this page to determine if they qualify for lower insurance costs in the coming year and can sign up to receive email updates or text messages regarding plan availability, pricing, and enrollment deadlines here. Consumers are also now able to view health insurance plans available in their area without registering, logging in, or identifying themselves. An estimated 70% of first-time applicants—those with uncomplicated household scenarios—will be able to use a simpler, 3-page form to enroll in coverage for the coming year, down from 21 pages required to enroll last year. Those with more complicated household and tax scenarios will still be able to use the traditional Marketplace application process, which has been improved and no longer requires users to restart the entire application to fix a single mistake.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z http://cohen.house.gov/press-release/congressman-cohen-supreme-court-should-end-%E2%80%9Cpacking%E2%80%9D-efforts-rob-african-americans,Congressman Cohen: Supreme Court Should End Packing Efforts That Rob African-Americans of Voting Power,2014-11-12,2014,2014-11,Democrat,House,TN,Steve Cohen,C001068,cohen.house.gov,,,legacy,"Top 5 congressional districts with the most African-Americans have been gerrymandered by conservative Deep South state legislatures [WASHINGTON, DC] – As the Supreme Court heard arguments in a case regarding the legality of legislative maps drawn to minimize the political power of African-Americans, Congressman Steve Cohen (TN-09) today condemned the increasing use of this racially-biased redistricting practice, known as “packing,” across the Deep South. Congressman Cohen, the Ranking Member of the House Judiciary Subcommittee on the Constitution and Civil Justice, also urged U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder to do what he can to protect the voting rights of all Americans from district packing in a letter sent last month. “While it may be done under the pretext of protecting minorities or ensuring they are represented, recent ‘packing’ efforts actually have the opposite result, materially reducing the impact and influence of African-Americans in our democracy,” said Congressman Cohen. “It is no coincidence that the five congressional districts with the most African-Americans are all in the Deep South—and it demonstrates that there is much work to be done to truly emerge from the shadows of slavery and Jim Crow. The Supreme Court should put a stop to this shameful tactic and fully protect the constitutional rights of every American, regardless of skin color.” As The Nation magazine’s Ari Berman pointed out in his February 2012 report entitled “How the GOP Is Resegregating the South,” packing districts is a crucial part of Republican efforts to enhance Republican power throughout the South at the expense of minority voters and their voting rights.  Prominent Republican election lawyer Ben Ginsburg even dubbed this strategy with the vulgar term, “Project Ratf***”. In October, a federal court actually declared a district drawn using packing methods unconstitutional, holding that race was a primary factor in the redrawing of Virginia’s Third Congressional District. The House Judiciary Subcommittee on the Constitution and Civil Justice has jurisdiction over issues relating to voting rights. Ranking Member Cohen has long fought to ensure that voting rights are protected throughout the United States. In the year since the U.S. Supreme Court struck down several critical protections of the Voting Rights Act but left the door open for Congress to restore those protections, the Congressman has strongly and repeatedly called on House leadership to allow a vote to do just that. Congressman Cohen is a cosponsor of the Voting Rights Amendment Act of 2014, which would address the Supreme Court’s ruling and restore the full protections originally included by the authors of the Voting Rights Act.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z http://cohen.house.gov/press-release/cohen-commemorates-veterans-day-2,Cohen Commemorates Veterans Day,2014-11-11,2014,2014-11,Democrat,House,TN,Steve Cohen,C001068,cohen.house.gov,,,legacy,"[MEMPHIS, TN] – Congressman Steve Cohen (TN-09) released the following statement to commemorate Veterans Day: “Every November, we set aside a special day to honor the brave men and women who have served our country in uniform. On Veterans Day, we gather to remember the sacrifice and courage of the soldiers, sailors, airmen, Marines, Coast Guardsmen and reservists who have fought to safeguard the many freedoms that Americans hold dear. As we honor our nation’s heroes, we must also redouble our efforts to ensure that we keep our promises to them. We should do all we can to help them find good-paying jobs, to provide them with an education and affordable housing, and to ensure that they receive the timely, high-quality health care they deserve. That is the best way to thank our veterans and honor their sacrifices, and I will continue to work on their behalf. I was proud to host VA Secretary McDonald during his visit to Memphis and I support his aggressive reforms based on proven private sector methods.”",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z http://cohen.house.gov/honoring-our-veterans-and-working-progress-next-congress,Honoring our Veterans and Working for Progress in the Next Congress,2014-11-07,2014,2014-11,Democrat,House,TN,Steve Cohen,C001068,cohen.house.gov,,,legacy,"Dear Friend, This week saw low voter turnout for the midterm elections.  Those who exercised their right to vote sent a message to Washington that they are frustrated by gridlock.  I am pleased to continue representing the Ninth District in my 5th term in Congress and I look forward to continuing my work to find common ground and help hardworking Memphians get a fair shot at the American Dream. Keep reading to learn more about what I did this week. Honoring Our Veterans and Hosting My 6th Annual Veterans Day Luncheon Working for Progress in the Next Congress Building a Healthier Memphis with the Affordable Care Act Supporting Whitehaven High School and the Tennessee College of Applied Technology 2015 U.S. Capitol Historical Society Calendars Are Available Saving the HOPE Scholarship and Fighting for Tennessee Students Honoring Our Veterans and Hosting My 6th Annual Veterans Day Luncheon Veterans Day is a special day set aside to honor those men and women who have served our country in uniform.  On Tuesday, November 11, 2014, I will host my sixth annual Veterans Day Luncheon from 11AM to 1PM at BRIDGES, located at 477 North 5th Street. If you are a Ninth District veteran, I would like to invite you to attend my luncheon so that you can hear from me about what Congress is doing to address recent concerns at the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA).  Special guests, including Memphis VA Medical Center (VAMC) Director Dr. C. Diane Knight and others, will also be in attendance to discuss improvements at the Memphis VAMC.  Additionally, caseworkers from my office will be available to help answer questions on specific concerns with your benefits or services. You can RSVP to attend this year’s Veterans Day Luncheon here or by calling my Memphis office at 901.544.4131. I hope to see you there.  After reports of substandard care arose last year, I am pleased that follow-up reports show that the Memphis VA has implemented almost all of the VA Inspector General’s recommendations and is moving in the right direction. This week, I gave a keynote address to the Memphis VAMC Annual Medical Staff Meeting to help highlight that the doctors, nurses, administrative and support staff here in our VAMC are among the best health care service providers we have, but we can do more to help them. That’s one of the reasons I was proud to support the Veterans Access, Choice, and Accountability Act which was signed into law by President Obama and will help VAMCs around the country hire more doctors, reduce wait times, and allow veterans who live far from their closest VAMC to seek care from closer private doctors. I will continue working to ensure that the Memphis VAMC receives needed resources including funding and improvements that will help minimize preventable deaths, eliminate redundancies that can impact patient care, and increase efficiency and veterans’ trust in the system. Working for Progress in the Next Congress This week saw low voter turnout for the midterm elections. Those who exercised their right to vote sent a message to Washington that they aren’t happy with the gridlock in Congress. The American people want us to get things done, but the results of the midterm elections will make it harder to achieve their goals. It will be harder to raise the minimum wage, reform our nation’s outdated and racially-biased criminal drug laws, build and maintain our roads and bridges, and protect Social Security for our seniors. And while many young people in Shelby County got involved and voted against Tennessee’s restrictive abortion amendment, the amendment’s passage will make it harder for us to protect women’s rights in our state. On Wednesday, I was on Al Jazeera America to discuss what this week’s elections mean and what I hope we can get done over the next two years. You can watch my interview here. And this morning, I was on both Fox 13’s Good Morning Memphis (watch here) and Channel 3’s Live at 9 (watch here). Building a Healthier Memphis with the Affordable Care Act This year’s open enrollment period for health insurance through the HealthCare.gov marketplace opens on November 15th, and I want to make sure that Memphians don’t miss out on potential savings and additional options available this year. Yesterday, I joined the “C3” (Connecting Consumers to Coverage) Symposium at the Urban Child Institute to highlight best practices for enrolling in coverage when the open enrollment period begins. The President’s landmark Affordable Care Act is already working for thousands of Ninth District families, but everyone should visit HealthCare.gov to make sure they are enrolled in the plan that keeps the most money in their pockets and to update their information to ensure they receive the full tax credit to which they are entitled next year. While the application process at HealthCare.gov has been streamlined and simplified for many this year, if you are interested in receiving assistance to enroll, Seedco will be hosting several enrollment assistance sessions over the coming weeks. Their Open Enrollment Kick-Off and Health Fair will be held from 9am to 1pm at First Baptist Broad Church (2835 Broad Avenue) on the 15th, as well as additional enrollment sessions at the Ben Hooks Library from 10:30am to 5pm on November 18th, and from 10:30am to 1pm on December 4th, 11th, 16th, and 18th. At each of these sessions, there will be certified health care navigators on site to answer questions you have about the law and assist you in the enrollment process. If you are interested in attending one of the enrollment sessions, please call 901.405.7895 to RSVP. Supporting Whitehaven High School and the Tennessee College of Applied Technology This week, I had the opportunity to support and visit with some of the brightest students in Memphis. On Saturday, I was pleased to join the first annual Whitehaven High School PTSA Tiger 5k Walk and Run. The event will help support academic and student activities, parental and community engagement, and improve and update technology and other programs. I was also happy to visit the Tennessee College of Applied Technology to answer students’ questions about the importance of the Constitution and my role in Congress. 2015 U.S. Capitol Historical Society Calendars Are Available My office currently has a limited number of 2015 U.S. Capitol Historical Society calendars available. If you would like to receive a calendar, please complete this form on my website. Due to the rules of the House, I am only able to mail calendars to residents of Tennessee’s Ninth District. Please feel free to share this email with other citizens of the Ninth District who may be interested in receiving one but who do not receive my eNewsletter. Saving the HOPE Scholarship and Fighting for Tennessee Students Recently, Governor Haslam defended his “Tennessee Promise” plan that raids $300 million this year and millions more annually from the HOPE Scholarship program by arguing that our state hasn’t “increased the number of Tennesseans who are going to school,” and that he believes his plan is what the state needs to do that. However, a new report shows that the Governor is just plain wrong. Between 2007 and 2012, enrollment in Tennessee’s public colleges actually rose by more than 22%. But while enrollment picked up substantially, state funding per student actually fell by nearly 18%, making it harder for our state’s best and brightest to afford higher education. If the Governor truly wants to increase both enrollment and graduation rates, he should support and fully fund the HOPE Scholarship program instead of crippling it by raiding more than $300 million from lottery revenue to pay for a completely untested program with no standards. The Governor should work with the General Assembly to provide full tuition HOPE Scholarship so that more high-achieving Tennesseans can go to college, earn degrees with less debt, and contribute to our state’s economy. As always, I remain.  Most sincerely, Steve Cohen Member of Congress",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z http://cohen.house.gov/press-release/cohen-memphians-should-review-healthcaregov-plan-options-ensure-they-don%E2%80%99t-miss-out,Cohen: Memphians Should Review HealthCare.gov Plan Options to Ensure They Dont Miss Out on Savings,2014-11-07,2014,2014-11,Democrat,House,TN,Steve Cohen,C001068,cohen.house.gov,,,legacy,"[MEMPHIS, TN] – With just days before the open enrollment period for health insurance through the HealthCare.gov Marketplace opens, Congressman Steve Cohen (TN-09) today reminded Memphians not to miss out on potential savings and additional insurance options available to them this year. While those who enrolled in plans through President Obama’s Affordable Care Act Marketplace last year do not need to re-enroll to maintain coverage for 2015, all citizens whether or not they have previously enrolled are strongly encouraged to visit the newly-redeveloped, more stable, and easier-to-use HealthCare.gov website to ensure they receive the full tax credit to which they are entitled and to review their options as cheaper insurance plans may be available this year. “The Affordable Care Act is already working for thousands of Ninth District families, but everyone should visit HealthCare.gov to make sure they are enrolled in the plan that keeps the most money in their pockets and to ensure they receive their full tax credit in 2015,” said Congressman Cohen. “Thanks to President Obama’s landmark healthcare reform law, our uninsured rate has plummeted by 10%, almost 15,000 Memphians who did not have insurance coverage before health care reform now do, more than 200,000 now have insurance that covers preventive care, and no one can be denied coverage because of a pre-existing condition anymore.” A new one-page guide to navigating and enrolling through the HealthCare.gov marketplace is available here. Memphis area citizens can visit this page to determine if they qualify for lower insurance costs in the coming year and can sign up to receive email updates or text messages regarding plan availability, pricing, and enrollment deadlines here. Consumers are also now able to view health insurance plans available in their area without registering, logging in, or identifying themselves. An estimated 70% of first-time applicants—those with uncomplicated household scenarios—will be able to use a simpler, 3-page form to enroll in coverage for the coming year, down from 21 pages required to enroll last year. Those with more complicated household and tax scenarios will still be able to use the traditional Marketplace application process, which has been improved and no longer requires users to restart the entire application to fix a single mistake. Congressman Cohen also today renewed his call for Governor Bill Haslam to expand Tennessee’s Medicaid system, TennCare, as the Affordable Care Act allows and provide health care benefits to low-income citizens currently caught in a politically-caused coverage gap. Several times this year, the Congressman has offered to help Governor Haslam extend health coverage to those who cannot afford it and are unable to take advantage of important protections of President Obama’s Affordable Care Act (ACA) because of the state’s inaction. “By not expanding Medicaid, Governors around the country—and at home in Tennessee—are conveying a message that they have little concern for the neediest, sickest, and most desperate of their constituents,” said Congressman Cohen. “While this may not be Governor Haslam’s intention, the reality of the situation is that—until he does something—234,000 of our state’s most needy are going or will go without the health coverage that they need and that President Obama’s health care reform law says they should have. Studies have even shown that thousands of Americans each year will die avoidable deaths because of lack of access to Medicaid. That is unacceptable.” Earlier this year, Congressman Cohen joined 33 Members of Congress from states that have not yet expanded their Medicaid systems as a founding member of the Congressional State Medicaid Expansion Caucus.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z http://cohen.house.gov/press-release/cohen-announces-15-million-christ-community-health-services,Cohen Announces $1.5 Million for Christ Community Health Services,2014-11-06,2014,2014-11,Democrat,House,TN,Steve Cohen,C001068,cohen.house.gov,,,legacy,"[MEMPHIS, TN] – Congressman Steve Cohen (TN-09) announced a new federal grant worth $1,575,000 for Christ Community Health Services to help train more primary care doctors and increase access to healthcare services in the Memphis area. This funding comes through the Health Resource and Services Administration’s (HRSA) $230 million nationwide Teaching Health Center Graduate Medical Education grant program, which was created as part of President Obama’s landmark healthcare reform law, the Affordable Care Act. “Christ Community Health Services provides a vital service to the Memphis community,” said Congressman Cohen.  “This Affordable Care Act funding will help Christ Community Health Services train more doctors and continue to provide the poor, the homeless, and the uninsured with the health care services they need.” To help achieve the program’s goal of increasing the number of primary care residents and improving access to health care services, HRSA’s Teaching Health Center Graduate Medical Education initiative provides assistance and funding for medical education expenses for training residents in new or expanding community-based primary care residency programs. Seventy-five percent of Teaching Health Centers are in underserved communities. Christ Community Health Services has focused on fulfilling the physical, spiritual and emotional needs of the poor, the uninsured and the homeless in Memphis since 1995.  Through strategically placed health care centers and outreach programs, the group provides high-quality health care and other services to thousands of patients, caregivers, students and families each year.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z http://cohen.house.gov/press-release/cohen-named-%E2%80%9Cchampion-reform%E2%80%9D-commitment-fixing-nation%E2%80%99s-draconian-marijuana-laws,Cohen Named Champion of Reform for Commitment to Fixing Nations Draconian Marijuana Laws,2014-11-05,2014,2014-11,Democrat,House,TN,Steve Cohen,C001068,cohen.house.gov,,,legacy,"[MEMPHIS, TN] – Congressman Steve Cohen (TN-09), Ranking Member of the House Judiciary Subcommittee on the Constitution and Civil Justice, has been named a 2014 Champion of Reform by the Drug Policy Alliance for his “major contributions” to bringing our federal drug policies into the 21st century and reducing the racial disparities they cause in our criminal justice system. Congressman Cohen is one of only 10 Members of Congress to receive this distinction from the Drug Policy Alliance. “I have spent my career trying to bring sanity to our nation’s outdated and draconian criminal drug laws that unfairly hurt minority communities, said Congressman Cohen. “It is an honor to be recognized as a Champion of Reform in Congress, and I will continue to support policies that are based on sound science and reduce racial disparities.” Among Congressman Cohen’s contributions to drug policy reform are two bills that he has introduced in Congress. The first, his Unmuzzle the Drug Czar Act, would remove restrictions that require the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy, commonly known as the “Drug Czar,” to oppose changing the legal status of marijuana and prevent it from even studying whether there could be any medical benefits. More information about Congressman Cohen’s Unmuzzle the Drug Czar Act is available here. Congressman Cohen’s second bill would create a National Commission on Federal Marijuana Policy. The Commission would undertake a comprehensive review of the federal government’s current policies toward marijuana, particularly in light of the growing number of states where marijuana is already legal for medicinal or personal use. More information about this legislation can be found here. Drug Policy Action is a nonpartisan, not-for-profit, 501(c)(4) organization that aims to promote drug laws and policies grounded in science, compassion, health and human rights.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z http://cohen.house.gov/press-release/cohen-fights-22-million-owed-memphis-police-department-justice-mistakenly-directed,"Cohen Fights For $2.2 Million Owed to Memphis Police that Department of Justice Mistakenly Directed to DeKalb County, Georgia",2014-10-31,2014,2014-10,Democrat,House,TN,Steve Cohen,C001068,cohen.house.gov,,,legacy,"[MEMPHIS, TN] – Congressman Steve Cohen (TN-09) is calling on U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder to ensure that the City of Memphis receives more than $2.2 million in police department funding it is owed that was mistakenly awarded to DeKalb County, Georgia in 2009. A new DOJ Inspector General report found that had it not been for inflated, inaccurate crime statistics reported by DeKalb County, the Memphis Police Department would have received those funds, allowing the city to hire the 50 officers it needed, rather than reduced funding that only allowed the city to hire 37 officers. “I was disturbed to learn that the City of Memphis Police Department was deprived of more than $2.2 million that it rightfully should have been awarded in 2009 to hire needed officers and keep our community safe,” said Congressman Cohen. “The Memphis economy has been particularly hard hit in recent years, and losing out on this funding likely forced the redirection of resources away from other important priorities in an already strained budget. Attorney General Eric Holder should rectify this mistake as soon as possible and ensure that Memphis receives all of the money it is owed.” The DOJ’s report found that the inaccurate statistics reported by DeKalb County placed it “in a better position to receive… funding because it appeared to have a greater need for funding to address fiscal and economic conditions and high rates of crime.” Following an audit of the statistics provided, the Inspector General learned that DeKalb County would not have been awarded the grant it received, and that the “City of Memphis Police Department, which received… funding for 37 of the maximum 50 allowed officers it requested, would have been fully funded for 50 officers using $2,229,357 of the funds awarded to DeKalb County.” Finally, the report recommends that DOJ’s Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS) “remedy” the mistakenly directed funds. A signed copy of Congressman Cohen’s letter is available here and its text is copied below: Dear Attorney General Holder: I was disturbed to learn that the City of Memphis Police Department was deprived of more than $2.2 million that it rightfully should have been awarded from the COPS Hiring Recovery Program in 2009.  I urge you to rectify this mistake and ensure that Memphis receives all of the money it is owed. According to the Department of Justice (DOJ) Inspector General (IG) report entitled “Audit of the Office of Community Oriented Policing Services Grants Awarded to DeKalb County, Georgia,” funds that were improperly awarded to DeKalb County should have been awarded to Memphis instead.  The report explained that DeKalb County submitted inaccurate data to support its application, including reporting a percentage reduction in civilian agency personnel that could not be verified, under-reporting the local area unemployment statistics, and over-stating all crime incidents.  Under the DOJ’s methodology DeKalb County would not have been eligible to receive funding had the correct data been supplied and $2,229,357 would have been provided to Memphis instead.  This money would have enabled Memphis to fully fund the 50 officers it requested, instead of funding for the 37 it received. As you know, the COPS Hiring Recovery Program (CHRP) was created as part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act to provide additional resources to local law enforcement departments struggling to maintain their budgets during the Great Recession.  CHRP enabled police departments to hire, rehire, or retain police officers during these difficult economic times, both enhancing public safety and providing much needed jobs.  The Memphis economy has been particularly hard hit in recent years and by losing out on much needed CHRP funding, it was forced to redirect resources to its police department away from other important priorities in an already strained budget. The IG report recommends that the DOJ remedy the funds improperly awarded to DeKalb County.  It is only fair that Memphis now receive the money it should have been awarded had the DOJ been supplied with accurate data.  I appreciate the IG’s thorough investigation, which discovered this error, and I hope you will do all you can to ensure that the DOJ provides Memphis the funding it needs and deserves.  Thank you for your attention to this matter. As always, I remain, Most sincerely,",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z http://cohen.house.gov/revitalizing-downtown-memphis,Revitalizing Downtown Memphis,2014-10-31,2014,2014-10,Democrat,House,TN,Steve Cohen,C001068,cohen.house.gov,,,legacy,"Dear Friend, This week, I joined the Memphis Downtown Commission to help our efforts to revitalize the city center, I discussed our nation's response to recent Ebola diagnoses on CNN, and I visited a LeMoyne-Owen College class to have a conversation about our federal government with local students. Keep reading to learn more about what I did this week. Revitalizing Downtown Memphis Increasing Funding for Medical Research and Ebola Response Protecting Memphians and Supporting the Memphis Police Department Meeting with LeMoyne-Owen College Students Saving the HOPE Scholarship and Fighting for Tennessee Students 6th Annual Veterans Day Luncheon 2015 U.S. Capitol Historical Society Calendars Are Available Supporting Memphis Area Legal Services Grants for Memphis Research Building a Healthier Memphis and Fighting Breast Cancer Memphis Accepting the President's My Brother's Keeper Community Challenge Revitalizing Downtown Memphis Here in Memphis, we are lucky that it's easy to take in much of our city's rich history on a walking tour of Downtown to visit attractions like Beale Street, the National Civil Rights Museum, Memphis Rock 'n' Soul Museum, Mudd Island, or any of the other many interesting sights in the area. A healthy downtown neighborhood is a key component of ensuring a strong Memphis community, and I believe that the continued revitalization of this area will make our city more attractive to visitors and new residents alike. Earlier this week, I spoke at a meeting of the Downtown Memphis Commission about the efforts to reenergize the area. I was proud to secure nearly $15 million in federal funding through the TIGER grant program for the Main Street to Main Street Multi-Modal Connector Project, which will help improve livability, increase tourism, drive economic development and create jobs. The $15 million grant is being used to develop the 12 mile regional, multimodal corridor that strengthens and connects the Main Streets of Memphis and West Memphis' downtowns using the historic Harahan Bridge as the centerpiece. This kind of infrastructure in the heart of Memphis will help our city attract more people looking to make Memphis home. Projects like Main Street to Main Street are helping make our city a better place to live, work, and play. It's important that we support this kind of investment, so I will continue to fight for more federal funding for projects that not only improve the infrastructure of our city, but also help to encourage healthy lifestyles for Memphians. Increasing Funding for Medical Research and Ebola Response Last week, I led a coalition of nearly 50 Members of Congress in calling for increased support for the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the Centers for Disease Control (CDC). Following up this this week, I spoke to The Commercial Appeal about why it's important that our elected leaders follow science and not base policies on fear or politics. Later, I appeared on CNN Newsroom to talk about our nation's response to the outbreak in West Africa. We discussed what we should do to contain it and prevent its spread both in the United States and around the globe. You can watch my interview with CNN's Carol Costello here. If you would like more information on the current situation, the CDC has launched a regularly-updated web page with information about Ebola and how our nation is working to address and prevent it from spreading. You can visit the CDC's Ebola information page here. Protecting Memphians and Supporting the Memphis Police Department This week, I was disturbed to learn that the City of Memphis Police Department was deprived of more than $2.2 million in funding to hire new officers that it rightfully should have received from the U.S. Department of Justice in 2009. A new Department of Justice (DOJ) Inspector General report found that had it not been for inflated, inaccurate crime statistics reported by DeKalb County, the Memphis Police Department would have received those funds, allowing the city to hire the 50 officers it needed, rather than reduced funding that only allowed the city to hire 37 officers. The Memphis economy has been particularly hard hit in recent years, and losing out on this funding likely forced the redirection of resources away from other important priorities in an already strained budget. Upon learning of the DOJ's findings, I wrote a letter to Attorney General Eric Holder urging him to rectify this mistake as soon as possible and ensure that Memphis receives all of the money it is owed. I also spoke with Fox 13 last night to discuss this issue, and you can watch their segment here. Meeting with LeMoyne-Owen College Students On Tuesday, I joined James Franklin's Intro to Social Work and Human Behavior class at LeMoyne-Owen College to discuss the legislative process with its promising young Memphians. I enjoyed having this opportunity to discuss my work in Congress and talk about the role of our federal government and how federal laws are interpreted at the local level. Saving the HOPE Scholarship and Fighting for Tennessee Students Recently, Governor Haslam defended his ""Tennessee Promise"" plan that raids $300 million this year and millions more annually from the HOPE Scholarship program by arguing that our state hasn't ""increased the number of Tennesseans who are going to school,"" and that he believes his plan is what the state needs to do that. Guess what? A report released this week shows that the Governor is just plain wrong. Between 2007 and 2012, enrollment in Tennessee's public colleges actually rose by more than 22%. But while enrollment picked up substantially, state funding per student actually fell by nearly 18%, making it harder for our state's best and brightest to afford higher education. If the Governor truly wants to increase both enrollment and graduation rates, he should support and fully fund the HOPE Scholarship program instead of crippling it by stealing more than $300 million to pay for a completely untested program with no standards. The Governor should work with the General Assembly to provide full tuition HOPE Scholarship so that more high-achieving Tennesseans can go to college, earn degrees with less debt, and contribute to our state's economy. 6th Annual Veterans Day Luncheon Veterans Day is a special day set aside to honor those men and women who have served our country in uniform.  On Tuesday, November 11, 2014, I will host my sixth annual Veterans Day Luncheon from 11AM to 1PM at BRIDGES, located at 477 North 5th Street. If you are a Ninth District veteran, I would like to invite you to attend my luncheon so that you can hear from me about what Congress is doing to address recent concerns at the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA).  Special guests, including Memphis VA Medical Center (VAMC) Director Dr. C. Diane Knight and others, will also be in attendance to discuss improvements at the Memphis VAMC.  Additionally, caseworkers from my office will be available to help answer questions on specific concerns with your benefits or services. You can RSVP to attend this year's Veterans Day Luncheon here. I hope to see you there.  2015 U.S. Capitol Historical Society Calendars Are Available My office currently has a limited number of 2015 U.S. Capitol Historical Society calendars available. If you would like to receive a calendar, please complete this form on my website. Due to the rules of the House, I am only able to mail calendars to residents of Tennessee's Ninth District. Please feel free to share this email with other citizens of the Ninth District who may be interested in receiving one but who do not receive my eNewsletter. Supporting Memphis Area Legal Services Americans are justifiably proud of our legal system, but it can be highly complex with a language all its own to those unfamiliar with its laws and procedures. Even for the highly educated among us, the system can be a very difficult maze to navigate. For poor, uneducated, scared or inadequately represented Americans, it's not only difficult—it can be downright impossible to maneuver effectively. Victims of domestic violence seeking protective orders against their abusers, homeowners facing unfair foreclosures, and seniors who have been preyed upon by fraudulent lenders all may struggle with the complexities of the system. They deserve legal assistance to ensure they are treated fairly and are aware of the rights our judicial system affords them. Unless we ensure legal assistance, we effectively shut the courthouse doors to Americans who rely on attorneys to protect their rights. That's why I've been such a big champion for the Legal Services Corporation, known as LSC, which helps fund legal aid programs around the nation. Yesterday, I visited the new headquarters of Memphis Area Legal Services (MALS), one of the programs LSC supports, to help celebrate its grand opening. MALS' work is more important than ever in these difficult economic times, but tightening budgets risk limiting their ability to help Memphians. Earlier this year, I led an effort with 100 of my Congressional colleagues to request increased funding for LSC from the Appropriations Committee, but House Republicans ultimately passed a bill that cut a further $15 million from the program. I am hopeful that my colleagues will join my efforts to restore these cuts and increase funding to the program that supports MALS and so many other important legal aid clinics around the nation. I'll continue to be a leader in Washington for increased funding for these important services. Grants for Memphis Research This week, I announced more than $2.4 million in federal funding for several research projects at the University of Tennessee Health Science Center in Memphis. You can read more about these significant federal investments, which will help keep UTHSC and our city at the forefront of the medical research community, here. Building a Healthier Memphis and Fighting Breast Cancer October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, and the racial disparity in breast cancer outcomes in Memphis and throughout the county is deplorable, but we can do more to address it. This year, I launched my ""Building a Healthier Memphis"" series on wellness in the Ninth District with a panel discussion and educational session focused on this important issue. The panel at my event earlier this year discussed the reasons for the current outcome gap and helped identify how Memphians can take advantage of provisions of the President's Affordable Care Act that include no copay and no deductible mammograms to address the disparity and improve outcomes for themselves, their families, and their communities. If you are interested in learning more about the Affordable Care Act, how it works, and how it can help you and your family, Seedco will be hosting informational sessions at the Ben Hooks Library from 10:30am to 1pm on November 6th and from 10:30am to 5pm on the 13th. When the health care insurance open enrollment period for 2015 coverage begins, Seedco will also host enrollment sessions at the library from 10:30am to 5pm on November 18th, and from 10:30am to 1pm on December 4th, 11th, 16th, and 18th. At each of these sessions, there will be certified health care navigators on site to answer questions you have about the law and assist you in the enrollment process. If you are interested in attending one of the enrollment sessions, please call 901.405.7895 to RSVP. Memphis Accepting the President's My Brother's Keeper Community Challenge President Obama announced his ""My Brother's Keeper"" (MBK) initiative earlier this year to help ensure youth across the country, including boys and young men of color, have opportunities to overcome barriers to succeeding in life and to improving their lives. Just recently, the President announced the MBK Community Challenge to encourage communities to implement a coherent cradle-to-college and career strategy aimed at improving life outcomes for all young people. I am pleased that Memphis is an early acceptor of this challenge which aims to ensure that all children enter school prepared and read at grade level by the 3rd grade and ensure that all young people graduate from high school, complete a post-secondary education, are safe from crime, and that youth who are out of school are employed. As always, I remain.  Most sincerely, Steve Cohen Member of Congress",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z http://cohen.house.gov/press-release/cohen-announces-more-24-million-uthsc,Cohen Announces More Than $2.4 Million for UTHSC,2014-10-28,2014,2014-10,Democrat,House,TN,Steve Cohen,C001068,cohen.house.gov,,,legacy,"[MEMPHIS, TN] – Congressman Steve Cohen (TN-09) announced today that the University of Tennessee Health Science Center in Memphis was awarded a total of $2,408,361 in federal grant funding for four different research projects. “These significant federal investments will help keep Memphis and the UT Health Science Center at the forefront of the medical research community,” said Congressman Cohen. The following grants were awarded to UTHSC under today’s announcement: $1,597,704 from the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases for the “Defining Islet Heterogeneity Using Single Islet Transcriptomics” project. $387,657 from the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism for the “Genetics of Chronic Mild Stress and Alcohol Consumption” project. $225,000 from the National Institute of Mental Health for the “Neural Mechanisms of Inflexible Learning Caused by BDNF Deficiency” project. $198,000 from the National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases for the “Mechanism of action of 20-hydroxyvitamin D3 in dermal fibroblasts” project.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z http://cohen.house.gov/press-release/cohen-statement-azerbaijani-president-pardoning-4-civil-society-activists,Cohen Statement on Azerbaijani President Pardoning 4 Civil Society Activists,2014-10-24,2014,2014-10,Democrat,House,TN,Steve Cohen,C001068,cohen.house.gov,,,legacy,"[MEMPHIS, TN] – Congressman Steve Cohen (TN-09), co-chair of the Congressional Azerbaijan Caucus, today applauded Azerbaijan President Ilham Aliyev’s decision to pardon and release four civil society activists in Azerbaijan along with 80 other prisoners. “The pardon and release of these civil society activists is an important step forward by Azerbaijan and underscores its commitment to making progress on human rights issues,” Congressman Cohen said. “Azerbaijan is a valued ally of the United States, and I look forward to continuing my work with the Azerbaijanis to promote our common interests.”",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z http://cohen.house.gov/seeking-increase-funding-medical-research,Seeking to Increase Funding for Medical Research,2014-10-24,2014,2014-10,Democrat,House,TN,Steve Cohen,C001068,cohen.house.gov,,,legacy,"Dear Friend, This week, I led almost 50 Members of Congress in demanding needed support for medical research to help find a vaccine for Ebola and prevent its spread, I asked Governor Haslam to work with Attorney General Eric Holder to do more to ease the suffering of a 3-year-old Memphian, and I fought to stop conservative-led state legislatures from diluting the voting power of African-Americans. Keep reading to learn more about what I did this week. Seeking to Increase Funding for Medical Research Working to Ease the Suffering of 3-Year-Old Memphian Chloe Grauer Stopping Efforts to Rob African-Americans of Their Voting Rights Helping Memphis Workers Earn a Living Wage 6th Annual Veterans Day Luncheon 2015 U.S. Capitol Historical Society Calendars Are Available Touring Four Memphis Public Schools Building a Healthier Memphis and Fighting Breast Cancer Improving Outlooks for American Workers Receiving an Award from Nurses & a High Ranking from Vanderbilt Fighting for Tennessee's Students and Protecting the HOPE Scholarship Service Academy Nominations Memphis Accepting the President's My Brother's Keeper Community Challenge Seeking to Increase Funding for Medical Research Our nation's citizens are understandably alarmed by recent diagnoses of Ebola in our country, but we can do more to stop the spread of this disease and other threats to public health as well as do more to cure these illnesses. In a recent interview with the Huffington Post, the Director of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) indicated that the last decade of stagnating or reduced federal investments in medical research has had a detrimental effect on the development of treatments and vaccines for some of the worst infectious diseases known to man, including Ebola. That is one reason why yesterday I led a coalition of nearly 50 Members of Congress in calling for increased support for the NIH and the Centers for Disease Control (CDC). Had agencies like the NIH and the CDC received adequate support over the last decade, America could very well have already developed a vaccine for Ebola—or any number of other diseases including Alzheimer's, diabetes, HIV/AIDS, stroke, cancer, and Parkinson's—and been better prepared to prevent their spread. It is disappointing that these critically important agencies—our nation's other Department of Defense—have not been funded with equal necessity. Instead, they have been systemically starved of needed investment. However, it is not too late to fix past mistakes, fully fund both the NIH and the CDC, and effectively protect the American people from Ebola, enterovirus, and other potential public health nightmares. I look forward to working with my colleagues in Congress to see that these agencies receive the funding and support they need to keep us safe. If you would like more information on the current situation, the CDC has launched a regularly-updated web page with information about Ebola and how our nation is working to address and prevent it from spreading. You can visit the CDC's Ebola information page here. Working to Ease the Suffering of 3-Year-Old Memphian Chloe Grauer Last week, I joined the Grauer family on News Channel 3's Live at 9 to draw attention to their daughter Chloe's urgent medical needs and the bureaucratic red-tape preventing her from accessing Cannabidiol (CBD) which is a treatment derived from the marijuana plant that does not produce a high but has significant medical value. Chloe Grauer suffers from hundreds of debilitating seizures every day and her parents have tried numerous available treatments, but she is being denied CBD—which has the potential to alleviate her pain—because of overzealous federal drug laws. The treatment has been shown to work for similar medical conditions and Tennessee law allows for its study, but federal law prohibits it from being imported.  This week, I sent two letters, one to Governor Haslam and another to U.S. Attorney General Holder, asking that they work together and do all they can to remove the unnecessary restrictions on CBD to ensure those suffering like Chloe have access to this potentially life-saving treatment. Stopping Efforts to Rob African-Americans of Their Voting Rights All Americans hold dear the sacred, constitutionally-protected right to vote and we too often take for granted the principle of ""one person, one vote,"" On Wednesday, I shed light on the disturbing redistricting practice known as ""packing"" that is increasingly being used by many conservative-led state legislatures in the South to minimize the influence held by minority communities, specifically African-American communities. By packing as many minority voters as possible into a single district, these legislatures actually dilute minority voting rights by reducing the number of districts their votes can influence. Earlier this month, a federal court actually declared one of these district's newly-drawn boundaries unconstitutional, holding that race was a primary factor in the redrawing of Virginia's Third Congressional District. While it may be done under the pretext of protecting minorities or ensuring they are represented, recent ""packing"" efforts actually have the opposite result, materially reducing the impact and influence of African-Americans in our democracy.  It is no coincidence that the five congressional districts with the most African-Americans are all in the Deep South—and it demonstrates that there is much work to be done to truly emerge from the shadows of slavery and Jim Crow. Helping Memphis Workers Earn a Living Wage I commend University of Memphis President David Rudd for announcing that he will seek approval from the Tennessee Board of Regents to raise U of M workers' minimum wage to $10.10 an hour. This decision will improve the lives of his employees, and it is a great start that shows his concern for the University's workers. Throughout my career, I have always fought to ensure that those who work hard and play by the rules can earn a living wage and don't have to struggle to provide for themselves and their families. I was proud to vote for the last increase in the federal minimum wage in 2007, and am honored to co-sponsor the Fair Minimum Wage Act of 2013, which would increase the minimum wage to $10.10 across the nation. I hope the Tennessee Board of Regents approves this increase and hope my colleagues in the House of Representatives follow U of M's lead. Raising the federal minimum wage would help thousands of Memphians and millions of Americans, reduce income inequality, and strengthen American families. 6th Annual Veterans Day Luncheon November 11th is a special day set aside to honor those who have sacrificed and served our country in uniform. As I have for several years, I will be hosting my sixth annual Veterans Day luncheon from 11AM to 1PM on Tuesday, November 11th at BRIDGES in Memphis. BRIDGES is located at 477 N. 5th Street. If you are a Ninth District veteran, I would like to invite you to attend my luncheon and I hope to see you there for good company, good food, and to receive the respect and thanks that you deserve. Memphis VAMC Director Dr. C. Diane Knight, other special guests, and I will be on hand to discuss the care at the VAMC, veterans benefits, and veterans issues before Congress. Caseworkers from my office will also be available to help answer questions on specific concerns with your benefits or services. You can RSVP to attend this year's Veterans Day Luncheon here. 2015 U.S. Capitol Historical Society Calendars Are Available My office currently has a limited number of 2015 U.S. Capitol Historical Society calendars available. If you would like to receive a calendar, please complete this form on my website. Due to the rules of the House, I am only able to mail calendars to residents of Tennessee's Ninth District. Please feel free to share this email with other citizens of the Ninth District who may be interested in receiving one but who do not receive my eNewsletter. Touring Four Memphis Public Schools Today, I visited Oak Forest Elementary School, Downtown Elementary School, Memphis College Prep, and Bellevue Middle School to meet with several groups of students. I enjoyed having this opportunity to discuss my work in Congress and talk about our federal government with them. Building a Healthier Memphis and Fighting Breast Cancer October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, and the racial disparity in breast cancer outcomes in Memphis and throughout the county is deplorable, but we can do more to address it. This year, I launched my ""Building a Healthier Memphis"" series on wellness in the Ninth District with a panel discussion and educational session focused on this important issue. The panel at my event earlier this year discussed the reasons for the current outcome gap and helped identify how Memphians can take advantage of provisions of the President's Affordable Care Act that include no copay and no deductible mammograms to address the disparity and improve outcomes for themselves, their families, and their communities. And on Saturday, I also attended the Pink Pankcake Breakfast at the Memphis Career Academy to highlight these important benefits. If you are interested in learning more about the Affordable Care Act, how it works, and how it can help you and your family, Seedco will be hosting informational sessions at the Ben Hooks Library from 10:30am to 1pm on October 30th and November 6th and 13th (this session will end at 5pm). When the health care insurance open enrollment period for 2015 coverage begins, Seedco will also host enrollment sessions at the library from 10:30am to 5pm on November 18th, and from 10:30am to 1pm on December 4th, 11th, 16th, and 18th. At each of these sessions, there will be certified health care navigators on site to answer questions you have about the law and assist you in the enrollment process. If you are interested in attending one of the enrollment sessions, please call 901.405.7895 to RSVP. Improving Outlooks for American Workers Recently, after 55 straight months of private-sector job growth, the national unemployment rate fell to 5.9%, its lowest point in more than 6 years. While these are good indicators that our economy is recovering, there is much more that we can do to improve the outlook for our nation's workers. American wages have stagnated for decades, during which income inequality has only grown. And things are even getting worse for some in our country: While the unemployment rate ticked down nationally in September, it actually rose for African American men. This week, I wrote an op-ed published in Roll Call about what we can do to make things better, and I hope you will read it by clicking here. Receiving an Award from Nurses & a High Ranking from Vanderbilt This month, a new analysis of legislative effectiveness of the nation's lawmakers from Vanderbilt University in partnership with the University of Virginia named me 14th most effective Democrat in the U.S. House of Representatives. Out of 204 Democrats, that puts me in the top 10% of Congress. Also this month, the Tennessee Nurses Association awarded me with their Outstanding Legislator Award—the first time they have awarded it to a federal legislator instead of a state legislator. I am proud of my record effectively fighting for issues that are important to the citizens of the Ninth District, and I will continue my work in Congress to help our district. Fighting for Tennessee's Students and Protecting the HOPE Scholarship This week, the Murfreesboro Post ran a story outlining several flaws in Governor Haslam's Tennessee Promise plan, describing how it siphons money from the HOPE Scholarships and will hurt our state's students in the long run. I encourage you to read the story here. Service Academy Nominations Every year, I have the honor of nominating ten highly qualified young people from the Ninth District for appointments to our nation's Service Academies. If you are interested in attending one of these outstanding institutions, I will be happy to consider you for selection as one of my nominees. To be eligible for appointment, you must meet a number of requirements listed here and be a legal resident of the Ninth District. If you are not certain that your legal domicile is in the Ninth District, call my congressional office at 901.544.4141 and request address verification. Before applying to my office for a Service Academy appointment, you should obtain an application from the Military Academy of your choice. If you are having trouble obtaining an application, please let me know and I will assist you. As part of the application process, please complete the Personal Data form located here, submit a Letter of Interest and return it to my office with the following: 1) your highest ACT/SAT score, 2) three letters of recommendation from people who know you well (ministers, coaches, scoutmasters, teachers or employers are good options), and 3) an official transcript which includes your course listing, current GPA, grades, and class rank. Your transcript should be mailed to my office at 167 North Main Street, Suite 369 by your school in a sealed (unopened) envelope; report cards are not eligible. All information must be submitted to my office no later than October 31, 2014.  Once the information is received, you will be contacted to schedule an interview.  If you have any questions, please contact Linda Archer at 901.544.4131. Memphis Accepting the President's My Brother's Keeper Community Challenge President Obama announced his ""My Brother's Keeper"" (MBK) initiative earlier this year to help ensure youth across the country, including boys and young men of color, have opportunities to overcome barriers to succeeding in life and to improving their lives. Just recently, the President announced the MBK Community Challenge to encourage communities to implement a coherent cradle-to-college and career strategy aimed at improving life outcomes for all young people. I am pleased that Memphis is an early acceptor of this challenge which aims to ensure that all children enter school prepared and read at grade level by the 3rd grade and ensure that all young people graduate from high school, complete a post-secondary education, are safe from crime, and that youth who are out of school are employed. As always, I remain.  Most sincerely, Steve Cohen Member of Congress",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z http://cohen.house.gov/press-release/after-ebola-enterovirus-scares-congressman-cohen-leads-48-representatives-demanding,"After Ebola & Enterovirus Scares, Congressman Cohen Leads 48 Representatives in Demanding Needed NIH & CDC Funding",2014-10-23,2014,2014-10,Democrat,House,TN,Steve Cohen,C001068,cohen.house.gov,,,legacy,"[MEMPHIS, TN] – With Ebola and Entrovirus diagnoses in the United States gripping the nation, Congressman Steve Cohen (TN-09) today led a coalition of nearly 50 U.S. Representatives in calling on Congressional appropriators to reverse the decade-long slide in support for the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and Centers for Disease Control (CDC) that has left our nation less prepared to stop the spread of viral diseases and without cures or vaccines for some of the most deadly illnesses on earth. In a letter to the leaders of the House Appropriations Committee and its Labor-HHS Subcommittee, Congressman Cohen and 47 House Democrats also highlighted the potential budgetary savings of proactively controlling and preventing public health concerns rather than reacting to emergencies and outbreaks, which has proven costly in recent weeks. “Recent Ebola and Enterovirus diagnoses have understandably alarmed the American public, but we can do more to both stop their spread and cure these illnesses,” said Congressman Cohen. “Had agencies like the CDC and NIH received adequate support over the last decade, America could very well have already developed a vaccine for Ebola—or any number of other diseases including Alzheimer’s diabetes, HIV/AIDS, stroke, cancer, and Parkinson’s—and been better prepared to prevent their spread. While it is disappointing that these critically important agencies—our nation’s other Department of Defense despite not being funded with equal necessity—have been systemically starved of needed support, it is not too late to fix past mistakes, fully fund both the NIH and the CDC, and effectively protect the American people from Ebola, Enterovirus, and other potential public health nightmares.” In a recent interview with the Huffington Post, NIH Director Dr. Francis Collins indicated that the last 10 years of stagnating or reduced federal investments in medical research has had a detrimental effect on the development of treatments and vaccines for some of the worst infectious diseases known to man, including Ebola. Director Collins also suggested that Congress should pass an emergency supplemental appropriations bill to help alleviate the damage done to the agency’s budget in recent years. The Huffington Post report also noted that the NIH’s ability to fund vaccine and other research projects has fallen 23% over the last decade, accounting for inflation. For years, Congressman Cohen has regularly called on House Republicans to save the NIH from the crippling effects of sequestration, which cut more than $1.5 billion from the agency’s budget. The Congressman’s Research First Act would prevent and reverse those disastrous effects by replacing sequestration’s cuts with excess Department of Defense funds that Pentagon leaders admit they don’t need. Congressman Cohen’s letter was cosigned today by Representatives Bob Brady (PA-01), Julia Brownley (CA-26), G.K. Butterfield (NC-01), Tony Cárdenas (CA-29), Matt Cartwright (PA-17), Kathy Castor (FL-14), David Cicilline (RI-01), Gerald Connolly (VA-11), Jim Cooper (TN-05), Elijah Cummings (MD-07), Peter DeFazio (OR-04), Lloyd Doggett (TX-35), Keith Ellison (MN-05), Elizabeth Esty (CT-05), Lois Frankel (FL-22), Pete Gallego (TX-23), John Garamendi (CA-03), Raúl Grijalva (AZ-03), Luis Gutiérrez (IL-04), Janice Hahn (CA-44), Jared Huffman (CA-02), Sheila Jackson-Lee (TX-18), Hank Johnson (GA-04), Sander Levin (MI-09), John Lewis (GA-05), David Loebsack (IA-02), Michelle Lujan Grisham (NM-01), Doris Matsui (CA-06), Betty McCollum (MN-04), James McGovern (MA-02), Gwen Moore (WI-04), Jim Moran (VA-08), Eleanor Holmes Norton (DC-AL), Bill Pascrell (NJ-09), Donald Payne, Jr. (NJ-10), Scott Peters (CA-52), Chellie Pingree (ME-01), Charles Rangel (NY-15), Tim Ryan (OH-13), Jan Schakowsky (IL-09), Carol Shea-Porter (NH-01), Louise Slaughter (NY-25), Eric Swalwell (CA-15), Chris Van-Hollen (MD-08), Juan Vargas (CA-51), Filemon Vela (TX-34), Frederica Wilson (FL-24). Full text of today’s letter follows below, while a PDF copy of the signed letter is available here. Dear Representatives Rogers, Lowey, Kingston, and DeLauro, We write to you to share our deep concerns about the insufficient funding levels for both the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The current Ebola virus and enterovirus D68 (EV-D68) crises underscore the urgent need for increased investment in medical research and adequate funding for response to public health emergencies. As you construct funding measures for consideration before this session of Congress closes in December, we implore you to prioritize these important programs. Collectively, we lament that federal funding of the NIH has not kept up with inflation or necessity. In response to a question asked of him regarding the international Ebola crisis, NIH Director Dr. Francis Collins responded, “if we had not gone through our 10-year slide in research support, we probably would have had a vaccine in time for this that would have gone through clinical trials and would have been ready."" It is not too late to appropriate to the NIH the resources it needs to continue its research on the Ebola virus or to continue, start, or renew its work on cancer, Alzheimer’s, diabetes, Parkinson’s, HIV/AIDS, stroke or any number of other threats to the health of Americans. It is also not too late to ensure that the CDC is adequately funded in order to react to and slow the spread of EV-D68, prevent an Ebola epidemic on American soil, and prepare for whatever public health emergency may come next. Increased funding for both of these invaluable government resources is integral both to slowing the spread of Ebola and EV-D68 as well as preventing future international health crises that will mimic or likely exceed the breadth of the current levels of devastation. While we understand that adequately funding the NIH and CDC is a serious financial undertaking for our nation, the fact remains that increased funding could likely result in vaccines, treatments, and cures that would otherwise not be discovered. Preventing disease saves money in healthcare costs far into the future and it also remains true that research advances will not be enjoyed wholly by our own generation, but by the millions of Americans who will come after us. This funding is so gravely important because the NIH and CDC combined serve as our nation’s second department of defense. It is this line of defense that protects Americans from disease; and funding it is as important as funding the programs that protect Americans from other threats to our national security. Thank you for your attention to this important issue. Sincerely,",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z http://cooper.house.gov//media-center/press-releases/cooper-community-leaders-highlight-new-report-on-tennessee-voter-id-law,"Cooper, Community Leaders Highlight New Report on Tennessee Voter ID Law",2014-10-23,2014,2014-10,Democrat,House,TN,Jim Cooper,C000754,cooper.house.gov,,,legacy,"NASHVILLE—U.S. Rep. Jim Cooper (TN-05) and several community leaders on Wednesday, October 15, discussed a new government report that focuses attention on voter ID laws in Tennessee. The report, newly issued by the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO), concluded that voter ID laws caused Tennessee turnout to drop 2.2 percentage points from 2008 to 2012. That translates to 88,000 lost votes, according to an estimate by The Washington Post. Young people, African Americans and newly registered voters “were the groups that were more likely to see bigger drops in turnout,” the Post wrote. “Expanding voting rights has always been on the right side of history, while efforts to deny those rights embarrass the children and grandchildren of the opposition,” Cooper said at a Wednesday morning press conference. “Whatever you do, make sure you vote. Don’t let bad laws keep you from making your voice heard.” Also at the press conference, Cooper suggested several ways to boost turnout and depoliticize the voting process. He said the state should ensure that all high schools – public and private – hold yearly voter registration drives. Such drives already are required by state law. Cooper also implored the Legislature to change the law to allow college students to use their state-issued IDs to vote; he closed by asking Secretary of State Tre Hargett to remove his name from Tennessee’s traditional “I Voted” stickers. The voting stickers were changed this month, removing the American flag. Other community leaders who spoke Wednesday morning: Debby Gould, League of Women Voters Patricia Stokes, Urban League of Middle Tennessee Matt Mullen, Tennessee Citizen Action Hedy Weinberg, American Civil Liberties Union Nicholas Alexiou, American Constitution Society Doug Johnston, Barrett Johnston Martin & Garrison, LLC Jeff Teague, Planned Parenthood Rev. Dr. Judy Cummings, Interdenominational Ministers Fellowship The nonpartisan report has resulted in national press, including the lead editorial in Monday’s New York Times and a comprehensive piece in The Washington Post.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z http://cooper.house.gov//media-center/press-releases/cooper-joins-effort-to-boost-funding-to-public-health-agencies,Cooper Joins Effort to Boost Funding to Public Health Agencies,2014-10-23,2014,2014-10,Democrat,House,TN,Jim Cooper,C000754,cooper.house.gov,,,legacy,"WASHINGTON – In light of the Ebola outbreak, U.S. Rep. Jim Cooper (TN-05) today signed a letter raising concerns about insufficient funding levels for the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Joined by nearly 50 House Democrats, Cooper added his signature to a letter addressed to the House Appropriations Committee, which is responsible for setting funding levels for federal agencies. The letter implores the House panel to prioritize programs related to investment in medical research and response to public health emergencies. “While we understand that adequately funding the NIH and CDC is a serious financial undertaking for our nation,” the letter says, “the fact remains that increased funding could likely result in vaccines, treatments and cures that would otherwise not be discovered.” The letter cites recent remarks from NIH Director Dr. Francis Collins: “If we had not gone through our 10-year slide in research support, we probably would have had a vaccine in time for this [Ebola crisis] that would have gone through clinical trials and would have been ready.” Lawmakers also note that NIH funding has not kept up with inflation. The House Appropriations Committee is expected to address funding measures before this session of Congress adjourns in December. The full letter is HERE.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z http://cohen.house.gov/press-release/congressman-cohen-blasts-gop%E2%80%99s-district-%E2%80%9Cpacking%E2%80%9D-efforts-rob-african-americans-voting,Congressman Cohen Blasts GOPs District Packing Efforts That Rob African-Americans of Voting Power,2014-10-22,2014,2014-10,Democrat,House,TN,Steve Cohen,C001068,cohen.house.gov,,,legacy,"Top 5 congressional districts with the most African-Americans have been gerrymandered by conservative Deep South state legislatures [MEMPHIS, TN] – In a letter sent to U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder today, Congressman Steve Cohen (TN-09) sought to shed light on the redistricting practice known as “packing” that is increasingly used by many conservative-led state legislatures in the South to minimize the influence held by minority communities, specifically African-American communities. Earlier this month, a federal court actually declared one of these district’s newly-drawn boundaries unconstitutional, holding that race was a primary factor in the redrawing of Virginia’s Third Congressional District. “All Americans hold dear the sacred, constitutionally-protected right to vote and we too often take for granted the principle of ‘one person, one vote,’” said Congressman Cohen. “While it may be done under the pretext of protecting minorities or ensuring they are represented, recent ‘packing’ efforts actually have the opposite result, materially reducing the impact and influence of African-Americans in our democracy. It is no coincidence that the five congressional districts with the most African-Americans are all in the Deep South—and it demonstrates that there is much work to be done to truly emerge from the shadows of slavery and Jim Crow.” Congressman Cohen is the Ranking Member of the House Judiciary Subcommittee on the Constitution and Civil Justice, which has jurisdiction over issues relating to voting rights. Today’s letter from Congressman Cohen to Attorney General Holder asked that the Department of Justice examine district packing efforts as part of its work to cement the voting rights of all Americans. As The Nation magazine’s Ari Berman pointed out in his February 2012 report entitled “How the GOP Is Resegregating the South,” packing districts is a crucial part of Republican efforts to enhance Republican power throughout the South at the expense of minority voters and their voting rights.  Prominent Republican election lawyer Ben Ginsburg even dubbed this strategy with the vulgar term, “Project Ratf***”. This is the latest of the Congressman’s efforts to ensure that voting rights are protected throughout the United States. In the year since the U.S. Supreme Court struck down several critical protections of the Voting Rights Act but left the door open for Congress to restore those protections, the Congressman has strongly and repeatedly called on House leadership to allow a vote to do just that. Congressman Cohen is a cosponsor of the Voting Rights Amendment Act of 2014, which would address the Supreme Court’s ruling and restore the full protections originally included by the authors of the Voting Rights Act.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z http://cohen.house.gov/press-release/cohen-statement-u-m-seeking-raise-its-minimum-wage-1010-hour,Cohen Statement on U of M Seeking to Raise Its Minimum Wage to $10.10 Per Hour,2014-10-21,2014,2014-10,Democrat,House,TN,Steve Cohen,C001068,cohen.house.gov,,,legacy,"[MEMPHIS, TN] – Congressman Steve Cohen (TN-09) released the following statement in response to University of Memphis President M. David Rudd’s announcement that he will seek approval from the Tennessee Board of Regents to raise U of M workers’ minimum wage to $10.10 per hour: “I commend U of M President David Rudd for taking this step to improve the lives of his employees by raising the school’s minimum wage to $10.10 an hour—it is a great start that shows his concern for the University's workers. Throughout my career, I have always fought to ensure that those who work hard and play by the rules can earn a living wage and don’t have to struggle to provide for themselves and their families. I was proud to vote for the last increase in the federal minimum wage in 2007, and am honored to co-sponsor the Fair Minimum Wage Act of 2013, which would increase the minimum wage to $10.10 across the nation.” “I urge the Tennessee Board of Regents to approve this increase and hope my colleagues in the House of Representatives follow U of M’s lead. Raising the federal minimum wage would help thousands of Memphians and millions of Americans, reduce income inequality and strengthen American families.”",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z http://cohen.house.gov/murfreesboro-post-cohen-criticizes-haslam-tennessee-promise,Murfreesboro Post - Cohen criticizes Haslam on Tennessee Promise,2014-10-20,2014,2014-10,Democrat,House,TN,Steve Cohen,C001068,cohen.house.gov,,,legacy,"U.S. Rep. Steve Cohen is criticizing Gov. Bill Haslam's campaign on the Tennessee Promise and use of lottery money for free junior college tuition, saying it ""siphons"" money from the Hope Scholarship and helps only affluent and low-achieving students. Some 35,000 students already have applied for the funds to attend community colleges across the state free of charge, nearly doubling the state's application goal of 20,000. The deadline to apply is Nov. 1. ""The governor's counting that toward his re-election campaign. It galls me because he just took lottery money that I helped secure with the passage of the referendum in 2002 and the efforts I put in in 18 years to pass a lottery amendment and the people who voted with me,"" Cohen, a Memphis congressman who previously served in the Tennessee Senate, said in an interview this week. Cohen pointed out that in 2001 he secured the minimum number of votes, 22 in the Senate, for the two-thirds needed to put the lottery for education measure on the 2002 ballot. It also needed two-thirds of the House after getting majority votes in the previous session. ""He didn't pick up a penny. It's all lottery money,"" Cohen said. ""It's really disingenuous for him to go around and say he's letting people go to college for free when (A) it's not his money. He didn't raise any money or give any money, and (B) made it more difficult for people at four-year colleges than junior colleges."" Cohen contends that students who qualify for the Pell Grant - their families must have incomes less than $42,000 - won't benefit much from the plan, nor will students who excel in high school and attend four-year institutions. ""The people who mostly benefit from his plan are people who didn't make the grades in high school and are higher than the average income,"" Cohen said. ""That's not exactly who you should be looking to benefit in society, the low-achievers and the affluent. I think it's just a total sham."" Gov. Haslam, who was in Murfreesboro Wednesday for a ribbon-cutting at MTSU's science building, defended the program, which also requires applicants to: Fill out a federal application for federal student aid. Go to required winter and spring training sessions. Do eight hours of community service work. ""The Tennessee lottery program that Sen. Cohen passed is great, but since we put it in place and gave out about $2 billion in lottery-funded scholarships, we haven't increased the number of Tennesseans who are going to school,"" Haslam said. If the state is to reach the Drive for 55 goal of 55 percent of adults obtaining college degrees or certificates, it must change strategies and reach out to students who originally felt college wouldn't be part of their future, he said. Haslam argued that most students who participate in Tennessee Promise will be the first ones in their family to attend college. ""I actually think this is a game changer, and it's the right way to use that money,"" he said. Freshmen and sophomores attending four-year schools will receive $500 less in Hope Scholarship funds, $3,500, but juniors and seniors will receive $500 more. Students who attend community college free for two years will have more money to apply toward their junior and senior years at four-year institutions, Haslam pointed out. ""This will help more Tennesseans get a college degree. The Hope Scholarship program's been great, but at the end of the day, more Tennesseans are not going to get a degree than they were before, and we have to address that,"" he said. The governor, who is seeking election to a second four-year term, said the Tennessee Promise should help MTSU in the long term rather than hurt it. ""We'll have more people going into the funnel, more people who before said I'm not going to school beyond high school who now say I will,"" he said. Haslam pointed out that a version of the program has been done in the Knoxville area for seven years and hasn't hurt four-year schools in that area. He added that enrollment is up 15 percent and most are first-general college students. Cohen, however, contends that Tennessee Promise is a ""last-dollar scholarship"" because it is intended to provide financial assistance for students after all other gift aid is credited toward tuition and fees. For instance, students can receive $5,730 in federal Pell Grants annually, far outstripping the total average of community college tuition and fees, $3,992. If all other gift aid exceeds tuition and mandatory fees, then a student won't be eligible for the Tennessee Promise Scholarship, the law states. In addition, Aspire Scholarship recipients at two-year colleges will begin receiving $250 instead of $750 under the Tennessee Promise law enacted last session. Cohen also notes that Tennessee Promise is shifting money away from the Hope Scholarship because it's being paid for out of a lottery reserve account. Starting in 2014-15, lottery funds in the education account exceeding $10 million are to be transferred annually to the Tennessee Promise scholarship account, the law states. Cohen contends that as the Hope Scholarship is diminished it will be less attractive for keeping students here in Tennessee schools. Statistics show junior-college graduates are less likely to get a four-year degree than those who start at four-year schools out of high school. ""You're not going to get more dreamers and thinkers because you're killing the four-year plan,"" Cohen said. Tennessee hasn't increased the number of students attending four-year schools during the Hope Scholarship era because the Legislature has reduced higher education funding and tuition has increased almost yearly at universities, Cohen said.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z http://cohen.house.gov/press-release/cohen-governor-ag-holder-should-work-together-help-ease-suffering-3-year-old-memphian,Cohen: Governor & AG Holder Should Work Together to Help Ease the Suffering of 3-Year-Old Memphian Chloe Grauer,2014-10-20,2014,2014-10,Democrat,House,TN,Steve Cohen,C001068,cohen.house.gov,,,legacy,"[MEMPHIS, TN] – In two letters, Congressman Steve Cohen (TN-09) urged Governor Bill Haslam and U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder to work together to ease the suffering of 3-year-old Memphian Chloe Grauer, who suffers from hundreds of seizures each day due to a rare neurological disease. Her parents have tried numerous available medical treatments, but Chloe is unable to obtain Cannabidiol (CBD), a non-psychoactive form of cannabis shown to alleviate seizures, due to excessive federal restrictions on the medicine’s importation into Tennessee. Last week, Congressman Cohen joined the Grauer family on News Channel 3’s Live at 9 to draw attention to their daughter’s urgent medical needs and the bureaucratic red-tape preventing her from accessing this potentially life-saving treatment. The interview can be viewed here. “Chloe suffers from debilitating seizures, but is being denied CBD—which has the potential to alleviate her pain—because of overzealous federal drug laws,” said Congressman Cohen. “CBD does not contain enough THC to produce a high, and it has been shown to work for similar medical conditions. Governor Haslam and Attorney General Holder should work together and do all they can to ensure those suffering like Chloe have access to this potentially life-saving treatment.” Despite Governor Haslam signing legislation this May allowing for clinical research into the low-THC form of cannabis known as CBD, federal restrictions have prevented the law from taking effect, and they also prohibit this important medication from being shipped across state lines. As Congressman Cohen outlined in his letters to both Governor Haslam (viewable here) and Attorney General Holder (viewable here), the Governor could request a waiver from the Attorney General to allow importation of CBD into the state until the situation is resolved. The Attorney General could then direct the Drug Enforcement Administration to issue such a waiver, which would finally allow for Chloe Grauer to use this critically important, non-psychoactive medication. Colorado 5-year-old Charlotte Figi suffers from a condition similar to Chloe’s, but is nearly seizure-free thanks to CBD. The treatment has been so successful for her, in fact, that the medication is now known as Charlotte’s Web in her honor. Charlotte can access this life-saving treatment because she lives in Colorado, where marijuana is legal for medical and personal use.  Congressman Cohen is the lead Democratic sponsor of H.R.5226, the Charlotte’s Web Medical Hemp Act of 2014, which would lift the federal restrictions on importation across state lines by clarifying that Cannabidiol is not included under the federal definition of marijuana.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z http://cohen.house.gov/commercial-appeal-bioworks-aims-turn-jobless-tech-workers,Commercial Appeal - Bioworks aims to turn jobless into tech workers,2014-10-17,2014,2014-10,Democrat,House,TN,Steve Cohen,C001068,cohen.house.gov,,,legacy,"Early next year, the first batch of long-term unemployed people could land jobs with Memphis tech companies under Bioworks’ new training program. Memphis Bioworks Foundation was awarded $8.1 million to steer 960 jobless people into local tech companies that often have hired immigrants with work visas. The program will include aspects such as on-the-job training, with wages partially paid by Bioworks, as well as more traditional training. “It’s quite frankly a win for Memphis because it will put them directly into the economy,” said Pauline Vernon, Bioworks workforce development director. “We expect a good many of them to have college degrees.” After the award was announced Wednesday, Vernon outlined details of the program Thursday, noting the training won’t ramp up until 2015. In a region burdened with an 8.5-percent jobless rate, the program aims to retrain skilled people for open slots at a time when business executives often have relied on immigrants to fill technical jobs. Businesses contend skilled Americans are in short supply. The U.S. Department of Labor granted Bioworks the money through its $169 million Ready to Work Partnership, a federal initiative meant to fill vacant high-skill and middle-skill jobs long taken by foreign nationals working under H-1B visas. The money comes from fees collected by the government on those visas. In metropolitan Memphis, about 50,000 residents draw unemployment insurance. Among them, about 13,000 have been out of work more than 27 weeks, a condition considered long term. National surveys show 12 percent of the long-term unemployed have completed college and another 36 percent are high school graduates. Bioworks, an agency created in 2001 to spur the Memphis bioscience industry, applied for the grant in June and surveyed local tech companies. Half the jobs filled by H-1B visa holders are in information technology positions, and 42 percent are in bioscience, a ratio that Vernon said shows the size of the local bioscience industry. About 77 percent of the H-1B visas issued nationwide are used to fill information technology jobs. America’s immigration law allows companies in the United States to apply for a total of 85,000 H-1B visas each year on behalf of foreign nationals with appropriate technical skills. Retraining the Memphis-area residents won’t be inexpensive. Spending $8.1 million to train 960 people will cost about $8,400 per person on average, or more than twice the annual tuition for a Southwest Tennessee Community College student. U.S. Rep. Steve Cohen, D-Memphis, who announced the grant on Wednesday, described the expenditure as money deserved in Memphis. “While we have seen recent signs of life in our national economy, too many Memphians are still struggling with long-term unemployment and they deserve every bit of assistance from the federal government that is available to get back on their feet,” Cohen said. Vernon said the training regime includes two programs that add to the cost. Some long-term unemployed will enter on-the-job training programs at companies. Bioworks will pay part of their wages during the training to minimize the employer’s risk, she said. Others enrolled in traditional training will be supported by case managers and other services to make sure they attend, she said, including child care, career preparation and financial literacy classes. “You can have an individual in a training program and their success rate is higher than if they were going on their own” to a college, Vernon said.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z http://cohen.house.gov/helping-unemployed-memphians-find-good-jobs,Helping Unemployed Memphians Find Good Jobs,2014-10-17,2014,2014-10,Democrat,House,TN,Steve Cohen,C001068,cohen.house.gov,,,legacy,"Dear Friend, This week, I announced $8 million in federal funding to help almost 1,000 unemployed Memphians find good-paying jobs, helped open Old Dominion's brand new Memphis Service Center which will create almost 200 jobs in our city, and met with minority business leaders in my office. Keep reading to learn more about what I did in Memphis this week. Helping Unemployed Memphians Find Good Jobs  Creating New Jobs at Old Dominion in Memphis  Supporting Local Minority-owned Businesses  2015 U.S. Capitol Historical Society Calendars Are Available  Impressive Memphis Family  Keeping America Safe from Ebola  Welcoming Memphians to My Capitol Hill Office  Grants for the University of Memphis  Supporting the Alzheimer's Association of the Mid-South  CBHS Electronics Recycling Event Tomorrow  Building a Healthier Memphis and Fighting Breast Cancer  Service Academy Nominations  Memphis Accepting the President's My Brother's Keeper Community Challenge  Make Sure to Claim Unclaimed Property Helping Unemployed Memphians Find Good Jobs While recent indicators show signs of recovery in our nation's economy, too many Memphians are still struggling to find decent jobs. That is why I was so happy to announce a more than $8 million federal grant earlier this week that will help almost 1,000 long-term unemployed citizens in the Memphis metropolitan find good-paying jobs in high skills industries. This new grant will help the Memphis Bioworks Foundation lead the Southern Education and Training Consortium's new Bio/IT program, a multi-state partnership that will offer advanced job training, coaching, and other services leading to direct job placement in bioscience and information technology (IT) positions. This week's influx of federal funding will help provide an estimated 960 Memphians with the skills and training they need to fill modern, 21st century jobs in the Mid-South, and it will go an extra step to help identify and place them in those jobs. With Memphis Bioworks' proven track record of success, I am confident that this funding will be put to good use providing opportunities to our city's long-term unemployed. If you would like to know more about Memphis Bioworks and how this new job training and placement program will work, please click here to read today's Commercial Appeal story about it. Creating New Jobs at Old Dominion in Memphis On Wednesday, I spoke at the grand opening of Old Dominion's brand new, $30 million service center in Memphis. And last week, I was proud to announce a new $1 million grant that the University of Memphis received to track our region's transportation workforce development. With the new federal funding for U of M and the nearly 200 new jobs that will be created at Old Dominion's new facility, Memphis is further cementing itself as our nation's transportation hub. But other cities want to emulate and compete with us, so we need to be sure that our focus on intermodalism and investment is stronger than ever so that we can stay competitive. That is why since coming to Congress, I have worked hard to secure infrastructure funding to benefit the Memphis region and help keep us ahead of the pack. Although it has been difficult to find bipartisan agreement on major Transportation and Infrastructure bills in recent years, I am pleased to share that true, bi-partisan work is taking place on the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee. Our national infrastructure is literally crumbling, and the fact that our nation's current transportation funding measure is temporary doesn't help. I look forward to continuing my work reaching across the aisle to pass a new highway funding bill that will get our nation back on the right road. Supporting Local Minority-owned Businesses Memphis is home to many well-qualified, high-potential minority entrepreneurs who do great work. Yesterday, in my Memphis office, I met with several minority business leaders including Luke Yancy and Roby Williams to discuss how we can work together to ensure success. Minority-owned businesses are critical to our city's economic development, and I have long pushed to ensure that minority business leaders have a seat at the table when economic policies are being discussed. After years of hard work, my persistence paid off when the U.S. Department of Commerce awarded a $1 million grant to start the Minority Business Development Agency (MBDA) Business Center in Memphis. The MBDA is the only federal agency created specifically to foster the establishment and growth of minority-owned businesses, and the Memphis Minority Business Center has helped our minority businesses secure loans and expand. Last year alone, the Memphis Minority Business Center produced $40 million in contracts and capital, which created or retained 932 jobs. I will continue working to support our city's minority-owned businesses and to help them ensure they are best prepared to compete for contracts with the federal government. 2015 U.S. Capitol Historical Society Calendars Are Available My office currently has a limited number of 2015 U.S. Capitol Historical Society calendars available. If you would like to receive a calendar, please complete this form on my website. Due to the rules of the House, I am only able to mail calendars to residents of Tennessee's Ninth District. Please feel free to share this email with other citizens of the Ninth District who may be interested in receiving one but who do not receive my eNewsletter. Impressive Memphis Family On Tuesday I was pleased to welcome one of my former interns, John McKissack, and his family to my office in Memphis. John is a junior at White Station who hopes to go to Harvard, Oxford, or Williams. He received a 23 on his Pre-ACT test, which is a very impressive score when you consider that he took the test when he was still only in the 7th grade. John, a product of our public school system, was an excellent intern and he is a phenomenal student. His two younger brothers who are in the 7th and 8th grades are already following in his footsteps, and I'm sure his 3 year old sister is not far behind. I think his parents deserve a lot of credit for providing him with so many great opportunities to learn. I am sure they are very proud of John's achievements, and I am as well. I look forward to the family visiting Washington, D.C., and expect great things from each of the McKissack children. If you know a student who would like to intern in my office, they can send a resume and cover letter to my Washington, D.C. and/or my Memphis office. Keeping America Safe from Ebola Americans are very concerned about the recent Ebola epidemic that has plagued Sierra Leone, Guinea, and Liberia in West Africa. Despite the small number of Ebola cases recently diagnosed in the United States, it is important to remember that the risk of an outbreak of the disease in this country is unlikely due mainly to our highly advanced health infrastructure. Each American who has contracted the virus in the United States has been a health care worker tending to a sick patient. It's also important to note that President Obama has recently implemented increased travel screening and tracking procedures at airports to further reduce the risk to Americans. This afternoon, I joined Senator Alexander for an Ebola roundtable discussion at Methodist University Hospital, and I will keep a close eye on the situation as it develops. The United States Centers for Disease Control (CDC) have also launched a regularly-updated web page with information about Ebola and how our nation is working to address and prevent it from spreading. You can visit the CDC's Ebola information page here. Welcoming Memphians to My Capitol Hill Office This week, several Memphians visited Capitol Hill and I was pleased to be able to facilitate a tour of the Capitol building for them. I am glad that the Leachman and Cerrito families were able to have this experience while they visited our nation's capital. Grants for the University of Memphis After announcing several million dollars in federal funding for workforce development and innovative research at the University of Memphis last week, I was pleased to announce another $750,000 dollars for 3 different projects that will help keep our University at the cutting edge. You can read more about these projects here. Supporting the Alzheimer's Association of the Mid-South On Tuesday, I enjoyed meeting with Miriam Clay and Ken Levi of the Mid-South chapter of the Alzheimer's Association as well as others to discuss efforts to improve health outcomes for those suffering with the disease as well as reduce costs for their families. In Congress, I will continue supporting funding to research and improve Alzheimer's outcomes. CBHS Electronics Recycling Event Tomorrow If you have any old electronics to dispose of but don't wish for them to end up in a landfill, please consider bringing them to Christian Brothers High School between 9am and 1pm tomorrow. CBHS is inviting Memphians to drop off computers, accessories, network equipment, phones, printers, copiers, wires, cable boxes, batteries, and other items. Building a Healthier Memphis and Fighting Breast Cancer October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, and the racial disparity in breast cancer outcomes in Memphis and throughout the county is deplorable, but we can do more to address it. This year, I launched my ""Building a Healthier Memphis"" series on wellness in the Ninth District with a panel discussion and educational session focused on this important issue. The panel at my event earlier this year discussed the reasons for the current outcome gap and helped identify how Memphians can take advantage of provisions of the President's Affordable Care Act that include no copay and no deductible mammograms to address the disparity and improve outcomes for themselves, their families, and their communities. If you are interested in learning more about the Affordable Care Act, how it works, and how it can help you and your family, Seedco will be hosting informational sessions at the Ben Hooks Library from 10:30am to 1pm on October 23rd, 30th, and November 6th and 13th (this session will end at 5pm). When the health care insurance open enrollment period for 2015 coverage begins, Seedco will also host enrollment sessions at the library from 10:30am to 5pm on November 18th, and from 10:30am to 1pm on December 4th, 11th, 16th, and 18th. At each of these sessions, there will be certified health care navigators on site to answer questions you have about the law and assist you in the enrollment process. If you are interested in attending one of the enrollment sessions, please call 901.405.7895 to RSVP. Service Academy Nominations Every year, I have the honor of nominating ten highly qualified young people from the Ninth District for appointments to our nation's Service Academies. If you are interested in attending one of these outstanding institutions, I will be happy to consider you for selection as one of my nominees. To be eligible for appointment, you must meet a number of requirements listed here and be a legal resident of the Ninth Congressional District of Tennessee. If you are not certain that your legal domicile is in the Ninth District, call my congressional office at 901.544.4141 the number provided below and request address verification. Before applying to my office for a Service Academy appointment, you should obtain an application from the Military Academy of your choice. If you are having trouble obtaining an application, please let me know and I will assist you. As part of the application process, please complete the Personal Data form located here, submit a Letter of Interest and return to my office with the following: 1) your highest ACT/SAT score, 2) three letters of recommendation from people who know you well (ministers, coaches, scoutmasters, teachers or employers are good options), and 3) an official transcript which includes your course listing, current GPA, grades, and class rank. Your transcript should be mailed to my office at 167 North Main Street, Suite 369 by your school in a sealed (unopened) envelope; report cards are not eligible. All information must be submitted to my office no later than October 31, 2014.  Once the information is received, you will be contacted to schedule an interview.  If you have any questions, please contact Linda Archer at 901.544.4131. Memphis Accepting the President's My Brother's Keeper Community Challenge President Obama announced his ""My Brother's Keeper"" (MBK) initiative earlier this year to help ensure youth across the country, including boys and young men of color, have opportunities to overcome barriers to succeeding in life and to improving their lives. Just recently, the President announced the MBK Community Challenge to encourage communities to implement a coherent cradle-to-college and career strategy aimed at improving life outcomes for all young people. I am pleased that Memphis is an early acceptor of this challenge which aims to ensure that all children enter school prepared and read at grade level by the 3rd grade and ensure that all young people graduate from high school, complete a post-secondary education, are safe from crime, and that youth who are out of school are employed. Make Sure to Claim Unclaimed Property The State of Tennessee maintains a searchable database of unclaimed property, which can include bank accounts, stocks and dividends, wages, refunds, insurance payments, gift certificates, credit balances and overpayments, and a number of other things. There is no cost for accessing the database, and you may find that you are owed money or property. If you have not searched the database yet or if you haven't searched in a while, you can visit https://www.claimittn.gov and see for yourself whether the state is holding any property or assets for you. And you may pass this information along to your friends and family as well! As always, I remain.  Most sincerely,   Steve Cohen Member of Congress",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z http://cohen.house.gov/news-channel-3-8-million-coming-memphis-job-training,News Channel 3 - $8 million coming to Memphis for job training,2014-10-15,2014,2014-10,Democrat,House,TN,Steve Cohen,C001068,cohen.house.gov,,,legacy,"MEMPHIS, Tenn. — A multi-million dollar federal grant will be used to help people in Memphis get the training they need to hopefully land some good paying jobs. The $8,083,138 federal grant will help up to, “960 long-term unemployed citizens in the Memphis metropolitan area find good paying jobs in high-skills industries.” According to Congressman Steve Cohen the money will help the Memphis Bioworks Foundation, “lead the Southern Education and Training Consortium’s new Bio/IT program, a multi-state partnership which will offer advanced job training, coaching, and other services leading to direct job placement in bioscience and information technology (IT) positions that otherwise would likely be filled by high-skilled immigrants.” The Southern Education Training Consortium Bio/IT program is a partnership between Memphis Bioworks, SeedCo, Southwest Tennessee Community College, the University of Memphis’ Bioinformatics Graduate Program, and other non-profits and educational facilities in the Tri-State area.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z http://cohen.house.gov/press-release/cohen-new-8-million-job-training-placement-partnership-will-help-nearly-1000,"Cohen: New $8 Million Job Training & Placement Partnership Will Help Nearly 1,000 Unemployed Memphians Find Jobs",2014-10-15,2014,2014-10,Democrat,House,TN,Steve Cohen,C001068,cohen.house.gov,,,legacy,"[MEMPHIS, TN] – Congressman Steve Cohen (TN-09) today announced a new $8,083,138 federal grant to help 960 long-term unemployed citizens in the Memphis metropolitan area find good paying jobs in high-skills industries. This funding will help the Memphis Bioworks Foundation lead the Southern Education and Training Consortium’s new Bio/IT program, a multi-state partnership that will offer advanced job training, coaching, and other services leading to direct job placement in bioscience and information technology (IT) positions that otherwise would likely be filled by high-skilled immigrants. “While recent indicators show signs of recovery in our nation’s economy, too many Memphians are still struggling to find decent jobs,” said Congressman Cohen. “This influx of federal funding will help provide almost 1,000 Memphians with the skills and training they need to fill good-paying, 21st century jobs in the Mid-South, and it will go an extra step to help identify and place them in those jobs. With Memphis Bioworks’ proven track record of success, I am confident that this funding will be put to good use providing opportunities to our city’s long-term unemployed.” “We are pleased to once again play a key role in serving local workforce training and job placement needs in the areas of bioscience and information technology,” said Memphis Bioworks Foundation President and Executive Director Steven Bares, PhD. “This grant allows Memphis Bioworks to build on demonstrated successes in leading multi-partner collaborations to train and place local residents in jobs that are in demand and in emerging fields.” Since 2010, Memphis Bioworks’ workforce development efforts have resulted in more than 450 local residents being placed in jobs, 550 residents receiving degrees or credentials, and 900 residents receiving job and career training. The Southern Education Training Consortium Bio/IT program is a partnership between Memphis Bioworks, SeedCo, Southwest Tennessee Community College, the University of Memphis’ Bioinformatics Graduate Program, and other non-profits and educational facilities in the Tri-State area. This new Bio/IT program will be administered by Memphis Bioworks Workforce Development Director Pauline Vernon and her team. It will serve Tennessee’s Shelby, Fayette, and Tipton Counties; Mississippi’s Marshall, Tate, and Tunica Counties; and Crittenden County in Arkansas. Memphis Bioworks is the Mid-South’s go-to organization for creating companies, jobs and investments in bioscience and sustainability. A visionary community leader, Memphis Bioworks has a well-established record of sparking new levels of economic vitality by investing in entrepreneurs, building state-of-the-art labs and facilities, and training the next generation of workers. This grant is part of more than $169 million awarded today through the U.S. Department of Labor’s (DOL) Ready to Work Partnership initiative, which aims to support and scale innovative collaborations between employers, nonprofit organizations and federal job training programs to help connect ready-to-work Americans with ready-to-be-filled jobs. For information about the Ready to Work program, please visit: https://www.doleta.gov/readytowork/.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z http://cohen.house.gov/press-release/cohen-announces-more-750000-u-m,"Cohen Announces More Than $750,000 for U of M",2014-10-14,2014,2014-10,Democrat,House,TN,Steve Cohen,C001068,cohen.house.gov,,,legacy,"[MEMPHIS, TN] – Congressman Steve Cohen (TN-09) today announced a total of $766,872 for several different projects at the University of Memphis. This funding comes through both the National Science Foundation (NSF) and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). “This funding will help keep the University of Memphis at the cutting edge,” said the Congressman. Today’s announcement includes funding for the following projects $473,392 in Behavioral Health Workforce Education and Training for Professionals grant program funding from HHS to help support a social work training program with more than 100 students. $242,981 in NSF funding to develop a computational optical system for three-dimensional (3D) microscopy imaging. $49,999 in NSF funding to support the National Workshop on Computational Challenges in Future Mobile Health (mHealth) Systems and Applications.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z http://cohen.house.gov/launching-new-multimillion-dollar-u-m-research-initiative,Launching a New Multimillion Dollar U of M Research Initiative,2014-10-10,2014,2014-10,Democrat,House,TN,Steve Cohen,C001068,cohen.house.gov,,,legacy,"Dear Friend, This week, I helped launch a brand new multimillion dollar research initiative led by the University of Memphis, I spoke out about the need to reform our criminal justice system, and the federal government took steps to prevent former Mo' Money employees from taking advantage of consumers. Keep reading to learn more about what happened this week. Launching a New Multimillion Dollar Research Initiative at U of M Speaking Out About Reforming Our Justice System Protecting Consumers from Mo' Money and Unscrupulous Tax Preparers Developing the Memphis Workforce Recovering from September's Floods Keeping America Safe from Ebola Working to Protect the Right to Choose Matchup between NBA All-Star Detlef Schrempf& Grizzlies Owner Robert Pera New American Veterans Disabled for Life Memorial in Washington Building a Healthier Memphis and Fighting Breast Cancer Service Academy Nominations Helping Keep College Affordable Memphis Accepting the President's My Brother's Keeper Community Challenge Make Sure to Claim Unclaimed Property Launching a New Multimillion Dollar Research Initiative at U of M Yesterday, I joined several University of Memphis officials to help announce a brand new, multimillion dollar research partnership that will be headquartered in Memphis and spearheaded by U of M researchers. Being selected to lead a new National Center of Excellence for mobile health data by the National Institutes of Health, the NIH, shows the respect that the University of Memphis is gaining for its research endeavors on the national level. I have never seen and didn't think I'd ever see Memphis with this class of universities, leading a coalition of schools including Northwestern, Cornell Tech, UCLA, UMass Amherst, Ohio State, UC San Francisco, and the University of Michigan. You can read more about the research partnership here. This significant infusion of federal funds will help to solidify our city and our University at the forefront of this rapidly growing, increasingly important sector of the biomedical industry. I will keep working to roll back sequestration's crippling cuts to the NIH so that it can continue supporting important projects like this as well as research into cures for some of the most deadly diseases known to man. Speaking Out About Reforming Our Justice System                                             This morning, I was at First Baptist Church to give the welcoming remarks for the 2014 Lifeline to Success Justice Reform Conference. Reforming our criminal justice system has been one of my top priorities throughout my career. I am happy to work with Pastor DeAndre Brown, Lifeline to Success Executive Director, to further these efforts, and I commend him for his leadership and good work. Even as Memphis police legal advisor more than 30 years ago I worked toward a fairer and more rational system, helping create a Citation in Lieu of Arrest for certain non-violent crimes like marijuana possession. In Congress, I was recently selected by my colleagues to be the most senior Democrat on the House Judiciary Subcommittee on the Constitution and Civil Justice and have fought for a number of reform issues, including sponsoring legislation that made our nation's sentencing policies less racially-biased and fairer, encouraging the President to expand his use of the executive clemency powers to free people who do not deserve to still be incarcerated, working to see that ex-offenders who have paid their debt to society can get a fresh start in life, and protecting and expanding voting rights for all Americans. And just this week, the Leadership Conference for Civil and Human Rights awarded me with a perfect score for my votes on civil and human rights issues like these over the last two years. Fighting for criminal justice reform has been a difficult and often lonely pursuit, but I'm pleased to say that there's greater momentum today than I've seen in a long time toward fixing some of the fundamental problems in our criminal justice system. Reform of the criminal justice system will not come easily, but there's a growing awareness that change is needed. I'll continue fighting for these reforms in Congress and I was happy to join the Lifeline for Success Conference to raise awareness of these important issues. Protecting Consumers from Mo' Money and Unscrupulous Tax Preparers On Tuesday, the United States Government filed a lawsuit to prevent three former Mo' Money licensees and managers from preying on Memphis' poor and middle-class with their fraudulent and predatory tax preparation schemes. The lawsuit sends a striking message that people cannot take advantage of Memphians or victimize Americans through tax fraud, and it follows last year's court order stopping Mo' Money's owners and another former manager from preparing taxes ever again. It is a good step to protect our city's consumers. Those perpetrating tax preparation scams that prey on the poor and the middle class should be punished as severely as possible under the law, and I'm glad the Department of Justice is continuing to respond to the concerns of the Ninth District and took action against these individuals. Developing the Memphis Workforce At Tuesday's 8th annual University of Memphis Freight Conference, I announced that the University has been selected by the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) as the Southeast Regional Surface Transportation Workforce Center. I was proud to support the University of Memphis's efforts to receive this important designation, and I am pleased that it has been selected as one of only five such centers in the United States. The nearly $1 million in federal funding attached to this selection will help Memphis lead the way in transportation workforce development and further cement our status as the Mid-South's transportation leader for years to come. Recovering from September's Floods Last month, many Memphians and Memphis small business owners suffered from property damage and property loss as a result of the severe floods on September 11th. I was pleased to announce earlier this week that the U.S. Small Business Administration has launched a Shelby County Disaster Loan Outreach Center to assist citizens who were affected by these floods at 1075 Mullins Station Road (Building C, Room 133). The outreach center will provide one-on-one assistance to citizens applying for disaster-damaged real estate loans of up to $200,000 and disaster-damaged personal property loans of up to $40,000. Businesses and non-profit organizations may also be eligible to apply for up to $2 million to repair or replace damage or destroyed real estate, machinery and equipment, inventory and other business assets. The Shelby County outreach center will be open until 7pm tonight, from 10am to 2pm tomorrow, and from 10am to 4pm. More information is available here. Every Ninth District citizen who was negatively affected by last month's floods should take advantage of this opportunity and ensure they don't miss out on recovery assistance they are eligible for. Keeping America Safe from Ebola Americans are very concerned about the recent Ebola epidemic that has plagued multiple countries in West Africa. Despite the first travel-associated case of Ebola recently being diagnosed in the United States, it is important to remember that the risk of an outbreak of the disease in this country is unlikely due mainly to our highly advanced health infrastructure. I am also pleased to report that President Obama has recently implemented increased travel screening and tracking procedures at airports to further reduce the risk to Americans. The United States Centers for Disease Control, or the CDC, have launched a regularly-updated web page with information about Ebola and how our nation is working to address and prevent it from spreading. You can visit the CDC's Ebola information page here. Working to Protect the Right to Choose In my career, I have always be a champion for women's reproductive rights and in 2007 Planned Parenthood Greater Memphis Region (PPGMR) awarded me with their Bob James Award for my efforts. Yesterday, I was pleased to be able to attend PPGMR's annual Bob James Award ceremony and congratulate my friend Beverly Marrero on receiving this year's award. As a Tennessee State Senator she was a passionate advocate for a woman's right to make her own health care decisions and she has always been a great champion of Planned Parenthood. A woman must have the ability to make her own decisions about her health and her body, and it is not the place of our criminal system or for politicians to decide what's best for a woman's health. In Congress, I will continue fighting against right-wing efforts to limit those rights and make choices for women that are better left to women and their doctors. Matchup between NBA All-Star Detlef Schrempf& Grizzlies Owner Robert Pera Earlier this year, I enjoyed having the opportunity to meet former NBA star Detlef Schrempf in my Capitol Hill office. Detlef was visiting Washington to highlight the Seafood Nutrition Partnership, which in Memphis this week launched a three-city interactive pilot program to help educate Americans about the health benefits of fish. In the past, Grizzlies Owner Robert Pera has challenged both Michael Jordan and Tony Allen to matchups. Since these have not happened, this week I suggested that he should ask the 3-time NBA All Star to a matchup by launching the new #DetlefVsPera hashtag to draw attention to this possible one-on-one. If you want to see this matchup happen too, you can help make it happen by tweeting the hashtag and sharing it with your friends! New American Veterans Disabled for Life Memorial in Washington This week, President Obama dedicated the new American Veterans Disabled for Life Memorial across the street from my Capitol Hill office to honor American veterans who have been disabled for their lifetime and to give Americans the chance to learn about the experiences of some of our nation's heroes. The main structure of the Memorial is a star-shaped fountain with a single flame arising from the water in the center. If you are visiting our nation's capital, this new Memorial is certainly worth a few moments of your time and reflection. Building a Healthier Memphis and Fighting Breast Cancer October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, and the racial disparity in breast cancer outcomes in Memphis and throughout the county is deplorable, but we can do more to address it. This year, I launched my ""Building a Healthier Memphis"" series on wellness in the Ninth District with a panel discussion and educational session focused on this important issue. The panel at my event earlier this year discussed the reasons for the current outcome gap and helped identify how Memphians can take advantage of provisions of the President's Affordable Care Act that include no copay and no deductible mammograms to address the disparity and improve outcomes for themselves, their families, and their communities. If you are interested in learning more about the Affordable Care Act, how it works, and how it can help you and your family, Seedco will be hosting informational sessions at the Ben Hooks Library from 10:30am to 1pm on October 14th, 16th, 23rd, 30th, and November 6th and 13th (this session will end at 5pm). When the health care insurance open enrollment period for 2015 coverage begins, Seedco will also host enrollment sessions at the library from 10:30am to 5pm on November 18th, and from 10:30am to 1pm on December 4th, 11th, 16th, and 18th. At each of these sessions, there will be certified health care navigators on site to answer questions you have about the law and assist you in the enrollment process. If you are interested in attending one of the enrollment sessions, please call 901.405.7895 to RSVP. Service Academy Nominations Every year, I have the honor of nominating ten highly qualified young people from the Ninth District for appointments to our nation's Service Academies. If you are interested in attending one of these outstanding institutions, I will be happy to consider you for selection as one of my nominees. To be eligible for appointment, you must meet a number of requirements listed here and be a legal resident of the Ninth Congressional District of Tennessee. If you are not certain that your legal domicile is in the Ninth District, call my congressional office at 901.544.4131 the number provided below and request address verification. Before applying to my office for a Service Academy appointment, you should obtain an application from the Military Academy of your choice. If you are having trouble obtaining an application, please let me know and I will assist you. As part of the application process, please complete the Personal Data form located here, submit a Letter of Interest and return to my office with the following: 1) your highest ACT/SAT score, 2) three letters of recommendation from people who know you well (ministers, coaches, scoutmasters, teachers or employers are good options), and 3) an official transcript which includes your course listing, current GPA, grades, and class rank. Your transcript should be mailed to my office at 167 North Main Street, Suite 369 by your school in a sealed (unopened) envelope; report cards are not eligible. All information must be submitted to my office no later than October 31, 2014.  Once the information is received, you will be contacted to schedule an interview.  If you have any questions, please contact Linda Archer at 901.544.4131. Helping Keep College Affordable With young adults from across the Ninth District heading to college, I wanted to take a few moments to highlight the various federal aid programs that are available for students and their families to take advantage of. If you are attending college and are interested in learning more about financial student aid that may be available, please don't hesitate to visit StudentAid.gov. If you are trying to help a child or friend afford college, there are a number of resources available at https://www.financialaidtoolkit.ed.gov/tk/ as well. Memphis Accepting the President's My Brother's Keeper Community Challenge President Obama announced his ""My Brother's Keeper"" (MBK) initiative earlier this year to help ensure youth across the country, including boys and young men of color, have opportunities to overcome barriers to succeeding in life and to improving their lives. Just recently, the President announced the MBK Community Challenge to encourage communities to implement a coherent cradle-to-college and career strategy aimed at improving life outcomes for all young people. I am pleased that Memphis is an early acceptor of this challenge which aims to ensure that all children enter school prepared and read at grade level by the 3rd grade and ensure that all young people graduate from high school, complete a post-secondary education, are safe from crime, and that youth who are out of school are employed. Make Sure to Claim Unclaimed Property The State of Tennessee maintains a searchable database of unclaimed property, which can include bank accounts, stocks and dividends, wages, refunds, insurance payments, gift certificates, credit balances and overpayments, and a number of other things. There is no cost for accessing the database, and you may find that you are owed money or property. If you have not searched the database yet or if you haven't searched in a while, you can visit https://www.claimittn.gov and see for yourself whether the state is holding any property or assets for you. And you may pass this information along to your friends and family as well! As always, I remain.  Most sincerely,   Steve Cohen Member of Congress",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z http://cohen.house.gov/press-release/cohen-awarded-perfect-voting-record-civil-and-human-rights-legislation-113th-congress,Cohen Awarded With Perfect Voting Record on Civil and Human Rights Legislation in 113th Congress,2014-10-10,2014,2014-10,Democrat,House,TN,Steve Cohen,C001068,cohen.house.gov,,,legacy,"[MEMPHIS, TN] – Congressman Steve Cohen (TN-09) was awarded this week with a 100 percent score for his votes on civil rights and human rights issues in the 113th Congress by the Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights (LCCHR). The LCCHR’s 113th Congress Voting Record grades Members of Congress on the votes they cast on 20 bills considered by the House of Representatives during the 113th Congress. “I have consistently fought throughout my entire career to further the cause of justice and ensure everyone is treated fairly,” said Congressman Cohen. “Human rights and civil rights should not be partisan issues, and I will continue working with my colleagues in Congress to advance these critically important issues at home and abroad. I have great respect for  and enjoy working with Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights President Wade Henderson as well as the entire coalition, and it is an honor to be recognized by it for my record defending and advancing civil and human rights.” The LCCHR is a coalition charged by its diverse membership to promote and protect the civil and human rights of all persons in the United States. The LCCHR works to build a more fair and just America. The 20 votes selected for inclusion in the group’s 113th Congress report ranged from supporting fair labor and housing standards to protecting vulnerable Americans from hunger and ensuring that consumers across the country are adequately protected.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z http://cohen.house.gov/press-release/cohen-responds-federal-report-showing-tennessee-voter-id-law-suppresses-african,Cohen Responds to Federal Report Showing Tennessee Voter ID Law Suppresses African American Votes,2014-10-09,2014,2014-10,Democrat,House,TN,Steve Cohen,C001068,cohen.house.gov,,,legacy,"[MEMPHIS, TN] – Congressman Steve Cohen (TN-09) today released the following statement in response to a new U.S. Government Accountability Office report finding that Tennessee’s restrictive voter ID law led to reductions in voter turnout that were larger “among African-American registrants than among White, Asian-American, and Hispanic registrants.” The report further found that in-person voter fraud—which is often cited by supporters as the reason why restrictive voter ID laws are needed in the first place—is virtually non-existent. “I have said from the beginning that the goal of restrictive state voter ID policies like Tennessee’s isn’t to prevent fraud, it’s to make it harder for African Americans to exercise the fundamental right to vote that Americans of all stripes hold sacred,” said Congressman Cohen. “And today’s authoritative report from the federal government shows exactly that: our state’s law disenfranchises African Americans but the fraud it is supposed to prevent doesn’t even exist. Despite the claims of its supporters, the Tennessee Voter ID law is a travesty of justice masquerading as a cure to a disease that we all know is imaginary.” To help alleviate the harmful and disenfranchising effects of unfair and burdensome voter ID laws like Tennessee’s, Congressman Cohen has introduced his Voter ID Accessibility Act. The bill would amend the National Voter Registration Act of 1993, commonly referred to as the “Motor Voter Law,” to expand access to photo identification in states that require it for voting. Congressman Cohen’s legislation would ensure that state and federal offices that provide public assistance—which already offer visitors the opportunity to register to vote—also notify individuals of their state’s voter ID mandate and offer them the opportunity to obtain suitable identification free of charge.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z http://cohen.house.gov/press-release/cohen-launches-social-media-campaign-one-one-matchup-between-grizzlies-owner-robert,Cohen Launches Social Media Campaign for One-on-One Matchup Between Grizzlies Owner Robert Pera & NBA All-Star Detlef Schrempf,2014-10-08,2014,2014-10,Democrat,House,TN,Steve Cohen,C001068,cohen.house.gov,,,legacy,"[MEMPHIS, TN] – After Memphis Grizzlies owner Robert Pera challenged both Michael Jordan and Tony Allen to charity one-on-one matches that have not yet materialized, Congressman Steve Cohen (TN-09) today suggested that the Grizzlies owner to put his skills to the test against three-time NBA All-Star Detlef Schrempf by launching the #DetlefVsPera social media campaign urging a matchup between the two. “In the past, Robert Pera has challenged both Michael Jordan and Tony Allen to matchups that have not happened—but if he asked Detlef I’m sure they could set up a one-on-one. I know I would want to see that.” said Congressman Cohen, who also tweeted “Hey @RobertPera, 1-on-1s w @aa000G9 and MJ might not happen, maybe you could ask @Dschrempf to play—I want to see #DetlefVsPera!” Congressman Cohen met with Schrempf in his Capitol Hill office in July while the NBA star was visiting Washington to highlight the Seafood Nutrition Partnership, which today in Memphis launched a three-city interactive pilot program to help educate Americans about the health benefits of fish, and discussed with him a potential Schrempf vs. Pera matchup. A photo of the July meeting is available here. Congressman Cohen spoke at this morning’s kickoff event for the program, which will operate in Memphis, Boston, and Indianapolis. The Congressman also mentioned the potential matchup to Grizzlies General Manager Chris Wallace.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z http://cohen.house.gov/press-release/cohen-announces-opening-new-sba-disaster-recovery-loan-outreach-center-memphis,Cohen Announces Opening of New SBA Disaster Recovery Loan Outreach Center in Memphis,2014-10-07,2014,2014-10,Democrat,House,TN,Steve Cohen,C001068,cohen.house.gov,,,legacy,"[MEMPHIS, TN] – Congressman Steve Cohen (TN-09) today announced that the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) will open a new Disaster Loan Outreach Center in Memphis tomorrow to assist citizens who were affected by the flooding that took place in the region on September 11, 2014. The Shelby County outreach center will provide one-on-one assistance to citizens applying for disaster damaged real estate recovery loans of up to $200,000 and disaster damaged personal property loans of up to $40,000. “Every Ninth District citizen who was negatively affected by last month’s floods should take advantage of this opportunity and ensure they don’t miss out on recovery assistance they are eligible for,” said Congressman Cohen. Businesses and non-profit organizations may also be eligible to apply for up to $2 million to repair or replace damage or destroyed real estate, machinery and equipment, inventory and other business assets. The new Disaster Loan Outreach Center will be located in Building C, Room 133 of the Shelby County EOC at 1075 Mullins Station Road. The outreach center’s hours of operation are as follows: Opens:             Wednesday Oct. 8, from 1 p.m. to 7 p.m. Hours:             Thursday and Friday, from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.                         Saturday, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.                         Tuesday, Oct. 14, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Closes:             Tuesday, Oct. 14, at close of business ***The outreach center will be closed on Sunday, October 12 and Monday, October 13 in honor of Columbus Day. The following information is provided by the SBA: Applicants may be eligible for a loan amount increase up to 20 percent of their physical damages, as verified by the SBA, to make improvements that help prevent the risk of future property damage caused by a similar disaster. For small businesses, small agricultural cooperatives, small aquaculture businesses and most private nonprofit organizations of all sizes, the SBA offers Economic Injury Disaster Loans (EIDL’s) to help meet working capital needs caused by the disaster.  EIDL assistance is available regardless of whether the business suffered any physical property damage.  Interest rates are as low as 2.063 percent for homeowners and renters, 2.625 percent for nonprofit organizations and 4 percent for businesses with terms up to 30 years.  Loan amount and terms are set by the SBA and are based on each applicant’s financial condition.  Applicants may apply online using the Electronic Loan Application (ELA) via SBA’s secure website at https://disasterloan.sba.gov/ela.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z http://cohen.house.gov/press-release/cohen-u-m-wins-1-million-grant-new-regional-surface-transportation-workforce-center,Cohen: U of M Wins $1 Million Grant for New Regional Surface Transportation Workforce Center to Help Create Jobs,2014-10-07,2014,2014-10,Democrat,House,TN,Steve Cohen,C001068,cohen.house.gov,,,legacy,"[MEMPHIS, TN] – While speaking at today’s 8th annual University of Memphis Freight Conference, Congressman Steve Cohen (TN-09) announced that the University has been selected by the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) as the Southeast Regional Surface Transportation Workforce Center, along with nearly $1 million in federal funding to help launch the new Center. Congressman Cohen, who supported the University’s application for this prestigious selection that will help create jobs, is a member of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee. “I was proud to support the University of Memphis’s efforts to be selected as the Department of Transportation’s Regional Surface Transportation Workforce Center, and I am pleased that it has been selected as one of only five such centers in the United States,” said Congressman Cohen. “The nearly $1 million in federal funding attached to this selection will help Memphis lead the way in transportation workforce development, create good-paying jobs here at home, and further cement our status as the Mid-South’s transportation leader for years to come.” The $990,000 in federal funding attached to the University of Memphis’ selection today will fund the University’s new center, which aims to promote and expand successful workforce development activities and create jobs within the transportation industry, for 4 years. The DOT will select only 5 Regional Surface Transportation Workforce Development Centers throughout the nation, and the center at the University of Memphis will be the only such center in the entire Southwest region, which includes 12 states and Puerto Rico. Congressman Cohen has long fought to help Memphis maintain its status as a leader in the transportation and infrastructure industries. He has helped bring current Secretary on Transportation Anthony Foxx and then-Secretary Ray LaHood to the city and he worked for years to secure the $15 million TIGER grant that funds the Main to Main project.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z http://cohen.house.gov/addressing-and-preventing-youth-violence,Addressing and Preventing Youth Violence,2014-10-03,2014,2014-10,Democrat,House,TN,Steve Cohen,C001068,cohen.house.gov,,,legacy,"Dear Friend, This week marks the beginning of Breast Cancer Awareness Month, I announced funding to address and prevent youth violence in Memphis, I welcomed the Deputy Agriculture Secretary to our city, and I also announced more than $7 million for new job training programs that will help improve the Memphis economy. Keep reading to learn more about what happened this week. Addressing and Preventing Youth Violence Shedding Light on Food Insecurity and Memphis Food Deserts Cutting Through the Memphis Rape Kit Backlog Developing Our Workforce Building a Healthier Memphis and Fighting Breast Cancer and Infant Mortality Helping Reduce Veteran Homelessness in Memphis Welcoming Memphians to My Capitol Hill Office Reducing Racial Disparities in the Justice System Fighting Domestic Violence Protecting Horses from Abuse Helping Keep College Affordable Memphis Accepting the President’s My Brother’s Keeper Community Challenge  Make Sure to Claim Unclaimed Property Addressing and Preventing Youth Violence As we have recently witnessed, more must be done to address and prevent youth violence in Memphis and to keep our community safe. That’s why on Wednesday morning I announced a total of $834,460 in two grants to fight this scourge on our community. This funding is in addition to $850,000 to fight youth violence in schools that I announced last month, and I hope it will be a valuable asset as we work to address the underlying causes of youth violence and prevent bad behavior before it becomes a bigger problem. Shedding Light on Food Insecurity and Memphis Food Deserts On Tuesday, I welcomed U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Deputy Secretary Krysta Harden to Memphis and toured South Memphis Farmers Market, an outgrowth of St. Andrews A.M.E. and its Pastor, Dr. Ken Robinson, with her. Deputy Secretary Harden visited our city to highlight the opening of the application period for the Food Insecurity Nutrition Incentive grant program—a program that encourages SNAP participants to purchase fresh fruits and vegetables—and to shed light on the important issues of food insecurity and inadequate access to fresh, healthy foods. Unfortunately, these are issues that too many Memphians—and too many Americans—face. We should do all that we can to keep children and families healthy, and that is one reason why I have introduced the Supermarket Tax Credit for Underserved Areas Act. My bill would help reduce the prevalence of food deserts and help ensure that healthy, fresh food is available throughout the nation, including in urban areas, by providing tax incentives for the establishment of supermarkets in empowerment zones and formerly designated renewal communities. I will continue to work closely with the Deputy Secretary and the U.S. Department of Agriculture to increase access to fresh and healthy fruits and vegetables and reduce food insecurity. Cutting Through the Memphis Rape Kit Backlog This week, President Obama signed the Debbie Smith Reauthorization Act of 2014 into law. The law authorizes several grant programs that help local law enforcement agencies solve rape and other violent crime cases. I am glad that the President signed this important legislation into law, but we must do more to cut through the backlog of untested rape kits that is bigger in Memphis than anywhere else in the country. Sexual assault cases must be handled in a thorough and timely manner to obtain justice for the victims and to prevent future assaults on others. Because of this, I have been working to help police departments cut through their backlogs, and am pleased that earlier this year the House of Representatives passed an amendment that I introduced to provide more federal resources to local law enforcement agencies specifically to address their rape kit backlogs. The Senate Appropriations Committee has also included my $5 million rape kit backlog reduction provision, and I hope the full Senate passes it soon. We know that, if tested, these rape kits could have helped catch perpetrators and prevent additional attacks. We must do more to cut through this backlog to give victims the justice they deserve and to keep our communities safe from predators. Adding federal funding to help cut down the nation’s backlog improves the chances that Memphis will receive the resources it needs to do the same. My provision to provide additional funding to reduce the rape kit backlog is a step in the right direction. Developing Our Workforce This week, I announced more than $7.3 million in federal funding for new job training and workforce development programs in Memphis. Southwest Tennessee Community College will receive more than $4 million to develop, expand, and enhance innovative career training programs in the healthcare, transportation, and logistics industries. William R. Moore College of Technology and the Tennessee College of Applied Technology will receive a total of more than $3.25 million to participate in a partnership led by Mid-South Community College focused on developing a regional training program for the manufacturing, transportation, and logistics industries. This significant federal investment will help prepare Memphians with the skills they need to gain good-paying jobs in our modern economy and is another important step towards improving the Memphis economy and creating jobs in our city. Building a Healthier Memphis and Fighting Breast Cancer and Infant Mortality October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, and the racial disparity in breast cancer outcomes in Memphis and throughout the county is deplorable, but we can do more to address it. This year, I launched my “Building a Healthier Memphis” series on wellness in the Ninth District with a panel discussion and educational session focused on this important issue. The panel at my event earlier this year discussed the reasons for the current outcome gap and helped identify how Memphians can take advantage of provisions of the President’s Affordable Care Act that include no copay and no deductible mammograms to address the disparity and improve outcomes for themselves, their families, and their communities. I look forward to continuing my work to reduce the racial disparities in breast cancer outcomes in Memphis. My “Building a Healthier Memphis” event in July focused on infant mortality, another problem that plagues our city. Since I arrived in Congress, I have raised awareness of this issue by hosting briefings for my colleagues on Capitol Hill and pursuing measures that provide more funding for preventive programs. I also authored the NEWBORN Act, a bill that would create 15 pilot projects across the country to address the issue of infant mortality in cities like Memphis that suffer at the greatest rates. Over the weekend, I spoke at the Sisters-In-Motion 5th annual run, which helps support Christ Community Health Services, to bring more attention to the ways that the Affordable Care Act is helping reduce infant mortality across the country. These include making comprehensive preventive services and other women’s services available without a copay or deductible to everyone who has health insurance coverage. Helping Reduce Veteran Homelessness in Memphis It is a tragedy that any of our veterans in Memphis and throughout the country are homeless. I was pleased to be able to announce that the Memphis Housing Authority now has the resources it needs to provide additional vouchers to homeless veterans and their families so that they can find and afford more permanent housing in our community. These vouchers are just one way we can give back to the veterans who gave so much for us and a step toward the goal of having no homeless veterans in America. Welcoming Memphians to My Capitol Hill Office This morning, a group of Memphians including Kaye Jackson (center) visited Capitol Hill and I was pleased to be able to facilitate a tour of the Capitol building for them. I am glad they were able to have this experience while they visited our nation’s capital. Reducing Racial Disparities in the Justice System From the biased use of ‘stop and frisk’ policies to the impact of unfair mandatory minimum sentences on minority communities, there is widespread evidence that racial disparities pervade our criminal justice system. These disparities undermine confidence in the system, threaten the cause of justice, and cannot continue in a society that holds fairness and equality in high regard. At a recent panel discussion held at the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation’s Annual Legislative Conference, NAACP President Cornell William Brooks singled out a bill I introduced in Congress, the Justice Integrity Act, as something that would help alleviate these problems. My bill would create an advisory group in each of ten United States judicial districts headed by the U.S. Attorney for that district to examine racial disparities throughout the criminal justice system and develop solutions for reducing or eliminating them. The bill would also require the Attorney General to submit a comprehensive report to Congress at the end of the program, outlining the results from all ten districts and recommending best practices. I look forward to fighting for this important legislation’s passage and will continue fighting to reduce racial disparities in our justice system. Fighting Domestic Violence Domestic violence is not just a women’s issue, it’s a human rights issue, and men must be a part of the solution. According to the National Network to End Domestic Violence, one in four women will be a victim at some point in her lifetime. More than one in three women have experienced rape, physical violence and/or stalking by an intimate partner in their lifetime and about 7 million women are raped or physically assaulted by a current or former partner each year. Yesterday, I spoke at Joyce Parkinson Kyles' Walk Into a New Life event on addressing domestic violence in Memphis because how we respond as a community to this problem speaks volumes about who we are as a society. It is not good enough to take the attitude that boys will be boys, or the even more insidious “she deserved it” position. As Vice President Biden—who has been a leader on this issue and led the effort to pass the Violence Against Women Act 20 years ago—recently pointed out, “It’s never, never, never the woman’s fault.” The Violence Against Women Act, or VAWA, takes a comprehensive approach to addressing domestic violence providing federal assistance to the criminal justice system, the social services system, and community-based organizations to work together to combat abuse and treat survivors. And it has been a proven success: Between 1993 and 2010, the number of women killed by an intimate partner declined 30%, and intimate partner violence dropped 67% during the same period. Since Vice President Biden led the effort to pass VAWA, our nation has made enormous strides in reducing domestic and sexual violence. While the law was reauthorized twice with strong bipartisan support, that bipartisanship came to an end when the law needed to be reauthorized last year. The Senate passed a strong bipartisan bill but House Republicans forced through a much weaker bill that failed to protect certain vulnerable populations. Eventually, public pressure was so great that House Republicans allowed a vote on the Senate bill, which passed overwhelmingly with my support, and the President signed it into law soon after. But every day, thousands of women still feel unsafe in their own homes and we must do everything we can to care for the survivors of abuse and to prevent abuse in the future. I was proud to join Walking Into a New Life this week and to recommit to the fight against domestic violence in all its forms. Protecting Horses from Abuse How we treat animals is a direct reflection of our character, both as individuals and as a society. And when we allow the mistreatment and disrespect of any conscious being, we also devalue our own humanity. Recently, Horse Haven of Tennessee awarded me with their 2014 Public Servant trophy for my dedication to equine welfare, including my sponsorship of the Prevent All Soring Tactics Act, or the PAST Act, which would help ensure that horses are treated humanely and prevent animal abuse. I am honored to be recognized with this award. With two-thirds of the House and a majority of the Senate already in support of the PAST Act, I hope that House Republican leaders bring it up for a vote as soon as possible. Helping Keep College Affordable With young adults from across the Ninth District heading to college, I wanted to take a few moments to highlight the various federal aid programs that are available for students and their families to take advantage of. If you are attending college and are interested in learning more about financial student aid that may be available, please don’t hesitate to visit StudentAid.gov. If you are trying to help a child or friend afford college, there are a number of resources available at https://www.financialaidtoolkit.ed.gov/tk/ as well. Memphis Accepting the President’s My Brother’s Keeper Community Challenge President Obama announced his “My Brother’s Keeper” (MBK) initiative earlier this year to help ensure youth across the country, including boys and young men of color, have opportunities to overcome barriers to succeeding in life and to improving their lives. Just recently, the President announced the MBK Community Challenge to encourage communities to implement a coherent cradle-to-college and career strategy aimed at improving life outcomes for all young people. I am pleased that Memphis is an early acceptor of this challenge which aims to ensure that all children enter school prepared and read at grade level by the 3rd grade and ensure that all young people graduate from high school, complete a post-secondary education, are safe from crime, and that youth who are out of school are employed. Make Sure to Claim Unclaimed Property The State of Tennessee maintains a searchable database of unclaimed property, which can include bank accounts, stocks and dividends, wages, refunds, insurance payments, gift certificates, credit balances and overpayments, and a number of other things. There is no cost for accessing the database, and you may find that you are owed money or property. If you have not searched the database yet or if you haven’t searched in a while, you can visit https://www.claimittn.gov and see for yourself whether the state is holding any property or assets for you. And you may pass this information along to your friends and family as well! As always, I remain.  Most sincerely, Steve Cohen Member of Congress",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z http://cohen.house.gov/press-release/cohen-new-funding-will-help-memphis-address-and-prevent-youth-violence,Cohen: New Funding Will Help Memphis Address and Prevent Youth Violence,2014-10-01,2014,2014-10,Democrat,House,TN,Steve Cohen,C001068,cohen.house.gov,,,legacy,"[MEMPHIS, TN] – Congressman Steve Cohen (TN-09) today announced a total of $834,460 in federal funds to fight and prevent youth violence in the Ninth District. The funding, which comes just days after Congressman Cohen announced $850,000 to fight youth violence in schools, was awarded by the U.S. Department of Justice’s Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP) through two individual grants to the City of Memphis as well as to Shelby County. “As we have recently witnessed, more must be done to address and prevent youth violence in Memphis and to keep our community safe,” said Congressman Cohen. “This funding will be a valuable asset as we work to address the underlying causes of youth violence and prevent bad behavior before it becomes a bigger problem.” Shelby County will use its $612,260 grant from OJJDP for the Network for Overcoming Violence and Abuse (NOVA) initiative, which is focused on reaching families early to enable them to take full advantage of services and opportunities that will help improve their lives. Specifically, this funding will help expand trauma-informed education, continue to offer family and youth violence prevention assistance, and engage at-risk individuals in violence prevention strategies. The City of Memphis will use its $222,200 grant from OJJDP to strengthen the Memphis Forum on Youth Violence Prevention program in three high-need schools in Southeast Memphis and enhance the city’s youth violence prevention plan.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z http://cohen.house.gov/press-release/cohen-announces-additional-325-million-memphis-workforce-development-programs,Cohen Announces Additional $3.25 Million for Memphis Workforce Development Programs,2014-09-30,2014,2014-09,Democrat,House,TN,Steve Cohen,C001068,cohen.house.gov,,,legacy,"[MEMPHIS, TN] – After announcing more than $4 million for job training program expansion and development yesterday, Congressman Steve Cohen (TN-09) today announced an additional $3,271,358 in federal funding from the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) for job training programs at two Memphis institutions of higher learning. The funding will be used by William R. Moore College of Technology and the Tennessee College of Applied Technology, Memphis to develop a regional training program for the manufacturing, transportation, and logistics industries in partnership with both Southwest Tennessee Community College, which received $1,654,192 for this partnership under yesterday’s announcement, and Mid-South Community College in West Memphis, Arkansas. “This additional federal investment will help prepare Memphians with the skills they need to gain good-paying jobs in our modern economy,” said Congressman Cohen. “I am pleased to announce another important step towards improving the Memphis economy and creating jobs in our city.” Today’s funding comes through the DOL’s Trade Adjustment Assistance Community College and Career Training (TAACCCT) Grant Program, a 4-year, $2 billion initiative signed into law by President Barack Obama. The funding will allow the four schools in the partnership to: deepen systemic integration among community colleges, workforce agencies and local employers; expand and enhance industry responsive career pathways by integrating evidence-based approaches; and integrate evidence-based practices in economic development and career pathways and sector partnerships. The TAACCCT Grant Program is a DOL partnership with the U.S. Department of Education that provides community colleges and other eligible institutions of higher education with funds to expand and improve their ability to deliver education and career training programs that can be completed in 2 years or less and prepare participants for employment in high-wage, high-skill occupations.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z http://cohen.house.gov/press-release/cohen-welcomes-deputy-us-agriculture-secretary-memphis,Cohen Welcomes Deputy U.S. Agriculture Secretary to Memphis,2014-09-30,2014,2014-09,Democrat,House,TN,Steve Cohen,C001068,cohen.house.gov,,,legacy,"Congressman also announces nearly $750,000 in federal funding for community development [MEMPHIS, TN] – Congressman Steve Cohen (TN-09) today welcomed U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Deputy Secretary Krysta Harden to Memphis, discussed his efforts to eliminate food deserts and increase Memphians’ access to healthy foods with her, and joined the Deputy Secretary on a tour of the South Memphis Farmers Market (photo). The South Memphis Farmers Market is a collaborative effort between neighborhood residents, the University of Memphis, and The Works, Inc., an organization dedicated to developing the South Memphis community for which the Congressman also announced a $741,000 federal investment today. “Deputy Secretary Harden’s visit to Memphis sheds light on the important issues of food insecurity and inadequate access to fresh, healthy foods,” said Congressman Cohen. “Unfortunately, these are issues that too many Memphians—and too many Americans—face. We should do all that we can to keep children and families healthy, and I will continue to work closely with the Deputy Secretary and the U.S. Department of Agriculture to increase access to fresh and healthy fruits and vegetables and reduce food insecurity.” Deputy Secretary Harden was in Memphis today to highlight the opening of the Food Insecurity Nutrition Incentive (FINI) grant application period. The FINI grant program helps encourages Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) participants to purchase fresh fruits and vegetables by providing additional support to food pantries, farmers markets, and other retailers that offer certain benefits shown to increase participants’ access to healthy foods. During this session of Congress, Congressman Cohen introduced H.R. 3015, the Supermarket Tax Credit for Underserved Areas Act, to help reduce the prevalence of “food deserts” and help ensure that healthy, fresh food is available throughout the nation, including in urban areas. The legislation would provide tax incentives for the establishment of supermarkets in empowerment zones and formerly designated renewal communities. More information about the legislation can be found here. The nearly $750,000 in U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) funding for The Works, Inc., announced by Congressman Cohen today comes through the Administration for Children & Families Community Economic Development (CED) grant program. The CED program aims to address the economic needs of low-income individuals and families through the creation of sustainable business development and employment opportunities that lead to increased self-sufficiency. More information about the CED program can be found here. “This funding will help the South Memphis community develop and improve the lives of Memphians,” said Congressman Cohen. The South Memphis Farmers Market is located at the corner of Mississippi Boulevard & South Parkway.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z http://cohen.house.gov/press-release/cohen-announces-more-4-million-job-training-programs-southwest-tennessee-community,Cohen Announces More Than $4 Million for Job Training Programs at Southwest Tennessee Community College,2014-09-29,2014,2014-09,Democrat,House,TN,Steve Cohen,C001068,cohen.house.gov,,,legacy,"[MEMPHIS, TN] – Congressman Steve Cohen (TN-09) today announced that Southwest Tennessee Community College has won $4,041,439 in federal funding from the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) to develop, expand, and enhance innovative career training programs in the healthcare, transportation, and logistics industries. Today’s funding comes through the DOL’s Trade Adjustment Assistance Community College and Career Training (TAACCCT) Grant Program, a 4-year, $2 billion initiative signed into law by President Barack Obama. “This significant infusion of federal funding will help Southwest Tennessee Community College prepare Memphians with the skills they need to gain good-paying jobs in our modern economy,” said Congressman Cohen. “I am pleased to announce this important step towards improving the Memphis economy and creating jobs in our city.” This funding is part of more than $7.3 million awarded to three Tennessee institutions today. Awardees will use this funding for a variety of activities including: hiring and/or training instructors to expand their capacity to offer in-demand courses or certifications, leveraging online learning to accelerate skills attainments, developing new curricula and training models to add additional classes and certifications, purchasing new equipment to ensure students train on what employers actually use, designing new programs based on the needs of local employers, and helping participants gain the expertise needed to attain higher-skilled, higher-paying jobs. The TAACCCT Grant Program is a DOL partnership with the U.S. Department of Education that provides community colleges and other eligible institutions of higher education with funds to expand and improve their ability to deliver education and career training programs that can be completed in 2 years or less and prepare participants for employment in high-wage, high-skill occupations.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z http://cohen.house.gov/bringing-new-small-businesses-development-initiatives-memphis,Bringing New Small Business Development Initiatives to Memphis,2014-09-26,2014,2014-09,Democrat,House,TN,Steve Cohen,C001068,cohen.house.gov,,,legacy,"Dear Friend, This week, Congress is not in session—and won’t be back until November 12th—because House Republican leadership and their Do Nothing Caucus chose to recess earlier than the House has recessed before an election since the 1960s. We should be working to pass the Democrats’ Jumpstart agenda to create transportation and infrastructure jobs, raise the minimum wage, provide equal pay for equal work, restore the full protections of the Voting Rights Act, help our students afford college, and renew unemployment insurance, but Republicans just wanted to go home instead of getting real work done for our country. Keep reading for more information about what I did in Memphis this week. Remembering Bishop G.E. Patterson Bringing New Small Business Development Initiatives to Memphis Helping Build a Healthier Memphis Thanking Attorney General Eric Holder Winning $1M Powerball Ticket Sold in Memphis Recognizing St. Jude’s Support for our Country Protecting our Natural Resources Helping Keep College Affordable Facebook Photo Contest Winner President Obama Seeking Mentors for Young People  Make Sure to Claim Unclaimed Property Remembering Bishop G.E. Patterson On Monday, I spoke at a commemoration banquet in honor of the late Bishop G.E. Patterson’s 75th birthday. Bishop Patterson was a renaissance man, a great preacher, a civil rights leader, a businessman and a musician. He was a golden-throated warrior of the gospel who was respected nationally by ministers and others, including by a noted national radio host who trumpeted him as an example of a great preacher. The birthday banquet was emceed by Mearl Purvis and was worthy of Bishop Patterson’s status. There were hundreds of the Bishop’s friends in attendance, and Sister Louise was radiant while Mother Frances Kelley was beautiful as always. Bringing New Small Business Development Initiatives to Memphis Memphis is home to many well-qualified, high-potential minority entrepreneurs who do great work, which is why throughout my career I have pursued legislation and policies to help minority-owned small businesses grow and boost our city’s economy. I fought for years to secure funding for the Minority Business Development Agency (MBDA) Business Center in Memphis, and my persistence led to a $1 million grant from the U.S. Department of Commerce (DOC) in 2012. The MBDA is the only federal agency created specifically to foster the establishment and growth of minority-owned businesses in America. In June, I also hosted my annual Procurement Fair to help Memphis-area businesses better compete, as well as announced that the MBDA Business Center won an additional $250,000 of federal funding in April. This week, I was pleased to announce that Operation HOPE, a non-profit focused on improving the lives of the working poor and struggling middle class families through “financial dignity” programs, will use a new $835,910 federal investment to launch financial literacy and small business development “HOPE Inside” initiatives in Memphis and 4 other cities. This federal investment will help new small businesses get off the ground and create jobs, and it will also make available the tools Memphis families need to thrive and succeed in today’s economy. The HOPE Inside initiatives consist of partnerships with financial institutions, retail stores, supermarkets, local municipalities, community-based organizations and shopping centers to provide financial literacy and credit counseling services, homeownership and foreclosure prevention programs, and small business development workshops and assistance to local citizens and entrepreneurs. A HOPE Inside location is currently open at the SunTrust Bank on Monroe Avenue and another will open soon at the First Tennessee Bank on Union Avenue, with additional locations expected to open by the end of the year. Helping Build a Healthier Memphis On Saturday, I attended the Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority’s Health and Fitness Expo at Mt. Pisgah Middle Baptist Church in Memphis. The Health and Fitness Expo brings community members, leaders, and stakeholders together to address the all-important issue of health and is a great way to make Memphis a healthier place. Earlier this year, I launched my “Building a Healthier Memphis” series to help achieve the same goal. My series is focused on health and wellness issues that affect us right here at home in the 9th District. So far, I have hosted lively forums on the topics of breast cancer disparities, diabetes, and maternal health and infant mortality. Each of these events has hosted a number of different health professional ranging from doctors and researchers based here in Memphis to federal representatives from departments such as the Centers for Disease Control. Our city is home to some of the country’s most well-respected and advanced medical practitioners and researchers, but we are also home to a community of disadvantaged people who have faced many barriers in getting access to health care. At each of these events, Memphians have had the opportunity to meet with professionals, patients, and community activists to forge relationships to tackle these issues head on in our community. While the series is still in its infancy, I am committed to continuing its successes in future events focused on unique health issues that affect our city. Stay tuned for details on my next “Building a Healthier Memphis” event which will focus on Tennessee’s healthcare marketplace open enrollment period. Thanking Attorney General Eric Holder News broke yesterday that United States Attorney General Eric Holder will resign from his position as soon as a replacement is selected by President Obama and confirmed by the U.S. Senate. As our Attorney General, Eric Holder served our nation well and I enjoyed working closely with him on several issues of justice. I commend him for his herculean efforts to strengthen and protect voting rights and civil rights, as well as for his work on many other important justice issues including reforming our nation’s outdated drug laws. One of the issues that I spoke with Attorney General Holder about, both in Committee and in person, was commutations for those who are serving prison sentences that are in excess of the current sentencing guidelines. In his remaining time at the Justice Department, I hope the Attorney General encourages President Obama to expand the use of commutations which are just based on the Fair Sentencing Act, which reduced racially-biased federal sentences for certain drug offenses. Winning $1M Powerball Ticket Sold in Memphis Reports of a $1 million winning Powerball ticket being sold in Memphis were also in the news yesterday. I am very happy for the prize winner and even happier to know that this is also good news for students across Tennessee. I fought for many years as a Tennessee State Senator to overcome stiff opposition for a referendum on the Lottery and, subsequently, to pass legislation to create the Lottery Scholarship program. I am proud of my decades of work as a State Senator to create the Tennessee Education Lottery Scholarship program, which has provided more than $3 billion to help Tennessee’s young adults attend college over the last decade. As college costs skyrocket and college degrees become more important, it is critical that we do everything we can to keep college affordable for hard-working students and families. Every dollar spent on lottery tickets in our state directly helps students attend high-quality colleges, and that can only be good for Tennessee and for the Tennessee economy Recognizing St. Jude’s Support for our Country This morning at the Pentagon, Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel presented the Employer Support Freedom Award to Dr. James Downing, CEO of St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. The Freedom Award is the U.S. government's highest honor bestowed on employers. It is presented to a small number of employers who have demonstrated exceptional support to Guard and Reserve employees. Only 15 employers, chosen from the thousands nominated by their National Guard and Reserve employees, are presented this one-of-a-kind award annually. I am glad that St. Jude how proven their commitment to our nation’s heroes with its volunteer-based Military Support Resource Group that supports service members and their families during deployments, and I am pleased the Department of Defense is recognizing St. Jude’s support. Protecting our Natural Resources This week, President Obama dramatically expanded the Pacific Remote Islands National Marine Monument protected conservation area. With this move, the President has used his powers to protect more land and sea than any other President in the last 50 years. I support the President and his efforts to protect our natural resources, coral reefs, and the marine ecosystem. Helping Keep College Affordable With young adults from across the Ninth District heading to college, I wanted to take a few moments to highlight the various federal aid programs that are available for students and their families to take advantage of. If you are attending college and are interested in learning more about financial student aid that may be available, please don’t hesitate to visit StudentAid.gov. If you are trying to help a child or friend afford college, there are a number of resources available at https://www.financialaidtoolkit.ed.gov/tk/ as well. Facebook Photo Contest Winner Thanks to everyone who submitted photos for my Facebook Cover Photo contest. I am very pleased to announce that the winning cover photo, which you can see here, was submitted by Marilyn Livesay and the runner-up was submitted by Robert McKim, both Memphians. Congratulations to each of them! President Obama Seeking Mentors for Young People  It is important that all children can count on caring adults who are engaged in their lives, but too many young people lack this important support. That’s why President Obama is calling on Americans to sign up as long-term mentors to young people through his new “My Brother’s Keeper” initiative. The President is seeking people from all walks of life who want to develop sustained and direct mentoring relationships that will play vital roles in the lives of young people in Memphis and around the country. If you are interested in signing up to help young adults in our city stay on track, you can do so here. Make Sure to Claim Unclaimed Property The State of Tennessee maintains a searchable database of unclaimed property, which can include bank accounts, stocks and dividends, wages, refunds, insurance payments, gift certificates, credit balances and overpayments, and a number of other things. There is no cost for accessing the database, and you may find that you are owed money or property. If you have not searched the database yet or if you haven’t searched in a while, you can visit https://www.claimittn.gov and see for yourself whether the state is holding any property or assets for you. And you may pass this information along to your friends and family as well! As always, I remain.  Most sincerely, Steve Cohen Member of Congress",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z http://cohen.house.gov/press-release/cohen-announces-nearly-50000-help-reduce-veteran-homelessness-memphis,"Cohen Announces Nearly $50,000 to Help Reduce Veteran Homelessness In Memphis",2014-09-26,2014,2014-09,Democrat,House,TN,Steve Cohen,C001068,cohen.house.gov,,,legacy,"[MEMPHIS, TN] – Congressman Steve Cohen (TN-09) today announced that the Memphis Housing Authority has been awarded $48,322 in federal funding to provide tenant-based vouchers that will enable homeless veterans and their families to access affordable existing housing of their choice. This funding, which will also allow veterans to receive an array of supporting services, comes through the Housing and Urban Development-Veterans Affairs Supportive Housing (HUD-VASH) Program. “It is a tragedy that any of our veterans in Memphis and throughout the country are homeless,” said Congressman Cohen. “These vouchers are just one way we can give back to the veterans who gave so much for us and a step toward the goal of having no homeless veterans in America.” As a critical part of the Obama Administration’s commitment to end veteran and long-term chronic homelessness in 2015, the HUD-VASH Program combines rental assistance from U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) with case management and clinical services provided by VA. Since 2008, the program has awarded more than 48,000 rental assistance and vouchers helped place more than 42,500 formerly homeless veterans in homes. HUD’s annual “point in time” estimate of the number of homeless persons and families for 2012 found that Veteran homelessness fell by 7.2 percent (or 4,876 people) since January 2011 and by 17.2 percent since January 2009.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z http://cohen.house.gov/press-release/cohen-highlights-lottery%E2%80%99s-benefits-students-1-million-powerball-ticket-sold-memphis,Cohen Highlights Lotterys Benefits for Students as $1 Million Powerball Ticket Sold in Memphis,2014-09-25,2014,2014-09,Democrat,House,TN,Steve Cohen,C001068,cohen.house.gov,,,legacy,"[MEMPHIS, TN] – Following today’s reports of a $1 million winning Powerball ticket being sold in Memphis, Congressman Steve Cohen (TN-09), a strong advocate for making college affordable and the father of the Tennessee Education Lottery Scholarship program, emphasized the benefits provided by the Lottery for Tennessee’s students. The Congressman fought for many years as a Tennessee State Senator to overcome stiff opposition for a referendum on the Lottery and, subsequently, to pass legislation to create the Lottery Scholarship program, which has provided more than $3 billion in scholarships to the state’s students since 2004. “I am very happy for the prize winner and even happier to know that this is also good news for students across Tennessee,” said Congressman Cohen. “I am proud of my decades of work as a State Senator to create the Tennessee Education Lottery Scholarship program, which has provided more than $3 billion to help Tennessee’s young adults attend college over the last decade. As college costs skyrocket and college degrees become more important, it is critical that we do everything we can to keep college affordable for hard-working students and families. Every dollar spent on lottery tickets in our state directly helps students attend high-quality colleges, and that can only be good for Tennessee and for the Tennessee economy.” Making higher education more affordable for hard-working students and families is something that Congressman Cohen cares deeply about and has a decades-long record working to accomplish. In addition to leading the fight to the create the Tennessee Education Lottery Scholarship program, the Congressman is also working closely with Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL), Elizabeth Warren and several Congressmen to help provide struggling students and borrowers with more fairness in their student loans, both through administrative changes and legislation. In June, Congressman Cohen also met with Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-MA, photo available here) to discuss their efforts to make college more affordable and the path forward for Warren’s Bank on Students Emergency Loan Refinancing Act, which he is cosponsoring. The U.S. Department of Education estimates that, if passed, 25 million borrowers would take advantage of the student refinancing legislation and refinance their existing student loans to lower interest rates similar to those that are currently available to new student loan borrowers. Under the bill, a typical participating borrower would save roughly $2,000 over the life of their loan. Earlier this year, Congressman Cohen announced that President Obama’s move to give certain borrowers the ability to cap their student loan payments at 10% of their monthly income will help an estimated 103,736 citizens of Tennessee burdened with student loan debt, according to a report released by the Domestic Policy Council and the Council of Economic Advisers. The President’s executive action offers a new repayment option to millions of borrowers who were previously ineligible, including many borrowers with older loans. For example, under the President’s action a teacher earning about $39,000, with student debt of $26,500 would be able to reduce their payments by more than $1,500 a year, compared to the standard repayment plan. “As the father of the Tennessee Education Lottery Scholarship, I’ve always worked hard to ensure that higher education remains affordable for students and families,” said Congressman Cohen at the time. “I agree with President Obama that we need to do more to support our students, and I support this move to help reduce costs for more than 100,000 Tennesseans with student loan debt.  I also look forward to working with my colleagues in Congress to provide more relief to nearly half a million hard-working, responsible Tennesseans by passing Senator Warren’s student loan refinancing bill.” The report also estimated that 483,000 student loan borrowers in Tennessee would benefit from the passage of Senator Warren’s loan refinancing bill. Congressman Cohen is also the sponsor of H.R. 532, the Private Student Loan Bankruptcy Fairness Act of 2013, which would return the bankruptcy law to what it was before 2005 regarding private student loan debt and allow Americans struggling with overwhelming private student loan debt through no fault of their own to obtain relief from these crushing financial obligations.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z http://cohen.house.gov/press-release/cohen-statement-attorney-general-holder%E2%80%99s-resignation,Cohen Statement on Attorney General Holders Resignation,2014-09-25,2014,2014-09,Democrat,House,TN,Steve Cohen,C001068,cohen.house.gov,,,legacy,"[MEMPHIS, TN] – Congressman Steve Cohen (TN-09), Ranking Member of the House Judiciary Subcommittee on the Constitution and Civil Justice, released the following statement regarding the resignation of U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder: “Eric Holder served our nation well as the United States Attorney General. I enjoyed working closely with him on several issues of justice, and I commend him for his herculean efforts to strengthen and protect voting rights and civil rights, as well as for his work on many other important justice issues including reforming our nation’s outdated drug laws.” “One of the issues that I spoke with Attorney General Holder about, both in Committee and in person, was commutations for those who are serving prison sentences that are in excess of the current sentencing guidelines. In his remaining time at the Justice Department, I hope the Attorney General encourages President Obama to expand the use of commutations which are just based on the Fair Sentencing Act, which brought racially-biased federal sentences for certain drug offenses closer to where they should be.”",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z http://cohen.house.gov/press-release/cohen-new-financial-literacy-and-small-business-development-initiatives-coming-memphis,Cohen: New Financial Literacy and Small Business Development Initiatives Coming to Memphis,2014-09-24,2014,2014-09,Democrat,House,TN,Steve Cohen,C001068,cohen.house.gov,,,legacy,"[MEMPHIS, TN] – Congressman Steve Cohen (TN-09) today announced that Operation HOPE, a non-profit focused on improving the lives of the working poor and struggling middle class families through “financial dignity” programs, will use a new $835,910 federal investment to launch financial literacy and small business development “HOPE Inside” initiatives in Memphis and 4 other cities. The HOPE Inside initiatives consist of partnerships with financial institutions, retail stores, supermarkets, local municipalities, community-based organizations and shopping centers to provide financial literacy and credit counseling services, homeownership and foreclosure prevention programs, and small business development workshops and assistance to local citizens and entrepreneurs. “Memphis is home to many well-qualified, high-potential minority entrepreneurs who do great work,” said Congressman Cohen. “This federal investment will help new small businesses get off the ground and create jobs, and it will also make available the tools Memphis families need to thrive and succeed in today’s economy.” Congressman Cohen has a strong record of working to boost the Memphis economy and help minority-owned small businesses grow. His efforts have included working for years to secure funding for the Minority Business Development Agency (MBDA) Business Center in Memphis. In 2012, Congressman Cohen’s hard work and persistence led to a $1 million grant from the U.S. Department of Commerce (DOC) to start the MBDA Business Center in Memphis. The MBDA, part of the DOC, is the only federal agency created specifically to foster the establishment and growth of minority-owned businesses in America. In June, Congressman Cohen hosted his annual Procurement Fair to help Memphis-area businesses better compete, and the Congressman also announced that the MBDA Business Center in Memphis had won an additional $250,000 of federal funding in April. More information about that funding can be found here. A HOPE Inside location is currently open at the SunTrust Bank on Monroe Avenue and will open soon at the First Tennessee Bank on Union Avenue, with additional locations expected to open by the end of the year. In addition to Memphis, the federal investment announced today will be used by Operation HOPE to launch HOPE Inside initiatives in Birmingham, Alabama; Atlanta, Georgia; and both Jacksonville and Orlando, Florida. Operation HOPE has also secured roughly $400,000 in funding from the private sector to support their initiatives in Memphis over the next two years.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z http://cooper.house.gov//media-center/press-releases/cooper-welcomes-new-hires-says-goodbye-to-longtime-staffer,"Cooper Welcomes New Hires, Says Goodbye to Longtime Staffer",2014-09-24,2014,2014-09,Democrat,House,TN,Jim Cooper,C000754,cooper.house.gov,,,legacy,"WASHINGTON – U.S. Rep. Jim Cooper (TN-5) recently announced several changes to his staff, including the retirement of a top employee in his Nashville office, Don Majors. A former district councilman, Majors worked almost 12 years for Cooper, rising to the position of director of special projects. “Don Majors is one of the best people in Nashville,” Cooper said. “Retired from DuPont, he spends every day helping others. He knows our city from top to bottom and everyone likes him. We will miss him but know he will find other ways to serve the public.” Cooper in recent weeks also has welcomed two new fellows to his staff. Daniel Gilliam has joined as Cooper’s new fellow on veterans issues. A United States Navy veteran with combat experience in Iraq, Gilliam most recently served as a counselor at Operation Stand Down in Nashville, where he assisted in finding employment for honorably discharged veterans. Based in Cooper’s Nashville office, Gilliam is a graduate of Middle Tennessee State University and Cumberland University. Justin Tooley has accepted the position of education fellow. A former Teach for America staffer, Tooley most recently held the position of Chief of Staff to the Assistant Commissioner of the Tennessee Department of Education. Tooley has valuable experience as a teacher and administrator in high schools in Atlanta and Memphis. He is based in Cooper’s Washington office. “I’m grateful to have Daniel and Justin on my staff,” Cooper said. “Both are extremely knowledgeable in their fields, and they’re deeply committed to helping Tennessee’s Fifth District.”",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z http://cooper.house.gov//media-center/press-releases/cooper-praises-funding-to-fight-gender-bias-in-medicine,Cooper Praises Funding to Fight Gender Bias in Medicine,2014-09-23,2014,2014-09,Democrat,House,TN,Jim Cooper,C000754,cooper.house.gov,,,legacy,"WASHINGTON – U.S. Rep. Jim Cooper (TN-5) today applauded the National Institutes of Health (NIH) for awarding more than $10 million in grants to fight gender bias in medicine. Vanderbilt University will be one of the research centers chosen to study gender differences. According to The New York Times, approximately 80 scientists will receive funding to include more women in clinical trials and “to ensure that … laboratory animals, even cell lines, are representative of both genders.” Scientists also will use the money to investigate gender discrepancies in their data, the newspaper said. “This is a great first step to ensuring equality in medical research,” Cooper said. “Better science leads to better outcomes.” Current law does not require researchers to study female animals when conducting basic medical research. In June, Cooper introduced the Research for All Act, which would require the inclusion and separate analysis of both male and female animals, tissues and cells in basic research conducted and funded by NIH.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z http://cohen.house.gov/supporting-president-and-preventing-another-government-shutdown,Supporting the President and Preventing another Government Shutdown,2014-09-19,2014,2014-09,Democrat,House,TN,Steve Cohen,C001068,cohen.house.gov,,,legacy,"Dear Friend, This week we celebrated Constitution Day, Congress voted to prevent another government shutdown and support President Obama’s strategy to confront and degrade the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (a.k.a. ISIS), I met with the new President of the University of Memphis as well as the incoming Director of the National Civil Rights Museum, and First Lady Michelle Obama visited St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. Keep reading to learn more about what happened this week. Supporting the President and Preventing another Government Shutdown First Lady Michelle Obama Visits St. Jude Preventing Youth Violence in Shelby County Welcoming Memphians to My Capitol Hill Office Fighting for Tennessee’s Students Helping Keep Memphis at the Forefront of Medical Research Celebrating Constitution Day Protecting Consumers Online Facebook Photo Contest President Obama Seeking Mentors for Young People Make Sure to Claim Unclaimed Property Supporting the President and Preventing another Government Shutdown Congress has a responsibility to both keep our government running and keep the American people safe. I am pleased that many on both sides of the aisle came together this week to pass H.J.Res.124, which prevents yet another government shutdown and shows our support for President Obama’s plan to degrade and ultimately destroy ISIS. While I do not agree with everything in this bill—including across-the-board cuts to the National Institutes of Health (NIH), the LIHEAP program millions of Americans need to keep their homes from freezing in the winter, and the Head Start program that helps prepare Memphis children for school—countless vital programs would be harmed far more if our government were to shut down once again. If ISIS succeeds in creating its extremist caliphate, it will pose a threat to freedom, democracy, tolerance, diversity, and the United States of America. After many briefings with senior officials from the Department of Defense as well as the State Department, listening to my constituents and much careful consideration, I believe it is in America’s best interest to support the President’s strategy, which includes building an international coalition to confront ISIS, training and equipping moderate Syrians who can bring the fight to these terrorists’ doorstep, and providing humanitarian assistance to avert the genocide of religious minorities in the region. I spoke with Fox 13’s Darrell Greene about the President’s ISIS plan yesterday afternoon. You can watch our conversation here. First Lady Michelle Obama Visits St. Jude On Wednesday, First Lady Michelle Obama came to Memphis to visit children being treated at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. Our city always benefits when public figures like the First Lady come, and I am glad that Mrs. Obama was able to make it to Memphis this week. While her visit to our city conflicted with very important votes in the House on Wednesday to keep the government open, I hope to join the First Lady, the President, and the rest of the First Family on their next visit to Memphis. I also hope that when here, the entire First Family visits the newly reopened National Civil Rights Museum to experience it, and what it represents, firsthand. Preventing Youth Violence in Shelby County As we have recently witnessed, we must do more to address and prevent youth violence in Memphis. Yesterday, I was proud to announce an $856,363 federal grant to help the Shelby County Board of Education better address this problem. You can read more about how the funding will be used here, but it will go a long way towards helping our schools better respond to violence on school grounds, prevent additional instances, and keep our communities safe. Welcoming Memphians to My Capitol Hill Office This week, I met with the new University of Memphis President Dr. David Rudd and the incoming Director of the National Civil Rights Museum, Terri Freeman. I was pleased to be able to introduce them to each other and I hope the University and the Museum will find ways to work together to accomplish their shared goals. I also enjoyed meeting with several students attending Howard University in Washington, including Memphian Ayanna McFarland, this morning. Fighting for Tennessee’s Students During my meeting with Dr. Rudd, we discussed how the Tennessee Promise program will impact students across the state. The Tennessee Promise program, which was sold to the legislature as “free community college to all high school grads” is actually just a last-dollar scholarship for community college. That means that students who qualify for Pell grants will not benefit from the Promise program because they are already eligible for financial aid up to $5,730 for the 2014-15 school year, which covers the full cost of community college. Thus, any students from households that earned less than $42,000 will not benefit from the Tennessee Promise. (To find out how much federal financial assistance you or your child would receive for college, visit the FAFSA4caster.) Tennessee Promise is funded partially by reducing scholarships for freshmen and sophomores at 4-year colleges and universities from $4,000 to $3,500. It also reduced the HOPE ASPIRE supplements for students from households earning less than $36,000 by $500 per semester. This net reduction of $1500 per year for students from the poorest households will undoubtedly prevent some students from attending 4-year colleges. These students, who planned and performed well in high school to qualify for a HOPE scholarship, may now be unable to afford going straight to college from high school. Cumulatively, it may result in fewer students attending 4-year schools, creating funding gaps for our 4-year colleges which are already stretched thin due to years of dwindling funding from the state. Tennessee Promise will also transfer any money remaining in the Tennessee Education Lottery Scholarship program and transfer it to the Promise program, allowing no room to increase HOPE Lottery scholarship amounts, including the HOPE Access grants which provide an additional $1,375 per semester for students from households earning less than $36,000. Helping Keep Memphis at the Forefront of Medical Research This week, I announced more than $1.8 million in federal funding for several research projects at the UT Health Science Center. You can read more about the specific grants, which will help keep our city at the forefront of medical research, here. Celebrating Constitution Day Our nation celebrated Constitution Day on Wednesday, and I spoke on the House Floor to commemorate the occasion. You can watch my speech here. I also visited Oakhaven Middle School on Monday morning and spoke with students there about what the Constitution means to me and how far we have progressed as a nation since our founding. Protecting Consumers Online After reports of businesses attempting to penalize customers who write negative reviews online, including one family who had their credit rating damaged when they refused to pay a fine for posting about a negative experience with a company, I joined with California Congressmen Eric Swalwell and Brad Sherman this week in introducing the Consumer Review Freedom Act to stop companies from using these kinds of anti-consumer tactics. I believe in the right to free speech. If a consumer feels they have received substandard services or products, they should be able to express that without the fear of being sued or having their credit rating damaged. Facebook Photo Contest  For the last several weeks, I’ve been accepting submissions of photos that represent the Ninth District from Memphians who want their pictures highlighted as my next Facebook cover photo. I am pleased to announce the two finalists to be my next cover photo, which you can find here, from Memphians Marilyn Livesay and Robert McKim. You can vote on these photos by “liking” them on Facebook. The photo that receives the most likes will be my next cover photo. President Obama Seeking Mentors for Young People  It is important that all children can count on caring adults who are engaged in their lives, but too many young people lack this important support. That’s why President Obama is calling on Americans to sign up as long-term mentors to young people through his new “My Brother’s Keeper” initiative. The President is seeking people from all walks of life who want to develop sustained and direct mentoring relationships that will play vital roles in the lives of young people in Memphis and around the country. If you are interested in signing up to help young adults in our city stay on track, you can do so here. Make Sure to Claim Unclaimed Property The State of Tennessee maintains a searchable database of unclaimed property, which can include bank accounts, stocks and dividends, wages, refunds, insurance payments, gift certificates, credit balances and overpayments, and a number of other things. There is no cost for accessing the database, and you may find that you are owed money or property. If you have not searched the database yet or if you haven’t searched in a while, you can visit https://www.claimittn.gov and see for yourself whether the state is holding any property or assets for you. And you may pass this information along to your friends and family as well! As always, I remain.  Most sincerely, Steve Cohen Member of Congress",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z http://cohen.house.gov/press-release/cohen-announces-850000-fight-youth-violence,"Cohen Announces $850,000 to Fight Youth Violence",2014-09-18,2014,2014-09,Democrat,House,TN,Steve Cohen,C001068,cohen.house.gov,,,legacy,"[WASHINGTON, DC] – Congressman Steve Cohen (TN-09) today announced an $856,363 federal grant to help the Shelby County Board of Education address and reduce youth violence and violence in schools. This funding comes through the U.S. Department of Education’s Project Prevent grant program, which is focused on expanding the capacity of local education agencies to address youth violence and violence in schools. “As we have recently witnessed, we must do more to address and prevent youth violence in Memphis,” said Congressman Cohen. “This funding will go a long way towards helping our schools better respond to violence on school grounds, prevent additional instances, and keep our communities safe.” Today’s announcement is part of more than $2 million in Project Prevent funding announced statewide today. The Project Prevent program funds projects that offer students: access to school-based counseling services (or referrals to community-based counseling services) for assistance in coping with trauma or anxiety, school-based social and emotional supports for students to help address the effects of violence, conflict resolution and other school-based strategies to prevent future violence, and a safer and improved school environment including activities to decrease the incidence of harassment, bullying, violence, gang involvement, and substance abuse.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z http://cohen.house.gov/press-release/congressman-cohen-statement-house-passage-bill-prevent-government-shutdown-authorize,"Congressman Cohen Statement on House Passage of Bill to Prevent Government Shutdown, Authorize Training of ISIS Opposition",2014-09-17,2014,2014-09,Democrat,House,TN,Steve Cohen,C001068,cohen.house.gov,,,legacy,"[WASHINGTON, DC] – Congressman Steve Cohen (TN-09) released the following statement after the United States House of Representatives passed H.J.Res.124, which will prevent another government shutdown this year and includes language authorizing the United States to train and equip appropriately vetted Syrian opposition groups, as President Obama requested: “Congress has a responsibility to both keep our government running and keep the American people safe. I am pleased that today, many on both sides of the aisle came together to prevent yet another government shutdown and support President Obama’s plan to degrade and ultimately destroy ISIS.” “While I do not agree with everything in this bill—including across-the-board cuts to the National Institutes of Health (NIH), the LIHEAP program millions of Americans need to keep their homes from freezing in the winter, and the Head Start program that helps prepare Memphis children for school—those programs and countless more would be harmed far more if our government were to shut down once again.” “If ISIS succeeds in creating its extremist caliphate, it will pose a threat to freedom, democracy, tolerance, diversity, and the United States of America. After many briefings with senior officials from the Department of Defense as well as the State Department, listening to my constituents and much thought, I believe it is in America’s best interests to support the President’s strategy which includes building an international coalition to confront ISIS, training and equipping moderate Syrians who can bring the fight to these terrorists’ doorstep, and providing humanitarian assistance to avert the genocide of religious minorities in the region.”",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z http://cooper.house.gov//media-center/press-releases/cooper-opposes-syria-amendment,Cooper Opposes Syria Amendment,2014-09-17,2014,2014-09,Democrat,House,TN,Jim Cooper,C000754,cooper.house.gov,,,legacy,"WASHINGTON – U.S. Rep. Jim Cooper today voted against legislation that would extend resources to forces in Syria. A member of the House Armed Services Committee, Cooper entered a statement into the Congressional Record. In the statement, Cooper outlined seven reasons for his vote.             Mr. Chairman, I rise to oppose the Amendment to H.J. Res. 124, the Continuing Resolution, that supports training and equipping the so-called Syrian Opposition.             After attending briefings on the President’s proposal, I do not believe that this Amendment has a reasonable chance of achieving his goals. Worse, it could embroil America in another endless war. I hate ISIL and the other terrorist organizations that are plaguing Syria, Iraq and eventually the U.S.; the question is whether this Amendment will “degrade and destroy” them, to use the President’s words. I do not fault President Obama’s intent; I doubt this particular Amendment will work. Most obviously, it expires in 90 days, according to the very terms of the CR. And even if, under authority granted outside of this Amendment, an air strike killed ISIL’s leader, it would not stop ISIL.             First, remember the budgetary context of this train-and-equip mission. Remember that military spending cuts called “sequestration” will last another seven years under current law. The readiness of our military is already threatened by these cuts. Necessary long-term investments in future weapons systems are being shortchanged. Until advocates of this train-and-equip mission are willing to fully fund the U.S. military and stop sequestration, they have no business adding extra responsibilities. America’s credit-card hawks must not continue to hollow out our military while pursuing questionable foreign ventures.             Second, the Syrian Opposition is not like the Peshmerga. It is a number of disorganized, unreliable and shifting groups that face three hostile armies at once within Syria itself: Assad’s army, ISIL, and the Al-Nusra Front. Each of these hostile armies has demonstrated the ability to conduct advanced military operations. They are years ahead of any possible effective counter-attack by the Syrian Opposition, unless they start fighting each other or Assad’s entire military defects. We are not even sure that the people we train would remain loyal. Although the Amendment talks about vetting Syrian Opposition forces, it acknowledges that there will be “green-on-blue” violence against us. The Amendment also anticipates that some of the weapons we supply to the Opposition will be given or sold to ISIL.             Third, we are entering a series of civil wars. They are notoriously difficult to stop without years of bloodshed. The idea that U.S. Army training, guns, and bullets will facilitate a negotiated Syrian settlement is highly implausible. Another factor is the 1,400-year-old Sunni-Shia schism, giving our Muslim allies their own religious agendas. They make excuses for their failure to commit their own forces in their own backyards, even when their inaction floods their nations with refugees. Several of these nations have large militaries with advanced weaponry, which they refuse to use except for very limited, anonymous airstrikes. They want U.S. soldiers and airmen to do their dirty work.             Fourth, ISIL was created by wealthy Sunnis in nations like Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and Kuwait who wanted an attack dog, a proxy army, to fight the Shia threat posed by Iran, Syria, Hamas, and Hezbollah. They got more than they bargained for: a pit bull that might turn against its masters. Nevertheless, they are not muzzling ISIL, or even yanking its leash. How does ISIL continue to get its funding? Aside from rape, pillage, kidnapping, and taxing infidels, it is known for its slick corporate appeals, even an annual report on its atrocities. Have the Sunni nations punished ISIL’s benefactors, refused to purchase ISIL’s oil, or taken other measures to cut off its funding? No. In the case of Saudi Arabia, they offer us unused training bases for no more than 10,000 of the Syrian opposition. That is far from enough.             Fifth, how many times must the U.S. try to rebuild Muslim nations? We’ve tried for years, often just inflaming them. Syria will be the eighth Muslim nation we have tried to repair in the last three decades: Kuwait, Bosnia, Kosovo, Somalia, Iraq, Afghanistan, and Yemen. In most cases, we have not succeeded. The U.S. military is ill-suited for nation-building. As General Bob Scales pointed out in the Wall Street Journal recently, the Pentagon has trouble dealing with today’s asymmetric wars.             Sixth, ask yourself what your reaction will be if an American airman—God forbid—is captured and beheaded on live television. Will this Amendment, that so carefully denies authorizing military force, suddenly become the prelude to American “boots on the ground” as Gen. Martin Dempsey has already predicted? And who believes that our trainers and equippers—and special forces and intelligence officers—are not already “boots on the ground”? The language of the Amendment is surreal: it contains no “authorization for the introduction of United States Armed Forces into hostilities or into situations wherein hostilities are clearly indicated by the circumstances.” Unless our military operates entirely outside of Syria or northern Iraq, they are in imminent danger. And if they are training in Saudi Arabia, they will be working in a nation that beheads more people for minor crimes than ISIL could dream of.             Lastly, is there a better way to degrade and destroy ISIL? Americans, with our wonderful optimism that all problems have a quick solution, have a lot to learn about the nature of the enemies we face. Unfortunately for us, our enemies do not measure action by the clock, but by the calendar. They outwait or outlast us. They use social media against us, to dare America to fight or to recruit the West’s disaffected youth with dreams of martyrdom. They will laugh that this Amendment lasts only 90 days, particularly when other sections of the CR extend much longer.             America needs to understand the threats we face from radical jihadists and to fully fund effective strategies for dealing with them. Sadly, this Amendment does neither. Therefore, I oppose it.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z http://cohen.house.gov/press-release/cohen-announces-more-18-million-university-tennessee-health-science-center,Cohen Announces More Than $1.8 Million for University Of Tennessee Health Science Center,2014-09-16,2014,2014-09,Democrat,House,TN,Steve Cohen,C001068,cohen.house.gov,,,legacy,"[WASHINGTON, DC] – Congressman Steve Cohen (TN-09) today announced the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has awarded the University of Tennessee Health Science Center four federal grants totaling $1,806,838 for a variety of programs and research projects. “This significant investment of federal funds will help the UT Health Science Center stay at the forefront of medical research,” said Congressman Cohen. Today’s announcement includes funding for the following UT Health Science Center projects: $765,347 in funding from HHS’ National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute for the “Enhancing the Efficacy of a Smoking Quit Line in the Military” project. $381,491 in funding from HHS’ National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute for the “Characterization of an inhibitory protein complex for cystic fibrosis therapy” project. $330,000 in funding from HHS’ National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases for the “Determining the mechanism of how GATA4 directs ERalpha binding in osteoblasts” project. $330,000 in funding from HHS’ National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases for the “TLR/IL-1R signaling intermediaries and a target-specific therapeutic for arthritis” project.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z http://cohen.house.gov/press-release/cohen-announces-11-million-federal-funds-memphis-international-airport-improvements,Cohen Announces $1.1 Million in Federal Funds for Memphis International Airport Improvements,2014-09-12,2014,2014-09,Democrat,House,TN,Steve Cohen,C001068,cohen.house.gov,,,legacy,"[MEMPHIS, TN] – Congressman Steve Cohen (TN-09) today announced that Memphis International Airport will receive $1,125,000 in federal funding from the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT). This funding will support electrical system rehabilitation that will help extend the useful lives of runway lights and taxiways. “The Memphis airport is a critically important transportation link in the Mid-South region,” said Congressman Cohen. “This funding will help ensure our airport can continue serving travelers safely, securely and efficiently for many years to come.” Memphis International Airport is a world-class facility. Dedicated in 1929 as the Memphis Municipal Airport with just two major carriers, the airport now hosts several national carriers as well as the FedEx “Super Hub.” Memphis International has grown into the busiest cargo airport in the country, and is the second-busiest in the world—behind only Hong Kong.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z http://cohen.house.gov/press-release/rep-cohen-commemorates-20th-anniversary-violence-against-women-act,Rep. Cohen Commemorates 20th Anniversary of the Violence Against Women Act,2014-09-12,2014,2014-09,Democrat,House,TN,Steve Cohen,C001068,cohen.house.gov,,,legacy,"[MEMPHIS, TN] – Congressman Steve Cohen (TN-09) today commemorated the 20th anniversary of President Bill Clinton signing the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) into law on September 13th, 1994. The landmark legislation created critical protections for victims of domestic violence and dramatically strengthened our nation’s criminal justice response to violence against women. Congressman Cohen also announced $900,000 in VAWA funding for the City of Memphis to improve victim services, investigations and prosecutions resulting from the processing of backlogged rape kits. “The Violence Against Women Act represents a firm promise: no woman should ever feel unsafe or insecure in her own home and no woman should ever suffer in silence in the face of domestic violence,” said Congressman Cohen, a cosponsor of last year’s VAWA reauthorization legislation.  “The law has improved countless lives by helping take domestic abuse out of the shadows and it has protected millions of women and saved lives. I was happy to cosponsor and support legislation to reauthorize VAWA last year, and will continue to fight violence against women in all of its forms and work to support survivors of abuse.” The federal VAWA funding announced by Congressman Cohen today comes through the Department of Justice’s (DOJ) Grants to Encourage Arrest Policies and Enforcement of Protection Orders Program, which encourages jurisdictions to implement effective intervention policies as part of a coordinated community response to domestic violence. In collaboration with the Shelby County Rape Crisis Center, the City of Memphis will use this funding to enhance requirements for victim notifications, investigations, and prosecution of increased sexual assault cases resulting from the processing of the backlog of rape kits in Memphis. “Absolutely no one should be a victim of sexual assault, and it is a travesty when communities are terrorized simply because evidence that could be used to prevent these crimes sits untested on a shelf somewhere,” said Congressman Cohen. “While there is much work still to be done, this funding will help victims in Memphis achieve the justice they deserve.” In May, the U.S. House of Representatives this afternoon passed on a voice vote Congressman Cohen’s amendment to the Fiscal Year 2015 Commerce, Justice and Science Appropriations bill that would provide more federal resources to local law enforcement agencies working to reduce their backlogs of untested rape kits. The Congressman’s deficit-neutral amendment transfers $5 million in federal funds to a new grant program focused specifically on helping law enforcement agencies and cut through their sexual assault kit backlogs. The additional funding would increase the grant program’s budget by nearly 15%, from $36 million to $41 million, and increase Memphis’ chances of receiving the funding necessary to significantly reduce its current backlog. The Senate Appropriations Committee included the additional $5 million in their version of the bill, which is awaiting consideration in the full Senate. The landmark Violence Against Women Act has instituted stricter sentencing guidelines for repeat federal sex crime offenders and provides resources to tribal, local, and state law enforcement communities to address violent crimes against women. VAWA funds training for over 500,000 law enforcement officers, prosecutors, judges and other personnel every year. In addition, the National Domestic Violence Hotline, which responds to more than 22,000 urgent calls for help every month, was also created under this legislation. Congressional Cohen and Democrats will continue to work to champion and strengthen this vital, life-saving law. Shamefully, House Republican opposition to a strong Violence Against Women Reauthorization bill led to VAWA being expired for one and a half years. In the 112th Congress, the Senate passed a strong VAWA Reauthorization bill by a bipartisan vote of 68 to 31 – and yet it was blocked by House Republicans throughout that Congress by their insisting on excluding legal immigrants, LGBT Americans and Native Americans from VAWA protections.  The Senate passed their strong bipartisan bill again in February 2013 and yet House Republicans still put forward their weakened version When the Republican Leadership finally yielded to the outrage of the American people and allowed the Senate-passed bill to pass and be signed by the President, more than 60 percent of House Republicans still voted against the strengthened legislation.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z http://cohen.house.gov/remembering-911-and-supporting-president,Remembering 9/11 and Supporting the President,2014-09-12,2014,2014-09,Democrat,House,TN,Steve Cohen,C001068,cohen.house.gov,,,legacy,"Dear Friend, This week we reflected on the 13th anniversary of September 11th, President Obama clearly outlined his strategy to degrade and dismantle the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (a.k.a. ISIS), and I announced more than $1 million to help Memphians get health insurance coverage. Keep reading to learn more about what happened this week. Commemorating the 13th anniversary of September 11th Supporting the President’s ISIS Strategy Fighting Violence Against Women and Cutting Through the Memphis Rape Kit Backlog Bringing Justice to Deserving Non-Violent Offenders Ensuring Veterans Receive High-Quality Care Helping Memphians Get Health Insurance Coverage Strengthening Memphis Families Improving Memphis International Airport Getting Money Out of Politics Facebook Photo Contest  President Obama Seeking Mentors for Young People  Make Sure to Claim Unclaimed Property Commemorating the 13th anniversary of September 11th This week as we commemorated the 13th anniversary of the September 11th attacks, the United States Congress honored the fallen heroes with a Congressional Gold Medal ceremony at the United States Capitol (which I attended). Three gold medals were awarded: one to the individuals who died in Shanksville, Pennsylvania, one to those who died at the Pentagon, and another to those who died at the World Trade Center. Nearly 3,000 innocent victims in all. Recently, I visited the National September 11 Memorial & Museum at Ground Zero in New York City and reflected upon the heroes who ran towards the devastation and into danger. They are all, along with Memphian Gary Lasko and each of innocent victims who died that day, in my thoughts. The anniversary of 9/11 is a day to reflect on the heroism of firefighters, policemen, and first responders from across the nation, thank those who continue to serve and keep us safe, and honor those who died on September 11, 2001. I spoke about this sad anniversary and the Congressional Gold Medal Ceremony on the floor of the United States House of Representatives, and you can watch my speech here. Today, as we continue to face and respond to terrorist threats on our soil and around the world, let us remember that the indomitable American spirit lives on—and let us remember that the United States of America and the rest of the civilized world can never be defeated or diminished by extremists seeking to eliminate freedom, democracy, tolerance, and diversity. Supporting the President’s ISIS Strategy On the eve of the 13th anniversary of 9/11, President Obama clearly outlined his comprehensive strategy for dismantling, disabling and destroying the ISIS terrorist group, protecting our homeland, and ensuring the safety of Americans at home and abroad. The recent beheading of two American journalists by ISIS shocked the global conscience, and they are unacceptable. These and many other deplorable and inhumane acts deserve a swift response. If ISIS succeeds in creating its envisioned caliphate, it will pose a threat to freedom, democracy, tolerance, diversity, and the United States of America. I stand with the President in the fight against global terrorism, and I plan on supporting him as he works with a broad international coalition to eliminate ISIS through military, economic, and other means. Before the President announced his strategy to the world, I joined Fox 13’s Good Morning Memphis to discuss his plans. You can watch my interview here. Fighting Violence Against Women and Cutting Through the Memphis Rape Kit Backlog Tomorrow is the 20th anniversary of President Bill Clinton signing the Violence Against Women Act, or VAWA, into law. The landmark legislation created critical protections for victims of domestic violence and dramatically strengthened our nation’s criminal justice response to violence against women. VAWA represents a firm promise: no woman should ever feel unsafe or insecure in her own home and no woman should ever suffer in silence in the face of domestic violence. The law has improved countless lives by helping take domestic abuse out of the shadows and it has protected millions of women and saved lives. I was happy to cosponsor and support legislation to reauthorize VAWA last year, and will continue to fight violence against women in all of its forms and work to support survivors of abuse. As we approach the 20th anniversary, I was pleased to be able to announce nearly $1 million in funding to improve victim services, investigations and prosecutions resulting from the processing of backlogged rape kits in Memphis. Absolutely no one should be a victim of sexual assault, and it is a travesty when communities are terrorized simply because evidence that could be used to prevent these crimes sits untested on a shelf somewhere. While there is much work still to be done, this funding will help victims in Memphis achieve the justice they deserve. Bringing Justice to Deserving Non-Violent Offenders Throughout my career, I’ve fought for fairer sentencing laws and worked to eliminate racially-biased sentencing disparities. After years of advocating on behalf of Americans who are unfairly incarcerated, I am pleased that our nation’s policies are beginning to bend further towards justice. While the Fair Sentencing Act of 2010, which I cosponsored and President Barack Obama signed into law, reduced the racially-biased 100:1 disparity between crack and powder cocaine mandatory minimum sentences, it did not apply retroactively to thousands of people who were sentenced before the law was passed who are still serving sentences that have been repudiated by Congress and the President. I was pleased when the U.S. Sentencing Commission updated its sentencing guidelines to sharply reduce the recommended sentences for non-violent drug-offenses. To avoid making the same mistake again, I urged the Commission in July to make its updated guidelines retroactive and just a few weeks later it voted unanimously to do just that. Recently I received a letter from the Chair of the Commission thanking me for expressing my views to them prior to their decision. The letter can be viewed here. This shift to retroactively reduce sentences could reduce prison sentences for eligible offenders by an average 25 months, and it will help reduce prison overcrowding in America. It is another important step on the path towards justice. Ensuring Veterans Receive High-Quality Care This week, Secretary of Veterans Affairs Robert McDonald on Monday proposed a plan to overhaul the VA healthcare system. His “Road to Veterans Day” strategy aims to rebuild trust with veterans, improve the healthcare veterans receive, and set long-term goals to ensure the system can sustain high-quality care. In announcing the plan, Secretary McDonald said: “We'll judge the success of all of these efforts against one single, unified metric. And that metric is, obviously, the satisfaction of the veterans that were trained to serve.” That is the right metric, and I look forward to working with him to implement this new plan to make sure that Memphis veterans receive the care they deserve. Helping Memphians Get Health Insurance Coverage On Wednesday, I announced more than $1.4 million in new federal funding for Seedco to continue its efforts to provide in-person assistance to Memphis-area residents shopping for and enrolling in health insurance plans through the Affordable Care Act’s insurance marketplace this fall. Seedco’s Navigators are an important resource to help Memphis consumers understand their coverage options in the Marketplace. This funding will help them get more Memphians enrolled in high-quality, affordable health insurance plans and help us achieve the goals of President Obama’s landmark health care reform law. Citizens interested in learning more about Seedco and their navigators can visit www.seedco.org/tennesseenavigator or call 901.528.8341. Strengthening Memphis Families Earlier this week, I welcomed Tracy Owens from the Memphis Strong Families Initiative to my Capitol Hill Office. The Memphis Strong Families Initiative, led by the Community Alliance for the Homeless, aims to keep homeless families and low-income families at risk of homelessness together by helping address the family’s need for permanent, stable housing with intensive services. Earlier this year, I announced $73,706 in funding for the Community Alliance for the Homeless to help it reduce homelessness in the Ninth District. You can read more about the grant here. I was pleased to have this opportunity to listen to Tracy’s efforts with the Initiative and I will continue to work to reduce family homelessness in Memphis. Improving Memphis International Airport The Memphis International Airport is a critically important transportation link in the Mid-South region, and I was pleased to announce more than $1.1 million in funding for several airport improvements this morning. This funding will help ensure our airport can continue serving travelers safely, securely, and efficiently for many years to come. Getting Money Out of Politics Unfortunately, our government is affected too much by political contributions and fundraising. And while we believe in the concept of “one person, one vote,” the reality is that huge corporations can spend unlimited amounts of money, giving them a much louder voice in the political process than the average citizen. On Wednesday, I took to the floor to argue in favor of an amendment that would help get the money out of our political system. You can watch my speech here. I was disappointed that House Republicans blocked the amendment, but will continue fighting to limit corporate influence over our government. Facebook Photo Contest I’m updating my Facebook cover photo—and my next one could be a photo that you took! If you have a great photo that represents the Ninth District and you'd like to have it highlighted on my Facebook page, please email it to me here. I'll post the best photos sent in, and anyone who ""likes"" my page will be able to vote to choose which photo will be my next cover photo. President Obama Seeking Mentors for Young People  It is important that all children can count on caring adults who are engaged in their lives, but too many young people lack this important support. That’s why President Obama is calling on Americans to sign up as long-term mentors to young people through his new “My Brother’s Keeper” initiative. The President is seeking people from all walks of life who want to develop sustained and direct mentoring relationships that will play vital roles in the lives of young people in Memphis and around the country. If you are interested in signing up to help young adults in our city stay on track, you can do so here.  Make Sure to Claim Unclaimed Property The State of Tennessee maintains a searchable database of unclaimed property, which can include bank accounts, stocks and dividends, wages, refunds, insurance payments, gift certificates, credit balances and overpayments, and a number of other things. There is no cost for accessing the database, and you may find that you are owed money or property. If you have not searched the database yet or if you haven’t searched in a while, you can visit https://www.claimittn.gov and see for yourself whether the state is holding any property or assets for you. And you may pass this information along to your friends and family as well! As always, I remain.  Most sincerely, Steve Cohen Member of Congress",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z http://cooper.house.gov//media-center/press-releases/cooper-celebrates-20th-anniversary-of-the-violence-against-women-act,Cooper Celebrates 20th Anniversary of the Violence Against Women Act,2014-09-12,2014,2014-09,Democrat,House,TN,Jim Cooper,C000754,cooper.house.gov,,,legacy,"WASHINGTON – Tomorrow, U.S. Rep. Jim Cooper (TN-5) will celebrate two decades since the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) became law on Sept. 13, 1994. VAWA significantly strengthens the ability of the federal government, states, law enforcement and service providers to combat domestic violence and sexual assault. “I’m a husband and father; I’m sickened that sexual assault and domestic violence exist in 2014,” Rep. Cooper said. “As the NFL has shown, so much work remains. We are failing, and we simply must do better.” In 2012, the Senate passed a VAWA reauthorization bill by a bipartisan vote of 68 to 31. But House Republicans blocked it because it granted protections to immigrant women, LGBT Americans and Native Americans. The Senate passed its strong bipartisan bill again last year. Rep. Cooper co-sponsored VAWA and proudly voted for it when House Republican leadership finally allowed it to pass and be signed by President Obama. Rep. Cooper will continue to work to champion and strengthen this vital, life-saving law.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z http://cohen.house.gov/press-release/cohen-commemorates-13th-anniversary-september-11th-terrorist-attacks,Cohen Commemorates 13th Anniversary of September 11th Terrorist Attacks,2014-09-11,2014,2014-09,Democrat,House,TN,Steve Cohen,C001068,cohen.house.gov,,,legacy,"[WASHINGTON, DC] – Congressman Steve Cohen (TN-09) today issued the following statement on the 13th anniversary of the deadly terrorist attacks of September 11th, 2001: “Recently, I visited the National September 11 Memorial & Museum at Ground Zero in New York City and reflected upon the heroes who ran towards the devastation and into danger. They are all, along with Memphian Gary Lasko and each of the nearly 3,000 innocent victims who died that day, in my thoughts. Today’s 13th anniversary of 9/11 is a day to reflect on the heroism of firefighters, policemen, and first responders from across the nation, thank those who continue to serve and keep us safe, and honor those who died on September 11, 2001.” “Today, as we continue to face and respond to terrorist threats on our soil and around the world, let us remember that the indomitable American spirit lives on—and let us remember that the United States of America and the rest of the civilized world can never be defeated or diminished by extremists seeking to eliminate freedom, democracy, tolerance, and diversity.” Congressman Cohen also commemorated the 13th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks on the Floor of the U.S. House of Representatives. Video of the Congressman’s remarks is available here.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z http://cohen.house.gov/press-release/rep-cohen-statement-president-obama%E2%80%99s-isis-strategy,Rep. Cohen Statement on President Obamas ISIS Strategy,2014-09-11,2014,2014-09,Democrat,House,TN,Steve Cohen,C001068,cohen.house.gov,,,legacy,"[WASHINGTON, DC] – Congressman Steve Cohen (TN-09) today released the following statement on President Barack Obama’s comprehensive strategy for dealing with the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (a.k.a. ISIS) and keeping America safe from terrorism: “As we approach the 13th anniversary of the September 11th attacks, President Obama clearly outlined his comprehensive strategy for dismantling, disabling and destroying the ISIS terrorist group, protecting our homeland, and ensuring the safety of Americans at home and abroad,” said Congressman Cohen. “The recent beheading of two American journalists by ISIS shocked the global conscience, and they are unacceptable. These and many other deplorable and inhumane acts deserve a swift response. If ISIS succeeds in creating its envisioned caliphate, it will pose a threat to freedom, democracy, tolerance, diversity, and the United States of America. I stand with the President in the fight against global terrorism, and I plan on supporting him as he works with a broad international coalition to eliminate ISIS through military, economic, and other means.” Congressman Cohen also spoke on the House Floor earlier today regarding the President’s strategy and commemorating the 13th anniversary of the 9/11 terrorist attacks. His speech can be viewed here.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z http://cohen.house.gov/press-release/cohen-announces-over-14-million-help-memphians-get-health-insurance-coverage,Cohen Announces Over $1.4 Million to Help Memphians Get Health Insurance Coverage,2014-09-10,2014,2014-09,Democrat,House,TN,Steve Cohen,C001068,cohen.house.gov,,,legacy,"[WASHINGTON, DC] – Congressman Steve Cohen (TN-09) today announced that Seedco has been awarded $1,407,172 in new federal funding to continue efforts to provide in-person assistance to Memphis-area residents shopping for and enrolling in health insurance plans through the Affordable Care Act’s insurance marketplace this fall. This funding comes through the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services’ Navigator grant program. “Seedco’s Navigators are an important resource to help Memphis consumers understand their coverage options in the Marketplace,” said Congressman Cohen.  “This funding will help them get more Memphians enrolled in high-quality, affordable health insurance plans and help us achieve the goals of President Obama’s landmark Affordable Care Act.” Seedco received similar funding last year, also through the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, to launch its Navigator program which provides unbiased information to consumers about the Health Insurance Marketplaces, qualified health plans, and public programs such as Medicaid and the Children’s Health Insurance Program. The funding being announced today will help Seedco expand the capacity of its extensive network of more than 400 affiliates, add new organizations and referral sources, and ensure both broad and deep coverage of target communities. Seedco’s Navigators will also be trained on adhering to strict security and privacy standards – including how to safeguard a consumer’s personal information – and will be required to meet these standards. They will be subject to federal criminal penalties for violations of privacy and fraud statutes, on top of any relevant state law penalties. Seedco is a national organization with its Mid-South office based in Memphis that helps low-income households and communities move toward economic prosperity. Citizens interested in learning more about Seedco can visit www.seedco.org/tennesseenavigator or call 901.528.8341.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z http://cohen.house.gov/congress-has-big-do-list,Congress Has a Big To-Do List,2014-09-05,2014,2014-09,Democrat,House,TN,Steve Cohen,C001068,cohen.house.gov,,,legacy,"Dear Friend,   I hope you and your family had a safe, fun, and relaxing Labor Day weekend. I enjoyed introducing the Stax Music Academy Set at Tom Lee Park on Saturday. Keep reading to learn more about what else happened this week. Congress Has a Big To-Do List Helping Eliminate the Memphis Rape Kit Backlog Promoting Memphis Exports Reducing Gang Violence and Gun Crime in Memphis Remembering Steven Sotloff and Fighting Terrorism Facebook Photo Contest President Obama Seeking Mentors for Young People Make Sure to Claim Unclaimed Property Congress Has a Big To-Do List Congress will return to Washington next week with a long to-do list, possibly including a request from the President concerning ISIS, and not a lot of time to get everything done. Despite crises around the world and significant issues to address here at home, House Republican Leadership has indicated that they will use the remaining time to bring up several politically-charged bills that are aimed more at shoring up the extreme right-wing base than at actually solving problems. I hope House Republicans change their tune and come back to Washington to actually address the pressing issues before us. Helping Eliminate the Memphis Rape Kit Backlog On Wednesday, the Commercial Appeal reported that 77% of all the untested rape kits in the state of Tennessee were collected by the Memphis Police department. Something must be done, and that is why I have been working to help police departments cut through their backlog. Untested rape kits prevent law enforcement from apprehending violent criminals, increase the risk of additional crimes, and rob victims of the justice they deserve. I am pleased that earlier this year the House of Representatives passed an amendment that I introduced to provide more federal resources to local law enforcement agencies specifically to address their rape kit backlogs. The Senate Appropriations Committee has also included my $5 million rape kit backlog reduction provision, and I hope the full Senate passes it soon. Absolutely no one should be a victim of sexual assault, and it is a travesty when communities are terrorized simply because evidence that could be used to prevent these crimes sits untested on a shelf somewhere. We know that, if tested, these rape kits could have helped catch perpetrators and prevent additional attacks. We must do more to cut through this backlog—it’s the least we can do to give victims the justice they deserve and it is an imperative if we want to keep our communities safe from predators. Adding federal funding to help cut down the nation’s backlog improves the chances that Memphis will receive the resources it needs to do the same. My provision to provide additional funding to reduce the rape kit backlog is a step in the right direction. Promoting Memphis Exports This week, the U.S. Department of Commerce announced that exports from our state supported more than 156,000 jobs in 2013 and that Memphis was one of just 33 metropolitan areas nationwide to export more than $10 billion in goods last year. With so many jobs and so much of our economy supported by exporting goods, it is important for us to remember just how important the Export-Import Bank is for Memphis. The Bank plays an important role in helping Memphis small businesses, and countless companies around the nation, compete in international markets by helping finance exports of goods and services to international markets. I was pleased to welcome the Bank’s President and CEO, Fred Hochberg, to Memphis recently. While he was here, he described some of the important benefits Memphis derives from the Export-Import Bank. For instance, since 2007 the Bank has supported nearly $134 million in export sales from Memphis businesses, including nearly $17 million this year alone. This underscores why the Bank is so critical to maintain for the Memphis business community and for supporting and creating jobs right here at home. Currently, however, there is a battle in Washington over reauthorization of the Ex-Im Bank’s charter, which is set to expire at the end of the month. Failure to extend the Bank’s charter will mean less security for American exporters and job losses across the nation and possibly here in Memphis too. This is why I cosponsored the Protect American Jobs and Exports Act of 2014, which if passed and signed into law, will reauthorize the charter. While a majority of both Democrats and Republicans understand how important reauthorizing this charter is, several Republican House leaders do not. When Congress returns next week, we will have only 10 legislative days left to take action and pass legislation to protect American exporters and jobs. I will continue to pressure Speaker Boehner to make this issue a priority and hope the charter is reauthorized quickly. Reducing Gang Violence and Gun Crime in Memphis Earlier today, I was pleased to announce nearly $150,000 in federal funding to help make Memphis safer, reduce gun crime, and prevent gang violence. Today’s funding came through the U.S. Department of Justice’s Project Safe Neighborhoods Program, which facilitates collaborative efforts between local, state, and federal law enforcement agencies and other community members to implement initiatives aimed at gang violence and gun crime reduction, prevention and intervention. This funding is in addition to more than $1 million in Department of Justice funding to Memphis-area organizations and municipal governments awarded in recent weeks, including $352,416 for transitional housing programs at Agape Child& Family Services and $838,332 in funding Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant (JAG) Program funding for Shelby County, which will support a broad range of activities and law enforcement initiatives. Remembering Steven Sotloff and Fighting Terrorism This week, the world was once again horrified by video footage of an ISIS terrorist executing an American journalist, Steven Sotloff. The beheading of a second American is further proof that ISIS, with its desire to create an extremist caliphate, is a threat to America and to democracy everywhere. Facebook Photo Contest I’m updating my Facebook cover photo—and my next one could be a photo that you took! If you have a great photo that represents the Ninth District and you'd like to have it highlighted on my Facebook page, please email it to me here. I'll post the best photos sent in, and anyone who ""likes"" my page will be able to vote to choose which photo will be my next cover photo. President Obama Seeking Mentors for Young People  It is important that all children can count on caring adults who are engaged in their lives, but too many young people lack this important support. That’s why President Obama is calling on Americans to sign up as long-term mentors to young people through his new “My Brother’s Keeper” initiative. The President is seeking people from all walks of life who want to develop sustained and direct mentoring relationships that will play vital roles in the lives of young people in Memphis and around the country. If you are interested in signing up to help young adults in our city stay on track, you can do so here. Make Sure to Claim Unclaimed Property The State of Tennessee maintains a searchable database of unclaimed property, which can include bank accounts, stocks and dividends, wages, refunds, insurance payments, gift certificates, credit balances and overpayments, and a number of other things. There is no cost for accessing the database, and you may find that you are owed money or property. If you have not searched the database yet or if you haven’t searched in a while, you can visit https://www.claimittn.gov and see for yourself whether the state is holding any property or assets for you. And you may pass this information along to your friends and family as well! As always, I remain.  Most sincerely, Steve Cohen Member of Congress",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z http://cohen.house.gov/press-release/cohen-announces-gang-and-gun-crime-reduction-funding,Cohen Announces Gang and Gun Crime Reduction Funding,2014-09-05,2014,2014-09,Democrat,House,TN,Steve Cohen,C001068,cohen.house.gov,,,legacy,"[MEMPHIS, TN] – Congressman Steve Cohen (TN-09) today announced $148,885 in federal funding for violent gang and gun violence reduction efforts in Memphis. This funding comes through the U.S. Department of Justice’s (DOJ) Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) Program, which facilitates collaborative efforts between local, state, and federal law enforcement agencies and other community members to implement initiatives aimed at gang violence and gun crime reduction, prevention and intervention. “I am pleased to announce this funding which will help make Memphis safer, reduce gun crime, and prevent gang violence,” said Congressman Cohen. In recent weeks, the DOJ has also awarded more than $1 million in funding to Memphis area organizations and municipal governments, including $352,416 for transitional housing programs at Agape Child & Family Services and $838,332 in funding Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant (JAG) Program funding for Shelby County, which will support a broad range of activities and law enforcement initiatives.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z http://cohen.house.gov/press-release/cohen-responds-latest-isis-video,Cohen Responds to Latest ISIS Video,2014-09-02,2014,2014-09,Democrat,House,TN,Steve Cohen,C001068,cohen.house.gov,,,legacy,"[MEMPHIS, TN] – Congressman Steve Cohen (TN-09) released the following statement upon learning of the video released by the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS) claiming to show an execution of journalist Steven Sotloff: “I was saddened to learn of the latest video purporting to show the execution by ISIS of journalist Steven Sotloff.  If it proves true, the beheading of a second American journalist is further proof that ISIS, with a desire to create a caliphate, is a threat to America and to democracy everywhere.”                             -30-",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z http://cohen.house.gov/president-nomiates-memphian-ron-walter,President nominates Memphian Ron Walter,2014-08-29,2014,2014-08,Democrat,House,TN,Steve Cohen,C001068,cohen.house.gov,,,legacy,"Dear Friend,   This week, I appeared on CNN and MSNBC, attended the ribbon cutting for the Maxine Smith STEAM Academy, and am looking forward to attending WLOK’s Stone Soul Picnic on Saturday.  Keep reading to learn more about what happened this week. WREG President Ron Walter Nominated to Serve on TVA Board Discussing Ferguson, Review of Police Tactics, Race in America and Attacks by the Islamic State on CNN, MSNBC Maxine Smith STEAM Academy Opens Memphis Minority Business Council Economic Development Forum Stone Soul Picnic Facebook Photo ContestPresident Obama Seeking Mentors for Young People Make Sure to Claim Unclaimed Property  WREG President Ron Walter Nominated to Serve on TVA Board Yesterday, President Obama nominated WREG President Ron Walter to serve on the Board of Directors for the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA). I was pleased to recommend Ron Walter to President Obama, as I have known Ron for nearly 40 years and know of no finer citizen of our community. He is diligent in all things and active and loved in the community for his genuine, caring attitude. I know Ron will do an outstanding job and serve the TVA constituency with good judgment and rectitude. If confirmed by the Senate, Walter will fill one of the nine positions on the TVA Board.   Ms. V. Lynn Evans, who I previously recommended to President Obama, is currently serving on the TVA Board. Once Walter is confirmed, I believe it will be the first time that the TVA Board includes two citizens from Shelby County, and it will be the first time that the Board includes two African-Americans.  Discussing Ferguson, Review of Police Tactics, Race in America and attacks by the Islamic State on CNN, MSNBC    On Tuesday, I joined John Berman on CNN’s New Day to discuss several issues ranging from my call for a congressional hearing on excessive force by police to the attacks by the group known as the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS).   Police have a dangerous job, but there are too many deaths of unarmed civilians who have came into contact with police. Lethal force should only be as a last resort after using all other reasonable means of apprehension. That is why, as the Ranking Member of the House Judiciary Subcommittee on the Constitution and Civil Justice, I initiated a letter, co-signed by Ranking Member of the full Judiciary Committee John Conyers of Michigan and Ranking Member of the Subcommittee on Crime Bobby Scott from Virginia, to Judiciary Committee Chairman Bob Goodlatte demanding that he convene a Congressional hearing on recent incidents of local law enforcement using excessive—sometimes deadly—force.   The CNN interview began with a discussion of the attacks by the group called the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS). ISIS is dangerous for the United States and for the world. I support President Obama’s decision to launch air strikes against these terrorists. You can watch the full CNN interview here.    On Sunday, I spoke with Milissa Rehberger on MSNBC about many of the same issues and the prevalence of guns in our culture. You can watch the interview here.   We talked about how poverty, disease, lack of health care in the inner city, unemployment, crime and warehousing people in prison are a miasma of conditions in America that stem from Jim Crow laws and need to be addressed by Congress.  Maxine Smith STEAM Academy Opens    I was honored to speak at the dedication ceremony for the Maxine Smith STEAM Academy. The new middle school will focus on empowering the whole child to learn science, technology and mathematics through engineering and the creative arts.   Maxine was the conscience of the community and always spoke truth to power. She was one of my dearest friends and a personal mentor. We worked together on numerous issues including serving on the committee to determine qualifications for Tennessee Education Lottery scholarships and on the presidential search committee for the University of Memphis which chose the first female president, Dr. Shirley Raines.   Many of Maxine’s family and closest friends were present at the dedication including Judge Russell Sugarmon and his wife Gina.   The mission behind the Maxine Smith STEAM Academy properly reflects its namesake. Maxine was a complete citizen who understood the importance of education. When accepting her National Freedom Award from the National Civil Rights Museum, Maxine said, “Education will determine the food you eat, the job you hold…the greatness you achieve.”  Memphis Minority Business Council Economic Development Forum  On Wednesday, I spoke at the Memphis Minority Business Council (MMBC) Economic Development Forum. The MMBC Economic Development Forum is the largest economic development conference in the Mid-South. Its primary focus is to foster and facilitate opportunities for minority and women-owned business enterprises regionally and nationally.    I was proud to bring Tennessee’s first-ever Minority Business Development Agency Business Center to Memphis, which is helping many minority entrepreneurs in Memphis reach the full potential. I am also pleased by the success of my annual federal procurement fair to Memphis businesses secure federal contracts. I am committed to playing my part to support and empower minority businesses in the Ninth District and to working with MMBC to expand opportunities for minority and women entrepreneurs in Memphis.   Stone Soul Picnic I will be attending the WLOK’s 40th Annual Stone Soul picnic at Tom Lee Park on Saturday where I will introduce the Stax Music Academy set and enjoy listening to some of the great music produced in Memphis. I hope to see you there.  Facebook Photo Contest   I’m updating my Facebook cover photo—and my next one could be a photo that you took! If you have a great photo that represents the Ninth District and you'd like to have it highlighted on my Facebook page, please email it to me here. I'll post the best photos sent in, and anyone who ""likes"" my page will be able to vote to choose which photo will be my next cover photo.  President Obama Seeking Mentors for Young People  It is important that all children can count on caring adults who are engaged in their lives, but too many young people lack this important support. That’s why President Obama is calling on Americans to sign up as long-term mentors to young people through his new “My Brother’s Keeper” initiative. The President is seeking people from all walks of life who want to develop sustained and direct mentoring relationships that will play vital roles in the lives of young people in Memphis and around the country. If you are interested in signing up to help young adults in our city stay on track, you can do so here.  Make Sure to Claim Unclaimed Property The State of Tennessee maintains a searchable database of unclaimed property, which can include bank accounts, stocks and dividends, wages, refunds, insurance payments, gift certificates, credit balances and overpayments, and a number of other things. There is no cost for accessing the database, and you may find that you are owed money or property. If you have not searched the database yet or if you haven’t searched in a while, you can visit https://www.claimittn.gov and see for yourself whether the state is holding any property or assets for you. And you may pass this information along to your friends and family as well! I hope you and your family have a safe and fun Labor Day weekend. As always, I remain.  Most sincerely,    Steve Cohen  Member of Congress",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z http://cohen.house.gov/press-release/president-obama-nominates-wreg-president-ron-walter-tva-board,President Obama nominates WREG President Ron Walter for TVA Board,2014-08-29,2014,2014-08,Democrat,House,TN,Steve Cohen,C001068,cohen.house.gov,,,legacy,"[MEMPHIS, TN] Upon learning of  President Obama’s nomination of Memphian Ronald Walter to the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) Board of Directors, Congressman Cohen said: “I was pleased to recommend Ron Walter to President Obama, as I have known Ron for nearly 40 years and know of no finer citizen of our community. He is diligent in all things and active and loved in the community for his genuine, caring attitude. I know Ron will do an outstanding job and serve the TVA constituency with good judgment and rectitude.” If confirmed by the Senate, Walter will fill one of the nine positions on the TVA Board. Ronald Walter is currently the President and General Manager of WREG-TV, a position he has held since 2004.  Mr. Walter has served in a variety of positions at WREG-TV since 1987.  He was Executive Vice President/Station Manager from 1994 to 2004, concurrently serving as Vice President of Government and Cable Relations for the New York Times Broadcast Group, WREG-TV’s former parent company from 2001 to 2004.  He served as Vice President and Station Manager from 1991 to 1994, Vice President of Government and Public Relations from 1989 to 1990, and Director of Marketing, Production and Client Services from 1987 to 1989.  Mr. Walter was Vice President of Customer Relations for the Memphis Light, Gas and Water Division from 1982 to 1987.  From 1980 to 1982, he served as Assistant to the President at Memphis Light, Gas and Water.  Mr. Walter received a B.A. from Clark University and an M.S.L.S. from Case Western Reserve University. The Tennessee Valley Authority, a corporation owned by the U.S. government, provides electricity for 9 million people in parts of seven southeastern states at prices below the national average. TVA, which receives no taxpayer money and makes no profits, also provides flood control, navigation and land management for the Tennessee River system and assists utilities and state and local governments with economic development. #             #             #",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z http://cooper.house.gov//media-center/press-releases/cooper-statement-on-passing-of-george-barrett,Cooper Statement on Passing of George Barrett,2014-08-27,2014,2014-08,Democrat,House,TN,Jim Cooper,C000754,cooper.house.gov,,,legacy,"WASHINGTON – U.S. Rep. Jim Cooper (TN-05) made the following statement on the passing of attorney George “Citizen” Barrett: “Citizen Barrett was more than a legal giant in our community; he was a compassionate soul. George cared deeply for the poor and downtrodden, and championed their rights in court, in the media, and in his every conversation. He had the Irish zest for life, for the latest news, for persuasive argument, and for justice. No one can replace George Barrett in our community, but we should all try, because he made Nashville and Tennessee a better place to live.”",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z http://cohen.house.gov/stopping-excessive-use-police-force,Stopping the Excessive Use of Police Force,2014-08-22,2014,2014-08,Democrat,House,TN,Steve Cohen,C001068,cohen.house.gov,,,legacy,"Dear Friend, This week, U.S. Secretary of Labor Thomas Perez came to Memphis and visited the Dr. Benjamin L. Hooks Job Corps Center, I announced more than $2 million in federal funds to help support research at the University of Memphis and St. Jude, and I continued my work to stop the excessive use of force by local police departments around the nation. Keep reading to learn more about what happened this week. Secretary of Labor Thomas Perez Visits Memphis Stopping Excessive and Deadly Use of Police Force $2.3 Million in Grants for Memphis Congratulating Some of the “World’s Most Influential Scientific Minds” Facebook Photo Contest President Obama Seeking Mentors for Young People Make Sure to Claim Unclaimed Property Secretary of Labor Thomas Perez Visits Memphis On Wednesday, United States Secretary of Labor Thomas Perez celebrated the 50th anniversary of the Job Corps by visiting the Dr. Benjamin L. Hooks Job Corps Center in Memphis, which is one of the top performers out of all 125 Job Corps centers in the nation. The Job Corps program helps students around the nation learn the skills they need to win and keep good jobs in several sectors of our economy. The Job Corps is an incredibly important job-training program that also can help young people who have dropped out of school earn their diplomas and succeed in the workforce. As Secretary Perez wrote in a Commercial Appeal column this week, “since the [Benjamin Hooks Job Corps] center opened in 1997, nearly 8,000 students have walked through its doors and come out better prepared for a successful career. Their outcomes reflect their determination. In 2013, more than 80 percent of these students were placed in jobs, entered the military or continued their education… We must continue to invest in the education and empowerment of young people to secure a brighter future.” I am pleased that the Secretary visited our city and I agree that we must continue to support this important program. Stopping Excessive and Deadly Use of Police Force As the Ranking Member of the House Judiciary Subcommittee on the Constitution and Civil Justice, last week I joined Ranking Member of the full Judiciary Committee John Conyers of Michigan and Ranking Member of the Subcommittee on Crime Bobby Scott from Virginia in demanding that Judiciary Committee Chairman Bob Goodlatte convene a Congressional hearing on recent incidents of local law enforcement using excessive—sometimes deadly—force and other violations where civil rights have been infringed upon. In our letter to Chairman Goodlatte, we highlighted the troubling events that have transpired in Ferguson, Missouri and those of similar nature that have occurred recently in New York City, Los Angeles, and Houston. Our letter also expresses concern over the extensive militarization of local law enforcement. Last Friday, I joined Michael Eric Dyson on MSNBC’s The Ed Show to discuss our demand for an investigation into these issues, and you can watch our discussion here. I will also be on MSNBC this Sunday to discuss these troubling issues; I hope you’ll tune in just after 11:30AM CT. The use of overwhelming force by police against unarmed citizens requires the urgent attention of Congress. I hope Chairman Goodlatte convenes a Judiciary Committee hearing on this issue as soon as possible. $2.3 Million in Grants for Memphis This week, I was pleased to announce several grants for research projects in Memphis. On Wednesday, I announced almost $1.2 million in federal funds for 3 different projects at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital and yesterday I announced more than $1.1 million in federal funding for four projects at the University of Memphis. More info about the grants to St. Jude can be found here, and more info about the University of Memphis grants can be found here. Congratulating Some of the “World’s Most Influential Scientific Minds” Two researchers at the University of Tennessee Health Science Center in Memphis, Dr. Karen Johnson and Dr. David Nelson, were recently named in Thomson Reuters’ new “World’s Most Influential Scientific Minds of 2014” report. The report, which distinguishes scientists and researchers who have written the greatest number of articles ranking among the top 1% most cited for their subject field and year of publication, is available here. This report reaffirms what we have long known: that the University of Tennessee Health Science Center is home to some of the best researchers and scientists in the world. Doctors Johnson and Nelson should be proud of their impressive work, and I congratulate them both on this significant distinction. Facebook Photo Contest I’m updating my Facebook cover photo—and my next one could be a photo that you took! If you have a great photo that represents the Ninth District and you'd like to have it highlighted on my Facebook page, please click the link below to send it to me. I'll post the best photos sent in an album next week, and anyone who ""likes"" my page will be able to vote to choose which photo will be my next cover photo. President Obama Seeking Mentors for Young People It is important that all children can count on caring adults who are engaged in their lives, but too many young people lack this important support. That’s why President Obama is calling on Americans to sign up as long-term mentors to young people through his new “My Brother’s Keeper” initiative. The President is seeking people from all walks of life who want to develop sustained and direct mentoring relationships that will play vital roles in the lives of young people in Memphis and around the country. If you are interested in signing up to help young adults in our city stay on track, you can do so here. Make Sure to Claim Unclaimed Property The State of Tennessee maintains a searchable database of unclaimed property, which can include bank accounts, stocks and dividends, wages, refunds, insurance payments, gift certificates, credit balances and overpayments, and a number of other things. There is no cost for accessing the database, and you may find that you are owed money or property. If you have not searched the database yet or if you haven’t searched in a while, you can visit https://www.claimittn.gov and see for yourself whether the state is holding any property or assets for you. And you may pass this information along to your friends and family as well! As always, I remain.  Most sincerely, Steve Cohen Member of Congress",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z http://cohen.house.gov/press-release/cohen-announces-more-11-million-university-memphis,Cohen Announces More Than $1.1 Million for the University of Memphis,2014-08-21,2014,2014-08,Democrat,House,TN,Steve Cohen,C001068,cohen.house.gov,,,legacy,"[MEMPHIS, TN] – Congressman Steve Cohen (TN-09) today announced 4 federal grants totaling $1,125,168 in funding for several projects at the University of Memphis. This funding comes through the National Science Foundation (NSF). “I am pleased with this federal investment in the University of Memphis and their talented scholars,” said Congressman Cohen. Today’s announcement includes funding for the following University of Memphis projects: $586,608 in funding for the “Career: Catalytic Production of H2 from Water by Molecular Metal Complexes with Pentadentate Ligands” project $364,864 in funding for the “Collaborative Project: Puzzle-Based Cybersecurity Learning to Enhance Defensive Skills of Front-Line Technicians” project $108,725 in funding for the “Measuring and modeling postseismic deformation processes of Andaman Islands” project $64,971 in funding for the “GOALI: Application of Wave Gradiometry to Exploration Seismology” project",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z http://cohen.house.gov/press-release/cohen-announces-nearly-12-million-st-jude,Cohen Announces Nearly $1.2 Million for St. Jude,2014-08-20,2014,2014-08,Democrat,House,TN,Steve Cohen,C001068,cohen.house.gov,,,legacy,"[MEMPHIS, TN] – Congressman Steve Cohen (TN-09) today announced 3 federal grants totaling $1,187,971 in funding for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. This funding comes through the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and will be used for a variety of programs and research projects. “This funding will be used to continue important work at St. Jude, one of the world’s finest health care institutions,” said Congressman Cohen.  Today’s announcement includes funding for the following St. Jude projects: $445,000 in funding for the “Innate Gut Epithelial Mechanisms of Immunity” project, which aims to identify interacting genetic pathways in humans and their resident bacteria that work to regulate bacterial colonization and its downstream effects on human physiology. $379,851 in funding for the “Kir-Favorable Haploidentical Transplantation In Children” project, which is focused on developing novel bone marrow transplantation for leukemia patients without a matched donor. $363,120 in funding for the “E3-mediated Ubiquitin-like Protein Ligation” project, which aims to gain fundamental understandings of a pathway called the ubiquitin cascade that regulates thousands of human proteins by changing their functions as needed. Defects in the ubiquitin pathway have been associated with numerous human diseases, including developmental disorders, cancers, neurodegeneration and infections.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z http://cohen.house.gov/press-release/cohen-congratulates-uthsc-researchers-being-named-among-%E2%80%9Cworld%E2%80%99s-most-influential,Cohen Congratulates UTHSC Researchers on Being Named Among Worlds Most Influential Scientific Minds,2014-08-18,2014,2014-08,Democrat,House,TN,Steve Cohen,C001068,cohen.house.gov,,,legacy,"[MEMPHIS, TN] – Congressman Steve Cohen (TN-09) today congratulated two researchers from the University of Tennessee Health Science Center in Memphis, Dr. Karen Johnson and Dr. David Nelson, on being named in Thomson Reuters’ new “World’s Most Influential Scientific Minds of 2014” report. The report, which distinguishes scientists and researchers who have written the greatest number of articles ranking among the top 1% most cited for their subject field and year of publication, is available here. “This report reaffirms what we have long known: that the University of Tennessee Health Science Center is home to some of the best researchers and scientists in the world,” said Congressman Cohen. “Doctors Karen Johnson and David Nelson should be proud of their impressive work, and I congratulate them both on this significant distinction.” Karen C. Johnson, MD, MPH, is a professor in the Departments of Preventive Medicine and Medicine in the College of Medicine at UTHSC. Her research focuses on women’s health, obesity, smoking cessation and preventive medicine. David Nelson, PhD, is a professor in the Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Biochemistry in the College of Medicine at UTHSC. His research focuses on the evolutionary genomics of the enzyme Cytochrome P450. A photo of Dr. Karen Johnson is available here, and a photo of Dr. David Nelson is available here.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z http://cohen.house.gov/abc-news-lawmakers-rip-ferguson-police-response-protesters,ABC News - Lawmakers Rip Ferguson Police Response to Protesters,2014-08-15,2014,2014-08,Democrat,House,TN,Steve Cohen,C001068,cohen.house.gov,,,legacy,"Since protests erupted over the death of Michael Brown, the 18-year-old African American man shot to death by a Caucasian police officer in Ferguson, Missouri, police clad in riot gear have unleashed tear gas and smoke bombs to try to control demonstrators. The law enforcement response to the protest has been labeled overly combative, even militaristic – and lawmakers are now concerned that the situation is emblematic of a more pervasive problem. Reps. John Conyers, D-Mich, Bobby Scott, D-Va., and  Steve Cohen, D-Tenn., have officially called for Congressional hearings to examine “the extensive militarization of state and local police.” In a letter to Judiciary Committee Chairman Bob Goodlate, R-Va., they noted: “Mr. Brown’s killing highlights what appears to be a continuing pattern of the use of deadly force by police against unarmed African Americans in cities around the nation.” Hearings could address what the congressmen described as “long-simmering racial tensions between an overwhelmingly white police force and a majority African-American population.” “Why do local police dress in military-style uniforms and body armor…?” they wrote. “At best, confronting demonstrators with this show of force is a sign of poor judgment. In all likelihood, the decision to adopt a military posture only served to aggravate an already tense situation…” Meanwhile, Rep. Hank Johnson, D-Georgia., announced plans to introduce a bill restricting the transfer of surplus equipment from the military to police offices through a controversial Defense Department program. He reportedly calls the bill the “Stop Militarizing Law Enforcement Act.” Some lawmakers have even suggested that police in Ferguson resembled soldiers in war-torn regions abroad, rather than officers tasked with keeping peace. “Instead of being respected as citizens of this nation who have the right to vocally oppose what they believe is mistreatment [protesters] were met with tear gas, rubber bullets, and police equipped as though they are militia in a war zone,” said Congressional Black Caucus Chair Rep. Marcia Fudge, D-Ohio. “What I saw last night reminded me of violent responses to uprisings in countries around the world, not here in my own backyard. We are supposed to be better than that.” Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., and Rep. Justin Amash, R-Mich., joined the chorus: Democrats aren’t the only ones railing against perceived police brutality. Tea Party favorite Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., penned an oped in Time Magazine decrying a “systemic problem with today’s law enforcement:” If I had been told to get out of the street as a teenager, there would have been a distinct possibility that I might have smarted off. But, I wouldn’t have expected to be shot. The outrage in Ferguson is understandable—though there is never an excuse for rioting or looting. There is a legitimate role for the police to keep the peace, but there should be a difference between a police response and a military response. … Washington has incentivized the militarization of local police precincts by using federal dollars to help municipal governments build what are essentially small armies—where police departments compete to acquire military gear that goes far beyond what most of Americans think of as law enforcement. Some lawmakers went further, drawing parallels between the police response to Ferguson protesters and law enforcement treatment of civil rights advocates. “The tragic killing of 18-year-old Michael Brown and the events that have transpired since the shooting in Ferguson are reminiscent of the violent altercations that took place during the Civil Rights Movement. Countless African Americans endured unwarranted hostility and excessive force from law enforcement while exercising their right to peaceful assembly and civil resistance,” said Rep. Conyers, a founding member of the Congressional Black Caucus. “It is a great travesty to find ourselves again witnessing the blatant violation of our right to peaceably assemble.” Still others took to social media to voice their outrage. One lawmaker, however, was more frustrated by the protesters than the law enforcement response. Rep. Steve King, R-Iowa, stirred controversy today when suggested all protesters appeared to be of the same “continental origin.” “This idea of no racial profiling – I’ve seen the video. It looks to me like you don’t need to bother with that particular factor because they all appear of a single origin, I should say, a continental origin might be the way to phrase that,” King said during an interview with Newsmax Friday morning.  ”Their hyper-intensity on that – I just reject race-based politics.” “There was an African American man who sent out a video … that called upon ‘em all to settle down. He said, ‘I’m getting tired of this, I’m tired of you burning our communities, my communities,’ and essentially said, ‘straighten up and fly right.’ I thought that was a good message,” King continued, adding that President Obama “call out to the community to settle down, and I’m not hearing that happen.” (Both the president and Michael Brown’s parents have indeed pled for peace.) Following a national outcry, state troopers have supplanted local police to try to calm the situation.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z http://cohen.house.gov/fighting-our-veterans-and-stopping-excessive-use-police-force,Fighting for our Veterans and Stopping Excessive Use of Police Force,2014-08-15,2014,2014-08,Democrat,House,TN,Steve Cohen,C001068,cohen.house.gov,,,legacy,"Dear Friend, This week, Congressmen John Conyers, Bobby Scott and I demanded a Congressional hearing into the recent uptick in excessive—even deadly—use of force and civil rights violations by local police departments, I welcomed Secretary of Veterans Affairs Robert McDonald to Memphis, and the world lost a comedic and dramatic genius who was also a great friend of St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, Robin Williams. Keep reading to learn more about what I did this week. Fighting for Our Veterans Reducing Veteran Homelessness Stopping Excessive and Deadly Use of Police Force Supporting the Memphis Health Center and All Community Health Centers Promoting Memphis Exports A New Federal Judge for Western Tennessee The Loss of Robin Williams Facebook Photo Contest President Obama Seeking Mentors for Young People Make Sure to Claim Unclaimed Property Fighting for Our Veterans Any delay in providing care to the brave men and women who risked their lives for our safety is unacceptable and they deserve to receive the highest quality of care available. That is why since reports of substandard and delayed care at VA Medical Centers here at home and around the nation arose, one of my top priorities has been to ensure that senior VA leadership visit our city and see firsthand the issues we face here in Memphis. I was glad that Acting Deputy Under Secretary Jan Murphy accepted my invitation in June, and I was very pleased to welcome our new VA Secretary, Robert McDonald, to Memphis during his visit for the AMVETS Convention and to meet with officials and stakeholders at the Memphis VA Medical Center. Secretary McDonald is the right man at the right time, and I hope that his visit to our city signals his department’s improved focus on swiftly and fully addressing the concerns of our veteran community. I am also pleased that President Barack Obama recently signed into law a bipartisan bill to build new VA facilities, hire more doctors, and reduce wait times. The new law will also allow veterans who can’t get timely appointments or who live far away from VA Medical Centers to seek care from private doctors outside of the VA system. This is a step in the right direction and I was pleased to support it. I will continue working to ensure that our veterans receive the care they deserve and were promised. Reducing Veteran Homelessness Our nation’s veterans are heroes who risked their lives for our safety and security, and no one who puts his or her life on the line for our freedom should live at risk of homelessness. On Monday, I announced more than $1.3 million in federal funding for Memphis-area organizations to help prevent local low-income veterans and their families from becoming homeless and to find housing for those that already have. This funding will help our community take an important step towards the goal of eliminating veteran homelessness. Stopping Excessive and Deadly Use of Police Force As the Ranking Member of the House Judiciary Subcommittee on the Constitution and Civil Justice, yesterday I joined Ranking Member of the full Judiciary Committee John Conyers of Michigan and Ranking Member of the Subcommittee on Crime Bobby Scott from Virginia in demanding that Judiciary Committee Chairman Bob Goodlatte convene a Congressional hearing on recent incidents of local law enforcement using excessive—sometimes deadly—force and other violations where civil rights have been infringed upon. In our letter to Chairman Goodlatte, we highlighted the troubling events that have transpired in Ferguson, Missouri and those of similar nature that have occurred recently in New York City, Los Angeles, and Houston. Our letter also expresses concern over the extensive militarization of local law enforcement. I will join Michael Eric Dyson this afternoon at around 4PM on MSNBC’s The Ed Show to discuss our demand for an investigation into these issues, please tune in! The use of overwhelming force by police against unarmed citizens requires the urgent attention of Congress. I hope Chairman Goodlatte convenes a Judiciary Committee hearing as soon as possible. Supporting the Memphis Health Center and All Community Health Centers Community health centers play a critical role around the nation by delivering care to the most vulnerable among us regardless of their ability to pay. Whether in my time in the Tennessee General Assembly or in Congress, I have always been a champion for community health centers, and earlier this week I was honored to receive the 2014 Distinguished Community Health Advocate award from the National Association of Community Health Centers at the Memphis Health Center. The Memphis Health Center provides incredibly important health services and high-quality, affordable care to citizens throughout the Ninth District, and it is currently undergoing an expansion thanks in large part to $4.7 million in federal funds provided by President Obama’s landmark Affordable Care Act. I was pleased to be at the Memphis Health Center on Tuesday as they celebrated reaching the highest level in the construction process, and I look forward to seeing the completed project. When finished, the Memphis Health Center will be better equipped to achieve the goals of the President’s health care reform law and reduce health inequalities and disparities in Shelby County. This week, I also visited Christ Community Health Services, which received nearly $5 million in funding through the Affordable Care Act. I will keep working to ensure that health centers in Memphis and around the nation continue to receive strong support from the federal government. I will also continue to advocate for Medicaid expansion and continue calling on Governor Haslam to act in the best interest of Tennesseans—especially those who benefit the most from the services of organizations like Christ Community and the Memphis Health Center. Promoting Memphis Exports Earlier today, I joined the Greater Memphis Chamber of Commerce to help welcome the Chairman and President of the Export-Import Bank, Fred Hochberg, to Memphis. I introduced Mr. Hochberg to the group and spoke out in support of the Bank, which plays an important role in helping Memphis small businesses, and countless companies around the nation, compete in international markets. By helping finance exports of goods and services to international markets, the Bank has supported roughly $239 billion in exports. While the Bank assists businesses of all sizes, 65 percent of the businesses it supports are small businesses, which employ over 50 percent of the working population and have generated 65 percent of new jobs since 1995. Since 2007, the Bank has supported nearly $134 million in export sales from Memphis businesses, including nearly $17 million this year alone. This underscores why the Bank is so critical to maintain for the Memphis business community and for supporting and creating jobs right here at home. Currently, however, there is a battle in Washington over reauthorization of the Ex-Im Bank’s charter, which is set to expire at the end of next month. Failure to extend the Bank’s charter will mean less security for American exporters and job losses across the nation and possibly here in Memphis too. This is why I cosponsored the Protect American Jobs and Exports Act of 2014, which if passed and signed into law, will reauthorize the charter. While a majority of both Democrats and Republicans understand how important reauthorizing this charter is, several Republican House leaders do not. When Congress returns in September, we will have only 10 legislative days out of the entire month to take action and pass legislation to protect American exporters and jobs. I will continue to pressure Speaker Boehner to make this issue a priority and hope the charter is reauthorized quickly. A New Federal Judge for Western Tennessee Today, our new U.S. District Court Judge Sheryl H. Lipman had her official “investiture” ceremony, where I gave remarks as her status as a federal judge was formally conferred. When she was serving as Chief of Staff to University of Memphis Interim President R. Brad Martin, I recommended her to President Obama to fill this vacancy on the bench after I convened a diverse and bipartisan screening committee to conduct interviews of nine potential candidates for the position. I am extremely pleased that President Obama accepted my recommendation and nominated Sheryl Lipman to be our new U.S. Federal District Judge and that the U.S. Senate confirmed her overwhelmingly. She has a wealth of life and professional experience, which attracted diverse, bipartisan, and biracial support. She was the overwhelming choice of the panel which helped me make my recommendation. I know she will make an outstanding judge who puts fairness and justice into every ounce of her work. The Loss of Robin Williams Robin Williams was a comedic and dramatic genius. I was a great fan of his as were so many. He was a great humanitarian, a great friend of St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, and he often visited Midtown to spend time with his brother who teaches physics at Christian Brothers High School. He will be greatly missed. I keep a magnet from one of his shows on my desk and the photo at the beginning of this newsletter on my Capitol Hill office wall. The photo of the two of us was taken in Memphis at a St. Jude fundraiser. Facebook Photo Contest I’m updating my Facebook cover photo—and my next one could be a photo that you took! If you have a great photo that represents the Ninth District and you'd like to have it highlighted on my Facebook page, please click the link below to send it to me. I'll post the best photos sent in an album next week, and anyone who ""likes"" my page will be able to vote to choose which photo will be my next cover photo. President Obama Seeking Mentors for Young People It is important that all children can count on caring adults who are engaged in their lives, but too many young people lack this important support. That’s why President Obama is calling on Americans to sign up as long-term mentors to young people through his new “My Brother’s Keeper” initiative. The President is seeking people from all walks of life who want to develop sustained and direct mentoring relationships that will play vital roles in the lives of young people in Memphis and around the country. If you are interested in signing up to help young adults in our city stay on track, you can do so here. Make Sure to Claim Unclaimed Property The State of Tennessee maintains a searchable database of unclaimed property, which can include bank accounts, stocks and dividends, wages, refunds, insurance payments, gift certificates, credit balances and overpayments, and a number of other things. There is no cost for accessing the database, and you may find that you are owed money or property. If you have not searched the database yet or if you haven’t searched in a while, you can visit https://www.claimittn.gov and see for yourself whether the state is holding any property or assets for you. And you may pass this information along to your friends and family as well! As always, I remain.  Most sincerely, Steve Cohen Member of Congress",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z http://cohen.house.gov/memphis-flyer-cohen-demands-hearing-use-force-ferguson-law-enforcement,Memphis Flyer - Cohen Demands Hearing on Use of Force by Ferguson Law Enforcement,2014-08-15,2014,2014-08,Democrat,House,TN,Steve Cohen,C001068,cohen.house.gov,,,legacy,"Memphis Rep. Steve Cohen has signed on to a letter issued Thursday demanding a hearing on the use of force by local law enforcement officials during the protests in Ferguson, Mo. Cohen, and Reps. John Conyers and Robert Scott issued the letter to Rep. Bob Goodlatte, chairman of the House Judiciary Committee, after Ferguson police broke up a protest Wednesday night with ""brutal force: confronting demonstrators in riot gear and armored vehicles, arresting journalists, and firing tear gas and rubber bullets into the crowd."" Riots have calmed in Ferguson since Wednesday's show of force. Security of the protest has been handed over to state police who shed the riot gear and walked with protestors. Still, Cohen and the others want an investigation into the previous events ""as soon as possible."" ""These incidents raise concerns that local law enforcement is out of control and, instead of protecting the safety and civil liberties of the residents of Ferguson, is employing tactics that violate the rights of the citizens and hinder the ability to of the press to report on their actions,"" the letter reads. ""This situation requires immediate congressional scrutiny."" The Congressmen also want to discuss ""what appears to be a pattern of the use of deadly force by police against unarmed African Americans in cities around the nation."" Also, the Congressmen want to look at the arrest of two journalists - Wesley Lowery of The Washington Post and Ryan J. Reilly of The Huffington Post. Finally, Cohen and the others said they want address the ""extensive militarization of state and local police."" ""In Ferguson, why do local police dress in military-style uniforms and body armor, carry short-barreled 5.56-mm rifles based on the M4 carbine, and patrol neighborhoods in massive armored vehicles?"" the letter reads. ""In all likelihood, the decision to adopt a military posture only served to aggravate an already tense situation and to commit the police to a military response.""",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z http://cohen.house.gov/commercial-appeal-cohen-calls-house-hearing-police-use-force-missouri,Commercial Appeal - Cohen calls for House hearing into police use of force in Missouri,2014-08-14,2014,2014-08,Democrat,House,TN,Steve Cohen,C001068,cohen.house.gov,,,legacy,"WASHINGTON - U.S. Rep. Steve Cohen and two other Congress members called Thursday for a congressional hearing into reports of police misuse of force in Ferguson, Mo. Cohen and the other lawmakers sent a letter to Rep. Bob Goodlatte, R-Va., chairman of the House Judiciary Committee, asking for the panel to hold hearings into the police shooting of an unarmed black teenager in the St. Louis suburb and the response to the protests in the aftermath of the killing. The letter cited reports that police have confronted demonstrators in riot gear and armored vehicles, arrested journalists covering the protests, and fired tear gas and rubber bullets into the crowd. “These incidents raise concerns that local law enforcement is out of control and, instead of protecting the safety and civil liberties of the residents of Ferguson, is employing tactics that violate the rights of citizens and hinder the ability of the press to report on their actions,” the letter said. Besides Cohen, the letter was signed by Rep. John Conyers of Michigan, the top-ranking Democrat on the Judiciary Committee, and Rep. Robert Scott, D-Va.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z http://cohen.house.gov/press-release/cohen-speak-investiture-newly-confirmed-federal-judge-sheryl-lipman,Cohen to Speak at Investiture of Newly-Confirmed Federal Judge Sheryl Lipman,2014-08-14,2014,2014-08,Democrat,House,TN,Steve Cohen,C001068,cohen.house.gov,,,legacy,"[MEMPHIS, TN] – Congressman Steve Cohen (TN-09) will give remarks tomorrow afternoon at the investiture ceremony of new U.S. District Court Judge Sheryl H. Lipman, where Judge Lipman’s status as federal judge will be formally conferred. Congressman Cohen recommended Judge Lipman, who was serving as Chief of Staff to University of Memphis Interim President R. Brad Martin at the time, to President Obama to fill a vacancy on the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Tennessee after the Congressman convened a diverse and bipartisan screening committee to conduct interviews of nine potential candidates for the position. Judge Lipman was later confirmed by the U.S. Senate with an overwhelming 95-0 vote. “I am extremely pleased that President Obama accepted my recommendation and nominated Sheryl Lipman to be our new U.S. Federal District Judge,” said Congressman Cohen. “She has a wealth of life and professional experience, which attracted diverse, bipartisan, and biracial support. She was the overwhelming choice of the panel which helped me make my recommendation. I know she will make an outstanding judge who puts fairness and justice into every ounce of her work.” Prior to Judge Lipman’s Senate confirmation, Congressman Cohen spoke on the floor of the United States House of Representatives in support of her confirmation. Footage of the Congressman’s speech is available here. Before recommending Judge Lipman to the President, Congressman Cohen interviewed all nine candidates for this judicial vacancy with his bipartisan committee of thirteen local attorneys. This screening panel was not only unique in its distinguished composition, but in its diversity as well. It included attorneys from the Memphis Bar Association, the Women’s Bar Association, the Federal Public Defender’s office in Memphis, and other prominent local attorneys. Sheri Lipman was the screening committee’s clear choice, receiving nine first place votes, and the Congressman promptly recommended her to President Obama to fill this vacancy. Judge Lipman has been an attorney since 1987 and has a wealth of legal experience. After attending the University of Michigan for her undergraduate degree, Judge Lipman received her J.D. from the New York University School of Law. She first clerked for the Honorable Julia S. Gibbons, who now sits on the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals, when Judge Gibbons was a District Court Judge. Judge Lipman was an attorney at the Wyatt, Tarrant & Combs law office in Memphis for more than 4 years before practicing at the venerable Burch, Porter and Johnson law firm from 1997 to 1999. She also served as Vice President of Comprehensive Services at the Memphis Race Relations & Diversity Institute from 1996 to 1997. For nearly 14 years, she worked at the University of Memphis—first as Senior Attorney, then serving as University Counsel for more than a decade before being named Chief of Staff to Interim President R. Brad Martin.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z