Steve Cohen

Upon election to the U.S. House of Representatives in 2006, Congressman Cohen immediately distinguished himself on the Hill for his thoughtful legislation and quick wit. He also quickly earned a reputation as a champion of civil rights and justice on the highly influential Judiciary Committee, with then-Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi referring to him as the “conscience of the freshman class” in 2008. That same year, he was instrumental in passing the first-of-its-kind House resolution apologizing for the enslavement and racial segregation of African Americans.

Congressman Cohen has remained a steadfast leader on issues of importance to the people of the 9th District, working closely with former President Barack Obama and leading the policy debate on issues like infant mortality, universal health care, the economy, crime and criminal rehabilitation, veterans issues, transportation and infrastructure, and of course, education. His persistence and hard work has paid off with a $30 million Choice Neighborhood grant to redevelop and revitalize Foote Homes and surrounding areas, a  $15 million TIGER grant to create jobs and fund the Main Street to Main Street Connector Project to make major improvements to the Main Street corridor as well as connect to West Memphis with the Big River Crossing pedestrian and bike trail along the Harahan Bridge, an additional $9 million in the federal budget and a $2 million dollar federal grant to the city of Memphis to help reduce the backlog of untested sexual assault kits that could catch predators and prevent crime, and many other projects and policies. Congressman Cohen also lead the effort in Congress for the state of Tennessee to receive a guarantee disproportionate share hospital (DSH) allotment totaling more than $530 million over the next 10 years to help the state’s hospitals and community health centers recoup expenses incurred caring for those who cannot afford to pay.

In November of 2015, Congressman Cohen was named a member of the Highway Bill Conference Committee where he worked with his colleagues from the House and Senate to craft the first bipartisan, long-term surface transportation bill in a decade to improve our nation’s infrastructure. In May 2016, Congressman Cohen was named a member of the Opioids Package Conference Committee where he worked to address the opioids crisis in the United States. In January of 2017, House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi appointed Congressman Cohen to serve on the powerful House Democratic Steering and Policy Committee to set the Democratic policy agenda and nominate Democratic Members for committee assignments. In February 2017, Leader Pelosi appointed Congressman Cohen to serve on the House Ethics Committee.