Two Republican members of the Tennessee Congressional Delegation both voted ‘No’ on foreign aid packages for Ukraine and Israel on Saturday.
Read the full storyTag: Steve Cohen
FEMA to Provide over $28 Million to Rebuild Tennessee Schools Following Last Year’s Tornadoes
The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) will provide almost $12 million to the Tipton County Board of Education to rebuild Crestview Elementary School, U.S. Representative Steve Cohen (D-TN-09) announced Tuesday.
Cohen represents Tennessee’s 9th Congressional District, which covers approximately half of Tipton County.
Read the full storyTennessee Congressional Delegation Sends Letter to President Biden Urging Approval of Disaster Declaration Following Deadly Tornadoes
All 11 members of the Tennessee congressional delegation sent a letter to President Joe Biden requesting the “swift approval” of Governor Bill Lee’s request for a major disaster declaration due to severe storms that devastated communities across Middle Tennessee over the weekend.
On December 9, severe thunderstorms and tornadoes ripped through Middle Tennessee. The storms caused six fatalities and dozens of injuries, produced significant damage to nearly 1,900 homes, and destroyed over 500 homes, according to initial reports.
Read the full storyMemphis ‘Voices for Palestine’ Demands Democrat Rep. Steve Cohen Call for a Ceasefire Between Israeli and Hamas Forces
Memphis Voices for Palestine will hold a rally on Wednesday as part of an effort demanding Tennessee U.S. Representative Steve Cohen (D-TN-09) call for a ceasefire between Israeli and Hamas forces as well as vote against any legislation funding or arming Israel.
Read the full storyTennessee U.S. Reps. React to Screening of Bodycam Videos by Hamas of October 7 Terrorist Attack on Israel
Tennessee U.S. Representatives Tim Burchett (R-TN-02) and Steve Cohen (D-TN-09) took to social media in reaction to footage of Hamas’ October 7 attack on Israel.
Read the full storyTennessee Congressional Members Respond to SCOTUS Ruling on Biden Administration’s Student Loan Forgiveness Program
Several Tennessee U.S. lawmakers reacted in social media statements Friday to the U.S. Supreme Court’s 6-3 decision to strike down the Biden administration’s proposal to unilaterally cancel hundreds of billions in student loan debt.
Read the full storyTennessee U.S. Reps. Burchett, Cohen Introduce the Safe Aviation Flight Enhancement Act
Tennessee U.S. Representatives Tim Burchett (R-TN-02) and Steve Cohen (D-TN-09) have introduced the Safe Aviation Flight Enhancement (SAFE) Act in the U.S. House of Representatives.
Read the full storyTennessee Lawmakers React to President Biden’s State of the Union Address
Following President Joe Biden’s second State of the Union address Tuesday night, a number of Tennessee lawmakers issued statements and thoughts in response to the president’s speech.
Read the full storyTennessee U.S. Reps. Burchett, Cohen Reintroduce the Tennessee Valley Authority Transparency Act
Tennessee U.S. Representatives Tim Burchett (R-TN-02) and Steve Cohen (D-TN-09) reintroduced a bipartisan bill in the House of Representatives that would require the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) to work to ensure its decision-making process is publicly available.
Read the full storyTennessee’s U.S. Congressional Delegation Sworn into 118th Congress
All nine representatives serving Tennessee were sworn into the 118th Congress following the chamber’s vote for house speaker.
Read the full storyU.S. Representative Steve Cohen Votes to Advance Anti-Second Amendment Legislation
U.S. Representative Steve Cohen (D-TN-9) voted to advance legislation banning “assault weapons.” He touted his vote during House Judiciary Committee debate last week.
Cohen, a senior member of the Judiciary Committee, voted on July 20 to advance an “assault weapons ban” to the full House of Representatives.
Read the full storyMemphis Democrat U.S. Representative Steve Cohen Says Inflation ‘Not Joe Biden’s Fault’
Memphis Democrat U.S. Representative Steve Cohen (D-TN-9) said that inflation was “not Joe Biden’s fault.”
“In Europe, gas prices have risen even higher than here and inflation is running at 8-10 percent. Inflation is a worldwide problem. It is not Joe Biden’s fault but we are doing what we can,” he said in a tweet.
Read the full storyRepresentative Steve Cohen Continues Anti-Second Amendment Tirade
Democrat U.S. Representative Steve Cohen (D-TN-09) continued his anti-Second Amendment tirade late Thursday.
In his second set of comments on Thursday, Cohen said in part, “Regardless if we give the Republicans a long time to think about bills and lots of notice, or very little notice, they vote the same way. They vote no.”
Read the full storyTennessee Democrat U.S. Representative Steve Cohen: ‘We Need to Ban Assault Weapons’
U.S. Representative Steve Cohen (D-TN-9) is pushing for an “assault weapons ban” and says he is working with fellow Democrats to pass one.
Cohen’s office issued a press statement on Thursday, discussing how he is urging his colleagues to advance the Protect Our Kids Act and also advocated a ban on “assault weapons.”
Read the full storyAll Tennessee GOP Representatives Receive A+ Rating from the Pro-Life Susan B. Anthony List
On Wednesday, the national pro-life group Susan B. Anthony List released the latest ratings for its National Pro-Life Scorecard. According to the organization, the national scorecard is “a tool for holding members of Congress accountable for their legislative records on abortion and highlighting leadership in the fight to protect unborn children and their mothers.”
Read the full storyHouse Select Committee on Redistricting Releases Proposed Congressional Maps
The Tennessee State House Select Committee on Redistricting met on Wednesday, releasing the new plan for Congressional redistricting. The plan includes the proposed new maps, which are listed on the committee website.
Tennessee’s current delegation to the U.S. House of Representatives has a partisan breakdown of seven Republicans and two Democrats. Democrat Congressman Jim Cooper’s 5th Congressional District and Democrat Congressman Steve Cohen’s 9th Congressional District currently center on Nashville and Memphis, respectively.
Read the full storyTennessee Rep. Steve Cohen Says Donald Trump Had ‘The Most Disgusting Presidency in the History of This Country’
U.S. Representative Steve Cohen (D-TN-09) said on the floor of the House this month that former U.S. President Donald Trump had “the most disgusting presidency in the history of this country.” Cohen said this as he declared he had voted for the Protecting Our Democracy Act. He said the bill, if enacted into law, would prevent presidential abuses of power, and it would also protect elections from foreign interference. The bill would also require Congressional oversight when the president grants self-pardons or pardons family members, administration officials, or paid campaign staffers.
Read the full storyMemphis International Airport Gets More Than $17 Million in Taxpayer Money Through Infrastructure, Investment and Jobs Act
Memphis International Airport (MEM) will receive nearly $17.3 million in federal funding through the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act that President Joe Biden signed into law last month. Representative Steve Cohen (D-TN-09) announced the news late last week.
Read the full storyTennessee Rep. Steve Cohen Says Mississippi Shouldn’t Write its Own Abortion Laws Because it Was Once a Confederate State
U.S. Representative Steve Cohen (D-TN-09) this week said states that want to enact pro-life policies, including Mississippi, are on the same level morally as states that legalized slavery more than 160 years ago. Cohen made his remarks on the floor of the U.S. House. He referred to Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization, a case that recently went before the U.S. Supreme Court. The pending case pertains to the constitutionality of a Mississippi law that banned abortions after the first 15 weeks of pregnancy.
Read the full storyTennessee U.S. Rep. Steve Cohen Wants Joe Biden to Clamp Down on Private Prisons
Representative Steve Cohen (D-TN-09) this month said that the Bureau of Prisons and the U.S. Marshals Service continue to use privately-operated detention facilities, and he wants President Joe Biden to put a stop to it. In a letter, Cohen said private prison companies have discovered ways to circumvent an executive order that Biden signed in January. That order directed the attorney general not to renew contracts with privately-operated criminal facilities.
Read the full storyU.S. Rep. Steve Cohen of Memphis Says Law-Abiding Citizens with Guns Don’t Deter Criminals
U.S. Representative Steve Cohen (D-TN-09) said at a House Judiciary hearing last week that good people with firearms do not stop bad people with firearms. “Show me a case in Memphis where a good man or woman with a gun protected and stopped the use of a weapon. That canard doesn’t occur. That dog won’t hunt. It doesn’t happen. You talk about people losing their Second Amendment rights through these procedures,” Cohen said, referring to various states’ red flag laws.
Read the full storyU.S. Rep. Steve Cohen of Memphis Asks Joe Biden to Review Gas Pipeline Permits Nationwide
U.S. Representative Steve Cohen (D-TN-09) this week said he wants more federal oversight of the oil industry and asked that U.S. President Joe Biden review the use of gas pipeline permits nationwide. Cohen announced the news via email to his constituents this week. He said Memphis residents who recently stopped the construction of the Byhalia Pipeline through southwest Memphis have forced people to think more about environmental justice issues.
Read the full storyTennessee U.S. Rep. Steve Cohen Says Donald Trump Could Return to the White House
U.S. Representative Steve Cohen (D-TN-09) this week criticized progressives in Congress and said that their actions on the federal infrastructure bill could send former U.S. President Donald Trump back to the White House in 2024. Cohen made his remarks on CNN.
Read the full storySenator Marsha Blackburn Hits Back After Congressman Cohen Pens Letter to President Biden
On Thursday in a letter to President Joe Biden, Tennessee Congressman Steve Cohen (D-TN-09) suggested there needs to be more incentive to get vaccinated instead of prioritizing unvaccinated people for monoclonal antibody treatment.
Read the full storyTennessee U.S. Rep. Steve Cohen Wants the Federal Government to Fix Childhood Obesity
U.S. Representative Steve Cohen (D-TN-09) on Tuesday paired up with U.S. Senator Cory Booker (D-NJ) to file companion bills that would, if enacted into law, create a government program to combat childhood obesity. “The Reducing Obesity in Youth Act would create a grant program to assist in the development of healthier early care and education environments to improve healthy eating and physical activity among children from birth through 5 years of age,” according to a press release that members of Cohen’s staff published on the congressman’s website this week.
Read the full storyAmericans for Prosperity-Tennessee’s Grant Henry Talks Steve Cohen’s Texas Abortion Law Comments and the Lawsuit of Dr. Michelle Fiscus
Tuesday morning on the Tennessee Star Report, host Michael Patrick Leahy welcomed AMF’s Grant Henry to the studio to weigh in on Steve Cohen’s recent comments regarding Texas abortion law and the continuation of Dr. Michelle Fiscus’s lawsuit.
Read the full storyTennessee U.S. Rep. Steve Cohen Demands U.S. Supreme Court Justice Retire
U.S. Representative Steve Cohen (D-TN-09) has politicized the U.S. Supreme Court, calling for the court to make one radical change and also for one justice to resign before a Republican president can replace him. Cohen was angry about the U.S. Supreme Court not blocking a Texas law restricting abortion access from going into effect.
Read the full storyU.S. Rep. Steve Cohen Announces More Taxpayer-Funded Goodies for Memphis
U.S. Rep. Steve Cohen (D-TN-09) this week voted for a seven-bill “minibus” that he said increases spending for several government social programs. The bill increases spending for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC), and other school nutrition programs. Cohen said in a press release that the money also increases spending on the Small Business Administration, consumer protection agencies, veterans affairs and veterans medical services.
Read the full storyTennessee U.S. Rep. Steve Cohen Demands Equity Programs in All State Departments of Education
U.S. Rep. Steve Cohen (D-TN-09) this week introduced a bill that he said will increase diversity in Advanced Placement (AP) and Gifted and Talented Elementary (GT) classes. In a press release, Cohen also said his bill would use Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) funding to create equity offices in state departments of education to increase diversity in AP and GT programs.
Read the full storyU.S. Rep. Steve Cohen Wants Independent Commissions to Handle Reapportionment
U.S. Rep. Steve Cohen (D-TN-09) who chairs the Judiciary Subcommittee on the Constitution, Civil Rights, and Civil Liberties, has introduced a measure that would change how states handle redistricting. Cohen announced this in a press release late last week.
Read the full storyTennessee U.S. Rep. Steve Cohen Wants Byhalia Connection Pipeline Through Memphis Put on Hold
U.S. Rep. Steve Cohen (D-TN-09) wants the nationwide permit for the proposed Byhalia Connection Pipeline rescinded, and this week he took the matter up with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. Cohen told the U.S. House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure that the pipeline endangers his constituents in Memphis.
Read the full storySteve Cohen Says Slave Reparations Legislation Moving Forward in Congress
U.S. Rep. Steve Cohen (D-TN-09) said the U.S. House Judiciary Committee is sending legislation to the floor of the U.S. House that would, if enacted into law, create a commission to study slave reparations for African-Americans. Cohen said this bill, H.R. 40, would create a commission to study the following:
Read the full storyU.S. Rep. Jim Cooper Supports Statehood for Washington, D.C.
U.S. Rep. Jim Cooper (D-TN-05) told his constituents in an emailed newsletter this week that he favors statehood for Washington, D.C. “The House Oversight and Reform Committee passed a bill on Wednesday that would make Washington, DC the 51st state,” according to Cooper’s newsletter.
Read the full storyRepresentative Cohen’s Resolution to Abolish Electoral College Moves Slowly Through House
Representative Steve Cohen’s (D-TN-09) initiative to abolish the electoral college hasn’t progressed much since it was introduced back in January. The last action on the resolution occurred early last month, when it was referred to the House Judiciary Subcommittee on Constitution, Civil Rights, and Civil Liberties. No dates are listed to consider the resolution, though Cohen is the subcommittee chairman.
Other members of that committee are Vice Chair Deborah Ross (D-NC-02), Jamie Raskin (D-MD-08), Henry “Hank” Johnson (D-GA-04), Sylvia Garcia (D-TX-29), Cori Bush (D-MO-01), Sheila Jackson Lee (D-TX-18), Mike Johnson (R-LA-04), Tom McClintock (D-CA-04), Chip Roy (D-TX-21), Michelle Fischbach (D-MN-07), and Burgess Owens (D-UT-04).
Read the full storyGovernor Lee Refutes Representative Cohen Claims on Shorted Distribution of COVID Vaccines
In a letter to Memphis Mayor Strickland, Governor Bill Lee refuted recent claims that the COVID-19 vaccines weren’t distributed equally to Shelby County.
“[I]t has been reported that Shelby County has not received an equitable share of vaccine doses relative to other counties across the state. However – and I want to be clear and unmistakable about this – any such claims are incorrect,” stated Lee.
Read the full storyUniversity of Memphis to Raise Minimum Wage to $15 by June
The University of Memphis (UofM) will raise its minimum wage from $13 to $15 an hour, starting June 5.
In a copy of the email obtained by The Tennessee Star, university faculty and staff were informed by President Dr. David Rudd on Tuesday that the raise was a culmination of adjustments done over the past year. Rudd shared that some of they’d implemented a hiring freeze, reduction in operational costs, and forms of attrition.
Read the full storyU.S. Rep. Steve Cohen Admits He Hates Donald Trump, Says President ‘Threatened My Life’
U.S. Rep. Steve Cohen (D-TN-09) this weekend confirmed what he said a lot of people already suspected about him. Cohen said, yes, he hates Donald Trump.
Read the full storyU.S. Rep. Steve Cohen Says Donald Trump is the Reason Why He Had to Travel with People Not Wearing COVID-19 Masks
U.S. Rep. Steve Cohen (D-TN-09) pouted on Twitter that he had to travel alongside people who didn’t wear COVID-19 masks, all of whom he assumed were Donald Trump voters — although Cohen didn’t provide evidence to prove it. Cohen tweeted this information Sunday.
Read the full storyTennessee’s Representatives Split on Party Lines for $2K CASH Act: Republicans Vote No, Both Democrats Vote Yes
The U.S. House passed the Caring for Americans with Supplemental Cash (CASH Act) last evening; Tennessee’s representatives faced a partisan split on the bill. The act tacks on $1,400 to the $600 payments within the massive year-end package signed by President Trump on Sunday.
The CASH Act passed in the House with a majority of 275 to 134, and 21 abstained from voting. One of the representatives who abstained their vote was Representative David (Phil) Roe (R-TN-01). Of all House Republicans, 44 voted for the act, and 130 voted against it.
Read the full storyU.S. Rep. Steve Cohen of Memphis Divided and Degraded Americans During 116th Congress
U.S. Rep. Steve Cohen (D-TN-09) on Thursday released a video bragging about his time in the 116th Congress, although the video didn’t mention his more outlandish, offensive, or insensitive displays of behavior during that time. The video, which Cohen’s staff uploaded to the congressman’s Facebook page, shows him pushing to impeach U.S. President Donald Trump and pledging to address the death of George Floyd. Later, the video reports that Cohen delivered nearly $387 million in federal taxpayer money to his district, which includes Memphis.
Read the full storyTennessee’s Congress Members Rushed to Issue Same-Day Vote on the 5600 Page Stimulus Bill
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi scheduled a vote Monday evening for a hefty bill dropped on Congress earlier that same day. The spending bill totals nearly 5,600 pages.
The bill was unavailable prior to this afternoon, a delay reportedly caused by “computer glitch[es].” In addition to the $900 billion in pandemic stimulus spending, the bill includes $1.4 trillion for other expenditures.
Read the full storyTennessee’s Congressional Delegation Members Say Whether They Support Donald Trump’s Call For A Fair Election
Most members of Tennessee’s Congressional delegation support U.S. President Donald Trump and his call for a fair and transparent election.
Trump, a Republican, said he believes voter fraud put his opponent Joe Biden, a Democrat, over the top in certain battleground states after a close election.
But U.S. Rep. Jim Cooper (D-TN-05) said in a newsletter to his constituents Sunday that Trump’s statements are false and baseless.
Read the full storyTennessee’s Democratic Representatives Cohen and Cooper Fear-Monger Voters Ahead of Election Day
Representatives Steve Cohen (D-TN-09) and Jim Cooper (D-TN-05) tweeted that voters should be fearful heading into Election Day. Both representatives issued their remarks on the day before the election.
The tweets from Cohen and Cooper reflect one of two messages: encouraging individuals to submit their votes and questioning the integrity of the election. The day before Election Day, Cohen suggested that the election’s aftermath should be feared.
Read the full storyRep. Steve Cohen of Memphis Complains the Electoral College Hurts America
U.S. Rep. Steve Cohen (D-TN-09) complained this week about the U.S. Electoral College, one week before next week’s presidential election.
Cohen, on Twitter, said the Electoral College causes low voter turnout and called to abolish it.
Read the full storyRepublican Charlotte Bergmann Wants U.S. Rep. Steve Cohen’s Job
Republican Charlotte Bergmann wants to unseat U.S. Rep. Steve Cohen (D-TN-09) in this year’s election.
Bergmann, according to her Facebook page, is scheduled to speak at the Shelby County Republican Party’s Outreach meeting at 6 p.m. Central Monday at its headquarters at 750 North Germantown Parkway in Memphis.
Read the full storyRep. Steve Cohen Endorses Tweet That Insults Sen. Tim Scott
U.S. Rep. Steve Cohen (D-TN-09) has reportedly deleted a tweet he wrote that prompted another person to say U.S. Sen. Tim Scott (R-SC) “might as well be” white.
And Cohen endorsed that other person’s comment by pressing the like button.
Read the full storySteve Cohen Wants the Feds to Send More Benefits to Memphis
U.S. Rep. Steve Cohen (D-TN-09) wants federal officials to continue sending $600 a week to unemployed people.
Cohen also wants more people in Memphis to fill out their 2020 Census forms — so that city residents can continue to qualify for the same amount of government benefits they’re already getting.
Read the full storyRep. Steve Cohen Tries to Blame Jeffery Epstein Death on AG William Barr
U.S. Rep. Steve Cohen (D-TN-09) on Tuesday held U.S. Attorney General William Barr accountable for the death of Jeffrey Epstein.
Cohen accused Barr of neglect in Epstein’s death at a House Judiciary Committee hearing.
Read the full storyTop-Level Democrat Party Member Says Marsha Blackburn Is ‘Inbred Racist Trash’
One of the Democratic Party’s top grassroots organizers, who once worked for Hillary Clinton, this week took to Twitter and described U.S. Sen. Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) as “inbred racist trash.”
That man, Adam Parkhomenko, of McLean, VA. then told Blackburn to “f*** off.”
Read the full storyCohen Calls Trump a ‘Sociopath’ After Commuting Roger Stone’s Sentence
Rep. Steve Cohen (D-TN-09) called President Donald Trump a “textbook narcissist and sociopath” after he commuted the prison sentence of Roger Stone Friday night.
Stone had been sentenced in February to three years and four months in prison for lying to Congress, witness tampering and obstructing the House investigation into whether the Trump campaign colluded with Russia to win the 2016 election. He was set to report to prison by Tuesday.
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